Hi Everyone. Please help me welcome Bonnie McCune to my blog today. Bonnie will be giving away a copy of her book, FALLING LIKE A ROCK, to one lucky reader who leaves a comment, so be sure and leave her one.

Why, in this day of reality television, larger-than-life news, easily accessed games, and constant communication between people, why would anyone read fiction? And should you feel guilty about indulging?

I believe it was Stephen King who quoted his mother when she described reading as “a short, sweet vacation.” That captures the pluses—relaxation, escape from the everyday, stimulation, and intellectual challenge. We’re so very busy nowadays, usually doing not much, nothing equals reading for a complete change. As for fiction, I’ve always thought it was truer to life and contained many more insights than nonfiction—whether biographies, self-help, philosophy, or politics. So no guilt about indulging when we benefit so much from fiction.

Why do your heroines face so many challenges in addition to the usual rocky road to romance?

In my first published novel, the heroine faces a major crisis—a malfunctioning hot water heater that floods her apartment and threatens explosion. In the second, the heroine and her family are caught in an extreme winter blizzard with no heat or lights. In the current one, a massive wildfire threatens not only the heroine but also the entire forest. In my work in progress, a flash flood covers the mountains.

I’m a fraidy-cat. Anything and everything scares me. Example: in the middle of the night yesterday, I woke when the furnace turned on. A strange new noise accompanied the forced air. I immediately thought the equipment was going to explode.

We write what concerns us. For me, that’s human relationships, focusing on the positive, and also addressing fears. I’m not courageous, and nearly everything makes my heart beat overtime. To tackle those concerns, my heroines also are chickens but learn to overcome their fears by thinking and taking action. If there’s an external challenge, like a wildfire, these simply personify the anxieties she hides deep within. As a writing technique, situations that threaten a character physically also enable her to strut her stuff in front of other characters and readers.

Where are the heaving bosoms and throbbing loins in your books? Why don’t your characters have sex?

Oh, they have sex, believe me, or, more apt, they make love. They just don’t do it on-stage. Any psychologist—or writer—will tell you human emotion is the key factor in sex. Without it, the act is mechanical, not much different from eating or defecating.  And if a writer’s going to have good sex scenes, he’ll emphasize emotions. So that’s what I emphasize in my writing. Being the old-fashioned person I am, I also prefer not to risk offending readers. I take enough chances with that in the realm of social activism.

What’s your background and how did you arrive here?

I’ve been writing since age ten, when I submitted a poem about rain rushing down the gutter to the Saturday Evening Post (it was immediately rejected). This interest facilitated my career in nonprofits doing public and community relations and marketing.  I’ve worked for libraries, directed a small arts organization and managed Denver’s beautification program.  Simultaneously, I’ve been a free lance writer with publications in local, regional, and specialty publications for news and features. For years, when my children were little and I was cooking family dinners, we had no money, so I entered recipe contests in the hope of winning.  Once I was a finalist once to the Pillsbury Cook Off.  A current special love is live theater.  Had I been nine inches taller and thirty pounds lighter, I might have been an actress.   For reasons unknown (an unacknowledged optimism?), I believe that one person can make a difference in this world.  This explains my involvement with groups like community organizations, political campaigns, writers’ and arts’ groups, and children’s literacy.  It probably accounts for my writing romances, in which endings are always happily ever after.

What do you look for in the novels you read?

 I like to get into other people’s heads.  I think if we could feel what others do, we’d be a lot kinder to one another, as well as more pleasant.  For me, fiction writing is the closest we can get to this perspective.  One of the best books I’ve read recently is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.  Told from the point of view of a fourteen-year-old Native American boy, it’s hysterically funny while simultaneously dealing with tragedy such as alcoholism, death, and racism.  I’ll never be fourteen, a male, or a Native American, but Alexie is so skillful a writer that I became young Arnold for the duration of the book.  Needless to say, the quality of the writing helps immensely.  That includes good grammar!

What work is in progress for you?

 Never Retreat s protagonist, Ramona Soto, a struggling single mom, faced harsh reality 18 years ago when she got knocked up by a roving con man only to discover after several other relationships, men aren’t the answer. During the same time, a series of low-paying, dead-end jobs convinced her to get a decent education.

Now at thirty-something she’s concentrating on her career as a paralegal in a major telecommunications firm in Denver, but with son Andy preparing for college and a string of bad-luck incidents like the breakdown of her car, she longs to break the glass ceiling and leapfrog to a management position.  The company retreat provides the opportunity. Top executives plan to award bonuses and promotions based on the skills shown by key employees. Raye’s one of the select, and with her motivation and intelligence is sure to succeed. She hopes.

Enter Desmond (Des) Emmett. Newly transferred from another base of operations to handle the security department, the ex-serviceman fills every negative qualification Raye carries around on a mental list for the guy to avoid. A motorcycle enthusiast, sweet talker, fast mover, apparent sexist, he’s matched with Raye as teammates at the isolated retreat location. Initial conflict and antagonism turn to hidden attraction, when  they collide with an insurmountable obstacle. Only one of them can achieve the top honor.

Mother Nature intervenes with the perfect summer mountain storm accompanied by a massive flash flood. Cut off from help, their very existence endangered, they and their co-workers confront a wall of water sweeping down the rocky canyon. Raye and Des must put aside their differences to rescue not only their colleagues, some of whom are injured in the fray, but also their future as a couple.

 I also am working on a satire about government and government employees entitled Civil Servants.  Not a romance although at least one occurs in the course of the book.

* * *

BLURB SUGGESTION:

When you’re ‘falling like a rock,’ you’ll risk anything.

