Meet Nancy Kay

Please welcome, Nancy Kay! Thanks for joining me this month, Nancy. I look forward to learning more about you.

[Anne]Name one of your favorite books as a child.

[Nancy] Very early I loved 'My Friend Flicka', followed by subsequent series including 'Thunderhead' and 'Green Grass of Wyoming'. However, my first romantic read was a book entitled 'I'll Find My Love' published by Berkley Highland Books and written by Joan Dirksen.

[Anne] Do you have a favorite author?

[Nancy] Tough one, where do I start? Initially, I'd say Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. I loved her books, and believe she got me hooked on romance. She was a true pioneer of the romance genre.Yet, I can't overlook my absolute devotion to Nora Roberts.

[Anne] Out of all the books you’ve read, which one comes immediately to your mind? If there is a favorite scene you remember, please share.

[Nancy] The closing scene in Nora Roberts Chesapeake Blue made me sad. But, only because the Chesapeak Bay series had come to an end. It warmed my heart knowing Seth was at peace as he looked back on members of a family that took him in, loving him unconditionally, and looked forward with Drusilla, the love of his life.

[Anne] Your favorite vacation spot (whether you have been there or not)?

[Nancy] Once again, I must admit at least two. My daughter did her junior year of college in Bologna, Italy and for our twenty-fifth wedding annivesary my husband and I traveled to Italy. Charleston, South Caroline is a close second. The culture and cuisine there are exceptional.

[Anne] Which would you rather have: A custom closet or a custom kitchen?

[Nancy] A closet, hands down. I am constantly trying to organize and a spacious closet catering to my every need would be heaven. I'll leave the kitchen to my husband, a fantastic gourmet cook!

[Anne] It’s Saturday afternoon and you’re home alone. What are you wearing? And yes, you must have clothes on.

[Nancy] Comfy slacks and a pullover.

[Anne] What’s your favorite dish?

[Nancy] Almost all seafood, with she-crab soup high on the list.

[Anne] Other than writing, what do you enjoy doing?

[Nancy] I enjoy travel, great plays and long walks. Though spending time in our sunroom, either alone, with my husband, close friends, or my daughter and her family while talking and sipping wine tops the list.

[Anne] You’ve just landed a multi-book contract with a major publisher! Which vehicle would we be more likely to see you driving after you’ve collected your huge advance: a Hummer, RV, truck, muscle car, or BMW?

[Nancy] None of the above! I may opt for a classic Volvo or be practical and get a Honda CRV.

[Anne] What’s your favorite television show? Movie?

[Nancy] I watch very little television. In the past I enjoyed ER and JAG, but in my humble opinion, most recent shows lack depth and promote overindulgence to a fault. As for a movie...hmmm, I loved a little known production entitled 'First Night.' And of course all the early James Bond Movies with Sean Connery.

[Anne] You’ve won a talent show! What act did you perform?

[Nancy] I danced a sexy, sensual tango.

[Anne] Would you rather have the power to be invisible or be able to fly, and why?

[Nancy] Fly. Then I could avoid all the crazy drivers on the road today.

[Anne] What was one of the most surprising things you learned during your journey to publication?

[Nancy] The choice of many publishing houses surprised me. I have respect, and trepidation, for how market driven the publishing industry has become. Granted, they are in business and must make sound decisions. Yet, I tend to consider writing an art, and forcing an artist to paint a certain picture in order to sell goes against the grain, don't you think?

[Anne] I totally agree, Nancy. What was the most interesting research you did for a book?

[Nancy] Once more, my answer has two parts. My husband is a former Pennsylvania State Trooper, and, though always aware of what he did on the job, it wasn't until I began writing suspense and he helped me with details that I learned so much more about the job and the man. Second, my stories are set in and around the Great Lakes. Though I've lived near the lakes for many years, I love writing about the area and look forward to expanding my stories - of course requiring some travel for further research! - to other towns and villages surrounding all the Great Lakes.

[Anne] Where do you go when you need to get inspired to write?

[Nancy] I go for long drives, listening to music or for long walks, often on the beach.

[Anne] Do you have any writing quirks?

