About S.J. Maylee

S.J. Maylee fell in love with storytelling at a young age and with it came a deep-seated desire for everyone to find their happily ever after. She’s finding the happy endings for her characters one steamy story at a time. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her caring for her garden, laughing with her two young sons, or dancing to her husband’s music. She’s a PMP (Project Management Professional), Nia instructor, and coffee addict. As a writer she has a tendency to break hearts, but she always glues them back together

Weekend Writing Warriors – Seth Takes Command

Posted on December 8, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Click the logo for the Weekend Writing Warriors blog

Welcome friends old and new. I’m glad you came. Today, I’m sharing from my second release, UNTANGLE ME.

Ivy is a young event planner and she’s completely smitten with her newest client, the ultra successful businessman, Seth. LAST WEEK: Seth found Ivy where she stood looking for him at the event and he wrapped his strong hand around her. THIS WEEK: I skipped just a handful of sentences. Seth has asked Ivy a question and she answered … well, you’ll have to read the book to find out. 😉 Here are the very next 8 sentences.

She wanted everything his look promised. Heat spread across her pussy.

“I better start my talk or we’ll never get out of here.” He pulled her a little closer and she relaxed into him, not wanting him to let go, but he did. He strolled to the podium and took command of the room.

Seth captured everyone’s attention. It was like watching the sun drift from high in the sky to reach out into several brilliant shades of rich color. Each shift of his body and rumble of his deep voice pulled her in.

Their connection is definitely real, but it may be a bit tangled. <~ You can <tweet that> if you want. Come back next Sunday for another snippet or find the buy links below and read it today.

Click here to add UNTANGLE ME to your Goodreads TBR list

BLURB:

Ivy’s revenge on the people behind her family’s downward spiral is simple and it’s working. There’s no need to long for help from the wealthy business owners who turned their backs on her father. Ivy may be worn out, but she’s finding herself again after joining the local BDSM club.

Seth has it all. He has homes around the world and the little red speedster he dreamed of as a little boy, but none of the things he can buy satisfy him, not the socialites hanging on his arm or the submissives falling at his feet. Then, he hires Ivy to plan his next event.

Seth and Ivy enjoy each other’s company in and out of the planning stages for Seth’s charity event. Their playful bets lead them to a first date. When their secret kinks are revealed, the pair fall deep, but it’s not meant to last. Past hurts come back to haunt Ivy. Now, it’s time for Seth to use all he’s learned, regardless if he can win back the girl.

BUY LINKS:

Evernight | Amazon

All Romance eBooks | BookStrand

Thank you so much for visiting me, it means a lot to me that you took the time to visit my little place on the web. Don’t forget to check out the other Weekend Warriors, the Snippet Sunday Facebook Group, and Saturday Spankings too.

ROW80 Check-in #83 A Good Reason Why

Posted on December 8, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

The writing challenge that knows you have a life.

Why do you do what you do? It sounds like a complicated question, but it’s simple. I write because I love it.

Every time I submit a manuscript and on both of my release days, I seem to ask why I keep putting myself through this, lol There were some things that were easier on this release day simply because I had a better idea of what to expect, but many others went just the same.

I still don’t really know what I’m doing and I seem to be moving forward one stumble at at time. But, with each step on this lonely writing journey, I solidify one fact.

I love to write.

At this point in my career, it’s the very thing I must posses to keep me going. I love my characters. I’m proud of my stories and I desperately want to put more of them out there.

So, that’s it. I’ve passed the latest test and it’s my good reason why I put myself through this crazy train.

The Goals – week-9 results

Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- not done.
Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting- half done. The only writing I did this week was guest post writing. I also did all kinds of marketing or attempted to for my release. These activities kind of sucked all the life out of me.
Take care of and be kind to myself- half done. The week started out with a few workouts, but quickly deteriorated into release day haze.

What you might have missed here this week:

Spotlight: Alex’s Destiny by Amy Gregory

Release Day Party for UNTANGLE ME

Posted on December 5, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Click here for the Thankfully Naughty Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to my release day party. I’m so glad you came. UNTANGLE ME is here! I love Evernight Publishing’s Romance on the Go line and now I have a ROTG of my very own. 😀 Below you’ll find a little glimpse at the hero and heroine, the BLURB, BUY LINKS. and a GIVEAWAY. I’m also visiting lots of friends who have excerpts and giveaways too. You can find all the links on my Appearances page as they become available. I’m visiting four friends today!

