Savvy Saturday: Interview with Meg West

Today on Savvy Saturday we are visiting with Meg West, author of Love on Longboat Key, now available fore purchase on Amazon, Kobo, and at the Champagne Bookstore. Take a peek at her beginning in writing, and what she's doing now. Then enter the Rafflecopter at the bottom to win one of three copies of her fabulous new romance!

When and why did you begin writing?

My writing career began very early. I loved playing with rag dolls and stuffed animals when I was a little girl, and I made up elaborate stories about them in my head. It was only a matter of time before I began writing down The Terrible Tales of Teddy the Teddy Bear and The Story of Katie the Shy Giraffe. As I grew older, I began playing with my sister's cheap imitation Barbie dolls, and suddenly I had a new plot line: here was a girl (the Barbie lookalike) who didn't have a guy (the elusive Ken). So another romance writer was born.

Tell us your latest news?

Although I live on the west coast of Florida--and my projected trilogy, The Keys to His Heart, is set on the barrier islands off Sarasota--I've never visited the Panhandle or Key West. Over the next year I plan to explore more of the Sunshine State and find inspiration for another series. I also plan to return to Las Vegas, where I'd like to set a fun romance centered around a divorce party.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
You're a writer the second you pick up your pen. But you're a Writer with a capital W when your agent calls and tells you the manuscript has sold. So I'm grateful to my agent Barbara Rosenberg and Champagne Books for crowning me a Writer.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I love to write dialogue and I hope that my audience enjoys reading the back-and-forth conversations between my characters as much as I have enjoyed writing them. I also love to write description, especially of weather (and Florida sure has a lot of that).

How did you come up with the title?

I decided to call my first romance novel Love on Longboat Key because my heroine and hero, Julie and Thomas, fall for one another on Longboat when each reluctantly returns there to visit their cantankerous, interfering parents for Christmas. Place is very important in this work, as they have to make a decision whether or not to stay in Florida to pursue their relationship or return to the Northeast during a blizzard.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Love on Longboat Key is about the romance between Julie and Thomas--but it also explores the love that both of them have for their aging parents. I hope that readers will find this a heartwarming holiday story.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I never write scenes in chronological order--so the most challenging part of writing, for me, comes when I need to start putting the scenes together. I enjoy puzzling through how to put all the pieces together.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

For me: finding the time to write it! There's always laundry to be done, or more dishes to be washed. I think most writers need to resign themselves to living in a messy house.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

My interest in writing romance began one snowy afternoon in Connecticut, when I leaned against the metal radiator in my parents' sun parlor and began reading Pride and Prejudice. I'll never forget how I got sucked into the story and didn't move for hours--nor will I forget the creases that the hot radiator made on my back.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Patience and persistence. Patience and persistence. Repeat after me: patience and persistence.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Yes! be patient. And persistent!

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I hope you'll love reading about my characters as much as I loved creating them.

What inspired you to write your first book?

My husband and I visit Sarasota a lot and I have a very soft spot in my heart for many of the places mentioned in Love on Longboat Key--the wide, white sandy beaches, St. Armand's Circle, the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Absolutely. I'm hard at work on Love on Lido Key, which is about a young widow who meets a sweet and handsome Greek guy on the beach. Trouble is: she has to put up with his harem of nosy sisters as well as hide her relationship from her deceased husband's parents. I'm having a blast writing it.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Place is really the sole element in my series that is autobiographical. But my characters are very relatable and I hope all young women will be able to see some version of her true self in my heroines.

About the Author:

Meg West lives on the west coast of Florida with her husband, daughter, and two golden retrievers. She's the author of Love on Longboat Key, the first in a trilogy of romances set on the barrier islands off Sarasota.

Connect with Meg here:
http://www.megwestnovelist.com/
@megwestnovelist
megwestnovelist@gmail.com

Read the interview? Next step is to enter the giveaway! We have three e-copies of Love on Longboat Key to give away, and we want you to have them. Contest ends Friday, August 11th at midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tattle & Wrye column August 2017 edition

From the desk of ~

DONA PENZA TATTLE, ESQ.

AND

ASSOCIATE WRYE BALDERDASH

Greetings!

Tattle fans herself while sitting in front of the computer, posting on Facebook and sipping wine. "The AC is just like my computer."

