Author Speed Dating – Tara Taylor Quinn

February 28, 2017November 30, 2016 by Dana Nussio

Author Speed Dating(1)

I love discovering new authors, so I wanted my blog to be a place where readers and my author pals could come together. Only we like to do this Speed-Dating style. Check out a new author and her work here every Wednesday, and if the spark is there, you’ll have a match.

This week’s guest: Tara Taylor Quinn

Tara_headshot

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

15 Questions

1. If you were a My Little Pony character, what image would be tatooed on your butt?

A heart.

2. What was genre of the first piece you can remember writing, and how old were you when you penned this masterpiece?

I was six. I still have it! It was published in a little school publication. I’d written about a monster breaking into our house and my mom and I told my dad to go back to bed. We’d take care of it. As an adult I can only imagine how that made my father feel!

3. Since all of November authors are Americans, name some dishes that are must-haves for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Scalloped corn – my recipe. Dressing. Waldorf Salad.

4. If you could write a novel containing any generally “off-limits” element, what would we find in your story?

Wow – you’ve stumped me on this one. I have written everything from prostitution to white supremacy. I’m known for tackling tough subjects and I can’t think of any I’ve needed to write about that I haven’t done.

5. Project Runway or Designated Survivor?

No clue. I’m not familiar with either! The only television I watch is Netflix. TV ads make me nuts.

6. Is social media a bad habit for you, and, if so, what is your favorite time drain?

Social media is a job for me. My current favorite time drain is Toy Blast – it’s a game similar to Candy Crush, but I like it much better! I don’t play it on the computer though. Don’t even download it. Computer is for work!

7. With no money limit, if you could construct the most perfect writing space, what would it look like?

It would have a wall of windows looking out over my beautiful Arizona mountains and into the city. I’d have a wall of bookcases behind me. A bathroom off the far corner, lush carpet for my fur babies, a doggy door, a couch beneath the windows and tables with all of my feel goods. To my left would be a wall for my bulletin boards. It would have a privately keyed door and have a perfect surround sound system with Bose speakers. There would be a door to a waterfall garden just outside.

8. Sushi or pepperoni pizza with extra cheese?

Neither! My pizza would have ham, tomato, and onions.

9. What book are you reading right now, and what is the best book you’ve read in a long time?

The only book I’m reading right now is the one I’m working on. With seven books out this year, I don’t have time for pleasure reading. I don’t want to risk incorporating another ‘voice’ or ‘feel’ into my own writing.

10. How many full and partial manuscripts remain in your never-published collection?

I have no idea! Sort of none. I’m sure I have partials that didn’t become books (I can think of one off the top of my head) but I re-worked the idea and it became a book. I’ve been published, non-stop for twenty-four years so we’re talking a long time ago. I’d have to go out in the shed and open boxes to properly answer this question!

11. Bob Dylan or Dylan Thomas?

I don’t know Dylan Thomas, but I am not a Bob Dylan fan! I know, so horrible, especially considering that he just won the Nobel Peace prize. I am a ‘tune’ woman, and in my opinion he doesn’t carry one. I also couldn’t stand his ‘Lay Lady Lay.’ I thought it was degrading to women. But then, I was a kid listening to the song coming from my older brother’s room when I formed that opinion!

12. Name your favorite hero or heroine from one of your books, and share what made that character special.

Oh my word. This is just hard. I have 80 books! How do you choose? I think I can’t. I think of one and then think of another and feel disloyal to both of them. They’re all so unique and I care for them all. Deeply. So…there’s your answer. Sorry! If I had to recommend a series, I’d recommend Where Secrets Are Safe. Partially because I’m writing a book from that series right now. But I think it’s maybe my best work to date. It’s critically acclaimed and I think it has done more than any of my other books to help women find hope and believe that happiness exists.

13. Who was the first person – besides your mom and dad – who told you that you could write?

Me! I didn’t ask anyone. I just knew I was a writer. I told my Mom I was a writer before she told me I could write. I’ve been telling myself stories since I was just a little kid and was keeping journals, with prose and poetry before I was in high school.

14. Dogs or cats? Pedigree or mutts?

Both. I have a very prissy, registered and show quality prima donna teacup poodle and a rescue cocker/poodle mix who are very close to each other and are my best friends. Literally. We spend all of our days alone together. We each bring something to the mix and I hope we’re all three blessed by it! I know I am.

