A. J. Nuest, author of Jezebel's Wish

Thanks to Emma Lai for hosting me on her blog today. It’s a real treat to be here, Emma!


(A.J. will be giving away a copy to one person who leaves a comment. So don't forget to say 'hi'.)

How are your story ideas born? God gives them to me. I know this might sound kinda wacky, but it’s the only way I can describe where they come from. I guess I’ve just been blessed with an over-active imagination. I don’t generally get my ideas from newspapers or the media, although I must admit, each time I hear a bizarre story it reconfirms that life is truly stranger than fiction, and that maybe the scene I just wrote wasn’t such a far stretch after all. What I can tell you is each time I craft a story I challenge myself to work in a new way. Either I write from a different perspective or try out a genre I haven’t written before, maybe I make the chapters flip through time or create a character way outside my own personality. To me, the joy of writing is heightened each time master a new style, one I never realized I had the ability to write.

How many works in progress do you have? Right now, just one – an “inspirational with romantic elements” I am desperately trying to finish. I like working on several things at once, whether writing or anything else for that matter. I’m a little OCD, a little ADHD, and for some bizarre reason, having a lot of projects at once keeps me focused. Lately though, with the release of Jezebel’s Wish, another manuscript under consideration at WRP, and an editor waiting for pages on my inspy, I haven’t had time to start anything new. I currently have three stories vying for space in my head, so need to get my inspy finished and off to the publisher before I can get started on those. Things are getting a little crowded in there…  

What is your writing process? Sit down at the keyboard and pound out the chapter. Great process, right? But if I think about the scene too much or overanalyze what I’m trying to accomplish, I don’t get any work done. During the first pass I concentrate on action, scenery and language. Then I go back, revise, edit and insert emotional elements. When the chapter is done, I let it marinate for a day or two, replay the scenes in my head, tweak certain areas, work on flow and consistency throughout, making sure it fits in with the rest of the story, and then I do a final read through. I generally read each chapter 5-7 times before anyone else sees it.

What writing mechanic challenges you? Moving time. I HATE moving time. I labor over it, trying to keep the action and interest high while at the same time propelling the story forward. I’d much rather just write the good stuff, but then I’d have all these scene with no connecting fiber. I’m getting better at moving time, but I doubt it will ever be easy for me.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process? Finding out who my characters are. I start with an idea, and depending how long the story has been floating around in my head, usually have a good sense of who my characters are. But without fail, once I put the words to paper, things change. The characters take on lives of their own and sometimes just don’t want to listen to me. It’s really quite fascinating, and without a doubt this is the one thing that continues to draw me back to the computer.

What’s your least favorite part of the writing process? I don’t have one. I love it all. Even when I grumble and moan, shake my fists in the air and stomp around the house, I’m doing what I love. I don’t think any author would torture themselves with writing unless they truly loved the craft.  

How long did it take to write your latest release? Jezebel’s Wish was written in about two months, but at the time, I really didn’t know what I was doing. The story got accepted because of its emotional element, but technically, my poor editor had her work cut out for her. Looking back, I’m kinda surprised she took the story when it was so raw. But because she did, I learned a lot while going through the editing process. She truly made me a better writer.   

Do you have a favorite line or scene from your story? From Jezebel’s Wish I would pick the moment when Jezzy wakes from a nightmare, and goes outside to find the night sky filled with the Aura Borealis. I love that scene. The juxtaposed horror of what’s she living against the beauty of the sky brings her torment into sharp focus, and to have that play out visually really heightened the scene for me.

Thanks so much for hosting me, Emma!

Jezebel’s Wish Blurb:

Haunted by nightmares, tormented by guilt, Jezebel came to Redemption Ranch to escape the past—except now she's stuck in the middle of nowhere with no redemption in sight. When her mother pushes her into riding lessons with local veterinarian Matthias Saunders, Jezebel balks. Sure, the doctor is gorgeous, but he’s completely obnoxious and knows how to push every one of her buttons.

Only her deep connection with The Reverend, a gentle stallion who guards her darkest secrets, has her agreeing to spend any more time with Dr. Saunders. Caring for the stallion is the first bright spot in her life in months, and if being around the horse means she has to deal with Matthias Saunders, then so be it. Surely a city girl like her can handle one country vet—even one with disturbing blue eyes. Can't she?

Jezebel’s Wish Excerpt:

Jezzy stopped. “I thought I was having a riding lesson.”

