Today, I would like to welcome Wendy Burke, author of 'Wise Men Say' to the blog. She was kind enough to let us get to know her a little bit better. And I got a kick out of hosting someone who lives in my hometown. :-)
What was the inspiration for 'Wise Men Say'?
Would it sound odd if I said 'Brad Thor and sledding?'
An initial scene came to me, influenced by author Brad Thor and his Scot Harvath character. A retired Navy Seal dressed in black--as Brad Thor always describes his operatives--walks into a Vegas hotel looking for his long lost love...I just loved the 'look' of the character, who doesn't look like Thor's Scot Harvath, but rather a beaten Jim Caviezel.
And I've been meaning to work my hometown into a book, so the sledding scene worked perfectly.
Just a little story of the perserverence of love.
Did you write the title or the story first?
A little of both--at first the title was 'Never Brought to Mind,' but my beta reader thought the Auld Lang Syne reference was too vague--and she was right. Then WISE MEN SAY held a double entendre--it's a Christmas story AND we're talking Vegas/Elvis references.
Which scene is your favorite?
Probably, when Emmy runs into the intruder in her hotel room - I don't want to give too much away.
What other projects do you have in the works?
Just moments ago, I finished FOR ME, another 1NightStand story through Decadent Publishing. It's the last of six with overlapping characters I've been writing with co-DPer Deanna Wadsworth.
How do you make yourself stand out in this genre?
I don't know if I DO stand out...or if I do anything to make myself stand out. I write and just hope people like what I do.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I've always written, made up stories, play acted as a kid. Writing is part of the 'other trades' in my life (radio & TV), sitting down and finishing a story and getting it published--well, that's what I really wanted to do.
What can you be found doing when not writing?
As I can't yet rely on my writing to keep a roof over my head, I work, a lot. I'm a fulltime TV producer and also work parttime at a radio station (my chosen profession.) My husband and I love to travel, when we have the time. I read (mostly Brad Thor, James Rollins and Brad Meltzer). I try to keep my house clean and always wonder why my two cats can't dust with their tails. And, I garden---poorly.
What is something readers may be surprised to learn about you?
Hmmm...I'm not very surprising. Maybe the fact I've had 7 names in the past 30 years? My given name, six radio names, and my married name. (The writing helps with the multiple personality problem due to the names!) Or, I'm the only one left in my family?---my parents and only sibling are gone. Kind of a weird feeling.
Thank you so much for your time!
Wise
Men Say (1Night Stand)
by
Wendy
Burke
Genre(s):
Contemporary
Romance, Erotic Romance
Category(ies):
Holiday-Themed,
Military
Publisher:
Decadent
Publishing
Release
Date: December
21, 2012
Heat
Level: Sizzling
Word
Count: 12,300
Blurb
More
than twenty years ago, Emmy Patterson kissed her fiancé for the last
time. Despite bad news from U.S. military services, to this day she
has reasons to hold on to hope he's alive and celebrates his life
every chance she gets.
Her
family, however, thinks her partly crazed, unable to grasp the
reasoning behind her perpetual optimism.
Called
on a business trip to promote her glass artwork, she spends the
winter holidays in Las Vegas. Is this chance travel to the The
Castillo in Vegas a coincidence, or does the wise Madame Eve know
‘some things’ were meant to be?
Warning: This title is intended for
readers over the age of 18 as it contains explicit sex scenes and/or
situations and adult language which may be considered offensive to
some readers.
Read an excerpt:
Usually
after so much time in the cold, she’d be tired but instead she
tossed and turned.
Office
of the Pentagon.
Why
did that have to come today?
“Dammit.”
Getting out of bed, she went to her closet. Dragging out a step
stool, she reached for the box tucked in the furthest corner of the
shelving. She got a hand on the container, and with reverence, she
slipped it from its resting place. Careful,
it’s almost all you have left of him.
Cross-legged
on her mattress, with the linens and comforter bunched about her, she
smoothed a small area and placed the box there. She slipped off its
lid. Inside sat a flat, vacuum-packed plastic bag holding a
near-ratty sweatshirt. The word Navy
printed on the front,
faded and close to illegible, the article of clothing had seen many
washings.
But,
yet, it hadn’t been washed in twenty years.
Removing
the shirt from the bag, she placed it in her lap where she stroked
the decade’s old piece of clothing. Closing her eyes, she
remembered Nick’s solid biceps filling out the jersey fabric, his
well-cut pectorals curving the front. Slipping a hand into the
pullover’s opening, she imagined his flat, muscled tummy meeting
her touch and her finger tracing a dark trek of cottony down.
