S is for Sharlie

Sharlie is the heroine of Debra's This Time for Always.

Just as I have a soft spot in my heart for my first hero, Sharlie will always mean a lot to me too. Sometimes I agonize over what to name my characters, but this one was there from the beginning. The name might have even been there before the story.

I always thought I made the name up, but if you Google it, you get some interesting results.

Think Baby Names gives us this information:

What does Sharlie mean?

Sharlie /shar-lie/ [2 sylls.] as a girls' name is of Old German derivation, and the name Sharlie means "free man". Sharlie is a version of Charlie (Old German): pet variant of Charlene and Charlotte. Sharlow is a conventional surname.

In my story, Sharlie's full name is Sharlina. Again, a name I pretty much just made up at the time.

The meaning is a bit interesting to me, as part of Sharlie's story arc is that she moved out of her wealthy father's house, thus freeing herself from his influence and control.

A wiki shares this about the name:

Sharlie (Slimy Slim, The Twilight Dragon of Payette Lake) is the name given to a reptile-like sea serpent much like the Loch Ness Monster that is believed by some to live in the deep alpine waters of Payette Lake near McCall, Idaho. The first reference to the sea serpent may be the belief of Native Americans, predating western settlement of the area, that an evil spirit dwelled in the lake. The first documented sighting by western settlers occurred in 1920 when workers cutting ties at the upper end of the lake thought they saw a log in the lake. The “log” began to move.

Hmn? My Sharlie is tall and blonde with no resemblance to a monster of any kind. So this one just made me laugh.

Then I found a blog called Sharlie's Angels about a woman with Cystic Fibrosis who received organ transplants that saved her life. And while my Sharlie isn't an organ recipient or an organ donor, she does give a baby up for adoption, thus preserving the life of an innocent child and giving a deserving couple the chance to have the family they always dreamed of.

So, no...I guess I didn't make Sharlie up all on my own. But, in some ways, the name will always be mine.

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

P.S. This has NOTHING to do with this post, but I just learned this week that One Great Night came in first place in the 2015 International Digital Awards contest in the short contemporary category. Yay!!

R is for Rodeo

The rodeo features prominently in Debra's Corral series.

I've always loved the rodeo. I don't know specifically how my interest began, it's just always kind of been there in my life. So it was a no brainer that when I started writing my first book, I knew it would feature the rodeo in some way. In fact, the rodeo plays a role in all three books in the series.

In This Time for Always we're first introduced to the rodeo in town when Sharlie and her buddy Zach attend the annual event. Here's how the MC describes it:

“Rodeo is America’s favorite sport. We say this ‘cause it comes from the heart of America, right here on her soil. Rodeo isn’t derived from any other sport or from any other country. These boys are America, and the sport is from her land.”

In This Can't Be Love, the rodeo is more in the background, but Sharlie's conversation with Jessica clues us (and her) in on Zach's growing feelings.

“Zach’s never brought someone to the rodeo before.”
“What?” The comment was unexpected.
Sharlie nodded. “Before Logan moved back, Zach and I came to the rodeo every year together. Now it’s been the three of us. But he’s never made it a foursome.” She looked down at the stroller she pushed in front of her. “Well, a fivesome, I guess.”
Jessica hid her shock. “I find that hard to believe.”
Sharlie shrugged.
“Never?”
“Never.”
“But, he’s had women in his life, right? I mean girlfriends?”
“Some,” Sharlie admitted. “But I’ve never seen him like this before.”
Jessica swallowed. “What do you mean?”
“He’s happy. Don’t get me wrong,” the other woman laughed, “I’m not saying he was miserable before. But now, it’s different.” She glanced over at Jessica. “It’s good.”
Jessica didn’t comment. What could she say? She sipped her drink, hoping the cold beverage would dissolve the huge lump in her throat.
“I think he’s falling in love with you.”
Jessica choked. The soda burned as it went down the wrong way. “What?” Her heart sped.
Sharlie smiled. “I’ve known Zach a long time. He’s never been like this with anyone else. I can tell by looking at him. By the way he looks at you.”
Jessica forced down the panic rising in her throat. Zach couldn’t be falling in love with her. Their relationship was about sex, not love.