Unloved and unemployed. That’s Elaine Svoboda, after she’s sacked, then flees across country to her boyfriend who drops her flat. Teetering on the abyss of disaster, she calls an old friend who invites her to a tiny mountain town with fresh prospects. There she meets rugged, hunky Joe Richter-Leon, mayor of Falling Rock.

Maybe he can help her find a job. Maybe they can become friends, even share romance. Sparks fly immediately, but major obstacles make a new life on the ashes of the old appear impossible. Joe’s consumed with challenges like the dismal local economy and an impetuous sister. Elaine butts heads with him at every turn in the rocky road. Are her bungling attempts to help the problem? Or does she remind him of a greedy, selfish ex-wife?

Before they can build a new life on the ashes of the old, she must overcome a few obstacles like a broken ankle, an eating disturbance, his stubbornness, and her own fears. She’s smothering her hopes when a battle with a forest inferno illuminates their true feelings and desire.

Funny and frank, poignant and perceptive, when two people are “Falling Like a Rock,” they learn surrender sometimes means victory.

EXCERPT

The movement now wasn’t rocking but more like a grind. A slowness. A shiver. She knew she had to leave the main road and find help. She swerved onto a pull-off that appeared as if by a miracle, turned off the motor, and sank into the seat. In all directions she saw flat monotone prairie. If spring was about to arrive, no sign of it blossomed here. An occasional bush of greenish sagebrush nodded, but most of the landscape consisted of earth-toned dirt and dirt-toned pebbles scoured by a constant wind, which threw a thin top layer of particles hither and yon.

What she knew about auto mechanics fit on a matchbook cover. She’d been shown where to fill up on gas and wiper fluid, and that was the extent of it. She flicked the ignition off and on several times, peered at the dashboard, even popped the hood. Nothing looked out of place or broken.

She returned to the driver’s seat to think and worry her tooth with her tongue. It wasn’t safe to sit out here alone, and dismal warnings from her parents to never trust a casual passerby in a situation like this darted in her mind. So she hauled out her cell phone. No service. She slumped in her seat.

The plains spread horizon to horizon around her, and an appreciation rose in her for the courage and hard work of the pioneers who had traveled one slow step at a time over an endless landscape to reach their new homes. At least nowadays an asphalt ribbon transversed the plateau. On the road an occasional semi whooshed past, rattling her vehicle as it traveled. One trucker slowed to a crawl and honked, but by the time she decided he was offering help, he’d disappeared.

She twisted her brain in knots to find some way to save herself. Surely if she were careful, stayed in her car and blinked her lights and beeped, someone should rescue her. Perhaps she should wait until a woman stopped, but another female would be as afraid to pull over as she to chance an encounter.

Clouds began to build in gray billows, flowed from west en route the east, and the sun plunged toward twilight. If anything terrified her more than an appeal to a stranger for assistance, it was spending the night out here in the open. In her rearview mirror, a battered Land Rover appeared, and almost on impulse, Elaine switched on her hazard lights and leaned on the horn.

The vehicle slowed but didn’t stop. Not until it was some yards down the road. Next a tall, lean figure climbed out, the engine still in operation. A man dressed in jeans, ski jacket, and a black Stetson. Elaine would have laughed if she hadn’t been worried about the security of the car door locks. She was in the West now. It made sense for a cowboy to show up.

He approached with careful deliberation, halting a few feet from her, and she rolled her window down several inches and studied him in case she had to describe him later to the authorities. Not particularly suave or polished, but certainly with the rugged strength typically associated with cowboy types. Dark, as if he spent time outside or had some Mediterranean or Latino ancestors. A prominent nose, off-centered, perhaps from being bashed once too often.

“Need help, ma’am?”

LINKS

Kindle http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Like-Rock-Bonnie-McCune-ebook/dp/B00LUB9LGW/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405877134&sr=8-1&keywords=falling+like+a+rock

Amazon paperback http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Like-Rock-Bonnie-McCune/dp/1500386472/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?ie=UTF8&qid=1405877130&sr=8-1&keywords=falling+like+a+rock+paperback

Barnes & Noble paperback http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/falling-like-a-rock-bonnie-mccune/1119907983?ean=9781500386474

Barnes & Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/falling-like-a-rock-bonnie-mccune/1119907983?ean=2940046051728

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/453861

Where can readers find you?

• Twitter:  twitter.com/bonniemccune
• Facebook:  www.facebook.com/AuthorBonnieMcCune
• Website: www.BonnieMcCune.com
• Blog: www.BonnieMcCune.com/blog
• Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8207907-bonnie-mccune
• www.linkedin.com/pub/bonnie-mccune/10/2a7/389

Tell us something about you.

I’m a transplanted Southerner, currently living in Washington, with my husband, children, several dogs, and the resident deer herd. I love the Pacific Northwest – food, wine, climate, relaxed attitudes and access to the outdoors.

My books are predominantly financial-based mysteries, but I enjoy exploring the relationships in my characters’ lives. Inspiration comes from my financial day-job – I’ve learned firsthand the camouflage, hide-in-plain-sight skills employed by my villains – but people, the characters, definitely make the books page-turners.

A member of Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America (Kiss of Death chapter) and International Thriller Writers, I’ve help coordinate the Daphne du Maurier contest and manage the ITW Debut Authors program and blog, The Thrill Begins. I’m a firm believer in giving back to the community, whether it’s the kids’ schools, the city or state where you live, or whatever your passion may be.

Are you a full time writer or do you have a “day job”?

Like many authors, I’m a hybrid author in all aspects of the term. I’m still working an interesting day job, so I write in the morning before work, on airplanes (while traveling for the day job, which is not nearly as exciting as it might sound), late at night, and any other spare moment.

