Author Spotlight -Excerpt from Mistaken Identity

Moderator's Note: Enjoy this excerpt from Mistaken Identity. Leave a comment today and over the weekend and I'll pick one person to win a GC donated by K Dawn Byrd.

Smiles
Steph

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After dinner, Mom suggested that we go swimming while the adults had coffee. Channing hurried home to change into swimming trunks and, when he returned, I was waiting in the pool. Still a little self-conscious about the few extra pounds I carried, I'd rushed at breakneck speed to get in before he came back. Not to mention that I was embarrassed at the old-fashioned one-piece I wore.

"Want to play some water volleyball?" I called as he sauntered across the patio.

"Sounds like fun."

Channing climbed down the stairs into the pool. His chest was broad and tanned, his body pure muscle. He belonged on a magazine cover.

The breeze was warm, carrying the delicious smell of lilac from the bushes between our houses. I breathed in the scent as Channing swam under the water toward the deep end, his body just a shadow under the surface. Dusk had fallen, and the pool lights were on.

He surfaced, and I hit the ball. Channing sent a quick return, which I missed by inches. "Hey!" I yelled. "That's not fair. I didn't see it coming."

Channing laughed. "Maybe you should keep your eye on the ball." There was a teasing tone in his voice.

Stephie would have been right out there in the middle of it if she hadn't gone to bed with a headache. I should go check on her soon. She was prone to the ones Mom called migraines, and sometimes they made her throw up.

We played until I was tired, and then we swam a while. I did some laps, glad that I'd lost at least some of the weight I'd put on during the winter. I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't realized I'd swam too close to Channing until I surfaced and found myself almost in his arms. He reached out to steady me, and I stepped forward, attempting to regain my balance.

A shiver tripped over my skin even though the night was warm. My eyes locked with his, and I found myself lost in the mossy depths. He hadn't released me, and his hands were warm on my arms.

We stood there, speechless, drinking in each other in with an odd kind of understanding, an odd feeling that all was well in the world and we were meant to be together. His touch and his gaze were so mesmerizing that I couldn't have looked away if my life depended on it.

"Channing, you ready to go?" called his mother from somewhere across the patio.

The spell was broken. I backed away, hoping our parents hadn't seen the magic that had passed between us. I wasn't sure what my parents would think about my dating a senior if Channing asked me out.

"Good night," I said, turning and diving under the water, my heart beating wildly as what passed between us seemed like a dream, a beautiful, surreal dream.

I surfaced on the other end and watched Channing retreat from the pool. He turned and waved and, just like that, the guy of my dreams, walked right out of my life.

Author Spotlight - Character Interview with Eden from Mistaken Identify

My name is Eden Morgan and I'm a sophomore. I started the summer with six goals to have the best summer ever. Toward the top of the list was landing the guy of my dreams. How am I doing, you ask? Well, the cutest boy just moved in next door. His name is Channing Johnson and sometimes I get the urge to go next door and borrow a cup of sugar, or flour, or milk. Whatever, anything to get to see him again.

Channing is really sweet and I think he might like me, at least I hope so. The only problem is that I have to keep him away from my best friend, Lexi. She has the model perfect body and is drop dead gorgeous. One look at Lexi and I can kiss Channing goodbye forever. There's another problem too...I'm not sure what my parents will think about our age difference. I've not had boyfriend since elementary school, so I don't know how they'd feel about me dating an older guy.

I have a hard enough time trying to get myself straight and my friends are driving me crazy. Some of them drink and car surf and I'm afraid someone's going to get hurt. In addition to worrying about that I'm having trouble with some of cheerleaders making fun of me because I'm a Christian and trying to live for God and obey my parents. My sophomore year just isn't going like I'd planned!

BUY LINK: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-178/K-Dawn-Byrd-Mistaken/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Character Interview with Channing from Mistaken Identify

My name is Channing Johnson. I'm a senior and I'm new in town. My mom moved us here after my dad was killed in Iraq. I'm a high school senior and I'm pretty good at restoring old cars and playing football. Math is another story. Sometimes, I just don't get it.

