Welcome to my domain...if you dare...

Welcome to my blog about life as a writer and the craziness it involves with struggles of daily life. Make yourself at home but only if you don't mind a little messiness from time to time. This isn't the Home and Garden blog or Martha Stewart so don't expect cute little crafts with homemade goodies. That's not happening in the world of vamps, weres, and other things that go bump in the night...well...maybe homemade blood cakes topped with 'scream a la cream' sweetness along with the sexy alpha males who serve it up.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Writer's Wednesday...Debra Glass



Author Debra Glass
Today I welcome author Debra Glass to the blog.  Debra is a southern author who knows how to spice things up with her historical and paranormal romances.  I'm so thrilled she took time out of her busy schedule to join us. Thank you, Debra, for answering questions which give us all an inside look into your thoughts about writing and your personal interests as well.  Debra will be giving away a free download of 'Scarlet Widow' to a very lucky person who leaves a comment on the blog today.  Enjoy and good luck, everyone!

Do you have critique partners?

I have the most wonderful critique partner! I met Naima Simone at a Southern Magic RWA chapter meeting at which I spoke. At the time, Naima was interested in submitting to my publisher, Ellora’s Cave, and I told her I’d look at a couple of her chapters. I quickly recognized her writing talent and her knack for penning sexy stories fraught with heart-wrenching emotion. Although our styles are very different (she writes breathtaking romantic suspense and I write erotic historicals) ours was an easy fit, not to mention, it was fantastic when Naima joined the ranks of Ellora’s Cave authors. Check out her site at http://naimasimone.com

Tell us about your real life romance.

My husband and I met shortly after Valentine’s Day in 2006, and married six weeks later. This year, we celebrate our 6th anniversary and still feel as if we’re on our honeymoon. After two failed marriages, I had learned what I wanted out of a relationship and when I met Timm, I knew he was all those things. He loves and respects me. He supports me and encouraged my dream to become a writer. He gives me space to be me and he adores my children. I find him super sexy. Oh, and did I mention he irons and also dotes on our cat, Severus? Yep. He’s quite the keeper.

If you were going to cast the hero of your book, what actor would get the part?

Oh my. Ian Sommerhalder (Damon, Vampire Diaries) has stolen both mine and my daughter’s hearts. That sexy bad body smirk, his ice colored eyes and that black hair just make me sigh. I’ve based several of my heroes’ looks on Ian’s. Jack in Badcock, Hardin in Scarlet Widow, and Axel in Twice the Novice. Three books. Three. I’d say he’s inspired me.

What was the best advice you were given leading you to getting published?

My husband posed the question, “If you could do anything you wanted, what would it be?” I didn’t even have to think. I replied, “A writer.” Rather than deride me as most people in my past had done regarding my desire to be a published author, he said, “Well, if you want to be a writer, then you have to treat writing like a job. Get up and sit down at the computer and write, research publishers, do the work it takes to get published.” Until then, writing had been a hobby for me. This new insight inspired me to make a career of writing.

If you could switch places with one of your characters would you?


Those first published books always hold a special place in your heart. I am happy being Debra Glass, mom, wife, writer, slave to Severus the cat. But…but…if I had to switch places with one of my characters, it would be Jillian, the reluctant psychic in Gatekeeper. Gatekeeper was inspired by a real-life encounter I had with the ghost of a dashing Confederate Brigadier General after visiting the Shiloh Battlefield National Park in Savannah, Tennessee. Thomas Benton Smith remains one of my favorite romance novel heroes. Tall, dark and sexy, witty, at times a smart ass, but always protective of the heroine, Benton has stuck with me as a character. In fact, he’s had cameos in Extra Sensual Perception, Shadowkeeper, Spirit Lifter, Scarlet Widow, and Rebel Rose.

What is your favorite time of year?

I love Halloween! I adore ghost stories and have penned five regional ghost story collections. I also conduct a ghost walk tour in Florence, Alabama, during the week of Halloween where I take brave souls walking through the historic district in Florence and regale them with unusual history and spine-tingling tales of ghostly encounters. For more information, visit my site at http://discovertheshoals.com


Copyright © DEBRA GLASS, 2011
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.