And finally in This Feels Like Home, Jake is a bullrider, so naturally lots of the action takes place at the rodeo. Here's how Amber, a certified disability counselor, feels the first time she watches Jake ride.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our bull is Hot Tamale and we’ve got Jake Hawkins on top of him.”
The crowd’s anticipation thickened at the mention of Jake’s name. Amber held her breath.
“This bull tips the scales at well over two thousand pounds. He’s literally a ton of fun.”
She glared in the direction of the announcer’s box but then quickly returned her gaze to Jake.
Inside the chute, he sat atop the enormous beast. The animal snorted and tossed its head. Its curved horns clanked against the metal bars.
Her heart lurched and dropped into her stomach.
Jake moved forward on the bull. He nodded. The cowboy in the ring pulled the chute gate open with a rope. With a twist of its massive head the giant bull jumped out into the ring. As it turned in a tight circle, it kicked its strong legs out behind. Its front hooves pounded the dirt again and again.
Time froze. Amber couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. Eight seconds lasted a lifetime as Jake fought to stay balanced on the monster. He sat tall upon its back. One hand gripped the bull rope. The other stayed above his head as the wildly thrashing animal tried to unseat him. His body bowed and flexed like a rag doll as the creature jerked him about.
Finally the buzzer sounded.
Jake dismounted, landing on his feet as the crowd screamed its approval. The bullfighters rushed in to guide the still-kicking bull back to the large, middle chute. With one final toss of its head, it cantered down the center alley. The gate swung shut behind it.
Jake took off his hat and dropped to one knee. He bowed his head. His lips moved as he murmured a prayer. Then he stood and waved at the cheering crowd, before he gathered his bull rope and exited the arena.
Amber’s breath whooshed out as the tension drained from her body. Her fingers trembled, and she fumbled to unscrew the cap on her water bottle. With greedy gulps, she chugged the cool, refreshing liquid
into her parched throat. Around her the crowd went wild as Jake’s score was announced.
“No one should be able to beat that.” Sharlie fairly glowed with pride.
Amber merely nodded. She didn’t care about his score. All that mattered was Jake was safe.

Until next time,

Cowboy Up!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

L is for Logan

Logan Reed is the hero in Debra's This Time for Always.

I have to admit that while I'm working on a particular story, I've fallen in love with each and every one of my heroes in turn. Which isn't a bad thing. But I also have to admit that out of all of them, Logan holds a special place in my heart. Because he was my first.

The hero in your first published novel is someone you never forget.

Logan has the proverbial chip on his shoulder from being born on the wrong side of the tracks. In high school he meets and begins dating Sharlie Montgomery, a girl from the other side of town. They fall in love, but Sharlie's father is against the match, and, though little did Logan know it at the time, is the cause of their break up. Logan hates being poor and never felt he was good enough for Sharlie, and her father's actions help prove the point...at least in Logan's mind.

Fast forward about twelve years. Logan has returned to town a changed man. He's all grown up now, with money of his own, and he's there to prove a point. He wants the whole town, and especially Sharlie, to know he's made something of himself. Finding Sharlie working at the bar he wants to buy isn't part of his plan, and the sparks fly immediately between the two: both residual anger and residual passion. Logan is confused to discover her father is no longer a part of her life, and their financial situations have reversed. He's the one with money now and she's living day to day.

I find it interesting that in working on this first manuscript way back when, I felt Logan needed to be angry...all the time. I think that came from my reading background. In high school I read lots and lots of romance, and most were filled with alpha males whose main emotion was anger. Perhaps a comment on the style of the times. Beta heroes were definitely not in vogue at that time. I don't remember if it was a contest or a submission to a publisher, but someone commented after reading the mss that Logan was too angry.

The beginning of mss did wind up winning first place in a contest, and eventually went on to be my first published work with TWRP. By that time Logan's anger had been toned down a bit, and I was able to share a bit of his softer side as well.

And it was probably that softer side that made me fall in love with him, and why out of all my heroes, he'll always hold a special spot in my heart.

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

P.S. Not only did I fall in love with Logan, but I fell in love with the setting in that first book, too. Two other books went on to complete my Corral series, and even then I wasn't ready to leave it behind. I started a spin-off series or novellas, Holidays at The Corral. I'm pleased as punch to say I just signed a contract for the second book in the series, Valentines Day at The Corral. Yay! And while we don't actually get to 'see' Logan in this story, he does get a mention! :)

Sunday Snippet - A Peek into Debra's First Release

This Time for Always was Debra's first release with The Wild Rose Press.


