If My Characters Were Sick...

by Alexa Bourne

Like so many other people throughout the country, I’ve been fighting some kind of cold or stomach virus for almost a week. I’ve had fever, aches, stomach issues and I haven’t wanted to eat. I’ve slept more than I have since college (which was a looooooooong time ago!) and I’ve put off some of my author duties. (Don’t tell my editor!) In short, I’ve felt just crappy enough to be miserable, but not crappy enough to stay home from work.

So I got to thinking…how would each of my couples from my Honor Guard romantic suspense novellas handle being sick?

Her Highland Champion

Heather-It would depend on how severe her cold was. If she had a fever, she’d stay in her room and away from the kitchen since she and Malcolm run a bed and breakfast. She wouldn’t want to get her guests sick! But once her fever broke, she’d think nothing of shuffling down to the kitchen or to the office in her pajamas to check on the staff and lend a hand.

Malcolm- He hasn’t gotten sick in years. Heather’s not sure how he’d react, but his mother told her as a child he just suffered and didn’t complain. He slept a lot and accepted his mom’s comfort when she offered, but he never asked for anything. Heather’s pretty sure he’d be the same type of sick person as an adult.

Fractured Paradise

Rachel- Only a doctor’s note would keep her away from work. She would take medicine, rest when she could and then go to work to soldier on. Too many people depend on her computer expertise for her to be out of work. Besides, she can hole up in her office and keep everyone else out.

Aidan- He may be a happy man when he’s traveling through northern England with tourists, but you’d want to stay far away if he was sick. Aidan is grumpy, short-tempered, and likes to be left alone unless he needs something. In short, he’s the complete opposite of the Aidan we all know and love. He also indulges in LOTS of comfort food.

Simple Treasures

Joanna- Since Joanna was in the US military, she learned to “suck it up and deal with it” when she was sick. Now that she’s out of the military, she’s okay with pampering herself a bit when she’s got a cold. She’ll spend the day under the covers and drink lots of liquid when she’s awake. She doesn’t ask for anything from Colin. If she wants or needs something, she takes care of it herself.

Colin- Colin may be a kick-arse bodyguard with a sharp mind, but when he gets sick, he’s like a little kid. He whines and milks it for all it’s worth. He lays on the couch or bed, acting like he’s dying, and begs Joanna to cater to his needs. (I don’t know about you, but this sounds horrible! Luckily, Joanna is smart enough to leave him alone quite a bit when he’s like this.)

I guess I’m most like Rachel. I didn’t call in sick all week and I tried to space out my author duties so I wasn’t overwhelmed any night. I made sure to get enough sleep and to take medicine on a regular basis. What about you? How do you handle being sick? How does your significant other handle it? Which one of my characters are you most like?

Simple Treasures

By Alexa Bourne

Are you ready for Christmas? I’m not! I’ve still got shopping to do, gifts to wrap, and that necessary trip to the post office. With only a week and one day left, I’m determined to enjoy every moment I can. One thing I KNOW I’m going to enjoy is the release of my next Honor Guard novella, Simple Treasures. It will be available on December 25^th! Merry Christmas to me!

Simple Treasures is a modern-day New Year’s story set in the beautiful city of Edinburgh, Scotland. I chose to write about Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, or New Year’s, event because it meant the world to me when I participated two years ago. From the Ferris wheel ride next to the Scott Monument to the burning of the Viking ship at the end of the Torchlight Procession, every moment made me giddy like a little kid waiting for Santa. My heroine, Joanna, reacts in much the same way as me, but, unlike me, she has trouble to deal with while wandering the streets of Edinburgh.

Joanna is an American exchange student studying in Scotland. After spending Christmas with her friends in the Highlands of Scotland (Heather and Malcolm from HerHighland Champion), she returns to Edinburgh ready to enjoy every aspect of the Hogmanay experience. A former US soldier injured on the job, she has learned to appreciate all the wonderful, simple treasures in the world around her.

Unfortunately, Joanna witnesses a crime on the train ride back home and her Hogmanay plans get put on hold. Luckily, my plans in Edinburgh weren’t interrupted, although I wouldn’t have minded meeting a man like Joanna’s hero, Colin.

He’s a man on a mission, hoping to land the perfect job with the International Protective Network, or IPN. He’s tall, dark and sexy, but he’s definitely not ready for Joanna and her passion for life. She throws him off guard because he’s always very driven, very focused on one thing at a time, and he has no time to smell the roses. But Joanna forces him to slow down, to take a good look at the world around him and appreciate all that he has. And soon, she becomes the one thing he’s focused on. Which, in itself causes more problems for the both of them. What kind of problems? Well, for that you’ll have to read the book! I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a Happy Hogmanay!

Book Blurb

Take-charge bodyguard Colin Munro believes working for the International Protective Network will be the perfect occupation for him. Unfortunately, his trial assignment is protecting a woman who has no intention of blindly following orders. Aye, he’ll bring the bonnie lass in line because there’s no way he’ll allow her to ruin his chance of securing his dream job.

