New Release – Fire and Ash & Character Interview

Since Fire and Ash releases today, I thought it was only fitting that I bring in a very special guest. Please welcome Fire Investigator, Sadie McGregor. Sadie is the heroine in Fire and Ash. A former firefighter, Sadie now shifts through the ashes to determine the causes of fires she’s called to investigate.

[Anne] Sadie, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with me today. Will you tell us what made you decide to be a fire investigator?

[Sadie] Well, Anne, it wasn’t really my choice. I’ve wanted to be a firefighter since I was a little girl. I had to give up that dream seven years ago when a floor gave out from underneath me and I fell, striking my head. The blunt force trauma caused a detached retina and the loss of my peripheral vision in my right eye. So, now, instead of fighting fires I determine their causes. Sometimes it can be just as exciting.

[Anne] I would imagine.  Tell our readers why you’ve returned to your hometown of Emerald Point, Missouri.

[Sadie] A fire has claimed the life of a local college student and I have to determine if it is arson or not.

[Anne] I couldn’t help but notice a very handsome man hanging around the fire scene with you. Care to tell me who he is?

[Sadie] *with a grin* Quinn Harrington. He’s the new police chief.

[Anne] Hmmm interesting. How are you two getting along? I mean with the case of course.

[Sadie] *shrugs shoulder* Okay I guess. Aside from being a little clumsy, he seems competent in his job.

[Anne] A little clumsy?

[Sadie] *chuckles* Yeah, we had a little mishap in the basement earlier.

[Anne] Dare I ask what the two of you were doing in the basement?

[Sadie] Working of course. I was pointing out some red flags that suggest the fire was intentionally set.

[Anne] So you’ve already determined its arson?

[Sadie] My preliminary findings suggest it is. We won’t know for sure until I get the lab results back.

[Anne] *smiles* So you and Quinn will be spending a lot of time together, huh?

[Sadie] Looks that away. Just between you and me, I’m sort of looking forward to it.

[Anne] I bet you are.

[Sadie] I know that look, Anne, and you can forget about it. We’re working the case together, that’s it. Let’s not forget we have a murderer on the loose.

[Anne] That’s true. You need to keep things professional between you two.

[Sadie] Exactly *clears throat*.

[Anne] So when you’re not investigating fires, what do you like to do?

[Sadie] I like to tinker with classic cars. Presently I’m helping my Uncle Joe rebuild a 66 Mustang that we hope to enter in some car shows next year.

[Anne] That’s kind of a strange hobby for a woman.

[Sadie] So I’ve been told *grinning*. I tried needle point once and almost ended up in the emergency room. I do love to cook though. All the McGregor women are great cooks.

[Anne] *smiling* I’m sure Quinn will be glad to hear that.

[Sadie] Anne, you’re starting to sound like my cousin Liz. She’s always trying to fix me up.

[Anne] LOL. Sounds like you are pretty close to your uncle and his family. Joe’s the fire chief, right?

[Sadie] That’s right. And we are all very close. I lost my own family when I was seven. Joe and Hannah took me in and raised me.

[Anne] I’m sorry about your family. That must have been tough to deal with. I’m glad they’ve been there for you.

[Sadie] Yeah, I don’t know what I’d do without them.

[Anne] Well, Sadie, I suppose I’ve kept you long enough. Any parting words for our readers?

[Sadie] I want to thank you, Anne, for telling my story. I don’t think your readers will be disappointed. Shall we share the blurb and an excerpt to entice them?

[Anne] That’s a great idea, Sadie! I’ll let you chose. And what do you say we give away a copy of the book in a drawing Monday evening, say around seven (CST)?  Friends, all you have to do is leave a comment.

[Sadie] Sounds good to me. *Shifts through the chapters and comes up with an excerpt* Okay, here you go, Anne. This is one of my favorite scenes. Now I better go track Quinn down and get back to work. Have fun! And good luck everyone!

Blurb:

Fire Investigator Sadie McGregor is called to her hometown of Emerald Point, Missouri to investigate a suspicious fire which claimed the life of a local college student. By appearance the fire looks like the girl was just careless. What Sadie and the handsome new sheriff discover will not only affect those close to them, but will rock the entire community. Purchase here: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-98/Fire-and-Ash/Detail.bok .

Excerpt:

Half asleep, Sadie entered the kitchen and headed directly to the coffee maker. She took a cup from the cabinet, picked up the glass coffee pot and poured. Behind her she heard a roar of laughter. Looking down, she found the cup, as well as the pot, was empty. Aggravated, she glanced over her shoulder to the kitchen table where her family all sat watching her. "Who drank all the coffee and didn't start another pot?"

