Saturday, April 13, 2013

Gone With The Wind Sandy's inspiration to write

Hi Sandy, welcome to Adventures in Authorland. Please get comfortable and tell us a little about your writing adventure.
 
What books have most influenced your life most? 

Gone With The Wind, by Margaret Mitchell. I read it when I was in 8th grade and then we saw the movie because we were studying the Civil War. I loved that book. I’ve read it probably a dozen times over the years. Of course, writing has become different in the last ten years, so now it’s a little harder to reread. Still, the characters walk off the page. Their strengths and weaknesses so true to life. I wanted so much to be like Melanie, but too many times I realized I’m closer to Scarlett because of my poor background. I still try, though. We all have a bit of every character inside us and they come out at different times.

What book are you reading now?  

Married by Midnight by Julianne MacLean. I recently bought it and was looking for something to read on my Kindle. I just started reading it and it drew me in. It’s a lot of fun and I’m enjoying it.

Do you see writing as a career?

Definitely, especially now that I’m self-published. Everything I do at this point is to improve my business, which is entertaining readers. And the only way to do that is to let them know I exist.

How many books have you written?

I’ve written and published eight books so far. Four contemporary romances and four romantic suspenses, with the emphasis more on romance, because that is what I love to read.

Which is your favourite?

The latest story I published. A MATTER OF TRUST.  I love the characters, especially the tormented hero, Josh. He thinks he’s unloveable, when in reality he needs love more than most.

Can you give us some details about your upcoming release/s?

I was working on revisions for a time travel where the heroine goes back in time to 1874 in Louisville Kentucky, just before the creation of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby. It’s another one of my favorites. It has a strong message about love and friendship and I love both the hero and the heroine. I wrote it early on, so it really needs work, but I’m whipping it into shape.  Hopefully, it will be out at the end of May or the beginning of June.

Have you ever travelled to a place and come away with a story unexpectedly?

Yes. When my father-in-law was buried in Arlington, I was so impressed with the ceremony and the area that I started writing a book with the heroine standing over her dead husband’s gravesite there. The story, THE SIN FACTOR, had a life of its own and took off from there. It’s another one of my favourites. Heck, every story I write is a favourite, if I’m honest. I love them all for different reasons. 

Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know.

I joined the military right after high school to see the world and get an education. It was definitely an education and I did see the world. I love to snow ski and try to get back to my hometown at least once a year during the winter so I can get up on the mountain. And third, I love cats. I own two, the latest a stray no one wanted. She wasn’t a kitten. In fact, she had four kittens of her own that were quickly adopted, but she was rather ugly. She also has a crooked tail, so no one wanted her. My niece was a foster mom to her and the brood. Once the kittens were weaned, she sat in a cage for six weeks before I decided to take her. She’s the sweetest cat and very loving. And despite being quite the ugly duckling, she turned into a swan. Her fur grew in after her nerves settled, and now she’s absolutely beautiful.

A MATTER OF TRUST — BLURB

     Tired of living in fear of an abusive ex-husband, Cat Tyler is taking charge of her life by learning to fly. Unfortunately, she discovers what true fear really is when her cross-country flight ends in a forced landing. Now she’s trapped in the Montana wilderness with her flight instructor, Josh Buchannan—a jerk who’s been riding her butt since she first stepped into the cockpit.  She definitely doesn’t like the attraction that has sprung up between them. Worse, someone is trying to kill them.
     Josh doesn’t wait to find out why they’ve become a target—or who’s behind it. Instinct takes over and Josh spirits Cat away to safety.  Yet, while on the run, he discovers that an incident from his past, one he’s tried to forget, connects him to Cat.  He was in charge of a failed mission in which her parents lost their lives.  Is this her twisted way of getting revenge? Josh can’t trust Cat, but he protects her as they narrowly escape fiery graves, not once but twice. 
     Unwittingly, the two are fighting more than trust or attraction.  An unknown terrorist cell has unleashed its secret weapon—a human Trojan horse—which gives a new meaning to terror. 
     As Cat and Josh struggle to stay alive, their trust in each other is threatened at every turn. Josh senses Cat’s somehow involved in this mess and works doubly hard to keep his attraction to her under control. 
     Still, he craves her belief in his innocence, impossible once she discovers the truth about his involvement in her parents’ deaths.
     As they work together to uncover the plot that threatens western civilization, they must come to grips with the past in order to create a relationship built on mutual trust in the future.