“You are.” He nodded toward the empty paddock. “Go in.”

“Go in?” Jezzy propped a hand on her hip. “You sure you know what you’re doing? Because it was my understanding that an actual horse is needed for a riding lesson.”

“Don’t you think it would be wise at this juncture to leave the understanding up to the professionals?”

Jezzy rolled her eyes. “You’re making this way too easy. Professionals? Please. Don’t get me started.”

“Why not? Getting you started is exactly what I’m here for.”

Jezzy’s jaw dropped. She didn’t quite know how to interpret that remark.

He held out the rope. “Now go in. And take this lead line with you.” Steely blue determination glinted in his eyes. There was no way he was going to give in.

Jezzy snatched the lead line from his hand and stormed through the gate, then turned when he closed it behind her.

He put a foot on the bottom railing and rested against the gate, facing the horizon. “Take the chair to the center of the paddock and sit down.”

“And just exactly how is that supposed to teach me to ride?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “You want out of the deal?”

Jezzy’s fist clenched tight around the lead line. What she wanted was to march back to the fence and smack his face.

Jezebel’s Wish Buy Link:

The Wild Rose Press...http://tinyurl.com/446f7r3

Amazon.com...http://tinyurl.com/3b89ogb

AJ Nuest lives in northwest Indiana with her loving husband and two beautiful children. She is the author of two contemporary romance novels.

Visit her on the web at:

http://ajbooks.blogspot.com

http://www.twitter.com/ajnuest

Email:  ajnuest@yahoo.com

Facebook: Tattered Pages

M. Kate Quinn, author of Moonlight and Violet

How are your story ideas born?

I usually get an idea about a character and then it expands to what that character’s situation is, who she is, where she lives.

How many works in progress do you have?

Right now I’m about to juggle three projects in that my romance comedy, “Moonlight and Violet” will release April 22^nd from The Wild Rose Press and I am working on promotional venues for that book.  I am editing my next book in “The Perennials” series and working on a fourth book, the first of a new series.

What is your writing process?

I begin with a rudimentary outline that deviates as the story fleshes out.  I do background sketches on my main characters and prominent secondary characters.  I flesh out the details of my book’s setting and do any necessary research.  My best advice I can give to an aspiring author is to keep what I refer to is a “bible” for each book.  In it I keep track of all the details and throughout the writing process it is a constant reference.

What writing mechanic challenges you?

My greatest challenge is the synopsis, which is a condensed telling of an entire book in five pages or less.  I struggle with keeping it succinct yet covering the pertinent plot points.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process?
I have a few faves.  But, my ultimate favorite, I’d say, is the final polishing.  It’s like building a house and getting to the stage where you can concentrate on the toss pillows and candles.

What’s your least favorite part of the writing process?

Least favorite is that dreaded synopsis.  It’s a necessary evil.

How long did it take to write your latest release?

“Moonlight and Violet” took me about seven months to complete and submit to my editor.  Then there are three rounds of edits with the publishing house, so about ten all in all.

Do you have a favorite line or scene from your story?

In “Moonlight and Violet” I have a few favorite scenes.  One that comes to mind is the scene where Violet acquiesces to her mother, allowing Mom to teach her how to make Italian meatballs and tomato sauce.  Might as well be brain surgery.


Moonlight and Violet Blurb:
At forty-four Violet Terhune is an Italian mother’s nightmare.  She can’t cook and she’s still single.  Younger sister Penny, the apple of their mother’s eye, asks Violet to be her maid of honor and she can’t refuse even though the week-long wedding fest takes place at The Pines, the Vermont lodge where the Terhune family had spent their summers during the girls’ childhoods.  The Pines is now run by Logan Monroe, the former owner’s son who shattered Violet’s heart years ago and thanks to Penny’s finding Violet’s girlhood diary, she is bombarded by the effects of love lost.  Logan Monroe has a long-kept secret and its revelation unleashes the desires he’s fought to deny.  There in the piney forest truths, regrets, and fears collide with matters of the heart, differences meld with the loyalty of family and the courage of choice reveals its path in a beam of moonlight.

Lynne Roberts, author of Creative License and Hooking Up

How are your story ideas born? It starts, usually, with a character or a situation. Although sometimes that’s inspired by something I see or hear. It’s like my brain plays the ‘what-if’ game without my direct influence. Once the situation or character is ‘real’ in my head, I bounce ideas around until I hit on one that resonates with me. At that point, the rest is details. ; )

How many works in progress do you have? Lets see… 2, if you don’t count the scores of sketched out scenes and plots or characters that belong somewhere but won’t leave me alone. And that’s just for my penname… I have more under my ‘real’ name.

