Tall, dark, handsome...and wildly messed up. Writing heroes women want to fix.

Good morning!

Now that I'm approaching my middle years...okay, now that I'm firmly ensconced in the tail end of my middle years, I look back and realize we women of a certain age share an interesting little quirk: Many of us spent years finding a husband, having children, and getting a house.  And now that we have all that, all we want to do is flee from all of them.

I'm not talking about walking out, of course not.  But be honest here ladies.  Don't we all sort of fantasize about a weekend where no one creates dirty laundry, no one leaves empty soda cans and water bottles on the counter and no one leaves dirty dishes all over the house?  That can't possibly be just me!

And yes, we love our husbands.  We adore our husbands.  And there are times we want our husbands to just go fishing/hunting/hiking/out of the country for a short period of time because, and I'm not alone here, we just want to sleep in the bed by ourselves.

Studies have shown that romance novels continue to sell at a ridiculous pace compared to every other kind of novel or book.  Some might think it's a conflict that the women who want their families to just LEAVE THEM ALONE for a couple days are the same people who buy and devour romance novels where the enjoy of the story is always a happily ever after.

I have zero issue accepting this as fact because I love to escape into a book where the hero saves the day and love conquers all.  And I'd like to read that book and have that escape alone, in my perfectly clean house.  I want to watch a romantic comedy and not be teased when I cry at the end.  I want to watch a huge war epic like Pearl Harbor or Titanic and get swept up in the love story without someone yelling, "OH COME ON! HE'S SHOOTING AT THE GUY WHILE THE SHIP IS SINKING?"  (Yeah, I'm talking to you, Bob and Brian at 1029TheHog.  Love your morning show, but I also love those movies.)

But mostly, and I know most of my female readers are going to agree with me on this one, don't we want to read a story where the hero is a work in progress and the woman gets to fix him?  Isn't THAT why we really watch romantic comedies and read romance novels?  We want some super hot wreck of a guy to realize that the only way he's ever going to be human is if he falls in love with some Ordinary Girl? (Love it when I can use a Rick Springfield song title.)


It's no surprise, then, that the heroes in my four romance novels are all works in progress. Take Jesse, the retired rock star, in Dream In Color.  He's a hot mess when it comes to his reputation with women, and even with his music career.  And then he meets Ramona, a full figured girl from Wisconsin.  

Or Bryan, from Lies in Chance. Bryan is definitely messed up, thanks to his ex wife, but he might be my most heroic hero.  He's a lost soul, but he covers pretty well, although he's given up on himself and any self worth he may have.  Enter the very unlikely heiress-murderess-nanny Shara.  There's a girl who needs a hero, and she knows, on a certain level, that it's going to have to be Bryan, no matter how hard he fights the idea.  


Then there's Quinn, from Fresh Ice..  Quinn is possibly the most messed up of my heroes.  I was not kind to Quinn when I wrote this former NHL bad boy.  He's definitely a project any women would want to try and fix, but that's one of his problems"  Quinn is way too attractive for his own good. He's clearly damned, especially in his own mind, although he does his darndest to redeem himself in a thousand ways, no of it holds any meaning for him, until he meets figure skater turned waitress, Izzy.  I had a hard time writing Izzy because I needed someone whose soul was clear enough to save Quinn, but who didn't come off as some sort of weird perfect angel.  I needed Helen Hunt from "As Good as it Gets."  

Finally, there's Collier from A Hero's Spark,, and he's interesting for a romance reader for a couple reasons.  First of all, he's blond.  He's my only blond.  And fun fact, Collier wasn't broken when I started writing him, unlike Jesse, Bryan, and Quinn.  When you first meet

Collier, in Fresh Ice, he's got a good life.  He's a musician, he's doing well, he's happy.  Oh, but he's in love with someone destined to be forever bonded to someone else.  BAM!  Poor Collier...I broke him.  I broke him on purpose because maybe I was in a bad mood.  We writers get that way sometimes.  We do horrible things to our characters just because we can. I broke Collier so bad people told me I HAD to give him a book.  So I did.  But first I broke him a bit more, made him more of a mess.  Then I introduced him to Mira, who was a hot mess all her own.  (I was pretty proud of myself with this book.  I was an equal opportunity mess maker!)