A MATTER IF TRUST — EXCERPT

     What were you thinking just then?” Cat asked, clearing the dishes away when they got up from the island.
     “Shit,” Josh muttered under his breath, reaching for his wineglass. “Why do you ask?”
     Standing by the sink, Cat eyed him intently, but he wouldn’t meet her gaze, his attention absorbed with taking a sip.
     “Did I do something wrong?”
     “Something wrong?” Josh eyed his wine and cleared his throat. “That’s a silly question.”
     “Call me silly, but your expression changed all of a sudden.” For one fleeting moment he’d had this ravenous, intense look about him, like he could eat her alive and then, in a flash, the look turned cold and unyielding. Now he was being weird. Wouldn’t meet her eyes again. Was acting awfully suspicious, as if he was hiding something.
     Damn, she thought. She’d done or said something stupid. She just knew it. Up until a few minutes ago she’d begun to think he was as attracted to her as she was to him. But that obviously wasn’t the case, so she had to make things right again. “Look, I’m sorry if I said or did something to upset you.”
     Her apology got his attention and he finally looked at her, searching her face for what seemed like forever.
     Then he flashed his sexy, disarming grin before erupting into uncontrollable laughter.
     Great! Now he was laughing at her.
     Cat turned and stormed out of the room, only she didn’t get very far. He’d followed on her heels and now gripped her arm, stopping her.
     “What? Am I amusing you?” she yelled, fighting to keep from crying. She would not cry. Not in front of him.
     “As a matter of fact, you are.”
     “Jerk,” she cried. “You’ve made your point, so let go of me.”
     “Oh, no. I haven’t begun to make my point.” He pulled her closer. The next second his lips were consuming hers, kissing her as if he couldn’t get enough. His tongue invaded her mouth while he inhaled her, not letting her back off, demanding a response. And then she felt his hands roaming over her body, gripping her, making her come alive with want and need. His lips broke from hers, and he trailed kisses across her face, causing even more sensations to course through her.
     “You feel that, Cat?”
     He licked her ear and nibbled on her lobe, eliciting a moan she couldn’t contain. It felt so decadent. So wonderful.
     “That’s called an adrenaline rush. That’s what I’m fighting. Have been fighting since yesterday when my plane blew up.”
     When he moved into her, pressing against her so she could feel the heat from his full arousal, Cat almost erupted into flames as hot lava flooded her system with more pleasure.
     “The attraction’s an illusion. It’s not uncommon for someone in our situation. We’ve been riding on the edge of fear and I’m dying to have you,” he whispered urgently in her ear, exacting another moan. “I want you so damn bad I can barely hang on. Do you understand what I’m saying?” He hesitated a heartbeat. “Your attraction is caused by a surge of hormones designed to keep you alive in times of crisis. It’s not real.”
     Once the words were out, his mouth covered hers. Only this time, his lips and hands gentled while he kissed her for what seemed like forever. All of her senses came alive and she succumbed to his mouth’s demands. She could taste the wine on his tongue, could smell the faint scents of deodorant and soap.
     His soft lips were still thorough, still invading, still not letting her back away.
     When she moaned into his mouth, totally absorbed in his kiss, he finally pulled away, breathing heavily as if he’d run a five-minute mile. “You’d better stop now. This is all I can take without finishing. You want this. Fine. You don’t. Fine. The choice is yours. But make the decision now and make it knowing where the emotions are coming from.”
     This can’t be happening, she thought, searching his earnest gaze. His eyes were like liquid fire, causing her to flinch from their intensity. Oh God. He was leaving the choice up to her and at the same time, he was telling her it meant nothing. If it was nothing more than elevated adrenaline, then why did she feel as if she would die if she backed away?

Buy links for A MATTER OF TRUST.

Amazon at http://amzn.to/XWJsZ1
Barnes & Noble Nook - http://bit.ly/14bVJxe
iTunes – http://bit.ly/XuM9OS

8 comments:

  1. What a great interview! I loved the sound of your book, Sandy, A Matter of Trust. Will check it out on Amazon. Congratulations on going the indie road and I wish you every success.

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    1. Thanks. And thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it.

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  2. Hi, Sandy (and, Jean, too!) What an interesting premise for your book. Best wishes for success.

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  3. Hi Sandy! What a wonderful feeling to finally be able to say you are a published author! Do you think that self-publishing is a good way to go? What has been the biggest challenge?

    Thanks!
    Melissa

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    1. I can't see a better way to go in this day and age. The biggest challenge is doing it all. Most authors, even traditionally pubbed, promote their work. Yet where traditionally pubbed authors have the big six behind them in regards to edits, covers and formats, indies have to do all that themselves. That is also the biggest plus, since it gives us total control. I can't believe how many authors I've talked to who have had their books cut up because of word constraints at the last minute or covers that are atrocious. I love it and will never look back.

      Thanks for stopping by Melissa.

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  4. 8 books, Sandy! That is amazing. Congratulations on another great story!

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  5. Hi Sandy,
    I didn't know you had eight books out. Your excerpt today was very provocative.

    I read Gone with the Wind in the 8th grade too, and I wanted to be Rhett Butler because he got to go everywhere. LOL

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