BIO: Linda Rettstatt

Linda Rettstatt began her writing career while clerking at The Brownsville Telegraph, her small Pennsylvania hometown newspaper. Though hired to take classified ads, Linda eagerly agreed to assume the task of writing reviews for community theater productions, for which her sole compensation was a by line. (It was a job no one in the newsroom wanted.)

Her passion for writing led Linda into the world of women’s fiction and contemporary romance. Writing about heroines who had to draw upon their inner strength to overcome loss or adversity seemed only natural given her years of work as a psychotherapist.

Linda’s first novel, And the Truth Will Set You Free, was published in July, 2007 by Wings ePress and was the publisher’s best seller for the first month follow its release. And the Truth Will Set You Free finaled for a 2008 Eppie Award.

Three other novels—Pieces, The Year I Lost My Mind, and Finding Hope—followed in the next eighteen months with Wings ePress. Finding Hope has finaled for a 2010 EPIC e-book Award. Her fifth novel, The Restoration of Abby Walker, was released by Wings ePress in September, 2009. Next Time, I’m Gonna Dance was released on January 2, 2010 by Champagne Books. Shooting Into the Sun was published on May 1 in e-book, and Love, Sam is contracted by Champagne Books for November, 2010 publication. In addition, Renting to Own will be published in August by Class Act Books. Linda’s short stories have received recognition from Pennwriters, Inc., Writer’s Digest, and Long and Short Romance Reviews.

Of her writing, Linda says, “I write for women—stories of love, strength, humor, and hope.” Readers have compared her work to that of Elizabeth Berg, Nicholas Sparks, and Sherryl Woods.

Linda is the owner and moderator of The Women’s Fiction Writers Exchange, an online critique group of women writers from across the United States and Canada. She has served as contest judge for the River City Romance Writers and EPIC’s New Voices and EPIC Award competitions. Linda grew up in southwestern Pennsylvania and currently resides in Southaven, Mississippi. Excerpts and reviews can be read at www.lindarettstatt.com and her blog can be viewed at www.onewomanswrite.blogspot.com.

Rebecca, thanks so much for having me here today as part of my Sailing into Summer Virtual Blog Book Tour.

I’m often asked how I began writing. My background is in music and social work. Music satisfied my creative urges for a long time. But one day when I’d had my calendar in my clinical practice cleared by cancellations, the office manager suggested I, “go back to your office and write that book you keep talking about.” (I think she just wanted to get me out of her office.) But I took her advice. I started writing And the Truth Will Set You Free. That was early in 2004, and I’ve not stopped writing since.

I read a variety of genres, but have a particular love for women’s fiction—books that feature strong but vulnerable heroines who have to draw more deeply into their inner resources to overcome some obstacle. I was recently asked what I’ve learned from each of my novels or my characters. Never having considered how my stories have affected me, personally, I gave the question some thought and came up with the following:

And the Truth Will Set You Free: I learned that, even when our dreams are offered to us in the form of a second chance, it still requires courage and risk to take hold.

Pieces: I learned that there is inside each of us the need to know where we come from.

The Year I Lost My Mind: I learned that love—true love—can be tested and tried and will hold when stretched to new limits.

Finding Hope: I learned that, even when we question our choices and reinvent ourselves, we may be led right back to where we started—but with a renewed peace.

The Restoration of Abby Walker: I learned that sometimes what seems to be the worst possible event can launch us into a new and fulfilling life.

Next Time I’m Gonna Dance: I learned that we sometimes face a darkness that we have to approach alone, but that the love of family and the bonds of friendship light the path ahead.

Shooting into the Sun: I learned that the boundaries we construct may keep us safe, and they may also isolate us unless we are willing to take risks and color outside those lines.

Which brings me to my newest novel, Shooting into the Sun. I’d like to share a blurb and brief excerpt:

Blurb:

Nature photographer Rylee Morgan has created an orderly, settled life for herself. When she finds an advertisement that might lead to her estranged father, she takes a photo assignment to the west coast to investigate. With her younger sister, Lexie, in tow following the breakup with her fiancé, Rylee is focused on two things: finding the man who may be her father and doing her job. Lexie lives life by her own set of rules, or lack of rules, and Rylee’s plans are further unsettled when Lexie invites a hitchhiker to join them on their journey.

Excerpt:

When people know they’re about to do the wrong thing, they don’t look you in the eye. Parents were no different.

~ * ~

One

“Never shoot into the sun.” Her father repositioned himself to pose for the photograph.

