Today, I'm featuring Michele Ryan, author of Figuring it Out.
If you could run away with any of your characters, who would you choose?
That's easy as I'd run away with Kalkin Raferty, who is a wolf shifter, sheriff and dominate alpha in an upcoming series TL and I are working on. Kalkin will be the first book in our Apache County Shifters. Kal gives me the shivers, the good kind of course and is the totally package. Of course, I'm bias!
How do you cheer yourself up when your feeling down?
When I'm feeling down and I need to cheer myself up, I'll either spend some time with my three kids, or hobbits as I like to refer to them, or read. My kids always make me laugh with silly stories or questions, which are endless, by the way. On the plus side, I've learned a bunch, because when I don't know an answer, I go Goggle it. I also found out, if I read a bit each day, no matter how little, it helps center me.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
In high school, I had a good friend who told me I came up with amazing stories. She had a plan, she'd be in charge of writing and I'd be in charge of coming up with the ideas. It never panned out and so I continued to play out stories in my head. About five or six years ago, I got involved in a Role Playing group. It literally changed my life because I met TL. We became friends, and then writing partners within the group. We just gelled from the first time. I went to Lora Leigh's RAW and listening to the authors during the events, realizing the voices I heard in my head, were what they heard and wrote about. So, I came home from the event full of life and determination thinking, this maybe something I could do, even if I never got a story published. TL was already an established writer at this point, but I told her I wanted to write. She was like, lets do it together. Of course I said yes and here I am!
Simone walked away from the love of her life, unable to deal with her pain. She worried she’d end up bringing Jackson down into her hell.
Long before they married, Jackson promised Simone they’d always be together. Done with waiting, he pulls some strings, deciding now is the time to remind his ex-wife once a promise is made, it’s never broken.
Jackson can follow Simone’s rules, but time had a way of changing people. Figuring it out, is the easy part, making it last, only time will tell.
Excerpt:
The small, intimate eatery was a treat for the senses. Low, creamy lighting reflected off the pale blue paint and made the wood and copper accents pop. A small sushi bar rested in the back. Behind it was a massive wall made of glass. Painted the same blue as the wall, with copper circles to mimic bubbles. Soft, relaxing music played softly mixing with the soft hum of conversation.
The hostess came up, took their name, and had them seated at a booth off to the right within minutes. Choosing the seat with her back to the door gave her a clear picture of the chefs as they worked behind the ornate bar.
She could watch them all night long as they called out to each other in Japanese’s, twirling their knifes as they worked as a team to fulfill each order.
“I can understand the buzz about this place. It’s amazing.”
He agreed, handing her a book, which turned out to be the menu.
“Anything jumping out at you?” he asked as perused the massive menu with her.
“All of it!”
“It’s a bit excessive, but I’m game if you are,” he teased.
Glancing up, their eyes clashed over the menus they held. She could see desire and need reflected in his gaze. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she held it, exhaling slowly as old memories and feelings for the man across from her started rushing back.
Conversation had come easy for them in the car and it continued. If she closed her eyes, she swore it would be like the last sixteen years simply no longer existed.
Alas, it wasn’t the case.
“No.” She grinned. “I think we should stick to a normal meal.”
“Has your palate widened, or are you still Maki girl.”
She smiled. “Still a Maki kind of woman,” she corrected him as she went back to perusing the large menu. “I’m not eating raw chunks of fish.” She shuddered. “No way. No thank you.”
“You realize it’s raw in some of the Maki you eat.”
She looked up and he was watching her, with a sexy smile on his lips.
“The rice and nori cover it up,” she proclaimed.
He laughed. Deep and full of life. It made her happy thinking about how much she missed his laugh. It was something he did often while they were married. His laugh always made her smile. It was infectious.
“It’s still raw.”
“Keep it up and I’m going back to eating California Rolls!”
The waiter came, interrupting their playfulness. After giving their drink order and appetizer, they both continued to study the menu.
“They have a meal for two. A Love Boat, which is a mix of Sashimi, Sushi, and Maki if you’re feeling adventurous.”
She seen it when she looked over the menu earlier. “I’m game. But I’m going to order the Spicy Crab Roll. It sounds heavenly.”
“Will you share?”
Closing her menu with a snap, she laid it down on the table next to his. “Depends. Are you a good boy?”
He laughed. “I’m no boy, Pepper. I’m all man.”
Pepper.
She hadn’t heard her nickname in such a long time it startled her. He had given it to her when they first began dating. He claimed it had to do with her red hair. Later, when they were engaged, he told her it was because he suspected she had a fiery temper to match her hair. Instead of it making her sad, it made her feel…happy. This could be dangerous. He was determined to rekindle their previous life together, whereas she was determined to keep this strictly about pleasure.
“Oh please.” She rested her elbow on the table, tucking her hand under her chin. “We both know all men are boys on some level, easily excited by a pair of tits and ass.”
He snorted. “You got me.”
The waiter returned to their table, placing their appetizers down. Jackson ordered, adding on her additional rolls. From time to time, it was nice having a man who knew when to take charge and when to back off. Shifting in her seat, the pleather creaked and groaned causing him to stare steadily at her.
“Problems?” he asked.
She ignored his question and picked up her chopsticks. She snagged one of the plump Japanese dumplings with her sticks and plopped it into her mouth.
She groaned as the tang and spice of the dumpling exploded on her tongue as she chewed. “Oh, my... Those are amazing.”
“Orgasmic, perhaps?” he teased as he picked up his own chopsticks and followed her lead of picking up the dumpling off the plate.
She watched as he lazily placed the dumpling on his tongue. Enthralled as his lips smacked and his strong jaw moved up and down as he chewed. He was really good with those lips, especially when he’d buried his head between her legs and ate her out.
“I wouldn’t go quite that far.” She reached for another Gyoza with the hopes of distracting the path her mind was taking, only to find her path blocked by his chopsticks.
“How far would you go?” he asked.
She suspected his question had nothing to do with food, and everything to do with sex. “As far as I wanted to,” she answered, not willing to give him the advantage.
A well-placed smack with her sticks against his had him backing off, giving her access to the plate. Picking up another dumpling, this time she dipped it into the sauce and popped into her mouth.
He pushed the plate closer to her, nudging the dumplings with one of his sticks. “Go ahead and eat up. Watching you eat those damn things is enough to make me want to come in my pants.”
Her gaze flew from the plate to his face. Only to realize he wasn’t teasing her. He was dead fucking serious.
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