"How so?"

"When you open windows, it just won't work." That was Tattle's lame hint for Wrye to close the windows and turn on the air conditioner.

"I need cold air," she rationalizes. "I'm getting old... olllldddd,” she wailed. “I’m fragile…” Looks distressed. “I…I could fall and get hurt and not get up!” Tattle turns to Wrye with desperation and a somber expression. "'I never want to exist in a vegetative state, having to rely on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever, ever, ever happens..." Sniff, sniff.... "Just pull the plug."

Wrye nods, gets up, takes the wine bottle away and unplugs the computer. "Happy?"

Before she can complain, Wrye snaps his fingers and the two dash into their monthly Love of Literature Leap: an interview with author Courtney Shepard and a review of SALVAGED by  J. S. Marlo.

INTERVIEW:

The duet appears suddenly and startle Courtney Shepard author of UNBALANCED.

T: Tada! Ooooh, you have cookies. (Helps herself) Yum!

W: Hey, save me some. (Notices Courtney’s stunned expression) Oh, let me introduce ourselves. The cookie muncher is my partner-in-literary sleuthing, Dona Penza Tattle, and I am Wrye Balderdash, extraordinaire! (Offers an elaborate bow)

T and W: We are here to interview you. (Echoes are elaborated)

C: Well, thank you. It’s an honour. I’ve heard such wonderful things about you two. I’m very excited.

T: It is a pleasure to be here, and well, sorry we ate all the cookies. (Blushes) However, now down to the interview! (Tattle and Wrye do a tag-team high five and he takes the first question)

W: Of the four sisters, who would you like to be?  Who are you most like, errr, of course without the powers? Unless, of course, you are hiding something from us… (Wrye wiggles brows)

C: Ha ha. I wish. That’s a great question. Of all the sisters I would probably like to be Avia most. Her poise and control are definitely goal-worthy. But in reality, I think I’m closer to Asha.

T: (Looks serious) Since Asha’s power is fire, is she safe to be around? I mean, one wrong word and she can, well, like, smoke ya.  Or is she pretty even-tempered?

C: Oh no, she’s an active bomb, and she’s ticking. Asha has extraordinary control over her power, but she also has a bad temper and a penchant for violence.  If she gives you a suspicious look, I would run.  

W: What she is trying to say, is what type of personality does Asha have?

C: Asha is a warrior. At her core she is tormented, but she’s seeking redemption and justice. Raised quite differently than her sisters, Asha was trained in combat and fought as a young mercenary. She’s always fighting someone or for some cause. Her latest cause is her sisters and their survival. She will protect them as long as she lives.

T: If Ivy could only keep one of her powers, say healing over calling upon rock and foliage to help her in battle, which would she choose and why? (Does a two-step cause she is so proud of her ingenious question)

C: Great moves. (bows head in respect) As long as her sisters are in danger Ivy would choose the power to heal. Her protective instincts are ruthless, and with her earth fighting power she destroys without regret. But Ivy would choose what they need the most, what only she can do, and that’s healing.

W: Once Avia creates a tornado, can she control its path? (Does a twirling motion with his finger)

C: (laughs) Yes, Avia can control tornadoes.  She uses her finger or just directs it with her mind. But tornadoes are not all she has in her arsenal. Her childhood horse was named Zeus. 

Can you guess what else she can do?

Yes, she can also call and control lightning.

T: Mere can create ice shields and manipulate water, but can she also calm it down? More importantly, can she provide ice for my tea?

W: (Groans) You can ignore the question about tea.

T: No, she can’t. That’s important. While we are reviewing the book, my tea could get warm. Would be nice to just ask Mere to cool it off.

W: Ummm, you know, the characters aren’t real?

T: Are too! Aren’t they Courtney?

C: (smiles) Ha ha. You guys are awesome. Asha and Clay will be disappointed you don’t remember them from your previous interview with them. (chuckles).

And yes, of course Mere would cool your tea. Though she was constantly warned about wasting her power on things like filling bathtubs or chilling tea, Mere doesn’t really listen to warnings. She’d be down to help you in any way you need. She can calm water and stir it up, freeze it or heat it to steam. She can even manipulate and control water in the air or in a person’s body. 