I read the most inspiring post the other day from a debut author who talked about giving up social events – happy hour and lunch with co-workers, for example  – in order to carve out time every day to write. I was so impressed. Although I can’t say I write every day, I try to use those “spare moments” to add words to my next manuscript.

How did you get started writing?

While I’ve had a life-long love affair with reading, I didn’t start writing until a few years ago. This probably isn’t how most people start, but I had a tong-term consulting job in a city about 90 miles from my home. I’d listen to music and daydream during the commute. Pretty soon, the daydream developed dialogue, characters and a setting, and I thought, hmm, this is turning into a good story. That particular book lives in a box under the bed, but I was hooked on writing, creating worlds and characters.

Once I screwed up my courage and showed friends my first story, they encouraged me to continue writing. I heard about a week-long writing retreat sponsored by the RWA Lowcountry chapter. I learned so much at their Masterclass, I joined a critique group when I returned home, hoping to learn more. Other writers encouraged me to join RWA and enter a few contests, including the Golden Heart. The Professor won those contests and was a Golden Heart finalist. I kept writing and learning and more of my books were published. Definitely a “dream” come true.

Describe your office. Is it organized, cluttered?

How about organized chaos? I telecommute to my day job, so I converted a bedroom into an office for it. Since I’m always working on multiple projects, there are (ahem) a few piles of paper.  On the floor, the credenza…

Since I want to keep my writing separate from my day job, I generally write at the dining room table. Of course, those windows have an eighty-mile view across the Columbia River to the Blue Mountains – inspiring!

I hear you know something about Greenville, SC, having lived there for years. But you now live in the Pacific Northwest. Which place is your favorite?

h, I love both places! I grew up in the Greenville area and still have family there, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. Greenville sits in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and has thousands of trees and lush gardens that are very different from my current home. Although Seattle, aka the Emerald City, is also known for its fantastic greenery, we’re in the process of building in the Cascade Mountains, which has its own enormous evergreens, cottonwoods, rivers and mountain-vistas.

The biggest difference between the two areas is, of course, cultural. The South has managed to hang onto its outgoing charm, while Seattle-ites are more likely to wear earbuds and a hooded rain jacket and avoid eye-contact.

I chose to set Cypher in Greenville, SC. Family-owned businesses are still very much a part of the South and something I knew intimately from both my financial job and my many friendships with business owners. I could relate to the heroine, Cara, on a professional level, as well as understand her struggle to meet her personal, friends, business and family’s expectations.

What is your next project and when will it be released?

I’m working on a lighter story right now, set in Washington’s Cascade Mountains rather than South Carolina. The starting point for it occurred while cutting up with a friend. We riffed off the opening line—There’s a body in the beaver pond. Oh, dam(n). It’s the first in a new series that my agent is impatiently waiting for me to finish!

My second WIP is the sequel to So About The Money, which will release later this fall. Its imaginative title is “Book 2.” So far it has Rockcrawlers and that llama from So About The Money may just have to show up.

Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

When I started playing with ideas for Cypher, I thought, What if? What if I turned the idea of an office romance completely on its head? What if instead of a person at the office, it was the company itself that everyone wanted? Although Caroline (Cara) Wainwright says she’s perfectly happy working for the advertising agency, what if she really wanted to work for the family business like her brother, if only to snag her father’s attention?

The rest of the “what ifs” about Cypher, the family’s corporation, might give away plot twists, but from the beginning, Cara wonders: since her father has always made the business a higher priority than his family, how far will he go to protect it?

With Cara pulling on family dynamics inside Cypher, Detective Davis Morris can push from the outside, tying together pieces of forensic evidence. He’s also falling for Cara, which makes him wonder if their attraction is desire, manipulation…or real. Talk about your personal conflict! David is investigating the murder of Cara’s friends–with everyone in her family hiding secrets and on the suspect list, including Cara. Unless they overcome their distrust and work together, more people will die.

I love it when the stakes are higher because the hero and heroine stand to lose both personally and professionally.

What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?

Self-publishing – or indie publishing, take your pick – offers both opportunities and challenges.

I love the flexibility and creativity of indie-pubbing a story. I can control the scheduling and marketing, as well as the creative aspects of the cover and any other element of the story I especially want. On the other hand, I bear the full responsibility for delivering a quality experience to my readers. That includes hiring competent editors for content and copyediting.

If you’re considering indie-pubbing a story, recognize you control all aspects of the publication. Don’t be in such a hurry to press the “publish” button that you skip important steps in editing, proofing, and designing the marketing campaign.  Either learn to produce the technical aspects of publication or hire/barter with a professional to produce a fabulous story.

CYPHER excerpt

 In this section, against her attorney’s instructions, Cara Wainwright has arranged to meet Detective David Morris at the hospital where her terminally ill mother is a patient. Newspaper coverage speculating about her murdered friends and Cara’s role in their death prompted her to give him a different perspective on all of them. Through his investigation into Cara’s life and personality, David is already fighting his attraction to her. He doesn’t know if she’s the murderer, a co-conspirator—or innocent.

Before Morris could ask [Caroline] to explain the “error in judgment” or prod her about Reese’s drugs, she said, “There may be another possibility.”

“Oh?” His attention immediately sharpened. They’d already covered his primary motives.

Her fingers drummed the table. “As far as I know, no one hates me. My family has money, but most of it’s tied up in Cypher. The company’s never been an active target before.”

Before? “Is something different this time? Have there been threats?”

“I’m not aware of any.”

She was hedging. “Anything from a disgruntled employee?”

“It’s just a feeling. That something’s going on. With the company.”