“Why not?” Rylee Morgan lowered the camera and squinted at him.

“Because it’s a rule. If you follow the rules, you’ll avoid trouble, and you’ll create beautiful pictures.” He stood in the back yard, the white aluminum siding of their house

providing a backdrop.

She wanted to believe him. Rylee snapped the photograph, capturing his image.

He motioned to the camera bag he’d set on the ground beside her. “You remember how to switch the lenses?”

She nodded.

“How about one more picture of us?” He pulled the camera from her hand and drew her close to his side. At twelve years of age, she was nearly his height. Extending his arm, the camera lens reflecting their images, he pressed the shutter release.

He handed her the camera, then hugged her against him. “I love you, angel. Don’t ever forget that.”

She choked on her words. “You don’t have to leave, Daddy.”

“Yes, honey, I do. I’ll talk to you soon, though.”

“Take me with you.” She knotted her fingers in his sleeve.

A muscle twitched along his jaw. “I can’t.” He held her for another moment, and then pried her hands free. Bolting to the car without a backward glance, he pulled from the

drive.

“Daddy!” Rylee chased after him. At the curb, she raised the camera and clicked the shutter frantically until she heard the whirr of rewinding film. Tears blurred her last

glimpse. His car turned and disappeared from her view. She hugged the Nikon against her chest and cried.

~ * ~

Never shoot into the sun—the voice played in her head. The rules she had learned early in her career never failed to produce flawless photographs. The rules she had developed for life had not served her as well. In the sixteen years since her father’s departure, Rylee had kept herself

busy, focused on her career, and safe inside her well-constructed boundaries.

Rylee resituated the tripod and checked the sun’s position. She stepped behind the camera, looked once again through the lens and waited, watching the slight movement

of the leaves. Water bubbled over rocks. Slowing the shutter speed, she could create a smooth cascade effect. Blue sky and white clouds reflected on the stream’s surface. This

stretch of the rapids where the Youghiogheny River ran through Ohiopyle State Park in Pennsylvania was her favorite spot for shooting.

Her thumb rested on the shutter release, prepared for just the right moment. The breeze subsided and the shadows shifted. Then, just as she pressed the button, some jerk

decided to walk on water.

Rylee lifted her head and stared. A hiker made his way across the exposed rocks and into the middle of the narrow river—directly into the center of her view. She walked to the

water’s edge and, with hands on hips, shouted, “Excuse me! You’re ruining my shot.”

He raised his arms and stretched, his face turned toward the sun. His shirt pulled up to expose a narrow waist and flat stomach.

Rylee dragged her eyes away from his body, cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted again, “Hey! You’re in the way.”

The hiker turned and shielded his eyes with his hand. “What?”

“You…are…ruining…my…shot.”

2010, Champagne Books

Visit my website for buy links to Shooting into the Sun and to read excerpts of my other books.

www.lindarettstatt.com

I believe our writing is largely influenced by the authors we read. I have an unlikely assembly of favorite authors who, I can only hope, influence my work: Elizabeth Berg, Kris Radish, Lisa Scottoline, Janet Evanovich, Sherryl Woods, Elin Hilderbrand, Nicholas Sparks, Diane Mott Davidson, Nevada Barr, Randy Susan Meyers… Well, as you can see, these authors write differing genres from women’s fiction to romance to mystery. What they have in common is the ability to create captivating characters and tell stories that are realistic, touching, funny, intense, and that make me think. They challenge me to work harder at the craft.

As for what’s coming in the next few months? Renting to Own will be available in August from Class Act Books. It’s the story of a very young, but mature single mother trying to stabilize her life for herself and her four-year-old daughter. And in November, Champagne Books will release Love, Sam, a story that shows us how love transcends death and self-acceptance is the key to happiness.

I could no more stop writing than I could stop breathing. The greatest rewards come for me when a woman has read one of my books and tells me she felt I was telling her story or that she gained some insight or strength from the character.

Thanks for having me here today to share a bit about myself and my writing. Readers are invited to visit my website at www.lindarettstatt.com and my blog at www.onewomanswrite.blogspot.com or to connect me with on Facebook or Twitter @linda_writer

Linda Rettstatt

“Life’s an adventure—wear comfortable shoes.”