"That's what you get for sleeping in," Liz said with a grin.

Hannah got up and moved toward her. "Here, honey, sit down here and finish mine. I'll start another pot."

Sadie gave her a hug. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now go on, sit down, and eat your breakfast."

She flopped down in the chair Hannah had vacated, traded the dirty place setting for the clean one next to it, then picked up her fork and stabbed the last pancake.

Joe handed her the plate with the last of the bacon. "Don't think that just because you were out all night that you're skipping out on church this morning."

Sadie glanced up at her uncle's comment just as Liz laughed. Sadie had hoped for a reprieve. It didn't appear as though she was getting one. "Fine, I'll go to church, but I'm not wearing a dress because I didn't bring one."

"You can borrow one of mine, I brought an extra one."

Sadie kicked her cousin under the table. "Mind your own business," she warned, a smile lingering just below the surface.

Liz seemed about to speak when Mary and Robbie ran into the room. Mary paused next to Sadie's chair. "It's about time you got up."

Liz laughed again.

Robbie climbed onto the empty chair next to Sadie. "Where were you last night?" he asked. "You were supposed to color with me."

Having just taken a bite, Sadie swallowed quickly, before turning to the young boy. "I'm sorry, Robbie. We'll color today, I promise."

"Okay." He plopped one elbow on the table, rested his chin in the palm of his hand, and watched her eat. "Are you coming to church with us?"

"Of course she's coming to church with us," Joe answered for her.

Sadie forced a smile. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Hannah filled her coffee cup. "So are you going to tell us where you were all evening?"

"No." Sadie scooped up her breakfast dishes and moved past Hannah to the sink. She smiled to herself as she rinsed off the plates and placed them in the dishwasher. She and Quinn had stayed at the arcade until Julius insisted he had to close. She'd had a wonderful time, despite her earlier confrontation with Dustin Zweener.

"Well wherever she was, the police had to bring her home. I saw a police cruiser leaving the drive shortly before one," Liz said loud enough for Sadie to hear.

"Did Sadie get arrested last night?" Mary asked.

Oh, good grief! Sadie returned to the table, grabbed her cup of coffee, and met Mary's widened eyes. "I did not get arrested. I was working on a case."

"You were with Quinn all night?" Joe joined in the interrogation.

Sadie rolled her eyes. "I'm going to get dressed. Where's your stupid dress?"

"Hanging in my closet," Liz answered with a smile. "Be sure and do your hair, you'll want to let him know there is a feminine side to you."

She ignored her comment and headed toward the stairs. "Is there something going on here I should know about," she heard her uncle ask, followed by a round of laugher from her aunt and cousin.


*****

In closing I want to send out a huge congratulations to fellow Desert Breeze author, Danielle Thorne who is also celebrating a new release today. Be sure to drop by Danielle’s blog: http://thebalancedwriter.blogspot.com/ to hear all about her ‘sweet’ sea-romance, By Heart and Compass. And don’t forget to comment because she’s giving away a copy of her book too.


Congratulations, Danielle!  LET'S PARTY!!!

Fire and Ash Book Trailer

I'm starting to get the hang of this trailer business...or at least I think I am.  The hard part is finding the right music and timing it just right.  Let me now what you think.

Also, I received news from my publisher of another great review for Ties That Bind.  Amazon Nymph gave the book a Golden Blush Recommended Read Award!

"Anyone that loves intense mystery and suspense stories is going to love Ties That Bind. The author has a way of keeping you on your toes as you read this book. There are so many twists that you will have a difficult time guessing who the killer is. Ms. Patrick keeps you guessing until you get close to the end of the book. I actually guessed wrong, but the man could have been the killer from the clues the author dropped. This story has a lot of romantic and subtle Christian undertones but they don't detract from the mystery. I could not put this one down...Ties That Bind is one book to be placed on every mystery lover's bookshelf to be read more than once."

Read the entire review here. [http://literarynymphsreviewsonly.blogspot.com/2010/06/ties-that-bind.html?zx=6e5bf683444e60b8]

New Excerpt from Lethal Dreams & Last Week’s Winner Is....

*drum roll* Joye! Congratulations, Joye, you’ve won a copy of Danielle’s book Turtle Soup. Yaay! I know you’re going to enjoy this wonderful ‘sweet’ romance.

Now for some extra treets.  First of all, have you heard that Long and Short of it Reviews is having an Easter Egg Hunt?  Be sure to check it out.  They have great prizes to give away, including a free copy of my book Journey to Redemption.  You'll find the link for it in the sidebar.

