Special Guest Mia Fox

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Alert the Media

SERIES – Hollywood Hotties

AUTHOR – Mia Fox

GENRE – chick lit/social satire

PUBLICATION DATE – already published

LENGTH (Pages/# Words) - 225

PUBLISHER – Evatopia Press

COVER ARTIST – Eden Crane

BOOK SYNOPSIS

When you’re an entertainment publicist, there’s no better cure for a broken heart than to Alert the Media...

April and Ryan Monahan are the perfect Hollywood couple. He’s a handsome actor on the rise; she’s a high-powered entertainment publicist. Her job becomes more demanding, however, when Ryan announces he is gay and wants a divorce.

Believing that her persuasive power over the press will give Ryan the publicity he craves, April launches a swift media campaign to make him realize that he can’t live without her. But Ryan has decided that he likes the dating scene and April’s boss insists that she keep him happy as his account is important to the firm.

To her dismay, April is forced to protect her firm’s bottom line by maintaining Ryan’s status as a Hollywood heartthrob while enduring her own heartbreak. As she picks up the pieces of her destroyed marriage, April is determined to compete with Ryan for power, publicity, and true love -- even when her imagination takes her from the board room to the bedroom.

To save her sanity, her corner office, and her two dogs from becoming caught up in an ugly custody battle, April constructs a plan to use her media savvy skills to her advantage.

BUY & TBR LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE US – AMAZON KINDLE CA – AMAZON KINDLE UK – 

AMAZON PAPERBACK – BARNES & NOBLES NOOK – BARNES & NOBLES PAPERBACK – 

SMASHWORDS – GOODREADS 

EXCERPT 

            I didn’t flinch when I read my husband’s Facebook profile and learned Orlando Bloom is his all time fav actor. After all, Ryan is an actor and Orlando Bloom has a good body of work. I even remained calm when Ryan wrote about that body, citing Orlando’s hotness in pirate wear. Okay, maybe this was a warning sign, but one could argue that Ryan appreciates how costume design impacts a film.

            Sure, there were other signs...all ignored. In fact, it wasn’t until I found his porn stash, with not so much as one breast in the mix, that I realized my rationalizations ceased to be rational. If only I had discovered Ryan in bed with a leggy blonde, even two, I could have managed. His revelation, on the other hand, gave me reason to doubt the existence of a higher being.

            “April, we need to talk,” he said gravely.

            Talk. When people mention four-letter words that one rarely comes to mind, but in my experience it’s just as toxic as the others. Case in point was this particular morning when Ryan sat me down in front of a steamy cappuccino and an obscenely large sticky bun. I regarded the bun with suspicion. I was a week shy of PMS and therefore not in need of carbs, and yet, here I was faced with a definite sign that some serious buttering up, apologizing, or pleading would occur. He obviously assumed (correctly) that artificial support would be needed.

            “April, my life, actually...our lives, are about to change,” he continued once I had taken a healthy bite.

            “You’re auditioning for a movie? Oh my gosh, I knew this day would come,” I said hopefully, if not a bit naively. What can you expect from a girl voted “Most Gullible” of her high school graduating class?

            Ryan treaded lightly, “Honey, it’s something different. Call it a change of heart, but I’ve decided that I’m gay.”

            “Gay? As in happy?”

            “No, not exactly, at least not yet. Here, have some more,” he said pinching off a piece of the bun and popping it into my mouth that now hung open.

            I swallowed hard. “How is this possible? We just had sex last night?”

            “Yeah, I wanted to be sure. You gotta admit, we sure gave it the ol’ college try.”

            “I’d say. We did it twice!”

            “Just wanted to be 100%. April, sweetie, don’t blame yourself. Listen, we’ll talk later. I’m going to be late.”

            After delivering this verbal right hook, Ryan apologized for the “bad news” and left to start his day.

AUTHOR BIO

Mia Fox is a Los Angeles-based novelist who writes across varied genres including Young Adult/New Adult Paranormal Romance, Steampunk, and Chick Lit. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from U.S.C.

Before writing full time, she worked as an entertainment publicist, a career she chronicles in her novel, “Alert the Media.” However, she is happy to leave that world behind her, preferring that any drama in her life is only that which she creates for her characters.

