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Grab your favorite beverage, relax, and let me tell you a story…

After Midnight - Black Phoenix #1

Re-edited, revised edition October 2013

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Dangerously Sexy Suspense

March 29, 2010

Enter To Win

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Want to win big this Valentine's Day?


Check out the Valentine's Day Contest at
Romance Junkies
for your chance to win some exceptional prizes.


Interested in your very own pdf copy of
NOT WITHOUT RISK,
along with this beautiful puffed heart keychain?

Entering is easy.
Find out how.



Measuring 4.5" in length and the heart is 1.75" wide 1" puffed.
Finished on both sides.
Can be clipped used as a keychain, or clipped to your purse.


Front has rhinestones surrounding the center heart & back has a filigree pattern.



*The contest runs until March 31st

March 19, 2010

Spotlight On... Eleanor Sullo


Please welcome Eleanor Sullo to the blog today. Welcome Eleanor, will you share a short bio with us?

It’s terrific to be here, Sarah. Thanks for inviting me.

I sometimes think my unusual birthday, February 29, (a Leap Year, though I won’t say which one) has given my life some pretty unusual twists—mostly good ones, though I’ve had the opportunity to grow through some tough ones, too. I married young and with my sweetheart raised three wonderful kids outside of Hartford, CT, before I decided to pursue further education. I became a college English teacher for a few years then got a degree in Pastoral work. You meet some amazing people and hear some touching stories when you work that closely with people. I loved what I did, and still am involved in a part-time way with retreats and spiritual workshops.

But one day I realized the kid who loved to make-up stories was still pretty alive in me. A few years later I started writing full-time, though I continued my spiritual work, heavy duty organic gardening and traveling whenever possible. We still raise most of our own food, along with our two married children and their families. We hike our own land, help out in church ministries when possible, and still meet the most fabulous people around, like right now as we vacation and do book signings in Tucson, AZ.

What a productive adventure it’s been. Short stories and non-fiction, novels and a memoir, and the bonus of having my seven grandchildren grow up next door. My younger sister says I’m a late-bloomer, but she doesn’t know all the adventures of my younger years!

How many books have you published?

Four romances, book one of a six-book mystery series (Menopause Murders), and a spiritual memoir, along with editing a cookbook and contributing to a non-fiction anthology.


Tell us about TOO DAMNED HOT and where we can find it.

I always take a deep breath when I start talking about Too Damned Hot, maybe because Alana, the heroine, has gone through so much in her life, more than most of us, and has emerged a strong woman whose journey is still not easy. When she shows up to fix an air-conditioner and meets her former sweetheart after years apart, she finds herself drawn into a torrid romance she can’t resist. She’s afraid it’s just sex, and he’s scared to death it’s something more.

Secrets and lies from the past and the present rip them apart, and it’s hard to believe they will ever make it together. The book is set in Tucson, and the whole mystique of the desert—stark, haunting and sometimes scary landscapes--plays a big role, along with a dangerous and vicious uncle, a controlling grandma, hired spies and events I can’t give away. It’s called a spicy romance, but spice doesn’t begin to capture the love of these two people, in my opinion.

The Wild Rose Press is the publisher and the book’s also available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and certainly at the signings that are set up for me here in Tucson!

Where do you get your ideas?

You know, I’m not really sure. I do know my characters come first, sneak up on me and start hinting to me about their stories. Places where these characters “live” also come to mind so clearly, I just have to start writing about them, so setting always plays a big part in my stories. Haunted, 800-year-old houses, spreading farms on the banks of the rolling Hudson River, a crashing skyscraper, the awesome desert of Tucson, Arizona.

What is the most interesting comment you’ve ever received on one of your books?

A woman I met in England told me at a booksigning after she visited the haunted house I wrote about, and after I gave a brief reading from my book, Moonrakers, that she had just “met” the ghost I put into my story. She described my ghost thoroughly, and got serious chills and goosebumps telling me about it. Then I got chills and goosebumps hearing it, and when I went to sign her book, wrote her name totally wrong—a name neither of us had mentioned. I still don’t know where it came from, but I saved the wrongly signed book in case it ever inspires another mysterious character!

What do you find is the hardest part of writing a book?

Self-editing was torture when I first began writing full-length novels, but thanks to some terrific editors, like Eilidh MacKenzie of Wild Rose Press, I’m getting better at self-editing as I go along. In fact it’s kind of a welcome challenge now, and, since it means I can write more if I write more efficiently, I’m pretty motivated. There aren’t enough hours in the day to tell all those stories.

Do you become attached to your characters and have a hard time letting them go?

Definitely, which is why Menopause Murders--about six wonderful but slightly whacky women whom I call “women on fire”, Hannah, Lucia, Ada, Dorie, Theo and Meg--is becoming a six-book series, each book featuring one of the heroines. Book One, Hostage, Hannah’s story, came out in February, then the series continues with a new Menopause Murder adventure every six months. How will I leave these feisty, strong, caring, fun-loving, crime-solving, earthy, menopausal pals after a several years with them? I already have an inkling of an idea how, and it just might involve a new generation of mavericks…hmmm.