Also, in celebration of Lethal Dreams being released in eBook last week, I’m including an excerpt in today’s post. This is one of my favorite scenes in the book. It takes place on a basketball court between Erin and one of the kids from the shelter where she volunteers. I hope you enjoy it.

Erin decided to cut through the park on her way to the office. As she neared the basketball court she caught sight of one of the kids from the shelter. She was within a few feet of him before he saw her. His eyes widened. “Don’t even think about running,” she warned.

“I’m not.” He dribbled toward the goal post.

Erin dropped her backpack and snuck in to steal the ball from him. She dribbled the ball around her twice, trying to entice him to go for it before making a basket. “Running a little late for school, aren’t you?”

He caught the rebound and quickly turned away from her, using his left arm to block her advance. “I suppose you’re going to tell on me?”

“Depends on how good your excuse is.” She leaned to her right to get him to turn the opposite way. When he did, she reached out with her left hand to knock the ball away, then twisted around, her back to him, and regained control of the ball. A good three inches taller, she was able to make the basket with ease.

“I hate school, Mrs. J. I have nothing in common with any of the kids. My only friends are the ones who hang out at the shelter.”

She empathized with the boy. In the system since he was six, he’d spent the last nine years being bounced around from one foster home to another till Andy and Emma had taken temporary custody of him six months ago. “This is your first year going there. You have to be patient, Joey, let them get to know you.”

“It’s not that easy for me. I’m not as outgoing as you are.”

“Believe me, Joey.” She took his hand and led him to a nearby bench, “I know what it’s like to be an outsider, to feel you don’t belong. I was in and out of so many schools in the Sheridan Springs area that when someone asks me where I went to grade school I can show them the yellow pages and tell them to pick one, I’ve been there.”

He smiled. “Did it ever bother you because you were different than the other kids?”

“Joey, the only difference between you and them is geography. Yes, they may have a set of parents and a couple of siblings, but you have a whole shelter full of people who love you and think of you as family. I know that doesn’t ease the hurt. But what you have to realize is that, as bad as things seem right now, life is all about change. Right now you have no control over your circumstances, however, there’ll come a day that you will. Eventually, you’ll step into a place where you’ll feel that you belong.”

“So what do I do in the mean time?”

She smiled. This wasn’t the first heart-to-heart talk they’d had. Out of all the kids that came and went from the shelter, Joey held a special place in her heart. In the six months they’d known one another, a strong bond had formed between them. He was almost like a son to her. “You do the best you can, Joey, and remember that the past doesn’t dictate your future.”

He grinned. “I think I can do that.”

“I know you can.” She glanced at her watch. “If you leave now, you should be able to make your afternoon classes.”

“Will you write me note?”

“Are you gonna be skipping classes anymore?”

“No.”

“All right, but if Andy or Emma get word of this you’re dead meat.”

He leaned over and hugged her. “Thanks, Mrs. J.”


Lethal Dreams is available in print and now eBook. Coming up tomorrow, I have a very special guest who is very dear to my heart. Maggie from my book Reservations for Two will be popping in for a visit. I think you’ll really get a kick out of Maggie. She was inspired by some very special ladies in my life. I hope you’ll join us.

LASR Gives Journey to Redemption a 4.5 Rating!

Ivy at Long & Short Reviews gave Journey to Redemption a wonderful review. Here are a couple of snippets:


"Journey to Redemption is police drama that builds suspense while carrying a blossoming romance, all at a fast clip. The police work is believable and interesting. Morgan’s terror at her son’s disappearance and her efforts to rescue him are riveting. I found her steps to keep her relatives ignorant of the drama almost touching. She is definitely a lone desperado.

Journey to Redemption builds great suspense and has a creative twist to tie the loose-ends together. Ms. Patrick has developed a wonderful back story for this novel and it carries the plot along nicely. Her characters have the potential to carry another novel; her confident writing in this genre will make you want to pick up another one of her books. I plan to."

Read the whole review here!

Journey to Redemption has also been nominated as book of the week there. I'd really appreciate your support! Voting is Saturday 30th - Sunday 31st. http://www.longandshortreviews.com/LASR/recentrev.htm

Thanks so much!

Lethal Dreams Coming Feb 1st in Print & Ebook

I just received the word tonight that my upcoming release, Lethal Dreams will be available in print and ebook.  Yaaay!  Not that I have anything against print mind you, I love printed books, but I also love ebooks.  Now all those people who received new Kindles and ebook readers for Christmas can buy this book :-).  I'm really looking forward to it's release.  I just love the story of Erin and Logan.  I know I've posted the book blurb before, but I can't resist doing it again.  So here it is.