Blurb:

Tough…or tender? If she follows her heart, she won’t have to choose.


Molly has forever lusted for all three Barksdale brothers, but could never choose. Instead, scandal chose for her, and she married the youngest of the three. Then the brothers go to war, and Molly finds herself a grieving widow when her husband is murdered by a merciless band of Union soldiers.

Hardin Barksdale is hell-bent on avenging his brother. Greer Barksdale is honor-bound to protect his home. They both want Molly—and this time, they’re willing to share. The temptation is seductive, the passion sizzling. In harsh, post-war Tennessee, their nightly forbidden trysts wield the power to heal them all—if they can escape the twisted desires of a man bent on seeing all three of them dead.

Excerpt:

Molly stopped in the doorway of Greer’s room. He stood at his chest of drawers, gazing wistfully at a carte de visite of him with Hardin and Witt. Many times, she’d stood in exactly that same spot, staring at that same photograph. They had all known happier times before the war.


A lock of Greer’s wavy brown hair had fallen forward and Molly had the inexplicable desire to smooth it back into place. A muscle along his jawline twitched. Of all the brothers, Greer looked most like the paintings Molly had seen of his mother. The fairest of them all, Greer’s face was dominated by his owlish hazel eyes and unruly, deep-molasses-colored hair. Not quite as tall as Hardin or Witt, Greer possessed an air of quiet dignity and intelligence, a gentleness that would have never been construed as weakness.

Molly saw it as perfection.

When he sniffed and brushed a tear away from his cheek, Molly could no longer allow her presence to go unknown. She ventured into the room, the rustle of her stiff petticoat attracting Greer’s attention.

He blinked, attempting to bat away his tears.

Molly cupped his freshly shaven cheek. “You don’t have to be strong with me, Greer. I miss him too.”

A stifled whimper escaped Greer’s lips as he folded her into his arms and nuzzled her hair. His shoulders shook with silent sobs. Molly held him, rubbing her palms over the thin linen covering his back, trying to discern if the hollow grief she felt was for Greer’s loss or her own.

She ached to close her eyes and seek comfort, to beg him to stay here instead of following the army northward. Sweet, kind Greer. It broke her heart for him to know how Witt died. Tortured. Left in a battered, bloody heap on the side of the road. Molly hugged Greer tighter as she tried to force the haunting mental images away. There were no words she could utter to soothe him or ease his pain. Nothing she could do would alleviate his grief, and she knew she was helpless to do anything except stand here and hold him in her arms.

They stayed that way for what seemed an eternity before something inside her shifted. Grief melted into need. Her fingers flirted with the curls winding over the collar of his shirt. One palm moved over the sinewy muscles and hard bones from his shoulder down his back. Heat radiated through his shirt, promising an elusive comfort she knew wouldn’t last. Molly brushed her cheek against his neck. He smelled different than either Witt or Hardin. Where Hardin smelled like the outdoors and something else she couldn’t define, Greer’s fragrance hinted of leather-bound books and shaving lather.

A thought rose in Molly that caused a shard of guilt to stab her. What if she had married Greer instead of Witt? Constant, thoughtful Greer, who stood here alive and capable. This moment would have a different meaning. She would be fearful and yet hopeful that her husband would return for good soon. The Yankees would not have humiliated her. She squeezed her eyes shut against the images assailing her mind. Naked. Taunted. Shamed.

A shudder tore through her and Greer gathered her closer. The images melted away and she focused on the strong arms around her, even as her conscience railed at her to drive the fantasy far from her mind. Her body, however, refused to let it go.

She pressed impossibly closer to the hard man in her arms, loving the unyielding feel of him countering her from head to toe. Her traitorous body reacted to his heat, to the feel of a steely and protective embrace. She felt small in his arms. Loved.

This was wrong. She wore mourning black for this man’s brother and all she could think about was assuaging the rising need urging her toward sinful desires.

Sinful actions.

