I'm so happy to welcome Donna Michaels to my blog today. Happy release day, Donna, and congratulations. Put your feet up. get something delicious from the replicator and tell us about yourself and your book.Donna: Thanks so much for having me here today. I’m excited and nervous about my first ever self-published release. But this story is special.
Several years ago, I started
writing CAPTIVE HERO as a submission to HQN Blaze, of all things. I'd heard
they were entertaining the idea of acquiring time-shift novels. But, then I
snagged a pitch meeting with Kate Duffy from Kensington at RT Pittsburg, so I
changed the story to a novella. She requested the full, but bless her, she died
unexpectedly before giving me a yes or no. I didn't have the heart to do
anything with it for awhile, so it sat on my hard drive until this summer after
I talked to Sky Purington about self-publishing. I dusted it off, lengthened
(it's now 346 print pages), changed the ending to what I wanted and
viola--Captive Hero (Book One in my Time-shift Heroes Series) was done.
I'm trying to swim with the big fishes
here. lol CH isn't exactly your cookie cutter book. I didn't have to conform
the story so it's a little different than anything else I have published. It’s
hotter, sexier, and…well, different. I'm really excited and scared about it.
Hoping it's well received. I paid an editor to go through it (thrilled to find
Stacy D. Holmes freelanced) and she loved it. A lot. So, that made me feel a
little easier about going out-side the box on this one.
Buy link:
Thanks again, for letting me talk about
CAPTIVE HERO today. You can learn more about me and my works at my
website: www.donnamichaelsauthor.com Sign up for my newsletter to keep up with my
news, exclusive contests and more!
Bio:
I’m happily married to a military man
for over 26 years. We have four children and several rescued cats. My oldest
son is married to a wonderful girl who is in her second year of law school. My
twin boys are in college, and my daughter is a junior in high school. Yes, life
is never dull around our house.
Reading romance was always a joy to me,
and once my daughter entered first grade and I had the house to myself during
the day—I started writing romance. Now, several years later, I’m
multi-published in eBook and print. I write from short to epic in several
romance genres, and am now branching out into self-publishing.
My links:
Blurb:
When Marine Corp test pilot, Captain
Samantha Sheppard accidentally flies back in time and inadvertently saves the
life of a WWII VMF Black Sheep pilot, she changes history and makes a crack
decision to abduct him back to the present. With the timeline in jeopardy, she
hides the handsome pilot at her secluded cabin in the Colorado wilderness.
But
convincing her sexy, stubborn captive that he is now in another century proves
harder than she anticipated—and soon it becomes difficult to tell who is captor
and who is captive when the more he learns about the future, the more Sam
discovers about the past, and the soul-deep connection between them.
As
their flames of desire burn into overdrive, her flying Ace makes a historical
discovery that threatens her family’s very existence. Sam’s fears are taken to
new heights when she realizes the only way to fix the time-line is to sacrifice
her captive hero...or is it?
Can
love truly survive the test of time?
Excerpt:
Excitement momentarily stamped out her apprehension. Holy smokes. They actually did it. She and Maria were the first to go invisible.
Excitement momentarily stamped out her apprehension. Holy smokes. They actually did it. She and Maria were the first to go invisible.
And
back to World War II.
“I
told you Brad was full of surprises,” Maria stated.
Stretching
her free hand out in front, Sam walked forward until her palm met smooth, warm
metal. Wow. Just like science fiction. Her shoulders dropped. Only, this
wasn’t a movie and no gorgeous, bald, muscle-bound hero would save the day. It
was up to her.
“Well,
I hope Brad has a surprise to take us back home.” Sam reentered the
craft and shut the door. After a few deep, clean breaths, she realized her
friend was staring with wide eyes.
“Of
course he will. There’s no alternative. If this is 1943 like that voice
said, then we don’t belong here. We could change people’s timelines…their very
existence. If we interfere, people could vanish from our time. We could
vanish.” A long curl broke free from Maria’s regulation barrette as her auburn
head shook hard. “No. We must do whatever it takes to get back to our present
without interacting with anyone here. Including your grandfather.”
Sam’s
chin snapped up.
“Yes.
I know you think the Shep on the radio is your grandfather, and the
crazy thing is…I think you’re right. But that’s all the more reason to remain
unnoticed.”
Sam’s
chest tightened until breathing became painful. “I agree. We can’t stay, but
neither can Captain Mitchell. He was supposed to die today.”
A
deep V wrinkled Maria’s brow. A sight rarely seen on her good-natured friend.
“How
do you know? Maybe that Zero was only supposed to hit him a few times.” Maria
approached, dark eyes hopeful. “He could’ve outmaneuvered or—”
“No.
On December 28th 1943 Captain Anthony Mitchell went down in a
dogfight over the South Pacific,” Sam recited the aged statement word for word.
“He was supposed to die today. My grandfather told me. In fact, I know when
each and every Black Sheep died or went MIA.”
Maria
closed her eyes and exhaled. “This isn’t good.”
“No.
Not at all.” Sam rubbed her temples, wracking her brain once again for a
solution.
Her
friend’s eyes snapped open. “You have to kill him.”
And
that wasn’t it.
“No.”
She’d already had the perfect opportunity and was unable to pull the trigger.
“Yes,”
Maria countered. “Look, you said it yourself, Sams. He doesn’t belong
here now. His survival will change the course of history, and who knows what
will happen.” Jamming her hands on her hips, her copilot frantically paced the
ten-by-ten-foot cockpit.
Sam
had never seen Maria so upset. Another first for the infallible Lieutenant.
With
her dark gaze focused on the floor, the petite bombshell continued to
ramble. “Maybe he does something to allow more terrorists to attack,
or…or serial killers. Or a President’s assassination. No.” She stopped, strode
straight back to Sam, and grabbed her upper arms. “We can’t let him live. If
the captain was supposed to die today and we just screwed that up, then we have
to make it right. We have to kill him.”
Bile
rose up Sam’s throat, souring her taste buds. “No!” She jerked out of Maria’s
grasp and stumbled to the front of the craft to look out at the picturesque
island—so calm, so tranquil.
So
full of horrors.
“I
can’t kill him, Maria. I won’t kill him.” Her gut clenched at the very
thought. “He’s a hero. A Marine. He doesn’t deserve to die.”
God,
she could never…
“Well,
what are we going to do? We can’t let him change history.” Maria walked over,
leaned back against the hull and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don’t want
to kill him either. What other option do we have?”
“Wait.”
Sam cocked her head and tapped her chin, a small niggle of an idea taking root
in her brain. “Technically, the captain just needs to go MIA and be removed
from this time.”
“Oh
ho ho. Wait a minute. Hold on, girlfriend. What are you saying?” Maria dropped
her hand and straightened, alarm darkening her already dark gaze. “You’re not
thinking of doing what I think you’re thinking of doing…are you?” Her
eyes widened. “Oh my God. You are! You’re going to kidnap that man and take him
to the twenty-first century!”
Thanks Donna, this sounds like a wonderful story - congratulations again and wishing you many, many sales.
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