Tell us about yourself:
Well, I just turned 40 in February. I am married and have three kids. A daughter who is 16 and two sons who are 15 and 12. 
I have a Pomeranian dog named Maddie and a Calico cat named Cocoa. I love chocolate, the smell of fresh cut grass, and Christmas. I hate sea food, cherry flavored drinks, and spiders. 
 
What was your first book? 
DREAMS OF THE HIGHLANDER is the first book I ever wrote but not the first to be published. 

 Describe your first break.
I sent my novella, HEAVEN SENT, to The Wild Rose Press and was introduced to Francis Sevilla. She helped me learn the tricks to writing a novella because it isn’t the same as writing a novel. When it was perfected, they accepted it. 
 
What is your favorite genre?
Romance and if you want me to go deeper than that then I would say historical. 
 
  As a popular full time writer, what is the best thing about being a writer?
I love this sentence and I hope I am a popular writer. I’m working on it
anyways. The best thing about being a writer is being able to get our stories out there so that others can read them. To hear how others loved your work feels great. 
 
What is the worst thing?  
Whensomeone doesn’t leave a good review. I haven’t received one yet and I know that they tell you to have thick skin and that you can’t please everyone, but still,it has to hurt. 


With the advent of digital publishing, everyone seems to be publishing his or her own eBook, often without an editor. What impact does this have on the publishing world? The reading public? 
Hmm….Good question. There are people out there available for a fee who will edit your books. Critique partners are good editors and if you are a member of a writing group, you can get help there also so there shouldn’t be any reason to not get edited. Having said that, there is a very popular book out and is rumored to have not been edited. I have heard from two people who are writers say they won’t read it because they can’t be a reader and enjoy it because they can’t get past the writer in them and catch all the mistakes. 
 
 
How important is POV in your stories?  
POV is very important. We, as readers, want to know how people react to situations. We want to know what they are thinking. Deep POV is even better. It’s the difference between me telling you what’s going on and me showing you what’s going on. 

Pantser or plotter? 
Total punster!

What do you see the direction of your future writing taking? What can we expect next?
Give us a little taste. 
I hope to be doing this for a while, God willing. I will always write in the
historical genre but will probably write a few more in the contemporary genre too. (Heaven Sent is contemporary.)

 Dreams of the Highlander is about Alexander Macpherson and he
has two brothers. Each brother gets their own story and I am working on them right now. 


  EXCERPT

Chapter 1
“Love looks with the mind, not with the eyes.” 
William Shakespeare

Newtonmore Scotland, 1701 

  “Mairi,” he whispered.
  “I love ye with all of my heart.” The evidence of that love clung to her soft voice.
   Alexander swallowed the lump of fear that rose in his throat. “I love ye too.” He lowered his gaze to their beautiful son nestled in his arms. Brown hair dusted the little head and he gently ran his hands over the silky forehead as he fought back tears. 
  “I want ye to be happy, Alexander.” A blanket of confusion covered him as she turned away in sadness to stare out the window. 
  “What are ye saying, Mairi? Ye’re going to be fine.”He said it with as much conviction as he could muster. His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb slowly brushing strokes back and forth. 
   Alexander readjusted himself on the bed. She turned then, to stare back into his eyes, her hand grasping his. The sadness had left and in its place, determination settled in.
   “No, I won’t and we both know it.” She swallowed with difficulty. “Promise me, Alexander. Promise me ye willna grieve for me forever.” He watched, stunned, as her hand dropped from his. 
   Alexander heard his mother sobbing in the background as he sat there with his stillborn son held tightly in his arms and watched his wife slip peacefully from this world. 
 

 

AUTHOR BIO:
Sarah Hoss grew up believing she could try anything and if she set her mind to it, she would succeed. Sixteen years of dance lessons, Cheerleading, and school plays proved to her that her parent’s words rang true. Writing was no exception. Reading the Outlander series made her fall in love with time travels and the historical places books could take her. Always a child with a vivid imagination, she realized as an adult, she could put her imagination to good use and beganwriting. Marrying her very own hero, they live in Indiana in the town where she grew up. They have three beautiful children and one hyper dog. When Sarah isn’t writing, she enjoys gardening, camping, and watching her kids play sports.

