Osiyo~

I’m thrilled to share my ranch with a sister Wild Rose Press author today. She’s going to tell us a humorous story about her Call story. I can’t wait! Take it, Melissa. 🙂

Thank you, Calisa, for giving me the opportunity today to talk about snapshots.

Not the kind you take with a camera, but those moments that live with perfect clarity in your memory. The ones that even as an event happens, some part of your mind freezes the scene, and you know you will always be able to recall that particular instant in exact detail forever. Getting “The Call” from a publisher is one of those moments, and no one was more surprised than me when I received two.

The path I chose for seeking publication involved submitting to small presses, something I could do without an agent but still learn and benefit from the process of a more traditional route. After extensive research, I selected my top choices in publishers, read the guidelines carefully, submitted accordingly, and sorted through rejections, critiques, and form letters.

And then came the e-mail: send the full manuscript!

The Wild Rose Press has a thorough process, and they kept me informed of each step and when to expect an update. The editor liked the story—one huge hurdle overcome—and off it went to pre-readers for feedback before I would find out if a contract would be requested.

During the agonizing wait, I opened my email and found a message from a publisher I had queried and submitted to over eight months before. They liked the story. They wanted to publish it. Yay! And yikes! The next day, I received another message, this one from The Wild Rose Press with a contract.

In choosing between the two proposals, I couldn’t just react to finally getting an offer, which was my first instinct. Making a decision forced me to take the time to be certain I also established a relationship with the right publisher for my story.

I’ll never forget opening the first offer, the thrill of the second, signing a contract, and receiving the approved, official document in return. My mental snapshots had become a slideshow, moments in time I’ll remember and treasure forever.

My debut paranormal romance, WRAITH REDEEMED, is currently available at a reduced price for Kindle on Amazon, with an official release date of February 15, 2013 for print and all other electronic formats.

BLURB:

Demon-slayer Conor O’Shea is about to engage in the most dangerous encounter of his life—facing the woman he scorned.

For years, Merry Bradbury’s world revolved around Conor O’Shea. After his sudden betrayal leaves her alone and heartbroken, she comes home to settle her past and move into the future. The last person she expects to see is Conor.

Conor never wanted anything more than forever with Merry. Discovering he is a Wraith warrior, honor bound to fight demons, destroys that plan. Merry is his Amorta, his one true soul mate, but he leaves to keep her safe from the evil that stalks him.

Eight years later, Conor’s worst fear is realized, and he returns to defend Merry from his enemies. Can he save her from an unspeakable fate and reclaim her heart? And if he does, will Merry be able to accept all that he is?  

EXCERPT:

“I always knew you loved me, Conor.” Merry could barely hear her voice over the pounding of her heart. “I didn’t understand. I still don’t, not completely, but I knew. That’s why it hurt so much and why I could never forget. That’s why I had to come home.”

His free hand curled around her neck. She didn’t know if he intended to bring her closer or hold her in place. Her breath caught, and his expression changed to something she recognized, something that turned her breathlessness into searing pain. He pulled her up those last few inches and placed his mouth on hers.

Shock ripped through her the minute their lips touched. She gasped, rising to meet him with pent-up longing and frustration. After a brief, stunned moment, both his hands flew up to hold her face as she gripped his arms. She sighed in relief when his mouth opened over hers, the scorching heat making her head reel and her body want more. She accepted the touch of his tongue, pulled him in and welcomed him as she went blind with pleasure. The compulsion to keep taking and never stop overwhelmed her senses. His taste flooded her soul.

He felt so good.

Merry fought against the desire to ravish more than his mouth, to hold on to reason and keep the contact to just kisses. She had never expected to hold him close again, to be immersed in his heat and scent. Their unique connection proved just as strong as she remembered, and she savored the moment until she had to pull from his embrace or succumb to the temptation of his hovering mouth.

“Conor—” The look on his face gave her a hot thrill of excitement. “Conor.”

*****

Purchase link: Amazon

AUTHOR BIO

Melissa lives in the Pacific Northwest on an island with her husband and dogs.

An avid reader of any and all genres since she could turn a page, Melissa remembers being rationed Hardy Boys and Black Stallion novels like most kids were rationed candy. Getting lost in a captivating, exhilarating story is her favorite way to spend time, whether reading or writing. Nothing is better than being drawn into a story so deeply you don’t realize you’re turning a page until you’ve reached the end, and the characters live on in your heart and mind long after the cover has been closed.

Wow! Great story and looky here! An advance copy at a lower price! Yay me, I already have my copy. 🙂 Thanks for allowing me to host you, Melissa. Lots of good wishes for your career.

Happy Holidays!

Dodadagohvi~