Debbie: Morning all, today we are in the
Badlands of South Dakota looking for Author Becca Dale.
Laura: Becca Dale is here? Wait…is that her house?
Umm…Deb?
Debbie: Yeah?
Laura: Are we stalking Becca Dale?
Debbie: No we are NOT stalking. Stalking is a very strong word. We are, ummmm, fans
looking for an interview. Yeah, that’s it!
Laura: Okay, good. That’s what I thought.
Because if we were going to stalk someone, I know we would’ve discussed it. In
detail. You know, planned everything out.
Debbie: Ummm, I really don’t think that is
something you can plan out to every detail. Too many variables. If we ever do
stalk someone you will have to set your OCDness aside.
Laura: Hmm… (nods) So, did I hear you right when
you said we were going to the Badlands?
Debbie: We’re here. I think?
Laura: (looks around) Sooo…you think that hooded
dude is out there somewhere? Hunting us down?
Debbie: He’s been at almost every stop we have
made. It’s really kind of creepy. I haven’t been able to figure out if he is
around to guide us in our writing journey or lead us into the dark un-known.
Hmmm, maybe those are one in the same with some of the stories we have cooked
up.
Laura: LOL Yeah, that dude is popping up all
over the place. I’d say he really made the characters work for their HEA in
that story we just finished. I’m guessing he’ll show up again…maybe the next
book in that series.
DEBBIE: Oh JOY! Oh, shhh, someone’s opening the
door. Well, look at this it’s Becca Dale. Hi Becca!
LAURA: Hey, Becca!
BECCA DALE: Hi ladies! I am
so glad to be here today. Your blog is gorgeous and I love your work.
DEBBIE: Thanks so much and DITTO!
LAURA: Aw, thank you! And I’ve had a sneak peek
at your upcoming release, The Millionaire and the Girl Next Door. What a
great story. You would really like it, Debbie.
DEBBIE: It’s on my list!!
LAURA: Let’s jump right in. So what is it like
living in South Dakota?
BECCA DALE: Quiet. My
hubby and I live east of the river, and the tourism and such is all west, which
is fine by me. We are surrounded by gently rolling hills, very small towns, and
corn - lots and lots of corn.
DEBBIE: Ohhh, I could think of several plot
lines that involve small towns and corn fields!
LAURA: Mmm…corn.
DEBBIE: LOL, come on, is that all you can think
about is food?
LAURA: No. I was wondering where the local
coffee house was. But since we’re here, I do have to ask. Why is it called the
Badlands?
BECCA DALE: It’s a
misnomer created by appearances. The Badlands are dry and uninhabitable for the
most part beyond the few hardy species that still hang there. They do, however,
have a rich archeological history, and the Lakota people used them as a defense
against the army and as a place to practice forbidden religious rites like the
Ghost Dance. If you go there, do not leave the road without water on hand, and
never go alone. However, just like bad boys the Badlands are gorgeous and
seductive. Their beauty is breathtaking and is something all people should
experience at least once in their lifetime. Might be a place to fly over in a helicopter
– the view would be spectacular.
LAURA: Cool! I bet it would be.
DEBBIE: Is your accent really like the movies,
lol?
LAURA: Debbie! Good gosh…we’re here at an
author’s home.
DEBBIE: What??? People want to know this sh*t.
BECCA DALE: Like Fargo? LOL – no, I don’t thinks so. Is
it, L.J? Although I must admit I have met an old timer or two who came close.
However, if you ever get a chance to read How
to Speak Minnesotan you will gain a bit of insight into the culture of
eastern SD at least, including the importance of a little lunch (this is not
the mid-day meal). We take our food seriously here and will be happy to expound
on the glories of lutefisk, lefse, rhubarb pie, and my favorite chislic, which
is a food apparently unheard of outside of the state. If you don’t have time to
read the book, drop by some afternoon. We’ll have a little lunch and a chat,
don’t cha know.
LAURA: Wow! That last part sounded just like
Fargo! Cool! But no, when we’ve talked, I haven’t really noticed an accent.
DEBBIE: Ohhhhhhh, I want to learn about those
foods!! I love to cook!
LAURA: And who’s thinking about food now?
DEBBIE: Well that’s nothing new, I’m always
thinking about food.
LAURA: Why writing? What got you started?
BECCA DALE: I have spent
my entire life telling stories, either in my head or to anyone who would
listen. I figured if I wrote them down, it might make me sound a little less
crazy than just saying that the voices in my head entertain me.
LAURA: At last, someone else who hears voices in
their head! I no longer have to be crazy alone.
DEBBIE: Oh please! She cannot hear the voices
you do! Besides, it’s the people that don’t hear any voices that are nuts.