T: Oh… um… I remember! He forgot. It’s a senior thing, y’know. I’m much, much, much younger. (Avoids looking at Wyre in the eye)

W: (Mouths) Younger? (Aloud) All the sisters are awesome! And the book is a blast to read.  Sooo looking forward to your next novel.

T&W: It was a great pleasure interviewing you. We appreciate your time.

C: Thank you so much for the opportunity. I really enjoyed meeting you.

REVIEW:

With another blink the two vanish and appear in J. S. Marlo's novel SALVAGED. 

"Yikes! Yuck! Oh no!" Tattle rushes backwards, falls on her buns and crawls out of Star Fisher's nightmare. "Are you seeing that? Hellacious!"

"It's only a dream, m' squeamish fraidy cat."

"Not afraid, just ummm.... ahhh.... well... she can keep her dreams to herself, thank you very much." 

Tattle brushes herself off as if tossing off the fear. "Yes, yes, I know, she can't help this anymore than she can help the star-shaped scar adorning her cheek. Poor thing thinks it is disfiguring, but to Captain hunka hunka burnin' hunka Hauk Ludvikson, her new boss, it is intriguing, as intriguing as she is. Though he is not sure she is the right fit for his underwater salvage operation of a century-old Model T, at the bottom of a lake, which is linked to an equally old disappearance. Kyle, another diver feels the Captain is way too attracted to the young woman, something that could be a detriment on dangerous dives. At the same time, Star is pretty jittery herself, having been recently attacked. Yet, she is considered the best in her field, and Hauk is reluctant to let her go."

Wyre dons scuba wear, two air bottles and extra huge flippers as he renders his observations. "Attack is a key word in this story. Danger lurks like a...da da daaaaaa...stalking shark." A fishing spear comes out of nowhere and Wrye starts jabbing the air as if expecting an assault. "It soon becomes obvious that there is a mystery surrounding the wreck and someone doesn't want that mystery solved. It also becomes apparent that Star has her own personal haunts that she wants left alone. As they dig deeper into the murky waters and investigate the wreck, attempted murder, old murders and fresh murders float like ocean scum. No one seems safe, and every answer comes with a new set of questions."

Wrinkles her nose at Wrye's outfit, Tattle sighs and ignores. "Star's Uncle Jimmy plays a key part in the mystery, but doesn't even realize it. Meanwhile, the chemistry between the hero and heroine starts at a gentle but persiiiiisssstent simmer and then bubbles, gushes and boils over. Star pulls away, Hauk moves closer. Be warned, read this book with the lights on, suspense crawls over suspense. Nail biting and yelps of fear will occur. Looking over your shoulder and jumping in your seat is inevitable."  

"The storyline is delightfully complex and extraordinarily captivating. The characters are well-drawn and each have their own particular vibe. The good guys are the epitome of heroes with just enough of a quirk here and there to humanize them. Whereas the villains are menacing to the core of evil, yup, coughed up from the ninth level of Hades with hell hound escort."

"As always, J. S. Marlo doesn't disappoint. Of course, her own exclusive writing style and unique storyline intricacy is apparent but this book had an extra dose of multi-layering. It isn't a quick read, but a grab you by the intellect and keep you guessing ensnarement. You won't be able to put it aside from the first line to the last. I am thoroughly impressed by this story and look forward to all this author has to offer. Note: Already read everything she has written, and you should, too!"

Until next time, keep reading!

Books by: Angelica Hart and Zi

KILLER DOLLS ~ SNAKE DANCE ~

CHASING YESTERDAY ~ CHRISTMAS EVE...VIL

http://www.champagnebooks.com/

Books by: Vixen Bright and Zachary Zane

STEEL EMBRACE

BOOK NOOKIE-A LIBRARIAN'S BUIDE TO THE DO-ME DECIMAL SYSTEM

http://www.carnalpassions.com/

angelicahartandzi.com

Savvy Saturday: Print vs. Ebook by DJ Davis

Print or Ebook? That’s a lot like asking chocolate or vanilla. Fortunately, there’s an easy answer. “Yes, please!” There are obvious pros and cons to each, which vary depending on your point of view as a reader or a writer—or both.