[Nancy] I talk dialog out loud when I'm driving alone. Getting inside my character's heads this way helps a lot.

[Anne] What do you think makes a good story?

[Nancy] Characters readers will love. I've read stories with excellent plots and story lines but hated the characters. Villians, I understand, but I must admire and sypathize with other main characters. As a reader, if I can't relate to, or empathize with individuals within a story, then the story has failed.

[Anne] What are you working on now?

[Nancy] I'm working on the second story in my 'Deadly Triad' series. I love giving characters I introduced in previous stories a future of their own. It's a continuim, a passing of time and character growth.

[Anne] What's one of the more interesting experiences you've had with one of your readers?

[Nancy] My first release was July 1 and I've not yet interacted with readers. I look forward to every experience with my readers being interesting.

[Anne] Complete this scene: It was raining. The man came out of nowhere, and before I knew it....

[Nancy] he shoved me beneath the overhang and pinned me against the wall with his lean, hard, body. Fear blasted through me. I gulped in air, preparing to scream like a banshee. Then a shaft of light slanted across his face, and the scream died. "Can't have you getting all wet," he murmured, and flashed a familiar grin before his warm lips closed over mine.

[Anne] Wow! Awesome response, Nancy.

Nancy's Bio - The first romance I remember reading was Mrs. Mike--lovedthat handsome Canadian Mounty. Kathleen Woodiwiss created powerful heroes, and Suzanne Brockman, men of action. The thread that wove these very different stories together through time was unforgettable characters. I fell in love with each and every one of them. So, six years ago I vowed to create heart winning characters for/my/readers and joined RWA.

I live in the heart of wine country along the shores of Lake Erie in Western Pennsylvania. My husband, a former member of the Marines and the Pennsylvania State Police Department, is a built in advisor for military and law enforcement issues.

My stories are romantic suspense with a hearth and home slant. I strive to make them interesting and authentic by drawing from life experiences.

I've worked as a bank teller, veterinary assistant, fitness instructor, and am currently working part time at an exclusive bra boutique. But writing has become my focus and, I've discovered, is a constant learning experience.

Wherever I go I gather ideas for my stories. But some of the best ones come to me in my home office as I sip hot tea and snow blankets the landscape outside my window.

Visit Nancy's website: http://nancykayauthor.com/

And the winner is....

Gabriella Hewitt!  Congratulations, Gabriella.  I'm sure you're going to love Toni's book Temp to Permanent.

Stay tunned for July's Author of the Month - suspense author Nancy Kay.

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy 4th of July!

Hugs,
Anne

How I Plot a Book by Toni Noel

I never know what will inspire me to write a book. Sometime it starts with a character, like the little boy I saw on a steam train ride through the back country of San Diego County. He had coal-black hair and the kind of flirty blues eyes you'd love to see in a man seated across from you in an intimate restaurant. I thought This kid will be a lady killer when he grows up, and started pondering where a hero with those good looks might fit in a story.

How about an office setting? I hadn't been retired long, then, and work situations were still fresh in my mind. A working 9 to 5 story? Not likely. Not much chance for romance there.

Or was there? I wondered, remembering the temp employee I once interviewed and hired to take over my time-card duties in the accounting department while I prepared for our company's year-end close. He had a degree in accounting, great personality and good looks that left female coworkers panting after him, regardless of their marital status.

My blue-eyed hero became a temp employee sent to help out the overworked owner of an advertising firm on the busiest day of her brief career. He has no skills or references on his resume, and she doubts he'll be much help, but welcomes another body and agrees to let him try his hand answering her busy phones.

He fits into her office so smoothly she hardly realizes she's begun to depend on him, but she definitely notices her unwanted attraction to him. Determined not to act on that attraction, she concentrates on the job at hand. Ah ha. Great conflict.

What about his? My ethical hero has strong feelings about office romance, and is secretive about his past. More conflict. His secrecy will drive my honesty-above-all-else heroine wild.

Okay. With two well-defined characters in mind who are attracted to each other but determined not to act on it, I begin to plot in earnest. I know from past experience I'll need at least 50 scenes to write a 230 page novel, more for a longer book. How do I want the story to end? What kind of book am I writing? Not a literary novel or women's fiction for sure. Happy endings are my strength.

