Reviews By Martha's Bookshelf: Sandy James

Showing posts with label Sandy James. Show all posts

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Book Review and Giveaways: Fringe Benefits (The Ladies Who Lunch) by Sandy James

This is fine writing and a good romance but certain aspects don’t suit my tastes.
Fringe Benefits (The Ladies Who Lunch)
by Sandy James

File Size: 1246 KB
Print Length: 300 pages
Publisher: Forever Yours (April 21, 2015)
Sold by: Hachette Book Group
ASIN: B00RTY0X7K

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Small Town
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 (see review for specifics on rating)

Book Description
Publication Date: April 21, 2015
When life gets tough and love is hard to find, four friends take their troubles to lunch. High school teacher Danielle Bradshaw deserves a happily ever after, and the Ladies Who Lunch are determined to deliver Mr. Right.
HOT FOR TEACHER
As the new head of the English department, Dani doesn't have much time for anything but lesson planning and literature. Romance-or even sex? Forget about it. But then the principal introduces her to last-minute hire Nate Ryan. Finding time to mentor a new teacher won't be easy, especially when his incredible body and equally disarming charisma are enough to make her heart skip a beat . . .
Nate may be fresh out of school, but he's confident in his teaching skills-and in his feelings for Dani. But while she's everything he's ever wanted, he knows his place on her staff-and his age-may be problematic for his sexy boss. How can he convince her to ignore the gossip mill currently in full swing in the teacher's lounge and surrender to what's meant to be?
"Sweet, endearing and delightful...Sometimes you just need that heartfelt, hometown romance and Fringe Benefits hit the spot." ~ Beth, Tome Tender, 5 stars

Review:
Danielle is the last of the Ladies Who Lunch to settle down with Mr. Right. She is a 32 year old school teacher who has achieved the head of the English Department through dedication and planning. Dani has a tendency towards control and she had her last day before school started all planned out until the new teacher arrived. Her principal calls her to the office, introduces her to the gorgeous hunk, Nate, and turns him over for Dani to prepare him for the next day.

Nate is excited to land his first teaching position and although he is confident in his skills he is flustered at having only one day to get his room and lessons prepared. He is very pleased that Dani is able to help him as he is smitten at first sight and glad to spend time getting to know her. Nate may be younger but he has his first love, broken-heart behind him and is ready to go for what he wants – which is Dani. He just has to figure out how to convince her to get over the age and ‘boss’ issues and gain her trust so she can loosen up her controls. Moving into her basement apartment gives him opportunities to woe her to his side.

Unfortunately Dani has other major concerns that will have to be addressed sooner or later. And
Nate’s ex-girlfriend makes an unexpected play to rekindle their relationship which adds one more obstacle to his relationship with Dani.

I liked the naturalness of the primary characters, Dani and Nate. The chemistry is hot and the issues are real to life. Dani’s friends, the Ladies Who Lunch, and their husbands make a nice support system and Nate’s mother, stepfather and grandpa add some interference as good secondary characters. I enjoy Ms. James writing style which makes for smooth, easy and quick reading.

My disappointment with this book was two fold. The book, especially the beginning, is liberally peppered with unnecessary words that I consider swear words. I know they have grown increasingly acceptable but I don’t like them and it effects my reading pleasure. The other issue is that the sex scenes are fairly graphic. They are done in a loving situation but by the fourth or fifth one I just skipped those pages as I wasn’t interested in the details of their bed sport.

I have enjoyed several of Ms. James’ books in the past and I looked at my review of Sealing the Deal which did not note these concerns although I did say the encounters were "bold". If the author and her editors have decided that her books need more spice through swear words and graphic sex then I guess I will have to take her off my reading list which is too bad. I am sure many readers won’t be bothered by these issues and will really enjoy the otherwise warm (I wouldn't term this as "sweet") and well-written romance. The story and romance deserve a 4.0 or better but the 3.75 rating reflects my reaction of the language and detailed sex.

I received this title from Hachette/Forever for an honest review as part of blog tour blitz . This qualifies for NetGalley Challenge.

Buy Links:

B&N

BAM

About the author:

Sandy James lives in a quiet suburb of Indianapolis with her husband. She's a high school social studies teacher who especially loves psychology and United States history. Since she and her husband own a small stable of harness racehorses, they often spend time together at the two Indiana racetracks.