Untangle Me is a novelette. The book may be short, but I don’t skimp on the story or any of the emotion that drives these characters to beautiful places.

The heroine of UNTANGLE ME is Ivy Reed. She is the cousin of Jake Reed, the hero from my debut, TAKING CHANCES. Here is one thought she has in the beginning of this story.

You can read more from this scene in my post from this past Sunday’s Weekend Writing Warrior’s. I share snippets every Sunday from my published/unpublished books.

Now, here’s a tease from Seth Marsh, the hero from UNTANGLE ME.

UTM Quote Seth 2 new

You’ll have to get your own copy of UNTANGLE ME to find out how Ivy responded.

Although Untangle Me is not a Love Project series book, all my books are connected in some way. Be sure to follow my blog, because in the weeks ahead I’ll be sharing some book extras which will include Lydia and Jake from TAKING CHANCES and Ivy from UNTANGLE ME.

BLURB:

Ivy’s revenge on the people behind her family’s downward spiral is simple and it’s working. There’s no need to long for help from the wealthy business owners who turned their backs on her father. Ivy may be worn out, but she’s finding herself again after joining the local BDSM club.

Seth has it all. He has homes around the world and the little red speedster he dreamed of as a little boy, but none of the things he can buy satisfy him, not the socialites hanging on his arm or the submissives falling at his feet. Then, he hires Ivy to plan his next event.

Seth and Ivy enjoy each other’s company in and out of the planning stages for Seth’s charity event. Their playful bets lead them to a first date. When their secret kinks are revealed, the pair fall deep, but it’s not meant to last. Past hurts come back to haunt Ivy. Now, it’s time for Seth to use all he’s learned, regardless if he can win back the girl.

____________________________________________________

BUY LINKS:

Evernight Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

All Romance eBooks | BookStrand

____________________________________________________

GIVEAWAY:

To celebrate the release of UNTANGLE ME,
I’m giving away one $15 Amazon gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

____________________________________________________

Spotlight: Alex’s Destiny by Amy Gregory

Posted on December 2, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Click here for the Thankfully Naughty Giveaway Hop!

Title: Alex’s Destiny

Author: Amy Gregory

Publisher: Self

Length: 243 pgs (print edition)

BLURB:

Her destiny was written for her, long before she was ever born. She embraced it, wanting nothing more than to give everything within her back to the sport in which she was con- sidered royalty. Her family’s legacy would live on, revered by all. And she thrived on the long work days she spent teach- ing at the academy her blood was tied to. Alexandra Sterling needed that dirt track as much as she needed her next breath. That same track was the one that drew in a young student years before. Alex had given her heart away the day they met, knowing that he belonged to only her. For years she’d waited, knowing without a single doubt that he’d make her his when the time was right.

But…she’d never asked Dallas if he felt the same way.

Her hurt leaves her vulnerable, her days dark and her in- stincts dulled. After one night of hell, Alex is lost. Her world is crumbling around her, and without her lifeline and best friend beside her anymore, there’s nothing to keep her from

Dallas Hunter is a pro rider on the motocross circuit, following in the footsteps of his father Eli. For Dallas, it’s always been Alex, but he’s kept his feelings locked away out of fear, his love for their family, his biggest obstacle. One short and chilling phone call to her puts him on high alert. Knowing something is terribly wrong sends him racing across the country, back home, back to her. But what he finds almost kills him.

Now he’s watching her slip away right before his very eyes. Figuring out how to help Alex before it’s too late, might turn out to be harder than any race he’s ever ridden. And he has to do it with his team and sponsors screaming at him from the other side, trying to pull him back to the world he’s dedicated his entire life to. Dallas knows he has to help his best friend, the woman he loves…and do it without tearing his family apart.