That means in the end my heroine must get the man of her dreams. In Temp to Permanent the heroine considers letting the hero go, freeing her to act on her attraction to him. More good conflict here. She can't. He's too much help for her to send him packing.

Can she have her cake and eat it too? Not and remain the boss. The possibility of being accused of sexual harassment constantly occupies a female boss's thoughts, and the hero has made it clear he's ethically opposed to office romance.

Can I throw two healthy people of opposite sexes together for 8 hours a day and not expect sparks to fly? No. What can I do? Throw in a little suspense or my novel runs out of scenes by chapter 5.

The heroine is already suspicious because her tight-lipped temp refuses to talk about the past places he's worked. How did he learn his skills?

Have something disappear from the office. Could he be the culprit? How do her suspicions affect her attraction to him?

Now, what other scenes are needed to tell their story? I visualize their first meet, write it on a 3-by-5-inch card, and proceed to the next scene. As my stack of cards grow, I think of more scenes. What if the office copier quits? What if the sick secretary stays out another week? What if the heroine decides to go after a huge contract because she has the hero's expert help? Will she win? If not, why not?

Who might be determined to bring the heroine's company down? Why?

When I have at least 50 necessary scenes guaranteed to tell the story, solve the mystery, and allow the hero and heroine to fall in love while each of their lives changes (arcs), I'm ready to write the book. I arrange the scenes in the order in which I want to tell the story, number the cards, and write the story right from my cards. If I realize a necessary scene is omitted, it's easy to slip in a card for the missing scene, or rearrange the order of the scenes.

The writing of Temp to Permanent went fast, in part because my muse took over and created several office diversions I hadn't anticipated.

I'm a sensitive woman, a sensual writer, and those traits open the door for writer's block to shut down my creativity. Following the death of the contractor who remodeled two bathrooms and inspired one of my books I suffered a lengthy bout of writer's block. During those long months of drought I still went to my computer every day, even when written words for my current work-in-progress refused to flow. Revision became a godsend, and eventually caused the block to unblock.

My advice for aspiring writers is to learn everything you can. Take online classes, join RWA, and find someone to critique your work. Study the rules of proper grammar and punctuation and put them to work. Don't be afraid to ask published writers for help. Join an online critique group. Polish your writing until it shines, then enter contests, and never, ever give up.

Toni Noel - She Likes My Writing

I've reported this countless times over the years at critique meetings, and a file crammed with rejection letters to support that claim. Editors liked my writing, but they didn't buy.

My first submission came back with a handwritten note from a thoughtful editor who took the time to personally compliment my writing, although it failed to meet her needs.

"Good writing, you tell a fantastic story, but…"

That editor liked my writing, too. I was doing something right.

Later, a Kensington editor for Precious Gems made suggestions for revision in her rejection letter, changes I promptly made and mailed back to her. Nearly a year went by, convincing me that manuscript was with an acquisition editor, and encouraging me to buy a special outfit to wear to future book signings. Mine.

Then the manuscript came back with "I like your story, but…"

She liked my writing, but my hero and heroine didn't quite jump off the page.

One editor wrote, "I like your voice, but we expect the manuscripts we buy to sparkle." I asked other authors how to make a manuscript sparkle? No one knew for sure.

But she liked my voice.

I completed a time travel historical set in a silver mining town on the same exact day the latest issue of the RWR announced, "Time travels are no longer being bought," so that manuscript found a home on a shelf.

One day an editor at Silhouette wrote, "I like your writing. Send me everything you write." I framed her letter, and for several years kept the troubled postal service afloat and my mailman trim returning all those not-quite-right-for-her-line submitted manuscripts.

During this long and sometimes stressful journey to publication I continued polishing my writing skills by attending conferences, taking online classes and reading constantly. Then, while bedridden recovering from a DVT ( a deep vein thrombosis), I revised one of my early manuscripts and emailed it to a new eBook publisher, Desert Breeze. Almost immediately the editor replied she "…loved my quirky heroine," and wanted to buy the book. The rest is history, I like to say, because she has now bought three of my manuscripts.