Well, in my opinion anyway.
LAURA: Hahahaha! I totally agree. Plus, we’re
never lonely or at a loss for someone to chat with. So, Becca, what genres do
you write? Which is your fav?
BECCA DALE: I write short
and usually sweet-erotic romance. No that wasn’t a typo. I sometimes make my
erotic editors crazy when I put in a bunch of emotional stuff and when my characters
refuse to dip too far into kink. Erotic Healing is the closest I’ve come to
BDSM and true erotic stuff. I wander through the subgenres from paranormal to
contemporary, but my work always contains some sweet heat. I haven’t tried
historical yet, but it is on my list. As to a favorite, I have no idea. I love
to read high fantasy, but I am intimidated by the world building involved. Of
the ones I write, I would say paranormal. Can’t Stop Me is one of my favorites
and I think it always will be.
DEBBIE: I love paranormal! Laura and I have
written the first in a paranormal series and I am sooo happy with the way the
first book turned out. It’s one of my favorites!
LAURA: Mine, too! It was a lot of fun, and I’m
tickled that we’ve got the next three already laid out. Definitely keeps us
busy. Hmm…share with us an example of a
typical day in the life of Becca Dale?
BECCA DALE: Oh, that is
too boring to contemplate. I work from home so I kiss hubby good-bye around 7,
take care of my dog, edit, write if I’m lucky, clean if I’m stressed or if I
have to, convince my mother I am really working not just sitting around, kiss
hubby hello, make supper, chit chat a bit, write if I’m lucky while American Pickers or Pawn Stars plays as background noise (hubs is a fan), go to bed
around 1AM or so, and then start again the next day. Weekends are more fun –
usually including friends, margaritas, good food, and lots of laughter.
LAURA: Sounds wonderful to me. J
DEBBIE: Give us a tour of your house.
LAURA: (elbows Debbie) Woman, what is wrong with
you? She comes home, finds us in her yard, probably already thinks we’re
stalking her…and now you ask for a tour?
DEBBIE: I keep telling you. It’s not for me it’s
for our readers. They want to know!! Sheesh.
LAURA: Suuuure. Oh, wait. Look…she’s waving us
inside! Hurry up before she changes her mind.
BECCA DALE: All right, let
me see…Come on up the front steps and into the sun porch. The home was built in
1920 so it has a little age on it, but we like to call it character. We can sit
out here in the wicker furniture if you’d like. My hubby hasn’t put the storms
on yet so there’s a nice breeze.
DEBBIE: What about the inside?
BECCA DALE: Oh, you want to see more? Okay don’t
mind the dust. My muse has been yelling at me of late.
LAURA: Dust? I wish my house had this little
dust!
BECCA DALE: Okay, come on into the foyer. It’s
small with a cute powder room straight ahead as you walk in, the open oak
staircase leads to the upstairs, but there’s not much up there, two bedrooms, a
bath, and my office. There is also a balcony off the upstairs hall and the
stairway to a walk-up attic, which is a cluster so I won’t show you that.
LAURA: (pulls Debbie back down off the first
stair step) Stay with the tour.
BECCA DALE: Let’s go to the left instead. The
main floor has original oak flooring throughout. The living room (The upright
piano belonged to my grandmother – isn’t it pretty?) leads into the dining room
which has a wood burning fireplace with a ten-foot mantel. The eat-in kitchen
(remodeled by my darling man) is very functional as you can see with a large
pantry and a bookshelf he built for my collection of cookbooks. See why I adore
him?
DEBBIE: I absolutely do!!
BECCA DALE: There’s another bedroom and bath in
the basement along with the laundry room, a large family room with a pool
table, and the six foot window I begged for. (Again, it amazes me what the man
will do if I ask nicely.) It is a rare thing to have natural light in the
basement of a home this age so I love it. The best part of my house though
isn’t in it. Come outside with me.
LAURA: Ooo, outside.
BECCA DALE: This is my joy. Hubs and his friend
poured and stamped this huge patio with fire pit. The flower beds stretch along
two sides of the deep back yard and there are lots of trees including the
enormous weeping willow toward the alley and a big vegetable garden to the
north. Please, note the four hills of rhubarb for your eating and canning
pleasure.
DEBBIE: I am in LOVE with the patio. Nothing
more romantic that sitting by the fire on a dark night wrapped in the arms of
your love.
LAURA: Yeah, I could definitely see a nice
evening out here with a mug of hot coffee, looking at the stars. So nice.
(whispers to Deb) Okay, so yeah. The tour was really great. Nice call. (turns
to Becca) How much of yourself and the people you’ve met make it into your
stories?
BECCA DALE: There is a
little of my husband in every hero – the caring and protective core of my
heroes (there even when it’s buried pretty deep) is always based on him.
