Wyoming Territory 1870 Widowed and barren, Jenna sees the newborn left on her doorstep as a priceless gift worthy of any sacrifice. She knows she'll need a husband to keep the baby, but nothing prepares her for the man who offers. Big and dark, simmering with a deadly intensity, Clint McKinnely could put fear into the devil. He certainly strikes fear into her. But Jenna soon discovers that the man behind the reputation is the one man she longs to trust. A hard man burned out by the choices he's made, Clint is looking for a reason to go on. He finds one in Jenna Hennessy. Lushly plump, sweet and shy, she calls to him on every level. When it looks as though Jenna might lose the daughter she loves for lack of a husband, Clint steps forward. Having Jenna in his home brings Clint a peace he's never known, but even as he ferrets out the secrets that haunt Jenna's nightmares, Clint keeps his own close to his chest, knowing this marriage is temporary because there are some sins a man can't expect his wife to forgive.
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