My mom really knows how to pick a neighborhood! We just moved in beside the cutest girl. Her name is Eden and I get the impression that she's a "good" girl, you know, the kind they say you can take home to your mother. Anyway, I like her. A lot. There's just one problem. She has a really hot best friend named Lexi and Lexi likes me.

Things were going good between me and Eden (at least that's what I thought) as I took my time in getting to know her. Then, Lexi entered the picture. She's caused a lot of trouble trying to keep us apart and has been pretty good at it because Eden thinks I'm in love with Lexi. I have to admit, she has turned my head. After all, I am a guy, but she's not the kind of girl I'd take home to my mom.

I'm not sure just how to get Eden to trust me again. She can be pretty stubborn when someone hurts her. Maybe I should talk to her mom. She's a counselor. Maybe she can give me some tips. I sure hope she gets over what's bugging her soon.

BUY LINK: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-178/K-Dawn-Byrd-Mistaken/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight week - Excerpt from Killing Time

Mindy knew exactly what he meant. No matter how hard she squeezed her eyes together, the tears flowed, hot and stinging. Her make-up was melting away, but she didn't care. All that mattered was the moment in time where another human being understood her suffering.

Mindy had never felt so comfortable with a man, but yet so vulnerable for baring her soul. He handed her a napkin from the table and she wiped her eyes and blew her nose. When he did likewise, she wondered if he'd been crying, too.

"And, then there's Renee. That's a whole other story. Just when I find her, she's murdered. I'll find out what happened to her if it's the last thing I do." The tears came full force then as if a dam had burst.

Stone encircled her in his arms, his touch comforting. She felt his breath on her cheek.

Mindy wiped her eyes and sat up straight. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he said, reaching up to wipe a stray tear from below her eye.


"I'm sorry to be such a cry baby. I don't know what's got into me."

He placed his hands on the sides of her face. The setting was perfect. The atmosphere was romantic and the night was warm.
"You are so beautiful," he said, looking into her eyes as if he could gauge her soul.

Her heart swelled in response to his words. A shiver of delight tickled her spine.

His face moved toward hers as he asked, "Can I kiss you?"

The heavy rhythm of her heart beating in her chest took Mindy's breath away. She leaned away ever so slightly and said, "There's one thing I have to know first."

"What?"

She grinned and said, "You know my name, now what's yours?"

"Drew," he replied as his lips met hers.

***
Killing Time is avail at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony Ebooks, Kobo, Apple ebooks, All Romance Books, and the Desert Breeze website.

Author Spotlight week - K Dawn Byrd shares her favorite author

Author Michelle Sutton

Michelle Sutton is my favorite author and for more than one reason. I absolutely loved her Danger at the Door. I found her e-mail address on the Desert Breeze site and e-mailed her after reading the blurb and asked how to buy it in print. I just had to read that book, but didn’t want to do the ebook thing. Ebooks threatened the very existence of my beloved print books and I wouldn’t have that.

When Michelle responded and said that it was available only in eformat, I thought about it for a few days and finally purchased it. It's because of Michelle Sutton that I'm an ebook junkie. I read them on my BlackBerry on the go.

Shortly after I met Michelle, agent took a look at Killing Time. She liked the book, but said it might be hard to sell because she wasn’t sure how many women would read a book that was partially set in a jail. Michelle recommended that I try Desert Breeze and the rest is history.

I read all of Michelle's new releases and enjoy them tremendously. She's good at bringing romantic tension into her work and when I'm in the mood for something edgy, only her books will do.

Author Spotlight Week - K Dawn Byrd shares her favorite movie

If you ask me one day what my favorite movie is, I may say, "Gone with the Wind." Another day, I may say, "Titanic." Today I'm saying Titanic because I just watched it on TV. Again. I love almost anything historical and as I stated earlier, I'm a huge suspense fan. Titanic provided the suspense I love with enough romance to captivate me.