She had once carried this man’s baby.

Sharlie Montgomery fought the urge to cover her abdomen with her hand as she stared across the table at the man who wanted to buy The Corral. Images of him as a teenager raced through her mind, tangling with the image of the self-assured businessman gazing at her. His eyes mirrored the shock she felt deep in the pit of her stomach.

“Sharlie, are you okay?” Pete Sorrenson, The Corral’s aging owner, looked at her with concern.

Mentally shaking her head, Sharlie smiled. “I’m fine,” she lied, twisting a strand of hair around her finger. What had started out as a nightmare of a day was getting worse by the minute. Not only had she found out that Pete was ready to sell the bar, but it looked like Logan Reed, someone she thought she would never see again, wanted to buy the place.

Looking far from reassured, Pete continued, “All right, then. Let’s get started.”

Sharlie studied Logan from under her lashes. The years had turned him into a striking man. Sinfully black hair curled where it brushed the top of his collar. His vivid green eyes were framed by long lashes, and he had the rich, even tan of someone who spent most of his time outdoors.

They had once been inseparable. He had been her whole world, her best friend, her everything, until he’d run away, leaving her when she had needed him most. She remembered the pain and felt the awful emptiness inside her soul. What was he doing here now? Did he know about the baby?

“This is my manager, Sharlie Montgomery.”

She stared in horror as Logan held out his hand to acknowledge an introduction that was unnecessary.His eyes mocked her as she extended her hand and placed it in his. It had been almost twelve years since she’d touched him last. Then their touches had been much more intimate than a mere handshake.

This Time for Always - Book One of The Corral Series
Available from:
The Wild Rose Press
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

I'm a Boxed Set!

Debra's Corral Series has just been released as a boxed set.

When I set out to write my first book, I always knew I wanted it to be the first of a trilogy. Earlier this year, the trilogy was completed. The Corral series, as I call it based on the bar where many of the scenes in all three books take place, includes: This Time for Always, This Can't Be Love, and This Feels Like Home. At that point, I figured my dream had pretty much come true. I'd written my series, and it was probably time to move on to something new. (Or continue with some spin off stories, but that's another story in itself!)

Then I remembered that earlier in the year the marketing rep at TWRP sent an e-mail asking about authors with books in a series in order to put together boxed sets on the site. I told her about mine. At the time, Home was still very new, and she said she wanted to give it some time to be a stand-alone before boxing it up with the others. I let that sit on the back burner for most of the year. A couple of months ago I looked back in my archived e-mails and found the original one. I e-mailed the rep and asked if enough time had passed so that we could get the set going.

From there things went quickly. We sent a few ideas back and forth and came up with a blurb:

A small town where good friends gather and rugged cowboys fall in love.

She sent me a couple ideas for cover art, and I chose the one I liked best.

Finally she asked when I wanted the set to be released. I could pick a Thursday. Any Thursday. So I chose last week.

And wa la...I now have a boxed set of my series available in e-book format at TWRP, Amazon, and Barnes and Nobel.

To say I'm tickled pink and thrilled is an understatement. It's like that Brad Paisley song about him thinking life can't get any better...and then it does.

I'm a boxed set!

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

A Long Time Coming

Last week when I got home from vacation I had some wonderful news in my in-box...I finally sold This Feels Like Home to TWRP! The has gone back and forth with an editor for the better part of the last eighteen months. I am beyond excited that this book will finally be out there. It completes a trilogy I dreamed about writing way back when I first sat down and got 'serious' about being a writer.

This story is about Jake, a bull rider, and city gal, Amber. Jake made appearances in both This Time for Always and This Can't Be Love. Now it's his turn to be the hero.

Over the weekend I spent some time working on my Manuscript Information Sheet and Cover Art Sheet. Here's what I came up with for the blurb and the excerpt:

BLURB

The last thing Amber Winfield wants, or needs, is a rodeo cowboy. She never imagined she'd be having a fling with one. Then again, she never imagined she'd meet someone like Jake Hawkins. Soon she comes to realize a one night stand with the sexy cowboy wasn't enough. Despite his dangerous career, Amber finds herself falling for the charismatic bull rider.