It's hard to describe the elation a writer feels when an editor reaffirms the writer's belief in his or her ability. The adulation of my friends means nothing compared to an editor's praise.

My one regret is that I didn't start writing sooner. I edited the high school newspaper and always planned to write someday. I admire the authors I know who juggle a full time job, the demands of a husband and growing children, and still find to write. I should have tried harder to write with everything else I had going on in my life. I didn't. I waited until I retired to begin, only to discover I had no idea what to write. Or how. All those years, I could have been attending RWA meetings and learning the things I need to know to become a successful writer.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Yearling, had to file her thoughts and ideas away until late on Saturday night when she'd finally have time to work on her novel. If I had it all to do over, I'd write something every day, regardless of how many toddlers vied for my attention, or how many Girl Scouts troops I led.

Visit Toni's blog at:

http://www.toninoelauthor.com/blog

Toni Noel - Why I Write Romantic Suspense

Romantic suspense stories are my favorite, and the reason I write suspense, which never fails to shocks me, since I didn't like mysteries at all growing up. I didn't consider Zane Grey westerns mysteries. They were just stories about cowboys chasing cattle rustlers through dust canyons. Women seldom found their way into his novels.

I refrained from reading anything scary, avoided Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys books like the mumps. I preferred the Bobbsey Twins. Now that I think about it, those books were mysteries, too, about trivial things disappearing while on vacation, then miraculously being found. Nothing scary. Never anything life threatening. I didn't read mysteries, but read everything else I could get my hands on. Historical novels and biographies were my favorite. What young girl didn't dream of marrying a Duke or a Prince?

Once I'd raised my family and found time to read again, a friend at work introduced me to books by LaVyrle Spencer and Kathleene Woodiwiss and I firmly believed I'd found my niche. I'd always planned to write when I retired, and now I knew what I'd write, novels about unlikely people meeting and falling in love, the same books I loved to read, romance novels about lost souls finding safe harbors for the heart.

I didn't discover romantic suspense until I stumbled on Heartbreaker, a novel by Karen Robards, a tale so scary I had to pop nitroglycerine tables every few minutes for stress-related chest pains, in order to finish the book. No way was I putting down that book until I'd read the last page. The author so completely reeled me in that I became the mother racing through the woods with my teenage daughter to escape the gun-toting bad guy on our trail. That's romantic suspense at its absolute best.

Law Breakers and Love Makers, my first romantic suspense Desert Breeze Publishing released, is best described as a roller coaster ride, where dramatic high points and bits of humor vie for the reader's attention in the hero's desperate race to keep the heroine safe.

Temp to Permanent, my June 1 release, also from Desert Breeze, didn't start out to be a romantic suspense, but unbeknownst to me the heroine ran into a former boyfriend a few days before the novel begins, and I didn't discover he was out for revenge until I'd written over a hundred pages. Thank goodness I'd characterized the hero as a man quite able to take on anything that came his way.

In my dark October release, Decisive Moments, there's romantic suspense of another kind. A determined photographer and a reclusive architect bump heads over her need to photograph a boarded up house he hasn't entered for years. The heroine's unexpected attempts to teach the hero to smile opens a chink in his armor that lets the heroine's five-year-old daughter slip through, and allows painful memories of the hero's devastating childhood to again monopolize his thoughts. Only love can heal his wounds and allow him to build a future for the three of them in a house he's refused to enter for most of his life.

Writing romantic suspense is far different from writing a contemporary romance. The writer has to think ahead and plant seeds of doubt while remembering to not make it so difficult the reader can't figure out who dunnit. Red herrings help, but the writer must simultaneously build the attraction between the hero and heroine even though they have a mystery to solve, and give the budding romance time to blossom before something really awful happens and spoils their fun. If they can catch the bad guy before someone dies, he's free to ask for her hand in marriage. Yes!

I like to think of It as a juggling act. How many story lines can I keep in the air without dropping one? So far my mysteries are straightforward, not convoluted like some I've read. I dearly love complicated plots, but am yet to plot one with lots of twists and turns, although one is simmering in the back of my mind.

Visit Toni's website at:
http://www.toninoelauthor.com/

Nike Chillemi's Burning Hearts

[Anne] Name one of your favorite books as a child.