I tend to navigate toward psychological movies such as A Beautiful Mind, The Aviator, and Shutter Island due to my interest in mental illness. These movies were absolutely fascinating. I've had several people ask about the mental asylum in Queen of Hearts and how I came up with the idea of sending my heroine into hiding there. I was browsing the web one night researching frontal lobotomies since one of my secondary characters had been subjected to this surgery and ran across this site.
http://www.opacity.us/locations/#site13 . I found it be so intriguing that I spent a lot of time going through the pictures, which gave me much insight into what the setting was like as my heroine was in the basement of the asylum running for her life.

As you can see, chick flicks don't rank at the top of the totem pole for me, but some people aren't crazy about suspense either. I can watch just about anything except for horror movies. I don't care for those at all. My imagination is so vivid that I'm not comfortable being alone in a dark basement after watching one. Thank God, there's something out there for everyone...even fraidy cats like me.

Author Spotlight Week - K Dawn Byrd shares her passion for Inspirationals

Inspirational authors could just as easily write for the secular market if they chose. After all, a story is a story. I choose to write for the inspirational market because I'm a born again Christian and like to bring the fact that even Christians aren't perfect into my writing. For example, when my heroine in, Killing Time, is wrongly accused and incarcerated, she becomes angry with God. Haven't we all been there at some point? It doesn't do us much good, but it's human.

I enjoy reading good, clean books and I know when I choose to read inspirational novels, the story will be free of the sex, smut, and gore of the world. We're bombarded on all sides with it, but I can choose what to fill my mind with when I read. When I write, my goal is to provide a clean story that's suitable for all readers while entertaining them at the same time.

Since I write mainly suspense, my characters are plunged almost instantly into danger and intrigue. Sometimes the obstacles seem insurmountable. There are times when their faith in God is all they have. I like to show in my plots that even though God doesn't always rescue us out of the middle of the storms, He's there to lead us through it.

Author Spotlight Week - Q&A with K Dawn Byrd

Desert Breeze welcomes author, K Dawn Byrd in the spotlight this week. Her latest released is "Killing Time." Welcome K Dawn!

STEPH: What's the inspriation behind your story, "Killing Time?"

K DAWN: I've always been an avid reader and planned to write a book "one day." When I began work as a counselor in a jail, I thought that would be a neat setting for the book. I began to jot down notes about the environment such as sights, sounds, and smells. Before I knew it, my heroine had formed in my mind, begging me to tell her story.


STEPH: I don't know much about the book. Can you tell us a little about it?

K DAWN: I began to wonder what would happen if a strong Christian woman was wrongly accused and incarcerated. Would she lose her faith? Would she crack under the pressure? Here's the blurb from Desert Breeze Publishing:

Mindy McLaurin, thinks it's the end of the world when she's incarcerated on trumped-up embezzlement charges. While in jail, she investigates the death of an inmate who allegedly died of an overdose. Mindy suspects foul play when her cellmate dies and she learns that both women had ingested the same drug. Mindy trusts no one, including Drew Stone, the handsome counselor she can’t stop thinking about. She faces many challenges, including constant interrogation by the Major and emotional abuse from the other inmates. Upon release, someone is stalking her and framing her for the murder. Can she prove to Counselor Stone that she’s innocent of all charges before she loses him forever?

STEPH: How long have you been writing?

K DAWN: I've been writing for about three years and have written five books. Killing Time is my first book. I must have edited it a dozen times as I studied the craft. I'd learn something from a new book and tear it apart again.

STEPH: What attracts you to inspirationals?

K DAWN: I'm a Christian of the Baptist faith and even though I don't "preach" religion in my books, my faith in Jesus Christ is evident because at least one of my characters is a Christian or becomes one by the end of the book. I enjoy reading and writing clean novels that would be appropriate for all ages. This is a must for the Christian market. Even though I write primarily for the adult market, my novels are clean enough for anyone.

STEPH: Have you written any other genres?