EXCERPT:

Years of roaming every inch of the Noland property left an intricately detailed map ingrained in her head, memorized for life. Instead, she stayed, not wanting to be rude to her family. As she stood there, the sun gave way to the moon. The dark purple lining the horizon was the only evidence it left behind. She couldn’t help but feel her heart break. Not the earth-shattering pain of a sudden loss, or that at the mercy of death, but a slow, piece-by-painful piece kind of heartache.

The kind where emotions whirled around inside her, at war with one another. Feeling stupid, desperate, and confused, she tried to remember when she knew. There wasn’t some crystal clear moment. Not a black and white answer. Dallas had just always been hers. She never questioned it, never saw their ages as an obstacle, and until this week, she didn’t think he had either. Alex just knew Dallas would wait for her.

That was what hurt the most. Well, two things actually. Being wrong—and being empty.

For the first time she felt hollow and questioned her entire path. Her foot slipped, landing hard on the ground below the fence. She shook her head and closed her eyes. It was supposed to be Dallas. He would retire from racing and join the staff of the academy.

They were supposed to have the big white wedding. They’d spend their years teaching side-by-side as the fairy tale ending lived on around them.

There’d been no question in her mind over the years. All she knew was there wasn’t supposed to be a different woman in her spot by his side. Feeling the sting, she screwed her eyes tighter then swiped at the tears that fell, despite her best effort to prevent them.

The hand on her lower back made her flinch in surprise. She’d been so lost in her own world she hadn’t heard him approach. Without a word, she knew the scent, the hold was one she’d felt a million and one times.

Dallas.

She tried to be angry, to hold onto the feelings that made her flee the house in the first place. She couldn’t. At his touch, even through clothing, his warmth melted the ice in her veins that quickly formed during the last few minutes of solitude. Another tear—another swipe at it.

“Alex.”

She didn’t answer, instead she shifted her cheek to rest the opposite direction to avoid him.

“Alex, talk to me. Please.”

Suddenly his touch burned her, seared her. Jerking away from the source of pain left her standing face-to-face with him.

“You don’t love her, Dallas.” Her mouth fired off the accusation before her brain engaged. Either way, the words were spoken. His silence was deafening. The admission painful. However, she knew she’d been right, even without seeing the narrowing of his eyes or the flare of his nostrils. He’d never lied to her—ever. And she knew he couldn’t start now.

His mouth twisted, his brow knitted tighter. In the glow of the light from the shop, she saw his torment as he searched for words. He didn’t have to. Alex saw the answer in the gray eyes she knew so well. Her imaginary world had been just that—totally one-sided and in her head only. The security and love she’d felt from him over the years vanished, and the foundation of her world crumbled. The walls started to shift. Her heart was breaking, the cracks deepening at warp speed.

Her only choice—run.

Stepping away from the penetrating gray, she made a half turn, only getting an arm’s length away as he reached out to stop and spin her back. “Don’t you dare walk away from me, Alex.”

The command was crisp and the deep tone had her body reacting to his order. Frozen to her spot, she stood absolutely still. It could’ve been because of shock—it wasn’t. The pounding in her chest left her reeling. He held her tightly by her upper arms. Unable to move, she shivered in his hold.

Fire sparked again. “Don’t dare walk away? Excuse me? You have no right—”

“Stop. Now.”

Her eyes flared as she clenched her fists at her sides. “You made your choice.” She spat out as she twisted in his hold, trying to free herself.

He gave her a light shake, after a long minute she realized she was going nowhere until he decided to let her. Gritting her teeth and panting in anger, she glared at the man she’d spent a lifetime loving. It wasn’t anger she saw mirrored in his eyes.

“You’re too young.”

The lines deepened and his head tilted to the side as if he was pleading with her to understand. That wasn’t going to happen. Not now, not ever. “Bullshit! I’m twenty-three, Dallas. What’s your little friend? Twenty?”

“Stop it, Alex.”

Again, his voice stilled her, but only momentarily. “Damn it, Dallas. You stop. Look, I get it. I was stupid. I just always thought…never mind. Just let me go.”

“No.” He shook his head, frowning as pain crossed his face. “You’re just—”

“I know. You said it once. I’m not old enough. Whatever. I’m old enough to know you don’t always get what you want.”

