Welcome special guest: author Shirleen Davies 4 #MWTease ~ @shirleendavies @GoddessFish

Welcome to the middle of the week!
Mid Week Tease is an event where authors are spotlighting a few lines or a paragraph or two from their stories. Readers, you get to sample some delicious snippets and be teased, titillated and tantalized into the weekend!

This week I'm happy to give my blog over to Shirleen Davies, author of Hard Landing. She's currently touring so be sure to check out the contest info below. Enjoy!

Today we have author Shirleen Davies visiting. Shirleen Davies writes romance—historical, contemporary, and romantic suspense. She grew up in California. During the day she provides consulting services to mid-sized businesses. Her real passion is writing emotionally charged stories of flawed people who find redemption through love and acceptance. She lives with her husband in northern Arizona.

So, Shirleen Davies, what/who inspired you to become a writer?
* My interest grew over time as I became a more voracious reader. I always loved to write, however it wasn’t until I began reading three or four books a week that my passion for writing blossomed.

When did you attempt your first story? What length was it? What's become of it?
* My first short story was written many years ago, stored away, pulled out and changed, then boxed up again. Another followed the same path. Neither has been published. Perhaps one day I’ll read both again and decide if either might be something readers would enjoy.

How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?
* I never attempted to sell and am not sure I ever will. I’ve owned several businesses and did considerable research on Indie publishing versus legacy publishing. When the pros and cons were considered, it made no sense at all to wait years to see if someone might accept a manuscript, then wait another year to get it into reader hands, then be paid far less than if I chose my current path. Instead, I hired editors, a cover designer, conversion specialist, and social media guru. It’s been more amazing and rewarding than I ever expected.

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
* The best advice: “Just write.” Write every day even if it’s just a couple hundred words.
* The worst advice: “Don’t Indie publish. It’s too hard and complicated.” I’m so glad I ignored it!

The book you’re promoting, is it a stand-alone story or part of a series?
* Hard Landing is book two in my MacLarens of Fire Mountain Contemporary series. Book one is Second Summer. Book three, One More Day, will release in early July 2014.

What sparked the idea for the story/series?
* I attended college in San Diego, a big Navy town. Over the years I’ve had the privilege of meeting, working with, and becoming friends with many Navy veterans, including pilots. I’ve always been drawn to their commitment, work ethic, and ability to focus on what matters to them, as well as the often difficult choices they must make regarding marriage and family. I have nothing but the greatest respect for those who choose to serve our country in the military.

*** Now for some fun info… ***
Would you/have you own(ed) a snake or some other exotic pet?
* We had guinea hens on our ranch in Colorado. The reason? They eat baby rattle snakes.

Which do you prefer: rain or sun & warm weather or cold weather?
* I prefer a mixture. That is the reason we live where we do. We have four seasons, a little snow each year, beautiful sunshine, a few monsoons in the summer, and no days over about 95 degrees.

If you could live anywhere in the universe, where would it be and why?
* I grew up at the beach, lived on farms and ranches, in big cities, and have been fortunate to travel extensively in my previous work. There are so many wonderful places in the world, and I continue to travel with my husband to many of them. To live? Right where I am now and nowhere else.

If you were stranded on a desert island and were only allowed to have five modern conveniences with you, what would they be?
* My Kuerig coffee maker, computer, mobile phone (got to keep up with the kids), IPod, and my bright red scooter (does that count?).