As writers, we do glean a certain perverted pleasure out of breaking our heroes and having the heroines build them back up.  As women, we read that sort of story because in our whole lives we always had a thing for the bad boys we just KNEW we could fix.  And as readers, well, hey, who doesn't want to just escape with someone tall, dark, handsome, and wildly messed up?  Even if it is for an afternoon while the husband and kids are out of the house?

Can I use a mental illness in a book without sounding like an after school special?

Good morning!

So, following the rule that a writer writes, I've started a new writing project hot on the heals of my most recent release A Hero's Spark.  This time around I'm working on a series, an actual series, one that's linked by the exact same character doing what she does.  And it's going to be an inspirational series, so no swearing, no sex, so basically you won't have to hide it from your kids, but hopefully it'll be entertaining.

As I started writing, because I'm not an outliner, I just sort of go with the flow when it comes to writing, I was also watching pretty much everything the Discovery Fit and Health channel was showing during their "Psych Week."  (Think "Shark Week" only instead of man eating sharks you've got the entire spectrum of mental illness and psychological quirks.  It's awesome.)

As plowed through a couple pages of character development, an idea crept into my typing. (I'm going to sort of use the "Adam and Eve" defense:  It wasn't me, Lord, it was the fingers you gave me that wrote this.  LOL!)  And, the more I typed, the more I realized that I'd found an interesting character quality for my character, Nora Hill, to have.  And I have Psych Week to thank for it.

Here's the thing, though, I'm worried about:  Can I write this without sounding like some schmalzy, do gooder, after school special?  

Like most people, mental illness has touched my life in many different ways, some very close to home.  I, personally, have not been diagnosed with a mental illness...yet.  (I have my suspicions.  As they say, "Insanity runs in my family.")  So can I, in good conscience and without sounding smug or condescending?  

I very much want this character to be real, but also to be very memorable.  I fell in love with all the Stieg Larsson books and with the one US film.  Rooney Mara is so perfect as Lisbeth Salander it takes my breath away.  And the thing about the character Lisbeth is that you know, YOU KNOW that girl isn't completely right in the way the world thinks of people being "completely right."  And yet, she strikes a chord with me, with millions of readers because in spite of all her "flaws"  (based on society's ideals) she is a hero.  No one, after reading those books, is going to forget Lisbeth Salander. 

We're also getting into that old rule, "Write what you know."  While I do believe you should know what you're writing, I think if all authors stick to this rule we'd be missing whole huge chunks of literature and awesome, awesome reading.  I mean, I'm pretty sure James Patterson has never met winged teen agers, and yet you cannot deny the appeal of his Maximum Ride series.  (Teens and adults alike are going to love those books.)  And while Charlotte Bronte, I'm sure, knew what it was to be a governess, I doubt very much she'd met a lord who kept his insane wife locked in the attic.  (Oh, what, a spoiler?  for "Jane Eyre?")  If I follow that rule, I'll be relegated to writing stories about Midwest Suburban while girl life.  Yawn.

So we're back to the question, am I able to write someone who is living with a mental illness?  Should I even try?  Will anyone want to read it when I'm done?

I guess we'll find out.

Sneak Peak Saturday: A Hero's Spark!

Good morning!

So, I've got this new book out...maybe you've heard?  Anyway, I thought I'd share a tiny bit more of Collier and Mira's story.   Remember, you can purchase any or all of my work on Amazon in print or digital by by clicking HERE! Enjoy!

What woke him, Collier didn’t know, but even in the haze of deep sleep, he knew he wasn’t alone in the loft. Someone latched the door quietly and stepped closer to the bed before turning on the overhead light.

            “Who’s there?” he called out as the light flashed on, momentarily blinding him. A woman’s scream pierced through the shock of light and he squinted in her general direction. He recognized the black hair immediately. Surprise mingled with confusion.“What are you doing here?”

            “I could ask you the same thing.” She held her bulky shoulder bag in front of her like a shield. “Who are you?”

            Collier shifted to sit up. She froze. “Don’t move. I’ve got mace in here.”

            “Calm down. I’m not going to move, since I’m pretty much naked here.” Collier grinned. “But you and I both know you don’t have mace.”

            The angry light in her eyes quavered, giving way to uncertainty. “How would you know what I have in my bag?”