1. Who are some of the writers who influenced your decision to write?

I started reading Harlequin Romances after finishing my Masters in History at the end of the summer of 2003. My friend always had a romance novel in her purse so I decided to read some ‘light’ reading. Not sure I’d consider Romance light reading any more. It gets pretty serious sometimes. LOL both reading it and writing it can be serious business. Living romance is even harder, don’t you think? It’s a lot of work. I especially feel that way right now, since I’m in the process of a divorce, not to be negative, since I do truly believe in true love. I’ve seen it for others, just not sure I’ve ever experienced it. But I really really want to

2. Take us on the road to your first sale.

Wow! The first sale! Now that is a long story! I joined RWA and local writers groups CRW then MORWA, and I started submitting, and the competition is … OMG… ridiculous! I gave up on main stream publishers and sold to a small publisher thinking I’d get my foot in the door and practice with editors and publishers. I’m so glad I did. But I just caught in that trap of selling to a publisher who folded, then got my rights back and sold again, a trilogy, then sold the other trilogy I’d already written to a second publisher to keep things going, then sold another two books to another publisher…I’m so impatient

3. Readers are curious about a writer’s life. Tell us about your typical writing day.

I write mostly in the summer. I spend a lot of time doing promotion, editing, reviewing, critiquing, and book signing during the school year because I’m a teacher, then during the summer I finish stories I’m working on and start new ones I like to write then crochet and think then write some more.

4. How much research do you do for each book? What is your favorite form of research?

I do research if I need to but since I worked as a Morse Code Operator / Supervisor in the military and I teach history and politics, I don’t have to do much research. But when I do research, I like the internet and personal interviews.

5. Tell us about this release.

Guard My Body is my latest release, and it is based on a home-grown terrorist aiding the enemy and allowing atomic weapons to cross the Mexican border, but our hero/heroine will stop him…or die trying.

In honor of April 15th being tax day, we’re asking 15 questions this month

1. Speaking of taxes, are your taxes finished, or do you procrastinate with them? Do you do them yourself or do you have a taxman do them for you?

My taxes are finished, and I’ve gotten my meager refund. Ugh! Now that my kids are out of the house, the refunds get smaller every year, although I can stills how a loss with my business of author…hmmm…wonder why that is
I don’t procrastinate when it comes to taxes, but I do sometimes have to wait for my employers to get the documents that I need to me so that I can complete the forms.
The main reason I don’t put taxes off is the fact that I do my own. I worked as a tax professional for ten years, and I do taxes at my home as a side business, so actually enjoy tax season. I’m so weird, huh?

2. As it says, “April showers bring May flowers”. What flowers do you hope to see the first thing in spring?

My favorite flowers are Easter Lillies. My grandma planted them, and I have them all around the border of my yard, so I never have to wait long for my favorite. They’re up when the snow is still on the ground sometimes.

3. Do you plant your own garden? Why or why not and where is it (are they) located? What type(s) will it (they) be and where is it (are they) located on your property?

I plant my garden with my uncle. He has a small garden in the back of my house, and I help him. He loves to plant and plow, and I cook whatever he brings in from the harvest. Works out well for us! 

For those who DO garden -
4. Do you prefer plants or seeds? Does it matter where you get them, or do you have a favorite place to go? What’s the name of the place and why do you prefer to go there?

I prefer things that already have some sort of start: tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries. I like to plant in hills, and my uncle is very good at softening up the soil. The richer the soil the better. I plant in various time periods as well. We are getting ready to put in the first round of crops, then we’ll still have turnips and things like that toward the end of the fall.

5. What will you plant (or have already planted) this year and why?

We’ll like to plant by the beginning of Spring then go in levels of others things that can be planted as certain crops are picked in stages and the soil is plowed under for the next item. We try to work with natural fertilizers, and we don’t like to plant the same things in the same place and deplete the soil of its nutrients. We also have flower gardens

6. Do you have any plants that are must haves for your garden, ones that it just won’t be complete without?

Tomatoes! Gotta have them. Can’t stand the ones from the store because home – grown are so great!

For those who DO NOT garden because they can’t or don’t like to –

4. If you could have a garden, what kind of garden would it be, how big would it be and what would you plant in it?

5. Have you ever considered getting involved with a local community garden? Why or why not?

My uncle is involved with a community garden, and he loves it, but I’ve hesitated because of the stress of dealing with the other gardeners and those in charge. He doesn’t like that part of it, so we usually deal more with our own garden than the community one.

6. For your produce, is the local grocery store just fine, or do you like to hit your local farmer’s market? What is your favorite fruit or vegetable that you do like to get?

I like the produce from local farmers’ markets, especially the watermelon and things I don’t grow much of on my own.

