Today my guest is Melony Teague, author of the contemporary Christian romance, A Promise to Keep. Melony, I’ll start by saying that I’ve read your book, and it took me on an adventure with its characters and settings. Thank you for joining me today.

Thank you Carol for inviting me to be a guest. I’m a mom of two humans, and two cats. I’m married to the kindest, funniest man on earth. I’ve been a freelance writer since 2010 when I finally figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. So, I’m a writer and an author. My latest foray into fiction has been an adventure.

What is A Promise to Keep about?

Research librarian Savannah Sanderson wants nothing more than to escape into her happily-ever-after novels with their larger-than-life fictional heroes. But a promise to her late husband has her attending her dreaded twenty-year high school reunion.

Once a reckless troublemaker, Michael McCann fled town after graduation. Now a professional technical rescuer, he’s back for the reunion, but on his trip down memory lane, he soon comes face to face with unresolved issues, namely Savannah.

Before the night is over, a pact between these two old friends will lead them on an adventure into uncharted emotional territory.

What is the inspiration behind your story?

I wondered what would happen if two friends reunited at a 20-year high school reunion, and what if that reunion happened because of a promise. I wanted to explore promises and the keeping of them and what obstacles might come up in trying to keep said promises. I wanted to write a story that would inspire and challenge, make people laugh and tear up, and ultimately examine how they are living their lives, today, in the moment.

A Promise to Keep is about hope, grief, healing, friendship, love and laughter, and living without regrets.

Do you have a day job? If so, how do you find time in your day to write?

Aside from being a mom, I work from my home office doing communications for a few non-profit organizations and sometimes edit and copy edit for clients. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic turned all our lives upside down, I’m finding much time is taken up by baking bread from scratch, cooking from scratch and planning meals to minimize those essential trips to the grocery store. I’m thankful that all my years as a foodie and compulsive baker (baking is my therapy) has paid off. I’ve had to adapt my writing and my client work around that. The class I teach on Writing Your Personal Story was cancelled due to the closure of all community centers and recreation programs, so I look forward to getting back to that when all of this is over. I hope that I’ll still be able to teach my seniors. I love my students and their stories so much.

Are you a night owl or morning person?

I used to say that I’m a night owl and that I couldn’t write in the morning, but now I’ve tricked my brain into doing writing and marketing tasks before it’s fully awake, so that my brain can’t talk me out of it. Does that make sense? As long as I have a cup of coffee at my elbow, I can work in the morning. I tend to be too tired at night, so I read or watch videos for research.

Were there any surprises that came up as you wrote your story?

Yes, first the professor, Donavan Radcliffe was never in the original synopsis, but he showed up and demanded a spot. So did Teddy actually, and it’s funny how these two characters are at odds with each other in a friendly sort of rivalry.

Who was your favorite character to create?

I had so much fun with all my characters, Savannah and Michael were such a joy to create, then they almost became real enough that I caught myself almost having a little prayer meeting for Savannah. But other than the main characters, I adored Mrs Delaney. I wish I had a real life person like her in my life.

How did you come up with the names of your hero and/or heroine?

Since Savannah was born in South Africa, I liked the idea of giving her a name that rings of the African continent where we find the beautiful savannah landscape. The African Savanna reminds me of home. (I was born in South Africa too). As for Michael, I can’t remember how I came up with his name. I did end up with too many characters whose names started with “J” so I did a competition to rename a character originally named Jennifer, and the winner of the competition was Andrea, so Jennifer had her name changed to Andrea.

Are you a plotter or a panster?

I started off as a complete pantser by participating in NANOWRIMO in 2010. The more I write, and with every new manuscript, I plot more. So I’ve become a hybrid of sorts. I like to write the first three chapters first to get to know my characters, then I outline the synopsis based on what I THINK will happen, then I write the story. The synopsis sometimes still changes, but the framework and the direction of the story is still there to keep me on track. The main thing is that I start with my characters.

Are you part of a writing group?

I have been part of a local writers group since 2012 and we wrote a devotional for writers together called, As the Ink Flows, Devotions to Inspire Christian Writers and Speakers. We have grown really close and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. I’ve recently joined a writer’s group on Zoom led by the amazing and super talented Brandy Vallance, and I’m being challenged and fed there too. In these times when we can’t meet in person, we’ve had to learn to adapt.