He found himself in the uncomfortable position of pulling a Pennell. He couldn’t take her instincts to court. He needed something solid. “You aren’t involved in the company?”

Caroline shook her head. He tried to focus on the subtext of her words rather than her perfume and the way her chest rose and fell sharply when she tried not to cry.

“It was a mutual decision. I enjoy my work with Robeshaw Advertising. I called Crystal earlier today. She said the police were there. Was that you?”

He wasn’t going to let her off that easily. “I could talk to your father about threats to the company.”

Her body language said, Good luck with that one.

The corner of his mouth twitched. “Already tried that, huh?”

“He’s big on Need to Know.”

“What about you?” He tried to say it neutrally. He didn’t want to be attracted to her, but he wasn’t looking forward to hearing about her love life either.

“Me? I’ve already told you, nobody’s threatened me.”

“This could be directed at you personally rather than your family. Maybe an old boyfriend?”

She recoiled as if he’d slapped her. “Bill would never—”

“If it is directed at you,” he interrupted, “the guy could try again. We need to consider the possibility.”

For a long moment, she stared at him. Then she released a slow breath and relaxed her shoulders. “You can take my old boyfriends off your suspect list.” A wry expression twitched her mouth. “I can think of one guy who broke my heart back in college, but I didn’t exactly leave a trail of crushed men in my wake.”

Don’t sell yourself short.

Long blurb

Cara Wainwright thinks life can’t get tougher when her mother’s cancer becomes terminal—until she returns home from the hospital and finds her houseguests dead.

Greenville, SC Detective David Morris, is unsure if Cara is the suspect or the intended murder victim. Searching for insight into her family, their mounting secrets, and the conflicting evidence from multiple crimes, his attraction to Cara complicates his investigation. Is the lure need, manipulation—or real?

While David pursues forensic evidence, Cara pushes for answers about her father’s possible involvement, for at the center of the mystery stands Cypher—the company her father built and will take any measures to defend.

When the assassin strikes again, Cara and David have to trust each other and work together to stop the killer before he eliminates the entire Wainwright family.

Perkins Bio

An award-winning author, Cathy Perkins works in the financial industry, where she’s observed the hide-in-plain-sight skills employed by her villains. She writes predominantly financial-based mysteries but enjoys exploring the relationship aspect of her characters’ lives. A member of Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America (Kiss of Death chapter) and International Thriller Writers, she is a contributing editor for The Big Thrill, handles the blog and social media for the ITW Debut Authors, and coordinated the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

When not writing, she can be found doing battle with the beavers over the pond height or setting off on another travel adventure. Born and raised in South Carolina, the setting for CYPHER, HONOR CODE and THE PROFESSOR, she now lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.

Social Media

Facebook     https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCathyPerkins

Twitter         https://twitter.com/cperkinswrites

Website        http://cperkinswrites.com

Goodreads   https://www.goodreads.com/Cathy_Perkins

G+               https://plus.google.com/u/0/+CathyPerkins/

Book links

Amazon       http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MMLX1ZQ

B&N            http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cypher-cathy-perkins/1120110911

Kobo           http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/cypher-1

iBooks         https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/cypher/id931297655

How did you get started writing?

I was a songwriter/musician, writing poems and lyrics, before I started writing short stories. From there, I decided to tackle the daunting task of writing a novel. Due to health issues, I could no longer continue the wild life of a rock musician. Writing stories was another, healthier way for me to express myself. This experience taught me that life is full of surprises and unexpected changes.

What inspired your latest book?

One of my favorite topics in high school English class was Greek mythology. I fell in love with the gods, goddesses and their stories. This is what inspired my latest series set in the wild lands of Arcadia, Artemis’s realm. She is one of my favorite goddesses. I love her fierce independence.

How has your experience with self-publishing been?

I am a hybrid author. I have 7 books published with Mundania Press and then decided to try self-publishing with my new series. There are pros and cons to self-publishing. One con is the cost. But I am enjoying the process of hiring a graphic artist for the book covers and working with a great copyeditor. I’ve been lucky that I found some reliable, talented people to help me with publishing.

What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?

My advice would be to take the editing process seriously and take your time to hone your craft. There is much more to writing a story than good grammar. Don’t hurry and just slap your book up on amazon.com until it’s ready. Think twice about publishing the first book you write. Most are not ready to publish. Mine wasn’t. Think of it this way—a painter rarely sells the first painting. The next one will likely be much better.

Tell us about your hero.  Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.

Kasin is a centaur shifter. Rare among his kind, he is loyal to his family even though his father despises him. His loyalty is a strength and weakness—because of his sense of honor to his clan, when he becomes king, he makes a difficult decision that puts his clan before the needs of Callisto, the nymph who has stolen his heart.

Tell us about your heroine.  Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.

Callisto is one of Artemis’s nymphs and Bear Goddess, an honorary position. She has taken a vow of purity and faces death when she breaks her vow. She is strong-willed and brave, but it’s her stubbornness that gets her into trouble.

What genres are you drawn to as a reader?

I like to read historical fiction, books on various types of mythology, non-fiction history in ancient and medieval time periods, paranormal romances and fantasy. Right now I am reading Game of Thrones and love it. I think it is so well-written and engaging I can see why it was made into an HBO series.

Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.

The Bear Goddess is the 1^st book in a series set in the wild lands of Arcadia, home to Artemis, her nymphs, satyrs, centaurs, werewolves, vampires, gods and goddesses and other mysterious otherworld creatures. This book starts out with the myth of Callisto, the nymph who betrayed Artemis. I used bits of the myth and Bronze Age Greece history to craft my version. The Oreades, Artemis’s mountain nymphs, are described by ancient Greek writers as tall and fierce hunters, so I decided that’s how I wanted to portray them in my story. I created the Guardians, nymphs who protected the goddess’s forest with the skills of great warriors. And each nymph is born of one of the four elements—earth, air, fire, and water.

