Megan Johns Invites

A Warm Welcome to Amber Lea Easton

Amber Lea Easton began writing stories as a nine year-old girl living in a small town in South Dakota. Her first “book” at that age was called “The House on the Hill”, eighty pages of blood and gore where no one survived at the end. Fortunately, puberty hit and the stories evolved to romance. She spent her high school years writing stories in notebooks, passing them around in study hall and getting in trouble for “scribbling” during algebra class. Childhood storytelling transitioned to a BA degree in Communications and Journalism with a career in journalism and advertising, but fiction writing remained her biggest passion.
An avid traveler, Easton incorporates real life adventures into her work as often as possible (minus the illegal activities her fictional characters get involved with--she swears). A widowed mother of two teens, Easton lives in the Colorado Rocky Mountains where she writes, plays with her dogs, and practices gratitude daily.

Follow Amber Lea Easton on Twitter, Facebook or her website at http://amberleaeaston.com.

Here's the blurb for Kiss Me Slowly:

Trapped in a set-up that could have him in jail or dead by Monday, Jonathan Alexander trusts no one in his inner circle. It’s Saturday. His only hope is Grace Dupont, the best forensic accountant in Miami. But there’s a glitch with that idea. She's also his ex-girlfriend who would rather watch him drown than throw him a life vest. Going to her feels desperate...because he is.
Grace enjoys seeing Jonathan squirm. On your knees boy, she thinks as he pitches for her help. Always a sucker for the dark-haired-blue-eyed boys, she risks her precariously balanced life of secrets to help him. Helping him slaps a target on her back--she's the key to proving his innocence and that's a bad, bad thing.

Tangled up in whirlwind of conspiracy, murder, million dollar money trails and diamond smuggling, Jonathan and Grace flee to the sea to stall for time to prove his innocence. Romance sizzles beneath Florida Keys’ sunshine. Both scoff at happy endings. Both doubt justice. Both know each kiss could be their last.

And the blurb for Riptide (coming August 2012):

One violent night shatters Lauren Biltmore’s life. As an anchorwoman, she's accustomed to reporting the news rather than being the lead story. She escapes the spotlight by fleeing to her brother's home in the Cayman Islands. Haunted by nightmares, all she wants is a distraction from reality.

Distraction arrives via sexy screenwriter, Noah Reynolds. His take-me-to-bed looks mask a past ripe with scandal. He knows he should stay away from Lauren, especially when the worst night of her life unlocks his writer's block and while he's dealing with a stalker of his own, but ethics are his weakness.

Attraction sizzles beneath Caribbean sunshine. As their relationship grows, Noah's stalker intensifies her torment. Lauren wonders if her paranoia is justified or a carryover from her past. What's real? What's imagined?

Tentative trust is tested as their love is swept up against a riptide of deceit, murder, and revenge.

Before treating us to some excerpts, Amber Reveals:

From where do you get your inspiration and what inspired you to write your latest book?

People fascinate and inspire me--what makes them tick, what do they hide and why. Because of this fascination, all of my stories are emotional high-stakes poker games where my main characters have a lot to lose.
As for my latest story, Riptide, my own experience with a stalker inspired the story. Back in my 20s, I survived a rather horrific situation--although my reality pales in comparison to the brutality of my main character (trust me--I didn’t kill anyone). Although I’ve framed it in a romantic suspense novel, the post traumatic stress and creepiness are born from reality.

In a couple of sentences, describe the hero’s character. What do you like best/least about him?

Riptide: Noah Reynolds is thoughtful, smart, compassionate, non-judgmental and generous. I love this guy. What do I like least? He expects the worst from people rather than the best. He’s not a trusting man, which makes him more of a cynic than an optimist.

Kiss Me Slowly: Jonathan Alexander III is romantic, brave, smart, and loyal. What do I like least? He’s stubborn and almost loyal to a fault.

And the heroine? How do you relate to her?

Riptide: The heroine is Lauren Biltmore. I relate to her because she’s starting life over after having it forcefully interrupted. She has a lot to piece together, a lot of self-doubt to overcome. She’s incredibly strong, a survivor.

Kiss Me Slowly: Grace Dupont is very smart but misunderstood by many. She’s prefers keeping to herself and doesn’t trust easily. I’m not sure those are good qualities to relate to, but that’s the truth.

Who controls the story--you or your characters?

My characters drive the story, but I’m very much in control of making their lives miserable with twists and turns that keep the suspense interesting. They are definitely the driving force, though, the heart and soul.

What do you enjoy most about writing romance?

Love is universal. Whether people want to admit it or not, we’re all seeking it. If life isn’t about love, then what’s the point? I also love happy endings and seeing how my characters come together to overcome great obstacles.

What can we look forward to you in the near future?