 
Where to find Sarah-
Website- www.sarahhoss.com 
 
Blog- www.heart-of-romance.blogspot.com 
 
Twitter- @SarahHoss1

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/SarahHoss/237219983049037


 

 

Blurb: What a Texas Girl Needs
VanessaWitte is ready to finally claim her life. The middle of three daughters born into the Witte family - a powerful Texas name - she’s been content to float through life. Being dumped by her shady ex? A blessing in disguise. Having a one-night-stand with Matias Barnes? Not one of her more stellar moments. But she’s back in Lockhardt with a secret and a reason to start fresh: A baby.

Matias Barnes knows all about society women - it’s part of the reason he left his wealthy family behind and took a job on a ranch. He doesn’t like the endless string of parties, the inane conversation, or the gold-digging tricks those women have perfected. But that doesn’t stop him from wanting Vanessa Witte. Mat knows she’s so not right for him, but with her back in Lockhardt, can he resist her charms long enough to really let her
go?

One of the most-asked questions I – or any published author – gets is some version of 'how do you find the time to write'?
 
The best advice I've ever gotten as a writer actually came from one of my English professors when I was still in college. She said treat writing like a job from this point on and you'll never have deadline issues in the future.

 I'd taken an advanced creative writing elective my Senior Year, every other student in the class was an English major with plans to go into some area of publishing. I think they all had the Great American Novel idea; I was the lone journalism major. 

Just after the mid-term, our professor took an entire week to talk about creating a writing schedule before it was needed. When you're young/still in school, you look at life as always having 'time'. Heck, I've been out of school for a few years now and I still think that way. But in the real world there are obligations on your time – there is a 9-5 job for most of us, there are friends who want to go out, family who need attention, a spouse who shouldn't be neglected. During that week she must have implored us ten times to find a way to make writing part of our lives every. Single. Day. Because one day of skipped writing can lead to two and that can lead to a week or a month and then…your editor is very not happy with you. 

Before my publisher bought my first book, I had all the time in the world. The only deadlines I had were self-imposed (I still met them, I'm competitive that way.Even with myself). No one cared if I wrote 500 words or 5,000 on a given day.Now that I've sold five books, there are even more demands on my time: 
I'm a freelance writer for a business publication
I have a busy 4-year-old and husband
I have a radio show
I have extended family and friends who want a little bit of my time
I have two new series that I'm plotting/drafting
I have edits for the completed books
I have interviews that need to be completed and blogging and social media to be tended to

 The list goes on, and I'm not complaining. But because of my early influences, I'm more prepared than I would have been had I not taken that class in that year and heard that week-long lecture series. I made time for my writing when I had a 9-5 job, now my writing is my 9-5 job but it isn't just writing the books –it's the marketing of books and the writing of new books.

 Except some of the big authors like Stephen King and Nora Roberts, I think all authors now have to do more than write the books. The writing should be a priority, but the day-to-day 'extra' can seem a little more important. There are days when I look at my word count and then compare that with the other constraints on my time and I want to focus on those other things – because I could clear 5-6 To Dos in the time it would take to write my 5,000 words (or whatever the goal is). It can be exciting to look at it that way. The downfall is when you realize skipping those 5,000 words can put your deadline in jeopardy. 
  
I took that advice to heart, although there were times my daily writing is more of a journaling/free write than work on actual fiction. Making writing part of myeveryday life, though, prepared me for publishing in a way that I'm thankful for now – years after that lecture series. There are still days when I'd rather take a swim in the pool than write my words, there are days when I have a number of blog posts to write or when I'm trying to work up a new marketing plan for my books and those tasks seem much more pressing than writing toward a deadline that is weeks away. But I still make my word count the priority–because those publisher deadlines just don't
move.

