Wednesday, April 23, 2014

You Want Me to Do WHAT?!

When my editor asked me to write a contemporary romance story, of course I said yes. I was thrilled with the opportunity and the faith she had in me. But inside, I was worried. What was I thinking to agree? I’d been writing romantic suspense for so long I wasn’t sure I could pull off a contemporary romance. I mean, no chases, no bomb threats, no gunfire. Would I be able to come off the ledge and work on personal issues between the characters WITHOUT a death threat?

But then I thought about it…

And thought some more…

And I soon listened to the whispers around me.

One of the secondary characters in my first Decadent book, Her Highland Champion, reminded me she and her husband deserved their story to be told. It was difficult story to write and I’d given myself a 3-week deadline. I wanted to impress the publisher and prove to myself that I could “pull off” a contemporary. And in the heat of a Texas summer, Carry Me Home was created.

The romance in the story is between a husband and a wife who have drifted apart after a horrible tragedy. It was difficult to write for so many reasons: I’m not married so I don’t know what it’s like to have a husband, I haven’t suffered the tragedy they have so I’m not familiar with that level of grieving, I didn’t agree with all of the decisions each character made, and the emotion I ended up pouring into the book literally drained me.

I’m so happy my editor challenged me to write this book, to push myself out of my comfort zone. In the end, it became one of my favorite books of my own. I’m proud of it, I’m proud of how readers have responded to it, and Mary and Jamie have a cushioned place in my heart.

Carry Me Home
Book Blurb:
After six months in the city, Mary MacDougall returns to the Scottish Highlands to finalize her divorce. Because of a past tragedy, she doubts her husband Jamie can possibly love her with the same unbridled passion as before and insists ending the marriage is best for both of them. But Jamie has other ideas….
Jamie MacDougall has no intention of letting his bonnie lass go. At least not without a fight. Aye, they’ve suffered heartache, and she may be ready to call it quits, but he refuses to throw away the partnership they’ve built since they were children. Instead, he’ll remind her they were meant to be together, forever.
Can this marriage survive pride and grief to allow love to carry them home?


A sweet story that I read quickly, this story had a bit of everything. A tad naughty, with a rich emotional story about two people finding their way again after catastrophe. This is the first Alexa Bourne book I've read but most definitely will not be my last. ~~~Brunette Librarian

This is a beautiful and believable story of two people finding each other again. ~~~Irene Preston, author of Infamous

The chemistry is blistering hot. The sex scenes were sizzling hot. Overall, I loved this book…. ~~~Romancing the Book

My favorite part of this story was watching Jamie fight to get Mary back. It also shows how lack of communication can tear people apart when they need each other the most. I was swooning over some of the things Jamie did. ~~~Sarah Says Read Romance 


#alexabourne, , #decadentpub

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