15. What is your favorite point while you are writing a new story?

When I slip so deeply in that I become a part of that life and I don’t want to leave.

***

Her Soldier’s Baby

By Tara Taylor Quinn

Some nights he woke up in a cold sweat and still couldn’t believe that Eliza Maxwell was his wife. He’d lie there, touching her shoulder, looking at her sometimes for more than an hour, to avoid going back to sleep. When he slept, she was, like the rest of his few good childhood memories, completely out of reach.

***

Her Soldier’s Baby may be purchased through these online retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google, Harlequin and iTunes.

***

About Tara

Having written over eighty novels, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA TODAY bestselling author with more than seven million copies sold. She is known for delivering intense, emotional fiction. Tara is a past president of Romance Writers of America. She has won a Readers’ Choice Award and is a five-time finalist for an RWA RITA^® Award, a finalist for a Reviewers’ Choice Award and a Booksellers’ Best Award. She has also appeared on TV across the country, including CBS Sunday Morning. She supports the National Domestic Violence Hotline. If you or someone you know might be a victim of domestic violence in the United States, please contact 1-800-799-7233.

Stay in touch with Tara through her website, www.tarataylorquinn.com, or through these social media channels: Facebook, GoodReads, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or on her Pinterest Friendship board.

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Author Speed Dating – Diane Burton

November 23, 2016 by Dana Nussio

Author Speed Dating(1)

I love discovering new authors, so I wanted to my blog to be a place where readers and my author pals could come together. Only we like to do this Speed-Dating style. Check out a new author and her work here every Wednesday, and if the spark is there, you’ll have a match.

This week’s guest: Diane Burton

Diane Burton pic

15 Questions

1. If you were a My Little Pony character, what image would be tattooed on your butt?

A shooting star, because I love sci-fi.

2. What was genre of the first piece you can remember writing, and how old were you when you penned this masterpiece?

A romance based on the TV show “77 Sunset Strip”; I was maybe 15. My girlfriend and I wrote and shared with each other only fan fiction. Only thing was we didn’t know that’s what it was called. LOL

3. Since all of November authors are Americans, name some dishes that are must-haves for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Sage dressing (cooked both in and out of the turkey), candied sweet potatoes (even though I’m the only one who likes them), pumpkin pie.

4. If you could write a novel containing any generally “off-limits” element, what would we find in your story?

I don’t do “off limits.” One of my sci-fi romances has an older woman/younger man romance. That’s about as risqué as I get. LOL

5. Project Runway or Designated Survivor?

Neither. The only reality show I watch is “Dancing With The Stars.”

6. Is social media a bad habit for you, and, if so, what is your favorite time drain?

Oh, yeah. Facebook and Triberr (because I stop and read the interesting blogs).

7. With no spending limit, if you could construct the most perfect writing space, what would it look like?

Big windows overlooking Lake Michigan; lots of shelves; a comfy recliner and my laptop; a Keurig coffee maker.

8. Sushi or pepperoni pizza with extra cheese?

My grandchildren (6½ & 9) took me out for sushi this summer. The 6 yo kept saying “try this, Nana, it’s great.” I’m glad I tried everything. I’d rather have pizza.

9. What book are you reading right now, and what is the best book you’ve read in a long time?

Just finished Pets In Space, an anthology of sci-fi romance short stories featuring pets. I have so many favorite books. I used to say Rebecca, but now I think The Hunger Games trilogy is the best I’ve read in a long time. Such powerful messages and a darn good story. Where were books like that when I was in high school?

10. How many full and partial manuscripts remain in your never-published collection?

Geez, I’m not sure. I’ve been writing for 20+ years and accumulated a LOT of rejections. I probably won’t resurrect them—too out of date. I consider them practice writing.

11. Bob Dylan or Dylan Thomas?

Neither. Bob Dylan’s okay, but I’m a Beach Boys girl.

12. Name your favorite hero or heroine from one of your books, and share what made that character special.

Celara from The Pilot, the first Outer Rim novel. She’s a red-head, little, feisty, mouthy, and doesn’t put up with anything from anybody. I wish I was more like her.

