Q. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
A. Thank you for having me here, Doris. For
those who don’t yet know me, my name is Grace Ryles and I am new author to the
Siren-Bookstrand family. I am a New York native, but moved to Florida to pursue
my higher education goals. Reading and writing have been such passions for me,
but when real life encroached I had to give up writing. Years down the line I
found that I really missed writing and creating my own stories. It was as if
everything I loved about writing filled me again and I made the decision with a
push from my husband to become a published author. Luckily, Siren agreed that I
had some talent (lol) and they decided to publish my first novel in March and
now my second August 28th.
Q. What made you write ‘this’ story?
A. It’s hard to say where exactly my
inspiration comes from, since it can be just about anything. Mostly, story
ideas just pop into my head as I am showering or writing a scene in my current
WIP. I never know exactly where the series is going until the next set of
characters decides to start talking. While I was writing book one, I had every
intention to write a different set of characters for book two. But when I finally
got to the end of book one, Ryder and Chase started talking to me and begging
me to write their story. So like the ‘good girl’ I am I obliged.
Q. Tell us about your cover.
A. My cover is just Wow! I love it to
pieces. It was created by Harris Channing and with little guidance I gave, she
created something so beautiful. I absolutely love the characters on the cover
and the small town scene at the bottom.
Q. Describe a typical day’s writing for us
A. When I am not procrastinating on
Facebook? LOL. A typical day for me (when I’m not procrastinating) I get up
super early and check my emails and Facebook. After that I have a light
breakfast or lunch depending on what time I rise. I live with major allergies
so I am up half the night taking Benadryl so sometimes I wake up late. After
I’ve addressed all items and am finally read to sit down. I open up my saved
document and read the last two chapters that were created to help me identify
where the story is going. Then I close my eyes turn on some music and just let
my fingers go across the keyboard.
Q. What inspires you?
A. The easier
question would be what doesn’t inspire me. I take inspiration from everything
around me; mostly its music but it can be a host of other things. I am an avid
people watcher so sometimes when I am out; I watch people and try to figure out
their story. Strangely, also the shower inspires me, I don’t know if because it
allows my mind to become uncluttered but when I am in there, characters talk so
much more loudly.
Q. If you weren’t a writer what would you be?
A. Prior to becoming published I worked in
healthcare, I imagine if I didn’t choose this path, I would still be working in
healthcare and obtaining my goal of becoming a physician.
Q. Do your characters ever surprise you?
A. Oh my do they ever. Usually I have a plot
and major items that will occur in the story but the rest is the characters
telling me what to do. In the second book, there is a scene with the characters
from book one, I had no intention of them being in this book and they just came
and took over.
Q. What could not do without when you’re
writing?
A. Music! I love music. It helps me get into
whatever mood the scene I am writing is about.
Q. What words of wisdom do you have for the
aspiring authors out there?
A. My advice to other writers is to just write. Write for yourself and
no one else, it has to matter to you. Over the years, I learned that not
everyone is going to love everything you create. It’s sad but a truth that, I
know once my first book is published, I will have to learn all over again. For
me writing was and still is a huge escape, if it is for you, never give up.
Remember that you are your own worst critic. Things that may seem
insurmountable are really not that bad. Don’t let other’s put down what you
created.
Q. Where do you see yourself in ten year’s
time?
A. I see so many things for my future and
if you would have asked me a few years ago, my answer would have been so
different from what it is now. In ten years’ time I would like to have
published my 100th book. I know crazy right! Making the New York
Times Best Sellers list is a dream and a goal that I would love to have
accomplished in that time frame. Aside from my career ambitions, I see myself
celebrating my 24th year anniversary with my husband and with a
couple of kids of our own. Overall, I
see myself happy, healthy and living my life.
Q. Do you have a favourite quote?
A. My favourite quote comes from, Marianne Williamson’s Return to Love Novel. The words resonate with me for many reasons,
one of which is that we all are our own brick wall. We either by conscious
actions or unconscious actions prevent ourselves from achieving greatness,
because we are scared of what that greatness can mean for ourselves and the
world around us.
"...Our deepest fear is not that we are
inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
Q. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?
A. Oh yes, I suffer from writer’s block
multiple times in writing each of my novels. It is more that somewhere along
the lines my current WIP is leading me in a direction where the characters
don’t want to go necessarily. So I have to go back and see where I was headed
and make changes before, I can overcome the block.
Q. What other books can your readers look
forward to?
A. I have several projects that are taking my time away from the real
world, lol. First I am working on book three of Grand Oak Springs, which will
be my first MMF book. Secondly I am working on a BDSM club series entitled
Secret House and lastly I am working on a secondary ménage series which will be
featuring the good state of Florida, where I currently live.
Q. And finally can you share the blurb and
excerpt with us?
Blurb:
It started with an arrangement,
temporary no strings attached sex.
