Blurb:
Forever
Faithful is the sequel to the award winning book "Always Faithful."
"Always Faithful" is about a Marine officer, Nic Caldwell, who’s has
the unenviable task of informing families that their loved one is either
missing, or has been killed. She is assigned task of making a notification of
death to the wife of a former college friend. During the process of bringing
Mike Monroe home, a series of events unfold that bring Claire Monroe and Nic
Caldwell closer and through those events they fall in love. Nic isn’t without
her own demons, having survived a helicopter crash that killed her entire crew
in Iraq and leaving her to fight for her own life. Survivor’s guilt has nothing
on Nic.
"Forever
Faithful" brings Nic and Claire back facing a deployment after Nic
graduates from a military university in California. She finds herself in
Afghanistan and the victim of another accident that leaves one of her peers
dead and Nic fighting for her life. Nic is faced with injuries that leave her
questioning whether she can be the woman she once was in Claire’s eyes. What
unfolds is a story of survival, love and acceptance as both women face the
journey a head.
Excerpt:
Claire
sat on the bed, cradling her daughter close. What would she do when she was
chasing boys for all the wrong reasons? Trying to banish the thought from her
mind, she clutched Grace closer, laying her head on her chest. She felt Grace
relax against her, the fight gone.
“Mommy?”
“Hmm?”
“Why
do I have two mommies and Tim only has one?”
Aw,
the looming realization that her parents were different. She knew it was
coming, but Claire didn’t expect it quite yet. “Cause you’re lucky.”
God,
what a stupid answer, she thought, pulling Grace closer. Gently she laid Grace
down on the bed and lay beside her, threading her fingers through sweaty hair,
pushing the unruly mess out of Grace’s face.
“Can
we find Tim another mom?”
“What?”
She had to stop herself from giggling at the notion that Tim needed another
mom. What would Tim’s dad say?
“Yeah,
he needs another mom, too.”
“It’s
not that easy honey.”
“But
you have Nic and you love each other, so Tim’s mom needs another mommy to love
her, too.”
Oh,
the innocence of youth. If life were only that simple.
Isabella, thanks so much
for stopping by. So, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?
I
write under the pen name Isabella. I teach computer science at a college on the
central coast of California. I ride a motorcycle, like to people watch (which
comes in handy for writing), and I run a publishing company, Sapphire Books
Publishing. We have 19 authors who write in all different genres, with lesbians
as the main characters.
How did you start writing?
I
had submitted my first manuscript to two publishers and was rejected by both.
One said they weren’t looking for my type of story at that time. The other
company wanted me to completely rewrite the story and resubmit. I thought long
and hard about rewriting it and after talking to my wife, I decided that I’d
try and publish it myself. I researched self-publishing, looked at all the
options and decided to start a publishing company and publish my first book, Always Faithful. It was the first in the
Faithful series, and the precursor for Forever
Faithful, my latest release.
What was the inspiration
for your book?
Forever Faithful is the second in the
Faithful series. This book was partially based on my experience as a military
wife and includes some of the people I met along the way. I wanted to focus on
the family side of things in this book. Nic Caldwell is a Marine who is being
deployed again, but this time to Afghanistan. Her wife, Clare, is left behind
to wonder if Nic will meet the same fate as her first spouse who died in Iraq.
Nic comes pretty close to fulfilling that concern. In a nutshell, it’s a book
about surviving a deployment, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and how
love conquers all.
What’s the one genre you haven’t written in yet that you’d like to?
I
haven’t written a western yet, and I would love to tackle that genre. I love
the feel of a western, the language, the settings, and the characters found in
a truly good western.
Are there any genres you won’t read or write in? Why?
I’m
not much for world building, so dystopian is out for me. Fade to black also
isn’t something you’d find in my books. Not that I don’t like books that have
fade to black, but if there is the buildup of sexual tension I like to see the
characters close the deal.
So, what are you working on right now? Have any other releases for the near future, or are you still writing?