13. Who was the first person – besides your mom and dad – who told you that you could write?

I don’t know. Certainly, not any of my teachers. My dad died before I became published. My mom was very proud of my first book. She passed away before any of the others were published. My husband is my biggest supporter. He doesn’t read fiction but reads my books. When I wanted to give up, he encouraged me the most.

14. Dogs or cats? Pedigree or mutts?

Dogs. Mutts.

15. What is your favorite point while you are writing a new story?

The beginning. Everything is new, unless the MC was a secondary in a previous story. Love the rush of getting the words down and discovering more about the heroine and hero.

***

The Pilot

By Diane Burton

Celara pushed her chair away from the table and climbed up on it. “Quiet down, you Rimmer scum.”

The patrons laughed then quieted.

She lifted her drink. “A toast, Rimmers. Let’s hear it for the wonderful, fantabulous, Administrator Jovano. May he live long enough to enjoy good health.”

To her surprise, silence met her toast. No one raised their glasses or mugs, even in jest. Everyone was looking at her, standing on the chair. No, they were looking past her. Only thing behind her was the door. Booted footsteps rapped on the rough-hewn plank floor then stopped behind her.

“Thank you for the compliments and the good wishes for my longevity.” The baritone-and-chokiris voice sounded just over her shoulder.

If she ever needed a personal cloaking device, it was now. Or a magic ring with which to disappear. Sector Admin Trevarr Jovano stood behind her. Waiting. She swore she could feel him breathing.

Undaunted, she turned around. As the room tipped, she reached for the back of the chair. “Whoa, those mudslides sneak up on you.”

Missing the chair, she grabbed the closest thing—Trevarr Jovano’s black-clad shoulders. Beneath her fingers, the strong muscles contracted. “Hey there, Admin Man. Heard my toast, did you?” She grinned down at him.

He wasn’t smiling. “You should sit down before you fall down. Or better yet, go home and sleep it off.”

A dark fury swept away the sweet tranquility of two tall Kruferian mudslides. “I can’t go home, you snake. You stole my home.”

She swung a round-house punch at him, missed her objective and would have fallen ignominiously off the chair had he not caught her. For several long secs, he held her tightly against his chest, her feet dangling off the floor a good twenty-five centimeters. His green eyes caught hers and darkened.

The heat in the room rose ten degrees. Her heart tripped, the air leached out of her lungs. His eyes. She could drown in those green depths.

***

The Pilot is available from these online retailers: Amazon, B&N, Kobo, iBooks, ARe and Smashwords.

***

A Note from Diane

The Pilot’s book birthday is this week. I love the concept of science fiction romances featuring strong women on the Outer Rim, the frontier of space. Currently, there are three books in the series. Each is a standalone, even though some characters from previous books can reappear. There are three books in the Outer Rim series and will be one more before I take off on another adventure in a different world.

***

About Diane

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance into writing romantic fiction. Besides the science fiction romance Switched and the Outer Rim series, she is the author of One Red Shoe, a romantic suspense, and the Alex O’Hara PI mystery series. She is also a contributor to two anthologies: Portals, Volume 2 and How I Met My Husband. Diane and her husband live in West Michigan. They have two children and three grandchildren.

For more info and excerpts from her books, visit Diane’s website: http://www.dianeburton.com. Connect with her on social media through her blog or on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and Pinterest. Sign up for Diane’s new release alert here.

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Author Speed Dating – Gina Conkle

November 16, 2016 by Dana Nussio

Author Speed Dating(1)

This week’s guest: Gina Conkle

Historical

15 Questions

1. If you were a My Little Pony character, what image would be tattooed on your butt?

A heart with a banner reading “sweet” across the middle.

2. What was genre of the first piece you can remember writing, and how old were you when you penned this masterpiece?

A dystopian story titled “The Girl Who Stopped World War III.” I was in 5^th grade.

3. Since all of November authors are Americans, name some dishes that are must-haves for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Mashed potatoes, pies (peach, Dutch apple, and pecan).

4. If you could write a novel containing any generally “off-limits” element, what would we find in your story?

This is too funny! I’m putting the finishing touches on my “off-limits” story (The Proper Care and Feeding of a Broken Heart). A few months ago I gave myself permission to write this no-holds barred contemporary romance with profanity and off-the-charts sex. It releases in December, part of a “Kissables” series.

