Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Welcome Jeny Heckman

Where did you get the idea for the title of your book? 
The Sea Archer was an easy title to come to. I needed to incorporate Apollo and Poseidon together, so decided to choose from some of the symbols they’re known for. Although Apollo is primarily known for music, he was also an archer that would shoot his arrow across the sky to bring forth the sun. As well as Raven stepping into the natural light, instead of the spotlight, so I chose the archer. And Poseidon, of course, is the ultimate god of the sea and this book is heavily grounded there, taking place primarily on Kauai and the hero being a marine biologist.

Why did you choose this genre?
I love the paranormal romance genre. It’s fun and it’s interesting. I have never written in this genre though and that was a little different. I changed from being a pantser to a plotter but all in all I loved the process. It was really fun implying the “fantasy” world within the real one. Where you get that reasonable doubt that the fantasy may be possible.  

What is the most difficult thing about writing a book? 
By far, the most difficult thing about writing a book for me is having a head full of ideas and unable to write them down because I’m busy or the day is packed full of other events or people. It’s by far the hardest part. When I write, I don’t really like to stop. I definitely lose track of time. So, invariably I need a lot of undemanding time or I’ve been known to get a little grumpy when I get interrupted.

If writing is your first passion, what is your second?
Writing is absolutely my first passion and then a very close second is photography. Two very creative fields I know. I love capturing moments whether in life or in my mind and showing it to people. To stand in the Scottish Highlands alone but able to show it to people like they’re standing there too, is exciting. Primarily, I shoot portraits and weddings but recently I’ve really gotten into scenery and epic landscapes. I love capturing moments, expressions and small windows of time that reveal more than what you expect.

What’s one thing that your readers would be surprised to learn about you? 
Well, I’m not sure they’d be surprised but I am an introvert, as many writers are. What I think is surprising is that many people don’t understand us. They think we’re hermits, and that we don’t like people or are somehow lonely and unhappy all the time. Which is unfortunate because it couldn’t be further from the truth. I gain energy and inspiration from quiet, where others might gain energy and inspiration from others or “busyness” around them. For me, I have to be in the mindset and prepare to be around a lot of people or it stresses me out.

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?
Oh, definitely a mystery! However, I do feel like really good mysteries are hard to write! If you aren’t careful your audience is solving the puzzle before they’re supposed to which can be so frustrating for a reader. I love it when you never see it coming and it was the aunt’s, boyfriend’s, sisters, cousin. 

Have you written any other books that are not published?
I have! I wrote my first novel which was self-published, entitled, “The Catch.” Then I wrote another book, entitled, “Civility.” It was a book about a kind of second civil war in America. This was well before the last election but funny enough that was the catalyst in the book for trouble too. I was still trying to decide what to do with it when things started getting really heated in our country and decided I didn’t want to be part of the vitriol tearing everything apart, so shelved it.

How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing?
I really like this question. My life has been a very fascinating one. Most people in my life don’t know half of what has happened to me and one day I may write about it. I feel my life has appropriately set me up to write about the topics I write. Empowerment has not come easily, it’s been a very long process but as I get older I do feel stronger, and more empowered than I felt possible. That’s why I wouldn’t trade my life now for my twenties or thirties for anything. It’s also why I like that evolution to happen to my heroes and heroines.

If you could spend time with a character from your book, whom would it be? And what would you do during that day? (PG-13 please :)
That’s funny, I didn’t even hesitate until you said PG-13, then of course I changed characters. Dee, would have to be my go-to-gal. I find older people fascinating. They are so full of knowledge and wisdom and no longer feel it necessary to play games. They are just real and genuine, and those are my favorite kind of people.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? 
Absolutely. I believe women are pretty powerful beings and yet can sometimes lose their way or get caught up in an inner made up story. I would love for a woman that struggles with some of the same insecurities that Raven does, to find a voice and role model in her. You must be brave in the world, and that you are entirely capable of most things. The same would be said for men. I feel like they don’t always get a fair shake. They are expected to be these strong individuals, the driving force in most things. I would hope a man might read this book and let go of some of those beliefs and feel safe to be just a little bit vulnerable, especially to a woman.  