What is your writing process? Hmmm. I guess I kinda answer that in the first question. Once I get the idea, I start writing. I know. I know. I should plot more first. But most of the plotting has been taken care of in the ‘what-if’ process that occurs before I touch the keyboard. Once I get the rough draft done, I sit down and craft the story. This is where I take care of any inconsistencies, check for motivation, character, etc. When I’m done, I call it the first draft and send it to a critique partner. Once I get it back, I start fine-tuning until it becomes so much more than it was in the rough draft.

What writing mechanic challenges you? There are some elements of grammar that stump me! Burst or bust? Lay or lie? The other day, I found myself over thinking passed or past. Yup.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process? Telling the story. I love creating characters that become so real to me, I cry at the ending.


What’s your least favorite part of the writing process? Do I have to have one? I mean…the stress of copy-edits isn’t fun, but it’s also thrilling, challenging and hey, it’s a part in the publishing process. I’m well aware I’m lucky to have even gotten this far.

How long did it take to write your latest release? That’s a good question. Probably, the rough draft took me 3 or 4 weeks. However, that was back in 2009. I had a family tragedy in late 2009 that, while it didn’t keep me from writing, editing and polishing manuscripts, sure as heck slowed me way down. I’m trying now for a come back. : )

Do you have a favorite line or scene from your story?

In Creative License, almost any line Caleb mutters is by turns my favorite. I love that man! Here’s one I just picked at random. He’s trying to convince her they can sleep together without having sex.

He moved like a cat, all lean muscle and effortless grace. “I promise. I won’t touch you unless you ask me to.” A half smile played on his mouth.

“Don’t get your hopes up.”

“That’s not generally what you elevate, baby.”

In Hooking Up, Trisha is out at a bar alone, for the first time ever, expressly to pick up a man. She’s feeling a little nervous and wishing there were pretzels or peanuts so she’s have something to do with her hands. She thinks she wouldn’t eat them anyway because of germs then gets mad at herself because she’s still playing it safe. Here’s what follows:

God damn it, Trisha. Knock it off! No more negative thoughts. Tonight wasn’t about logic. Tonight was about impulses and feeling. She was tired of being safe, taking the predictable road. It was time to step out of her comfort zone and do something different, something daring. She looked down the counter again, wishing there were pretzels just so she could eat one. That’s it, girl, live on the edge.

Her sense of wry humor is a bit like mine.

Creative License blurb:

Loose ends have a way of tripping you up…

Years ago, a law school graduation weekend in Vegas had been part of Lily MacPherson’s plan. Waking up next to a naked Adonis with a ring on her finger was not. After a quick annulment, she relegated Caleb Anderson to her late-night fantasies—and very short list of mistakes—until his voice on the other end of the phone asks a favor that could shake the foundations of her neat and tidy future.

Caleb is still haunted by Lily’s horrified expression that morning in Vegas. At least it had made it easy to set her free…except they aren’t. The papers were never filed. And when the nosy patroness who could launch his painting career insists on meeting his “wife”, does he confess, or call Lily? He calls Lily.

When she steps off the plane, Caleb’s determination to play tour guide disappears in the San Francisco fog. Lily thought she could keep up the pretense for one weekend, cut the last tie to her past, and move on. But their chemistry still pops and sizzles, finally exploding into passion at Caleb’s studio.

It’s everything they remember…but so is the yawning chasm of differences that, in the end, could once again drive them apart.

Creative License buy link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/creative-license-p-6257.html.

Win Copy of Twice is Not Enough

Stop by Marie Tuhart's Escape to an Erotic Fantasy and let me know your favorite plot to be entered to win an electronic copy of Twice is Not Enough.

After several disastrous engagements, Lady Minerva Peters is an expert at suppressing her own needs. Only in the darkness of night does she give in to her wanton desires with a fantasy lover.

In the middle of a crowded ballroom, she learns her father is not yet ready to let her fade into spinsterhood. Humiliated, she ducks into a dark alcove only to find out she's not alone. Her hiding spot is occupied by a captivating stranger. Before she can escape, the two become voyeurs to another couple’s sexual rendezvous. The atmosphere heats up and so does her body, especially with the tempting offers whispered in her ear.

