Please welcome our special guest for today, Alexa Bourne!
Alexa Bourne is a
teacher by day and a romance writer by nights, weekends, and all school
holidays. She also teaches online classes for writers throughout the year. She
writes mostly romantic suspense (some with paranormal elements!) and is
thrilled to have the chance to share her stories with readers everywhere.
When she’s not
concocting sinister plots and steamy love scenes or traveling and exploring new
cultures, Alexa spends her time reading, watching brainless TV, and thinking
about exercising. Okay, she also spends way too much time interacting with
readers and writers on social media sites. But don’t tell her editors! Find out
more about her and her books on her website, www.alexabourne.com.
My grandmother’s family came from Scotland and my
grandfather’s came from Ireland, so I guess I was always destined to have wisps
of the Celts floating through my mind and my heart. Anyone who knows me can
tell you how much the Celtic world has invaded my life. My website has plaid, I
have a plaid purse, I have several earrings of various Celtic symbols. Friends
and family send me gifts related to Ireland and Scotland for my birthday,
Christmas and even St. Patrick’s Day. I listen to Celtic music, travel to
Celtic countries, study some Celtic history, read some Celtic romance novels
and I’ve even written contemporary romance novels set in Celtic lands.
So when my muse demanded I set my newest book in
Texas, I was a little…lost. I knew the story wouldn’t be successful if I tried
to force it into Dublin, Edinburgh or the Scottish Highlands. I had to just
“get over it” and recognize that this book wouldn’t be tied to my Celtic roots.
But…
As I wrote the rough draft, some of the characters’
names turned out to be Scottish or Irish. And when it came time to choose a
symbol to represent The Protectors, the “good guys” in the series, the Celtic
shield settled inside my brain. I even started thinking that if all goes well
with this set of 4 books, then I could continue the series and set the next
round of books in Scotland since I’ll be traveling there next summer and can do
more research. While these connections raced through my mind, I began thinking
of my other books. Soon I realized that every one of them has something Celtic within its pages. So, I
guess no matter where I set my stories or what the plots are, my love of
Scotland and Ireland will always shine through.
Hear My Cry: Harper Monroe has simple goals— work her day job, pay off her debts, and finish college. But life rarely goes as planned. When two lunatics spouting off weird phrases attempt to kidnap her, Harper’s world turns upside down and she loses her hearing.
All bartender Scott Jackson wants after work is his couch, a Longhorn game, and a cold beer. Instead, he reluctantly becomes Harper’s protector. As the two of them work to find out why she’s wanted, Harper’s hearing returns. Only now she can hear everything.
With more research, they discover Harper is a member of The Protector Cell, a secret society of men and women with superpowers. Harper refuses to accept her fate until The Collectors, the people hunting the Protectors, make her their number one target. Suddenly, Harper must choose: deny her frightening future or use her new skill to save the man she loves.Excerpt!
Harper squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose. What if she never heard another sound again?
A gentle hand brushed along her
arm. Warmth seeped through the palm. Heat wasn’t what she needed, though. Did
the person have any courage to share?
She opened her eyes. Gone was the
stern looking doctor. Only her hero stood before her, with a soft glance of
concern covering his features. Of course he hadn’t grown since she met him, but
somehow he seemed taller, wider, more of a force to be reckoned with. Yet, he
still held onto a boy-next-door look. His dirty-blond hair held streaks from
where he’d run his fingers through it. The strands fell below the standard male
cut, but still didn’t reach his broad shoulders. Across his chest stretched a
black t-shirt decorated with the words The
Stone Shelter Pub. From her few visits to the bar, she knew it was the
shirt the staff wore.
He pointed to her. Once he gave
her the hand signal for okay, he held his hand out as though waiting for an
answer.
Her all right? She had a couple
who wanted to grab her, to use her as a test subject. Defending herself
completely healthy was hard enough. With no hearing, she might as well put a
sign on her back that read take me, I’m
at a tactical disadvantage.
But she couldn’t tell that to an
innocent stranger.
A slim smile was all she could
give him. “I will be.” She had to be, right?
He reached behind him to the
table to grab the notepad and pen. Don’t
be scared, okay? Since there’s nothing physically wrong with you then it stands
to reason you’ll be able to hear again soon.
He’d written the message, but
Harper could see the doubt rumbling through his eyes.
When she pulled her gaze away, it
fell on the bandage covering part of his forearm. An injury he wouldn’t have
gotten if he had walked away. A knot clutched in her stomach. “What’s your
name?”
Scott
Jackson.
“Thank you for saving my life.”
The admission brought a whole new wave of worry.
You
were doing pretty good on your own.
With a light touch of her pinkie,
she traced the tape around his bandage. “I’m sorry you got hurt because of me.”
He shook his head. You didn’t burn my arm. There’s no reason
for you to apologize.
“But if I hadn’t stopped you…”
He held up one finger, close to
her mouth but not touching. She pressed her lips together, and then he
continued writing. My choice.
Rich green eyes stared back at
her with strength and pride. Moisture gathered in the corners of Harper’s eyes.
When she’d called out to him for help she hadn’t wanted him hurt. For her. “I’m
so sorry.”
He brushed away the tears before
they fell down her cheeks.
She knew it wasn’t fair, wasn’t
right, but she didn’t want him to leave her alone. With his soft touch, his
straightforward words, and his ability to hear, Scott Jackson was the only
person who made her feel safe at the moment.
Buy HEAR MY CRY at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Evernight, Bookstrand, All Romance Ebooks, Kobo, or B&N.
Contest!
My birthday is in October, so throughout the month
I’ll be celebrating with readers! I’ll choose two prize winners a week. Some of
the prizes will be gift cards, Austin “stuff”, Scottish “stuff”, books and, of
course, chocolate! There are several ways to enter the contest:
1.
Leave a comment
on this blog or any of the others I’m visiting
2.
Stop by and
comment on my blog
3.
Sign up for my
newsletter
4.
“Share” any of my
Facebook posts promoting HEAR MY CRY
5.
Leave a review of
HEAR MY CRY
Find Alexa online:
Pinterest:
www.pinterest.com/alexabourne
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AlexaBourne
Website:
www.alexabourne.com
Email:
alexa@alexabourne.com