How much of the book is realistic? 
I think the modern day story is very realistic, especially the emotions and awkwardness. I’ve seen or experienced many of the scenes in the book. Some made me actually laugh and some made me cry.

What do you like best about your hero? 
Oh Finn, what is there not to like about Finn! He is perfectly flawed, as most men are. I love men, so I love writing about them and Finn is the epitome of male beauty but doesn’t always get that isn’t enough. I like his turmoil in how he handles this tsunami that’s entered his life. Just a side note. When I write, I have to have a visual on my desktop of the character and when I wrote Finn’s scenes, his visual counterpart is Ben Dahlhaus (with the short beard). So, if you are wondering my vision of him, Ben was it. Go look him up now and you’re welcome!
What do you like best about your heroine? 

I love…LOVE Raven! She was such a loud voice and presence in my head. I love that we have an idea about what a celebrity might be like. We think we understand their lives, their intellect, their beliefs, when we don’t know them at all and many times they are nothing like the people you fall in love with on the stage or screen. Raven is two separate people and everyone thinks the one on the stage is the real one. However, she is just as insecure as everyone else. She doesn’t know any more or less than anyone else. Her life is primarily the same just with extra wrapping paper. Second side note, Jennifer Anistan was the visual que for Raven. The best thing is Jennifer has played many roles and I was able to get the performer and every day woman characters of Raven from Jennifer too.

How did your interest in writing originate? 
Wow! Well I’ll try and make this concise! I’ve always thought in stories and pictures. My imagination was always very vibrant and I loved to read and enter those “other” worlds. I never thought about writing until I was older and walking one day. My father-in-law was very ill and I was taking a break from caring for him. I had an idea for a story and the character wouldn’t stop talking in my head. When I got home, the kids were in school and I didn’t have anything going on so decided to write it down. At one point, I looked up and four hours had passed! I decided to play it out and in three days had a somewhat fleshed out story. I sat on it for a long time, just being busy with my active family and job. People read it and encouraged me to, “do something with it.” However, it wasn’t until my son (who isn’t a big reader), read it and said he wanted me to publish it. I decided to try and, “The Catch,” was created. I fell in love with the craft and started writing another book which was picked up by The Wild Rose Press and the result is or hopefully will soon be in your hands, The Sea Archer.

Raven Hunter, a musical prodigy, flees to the Hawaiian Islands to pick up the pieces after her 
marriage to her manager collapses. Instead, she experiences extraordinary and unsettling 
events that are beyond her understanding. Living in paradise, marine biologist, Finn Taylor has
the unconscious but effortless ability to understand the needs of the animals he cares for. His playboy lifestyle is most men's fantasy. That is, until the night he meets the shy and elusive new island resident. Suddenly his life no longer feels like his own. The attraction is undeniable. However, vastly contrasting lives, peculiar dreams, and an unbelievable proclamation that they could be the direct descendants of Poseidon and Apollo threaten to divide them forever. Will they accept their destiny and begin the quest of a lifetime or will they remain in their comfortable yet separate existence?

Blurb:
Raven Hunter, a musical prodigy, flees to the Hawaiian Islands to pick up the pieces after her 
marriage to her manager collapses. Instead, she experiences extraordinary and unsettling 
events that are beyond her understanding. Living in paradise, marine biologist, Finn Taylor has
the unconscious but effortless ability to understand the needs of the animals he cares for. His playboy lifestyle is most men's fantasy. That is, until the night he meets the shy and elusive new island resident. Suddenly his life no longer feels like his own. The attraction is undeniable. However, vastly contrasting lives, peculiar dreams, and an unbelievable proclamation that they could be the direct descendants of Poseidon and Apollo threaten to divide them forever. Will they accept their destiny and begin the quest of a lifetime or will they remain in their comfortable yet separate existence?