Share your favorite excerpt from your book:

Here’s the first half of chapter one where we meet Savannah in the hallway of her old school trying to come to terms with how life has turned out for her. She doesn’t recognize the hunky stranger who obviously knows her. And then, the fun begins. I love this part. Such promise. (Excuse the pun)

Only a promise to a dying man would make her attend her twenty-year high school reunion.

Savannah Sanderson glanced at the large clock in the empty corridor of Point High. She had twenty-seven hours, forty-six minutes, and some seconds before the party—just enough time to work herself into a panic before the reunion dinner and dance. She’d arrived a day early to ease herself into the whole experience, but being alone with her thoughts wasn’t helping.

Savannah ran her fingers over the combination lock that secured what used to be her locker, feeling a peculiar connection to it since she’d stowed so much deep within her heart. The cold gray metal cabinet once held tokens of her dreams. School was out for the day and would soon be out for the summer, but she imagined the locker was filled with somebody else’s things, someone with wild and idealistic dreams of his or her own. She prayed the occupant’s future wouldn’t shatter like hers had.

The kitten sticker on the top corner had survived two decades of students. The matching backpack she’d toted from class to class, faded and worn, was still stashed in her closet at home. She couldn’t bear to part with that symbol of her survival of the awkwardness of high school. The magnet of her favorite rock band, which had held her schedule, had probably been replaced by a pouting pink-haired diva magnet. Times had changed, and she had, too.

At thirty-seven, she didn’t consider herself old—but maybe a little old fashioned. If she updated her locker now, she’d add magnets with the faces of love-song-singing crooners with velvet voices and perhaps that new actor in the latest happily-ever-after romance movie whose name she couldn’t recall. As a librarian, she saw people come in daily wishing to escape into a fictitious world with handsome heroes and feisty heroines and their happily-ever-afters. She was almost ready to think about where her story was going beyond the covers of her favorite novels. It was one thing to daydream, in love with the idea of happiness. It was quite another to find it.

She leaned her forehead against the cool enameled door, steeling herself for the days ahead. Tomorrow night, the building would flood with noise and laughter of her former classmates. For now, she must face the abandoned hallways with a heart just as empty. Only wispy recollections of her teenage years remained. It was strange how the happier memories brought her the most pain. Still, she was ready to let those memories back in. To heal.

In five months, it would be a year since Nick had left her to face her future alone. She’d done her best to prepare herself for the inevitable, but nothing had primed her for

the phone call from the hospital that October night. She’d rushed to Nick’s side, counting each minute with him a gift.

Between labored breaths, he begged her, “Promise me you’ll go to the reunion.”

“I can’t go without you. I can’t face…”

“You won’t be alone, Savannah. I want to go, but as things are right now…” Even with tubes and monitors keeping him alive, Nick didn’t come right out and say what they were both thinking.

“I need you to go. For me.”

“But why? Why would you say that?”

“Can you trust me this one last time?”

Despite trying to be brave for him, a tear trickled down her cheek. He reached up to wipe it away. Nick wasn’t playing fair, and he had to know it. How could she say no? Savannah gripped his emaciated hand as if she could pull him back from heaven’s threshold.

In that sterile room in the palliative-care ward, she made the promise one hour and twenty-three minutes before the monitors announced his arrival at the gates of heaven.

At the funeral, they said Nick’s unwavering faith was an inspiration to all. If Savannah heard “Everything happens for a reason, dear” one more time, she’d lose it. All well-meant but not helpful. Savannah let the platitudes and the sentiments wash over her, but she remained tight lipped, her anger simmering below the surface.

Things were not supposed to end with her sitting dry eyed in the front row of their church, having cried all her tears in the months before Nick left this earth. She wasn’t supposed to be saying goodbye to the man who’d swept her off her feet in high school. They were supposed to grow old together. They’d promised to share a lifetime. God hadn’t been listening to that promise, had He? It was as if God weren’t listening to her at all.

Her prayers since then had been scattered, unfocused and reluctant at best, and she didn’t know what to do about it. She’d successfully hidden from her church family and society at large, burying herself in her work and her books. She’d found valid excuses why she couldn’t make it out to church—except on bake sale Sundays, of course.

Even so, she’d kept her promise. Now, standing in front of her locker, she lifted her chin and gazed toward heaven. “Okay, I’m here, Nick,” she whispered. “Now what?”

