Favorite Book...Favorite Child

Good Morning, Folks! I'm so glad you've decided to join me for the last day of my new book celebration! Today I want to share with you my favorite books of my own. Now, I think this would be like someone asking which is my favorite child. I don't have children but I imagine there are specific things to love with each child. (Parents, am I right?) So yes, I love all my books, but here are my choices:

Dance Away, Danger:

Sensible dance instructor Tessa Gage likes her life organized, risk-free and on her own terms. When her cop brother goes missing, his crooked partner tries to kill her, and a handsome stranger claims he’s come to protect her, she’s forced to leave her comfort zone. With more dance and business sense than survival skills and no idea who to trust, Tessa has no choice but to rely on this man who’d rather be anywhere but by her side.

When carefree carpenter Matt Rylan gets a late night call from an Army buddy who once saved his life, he finds himself where he never again wanted to be—responsible for someone else. Honor demands Matt cooperate, but he never expects his simple babysitting job to test the limits of his self-control. Nor does he expect it to explode into a race against time for his very freedom.

As Tessa and Matt get closer to the truth, and to each other, Tessa learns to step outside the safety of her world to help set the wheels of justice in motion. For Matt, supporting this courageous woman suddenly becomes everything to him.  Yet, his biggest challenge remains sharing his closed-off heart with her before the danger silences them both forever.

***This story was my first one I ever thought was good enough to get published. I'd worked on the story on and off for a couple of years and came close to getting a contract for it only to lose out in the end. (Until Fated Desires offered me a contract!) It was the culmination of all I'd learned as a writer.

 

Carry Me Home:

After six months in the city, Mary MacDougall returns to the Scottish Highlands to finalize her divorce. Because of a past tragedy, she doubts her husband Jamie can possibly love her with the same unbridled passion as before and insists ending the marriage is best for both of them. But Jamie has other ideas….

Jamie MacDougall has no intention of letting his bonnie lass go. At least not without a fight. Aye, they’ve suffered heartache, and she may be ready to call it quits, but he refuses to throw away the partnership they’ve built since they were children. Instead, he’ll remind her they were meant to be together, forever.

Can this marriage survive pride and grief to allow love to carry them home?

***This story was tough to write. An editor had asked me to write and of course I wanted to make a good impression. I had 4weeks to finish it (but it took 5 1/2 weeks) and the pain often had me wanting to cry. But I think my feeling so connected to the characters and the story is what made it as special as I believe it to be.

 

Liar, Liar

Unable to protect her mother from her father as a child, Devin McQueen has made it her mission as an adult to protect as many abused women and children as she can. The rare moments she’s not consumed with work as a victims’ advocate, she limits her involvements to safe, predictable men….until she meets bounty hunter Grady Cooper. He is big, bold, brash, and has no problem speaking his mind.

Growing up in a broken home, Grady realized early on that good deeds had a price.  To survive, he learned to weigh every decision by what he could gain. Unfortunately, the successful, solitary life he’s worked so hard to create spins out of control when demons from his past shake his confidence. His boss has given him one last chance—bring in Devin’s latest client quickly, and quietly and maybe he’ll still have a job. It didn’t sound unreasonable until he met Devin.

Suddenly, Grady must make a decision: save his career or follow his heart?

***Grady was soooooo much fun to write. He came into my brain based off one of my favorite movie characters and when I started really getting into this story he had no problem steering me in the direction he wanted to go. And Devin...wow, she is my first really kick-ass heroine. These characters were so perfect for each other, but getting them to realize that was fun, frightening and frustrating. With both the hero and heroine so tough (which was hard enough), finding their gentle sides was a challenge. They're definitely not perfect and they even annoyed me at times, but in the end we all kicked-arse.

 

My fourth favorite of my books is my current one, Chasing Gold. I can't even tell you how well this story flowed as I wrote it. I can't explain how writing a light-hearted adventure story (as opposed to a heavy suspense) felt, how it made me seriously excited to sit down and work on it. These characters, this plot gave me no trouble at all. 

 

Okay, people! Today is my last day with you. Remember I'm giving away a $10 Amazon gift card & some other treats to one commenter from this 4 day party. I'll choose a winner tomorrow morning & post the name in today's comments! In the meantime, come find me and my books!

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