Guest Post by Author Melissa Haag (with GA till May 2nd)
Why do authors write?
Picture this…
You are curled in your favorite chair enjoying a quiet read. The book pulls you in. You forget where and who you are. You never want the story to end…
I have no idea why other authors write, but I write because that’s what I want to bring to my readers: hours of entertainment that completely captures the imagination, a world worth diving into. Throw in a man (or men) to drool over and what could be better?
Clay, the hero in Hope(less) is the strong, silent type. When I say silent, I mean SILENT. I had so much fun imagining and then writing about him. He was written to be loved, flaws and all.
But how do I know I’ve done my job? Often, I don’t. Every now and again a reader is brave enough to put their applauding (or booing) in a review. The information is invaluable not just to me, to help me hone my skills, but to other prospective readers.
I encourage readers to post a review (applaud or boo as you see fit) and help other readers by giving them an idea of what to expect from the book they are considering. There are worlds, and the drool-worthy men who live in them, waiting to be explored by our imaginations.
Excerpt:
Walking the dirt path toward the door, which I realized I’d tread over several times in my socks, I saw a peculiar shadow on the ground melding with the shadow of the still open door.
Looking up at the space behind the door, I saw the flash of eyes just before a man stepped out into view. I froze. My stomach dropped and my heart did a strange little flip. Before I could take my next breath, a shiver ran up my spine and gooseflesh rose on my arms as my anger spiked uncontrolled.
“You have got to be kidding,” I whispered to myself without thinking. I’d been so close to escaping.
His filthy long dark hair trailed in front of his eyes shadowing his face into obscurity. An old dull-green army jacket hung from his frame as filthy as his hair while his bare feet shone pale against the black sweats he wore. I couldn’t tell his age, the color of his hair, or the color of his eyes through the tangle of hair, but could see the glint of them as he moved away from the door stalking close to me.
I remained frozen, trying to deny the significance of the encounter as my stomach continued to do crazy little flips. Just before he reached me, he turned away and walked around the corner of the building, heading not into the woods as the rest had, but to the front of the building.
I stared after him, momentarily confused. I struggled to think coherently to get my feet moving again, my thoughts jumbled. He’d recognized me. Just as I had him. Why had he turned away? Did it matter? Move! Escape before he changed his mind!
Finally lurching toward the door, I said in a rush, “Sam, I’ve more than fulfilled any obligation I had to you or the pack.” The Elders stepped aside before I bowled them over. “I’d like to leave tonight,” I added walking past him and the other Elders.
I didn’t wait at the door but walked through the Introduction room to the interior hall, pausing only to pull off my dirt-caked socks. Charlene would have me cleaning floors if I walked through the halls in my dirty socks.
Maneuvering through the fortuitously quiet and empty halls, I struggled to control my emotions, or at least tamp them down. Over the years, I’d learned control, knowing those around me would be able to smell things like fear, anger, lust, or even sadness, but tonight all that control evaporated. Anger and fear swamped me. Anger at Sam for arranging the whole damn thing and fear that the Elders knew what just happened.
I’d been so close to freedom. Sam had set me up, stacking the odds against me with the sheer number of werewolves in attendance. Why would it have to be the very last one I saw that sent a bolt of lightning right into my stomach? Was it too much to ask for just one break in my life?
Hope(less) (Judgement of the Six #1) by Melissa Haag
Our world is being judged and we remain unaware.
In a world filled with people, Gabby is uniquely alone. The tiny sparks she sees in her mind represent the people around her, but she doesn’t know why she sees them.
A chance encounter leads her closer to answers she’s struggled to find, and into a hidden society where fur is optional.