“Savannah?”

She screeched, the sound rattling the windows of the aging school building. With one hand over her beating heart, she swiveled to find the source of the deep voice over her right shoulder. Standing in front of her was a six-foot, broad-shouldered, chestnut-haired stranger. She wondered whether she’d lost her mind and conjured a hallucination of one of her bookish heroes. He shoved a hand through his cow-licked mane and stepped closer. When he didn’t vaporize, she blinked and waited. Maybe her new contact lenses were malfunctioning.

He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

“The janitor said no one was here. Classes are over for the day, so I thought I was alone.”

“You’re not alone.” He winked. The man actually winked at her.

Savannah stepped backward and collided with the lockers, the clattering of the impact reverberating in the silent hallway. Nothing much had changed there. After all, there was a reason they printed Accident Waiting for a Place to Happen below her photo in the yearbook.

Was he a current faculty member? No. If so, he wouldn’t know her name. “Are you here for the reunion? It starts tomorrow. I’m a day early.” One look at the man, and he’d set her off babbling like a jittery teenager. With her back against the lockers, she inched sideways toward the exit.

“Yes, I am. Me, too.”

She stopped her sidestepping to make sense of his words. “You, too?”

He backed up, his hands raised like she was a crazy lady about to lunge at him. “Yes, I’m also a day early.”

If he was here for the reunion, that meant he had been in her class. There was a familiar sparkle in his blue eyes. Could it be—

“You don’t recognize me?”

Embarrassed, she tried to picture what he would have looked like twenty years ago. By the tone of his voice, she should know who he was. Maybe her trusty locker would open and swallow her, saving her from her impending humiliation.

Nick would have known. He knew everybody.

Where can readers find you online?

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Today my guest is Renée Lichtenhan, author of a middle grade series called “I am Girl.” Renée, thank you for joining me today. Let’s start by telling us a little bit about yourself.

I’ve lived in Mississippi for almost two decades, and I’ve given up on the sweltering, humid summers ever “growing on me.” I’ll never get used to them. I’ve also given up on developing a taste for sweet tea or an endearing southern drawl. But, I’m all about the strong family values and the deep-rooted faith that permeates southern culture. My husband loved raising our three kids around fishing lakes, mud trails, deer hunts, backyard hammocks, and cotton fields. Since they’ve grown up, I spend most of my time either working as a “church lady” in charge of children’s faith formation or working as an author writing and promoting my novels.

What is your new book, Violet, about?

Thirteen-year-old Violet Windsor is obsessed with the rush and thrill of skateboarding through a dangerous, gang-ridden part of New York City. Certain that her high-society parents wouldn’t approve of the rough-and-tumble sport or the sketchy neighborhood, she and her best friend, Sloane, hide her secret adventures in a thick veil of lies.

When Violet’s autistic, non-verbal brother, Oliver, begins drawing pictures that reveal a mysterious knowledge of her secrets, Violet is rattled to the core. Intrigued by peculiar clues in Oliver’s drawings, she follows them down a reckless path toward redemption and truth.

What is the inspiration behind your story?

My “I Am Girl” collection of middle-grade books is inspired by a desire to help parents cultivate faith and virtue in their kids. Honesty is at the root of my most recent release, VIOLET. I chose to spotlight honesty, because — let’s face it, lots of teenagers lie to their parents. That’s what VIOLET chooses to do, and as you’d expect, her choice ends up getting her into a heap of trouble. But, what happens when she comes clean is a surprise even to Violet.

Do you have a day job? If so, how do you find time in your day to write?

Yes, I have the perfect day job! I work part-time as the children’s director of faith formation at my church. I love my job. Not only does it give me a deep sense of purpose, but it’s also an outlet for my extroverted nature. And because it’s very flexible, I can easily find big chunks of time to write.

What book do you wish you would have written? 

All of the Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House” books. As I child, I devoured every one of them. I loved escaping into pioneer days when life was harder in some ways, like surviving the dangers of winter or wild bears, yet simpler in others, like living in a cabin in the woods with a family who danced to fiddle music and ate stew. I think I’m drawn to writing for this same age group because I have so many warm memories of how her books made me feel. I hope that my novels stir emotion in children and make some kind of lasting positive impact like the “Little House” books did for me. 

Share your favorite excerpt from the book.

“You skateboard. Could you do any of those tricks?” Mom asked.