Dr. Erin Jacobs is making a name for herself in the sports world. Drawing on her own life experiences, she encourages and inspires athletes to recover one hundred percent from career ending injuries. So why would someone want to hurt the good doctor?

Detective Logan Sinclair is determined to find that answer. He’s been mesmerized by Erin since the night she found him and his partner shot in an alleyway. Since that night their lives have never been the same. He longs to find someone to share his life with and wants to help her secure her dream of someday opening a youth center. Erin doesn’t want to be a cop’s wife though. She’s been there and done that and paid the ultimate price. She doesn’t want to risk that kind of heartache again. Or does she?

Coming February 1st!

 
And if you haven't picked up a copy of Dark Alliance yet, I encourage you to do so.  Princess Tara's story is one I think you'll love too.  If you missed her interview, scroll down a few posts and you'll find it.  Be sure to read the comments because Alex dropped by afterwards and received a job offer from Miss Mae.  I'm going to have to keep my eye on those two:-)
 
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A White Christmas & The Winners Are...

The winner of my Christmas drawing at Seeing is Believing is Miss Mae, and the winner from my Facebook drawing is Cassie Simmons. Congratulations ladies!!!

Well I wasn't dreaming of one, but I got a White Christmas anyway. Not a lot, only about six or seven inches...just enough to mess up my plans of going out of town. The snow I can handle, the cold I can do without. We're talking a high of 18. Buuur! So what did I do on this snowy Christmas day? I joined my neighbors in a 'Snowed-In Party' of course. Good food & good friends...you can't beat it. One of the best things about Christmas, besides celebrating of the birth of Jesus and the great food and company, is all the wonderful Christmas stories on TV. I laughed & cried watching Marley and I just laughed watching the Christmas Story for the umteenth time. Oh and I also made some video's. The one below is of my babies, Zoe and Sailor.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I also made some of my mission trips. You can see them on my Author's Page. They're much longer though - approx ten to twelve minutes each. On the writing front, I received my galley for Dark Alliance this week and got it edited and sent back. It's scheduled to be released in Jan. I'm still waiting to hear back on my Silencing Evil manuscript. And I have two WIP's I'm still trying to finish. I was hoping to get the first drafts done by the first of the year but unless I get busy I don't think I'm going to make it.

On a final note, be sure to drop by Monday. I'll be interviewing author, Chelle Cordero. Then on Thursday, author Vickie Hopkins will be guest blogging about her new website, Janes of Romance. Until then, enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend. As for me, hopefully the weather will be clear enough for me to hit the road tomorrow so I can spend time with family. Be safe and stay warm my friends!

Winners of my Thanksgiving Giveaway

I had such an overwhelming response to my Thanksgiving Giveaway I decided to give away an extra gift certificate for Journey to Redemption. And the winners are *drum roll*

Jackie Wisherd (I apologize if the spelling isn’t correct Jackie)
Mary Preston
Sherry Reynolds

I want to thank everyone who entered. From the responses I see I’m not the only one who has lots to be thankful for this year. Congratulations ladies, I hope you enjoy my book.

It has been a thrilling and busy week for me. As mentioned in earlier posts, I’m in the middle of edits on a couple of upcoming releases. Well, I finished up one and I’m beginning on the other and hope to have it done this weekend. The best part of edits is getting reacquainted with those characters that have lain dormant in your head for so long. My editors Brianna and Cherri did an awesome job, so I want to thank them. It’s been wonderful working with you ladies! Also, I’m sure you’ve seen my new cover for Lethal Dreams. Isn’t it great? I’m so excited with it. And just as awesome, is my new cover for Ties That Bind. I particularly like the bloody knife :-)



Creepy, huh? I’m not sure who the artist was on this one, but they did a great job. Ties That Bind will be released from Awe-Struck Publishing in early 2010 in both eBook and print. And let me tell you, it’s one of my ‘Edge of Your Seat Thrillers’. Imagine a FBI Profiler with a physic gift that allows her to feel exactly what the victims went through at the hands of their killer. For a sneak peek, check out my Excerpts page.

Speaking of thrillers, Michelle Sutton will be here on Monday to talk about her new release, Danger at the Door. Be sure to drop by for her interview. I’m sure you’ll find all her books interesting.

Now I’m gonna go have another piece of pumpkin pie with gobs of whip cream piled on top. Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend.

The Cover for my Upcoming Release, Lethal Dreams

I haven't gotten the exact release date yet from Whimsical Publications, but hopefully it'll be in Jan or Feb. I'm finishing up edits on it now. The cover artist on it is Anastasia Rabiyah. Didn’t she do an awesome job?