5. Project Runway or Designated Survivor?

Neither. Except for Fixer Upper‘ and Flip or Flop, I avoid reality TV.

6. Is social media a bad habit for you, and, if so, what is your favorite time drain?

Oh time suck, thy name is Pinterest!

7. With no money limit, if you could construct the most perfect writing space, what would it look like?

Big windows. A fireplace. Built in shelves. A comfy couch.

8. Sushi or pepperoni pizza with extra cheese?

Sushi.

9. What book are you reading right now, and what is the best book you’ve read in a long time?

Reading now: Warrior by Nicole Jordan (a throwback to the ’90s) and The Master by Kresley Cole. Dream of Me by Josie Litton is best book.

10. How many full and partial manuscripts remain in your never-published collection?

1) First few chapters of French Scribe. 2) A partial manuscript of Secrets in Amber, a Viking romance started in 2012 and has only this year gone out on submission (so far no takers). 3) A hot and steamy contemporary novella, “Anything But Safe”, that I entered in an erotic contest years ago – it came in 3^rd and I shelved it. I swore ABS would never see the light of day. Now, it’ll be part of the Kissables duology releasing in December.

11. Bob Dylan or Dylan Thomas?

Bob Dylan (I saw him in concert in Santa Barbara).

12. Name your favorite hero or heroine from one of your books, and share what made that character special.

I love Cyrus Ryland from The Lady Meets Her Match. He tried to fit into Society, but he was big and out of place, a commoner who eventually saw through ulterior motives.

13. Who was the first person – besides your mom and dad – who told you that you could write?

Mrs. Miller, my 5^th grade teacher.

14. Dogs or cats? Pedigree or mutts?

Dogs. Rescue mutts.

15. What is your favorite point while you are writing a new story?

I love when characters reveal deeper story issues. No matter how hard you try to plot those moments, characters are like friends who share themselves on their own sweet time.

***

To Find a Viking Treasure

By Gina Conkle

Brandr sliced the oars through water…back and forth, his body’s motion hypnotic and smooth. “Go ahead. Talk to me.”

The Viking could be a mystical warrior dressed in black against waning fog, his graveled voice working a kind of silken magic. Sun shined through clouds, the pearled orb anointing his head. Perhaps Odin did send Brandr to save the day.

Wraiths rose up from the channel as if to push them along. Did the Norse gods want them to succeed? She didn’t believe in Odin and his Valkyries, but the stories Vikings spun at night entranced her.

“You could tell me what you’ll do with your reward,” she said.

He snorted. “I said you could talk to me. Not the other way around.”

“That’s not how it works. People take turns talking and listening to each other. It’s called conversation.” She angled her head coyly. “Vikings can do it. I’ve seen it happen.”

Brandr squinted at tree tops rising above the mist. “Never been much for talk.”

“Your mouth never stops when trading jibes with me.”

His chuckle was raspy and low. “You have a way of loosening my tongue.”

To her shame, his laugh cut a scorching path through her body and her legs fell open under her skirts. Her knees were heavy, and she left them open.

“You’re a warrior long in service to Lord Hakan. Surely you’ll get a bigger reward than a handful of coins?”

His tarnished silver eyes pinned her. “Maybe I get you.”

***

To Find a Viking Treasure may be purchased through these online retailers: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay.

***

About Gina

Hi, I’m Gina Conkle, writer of Viking and Georgian romance. I grew up in southern California, and despite all that sunshine, I love books over beaches and stone castles over sand castles. Now my family, which includes my favorite alpha male, Brian, and our two sons, live in Michigan where I dabble in gardening (I grow organic tulips) and try my hand at cooking (which meant feeding Viking recipes to my family this last summer). If you’re looking for free guilty reads, check out my newsletter.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

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Author Speed Dating – Marianne Evans

November 9, 2016 by Dana Nussio

Author Speed Dating(1)

This week’s guest: Marianne Evans

13_Marianne

inspy womens fiction

15 Questions

1. If you were a My Little Pony character, what image would be tattooed on your butt?

LOL! Why, Rarity, of course. What’s not to love about a purple-haired unicorn???