 Violet glanced at her, then back at the skaters, stalling her response. She wanted to tell her that she came alive when she soared through the air, and how satisfying the slap of a solid landing felt. She wanted to say it was the one place she most loved to be and the only place she felt comfortable in her own skin.

Instead, she pressed her forehead against the cold glass window, stared out at the ramps, and said, “I’d try any of them.”

It wasn’t a lie, but she withheld the whole truth. She had to be careful to keep her skate park trips hidden. Mom and Dad were already freaking out about the one time they knew about her going to Harlem. There was no telling what they’d do if they found out she’d come here tons of times. Violet didn’t even want to think about it.

Where can readers go to find you online?

I’d love you to come visit me at  www.reneelichtenhan.com

Catch the first book in the “I am Girl” series also:

Today my guest is Connie Anne Michael, author of A Thousand Moments Series. Thank you for joining me today, Connie. I’ve read your series and I found your characters and action scenes to be very authentic. I’m excited to have you here with me today. Let’s start by telling us a little bit about yourself.

I am a teacher on the Crow reservation in Montana. I love the outdoors and I’m a new grandma.

What is your Thousand Moments series about?

My Thousand moments series follows Doogie and Raven as they tackle falling in love in the midst of the battle field.

What was the catalyst for your interest in writing?

Weirdly the Twilight series got me to actually finish a book. I have written partials since I was little. 

Do you have a day job? If so, how do you find time in your day to write?

I do work and have an hour commute to work and an hour back. I love my school but I do struggle to find time to write and write mostly in the summer. 

Are you a night owl or morning person?

I am a morning person. I love the morning because it means the day is full of possibilities  

Who was your favorite character to create?

I love Doogie. She is a strong woman who keeps moving forward even when things get tough.

Are you a plotter or a panster?

Total pantser.

Do you experience writer’s block? What do you do to get through it?

I have experienced this a lot more lately and I usually go for a walk or a bike ride to get my mind flowing again. 

What’s next for you as an author?

Book 4, A Thousand Sacred Moments, will be released on July 21, 2020.

I can’t wait to read it!

Where can readers find you online?

My blog is called Loco for Libros:

https://locoforlibros.blogspot.com/

Today my guest is Katy Eeten, author of contemporary Christian romance.

Thank you for joining me today, Katy. I’ve taken time to read A Heart Held Captive. I found the struggle that your character faces to be very real. I’m excited to have you here today. Let’s start by telling us a little bit about yourself.

I’m from southeast Wisconsin where I live with my husband and two sons. I work full time in the business world, but I have always loved to write. I published my first book in 2018. I also love to read, bake, take walks, play games, and just chill with my family. Been doing a lot of that lately!

What is A Heart Held Captive about?

Cole Pearson, a physical therapist with a newfound faith, is drawn to ER nurse Emily Jenkins when she volunteers to pay for a foster child’s therapy. But Emily is a prisoner to her past mistakes and is reluctant to take things beyond their casual conversations at the clinic. When she finally allows herself to grow closer to Cole, her wounded heart begins to mend. But when tragedy strikes, she is sent into a tailspin. Can Cole help her grasp the freedom of God’s grace, or will she revert back to the captivity of her old ways and shut Cole out of her life for good?

What was the inspiration behind the story?

I had a dream once about a self-centered medical professional who was completely changed by witnessing the selfless act of a humble woman caring for a child she didn’t even know. That was what inspired the initial story, though the storyline developed and evolved quite a bit as I began typing away.

Do you have a day job? If so, how do you find time in your day to write?

Yes, I am the Team Lead of the Account Administration department for an asset management company. Now you can see why I usually just say that I “work in the business world” in my bio—ha! Along with raising two kids and a husband who works in ministry, that means I don’t have a ton of time to write, but I do try to fit it in on weekends, random days off work, or even on my lunch breaks. It’s not as much as I’d like, but I do what I can.

Do you consider yourself a night owl or morning person?

I feel like I’m neither. Ha! I really do like my sleep, but life dictates that I be more of a morning person, so I probably function better in the morning than at night.

Who was your favorite character to create?

I actually enjoyed creating Maria, one of the minor characters in A Heart Held Captive. She’s Cole’s sister-in-law and becomes friends with Emily. She’s super upbeat, friendly, down-to-earth, and someone who I think would be a good friend.

What does your family think of your writing?

