Nobody Said It Would Be Easy: Guest Blogger Christine Warner

Today I’m welcoming back to the Journal Christine Warner with her newest release, Two-Timing The Boss.  Christine was here several months ago promoting her fabulous debut novel Some Like It In Handcuffs, so I’m sure you’re going to love her thoughts today on just how difficult that road to publication is for authors.

Nobody said it’d be easy…

I have to admit that when I started writing with dreams of publication I had no idea what I was really getting into.

The select few friends and family who knew of my dream encouraged me, rooted for me, cheered me on when the going got tough. Through rejections, failures, fears and uncertainty they stood by my side. And they were also there for the triumphs, jubilation, thrills and whoops of joy!

But through it all, one thing remained a constant.  Nobody promised me it would be easy.

And that darn Nobody hit the nail on the head…lol…it’s not easy. Many non-writers believe you just come up with a story and get it down on paper, or type it on your word document…or whatever you use—how hard can it be? You can whip out a best seller in a week, two if you are struggling for time.  HAHA…don’t I wish?

There is so much more work and effort and skill involved. The learning process is never-ending. POV, plotting, outlines, dialogue, junk or filler words, show vs tell…even well established authors say they are in a constant state of learning—and if you aren’t, your writing will grow stale.

What if you have a day job on top of your writing? There is nothing easy about juggling two professions. Personally, I go from worrying about schedules to worrying about writing time, verifying insurance to triple checking—or more—word choices. Then I have to deal with finding the right thing to wear, to throwing on the first t-shirt and scrub pants I find…lol. And of course I have to contend with applying make-up to making sure I describe my heroine and especially my hero so readers can visualize them. I’m not even going to get into discussing plots and conflicts!  Whew 🙂

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I love writing. I love coming up with stories and characters and settings. The dialogue, conflicts and ESPECIALLY the happily ever after. I couldn’t ask for anything more. It’s the perfect job 🙂

But once again I’m reminded that Nobody said it’d be easy. If you are a writer, it’s in your blood, a constant 24-7 friend—and sometimes foe—and if you are a reader, I bet you have similar feelings.

Today, I’d like to share my latest labor of love with you. Two-Timing the Boss is a sexy, contemporary romance featuring heroine Farah Smith and super sexy hero Keller Donovan.

BLURB:

Farah Smith is on a mission: secure the funds for her twin sister’s surgery.  She’ll do whatever it takes to succeed.  Even if that means putting her values aside to work for a man she finds morally bankrupt.  But when the real Farah meets her new boss, she wonders if she’ll be able to resist his sexy advances long enough to help her sister.

From the blonde wig, to the stilettos strapped around her ankles, Farah’s a clone of Keller Donovan’s harem of past assistants.  She can’t believe she’s let herself be talked into the disguise, let alone working for the man planning to demolish the hospital her sister so desperately needs, but the salary he offers is the only way she’ll be able to afford her sister’s surgery.  The moment Farah meets Keller she realizes her most daunting task isn’t typing, spreadsheets or organizing travel arrangements, but fighting the growing attraction toward a man whose ruthlessness is legendary in the boardroom as well as the bedroom.

Determined not to end up in a disastrous marriage like his divorced parents, Keller believes all relationships should have a shelf life of sixth months or less.  But when he meets Farah, all bets are off.  He not only wants her to continue as his personal assistant, but his own private bed warmer.  Unfortunately, his offer of an affair doesn’t sit well with her fairytale dreams or the strangled hold gripping his heart.

EXCERPT:

These damn shoes would be the death of her.  She could read the headlines now:  Penniless P.A. Falls to her Death while on Job Interview.

Almost to her destination, with no more mishaps, her confidence surfaced.  Okay, maybe mastering this heel thing wouldn’t be such a big deal.  Her steps became light, almost bouncy.  Although she sensed Keller Donovan behind her, she didn’t let it deter her feeling of success.  She stepped onto the large black and red area rug, less than ten feet from her target.  The leather chairs.

“Oh!”  Farah’s spiky heel caught on the edge of the expensive rug.  Her legs shook and she shot her arms out from her sides, circling them like a bird about to take flight.  She fought to regain balance inside the ridiculous stilts strapped to her feet.  A brawl to the death.  Over when she looked down to see the rug coming up to kiss her face.  She threw out her hands, sucked in a breath and closed her eyes, scrunching her face as she prepared for impact.

But nothing happened.  There were stars all right, and a blazing jolt of electricity shot from her toes, up her legs, through her body and exited with the small gasp which escaped her lips.  Somehow Keller Donovan had grabbed her around the waist before she met the floor.

Heat burned her cheeks.  He may have saved her body from bruises, but her ego, and whatever confidence she’d walked in with had shattered.

“Let’s not have an accident before your health benefits kick in.”  His breath tickled her ear from behind.  Chills hugged her backbone.

His touch released an unsettling flutter in her abdomen.  She sucked in her stomach from the pressure of his strong arms wrapped around her middle, afraid to breathe.

Two-Timing the Boss and my other book Some Like it in Handcuffs are both available in print and digital format at:

http://thewildrosepress.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

http://www.amazon.com/

Author Bio:

Christine Warner is living her dream in rural Michigan along with her husband, three children, one laptop and a much loved assortment of furry friends.

Besides laughing and a good round of humor, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, writing but no arithmetic.  A confessed people watcher, she finds inspiration for her stories in everyday activities.  She loves to read and write about strong heroes and determined, sometimes sassy, heroines.

A girl gone wild, at least where social media is concerned, she enjoys meeting other avid readers and writers on Facebook, Twitter and her website at christine-warner.com.

And you can find me at:

My blog/website:  http://christine-warner.com/

Twitter under ChristinesWords: https://twitter.com/#!/ChristinesWords

My Facebook page…stop by and give it a LIKE to stay informed of what I have in the works: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Warner/143430882396013

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5763713.Christine_Warner

I love to hear from readers and other authors 🙂