Embarrassed, hurt and frustrated, she yanked out of his hold. Turning, she stepped away in the opposite direction, but not before she heard his last comment.

“That makes two of us.”

Stalling, her shoulders deflated. There was nothing more to say so she continued walking away. Away from her past, her present…and away from her future.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

About
TheAuthor:

When asked ‘when do you have time to write’,Amy Gregory simply laughs.The real answer is, “in bits and pieces”.She and her husband live in Kansas City
with their three fantastic kids that keep them running in three very different directions. Because she sits so much, she always carries
a note- book with her at all times.

She has an off
the wall, snarky, off the cuff
sense of humor that often shocks even those who’ve known her for years.And she loves that her children have all
been blessed that ability to make oth–
ers laugh as well.At least she’s grateful most of the time! Her husband often teases her about how she
“makes this stuff up” when he’s reading a piece of her work. …The answer—“it just comes to me when I’m
typing”. Scary thought, huh!

amy@amygregoryauthor.com

Author’s Site

Facebook

GIVEAWAY!!!!

Amy is giving away an Autographed Print Copy of Alex’s Destiny and swag, a $10 Amazon card, and an E-copy of Alex’s Destiny!! Just fill out the rafflecopter for your chance to win!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Weekend Writing Warriors – Untangle Me

Posted on December 1, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Click here for the Thankfully Naughty Giveaway Hop!

Click the logo for the Weekend Writing Warriors blog

Welcome friends old and new. I’m glad you came. Today, I’m sharing something new. My second release, UNTANGLE ME releases this Thursday. Squee!!

This is the story of Ivy and Seth. Ivy is the young event planner that is completely smitten with her newest client, the ultra successful businessman, Seth. This snippet is from the first pages of their story. Seth has just found Ivy where she stood looking for him at the event and he’s wrapped his strong hand around her.

His thumb caressed her back, reminding her she was in his hold. “This is, without a doubt, my most successful event.”

“I’m glad you’re pleased … Seth.” She moaned his name when his fingers gripped her hip. He stilled and she could sense him looking at her. She stood frozen, looking at nothing, trying to figure out how to recapture their earlier repartee.

Their connection was no longer just in a phone call. His touch proved it was real.

Their connection is very real, but it may be a bit tangled. <~ You can <tweet that> if you want. Come back on Thursday for a release day party and giveaway.

Click here to add UNTANGLE ME to your Goodreads TBR list

BLURB:

Ivy’s revenge on the people behind her family’s downward spiral is simple and it’s working. There’s no need to long for help from the wealthy business owners who turned their backs on her father. Ivy may be worn out, but she’s finding herself again after joining the local BDSM club.

Seth has it all. He has homes around the world and the little red speedster he dreamed of as a little boy, but none of the things he can buy satisfy him, not the socialites hanging on his arm or the submissives falling at his feet. Then, he hires Ivy to plan his next event.

Seth and Ivy enjoy each other’s company in and out of the planning stages for Seth’s charity event. Their playful bets lead them to a first date. When their secret kinks are revealed, the pair fall deep, but it’s not meant to last. Past hurts come back to haunt Ivy. Now, it’s time for Seth to use all he’s learned, regardless if he can win back the girl.

ROW80 Check-in #82 Looking Forward

Posted on December 1, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

click here for the Thankfully Naughty Giveaway Hop!

The writing challenge that knows you have a life.

It’s been intense around here lately, compact emotions bursting at the seams. After one of the most profound weekends of my existence, I’m ready to look forward.

We have one month left in 2013 and only a few weeks left in this forth round of eighty days. I’m looking forward to 2014, but I have lots yet to do this year. I have two WIPs that need finishing and polishing and tons of marketing to do.

I need another cup of coffee, lol.

I haven’t started my Christmas shopping, nor have I ordered my Christmas cards.

Yikes!

This month is going to be crazy. I accept that. There’s a lot I’ve had to accept lately. It’s an important thing to do. Once you accept, you can move forward. This is where I want to be, moving forward. Eyes front, Maylee.

Oh! Segue Alert.

How about a look at my next release. I can share my new cover. This made me smile. I hope you like it too.

UNTANGLE ME releases Thursday. You can read more about it and add it to your Goodreads TBR list here.

