Inside Look with Joya Fields author of Sidelined Afterlife

Posted on January 7, 2014 by S.J. Maylee

I have Joya Fields back today and she’s sharing her latest release, Sidelined Afterlife. It’s the 3rd in her Hauntings at Inner Harbor series. Joya first stopped by with the 2nd in the series, Altered Frequency. She’s back today talking about the magic of Thunderstorms and Rain. Plus, she has a excerpt and giveaway too. Enjoy!

Sidelined Afterlife

(Hauntings at Inner Harbor #3)

by: Joya Fields

Published December 24, 2013

Publisher: Decadent Publishing

Blurb

Psychic medium Veronica Matthews hates being able to communicate with the dead and the nearly departed. What good is it if she can’t lead the police to the victims of violent crimes before they die? But when her neighbor comes to her for help, she’s torn—until she understands that the ghost haunting him is more dangerous than any she’s encountered….

After losing his wife in a tragic accident, ER doctor Hunter Anderson’s only solace is his work and a ghost is jeopardizing that. Turning to his neighbor seems like his only choice, but spending time with the passionate woman, and her sassy attitude, might do more than save his life…

She can’t risk her heart. He’s afraid to love and lose again. Can a ghost help these two souls to live again?

Thunderstorms and Rain

Thanks very much for having me on your blog today, S.J. I’m thrilled to be here and to share my new release, Sidelined Afterlife. It’s the third novel in my Hauntings at InnerHarbor series where each book features a different couple dealing with their haunted apartment building. No worries if you haven’t read the first two books, it is a standalone, too.

Because Sidelined Afterlife begins with a fierce-but-short thunderstorm, I thought I’d touch on the subject. Are you one of those people who love a good summer thunderstorm? I am! So are the characters in the book.

A good storm usually begins with a darkening sky. Then, a warm breeze kicks up, rustling leaves and hinting at what’s to come. Next, there’s a rumble of thunder in the distance that sends everyone running for cover. A flash of lightning. Then, the sky opens up and the rain pours down. There’s something about the energy that fills the atmosphere, makes it almost magical to watch.

Except if you’re caught out in it. But…if you’re like Veronica, the heroine of Sidelined Afterlife, maybe you like being out in the storm. For her, it washes her worries and stress away. Sure, her hair is flattened to her neck and her clothes are soaked. Instead of being bothered by it, though, she finds it liberating and cleansing.

And how about that smell after the storm passes? So clean and fresh. Maybe the end of the storm even brings a rainbow. Mother Nature loves to remind us of her power and creativity, doesn’t she?

That energy is exactly why I think thunderstorms fit so well into ghost stories. Power can go out during a storm, or maybe the air holds the charge of the nearby lightning. Something feels different. Maybe this lightning is exactly what makes a vortex open…or brings a different feeling to the atmosphere that’s welcoming to spirits.

Maybe the reason I really enjoy thunderstorms goes back to childhood. On rainy or stormy summer days (with no air conditioning), my sisters and I would take over the huge covered porch with our toys. The limited space forced us to get creative and we found lots of ways to play old games with new twists while the rain poured beside us, creating a musical background of sorts.

Thanks for stopping by today. I’d love to hear about your favorite thunderstorm memory.

Excerpt:

“I am an idiot. The biggest idiot ever. If you want me to pierce something for you, to prove I’m an idiot, I have some sterilized instruments upstairs in my apartment.”

Her tongue poked against her cheek, signaling a laugh that wanted to erupt. Suddenly, he really wanted to be the one who could make her laugh. “Maybe I could do your lower lip?”

Her short laugh erupted. A sweet, melodic sound that filled the small apartment.

His gaze stayed on that full mouth and he lifted his fingers closer, compelled to touch her. She stared at him with wide eyes as he traced the corner of her mouth lightly with his finger.

“I’m a liar. I could never tarnish something as beautiful as this.”

Christ. What a line. Where had those words come from? But he meant it.

Her breath was hot against his finger as he traced the line of her lower lip. Her gaze held his. His stomach growled again, breaking the spell, and she blinked and leaned against the sofa.

“You know what? We never had dessert,” she said.

He had room for dessert. But not the food kind. He swallowed to quell his appetite for her. “Uh…how about I make an ice cream run? Then we’ll get to work.” Enough of this temptation. He needed to get away from her, from this pull she had on his body and emotions.

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Purchase links for SIDELINED AFTERLIFE:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sidelined-Afterlife-Hauntings-Inner-Harbor-ebook/dp/B00HFY2L4M

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sidelined-afterlife-joya-fields/1117790303

Decadent Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=882&osCsid=drtrl82rt4inig1ns5av11pri6

All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sidelinedafterlife-1382952-149.html

Joya’s Bio:

Joya Fields has had over 100 stories and articles published in local and national magazines. Her debut novel, a romantic suspense, was a NJRW GOLDEN LEAF WINNER FOR BEST FIRST BOOK OF 2012 and was nominated for RT Book Reviews 2012 Indie Press/Self-Published Contemporary Romance award. Since then, she’s published four more books with even more on the way.

Connect with Joya

www.joyafields.com

Twitter: @joyafields

Facebook Author Page

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page

Interview and Giveaway: Altered Frequency by Joya Fields

Posted on June 19, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Please help me welcome Joya Fields. She’s here today with the details on her latest release, Altered Frequency. She’s answered a bunch of questions from me, she’s so interesting. Plus, she’s kindly offered two GIVEAWAYS. See it all below. 🙂

Altered Frequency
Hauntings at Inner Harbor #2

by Joya Fields

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Length: 137 pages

Released: May 17th 2013

Publisher: Decadent Publishing

Blurb:

After losing her father and brother in the line of duty, Missy Prescott vows never to get involved with anyone who has a dangerous job. Blessed with a golden voice, she takes a job as a disc jockey with her own late-night lovelorn dedication show on a popular radio station in Baltimore.