Excerpt:
  "I'll take the bill, Vern," she said,
holding out her hand. It was about time she started paying her own way. One tank of gas wouldn't exactly repay the family, but it was a start. Added bonus, paying her own bills might help overhaul the character she'd found so seriously lacking in the last few months.

   "It's easier for ol' Mitch to keep his records if I just add it to the
ranch total."
         
   "I'm not a ranch employee. This isn't a ranch vehicle. I'll take the
bill." Vanessa couldn't remember ever paying for a tank of gas here. Come to think of it, unless she was trying to impress someone, she had rarely paid for anything to this point in her life. 

   Vern handed her the receipt. Fifty bucks? Holy crap, how much did gas
cost? Stupid question, Van, obviously it costs fifty dollars. She reached into her bag for her credit card and then remembered that was part and parcel of the Witte upbringing. Paying with Grandfather's credit card? Not character building. She pawed through the baby blue Coach bag but only came up with two twenties and some loose change. 
 
  Damn.

 "Just charge it to the ranch, Vern." Mat Barnes's voice echoed under the station's overhang, chilling Vanessa. "The Double Diamond will cover it." We always cover her bills,his tone implied.
         
  Vanessa squeezed her eyes closed and swallowed. Her fingers closed over another bill. Please let it be a twenty. Or a ten. She opened her eyes.

  Three twenties. Triumph!
             
  "I've got it Mr. Barnes, thank you," she said, chilling her voice as she
handed the cash to Vern. He looked from Mat to Vanessa, obviously confused over what was going on between them. Vanessa held his gaze for a moment. Vern took the cash and hurried inside.
             
  "I think we're past the 'Mr. Barnes' stage, don't you?" Mat watched her
from beneath the tipped-low brim on his cowboy hat, his coal-black eyes boring straight to her soul. Yes, they were past the Mr. or Miss stage, technically,but not calling him Mat helped her keep her distance.
             
  The way her heart raced at the mere sight of him she desperately needed
that space.
            
  She looked away, crossing her arms over her chest. Her gaze caught on the frayed edge of his jeans—which were worn in all the right places, she noted—and today's tee, tight across his shoulders, read, 'Chicks Dig Scars' over his well-muscled chest.
             
  Who was she kidding? Calling him Mr. Barnes didn't keep her from noticing just how delectable Mat was. Nothing could do that. Not in broad daylight. Certainly not the twinkling fairy lights during Kathleen's wedding reception. 
             
   "I don't think a night spent in my grandfather's hayloft makes us best
  buddies," she said, hoping against hope he would just leave her alone.

   "Ahh, but what we did in that hayloft is another matter." He lounged
against the side of her Porsche as if he might stay there forever. 
 

Buy Links:
 Amazon:
  http://www.amazon.com/What-Texas-Girl-Needs-ebook/dp/B00AB3TF8Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355097492&sr=8-1&keywords=what+a+texas+girl+needs

iTunes:
  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/what-a-texas-girl-needs/id580981410?mt=11

 B&N:
  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-a-texas-girl-needs-kristina-knight/1114001402?ean=9781440555718

 Author Bio:
 Once upon a time, Kristina Knight spent her days running from car crash to fire to meetings with local police--no, she wasn't a troublemaker, she was a journalist. When the opportunity to focus a bit of energy on the stories in her head, she jumped at it. And she's never looked
back. Now she writes magazine articles by day and romance novels with spice by night. She lives on Lake Erie with her husband and three-year-old daughter. Happily ever after.


Find Kristina online:

 Website:
  http://www.kristinaknightauthor.com

 Facebook:
  http://www.facebook.com/kristinaknightromanceauthor

 Twitter:
  http://www.twitter.com/authorkristina

Angel’s Assassin by Laurel O’Donnell is suspenseful historic
romance. Lady Aurora lives in the time of romantic castles, ambitious missions and far-reaching cruelty. Her task is to undo the evil her mother has spread throughout the land under her rule, but Aurora is up to the task. A stranger enters the picture winning her trust, while keeping his true purpose behind his visit secret.