2. What was genre of the first piece you can remember writing, and how old were you when you penned this masterpiece?

ROMANCE – and I was the tender age of 12!!!

3. Since all of November authors are Americans, name some dishes that are must-haves for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Mashed potatoes.

4. If you could write a novel containing any generally “off-limits” element, what would we find in your story?

Huh? Nothing’s off limits—it’s all in how you handle it!! 😉

5. Project Runway or Designated Survivor?

RUNWAY!

6. Is social media a bad habit for you, and, if so, what are your favorite time drains?

Facebook & Twitter. #MyBad #Addicted.

7. With no money limit, if you could construct the most perfect writing space, what would it look like?

Think massive English den with a fireplace crackling. Hey, go big, or go home!

8. Sushi or pepperoni pizza with extra cheese?

Pizza, please!

9. What book are you reading right now, and what is the best book you’ve read in a long time?

Currently: How to Catch a Prince – Rachel Hauck / Great Read: Redemption by Karen Kingsbury.

10. How many full and partial manuscripts remain in your never-published collection?

Three.

11. Bob Dylan or Dylan Thomas?

Bob Dylan.

12. Name your favorite hero or heroine from one of your books, and share what made that character special.

Tyler Brock – completely handsome, loyal, charismatic and PERSISTENT!

13. Who was the first person – besides your mom and dad – who told you that you could write?

My 5^th grade teacher, Mrs. Weiss, and we’ve kept in touch.

14. Dogs or cats? Pedigree or mutts?

I’m a kitty-mama.

15. What is your favorite point while you are writing a new story?

Dead tie between kicking it off, and typing ‘The End.’

***

Marianne book

Forgiveness

By Marianne Evans

They convened in the great room. When Amy crossed the threshold, Chase watched her run gentle fingertips against the edge of the fireplace mantle, where silver-framed photos rested. For a time she lost herself in family snapshots, formal portraits of Zach, Pyper…

And within her eyes crested an ocean of sadness that twisted his stomach, because he didn’t think they were going to like what he had to say.

“Excuse me for being torn between two sides here, but I don’t think you should have treated him so harshly. Why are you painting him with the lines of a brush that’s decades old? What right do you have to do that? It’s not fair, and it’s not worthy of the people standing in this room—the one’s I’ve come to know and care for so much.”

Pyper crossed the room, headed for her mother’s side, but she drew up short and stared at Chase. Zach stood not far away, brows furrowed, arms crossed, gaze pinging from one person to the next as he visibly attempted to sort things through.

Tyler stepped into the tense and building void. “Chase, you’re right to be loyal to him. I don’t discount the ways he helped you find your way, but I need you to hear us out on this. You need to understand that—”

“No. There’s no need for an explanation. I get it. You’re all about second chances; you’re all about redemption; you’re all about that feel-good, all-encompassing word forgiveness, right up to the point when it involves someone who’s hurt you deep. Well, I know Mark far better than you, and I respect him. He worked hard to overcome. I can relate to that struggle because life forced me to walk his same walk. He’s a troubled, flawed man who tells me he’s working hard to be what he needs to be, what he wants to be. I had my doubts about his arrival, and I know how he hurt y’all. But after his witness today, after the way he accepted his cross with grace and humility, I feel he deserves a chance. Why did you lash out at him without knowing thing-one about the demons he’s slain?”

“Demons!” Pyper rounded on him. “The demons he’s slain? Chase, that man is a wrecking ball! Any demons he faced, he brought on himself!”

“Absolutely, and those demons will lurk over you as well, Pyper—over all of you—if you storm off and refuse to give him the time of day. That kind of judgment I don’t want or need. It’s toxic, unfair, and it certainly isn’t Christian.”

“Chase!”

Pyper’s cry mixed pain and anger; the realization registered then evaporated.

Temper erupting, he pressed forward through lightning strikes and storm clouds he could taste in the air. “The man you hate so much—and don’t even try to hide from that truth—is the man who helped me, and nothing but God led Mark Samuels to Nashville. If you can’t see that, then you don’t understand all the words you use about seeing His hand in our lives, and recognizing His actions, His interventions.”

Pyper’s eyes filled, and Chase rebuked the resulting stab of pain.