Now, let’s get to your writing:

7. What is your main genre (erotica, erotic romance, romantic suspense, etc.)? What was the draw for you?

I write contemporary Romantic Suspense, but a couple of my books are erotica, and I’m working on a dragon/fantasy right now. I like to read a wide variety of books and genres, s o I am branching out, but I started with Contemporary Romantic Suspense, Intrigue because I copied Morse Code in the military(USAF) for ten years…

8. Besides your main genre we just discussed, what elements do you prefer to use in a story and why those elements over others?

Romance is great, and I’m a woman, although not a typical one, so I love heart- felt stories, but they also have to have a fast paced plot, hence the suspense.

9. Do you prefer red roses or black roses? If so, does that show in your writing? If so, how? If roses aren’t your style, what flowers are? Do they influence your writing? If so, how?

Funny you should ask about roses;) I have three stories with roses, the last of which uses black roses as symbolism, since the fiancé of a murdered loved one places a black rose on the spot where the person died…
AND: I have a tattoo on my left ankle with the colors of the four roses in my series of three books, trilogy, and my kids’ names in between the roses and vines.

10. The jury’s still out on this question, so we’re still asking it! – Who decides what you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one planting the seeds? How do you cultivate those seeds regardless of who plants them?

I’m a control freak, so I’d like to think I have total control, but at times, when I’m in the actual story and writing away, I have to say it’s just the inner creativity flowing. I’m not a plotter really, so my muse has to be good!

11. In your opinion, what author had the most influence on your writing? What about their writing did you find so influential and why?

I have to say Nora Roberts, although that seems unfair since she not the only author out there, but I like her and she’s big, and I write suspense, and so does she…so…
I like the fact she’s fast-paced and fun to read. That’s what I want to be. Fast-paced. Fun. Never boring

13. While authors can definitely influence us, inspiration can be everywhere for a writer, but specific people, places and events can inspire certain characters, personality traits or things that happen in our stories. In your current story that we’re promoting here today, insert name here, did any one particular person, place or event inspire you? If so who/what was it (were they), how did it/they inspire you and how is this inspiration reflected in your story?

My first stories came from my real life settings and jobs, especially the ones involving Morse Code, which I copied in the USAF for ten years with a Top Secret SCI Clearance. So those stories came easily to me, as did the ones about stalkers, since one is about a lawyer, and I’m the Mock Trial Coach at my school, and the banker, since I do taxes, and the nurse, since I have a friend who lives, sleeps, eats, and breathes nursing, and we discuss it a lot. So lots of people and settings come from my personal life, friends, family and observation.

14. Without giving away anything pertinent to the story, tell us about the hero and heroine (s) of your story. What do they look like? How do they meet (or “did” if this is a second book with these same characters)? What are their personalities – Are they comical cut-ups, are they serious or are they a mix of the two? Please give us a little bit of dialogue from the story that can illustrate this. (Not much, but just a few lines and from a different section than the main excerpt – Thanks!)

I’m going to work this from the angle of my latest release: Guard My Body. The heroine is a librarian, and the hero is a CIA covert operator, and she is asked to implant secret information in her mouth and transport it for her sister, the hero’s partner. They can’t leave where they are, so they need a curiouer, and the heroine volunteers. She has a bit of a wild side for a librarian, but that’s stereotyping So is the fact she’s a redhead He’s tall,d ark, and handsome, and a biker dude… She gets shot, and the hero says with a scowl, “All the good ones are either married, taken or have holes in their heads.”

15. The main characters are usually great, but sometimes, secondary and tertiary characters are known to steal the scenes. Who are the secondary/tertiary characters in your story and what do they look like? What’s unique about them? What is their relationship to the hero/heroine? Have any of these gone on to become scene-stealers? If so, who and how did they do it? (Again, please give us a small bit of dialogue to illustrate this – thanks!)

Since this a series of six books, and this is book number two of the trilogy, the secondary characters are very important. One is the sister of the heroine, and one is the partner of the hero. They’ve known each other a long time and used to be a team of covert operators in Colombia, South America, so the other stories are the follow ups of that. They all derserve happiliy ever afters, right?

Please send us pictures whenever possible of the favorite flowers you’ve planted, favorite fruits/vegetables you’ve grown, or maybe even a pic of your local farmer’s market as well as an image of yourself and your current release (or a couple if it’s part of a series and they are out and about to be had right now). Thanks!

