#NewRelease Spotlight Author Interview ~ GRAY'S PROMISE by Anni Fife #Giveaway
Please make welcome another fabulous "Rose" sister (The Wild Rose Press), Annie Fife! We are celebrating her new release, Gray's Promise! The Tavern is serving martinis and cheese tarts, so grab a comfy chair and let's find out more from Anni...
MM: Welcome, Anni! Congrats on your new release! I'm delighted you could join us today. Describe a typical writing day. Are you a morning, afternoon, or night-owl writer?
AF: I am all three because the thing I dislike more than anything else is a rigid schedule. It gives me the heebie-jeebies! I start most mornings clearing my email inbox and social media. And then I write the first paragraph of the new scene I have planned for that day (I generally work on a scene per day.) It feels great to have that in place before my day moves forward. Once I’m in writing mode, I rarely stop until my scene is done, even if it takes me late into the night. But I also walk every day, mostly on the beach. The time varies as I only walk at low tide, so you could say that my writing schedule is dictated by the tides.
MM: How wonderful, Anni. I do miss the ocean. Can you tell us about your current work-in-progress?
AF: I’m completely enmeshed in Eva’s Promise (King Security Book 3) and delighted that my publisher, The Wild Rose Press contracted this book on a brief synopsis. It’s due for release in Fall 2018. I prefer not to offer a summary about a WIP until I’ve finished the first draft. It gives me a breathless feeling, like I’m trapping my characters into a pre-determined story. Instead, I’ll share with you the opening paragraph to the synopsis I sent my publisher.
“Eva’s Peace begins amidst a crime that most police admit they dread more than any other—a missing child. Grace Young, eighteen months old, has been snatched from her nanny’s car. We get our first glimpse of Grace’s mother, Scarlett Eva Young, through the eyes of the lead detective assigned to the case, Detective Tom Payne of the Los Angeles Police Department. He stands alone in the observation room, watching from behind one-way glass as her and her ex-husband are interviewed. Tom finds Eva difficult to read. She is undeniably beautiful but her face is a blank mask. A frozen blank mask. In his experience, this meant she either didn’t give a damn. Or she gave too much of a damn. He wanted to believe it was the latter. For the child’s sake, he prayed it was the latter.”
MM: Wow! Powerful. Thanks for sharing, Anni. What inspires you when you’re writing?
AF: Staying true to my characters. I want them to be alive for my readers and for that to happen, I have to do tons of work on character development. The good thing is, I’m a psychology nut, so I get high on fleshing out the intricacies of what makes my characters tick. I dig deep into their motives and try to analyze their actions from their own worldview. I do my best not to bring my own perspective into contention because I don’t want it to distort how a character reacts to any given situation or person.
MM: I'm smiling here...What’s your favorite item on your writing desk?
AF: Again, it’s my characters. I work in a small office space but the walls are covered with images of my characters. They literally surround me. Besides reference pictures, I also print out reams of physical descriptions and traits and add these to my character montages. Then if that’s not enough, I use a pin-board for color-coded story timelines. Lastly, I habitually scrawl inspiring writing tips on colored post-its that I use to trigger my left-brain when it’s feeling sleepy.
MM: Would love to see those walls! Now just for fun ~ Do you prefer...
Champagne or Beer? Champagne…but I never say no to a cold beer on a hot day by the pool!
Southern drawl or Scottish burr? Southern drawl. Matthew McConaughey could convince me to do anything with that chocolate drawl of his!
Kilt or Leather pants? Definitely leather pants, and even more so when they’re wrapped around a Harley!
First romance you read? I think I was around four. It was a pop-up book of Sleeping Beauty. I loved that book! I read it over and over until the pop-ups were in tatters. Maybe that’s where I got my love of romance and Happily Ever After’s… (I love this, Anni)
Print book or e-reader? Okay, as much as I want to say print book, I’m going to put on my big-girl panties and say I’m a converted lover of my kindle!
Blurb for Gray's Promise ~
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 ~
Gray’s hands balled into fists. He wanted to punch the walls. “Take me to her. Now!”
“You need to control yourself, Mr. Walker.”
Rage joined the sick fear churning inside him and he glared at the doctor. She didn’t flinch. Her face held no judgment, but her steady gaze also gave no quarter. Gray found it anchored him, offering him no alternative but to deal with the reality slamming into him. The rigidity in his body eased. Doctor Wells nodded slightly, and in a cool, precise voice, continued. “Given Miss Morgan’s concussion and the yet unidentified drug in her system, we would prefer not to administer any more sedatives.”
Ping!
The doors opened and they stepped out. She led them down another corridor and stopped outside a numbered ward. “Mr. Walker—”
“It’s Gray.”
“Okay, Gray.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “Zoey is extremely agitated. To calm her, you need to find the calmness within yourself.” Her probing stare insisted on a response.
He nodded sharply.
“She’s on the edge of hysteria and in danger of hurting herself. If you cannot calm her, we will be forced to sedate her for her own safety.”
Zoey!
Gray’s heart hammered wildly. He closed his eyes, and for the first time since he’d raced into the ED, let her image surface.
His beautiful red butterfly. Mercurial and brilliant. Her dark-copper hair alight with so many fiery streaks, he was constantly amazed it didn’t singe his skin. The curly length was unexpectedly soft, so goddamn sexy when it slipped like satin through his fingers. But as much as he loved her hair, it was her eyes that endlessly beguiled him. Tapered like a cat, they were vivid-green with a golden ring around her pupil. A fascinating combination of sex-kitten and innocent, and such an integral part of her expressive nature. There were times he thought they were too large for her heart-shaped face, but then she’d laugh and they’d turn that intense jewel-like green. Wicked. Infectious. Or she’d whimper with desire, and the golden ring would leak into the green. Hot and slumberous. Untamed.
“Gray?”
He opened his eyes, forcing Zoey’s image back into darkness. “Take me to her.” He met the doctor’s unblinking scrutiny. “Please.”
Buy Links ~
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Nook | Kobo | iTunes | Bookstrand | The Wild Rose Press
More about Anni ~
Anni Fife is an exciting contemporary romance author who has already made her mark in the popular genre of Steamy Romantic Suspense. Her debut novel, Luke’s Redemption, has been acclaimed by critics and readers and was a Finalist in the 2017 RONE Awards. Anni says she credits Kristen Ashley as her guiding inspiration, and strives to make her characters equally as heart-wrenching and unforgettable. She is currently working on Eva’s Peace (King Security Book 3).
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 is published by The Wild Rose Press, and is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA).
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
Or LIKE Anni on Facebook—https://www.facebook.com/AnniFifeAuthor/
Or follow Anni on Twitter—https://twitter.com/AnniFifeAuthor
Goodreads— https://www.goodreads.com/AnniFife
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