The Goals – week-8 results

Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- half done.
Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting- half done. I finished final edits this week, sent in my dedication (can’t wait to share it), picked my teaser excerpt, and approved my awesome cover art. These final steps were definitely easier the second time around. Bonus, I’m not a newbie, lol. The rest of the week got swallowed by guest post writing, marketing, getting five days of evil day job done in three days, and lots of family time.
Take care of and be kind to myself- done. This week was less about the physical care and more about the emotional care and I did hit the mark there. Now, I need to get my focus on the physical side too.

What you might have missed here this week:

Inside Look with Amy Gregory author of Mike’s Way Back

Daily Picspiration – Backwards and Forwards with Roxanne and Jonathon

Cover Reveal: UNTANGLE ME by S.J. Maylee

Posted on November 29, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Click here for the Thankfully Naughty Giveaway Hop!

I was lucky with my first lovely cover. So, when my inbox announced my second cover’s arrival, my heart stopped … Silly me, Sour Cherry Designs rocks and my cover is gorgeous. 😀 Untangle Me releases next Thursday. Stay tuned for a snippet this Sunday. Plus, there will be a release day party on the 5th right here. I’ll have a brand new giveaway to celebrate the release of UNTANGLE ME.

Untangle Me

by: S.J. Maylee

Erotic Romance with D/s

Length: Novelette

Release Date: December 5, 2013

Publisher: Evernight Publishing

BLURB:

Click here to add UNTANGLE ME to your Goodreads list.

Daily Picspiration – Backwards and Forwards with Roxanne and Jonathon

Posted on November 25, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Click here for the Thankfully Naughty Giveaway Hop!

I’m back at Daily Picspiration today with a brand new flash. This is the forth flash in the story of Roxanne and Jonathon. I’ve been telling their story backwards which has been a lot of fun. Below you’ll find them in reverse order, I mean chronological order. I’m really not trying to make this confusing, lol. 🙂

The date listed on each is the date they were posted at Daily Picspiration and the title links to that post where you can see the inspiration pictures.

The flashes are listed here in the order they occur, from before they meet and right on through to the happy ending. Enjoy.

_________________

November 25, 2013 – A Cold Cute Meet (Jonathon’s POV)

Jonathon wandered the streets. Up and down, he weaved a senseless pattern. He stopped at the top of the hill, turned around, and watched the movement below until it disappeared into the fog.

This time and place was just as monotonous as the last. There was nothing here to capture his interest, no sign of what he was truly looking for. The cars may look faster and the architecture was definitely getting more interesting, but it didn’t deter him.

The fates claimed he’d find her soon. They were determined to prove love wasn’t real, that it couldn’t last. His kind were just a piece in their little game.

Since that day they’d given him a glimpse of her, he couldn’t get her out of his thoughts. He wondered first what her voice would sound like and then he began to think about how soft her hair would be. Then, he worried she wouldn’t like him. Of course, if he believed the fates, it wouldn’t matter because he wouldn’t love her anyway.

A piercing light split through his mind. Moments later, a chill traveled through him and snow kissed his cheeks. He turned in a circle, caring nothing for when and where, only hoping he’d find her in this place, but there was nothing. He continued to look, there had to be something in this freezing city.

Movement caught his attention and he turned back around. He lost his footing and slipped on the cold pavement, landing right on his ass.

“Are you okay?”

He looked up into the beautiful blue eyes that had been enchanting his dreams.

_________________

September 2, 2013 – A Punishment (Jonathon’s POV)

Waves crashed all around him, but Jonathon felt nothing. He was frozen through with the emptiness breaking apart his heart. Once again the fates had stolen his life.

No longer would he accept where they threw him. No longer would he accept these punishments. No longer would he accept the sentence of his kind.

He had to get back to his Roxanne.

He prayed that she’d wait and hold tight to his last words. It would take everything in him, but he’d get back to their bench. He’d get back to her.

They must have sensed he was about to tell her the story. A story of fiction turned to bitter reality each time the fates chose to punish his kind. However, this time their punishment touched Roxanne as well.

She would be their undoing. He had to believe it would be true.