Otherwise, I tend to use people as visual inspiration more than anything else.
I don’t want to imagine any of my uber conservative friends, family, or
neighbors in an erotic scene. That would just be wrong on so many levels. Shudder. No one wants to picture someone
doing the horizontal mambo and then sit down to a game of Farkle with him/her.
I’d never be able to keep a straight face.
LAURA: Hahahaha Uh, no. Don’t think I could
either.
DEBBIE: LMFAO!!!! (whispers to Laura –“Remind me
to google Farkle.”)
LAURA: Check.
DEBBIE: My kids are very supportive of my
writing, the ex, not so much. Do you have a support system?
BECCA DALE: My kids (both
adults now) want me to succeed, but they do not read my stuff. (We don’t want
to know what is in your head, Mom.) Hubby supports me unconditionally though he
is jealous of my weekend time so I rarely write on the weekends. Mostly, my
creative support comes from friends and fellow writers like you. Valerie Mann
has been a rock since I started this venture. I must say she has been the one
constant who never wavers in her support even when she is kicking my butt.
DEBBIE: Awesome. That kind of support is
essential!!
LAURA: My hubster supports me, too. Course,
Debbie’s always good for a kick in the rear.
DEBBIE:
I try! So Becca, What is your favorite thing to do to relax?
BECCA DALE: Going camping
with the family. It forces me to leave the computer behind because I rarely
have internet.
DEBBIE: I love camping! Need to do more of it.
LAURA: Love sitting around the campfire,
roasting marshmallows.
DEBBIE: Any bad habits?
BECCA DALE: I eat junk for
lunch. A handful of marshmallows is easier to grab than a salad.
DEBBIE: LOL, me too, although I am trying to get
better. Really I am.
LAURA: Mmm…marshmallows. When’s lunch?
DEBBIE: One track mind!
LAURA: What? We got sidetracked to campfires and
marshmallows. I don’t see the problem. I do, however, see you have a dog. Any
other pets?
BECCA DALE: On and off
when the kids were young, but now it is just Jacky. He’s too old to want to
share his home.
LAURA: Aww, what a sweetie.
DEBBIE: Nice!
LAURA: So, let’s talk books. Let’s start with Can’t
Stop Me, a paranormal romance. What inspired you to write about a struggle
between demons, God, and humanity?
BECCA DALE: Heather
Bennett from Decadent Publishing came up with the idea to publish an anthology
based on the songs of an LA band called Run Devil Run. The band’s name got my
juices flowing, and then when I heard the song I’d been assigned, it all seemed
to fall in place and became a race of good against evil with no clear lines
drawn overall.
LAURA: Love hearing where story ideas come from.
They’re all so interesting, and then to read the story…the behind-the-scenes
knowledge gives insight.
DEBBIE: Tell us about the heroine, Luca. What
does she look like?
BECCA DALE: She reminds Kern of an
elfin princess, tall and lithe with wavy blonde hair that curls to her slender
hips and frames her fragile features. And though sightless, her large,
snow-blue eyes are gorgeous.
DEBBIE:
Oh, wow! She sounds amazing.
LAURA: What three words would you use to
describe her?
BECCA DALE: Smart,
adaptable, and resilient.
LAURA: Nice. Sounds like a strong heroine.
Debbie and I both love strong, kick-butt heroines.
DEBBIE: The blurb states that Luca is blind.
What inspired you to create a character with what most would consider an
immense disadvantage?
BECCA DALE: Kern is part
demon and part angel, but his human side prevents him from controlling some
things that normal other-world beings take for granted like the fact that
humans are enthralled by him. Luca needed to see him without seeing him. Making
her blind was the easiest way to do that, but it was a constant challenge to
experience things through her without sight.
DEBBIE: I bet. I also bet it was a great
exercise in learning to be thank ful for what you do have.
LAURA: What is Luca’s most secret wish?
BECCA DALE: To live life
outside the walls of her father’s home – to be a normal woman. Her connection
to Kern helps her do that.
DEBBIE: Moving on to the hero, Kernan…what’s his
biggest flaw?
BECCA DALE: I don’t know –
I have seen him through Luca’s love so it is hard for me to see his flaws. He
is more a man caught in the middle and doing the best he can to survive and
protect those he loves than really flawed.
DEBBIE: Doesn’t sound like a flaw to me. Sounds
pretty darn realistic.
LAURA: Hey, love can make ya blind. Tell us
three things about Kernan that aren’t in the story.
BECCA DALE: Wow, it’s a
short but we learn a great deal about him. He prefers Hersey’s with almonds
over plain chocolate. He secretly wishes he were nothing more than a human man.