Excerpt
“Finn, I understand it sounds crazy, really. I knew nothing about Greek mythology or who any of these people were until she told them to me.” 
“And now you think Poseidon… I’m assuming you think I’m some offshoot of Poseidon, right?”
“You have a trident on your back.”
“Because I thought it was cool when I was twenty-years-old.”
“And you’ve never felt anything strange that you can’t explain?”
“And Raven,” he continued, unwilling to entertain those thoughts. “Who I just met, is Apollo? You realize, Apollo was a dude, the boy half of the twins, right?”
“God of music.”
“Jesus!” 

Author Bio:
Jeny Heckman, loves romance. She especially loves romance with a paranormal and/or historical twist. Educated as an artist, banker, sales clerk, draftsman, charity fundraiser, jewelry maker, nursing student, hospice volunteer, photographer, mother, and wife, she felt her calling lay elsewhere. While taking care of an ailing loved one, she was inspired to write her first novel entitled, The Catch, about a female Alaskan crab fisherman, and self-publish it. Wanting to try something very different she pitched an idea to a New York agent who told her to run with it. This book is the first of that seven-part endeavor. When not ignoring her family and friends by writing you will find her time exclusively on them and photography. Jeny lives in Stanwood, Washington, with her husband of over twenty-five years.

Contact:

Links for Purchase:
Amazon         
Chapters
iTunes
KOBO

Monday, October 22, 2018

Did You Know...

...that my upcoming contemporary romance is available for pre-order? It is! And you can order it on Amazon, iBooks or Barnes & Noble.




Curious? Here's the official blurb: Dina Jacobs is a single librarian who has never fit in due to her off-the-charts intelligence, frizzy hair and rounder-than-socially-acceptable figure. She left her past behind until she receives an invitation to her ten-year high school reunion, and all her insecurities return.

Adam Mandel is a single corporate attorney who just missed his third deadline at his father's law firm, the law firm where he is up for junior partner. With his reputation on the line, Adam needs all the help he can get to convince his father that he deserves the promotion.

When Dina and Adam run into each other on a deserted road, Dina thinks Mr. Flashypants can't possibly be interested in someone like her. Adam thinks Dina is just the person to help him improve his reputation. Lies and insecurities force them to take a look at themselves. Can they trust each other to look beyond the surface?

I'm so excited about this book, and early readers have told me they are enjoying it as well


In the meantime, the earlier books in the series are going on sale. This week, Addicted to Love is available for $0.99 on Amazon, iBooks and Barnes & Noble, so if you haven't yet read it, now is the perfect time to get it. 

And please let me know what you think. Reviews keep authors sane. They help us improve and they give us hope to continue. So please, leave one!
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Wednesday, October 17, 2018

My Guest, Rachel Brimble

I'm so pleased to welcome Rachel Brimble to my blog today. She has a new book out that looks fantastic!


First, let's get to know her a bit. She was kind enough to answer some questions.

Welcome, Rachel! People often ask about author's writing styles or schedules. What is yours? 

I’m not sure a writer can actually define their writing style – it’s a question of doing what feels natural to them and never trying to write in someone else’s style. That never works!
As for my schedule, I’m lucky enough to be able to write full-time so I treat it as I would any other job. I work 8.30am to 5.30pm every day with a lunch break and a couple of dog walks in between. I try not to work at the weekend. Not that it always works out that way…

I totally know what you mean. I try to do the same thing, like you say, when it works. How about your location. Where do you actually write?

I have my own home office which I love! The walls are painted a pale blue which is supposed to be calming and good for concentration. I sit at a huge white desk surrounded by white bookshelves bulging with fiction and research books. My office is my happy place!

Sounds lovely! Do you write linearly or not?

Absolutely! I have writer friends who can go back and forth with their timelines but my brain just doesn’t work that way. I start at the beginning and work straight through to The End. In fact, I try to write the first draft without looking back at all! For me, it’s the best way for guaranteed words every day.

