Month: May 2020

My guest today is author Pamela Gibson who writes a variety of nonfiction and fiction. But let’s hear more from Pamela, after a quick peek at her bio.

Author of eight books on California history and fourteen romance novels, Pamela Gibson is a former City Manager who lives in the Nevada desert. Having spent the last three years messing about in boats, a hobby that included a five-thousand-mile trip in a 32-foot Nordic Tug, she now spends most of her time indoors happily reading, writing, cooking and keeping up with the antics of Ralph, the Rescue Cat.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Betty: When did you become a writer?

Pamela: I think I was in the fourth grade when I started writing poetry. Of course it had to rhyme. In junior high I sold an advertising slogan to a children’s shop. My mother was a good customer and I feel sure that had something to do with it. But by the time I got to high school I fancied myself a writer, became a columnist for the local newspaper, and tried my hand at short stories. After a gazillion rejections, I decided it would be best if I went to college. When I graduated, I became a newspaper reporter. Fiction came two careers later.

Betty: How long did you work on your writing skills before you became published?

Pamela: During my second career, as an appointed city official, I joined Romance Writers of America to learn to write fiction. My years in journalism and my years writing reports for elected officials, taught me a lot, but it’s a different kind of writing. It’s “telling,” not “showing.” When I retired, I began writing my first romance novel. Then I wrote a second one. I sold the second one about ten years after I joined RWA and began to “get serious” about learning to write fiction. The publisher who bought the book, also bought the first one. That happened about seven years ago.  I also took a lot of online and university extension courses along the way.

Betty: What authors or stories do you feel influenced your writing style?

Pamela: That’s a hard one. I read all genres and write in at least three subgenres. Instead of an author, I think my biggest influence was a writing teacher at the University of California Irvine campus where I took an extension course. His name was Arnold Hano and he is known for a book called “The Catch.” He believed in me and made me believe in myself. Confidence is so important. Thirty years later I attended a lecture he gave at a bookstore near my town and introduced myself as a published author. It was a good moment for both of us.

Betty: What do you most enjoy writing? Why?

Pamela: I love writing historicals. I’ve done my fair share of contemporaries and I even wrote a romantic suspense, but history is my forte. I love the Regency period of English history and the pre-gold rush era of western history in California (think Zorro). I majored in history in college and wrote local histories for several publishers before I even considered fiction. Some are still in print.

Betty: What do you wish you knew before you started writing/publishing?

Pamela: I wish I knew about marketing, had better computer skills, and was not a technophobe. Training in these areas should be compulsory for any student in a creative writing program. Maybe today it is. When I started writing, we didn’t have indies and we didn’t have the internet. Boy do I feel old saying that.

Betty: What inspired you to write the book you’re sharing with us today?

Pamela: Return of the Fox takes place in pre-gold rush California.  It was a fascinating time full of change and contradictions, a time that can be compared to feudalism in Europe where hundreds of retainers worked for the liege and all of those things necessary for living were made or grown right on the property. My first book, Shadow of the Fox, is set mostly in what today is Orange County, California, and Return of the Fox came out May 27 and is set mainly in Los Angeles. Both are steamy historical romances, but there’s a lot of history in the background.

Why do I write in this place and time when few others do? Maybe it’s because I majored in history and I love genealogy. These are my people. I’m giving validation to my ancestors, to my great-great-grandmother born in 1845 in Los Angeles and to another branch of the family whose progenitor walked to California with wife and baby in the 1860s from the interior of Mexico.

It’s also a part of history in which I have some expertise, and that helps a lot when doing research.

The year is 1847…

Gabriel de la Vega, disgraced son of a Mexican ranchero, returns to his Alta California home when Americans take power to help his countrymen with the bewildering transition and make amends to the woman he once wronged.

Fiercely independent, Isabella Fuentes swore she’d never forgive Gabriel for abandoning her on the night they were to elope. Now he’s back, playing a dangerous game, pretending to be meek and repentant when she knows the handsome, former outlaw is anything but contrite.

When a series of accidents threaten Isabella’s safety, Gabriel offers an outrageous solution: the protection of a brief civil marriage.  Isabella is tempted. But can she rely on a man who once betrayed her and can she trust her foolish heart to let him go when the danger has passed?

