Blog Tour: Sara Brookes

Thanks so much for having me here today!

You're welcome... with such a lovely cover, how could I not? Wow!

What are your greatest challenges in your writing career?

Wanting to write everything in my head at once. It is one crowded place in there. *g* They just have to learn they’ll each get their turn, they just have to be patient. I can only type so fast.

When did you find out that you wanted to be a writer? What inspired you to put pen to paper?

I’ve always been telling stories as far back as I can remember. I used to write silly little stories about my friends and I when I was younger. That obviously evolved through time. Writing as always been something that I felt compelled to do. Not writing would be…odd.

Of your published works, do you have a favorite? Why?

I’ve always heard its best not to play favorites with our own books, but, to date, Break Me In is probably the one closest to me. I’ve wanted to tell Alex and Elena’s story for a very long time. Since I wrote the original version of the first book of the series, Taking Over Me, in fact. Alex was clearly in pain then and I didn’t realize just how broken he was, and how deeply his problems ran, until I got into the meat of his story.

How do you decide on character names?

Most of the time, they’ll let me know when they’re ready to tell me. I’ve started books before with no idea what the names of the characters are. Usually it isn’t long before they say, but it certainly makes it easier knowing than inserting a bunch of brackets as placeholders until their name is known.

Tell me about your first publication. Who was it with? How did you feel when you got that acceptance?

Flash of Dark, a super-hot urban fantasy that pitted vampires against the Fae, was accepted by Liquid Silver Books in August of 2009. (They say you always remember your first. *g*) At first, I thought the Acquisitions Director had made a mistake. In fact, all the way up until the book was published in January of 2010, I kept waiting for the “We’re sorry, we meant someone else. Not you.” Even today, four years later, it’s surreal to me that I’m published.

What projects are you currently working on? Are you willing to share a small excerpt from a work in progress?

I’m polishing up the next book in the Geek Kink series, Glad You Came, which is the last book in the series and will be release in late Spring this year. As sad as I am to bring a close to stories about this small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I’m excited about wrapping up a storyline which I’ve been dropping hints about since book one. How about a peek at an unedited snip?

“Don’t leave me.”
“Hadn’t planned on it. We’re gonna be right here beside you.”
She reached for them, snagging their hands as they tried to move away. “I need you both with me. In Me. Please.”
“That may not be the best thing right now. You need some rest.”
“No. I need to forget. I need to feel something other than this excruciating pain. Please.”
Lips pressed against her fingers. “Anything for you, sweetheart.” Two pairs of hands moved over her, peeling her slowly out of the festive dress she’d been so happy to put on this morning. Before her family’s disgust with their relationship had slashed a black, ugly scar across her heart.
“Hurts. So bad. Make it stop.” She closed her eyes again, the tears threatening to fall.
Warm, gentle lips pressed against her instep while another pair grazed over the inside of her wrist. A whimper tore from her throat as hushed whispers caressed her skin, pushing back on the darkness threatening to take her. Opening her eyes, she found them hovering over her, their gazes searching her face. She raised her hands, fitting her palms against their jawlines. Worry swam in both of their eyes. They were worried. These two men.
Her men.
“I love you both so much. So very, very much.”

What's your writing routine?

I don’t have much of one. Because of family commitments and the fact I still work a desk job during the week, I’ve had to train myself to be able to write anywhere at any time. I carry a Steno pad with me at all times in case inspiration strikes when a computer is not readily available. I also have an app on my phone and computer that syncs together so I can jot short notes on my phone and the next time I log onto my computer, there they are. Love technology!

Excerpt:

The movie began and they both dug into the meal Alex had prepared. The noodles were rubbery, the meat dry and overdone. He’d never claimed to be a world-class cook, but the food he’d prepared before had always been above sub-par. What he’d served tonight was barely even edible.
Appetite diminished, she curled her legs under her as she turned her body slightly to face him. Though she kept her eyes on the screen, she kept up the running commentary with him about the movie they’d watched together countless times. They’d always found sick pleasure in dissecting a few inconsistencies with the plot and characters.
“Refill?” She held out her wine glass as he gestured toward her. His hand closed around hers to hold the glass steady and Elena tried not to notice the fact her nerves jumped at the contact of their skin.
What the hell was wrong with her?
Alex’s eyes flashed in the glow of the television set and before she knew it, his hand slid under her hair as he reached around and cupped her nape. The contact made her eye flutter close even as warning bells went off in her mind.
She couldn’t do this. They couldn’t do this. Whatever this was.
But his touch felt so damn good. Especially because she’d been waiting for it for what seemed like eternity. She may not be able to give him the lessons he’d asked her for, but this was something entirely different.
This sort of simple contact was something she could surrender to.
Even though it was so, so wrong.
“Alex.”
His mouth brushed gently against hers, stealing his name from her lips. Butterflies erupted in her stomach, fluttering as if they’d been suddenly released after years of captivity. In essence, they had.
His fingertips pulled at her neck and she automatically lifted her face as he kissed her with more persistence. She didn’t even care he tasted of alcohol. It had been so long since she’d let someone else kiss her instead of the other way around.
Kissing was normally too intimate and not something she involved in her play at the club. Or even at Sanctuary. Those places were for sex, but this, two people mouth to mouth, was tender, soft and full of meaning.
One little kiss couldn’t hurt, right?
A quiet moan escaped her throat as Alex shifted and her body responded in kind, feeling the luxurious stroke of his tongue against her lips. She gave into him and opened without thought to consequence.

Blurb:

Elena avoids relationships by using her flogger as a shield. Alex is struggling with substance abuse and Elena will do nearly anything to help him conquer his demons, even risk losing him forever. When he comes home, whole and healthy, he raises the stakes by requesting their friendship turn to a D/s bond. His submission will change their dynamic forever. She convinces herself it’s just sex. Love and desire aren’t part of the equation.

Under Elena’s reverent command, Alex finds a comfort he’s always yearned for. He’s happier than ever as he spends his days slinging coffee and his nights bound and collared. Submitting to Elena exposes more than his strengths—it reveals a powerful attraction. Most of all, it uncovers their passionate love. He’s ready to convince her there’s no reason to mask her feelings, but his efforts are derailed when his toxic past resurfaces to annihilate their future.

Warning: A hunky, tortured barista. A seductive, stubborn Domme. Desire that can’t be tamed by cuffs, ropes and chains. And angst. So much drama and angst, John Hughes would be proud. Being bad never felt so good.

Buy Link:

Ellora's Cave

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