Free For All Friday! Meet Author Victoria Gray!

      Welcome ! Today we're talking to Victoria Gray. She tells beautiful stories about one of my favorite eras of history.  ANGEL IN MY ARMS has received several rave reviews.  

Settle in with us this morning and find out a little more about this wonderful story, plus what Victoria has in the works;) You can find out more about Victoria at her website www.victoriagrayromance.com
But make sure to come back. You HAVE to see Victoria's puppy, Stewie!! (too cute)

            Tell us about your newest release. 

Angel in My Arms, is the story of Amanda Emerson, a Union spy undercover in Richmond, and Union officer Steve Dunham, the man she enlists in the daring rescue of a double agent from a Confederate prison and imminent execution. As the danger surrounding them thickens, every moment he’s with her jeopardizes their lives, but they discover a passion that’s worth the risk.

               Tell us about your hero and heroine.

Steve Dunham, the hero in Angel in My Arms, is built like a Viking, has a twinkle in his eye, and he’s got guts. Best of all, he’s the kind of man who’s had his share of women, but when he falls, he falls hard and forever. A seasoned Union operative, he faces danger on a daily basis, but when the woman he loves is threatened, he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe.

Amanda Emerson, the heroine, is a sable-haired beauty who joined up with a nest of Union spies living in Richmond. She’s skilled at deception, but when she falls for the handsome spy she’s drawn into their latest scheme, there’s no way to hide her feelings. Amanda’s gutsy and tender, a woman who doesn’t even realize how beautiful she is. She doesn’t want to fall for Steve – their love puts both in danger – but some tides are too hard to fight.

   Do you have anything in the works?  I’ve just finished a sequel to Angel in my Arms entitled Against All Odds.  I fell in love with two of the characters in Angel, Will and Kate, and had to give them their own story. They become enmeshed in a net of treachery and vengeance even as their love deepens.  I’m also finishing up a historical romantic suspense. 

Who wrote most of the keeper novels on your shelf?  Teresa Medeiros.   
  

            What is the best piece of advice on writing you’ve ever received?  Write the book of your heart. 

           Do you listen to music while you write?  Yes, I enjoy classical music when I’m writing. I have to admit I adore the classic composers…their music is so grand and passionate, and there are no lyrics to distract me. 

            Do you have critique partners? Absolutely…they are trusted “friends” who live hundreds of miles from me, but thanks to the Internet, we communicate as frequently as if we lived next door. I’ve learned so much from working with my critique partners, and I can trust them to be honest with both their positives and their negatives.

             Do you believe in love at first sight?  Yes, yes, and yes! I fell in love with my husband on our first date, and love him every day.

Blurb: 

Amanda Emerson must break her cousin, a notorious double agent, out of a Confederate prison before his imminent execution. She’s a skilled Union operative, but for this mission, she needs a man. Even a man who looks and acts like a Viking warrior.

Caught with Rebel battle plans and set for a hanging, Union spy Steve Dunham isn’t about to refuse the assistance of the sable-haired beauty who shows up at the jail and slips him the keys to his cell. Of course, she’s there for a reason besides saving his neck - he’s the key to her plan.

He may be trading one noose for another, but he won’t forsake her. The spoils of his victory will be her surrender. And the terms of surrender will be sweet.

Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

Excerpt:

Amanda closed her eyes and savored his possession. How could anything feel as good as his lips against hers? With his arms wrapped tight

around her, she felt as though nothing could penetrate the tender shield of his embrace.

Wanting him was wrong. He was little more than a stranger. A man she’d teamed with for a mission. He was supposed to be nothing more.

But he’d filled her heart.

His handsome face captivated her all the more for its tiny imperfections. A small scar on his chin. The small bump at the bridge of his nose that told the tale of a long-ago break. Another scar, much more recent, on his jaw that looked to be the result of a man’s ring connecting with his flesh and bone.

He was a warrior. Her warrior. Fierce. Tender. Courageous. Protective.

“You’re so beautiful, Mandy.” His lips trailed the column of her throat.

She nestled against his broad chest. He smelled like bay rum and pine and leather. She’d never realized how tantalizing the scents could be. Mingled with his natural essence, the blend of aromas touched something deep and primal within her. She couldn’t resist the scent. Or him.

He took her hands in his. A sly smile curved his mouth as he studied her. “Such sweet temptation. The question is where to begin.”

She’d wasn’t an innocent, but she’d never experienced the heat of a man’s gaze drinking her in as though she were a fine wine to be savored. When Steve looked at her, she felt wanted.

Desired.

Loved.

Ridiculous. He couldn’t possibly love her.

But he hungered for her touch. That would have to be enough. After all, she didn’t love him.

Keep telling yourself that, Mandy.

She couldn’t love a man she barely knew.

Even if she longed for his scent. For his touch. For the moment when he’d claim her.

Even if she prayed he’d come to his senses and leave her before the rebels captured him and dragged him away to prison. Or a noose.

My website:  www.victoriagrayromance.com

Now here's Stewie!

Thanks so much for being my guest today, Victoria!! And thanks for bringing Stewie:)