Excerpt:

Screams filled the air as the bull lunged at the fence, loosening the boards that crashed to the ground with the animal’s weight. Isabella couldn’t move. Blood gushed from the bull’s nose, and he kept moving toward her. Too late she realized the long scarf she wore around her neck fluttered like a flag in the wind, attracting the bull’s attention as surely as a matador’s cape.

Fear gripped her body and froze her legs as the animal ran toward her.

Just as the charging bull reached her, a strong arm scooped her up and carried her out of the animal’s line of sight. She landed on the ground, a heavy weight on top of her. Afraid to open her eyes, she lay still.

She couldn’t breathe.

But she was alive.

A low voice murmured in her ear. “You need a keeper, querida. What were you doing so close to the ring? I thought I saw you safely seated on the hill with the others.”

She opened her eyes and stared up into Gabriel’s face. Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes, trickling back into her ears. “The bull,” she whispered. “Where is it?”

“It’s being chased by our host’s competent vaqueros and will be lassoed and safely confined.”

She took in a deep breath and started to shake. “I am making a spectacle of myself, aren’t I?”

“Indeed you are.” His smile was gentle and comforting.

How did I let this man get away?

Buy link: Amazon

What a great excerpt to share with us, Pamela! Sounds like a wonderful story. I’m glad you had that special moment with your mentor, too. Thanks for stopping in!

Happy reading!

Betty

P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!

Visit http://www.bettybolte.com for more on my books and upcoming events.

My guest today has a very similar background to my own. Please help me welcome romance author Kris Jayne! Let’s take a glimpse at her bio and meet her pups, and then we’ll hop into the interview.

Kris Jayne is a devoted writer, reader, and traveler. She spends her days blissfully sweating out the writing process in the Dallas area with her dogs, Otis the Shih Tzu, Rocco the Terrier, and Red the Foxy Mutt.

Her passion for writing is matched only by her passion for the adventures of travel. In 2008, she let a friend talk her into sleeping outside for the first time in her life when she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

P.S. If you’re buying her a gift, she has a penchant for single-malt Scotch and scarves.

Website * Facebook * Instagram * BookBub

Betty: When did you become a writer?

Kris: I didn’t publish my first book until 2016, but I’ve been a writer my entire life. I wrote my first complete story in the fifth grade about how the old Chicago Bear Refrigerator Perry got so fat. That was circa 1985.

Betty: How long did you work on your writing skills before you became published?

Kris: Since I’ve written since I was a child, I’ve been working on my writing just as long. I took creative writing classes in elementary school and high school. I majored in journalism and English in college and then earned a Master’s degree in American literature. I’ve always studied reading and writing as a discipline.

In 2014, I decided to get serious about fiction writing and joined some local writing groups. I worked on my first novel for over a year and then took a year off from working a day job to write full time, finishing my first four novels.

Betty: What authors or stories do you feel influenced your writing style?

Kris: That’s a hard question because I read all kinds of stories that aren’t necessarily in my genre, which is steamy, contemporary romance. My favorite contemporary romance authors of all time are people like Jennifer Crusie, Rachel Gibson, and Carly Phillips, but I love historical romance as well and read Elizabeth Hoyt and Courtney Milan. The House of Mirth is my favorite classic.

I would say I love emotional stories with humor and adventure and that I try to infuse a mix of those elements into my stories.

Betty: What prompted you to start writing?

Kris: In 2014, I decided I was done with corporate life and wanted a more flexible, creative existence. At first, I thought I’d write on the side and keep my regular day job, but my regular day job turned into a six-day a week time suck (only because I refused to work seven). I knew I needed to escape that if I were going to have the energy to write, so I quit my job.

I didn’t work on anything but my fiction for a year, and that was incredibly motivating. I now do other freelance writing and editing while working on my fiction.

Betty: What type of writing did you start with?

Kris: My jobs have always involved writing, so I’ve written academic work and published non-fiction books, articles, and blogs on technology and business. As I mentioned, I’ve written fiction since I was a kid, and I started writing romance when I was in high school.

Betty: What do you most enjoy writing? Why?

Kris: I love writing spicy contemporary romance because I enjoy telling stories about modern, independent women who have passionate adventures and creating sexy book boyfriends for readers. Flirty, witty banter is my jam.