She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, three children, Casey, the Wonder Westie, and Bean, his brother.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – WEBSITE / BLOG – FACEBOOK – TWITTER – 

GOOGLE+ - PINTEREST – TUMBLR – GOODREADS – 

BOOKTROPOLOUS SOCIAL

GIVEAWAY

Swag Pack / Book Themed Necklace & Bracelet

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Organized & Hosted by

Special Guest Kenzie Michaels

Thanks for having me today, Amber!  I’m the featured Author-of-the-Week over at the Secret Cravings blog, and anyone who comments here or on any of my guest posts between now and Thursday will be given a chance to win a free download of their choice of my back list. 

Interview with Angela Clayborn and Emma Nichols, co-heroines from Wild At Heart.

K:  Greetings ladies:)

A:  Hello again!

E:  Hi Kenzie:)  Thanks for having us back in better weather this time!

A:  It's not snowing this time, but the rain can stop anytime now.  I'm ready for warmer weather.

K:  I hear you!  My son's getting addicted to Minecraft videos and we've had to resort to limiting his time on the computer.

Is everything still okay between you two?

A:  Definitely.  I think we're all happier now.  Wouldn't you say, Emma?

E:  Yeah. I like the new cover! I'm glad we were-what did you call it?-re-released closer to our timeline.

K:  That's exactly what happened.  I'm not going to bad-mouth anyone, so suffice it to say, things didn't work out the first time around, so I was graciously granted my rights back.  My new publisher was totally in love with you two, and fast-tracked it last May.

E:  I see.

K:  How's Brad?  I've tried to get Brad to talk to me, but he won't.

E:  I've kept him pretty busy:)  I'm also training him as a part-time stable hand.

K:  What about you, Angie?  Are you happy with the new cover and the re-release?

A:  I'm like the depiction of Indiana better on the other cover, but I'm happy with the new one.  It's more like a 'Little House on the Prairie' look.  And in case people don't remember, I can't believe I was in such denial about Steve.  I had started dating Brad because my friends thought he was perfect for me, but it just goes to show you can't force chemistry.

E:  And you and Steve definitely have it!  We went out to dinner last night before the rain arrived, and Steve couldn't keep his hands off of her!

A:  Well neither could you and Brad!

K:  I also want you both to know that your story has been nominated for the P&E Reader’s Poll, and when I went to Estes Park last July/early August, Emma, I presented Nicky's manager with a signed cover flat.

E:  Cool; I know she'll like it!  Brad's getting me a Kindle so I can find that scene in Anny's book.  And what poll?

A:  Who's book?  And yes, what poll?

K:  The P&E Reader’s poll, where readers vote for their favorite books published last year.  Last time I checked, you were holding steady at #10.  Anny's a good friend of mine, Emma.  Contact me when you get your Kindle and I'll email Anny's website to you.  She's got a lot of other books you might like, plus I'll introduce you around to other wonderful e-books and authors.

E:  Awesome!  Thanks! What do we win?

K:  Only bragging rights.

A:  Somehow, that doesn’t seem quite fair.

E:  I was hoping there was prize money or something.  I need to add another building to my ranch.

K:  Sorry sweetie, this is just a popularity contest.  Time's up ladies; I need to fix dinner for the family.  Thanks for coming by.

A:  Thanks for the yummy cookies!  I need your recipe.

E:  Don't tell Nora, but your chocolate chips are better than hers.

K:  Who do you think gave me the recipe?  I've improved on them, that's all.

E:  Hey, do you suppose if you offer those cookies to everyone who votes for us, maybe we’d break into the top 5?

A:  I don’t think bribery’s allowed.  And Kenzie would have to open a bakery in order to make that many cookies!

K:  Yeah, let’s not go there.

Blurb:

Angela Clayborn discovers the man she sent to prison nearly two years before, has been granted an early release.  Torn between wanting to see him and fearful if she does, sparks fly when Steve Blumenthal appears in her gift shop and later at her condo.  Will Angie free her heart from its icy prison?  Has Steve really turned his life around, or is it a hoax?

