Alexa's Thankful List

Simple Treasures available HERE

by Alexa Bourne

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I’m starting to get excited for the holiday season. Football plays a big part of Thanksgiving in our family and, of course, food. We all bring favorite dishes or beverages to my brother’s house, have a lazy long weekend and just enjoy the time we get to spend together. One of our other brothers and his wife come in for the week, too.

When I realized I had this blog post to write, I thought, “How perfect!” So I’ve decided to share the things I’m most thankful for this year.

I’m thankful for my full-time teaching job. I get to teach what I love and I get a steady paycheck.

I’m thankful for my relative health. I’ve had a few bumps in the road this year, but at the moment I’m doing well.

I’m thankful for the new book contracts I’ve landed this year. My 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th books will be out in 2014.

  

I’m thankful, of course, for the family and friends I have and everything they do for me…and with me.

I’m thankful for Decadent Publishing for offering me my first publishing contract 2 years ago. It’s been an amazing ride so far and I look forward to submitting and publishing more books with them in 2014.

I could go on and on and make a huge list, but these are the top things I care about. I wake up every day being thankful that these people and things are part of my life and, indeed, make my life richer.

In my holiday romantic suspense, Simple Treasures, my heroine reflects on her life during the holidays, too. Joanna realizes that even with the difficulties she has faced before while in the military and is facing as she tries to help put a criminal behind bars she is a lucky woman. She is healthy, smart, and on her way to a successful life. And if she’s willing to open her heart during the holidays, she just might find the love she deserves.

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Simple Treasures 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 US 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 through the city during one of the busiest time of the year, Joanna must convince 
Colin she’s a worthy partner. But first, can she convince herself? 

I’d like to offer a UK gift to one commenter! Please leave your email address in your comment and I’ll choose a winner Saturday morning! 

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?