Betty: How did you learn to write? A mentor, classes, conferences, craft books, or something else?

Kris: Craft books and workshops are great for getting tips and new ideas, but I learn best by practicing and getting feedback from critique partners and my editor. I also think a good writer has to be a good reader. It’s as a reader where you find out what does and doesn’t work in a story. The more I read, the more objective I can be about my own writing.

Betty: What do you wish you knew before you started writing/publishing?

Kris: Only I can know what the right writing process is for me. I can read a craft book that everyone loves and try to put it into practice, and it may not work for me because my brain works differently. I’ve learned to filter every piece of advice through the lens of my own working and thinking style. That also means that I’m never going to be the writer who puts out twelve books a year. With nothing else to do and no day job, the most I’ve written is four books in a year, and that’s okay. Authors, especially indie authors, face a lot of pressure to publish more books than is humanly possible for most people.

Betty: What other authors inspired you (either directly or through their writing) to try your hand at writing?

Kris: In addition to those I’ve already mentioned, I’d say Edith Wharton, Henry James, Toni Morrison, and Beverly Jenkins.

Betty: What inspired you to write the book you’re sharing with us today?

Kris: Two to Tangle started as a Christmas story. I wrote a novella called Christmas for Two for an anthology. I wanted to write about a 40-plus-year-old woman who has left her job and is starting over. Her old boss calls her, and she gets drawn back to working with him on a new project—only this time there’s an attraction between them. She invites him over for Christmas because he’s alone and sexual hijinks (my favorite kind) ensue.

It was going to be a simple, sexy holiday story, but I realized I wasn’t done with the characters. I liked their chemistry together and the dynamics of my heroine, Delilah, dating a guy who is ten years younger but who used to be her boss. I’d also given the hero, Griffin, way too much back story that needed to play out. I won’t give all the details, but Griffin’s college sweetheart ended up marrying his father. Once I’d written that detail, I knew there was more drama to mine, so I started plotting the new book.

Family betrayal haunts new love…

Delilah Johnston and Griffin Kelso ring in the New Year with revels and romance. But once the champagne runs dry, the differences between them crash the party.

With a divorce, raising her daughter, and a corporate job in the rearview mirror, forty-something Delilah is ready to indulge herself with passion and a new life. Yes, she agreed to help her ex-boss Griffin launch his new business, but that’s temporary. The tantalizing heat between them, however, isn’t—or so she hopes.

Nearly ten years her junior, Griffin jettisons his playboy ways and sets his sights on Delilah. He aims to build a personal legacy with her by his side. But when his father’s health problems—and the older man’s scheming wife—call him home, he can no longer ignore the betrayal and pain of the past.

He finds refuge in the always willing and wise Delilah. But the more he leans on her, the more she wonders: when is it her turn?

Family drama knocks the couple off course into a tangle of secrets. Can Delilah and Griffin find a path forward together? Or will a disconcerting revelation divide them forever?

Two to Tangle is a sexy, seasoned BWWM romance with family drama and a May-December surprise. It continues the love story of Delilah and Griffin that began in the holiday novella, Christmas for Two, but can be read as a stand-alone.

Excerpt:

“I like talking dirty,” Griffin growled. “Especially since I won’t see you for a few more days, and I miss you. But if you don’t, that’s okay, too. It’s too soon, maybe. We’re just changing our relationship.”

He missed me. My skin felt warm from head to toe. Reconnecting with him even over the phone titillated, but I didn’t want him to think… My mind blanked. What was it he’d think? That I was a tramp? There’s nothing I could say that would be any trampier than what I’d done with him on Christmas night.

On Jesus’ birthday! I snickered to myself.

I was already a tramp, and he didn’t care. I should let myself have fun.

“Okay,” I said. “I’m not reading my novel to you, but I’ll tell you what happens.”

“I don’t want you to do something you don’t want to. We can talk about anything you want. We can compare Texas and Carolina barbecue. I called because I wanted to hear your voice.”

“No. I want to.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I miss you too.”

I swallowed and took a deep breath, ready to lean in and let go.

Buy links: Books2Read

Can you see the similarities between our education and experience? Kris and I both started writing as children, worked in fields/jobs focused on language and writing, and now write fiction full time while doing some editing on the side. I think it would be fun to sit down with her over a glass of wine and compare notes! Thanks, Kris, for stopping in today!