And he would love to write and produce music for kids because he is fascinated
by the joy of innocence, something he has never experienced except through
Luca.
DEBBIE: Great! I hope he gets all he wishes for.
LAURA: What was the first thing he noticed about
Luca?
BECCA DALE: The fact that
her eyes seemed to see into his soul.
LAURA: Oh, wow. That’s cool.
DEBBIE: If he could take Luca anywhere in the
world, where would they go?
BECCA DALE: Some little
island in the pacific with no one else around. That way Luca could have free
reign and could live without the sounds of Hell in her head, and he would not
have to worry about hurting anyone accidentally. They would be free to live and
love.
DEBBIE: That sounds so wonderful. I wanna go
there!
LAURA: What’s your fav scene in the story?
BECCA DALE: When Luca
first pushes all Kern’s buttons to get him to make love to her; or no wait,
when Kern’s dad begs his wife to love him despite who he is; no, no, maybe when
St. Anthony gives Luca strength through her parents’ love; or there is the time
when… I can’t pick one. Sorry.
LAURA: Hahahaha. That’s awesome. Debbie and I
have that same problem with our books.
DEBBIE: LOL! We sure do.
LAURA: Will there be follow-on stories to Can’t
Stop Me?
BECCA DALE: As much as I
loved Luca and Kern, probably not. Once I tell someone’s story it is hard for
me to go back. Luca and Kern fulfilled their destiny, saved the world, and
found their HEA, who could ask for more?
DEBBIE: Not me! I think I’ve found my own
personal HEA, and its more than I ever thought to ask for!
LAURA: Okay, so let’s tease our readers. What
are the first 7 sentences of the story? Yep, just the first 7.
BECCA DALE:
....Luca crouched
between her bed and the wall, desperate to tune out the demonic screams of the
damned. On nights her father opened the gates between realms, the horrors of
the netherworld smashed her defenses and crowded out all decency. Pressing her
hands to her ears did no good. The heartrending cries continued. She pulled her
knees to her chest and buried her silent screams until her teeth cut through
the thin material of her sweatpants and tore the flesh beneath. Hot tears,
carrying the anguish of countless souls, soaked the cotton fabric.
....Be
still…be still…be still….
DEBBIE:
Holy cow! I can feel her pain!
LAURA: Ooo…nice!
DEBBIE: On to Erotic Healing. I read Erotic
Healing a while ago. Loved it. What was your inspiration?
BECCA DALE: As you both
know, a couple of my friends, Valerie Mann and Kate Richards, had a brainstorm
about an almost mystical matchmaker named Madame Eve who could overcome
anything to find the perfect match. The girls asked me to write a 1NS to help
launch the series, and I started to wonder what would happen if the greatest
obstacle Eve had to overcome was the heroine’s own fears.
DEBBIE: I loved the heroine, Brenna. Tell us a
little about her.
BECCA DALE: She was a
fashion model with the aspirations and the looks to be a super model until a
tragic accident scarred more than her face. She can’t get beyond the
life-changing event and pushes away everyone from her old life because of it.
DEBBIE: I could see how the accident could have
done that to her psyche.
LAURA: It says she was a runway model. What was
the wildest outfit she ever wore for a show?
BECCA DALE: She helped at
a benefit to fight pediatric cancer once, and they dressed her in an evening
gown made from balloon animals. It was sort of cute in a weird way, but when
the teenage boys started trying to pop her dress, it was difficult to keep her
poise.
LAURA: Uh, yeah. I would think so! LOL
DEBBIE: HAHAHAHA! Too funny.
LAURA: What is Brenna’s biggest fear? Hope?
BECCA DALE: Greatest fear:
That she will somehow bring down those who have stood by her. Greatest hope: To
someday overcome the ghost pains that haunt her.
DEBBIE: Awwww!
LAURA: Tell us three things about her that
aren’t in the story.
BECCA DALE: She is a huge
reptile lover and has rescued an anaconda she hopes to return to the wild
someday. She prefers showers to baths. And she loves Girl Scout Thin Mints and
once bought thirty-five boxes over the selling season, but then gave all but
three away so she didn’t eat them all.
DEBBIE: LMAO! She’s a far better woman than me.
No one and I repeat no one is getting my thin mints! You hear that Mizzz
Garland!
LAURA: Mmm…Girl Scout cookies. What is her fav
food?
BECCA DALE: Besides Thin
Mints? That
would be grilled eggplant moussaka.
DEBBIE: Okay, google is going to become my good
friend when we are done here.
LAURA: Yep. And you’ll have to tell me how your
grilled eggplant moo…mous… that dish turns out.
DEBBIE:
Will do. So Becca, please tell us about Kostas. What does he look like?