Will Minerva deny her needs once again or will she embrace the anonymity of their seclusion and finally explore her basic impulses and the startling attraction to the compelling mystery man?


Buy now.

Judy Nickles, author of The Showboat Affair

How are your story ideas born?

Most often the ideas spring from something I see, usually while traveling. When I visited Branson, Missouri, several years ago, I took a dinner cruise on ‘The Branson Belle’ and viewed the magnificent Chateau on the Lake Resort from a distance. Those visuals were the basis of The Showboat Affair. Other times, I remember something I’ve turned up in the course of some genealogical research (the proverbial skeleton in the closet!), and the wheels start spinning.

How many works in progress do you have?

Too many! I do NaNoWriMo every year and end up with 50K very bad words which need rewriting and revising, so there is one of those left to do. Then there’s a romantic suspense based around an old plantation home in Mississippi. Finally, I have a 6-book cozy mystery series in the works with one book completed and the second nearly so. And all those don’t count the World War II romance set in my hometown which I’ve submitted, hoping for a contract. (Or the looming edits of a novel with Champagne Books.)

What is your writing process?

I generally sketch the bare bones, then decide what kind of research I need to do in order to get started. Once I have something to put on the bones, I start writing.

What writing mechanic challenges you?

How to end a chapter at a point where the reader must go on to the next!

What’s your favorite part of the writing process?
The research. It’s fascinating—and also time-consuming if I let it take me down paths I really don’t need to go for a particular story.

What’s your least favorite part of the writing process?

The first revision. I generally revise three or four times before sending out the story—and the first time around, I’m horrified at how badly written the first draft is! The galleys run a close second, because once they’ve been sent, I lie awake nights wondering what I missed!

How long did it take to write your latest release?

It took about a year for The Showboat Affair to get to a point where I considered submitting it. Lots of rewriting, lots of changes—hopefully, all for the better.

Do you have a favorite line or scene from your story?

I spent the night on the sofa…but if I’d spent it in your mother’s bed, it would have been her business, not yours! (Nick Cameron to Jean Kingston’s grown daughter.)

Blurb for The Showboat Affair

Despite over thirty years in a faithless marriage to wealthy investment broker

Rand Kingston, Jean is  shocked when he asks for a divorce. Encouraged by

her former housekeeper-turned-best-friend, she determines to rediscover herself

as an independent woman and move on with her life. Nick Cameron, prominent

attorney and long-time widower, would like to figure in her plans. The opposition

of their adult children surprises them. Then, a series of chilling near misses makes

 them wonder who really is determined to keep them apart—and why.

Excerpt from The Showboat Affair

            Jean, still wearing her gown and robe, mixed the batter for waffles while Nick washed up in the guest bath and used one of her disposable razors and leg cream to shave. “I used my finger as a toothbrush,” he said, cozying up behind her to kiss her neck.

            She shivered. “Not before breakfast.”

            “And not after dinner either, apparently.” He laughed.

            “You’re skating a thin line.” But she laughed, too.

            He put up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I need coffee.”

            “It’s ready, and the waffle iron is hot, so you’ll have breakfast in a minute.”

            The peal of the doorbell startled both of them. “This could look bad,” Nick said.

            “Not if it’s Selina. Maybe it’s her. She went to look at some of those ice cream parlor tables I was telling you about last week.” Jean eyed him critically. “Button your shirt.”

            “It’s pretty rumpled.”

            “Button it anyway.” She brushed past him on her way to the door. “Maybe you should disappear.”

            “Are you serious?”

            Jean sighed. “No.” At the front door, she peered through the viewer and let out her breath in dismay. Juliana stood there, her jaw set, looking primed for battle. Jean unlocked the door and opened it. “What brings you here so early, Juliana?”

            “I had some errands over this way. Aren’t you going to ask me in?”

            Jean stepped back. “Yes, of course. Come in. I have a guest.”

            Juliana’s eyebrows met her hairline. “A guest? I am interfering with your sleeping arrangements then.”

            Jean made a quick decision not to defend herself. “Come in the kitchen. I’m making waffles.”

            Nick rose hastily as the women walked in.

            “You must be Nick Cameron,” Juliana snapped.

            “Guilty.”

            “My mother’s lover.”

            “Juliana!” Jean felt the blood drain from her face. “How dare you!”