Jake's one goal in life is to ride the pro-circuit. He won't let anything, or anyone, stand in the way of his dream. So why can't he get city gal Amber off of his mind - or out of his heart?


EXCERPT

Jake leaned toward her, his gaze on her lips. Amber's heart thudded against her ribs as she read his intent. His mouth brushed hers. Once. Twice. Then again and again. He stroked with a teasing touch until on instinct, her lips parted, and the kiss became serious.
When was the last time she’d been kissed like this? Had she ever been kissed like this? Her heart pounded. Her pulse raced. Thick, molten heat made her limbs weak. Her hands found his shoulders, then wound around his neck.
He took a step closer and slid his arm around her back beneath the blazer to ease her against him as he slanted his mouth across hers. His lips were warm. Firm.
A petal of desire unfurled in the pit of her stomach. Less than a week ago she’d sworn she’d never had a fantasy about a cowboy. Now, in the space of several racing heartbeats, several dozen popped into her mind. All of them featuring Jake. All of them carnal. All of them begging to be fulfilled by a stranger she barely knew. She broke the kiss on a gasp, unnerved by the depth of her response. Had need ever flared this strong, this intense, this quickly?
His breath hitched in an uneven rhythm, but he smiled as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She shivered.
“I don’t suppose I can talk you into coming to my place for a cup of coffee?” The words, uttered in his husky drawl, whispered over her. Through her. Touching places deep and secret. Igniting more hidden desires. Desires she’d never had until now.
The age old and oft used line should have offended her. Instead the shocking temptation to say yes froze her to the spot.

My new editor - Home will fall under the Yellow Rose (contemporary cowboy) line - said she'd have the first round of edits to me early next week. Cowboy up!

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

First Lines

It's been a busy week, so I'm going to go with an 'easy' blog today and simply share the first lines from my books. As we've discussed before at Heroines with Hearts, first lines can be oh so important for setting up the story...so here are mine:

From This Time for Always: She'd once carried this man's baby.

From Wild Wedding Weeked: "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

From This Can't Be Love: There was a naked man in her grandfather's bathtub.

From A Christmas to Remember: Did she really expect him to be there?

From An Unexpected Blessing (Coming soon): Katy Roth refrained from kicking the ceramic turkey planter on the porch.

From "This Feels Like Home" (under consideration with TWRP): Jake Hawkins spotted the newcomer right away.

From "Family Secrets" (under consideration with Harlequin): "Why didn't you call me?"

And from "One Great Night" (WIP): "I want you to be my sex tutor."


Now it's your turn to share some of the opening lines from your stories...

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

L is for Logan

Logan Reed. I have a soft spot in my heart for him. He was my first.

My first hero that is.

My sister named him. As soon as she came up with it, I knew it was perfect.

He's the epitome of the quintisential romance hero. (At least in my mind.) Tall. Dark hair. Green eyes. He looks good in boots, Wranglers, and a cowboy hat. He drives a pick up and owns a ranch. He's a self-made, successful businessman.

But none of that matters to Sharlie. They were high school sweethearts until all of their dreams for the future were shattered. So she's none too pleased when he walks back into her life twelve years later. He presence threatens to destroy the life she's made for herself, but she can't get away from reminders of the past.

Logan has his own agenda. He's back in town to prove he's no longer the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. And he doesn't want Sharlie to forget what they once shared.

Excerpt:

Logan's strong arm encircled her waist, preventing her from falling.

Sharlie caught her breath as her body pressed against him. She raised her eyes to his.

The anger in his eyes turned to awareness. His breath hitched. The temperature in the tiny room rose.

Logan's gaze roamed every inch of her face, finally coming to rest on her lips.

Her pulse quickened, the beat thundering in her ears. They were so close she could feel the cadence of his heart. She sucked in a gasp of air.

His gaze met hers again. "I've tried to stop thinking about you like this. But I can't."

Sharlie licked dry lips, then cursed inwardly when the action drew his attention there once more. His head lowered.

"Don't," she managed.

"Don't what?" Logan's warm breath caressed her cheek.

"Don't kiss me."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want you to." Even to her own ears the protest sounded weak.

"Liar," Logan taunted.

"Please," she tried one last time, shaking her head in a vain attempt to deny the feelings coursing through her.

Logan cupped the back of her head, stilling the motion. "I have to." His words melted into a kiss as their lips met.