Happy reading!

Betty

P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!

Visit http://www.bettybolte.com for more on my books and upcoming events.

Getting to know Molly Neely #author #paranormal #fantasy #inspirational #historical

While not every author began writing as a child, I’m finding more and more in my weekly interviews did in fact begin writing at a very young age. My guest today, Molly Neely, is my newest find, but let’s have her share her background after a quick peek at her credentials.

Molly Neely is the author of the Paranormal novel The Sand Dweller (Black Opal Books) as well as its sequel, The Orcus Child, to be released in 2020. Molly is a contributor to the Fall into Fantasy anthology, 2017 & 2019, (Cloaked Press) and her short story, “An Heirloom Spirit,” is in the collection CEA Greatest Anthology Written, which is a contender for a Guinness Book of World Records title.

Molly’s poetry can be found in anthologies from Z Press, Literary Alchemy, and Animal Heart Press.

Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Betty: When did you become a writer?

Molly: I think I’ve always been a writer. Even as a child I loved to make up stories, play pretend that I was someone else, etc. I first put pen to paper in elementary school, and from that point on I was either buried in writing or buried in reading.

Betty: How long did you work on your writing skills before you became published?

Molly: I took a few online courses before I was comfortable with writing anything serious. After 2ish years of that, I felt like it was time to take a deep breath and jump into the writing community. I queried my first novel for around a year and a half before it was picked up for publication.

Betty: What authors or stories do you feel influenced your writing style?

Molly: I think the online courses had more influence than anything else. I originally wanted to write for children, so my training revolved around telling a lot of story, with few words. When I ultimately chose to write adult novels, that economic writing style carried over. My stories move quickly because of it.

Betty: What prompted you to start writing?

Molly: When you can’t find the story you want to read, it’s time to write one. That definitely was the case with me.

Betty: What type of writing did you start with?

Molly: Y/A which quickly feathered out into several areas.

Betty: What do you most enjoy writing? Why?

Molly: I turn to different things for different needs. If I’m blocked up, I turn to poetry. If I’m feeling salty, I write dark, longer pieces of fiction. If I see or hear a funny story, I try to incorporate it into a younger piece.

Betty: How did you learn to write? A mentor, classes, conferences, craft books, or something else?

Molly: I took online classes, but I also plunged into conferences and workshops. There’s a ton of learning opportunity in them.

Betty: What do you wish you knew before you started writing/publishing?

Molly: That I was going to need a lot of patience and that not everyone thinks what you’ve written is gold. You have to be willing to make changes to what you’ve written and you have to be willing to face constructive criticism.

Betty: What other authors inspired you (either directly or through their writing) to try your hand at writing?

Molly: I love James Owens. His Dragons series has been a huge inspiration for me.

Betty: What inspired you to write the book you’re sharing with us today?

Molly: The Sand Dweller is close to my heart for many reasons. It was an opportunity to share my faith, as well as a way to express my lifelong love affair with ancient folklore. The book gave me a platform to showcase both in the same space.

In the ancient mountains of the Sinai desert, a child is born. The half-demon son of the devil’s greatest general, Malachi grows up with one foot in the human world and one in the darkest pits of Hell itself. Soon, a power struggle will force him to choose. Will he claim the dark heritage promised to him by Lucifer? Or will he learn firsthand just how far evil will go to destroy mankind?

Buy links: Amazon

I love the combination of genres in your stories, Molly. Thanks for stopping in for a chat about your inspiration and experience!

Happy reading!

Betty

P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!

My guest today has many skills in writing great stories. Please help me welcome author Leslie Hachtel! Let’s take a glance at her bio and then find out more about her.

Leslie Hachtel was born in Ohio, raised in New York and has lived all over the country. Her various jobs, including licensed veterinary technician, caterer, horseback riding instructor for the disabled and advertising media buyer have given her a wealth of experiences.

However, it has been writing that has consistently been her passion. She sold an episode of a TV show, had a screenplay optioned and has so far produced fourteen novels, including ten historicals and four romantic suspense.  Leslie lives in Florida with a fabulously supportive (retired) husband and her new writing buddy, Annie, a terrier.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Blog

Betty: When did you become a writer?