Social Media Links:

Excerpt:

This will be a great story to tell the kids one day. Why that ridiculous thought kept tumbling through Nate’s head was beyond him. But it did.
Your mom and I got locked in a supply closet together. That’s when we decided to start dating.
There was a stack of papers they’d used to play what seemed like a million games of tic-tac-toe, which had been followed by hangman. Over an hour had passed, and there was no sign of the custodian.
Funny, but he no longer minded losing all that time to get things ready for the first day of school. Instead, he found himself drawn to his pretty, witty boss.
He recognized her perfume. Angel. Once, he’d gone to the trouble of picking a perfume he thought was the perfect scent and bought his fiancée what the salesman called a “recruitment set.” The bundle of Angel products had everything from the perfume in a star-shaped bottle to body lotion.
Kat had hated it.
Obviously Dani liked it as much as he did. Everything about her appealed to him and—Jesus have mercy. She was his boss. So why did he keep forgetting that?
“My legs are getting stiff.” She struggled to stand, groping for one of the shelves. A hiss fell from her lips. “S---.”
The pain on her face hit Nate hard, and he grabbed her arm to help steady her. “What’s wrong?”
“Cramp. Leg cramp.” She leaned heavily on him as she got to her feet and immediately stuck out her right leg, pointing and flexing her foot. “Damn, that smarts.”
“Where?” He didn’t want to start pawing her leg, but he wanted to help.
“Calf.” Dani’s face tightened into a grimace again.
Nate eased down on one knee and started rubbing her leg.
“Nice knot you’ve got there.”
“I think I’m dehydrated.” As he kept working on the knot, she flexed and extended her foot. “Left my water in my room.”
“Yeah, well, neither of us expected to be here so long.” The muscle relaxed under his kneading fingers. “Getting better?”
“Much.”
So why couldn’t he stop touching her? When it dawned on him that he wanted to trail his fingers up her leg, to her slender thigh and beyond, he slowly stood. Her eyes were locked with his, and tension rose between them as he gently put his hands on her waist, easing her forward.
Her head cocked just enough to show that she would allow him to kiss her. With a smile, he lowered his face to hers. With a loud rattle of the lock, the door suddenly swung open, and the sixty-something custodian stared at them wide-eyed.
“What in the hell are you two doing?”

THE BOTTOM LINE by Sandy James (May 6, 2014; Forever Yours E-Book; The Ladies Who Lunch Book #1)

When life gets tough and love is hard to find, four friends take their troubles to lunch. Surviving a failed marriage and an illness that almost takes her life, high school teacher Mallory Hamilton needs the Ladies Who Lunch more than ever . . .

Buy Links:

B&N

BAM

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED by Sandy James (July 1, 2014; Forever Yours E-Book; The Ladies Who Lunch Book #2)

When life gets tough and love is hard to find, four friends take their troubles to lunch. High school teacher Juliana Kelley tells the Ladies Who Lunch that her life needs an overhaul . . . and gets a whole lot more than she wished for.

Buy Links:

B&N

BAM

SEALING THE DEAL by Sandy James (November 4, 2014; Forever Yours E-Book; The Ladies Who Lunch Book #3)

After losing her sister, Bethany Rogers needs a shoulder to lean on more than ever-though she never expects that shoulder to belong to her new boss . . .

Buy Links:

B&N

BAM

GIVEAWAY ONE: RAFFLECOPTER

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GIVEAWAY TWO:

In addition to the Rafflecopter giveaway I get to give One Winner at this blog
an ecopy of Fringe Benefits
from the publisher through NetGalley.

ENTRY FORM HERE

(Don't forget to fill in the form for entry!

I have noticed a few commenters who forgot to enter through the Form.)

For 3 Extra Bonus entries comment on this review, OR

visit THE AUTHOR'S Website and tell me something you like/learned there.

* This contest is open Worldwide - whoever can receive ebook through NetGalley.
* This contest will close 5 PM (Central) May 2, 2015.
Winners are asked to respond, within 72 hours, by the winners form linked in the announcement.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Book Review and Giveaways: Sealing the Deal (The Ladies Who Lunch) by Sandy James

This is a delightful sweet and sensual romance with natural characters.

Sealing the Deal (The Ladies Who Lunch)
by Sandy James

File Size: 822 KB
Print Length: 300 pages
Publisher: Forever Yours (November 4, 2014)
Sold by: Hachette Book Group
ASIN: B00IRISK6I

Genre: Contemporary Romance
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: November 4, 2014
(Forever Yours E-Book; $2.99)
After losing her sister, Bethany Rogers needs a shoulder to lean on more than ever-though she never expects that shoulder to belong to her new boss . . .