 Damien is a slave and a trained assassin. He is good at what he does, so
good, in fact, that his master agrees to release him if he kills one last person. As a cold, calculating killer Damien never asks why a person must die, he just carries out his duty that is until he meets Aurora. The woman shines like a light into his dark life, illuminating corners he’d forgotten, making him yearn for both home and love. The only problem is to gain his freedom he must kill the only woman who ever truly cared about him.

Lady Aurora is aware her mother’s evil continues to reap consequences no
matter how hard Aurora works to correct the wrong done. Her mother’s killer might possibly come back for her. Dark brooding Damien enters her world upsetting her already tenuous balance by creating forbidden desires for someone not of her station. She finds herself drawn to the unsuitable man. He is a stranger who keeps so much from her. Even though she knows all the reasons to stay away from Damien, she fails to heed them.

 Angel’s Assassin moves at a nice pace with excellent descriptions and supporting characters. There is a period flavor with no textbook-feel history lessons.  Damien and Aurora’s romance progresses in stages as most romances realistically do. Usually finding out your lover is also your
assassin is a bit off putting. As a reader, I wanted the two to work out their
differences with no bloodshed. 

  Angel’s Assassin is a wonderful page-turner romance. Make
sure you have enough time to finish it because you will not be putting it down.  Two thumbs up for Ms. O’Donnell and Angel’s Assassin.

Welcome to the Next Big Thing with JJ Devine
My writer friend, Morgan K Wyatt recently tagged me for a chain blog called “The Next Big Thing.” It is a bit like a chain letter with the exception that no bad things are predicted to happen to you if you don’t pass it on. No great riches or fairies dancing across your screen will happen if you do
pass it on. In truth, you will learn a bit about various authors and their
current WIP. Morgan K Wyatt was previously tagged by Dakota Douglas.

What is the title of your next book? 
 
Into the Darkness

 Where did the idea for the book come from? 

I woke up one July morning with this idea buzzing in my head.  I sat down and began writing and the story just flowed.  I finished it by the end of July not even realizing if I had neglected my family and home.  Thank goodness they are so supportive of my writing ventures. 

What genre does your book fall under? 

Paranormal

 What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in movie rendition?

Kristan Kreuk would make a fantastic Raven in a movie
rendition.  For my dear Dragon, it could only be Ian Somerhalder.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
 
Witches and vampires could only be found in make believe worlds, or so Raven thought before that fateful night when her mortal world came crashing down around her, bringing to her fingertips the fate of two very different worlds, vampires and witches.  


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


Into the Darkness will be coming out soon through Soul Mate
Publishing.

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

25 days

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

I strived to write a unique story intermingling vampires and witches.  Within the pages of Into the Darkness you will not only find vampires of ancient lore, but witches of a pagan twist.


Who or what inspired you to write this book? 

The first time I sat down and read a paranormal by Katherine Smith and found out vampires could also be real people.


What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?

With vampires comes a certain allure all of things that go bump in the night.  Into the Darkness is a spicy read of a woman who spent twenty-five years believing she was mortal, only to find out her whole life two very powerful worlds lay at her fingertips. So you could say it is a coming into oneself story.