Blake Decker has never had a family. He has come to count on the only family he knows—his brothers on the police force. He’s a one-night-stand kind of guy when it comes to relationships.

Betty McAllister, the caring woman who used to live in Missy’s apartment, is now a ghost. She refuses to cross over until Blake—whom she viewed as her own son—is happily in love. She thinks Missy is the perfect girl for him.

Missy and Blake need to keep each other at a distance as they work together to help Betty find a way to cross over. But when danger lurks, will Missy and Blake lose everything?

Interview:

What was the first book to make a lasting impression on you?

What a great question. I read lots of books growing up, but I think the book that made the most lasting impression on me was the first book in the Little House on the Prairie series. I think it was Little House in the Big Woods. I just loved reading about Laura Ingalls and her Pa. Their family endured so much hardship, but Laura sure had a can-do attitude.

Laura Ingalls, that brings back some fabulous reading memories of my own. Which one of your characters would you NOT like to meet in real life?

Well, I would certainly NOT want to meet the evil presence from Hereafter (Hauntings at Inner Harbor, Book 1). It’s dark, scary…and wants to hurt the heroine. Heck, I watch horror movies from behind my hands. I definitely don’t want to meet a scary paranormal being.

Good choice, no thank you, lol. Which one of your characters would you most like to meet in real life?

While book one in the series has some scary paranormal activity, Altered Frequency (Hauntings at Inner Harbor, Book 2), has a very different tone because of a matchmaking ghost. I pictured someone like Betty White. So I would love to meet Betty McAlister, the ghost, because I think she’d be a hoot. I’d sure like to meet Betty White in person, too.

I would too. She’s fabulous inspiration for a character, love it. What turns you on creatively?

Injustice. I know that sounds strange, but when I hear about an injustice, or view one, I want to highlight it and bring it to people’s attention through a fictional story. Often, my characters have a disability, or something that makes them have to work harder at abilities the rest of us take for granted.

That’s very admirable. What quality do you most admire in a friend?

Good listening skills. Sometimes you don’t want opinions or suggestions, you know? You just want someone to listen. So I think a good friend knows when to sit quietly and let you vent. Lots of my characters are good listeners.

I totally agree. Allowing someone to vent and know that’s all they need is a venerable quality. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Farming. I love being outside, admire the hard work it takes to raise crops and livestock, and enjoy seeing progress when I work. My kids were in 4-H when they were kids, and I think I had more fun than they did raising pigs and chickens and growing vegetables.

I too admire their hard work and I’ve heard many good things about 4-H. I’d love to spend all day in my yard tending my gardens. What is your greatest extravagance?

A bubble bath with candles. Sooooo relaxing.

I haven’t had the opportunity for a nice long bath in a long time. Calgon take me away, lol. What is your motto?

I like borrowing Henry Ford’s motto and I have it taped near my computer. “Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.”

That’s a great quote of Henry Ford’s. He also wrote another of my favorites: Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a writer?

Another great question. I seem to be able to write books pretty quickly, but it’s the revisions that take me a while to complete. Lucky for me, I have great critique partners who step in and help me make the stories the best they can be. Other than that, I’ve been very lucky and haven’t faced too many writing challenges.

Revisions can be tough, especially when you realize a large change is needed. I often stumble at this point, but once I let the change soak in and get over the shock at face value, it often isn’t as horrible as I originally made it out to be, lol. What is the one thing you do after finishing a story?

High five our pug, Peanut! And then we go for a celebratory walk. Since I work from home, she’s the only one around, and she gets very excited when I say “the end!” Or…on second thought, maybe she gets excited about the part where I say, “want to go for a walk?” haha. Then, I get back to writing.

That’s awesome. Peanut is such a cute name for a pug. Tell us a bit about the projects you are working on now?

Thanks very much for asking! I just received a contract for book 3 in the Hauntings at Inner Harbor series, so we’ll be working on those edits soon. My work-in-progress is a farm trilogy. Hot, sexy, muscular guys who are working hard to keep their family farm in business. I’m having a lot of fun visiting local farms in Maryland for the research on these books.

Author Bio:

Over the years, Joya has taught arts and crafts, worked in public relations, owned a daycare center, helped her children raise prize-winning 4-H livestock, competed in three marathons, and even spent a year as a Baltimore Colts cheerleader. Joya loves spending time with her high school sweetheart/husband of over twenty-five years, two very supportive children, and a pug who follows her everywhere. www.joyafields.com

Find Joya:

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=joya+fields

Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5395700.Joya_Fields

Twitter: @joyafields https://twitter.com/JoyaFields

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/JoyaFieldsAuthor

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Frequency-Hauntings-Harbor-ebook/dp/B00CSXJ2GU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369272959&sr=8-1&keywords=altered+frequency+joya

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/altered-frequency-joya-fields/1115318179?ean=2940016586243

Decadent Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=778&osCsid=6v09v6em02ct5d9r6t7k212767

AllRomance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-alteredfrequency-1211906-149.html

GIVEAWAYS

#1 – One lucky commentor will receive trading cards for the book. I’ll number the comments in the order they were received and utilize random.org to select a winner on the morning of Friday, June 21st.

#2 – GRAND PRIZE: $25 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to one winner
a Rafflecopter giveaway