Wednesday Words with Victoria Sue
I am thrilled to welcome debut author, Victoria Sue to Wednesday Words this week. Her first book, Raleigh Point – Rescue, released on November 1 and I am already immersed in the story. I can’t wait to finish it, I love Victoria’s voice and of course I’m a sucker for a good paranormal story.
The Blurb:
Lisa was wicked.
Wicked and damaged. She’s spent half her twenty years locked away in a psychiatric facility because her uncontrollable alpha rages are inexplicable in a human world. Orphaned when she was a baby, she doesn’t even know what she is. All she knows is what they’ve always told her. Wicked.
At twenty-six years Mac helps his family run Raleigh Point, a group foster home for abused or abandoned shifter babies and children. Beyond taking on an occasional tracking job for the FBI, he never has worried about much. He likes to play hard, usually with an attractive woman.
Never too much responsibility. Life is good.
Taking the phone call alert, Mac breezes in to rescue her. In that grimy god-forsaken excuse for a hospital, Mac realizes life has to change. He discovers Lisa is not only drugged and damaged, she’s his mate
The battle continues when a crazed rogue alpha decides to make Lisa his queen.
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Meet the Author:
Victoria Sue has loved books for as long as she can remember. Books were always what pocket money went on and what usually Father Christmas brought. When she ran out of her kids’ adventure stories, she would go raid her Mom’s. By the age of eight she was devouring classics like Little Women, and fell in love with love stories.
She’s still in love with them. Any size, any shape, any creature – love is love, no matter what it says on the box. In fact if her heroes and heroines don’t always fit neatly into a box, she loves them even more. She’s worked as a Mom, a nurse, and a teaching assistant.
She decided to go on an adventure with her family in 2010 and moved from England to America and now lives in Florida.
Last year in 2013, she thought it was time to stop just reading love stories and start writing them and her first m/f paranormal was released November 1st 2014. First m/m contemporary to be released early December 2014.
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The Interview:
Lynne: Can you tell us a little about your background and how you started writing?
Victoria: I’ve always loved reading, and my husband bought me a kindle for my birthday two years ago – and that was it. He says he might have well as signed the divorce papers there and then! (He’s joking, I hope). I complained about a book I had bought that I didn’t like, so he said “Well, why don’t you do it then.” I think he’s regretting it…
Lynne: Your latest book, Raleigh Point – Rescue, released on 11/1. Can you tell us about your main characters and how you got the idea for this book/series?
Victoria: I’ve always been interested in kids that are adopted and/or fostered. I was adopted myself as a baby, and know from my nursing, and when I worked in a school, some kids don’t have as wonderful an experience as I did. I love shape-shifter stories and got to thinking, If it was hard enough for humans to be accepted, how much harder is it if you sometimes have claws, fangs or fur?
Lynne: How did you get the idea for this series? How many books do you think will be part of the series?
Victoria: The idea came because of the above. I wanted a safe base for the kids to come to, and I envisioned different kids coming into the home at different times. Of course, being a romance, I had to have the family that runs the home full of very (cough) hot men! For those who read shape-shifting stories, we all know how they have to get naked on a regular basis. (sigh)
Lynne: If you could meet any author, who would it be and why?
Victoria: Enid Blyton. A children’s writer. She actually died three years after I was born, but I grew up on the “Famous Five” and “Secret Seven” stories, and I will never forget them.
Lynne: Do you have plot your books and write in story order, or do you hop around and sort of wing it?
Victoria: I write in series order, but I have the start to a new series coming out next month, and I am just finishing a new paranormal series about Immortals. I have three books in various stages at the moment and hop about lol
Lynne: What do you find hardest about writing? Easiest? What surprised you most about writing your first book?
Victoria: The hardest is discipline. Turning face book off. Also, the whole scary – sending it to a publisher and waiting for them to rip it to shreds.
The easiest is the idea in the first place.
Lynne: Do you have a specific writing “ritual?” A quiet room, music, a specific food or drink? Is there a certain time of day you are more prolific?
Victoria: I’m more prolific when I wake up early and write before the rest of my family gets up. Sometimes 3am. I’ve converted a small spare bedroom as a kind of office so I can shut myself away.
Lynne: What one word would you use to describe yourself to a complete stranger? Why?
Victoria: Practical, I think. I don’t imagine for one second that I haven’t been incredibly lucky in my writing and got some good advice early on.
Lynne: Do you have any pet peeves? What is your biggest one?
Victoria: Still having to go out to work for a living!
Lynne: If you were going to be left on a deserted island for an indefinite period of time and could only bring one suitcase, what would you pack?
Victoria: Well, I would say my kindle because the thought of being without it breaks me into a hot sweat, but the deserted island would have to have electricity and wi-fi. Can we skip this question? (shudders)
Lynne: What is your favorite curse word?