Meanwhile, in Colorado on business, Angie’s current boyfriend, Brad Morrison, is wrestling with his own call of the wild.  He’s met unconventional, sexy Emma Nichols, who runs not only her own riding stable, but helps out with her family’s woodworking store in EstesPark.  Emma resents Brad’s offer to help during a family crisis, but eventually discovers that Fate sometimes sends people down unexpected paths to love.  Can Brad tame a wildcat?  Or will Emma settle for the safe path?

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Wild-at-Heart-ebook/dp/B00D1CENGQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369754073&sr=8-1&keywords=wild+at+heart+kenzie+michaels

SCP:  http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&products_id=608

Excerpt: 

Angie sighed and shifted; it was all the encouragement he needed.  Raising her shirt, he bent his head and drew the taunt nipple into his mouth, reaching behind her back to find the bra clasp,  Getting it unsnapped, the fabric fell away, and he filled his hand with her other breast, getting to know her all over again.

Panting, Steve worked his own shirt over his head and pressed their torsos together, feeling her nipples burn against his chest.  He tongued both nipples, hearing her soft moans and the rush of blood pounding in both his head and his groin.  He unsnapped his jeans with the increasingly uncomfortable pressure building, and carefully managed to free himself.  Holding his swollen cock with one hand, he unfastened Angie’s slacks and tugged them down over her hips, nearly losing it when he saw the transparent underwear and the ginger triangle beneath.  He lightly inserted a finger in the waistband.  Angie bucked her hips; he peeled the final barrier down and lightly stroked.  She cried out softly at the contact, and he tugged both slacks and underwear to her ankles.

He brushed his palms over her mound, feeling the tension in her muscles and listening to her increased breathing.  He reached behind him for his wallet and withdrew the blue-foiled packet.  He waved it in front of her.

“Do I need this?” he asked, giving her one last chance to stop him.

She nodded, and he mentally thanked God, fate, and whoever else that he wasn’t going to be denied this final pleasure he’d waited so long for.  He ripped the packet, removed the latex sheath and rolled it on his nearly bursting member.  Gently, he slipped inside her folds, nearly crying with the sweetness of the action.  But it had been so long…and he’d wanted to love Angie physically before that fateful night… three quick thrusts and it was all over for him.  He collapsed on top of her, mortified that it hadn’t lasted longer.  He stayed inside of her, willing his body to grow hard again, but she shifted beneath him and he slipped out.

He rose up on his elbows and kissed her softly.  “God, Angie..that was beautiful,” he panted.  “I just wish I could have lasted longer…”

Brad and Emma

Emma laughed when she recognized Nora’s Longaberger basket. “So I wasn’t the only one out late?” She curved her lips into a sly smile.

“The only one with the sense to return to his own bed before getting caught,” he retorted. “And I don’t sing Rock Star in the shower!”

“You heard that, huh? Brad likes to listen to the radio, and we both like Nickleback.” She defended their impromptu duet.

“The sheep heard you and decided to stay up in the mountains longer.”

Like what you're reading?  Buy it at

http://www.amazon.com/Wild-at-Heart-ebook/dp/B00D1CENGQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369754073&sr=8-1&keywords=wild+at+heart+kenzie+michaels

Again, thank you sooooo much for having me today! Don’t forget to leave your contact information in your comment!  I’ll be announcing the winner on Friday, Jan 17th.

Kenzie’s Website:  www.mollydaniels.wordpress.com

Special Guest Dana Lorraine

Hey everyone! I’m Dana Lorraine, writer of dirty words and sexy men. I’m thrilled Amber let me stop by to tell you about my erotic paranormal ménage release, Dying to Love Her.

So…who here is going to eat way more Christmas cookies than they should this month? I see lots of virtual hands waving in the air. LOL! Me too—I’ve already started inhaling them. Wouldn’t it be nice come January if we could lose all those extra pounds without dieting or strenuous exercise? If there was a place like Empriva Fitness, the gym I write about in my short novel, the pounds would melt away…pleasurably.