On a journey to find herself Emma Daniels
never expected to fall into bed with two broody men for a little dominance
play. Giving up her dreams of finding the one thing she has always wanted… a
family, Emma decides to embark on a month long NSA sex with twins Ryder and
Chase. Emma finds herself falling for the twin hotties and wanting more, but
their scarred past hinders them from giving her what she wants.
Chase and Ryder Freeman have sworn off
women, apart from for one singular exception, sex. Meeting Emma they never expected for her to stir those old emotions,
the ones they kept buried deep inside. Determined not to give into those old
feelings they propose a compromise, one month no strings attached.
Can these three finally overcome the hurt
of their past or will they succumb to it?
Will Emma finally get what she always
wanted by claiming her temporary men?
Excerpts:
Adult Excerpt:
Emma, god she was something else. Over the
last few days Ryder found solace in between her legs, and damn was it dangerous
to be craving more, more time, more… just more everything. A bright red
corvette with an out-of-state license plate sped past him. He smirked, it must
be fate that he was thinking about her tight wet heat and she had to cross his
patrol area. She was only going a few miles over the speed limit, something he
wouldn’t necessarily pull over someone else for, but what he wanted from this
stop was much different than dishing out tickets. Putting on his siren and
lights, he sped towards his future.
Emma looked down at the speedometer, she
wasn’t going much over the posted 75mph sign. Maybe one or two miles over, but
now she was being pulled over. Bullshit. She was having such a good day, but a
ticket would definitely ruin her high spirits. She had met with both Dr.
Sanchez and Ruiz and discussed the possibility of volunteering one or two days
a week while she was in town. They were extremely pleasant and handsome,
nothing compared to Ryder and Chase, but handsome nonetheless. Both doctors had
expressed how much they needed additional help with the patient load and
welcomed any and all help. They had even offered her a job but at the moment,
she was still undecided as to what she would be doing after the month was up.
Pulling over to the side of the road and turning off her engine, she waited for
the patrol car to stop and for the officer to step out. Looking in her rearview
mirror she gazed at the officer who pulled her over and a small laugh escaped,
so maybe she wasn’t being pulled over for her road manners, but something much
darker. The officer walked over and tapped on the glass, and, rolling it down,
she played along.
“Hello, officer.”
“Good day ma’am, do you know why I pulled
you over?” Oh, so he wanted to play, too.
“No this has caught me completely unawares.
What could I have possibly done to be pulled over?” Emma said putting on her
best innocent act.
“Ma’am, cut the act, I caught you speeding
going about 20mph over the posted limit, not to mention I ran those plates and
it comes up on a stolen vehicle. So what do you have to say for yourself?” His
act was so believable, and if she didn’t know any better, he would have her
believing she had stolen her own car. He was a mask of authority, but Emma
could see the hunger in his eyes and the erection in his pants.
“I don’t understand what you are saying, I
have never stolen anything in my life and I don’t speed.” She feigned shock.
“Don’t play around, I caught you red
handed. Now let me see your license and we can discuss what your options are.”
Emma could just bet what those options are. She handed over her driver’s
license. Giving him a sympathetic look, hoping to gain some advantage in this
little game.
“Okay Emma, now here are your only options.
I am a lenient man and I can turn the other cheek and let you drive off here,
but you would need to do something for me...” he paused and she felt a shiver
work down her spine. Her senses tingled and she had an idea of what that
something would be. “So what will it be, I can arrest you right here and bring
you down to the station or you can follow my car and we can settle this matter…
privately? The choice is yours.” Ryder’s voice was smooth and seductive,
leaving little to the imagination of what he wanted from this private
discussion. So what could do either way Emma was so fucked, literarily.
“Officer, I am telling the truth, I never
stole anything. Please can we just forget this and I can go on my way?” she
tried to deny what he wanted and knew it would spark his rage. She wanted that
rage. Emma could easily give in but what would be the fun in that?
“I’m going to have to ask you to get out of
the car, ma’am.” Holy shit! Stepping
out of the car, Emma stood on shaky legs. “Turn around and put your hands flat
on the roof, you have the right to remain silent…” He started reading over her
Miranda rights and she got more into the role.
“Officer, please, don’t arrest me. I-I…”
she cried, going deeper into the role she played.
“I gave you a choice. Now you want to
renegotiate?” he asked and she nodded. “I usually don’t ask twice, this is your
last chance what will it be?” he said gruffly into her ear, and pressed his
erection to the cleft of her ass.
“I’ll follow you,” she said, resigned.
“Officer?” she queried. He let her see his
open hunger and she knew what would happen next. He grabbed her wrist and
pulled her snug against his body, the erection he sported poking her belly.
“You know what is going to happen here,
Emma?” His voice darkened, while hers quivered.