I started writing in 2004, summer. I’d finished my Masters in History with a minor in German at the end of the summer in 2003, and I wanted something fun and relaxing to read. I had a friend who carried around books all the time, so I asked to borrow one. I was hooked, and then one day I was lying on the couch reading and wondered what I’d write if I were to write a book. It’d have to be Contemporary Romantic Suspense with a lot of romance but a good storyline, too. So I went to my computer and three weeks later I’d finish the first of the trilogy that was actually my second trilogy to publish.

What, or who, inspired you to write?

I’ve always liked to read, but in high school I read Louis L’Amour westerns, then in 2003 I started reading the romance my friend did, so my friend, Lori, got me started and has to be considered my inspiration, along with all my favorite authors I adore and wish I could emulate.

Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Most of my ideas come from real life. I do very little research because I write intrigue, and the stories are from my past history as a Morse Code operator, although they are heavily expanded upon, of course. I’m not that cool or interesting, not like the characters in my books. lol

What genres do you write and which is your favorite genre to write?

I write Contemporary Romantic Suspense with DEA, CIA, FBI heroes and heroines, and I also write stalkers of all sorts, but I just began last summer a book with dragon / human characters, so romantic fantasy is my latest venture.

Can you tell us about your favorite hero and/or heroine in one of your
stories?

I like strong women, so my favorite I think so far is my female assassin, but the men are fabulous, too. I wish all men were like the men in my books. I know. I know. Wishful thinking, right? lol

When you write about a hero/heroine, are there parts of your characters that you take from your own experiences in your life?

As I mentioned above, yes, definitely, I take a lot of characteristics from myself and people I know and put them into my characters. I’ve lived a rich life. I’ve seen and done a lot, and I’ve been so many places. It’s easy to come up with ideas when you know the people I do.

Do you have favorite props that you use to bolster a story? Why do you use them?

I like river scenes. Something about the sensuality of water and the outdoors. But anywhere will do to have an amazing love scene. lol

When you are writing a book, do the characters become a part of your everyday life? How do you deal with it if they take over your everyday world?

They don’t take over, but I do find myself day dreaming a lot and thinking of upcoming scenes and not focusing on what I probably should be doing: my job, housework, whatever. lol

Does your family encourage you to write?

Most of my family is very supportive of my writing, but none of them read my work. They talk about the fact I’m a writer as if they’re proud of me, but I find it very odd that they don’t want to read my books, even if they read other works. But like so many other writers, I have lots of people that I know that just don’t read. I find that to be a real shame. I can’t imagine not reading, or writing. It’s a large part of my life and always has been.

***You have a busy life with a career and family. How do you find time to write? Do you have a schedule? Are you still teaching or have you retired? If you need to change this question around, please do so. Kat

I am going to be 45 years old, in April, so I have a long ways to go before retirement, but I have time to write because I have two kids out of school and living their own lives, although my oldest daughter thinks I’m babysitting-Grandma, and my son thinks I should cater to him when he’s home from the army, ugh! And then there’s the teenage daughter who thinks life revolves around her, but I still find time to write. I teach full time, and I teach college classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights, and I coach Mock Trial, German Club, National History Day Competition and Model United Nations Competition. All these take place between January and April every year, so the rest of the year is writing time, although I do get some editing time in during those busy real-life-work months.

I don’t have a schedule, but I’m a work-a-holic, so I just make time, literally. Haven’t you all figured out how to rewind the clock yet? LOL

If for some reason you could not write anymore, how would you creatively express yourself?

Ugh, the only way I wouldn’t’ be able to write anymore is if I had no fingers to do, which means I have no idea how I’d express myself, but it wouldn’t be through art…but I do sing, although at times that’s a problem, too, since I have asthma. I talk ninety miles an hour, so teaching is the best job in the world for me aside for writing. lol
Beyond that, I have no idea what I’d do to be artistic…hmmm…something for us all to think about, I suppose.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always been an avid reader, and at the end of the summer of 2003 I finished my Masters in History and I started reading romance when a friend of mine handed me a book when I said I wanted to read something for fun after having to do all that non-fiction reading for my Masters. I read for a year then I was lying on the couch one day reading, and I thought, “What would I write if I write?” It would have to be romance but with a good, fast-paced storyline. I got up and sat in front of the computer and penned my first story that summer. It’s now published along with all my other works. I can’t imagine my life without writing now.
Tell us about your latest book.
My latest published book is a story called Guard My Body, and it is the second of a series of six, the first being Guard My Baby. The heroes are a group of ex-mercenaries who worked together for years, so they come in and out of my stories. So you get to know the secondary characters very well. The heroine is a librarian with a wild side. She is asked to insert Top Secret information in a missing tooth in her mouth and transport it for reasons you’ll understand if you read the story. lol
What inspired you to write this story?
I like reading and writing suspense, and the CIA interests me, and I have lots of friends who are librarians, and I worked with a clearance, and I was looking at information in my classroom about terrorism and crossing the border of Mexico, and I write a story revolving around all those elements.
How did you go about researching your book?
I didn’t have to do much research because of what I teach and what I did in the military, but I did have to look up some location information and specifics on who runs the CIA and how the levels of echelons an territory controls work.