K DAWN: I have written one romance (no suspense), but haven't tried to place it with a publisher. I'm such a suspense junkie that it was hard for me to write that one. I absolutely love suspense and it's hard for me to keep it out of my books.

STEPH: Do you cast your characters? If so, who are your lead characters?

K DAWN: I use character worksheets to develop my characters. However, I do scour magazines in search of photos that look like my characters. Isla Fisher, in my mind, looks the most like my heroine. My husband looks like my hero (and he is my hero!). If you take a look at my video trailer, that's my husband on the Harley Davidson at the end. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ncljBid61g

STEPH: Care to share any hobbies with us?

K DAWN: I love to take long walks with my husband and our two Chinese Crested dogs. I enjoy planting flowers. My husband I both like antiques and love to scour antique shops together.

STEPH: What was the last movie you saw?
K DAWN: Shutter Island. I'd read the book and it left questions in my mind. I had to see the movie to clear them up.

STEPH: Have you read Stephenie Meyer's series? If so, Team Edward or Team Jacob?

K DAWN: I've read the first couple of books in the Twilight series. I really liked both Edward and Jacob. They each had some good qualities and they both loved the heroine. There were times I rooted for both of them. I guess I'm in equal camps on that one!

Featured August Release - Killing Time by K Dawn Byrd

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Mindy McLaurin, thinks it's the end of the world when she's incarcerated on trumped-up embezzlement charges. While in jail, she investigates the death of an inmate who allegedly died of an overdose. Mindy suspects foul play when her cellmate dies and she learns that both women had ingested the same drug. Mindy trusts no one, including Drew Stone, the handsome counselor she can’t stop thinking about. She faces many challenges, including constant interrogation by the Major and emotional abuse from the other inmates. Upon release, someone is stalking her and framing her for the murder. Can she prove to Counselor Stone that she’s innocent of all charges before she loses him forever?

EXCERPT:
Mitch was waiting for her in the visitation area. Mr. Blair, his attorney, at his side. Delacy ushered her to a glass-front cubicle. Mindy longed to touch Mitch, to draw strength from someone stronger than herself, but the glass made this impossible.

Mr. Blair smiled and nodded toward the phone. Mindy picked it up, anxiety making her a little light headed. She shivered as the cold hard plastic of the receiver came into contact with her ear.

"Hello, Mindy," the elderly attorney said. "It's good to see you again. I wish it were under better circumstances."

"Me, too." They'd come to get her. She was going home.

"I can't represent you. I'm semi-retired and handle mostly real estate transactions. This is out of my league, so I'm going to call a good friend of mine, Bill Sands, and ask him to get in touch with you. He's a good attorney."

"Thank you." Tears threatened to overflow.

"I need to ask you some questions though. Okay?"

Mindy nodded.

"What led up to your arrest?"

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
K. Dawn Byrd has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. Her mother once said that she 'never knew she was on the place' as a child because she was always off somewhere reading quietly in a corner. She's a book collector and had over 2,000 titles at last count and even though she loves print books, she's fallen head over heels for ebooks, downloading several at a time into her Blackberry to read on the go.

When not reading, she enjoys spending time with her husband of 14 years, walking their dogs beside a gorgeous lake near her home, and plotting the next story waiting to be told. Writing everything she's plotted will take decades, leading her well into retirement. Her retirement dream is to live on a golf course near Myrtle Beach and write novels while her husband plays golf.

Desert Breeze Congratulates K Dawn Byrd on her latest release!

What Memorial Day means to Desert Breeze Author K Dawn Byrd

Memorial Day is the United States holiday that commemorates the men and women who have died while in the military. WWII is near and dear to my heart because my grandfather fought for our country in this war. I am honored that he served, but also humbled. You see, he suffered from what they called "shell shock" and what we call PTSD for the rest of his life. He served, but it cost him and his immediate family dearly. Do we stop to think about how much those who have served have truly paid?