What sort of other activities keep you from actually writing?

Social media…this is my real time suck and one that I, unfortunately, enjoy far too much. Also, I love my TV dramas and knitting which tend to go hand in hand.

Those are great ways to procrastinate. :) Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?

I’ve been writing for over thirteen years and built up a fabulous network of writer friends (Jennifer included!) who I can call on when I’m struggling or have news to celebrate. I also have three critique partners whom I’ve been working with for years – they are my absolute support. I’d be lost without them.

Aw, love you, Rachel! And my critique partners are amazing too! How long does it normally take you to write a novel?

I like to have six months from idea to finished draft – this is my comfortable time span but as the publishing world grows ever more competitive, I am trying to increase my output without burning out completely. Although I have writer friends a lot more prolific than me, I’m still trying to figure out how they manage it.

Who or what are your inspirations?

My author idols are Nora Roberts, Jill Shalvis and Jodi Picoult – I love and admire their work for different reasons but they are totally my ‘go to’ authors. As for inspirations of spirit and strength, my mother, female entrepreneurs and Oprah.

If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?

Ideas and plotting! Every writer (every person, in fact!) can have a spark of an idea but the problem comes with stretching that idea to an 90,000 + word novel. I have a whole file filled with one sentence ideas but fleshing out those ideas is always my problem. Writing never gets easier, I’m afraid.

No, it really doesn't. Given unlimited resources, what would be your ideal writing environment?

Ooh, great question! My husband is a semi-professional singer so I sometimes daydream that when the kids are grown, he’ll get a job singing on a cruise ship and I can spend all day writing while we travel the world. Sounds good, right?

That sounds so good! And I think you need to bring an American friend with you, just because! Tell me about your latest book.

The Mistress of Pennington’s is the first book in an ongoing series set in Bath’s finest department store. I loved the TV shows The Paradise and Mr Selfridge but something was always missing for me. Once I came to the conclusion that I wanted to know more about the women in the series,I then had the idea for a series theme of ‘female empowerment’.

The Mistress of Pennington’s is about women in business, book 2 (A Rebel At Pennington’s – coming Feb 2019) is about women’s suffrage and book 3 is about the stigma of divorce in the early 20thcentury.

Love, love, love the premise of this series! Do you have a favorite character and if so, who and why?

Elizabeth Pennington, the heroine, is absolutely my favourite character – she is strong and determined, but also warm and caring which, I think, is a wonderful way for anyone to be, whether male or female. She was an absolute joy to write and often I heard her so clearly, it was like taking dictation when she spoke. The best thing about writing a series is you can continue living with the characters you love and get rid of the ones that you don’t, lol!

I know, right? What are you working on now?

Right now, I am working on the first draft of book 3 which will be a Christmas 2019 book – I am enjoying it, albeit, I am struggling with the heroine’s motivation for some of her actions. Having said that, this is what writing is…hard work and exploration! As this is the first draft I won’t start panicking as everything can be fixed in the following drafts. The good thing is, I am back with Elizabeth and Joseph (the hero from The Mistress of Pennington’s) and loving their company!

And now that I've whet your appetite, here's more information about Rachel's book. 


1910 – A compelling tale of female empowerment in Bath's leading department store. Perfect for the fans of the TV series Mr Selfridge and The Paradise.
Elizabeth Pennington should be the rightful heir of Bath's premier department store through her enterprising schemes and dogged hard work. Her father, Edward Pennington, believes his daughter lacks the business acumen to run his empire and is resolute a man will succeed him.
Determined to break from her father's iron-clad hold and prove she is worthy of inheriting the store, Elizabeth forms an unlikely alliance with ambitious and charismatic master glove-maker Joseph Carter. United they forge forward to bring Pennington's into a new decade, embracing woman's equality and progression whilst trying not to mix business and pleasure.
Can this dream team thwart Edward Pennington's plans for the store? Or will Edward prove himself an unshakeable force who will ultimately ruin both Elizabeth and Joseph?