The gentle insistence of his mouth coaxed a response from her. Her lips parted, allowing the kiss to deepen. Their breath mingled. The moist heat made her knees buckle.

"Don't you remember?" Logan's husky voice whispered, as his lips left hers to trail down the column of her throat. "Remember how good it was."

Oh, yeah. And he's a good kisser.

You can read more about Logan in This Time for Always.



Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

Sensory Description

Well, ladies, you've done such a great job of covering this topic all week, I'm not sure what there's left for me to say. So, I thought I'd share a few examples from my work where I've managed to work the senses into a paragraph or two. I don't think I've managed to get all five senses every time, but I think most times I've been able to get three out of the five! For me, taste is the most difficult one to include.



From THIS TIME FOR ALWAYS:
As Sharlie input the requisition list, she was distracted by Logan's presence. His spicy aftershave enveloped her in intoxicating waves. The husky drawl of his voice when he asked a question skittered over her nerves. His masculinity overwhelmed her tiny office.





From WILD WEDDING WEEKEND:
Ignoring the disgruntled expressions of the people around them, Abby rested her head against Noah's shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist, loving the feel of his arms around her. She inhaled. The sexy scent of his aftershave brought back vivid memories of his skin against hers.




From THIS CAN'T BE LOVE:
Trees lined the banks of the river, providing a lush pathway as Jessica and Zach made their way along in the gently moving current. Birds circled overhead, calling softly to one antoher. A slight breeze ruffled her ponytail and provided a measure of relief from the warmth of the sunshine pouring down.


Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

Guess Who.....

My main characters aren't based (trait-wise) on any real person. I do have to admit that Noah Grant in WILD WEDDING WEEKEND was based looks-wise on Brad Pitt. And Jake Hawkins in my WIP "This Feels Like Home" is based looks-wise on Matthew McConaughey. But their personalities are all their own.

I do some name dropping with people I know as minor characters. In WILD WEDDING WEEKEND I used all of my friends and their families as Noah's brothers and sisters. I didn't tell them, so it was fun to get their reactions after they read the book for the first time. They were all delighted to be immortalized in print!

So far my settings have all been based on real places. It's just so much easier for me to create a world for my characters to walk around in that I've actually seen. I've done some tweaking, like "moving" the setting to another part of the country, but most of the settings are very recognizable to those who know me. THIS TIME FOR ALWAYS features the bar where my husband and I met. I take Noah and Abby to all of the places we visited on our honeymood in WILD WEDDING WEEKEND. And Zach and Jessica fall in love in THIS CAN'T BE LOVE at one of our favorite yearly vacation spots. Even my free read MISTLETOE AND FOLLY features my neighborhood downtown area.

Lawsuits? Probably not. Inspiration? Plenty of that.

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

My Semi-Villian

Although I wouldn't necessarily refer to one of my in-the-background minor characters as a villian, I did use him as a catalyst for several events, past and present, which shaped my characters and added to the conflict between my hero and heroine in my first book, "This Time for Always". Apparently for a reviewer from "The Long and Short of It", he did stand out in a fairly villianous way:

I quote: "I hated Sharlie’s father, Robert Montgomery with a vengeance."

So there you have it.

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

Everywhere and Nowhere

I have to say that for me, story ideas come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Just about anything can spark an idea: the lyrics of a song, a passing comment made by someone, a location. The other day I was working on a scene for my WIP and I clicked on the thesuarus tool to help with one particular word. The words that came up set a completely different tone for the scene I hadn't thought of before. Or sometimes an idea will just pop into my head and I can't really explain where it came from.

For my latest release, "Wild Wedding Weekend", that's the case. People ask me all the time where I got the idea for the story, and the best I can come up with is "It just came to me." I did use a real-life trip my husband and I took on our honeymoon for part of the setting, and that helped moved the story along, but the overall idea for the story popped out of the blue.

In my first book, "This Time for Always", I used the bar where my husband and I met for the setting. I wanted to use a somewhat country theme, and the story evolved from there. When it came time to write the sequel, "This Can't Be Love", I used another real-life setting. I knew Zach needed his own story, and as I played around with the setting, the story eventually came to me.

Okay, I guess I do see a common theme here! For me it seems, the setting comes first, and I build the story to suit it. Not always an easy task, but eventually the story gets written!

And on that note, I need to get some writing done...

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com