Leslie: Years ago, I was cleaning my house and thought ‘I can either change the sheets and finish dusting or I can write a book’. I have no idea where the idea came from. But, I wrote a book. It was not a good book, but it sparked the passion.

Betty: How long did you work on your writing skills before you became published?

Leslie: I’ve always been a voracious reader and my degree is in English literature. Reading good books is an education in itself. And then I got a good editor who taught me so much.

Betty: What authors or stories do you feel influenced your writing style?

Leslie: The first romance I ever read was by Kathleen Woodiwiss and I was hooked. But, I knew I couldn’t write the same way she did, so I learned to listen to my own voice as I told my stories.

Betty: What prompted you to start writing?

Leslie: Writing is so much a part of who I am and I now realize I was writing short stories as far back as first grade.

Betty: What type of writing did you start with?

Leslie: I actually started with scripts for television and moved on to movie scripts. I sold a TV script and had one of my movie scripts optioned, but novels were more appealing.

Betty: What do you most enjoy writing? Why?

Leslie: Everything! I love the research, the total immersion into the characters and settings, creating stories. Every part of writing is gratifying to me.

Betty: How did you learn to write? A mentor, classes, conferences, craft books, or something else?

Leslie: I took classes and had mentors, but there is no substitute for a great editor.

Betty: What do you wish you knew before you started writing/publishing?

Leslie: How hard it was going to be to get that first break.

Betty: What other authors inspired you (either directly or through their writing) to try your hand at writing?

Leslie: Every book I read inspires me in one way or another. But the first book I read that made me want to write, oddly enough, was ‘Salem’s Lot” by Stephen King. Such great characters, and such great insight as well as wonderful writing.

Betty: What inspired you to write the book you’re sharing with us today?

Leslie: Like so many others, I am fascinated with serial killers. This was originally inspired by an episode of “Criminal Minds” but the plot ended up going in a different direction.

A serial killer in her small town in Florida has Detective Liza Boone challenged. Luckily, FBI agent Nash Corelli is on medical leave and living across the street. Together they must find the killer. But, he cannot help her with the nightmares about her sister’s assault.  When Liza is terrorized, can Nash stop the threat? Can he protect the woman he has come to love?

Excerpt:

A drop of sweat slid between Liza Boone’s breasts. Blood pounded through her veins and her temples throbbed. The taste of death lingered on her tongue, so she swallowed what felt like razorblades, blinked, and forced herself to concentrate. Had it only been a few hours ago she was sitting on her dock, sipping coffee and looking forward to another quiet day?

The victim lay sprawled, a disjointed set of limbs spread out on the concrete in the deserted alley like a broken doll. His mouth was open and an even set of white teeth gleamed in the morning shards of light that peeked out through the threatening clouds. His clear blue eyes were wide and seemed to beg for mercy. Or since it was a little late for that, justice. His fly was down and the zipper split apart to reveal the hard to fathom. His private parts had been savagely hacked away. Brown smears of dried blood that had soaked through his pants told her all she needed to know about pre-mortem agony. Liza’s body shuddered and her fists clenched in an effort to remain unmoved. Why did she have to be so damn emotional?

Her partner, Grey Winston, had just knelt down next to the body to get a closer look and then quickly stood, shaking his head. This was a small town in central Florida and this kind of violence just didn’t happen. She had no doubt he, too, was appalled or even shocked. Men were very sensitive about their genitals. Then again, maybe he’d seen worse, though that would be hard to imagine. Of course, he’d never betray his own reactions.

For Liza, it was that moment of conscious disconnect, between the feeling and the working. It never got easier when what had just recently been a living human being was spread lifelessly at her feet. Liza focused to shift her brain into clinical mode. After all, this was not her first corpse and it wouldn’t be her last. She had to woman up. Luckily, the time it took to shift was less and less, even if the initial response was always the same.

I love my job. I love my job. She did love her job. She just wished she could be less reactive when it came to the staring corpses. No matter that she had been on the streets for going on four years until this recent promotion to detective. She never got okay with the vicious, violent, premature end to a person’s life. Which was why she chose this field. She wanted to solve these crimes and get the perps put away before they could cause more damage.

Buy links: Amazon * KOBO * Nook * Apple

Thanks for the inspiration and the peek at your story, Leslie!

Happy reading!

Betty

P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!