Buy Links:
Amazon US: http://a.co/3OFh9JK


In January 2018, she signed a four-book deal with Aria Fiction for a new Edwardian series set in Bath’s finest department store. The first book, The Mistress of Pennington’s released July 2018.
Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.
She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!
Links:
Amazon Author Page:
Goodreads:
Bookbub:

Monday, October 15, 2018

Bucks County Book Fest


Yesterday I attended a book festival in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. I purchased a vendor table, found a partner to share it with me, and hoped to sell my books. I didn’t know what to expect since it was the first year of the festival, so I didn’t know the track record or what types of people attended the festival, so my hopes were fairly restrained.

It was fantastic!

Now, I have to confess, my bar for being impressed was pretty low. The last book festival I attended resulted in men propositioning me and asking if I sold condoms, so pretty much anything without that would be awesome. 

But this really was.

First of all, I met my tent partner for the first time and she and her husband were so nice! Her name is Tracey Lyons and she writes sweet historical novels, so if that’s your thing, you can check her out here. It was nice having someone to share the tent with. She reminded me to hand out swag to people even if they weren’t purchasing anything (something I always forget to do) and I chatted people up and explained what we both wrote. Also, they provided the pop-up tent, so it was one less thing for me to schlep.

Second, the people who were walking around really did like romance. Or at least, they didn’t turn their noses up at it. There was a nice variety to the vendors so we had all different types of authors selling their books and lots of people came by to chat. The one woman who was a little snooty about romance books always ending with the couple getting together was suitably chastised when I compared them to mysteries where the crime is always solved.

Third, I sold books! And I met people who run book clubs and who write book blogs, so my name is getting out there. Some people who I didn’t know even said they’d heard of me (I refrained from asking, “Are you sure?”).

And one of my favorite mystery authors came by to find me and say hello. She and I are Facebook friends and this is the first time we’ve attended the same event. It was really nice to meet her—she’s just as friendly in person—and her books are fantastic! If you like mysteries set in New York in the 1930s, check her out here.

So, it was a terrific event and I’m really glad I participated. It even gave me a bit of a boost emotionally, which I sorely needed. Can’t wait for next year!


AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER NOW!

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Stephen King On Serial Killers & His Latest Book

Where Did It Come From?

Call me morbid, by all means, but the world of serial killers has always fascinated me. It must run in my family because my daughter is in her last year of university studying criminal psychology. A good friend is also a psychologist, and his wife is a renowned sport psychologist, and they have all been a good source of research. 

When I write a story about one, I like to ‘get inside’ the killers head and show the reader how and why they became that way; let’s face it, it doesn’t just happen that a ‘normal’ person wakes up one day and decides to kill people. While I don’t like to glamorize it, I do like to show their human side, and get the reader to invest in the character.

The killer in this book, PPP says in one of his memoir entries: “who knows where random flashes of inspiration comes from?” The line sums up the essence of where this book originated. I was driving along one day, not thinking anything specific, certainly not what was my next book going to be about, because I was writing like crazy Thirty-Three Days. Suddenly into my head popped a random thought: ‘I was five years old when I first saw someone bleed out.’

I’ve never seen anyone ‘bleed out’ at any age, let alone at five years old. Furthermore, ‘bleed out’ is not an expression I’d ever use so my mind started racing…..who saw it, why did they see it, and why would they say it? Coincidently, I’d been thinking about writing a long story about four people whose lives become entwined: a cop who has had an affair who is paired with a glamorous, female criminal psychologist hunting a horrific serial murderer, and the effect of their desire for each other on their respective partners. I even knew the era it would be set in, because I had wanted to remind readers of something that happened years ago, which most have forgotten. There was a serious belief that life as we knew it, would come to an end, and there was even some panic among people as the year 2000 approached and brought with it the Y2K bug.  

So, these three things permeated in my brain and I knew to tell the story I envisaged for these four characters, one book would not be enough, but three would be just about perfect.  And so, the plan of a trilogy was born and I called it Three Deadly Glimpses. The idea was that in addition to my central theme I provide the reader with glimpses into the psyche of three people who become serial killers.

