Author Speed Dating – Alexandria Sure

I love discovering new authors, so I wanted my blog to be a place where readers and my author pals could come together. Only we like to do this Speed-Dating style. Check out a new author and her work here every Wednesday, and if the spark is there, you’ll have a match.

This week’s guest: Alexandria Sure

 

15 Questions

1. If you could revisit any favorite period in your life for a day, in approximately which year would you be found and what would you be doing?

March 25, 1994 – I was living in Miami at the time. Friends kidnapped me, blindfolded me and drove me to the Keys for a huge celebration. It was the best day/weekend.

2. Sure, it’s like picking a favorite child, but which one or two of your titles do you secretly love just a little more than the others?

BEFORE HIM COMES ME.  Zara, the main character, came in such a vivid manner that it almost felt like we were connected. She was pushy to have me tell her story her way. I miss her.

3. Were you be glued to the screen during the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, did you catch the recaps, or did you ignore the games completely? Any favorite events?

Skipped!!  I dislike all things snowy. Ironically, I live in Michigan. and it’s nine degrees today and snowing.

4. Dogs or cats? Pedigree or mutts?

Dog all the way. Jack Russell Terrors. Rescue only!!!  #Adoptnotshop

5. How many books have you published and in how many genres and sub-genres?

I’ve released two books total … BEFORE HIM COMES ME and IN THE PURSUIT OF CHARITY. So far, I write New Adult – College. I’ve also completed two additional first drafts that are romance but not college-age.

6. Favorite female singer/rocker over 60: Tina Turner, Deborah Harry (Blondie), Stevie Nicks, Gloria Estefan or _________?

I’m a pretty big Stevie fan. Her lyrics gut me.

7. If you were marooned on a deserted island with plenty of food and water but with only one book to read and re-read, which title would you hope for?

GONE WITH THE WIND [by Margaret Mitchell]. First book, of my favorites, that popped into my mind.

8. What is the first thing you when you finish a book?

The very first thing I’ve done when completing a book is to text author Kasidy Blake. She is my biggest cheerleader. We happy dance together.

9. Which Disney princess (or prince) do you wish you were more like? And which one are you really most like?

Absolutely no clue to either question.

10. Who was the first person, besides your mom and dad, who told you that you could write?

Kasidy Blake. She was the very first person to read an excerpt of my first book. She is one of my rocks!

11. What are some of your non-writing talents that readers might find surprising? (Keep it PG please.)

Talents?  I’m learning to be crafty but I wouldn’t call it a talent.

12. Names some things that have changed in publishing since your first book was published.

I’m a newbie to the author stage so this is difficult to answer. The first thing to pop into my head … Amazon’s tools to upload ebooks. I’ve released two books, and it was completely different both times.

13. Have you ever, even for a moment, forgotten that one of your characters was…you know…fictional?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: I did write a story so close to my own relationship in college that I had to place the file in a drawer for several months. I needed time to determine if I was ready to release something so personal. The answer was YES and IN THE PURSUIT OF CHARITY became my second release.

14. Do you own at least one purse (or twenty) from a well-known fashion designer, or are you more the bag-to-carry-my-junk-in type?

I’m a Coach girl. Well, I was a Coach girl until they decided to re-brand and re-name themselves Tapestry. I am NOT a Tapestry kind of girl.

15. Offer a piece of advice to new writers that you wish someone had given to you at the beginning of your career.

I wish someone would have told me typing “The End” was only the beginning. I knew nothing about editing, formatting, marketing and selling. Actually, it’s probably better I didn’t know.

Better advice: Just don’t give up!! 

 

*** 

 

 

 

In the Pursuit of Charity

By Alexandria Sure

 

 

 

He expected her to recognize him.

He expected her to be seduced by his charms.

He expected her to fall for him.

Expectations are a funny thing …

 

When his parents named him Herbert Lincoln James, they already had expectations that Linc would attend an ivy league university and go into politics. Linc didn’t. As captain of his swim team, he was expected to win the big relay to carry his swim team to the state championship for the first time in decades. Linc didn’t. Society expected him to walk past her. He couldn’t.

 

She expected him to see through her.

She expected him to make her into a joke.

She expected him to be cruel.

Expectations are a funny thing …

 

***

IN THE PURSUIT OF CHARITY, a June 2017 release from Beaumont Tower Press, may be purchased through Amazon US, Amazon UK and Amazon CA. Also available on iBook and Kobo. Coming soon to Nook.

 

***

About Alexandria

Alexandria Sure is from Michigan and adores her supportive family, her two rescue pups, and her mighty Spartans. Her coffee obsession leads her to writing in local coffee shops where characters come alive between salted caramel lattes and large cups of “cold brew extra cream two Splenda,” which are usually on the counter when she walks in because the baristas know her car. (Thanks, Biggby!)

When she is not writing, she spends a great deal of her time perfecting her craft. She is an active member of Capital City Writers Association and attends several writing conferences each year.

Sure’s first novel, BEFORE HIM COMES ME, is an unconventional romance of self-discovery, described by readers as “the first BDSM book with no sex.”

Learn more about Alexandria through her website, www.alexandriasure.com, and check her out on Facebook, Twitter, her YouTube channel, Instagram and Goodreads.

 

 

 

 

 

Author Speed Dating: Sage Spelling

I love discovering new authors, so I wanted my blog to be a place where readers and my author pals could come together. Only we like to do this Speed-Dating style. Check out a new author and her work here every Wednesday, and if the spark is there, you’ll have a match.

This week’s guest: Sage Spelling

 

 

15 Questions

1. Are there any traditional Thanksgiving dishes that you can easily resist or dishes you refuse to even sample during your family’s holiday meal?

Yes – I’m really don’t care for pumpkin or sweet potato pies.