They are very supportive. My husband isn’t much of a reader, but he has read all three of the books I’ve published so far (by choice!). My nine-year-old son even took it upon himself to read my Christmas novella, and he really enjoyed it! And my extended family has been supportive as well. I am blessed.

Would you share a favorite excerpt from A Heart Held Captive?

The below is when Emily has trouble sleeping one night, and Cole comes to her house to keep her company. They talk on the porch swing behind her house, and it ends up being a real turning point in their relationship.

Holding up half the blanket, she turned to face him. “Are you cold? We can share.”

Cole only pondered her question for a moment—he was warm blooded by nature, but he certainly didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to cuddle up next to Emily under a blanket on a porch swing on this beautiful night. Nodding, he scooted closer to allow for the blanket to rest on his lap and cover his legs. Their thighs now touched, and heat radiated through his body.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?” Cole noticed with mixed feelings that Emily’s eyes were starting to droop.

She yawned. “Oh, no thank you. You’re a really nice guy, you know that?”

He let his fingertips brush the top of her shoulder as his arm rested on the back of the swing. “Nah, just your average Joe.”

She shook her head, and her hair tickled his neck. “Well, I know I haven’t had much recent experience, but I still feel qualified to tell you that you are definitely not average.”

Cole closed his eyes, soaking up her words. “Well, Miss Emily. You are one to talk. I can honestly say I’ve never met anyone quite like you. And I mean that in the best possible way.”

Emily didn’t respond, but instead leaned her head against Cole’s chest. He dropped his arm from the back of the swing to cradle her shoulder. This felt right. More than right. And he hoped she had the same thoughts. But before he knew it, he heard her rhythmic breathing, and a quick glance told him her eyes were closed. Well, he had succeeded in his mission. She was asleep. Now all he had to do was figure out what on earth to do next.

Besides A Heart Held Captive, you’ve also published another Christian romance and a Christmas novella. What’s next for you as an author?

I have another Christmas novella coming out this holiday season called First Class Christmas. It’s another contemporary Christian romance, and I’m super excited to share it with the world!

Thank you again for joining me today. Where can our readers find you online?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatyEeten/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KatyEeten

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KatyEeten/

Website: https://katyeeten.wordpress.com/

Today I am talking with Colleen Hall, author of the historical Christian romance, Wounded Heart.

Colleen, thank you for joining me today. I’ve read Wounded Heart, and the first book in your series, Her Traitor’s Heart. I enjoyed them very much. I’m excited to have this opportunity to introduce you and your books to my readers.

Let’s start by telling us a little bit about yourself.

I’ve loved writing for almost as long as I can remember. When I was in elementary school, I wrote a mystery story in installments and gave each new installment to my friends to read on the bus while we were going home from school. Due to lack of time, I put my writing away while I was in college, but now that I’m back at it. If I had a choice between writing and eating, I’d choose writing.

What is Wounded Heart about?

Della Hughes longs for adventure and for freedom from the strictness and austerity of 1870s Boston society. When her uncle and guardian, General Clint Logan, uses his fortune to purchase property in Colorado and set up a horse ranch selling remounts to the western army, Della decides she must accompany him and his family to the West. Along the journey, Della encounters more adventure than she bargained for.

Rustlers, Indians, and rattlesnakes add danger to the trek. A persistent cavalry captain who believes Della would make him the perfect wife and a Cheyenne chieftain’s son who tells her she’s brought sunshine to his heart complicate her life. And the handsome army scout who ramrods their wagon train guards a secret from his past that makes him believe he’s not worthy of loving Della. She must meet the challenges of the West and convince the man of her heart that love is worth risking everything to gain.

Do you have a day job?

Yes, I work a fulltime day job, so that means a lot of late nights and busy Saturdays.

How do you find time in your day to write?

Fortunately, I don’t need a lot of sleep, because I’m usually the last person to get to bed due to my writing schedule.

Are you a night owl or morning person?

Definitely a night owl.

Do you reward yourself when a book is finished?

Yes, with something gooey and chocolate!

Were there any surprises that came up as you wrote your story?  

In the third book of my Frontier Hearts Saga, Warrior’s Heart (The rough draft has just been finished.), Wild Wind refused to love the lady I’d created for his love interest. She wouldn’t cooperate, either. She wouldn’t come to life, and Wild Wind continued refusing to love her. Instead, he loved another of the characters from the previous book and wouldn’t change his mind. This required me to make major changes to the plot.