My writing habit is to write each morning (and a lot of nights). I get up at 5.30 every morning and write like crazy before I have to leave for my day job (I’m a manager for a Kia car dealership) My process is to write chronologically. While I have a firm direction in mind, I NEVER think about the ending before I get there, and what I find is: I want to write to find out what happens next. 

For me, writing is all about bringing to life characters, getting the reader to invest in them, and even care for them. And, if I achieve that, then I can put those ordinary characters into extraordinary situations. Glimpse, at its core is about desire. The effect that sexual desire can have on the marriages of the protagonists, it’s also about Pat’s desire to use her abilities on the front line of a major police investigation to catch a murderer. Also, of course it’s about the skewed desire that a serial killer has, to murder his victims.

The Deadly Glimpses Trilogy.

Book 1: Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer.

Blurb: 

In 1999 Australia, Sergeant Rick McCoy investigates the murder of a woman found packed inside a suitcase. 

The Killer abducts another victim and threatens to dismember her slowly. His life is further complicated by a marriage in tatters. Frustrated at every turn, he is paired with glamorous Criminal Psychologist and profiler, Patricia Holmes. 

While trying to rebuild his marriage, he finds himself in a desperate race against time to free the victim and fight his desire for his new partner.

Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer is available at Amazon: http://a.co/d/1uPIKNt

Stephen B King
Australian Author
www.stephen-b-king.com
email: stephenk8@me.com
Twitter: @StephenBKing1
Facebook: @stephenbkingauthor

Forever Night
Domin8
The Vigilante Taxi
Burial Ground
Repo
Published by The Wild Rose Press:
Thirty-Three Days
PastedGraphic-9.tiff

Coming soon: The Deadly Glimpses Trilogy:
Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer
Glimpse, The Beautiful Deaths
Glimpse, The Tender Killer


Monday, October 8, 2018

Unplugging

I was off the grid for almost four days and it was amazing! 

Last week, I visited friends in the middle of nowhere. One of the things she likes best about the place is that there is no Internet, even though her family keeps threatening to get it. She loves going off the grid. 

I wasn’t so sure. I’d never been completely out of touch from my family before and with things that have been going on lately, I was nervous, despite the fact that there was a landline phone for emergency use.

Let me tell you, it was fantastic. I’ll be the first to admit that I cheated. I was able to find two small spots in the house where if I positioned my phone just right, I could occasionally get cell service. I used it to check in with my husband to make sure life was still continuing—it was, even though he kept things from me that would have made me worry. I could also use it if I walked up the hill a few hundred yards, or when we went out to eat (or to Boathenge). But I found I really didn’t want to.

In fact, I didn’t want to come back on the grid. The peace of not being connected, of not worrying about what I was missing, since I couldn’t do anything about it anyway, was rejuvenating. Not only did my family have to deal without me—which they were perfectly capable of—but I didn’t have that knee-jerk “oh my god what is wrong” reaction I get whenever I get a text or a phone call. For the first time in months, I was able to breathe.

My attention span was better too. I held better conversations. I read books without stopping every chapter to check on something—other than the location of the sun or the ripples in the water. I’m pretty sure my low blood pressure went even lower. It was beautiful.

Returning to civilization was jarring. Suddenly, I heard about everything I missed. My to-do list expanded in a burst and I had to reassure people that they had indeed survived without me and could do it again.

Now I’m wondering if and when I can.




Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Welcome Leslie Scott

I’m not a blogger at heart, truly I’m not. If you look at my website you’ll see I’m long overdue on updates. I’d much rather be writing fiction. There it is, nothing fancy or nefarious. I like writing about make-believe people in fantastical places doing things I’d only dreamed of. 
It’s usually my standard assumption that all of you would rather read about my make-believe worlds than my real one. Which, to be honest, is rather boring. Eat. Sleep. Write. Homeschool/teach. Write. Eat again. Sleep—you get the picture. 
I’m here today to pique your interest in my newest release, Two Hearts, One Stone. My first ever Cowboy Contemporary Romance. And also, because I would much rather be different—it’s set in a part of the world where most people don’t know the different between ranching and farming so we raise all our horses on, you guessed it, horse farms. My apologies in advance, take it up with the Alabama and Georgia cowboys, not the writer. 
One of the senior editors at my publisher hosted a chat one night about contemporary westerns and their popularity. She was talking about how those who wrote such stories should try to be different. Newbie writer over here went, “Oh, me, I can be different!” And thus spawned the idea for this little project of mine. 
Which is strange, because Two Hearts, One Stone is much more modern romance-like than my debut novel (the New Adult Romance, The Finish Linealso from The Wild Rose Press). But it’s different because I based the characters and lifestyle off of people I know, that I’ve met. 
I had a friend whose last name takes prominence in this story (he’ll know if he reads it). He made his living for a long time, teaching the country club set how to show their expensive horses. He was attractive, funny, and nothing like the cowboys in the romance novels I’d read—yet exactly the same. And thus, from him, was born my idea for Stone Dempsey.  
A Georgia bred horse trainer, who has more cowboy in his little finger than my bestie who lives in Montana (okay so she’s a girl and married to a Special Agent—that’s a completely different story, isn’t it?). But still, Stone for me is a representation of the cowboys I grew I up and the ones who taught me to ride.  
So much so, that if I could spend a day with any character in this book, it would be my hero. Every day I sat down to write I took a ride with Stone Dempsey, each day made me happier than the day before. I hope after reading this you feel the same. 
~ Leslie 
Blurb: 
Horse trainer Stone Dempsey’s life is all about the ride—with horses and women. He uses his equine talents to impress the country club set and earn money for Smoky Mountain Reining Horses. When his drug-addicted sister deposits her sick baby on his doorstep, he’s suddenly saddled with real responsibility. 
Dr. Emmersyn Cole’s goal of starting a practice in her favorite place on earth is finally coming to fruition and she is not going to be sidetracked. Everything is going great until Stone swaggers into her life, half-dressed with a smile that could melt her insides. She's determined to keep her distance…until he rushes into her grandfather’s home, clutching a feverish baby, terrified and vulnerable, and her heart’s hard shell begins to crack.
In only a few short weeks, Stone’s wayward heart suddenly relies on two women—one who needs him—and one that he might not be able to live without. 

Excerpt:
His upper lip curled into a snarl, but it did little to dampen her flourishing attraction. She took a step forward and sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. Ready to do just about anything to wipe the forlorn look from his face.
That’s how he does it.
Without even trying, he’d reined her in like his horses. She stood closer, at ease, and far too eager to please him. When she lifted her gaze to his, the slow burn of tension-laced desire beckoned her.
“Oh no you don’t.” Emmy took two dramatic steps backward.
His laugh in response wrought a heat in her cheeks. Annoyed with her behavior, she fisted her hands on her hips and spun away. She was an intelligent, highly educated, independent woman. Absolutely not the sort to get sucked into the Stone Dempsey tractor beam of sex and debauchery. 
She only managed half the length of the barn when, abruptly, he stopped laughing.
“Emmersyn.”
Had the sound of her name ever held such a heated promise?



Kindle:  https://amzn.to/2McJvS5
Nook:  http://bit.ly/2MtQkPA


Leslie Scott Biography
Leslie spends most days attempting to wrangle the voices in her head and often wishes she could clone herself so that their stories get told faster. She loves words, romance, and characters that feel like family and spends almost all of her free time with her own family; including a boisterous eleven year old that she homeschools and an assorted cast of rescue pets. She lives her own happily ever after with her soul mate and best friend in the northern part of Alabama and hopes you enjoy reading her stories as much as she enjoys writing them. 

Leslie Scott on the internet:

Youtube Playlists: http://bit.ly/2O6IDea