“That damaged man found healing; that damaged man repented and worked hard to restore himself. I’ve learned a lot from his journey, and he pulled me scratching and clawing from a black hole. I’m sorry for what he did. Truly I am.” His gaze roved Pyper’s precious face, then moved to Amy. “What he did to you and your mama is reprehensible, but you should look at who he is now.” Chase focused on Tyler and Zach as well. “All of you need to see his redemption rather than his past. He’s covered by grace. He’s loved. He’s forgiven. Right?” His gaze landed square on Pyper’s bewildered face. “Just. Like. Me.” He invaded her space. Fire burned in his chest, stirring an all-over ache as he strove to drive home his point. “Or do you believe Jesus would leave an honestly repentant man cowering in the sand, covered by sin?”

*******

FORGIVENESS is available for purchase from these online retailers: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christian Book | Pelican Book Group.

***

About Marianne

Marianne Evans is an award-winning author of Christian romance and fiction. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God’s love through the stories He prompts her to create. Readers laude her work as “Riveting,” “Realistic and true to heart,” “Compelling.” Her Christian women’s fiction debut, Devotion, earned the Bookseller’s Best Award as well as the Heart of Excellence Award. Hearts Communion earned a win for Best Romance from the Christian Small Publisher’s Association. She is also a two-time recipient of the Selah Award for her books Then & Now and Finding Home. Marianne is a lifelong resident of Michigan and an active member of Romance Writers of America, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President. You can connect with Marianne at www.marianneevans.com and through these social-media channels: Blogspot, Facebook and Twitter.
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Author Speed Dating – Jane Porter

November 2, 2016 by Dana Nussio

Author Speed Dating(1)

This week’s guest: Jane Porter

Jane Porter photo

Contemp_ Jane

15 Questions

1. If you were a My Little Pony character, what image would be tatooed on your butt?

As a mom of three sons I know nothing about My Little Pony…couldn’t even identify one if I tried, so I’d better default to Transformers and pick Optimus Prime to wear proudly (?) on my butt.

2. What was the genre of the first piece you can remember writing, and how old were you when you penned this masterpiece?

It was a short story called “The Christmas Elf”. I wrote it in Kindergarten, and then in 2^nd Grade I wrote an Oz story to continue Frank Baum’s series, and then in 4^th grade it was a knock off of Little Women. That masterpiece was 78 pages long.

3. Since all of November authors are Americans, name some dishes that are must-haves for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Sweet potatoes. Cranberry salad with chopped apples, pecans and marshmallows. Green salad. And lots and lots of pumpkin pie.

4. If you could write a novel containing any generally “off-limits” element, what would we find in your story?

I don’t think I would. Or, I’m doing it now, writing what I love to write: contemporay romance, historical romance, and a blurred mix of women’s fiction/contemporary romance.

5. Project Runway or Designated Survivor?

Project Runway all the way!

6. Is social media a bad habit for you, and, if so, what is your favorite time drain?

Not that bad. I do it, but I do it so that it feels like me, and I love my readers and friends and try to keep the focus on the relationship and our mutual love of books and being a community of women, versus selling stuff to people. I don’t write to sell books. I write so that I get read. I love story and want readers to love my stories.

7. With no money limit, if you could construct the most perfect writing space, what would it look like?

I actually can’t make it too nice or I wouldn’t work. So it has to have 1) lots of natural light 2) a big work space 3) fun colorful pink and orange lights 3) scented candles, and painted rocks from my sons, and other little momentos and treasures I swap in and out to keep me connected when I’m in a creative panic and sure I will never survive the writing process and that my life is over as I know it 4) place for my all my reference books and research.

8. Sushi or pepperoni pizza with extra cheese?

Please. Please…..(I love food.)

9. What book are you reading right now, and what is the best book you’ve read in a long time?

Besides reading through the entire Magic Tree House series with son #3, after having read 40 some Box Car Kids to same son? I’m ready to dive into Teresa Medeiros’s new historical, which is my fav fan genre…love historical romance so much!

10. How many full and partial manuscripts remain in your never-published collection?

Fourteen full manuscripts remain un-pubbed.

11. Bob Dylan or Dylan Thomas?

Dylan Thomas.

