A Taste of Angela Kay Austin

Sweet Victory
Excerpt:  A cool wet hand trailed across her forehead, and through her hair.  A bowl of water appeared on the table beside her, and Chad’s long, strong fingers dipped into the water, cupping a small amount in his palms.  “Victory, dip your head.”  She couldn’t move.  The water poured from his hands back into the bowl.  His damp palms patted her cheeks and forehead.  The feel of his fingers on her skin calmed and soothed.  The sweat on the back of her hands disappeared, but the fire inside of her moved from her chest, and took over her whole body. 

She leaned her body in to his feeling his solid chest press against her back.  His hands smoothed up and down her arms, then wrapped around her waist.  The stubble along his jaw-line rubbed along her cheek.  His soft curls trailed over her temple and cheek.  Gently, his hand tilted her face so her eyes met his.  Soft and tender, his lips caressed hers.  Not overpowering.  Not overwhelming.  Tender.

He stared into her eyes.  Searching for something.  She wanted to ask, but again his mouth covered hers.  This time, his kiss was not as gentle.  She angled her neck to give him better access.  He tasted her, and she him.  With her eyes closed, she felt all of him.  His chest.  His hands.  His thighs pressed against hers.  His mouth was sinful.  It awakened things in her she’d pushed away even before she left Corey.  She and Corey hadn’t been intimate for months before she left.  Work was always more important.

Her body pressed into Chad’s, and his responded.  The bulge in his pants pushed against her bottom.   Reality set in.  Her eyes sprang open, and she pulled away crushing her body against the cold kitchen wall.

Scarlet’s Tears
Excerpt:  As Joshua Davis turned the key in his ignition, he saw the man dressed in black emerge from the shadows grab her around her waist, and pull her body into his.  She squirmed in protest, but not with any effort that would separate her from her captor.

“Behind you,” he yelled, but he was too far away, in his car, and too late.  Joshua u-turned and parked.  But, by the time he reached them and ran to the door, the man had pulled her inside of the bank, and kicked the brick aside locking them in.

“This has nothing to do with you,” the guy yelled through the glass door.  “Take your ass back to your car, and forget everything.”

Joshua searched Scarlet’s face, but there was nothing.  He didn’t know if she was in shock or maybe…maybe she knew the guy.  “I’m calling the police.”  He yanked at the door.  It was loose, but it would not give.

The man didn’t respond.  He stared wildly at Joshua, and then scanned the interior of the bank.  He looked trapped and scared, which made Joshua even more nervous…not for himself, but for her.

He didn’t’ know much about her, but she’d eaten in his restaurant almost every day…since that first day six months ago, but she never seemed to have much to say.  He thought she seemed sad.  Sad and alone.  Joshua yelled her name through the glass, “Scarlet.” 

Why wasn’t she struggling harder?  Her brown skin darkened beneath the man’s grip around her neck.  She choked and coughed.  The man loosened his grip, and she gasped for air, hungrily.  The knife the man held at her throat pricked her skin.  Joshua watched as a drop of blood beaded on her neck. 

The man with the knife yelled, “Go away.  Damn it.  Go away.”

Joshua banged on the glass.  “Not without her.  Let her go.”

BUY Sweet Victory and Scarlet's Tears at Vanilla Heart Publishing and Amazon  Also Love's Chance and My Son at Red Rose Publishing
 Angela's links: Website/ Facebook/ Twitter
Thank you, Angela, for treating us to such tempting excerpts.
It's been a pleasure getting to know you!

Prize: Angela will award the first two people who post comments on all three days of the event a Sweet Victory magnet.
Posts must be made by the end of the third day.

Angela Kay Austin, Writer of Women's fiction and Romance
REVEALS...

Firstly, welcome back, Angela.

From where do you get inspiration and what inspired you to write Sweet Victory?
For me, inspiration comes from life: news, the local mall, church, wherever there is something happening.  All of it can give me the answer to the question—what if. 
Sweet Victory was birthed from my own life and today’s economy.  Everyone I know can tell me a story about someone they know who has lost their job in the past two years.  But, what happens next?  What if, they lost their job, and then had to return to their hometown?  What if there, they had an estranged grandfather and an ex-love?  What if there was a ton of history which they wanted to forget?  But, what if the only person or people willing to help were the people they’d hurt or who’d hurt them?This basically becomes a story structure for me.

How do you relate to the heroine?

I relate to Victoria James, my heroine in Sweet Victory because we both had to face what do we do after we lose everything?  When you have your life planned to go in one direction, and you hit a wall...what happens next?

I love that Victoria never gave up.  Even when she was scared, and had absolutely no clue about what to do next.

Who controls the story – you or your characters?

My characters.  I’ve tried to force story ideas.  Outlined everything.  Character descriptions.  But, the stories wouldn’t flow.  They would get stuck in the middle, but when I let go of what my ideas were, and let the characters tell me their stories, the ideas are much clearer and stronger.

What do you enjoy about writing romance?

Contemporary Romance inspires me.  I don’t necessarily need fairy tales.  I need to know if I work hard, and don’t give up there is a reward.  That you gain ground, not lose it.  So often, fairy tales replace reality.  Or, worse yet, reality overtakes dreams.  There has to be a balance.  Why can’t life offer wonderful surprises or rewards for those who give it everything they’ve got: life, love, work, family, etc.

What do you like best and least about writing?

Not knowing what’s going to happen next.

What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

The best writers think their writing is no good J

 How do you like to spend your free time?
Living.  Doing anything that will allow me to have one more thing to write about.

Do you have any unfulfilled ambitions you wish to accomplish? What would you most like to accomplish this year?There are a million things I’d like to do.  I’ve crossed several off of my list: acting, writing, playing a musical instrument, travelling, etc.  What I’d like to do is to continue to add to each one of these “pots.”  More of all of it.  Is that too greedy.
An impressive list of achievements!
This year, I’d like to attend a conference.  I also want to achieve enough sales to be considered PRO by RWA.

You can find out more about Angela on her Website:http://www.angelakayaustin.com/ Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/angelakayaustin
and Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/angelakayaustin
Buy her books on Amazon/ Vanilla Heart Publishing/ Red Rose Publishing
Prize: Angela will award the first two people who post comments on all three days of the event a Sweet Victory magnet.
Posts must be made by the end of the third day.
Don't miss Angela's captivating excerpts tomorrow

A WARM WELCOME TO ANGELA KAY AUSTIN
Writer of Women's Fiction and Romance

Here's how Angela's journey began:  After twenty years of practicing marketing: writing copy, designing layouts, developing advertising campaigns, she realized each piece of the plans she put together eventually told a story. And, since she was a tween reading her mother's Reader's Digest, and every teen magazine she could find she'd dreamt of telling stories.

And now... Her first book, Love's Chance stayed on Red Rose Publishing's Best Seller list for 10 weeks. 
Her second release, My Son, is available from Red Rose Publishing and was a best seller at All Romance Ebooks. 
New releases:  Sweet Victory and Scarlet’s Tears are available from Vanilla Heart Publishing. 
Angela has also written for the Ezine Rithm 'n Blues.

Check out the blurbs for her latest releases:

Scarlet’s Tears

When you lose everything you love, how are you supposed to believe it won’t happen again?  

The knife at her throat didn’t frighten Scarlet Anderson.  In fact, it was a relief.  Finally, she didn’t have to worry any longer about living another empty day.  She’d be reunited with the ones she loved.

Joshua Davis had faced a lot of challenges in his life, his faith and the love of his family had seen him through his latest battles.  But…no person could help him now.  How had he managed to fall in love with someone who’d stopped loving herself?  And what was he supposed to do?

Sweet Victory

For her employees, Victoria James quits her job to save theirs.  That decision loses her the man she thought she loved.  And sends her back to Memphis, TN with everything she owns to face a neglected and forgotten relationship with her grandfather.  

Everything she has is stolen.  Chad Kirkpatrick, her childhood love, the first man to break her heart, now a police officer, comes to her aid.  

Can she move forward, and put her past behind her?  Will Chad forgive her?

BUY Vanilla Heart    Amazon

Find out more about Angela on her website facebook and twitter
And make a date to come back tomorrow for a lively interview

Prize: Angela will award the first two people who post comments on all three days of the event a Sweet Victory magnet.
Posts must be made by the end of the third day.