What’s next for you?

Book two of my Arcadia series is called The Wolf Queen and is based on the legend of the werewolf Lycaon. In my version he has met his match. It’s a twist on Beauty and the Beast—Beauty may be the real beast. After that, the third book is called The Crow Maiden and has a revenge theme. Then I have some other stories in the works—a couple of contemporary paranormal romances, a non-paranormal romance about the healing power of music, and the first book in a series based on cursed druids.

Excerpt from The Bear Goddess:

Resting her head against the edge of the tub, she stared at the sky. Kasin, the Zeus lover, surprisingly treated her gently. She had expected to be brutalized or worse. With the fair skin and height of those imposing men from the northern mountains, he looked like those who worshipped the Sky god above the goddesses, yet he also possessed a temperate manner unlike those brutal, warlike people. She couldn’t imagine living under the rule of the vile centaurs.

Her skin prickled in response to the cooling water. “I am ready to get out now.”

He appeared, holding his hand over his eyes, and tripped over a branch.

She giggled.

Regaining his balance, he said with some annoyance, “I am glad you find that so amusing.”

“You do not have to close your eyes. Just refrain from staring at anything worth staring at.” She laughed, not sure why she told him that. He made her feel giddy, something that had never happened to her before now in the presence of this man.

Opening his eyes, he kept his gaze lowered as he helped her stand. Keeping his eyes fixed on her lower legs, he wrapped a large cloth around her and then lifted her out of the tub.

Her body didn’t ache as badly as it had before the bath. Gradually, her body was healing.

“How was the bath?” He helped her put on her tunic, which covered her upper body to her mid-thigh.

“It was quite enjoyable. You can look up now if you wish.”

His gaze swept up her body in a way that made her face and body flush. She was entering into a dangerous game, but her vow didn’t seem to apply here so far away from Artemis.

With his help, she pulled on her leggings. His hands felt hot each time he brushed against her bare skin. Her skin tingled beneath his seemingly innocent touch. He hesitated, holding on to her hips a moment longer than was necessary.

The air between them felt like the aftermath of a lightning storm. She had no idea what was happening, but she knew it wasn’t what she should be feeling when in the presence of a man.

****

Short Blurb for The Bear Goddess:

Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…

A nymph. A centaur. Enemies in love.

On the run, danger and betrayal follow Callisto and Kasin. To survive they must evade those who want to keep them apart and no place is safe.

Kelley’s Bio:

Multi-published author Kelley Heckart lives in Arizona with her musician husband, dog and a number of backyard “pets,” including Godzilla the desert iguana. Her stories reflect her passion for ancient and medieval time periods, storytelling and the supernatural. Inspired by the ancient Celts, her tales are filled with fierce warriors, bold women, otherworldly creatures, magic and romance. When not writing, she works as an editor/proofreader and practices target archery. She can be found online at http://www.kelleyheckart.com/

Website: http://www.kelleyheckart.com

Blog: http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/CelticChick

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Newsletter sign up: Receive special notices like new book releases and giveaways only for my subscribers: http://kelleyheckart.com/Contact_Kelley_Page.html

1. How did you get started writing?

About fifteen years ago, I was sitting at home watching television when images of a teenage girl bombarded me. She was riding her bike, interacting with her family. It was strange. I could see her with vivid detail and for some reason, felt compelled to begin writing what I saw. Call it divine intervention or sheer boredom, but once I hit the keyboard, I never looked back. That story remains in my computer and will be published. One day. I’ve been writing ever since, making writing my full-time pursuit for the last four years.

2. What is your writing routine like?

I drop the kids at school in the morning, come home and begin writing. Taking a few breaks for food and housecleaning duties, I continue writing until it’s time to pick them up. After school tennis practice? You’ll find me in the car writing. Weekend space of time? You’ll find me at the computer writing. Being a stay-at-home mom is my first priority so I try and squeeze as much writing in and around those duties whenever I can!

3. Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

I’d have to say I have an over-active imagination. Some days that’s a good thing. Other days it can wreak havoc. Anxiety, worry, watching too much news… it can be a challenge having all those crazy thoughts banging around up there! But for writing, it’s a definite plus. Writer’s block is NOT one of my issues.

4. What is your favorite part of writing?

I love creating characters and situations. I love writing about the drama, the twists and turns of life, the challenges as well as the fun. When I’m on a roll, I can spend eight hours writing and not even blink an eye. That’s a great way to make a living.

5. Do you have other talents? Or is there a talent you don’t have that you wish you did?

Actually, it’s sort of a talent. I have a huge backyard vegetable garden where I grow organic fruits and veggies. I wouldn’t call myself an expert but I do enjoy it—and blog about it on my website: BloominThyme.com. It’s geared mainly toward women and kids (myself and my own act as inspiration) and we try to make it fun and easy. Easy is always good when it comes to the job of gardening. Leaves more time for the fun of harvest!

6. What is your favorite dessert/food?

I love Bananas Foster. Recently, I discovered a restaurant that served a Bananas Foster Belgium Waffle. Talk about Heaven! Dessert at breakfast…does it get any better? Other than an early sugar surge, I can’t think of anything!

7. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be, and why?

I’d live in more than one place if I could, like a home in the mountains out west and a home along the beach/water in Florida. Of course, traveling between the two and visiting all the beautiful places in the US would be wonderful, as well!

