Jude's Blog

To jump start the Wednesday Author promos, I will feature myself. If you’re an author, you could be here next week. Let me know, so I can put you on the calendar.

Why do you write and what are your inspirations?

I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I wrote my first romance as a happy ending to one of my failed teenage relationships. Back then I wrote a lot from my own experiences, but as my writing matured so did I. I’m not really sure what my inspirations are now. An idea just comes to me, and I feel almost possessed while I’m writing it. It might be something I read in a book or saw in a movie, and I might wonder how differently it could have turned out. It’s nothing concrete. I sometimes surprise myself with the ideas I write about, as if my muse wrote the story through me.

Who is your favorite hero in one of your books? Why?

Drew from A Modern Myth will most likely always be my favorite hero (and character). If it’s possible to fall in love with one of your characters, that is what happened as I wrote about Drew. He is such an interesting and conflicted man, and I’m so happy that I was able to create such a complicated hero.

what is the heat level of your books?

That has definitely changed lately, since I’ve been writing erotica since June of last year. Before that, it could still run as hot as NC-17. The book I’m promoting today is an erotic contemporary romance novella.

What’s the book you’re promoting today?

Painful Reflections published by Cobblestone Press:

Meg Garrett loses her husband, Kyle, on their honeymoon but returns every year to the place she last saw him. There she meets Todd, a man who sets her blood on fire, but how can she move on when she can still feel her husband?

She then finds out Kyle is still alive, and that Todd isn’t who she thought he was. Where has her husband been for the past four years, and why doesn’t he remember her? Meg must trust a man who has betrayed her to find out the truth behind the deception.

Following is a short excerpt. To read more, be sure to visit Cobblestone Press:

He choked on his own beer and sputtered. She stared at him with concern, half tempted to pound him on the back.

“You lost him on your honeymoon?” he finally asked.

She frowned and then realized she must have left that part out as she told him what had happened. She could have left a number of things out…like they had been making love just before. Meg smiled at the last pleasant memory she had of Kyle and nodded. “Yes.”

“How long had you dated?” he pressed.

“Just over a year. We clicked, you know? He was my soul mate.”

Todd’s eyebrows rose at that statement, and Meg could read his doubtful expression. “Don’t you believe there’s the perfect woman out there for you?”

He shrugged as he looked into her eyes. “She doesn’t have to be perfect.”

Her eyes misted as she saw the raw emotion in his gaze. “Well, Kyle was.”

“Are you sure?” Todd asked softly. “Or can it be just the memory of him that was perfect?”

Shocked speechless at first, Meg could only stare at him. Who was he to talk of Kyle? She glared at him and sputtered. “You didn’t know him, Todd. You would have liked him though. Everyone liked Kyle.” If his charm didn’t do it, the money always did. Friends were never in short supply, especially since Kyle’s generosity extended to everyone. He had been rich his entire life, but it hadn’t spoiled him. Meg truly felt he was the best person she would ever know.

At her silence Todd continued, “He’s been gone longer than you were with him, Meg. Isn’t it time you said your final goodbye and moved on?”

Tears trickled down her cheeks, and remorse crossed his tanned features. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” His voice trailed off as she continued to shake her head.

“You have no right. You didn’t know what a wonderful person he was. The world is a sadder place without him. Everyone is sadder without him…so am I.” She wiped a hand below her eyes and pushed away from the bar. “I wish you hadn’t come back here.” Meg blurted the lie as she ran down the path toward her bungalow.

Todd caught up with her just before she reached the door. He grasped her arm just above the elbow and turned her toward him. She lost her footing and landed against his chest. The next thing she knew, his hot mouth pressed down against hers. Meg sucked in her breath and knew she should immediately push him away, but the shock mixed with the unexpected pleasure stilled her hands. Todd took advantage of her surprise and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, moving his tongue to caress the insides of her mouth. She had never been kissed in such a way before, had never actually liked the way Kyle kissed and was totally blown away by the unexpected sensations erupting throughout her body.

As Kyle’s loving face surfaced in her mind, she choked back a sob and broke free of Todd’s inviting mouth. She pushed her hands between them and scowled. “No, don’t.”

He frowned but pulled back. “Don’t tell me that you didn’t feel anything, ‘cause I know you did.”

Not able to meet his gaze, she stared at his bronze chest, trying to regain her breath. “Maybe that’s why I stopped you. I can’t help but feel Kyle watches everything I do, and this feels like a betrayal.”

“He’s dead, Meg. I can’t believe that he would want you to be alone. You shouldn’t be alone.” His breathing was a bit unsteady.

She finally met his passion-filled gaze and could so easily have taken that step forward to be back in his arms. Her entire body quivered at the thought of what his mouth could do to the rest of her, but she held back. “Kyle was the only man I’ve ever loved…the only one I’ve been with. I just can’t do this!” She turned to grasp the doorknob, but Todd’s voice made her pause.

“I won’t give up on you, Meg…especially now that I’ve tasted you.”

Her eyes closed with a moan at his last words. She licked her lips and almost nodded. Instead she straightened her spine and spoke to him without looking at him. “It might be best to just stay away, Todd.”

“Kyle never kissed you like that, did he?”

She gasped but didn’t turn around, instead pushing open the door and stepping through it. Todd didn’t stop her as she closed it without a backward glance. Meg leaned her back against the door, tempted to bang her head against it as well. Her heart raced as she wondered what she should do. No other man had ever kissed her the way Todd had. She felt warm all over, especially between her legs. She’d never in her life been tempted by a one-night stand, but she could see herself … enjoying it. Admitting that made her wonder if she should avoid him the rest of the week in Mexico. But did she truly want to?