Do you do anything special to celebrate a sale (new contract) or release?

We usually just gather the family around, open an old, respected bottle of wine for a toast, and share the news. In fact, the only time we skipped that particular celebration was when I got word that Paulist Press was publishing my family-oriented memoir. I was thrilled, but the family’s reaction was, “Please use a pen name—we don’t want to be recognized!” When I finally got the idea to use my maiden name, Sampeck, everybody calmed down.


What's next for you?

I have Book Two of Menopause Murders, Harem, coming out next August. It’s a hoot, about Lucia’s mother-in-law who lives in a nursing home and is infatuated with a handsome male resident who likes to strip down and wander down the halls. When a murder takes place in the home, the women on fire decide to solve the mystery and create more recreation-opportunities for the seniors to keep them busy and happy. But there’s that streaking patient, and another guy with strange smoky odors coming from under his door, and staff people who disappear on certain nights, and some loose family ends that Lucia must tie up at home and in Italy—before the true killer can be found. Wear your running shoes to keep up with this one.



Where can we find you on the web?

I’d love to have you visit. http://eleanorsullo.com/.
And thanks, Sarah, I look forward to another meeting one day.

Do you have anything you'd like to ask our readers?

Thanks for bringing that up, I do. I’m a fan of longish, can’t-stop-turning-the-pages books. I’ve heard many people prefer shorter, more easily digested stories that can be deliciously gulped down in one or two evenings. Naturally, I want readers looking for my books and those characters I meet, help create, and love. What do you, the readers prefer? Would you tell me your ideas on book length?

Readers, Eleanor and I would love to hear your answers.
Eleanor, thanks for visiting with me today.



March 15, 2010

Spotlight on... Karlene Blakemore-Mowle


Today I'm happy to have fellow Wild Rose Press author Karlene Blakemore-Mowle on my blog. Welcome Karlene, will you please share with us a quick bio?

I live on the beautiful Mid North Coast of NSW in Australia. A certified small town girl, I’m most happy in a little town where everyone knows who your Grand Parents were. I’m a wife and mother of four children, working part time as a pathology collector by day, squeezing in writing whenever and however I can.


Your first book, FALLOUT, was released in February. Tell us about it and where we can find it.

Fallout is a story about a Detective, Tully Chambers who is on the run from the mob and her next door neighbour, the sexy ex military man Jake Holden who is determined to figure out Tully and her mysterious past.

It’s available from The Wild Rose Press now.

Here’s a blurb…

Risking their lives for others is second nature, but can they trust each other enough to risk their hearts? Tully Chambers is no damsel in distress. An up and coming detective, she had her sights set on promotion until the day her partner was murdered and she ended up on the run from the mob.


Jake Holden has demons of his own. Having served his country for over twenty years, he’s found himself wounded, alone, and without a plan for his future. What starts as a simple diversion--trying to figure out the feisty little waitress next door—turns out to be his most dangerous mission yet.



From the tropics of Far North Queensland to the rugged isolation of the Northern Territory in Australia, two modern-day warriors discover their greatest fear isn’t that of a madman’s revenge–but of laying their hearts on the line for love.

read an excerpt


Describe your writing in three words.

Action…Adventure…Passion


Why did you choose your genre?

I love a romance with a bit of action- even better if it has a military man or two in it.


What do you find is the hardest part of writing a book?


Initially, I find it’s the whole process of mapping out your characters and who’s who. Although I try hard to plot out my story-- being impatient-- I tend to just dive in and start writing and I often find myself reaching the half-way point with no clue as to where the story is going to go! I try hard to make myself muddle out a plan, but it just never seems to quite work out! I wish I was more of a plotter and planner, it would make life a lot more organized!

What writers have influenced you the most?

I love the Cross Stitch series of Diana Gabaldon- Jamie is the hero of all hero’s to me. I have a wide reading range. I love everything from military thrillers like Chris Ryan, and Andy McNab write, to action thrillers that Matthew Reilly does so well. These type of stories were great, but written from a male perspective if there was any romantic elements they were only lightly touched on and more time seemed to go into the nitty-gritty weapons description and I tended to skip those bits and get on with the story. This was were my desire to write romantic suspense stemmed from. I wanted the action and the military men- but with less attention on the technical aspects and weapons and more focus on the characters and the romance.


I also read a lot of Australian rural romance and mainstream fiction. Like I said- I have a wide variety of reading tastes and I think all of these contribute to my writing style in some shape or form.


What are you passionate about?


My writing- I can talk for hours about it…it’s just finding anyone bored enough to sit and listen to me talking about my writing that is hard to find!! I’m also passionate about Australia. I tend to base a lot of my writing in Australian locations. We have such an abundance of beautiful places. I love to show case them when ever possible.

Do you have a favorite character or one that you identify most with?