BECCA DALE: He’s clean shaven with
thick, short blond hair, blue eyes, and angular features. He is tall and cut
thin, no bulk of any kind, just long lean muscles.
DEBBIE: Nice!
LAURA: Sounds like a hottie. What three words
would you use to describe him?
BECCA DALE: Compassionate,
caring, ordinarily fun-loving.
DEBBIE: Love him!
LAURA: All great traits for a hero for sure.
DEBBIE: What does he do for a living?
BECCA DALE: He mainly
makes his money through investments.
DEBBIE: Cool!
LAURA: If he bought Brenna a present, what would
it be?
BECCA DALE: Weekly
housekeeping services so she wouldn’t have to worry about it.
LAURA: Woot! My kinda guy! Maybe my house would
have less dust….
DEBBIE: HAHAHAHA! What is your fav line from Erotic
Healing?
BECCA DALE: “Why don’t you outline
the plan that has me stretched out like a frog in science class, and we’ll
proceed from there.”
DEBBIE: HAHA!! Love it!
LAURA: Okay, another tease for our readers. Give
‘em the first 7 lines…you know the drill, just 7.
BECCA DALE:
....Brenna Halsted’s
fingers trembled as she clicked on her inbox and a response email from Madame
Evangeline appeared. She had never done anything so insane in her life, but she
needed a mental boost, something to break through the months of pain and
emotional stress. Something to carry her away from the past and into the
future.
....She almost
deleted the message without reading it. What the hell was she thinking? Runway
models did not hire a dating service to find a bed partner.
....You’re not runway
material anymore.
LAURA: Oh, nice. Very emotional in just seven
sentences!
DEBBIE: Any releases coming up or WIPs you’d
like to share?
BECCA DALE: The
Millionaire and the Girl Next Door will be available from Decadent Publishing
at the end of Oct. It was written for their Western Escape and has a tender
love story entwined with a bittersweet ghost tale. I hope readers will love it
as much as I do. Here’s an excerpt if you want it.
....“What’s the matter, city boy?”
....Jake looked over his shoulder at the impish grin
on Chris’s face. He had to smile back. He hadn’t heard her ATV pull in, but
seeing her brightened the day a bit. “I can’t get in to Giles and Maryann’s
cabin. Any ideas?”
....“You could hire the fire department to do a
controlled burn.”
....“I’d rather not. I want to salvage some of the
old logs if possible to use in the new house. Besides, maybe there’s buried
treasure in there.”
....“In that case, I’ll help.” She swung off her
four-wheeler and opened the toolbox, rummaging around until she triumphantly
pulled out a crowbar. “Try this.” She tossed it to him. The wicked piece of
steel whizzed toward his head.
....He dodged the wild throw. Irritated for a
moment, Jake bent to pick up the bar then caught her checking him out. Her
blatant appraisal made him want to forget the cabin and haul her off to his
bed. She affected him too much for the amount of time he’d known her.
Everything from her hair, just long enough for a man to wrap his hands in, to
her tiny feet encased in chunky work boots turned him on. A smart man would
kiss her until she gasped for breath, snuggled her soft curves against his
chest, and let him strip her naked. Shaking off the inappropriate desire, he
stuck the crowbar beneath the hinge pin and pried upward, but it slipped out of
the niche he’d made.
....Jake tried again several times. Finally, she
took it from him with a wry grin. “How do you dress yourself?”
....He probably should have been offended, but since
she treated him to a nice view of her backside while she bent to work the lower
hinge loose, he didn’t see a reason to complain. Her faded jeans stretched when
she moved and clung to her hips. His body tightened, and he stuffed his hands
in his pockets, desperately thinking of the boardroom and stockholder meetings
to ward off the need to caress her rounded curves.
....Chris worked until the hinges and lock gave way,
but the door remained in place despite her efforts to push it open. She looked
over her shoulder at him and lifted an eyebrow. “Are you going to lend some
muscle or let me do all the work?”
....“I don’t know. I could get hurt. I broke a nail
this morning putting on my socks.” He held back a grin. Ready color brushed her
cheeks and made her skin glow. She deserved to be embarrassed. The brat tried
to make him feel incompetent at every turn.
....“Smart ass.”
....He chuckled. “Arrogant know-it-all.”
....Chris turned to stand inches from him. Her eyes
danced with merriment. “Worthless urbanite.”
....Jake moved closer still. If she wiggled at all,
her breasts would press to his chest. “Hick.”
....Her eyes shifted to his mouth. Jake nearly
groaned aloud when she bit down on her lower lip and swayed toward him. “Is
that what you really think of me, city boy?”