[Nike] Hi, to the Hunter. I can't recall the author but my dad and I read it together. It's about a young boy and his coon hound who liked to tree raccoons but don't kill them. They come across this wily raccoon that a nasty hunter is determined to kill. The boy and the dog help the rascally-raccoon escape. I guess I've always been an animal lover.

[Anne]Do you have a favorite author?

[Nike] In Christian suspense, I'm mad about J. Mark Bertrand, Sibella Giorello, and Steven James. My to read list is so long that I haven't gotten to any Desert Breeze suspense yet, but Anne's yours is at the top of the list. I just finished reading (as a judge) for the Grace Awards and am reading for the Carol Awards now. When that's done, I can get back to my personal reading list.

[Anne] Out of all the books you’ve read, which one comes immediately to your mind? If there is a favorite scene you remember, please share.

[Nike] In J. Mark Bertrand's Back on Murder a man approaches main character detective Roland March in a dark bar where March sits with an untouched drink. The man won't give his name. He sits with his back to the wall and his hands under the table. The Man could have a gun in his pocket. March nudges the table spilling his full drink and the man grabs the table with both hands to steady it, thus exposing them. I thought, YES, a cop would do that to engage the mystery man's hands.

[Anne] Your favorite vacation spot (whether you have been there or not)?

[Nike] Driving down the West Coast Highway (runs along the coastline of Washington, Oregon, and California) alternating Christian rock and country western blaring on the car radio - window open. It takes about three days. I've done it and it was great. The Pacific Ocean is incredible, not to mention the beautiful redwoods.

[Anne] Which would you rather have: A custom closet or a custom kitchen?

[Nike] In a heartbeat, a custom kitchen. I'm a foodie.

[Anne] It’s Saturday afternoon and you’re home alone. What are you wearing? And yes, you must have clothes on.

[Nike] My PJ's, the ones I just slept in. If I'm feeling really fancy-schmansy, I'll put on a lounging outfit. A caftan, a maxi beach dress.

[Anne] What’s your favorite dish?

[Nike] As I mentioned, I'm a foodie. Love to watch the Food Network. I like sauté. It's light and there are so many possibilities. Chicken sautéed in a honey mango sauce. Shrimp sautéed in a teriyaki sauce. Old standards like sole sautéed in lemon butter. Serve it with a veggie, if you're trying to lose a few pounds like I am. Add pasta in w/garlic and olive oil, or rice pilaf if you have friends over.

[Anne] Other than writing, what do you enjoy doing?

[Nike] I love to read, especially crime fiction. I like to cook for family and friends, and go out to eat as the budget allows.

[Anne] You’ve just landed a multi-book contract with a major publisher! Which vehicle would we be more likely to see you driving after you’ve collected your huge advance: a Hummer, RV, truck, muscle car, or BMW?

[Nike] I drive a VW punch buggy now and it's great for city driving, as I live in Gotham (NYC). I'm sure that huge advance is in the mail, and after I get it I'd buy a Jeep Sport…black of course. As a crime fictionista, black is my uniform. I love Jeep and a Sport would also fare well in the city.

[Anne] What’s your favorite television show? Movie?

[Nike] My husband and I watch The Killing every Sunday evening. It's by far one of the best TV crime dramas ever. As far as a movie, I just saw The Lincoln Lawyer (legal thriller) and while it wasn't as good as the excellent novel it's based on, it was indeed very good. And Matthew McConaughey…pluck my eyes out.

[Anne] You’ve won a talent show! What act did you perform?

[Nike] A slap-stick comedy routine, perhaps with some soft shoe dancing.

[Anne] Would you rather have the power to be invisible or be able to fly, and why?

N: Invisible. I'm curious about people and it would allow me to observe without being obtrusive.

[Anne] What was one of the most surprising things you learned during your journey to publication?

[Nike] I was shocked, as in totally floored, to find some contest judges and readers considered my novel edgy. My heroine and hero don't even kiss until the last chapter. But they deal with some pretty intense feelings and my hero, Lorne Kincade, grapples with his tragically dysfunctional childhood.

[Anne] What was the most interesting research you did for a book?