_________________

August 19, 2013 – The Empty Bench (Roxanne’s POV)

Roxanne stood at the gate, kicking her shoe against the wood. The need to see Jonathon again had burrowed deep. Missing him had become one with each breath and it was burning a hole in her heart. She didn’t know when he’d come back, but he had to. She couldn’t imagine a future that didn’t have Jonathon right by her side.

I’ll meet you at the bench …

She replayed his last words again and again. It had been a week since the wind took him away. Since that dreadful night, she’d been replaying the scene. There had to have been words left unsaid. After replaying all their conversations, she couldn’t figure out what she was missing. Instead, she stood at the gate. Waiting.

He’ll come back. He has to come back.

A tear tumbled off her cheek and splashed her hand. She pushed the gate open and ran. With each foot fall she got closer to the bench.

_________________

August 5, 2013 – Simple Instructions (Roxanne’s POV)

The evidence was right in front of Roxanne. He’d been here. He was real.

Seven years after he disappeared in front of her eyes, he was still fresh in her memories. She might have stopped looking at the things he’d left behind, but she could never forget the time they’d shared together.

Memories flashed before her eyes this evening when a chance encounter with a medium mentioned his name.

Jonathon.

The woman’s candles had warmed the cool room with their spicy scent until they changed when she’d said his name. There was no mistaking the musk of his aftershave. Roxanne cried out when it dissipated.

“Will it come back? Can you get it back?” The crack in her voice matched the feeling in her heart.

“You can get it all back.” The woman reached and touched her hand. “Simply look at what’s left.”

Roxanne had run all the way home to set out each of the items. Nothing new jumped out. She scrunched her face and clamped her jaw tight. It has to be here. Her fingers touched each piece again and landed on the little notebook.

She flipped through the familiar pages, but the last page had something new. The short passage was followed by a simple instruction.

Say it and it will be true.

“Jonathon, come home to me.”

A piercing light filled her room and then was gone, revealing her heart’s desire.

_________________

I have so much more I want to add to this story. As you can see there is lots of story to tell between the flashes, before the first and more to tell even after this last flash. Well, that was actually the first flash I wrote in their story, 😉

I’ll definitely write more about Roxanne and Jonathon, but I’m not sure what I’ll share next. You’ll have to let me know if you have a preference.

Hope you enjoyed my flashes. Visit Daily Picspiration to read a little about each contributing author. You can go back daily for something new and go today to see the pictures that inspired these words.

See all of my flashes at Daily Picspiration here –> http://picspiration.blogspot.com/search?q=S.J.+Maylee

Inside Look with Amy Gregory author of Mike’s Way Back

Posted on November 25, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

I’m so pleased to have Amy Gregory here today and she’s agreed to answer my questions. Yeah! You’re not going to want to miss her answers or the other nuggets she’s sharing. The blurb and excerpt from Mike’s Way Back. Plus, there’s a super cool giveaway.

Okay, Amy, let’s get started. Picture your favorite place in the world. Now, can you tell us a little bit about the place you’ve pictured?

A: I’ve been very fortunate to have visited a good portion of the States. However there is a beautiful private beach along the coast of Oahu that has the finest white sand, the clearest blue water and every day when we visited, it was just us, our kids and a few stray critters. It was one of the most relaxing weeks of my life and it warms my heart seeing the pictures again and again.

That sounds fabulous. I’ve never been, but it’s on my short list. Tell us about yourself: Who are you and why did you start writing?

A: I sort of fell into writing. I know that’s not the “I’ve known I was going to do this my whole life” typical answer. My first series is based on the world of professional motocross racing. Our family follows the sport and our youngest is a racer. However, my husband travels a lot and I never sleep well when he is gone. On one particularly long trip I kept having this dream that was so vivid, and each night, the story extended. After a few nights I started jotting it down with just pencil and paper. A week later I had over four hundred pages and one very bad case of writer’s cramp in my right hand! I couldn’t just bear to throw it all in a drawer so I dove in and researched what to do next and walla!

When you are not writing what are your favorite hobbies?