8. Do you have any upcoming FREE promotions you would like to tell us about?

Book one in my Ladd Springs series is currently free for ereaders. Set in the eastern Tennessee mountains, the series is packed with mystery, family feuds, romance and a host of drama.  There are six books in the series but I warn you: once you read the first, you’ll have to pick up the rest!!

9. Where can readers find you?

Readers can find me at DianneVenetta.com and on Facebook.com/DianneVenetta. I also hang out @DianneVenetta on Twitter and of course, my garden blog! BloominThyme.com. My books are available for all ereaders and print versions are available for sale via most bookstores. My new children’s series will be written under D.S. Venetta

10. What’s next for you?

In addition to book #3 in my Silver Creek series, ALL ABOUT YOU, set for release summer 2015, I’m working on a new project near and dear to my heart. It’s a fiction series for children, ages 7-12, titled SHOW ME THE GREEN! Set in an around an backyard organic garden, the story follows Lexi and Jason Williams as the youngsters work their hand in the garden to win the First Annual Gardening Contest for kids. Along the way, they discover a world of excitement they never knew existed. Think: worms, bugs, animals, mystery, fun, challenges, achievement and much more. Early reviews are in and in one sentence…the kids LOVE it! My website is currently under construction, but readers can follow my Facebook page to stay-tuned for details on the upcoming spring release: www.facebook.com/DSVenetta

Excerpt from BECAUSE OF YOU…book #2 in the Silver Creek series.

Pulling her creamy wool Fedora snugly over her brow, Kinsley Fairchild sauntered across the wide swath of street and around the corner then headed for the rendezvous where her partner would be waiting. Together, they would walk down the narrow pass between buildings and into a restaurant on the next block where they would order Morel Risotto and Roasted Red Pepper Crostini, along with a side of her favorite sourdough bread and pesto. Ten minutes later, she would raise her glass and toast their victory as thousands of dollars of fur were destroyed several blocks away. Should anyone ask as to her whereabouts at seven-thirty on Friday night, Sebastian would honestly reveal them. They’d been dining at Adele’s.

As she turned the corner, a thrill raced through her at the sight of him. Sebastian was leaning against the brick façade of an art gallery, deft fingers working his smart phone. He was dressed in a black overcoat and slim white jeans, pants that tapered neatly over his black shoes, the pointed ends of which stood out against the fresh fall of snow. Sebastian was total urban tech and style, his presence commanding, leading most within the organization to carry out his every bidding. Few had a passion for activism that rivaled hers, but Sebastian Wu was certainly among them.

As she neared, he looked up and the two shared a wicked smile.

“It’s done,” she told him, adrenaline firing through her limbs, accompanied by a rapid-fire pulse. No matter how many times she’d struck, each blow felt as exciting as the first.

“Wonderful news.” Slipping his phone into an interior pocket of his coat, he offered her an elbow. “Shall we?”

Kinsley smiled. “We shall.”

Snowflakes pelted their path as they walked the planned route. She leaned close, giving them the appearance no different from any young couple taking an evening stroll. The rich spice of Sebastian’s cologne enveloped her, infusing her with comfort and familiarity. “It feels good, doesn’t it?” she whispered. “Knowing we’re making a difference?”

“Most definitely. This one will cost the shop owner thousands and send a message to every store in the town. Support for expansion will carry a steep price.”

“Maybe she’ll get the hint and move on to selling something less endangering.”

Sebastian chuckled at her double entendre. “Let’s hope, though we both know some people learn quicker than others.”

But Kinsley would never give up. She was determined to close the sales channels that harmed animals, and direct the world onto a more humane path. It was a cause she had devoted her life to. Her every thought, her every move. Kinsley would pursue the cause until she changed the trajectory, changed the course of history.

It was her destiny. Someone had to give voice to the helpless. Someone had to give a damn that animals were being pushed out of their natural habitat for no other reason than the comfort and enjoyment of humans. That someone was her.

Bio:

Dianne lives in Central Florida with her husband, two children and part-time Yellow Lab–Cody-body!  When not whacking away at her keyboard crafting her next novel you’ll find her in their organic garden chasing grasshoppers and plucking hornworms all while drawing wild analogies between kids and plants and men.  Definitely men.

A girl’s gotta have fun, right?

When she’s not knee-deep in dirt or romance, Dianne contributes garden advice for various websites and volunteers in her kids’ school garden (a crazy existence to be sure). But at the end of the day, if she can inspire someone to stop and smell the roses–or rosemary!—kiss their child and spouse good-night, be kind to a neighbor and Mother Earth, then she’s done all right.

THANK YOU CINDY for having me as a guest at your blog today!

1. Tell us about yourself.
   1. I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains with Redwood trees in my front yard. I’m originally from the central valley of California, but have lived all over the state as well as in Texas and Costa Rica. I call myself a spectrum parent with kids from one end to the other. My oldest graduates college next month and my youngest starts kindergarten in the fall.

2. Tell us about your current series/WIP.
   1. Love, honor and money…and the laws we break to keep all three. Joe Santone might bear the name of a saint, but he is nothing of the sort in his work for Boss Joe Torrio in 1920s Chicago. An assassination attempt has him re-evaluating his career choice and heading to California for a job he can tell his mother about. Helen Decker has escaped her violent home for a privileged education in New York City, but now devotion draws her back. Prohibition didn’t save her father, but maybe she can. Shaw McLendon hates the sea, but it takes a near drowning to convince him to leave Scotland and make a life in lumber instead of fish. And Mei Xing Chen can no longer hear the voices of her ancestors as she feels the pull of the ancient trees and rushing San Lorenzo River whispering her future is in America, even as her family prepares to return to China. They all flock to where illegal booze flows freely and the parties are legendary— to the World Famous RiverWood Lodge and Casino— where the Pacific Ocean meets the Redwoods, gangsters meet immigrants, loggers meet movie stars—and the lines between right and wrong are obscured by the trees. The Roaring Redwoods debuted as an e-serial with episodes published semi-monthly. In March the first collection (episodes 1-5) was published and collection two (episodes 6-10) just came out this month. I hope my words evoke the smell of the trees in summer, the rhythm of 1920s jazz, and the taste of a perfect martini.