            “Well,” he kept his voice calm, sensing she was more afraid than dangerous, “because if you had mace in there, you would have started spraying it the minute you realized there was a man in the room. That’s what I hear from most women, anyway.”

            She blinked away the uncertainty, her face settled into a mask of defensiveness. “Oh, and you know most women, do you?”

            “No, Miss, I don’t. But I’m pretty sure most women wouldn’t ask any questions before mentioning they have mace. So relax, put the bag down and tell me what you’re doing here.”

            “I’ve stayed here before.  I’ve worked with Shara.”

            “You’re trying to be mysterious. Why do I feel like you’re lying to me?”

            “Okay, well, I’ve lived here almost my whole life, and you’re a stranger. That’s enough mystery for me to call the cops. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t.”

            “My uncle said I could stay here and Molly Hunter brought me here.”

            She seemed less likely to want to kill him, but her countenance remained stony. “Who’s your uncle?”

            “Archibald James.”

            “The lawyer?”

            “You know him?”

            “Everyone knows about Archibald James.” She relaxed. “Okay, maybe you’re not a mass rapist.” She sat in the rocker. “But still, you can’t stay here.”

            “Why not?”

            “Because, I’m staying here.”

Collier chuckled. “I was here first. And, I’m not wearing pants.”

            “I’ll close my eyes. Get dressed, and get out.” Her tone was clipped, cold. Collier again sensed she was covering fear.

            “Why should I get out? I got here first. I was sound asleep, and you woke me up.” He gave her a small smile, hoping to soften the deep furrows in her brow.

            She shrugged. “Not my problem. You can’t stay here.”

            “It is your problem. I’m not leaving.” He grinned. “We could both stay here. It’s a big enough bed.” He patted the spot next to him.

            She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Of course that’s what you want.” Her eyes flashed hot and angry.

            “It’s not what I want, Ma’am. I want to go to sleep. But if you have other ideas, well, I am from the South. We believe in accommodating women whenever we can.”

            She stared at him, and Collier doubted his humor was warming her attitude. Clearly, some sort of battle waged behind her emerald eyes.

Her face slacked into exhaustion. “I need to stay here.”

            Collier’s curiosity made him push the point further. “Well, I’m from out of town and have no place else to go. From what I hear, Miranda Pierce, you live in Rock Harbor which means you do have someplace else to go.”

            “Don’t call me that.”

            “Isn’t it your name?”

“Call me Mira.” A shadow crossed her face. “I’m not going to that house tonight. You can’t make me.” her voice held the echoes of a willful child. “And how do you know my name…oh, wait…”

            “Molly Hunter.”

            Mira nodded. “She knows everyone and everything in this town. Steer clear of her if you want to keep anything private.”

            “She didn’t strike me as a person who spread gossip.”

            “She doesn’t. She just knows everything. The potential is always there.”

            An interesting read on the lovely Miss Molly. “So the two of you aren’t grand friends then?”

            She leaned back in the rocker. “I try not to make attachments. It’s easier to leave if there aren’t any attachments.”

            “Sounds like someone who wants to run away.”

            “I’ve always wanted to run away. I feel like I’m running away from something every day of my life.”

            Collier wanted to be annoyed by her cryptic statement, but watching her face, he sensed it was probably the one completely truthful thing she’d said. Collier tried to assess her age. “You’re what, thirty? You’re old enough to go out on your own. What’s stopping you?”

            “I’m twenty-eight, thank you.”

            “Oh, that’s a huge difference.” Collier nearly laughed aloud at the wounded expression on Mira’s face.

            “I can’t leave because it’s complicated. But I can’t go home tonight.”

            The glimmer of true fear returned in her eyes. Collier relented. “Fine. Just go…go in the bathroom for a minute, let me get my crap together and I’ll go sleep on the hay downstairs.”

            “You want a blanket or something?”

            Her friendly tone annoyed him. “What, now that you’ve won the bed, you’re worried about me?”

            The softness melted from her face and her jaw line hardened. “Not really. I couldn’t care less about you having a blanket, so long as you’re not in here.”

            “Suits me fine. I’d rather sleep with horses than up here with you. Less shit to deal with.”

            “Oh, very nice. They teach you that language in the South where men are supposed to be so mannerly?” She glared at him as she stomped into the small bathroom and slammed the door.