A: I’d be a bad writer if I didn’t first say reading! However, I shoot on a compound bow league with my husband, love to camp (in our RV so not the roughing it of our early days) and I’ve recently become the weird dog lady. We’ve always had animals in our house with the kids, but our babies are six month old little Maltese-Shih tzu puppies named Chloe & Bear. I have totally fallen in love with them.

That’s cool. I bet your arms are strong. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

A: This list could take forever. First things first, I just needed a lot of guidance. I still rely a lot on my editor for simple grammar and punctuation help. The writing of the actual story is the easy part, the rest is actual work.

Can you tell us about a criticism you’ve received that pushed you into a better writing place?

A: I had originally submitted Carter’s Treasure in present tense, when I was told to go back and change simple structure (keep in mind, that took FOREVER!) it made the whole world of writing make sense and made it much easier.

The first book I wrote, I did it in first person. After I typed “the end” I realized I wanted it in third. Ugh, lol. Which one of your characters would you most like to meet in real life?

A: My husband would tell you I’d say Eli Hunter hands down, but I still have a soft spot for Jesse Frost. However, my all-time hero that I’d love to –not just meet but become friends with, is now Det. Michael Sterling. Oh-la-la!

What turns you on creatively?

A: I spin from one book into another, so I typically have several books brewing as I am writing one, but I would say the one thing I spend time investigating is song lyrics. I can pull an entire book from one song.

What is your greatest fear?

A: I can tell you all the normal things, heights, etc, but I guess my biggest fear is failure. I want to succeed as an author so bad it drives me to the edge some days.

What is your greatest extravagance?

A: Hmmm. I guess I’m a cowboy boot addict, as well as Starbucks lol. However, my husband has surprised me with a couple of things. I do have the exact cross that Carter gave Molly, and what is funny, I didn’t have a picture, it was just in my head. He went and found it. Then my biggest toy would have to be Alex’s Jeep. It wasn’t intentional at all, but we needed a new vehicle and it’d been my dream car since I was fourteen. I’m not quite the girly girl type, so although I wear make-up and have way too many purses, I like my vehicles to get me through our snow and ice, as well as around our farm when it’s muddy.

I think we’d get along really well. 🙂 What is your favorite music (genre/artist/album/song)?

A: Genre – easy… COUNTRY! Artist… wow… I have so many, and for different reasons. I love Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert. They are crazy together and Blake and I could spar with the best of them. He’s as big of a smartass as I am. I love Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, and actually, the TV show Nashville—I have every one of their songs on my iPod. They’re all amazing singers.

Country has been growing on me lately. It’s their story telling that I love. Shocker. Also, there’s a lot of talent in Country. What is the one thing you do after finishing a story?

A: I’m never done! I just flow right into the next one. I don’t want to ever be done.

Tell us a bit about the projects you are working on now?

A: Book #2 in the Finding Perfect series. You met Gabby James in Mike’s Way Back, but she has just turned into such a fire cracker. I was trying to tell my husband about my favorite scene so far and I had tears in my eyes because I was laughing so hard. He shook his head and said, ‘that’s my favorite part of your books, the sarcasm and humor’. I love writing the love and sex too, but it all comes back to me being a total smartass…I just can’t help it!

That was a log of fun. Thanks for playing along, Amy. 🙂

Mike’s Way Back

By: Amy Gregory

Publisher: Amazon Digital

Length: 485 kb

Sub-Genre: Contemporary

BLURB:

When Detective Mike Sterling left the Chicago PD and returned to his hometown of Renlend Kansas, he tried to convince himself it was so his mother could stop worrying. The truth was, even Renlend wasn’t going to vanquish the dreams that tortured him at night.

When Taryn Watts landed in Renland Kansas to de- sign a client’s new cooking school she intended to stay just long enough to do the job and then go right back to her life on the East Coast.

When Taryn and Mike found themselves sharing a booth, one thing was certain, neither one of them thought it was a good idea. Mike still wasn’t over his ex-wife’s betrayal, and when Taryn found out Mike was a cop she wanted to run all the way back to Connecticut and never look back, but she couldn’t… Sitting outside his home late at night she watches him fight against his demons. Demons she already had too much experience with firsthand.

When Mike finally admits there is no way to outrun his demons, Tayrn knows she’ll do anything, or be anything, to help Mike find his way back.