I am working on a mystery titled Time Stamped. It focuses on the aftermath of a brutal attack that completely strips down one of the main characters to her core. She realizes that she’s not really living the life she’d planned. She’s sacrificed a piece of herself to be what someone else wanted. After the attack she comes face-to-face with the realization that she was not a victim of chance, but of opportunity. The ending is a twist that I don’t think the reader will see coming.
So, what are you working on right now? Have any other releases for the near future, or are you still writing?
I am working on a mystery titled Time Stamped. It focuses on the aftermath of a brutal attack that completely strips down one of the main characters to her core. She realizes that she’s not really living the life she’d planned. She’s sacrificed a piece of herself to be what someone else wanted. After the attack she comes face-to-face with the realization that she was not a victim of chance, but of opportunity. The ending is a twist that I don’t think the reader will see coming.
Alright, now for some
totally random, fun questions. Favorite color?
Sapphire
blue
Favorite movie?
All
of the Underworld and Matrix movies. They both have strong female leads who
kick butt. Their dialogue is gritty, and they’re movies that have no basis in
reality.
Alright, you have one superpower. What is it?
Immortality. That’s a super power right?
You can have dinner with any 3 people, dead, alive, fictitious, etc. Who are they?
My
grandmother, Amelia Earhart, and Cleopatra. I love strong women.
Last question: Which of your characters are you most like and how/why?
I
think I’m most like Luce Potter in American Yakuza. We have some similar traits
but vastly different looks. She is tenacious, has a strong sense of integrity,
and seldom shows all her cards in any situation. Business is business and she
knows what she needs to do to secure her future. She’s a go-getter and doesn’t
take no for an answer. She lives life and doesn’t let it live her.
April
6: Long and Short Reviews
April 7: Sharing
Links and Wisdom
April 7: Undercover Book Reviews - review only
April 8: Romance Novel Giveaways
April 9: Wickedly Wanton Tales Blog
April 10: Unabridged Andra's
April 7: Undercover Book Reviews - review only
April 8: Romance Novel Giveaways
April 9: Wickedly Wanton Tales Blog
April 10: Unabridged Andra's
Author Bio and Links:
Christine’s
most recently published novel under the name of Isabella is “Forever Faithful,”
the sequel to “Always Faithful,” a book based loosely on being a former
military officer’s wife and the adventures of living on a military base.
Other
novels by Isabella include:
● “Broken
Shield,” which covers the topics of spousal abuse and how it can lay hidden in
a relationship, even when the person being abused is a cop.
● “American
Yakuza” I and II, tracing the adventures of a multicultural character who
tackles the male dominated world of the Japanese mafia.
● “Executive
Disclosure” and “Surviving Reagan,” a series about Chad Morgan, an executive
protection specialist, and Reagan Reynolds, a daughter ready to take the reins
of her father’s company until her plans get derailed by her own misguided
determination.
Novels
by Jett Abbott include two books: ”Scarlet Masquerade” and “Scarlet Assassin.”
Christine
is currently working on a new novel called “Time Stamped.”
When
she’s not writing, Christine teaches college part time, rides motorcycles, and
spends time remodeling her cabin in the Sierra foothills. She lives on the
central coast of California with her wife and has three wonderful sons.
Contact
Information:
Isabella@sapphirebooks.com
About
Sapphire Books Publishing:
Founded
by Christine Svendsen, Sapphire Books Publishing is “the gem of lesbian
publishing.” Dedicated to quality fiction that reflects the lives of the
lesbian community, the company publishes romance, erotica, paranormal, mystery
and intrigue, fantasy, and other fiction where the main characters are
lesbians. Since its inception, the company has grown to include a cadre of
highly acclaimed LGBT authors, including Linda Kay Silva, Kim Pritekel, Beth
Burnett, and Linda North. Sapphire Books are available in hardcover, softcover,
and ebook formats throughout the world.