Physically and emotionally scarred during her stint as a U.S. soldier, Joanna Grainger wants nothing more than to enjoy life. New Year's Eve in Edinburgh marks the beginning of her transformation. But when she witnesses a crime no one believes occurred, her plans come to a screeching halt. To make matters worse, her sexy but headstrong bodyguard has no compassion for her or the victim.

As danger hunts them during one of the busiest time of the year, Joanna must convince Colin she's a worthy partner. But first, can she convince herself?

Does a Sexy Accent Rock Your World?

 

by Alexa Bourne

I must confess. I am one of those women who swoons at the sound of a sexy British accent. I don’t know what it is, but I literally get all gooey inside, and if the man is doing or saying something sweet or seductive, watch out. I’ll get tingles all through my body and I’ll likely do or say something stupid.

I guess my attraction and reaction to the accent is one of the reasons my 3 Honor Guard stories have hunky Brits for heroes. When I was writing the first two (and as I work on editing the 3^rd), I hear the accents in my head and I fall in love with the men right alongside the heroines. My heroines are all American women and their reactions to their hot Brits pretty much mirror my own. (Yeah, big surprise there, huh?)

Malcolm, the hero of my first story, Her Highland Champion, grew up near Fort William in the Highlands of Scotland. His accent isn’t very thick, so his heroine doesn’t have trouble understanding him. Aidan, the hero in my soon-to-be released book, Fractured Paradise, grew up in Sunderland, a city in northern England. His accent is strong and his heroine comments to her friend how similar he sounds to her coworkers in Edinburgh. Colin, the hero of my 3^rd Honor Guard story, Simple Treasures (due out toward the end of the year), is from Thurso, one of the northern-most places in Scotland. Of all my Brits, Colin’s accent is the thickest and his heroine often has trouble understanding him, especially when he gets angry because he talks faster then. (Huh, interesting. Of the 3 stories, Colin’s was the most challenging for me to write. Coincidence?)

So what about you? Do you swoon when you hear a sexy British accent? Or maybe a Spanish accent rocks your world. How about an Italian or Australian accent?

How'd You Come Up With That?

by Alexa Bourne

Authors are often asked where they get their ideas. It's a question I love. My eyes get bigger, my smile grows wider, and I have to rein in my thoughts so I don’t talk the person’s ear off. My short answer? Everywhere.

I love to observe life around me. I'm the type of person who would be perfectly happy sitting in a coffee shop for an entire afternoon just watching people- the way they interact, the way their words may say one thing but their body language says something entirely different. This is a great exercise for learning how to make your characters real.

Of course, plot ideas can come out of observing an action, too. Once I was driving to work and a police car turned into the parking lot of the hospital while I was at a stop light. Hm, what if a prisoner needed medical attention and then escaped the hospital and proceeded to spend the rest of the book torturing the hero?  

Story ideas can also come out of experiences. Two summers ago I went to Mexico to learn Spanish. For a while, I wandered around completely clueless since I only spoke English. Hm, what if an American woman becomes the only witness to a crime, but she doesn’t know what she overheard because she doesn’t understand the language?

My first Decadent book, Her Highland Champion, came about all because I stepped off a bus. I was on a 3-day tour of the Scottish Highlands back in 1997. It was my first extensive trip to Scotland, and I’d already fallen in love with Edinburgh. But nothing could have prepared me for the overwhelming peace and joy I found when my tour stopped for a quick visit to Glenfinnan, a small Highland village located on the shore of Loch Shiel. Standing there next to the water and scanning the rolling hills with different shades of green grass and pale blue sky with wispy clouds, I knew I had to set a story in a place like this. Indeed, I think before I got back on the bus I had already planned some of the characters who would become the stars of my later stories. Over the next few years, I wrote or brainstormed several manuscripts set there. I talked with locals via email and also when I went back to visit so I could get it “just right.”

I know for me personally getting ideas everywhere can get overwhelming. At the moment, I have seven stories in various stages of completion banging around in my head (not including Champion or my next Decadent release!), and yet I still keep getting new ideas. That’s okay, though. I don’t ever want the ideas to run out, and if I keep observing the world around me, I’m pretty sure I’ll be well stocked for years to come. 

HER HIGHLAND CHAMPION

A Decadent Honor Guard story

Heather Winchester leads a charming life. With good friends, a beautiful flat in one of the most amazing cities in the world, and a promising future once she finishes her Ph.D, she is finally pursuing her own dreams instead of catering to everyone else’s…except she doesn’t remember any of it.

Malcolm Fraser has returned to his Highland village to forget his failings as a professional bodyguard. Believing he could just lose himself in the mundane activities of running his bed & breakfast, he finds a woman’s lifeless body by the loch instead….

Captivated by the Heather as she regains her memory, Malcolm is thrown into the line of duty. As danger comes knocking on their doors will he be strong enough to love her and keep her safe?

Life is Hard

by Alexa Bourne

Life is hard. I’ve been on the go doing everything I can to promote my 1^st Decadent book, Her Highland Champion, for the last couple of months. Plus, for the last 2 weeks I’ve been working on various activities dealing with my 2^nd Decadent book, Fractured Paradise, which will be available sometime later this year. As any author knows, our job is SOOOO much more than just crafting spectacular stories.