I enjoyed writing Queen of Hearts, the WWII era romantic suspense novel that released in April. My heroine, Daphne Dean, comes from a very patriotic family. So much so that she refuses to take her ex-boyfriend back when he becomes a draft dodger and a seller of black market goods. She could have taken advantage of the goods he sold. Heaven knows, she loves shoes, but she refuses to do so, knowing full well that items were rationed because the supplies were needed for soldiers.



Daphne, like most others, is tired of rationing and would like more meat, butter, and cheese. At one point, she's envious of a group of elderly women who have stockings, which are in short supply because the material is needed to manufacture parachutes. When the items are offered to her later by her ex-boyfriend, she voices her displeasure with him for racketeering.

This Memorial Day will be even more special to me after writing Queen of Hearts and becoming familiar with what people sacrificed in order to bring our boys home safely during WWII. I'd like to send out a personal "thank you" to everyone who has ever served or who is serving our wonderful country today. We are free because of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and may God bless you always.

"Queen of Hearts" is available at the Desert Breeze Website, Amazon for Kindle, All Romance Books and Books on Board.

Featured Author Interview - K Dawn Byrd in character as "Daphne Dean" from Queen of Hearts

We're here today with Daphne Dean, the main character from Queen of Hearts. It's set in the 1940's during World War II and Daphne's here to tell us a little bit more of the story.

STEPH: Welcome, Daphne :)

DAPHNE: Thank you. It's great to be here.

STEPH: Daphne, how did you get involved in spying for the OSS?

DAPHNE: My boss, Tom, asked me to join the O.S.S. It seemed exciting at the time. My grand-mother was a spy during WWI and the idea made me feel closer to her. Plus, I was afraid that my job might be at stake if I didn't.



STEPH: Is there someone who has been a big influence on your life?

DAPHNE: The person who has been the biggest influence on my life is my friend, Anya. She was my grand-mother's best friend and my nanny when I was a child. She's been with me my entire life.



STEPH: How did you get into reporting? What do you love about it?

DAPHNE: I've always had an eye for mystery. Reporting is my dream job because it allows me to be a snoop, but in a good way. I love everything about it, especially the freedom it offers. Since taking the job, I'm no longer stuck in the copy room at a desk all day.



STEPH: What are your thoughts on the War? What do you have to ration?

I'll be glad when the war is over and they boys are home safely. The war has taught us many things in America, including how to conserve. It seems like almost everything is rationed. Certain days are "meatless" in restaurants. Coffee, butter, and sugar are been rationed. I really miss buying new shoes and stockings, but will do without all these things just to have the boys home.



STEPH: Have you gone to a movie lately? Who is your favorite star? Douglas Fairbanks? Cary Grant?

DAPHNE: I don't have much time for movies because I work long hours helping out in other departments at the paper if needed. I give it my all, hoping that I'll get to keep my job when the boys come home.



STEPH: Tell me one thing about Kenneth you miss.

DAPHNE: He has the most amazing sapphire blue eyes that it's easy to get lost in. Even more than that, I miss his arms around me.



STEPH: Tell me one thing about Vito you like.

DAPHNE: There are so many things I love about Vito. He's handsome, respectful, and he's a Christian who has had to choose between his faith and his wealthy mob family. Who do you think he chose?

STEPH: Thanks for being here today, Daphne. It was fun getting to know more about you and what it was like during World War II.

*****

You can find K Dawn Byrd's book at the Desert Breeze Website, All Romance Books, and Amazon for Kindle

Featured April Release - Queen of Hearts

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Daphne Dean is proud to be serving her country stateside during WWII as a reporter and an Office of Strategic Services operative. When the photograph she takes of the crowd at a murder scene places her on the mob's hit list, she's forced into hiding in a vacant mental asylum in the middle of nowhere with terrifying secrets of its own.

Daphne believed herself to still be in love with her ex-fiancée, Kenneth, until she spends several days locked away in the asylum with Vito, the mob boss' son. Can she put the terrifying events that occurred there behind her and allow herself to pursue a relationship with Vito? Or, will she return to Kenneth who has turned his back on his country by becoming a draft dodger and a black market racketeer? One thing's for sure, it won't matter if she can't escape the mental institution alive.