I think my favourite characters would have to be Tate Maddox and Summer Sheldon, who feature in my next book due to come out later in the year. I first wrote their story about ten years ago and it has undergone a lot of changes, but I always hate reaching the end of the book and it’s a real tug to let them go. Maybe it’s just that they have been through so much with me over the last ten years, or that I know them so well with so many rewrites! What ever the reason, I can’t wait to finally hold that book in my hands!!!! It’s been a labour of love all the way.


But I think as a writer, you love all your characters. You put so much time, effort and sometimes tears into creating them, that there’s a little part of yourself in each one of them.


What's next for you?


Well as I mentioned I have Operation: Summer Storm coming out sometime this year, and another book due out sometime in July- date yet to be set, and this one is a little different. The Cattleman’s Runaway Bride is an Australian Rural Romance, not my usual Romantic Suspense, but a story I really enjoyed writing and hope to do more of.


Where can we find you on the web?



I have a blog at http://karlybm.blogspot.com/ where I have character interviews up for Tully and Jake as well as all the latest news on my latest releases. I also have a web page with more info on my life and the area I live in for anyone who is interested at http://www.karlybm.webs.com/.


I would love to hear from you and would like to thank Sarah, so much for having me here.

Thank you, Karly.

Fallout by Karlene Blakemore-Mowle

Risking their lives for others is second nature, but can they trust each other enough to risk their hearts?

Tully Chambers is no damsel in distress. An up and coming detective, she had her sights set on promotion until the day her partner was murdered and she ended up on the run from the mob.

Jake Holden has demons of his own. Having served his country for over twenty years, he’s found himself wounded, alone, and without a plan for his future. What starts as a simple diversion--trying to figure out the feisty little waitress next door—turns out to be his most dangerous mission yet.



From the tropics of Far North Queensland to the rugged isolation of the Northern Territory in Australia, two modern-day warriors discover their greatest fear isn’t that of a madman’s revenge–but of laying their hearts on the line for love.


excerpt:


“Who are you?” she demanded.


“What the hell?” The intruder struggled, to twist without success, beneath her.


Tully registered his deep voice before repeating her question. “Who. Are. You?”


“Jake Holden,” he growled back.


“Why are you breaking into my house?”


“Lady, I have no idea what you’re talking about. This is my house. I’m trying to open my door.”


Now that her eyes had adjusted to the light outside Tully could make out the profile of a strong face, grimacing in pain.


He had short dark hair and was nicely built. Under her knee she noticed his strong neck and broad shoulders. He didn’t have the physique of a body builder, all muscle and no neck, but he still appeared to be very fit. She also smelt alcohol. While she wouldn’t have said he was inebriated, his reaction time had been off a little.


“I just moved in today. You can check my licence and see for yourself,” he offered, grunting in pain.


“Where is it?”


“Well, if you let me up I’ll get it out for you”


She wasn’t about to let this guy up just yet, not until she got to the bottom of this. “Where’s your licence?”


“Front right hand side in my trousers.” His tone came out stiff and full of wounded indignation.


“You’ve gotta be kidding me. Who keeps their wallet in their front pocket?” she scoffed, thinking he had to be lying to create an opportunity to make a break for it.


“It’s not in my wallet, I just took my ID and cash to the pub,” he growled. “But if the thought of sticking your hand down my pants scares you—”



FALLOUT - Available Now at The Wild Rose Press

March 12, 2010

Writing Cops

I'm a guest over at Writing Cops today. I talk a little about Not Without Risk and what's next for me.

March 10, 2010

And the winner is...

Okay everyone, I put the names of everyone who commented on yesterday's 'question of the day' into a hat and had my son pick one.

The winner of a pdf copy of NOT WITHOUT RISK is...

Sandra Koehler.

Congratulations, Sandra! I hope you enjoy it.


~Sarah~

Want another chance to win?
Check out the Valentine's Day contest.
It runs through March 31st.

March 9, 2010

Question of the Day

What draws you to a new author?
Is it:

A positive review?
The recommendation of a friend?
An eye-catching cover?
The book blurb?
Something else?

I'd love to know. And in celebration of 'Read an eBook' week,
I'll give away a pdf copy of
NOT WITHOUT RISK
to a random commenter.

March 3, 2010

Fantastic Review



I'm so excited I can barely string the words together as I type this post. It's true! I've just discovered that Not Without Risk has been given the rating BEST BOOK at Long and Short Reviews.

Here's a look at what the reviewer had to say:

"Get ready for the ride of your life as Sarah Grimm takes us on an adventure, an adventure of danger an adventure of suspense, but be prepared, this adventure isn't for the faint of heart. If you, like me, enjoy fast paced, nail biting, page turning, edge of your seat suspense, then by all means get on board and try Not Without Risk."

Wow! Thank you Larkspur and Long and Short Reviews. I'm so very thrilled that you enjoyed Justin and Paige's story.

For those interested, the entire review can be seen here.