            “No!” Collier yelled as he pulled on his jeans. “I learned manners just fine, because where I come from the women aren’t complete bitches!” He stuffed a few things into his duffle bag and slammed the door behind him, startling the horses in the stalls below.

            There was a blanket hung from a hook near a stack of hay bales. Collier spread the blanket over the bales and stretched out on the hay, thankful his years on the road in the Renaissance Faire circuit had toughened him. Staring at the ceiling, he watched the light that glowed from between small cracks in the loft floor. When the light switched off, he closed his eyes. Still, she is pretty.

            Pretty bitchy.

Jennifer, Serena, and Madelyn...oh my! The Women Behind my Wicked Women Trilogy.

Good morning!

So this week I published the final book in my Wicked Women trilogy.  I'm pretty excited because I never thought of my self as a person who'd write book series, but now that I've managed to link three books together I like the idea and I start work on a new series very soon!

But let me tell you about  my Wicked Women.

It started with Jennifer Tiel in Lies In Chance.  

Lies in Chance is, first and foremost,  a romance about an heiress, Shara Brandt, and a school teacher, Bryan Jacobs.  But there's Jennifer, Bryan's ex-wife and the woman rivaling Shara for the affections of Shara's fiance, Richard.  (Are you still with me?)  On the surface, Jennifer is a sex-driven villain who blames Shara for all the troubles in her own life.  But that's just on the surface. 

In writing Jennifer, I tapped into the question most women ask themselves:  What would I do for love?  What would I do for money?  What would I do to survive?  

The answers surprised me.  

While a woman using her "wiles" isn't a new theme, I think Jennifer takes it to a new height. There are scenes where she has other weapons, but her weapon of choice, the one that serves her purposes and gives her pleasure at the same time, is sex.  She is beautiful, charming, and lethal.  On the surface she's simply a pretty face with a bad attitude, but deep down she's a woman fighting to claim what's hers.  

Don't feel sympathy for Jennifer Tiel.  She won't thank you for it, and she'll probably destroy you.


Then there was Serena Shipley Chapman, in Fresh Ice.

Fresh Ice brings together former Olympic caliber skater Isabella "Izzy" Marks and former NHL Bad Boy Quinn Murray.  But Serena Shipley Chapman is the cloud that hangs over an otherwise ideal romance.  One part Southern Belle, one part gritty Midwest athlete, Serena might be the most bitter of my villains.  Cheated out of love and glory by Izzy, Serena knows revenge is a dish best served cold.  She is ruthless, she is powerful, and she is patient.  She has never wanted for power, wealth, or privilege, but she wants something more and will stop at nothing to break whomever stands in her way.

Like Jennifer, Serena knows how to use her beauty to her advantage, but unlike Jennifer, Serena doesn't let pleasure get in her way of her single minded focus on her enemy. There is no plan B for Serena.  She must destroy Izzy at all costs, even when it costs her a chance at happiness.

There are many words to describe Serena Shipley Chapman...but don't use "crazy" as one of them.  Call her crazy and she'll hurt you just enough to make you wish you were dead.




Finally, meet the newest member of the Wicked Women Club, Madelyn Pierce Anderson in A Hero's Spark.

A Hero's Spark focuses on two people who are hardly heroes: Collier James and Mira Pierce. Collier has a lack of confidence after losing the love of his life and his band.  Mira has a wealth of issues that create a canyon of self-loathing for her. Madelyn, Mira's older sister, blames a troubled family history and her own social shortcomings on Mira, who suffers daily for the sins Madelyn won't forget.

Madelyn is not beautiful, and she has no interest in sexual pleasure...for herself.  She understands a man's drive for pleasure, though she views the need as a weakness to be exploited.  Her goal is power and money and she will stop at nothing to get exactly what she wants.  Her intellect is her biggest weapon and she is the coldest, most calculating villain of my Wicked Women. 

Blood might be thicker than water, but nothing is thick enough to keep her from her goals. Prim, proper, and traditional on the surface, she breaks all society's rules and mores to gain power and influence.

Stay out of her way...or pay the price.

If these three women sat down to lunch, I doubt they'd have much to talk about.  As similar as the world might view them, all three see themselves as originals and none would thank you for trying to make them be friends.

Honestly, I'm a little afraid of all of them.