She
smiled, seeing his salacious grin in return, while his hand grasped
hers, willing it further into his boxers.
“Where
are you, Nicky?”
Stretching
out, she kept the sweatshirt close to her face. It irritated her that
she could barely discern his scent considering she’d taken such
care to retain it.
He
filled her mind. Sure, she had photo upon photo of him, of them
together, but those
images captured not the essence
of her Nick; his
kindness, loyalty, dedication to her and to his country, and of
course, the physical memories. She cursed herself, reaching far back
into her memory, trying to extract the sound of his voice. Would
I even recognize it if I heard it?
She
clutched the fleece closer, her free hand caressing low on her belly.
She fantasized his specter kisses on her neck. Burying her face
further into his clothing, she dug her hand under the waistband of
her flannel pajama pants.
Even
after so many years away, the mere thought of him aroused her; his
beautiful, well-cut muscles flexing as he undressed, honed from
workouts no gymrat could ever tolerate. The taste of his mouth,
bright and pepperminty, his talented tongue, so insistent she swore
he had the ability to suck her clit inside out. She gasped into the
blue material as she slipped her finger deep between her folds,
dreaming of him.
Holding
back tears, she recalled the first time Nick had touched her in such
a manner. After they’d dated for about a year, Nick got relocated
from Virginia to California for SEAL training. Meeting up in Las
Vegas proved easy, a cheap flight for both of them—her from
Milwaukee and him from San Diego. In her mind, she leaned back into
Nick’s broad chest as hot tub bubbles tickled her bare skin. The
sunset over the Vegas Strip had been magnificent. After emptying a
bottle of Moet to
toast Nick’s new career path, some extensive fooling around ensued.
In her memory, he lifted her from the tub, carrying her to bed. That
moment, he kissed her in a way he’d never done before—and with
good reason, that night, with her permission, he he’d taken her
virginity.
She
panted into the sweatshirt, her tissue swelling around her drenched
finger. “Oh!” An electric burning sensation forced her finger
from direct clitoral contact, but she forged through it, bringing
herself over the edge. She cried out, her arms legs and torso
trembling through her orgasm.
“I
miss you, Nicky….”
She
clutched the one remaining possession of her fiancé and cried
herself to sleep.
Reviews
5
Stars: “one
of the best 1NS”
“I
have read over 50 of the books in this series and this is one of the
best yet. Heartfelt and sexy I totally loved it.”--MLK
(Amazon Review)
4
Stars: “Short
Story That Is Sweet Yet Satisfyingly Sexy”
“The
1Night Stand series of books from Decadent Publishing can always be
counted on to entertain and delight. Wise Men Say by Wendy Burke adds
to that reputation with its heartwarming storyline about the unending
power of love.
For
over twenty years, and despite what she's told, Emmy Patterson has
been hoping the love of her life returns from the war. Her loyalty
and memories of a lost love keep her going and while this might seem
crazy to some, deep down we all wish we had someone who affects us
that deeply. So this part of the story worked for me and made the
story even more heartwarming once all the events played out. While in
Vegas for work she gets an unexpected surprise that is her dream come
true and gives her a night she'll never forget that changes her
future forever.
Nick's
never forgotten Emmy but isn't without scars, inside and out. He's a
strong and proud man and wants to put the past behind him and move
forward with her, but some flashes of the past still remain that are
lightly touched upon. The sexual chemistry between them is still hot
and their connection is both comfortable and satisfying. These
romantically-charged sexual interludes lead to a fairytale ending
that, while a bit rushed, will leave readers misty-eyed.
Wise
Men Say is a feel good story that reminds us of the power of love.
With its fantasy-like feel it becomes every little girl's dream
wrapped in an adult package. Those wanting an entertaining start to
the New Year will find it with Wendy Burke's newest release!”--J.
Faltys (Amazon Review)
About
the Author
A
TV producer by day and a romance writer at night, sometimes the two
employments inadvertently cross –whoops! When not at her fulltime
TV job or part-time job in radio, Wendy is either writing or fighting
off a furry attack by one of her two cats. She leads a wonderfully
silly life with her way-too-cute chef husband in a suburb of
‘beautiful’ Toledo, Ohio.
Connect with Wendy
Burke
Giveaway Info:
Prize is 2 eBooks from author's backlist (winners' choice; 1 each to 2 winners). Contest is tour-wide, open internationally and ends Mar 6. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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