Bethany has been in love with Robert Ashford since they were teachers at the same high school. After Robert leaves to start his own construction company, Beth puts her feelings aside to focus on her goals. When she finally lands a gig as a part-time designer, she is shocked to find her new boss is none other than Robert . . . and he's hotter than ever. But Bethany's happiness is short-lived when she receives word that her sister has been killed in combat.

With the success of building homes for one happy family after another, Robert is finally ready to settle down. When Beth is left to care for her nine-month-old niece, Robert can't help but step in. And before long, the trio are inseparable. Yet convincing the cautious, bereaved Beth of letting him in proves difficult-but Robert will give everything he's got for the chance at his own happily ever after.

Review:
Beth is a thirty-two year old teacher who has had a secret crush on her part-time boss, Robert, who used to be a teacher too before he started his own construction company. Beth has worked for Robert by putting the important designing touches on his homes. Beth is a buoyant personality but a lot of her bounce is to hide the insecurities that were ground into her by her critical mother. As a comfortable size 14 woman, Beth is convinced that Robert wouldn’t be interested in her since he plays the field with tall, svelte blondes.

Robert is an independent, successful business man and has come to a point where he is ready to settle down. He has often felt unloved even though he overcame a difficult childhood of stuttering. Robert and Beth have been friends for a number of years but he wishes for more.

Beth’s sister is killed in the service and Beth suddenly has to care for her infant niece, Emma. Robert decides that helping with adorable Emma is a good reason to get closer to Beth. He offers them a new home and hopes that now he will have the courage to show her, if not tell her, how he feels.

Beth and Robert are both fragile and reluctant to risk their hearts by expressing their feelings. They grow closer and even begin a sexual relationship but there is much confusion and misunderstanding regarding their motives. They both think that adopting Emma is the real reason for their own affections. When Emma’s natural father seeks full custody Beth and Robert will need to decide if they can accept each other and stand together or if they will separate without realizing the love they could share.

Ms. James does a wonderful job of developing strong, likable characters and setting out a believable, natural story. She succeeds again in this story and I liked that the lead characters are very natural and not perfect. Emma adds a cuddleable interest and Beth’s three friends, the Ladies who Lunch, are good secondary characters. The romance encounters are sensual and bold with a playful and loving bond, even though their feelings are conflicted. The story is engaging and the writing flows for an easy read.

I have enjoyed reading Ms. James before and will be glad to read more in the future. This book is part of a series and made me want to read the stories for the other friends in the ‘ladies who lunch’ group. I recommend this book and this author to readers who enjoy warm, contemporary romance.

I received this title for blog tour participation and an honest review.

Buy Links:

B&N

Kobo

iBooks

GooglePlay

Amazon

About the author:
Sandy James lives in a quiet suburb of Indianapolis with her husband. She's a high school social studies teacher who especially loves psychology and United States history. Since she and her husband own a small stable of harness racehorses, they often spend time together at the two Indiana racetracks.

Social Media Links:

Excerpt:

“Why does everyone think I can’t raise Emma?”
“Everyone?”
She looked so damned forlorn. “Jules. My parents. You.”
With a shake of his head, he tried to set her straight. “First off, I have never—I repeat never—said you can’t raise Emma. In fact, I think you’re doing a fantastic job with her.” He glanced at the munchkin. “Look at her.” Emma smiled on cue, all tiny teeth and drool. “She’s doing really well with you. What did your parents say?”
Beth’s pouty lips strongly tempted him to kiss her again. “They told me it might be better to put her up for adoption.”
“Are you serious?” What kind of grandparents would say something so cruel? How could they even consider giving up their only grandchild?
“Dead serious. They made such a fuss over how much taking care of her while Tiffany was gone inconvenienced them. I was going to take her this summer, maybe even longer.”
What did a person say to something like that? “That’s cold.”
“I know, right? Besides that, my folks are really old-fashioned. They think a child should have both a mom and a dad.” A smile threatened. “I think Tiffany had Emma as a way to piss Mom off. Kind of her way of saying, ‘I’m a single mom. Take that, Carol.’ ”
“They’re wrong. You know they are.”
Although she glanced away, he saw the hurt in her eyes. “They’ve never really had a lot of confidence in me.”
Since his parents always encouraged their gaggle of children to reach for the stars and told them they all had the ability to do just that, he had a hard time picturing what it must have been like to grow up with parents like Beth’s. “Then they’re not too smart, ’cause you’re somebody who deserves their confidence. You’re amazing.”
Her gaze came back to his, but there was disbelief in her eyes.
“I mean it, B. Look at all you’ve done at school. Everyone admires you.”
She gave him a small snort.
One thing he’d have to do when they lived together was help give her more self-esteem. But he had to convince her to move into this house with him first. “What did our ever-tactful Jules have to say?”
“It was wrong to tell you she said I wasn’t good with Emma.”
“She didn’t say that?” Robert asked. He still stood in front of Beth, and now he held both her hands in his. It felt so natural. So right. Like two people in love sharing a conversation.
But Beth didn’t love him, and he was still pretty mixed up about how he felt about her. That was why he thought she and Emma moving in would be so great. He would have Emma in his life, and he and Beth would have time to share their lives, to see if the kisses and caresses led to—or away from—something special.
Beth shook her head. “She got weird when I asked if her nanny could watch Emma when I go back to work next week.”
“You’re going back so soon?”
This time, she nodded. “I’m out of paid time off.”
“Why not take a leave of absence?”
Her laugh was always so sweet to his ears. “ ’Cause I like to eat, and I imagine Emma does, too.”
“Didn’t Tiffany have life insurance? I thought all soldiers did.”
“I won’t touch that money. Not unless I absolutely have to. It’s a nest egg for Emma. She can pay for college and maybe even buy her first home with it.”
The response was pure Beth. Always putting others before herself. She was going to raise that baby on a teacher’s salary, a salary that seldom saw increases. She’d have her work cut out for her being a single mom who got paid diddly-squat.
“Well, then,” Robert said. “That seals the deal. You move in here. There’s one less expense.” She had to agree. She just had to.
“I’d pay you rent,” she insisted.
“The hell you will!”
She jerked her hands free. “I’m not a charity case, Robert. Emma and I aren’t living in a homeless shelter or anything. I already told you Jules is looking for a house for us.”
Why had everything he said in this conversation come out wrong? After raking his fingers through his hair, he tried again. “B, p-please. Please move in with me. I want Emma here. I want you here.”
“Why?”
A man could only take so much provocation. Her belligerent frown that wouldn’t scare a fly. Her brown eyes that flashed with fire. The way she crossed her arms under her full breasts. Everything about her made him want to kiss her.
So he did.
Robert grabbed her hand and tugged Beth into his arms. He stopped when his lips were almost touching hers. “Because of… this.”

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
(ends 11/12/14 at 23:00 GMT)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/26635ce2122/
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BONUS GIVEAWAY

In addition to the Rafflecopter giveaway I get to give One Winner at this blog an ecopy of Sealing the Deal from the publisher through NetGalley.

ENTRY FORM HERE

(Don't forget to fill in the form for entry!

I have noticed a few commenters who forgot to enter through the Form.)

For 3 Extra Bonus entries comment on this review, OR

visit THE AUTHOR'S Website and tell me something you like/learned there.

* This contest is open US and Canada Only.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) November 14, 2014.
Winners are asked to respond, within 72 hours, by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Friday, June 17, 2011

MBS Blogoversary SPOTLIGHT #2: Author Sandy James

SPOTLIGHT: Author Sandy James

Sandy writes contemporary romance and has five backlist books and another romance coming soon from Carina Press. I won one of Sandy's books and really enjoyed the smooth execution and warm romance.

Turning Thirty-Twelve

Murphy's Law [Damaged Heroes, Book 1] (BookStrand Publishing)

Free Falling [Damaged Heroes Book 2] (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

All The Right Reasons [Damaged Heroes 3] (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

Faith of the Heart [Damaged Heroes Book 4] (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

I reviewed Murphy's Law last year. It was a wonderful romance! You can learn a little more about Sandy from our Interview chat last August.

Question #1: Why do you write/what do you hope your readers get from you books?

A: I write to please my readers and to hopefully make them laugh and cry.

Question #2: What's coming up in the future?

A: I recently sold a book called Rules of the Game to Carina Press.

Please visit Sandy here. For extra credit you can email Sandy from her blog to say "Hi" and "Thank you" for the support and giveaway.
www.sandy-james.com
www.bookstrand.com/sandy-james

Giveaway donated by Sandy:
Winner's choice of an eBook from the five backlist books set forth above.