Maybe you didn't hear me: A HERO'S SPARK IS NOW AVAILABLE!

nd Gentlemen:

The third and final book in my Wicked Women trilogy is complete and ready for public consumption.  That's right, "A Hero's Spark" is now available for sale in print or digital by CLICKING HERE!  If you prefer your books in print and you'd like to see your favorite indie author (who doesn't have to be me, but boy it'd be cool if it were) get a bigger cut from the result of the blood, sweat and tears that goes into writing a novel, then you can purchase any and all of my books by clicking HERE!

Yes, "A Hero's Spark," the story of musicians Collier James and Miranda "Mira" Pierce is ready for your reading approval.

I'm excited, as I always am, when I'm done with a book because it means I've accomplished something that no one can take away from me.  If I never hit the New York Times Best Selling List, (Okay, that would blow big time) I'd be okay, really as long as people read and enjoyed my stories.  Most authors feel that way.  Sure, we all have big dreams of book signings with lines that wind through the massive book store.  But the reality is we write because we have to. Most of us pour our hearts out and craft books carefully.  And we indie e-pubs also have to handle cover art, editing, rewrites, and marketing.  (I don't care for the marketing end of it.  I'd like you all to just run over to Amazon and Createspace and buy the books.)  We e-pubs have a heavy burden on our shoulders to get you the stories, and hopefully a couple dozen of you will purchase the books so we can be encouraged just enough to write another one.

But I'm here to talk about the book, the new book.  What, you may ask, is "A Hero's Spark" all about?

I'm glad you asked.  Here's a quick description: 

Rejected by the woman he loves and abandoned by his band, Collier James is broke and alone, a thousand mile from his home in Nashville. Collier turns to his uncle who sends him to Rock Harbor, Wisconsin where he hopes recording mogul Shara Brandt can help him find the spark to take his music career to the next level. 

Miranda Pierce cannot escape her sister Madelyn's control. To do so would mean losing all contact with her son, Dusty. She's also unable to escape constant contact with Madelyn's husband, the man who raped her at fifteen, but who is now powerful enough to destroy her if she reveals that he's the father of her son. Madelyn allows Mira to return to their childhood home in Rock Harbor, and Mira hopes to build a music career that will support both her and Dusty.

In the studio Mira and Collier must work together in spite of their mutual dislike. Mira's lack of discipline clashes with Collier's single minded drive and sparks fly. As a tour date in Nashville nears, Mira and Collier strike an uneasy truce. Working together, sparks of a different kind pass between them. 

No amount of musical success can keep the walls from closing in on Mira as Madelyn tries to cut her out of Dusty's life forever. Desperate, Mira risks everything, even her life, to prove herself and protect her son.

Collier's worried about Mira's erratic, desperate behavior. As she spirals out of control he realizes he will have to sacrifice everything to save her from whatever it is that threatens to consume her. In the process, Collier discovers that this sacrifice might just be the spark his life needs.

Many of you may recognize some of the character names.  Yep, "Spark"  draws on characters and locales from my previous two novels, "Fresh Ice" and "Lies in Chance."

Was it easier writing a book where I'd already built many of the characters and the sets?  No.  Just ask my critique partners, who had to slog through many, many, many different spellings of Shara Brandt's band...if I hadn't mentioned them in "Lies in Chance," I would simply have given the band a simpler name to type.  But, since I couldn't change a name just because I didn't want to have to type it the same way more than once, I had to hope my critique partners, Authors Linda Schmalz and Kelly Moran, and my editor, the sublime Susie Harkeness Kline caught the mistakes.



SPOILER ALERT!
(But NOT for "A Hero's Spark")






Writing a book that ties two previous books together was not something I'd planned on doing until a number of people demanded that Collier James, the poor gent Izzy Marks passes over in "Fresh Ice," get his own book. That's when I realized Collier had the same last name as Archibald James, the lawyer who pretty much saves the day in "Lies in Chance."  (Oh, spoiler alert...those books have been out for over a year.  If you haven't read them, maybe you need to catch up on your reading!)

As it turned out, Collier had a lot to do for himself.  And Miranda Pierce, well, she might be the character most like me that I've ever dared to write.

This book goes to a far darker place than any of my previous work ever has.  Blame it on the past year.  As I was writing this book my family spiraled deeper and deeper into a very dark place.  Thankfully, each day now is a little better and I think the book reflects a determined optimism.