[Nike] I love 1940s fashion. The styles were classic and classy. Women of that day enjoyed dressing up. They followed the fashion seen on the silver screen and emulated that type of sophistication.

[Anne] Where do you go when you need to get inspired to write?

[Nike] I go to a coffee shop, café, or bakery with tables and do some people watching while I sip a cappuccino.

[Anne] Do you have any writing quirks?

[Nike] I'll go back to make sure there's some humor to break up the suspense and action scenes.

[Anne] What do you think makes a good story?

[Nike] I like character driven stories. Take a complex character with some baggage and drop him or her into the middle of an action scene (a bank robbery, witness to murder, a kidnapping) to open the story and see where it goes.

[Anne] What are you working on now?

[Nike] I'm finishing the sequel to BURNING HEARTS. The second in the Sanctuary Point series is GOODBYE NOEL. It's a suspense set during the 1947 Christmas/New Year season. My research revealed how Christmas celebrations and symbols were part of the warp and woof of American life in that time period.

[Anne] Complete this scene: It was raining. The man came out of nowhere, and before I knew it....

[Nike] I threw up on his shoe.

Check out Nike's new release Burning Hearts!

Blurb:

Erica Brogna’s parents doted on her and taught her to think for herself. So many young men she grew up with fell in the war, shaking her childhood faith. In rides a handsome stranger, at the hour of her desperate need when her best friend and mentor is trapped in a burning house. This stranger rushes into the inferno and carries Erica’s friend’s lifeless body out.

Lorne Kincade can’t out run his past on his Harley Davidson, though he tried. He’s been a knock-about biker since the end of WWII. His uncle bequeathed him a ramshackle cottage in Sanctuary Point, on the Great South Bay of Long Island, NY and now he has hope for the future, wants to repair the miniscule place, and settle down. The problem is someone’s setting him up for a murder rap, a young woman with hair the color of mink is starting to get under his skin, and that’s the last thing he needs.

Excerpt:

Long Island, New York
September 1946

Erica Brogna hurried down Hill Street, eager to sketch her new design, a forest green taffeta dress with a swirling skirt for a twenty-fifth wedding anniversary -- her first significant assignment. She paused to inhale the salt scent on the ocean breeze, and her gaze lingered on a copse of red, rust, and gold maples near Ada's house and dress shop.

She smiled, pulling her cardigan tight around her, and dropped the newspaper Poppa asked her to bring to her mentor and employer. She retrieved the paper and saw Bess Truman smiling as she entered Walter Reed Army Hospital. With the war over, the First Lady visited broken soldiers in long-term care. Erica slapped the paper closed before rage and depression overtook her. So many boys had not come home.

Chin jutted out, she smoothed the pleats of her skirt and marched toward Ada's house. She'd think on pleasant things and hand the paper over without a fuss as she did every morning. Nothing would ruin this day.

She climbed Ada's wooden front steps and opened the door.

Smoke filled the living room Ada had turned into a fabric shop. Erica waved a hand in front of tearing eyes. Gray vapors, like swirling fog, partially obscured bolts of fabric stacked against the opposite wall.

"Ada! Ada, answer me please." Dropping the newspaper, Erica rushed toward the stairs, trampling Bess Truman's image. "Ada can you hear me?"

Coughing, she grabbed on to the cutting table in the middle of the room, steadied herself, and reached for the phone -- no dial tone. Perhaps the fire melted the line.

She yanked the collar of her blouse over her nose and mouth against the smoke. The stairs loomed before her, seeming as impossible to scale as Mount Everest. She lunged forward, gripping the baluster, and thrust herself up two steps. Since Ada wasn't outside, she had to be upstairs.

As Erica climbed, the smoke thickened and swirled around her. It was darker with each step.

One hand clasped the rail and pulled, and she advanced a few more steps. Heat blasted against her skin from above, and soft crackling sounds drew her gaze to the upstairs landing. Squinting into the smoke, she lost her grip on the banister, missed the next step, and fell backward tumbling to the bottom.

The back of her head smacked against the baluster, and wooziness followed sharp pain. She tried to stand but couldn't get her bearings.

