Today I welcome a good friend from the Gulf Coast Chapter of RWA, Sayde Grace, whose debut novel Riding Double launched this month with The Wild Rose Press...
First let me give a huge thank you to my host today, Amber Leigh Williams, lady you rock! Thank you for letting me have a chance to stop by your wonderful blog and share a few thoughts with your readers and to shamelessly tell everyone about my cowboy’s!
Today I was supposed to give you all an article on writing. I looked and looked and couldn’t find anything that “spoke” to me so I’m going to talk about an article I’m writing. You see there are many, many things that authors and industry professionals don’t tell you when you begin writing. One thing I learned that startled me: how happy yet jealous I could feel. I adore my writing friends and have been cheering them all on from the time I met them. So why is it that as one, then two of my friends get contracts or terrific agent news that I have this nagging in my head that screams “WHY NOT ME??”
Today I was supposed to give you all an article on writing. I looked and looked and couldn’t find anything that “spoke” to me so I’m going to talk about an article I’m writing. You see there are many, many things that authors and industry professionals don’t tell you when you begin writing. One thing I learned that startled me: how happy yet jealous I could feel. I adore my writing friends and have been cheering them all on from the time I met them. So why is it that as one, then two of my friends get contracts or terrific agent news that I have this nagging in my head that screams “WHY NOT ME??”
The green side of publishing can be very ugly if you let it. I had never put much thought into what I would do if one of my friends “made” it before me because I’d assumed I’d be beyond thrilled. While it’s not the easiest subject to talk about because lets face its not very nice NOT to be jumping up and down the entire time a friend is telling you they’ve gotten an agent, made a huge contract, or renewed a contract but sometimes it needs to be talked about.
After a good friend of mine hooked herself a terrific deal and topped that glorious news off with a sparkling agent I screamed for joy for her. Then about two minutes later I slumped down at my desk and pouted. Yes, she knows I did this because I was honest with her about it. I felt so guilty too. This subject was NEVER brought up at any of my local RWA meetings and after a little while I began asking around to see how other authors felt about this subject. Turns out it’s not just me who has done this. In fact nearly everyone I have spoken with about this topic has felt this at one time or another. Now I think it is extremely important to let newer authors know that it’s perfectly fine to have those feelings of “Why not me?” while still being thrilled for others. It’s human nature.
My advice to all authors is to give your feelings time to work themselves out. The knee jerk reaction can be brutal and can cause you to say things you might regret. So take a few minutes to recognize the feelings and remember that we are all one large group of writers and the “call” is waiting for us all.
My call or rather email came from Diana Carlile at The Wilder Rose Press for my new release Riding Double which hit the digital world May 7, 2010. As a native of South Alabama I was raised among the cotton fields and dirt ro
ads of the south. I have a deep love and appreciation for the rural communities and use my experiences of small town life in my books. I’ve been writing full time for two years and have written five full length manuscripts which range from romantic suspense to young adult and even erotica. Growing up in the equine and cattle industry has given me a behind the scenes knowledge of the industry which I use throughout Riding Double my erotic romance short story.
Stressed to the max by her rodeo production company, Billie turns to young bareback rider Chet Haskins for a night of fun. She expects to get her mind off her business and her bull rider ex-fiancé, Bo Bennett. What she gets is several nights of sinful pleasure with both Chet and Bo. Finding herself quite literally between two hot cowboys, will Billie decide to move forward with Chet or start over with Bo? Excerpt:
My heart raced as I realized Bo was here. Here, and very nearby, watching Chet and me. I looked to my left. Next to the bucking chutes, Bo stood staring at us. I inclined my head in a hello, and he sauntered over. He stopped in front of me and grabbed my hand, pulling me to his side.
“I’ve missed you more, no matter what kind of smooth talk this dipshit has told you.” He gave a dizzying smile, which I returned. “But this weekend we’ve got to get something straight. If we’re to be together,” he waved his hand back and forth between us, “then you need to understand I expect some control over this.”
My eyes almost bugged out of my head. He did not just say he needed control. I’d kill him. I opened my mouth to argue, but before I had a chance, his lips closed over mine. I had a moment to panic. Everyone who’d just seen me kiss Chet would know I was also involved with Bo. I jerked away, and he let me go.