Well, Riptide will be out in August, which I’m so excited about I can barely sit still. After that, I have Reckless Endangerment coming out around Thanksgiving time--that’s a story about a wounded marine coming home from Afghanistan and having a hard time adjusting to life as a civilian. On top of that, his wife is a reporter immersed in a human trafficking story that tosses another wrench into their lives. Oh--and that’s the difference with that story--they’re married already and are trying to save their marriage through a lot of turmoil.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I love hiking, hanging out with my two teenagers (yes, it’s the truth--we actually have a lot of fun), going to concerts, meeting friends for lunch, going to movies, taking classes on a wide variety of subjects, and traveling.

What would you most like to accomplish this year?

I’m writing a nonfiction book about guiding children through grief based on my own experience following my husband’s death. I’m actually having a much harder time writing this than I do fiction. If I manage to finish it, that will be a huge accomplishment. Right now I keep starting and stopping it. We’ll see. I’m only doing it because, when I was a young widow with very young children, I couldn’t find adequate resources to let me know that what I was going through was normal. I decided that if I ever got through it I’d write something so no one else would feel that alone. Like I said, we’ll see.

What is your culinary specialty?

Breakfast food. I make a killer omelet. Oh, and chili, which isn’t a breakfast food, but I make a spicy batch.

And now A Taste of Amber:

Kiss Me Slowly excerpt:

She slipped the oversized T-shirt over her head and began working side-by-side with him. Rhythm and Blues resonated throughout the house. His legs stretched next to hers, fine dust settled in his dark hair from the meticulous work.

“I like this,” she said.

“Like what? Manual labor?”

It was more than that, but words escaped her.

“I started doing all of this because I needed to keep busy, keep moving, keep my mind distracted.” He fingered the sandpaper, a distant expression on his face. Dust grayed his hair and shirt, bare feet poked out from the frayed hem of his jeans. “Have you done that? Have you purposely distracted yourself from dealing with what happened to you?”

Here we go. Serious discussion. With a sigh, she pressed her back against the cabinet opposite him, their bare feet touching in the middle of the floor.

She didn’t want to go there—to that place of honesty that everyone from her therapist to her best friend Janet had begged her to go for months—but Austin had been right when he’d said Noah was an easy person to talk to. Despite his take-me-to-bed-and-strip-me-naked looks, he exuded compassion.

“Work did that for as long as possible until I couldn’t...do it anymore. And exercise. What is it they say? Endorphins are nature’s anti-depressants? Something like that.”

“It’s paid off.” His gaze slipped over her bare legs.

She melted. “Well, your house looks great. Distraction has paid off for you, too.”

“I suppose it has.” His laugh reminded her of secrets and promises and whispers in the night.

“You’re a proponent of distraction then?” She crawled toward him. Consequences be damned, her hormones screamed. Fear had ruled her life for too long. She wanted her freedom back. She needed a diversion. She craved a taste of him.

“What’re you doing?” He dropped the back of his head against the cabinet and watched her through half-closed eyes. “Don’t come any closer.”

“Why not? Are you scared?” Hands braced over his head. Boldness pumped through her .

“Terrified.”

“Know what I find irresistible?”

“I have an idea.”

“I’m a real mess, you know.” She had to say it, warn him, give him a chance to push her away.

“So am I. Together we’d be a disaster.” His fingers slid beneath the T-shirt, skimmed her bare back, and teased under the strap of the swimsuit. “Am I your distraction then? Something to keep you busy? Is that what this is about, Lauren? Do you want to use me to distract you?”

His question stopped her from taking what she wanted. A fraction from his lips, she stared into those whiskey-colored eyes. “Maybe. Does that bother you?”

“Probably should, if I had any sense or moral decency, but not really.” He yanked the T-shirt over her head and tossed it aside. “Last chance for you to run away, no hard feelings.”

“I’m tired of running away.” She brushed her lips against his. A taste is what she wanted, needed like oxygen. “No strings. No complications.”

“This could get complicated.” He smiled against her mouth.

“Not if we’re clear about what we want.” With one pull, she tore those two buttons free from his shirt. Finally. Skin. “I don’t want deep or complicated. No plans. Just sex. Easy.”

“Just sex, huh?” He grabbed her ass and pulled her close. “I like easy, uncomplicated, string-free sex.”

Their mouths met and devoured one another, tongues clashing. Her hands were in his hair, on his shoulders, skimming over his chest. She needed more, wanted more. That she barely knew him didn’t matter. What mattered was that he made her feel alive for the first time in months, that he knew about her past and didn’t give a damn.

He rolled her onto her back, thigh slipping between hers. Their mouths never parted. The denim on his leg rubbed against her bare thigh. His weight pressed her into the plastic that covered the hard tiles.

She arched upward, craving contact. She pulled his shirt off, her hands needing to touch the hardness of his shoulders. Touching him, tasting him, feeling his mouth on her skin and his hips pressing into hers reaffirmed that she was alive in every possible way.

“Why do I feel like I’m going to burn in hell for this?” he asked against her open mouth.

“Now who’s over thinking things?” She tugged at his lower lip with her mouth.

Riptide excerpt: