The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

Hello everything. Martin Crosbie  invited me to participate. If you haven’t read his MY TEMPORARY LIFE, you really need to. It is a bestselling novel that amassed many 5 star reviews and brought its author much recognition. He is about to release the sequel and I, for one, can hardly wait. By the way – the book title is – MY NAME IS HARDLY.

I would like to introduce you to my newest work.

You can find it in the book section of my website.

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing:

What is the working title of your book?

The title of my new book is “I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS”.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I’ll See You In My Dreams is the fifth installment in the Hell Yeah! series. As I write the story of the McCoy family and their friends, the individual characters begin to haunt me, I guess you could say. They each have a story to tell and Zane being blind and wanting to be loved just tugged at my heart, so he got his own book. His heroine, Presley, isn’t perfect either. But Zane sees only beauty, for he looks at her through the eyes of love. It’s a touching story and also has more on the McCoy family and lots of hot sex. Ha! 

What genre does your book fall under?

My book is an erotic romance – a full length romance with laughter and tears and plot twists, but it takes you behind the bedroom door.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? –

Zane is gorgeous – dark hair, scruff of sexy beard and a body to die for . . . . let me see – I would ask Joe Manganiello to star as Beau and Presley would be played by Sarah Shahi of Fairly Legal fame.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Zane Saucier is a cowboy, a horse whisperer, a brilliant attorney - and he's blind. Nothing seems beyond his reach, but love. Presley has a mountain of her own to climb; she's not perfect either, but she does teach Zane one valuable lesson: no eye sees as clearly as the heart.

More than one sentence – I know – but – oh well.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

This book will be self-published. I have 7 traditionally published and 7 self-published. I like to have control.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I write fast, as long as I’m in the right frame of mind. The first draft of “I’ll See You In My Dreams” took two months to complete.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

My Hell Yeah! series is similar to Lorelei James’ books.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

What inspired me to write this book was a young girl that I knew who had a cleft lip. I saw how reticent she was to meet anyone’s gaze and how she was always left to one side. After I had created Zane’s character, I thought how special it would be if he fell in love with someone who thought they were unlovable and then let him make her feel like the most special woman in the world.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

I have included the McCoy’s of Tebow ranch and their ups and downs in this story, especially Aron’s disappearance. There is also the introduction of a group of new characters who will enrich the series. Since Zane is blind, it gave a whole different perspective to everything – I had to use his other senses, it made the sex really challenging to write.

Zane also has a guide dog and a guide horse – so I worked in the cowboy angle. He raises registered cattle and shelters abused horses. I fell in love with Zane.

Here’s an excerpt - - 

Presley dressed for Zane. She knew it didn’t make any sense, but she did. Today, she wore her version of a power suit she had purchased at a second-hand store. It was appropriate office attire, but she felt comfortable in it. The pants were linen and the top was silk. Presley preferred feminine clothes with soft lines and softer fabrics. With her coloring, she usually chose jewel tones. A short jacket completed her deep blue ensemble. As usual, she avoided looking in the mirror. Even when she put on make-up, she glanced up or concentrated on just one feature at a time. Pink lip gloss was her only choice of make-up for her mouth, anything that would draw attention to her problem was avoided – so no bright colors, just the barest hint of pink.

What would today bring? She had spent a couple of hours the night before reading everything she could find about Zane online; about his family, about the firm and the cases they had handled. She had felt respect for the man, before – but now she felt awe. Time after time he had taken on people’s problems, represented the underdog, stood between hopeless situations and lost causes. She knew there were some people who practiced law to make money – and apparently he did, but he had high standards and a big heart and Presley wanted to be a part of his life so bad she could taste it.

But she also saw photo after photo of him with beautiful women hanging on his arm. Just this past weekend he had been a part of the McCoy wedding held at Tebow Ranch. Everyone knew who the McCoys were – and everyone was beginning to know the Saucier brothers. Zane wasn’t married, but it was obvious he could have any woman he wanted. So what would he want with her?

Zane would never want her for her looks or be attracted to her – but he could need her. So as Presley prepared for her second day of work at Saucier and Barclay, she prepared to make herself indispensable to one handsome lawyer with a heart of gold.

When she arrived at the office, it was a little different than the day before. Presley didn’t wait to be shown in, nor did she linger at the front desk, rather she went right into the big boss’ inner sanctum – just like she belonged. Without hesitation, she threw herself into the task. Glancing through his calendar, she got everything ready.