Will triumphed over ability. She hoisted herself, ignoring the dull throb at the back of her skull. Her palms stung, the skin scraped off during her fall. She took a deep breath, and a coughing fit seized her. Shallow breaths were the better alternative.

Planting her penny loafer on the bottom step, Erica began her climb again, shaken but with new resolve. If she could reach the top of the stairs, she could also make it to Ada's bedroom.


Purchase Burning Hearts at the following locations:

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-167/Nike-Chillemi-Sanctuary-Point/Detail.bok

http://www.amazon.com/Sanctuary-Point-Book-One-ebook/dp/B0050PJSTY/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Sanctuary-Point-Book-One/Nike-Chillemi/e/2940012411747/?itm=1


Nike's blog: http://crimefictionandfaith.blogspot.com/

Toni's inspiration for Temp to Permanent

In my other life as an accountant, I maintained the accounting software and supervised payroll. Each year just prior to year-end close I interviewed candidates sent over from various temporary help agencies for the most likely candidate to fill my shoes while I concentrated on producing year end financial reports.

One year, the best temp to interview for the job turned out to be a show-stopping male. He had the training, skills and willingness to help I was looking for and could start the next day, auditing weekly time sheets. Word spread among our employees and a steady line of women employees soon began parading past his desk to turn in their time sheets in person and see for themselves if what they'd heard about the new temp was true.

The poor guy had a wife at home, but that didn't deter his admirers, who looked for any excuse to visit accounting and earn his smile. They even hung out of their cubicles whenever he walked by.

Those events inspired my second published novel, Temp to Permanent. I'd decided to write a novel about the overextended owner of an advertising firm whose secretary calls in sick on the busiest day of the heroine's career, forcing her to place an urgent call for a temp.

When a man so good-looking she longs to feast on him across a dinner table in some romantic setting shows up, she thinks uh-uh, no way. She needs help, not the distraction this handsome guy is already causing her, and tries to send him away. He convinces her to let him work without pay until lunch time, so he can prove himself to her.

And prove himself he does, in countless ways. His fingers fly over the keys of her computer. He uses his head and makes needed decisions without interrupting her. It's only when he clears his throat in the outer office that her thoughts return to him. How can she get any work done under these conditions? Somehow, she must.

And so the busy life of Carina Carrington gets turned upside down by a black-haired, blue-eyed temp determined to help her company succeed at all cost.

Here's a blurb: A struggling business woman and her secretive temporary secretary are drawn together by love and forced apart by her suspicions and his relentless adherence to ethics-in-the-office guidelines until he saves her life.

Temp to Permanent unedited Excerpt:

Carina Carrington's fingers flew across the computer keyboard.

Not fast enough.

She'd never meet her schedule without another pair of hands. Of all possible days, why did Rachael pick today to call in sick?

And what happened to her replacement? The temp agency had promised to send a secretary an hour ago. What was keeping her?

At the scrape of a leather shoe sole, Carina's concentration cracked.

"Hello, is anyone here?"

Startled, Carina hit a wrong key. Unless his face matches that heart-stopping voice, I'll throttle this salesman.

She abandoned the keyboard and swiveled around in her chair. Six feet of tanned muscles crossed her carpet. No way would she choke this hunk.

"There's no one at the desk out front," a husky male voice rasped.

Surrounded by masculine scent, Carina riveted her gaze on his business card, then glanced up. Devilish blue eyes locked with hers. She looked away to conceal her unprofessional, very unladylike reaction.

"I'm Gregory Lawless from Data Services. Pat Kilpatrick said to see Mrs. Carrington. Your receptionist--"

"Has the flu."

This perfect example of centerfold material could not possibly type.

With all the work still to turn out, I'll kill Pat, instead.

Reluctantly Carina pushed back her chair and stood to shake his hand. Good grip, self-confident. "That's why you're here, Mr. Lawless. I'm short handed today, and it's Miss Carrington."

She indicated a chair and waited for him to sit. "The agency didn't say they were sending a man." Oops. Maybe employers weren't supposed to say things like that anymore.

"Is that a problem?"

"Only if you can't do the job." She wasn't about to acknowledge how difficult he made the simple act of speech.