Blurb:

When Melanie Woodson joins Empriva Fitness she expects to lose weight, not gain two sexy vampire personal trainers. With an exercise regimen that includes passionate horizontal workouts, fat-burning orgasms and lusty words of encouragement, she’s in serious danger of forgetting their relationship is based on a business agreement and not mutual attraction.

Alec Kosta and Rook Abernathy, best friends and owners of Empriva, have waited over a century for the right lifemate to come along. Now that they’ve found Melanie, with her endless curves and quick wit, they’re ready to give up countless lifetimes to spend just one with her.

But time isn’t on their side—they’ve tasted her blood and now mere days are all they have to convince her their love is real or risk losing their chance to be with her forever.

A Romantica® paranormal ménage erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Ready to sign up for a lifetime membership? Mmm-hmm…that’s what I thought. Melanie, my curvy heroine, has no idea what she has to look forward to when she joins. But she sure feels the instant attraction when she sees one of her personal trainers, Rook Abernathy, for the first time.

Keep reading and you’ll see what I mean.

Excerpt:

Melanie Woodson did a whiplash-worthy double take, her gaze locking with that of the gorgeous guy in the limo. Her steps faltered in time with her heart and she lost her ability to breathe. No way could that look be meant for her. And then he smiled, all cocky and delicious. Dizzying warmth swept through her body. The heat he sent her way left little doubt—he had lowered his window to check her out.

The sides of her lips quivered and she worked them into something she hoped resembled a smile.

Mr. Gorgeous, eyes as bright as the lights lining the city street, responded with a seductive, hungry lick across his lips that jumpstarted her stagnant steps.

She’d been without this kind of flattering attention too long. Melanie swallowed down hard and fidgeted with her hair. Usually, she did the sizing up as a booking agent for a premiere modeling agency. Men like him only turned on the smoldering routine for her when they wanted something, like a high-profile booking.

Rather, he gave off the vibe that he wanted to book a room for them at The Ritz.

If she had any chutzpah she’d pull her v-neck sweater down an extra inch or three, saunter over and show him that a hotel room wasn’t necessary. The limo gave them plenty of room to get to know each other better. But her hectic work days, the lonely nights and the extra pounds she’d packed on during the last few years had robbed her of the energy and confidence to kick her chutzpah back into gear.

Who am I kidding? The guy wears sex appeal like a second skin. I’ve probably got a yard of toilet paper stuck to the bottom of my boot. Melanie’s cheeks flushed hot. She gave her feet a little shake while hurrying along the busy sidewalk, just in case and peeked over her shoulder one last time.

His pucker-perfect lips launched a thousand fantasies. With a wistful sigh, she entertained a particularly steamy one involving whipped cream, her nipples and his tongue as she walked into Empriva Fitness, the most exclusive fitness and weight-loss center in New York City.

The door flew shut behind her. Melanie rode out the lingering sensations of desire as she approached the muscled man seated behind the reception desk. She breathed easier taking note of the dark-paneled wall that blocked the rest of the facility from view. Those gyms with the expansive windows and wide-open lobbies intimidated her. No way could she exercise knowing her spandex-covered ass was on display for the whole world to see.

Melanie signed in, bypassed the empty chairs and searched through the assortment of magazines fanned out across a table. She grabbed a mindless gossip tabloid, looked up and lost all interest in the celebrity cover story.

Mr. Gorgeous stood by the entrance and suddenly the room felt like the waistband of her skirt—tight.

He treated her to a devilish wink and her heartbeat sped past its target rate to a cardiac-arrest pace in seconds. On the upside, she might be burning calories.

Had he followed her inside?

The possibility made her tummy churn. She hadn’t flirted in forever. Considering her dating track record, she’d never done it effectively either. Melanie dropped the magazine, whipped around and hurried across the room hoping with a little more space between them she might actually think of something witty to say.

She didn’t need to see him to know he watched her every move. The prickles of heat climbing her spine told her so. Self-consciousness didn’t have time to settle in—not once she saw his picture hanging on the wall. Curious excitement sharpened her nerves and she had to get a closer look.