Friends, no artist works for simple cash.  If I did this for the cash, I'd have stopped years ago when "Dream in Color" failed to make me independently wealthy. Cash is great, don't get me wrong.  Buy my books!  I need to make some money doing this!  But I'm an artist, and I have stories to tell and characters you need to meet.

Since 2009 when I sold "Dream in Color" to The Wild Rose Press I've been blessed to publish four novels, two humor books  (Under Sarah Jayne Brewster) and a novella.  I've written countless blog posts and I've met so many fantastic people along the way.

I'm not stopping.  What's next?  Next I'm going to introduce you to Nora Hill, a young woman who needs to find lost children.

But for now, all you need to know is to CLICK HERE or CLICK HERE to purchase A Hero's Spark...my newest story.

And then there were three.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The third and final book in my Wicked Women trilogy is complete and ready for public consumption.  That's right, "A Hero's Spark" is now available for sale in print or digital by CLICKING HERE!  If you prefer your books in print and you'd like to see your favorite indie author (who doesn't have to be me, but boy it'd be cool if it were) get a bigger cut from the result of the blood, sweat and tears that goes into writing a novel, then you can purchase any and all of my books by clicking HERE!

Yes, "A Hero's Spark," the story of musicians Collier James and Miranda "Mira" Pierce is ready for your reading approval.

I'm excited, as I always am, when I'm done with a book because it means I've accomplished something that no one can take away from me.  If I never hit the New York Times Best Selling List, (Okay, that would blow big time) I'd be okay, really as long as people read and enjoyed my stories.  Most authors feel that way.  Sure, we all have big dreams of book signings with lines that wind through the massive book store.  But the reality is we write because we have to. Most of us pour our hearts out and craft books carefully.  And we indie e-pubs also have to handle cover art, editing, rewrites, and marketing.  (I don't care for the marketing end of it.  I'd like you all to just run over to Amazon and Createspace and buy the books.)  We e-pubs have a heavy burden on our shoulders to get you the stories, and hopefully a couple dozen of you will purchase the books so we can be encouraged just enough to write another one.

But I'm here to talk about the book, the new book.  What, you may ask, is "A Hero's Spark" all about?

I'm glad you asked.  Here's a quick description: 

Rejected by the woman he loves and abandoned by his band, Collier James is broke and alone, a thousand mile from his home in Nashville. Collier turns to his uncle who sends him to Rock Harbor, Wisconsin where he hopes recording mogul Shara Brandt can help him find the spark to take his music career to the next level. 

Miranda Pierce cannot escape her sister Madelyn's control. To do so would mean losing all contact with her son, Dusty. She's also unable to escape constant contact with Madelyn's husband, the man who raped her at fifteen, but who is now powerful enough to destroy her if she reveals that he's the father of her son. Madelyn allows Mira to return to their childhood home in Rock Harbor, and Mira hopes to build a music career that will support both her and Dusty.

In the studio Mira and Collier must work together in spite of their mutual dislike. Mira's lack of discipline clashes with Collier's single minded drive and sparks fly. As a tour date in Nashville nears, Mira and Collier strike an uneasy truce. Working together, sparks of a different kind pass between them. 

No amount of musical success can keep the walls from closing in on Mira as Madelyn tries to cut her out of Dusty's life forever. Desperate, Mira risks everything, even her life, to prove herself and protect her son.

Collier's worried about Mira's erratic, desperate behavior. As she spirals out of control he realizes he will have to sacrifice everything to save her from whatever it is that threatens to consume her. In the process, Collier discovers that this sacrifice might just be the spark his life needs.

Many of you may recognize some of the character names.  Yep, "Spark"  draws on characters and locales from my previous two novels, "Fresh Ice" and "Lies in Chance."

Was it easier writing a book where I'd already built many of the characters and the sets?  No.  Just ask my critique partners, who had to slog through many, many, many different spellings of Shara Brandt's band...if I hadn't mentioned them in "Lies in Chance," I would simply have given the band a simpler name to type.  But, since I couldn't change a name just because I didn't want to have to type it the same way more than once, I had to hope my critique partners, Authors Linda Schmalz and Kelly Moran, and my editor, the sublime Susie Harkeness Kline caught the mistakes.