Who was your favorite character to create?

I love all my characters, but I think Wild Wind is my favorite. He’s such a strong character, he took over the story.

Are you a plotter or a panster?

I’m some of both. I have a loose outline in my head, so I know the general direction of the story, but I’m loose enough so that the story is organic and develops as I go. The scenes don’t always play out as I thought they would, and sometimes the characters take the story in a direction I didn’t anticipate. I never try to make my characters do something they just won’t do.

Share your favorite excerpt from your book: (Wounded Heart)

Della lifted her arm and looked at the wound. Two puncture holes in the sleeve of her blouse marked the spot where the rattlesnake had struck. Crimson droplets stained the fabric. “Here.” Faintness washed over her, adding to the searing agony of the bite. She swayed.

Shane caught her about the shoulders and eased her down onto the buffalo grass, propping her against the rocks. He reached into his boot, pulled out his bowie knife, and slit her sleeve from shoulder to wrist, then bunched the fabric beneath her arm. With aching gentleness he wrapped his fingers about her bicep and examined the bite. Della risked another glance. Swelling and angry redness marred her skin at the wound site.

Shane lowered her arm. “Keep your arm down. It will slow the venom.” He cast her a reassuring look. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

Della closed her eyes. His hurried footsteps faded as he crossed the grass to his mustang. Nausea roiled in her stomach. Her face and limbs felt numb, and her throat tightened, making breathing difficult. She struggled to draw air into her lungs.

Moments later, Hunter knelt at her side. Cracking open her eyes, she watched him arrange dried grass into a pile and extract the makings of a fire from his tinder box. With an economy of motion, he scratched a match against the sole of his boot, lit the fire, and poured water from his canteen into the tin pan he carried in his saddlebags. From a deerskin pouch, he shook a measure of dried herbs into the water and set the pan in the flames. Next, he shoved the blade of his bowie knife deep into the fire.

Della closed her eyes again, not wanting to know what he intended to do with the knife. She clamped her lips against the nausea churning in her belly. The pain in her arm and the numbness of her hands and feet terrified her.

Hunter roused her by a touch on her shoulder. “Darlin’, drink this.” Squatting by her side, he held his tin cup to her lips.

She opened her eyes and stared at his face hovering close above her. Now his features—and everything she looked at—seemed blurred. Her panic kicked up a notch when she couldn’t quite focus.

He held the mug for her while Della drank. The tea tasted bitter, but she drained the liquid to the dregs. When she’d swallowed the last drop, she leaned her head back against the rock and closed her eyes again.

Still crouching beside her, Hunter squeezed her shoulder in a tender caress. “Darlin’, look at me.”

Della lifted her lids and stared into his eyes, squinting to focus against the blurriness.

“Della, I’m goin’ to hurt you.”

“Hmm. . .?” She struggled to make sense of his words.

“I’m goin’ to take my knife and cut across the bite marks. You need to bleed. Some of the venom will come out with your blood. Then, I’ll pack the wounds with the poultice to draw out as much of the venom as possible.” He squeezed her shoulder again. “I won’t hurt you more than I have to, but I must work fast, and the blade will be hot.”

She nodded. His words made her heart thump against her ribs. Breathing as deeply as she could manage with the effects of the venom constricting her throat, she forced herself to calmness.

Hunter bent and placed a swift kiss on her lips, then twisted toward the fire. When he pivoted back to her, his bowie knife in one hand, a jolt of panic shot through her. With his other hand, he grasped her arm about the wound, making it impossible for her to move. The blade of the knife glowed red.

Their gazes met for a single instant before Shane placed the tip of the blade against her skin and pressed the edge into the muscle. The acrid scent of burning flesh filled her nostrils as the blade bit into her arm. Agony greater than anything she’d ever known sliced through her. Della turned her head away, gritting her teeth, determined not to scream. He made another slash across the second bite mark and then tossed down the knife.

Della’s head fell back against the rock, and she swallowed a whimper of pain.

What’s next for you as an author?

The next thing for me as an author is editing Warrior’s Heart and submitting it.

I can’t wait to read it. Thank you for joining me today, Colleen. Where can readers reach you online?

Twitter: @ColleenGHall

Facebook: @ColleenHallRomance

Website: colleenhallromance.com