12. Name your favorite hero or heroine from one of your books, and share what made that character special.

Shane Swan. He was an outsider since birth, raised by his grandmother until she died, resulting in him entering the foster-care system when he was four. Despite his difficult childhood, he grew up to become one of the most successful writers in America.

13. Who was the first person – besides your mom and dad – who told you that you could write?

Probably a teacher. Or my friends in 2^nd grade as I used to write stories to entertain them with.

14. Dogs or cats? Pedigree or mutts?

Labs, Cocker Spaniels, bulldogs, sheepdogs….

15. What is your favorite point while you are writing a new story?

Reaching the end. The relief of finally nailing a challenging story closed.

***

The Lost Sheenan’s Bride

By Jane Porter

“Can I join you?”

The deep voice was paired with denim clad legs and heavy, black boots.

Jet jerked her head up. Heart pounding, face hot, she looked into dark eyes.

Him. It was him.

“There are no open tables.”

Her mouth opened, shut. “Sure.” She choked, hands trembling ever so slightly as she gathered her papers and pulling her laptop closer, giving him space.

“You’re fine,” he said, setting his leather backpack on top of the empty chair. “Don’t move your stuff.”

“It’s okay. I don’t need—” She broke off, swallowing the words, since he’d walked away, returning to the counter to collect his order.

Blushing furiously, she forced her attention to the paper in front of her. She felt stupid and gauche and she wished she could disappear, and she kept her head down even as he placed the bagel and tea on the table and drew his chair back.

Focus, focus, focus.

“I’m Shane,” he said, taking a seat.

Shane. Not the Shane…the one renting the Sheenan house…the one that had everyone talking?

“Jet,” she replied, extending her hand, amazed at how calm she sounded because on the inside she wasn’t calm.

On the inside she felt positively wild.

His hand closed around hers. One black eyebrow lifted. “Jet?”

His grip was firm, his skin warm, and she felt a little tingle all the way through her. “It’s Dutch.”

“You’re the first Jet I’ve ever met.”

“Then you need to go to Holland. It’s a popular name.”

“Are you Dutch?”

“Both sets of grandparents emigrated from Holland, some before WWII, and some after.” Handshake over she slid her hand beneath her leg, trying to ignore all the crazy butterflies filling her middle, making her resent him for turning her into a gum-smacking teenager who couldn’t handle herself.

“Did your parents speak Dutch at home?”

“To their parents, yes, but only a little bit with us kids. But our grandparents would only speak Dutch to us, which proved useful when I was traveling this year.”

He nodded at the stack of papers in front of her. “You’re a teacher.”

She grimaced. “It’s that obvious?”

“You’re always grading papers.” He paused. “Which grade?”

“All grades, K-8.” So he’d noticed her before. Another shiver coursed through her. “I’m a long-term sub,” she added, “at a one room schoolhouse in Paradise Valley. And you? What do you do? I always see you with a stack of books and papers.”

“I’m a writer.”

He had to be the Shane Swan renting the old Sheenan homestead then. She sat up a little taller, aware that the Sheenans were not happy he was in their home, but she didn’t know why.

She’d like to know, though. “What kind of writing?”

“Nonfiction.”

“That’s a pretty broad subject area. You can squeeze a lot into that…biographies. History. Crime. War.”

“Exactly.”

“And so you write…?”

“History, crime, war.”

Her eyebrows arched. “Pretty dark stuff.”

“Can be. My job is to try to make it personal. Make people care.”

“And do you?”

He laughed, flashing white teeth. “Sometimes.”

“Have you been published?”

He hesitated. “I should have something out next year.”

“That’s great. Congratulations. I’ll have to look for it. I like nonfiction. That’s kind of my thing to read.”

“Oh, yeah? Any favorite authors?”

“Jon Krakauer… Sean Finley… too many to name them all.”

For a moment there was a flicker in his eyes and then it was gone. His expression turned thoughtful. “Which Sean Finley?”

She frowned, thinking. “I’ve read virtually everything by Finley, but my favorite is probably the first one I read by him, the one on Custer’s last stand. Heartbreak & Heaven.”

“Why?”

“It was brutal. Sad. But really powerful. It’s like reading about the Alamo. You know what’s going to happen ahead of time, but the details in the retelling brought it to life and made the massacre that much more painful.”

