Excerpt
The airline agent smiled tightly at Anna. A few minutes later, she pushed the printed boarding pass and Anna’s ID across the counter. “Safe travels.”
Anna bit her lip. Safe travels. Ha! How about just “travels”?
She needed to be more optimistic. The flight wasn’t cancelled…yet.
Boarding ticket in hand, she’d head to the security line and then her gate, where she’d wait and flip through her Instagram feed until her plane arrived. Turning on her heels, she bumped face first into a wall of solid muscle. A clean, outdoorsy scent swathed her and immediately made her lightheaded. She stared for a moment at a tan quilted vest jacket lying unzipped over a hard chest, exposing planes of chiseled muscle under the navy-blue long sleeve t-shirt that read Dog Tired Brewery in white script. The picture of a dog lying on its side asleep with its tongue hanging out completed the logo—one she recognized as they made her favorite seasonal stout.
She clutched his t-shirt, trying to keep her balance. His hard abs flexed under her hands. Heat radiated from him and warmed her frozen fingers, which had been numb for the last several hours.
Lifting her head, her breath caught when her gaze fell on an angular jaw, full lips and beautiful green eyes. He gripped her arms firmly above the elbows to keep her from falling backward. His warmth seeped through the arms of her peacoat.
“Shit! Are you alright?” His deep, rich voice washed over her.
Heat rushed her cheeks and her body churned with a warmth she’d been missing ever since stepping off the plane in Michigan.
“Uh. Yeah! I…I’m fine.” Yikes. Her hands were plastered against his ripped abdomen. She let them slide down. It wasn’t just the impact of running into him that knocked her off balance. He was the most beautiful creature she’d laid eyes on.
“Are you sure?” The intensity of his stare almost melted her into a puddle at his feet. His eyes, irises flecked with gold, narrowed. “You hit me pretty hard.”
“Yes. I’m so sorry. Sorry for running into you.” She gained control over her wavering voice and unsteady legs.
He released her arms and stepped back.
“I should have been watching where I was going.”
His powerful gaze trailed down her without shame and a warmth followed as if he caressed her bare skin. Her cheeks had never been so on fire.
“No need to apologize.” He grinned. “I’d say it’s my lucky day.” His eyes twinkled.
This stranger was flirting with her.
She cleared her throat. It’s not that men didn’t flirt with her. They did. It was a hazard in her line of business. Insurance was a man’s world, for the most part. She shrugged off the flirtatious advances from the men she worked with. Mixing business with pleasure was a no-no. But this guy… she’d mix just about anything with him. If she were that kind of girl.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with . . . Jessica Jayne . . .
How would you describe you style of writing to someone that has never read your work?
That’s a good question. When people ask me what I write, I usually tell them contemporary romance with spice. I like to create male characters who are strong but not intimidated by an independent woman. I like female characters who can stand on their own. They do not need a man to define them.
Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?
Haha! This really depends on the day. Seriously! A lot of times, the words flow. If I’m feeling a story, a character, the words just pour out. Other times, adding two hundred and fifty quality words can seem like grind. It is why I usually have more than one story going at any given time. It’s easier to write when inspired and sometimes I have to bounce to something to get that inspiration..
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during story creation?
Character development is extremely important. In order to entice the readers and keep them engaged, your characters have to be real, have to have flaws and have to evoke emotion. My first step in a story is to outline the characters. It’s more than their hair and eye color or their height and build. What was their childhood like? What have been their obstacles up to the story’s start? What do they want out of life? What is their normal temperament? Are they laid back or intense? Do they speak a certain way or have a particular dialogue? Do they have a tick or something that is special to them?
But the character development doesn’t stop after an outline. He or she needs nurtured throughout the story because your character may not always respond to a situation the way you first think.
Can you share your next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?
My list of projects are long and continue to grow:
The sequel to Haven—story will belong to Kekoa’s brother, Maleko Hale. His heart was torn apart when his high school sweetheart left with her father to California for a trip and never returned. When Becca Stowers finally returns to the Big Island ten years later, she gives Maleko the surprise of his life.
The second book to the Dog Tired Brewery series—Mastermind. This story follows Brady Hinckelson. Brady is the OCD, hardworking business-minded partner. Growing up with an abusive father and an MIA mother, he found respite in college and with his best friends’ and business partners’ families. But the kind of relief he wants with Jane Bancroft—Rex’s sister—could end his friendship with his bestie. Jane isn’t worried about her brother’s feelings. She’s following her heart.
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
I try to keep my publishing goals somewhat attainable. Ideally, I’d like to publish three books this year, but reality is quite different, especially since I don’t write full time. I’d like to publish the second book in the Dog Tired Brewery series and—fingers crossed—get the first draft of the manuscript of another book completed.
I’d also like to do a writing retreat with my writing partner DC Stone.
If you could have dinner/dinner party with 7 fictional character, who would they be?
This is not an easy question given the number of books I’ve read. Obviously, I’d have multiple dinner parties, but these are the characters that are calling to me now. 😉
Nora Seed in Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library
Meredith Walsh of Eliza Freed’s The Devil’s Playground
Emmeline in Erica Bauermeister’s The Scent Keeper
Jonah in K.A. Tucker’s The Simple Wild
Gideon Cross in Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series
Maxim Cade in Kennedy Ryan’s The Kingmaker
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