            Nick’s eyes flashed, but his voice was courtroom courteous. “I spent the night on the sofa.”

            “Of course, you did.”

            His mouth twitched. “But if I’d spent it in your mother’s bed, it would have been her business, not yours.”

Author bio

Judy Nickles is a retired teacher who has spun stories since she could hold a #2 pencil. In elementary school, when storms threatened, the teacher would send her up to the front to tell a tale, taking the other children’s minds off the weather.  After retiring four years ago, she got serious about getting published. The result was three novels with The Wild Rose Press: Where Is Papa’s Shining Star?, Finding Papa’s Shining Star, and The Showboat Affair (as Gwyneth Greer). Champagne Books just contracted The Face on Miss Fanny’s Wall, a historical romantic suspense, for release in 2012. In addition to writing, Judy enjoys traveling, doing genealogical research, and spending time with her granddaughters, Hanna and Aubrey.

W. Lynn Chantelle and Her Path to Future Publication

How are your story ideas born?

My ideas are born from conversations with people, snippets of overheard chatter. People are such fascinating creatures, with all sorts of secrets and hidden desires. And some have pretty interesting occupations too.  My husband’s former occupation as an executive chauffeur has provided me with tidbits I’ve incorporate into a few of my plots.

How many works in progress do you have?

Goodness, do I really have to stop and count them? :-)  I believe I have seven works in progress. That’s a scary thought and waaaaaaay too many people running around in my head.

What is your writing process?

I like to start with a few short paragraphs that gives a glimpse of the characters and what they may face. From there, I get to know my characters, flesh out their likes and dislikes, their descriptions, the types of vehicles they drive. Even birthdays and schools they attended. I thought this was crazy and stopped doing it for awhile. Then I realized my characterizations suffered. And the more books and workshops I attended, I realized my method wasn’t so crazy after all. I guess all that brainstorming in English class paid off and stuck.

What writing mechanic challenges you?

Wow! Apparently it’s not just one I have a few. Point-of-view would be one. I emulated many of my favorite authors, who do the dreaded “head-hopping.” Show-and-tell would be another.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

My favorite part of the process are the ideas. There are so many new and exciting ways to interpret the tried and true plots of secret babies, marriages-of-convenience, and wealthy powerful men. I probably read too many Harlequin novels growing up. :-)



What’s your least favorite part of the writing process?

The least favorite part would have to be editing. I’m striving to write a manuscript that’s perfect...the first time. :-) I figure if Rex Stout could do it, so can I.

How long did it take to write your latest submission?

My latest submission is a full length (around 74K words) and it seems like it took forever to write. It think it may have taken a little over a year to complete the manuscript.

Do you have a favorite line or scene from your story?

Favorite line from ‘Seducing His Wife,’ 

“I’m a damsel in distress. You could be a gentleman and check my fuses.”

Jennifer Ann Coffeen, author of Priceless Deception and Lover's Gamble

How are your story ideas born?

An image or character usually pops into my head. For Priceless Deception I had this image of a woman digging beneath castle ruins for treasure. That led me to create the story around the French Blue diamond. Lover’s Gamble was all about Sophie. She burst into my head one day and started chatting.

How many works in progress do you have?

Too many! I am currently finishing the galley’s on my full length novel Priceless Deception, also due out this year from The Wild Rose Press. In addition, I’m working on a three part series of novella’s that will all take place around a certain scandalous Masquerade ball. And, of course, I’m always typing away on my second novel.

What is your writing process?

I have more than one. The process I strive for is to carve out a specific chunk of writing time and a daily goal. Then sit down at my desk until the goal is met. Unfortunately, there are days when life gets in the way, so my second process is to grab any little second to write. I carry a pen and paper with my everywhere. Anytime I get five minutes I’m scribbling away, I’ve written several good scenes that way.

What writing mechanic challenges you?

I am working on improving my plots, specifically organizing the story better from the beginning. Many times the story gets too large and I tend to look at it more as separate scenes instead of a completed work.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

Definitely fleshing out the ideas. I free-write my first drafts, either typing or just writing the old fashioned way. I love creating new characters, letting them talk and play with no restrictions. It’s really fun as anything is possible!

What’s your least favorite part of the writing process?

Rewriting. For me, the second draft is always the killer. I have all these words, characters, and ideas and now I have to make the story come together line by line. I do enjoy this part of the writing, but it can be very tedious work.

How long did it take to write your latest release?