“Umm, I don’t know, officer. Please, I
promise I didn’t steal that car.” He stopped her from continuing with a
bruising kiss to her lips. She tried to keep him out, keep up the farce that
was this scene. Ryder grabbed her ass, hard, making her cry out, and he took
full advantage, sticking his tongue inside deep. A hand in her hair pulled her
away from his lips and he panted out.
“Bend over the hood of the car.” She
paused, giving him a scared, innocent look. His smile was pure malicious.
“Shall I take you to the station?” Moving slowly, portraying the part while her
pussy creamed at what was about to happen, she bent over the hood. Luckily for
Ryder, she was wearing a sundress. She felt his heat as he came up behind her.
Story Excerpt:
Chase made it to the station a few minutes
later after leaving Emma’s cabin. He hated that he had to go into work. It was
something he tried not to do, let work invade his personal life. But sometimes
the best intentions didn’t matter much, when you worked in the public sector.
It wasn’t until hours later that he was finally finished with the logistics of
what went down. According to the coroner, there was no foul play, but Chase
believed that this was not just another natural death case. But with nothing to
go on, he was at a loss as to proceed further. Pulling his truck into the
garage, he couldn’t wait to take a shower and head to bed.
Ryder was the in the living room when he
walked in and he could tell his brother had been drinking. He had been for a
while if the bottles that lined the table were any indication. It didn’t look
good. Anytime Ryder was in a funk he drank and heavily. Chase thought things
were looking up but it seemed like his brother was going to run scared. He
wasn’t at all in the mood to deal with his brother’s crap, but he was all he
had and if they were ever going to move on, he had to make Ry realize a few
truths.
“Started early?” he asked, walking in and
taking one of the unopened Jack Daniels bottles, opening it and taking a swig.
The liquid burned as it went down and his belly warmed.
“Nope only a couple of hours, have a lot
shit on my mind.” Okay, here it goes.
“Like what? How long have you been here
wallowing, Ry? You can’t keep doing this, you can’t run this time. This has to
stop, talk to me,” he implored his younger brother.
“And say what, Chase? I was a damn fool for
falling for that bitch, or should I admit, it wasn’t love but just an
obsession. It wasn’t even her I was obsessed with it was the idea of finally
finding a woman to accept us as more than a fuck toy.”
“If that is what you feel, Ry, then say it.
Scream it even, if you have to. She played us both, we let our guard down, and
it’s in the past where it should stay. You’re notstill angry because she
backstabbed us, and you’re upset because you had no control over the situation.
Because of that you have been punishing yourself. Punishing me.” It hurt Chase to hurt his brother, but in order to
save him from himself, he had to be honest. “Been thinking, and you want to
know what I have concluded? I think that, I’ve been ready to start again, but
have held back because we have always dreamed of sharing a woman. Finding that
perfect mate that would let us love and take care of her, it’s what we have
always wanted. We can have that with Emma, if we only try.”
“What if I don’t want that? Are you going
to leave me alone?” There was vulnerability and anger laced in Ryder’s
questions. “You know what I am like, I can’t not have control, I let it slip
for a while and look what happened. We lost almost everything because of that
slip, won’t happen again.”
“Ryder, you’re taking all the blame instead
of sharing it, we both fell for something because we placed our hearts on the
line. It was an infatuation for what we could have, but it wasn’t real. What we
have now with Emma, this is real. She wants nothing from us, just us. Can’t you
see that?”
“Maybe, but what happens when the novelty
of having two men wears off, what then? How can you be so sure Emma would want
forever?” His once strong brother sounded defeated. Chase felt guilty that he
didn’t force this issue sooner and let Ryder wallow in the mistakes they both
had made.
“There’s no way to be absolutely sure. But
we will never know unless we take that chance. Will you take that chance?”
He loved his brother, but he couldn’t
continue to live his life void of love and compassion. Minutes passed before Ryder
spoke. Chase was afraid he wouldn’t be able to get through to his younger
brother, but maybe the man he was years ago was still in there somewhere. He
knew there was an internal battle that raged in his brother’s head. Ryder was
hardened because of his life experiences, but his knew his brother would come
around. In the time they had both spent with Emma he began to notice the
changes in Ry. He was more carefree and happy, like he had been all those years
ago. Finally when he spoke Chase knew everything was going to be alright.
“I’ll take that chance.”
Buy Links:
Thanks so much for visiting today, Grace. You can find Grace at the links below!
Contact
Links:
Email: graceryles@aol.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grace.ryles.9
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/GraceRylesAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/GraceRylesAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/graceryles
Google+: gracerylesauthor@gmail.com
First
in the series links: Second Chance at Love
Bookstrand: http://bookstrand.com/second-chance-at-love
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00KVH7ULY
Fantastic blog post... Another to go on my TBR pile, glad I've a holiday soon and I can indulge
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by to learn about my craziness
DeleteCongratulations Grace, your book sounds great. Loved getting to know you a little bit too. xx
ReplyDelete