EXCERPT:

He reached for the bottle, the dark glass still cold to the touch. Tipping it back for a long swallow, the slight burn of the heavy ale helped force his past back where it belonged. “Hey, Mike?”

Noises became sharper around him as he realized it wasn’t Molly’s voice calling his name this time. Silverware sliding across a plate and ice cubes falling into a glass were a far cry from an emergency room, especially when a round of cheers rose up around him. One glance was enough to know the baseball game he had zoned out on was now tied. Blinking, he separated his hellish past from pres- ent day and turned toward the bar to answer Jeff.

His friend was holding up a fresh bottle, yet to be uncapped. Mike blinked twice, hardly letting Jeff’s chuckle register.

Mike’s jaw wasn’t the only part of him to twitch.

It had nothing to do with the second beer the bartender just set on the counter for the waitress to deliver to him. No, it was all to do with the knockout in a black pencil skirt, toned bare legs and killer heels standing at the bar—talking to Jeff.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

About The Author:

When asked ‘when do you have time to write’, Amy Gregory simply laughs. The real answer is, “in bits and pieces”. She and her husband live in Kansas City with their three fantastic kids that keep them running in three very different directions. Because she sits so much, she always carries a note- book with her at all times.

She has an off the wall, snarky, off the cuff sense of humor that often shocks even those who’ve known her for years. And she loves that her children have all been blessed that ability to make oth- ers laugh as well. At least she’s grateful most of the time! Her husband often teases her about how she “makes this stuff up” when he’s reading a piece of her work. … The answer—“it just comes to me when I’m typing”. Scary thought, huh!

amy@amygregoryauthor.com

Author’s Site

Facebook

GIVEAWAY!!!

Amy is giving away 3 prize packs tour-wide!!! Enter to win an autographed print copy of Mike’s Way Back, a $10 amazon card, or an E-copy of the book!!!

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Weekend Writing Warriors – One Last Question

Posted on November 24, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Click here for the Thankfully Naughty Giveaway Hop!

Click the logo for the Weekend Writing Warriors blog

Welcome friends old and new. I’m glad you came. Today, I’m sharing one more snippet from my debut, TAKING CHANCES.

In Previous Weeks: Jake and Lydia entered the room where they’ll be working together. They’ve shared several heated moments. LAST WEEK: The work day is over and they’ve made their way to Lydia’s place for, well, it was supposed to be dinner. Fears and instincts were pushed aside along with confining things like clothes. 😉 THIS WEEK: I only skipped a couple sentences.

He still stood several steps back. The need to run to her clawed at him. Normally he was a pretty patient person, but at this moment he wanted to scream with need. He forced his legs to take slow strides. The effort aided him in reining in his longing. He took one last step forward and pressed his body along hers.

“Lydia,” he growled. “How are you feeling?”

I’m guessing Lydia’s ready for whatever Jake has planned. <~ You can <tweet that> if you want. This might be my last WeWriWa post for TAKING CHANCES. So if you want to find out what happens next, find those buy links below and find out today. 🙂

Click here to add TAKING CHANCES to your Goodreads TBR list

5 Star Review: “Taking Chances, is a must read for anyone who wants a great story, well written, smoking hot smexy scenes and an oh so hot hero.”

5 Star Review: ”Taking Chances is SJ Maylee’s debut novel and she does an excellent job of creating interesting characters searching for connection while providing enough kink and spice to heat things up.”

5 Star Review: “it’s well written, there’s no slw moments and it’s packed full of hot sexual tension”

BLURB:

Lydia’s father walked away from her when she was eight. She’s struggled to not let him affect her, but fears she wasn’t loveable enough to make him stay. Jake wants to love one woman, but after scaring the last woman he met outside of the club, he doubts he has the right. She protects her heart by sticking with her fantasies, and he lives by a set of rules that excludes women who choose a vanilla lifestyle.

The two will be kept in a conference room working together until their special project is complete. If Lydia and Jake hold tight to their bland lives, they’ll always yearn for love that is out of reach. But together they can find common ground, passion, and a reason to take chances. Once they discover the grand possibilities of the love they desire, they find themselves in the very place they tried never to be again, facing unguaranteed love.