She drew back just far enough to look into his tortoiseshell eyes. His pupils enlarged, drawing her in.

“Greer,” she whispered, trembling like a trapped hare in his arms.

His thick lashes fluttered down as he slanted his head and captured her lips.

Molly’s heart pounded as his mouth teased across hers. The tip of his tongue swept over her lips, prompting her to return his kiss. She opened for him, admitting him, kissing him back.

A soft moan filled her mouth and his big hands caught her shoulders, anchoring her against him as he plundered her mouth.

Dear Lord, what was she thinking? But she had not the will to stop this.

Instead she arched into him, opening further, clinging when his tongue intruded to spar with hers. Need unfurled, heating her blood and pooling between her legs. It was unladylike of her but she had enjoyed coupling with her husband. She’d loved the sensation of physical release. Even now, she craved it.

Even now, with her deceased husband’s brother.

            **************

Wow!  I'm so ready to get my hands on 'Scarlet Widow'.  I really love the cover too.  It's extremely beautiful and sexy.  Thank you for sharing this tasty treat with us and thank you so very much for being my guest today. I look forward to having you again real soon. 

You can learn more about Debra and her books by visiting her website and Ellora's Cave Publishing website as well. 
http://debraglass.com/

http://www.jasminejade.com/m-408-debra-glass.aspx

http://debraglass.com/fiction-historical/scarlet-widow/

Gatekeeper: http://debraglass.com/fiction-phantom-lovers/gatekeeper/
(Gatekeeper Ebook will be free February 13-26, 2012)


14 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for letting me hijack your blog!

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  2. Hi, Debra!
    To a fantastic critique partner and author:

    Awesome interview! And I'm soooo with you on Ian Sommerhalder. YUUUMM!! Love him! Of course I've read "Scarlet Widow"--and it's AWESOME!!!--so whoever wins it will be in for a real sexy, romantic and wonderful read! You know it's good when you can't pick which hero is best...then you realize, hey! I get to have them both! LOL! Wonderful book!

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  3. I am new to your books but I'm looking forward to catching up and reading more. Thanks for the escape!!!!!

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  4. What a great excerpt! Nice to meet you, Debra, and learn more about you :)

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  5. That was a wonderful excerpt! I want to read more.

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  6. Good to meet you here, Debra.

    Wow! What an introduction to your story! It sounds fabulous. Best of luck.

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  7. Hey Debra, from one southern girl to another...(Louisiana)...so nice to 'meet' you. LOVE that cover and the excerpt was wonderful. May just have to add that one to my ever growing TBR pile. Technology is wonderful...now it allows me to grow an e-book tbr pile as well as the physical kind. Sheesh...
    Lori

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  8. Hi everyone, I'm so glad you all stopped by to visit Debra. We both loved the comments. I'll be drawing a name to see who will win the free download for 'Scarlet Widow'. I'll let you know by tomorrow who the lucky winner will be.

    Debra, please feel free to hijack anytime. Lol. I've really enjoyed it! I have to agree with all the visitors today, 'Scarlet Widow' is a must read! I look forward to having you on the blog again. Thank you, sweetie.

    Hugs,
    JD :)

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  9. Hi, Debra and J D! What a great excerpt. And the Scarlet Widow cover captures Debra's historical voice in a single snapshot---steamin'-hot and classy. She really knows how to do it. Thanks for the interview, J D. :)

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  10. We have a winner! Erika wins a free download of 'Scarlet Widow'. Yay! Congratulations, Erika. Please pass on your email info to me or Debra. My email info is: kelliemannjd69@gmail.com. You may contact Debra through her website. Thank you, Erika, for visiting the blog and leaving a comment. I look forward to seeing you again on the blog.

    Hugs,
    JD :)

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  11. Yay!!!!!!!! Thank you JD and Debra for holding this contest. I cannot wait to read "The Scarlet Widow" esp after reading such a great excerpt. Can't wait to read this and more. *kisses* ladies.

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  12. Congrats, Erika! Thanks to everyone for the kind comments. :-)

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