Victoria: A very “English” Bloody Hell or possibly calling someone a “trollop” Maybe I should write historical?
Lynne: What is your least favorite curse word?
Victoria: Any swear word that comes out of a kid’s mouth.
Lynne: What is your guilty pleasure?
Victoria: Chocolate, alcohol, sweaty, fit, built, hot, men. I’m sorry – what was the question?
Lynne: What is your favorite season? Why?
Victoria: The Florida one. Only with no bugs and lots of A/C.
Lynne: Is there anything else you’d like to share with us today?
Victoria: Just to say thank you to Lynne. Raining Chaos was amazing and I’ve just started Seducing Wrath. And, guess what? They met in foster care! Great minds and all that…
Lynne: Thank you so much Victoria! I am flattered you are enjoying the Raining Chaos series. I think we should start a mutual admiration society! <3
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An Excerpt:
Mac hunkered down in front of the shaking, curled-up form in the corner. Humanity?
Some people didn’t know the meaning of the word.
Mac hesitated as he took her in. He couldn’t smell her as the stench of the place was masking it, and he wished again he had his mom or Cassie with him. He also acknowledged that Brett had it right. They were drugging her to move her, and he’d only just got here in time.
His eyes fastened on the trembling figure in front of him. Short gasps tore out of her throat.
Head hunched down, arms tightened around the knees, and clasped against her chest. Hanging on. Filthy sweats, worse than some he’d thrown away. Goose bumps pricking her bare arms. The
only bright thing in muddy looking, matted hair, was red. A drop. God, had they hit her? She hid her face, alternated between shivering and rocking, except with no chair. What the hell did they do to you, honey?
Lisa? Yeah, that was what Brett said her name was. Mac cleared his throat. He had to get her
out of here, and he didn’t have time to be gentle.
“Lisa? We need to get you out of here.”
He placed one hand on her shaking forearm. He caught the swift arc of her arm trying to
connect with his face. Whoa, well, that was definitely an alpha reaction. Taking me on? He’d
have laughed if it were funny—at all.
“No one’s gonna hurt you. Don’t you wanna get out of here? Mmm? There ya go.” He shrugged out of his sweatshirt.
Thin arms stiffened but stayed still, and her chest rose at a slower rate when he’d gently
pulled the sweatshirt past her eyes. “So, you’re not ready to try and take me out, huh?”
She lifted her face finally.
Oh God, now? Here? Of all times and in all places, stuck in some dingy shit excuse for a hospital, with some girl who looked like she needed far more care than he could give. His bear clawed frantically at him to get out, nearly bowling him over in the rush to get to her.
Mate.
Mac growled and hung his head in despair. He hadn’t been able to smell her because of everything else, and it had taken brushing the side of her arm to help her with his sweatshirt as she lifted her face to him to know.
God, what a mess.
Mate.
A soft touch pulled his gaze. Possessiveness whirled around Mac as he struggled not to gather her up and bury her in his arms. Need stabbed him. Confusion chased the gold flecks in her gorgeous eyes, and he wanted it gone. He wanted those incredible eyes clear and focused—on him.
He realized she would feel a connection, but her ignorance and whatever drugs she had in
her system masked it. She lifted a shaky hand to touch the side of his face, but still didn’t say one word. Deep purple marks marred her neck. Mac’s body tightened, and a shallow breath managed to escape. He took in her pale face under the bruises and gazed at the chipped stubs of filthy, bitten fingernails as she lowered her hand back to her side.
Mac pulled himself together. “Lisa, we need to get you out of here, okay?” He gently helped
her stand. She winced as he looped an arm around her side to steady her. He took one look around the bare room and didn’t bother to ask if she needed to take anything. Taking one cautious step, she tried, but her knees buckled. Mac caught her before got anywhere near the floor. Without thinking, he brushed one kiss on her forehead and looked into those big eyes that were fighting to stay open. She blinked at him slowly, easier breaths ghosting his face, and Mac’s arm tightened as her head lowered. Yes.
In that small, cautious, trusting movement, Mac heard his bear roar protectively as his arms
tightened around her. No one would ever hurt a hair on her head again. While he still had breath left in his body, she would be safe, she would be cared for, and she would be loved.
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Where to buy the book:
Amazon
All Romance eBooks
Secret Cravings Publishing
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Once again I’d like to thank Victoria Sue for taking the time out of her busy release week schedule to spend time with us. She’ll be happy to answer questions so feel free to post and ask all you want. I hope you’ll check out her new book, Raleigh Point – Rescue, I’m really enjoying it and I know you will too!
I’m dedicating this month’s blog to gratitude, so stop back often see extra quotes and little stories friends and authors will share. In this time of so much turmoil it’s important to remember and be thankful for what we have. If you’d like to post, drop me a line at lynne@lynnestjames.com
Enjoy your week!