He folded his lanky frame into the visitor's chair she'd indicated and placed a folder on her desk. "Ms. Kilpatrick asked me to give you this copy of my résumé."

A deep cleft creased his chin. How could she think with that distraction? With her weakness for cleft chins she couldn't hope to actually work around this man. His devastating smile belonged in a bedroom. In a bar. Anywhere but in her office, ruining her concentration.

Carina sank into her own chair and opened his file to study the brief list of qualifications while steadying her heart beat. San Diego Data Services normally provided exceptional help, but Pat had warned this flu epidemic had also left her short handed. Gregory must be the last healthy soul available.

Healthy? He was that, all right. From what she could see, far healthier than a man had any need to look.

He'd indicated a willingness to work. Any warm body could man the phones in her secretary's absence. What about this unexpected heat? Maybe Mom was right and she was sex-deprived.

Perhaps tomorrow Pat would have a real secretary available. Her mind pictured a prim woman. Someone wearing a skirt whose very presence wouldn't take her mind off her work.

She glanced up from the résumé to study Gregory. Information in the agency's file was scant, little more than name, address and social security number. He looked about her age. Why would a man approaching thirty resign himself to temporary work?

Carina drew a steadying breath. "Have you been with Data Services long?"

He tilted his head, obviously mulling over a reply. "This is my first assignment."

Great. Disgruntled by his admission, she looked away. Few skills and even less experience. Carina stole a glance. The smile hovering about his mouth prevented objective reasoning. "With a busy week ahead of me, there won't be much time for training."

He peered at the scribbled notes on her calendar and lifted one cocky eyebrow, giving him a rakish appearance that almost brought her out of her chair.

"Tell you what. Let's not waste any more time. Give me a chance to help and if I don't meet your requirements, you don't owe me a cent."

Desperation evident in his voice caused her to give him a sharp look. "So you're a gambler, too."

He straightened his back against the chair, then leaned forward and gazed at her. "I've nothing to lose," he admitted with admirable honesty.

Carina pondered everything she would gain if Gregory could fill Rachael's shoes. She wouldn't need to postpone tomorrow's meeting and might still land that contract.

Quick decisions were her trademark. "I'll only expect you to answer the phone. On Mondays it rings constantly."

He grinned, nodding. "How shall I answer?"

Criminey. Would she need to hold his hand and walk him through the office as well? "Carrington Graphics will do."

"I'll manage. What is the nature of your business? Ms. Kilpatrick said you needed someone in a hurry and didn't take time to fill me in."

"Advertising." From the bookcase behind her desk Carina selected two brochures and unfolded them for Gregory to examine. "This is a terrible time to come up short handed. I've two important presentations scheduled, one tomorrow, and another on Friday. Rachael always handles my prepress. Without her, I'll never be ready."

After a moment, Gregory leaned across her desk to return the brochures. Fragrance, spicy-clean and fresh, teased her nostrils. Aftershave and a recent shower, a masculine scent far too likely to distract her, if she gave it a chance. She wouldn't, absolutely couldn't. Not this week.

"I've had some experience with--"

"It's likely the phones will occupy all your time." She couldn't picture his neatly trimmed fingertips flying over a keyboard.

Imagining his hands tangled in some woman's hair though...

Easy. Far too easy.

Cut that out. "Why don't I get you settled at the front desk, Gregory."

He followed her into the outer office. "I prefer Greg."

She ignored the thump of her heart. "Greg it is."

The phone rang. Carina reached for it, only to find Greg's hand already there. He gave her a complacent look and shrugged.

"Good morning, Carrington Graphics," he said into the receiver. "How may I direct your call?" He listened a moment longer. "Certainly, just one moment, please." He placed the caller on hold. "There's a typesetting question on line one."

"Thank you. I'll take it in my office." She rubbed the circulation back into her fingers as she walked away.

The less she heard Greg Lawless' voice, the more she'd accomplish. Carina decided, and pulled her door closed before lifting the receiver. She had her secretary's work to finish.


You're invited to visit Desert Breeze Publishing's Web site, download the book, and find out what happens next. http://www.stores.desertbreezepublishing.com

And visit Toni's web site: http://www.toninoelauthor.com