SPOILER ALERT!
(But NOT for "A Hero's Spark")






Writing a book that ties two previous books together was not something I'd planned on doing until a number of people demanded that Collier James, the poor gent Izzy Marks passes over in "Fresh Ice," get his own book. That's when I realized Collier had the same last name as Archibald James, the lawyer who pretty much saves the day in "Lies in Chance."  (Oh, spoiler alert...those books have been out for over a year.  If you haven't read them, maybe you need to catch up on your reading!)

As it turned out, Collier had a lot to do for himself.  And Miranda Pierce, well, she might be the character most like me that I've ever dared to write.

This book goes to a far darker place than any of my previous work ever has.  Blame it on the past year.  As I was writing this book my family spiraled deeper and deeper into a very dark place.  Thankfully, each day now is a little better and I think the book reflects a determined optimism.

Friends, no artist works for simple cash.  If I did this for the cash, I'd have stopped years ago when "Dream in Color" failed to make me independently wealthy. Cash is great, don't get me wrong.  Buy my books!  I need to make some money doing this!  But I'm an artist, and I have stories to tell and characters you need to meet.

Since 2009 when I sold "Dream in Color" to The Wild Rose Press I've been blessed to publish four novels, two humor books  (Under Sarah Jayne Brewster) and a novella.  I've written countless blog posts and I've met so many fantastic people along the way.

I'm not stopping.  What's next?  Next I'm going to introduce you to Nora Hill, a young woman who needs to find lost children.

But for now, all you need to know is to CLICK HERE or CLICK HERE to purchase A Hero's Spark...my newest story.

Sneak Peak Sunday: A Hero's Spark

Good afternoon!

My release of the third and final book in my Wicked Women series will soon be upon us so I wanted to make an announcement before "A Hero's Spark" actually hits the web.

I will be pulling all of my other work from other sites and offering it exclusively on Amazon.

This is a marketing strategy I'm trying based on a couple things I've noticed:  1) I haven't sold anything to a Nook reader in more than a year.  2)  Sony just closed it's e-reader store. 3)  Other authors I know have done this and been able to make Amazon Kindle Select work to their advantage.

The truth of the matter is, while I write to tell stories, I need people to actually read those stories, and right now having my books available everywhere doesn't seem to get reaching anyone.

If you are a Nook user, you can still purchase all my novels by clicking here.  If you want the Elsie books, you can purchase those by clicking here.  This change will happen very soon, possibly in the next couple days.

Meanwhile, "A Hero's Spark" is happening this week.  To get you excited for the release, I'm sharing a tiny bit with you today!  Enjoy!

“What is your deal?” Mira stopped playing and stared at him. “You are really off beat today and not in a good way.”

            “Yeah, well, I sound like you look.” Collier wanted to bite back the words immediately. It was clear Mira had lost more weight in spite of their nightly trips to Dave’s for burgers and cheese fries. While she’d always been thin, she’d always seemed vibrant, like some internal furnace burned hot. Today, Collier noticed, she shivered even though she was wrapped in a turtleneck, a sweatshirt, and a heavy cardigan sweater. There were dark rings under her eyes.

            “My one bad hair day is not going to ruin this chance for me. But, your weak excuse for talent will, so either use whatever drama you’ve got rolling in your head to finish this song, or push it out of the way.”

            Her argumentative tone irritated him. “You’d be the one who knows about drama. You create plenty for yourself.”

            She put her guitar in the case. “And now we’re done.”

            Collier shook his head, weeks of pent animosity bubbling to the surface. “Sure, go ahead. Run away like you always do. You pretend to be grown up, but then you run away any time anyone confronts you.”

            Mira closed the guitar case and hoisted it off the floor. The effort, Collier noted, was a mighty one, as if the guitar weighed more than she did. “I don’t have to listen to this from someone who’s never had to live in the real world.”

            “Like you know anything about me.”

            Mira’s laugh was short, and mocking. “Please. You weren’t in Rock Harbor ten days before everyone knew everything about you. And now here you are, playing the part of a struggling musician, cooking for Dave a couple nights a week, looking all artsy and sad.”

            “And what’s wrong with any of that?”

            “It’s crap. It’s not true.” She rested the case on the floor and leaned against the piano.

            “How would you figure that?”

