Alexa Bourne returns to Get Lost

Angi Morgan, your host

It's great to have Alexa back with us today to share her latest release.

Alexa Bourne is a teacher by day and a romance writer by nights, weekends, and all school holidays. She also teaches online classes for writers throughout the year. She writes mostly romantic suspense (some with paranormal elements!) and is thrilled to have the chance to share her stories with readers everywhere.

When she’s not concocting sinister plots and steamy love scenes or traveling and exploring new cultures, Alexa spends her time reading, watching brainless TV, and thinking about exercising. Okay, she also spends way too much time interacting with readers and writers on social media sites. But don’t tell her editors! Find out more about her and her books on her website.

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HEAR MY CRY

The Protector Cell series, book 1

Harper Monroe has simple goals- work her day job, pay her debts and finish college. But life rarely goes as planned. When two lunatics spouting off weird phrases attempt to kidnap her, Harper’s world turns upside down and she loses her hearing.

All bartender Scott Jackson wants after work is his couch, a Longhorn game and a cold beer. Instead, he reluctantly becomes Harper’s protector. As the two of them work to find out why she’s wanted, Harper’s hearing returns. Only now she can hear everything.

With more research, they discover Harper is a member of The Protector Cell, a secret society of men and women with superpowers. Harper refuses to accept her fate until The Collectors, the people hunting the Protectors, make her their number one target. Suddenly, Harper will have to choose: deny her frightening future or use her new skill to save the man she loves.

Read a little, Buy the book

Harper squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose. What if she never heard another sound again?

A gentle hand brushed along her arm. Warmth seeped through the palm. Heat wasn’t what she needed, though. Did the person have any courage to share?

She opened her eyes. Gone was the stern looking doctor. Only her hero stood before her, with a soft glance of concern covering his features. Of course he hadn’t grown since she met him, but somehow he seemed taller, wider, more of a force to be reckoned with. Yet, he still held onto a boy-next-door look. His dirty-blond hair held streaks from where he’d run his fingers through it. The strands fell below the standard male cut, but still didn’t reach his broad shoulders. Across his chest stretched a black t-shirt decorated with the words The Stone Shelter Pub. From her few visits to the bar, she knew it was the shirt the staff wore. 

He pointed to her. Once he gave her the hand signal for okay, he held his hand out as though waiting for an answer.

Her all right? She had a couple who wanted to grab her, to use her as a test subject. Defending herself completely healthy was hard enough. With no hearing, she might as well put a sign on her back that read take me, I’m at a tactical disadvantage.

But she couldn’t tell that to an innocent stranger.

A slim smile was all she could give him. “I will be.” She had to be, right?

He reached behind him to the table to grab the notepad and pen. Don’t be scared, okay? Since there’s nothing physically wrong with you then it stands to reason you’ll be able to hear again soon.

He’d written the message, but Harper could see the doubt rumbling through his eyes.

When she pulled her gaze away, it fell on the bandage covering part of his forearm. An injury he wouldn’t have gotten if he had walked away. A knot clutched in her stomach. “What’s your name?”

Scott Jackson.

“Thank you for saving my life.” The admission brought a whole new wave of worry.

You were doing pretty good on your own.

With a light touch of her pinkie, she traced the tape around his bandage. “I’m sorry you got hurt because of me.”

He shook his head. You didn’t burn my arm. There’s no reason for you to apologize.

“But if I hadn’t stopped you…”

He held up one finger, close to her mouth but not touching. She pressed her lips together, and then he continued writing. My choice.

Rich green eyes stared back at her with strength and pride. Moisture gathered in the corners of Harper’s eyes. When she’d called out to him for help she hadn’t wanted him hurt. For her. “I’m so sorry.”

He brushed away the tears before they fell down her cheeks.

She knew it wasn’t fair, wasn’t right, but she didn’t want him to leave her alone. With his soft touch, his straightforward words, and his ability to hear, Scott Jackson was the only person who made her feel safe at the moment.

Amazon | Amazon UK | Evernight | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Hello! Thank you to the wonderful ladies of the Get Lost in a Story blog for letting me visit. While talking to readers, I get a lot of questions. So I thought for this visit I would share some of the questions and give my answers. Here we go!

READER: What is your writing schedule?

ALEXA: I have a day job (I’m a high school teacher!) so I have to find time to write around that schedule. Monday through Friday I write from 4 a.m. to 5 a.m. If I get to write any more that day, great. If I don’t, then I at least feel like I’m making some progress. I also write on the weekends around other activities.

READER: How much reading do you do?

ALEXA: It’s interesting. I can’t seem to really read much while I’m working on a book’s revisions. I have to be able to focus just on my own book. Once I turn in a book or complete a new version, I binge read. For example, I finished the second draft of The Protector Cell series book #2 and I took a break. I spent three weeks reading and read 6 books.

READER: Do you write stories of former secondary characters?

ALEXA:   I have, but not enough. I’ll write a book then fall in love with secondary characters and want to write their stories too.

READER: What kinds of snacks and drinks do you have when you’re writing?

ALEXA: As I get closer to finishing a book I spend a lot of time eating Peanut M&Ms and drinking Cokes. I also get a lot more fast food. Once the book is turned in I’ll celebrate with a fancy cupcake, a margarita or both!

READER: Do you base characters on people you know?

ALEXA: I don’t base them on people I know, but I do name some of the characters based on people around me. For example, many of my friends and coworkers have asked to “be in the book”. I ask if they want their character to be a villain or a good guy and most of them say a villain. I try to put part of his or her name into one of the characters. But I don’t think of my friends as I write the character. I have to have an actor or actress in mind for me to write the story successfully.

READER: Are any of your stories based on your own life?

ALEXA: No story is based on my own life, but I think most authors will agree that a bit of ourselves does end up in every book.

READER: Do you visit the places you write about?

ALEXA: Yes, I do. My current book, HEAR MY CRY, is set in a city where I lived for several years. Some of my backlist books are set in my favorite place in the world, Scotland. I’ve been very fortunate to have visited the country several times.

Thank you all for allowing me to visit today!

My birthday is in October, so throughout the month I’ll be celebrating with readers! I’ll choose two prize winners a week. Some of the prizes will be gift cards, Austin “stuff”, Scottish “stuff”, books and, of course, chocolate! There are several ways to enter the contest:

• ·         1st: Just by being a newsletter subscriber you have a chance to win!
• ·         2nd: If you post a review of any books on my backlist anywhere (and let me know) you could win!
• ·         3rd: If you post a review of HEAR MY CRY anywhere (and let me know) you could win!
• ·         4th: If you leave a question for me on this blog you have a chance to win!
• ·         And if you do more than one of these, you can get extra chances to win!

See? Easy! I'll announce winners each Sunday morning through the month of October. At the end of the month, I'll send a new newsletter with details of my writing news and all the winners listed. On October 9th, enjoy a favorite dessert to celebrate my birthday with me!

SO, WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU LIKE AUTHORS TO ANSWER? OR WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR ME?