2. As a reader, name a few of your favorite books of all time. How have these books influenced your writing?

Out of the classics, JANE EYRE [Charlotte Bronte] and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE [Jane Austen]. I loved the brooding male that becomes a mush for the lady he loves, and I like using that in my stories. Though they are all different in genre, all of Kristan Higgins books and J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series have influenced my writing with the relatable characters, heart-wrenching stories and gratifying endings. J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter series because she reminded me that love conquers all and everything is always better with a little magic.

3. Which Scooby Do character are you most like? Bonus: How are you at solving mysteries?

Fred – Because I tend to believe in crazy legends.

Bonus: Fact – I’m the queen of conspiracy theories, and they’re only right about 20 percent of the time.  

4. In which genres and sub-genres are you published, and which was the hardest and easiest to write?

I’m published in Erotic Romance and New Adult – I think I find writing Erotic Romance the easiest because my characters tend to drop their guard when they drop their pants.

5. If you could serve as a roadie for any band, past or present, for which group would be you be schlepping speakers and testing audio equipment?

New Kids on the Block – They (the entire band) were my first real crush.  

6. If someone has never read one of your books, which title would you recommend she read first?

HIGH STAKES.

7. As a shoe shopper, are you all about the shoe warehouse where more is better, a discriminating shopper of only designer brands or a devotee of comfort with little concern for fashion?

Shoes have to be cute as well as comfortable. Sometimes I am a little discriminating with shoe brands and will buy certain designer brands because they are both fashionable and comfortable.

8. Favorite octogenarian actor: Robert Redford, Judi Dench, Diahann Carroll or Morgan Freeman?

I love Morgan Freeman!  

9. Which one of your own fictional heroes would you have taken home if you could?

Dex Cane in “Inked Hearts” from the MY SEXY VALENTINE anthology.

10. What would you choose as your super power, and what would you do with it?

Power to move objects with my mind. I’d use it to clean the house and do the laundry.

11. In 10 words or less, give your best advice to aspiring writers.

Learn. Nurture your craft. Write the stories you would love to read. Believe in you. Never give up. 

12. Sitcom in reruns: Seinfeld or Friends

Friends! #WeWereOnBreak #PoorRoss.

13. What would you consider your strengths and weaknesses as a writer? What have you done to become a better storyteller?

I’ve attended countless writing workshops and attained my BA in English and Creative Writing. Still, grammar will be the death of me – thank God for editors!

14. Preferred activity in the fall: outside at the apple orchard or a leaf tour while inside a warm car?

Apple Orchard – cider donuts, spiked cider, and hayrides! Oh, baby!

15. Name your favorite compliment you ever received from a read or reviewer.

I was recently told that my stories are like Hallmark movies with sex. Since I’m obsessed with Hallmark movies, I was thrilled!

  

***

 

 

 

High Stakes

By Sage Spelling

 

Blake refused to let me walk back to my dorm on my own when we left the bar. My one-hour dinner had turned into three hours alone with Blake. He walked really close to me, and I enjoyed the warmth of his body shielding some of the gruesome wind. He insisted I wear his scarf again, and his scent made my insides warm. When we reached my door, I stood one step above him so we were at eye level. I took off his scarf and wrapped it around his neck.

“You can keep it.” he insisted, placing his hand over mine.

“Thank you, but you have a long walk yourself.”

“No, it’s not that far.”

“Aren’t you at the frat house?”

“Nope, I have a condo right down the street with Miles and two other roommates.”

“Oh.” I stared down at his chest, too embarrassed to look him in the eyes. He lifted my chin with his finger and his stare burned into mine. My heart pounded in my ears. He was so close I could smell the mixture of beer and mint on his breath, and the sensation of the warm air of his mouth on my chin made my stomach do that flip-flop thing again.

“Are we ever going to talk about the night of the party?” His question took me by surprise. I’d been hoping he wouldn’t bring it up.

“No.”

“Was I that bad of a kisser?” he whispered.

“No . . . it was a mistake, Blake, and since I’m your tutor now, it can never happen again.”

“So you liked kissing me?”

He was so close I couldn’t think straight. “Yes . . . I mean . . . Blake, please, can we forget about that night?” Heat flushed my face.

“Anything you want, Supergirl.”

He leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Goodnight.”

“Night,” I managed to mumble. My legs wobbled toward the door and I looked back to see him still there, waiting for me to be safely inside. I gave him a small wave and closed the door behind me. I leaned against the door and attempted to catch my breath. There was some serious chemistry between us, and even with my inexperience, I sensed it. And it scared the hell out of me.

***

HIGH STAKES, a March 2016 release, may be purchased through these retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iBooks.

***

About Sage

Sage Spelling’s love affair with romance started when she was a child and her mother told tall tales of faraway worlds filled with magic, mystery and happy endings. Whatever hardship the characters suffered, in the end they were granted a happily ever after. It was guaranteed, and she knew her investment in the characters and the story was going to be rewarded. Growing up in a strict Chaldean Catholic family, she found freedom in-between the pages of a novel. While she read, she wasn’t confined to her family’s rules and principles. She could be anyone . . . anywhere.

Though Sage loved reading, she hadn’t found her passion for writing her own stories until she was an adult. She remembered that very moment when her world felt completely out of her control and she found herself rewriting her own story. Nowadays, she tells tales of the happily ever after, but with a sexy and passionate twist. A believer of love at first sight, and that love conquers all, she aims to create stories and characters that are three-dimensional and investment worthy.

Sage obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Creative Writing with a concentration on Fiction from Southern New Hampshire University and is a contributing blogger for Heroes and Heartbreakers. During the day, she analyzes boring spreadsheets and can’t wait to get home to work on her steamy stories. Stay in touch with Sage through her website, www.sagespelling.com, and through these social-media channels: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and Pinterest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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