Website: http://definingjjdevine.weebly.com

Blog:

http://definingjjdevine.weebly.com/ramblings-of-a-writer.html

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/JJDevineAuthor?fref=ts

Twitter  @JjDevine2010

Find J.J. Devine and all of her titles at Soul Mate Publishing:

The Cheyenne Bride

A Soul Mate for Christmas

And coming soon:

Into the Darkness

 http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/the-cheyenne-bride/

http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/a-soulmate-for-christmas/

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Cheyenne-Bride-ebook/dp/B009OUXZX6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366588539&sr=8-1&keywords=the+cheyenne+bride+j.j.+devine

http://www.amazon.com/A-Soulmate-for-Christmas-ebook/dp/B00AB7XGF8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366588560&sr=8-1&keywords=a+soulmate+for+christmas#_

Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cheyenne-bride-jj-devine/1113334239?ean=2940015582840

  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-soulmate-for-christmas-char-chaffin/1113808813?ean=2940015865172

 
Website:
 http://definingjjdevine.weebly.com


Blog:
 http://definingjjdevine.weebly.com/ramblings-of-a-writer.html


Facebook:
 https://www.facebook.com/#!/JJDevineAuthor?fref=ts


Twitter:
 @JjDevine2010


 Find J.J. Devine and all of her titles at Soul Mate
Publishing:


The Cheyenne Bride

A Soul Mate for Christmas

And coming soon:

Into the Darkness


http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/the-cheyenne-bride/


http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/a-soulmate-for-christmas/


Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Cheyenne-Bride-ebook/dp/B009OUXZX6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366588539&sr=8-1&keywords=the+cheyenne+bride+j.j.+devine


http://www.amazon.com/A-Soulmate-for-Christmas-ebook/dp/B00AB7XGF8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366588560&sr=8-1&keywords=a+soulmate+for+christmas#_


Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cheyenne-bride-jj-devine/1113334239?ean=2940015582840


 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-soulmate-for-christmas-char-chaffin/1113808813?ean=2940015865172

 Magic Moment Blurb:
When the FBI brings Laura Roberts - a quiet, reserved bookkeeper -in for questioning regarding activities at the warehouse where she works, an uneasy Laura resigns her job - only to be attacked by thugs.

Chase Donovan intends to spend a few peaceful days on his boat getting his head together - and finds a
woman being assaulted by two men who say his father told them to do it.

 Chase doesn’t want to believe his father could hurt anyone. Laura doesn’t understand why she’s a target. Can
they learn to work together to discover the truth - before someone dies.

 Magic Moment Excerpt 
Chase and Laura, traveling by his boat, are on the run from the men who kidnapped and tried to kill her.
 
“Hey, my sleepy first mate.” Chase grinned as Laura entered the wheelhouse.  
Dusk skimmed the sky. Having glided Madre into the marina, Chase aimed for an empty spot along the dock.  

“You slept all day. I thought you planned on sleeping all the way to the Chesapeake.”  He focused on maneuvering Madre between two set boats. 
 
“I did get up for a little while. You were asleep in the kitchen, so I went back to bed.”

 “Galley,” he corrected.

 “What galley?” 
 

“On a boat, it’s not a kitchen but a galley,” he replied with an easy smile. “If you’re gonna be a sailor, you have to know these things.”  

“Gotcha.” 
Her lips twitched and she returned his grin.  
 
She looked cozy wearing his sweats. The swelling around her eye area had eased, but the heavy bruises showed more profoundly. 

Physically, Chase had always thought Laura a knockout. She generally wore her blond hair loose and flowing.  Her green eyes kind of gleamed whenever she smiled. Their working environment was casual, yet Laura always wore a dress. Chase never seemed to mind. The woman had one fine set of legs and he had a hellva good time watching those limbs whenever she walked from her desk to the photocopier. They never talked much unless conversation was about the warehouse or the weather. Chase didn’t encourage otherwise. If he did, and decided her personality matched her looks, he might forget his rule about not dating women who worked for his father.   


Author Bio:
Angela Adams writes and reviews contemporary romances. Her work has appeared in Romance at Heart, Oysters and Chocolate, and The Long and Short Reviews. In December 2011, Whimsical Publications published an anthology, Winter Wonders. Ms. Adams’ short story “Burgers and Hot Chocolate,” was among the collection.

Angela is a member of Romance Writers of America and its online chapter, From the Heart Romance Writers.

BUY SITES ( Click to visit sites)