I wrote Lover’s Gamble over the summer of 2010, I think the entire story took about 2-3 months. My full length novel Priceless Deception took about 3-4 years.

Do you have a favorite line or scene from your story?

“Er—very close, Miss Hartlend, very close indeed. I do believe you are getting better. Now, this time, do try to remember the object of the game is not to go over twenty-one.” I love this line, it’s the beginning of a really fun scene where we see poor Sophie get in way over her head. 

Visiting at Micole's

I'm at Micole Black's blog today...http://micolewritesromance.blogspot.com/.

Stop by and say 'hi' if you have a moment.

Toni Anderson, author of Her Sanctuary

Thanks for having me, Emma J

How are your story ideas born?

Toni: Through a series of ‘what if’ ideas. Some news item or TV show will prick my thought processes and I’ll start to think about what I’d do in certain situations, and what I’d do if, say, I was single, or rich, or didn’t have kids, or if I was brave J. And then the idea tends to get a life of its own and takes off. The ideas tend to percolate in my subconscious for a long time before I’m actually ready to write.

How many works in progress do you have?

Toni: Oh, wow, tough question. It depends what you call a WIP really. I have the sequel to HER SANCTUARY sitting on my hard drive and two other books that I wrote with Harlequin in mind that I’m sure I could revise but don’t have time. And I have 2 full manuscripts in the submission process with different publishers so I guess they are WIPs until they’re sold, and I am polishing some partials (5 partials to be exact) and then there’s my real WIP which is a half-written story about a snow leopard biologist in Afghanistan.

What is your writing process?

Toni: I’m a plotter. I start off writing longhand trying to figure out the ‘what-ifs’ and then I start filling out Goal, Motivation, Conflict, boxes to work out what’s going on inside the character’s heads. I might dive into a first chapter to see if the characters are talking to me (they can be flat on the page and then just dazzle me when they walk on-screen. And I use the ‘Discovering Story Magic’ template to work out the mayor turning points of the story. After that I try to plot the whole book in broad terms chapter by chapter. When I have a good idea of who my people are and what they want and what’s in their way, I can begin to really dig into the story. So my planning stages take awhile. I tend to edit as I go so I find myself a frustratingly slow writer.

What writing mechanic challenges you?

Toni: Varying my sentence structure and making the prose flow smoothly. I don’t know if it’s because I’m British or just slow, but it always takes a few runs through to get the manuscript to ‘sound’ how I want it.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

Toni: I love to edit J.

What’s your least favorite part of the writing process?

Toni: I struggle to get the first draft down.

How long did it take to write your latest release?

Toni: My latest (STORM WARNING from Carina Press) release took about 6 months to write and 6 months to edit (but spread out over a few years lol). HER SANCTUARY was my first manuscript and is published by The Wild Rose Press. It took me 5 years to write and this is where I cut my teeth on both the publishing industry and the writing process.

Do you have a favorite line or scene from your story?

Toni: My favorite scene is at the beginning of the story when the heroine goes for her first horseback ride with the hero and it starts to snow—she’s frozen and miserable. I love cowboy stories and I love horses so this scene captured everything for me. Although it isn’t particularly romantic it is the moment when they start to connect. Here’s a short excerpt:

Shivers started, wracked her body. She curled up as tight as she could over the pommel and tucked her hands under her armpits in an effort to maintain warmth. Huddling into her jacket, she tried to imagine a desert island where the sun was hot enough to feel the UV burn.

Time drifted.

She wrenched her head up as the grind of the gate warned her Nat was back. He looked at her from beneath the rim of his snow-covered cowboy hat.

“Everything okay?” His blue eyes assessed her and seemed to find her wanting.

Elizabeth straightened her spine. Felt each vertebrae realign.

“Fine,” she lied.

Nat snorted. One side of his mouth kicked up into a wry smile and Elizabeth realized he knew exactly how ‘okay’ she was feeling.

The sonofabitch was waiting for her to crack. Her eyes narrowed into twin beads of wrath.

Nat leaned over the horn of his ornately carved saddle, his voice soft and warm. “Just one more field to check—”

“What?” The word cannonballed out of her mouth before she could stop it.

He laughed and she watched open-mouthed as he tried to hide it, to turn it into a cough behind his leather-clad fist.

“Sorry, just kidding, couldn’t resist.” His mouth turned rueful, blue eyes softened. “You look colder than an ice-cube in the Arctic. You should have said something—I’d have taken you home.”