OPEN WORLDWIDE.
ENTER WITH THIS FORM:
If you have trouble viewing or submitting this form, you can fill it out online:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHhzb1ZHT2t6ZWpGbVgxWnBidGxOZ0E6MA

This giveaway will close at 10PM Central on July 1, 2011.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Winner of Murphy's Law by Sandy James

CONGRATULATIONS

to the Winner of the ebook:

Murphy's Law [Damaged Heroes 1] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) by Sandy James

The winning number picked was #1 - Congratulations CAROL.
Thank you to everyone who entered and the eBook will be sent out by Saturday.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Review and ebook Giveaway - Murphy's Law by Sandy James

This is a "winning" romance set in the harness racing industry.
Murphy's Law [Damaged Heroes 1] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) by Sandy James

Paperback: 328 pages
Publisher: BookStrand Publishing (May 12, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1606012711
ISBN-13: 978-1606012710

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 5.0 of 5.0

Product Description
Seth Remington had a fortune at his fingertips, but something was missing in his life. Purpose.

Knowing he has one last chance to redeem his son, terminally ill Sterling Remington rewrites his will. To earn his inheritance, his son Seth must labor as a groom for a horse trainer.

Katie Murphy's orderly existence is turned upside down by Sterling Remington's will. Raised on hard work and dedicated to her harness racing stable, Katie agrees to take Seth on as a groom. How can she ever fulfill the challenge of instilling a work ethic in Seth and still keep her faltering stable running?

Kept at arm's length by the strict terms of Sterling's will, Seth and Katie are forced to struggle with their growing attraction until a devastating racing accident forces them to take a hard look at their relationship. How much is he willing to risk for her love?

Review:
This was a book that kept me reading when I should have been getting ready for work or going to sleep earlier. The writing is crisp and clean and moves at a very smooth, quick pace which is well suited to the harness racing world which is the setting for the romance. The conflict and obstacles create great tension; the bantering dialogue flows easily. The characters seemed real and I was wrapped in their emotions and lost to the story when reading it.

Katie is a tough minded young woman struggling to make a go as a horse trainer in a field that doesn’t favor women. But she knows and loves horses, she has been raised to work hard and she has learned to be self sufficient. She was betrayed by an old boyfriend so she doesn’t trust or even expect much from men. And she surely can’t expect much from a rich, spoiled playboy who has never worked a day in his privileged life.

When you first meet Seth he is exactly that: a rich playboy who has no direction and no responsibility. His self made, millionaire father has given him one month to sow his wild oats and then settle down to a pristine job at the family business and a pristine socialite marriage. And now Seth has wrecked his umpteenth (okay it was only the fourth) Porsche and just expects his father to replace it for him.

Then Seth’s father unexpectedly dies leaving Seth a fortune. Well, sort of. Seth can only inherit if he works incognito as a groom for one racing season under Katie’s tutelage. There are a few more stipulations, including a “no seducing” the boss clause if Seth is to inherit and Katie to get the full benefit of the Will provisions.

Considering the set up, neither Katie or Seth are happy. Surprisingly Seth digs in deep to find the guts and fortitude to do the hard, dirty work. That turns out to be easier than keeping his hands off the boss lady. Of course when Seth learns that Katie will get a bonus at the end of the nine month “sentence” he tends to lump her into the “gold-digger” category. That label seems enhanced by Katie’s dating Ross, the attorney handling the details of the Will. Ross becomes enamored of Katie and creates a threat to Seth’s growing feelings for Katie.

There is wonderful detail about the harness racing world from the dirt of the stables to the excitement of racing and winning. In addition to Ross, there are several other friends and enemies that add good character relationships to the story.

The sparks fly between these two sometimes in anger, sometimes in love, but always with passion. The engaging plot keeps you reading because you want to find out how they will succeed under the terms of the Will. Will Seth choose a fortune over love? I highly recommend you get this book to find out for yourself.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY FOR THE EBOOK:
1.Visit the author's website and tell me something you learned there. Or if you have read any of Sandy's books you can answer her Question at Q9 on the Interview.
Please leave your e-mail!

2. For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

3. For another entry, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

4. For two extra entries comment on the Interview.

(Five total entries possible.)
It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.

* This contest is open Worldwide.

* This contest will close 10:00 PM (Central) on September 17, 2010. The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.

Interview - Sandy James author of Murphy's Law

Today we welcome author Sandy James to the Interview table!

Q1. What would you say makes a romance novel a great love story?

SANDY: The characters have to have chemistry. To me, that connection, that wonderful feeling that the heroine and hero belong together, makes the story work. If an author can make me believe the relationship is destiny, then I’ll suffer through anything she throws in their path to see them together. The more hurdles they have to jump to get to their happily ever after, the more interesting the story. I had a fan mail once where a reader told me she read All the Right Reasons and was mad at me up until the very last chapter because she was terrified Lucas and Joy would never find a way to get past all their problems and end up together. I was thrilled because that meant I did a good job on that book.