***
AN EXCERPT:

Daphne opened her eyes and then closed them quickly as her head pounded and a wave of nausea threatened to consume her. She breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly. Once she felt stronger, she attempted to pull herself up to a seating position, but was unable to move her arms.

Stay calm, she told herself. Daphne peered through the slits in her eyes and then squeezed them shut when the dim overhead light increased the blurred vision and the pounding in her head. She tried again, keeping her eyes open long enough to realize that she was in an unfamiliar place. She shivered in the frigid air.

Daphne tugged on the restraints, exhausted. The band on her left arm gave slightly. She worked her arm back and forth, her heart pounding wildly as she took deep, even breaths in an attempt to decrease the terror racing through her. What kind of sick person would strap her down to a table? And, where was Vito? He knew how much she hated the place, how terrified she was of being alone. Why would he leave her?

****

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
K. Dawn Byrd has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. Her mother once said that she 'never knew she was on the place' as a child because she was always off somewhere reading quietly in a corner. She's a book collector and had over 2,000 titles at last count and even though she loves print books, she's fallen head over heels for ebooks, downloading several at a time into her Blackberry to read on the go.

When not reading, she enjoys spending time with her husband of 14 years, walking their dogs beside a gorgeous lake near her home, and plotting the next story waiting to be told. Writing everything she's plotted will take decades, leading her well into retirement. Her retirement dream is to live on a golf course near Myrtle Beach and write novels while her husband plays golf

****
Queen of Hearts is available at: Desert Breeze Publishing, Link Above

All Romance Books: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-queenofhearts-423976-151.html

Amazon for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Queen-of-Hearts-ebook/dp/B003EV5T3K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1270659836&sr=8-1

Link to the Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grqPjGvfRa0

Welcome K Dawn Byrd - guest blogging about her ebook reader

Okay. I'll admit it. I'm one of those people who don't much like change. To be more accurate, I loathe change. When I'd heard snippets that ebooks were the way of the future, I fought it with everything in me. I've been a book collector for over 15 years and have well over 1,000 books in my home. For some reason, the very existence of ebooks threatened my beloved print books. I vowed that I would never buy an ebook, the enemy that might eventually extinguish the print books that I so love to hold in my hands.

My first experience with the enemy was when I read about an upcoming release on Michelle Sutton's blog. Her Danger at the Door was just the kind of book that I like to read. And, the mental health aspect woven into the plot piqued my interest as well. I followed the link to her publisher and found that it was available only in ebook format. I just HAD to have that book. I e-mailed Michelle and was told that if I wanted to read it that I'd have no choice but to read it in ebook format.

I failed at the first download to my Blackberry because I didn't know that having reader software on my Blackberry was a requirement. I e-mailed customer service at Desert Breeze and they were nice enough to send it to me in a format that I could read on my computer. On a mission, I wouldn't stop until I had what I needed to read it on the go. I downloaded the free Mobipocket software and have now read approximately 15 ebooks in .prc format since August.

That said, I absolutely love ebooks. I'm not killing trees, using expensive ink and lugging around a heavy objects. And best of all, I can read when I want my cell phone. I can read in bed with hubby right beside me and don't have to worry about disturbing him with a bedside light. I can adjust the font and backlighting and there's no need to spend money on an expensive Kindle or ebook reader since I have my cell phone with me at all times (many people have what they need to read an ebook in their pocket and don't realize it.) Also, ebooks are very inexpensive (Michelle's was $5.99 and many ebooks are free if they're in the public domain. Since I store ebooks on my computer (or a flash drive), they're not taking up room in my home and I can read them again if I choose.

I believe ebooks to the way of the future. After all, how many of us fought purchasing a microwave oven? A DVD player? A Cell phone? And, now an ebook? Progress will continue no matter how hard we try to fight it. I for one, hope that ebooks are here to stay.

Thanks for allowing me to share my experience. www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com