*** About Shirleen Davies’s book/series… ***

~ Blurb ~ * Hard Landing, Book Two in the MacLarens of Fire Mountain Contemporary Romance Series
* In this passionate Contemporary Romance series, author Shirleen Davies introduces her readers to the modern day MacLarens.
* Trey MacLaren is a confident, poised Navy pilot. He’s focused, loyal, ethical, and a natural leader. He is also on his way to what he hopes will be a lasting relationship and marriage with fellow pilot, Jesse Evans.
* Jesse has always been driven. Her graduation from the Naval Academy and acceptance into the pilot training program are all she thought she wanted—until she discovered love with Trey MacLaren . . .
* . . . Trey and Jesse’s lives are filled with fast flying, friends, and the demands of their military careers. Lives each has settled into with a passion. At least until the day Trey receives a letter that could change his and Jesse’s lives forever.
* It’s been over two years since Trey has seen the woman in Pensacola. Her unexpected letter stuns him and pushes Jesse into a tailspin from which she might not pull back.
* . . . Each must make a choice. Will the choice Trey makes cause him to lose Jesse forever? Will she follow her heart or her head as she fights for a chance to save the love she’s found? Will their independent decisions collide, forcing them to give up on a life together?
* Hard Landing is the second book in the MacLarens of Fire Mountain Contemporary novella series—heartwarming stories of difficult choices, loyalty, and lasting romance. Watch for book three, One More Day, Cameron and Lainey’s story, in the summer of 2014. ~ Excerpt ~ * “Coming,” he called, as the doorbell sounded once more. He reached the door and pulled it open, stunned into silence by who stood outside.
* “Hello, Trey.” Jesse stood tall and looked him in the eyes.
* He recovered quickly. “Jesse.” He looked beyond her, but saw no one else. “What are you doing here?”
* Her courage diminished as she realized he might not even allow her inside.
* “Reb and Paul came over to watch the ballgame. It was loud, crazy, lots of testosterone, so I thought…” her voice trailed off.
* “What? You’d come over here for old times’ sake?”
* She looked behind him. It hadn’t occurred to her that he might have invited someone over. “I’m sorry. This probably wasn’t a good idea—stopping by without calling.” She turned to leave.
* “Why did you come over? You generally have a plan for everything. This seems pretty spontaneous.”
* Jesse stopped, knowing he’d guessed right. She did have a plan but had lost her nerve as soon as he’d opened the door. Her heart had jumped into her throat at the sight of Trey. His deep gray t-shirt was drawn taut across his chest and tucked into tight fitting jeans. His dark hair was a little mussed, and the dark stubble on his face reminded her of the first time she’d met him, in the gym at the Academy. Her breath had caught then also, at the sight of the muscular, incredibly handsome, and somewhat dangerous looking midshipman.
* Tonight it was by sheer will that she’d gotten out the first two words of a greeting.
* She took a couple of steps toward him. “I guess I didn’t think it through.” She licked her lips, fortifying herself before looking into eyes that were set, hard. “The guys said you were here with Trevor. I’d been wanting to speak to you, to try to explain.” She paused again, already sensing she’d made a huge mistake. “I guess I just wanted to see you.”

***Buy Shirleen Davies' book here***
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

***More info about Shirleen Davies here***

* Shirleen Davies writes romance--historical, contemporary, and romantic suspense. She grew up in Southern California, attended Oregon State University, and has degrees from San Diego State University and the University of Maryland. During the day she provides consulting services to small and mid-sized businesses. But her real passion is writing emotionally charged stories of flawed people who find redemption through love and acceptance. She now lives with her husband in a beautiful town in northern Arizona.
* Shirleen began her new series, MacLarens of Fire Mountain, with Tougher than the Rest, the story of the oldest brother, Niall MacLaren. Other books in the series include, Faster than the Rest, Harder than the Rest, Stronger than the Rest, and Deadlier than the Rest. Book six, Wilder than the Rest, is due for release in early summer, 2014. Her contemporary romance series, MacLarens of Fire Mountain Contemporary, opened with book one, Second Summer. Book two, Hard Landing, released in April 2014, and Book three, One More day, is scheduled to release in midsummer, 2014.
* Shirleen loves to hear from her readers.

***Find Shirleen Davies here***
E-mail | Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | LinkedIn

Thank you for joining us here today, Shirleen Davies! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Shirleen Davies will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card, a $10 Amazon gift card, and two ebooks of Second Summer! So enter the drawing via the Rafflecopter below & be sure to leave your name and email with your comment, and visit the other tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-virtual-book-tour-hard-landing) for a greater chance of winning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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