I love my Kindle. I can hold a couple hundred novels in the palm of my hand at one time. It fits in my purse. It’s lightweight, a nice feature when I’m reading in bed, fall asleep, and drop it. Ever drop one of Mr. King’s 800 page whoopers on your nose? I appreciate the price of most ebooks, not to mention the plethora of free ebooks that are available. I can load my Kindle to the max and pay nothing. Everything from old classics to new writers trying to garner fans by giving their words away. Pretty nice for a reader. Different case when I think about it as an author.

For a writer, ebooks can reach a wider market, especially among the younger generation, gadget lovers, and those denizens of the digital world. Publication is less expensive and saves trees. It’s easier to email a PDF for reviews rather than mailing a book. Saves on gas, too (especially if your post office is as far away as mine is). There’s no denying the ebook’s ability to draw in new readers through convenience and low cost.

However, pirating of ebooks is an ongoing issue. It’s hard to get an ebook into stores and gift shops. And book signings? Probably not going to happen. I haven’t tried signing an ebook. I suppose I could sign business cards or coupons for an ebook, but as reader, a signed copy that means a book. Ebooks can certainly boost the sales of print editions. When I find an ebook that means something to me, something worthy of shelf space, I’ll buy a print edition.

I was over the top when my first novel, Courageous Cain, was published by Champagne Books as an ebook. My friends and family were thrilled for me. But many of the older ones, those who balk at the thought of a Kindle, not so much. Sure, they were happy about it, but they had to wait a year for the print edition to come out. Then they started calling me ‘author’ instead of ‘writer.’ This may not be a big deal to some authors and I understand that. But it was to me because these people are some of the most important ones in my life.

From a writer’s perspective, reading my own book on my Kindle was a trip and so much fun. But when I held that first print copy in my hands—the slick covers, the smell of the pages, its weight and dimension—I felt like an author, more than I did with the ebook.

The people closest to the writer, those who stood with them through the trials of writing and editing, the lows of rejection, and the highs of that first contract, will want signed copies to cherish and show off at every opportunity. Try that with an ebook. A Kindle sitting on a shelf doesn’t quite measure up to the unequalled thrill of seeing your own book on the shelf, sharing the living room like one of the family.

Now that my second novel with Champagne Books, Summer Star, is coming out in print, I have that high all over again. It’s been nearly a year since the ebook came out. My print-only fans are excited to have their chance to read it. My eighty-three year old mother recently said, “I can’t wait to read your book.” I can’t wait to give her a copy. Signed, of course.

Ebook or print? Yes, please! There’s a definite place for both and both is what it takes to reach all of your readers and gain new ones.

About DJ Davis

DJ Davis is a Colorado native and the rugged high country sets the scene for her stories. When she's not writing, she can be found hiking with her dogs, photographing the wildlife, or camping with her husband. A Great Dane runs her life.

A portion of each sale of her novel "Courageous Cain" will be donated to Big Bones Canine Rescue in Windsor, Colorado. Help us help big dogs in need.

Visit DJ's website for more info!

Savvy Saturday: Writing Tips with Ron Voigts

Writing Tips: Some Rewrite Advice

So you’re done. Whew! You’ve finished writing the novel, the one you’ve been thinking about and talking about for years. Job well done! Now you can move on.

Not yet. Now the real work begins. This is the moment that defines writers and their work. You are now ready to begin the rewrite.

Suddenly your hands become shaky. Heart beats faster. Palms become sweaty. But you shake it off and plod ahead. To help you polish your dream, let me toss out a few tips.

Continuity

In the real world we have expectations how things happen and function unless we’re living in the “matrix” or some alternate universe. We anticipate continuity in our real life experiences and would not expect anything less in fiction. Reread for the continuity.

• Time Continuity—things take place in real time. Assign dates and times to scenes. I usually add a first line in parenthesis and take out later. Review for conflicts and impossibilities. In my recent rewrite, two characters on a road trip could not arrive in time to meet up with the protagonist. I modified the scene to allow them to drive overnight rather than stay in a motel.

• Character Continuity—a character has history, personality, appearance, and likes/dislikes. They better well be the same in chapter one and chapter twenty. The pretty girl’s brown eyes better not be blue later. The two year med student becoming squeamish at the sight of blood will raise an eyebrow, unless you’re prepared to introduce some conflict or problem in his life.