Do you have anything new in the works?
I am working on the third of that series of six called Guard My Life, and I am also working on a fantasy called Dragon Fire, which is a working title right now, but it’s a dragon story based on Chinese dragon personalities and power colors and elements.
What is your writing process like? Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I am more of pantser than a plotter, but I figure out the basic storyline before I take off running, then it just comes to me. The dragon story is the most difficult because I’m out of my element, although I am incorporating military characteristics and FBI workings.
If you could be anyone of your characters, which one would you chose to be and why?
If I could be any one of my characters, it’d be the librarian. She lives the best of both worlds. She gets to work with books all day, hang out with a sexy CIA operative at night, and live out her wild side fantasy every new and then. lol
Say your publisher has offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would you most likely want to go? (Okay so maybe this isn’t very likely to happen but since I’m asking the questions…)
Italy! Yes, I’ve been there before, but when you leave that country, you leave a bit of your heart behind. I want to go back. Badly. lol

You’ve just been informed that your latest release was a NY Times bestseller and Hollywood wants to turn it into a movie. What actors would you choose to play your main characters?
Wow! What a dream that would be! I’d choose Gerard Butler & Jessica Alba.
What type of books do you like to read when you’re not writing?
Anything Romance! But especially suspense and historical and dragons.
Name three things you can’t live without (excluding spouses and family because that’s a given).
Books, teaching, and fun in the sun!
What advice would you give to any aspiring writers out there?
Okay, put the tune to Finding Nemo with this line: “Just keep writing, writing, writing. Just keep writing…”

Where can we find you on the web?
rebeccasavage.com
Where can we purchase your book(s)?
You can link to any of them from my website. Just click on their covers.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Just please let me know what you think of my work. I’m always open to criticism. Well, I’ll pretend to be anyway. lol

book cover

Author: Rebecca Savage

Publisher: Champagne Publishing

Buy Combustion Here!

Rating: You Gotta Read

Reviewed by: Val

Sherri’s heart is a frozen block of ice after what her spouse has done to her. She needs a place of rest, a safe haven, away from the long armed reach of her soon-to-be-ex- husband. He abused her, and she escaped. Now he wants her back, and he’s stalking her, threatening her, promising she’ll not live if she doesn’t return to him. He’s wealthy and powerful, and he’ll accept no betrayal from someone who thinks she can leave him unscathed. She changes her identity and goes in search of a new home, and a brighter future. She finds one, in a rental unit owned by John.


John is a fireman. He’s seen people in Sherri’s position before. He despises men who abuse women. He lost a woman to just such a man. He’ll not let anyone hurt Sherri. She’s too beautiful, and he’s falling too hard, too fast. He vows to protect her to the end.


Sherri’s character is a woman who has been abused time and time again. She is running on sheer fear and hatred. She is a woman who is used to running but at a certain point finds strength deep down in herself. She finds love and purpose in the arms of John, her landlord and hero.

John’s character has dealt with the loss of a woman he loves before. He finds himself in love with Sherri and will do all that is in his control to hang on to her, but just how much of Sherri can he control without seeming like he is her dispicable ex? He was a character that I fell in love with. Who can’t resist a strong, patient firefighter who loves his woman so much that if he were to lose her, it would seem as though he would lose the ability to breathe?

I was intrigued as I watched the friendship between Sherri and John develop into something so much stronger. Each had so many issues to overcome but together, anything was possible. I really bonded with the characters and their bond was unbreakable. Neither could live without the other.

Ms. Savage has written a book that just nails domestic abuse to a tee! I felt the fear in Sherri’s character as well as the hopelessness both Sherri and John felt. Combustion was a compelling, fun and thrilling read with exceptionally steamy love scenes. From the beginning to the end, Combustion kept me on the edge of my seat! I was flipping the pages as fast as I could and there were moments during the book that I simply had to gasp at the turn of events. Ms. Savage is a very talented writer that I will be watching very closely in the future. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves an action packed romance.
OUR RATINGS
• You Gotta Read – Our highest rating – very few books will earn this award