....A soft moan slipped from him as he steadied her
with a hand on her hip. “Your brothers would gut and hang me from the nearest
tree if they ever heard what I really think about around you, sweetheart. Sure
you’re ready for the truth?”
DEBBIE: OMG!! I love this!!!! I can’t wait!
LAURA: I love the chemistry between Chris and
Jake. They just clicked for me when I read the story. Very likeable, but they
both had issues they had to deal with before they could be together. And I knew
you’d like it, Deb. It comes out the end of this month.
DEBBIE:
Sounds like my kind of story for sure!
LAURA: Okay, Debbie…why don’t you throw some
Quickies at Becca while I work up the Final Question….
DEBBIE: LOL, yes dear, we don’t want to tax you
do we?
LAURA: What?
DEBBIE: (grins) Okay, here we go.
Quickies:
Black or Orange?
BECCA DALE: Black like hubby’s Harley
Water or Soda?
BECCA DALE: Can I have iced tea?
LAURA: Of course you can…but don’t tell Deb.
Shhh….
Coffee or Hot Cocoa?
BECCA DALE: Coffee
LAURA: Ding Ding Ding!
His shoulders or butt?
BECCA DALE: It’s all about the cute butt, baby.
Spiders or snakes?
BECCA DALE: Snakes
Plane or Train?
BECCA DALE: Plane
Sea or Land?
BECCA DALE: Land by the sea
Flu vaccine or risk it?
DEBBIE: LOL I’m a nurse and yes it’s that time
of year, Haha.
BECCA DALE: Risk it – the body needs to build up
its own immunities though my RN sister-in-law would disagree.
DEBBIE: LOL, I’m kind of middle of the road
about it. Although I do get one every year and knock on wood have been healthy
every winter.
LAURA: Great job! (glances at watch) And completed in record time! Now on
to the…
FINAL QUESTION:
....Y
ou’re on a mission, flying from Sioux Falls,
South Dakota, to Dallas, Texas. The plane takes off and you order a spiced rum
and Coke to take the edge off. You glance down at your hand and grin at the
plastic decoder ring you blatantly wear on your middle finger. A secret decoder
ring? Yeah, with all the high tech gadgets, who would ever suspect? You sip
your drink, the key to all the nuclear weapons launch codes as well as the fate
of the world rests—literally—on your hand.
....You jerk awake. Wow, that rum packed a punch!
You rise to head back to the lavatory and realize—oh, crap—the plane is
empty. All you see is row upon row of vacant seats strewn with airline issue
headphones and those crappy thin blankets. Someone spiked your drink and
somehow managed to make seventy-five passengers disappear. You lift your hand
and—double crap—you realize your decoder ring is gone. Man, the CIA is
gonna be pissed, not to mention the rest of the world. Well, they can just get
in line.
....Behind you, the pilots’ door slams open. There
stands your nemesis, Sig Buckmed. Apparently those limericks you posted on his
Facebook wall regarding his legendary moniker got him jonesing for revenge.
Hmm…you destroyed his rep with his online bros and hos, and he destroys your
CIA career. Tit for tat? Maybe, but the rhymes for Sig Buckmed had been just
too good to pass up.
....He holds up his hand, the decoder ring glints on
his pinky. You lunge for the secret nuclear codes, but he dodges, managing to
pop open the airplane door in the process. Strapped to his back, a parachute.
He jumps. Bastard.
....You can’t let Sig Buckmed sell the ring because,
well, it would be wrong. No, it would be bad. No, well…it just pisses you off
to have him one up you. Time for some revenge of your own. You dig in your
pockets. All you have is… What the…a bag of peanuts and a ball of yarn you’d
been using to crochet a scarf? Employing all your CIA training (you did
finish training, right?)…What do you do?
....
BECCA DALE: (Oh you are going to regret a lead like this,
ladies.)
....It’s
do or die time! Clutching the peanuts and the yarn, I
leap from the open door, arrowing my body—arms tight to my sides, feet pointed
behind me—to dive toward Sig and his precious chute. The wind rushes past me,
stealing my breath and reminding me that I am plummeting to my death, but I
manage to stuff the peanuts in one pocket, the yarn in the other.
....Near as I can tell we’re somewhere over Kansas
or Nebraska judging from the farmland below us. The distance between Sig and I
narrows. I am almost upon him, but the ground is rushing up fast. If I don’t
catch him before he opens his parachute, I’m a goner. Sig always did like to
push the limits though, like that one time in Baja when he tied me up and used
that feather duster to—
....Crap!
Get your head in the game, woman!
....I am nearly close enough. He glances over his
shoulder with a look of regret on his face. Then he sees me. I expected him to
speed up. Instead he rolls to his back and spreads his arms and legs, slowing
his fall. An evil smirk teases his lips the second before I twist so I won’t
slam my head into his groin and land flat against his hard chest instead.