• Plot continuity—plot needs to hold together from start to finish. Gaping holes are not permitted. Flaws will totally unnerve the reader. A dead grandmother in chapter one, making tea in chapter twelve will not do. The hero uses a hidden derringer strapped to his ankle better have been foreshadowed earlier.

• Location continuity—draw maps of locales and plans for buildings and rooms. Messing up a location can be disconcerting. If the bad guys hide out is north of town, the hero should not be heading south on Hwy 57 to get to them. The Piggly Wiggly down the block cannot turn into a Winn Dixie the next day.

• Object Continuity—changing the littles things can disrupt the reader’s experience. The hero driving a yellow Camaro in Chapter Two should not be cruising in a red Ferrari in Chapter Six. Grandma’s antique broach cannot magically become a vintage ring later on.

POV mistakes

The point-of-view character can see, feel, smell, hear, think and touch their environment. He or she cannot know what someone else is thinking. So when in Molly’s POV, she observes her boyfriend is angry, unless she is a mind reader, she cannot know that. She must have seen or heard something. He kicked the door, cussed, and shouted at her. The more obvious POV error is head hopping. Not recommended.

Scenes

Are the scenes well crafted? Do they move the plot along? If the scene lacks conflict and tension, it probably won’t hold a reader’s attention. Readers get bored when nothing is happening and page ahead or worse—put the book down. Also, a missing scene leaves things open and unexplained.

Ten More Things to Check

1. Show don’t tell. (This one gets beaten to death but still is important.)
2. Use active voice, not passive.
3. Use strong verbs.
4. Limit “-ing” words.
5. Eliminate excessive “-ly” words.
6. Replace overused words. (Examples: saw, heard, thought, little, looked, that, really, then, as, if, and so on.)
7. Use “said” and “asked” rather than fancier words. Eliminate if possible.
8. Avoid clichés. Find original ideas, metaphors, and similes.
9. Avoid word echoes. (Words repeated in short amount of time.)
10. Provide details instead of generalities.

Listen to Your Story

Finally, listen to your story. Word and Adobe have built in functions that read aloud the words. Some places offer free software for text to speech. Granted the voices are flat and tinny, but hearing your story makes it so much easier to find typos, wording issues, and sentence flow. If you have a friend who can read well that can work too. Just be cautious! The human brain is good at filling in missing words and making corrections on the fly. Someone reading your work may be editing it for you!

The most important tip on rewrites. Have fun! It’s not just the destination. It’s the journey.

About Ron
Ron D. Voigts, originally from the Midwest, now living in North Carolina since 1993, pens murder mysteries with a dark flair. He has authored eight books, including four in a middle-grade series. His latest mysteries, The Witch’s Daughter and The Fortune Teller’s Secret, lean toward the supernatural. Ideas for his stories comes from the rural areas where he has lived, places he has visited, his love of the paranormal, and an overactive imagination. When not plunking out a novel at the keyboard, he spends his time sharpening his culinary skills, watching gritty movies, and eating cookies with chocolate chips.

Check out Ron's website.

Excerpt from Summer Star

Summer Star
By DJ Davis
Romantic Suspense
$15.95
Champagne Books: https://goo.gl/fVvrfi
Lulu: https://goo.gl/ighG4o

A psychic with an attitude, a ghost from the old west, and lost Civil War gold. What could possibly go wrong? Just about everything.

Excerpt:

Sunrise came and, Holy Moses on a moped, it was one to write home about. Orange clouds sent deep purple shadows drifting across the snowcapped peaks. Troy followed the irresistible pull in his head through aspen trees boasting new spring green. A rock, dead center in a small clearing, drew him from the trail like a magnet. The tingling in his fingertips spread to his palms and grew into an itch. He dropped to his knees in the mud and melting snow. The gravestone was so eroded he could barely make it out. Emma Anders, September 18, 1865.

A familiar ache pulsed behind his left eye. “You’re going to be a real bitch about this, aren’t you, Emma?” No answer. He didn’t expect one, but who knew? Stranger things had happened in the mysterious void between the past and the present. The space his joker friend Eric called “The Troy Hart Zone”, and Troy called a pain in the ass.

He tented his fingers on the weathered chunk of granite and the vision flooded his senses.