Mr. Gorgeous hadn’t posed for the photo alone. In a vibrant trance, she skimmed her fingers over the glass-covered image of the magnificent man beside him. Dark sensuality radiated from his hard-edged smile, so different from the playful sexiness of Mr. Gorgeous. Both flavors of masculinity whet her appetite and she licked her lips wanting to sample both.

“Perhaps if you’re nice to me I’ll arrange for you to touch the real things.”

Copyright © Dana Lorraine, 2013

Thanks again for stopping by. In celebration of my release I’m running a Rafflecopter contest so enter that and check out my website, www.danalorraine.com, to see what other blogs I’ll be on the next few weeks because they’ll be more prizes to come. Yeah prizes!

Happy Reading!

Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Love-Her-Dana-Lorraine-ebook/dp/B00GMKKJ3A/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dying-to-love-her-dana-lorraine/1117433006?ean=9781419948497

Ellora’s Cave:  http://www.ellorascave.com/dying-to-love-her.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dana.lorraine.14

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_DanaLorraine

Rafflecopter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/Y2VlM2JkMDkxZmFjMWZkY2U0N2Y5NTFhYmY3YzUzOjI=/

Special Guest - Whitley Gray

1)    Has someone been instrumental in inspiring you as a writer? Josh Lanyon. I admire his writing voice and productivity. I’d love to be as good as he is some day.
2) What is the hardest part of writing your books? Getting quiet time alone to write. I hate interruptions, as I’m the sort of writer that has to get in the zone and stay immersed. When I’m constantly interrupted, the writing goes poorly.
3) Where do you research for your books? Mostly online, and site visits if necessary. I try to restrict setting to places I’ve been, or to places where I can access someone who has lived/worked there. I also use a component of “write what you know” which helps a lot.
4) Who are your books published with? Loose Id, MLR Press, Redhot Publishing.
5) What do you think makes a good story? Interesting characters and a plot that doesn’t quit. I like a lot of action in the plot to keep the characters busy. There’s romance, but there’s also suspense in there.
6) What book are you reading now? Just started Dead in LA by Lou Harper.
7) What are your favorite TV shows? A friend got me to try The Walking Dead earlier this summer, and I loved it! Now I’m waiting for the next season, just like all the other TWD junkies!
8) What songs are most played on your Ipod? Right now, Eli Lieb’s Young Love, and his version of Radioactive. I love his voice. New add is The Time Warp from Rocky Horror Picture Show.
9) Do you have any suggestions for beginning writers? If so, what are they? Before you even start, get into some online classes and learn the craft. It’ll save you a lot of trial and error, and ultimately heartache.
10) Tell us about your favorite fan letter you have received. A gal that read one of my stories and loved it—the story, the characters, all of it. She asked for career advice, which was flattering but also a bit nerve-wracking.

Blurb

Denver homicide cop and shooting survivor Beck Stryker lives to solve the case that left him with PTSD, chronic pain, and killed his co-investigator four months previous. Now his career hinges on his ability to work with the man who shut down his advances two years ago.

After last parting ways with Beck, psychiatrist-turned-FBI profiler Zach Littman never anticipated seeing the detective again. Being sent to Denver to work on a series of killings that have continued after the only suspect died is bad enough. Discovering the detective in charge is Beck leaves Zach gritting his teeth and girding his loins.

The last thing either of them needs is romantic entanglement with a fellow investigator, but danger is a powerful aphrodisiac. The case heats up, and friction between them ignites a fire neither can ignore, first at work and then in the bedroom. As they zero in on the plot behind the murders, the crosshairs zero in on Beck and Zach.

Excerpt

Beck reached his desk and lowered himself into the chair. A pile of reports sat waiting for his attention. Ridiculous. He was a homicide detective, not a secretary. This was a waste of his skills. Field cases waited, infinitely more interesting and requiring a detective’s intuition.

Across the room, Van met his gaze and looked away. Beck spun his chair toward the windows behind him. Sheets of water rippled down the windows, blurring the building across the street.

After the shooting, Beck’s ex-lover had made it clear as still water that there was nothing left between them. At least Van had understood the pressures of the job, the danger, both on the street and in the department. Homicide was a macho division, and the other detectives were unlikely to accept an alternate orientation. He and Van had agreed to keep their relationship under wraps. Had they had a relationship or just been fuck buddies?