....He wraps his thick arms and legs around me and
swings our bodies upright so he can open the chute. It fills and jerks, but he
does not drop me. Though I question his shaky morals, his arms are solid. “You
never could stay where the hell you belong, could you, Becca?”
....“Not when you have something I want.” The man
has several somethings I want on a regular basis, but I am only interested in
the ring. I work the yarn loose from my pocket and reach back to quickly bind
his wrists together, and then lash our bodies to one another, tying it off with
a series of knots. A single strand would never hold the man in front of me, but
fifty tied him to me with no chance of escape.
....Once we are on the ground and I won’t risk
losing it, I will strip him of the decoder ring and then maybe a few other
things before I leave. Thoughts of him naked except for the rich maroon wool
ramp up my desire to show him the error of his ways.
....He grins despite his predicament as I reach
above him to guide us away from the cornfield and toward the open pasture below.
....“So will you be the pilot for this flight,
Rebecca?”
....“No, I’m your flight attendant.” The way he says
my full name, like it is a fine chocolate to be savored on the tongue, makes me
want to offer him coffee, tea, or me.
....His seductive eyes promise sinful things once we
land, and I can’t help but squirm a little as his feet hit the ground and my
body weight shoves him down into the tall grass. As soon as I’m certain he
hasn’t broken anything, I attempt to worm my way free. I am roped to him harder
than I expected. It will take some maneuvering to separate us.
....“If you don’t stop that, I’m going to forget all
the reasons you pissed me off and find a way to show you all the good parts of
being tied to a Big…”
....I shut him up with a kiss. I don’t want him thinking
about my childish behavior anymore than I want to think about the fact that he
is not good for me in anyway. When I break the kiss, he is grinning again.
....“Were you going to offer me an afternoon snack,
Ms. Flight Attendant?”
....I long to do nothing more than lie back and
allow him to feed on me like he did that time in Fuji, long into the night, his
lips and his oh so talented—
....I wiggle again just to make him a little
miserable then squeeze my fingers into my pocket, and pull out the tiny bag. I
hold up the foil pouch. “Would you like peanuts, sir?”
....His laughter scares a nearby cow, but I am
pleased at this moment, in this quiet, idyllic place, with this wicked, wicked
man.
DEBBIE: Awesome!!! I so want to see a sequel
with these two the next time we visit with you!!
LAURA: WOOHOO! What a wild ride! Extra points
for using coffee in your answer. Double points for startling that cow! LOL
DEBBIE: Coffee, Coffee, Coffee! Although, I have
a slight confession to make. I drank the stuff on my drive to Florida and back.
YES! Can you believe it?
LAURA: Thanks for joining us, Becca! You’re
welcome back anytime!
DEBBIE: Thanks for talking with us, Becca!!
BECCA DALE: Well, thank
you for asking me to stop by. It’s been a hoot.
Laura: Well, that was fun. What now?
Debbie: We can wander around the badlands.
Laura: Okey dokie. Hmm…think Becca will ever
invite us back?
Debbie: Of course! Why wouldn’t she? We’re
awesome! What’s this over here?
Laura: Debbie? Um, where are you going? Becca
said to stay on the road.
Debbie: I just wanted to see….
Laura: (looks around frantically) Oh great. I
don’t see the road and now we’re lost.
Debbie: We’re not lost. It’s the road that’s
lost. We know where we are.
Laura: Yeah, lost out in the middle of nowhere.
Wait…what’s that up there?
Debbie: OMG It’s him.
Laura: (shudders) The hooded dude found us
again?
Debbie: He’s coming toward us.
Laura: Where’s his creepy boat? Hey wait, there’s
no water around. How did he even get here? Damn, he must be hot in that hood.
Debbie: Quit worry about his sad fashion choices
and hang on. (revs engine)
Laura: OMG…are you going to try to run over
death?
Debbie: Got a better idea?
Laura: No. (clutches seat) I’m with you all the
way…but I don’t think this is covered in our car rental agreement.
Debbie: Probably not.
Laura: Wait. (looks at dashboard) Isn’t that a
GPS?
Debbie: Too late!
Can't Stop Me
....Prophecy proclaims a child of three worlds will
lead the strong one to victory. Threatened by the church since birth and
imprisoned by Lucifer’s elite force for over five years, Kernan Malanous represents
demons, angels, and mankind, but who will be the strong one—God, Lucifer, or
someone intent on overthrowing them both?
....Born the blind daughter of the greatest mediums
in history, Luca Smith sees more than anyone suspects. Screams of the damned
slash at her sanity as demonic visitors hide a stranger in her home. To quiet
the horror echoing from the underworld, she seeks the prisoner’s soothing
thoughts, offering him peace while finding her own.
....When the devil’s top gun comes to reclaim his
prize, Luca risks her life to liberate the pure soul in her attic, but Kern
won’t leave his beautiful innocent at the mercy of the merciless. Desperate,
the young couple flees with hell on their heels. Unrestricted for the first
time in their lives, Luca and Kern discover rare joy in one another, but all
good has its counterpart. Torn between personal peril and world-wide
destruction, will the young lovers run from fate or take a stand to fight and
live as free beings?
Genre: paranormal romance, fantasy
Heat level: 3
Excerpt:
....“Can you see at all?”
....“No. Why?”
....He spun toward her then. She stood on the other side of the bars,
tall and lithe: an adult not a child. Kernan didn’t consciously cross the room
but found himself in front of her all the same. The iron gate kept him from her
as he soaked in her beauty. The young woman reminded him of an elfin princess.
Wavy blonde hair curled to her slender hips and framed her fragile features.
Long fingers gripped the bars between them and large, snow-blue eyes bore
sightlessly into his soul. Don’t hurt her.
....“Why are you afraid?” The faint aroma of soap and female drifted
to him. She reached out, but he moved before she could make contact. “Please,
talk to me, mister.”
....“Kern.” It had been years since another human had touched him.
Only his mother had ever brushed his cheek. His hand trembled as he caught her
questing fingers and lifted them to his chest. “What should I call you, little
one?”
....“Luca.” The name left her lips on a nearly breathless whisper. Her
hand fluttered in his, a tiny caged bird.
....The instant the
thought entered his head, Kern released her. Such a being could not survive
captivity. “It’s a pretty name. Almost as beautiful as you.”
....She laughed again and pressed her hand flat over his heart. “For a
person of interest to Laris, and Lucifer himself, you’re kind of corny.”
....His pulse
raced at the close contact. Closing his eyes, he breathed her in. He had spent
only five years in hell, but he’d lived his whole life behind walls, afraid
what the sight of him would do to people. Taking her wrist, he held her in
place, unwilling to lose her touch. “I want to kiss you.”
Erotic Healing
....A tragic accident shattered Brenna Halsted’s
hopes and dreams. No one wants a runway model with angry scars that hurt long
after the pain should have faded. Although her best friend tries desperately to
talk her out of it, she decides a one night stand with a stranger on the other
side of the world will break the cycle of bitterness and misery she has fallen
into.
....Kostas Drakos fell in love with the spirited
runway model nearly a decade ago. His heart longs for the woman who makes his
body and soul ache. While the world watches her downward spiral toward
depression, he’s determined to make her smile again. If a single night in his
arms could break through the barriers, he would be content to see her happy. If
he can make her love him while he’s at it, better yet.
....Can Madame Evangeline and her mystic ways bring
two people together despite the limits of a one night stand?
Genre: Contemporary romance, Erotic romance,
BDSM
Heat level: 4
Excerpt
....Brenna shook her head and read the note again.
Ms. Halsted,
....Welcome to Greece. I assume you will find your
room satisfactory and the wine at the appropriate temperature.
....I have taken the liberty of placing guards
outside your door. Should you feel the need of them at anytime during the next
twenty-four hours, simply call my name and they will assist you in any way you
desire.
....Please, do not take their presence as a lack of
faith in your date for the evening. Mr. Kostas Drakos is a respected businessman.
Rest assured, I have investigated every aspect of his personality and trust he
will offer exactly what you need to overcome your problem. The guards are
simply a security blanket, requested by Mr. Drakos himself. Should this venture
exceed your comfort level at any point, the men will move you to different
accommodations and ensure your utmost privacy.
....In the basket beside the bed, you will find
everything you need to fulfill both yours and Mr. Drakos’s fantasies.
....Enjoy yourself, my dear ~Eve
....The basket held a red satin mask, two sets of
matching fur handcuffs, several long strips of white silk, condoms, and another
note requesting she remove all clothing and lie on the bed wearing nothing
except the blindfold.
....Good God, what have I done?
Author Bio:
....Along with her husband and a very spoiled
Bichon, Becca Dale lives in beautiful South Dakota, the state with Mt. Rushmore
and the Badlands. Fortunately, she lives on the eastern side of the river where
no one visits and the loudest noise comes from the humming windmills.
Unfortunately, no one visits and the only noise comes from humming windmills.
She loves to hear from readers so feel free to contact her.
authorbeccadale@gmail.com or like her on Facebook www.facebook.com/becca.dale.71
, follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/BeccaDaleAuthor
, or stop by her blog http://beccadale.blogspot.com/
.