Bo’s jaw firmed, and his eyes bored into mine. “Make no mistake about it. If I’m going to share you, you’re gonna let me keep some control. Otherwise, I don’t know if I can go on with this.”
For an instant I thought about telling him to fuck off, but I couldn’t. His kiss had demolished my emotional barriers. I wanted him. I needed him and couldn’t deny it any longer.
“Chet may have missed you some, but I’m the one who thought about you every day.” Bo’s voice turned low and deep, filled with desire. His eyes blazed with lust. “Remembered your touch, the feel of your skin sliding against mine, and how sweet you taste.”
Chet snorted. “He’s been talking nonstop about you for two weeks.” He laughed. “I told him there was no way in hell I was bowing out. The two of you would have too much fun without me.” He turned and ambled away.
Bo stood, looking at the ground. I gazed at him for a second to let the giddiness of knowing how much that kiss had affected him rush through me. I might regret it later, but this weekend I was determined to have a good time, and if that meant spending time with him, pretending things were like they had been, fine.
“I gotta get to that meeting.” I turned to go but stopped. With a glance over my shoulder, I melted a little. He was staring at my ass. “I wanna be with you tonight, but nothing has changed. When this weekend is over, things will go back to the way they were before.”
My heart sank, but he had to know. I still wasn’t ready to forgive and forget. Maybe I never would be.
He smiled and shook his head. “You’re wrong. After this weekend, things will never be the same.”
Thanks again for letting me stop by and share. Hope you all enjoyed Riding Double available at The Wild Rose Press!
My heart raced as I realized Bo was here. Here, and very nearby, watching Chet and me. I looked to my left. Next to the bucking chutes, Bo stood staring at us. I inclined my head in a hello, and he sauntered over. He stopped in front of me and grabbed my hand, pulling me to his side.
“I’ve missed you more, no matter what kind of smooth talk this dipshit has told you.” He gave a dizzying smile, which I returned. “But this weekend we’ve got to get something straight. If we’re to be together,” he waved his hand back and forth between us, “then you need to understand I expect some control over this.”
My eyes almost bugged out of my head. He did not just say he needed control. I’d kill him. I opened my mouth to argue, but before I had a chance, his lips closed over mine. I had a moment to panic. Everyone who’d just seen me kiss Chet would know I was also involved with Bo. I jerked away, and he let me go.
Bo’s jaw firmed, and his eyes bored into mine. “Make no mistake about it. If I’m going to share you, you’re gonna let me keep some control. Otherwise, I don’t know if I can go on with this.”
For an instant I thought about telling him to fuck off, but I couldn’t. His kiss had demolished my emotional barriers. I wanted him. I needed him and couldn’t deny it any longer.
“Chet may have missed you some, but I’m the one who thought about you every day.” Bo’s voice turned low and deep, filled with desire. His eyes blazed with lust. “Remembered your touch, the feel of your skin sliding against mine, and how sweet you taste.”
Chet snorted. “He’s been talking nonstop about you for two weeks.” He laughed. “I told him there was no way in hell I was bowing out. The two of you would have too much fun without me.” He turned and ambled away.
Bo stood, looking at the ground. I gazed at him for a second to let the giddiness of knowing how much that kiss had affected him rush through me. I might regret it later, but this weekend I was determined to have a good time, and if that meant spending time with him, pretending things were like they had been, fine.
“I gotta get to that meeting.” I turned to go but stopped. With a glance over my shoulder, I melted a little. He was staring at my ass. “I wanna be with you tonight, but nothing has changed. When this weekend is over, things will go back to the way they were before.”
My heart sank, but he had to know. I still wasn’t ready to forgive and forget. Maybe I never would be.
He smiled and shook his head. “You’re wrong. After this weekend, things will never be the same.”
Thanks again for letting me stop by and share. Hope you all enjoyed Riding Double available at The Wild Rose Press!
Thanks for sharing with us Cozies today, Sayde! As a fan of western romance, I can't wait to read this book!
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