His mouth curved, and yet his dark eyes held hers, intent. “So you are Team Custer.”

“No. More like Team Crazy Horse, but I feel for Custer. I do. He was foolishly brave and I had to respect him even though I didn’t want to. The whole thing was tragic.”

“He was in over his head.”

“But I think most people are! I think most of us learn on the job…and we just kind of hope no one knows that we’re wildly underprepared.”

His smile widened. “Are you speaking from personal experience?”

Jet grimaced. “I might be in a little over my head at the school, but I can promise you that no one will die on my watch.”

“That’s good.”

A table was suddenly open across the café by the bay window. Jet watched Shane’s face. He was going to head over there and grab the now empty table.

Her heart fell a little. It was absurd. She was absurd. There was no reason to like this man so much. She still knew virtually nothing about him. “I can watch your stuff if you want to claim it,” she said.

He turned to look at her, amusement in his dark eyes. “I’ve worn out my welcome already?”

For a second she couldn’t think or breathe, too lost in his dark eyes. He was really ridiculously good-looking. Too good-looking. She didn’t like feeling so shallow.

“I just know you like your space,” she said, and then blushed as one of his black brows lifted. “I mean, you never talk to anyone,” she added quickly, “you just work.”

He leaned forward, elbows on the table, biceps bunching beneath the smooth fabric of his gray Henley. “Is that why you never said hello?”

For a long moment she couldn’t think of anything to say. “I’ve kind of sworn off men.”

He looked at her, waiting.

She hurriedly added, “Not forever, obviously, but for awhile. Just until I have my confidence back.”

“So it’s not my tattoos. I thought maybe you weren’t a fan.”

Jet’s cheeks burned hotter. A dozen different emotions swamped her. But being the youngest in a big family had taught her some basic survival skills, and so she held his gaze, and kept her chin up. “I think you know you’re…appealing.”

He stared right back into her eyes for what felt like endless seconds before he lifted his cup, and took a sip, all without breaking eye contact. “I think you have plenty of confidence. You just need a little nudge.”

Her breath caught in her throat. Her heart thumped. Tattoos and muscles and long, dark, wavy hair and ass-kicker boots…

Jet swallowed hard.

The black eyebrow lifted quizzically. He set the cup back down. “So what happened? Who stomped on your heart?”

Jet wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole. But it didn’t. And Shane just watched her and waited for a response as if he had all day.

The silence stretched. Her heart thumped harder. Clearly he had all day.

“He’s not important,” she finally managed, struggling to sound careless and not at all sure she pulled it off.

“He must be if you’ve sworn off men.”

“Maybe I am a little banged up.” And then, dammit, her eyes filled with tears and she looked away and blinked hard and cursed him for making her cry.

She was so sick of being sad. So sick of being hurt. Ben McAllister wasn’t worth it. He wasn’t. She should be over him by now. But kind of hard to be over someone she loved deeply…

She swallowed hard and forced her attention to Shane. She looked him in the eyes. “Hearts get broken all the time. I’ll be fine.”

“Yes, you will.” He smiled then, but the smile was kind.

Reaching into his leather satchel he pulled out a card. He placed it on the table between them before beginning to gather his things. “Should you ever want to get a cup of coffee, or talk books, or teaching—I used to be a high school history teacher—call me.”

Jet watched him walk away, and take the still empty table by the bay window. He put down his tea and pulled out his laptop.

She turned to look at the business card he’d left on the table.

Sean S. Finley

Writer.

***

The Lost Sheenan’s Bride is available for purchase from these online retailers: Amazon Kindle | B&N Nook | iBooks | Google Play.

***

About Jane

Jane Porter, the NYT and USA Today bestselling author of 50 romances and 11 women’s fiction novels, holds an MA in Writing from the University of San Francisco and has been a finalist for the prestigious RITA award five times, with her novella, Take Me, Cowboy, winning the Novella Category July 2014. Jane’s wildly popular novel, Flirting with Forty, was made into a Lifetime movie starring Heather Locklear and was loosely inspired by her husband, Ty Gurney, an Oahu resident with his own surf school in Waikiki. An advocate for writers, Jane founded Tule Publishing in 2013 to give romance and women’s fiction authors support and opportunities. For more info, visit www.janeporter.com.

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