I came up with
the idea for Steele and Stone while hiking the Bristlecone Trail at Mt.
Charleston near Las Vegas, NV. Hiking
gives me lots of time to think, as I’m not distracted by my child or dogs, or
the ever present cell phone/modern technology that I know I use too much. While hiking, it’s just one foot in front of
the other, surrounded by gorgeous scenery and lots of quiet time to think.
I wish I was a
better hiker, one that went more often and was in better shape, like Elle is in
the story. I began thinking about Elle
as a character, and wondered what her reaction would be if she had to, kind of,
be a tour guide for a man that wasn’t as used to being in the mountains.
Then, I
remembered a scene from my own childhood, when I was about 3 or 4, hiking with
my father when we came upon a mountain lion.
When my dad tells the story, he usually points out all the wrinkles he
now has and blames most of them on that day. Being an Army medic fresh back
from Vietnam, he went right into soldier mode, picked me up, and we hightailed
it out of the enemy’s vicinity. In
hindsight, running from a predator isn’t the best thing to do. But, we’re still here, intact. The cat didn’t chase us.
Funny enough,
the only thing I remember of the incident was thinking “Oooo, pretty kitty”.
Thus, the
opening scene of my book was born that day, hiking the Bristlecone Trail on Mt. Charleston outside Las Vegas, NV, and
everything else was the character’s faults.
They took the reins, which was fine by me. I provided their setting.
Come to think of
it… it’s time to go on another hike!
***
Title: Steele and Stone
Author/pen
name: Kay Phoenix
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: November 2, 2016
ASIN: B01LYUQ75N
Number of pages: 133
Word Count: 42,000
Blurb:
Elle Thompson was raised
in Denver. She paints. She hikes. She knows how to avoid cougar attacks.
The only cougars Michael Williams usually worries about are the ones that wear leopard print leggings on 5th Avenue.
But, when his acquisition firm sets its sights on Elle's family business, his tidy life goes awry. As things unravel, so do all his preconceived notions of love and what makes a perfect partner.
The only cougars Michael Williams usually worries about are the ones that wear leopard print leggings on 5th Avenue.
But, when his acquisition firm sets its sights on Elle's family business, his tidy life goes awry. As things unravel, so do all his preconceived notions of love and what makes a perfect partner.
Buy links:
Excerpt:
“So, how
are you feeling today?” a familiar voice asked behind him. He didn’t
have to turn to know who it was, but he turned anyway, temporarily forgetting
about his sunburn until he saw the shocked expression on her face.
“Whoa! No
sunblock either? I had some, you could have asked,” she giggled. “That’ll
peel for sure.”
Blue!
Brilliant, shimmering blue eyes. He hadn’t seen her eyes during their hike, as
they’d been hidden behind sunglasses the whole time, and he’d always been a
sucker for blue eyes. Her blonde hair hung long, loose and wavy as she leaned
casually against the doorframe.
“I see
you’ve already made yourself quite at home,” she said. “Randall told me he let
you use the conference room.”
“What
are you doing here?” he asked in a tone that sounded a bit too firm.
“Oh, no
‘How are you?’ or ‘Nice to see you?’” She tilted her
head to the side, causing a loose curl to graze her breast.
He
turned back to the coffee. “I didn’t mean to sound rude. You just
surprised me.”
Author bio:
Ms.
Phoenix is a rare bird herself...a lifelong resident of Las Vegas, Nevada. She
belongs to Las Vegas Romance Writers and has served on the board for several
years. She is also a member of Romance Writers of America with PAN status.
Prior
to writing, Kay was a Graphic Artist for fifteen years in the casino industry
and holds degrees in both Graphic Arts and Psychology. In her spare time she
enjoys hiking, traveling and photography. She is also involved in several Las
Vegas non-profits.
Kay
has been blessed to be able to travel many places, which inspired her to host a
weekly author spotlight called “Midweek Escapes” on her blog. It features guest
author’s favorite vacation destinations, their travel tips, and, of course,
information about their book releases and occasional giveaways.
Author website and social media
links:
Website:
Facebook:
Twitter:
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