Well, this weekend I decided to take a break. I’m not writing, and the only promoting I’m doing is commenting on blog posts. Instead, I’ve decided to give my muse, Caitlin, a treat. Yes, I’ve named my muse because she’s so very important to my writing. I figured she deserved some inspiration so she’ll be ready for the next round of writing responsibilities.

So what am I doing? Of course I’m reading. Nothing helps Caitlin’s creativity like reading. But I also made some other plans, for Caitlin AND me.

Friday, I spent the evening discussing writing for an epublisher with some local writer friends. Because writing for an epublisher is different than writing for a traditional print publisher, we decided to compare notes. We’ve dubbed ourselves the Digital Darlings. It was, of course, a GREAT time!

Yesterday, I put on my T-shirt for the England National Soccer team and watched my 2 favorite teams play against each other in the FA Cup Final. It was gut-wrenching, of course, but I indulged in a pint or two to help calm my nerves.

And today, I’m going to the movies to see The Avengers because, well, I LOVE Chris Hemsworth as Thor.  

Yes, Caitlin will be ready to work on revisions for Fractured Paradise and revisions for Honor Guard book #3 that I hope to submit by the end of this month. I mean, come on. After a weekend of hanging with writers and watching all these hot men, how can she NOT be ready to get back to work? I know I am! 

Fractured Paradise Blurb: A Decadent Honor Guard story…. Heather Winchester leads a charming life. With good friends, a beautiful flat in one of the most amazing cities in the world, and a promising future once she finishes her Ph.D, she is finally pursuing her own dreams instead of catering to everyone else’s…except she doesn’t remember any of it. Malcolm Fraser has returned to his Highland village to forget his failings as a professional bodyguard. Believing he could just lose himself in the mundane activities of running his bed & breakfast, he finds a woman’s lifeless body by the loch instead…. Captivated by Heather as she regains her memory, Malcolm is thrown into the line of duty. As danger comes knocking on their door, will he be strong enough to love her and keep her safe?

Her Highland Champion

 by Alexa Bourne

Scotland is my absolute favorite place in the entire world. I live in the US, but if I could move to Edinburgh or to some remote village in the Highlands tomorrow I would. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel throughout Scotland, and I’m a huge fan of Scottish historical novels with sexy men wearing kilts, carrying claymores and protecting what is theirs.

 When I first started writing with the intention of getting published, so many people told me to write what I love. I’ve always been a fan of the bad guy getting what’s coming to him, but that wasn’t enough in my first manuscript. So, I thought about writing a Scottish historical… for about five seconds. (WAY too much research for me!)

But then I started thinking, “What about suspense stories with Scotsmen in modern times?” Certainly they were just as sexy, just as intriguing, weren’t they? I began searching and found a few authors who wrote current day stories set in Scotland, but only a few, and I definitely couldn’t find romantic suspense stories. So, I decided to write one of my own. I figured if I wanted to read about current day Scotsmen saving the lasses maybe other readers would too.

 Here’s a little excerpt from Her Highland Champion, my Honor Guard romantic suspense set in the Highlands of Scotland. I hope you like it! 

She turned to the bedside. A man stood there dressed in dark green sweats, with both hands clenched around the silver bedside bar. He was handsome, with light eyes, dark hair cropped close to his head, and a firm jaw. It was his hands, though. They drew her attention. Clean skin, defined knuckles, large fingers. Hands rough from a hard day’s physical labor, and yet, she imagined, gentle enough to caress the afternoon’s sufferings away.

“It’s good to see you awake.” He smiled. “You gave us all quite a fright.”

Okay, the Scottish accent drew her attention, too. At once, it both melted away some of her fears and sparked a whirlwind of questions.

“Where am I?” Her throat scratched like sandpaper.

“St. Catherine’s Hospital.”

She swallowed hard. “Where is that?”

“Fort William.” He reached for something on the table by her bed and brought back a plastic cup with a straw. “Here.”

“Thank you.” The warm water coated her sore vocal cords. She handed the cup back to him.

Wait a minute. Fort William? The only Fort William she knew was in Scotland. “I don’t understand. How did I get here?” Ignoring the aches in her body, she pressed both palms to the sheets on each side of her and pushed herself up. The blanket fell away from her chest and a new chill surrounded her. “What’s going on?”

Her arms shook, and she collapsed back to the bed.

“Relax.” The man set his palm on her shoulder, as if to keep her flat against the mattress. The heat of his fingers seeped through her hospital gown and into her skin. “I found you unconscious on the beach in Glenhalish. I called for an ambulance, and they brought you here.”

“I was in Glenhalish?”

“Aye, on a three day tour of the Highlands. Do you not remember being there?”

“No.” She squinted and studied him. No memories surfaced. “Do I know you?”

He shook his head. “Only from the beach. I’m Malcolm Fraser.”

She opened her mouth and then closed it again. Her gaze drifted to her lap as tears burned in the corners of her eyes. Panic swelled in her chest and into her throat.

“What is it, lass?” he asked with such tenderness.

     “Can you tell me my name?”