Nights in a soft bed, Van’s hot tongue everywhere until Beck squirmed with need. A firm grip on his cock, stroking.

“What would you like tonight?”

Heat rushed to his groin. Mind-blowing sex—no doubt about that—but was that all they’d had?

They’d never eaten at a restaurant unless it was out of town. They’d never taken a vacation together. Van liked sun and sand and room service; Beck preferred snow and skiing and grilled steaks at the lodge. And they never stayed over at each other’s places.

Sure didn’t sound like a relationship. Hell, when he’d been lying in the hospital with his shattered shoulder pinned together, wondering if his hand would ever work again, he’d turned to Van expecting emotional support, and his lover had gunned down the only thing Beck had left.

Van had left nothing at Beck’s apartment except travel brochures.

The first time Beck had risked his heart, and he’d gotten blown away for his trouble. Staying secreted in the closet precluded Van paying attention to a disabled boyfriend. “It would look strange if I spent extra time with you,” Van had said, and he’d been careful not to visit more often than any of the others. At that point, Beck had wished his injuries had been more severe, that the bullet had hit a few inches to the right and down, preempting Van’s assault on Beck’s heart. Death had sounded better than total bereavement.

Anger had overtaken depression in short order. The first thing he’d done after arriving home was deep-six the tropical-vacation brochures littering the kitchen counter.

In the ensuing weeks, Beck had fought through the pain of physical therapy and the loss of the relationship.

As Beck’s psychologist, Jay had helped him work through most of that. And the painful inquiry about the shootings.

“Hey.” Soft brown eyes gazed down at him, wary, not welcoming. The familiar scent of Van’s bay rum aftershave reached Beck, and his stomach clenched.

“Well. What can I do for you, Detective Gates?”

Van plopped a folder on his desk. “Got a computer request that needs your expertise.”

“Don’t think I can help you.” Beck picked up a pen, tapped it on the folder. “I’m not a computer expert.”

Van’s full mouth thinned, lips pressed together. “It’s a search for vehicle license plates. Need it for the murder book.”

BUY: Loose Id: http://www.loose-id.com/high-concept.html

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/High-Concept ebook/dp/B00F3H6S1A/ref=zg_bsnr_14044691_7

Website: www.whitleygray.com

Blog: http://whitleygray.blogspot.com/2013/09/high-concept.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitley.gray

Special Guest - Natalie Gayle

What prompted me to write romance?

It’s the question I get asked all the time.  And I’m sure I look at people with a really confused look on my face, because to me, and anyone that knows me, the answer is so simple.

I LOVE reading all types of romance.  My tastes are wide and varied and I’ll probably give just about any romance book a go.  So it simply made sense for me to write what I love to read. 

I’ll also answer some of the other questions about romance novels that I get asked regularly.

When did your love of romance start?

I started reading romance when I was about fourteen.  I would escape to the library at school because it was air-conditioned and I hate the heat.  I’m still not sure why I live in Queensland?   Which is one of the hottest states in Australia.  One of the other reasons I sort sanctuary in the library was that I didn’t have much in common with the other kids, so I preferred to take a break from being at school and spend some time somewhere else and novels provided the perfect place to escape to.

I picked up my first Georgette Heyer novel then proceeded to read through the whole shelf and every other book that looked like romance in the library.  I fell in love with the whole “happily ever after” thing.  I was hooked on the comfort that regardless how bad things got, there was always going to be a happy ending. 

Even today I find something very reassuring about this.  Most of us at times feel our life is a bit out of control but knowing there’s going to be a happily ever after is very comforting. 

When did you read your first Mills and Boon?

At age seventeen, when I went away to boarding school I read my first Mills and Boon.  My good friend and room mate and I, would each buy a couple of Mills and Boon books on a Saturday morning, two family size blocks of Cadbury chocolate each and settle in for a weekend of reading and chocolate indulging. 

We learnt a lot about “the adult” world of love and relationships. Upon reflection it should probably be considered a right of passage for any young woman.  We had fun!

When did you realise you loved writing?