Looking around the office, she checked everything out. His computer was on. His water pitcher was full. The blinds were cracked at just the angle she had noticed they were at yesterday. What else? Presley’s eyes roved the room – ah, the ivy! Yesterday she had noticed it and wondered whose responsibility it was to keep it watered. As no one had – she supposed it might be hers. It was a beautiful display and very real as she could tell from the one or two partially yellowed leaves. Finding a watering can, she pulled a chair over near the window. A shelf over the top held the spreading green vine. But it was high – and she had on high heels. So she had to be careful.

Stretching up, she almost had it. Dang! If she were only a little taller, biting her lip, Presley gave it everything she had – and slipped. “Ratz!” she squealed and tumbled backwards – right into Zane Saucier’s arms.

“Gotcha!” He had walked in and after listening for a few seconds, he had known exactly what she was doing. But instead of scaring her, he had placed himself near in case she fell. Talk about something being in the right place at the right time! Now, he didn’t have to wonder what kind of body Miss Presley had, because he held it to his own – intimately. Not being able to see, he had grasped her wherever he could to ensure she hadn’t slipped to the hard floor. One hand splayed over her lower abdomen, her hips ground back into his groin. The other hand cupped one luscious breast like it was made for it – and perhaps it had been – because Zane had never known anything that had felt so right. She was soft, curvy, rounded in all the right places – Miss Presley Grace Love was the perfect armful. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” Presley managed to whisper. “I’m sorry, I landed on you.”

“I’m not, I’m glad I was here to catch you.” And he wasn’t letting her go very fast. Her breathing was fast and shallow. Zane did move his hands to slightly less conspicuous spots; he had no intention of embarrassing her. But he did enjoy the feel of her in his arms. “You shouldn’t have climbed up there like that, it’s dangerous. We have people to water the plants with long wands and proper tools.”

“Sorry,” she managed to apologize. “I thought I was helping.”

“It’s okay, no harm done. I’m just glad I walked in at just the right moment.” He had to smile; she just made him happy. And he needed that. The last twenty-four hours had been full of nothing but worry. First the brucellosis scare had thrown him for a loop and then had come the run-in with the cougar. Rex was going to be okay, but the vet had insisted on keeping him for a day for stitches and antibiotics, and then he would probably need some recuperation time. There had been no life-threatening injuries, but the lab had come away with some deep scratches and a few bite marks. So for the first time in a long time, Zane was having to get around on his own with one of the despicable canes that Margaret had hated so.

“Me, too,” she conceded. Letting out a deep breath, it occurred to her that she hadn’t moved. She was still lounging in his arms like she was at home, there. Good grief! What he must be thinking! “Sorry,” she managed to begin pulling her body away from his. It was hard. She felt entirely too comfortable there. “I need to move.”

“Quit apologizing. Holding you wasn’t a hardship.”

Presley blushed. Zane couldn’t see, thank goodness.

Stepping back, she noticed Zane’s tie was crooked. “May I?” she touched his chest. “Your tie needs straightening.”

“Okay,” he readily agreed. “I thought I was all spiffed up.”

He held up his head and stood still while she rearranged and tightened it a bit. Being this close to him made her quiver. There was no doubt in her mind that her head would rest naturally against his chest. At this angle, Presley could gaze at his face – the strong jaw, the kissable cleft in his chin. “Smile for me,” she requested before thinking.

“Why?” he asked but he smiled and she had to laugh a bit.

“I knew it. You have dimples,” and she touched the one on the right side with her index finger.

“Turn-about is fair play; let me touch your face so I can ‘see’ you.”

He lifted his hands and Presley panicked. “No!” she almost shouted and backed up, catching her heel on the leg of a chair and sitting down hard.

“Presley!” Zane bent over and held out his hand, feeling for her. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” she said with a resigned embarrassed tone. “I just landed hard on my bottom. I’m fine.”

“I didn’t mean to frighten you; I wouldn’t hurt you for the world.”

He sounded so contrite that Presley felt ashamed. “It wasn’t you, I’m . . .” The phone rang and she breathed a sigh of relief – saved by the bell. “Let me get that, excuse me.” She jumped up and went for the phone.

“Hello?” she asked breathlessly.

Zane was a bit confused. Her reaction to his request to touch her had been so unexpected.



Thanks.

I have tagged

Kameron Brook  - -

http://www.dirkandkam.com/

Randi Alexander - -

http://randialexander.com/category/blog/