By Anni Fife (Guest Blogger)
I’m
a detailed planner rather than a pantser. This means I don’t write
by the seat of my pants, rather, I like to plan every scene, then
move on to the research, and end by checking that my character
development and arcs are complete. This works for me because when I
start the actual writing of my novel, I can focus fully on the
creative process without panicking about what is going to happen
next. You see, I have a pathological fear of writer’s block!
For
Gray’s Promise,
my plan seemed to be on track until I started to write. Then, by the
end of Chapter One, I realized Gray and Zoey’s journey to their
happily ever after was going to be so painful and intense, and so
darn beautiful, that a complicated suspense plot would only distract
from their explosive relationship. So I started to ask that magical
question a lot of authors resort to when a plot isn’t working:
‘What if…?’
Out
went my intricate suspense plot that was built around fracking, the
theft of lucrative gas by tunneling into a neighboring ranch, and a
kidnapping that exploded into death and mayhem. I reworked the
suspense plot and brought the evil much closer to home, making the
horror and pain more threatening and claustrophobic. I also reworked
their physical relationship. The sexual chemistry between Gray and
Zoey is explosive but it’s also intricately linked to their long
and unbreakable bond to each other. Complicated emotional factors
(clear in the story when you read it) determined that I delay the
actual consummation between them. This presented a huge challenge
because I had to find a way to make the sexual encounters between
them smoking hot but without them actually doing the deed until the
final chapter of their story.
Yowza!
The love scenes between Gray and Zoey have ended up being the hottest
scenes I have ever written, most likely because the emotion between
these two is intensely raw, but also because Gray is just that darn
hot!
I
hope you enjoy the Blurb and the short Excerpt I’ve selected that
gives you just a hint of the heat between Gray and Zoey.
Happy
reading…Anni x
Blurb
A
jealousy that destroys everything in its path…a love that refuses
to die.
Zoey
Morgan seems to have it all as a
successful surgeon in Boston. However, perfection lies only on the
surface. Plagued by nightmares and amnesia from a tragedy that ripped
her family from her fourteen years ago, she finds the courage to
reach out to the only man who can make her feel safe. She’s buried
the memory of their love, but her heart—and her body—responds to
the ex-marine in ways that are all too familiar.
Grayson
“Gray” Walker’s heart
shattered when Zoey chose another man over him. Since then, he’s
built an impenetrable wall around his emotions. But from the moment
she implodes back into his life, her vulnerability breaches his
defenses. His skills as an elite member of the King Security team
cannot shield him from the devastation of learning he might have left
Zoey high and dry when she needed him most. Now, Gray must navigate
the tripwire of helping her heal while protecting himself from being
hurt again.
As
the embers of their potent love reignite, an old threat awakens,
leading to greater danger than ever before.
Excerpt
The
porch door was open, letting a soft breeze move through the cottage.
I breathed in the dewy dampness, and a faint pain echoed near my
heart. If I closed my eyes, I could almost hear Mama chattering to my
dad in the kitchen. She always got up early to make breakfast. The
memories were buried but when they surfaced, they were mine to
treasure. I drank my coffee and washed down the last of my cinnamon
roll. And with it, gently nudged the memory away.
The
breeze gusted and I brushed away a curl of hair fluttering in my
face. Gray was cracking eggs now and a wave of lust crept over me.
His easy—and mostly naked—confidence in the kitchen was weirdly
heady. An image of his face when he came last night slipped into my
mind. The dampness in the air transferred to my skin and I shivered,
goose bumps prickling up my arms. Jeez. He was so sexy. Even
more than I could have ever imagined. Rubbing at my goosies, I peeked
at him through my lashes. A vague heaviness fluttered in my tummy. He
was confident and seductive as hell, but he was also holding back. He
might have had reason last night, but I wasn’t going to let him get
away with it for long. Gray’s running days were coming to an end.
Soon.
“Butterfly.”
His sexy growl demanded my attention. He was sipping coffee, his
electric gaze focused on me. “You wearing panties?”
Buy
Links
Amazon.com
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077KRRX15
Amazon.uk
– https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077KRRX15/
Bookstrand
– http://www.bookstrand.com/grays-promise
The
Wild Rose Press -
https://wildcatalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-erotic/5486-gray-s-promise.html
Luke’s
Redemption (King Security Book 1)
Currently
on sale for only 99c. Limited time so be quick!
About
Anni
Last year, Anni
closed the door on a successful career in television production to
fulfill her lifelong passion, writing. In the space of a month, she
shut her business, packed up her city life, and moved to a small
seaside village. When she’s not writing, she can be found on the
beach searching for pansy shells, or drinking red wine and gabbing
with her gal posse.
If
you want to know when Anni’s next book is releasing and be first to
get regular updates and BONUS TREATS, visit her website
and sign up to join her POSSE.
Anni’s
Social Media Links
You
can read all about Anni on her website, and join Anni’s
Posse
to get regular updates and Bonus Treats—www.annifife.com
Amazon— https://www.amazon.com/author/annifife
BookBub— https://www.bookbub.com/authors/anni-fife
of
this brand new release. Good luck!
2 comments:
Hello dear Lisabet. It's wonderful to be back on your gorgeous blog, and a HUGE thank you for helping me spread the word about my new release. I'm so excited with how Gray's Promise and turned out and can't wait for feedback from readers. Wishing you and your readers an awesome festive season...and hours of happy reading. Anni xx
Hi, Anni!
Thanks for your enthusiasm ;^) Sounds like a dynamite book - especially if the characters managed to hijack your carefully laid plans.
I like your comments about delaying the consummation of Gray's and Zoey's physical relationship. I find that desire burns hotter for being constrained.
Good luck with the book!
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