Here’s the unofficial book blurb: Dr. Erin Jacobs is making a name for herself in the sports world. Drawing on her own life experiences, she encourages and inspires athletes to recover from career ending injuries. So why would someone want to hurt the good doctor?

Detective Logan Sinclair is determined to find that answer. He’s been mesmerized by Erin from the moment she found him and his partner shot in an alleyway. Since that night their lives have never been the same. Will Logan be able to solve the puzzle of who wants Erin out of the way before it’s too late? And if so what impact will those answers have on their lives?

Thank you so much, Anastasia, for a great cover!

In the Zone!

My mojo has been in high gear lately. I’m almost 50,000 words into my new Inspirational Romance and 37,000 words into my Romantic Suspense. WooHoo - I love being in the zone! However, at the same time it’s a bit maddening because I get carried away or should I say my characters get carried away. For instance this past weekend I wrote two great scenes that draw my main characters closer together, and then on Monday it occurs to me that the two scenes would work better if they were moved back into the storyline. Soooo, I do a little re-arranging and whala—perfection!

Now, to go totally off the subject: Do you think dogs can read minds? Weird question, I know, but bear with me. My German shepherd, Zoe, always greets me at the back door with one of her toys. I barely have a chance to put down my purse and she’s nudging my leg wanting to play a quick game of fetch [she’s totally not spoiled]. Anyway, Friday I come home from work and as I’m getting out of my car I think to myself, “It’s such a beautiful day I think I’ll take Zoe out to the lake and play Frisbee.” So I leave my purse in the car and go in the back door and there is Zoe, but no toy. Instead she is bouncing around like a kid who’s had way too much caffeine, zipping back and forth through the house just like she does when she knows we are fixing to go to the lake. Now mind you I gave no indication that was my plan she just knew! So if you ask me, they can definitely read our minds.

Here’s another story that I just have to share. Zoe’s roommate, Sailor, was adopted last year at a local shelter. It has taken almost that much time for him to feel safe enough to come out of my bedroom (his safe area that is fenced off) and venture out into the rest of the house. Well over the weekend while in my zone I happened to look down and the two of them were lying side by side with their heads touching. It was better than watching a Hallmark commercial! My two babies are finally pals! If you’d like to see a pic of my little darlings go to my author page. I managed to get a couple snapped before they got bored with one another.

Okay, back to the subject of writing: On Thursday I will be guest blogging, about the importance of research, at Shawna Williams’ blog. So if you can drop by and leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you.

Also on the 23rd I will be interviewing fellow Desert Breeze Publishing author, Stephanie Burkhart. So be sure to drop by.

And don’t forget about my Thanksgiving Giveaway! If you haven’t entered yet, scroll down a few posts and read how to enter. I’ll be giving away two free downloads of my newest release, Journey to Redemption. The drawing will take place the day after Thanksgiving.

Journey to Redemption receives a 4.5 rating from Book Wenches

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

I was riveted by this physiological thriller from the moment I opened the book. I am hard-pressed to come up with a specific genre to put it in since it combines so many: from the mystery of a whodunit to the growing feelings between Morgan and Chase; there are so many other elements in between.

Morgan's strength is evident throughout the book, and I found myself drawn to her inner workings, and also I found myself relating to her as a mother. Morgan's depth of pain that she has experienced molds her life, and though I have never experienced the trauma she did in the book, the author does a wonderful job of evoking deep-felt feelings in the reader right along with the character. Chase on the other hand is a man of all seasons. I felt as if he could easily be the well-rounded man most women dream of finding, yet at moments we get a few glimpses of previous parts of his life that have left him bitter.

The entire book kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what might happen. The story was fresh and memorable. Ms. Patrick is truly a talented storyteller. I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good crime mystery.

Read the entire review here!

How cool is that? If you haven’t purchased it yet, the links to do so are located in the side bar. And a great big THANK YOU! to everyone who has already bought it!

Come Join Me in celebrating my new release, Journey to Redemption!

Tomorrow, I’ll be doing at interview at author Diane Craver’s blog and guest blogging about my journey to publication on author Shawna Williams blog. On Tuesday I’ll be doing an interview at my publisher’s blog and at author Sandra Sookoo’s blog. And don’t forget to drop by my Release Party here from 5pm to 8pm (CST). Two lucky visitors (who post a comment) will receive a free download of Journey to Redemption and one lucky visitor will receive a gift bag with assorted goodies, including an autographed copy of Every Skull Tells a Story and a free download of Journey to Redemption. All winners will be chosen by a random draw from comments posted from 5pm to 8pm and announced at 8:30pm with a follow-up post with the winner’s names where the winners will be instructed to email me so I can send them their prizes. Hope to see you and good luck!!!