3. Where do you get the ideas for your stories?
   1. I’ve had ideas come from everywhere. A news story, my own life, a dream. Sometimes a combination of all three.

4. How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?
   1. Pretty likely. I like what Anne Lamott said, “If people didn’t want you to write about them, they should have behaved better.” I do write about people who do behave well too. I change a lot of details though so it’s just between me and the keyboard who is who.

5. Tell us about your hero. Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.
   1. Joe Santone is trying to reform. He has a strong sense of right and wrong, regardless of what the law says.

6. Tell us about your heroine. Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.
   1. Helen Decker is smart, hardworking and independent. Her weakness is her belief that what others think of you/say about you is important.

7. Do you have any words of inspiration for aspiring authors?
   1. You can do it. If you have a story to write, write it. Do not worry about the rules or publishing or if it’s any good or anything until you follow your heart and write the words. Write the words and then figure out the rest later.

8. What’s next for you?
   1. I have a contemporary novel coming out next month. With a Lemon Twist will be published under my own name. It’s the first in a planned four book series. Leo Colson (my historical fiction pen name) will have a new book out at the end of this year.

9. Where can readers find you?
   1. My website is com. My blog is Prayers and Cocktails and I have lots of info for both my historical and contemporary fiction there. I’m on Facebook too. My newsletter is only 4 times of year, but full of fun stuff (you can sign up at my website and see below about this month’s prize). I’m @ocharise on Twitter but not especially active there.

10. Where can readers find your books? Print/Ebook?
    1. Kindle, Kobo, iBooks. The digital versions are in episodes and collections. Print is only available for the Collections.

11. Do you have any upcoming FREE promotions you would like to tell us about?
    2015. Yes! Episode 1 of The Roaring Redwoods is free (so is Episode 6!) so you can try it before deciding on the rest or purchasing it in the collection length versions. For the month of April—I am giving away a prize package including Collection One of The Roaring Redwoods AND a gorgeous 1920’s inspired necklace. Leave a comment here or sign up for my newsletter at com (or BOTH for two chances!). The winner will be announced May 1, 2015.

Excerpt:

If he wasn’t stone cold sober, he’d doubt his senses.

She jerked at his words and stopped brushing debris from her skirt. “Hello.”

“Hello. Pardon me, but did you just come out of that tree?” Joe shifted his arm, reminding him of his gun holstered there. If women were climbing out from under trees around here, he was glad to be armed.

She was dressed well, not fancy, but well. She must be a tourist like himself. Odd she was alone given the locale and her beauty. She seemed to possess all the colors of the forest as she stood against the backdrop of it. Her light gray suit picking up the stripes of shade and shadows cast by the sun through the canopy, her green eyes the deep rich green of seedlings, her hair brown with ribbons of red and nearly black like the intricate patterns of the bark. Even a few strands of gold glittered in its mass of curls like the sun dappling through the branches.

She gestured briefly behind her. “There’s a hollow spot.”

Joe shook his head slightly. She answered as though it made perfect sense that she would be inside of a tree in the middle of nowhere. She smiled tightly. Her words were cold. She walked by him stiffly. As she did, he saw dirt smudges on her face, green needles in her wavy hair. “Forgive me, I’m Joseph Santone.”

“Helen Decker.” She stopped and extended her bare hand. Joseph took it briefly, aware it was bare and glad she didn’t seem to mind. Her fingertips were stained red from the bark.

“Helen of the Trees.” He released her hand. Her mouth pulled as though it wanted to smile but just couldn’t manage it. Joe noticed the dirt smudges on her face were tear streaks.  (This is a scene from Episode 2: Shade)

Bio:   Leo Colson is the pen name of Charise Olson writing in tribute to her paternal Grandfather, Leo. Grandpa was not a professional writer, but someone moved by words and an avid reader. He tinkered with writing as much as he did woodworking. Charise now writes at the desk he built, though she did paint over the original and very distinctive burnt orange color. Grandpa Leo passed from this life in 1991. Charise lives with her family in the Santa Cruz Mountains where her garden is tormented by deer and she is inspired by the Pacific Ocean and Coastal Redwoods.

Links:

Website: http://chariseolson.com

Twitter: @ocharise

Kindle/Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00QMT36EK

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-roaring-redwoods

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/roaring-redwoods-episode-1/id952496744?mt=11

I’m delighted to be a guest on your blog today, Cynthia! Thank you for inviting me. It’s always a pleasure to chat with your fans!

If you are interested in reading powerful stories of hope and healing, you might like my Appalachian Foothills Series. Strong women facing difficult circumstances; the men who are challenged to grow as they walk beside them; and even a villain who discovers potential redemption that he doesn’t deserve but secretly yearns for.

My inspiration comes from the people around me, news articles, and snippets of life that spark my imagination.

Hijacked, book 1 in the series, sprouted from the seed of “what if” one morning as I readied my small airplane for a traffic reporting flight. (Yes, I’m a pilot!) Though Bowman Field is situated in a residential neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, it can be as deserted as any wilderness. What if someone commandeered a plane…? And what if the pilot, a young woman, held a secret that was slowly destroying her?

