Smoldering Embers NBtM

Blurb:

"Death is only the beginning." You hear that all the time. Maybe it is, for the soul who passes on. But what about the ones who are left behind?

I lost my husband unexpectedly in a tragic accident and now have to move back to my childhood home in New Orleans. Thank God for my friends Wesley and Paige. I’d be absolutely lost without them. As I pick up the pieces of what is left of my life, we settle back into our old routines. That is until I hire Olivier to work for me. Now my world is once again turning upside down as the people I’m closest to, old and new, shed the skin of what is familiar and ultimately redefine the nature of our relationships. Couple all of this with the return of my debilitating headaches and ominous dreams of green fire, and well, I’m just at a loss.

What do you do when what you thought you knew turns out to be wrong? What do you do when you find out you can’t trust the people closest to you? What do you do when you keep trying to move forward but life keeps getting in the way? And given all of this, how am I supposed to figure out who Charlotte Grace is now?

Excerpt:

He cut me off and growled, “Im iam damnari,” under his breath before silencing us both by crushing his lips to mine.  A familiar burn instantly tore through me, stealing my breath as it singed my skin.  I opened my mouth to gasp.  He seized the opportunity to invade it, his tongue lapping at mine hungrily.  My knees buckled and I arched into him, gripping his neck with hands I didn’t even know had wrapped around him.  His arms supported me as his hands roved and caressed my back, waist, hips, and neck, restless in their search.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Olivier stopped just as suddenly as he had begun.  My eyes remained closed as I tried to compose myself.  Remembering what he’d said before the kiss, I asked, “Why?”

“Why what?” he responded through labored breaths.

I opened my eyes to see that his were liquid pools of the green fire.  And not in their coloring or meaning that he desired me.  Though that was there too.  I mean flames.  Living, undulating flames were burning in his eyes; dancing around his pupils.  Holy crap!  How is that possible?!  All the familiarity snapped into place.  The burning I’d experienced from his kiss, while exciting, was the same as when I had the fire dreams.

I blinked and they were gone.  No smoke.  No embers.  No trace.  Had they even been there?  I must be crazy.  It’s not possible for them to be there.  Actual fire doesn’t burn in someone’s eyes.  I’d had quite a bit to drink tonight.  My mind had to be playing tricks on me.  When I let go the image of my dreams lighting in his eyes I remembered what Olivier had said before he kissed me.

PM, thanks so much for stopping by. So, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?

Thank you so much for having me.  I am a displaced southern girl living among the mountains in the Pacific Midwest.  I have earned degrees in Economics, Accounting, and Finance (of which, you will find none in my books.  Promise!).  I am a huge geek and enjoy many forms of pop culture.  Sleepy Hollow, The Avengers, and Game of Thrones are some of my favorites.

How did you get started writing?

I started writing as a way to deal with my grief and anger over the loss of my mother a few years ago.  Tis’ a long story and I don’t want anyone to think that I didn’t love my mother.  But her death was a bit of a shock and as you can imagine a trying experience.  Being a mother myself, I made myself take stock of my life, my legacy, and all that I wanted to accomplish.  While I enjoy economics and finance, I have always held a soft spot for the arts and given my current lifestyle and circumstances, writing became the best outlet to let loose some deep seeded emotions in a healthy way.

What was the inspiration for your book?

The Charlotte Grace series as a whole is steeped in my life experiences and love for New Orleans.  During that period where I was looking back over the events of my life, I decided to infuse them into my writing and give myself some closure.  What turned out as an exercise to improving myself became a catalyst for a second career.

What’s the one genre you haven’t written in yet that you’d like to?

Science Fiction.  I love Michael Crichton and all he could accomplish in a story.  I have an idea but because it is so outside my normal knowledge base, it is going to take some time and research to fulfill.

Are there any genres you won’t read or write in? Why?

Horror.  I have nothing against the genre.  It’s that I have an overactive imagination on my own and tend to always see the worst possible outcome.  I mean like, say my doorbell rings and I’m not expecting anyone to stop by.  My mind, all on its own, will just go to, “What are my best defenses if that is a crazed killer on the other side?”  I will hide my kids in a closet before answering.  No joke.  So see, I don’t need any help in that regard.

So, what are you working on right now? Got any releases planned, or still writing?

So I started writing in January 2013.  By June, the Charlotte Grace series was completed and I self-published the first one in September.  By November, I was picked up by an indie author publishing house for the whole series but had already completed the first book to my second series, the Empathy Delacroix series.  By July 2014, the entire Grace series had been release, the Delacroix series completed, and my first standalone novel, The Underground completed.  My publisher picked up the next four books and we released The Underground in late October.  We are currently working through the edits for Delacroix and I am writing the second book of my third series, the Octavia Howard series, now.

Alright, now for some totally random, fun questions. Favorite color?     

Purple       

Favorite movie?     

Some Like It Hot

Book that inspired you to become an author?    

Alice In Wonderland

Alright, you have one superpower. What is it?

Inspire self-acceptance

You can have dinner with any 3 people, dead, alive, fictitious, etc. Who are they?

Joss Whedon, Michael Crichton, Jack Lemon

Last question: Which of your characters are you most like and how/why?

It’s a toss up between Charlotte Grace and Empathy Delacroix.  Charlotte embodies what I hope are the best aspects of myself.  My outlook on life and people and faith and love.  Empathy is probably a little closer to who I actually am.  She’s still a pretty nice character but not quite as nice as Charlotte.

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Author Bio and Links:

I am a lover of all things artistic. I grew up surrounded by the performing arts both as a spectator and performer. That love of creation and design is the fuel for my writing now. Being able to create and entertain is a dream come true.

The imagination is a powerful thing, able to take you places you never dreamed. I write realistic fantasy. The idea of the possible having impossible explanations fascinates me. That idea is the driving force behind the Charlotte Grace series.

If you are interested in receiving updates when I release new books, please visit me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @PMBriede.

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