I always knew I loved reading.  I read my first real series when I was about ten.  It was not until my final year of high school that I realised I actually enjoyed writing.  I’d always been very good at English but I wouldn’t say I ever had a passion for it.  Then I had an amazing English teacher at boarding school, Mrs Robyn Collins. 

She really turned me “on” to English.  Mrs Collins challenged me, helped me and inspired me to push the boundaries.  She even let me turn in a major assessment piece entitled, “Why every guy should read at least one Mills and Boon.”  How many high school English teachers would let you do that? 

When did you write your first book?

I was in my early twenties when I wrote my first book.  I never finished it.  I wrote about five chapters and got way laid.  What sort of romance novel?  You guessed it.  A Mills and Boon.  In fact I had the whole thing mapped out to the “formula”, but I never finished it.  I don’t even know where it is anymore and that’s probably where it should stay. 

So why Finding Trust?

To be honest I’m not sure.  I’m not the sort of person that sits and wonders why I’m doing something. I’m either doing it, or I’m not.  I felt the need to write so I did.  I started the novel with a very vague idea of what was going to happen. 

The Hendra virus was something that I was dealing with in part of my life at the time and my mind as it often does, got wandering and wondered – what if?  And hence the premise for the plot was born. 

I wrote the first four chapters 2008.  A few people knew I’d started it but I said nothing more.  A few things happened and I got very busy with work and Boards and the novel got put away. 

Last year I had a bit of a reprioritisation in my life and I suddenly had a little bit of free time on my hands.  For those who know me, they’re rolling around on the floor laughing right now.  You see I own an IT company and I’m just in the process of starting another with a good friend.  I also have a husband and two small children plus many other things happening in my life.  So free time for me is a serious joke. 

Some how I found the time and wrote most of it in September 2012.  I booked the editor for the end of January 2013.  Then put the novel away for the next few months.  I had to write software specifications and project plans.  Very non- romance. 

Over Christmas/New Year, I wrote the last five chapters and epilogue.  I did this in six, three hour stints when the kids went to bed each night.  And on the 5^th January at around 11pm, I declared Finding Trust finished.    

My husband had been saying for weeks, “Just write the end.”  Well he’s not a reader so he just didn’t get that you can’t do that.  Besides Rihanna and Brayden wouldn’t have that one little bit. 

What’s even funnier was that my husband wanted to open a bottle of Vintage Champagne earlier that afternoon.  (We both love champagne – sometimes guys like it too!).  Anyway I convinced him to hold out until I finished.  So I woke him up off the lounge and we celebrated the finish together. 

Now who do you think I told next?  My FaceBook friends, of course.

And that is the story of how Finding Trust came about. 

What did I learn through the process?

I learnt that I love to write.  That even if I have no idea what’s going to happen in the story, if I sit down at the computer and let the characters take over, they’ll tell me what to write.   

I only hope the same process works as well for Finding Judgement.  I’m working on this one now.  I’m planning to have it published around late June/July.  And I have strong concepts for book three and four in the Centre Games series. 

I hope you enjoy Finding Trust.  I’m really enjoying writing Finding Judgement right now. 

DESCRIPTION:

 Brayden and Rihanna He’s hot, sexy, and leads a double life. Sometimes in the limelight, mostly in the shadows. Brayden James holds fast to a secret that’s more than his to share. She’s a singularly focused veterinarian out for a rare night of fun with friends, at a New Year’s Eve rock concert. Going home with the lead guitarist was furthest thing from Rihanna Mason’s mind when the night began. When Rihanna inadvertently becomes the target of a deadly terrorist plot using the Hendra virus as a biological weapon, Brayden is forced to reveal his other life. His job is to keep her safe and together they must stop the terrorists before it’s too late. But what happens when she becomes more to him than just the assignment? Will the secret he cannot disclose ultimately prove too much for Rihanna’s fragile trust in relationships? Or will he finally break through the double brick walls around her heart, where every other man has failed?

Buy Finding Trust ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Trust-Centre-Games-ebook/dp/B00BMHKBDG/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1371316771&sr=8-1

Buy Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Trust-Centre-Games-Volume/dp/0987514202/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1371316771&sr=8-1