Lightning, so close the ozone prickled the hairs in his nose. Thunder rolled off the mountain and echoed back. Icy rain hammered the oilskin duster and sluiced off the wide brimmed hat. Cold mud soaked his woolen pants and seeped through his broken-down boots.

He longed for the heat of his pistols but this part had to come first. First the shovel, then the guns. First Emma, then his brothers.

The pine box, mired in a puddle six feet down, gleamed bone white in the storm-light. Emma deserved better than a few rough-sawn boards and a rock he’d carve himself. The evening sky lacked the sunset colors she loved. There was only rain and churning clouds. He tossed a handful of wildflowers into her grave and took up the shovel. Dirt and stones covered the coffin with the dull thuds of ‘til death do us part.

A bearded, grizzled face swam out of the rain. Hate and grief burned in the man’s eyes. Troy yanked his hand from the stone. The vision dissipated, but slower than it should have. A voice thundered inside his head. “Find me!”

Troy kicked away from the grave. That was one hell of a vision, but that’s all it was. He’d had thousands of them and an occasional twist was nothing new. He pointed at the headstone. “I do not take orders from a dead dude with an attitude.”

He made it three steps toward the trail before pain burst like fireworks in the left side of his skull. He crumpled to his knees and elbows, crying out as a dead man clawed into his mind.

Excerpt from Smile and Walk Away

Smile and Walk Away
Shatter, Book 1
By Danielle Riedel
Suspense/Thriller
$3.99
Amazon: https://goo.gl/M1QVXH
Kobo: https://goo.gl/9gkeUe
Champagne Books: https://goo.gl/pJyfvd

Detective Duran thinks he’s searching for a missing woman. Little does he know he’s actually pursuing the last remaining evidence of a CIA cover up.

Excerpt:

January 1981

The agent sat in a comfortable chair facing a blank screen. He wore a cuff around his upper right arm and had plastic clips over the tips of his right index and ring fingers. Rubber tubes were wrapped around his chest and abdomen. His head was shaved, and his scalp was covered in small white sensors. Wires from everything attached to his body were connected to a tabletop machine.

The doctor situated himself behind the machine with a pencil, a notepad, and a cup of coffee. A third man stood off to the side next to a projector. The agent in the chair couldn’t see either of them. Plastic panels extended eight inches out from each of his temples so that he could only see what was right in front of him.

“If you’re ready, Agent Majors, we’re going to show you a series of images.”

“Ready when you are, doctor.”

“Excellent,” said the doctor. He nodded to the man at the projector. An image came up on the screen of a child on a swing set. “I’m using the same electroencephalograph as the last time you were here,” he continued. “If the results today match your baseline electroencephalogram, within a small range of course, we can move on to the next phase of testing.” The doctor fixed his eyes on the monitor screen in front of him. The image on the projector screen changed to one of a dog urinating on a tree.

The agent relaxed as he looked at pictures of dolphins swimming beside a fishing boat, butterflies flying over a meadow, and a puppy catching a Frisbee. Two minutes passed, and those images became interspersed with ones of car crashes, open-heart surgeries, and amputees. Each photograph lingered on the projector screen for about three or four seconds. The doctor remained focused on the screen of the electroencephalograph.

Agent Majors saw three seconds of a nude woman on horseback, then four seconds of a man attempting to crawl out of the wreckage of his home after an earthquake. He saw four seconds of a new mother nursing her baby, then three seconds of a lion tearing apart a dead gazelle. The man at the projector was silent as he performed his simple task, and the doctor periodically glanced away from the screen to make a note or to sip his coffee.

The images became more graphic, ranging from sexual to grotesque. Pleasant and relaxing pictures would show up in between, but the contrast became more dramatic. The doctor continued his notes and observations. He picked up his coffee mug as the image changed from two women caressing each other’s breasts to a child sobbing as a man prepared to strike him. The coffee mug shattered in the doctor’s hand before it reached his lips. He cursed, but gestured for the man at the projector to continue. With the tail of his lab coat, he managed to stop the coffee spill from reaching the machine.

“Everything okay, doctor?” Agent Majors asked.

“I just spilled my coffee; it’s fine. Focus, please.” The doctor sat down, ignoring the small brown puddle and mug shards at his feet. It was a cheap mug.

The agent focused as he was told. The doctor wrote notes without looking at his paper, determined not to take his eyes away from the monitor.