Unholy Bonds, book 2, is a closely related yet standalone sequel to Hijacked. It came to be as a result of my longtime fascination with the concept of Restorative Justice, first practiced on a large scale as part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa when the country did away with apartheid. The concept is gaining ground in this country as an alternative and/or adjunct to criminal justice, and is especially effective with teens. This available also on Apple iTunes, Nook, and Kobo.

Opal’s Jubilee, book 3, was inspired by pardons granted by then-Governor Ernie Fletcher of Kentucky on his last day of office in 2007. The controversial move granted clemency, pardons, or early parole reviews to twenty-one women who had been convicted of murder or attempted murder after experiencing years of domestic abuse. Coincidentally, I viewed a quilt created during incarceration by some of those women, a raw and touching statement without words.

Christmas Hope, a novella and book 4, features a veteran who is coming to terms with life-changing wounds received in battle. An ad by the Wounded Warrior Project got my imagination going; throw in a heroine who has a bit of an unconventional approach to life, and the result is a poignant, uplifting holiday novella. This is available also on Apple iTunes, Nook, and Kobo.

The books are available through Amazon (and other venues as noted) in electronic or print versions.

A portion of the proceeds from my books are donated to a variety of charities:  Wounded Warrior Project, Missouri Puppies4Parole, and Women’s Prison Association.

What sorts of questions spark your imagination? News stories? Photos? A chance encounter, or an idea? I’d love to hear what you think!

Again, Cynthia, thank you for inviting me! It’s been a pleasure!

Hijacked

Pilot Lannis Parker’s carefully constructed, sterile life is upended when her small plane is hijacked before dawn on a wintry Louisville morning. Her captor does more than force her to fly him to the Appalachian wilderness, though. He resurrects memories she’s tried to bury, memories of a brutal attack she’d survived four years earlier, an attack she didn’t report and tries to pretend didn’t happen.

Wounded, and losing strength by the minute, Ben Martin knows he has no choice but to commandeer a plane before he’s set upon by a ruthless band of drug dealers intent on wiping him out, along with the information he’s acquired. He’s horrified to discover the pilot is a woman—but once his plan is launched, there’s no turning back.

During a week in the wilderness, Lannis learns her hijacker is fair and honorable, compassionate and insightful—strange attributes for a criminal. And when he discovers her secret, he vows to be the friend she desperately needs but refuses to accept.

Will she come to terms with her past?  And will he be part of her future?

Unholy Bonds

Pilot Lannis Parker has triumphed over her past—or so she thinks. She faces her rapist, then dredges up the courage to bring him to trial, and is relieved to see Robert Davis imprisoned.

But the closure she’d sought is elusive. Resurrected memories invade her life and threaten to splinter her relationship with those she loves most, including Ben, her new husband. Lannis discovers she’s as much a prisoner as Davis, shackled by fear and inextricably bound to him through his crime. Frustrated at her descent into the past, Ben tries to understand, but fails.

Cracks appear in their fledgling marriage, and Lannis becomes desperate to repair the underlying cause. She gradually realizes that healing will come only when she acknowledges Davis’s humanity—not a popular notion, but one she increasingly understands as essential. In a bold move, Lannis meets with Davis in prison—and challenges him to recognize her humanity.

Will Lannis’s gamble free her from that unholy bond and open a path to peace? Can she save her marriage? Or will she lose everything in the process?

Opal’s Jubilee (187)

Fresh out of prison after twelve years, Opal McBride must find a job in order to meet parole requirements. Failure means she’ll serve out the remainder of her sentence behind bars. The system has seen fit to drop her in Louisville, Kentucky, a far cry from her hometown of Jubilee in the Appalachian hollows. Scrambling to adapt, Opal finds more than a potential job in May Boone’s quilt shop; she finds acceptance and perhaps even friendship.

That is, until May’s son recognizes her. A detective, Josh Boone is not about to let a felon work for his soft-hearted mother. Though Opal’s crime was against a sheriff’s deputy, his innate sense of decency prods him to break ranks and defend her from the disdain of his fellow officers. Then he finds she may have light to shed on a cold case—and discovers there is more to Opal’s story than it seems.

Josh risks his professional reputation (and his heart) as he digs into Opal’s past. When secrets are exposed, will justice prevail? Will Opal and Josh find redemption—and maybe even love—where they least expect it?

Christmas Hope (175)

Sam Bledsoe prefers his reclusive existence. A one-man landscape business keeps a roof over his head and food on the table—and keeps his badly scarred face away from curious eyes. But when a woman faints on her way from neighbor Maggie Ross’s house, he doesn’t hesitate. He rushes to help while grappling with memories of the incident that burned him so badly.

The father of Becca Sweet’s unborn baby showed his true colors when he showed her the door. The apartment she has lined up isn’t available until the first of the year, and with Christmas and a storm on the way, living in her car is no longer an option. She appeals to her no-nonsense sister for help, but Maggie, unaware of Becca’s pregnancy, chooses that moment to dish out some tough love.

When Sam comes to Becca’s rescue, their battered hearts collide. In a moment of holiday magic, they discover that Christmas hope applies to all, even to them. And will hope lead to love, the most precious Christmas gift of all?

Author Bio

Award winning and Best Selling author Leslie Lynch gives voice to characters who struggle to find healing for their brokenness—and discover unconventional solutions to life’s unexpected twists.

Leslie lives near Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and her adult children’s cats.  While not engaged in wrestling the beautiful and prolific greenery of their yard into submission, she flies light aircraft, loves the exuberant creativity and color of quilting and pottery…and, of course, writes.

You can find her at www.leslielynch.com, on Facebook at LeslieLynchWrites, on Pinterest at Leslie Lynch, and on Twitter @Leslie_Lynch_