Angry heat spiked through her system and Elizabeth didn’t know whether to hit him or thank him.

“We’re heading back. Got about a ten minute ride back to the ranch house from here.”

“What?” Elizabeth repeated, stupidly.

“Ten minute ride,” he said. Looking at her closely, not missing a thing. “Think you can make it?”

Elizabeth nodded. She didn’t trust herself to speak. Sometimes she thought if she opened her mouth and started talking, she wouldn’t be able to stop until all the blackness and bitterness spilled out like tar. She kicked-on the horse after Nat, who already led the way.

Ten minutes. She just had to survive another ten minutes. Morven brushed past a branch that whipped back and dumped its load of snow straight into her lap.

Damn.

Frantically she brushed at the snow, stood up in the stirrups, holding onto the raised pommel. She did not want a frozen crotch.

Next thing she knew she lay flat on her back on the ground, looking up at the snowflakes that drifted out of the gray sky. Great white dots that got bigger and bigger, brighter and whiter as they got closer.

For a blessed moment she could hear nothing, feel nothing, taste nothing.

Then her head reeled and white pain exploded inside her brain. Iron flooded her mouth. Her eyes were blinded and dazzled. She wanted to retch, but she couldn’t move.

She’d ridden straight into the branch of a huge cedar. Her vision cleared slowly, dot by dot. She watched suspended from reality as Nat turned back towards her, a look of resigned panic on his face. His mouth moved, but she couldn’t make out what he said over the ringing in her ears.

He bent over her, gently kneading her limbs. His lips moved soundlessly as she waited for the fear to overtake her, to strangle reason and paralyze her with dread. She couldn’t explain the cheated feeling that seeped through her when it didn’t happen.

“Can you hear me?” He squatted on one knee beside her. No longer touching, but carefully watching.

Probably wondering why the hell she hadn’t moved.

S**t.

She held herself very still while she regained her equilibrium. Found herself staring into eyes so blue they looked like you could dive right in.

“I’m okay,” she managed. Her voice came out croaky, like some geriatric smoker. She forced herself up onto her elbows and her stomach recoiled.

Nat leaned back on his haunches and gave her a slow look she couldn’t decipher.

“You ever been anything but okay, Miss Reed?”

Too observant. Too perceptive. Elizabeth swallowed and nodded once, briefly. Tears burned her eyes, but she forced them away. She couldn’t afford to be weak now, couldn’t cope with sympathy. She’d made mistakes and she dealt with them the only way she knew how.

Alone.

HER SANCTUARY available in ebook and paperback from The Wild Rose Press.

Thanks so much for having me, Emma J

Toni is a former Marine Biologist whose first Romantic Suspense novel, HER SANCTUARY, was released in 2009.  She writes about her life and travels on her blog, facebook and twitter.   
Readers can find release information on her website, or sign up for her (very) occasional newsletter and also see release and review information on Toni Anderson's books Facebook Fan Page.

Tuesday Teaser - Going with Gravity by Cate Masters

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

You know it's going to be a wonderfully written story when at the top of page 3 you read:

"In her three years of marital mayhem, Michelle developed a taste for partying with the richest people on the planet. With no way to rein her in, Allison could only follow behind with a literary brush and metaphorical dustpan." ~ pg. 3, Going with Gravity by Cate Masters


Below is my review posted at Goodreads.

World famous surfer and entrepreneur Wes Hamilton is on his way home to Hawaii to visit his sick mother when he spies Allison in the airport and arranges to sit next to her on the plane. Publicist Allison Morris is on her way to Hawaii to do yet more damage control for client Michelle McCarter when the plane suffers an almost catastrophic failure.

As the pilots deal with the emergency, Wes checks on Allison, who happened to be refreshing herself in the facilities. Allison seizes the moment to do what she never has time for in her normal life, explore her own wants and desires.

When the plane diverts to land, the couple takes the chance presented by the unexpected detour to further explore their attraction. However, papparazi turn their private moments into a public affair and Allison's boss goes ballistic. 

Going into damage control mode, Allison must minimize negative publicity while coming to terms with her lack of personal life and decide what's more important, work or play.

Cate Masters packs a lot of action, emotion and romance onto 57 pages. A wonderful writing style paints vivid images for the reader and encourages faster and faster page flipping until before you know it the wild ride is over and your left wanting to read another one of her stories.