Book one in the Unchained series. Jessica Sterns has always been a good girl, doing right, dating right, following all the right rules. Now, at twenty-nine, thanks to a life change, she's got a whole lot of catching up to do, and a whole lot of bad girl to let loose. It's just a question of finding the right man. At first glance, Mac Hollister appeared to be just that man. The tall rugged rancher practically oozed testosterone, while his indolent posture, easy confidence and raw masculinity just screamed "bad boy". The kind of man women spin dark fantasies around. The kind of man she's looking for. The minute the honey-blonde sets her dainty foot on the sidewalk in Round The Bend, Mac knows he's in trouble. From the top of her head with its long French braid, to the tips of her toes with their delicate pink polish, this woman defines elegance. Not the kind of woman he prefers, but no amount of logic can dissuade his interest once he sees Jessie's smile. He's always been a sucker for a sense of humor. Especially when it comes packaged with a killer body and an equally killer wit. Mac expects their affair to be short, sweet and safe, but he soon discovers that beneath that delicate image lurks a woman who can handle all the "bad boy" he can throw at her. She's everything he never expected to find, and what started out short-term soon becomes a relationship that will demand a compromise he's not sure he can make in order to keep the one woman he can't imagine living without.
I write big (130K) fast paced books and my intent is to grab your heart in the first paragraph and not let it go until the last sentence of the last page. In between, I want you to laugh, to cry and sometimes just flat out be breathless from the energy between the characters. To me, that's the challenge in writing a good story and every time I read a review or a comment that says I delivered that moment for a reader, my heart skips a beat and my inner muse leaps into the air with a resounding, "Yes!"
My first year published was a roller coaster ride of excitement. I released 4 books and received multiple reviewer choice awards, best of the year awards and also the CAPA for Best New Author Romance Erotic. 20 awards all told. I can't tell you how flattering and unexpected that was to someone who was completely thrilled just to have an audience for her stories.
I have three series at Ellora's Cave, all different, each with their own unique flavor. My Promise Series (Western Historical) is widely popular with readers of all genres and has been described as Deadwood (a wonderfully gritty HBO series) meets Romantica by readers. Probably not what you are conditioned to think of when you think Western historical, this series features the bad boys of the Old West who meet their matches in the unexpected women they meet in the most unexpected places. These alphas are men hardened by life with temperaments honed to a ruthless edge by their experiences, yet who still harbor a bone deep sense of honor that earns them the reward of the one woman who can tap into their heart. Each woman is as individual as the man she completes, but for a man who has never expected more than a violent end for doing the right thing in this life, they are a gift beyond price and there's nothing they won't do to keep them safe, happy and above all, theirs.
The Unchained series (Contemporary) explores the emotional journey of women shaking off the chains in their lives, whether those chains are emotional or physical. The men they meet along this journey of self-discovery are dominant, possessive, sexy, and tender. In other words, they're scorchers!! I love this series because even in the darkest moments, these characters can make me laugh through my tears. And the men, well, the men are just to die for because I couldn't give these courageous heroines anything less than their equals.
The OTHERS series is a blend of contemporary paranormal and suspense. It is a favorite of my heart because amidst the danger of extinction and the threat of civil war, there is also the huge complication of culture clash when The Chosen and The Others meet up with their mates who, when faced with that they must adapt to in order to be with the men who love them, are not necessarily thrilled with the choice fate has made for them. I love the energy between the pages of these stories, love the way the men come to the realization of the compromise they will have to make in their traditions in order to keep their mates, love the way they view their mates, but most of all, love the way the women come to realize their power and just how much they bring to the table in this seemingly unequal relationship. Love does not come easily to the heroes and heroines of these stories, but it does come, and when it arrives, it is the kind of love worth fighting for and keeping. Forever.
I think that's as much of an "about me and my books" as I can fit in here. Thanks so much for stopping by and I look forward to talking to each of you.
Best,
Sarah
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