An image came up of three kittens nestled together in a basket. The doctor signaled to the man at the projector that he should pause on this. He signaled again for him to proceed, but only after almost ten seconds had passed. Next, a picture appeared of those same three kittens screaming in agony as two adolescent boys set them on fire.

The doctor made no move to write anything. Then his pencil snapped in half with a distinct, high-pitched crack. The doctor laid down his notepad and the two halves of his pencil with shaking hands. His eyes widened as he looked from his monitor to the now kaleidoscopic image on the agent’s screen.

“Stop the test.”

The lens of the projector had shattered.

Excerpt from Love on Longboat Key

Love on Longboat Key
Keys to His Heart, Book 1
By Meg West
Contemporary Romance
$2.99
Amazon: https://goo.gl/KFZMqb
Kobo: https://goo.gl/VJSceh
Champagne Books: https://goo.gl/wJJ3UT

Over Christmas break a sweet, but shy, copywriter is forced to fight off her aggressive boss to win the heart of his son.

Excerpt

Julie stretched out her long pale legs and flexed her even paler bare toes. She could hardly believe her good luck. Just yesterday she’d been bundled in a down coat and fur-lined boots, yet now she wore white cargo pants, a thin cotton T-shirt, and red rubber flip-flops. Basking in the warmth of the Florida sun took some of the sting off spending the holidays with her quarrelsome mother and father.

Sitting under the Bodhi fig tree on the outermost edge of the park was her favorite thing to do. Years ago, the Bodhi tree had been toppled in a hurricane, but thanks to conservation efforts, it had been replanted, taken root again, and thrived. Julie loved the idea of sitting beneath a tree that had overcome the odds. She thought of this bench under the Bodhi as her personal refuge, the spot where she always found all the peace and quiet she craved.

Until today.

The longer Julie sat there in delicious silence, the more she became aware of a voice. A male voice. A louder-than-necessary voice. She turned and glared at the tall, sandy-haired guy crunching down the shell-lined path. He was so busy half-shouting on his cell phone he didn’t even give her a glance as he walked to the edge of the railing that hemmed the water.

For all Julie knew he was yet another self-absorbed thirty-something guy, the kind she often saw in the hallways at work, who gathered his sense of self-importance from how tightly he was tethered to his iPhone. He sure was dressed the part of an insurance executive on casual Friday, in a crisp blue Oxford shirt, khaki pants, and leather deck shoes. He only lacked the socks. And he was taller than normal. In the halls of Pilgrim Mutual, his head probably would have grazed the tiles of the low ceiling.

In any case, he was disturbing the peace. Julie felt annoyance surge within her until she heard him say, “No, Mom, I don’t think that’s what Dad meant...it doesn’t matter, so give it a rest...come on, it’s Christmas, I’m here for all of a week, is it too much to ask for you to just get along with each other?”

His conversation came to an abrupt end. He pressed his thumb down on the phone and cussed the F-word under his breath. When he turned back, his forehead wrinkled and his jaw clenched, Julie recognized all too well his look of frustration, since whenever she had to deal with her mom and dad, she felt her own face tighten in exactly the same way.

He let out an exasperated breath when he saw her. “Sorry.”

“For what?” she said.

“Swearing. Arguing. And otherwise interrupting your Zen.” He gazed over his shoulder at the calm water of the bay. “I’ve been here less than twenty-four hours and already my parents are driving me crazy.”

“Join the club,” Julie said.

“You here for the holidays, too?”

Julie nodded. “It’s like being a teenager all over again.”

“Exactly. Only they’re the ones who crack up the car and need to be grounded for misbehaving.” He looked down the shell-lined path. “Are your parents here with you?”

“No, they’re home arguing about graham crackers.”

“Graham crackers?”

“Don’t ask and I won’t tell.”

“Fair enough.” He smiled. “Mind if I sit for a sec?”

Julie scooted over on the bench. Ordinarily she wasn’t drawn to guys who looked like they could have been college basketball players. And she wasn’t overly fond of the preppy look, but there was something endearing about the rolled sleeves on his pressed Oxford shirt, his creased khaki pants, and his boat shoes. He needed only to put on a navy blazer, a striped tie, and a pair of socks to look like an overgrown schoolboy.