            “Really? We’re going to do this now?” She gave him an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. You’ve got a sob story about how your world fell in on you,” her eyes flashed with fury, “and it’s all bull because reality is you have a rich uncle who is tight with Shara. Your life is a golden ticket and you’re too busy wallowing in some misery you made up to acknowledge what a freaking gift your life is compared to most people.”

            Collier slammed the piano cover closed and swung a leg over the bench to face her. “Oh, really? You’re one to talk. You grew up in the biggest house in town, and then you moved to a state senator’s house. Next I hear you’ll be riding your sister’s checkbook to the governor’s mansion. I’m pretending? You’re a twenty-eight-year old spoiled brat pretending you have so much to overcome when what you’ve managed to do every time someone challenges you to be better is beat them over the head with your silver spoon.”

            “You don’t get to judge me.” Mira’s eyes narrowed as she set her jaw. “You don’t know a damn thing about me.”

            “Oh, no, Princess, you started this, we’re going to finish it.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I have a rich uncle. He’s been nothing more than a Christmas card for the last ten years. The only reason I went to him this summer is because I was left flat broke a thousand miles from home and I needed a place to crash.” He took a breath and waited for her to respond. Mira’s face remained stony still but her eyes flared.

 Collier couldn’t stop himself. “Beyond that I’ve worked my whole life and lived on what I earn. Meanwhile, you could be really great, but prefer moping around, acting the part of the angry, misunderstood Goth chick. You’ve got talent, but you’d rather assault your audience because they aren’t cool enough to ‘get’ you. You pick up guys in some pathetic attempt to give yourself a bad girl image.”

“Shut up, Collier. I’m serious.”

Collier took her words and tone more as a challenge than a warning. “So, why not me, Mira, huh?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve seen you leave Dave’s with a guy now and again. You’re not all that selective. Why not me?” He stood and took a step toward her.

She tensed, a predator ready for the kill. “Maybe you’re not man enough for me.” Her faced glowed in conquest. “Maybe I’m not interested in standing in for that ghost you won’t let go.”

Collier took another step. He stood inches from her, close enough to feel her icy tension. “What would you know about my ghosts?” He forced his words out though his throat tightened.

“I know you’re freaking out because you have to go back to Nashville. You don’t want to because there’s some woman there who rejected you.” She returned his glare. “You want to talk about waste of talent? I might get a little wild, but at least I feel!” She made a fist and pounded a spot over her heart. “I feel. I react. That’s what humans do. You’re frozen. You’re frozen and you can’t function because of some bitch who doesn’t want you.”

“Shut your mouth!” Collier leaned in, his arms braced on either side of her. He leaned closer, desire crackled and sparked between them. “You don’t have any of the qualities she has.”

Mira tipped her head to whisper directly into his ear. “I must have something, though, Collier, because you’re here with me, not with her.”

For a heartbeat, Collier locked his gaze with hers, a toxic mix of rage and desire coursing through him. “You’ve got nothing but bad attitude and tattoos, and you wear them both like some kind of armor.” Collier grabbed her arm and shoved up the multiple sleeves. He stared at the exposed skin, stunned. Shooting a glance at her face, Collier saw the tears well up in her eyes, though her face remained frozen. “Mira, what the hell?”

            She yanked her arm away and jerked her sleeves down. “You have no idea what real problems are. You think you’re so wonderful because you survived a break up. And it wasn’t even a real break up it was a break up all in your head. How about if you just live your little romantic drama and leave real life to people who have real shit going on?”

            With that, she shoved past him and grabbed her guitar case. She stormed out of the studio, the door slamming behind her. Collier stared at the space she had just occupied, as if she were still standing there.

            Just how much weight had she lost? Collier couldn’t shut out the image of her arm, her skin almost translucent, her veins obvious, giving her tightly stretched skin a bluish quality. Her hands, always slender and delicate, had a glass-like quality to them. Her whole arm was thin enough to snap with little force.

            And then there were the scars.  Like blank measures on a sheet of music, thin red lines in varying degrees of healing circled her pale skin. It was clear to him she hadn’t eaten or slept well in a long time, and now, he was faced with the evidence she was also hurting herself.

            Anger faded to concern for a moment and he wondered if he should follow her. Then Mira’s words about his feelings for Izzy echoed and his anger returned. She can go wallow in her own problems all by herself.

            He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The anger left completely, leaving him weak and remorseful. He put on his coat and headed for the door.