Visit http://www.bettybolte.com for more on my books and upcoming events.

I have another creative romance author to introduce you all to today! Please help me welcome Marie Dry to the guest chair. First a peek at her bio and then we’ll get right into the questions.

Ever since she can remember Marie Dry wanted to travel. She lived in Zambia, Morocco, and Spain and did short stints in Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Rome, Brazil, Portugal, Botswana, and Mozambique. Through all the travelling reading romance has been a constant.

She read romances since she was nine and was fairly young when she decided she would write a story that had all the elements she looked for in a romance.

There are several wonderful moments in her life that she would never trade for anything. One of them is meeting President Nelson Mandela and the second being published.

 Website * Amazon * Facebook

Betty: When did you become a writer?

Marie: I’ve written stories since I was seven, but I was published first in 2014

Betty: How long did you work on your writing skills before you became published?

Marie: At least seven years of taking courses and trying to apply what I’ve learned to my manuscripts. I am still working on my craft.

Betty: What authors or stories do you feel influenced your writing style?

Marie: Jayne Ann Krentz, Georgette Heyer, Linda Howard, the romances of Iris Johansen and so many more.

Betty: What prompted you to start writing?

Marie: I’ve always had stories in my head and I’ve always scribbled them down.

Betty: What type of writing did you start with?

Marie: Romance. I knew it was the genre for me by age ten when I read my first romance.

Betty: What do you most enjoy writing? Why?

Marie: Seeing the characters in my head coming alive on the page. It takes a lot of frustration and working and reworking a manuscript, but that moment when it comes alive and the story in your head is finally on the page is like magic.

Betty: How did you learn to write? A mentor, classes, conferences, craft books, or something else?

Marie: All of the above plus writing and struggling with my stories.

Betty: What do you wish you knew before you started writing/publishing?

Marie: How important it is to write and finish book after book. Even if they are never published. Writing is the best way to learn your craft.

Betty: What other authors inspired you (either directly or through their writing) to try your hand at writing?

Marie: Mary Buckham, Kate Walker, Lori Wilde to name a few.

Betty: What inspired you to write the book you’re sharing with us today?

Marie: My sister gave me an article about a couple whose paternity test came back negative. They were one hundred percent sure of who the father was and they started digging. That had me wondering. What if a couple had a test done and it came back the man was not the father? What if he believed the science and not her? The four-year-old twins in the story have been in my head for years now. The moment my sister gave me this article I knew this was their story as much as their mother’s and Rafe’s.

About Love Me, Trust Me

Five years ago, when Rafe demanded a paternity test, Lindi was devastated. When the test came back negative and Rafe believed science over her word, Lindi realized the man she’d loved with all of her heart had never loved her. Now Rafe is back in her life, he claimed he still wanted her, but he still refused to admit her twin boys were his.

Excerpt:

“We learned lawyers,” the one on the left said at last. In a tone he probably thought was threatening. Well, actually it was, even coming from such a small person. Those identical blue gazes had The Shining going on big time.

“That’s interesting.” He didn’t know much about kids, but weren’t they supposed to ask you for candy or cry for their parents? These two looked like they could kill him and ensure that no one ever found the body. Again, he marveled at the intelligence that shone in those eyes. He shrugged off that foolish thought. They were only kids, almost babies. “Are your parents working in this building?” He’d never had any occasion to interact with his employees’ children. He owned the building, but four of the twelve floors were hired by lawyers, accountants, and other businesses.

“We learnt sewing,” the talkative twin on the left continued, ignoring the reference to their parents.

“Sewing?” Rafe leaned back in his black leather chair and folded his arms across his chest, suppressing his amusement. He’d send his PA, Abbey, to look for their parents in a moment, when this conversation wasn’t strangely amusing anymore.

The silent one bumped the talkative one and mumbled something.

“S-u-i-n-g,” the child spelled out as if he spoke to a moron. Rafe had to grind his teeth together not to laugh. “We are sewing you and you will pay us.”

Hugely entertained, he relaxed back in his leather chair.

Buy link: Amazon

You made some good points about how long it can take to really hone your writing skills, Marie. Thanks for stopping in and sharing your inspiration and writing process with us!

Happy reading!

Betty

P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!

Visit http://www.bettybolte.com for more on my books and upcoming events.