Martha: Ahh – now that may explain why I found Murphy’s Law so gripping… the chemistry and the conflict were such a good combination!

Q2. It appears that your books follow a rule many authors are told: “write what you know.” Please share briefly what special knowledge or experience you bring to your books.

SANDY: My husband and I own a small stable of harness-racing horses. When we first became owners, we had so much to learn! From the equipment to the handling of the animals to the strategy of the sport… It was almost overwhelming. I decided to try to share what I learned with my readers and hopefully introduce a few new fans to the sport by writing a romance based in the horseracing world. Murphy’s Law was born, and as Seth learns about racing, so do readers.

I’m a high school teacher and had resisted writing about being a teacher because I didn’t think of it as the type of profession that would interest romance readers. But when I sat down to write a first-person book simply to exorcise my middle-aged angst, of course the heroine had to be a teacher. It was also the first book I wrote around a title – Turning Thirty-Twelve.

I never intended to share that story, but when a friend encouraged me to submit it to Siren-BookStrand, I did. To have it be the first book I sold was bizarre to say the least. My little “kicks and giggles” book seems to have resonated with other readers of a certain age, which makes me very happy.

Turning Thirty-Twelve (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

Martha: I found the harness-racing world very interesting and a great story setting. I look forward to reading the second book and more of your books too.

Q3. When you do a series do you have each book plotted out before you start the first one, or do the subsequent books flow from the first book?

SANDY: I never plan to write a series. I write the book that calls to me. You nailed it on the head when you asked whether “subsequent books flow from the first book,” because that’s exactly what happens. A secondary character from a completed story will start buzzing in my ear, telling me he deserves a story of his own. The world I created tells me it has more to offer.

Martha: That seems like a good sign. If the characters and world you create grab you they are likely to grab the reader as well.

Q4. I noted that you have a new series coming out, an Urban Fantasy series about “Amazon” women. These women sound pretty awesome. What inspired these books?

SANDY: Thanks! I love my girls. Those are the only books I designed as a series. They haven’t found a home yet, so I can’t give you a date for when you can buy them, but I promise to scream from the mountaintop when my agent sells that series.

I had written mostly contemporaries, but I love reading paranormals and urban fantasies. I simply couldn’t think of a really good and innovative idea for a paranormal of my own. My son is my biggest muse because he’s horribly creative. We love to go to movies together, and we talk a lot while we’re waiting for the previews. Sometimes we even go early simply to hash out book ideas. One time, I asked if he could help me with some world-building and he tossed out some ideas for having women be the warriors for once and being guided by goddesses. Things happened pretty quickly after that. By the time we got out of the movie, I let him drive home while I grabbed some paper – an old horseracing program I think – from the back seat and started jotting down ideas. The Reluctant Amazon, the first in the series, was written within three months because I couldn’t stop the story. It yelled at me day and night. Three more books followed, the titles based on that warrior’s weakness – The Impetuous Amazon, The Brazen Amazon, and The Timid Amazon. I’m dying for my girls to find a good home so I can share them!

Martha: They sound awesome (I even like the pictures at your blog) and I hope they find a home soon! Then perhaps I could review one?? (hint hint)

Q.5 Do you find that there is a big transition in writing style from your contemporary works to the new urban Fantasy series? Did you have to change or struggle with anything particular?

SANDY: I didn’t consider it a challenge to change my writing style because I simply didn’t. I wrote with the same romantic entanglements and character interactions. I made the hero and heroine just as in love and just as tortured. The gods and goddesses have all the emotions and foibles of the human characters. The only things I added were the action scenes. But to me, those fight scenes weren’t really different from describing the action of a horse race. It’s all about choreography – like a ballet. Having the right person in the right place at the right time.

I loved doing the research about the deities as well as the demons and cultures. The history teacher in me had a ball with my Amazons, so much fun I started a new sci-fi series!

Martha: The goddesses sound like added fun to those books. I’ll be watching for the sci-fi books too.

Q.6 In Murphy’s Law is there something your heroine would never be caught dead doing or saying?

SANDY: Katie would never compromise her principles. For example, some horse trainers look for ways to cheat faster than the sport can keep up with policing their activities. Katie would never, ever cheat to win a race. She’d rely on hard work and her love for the animals to be sure they were in their best condition so they had the best chance to win. And they probably would. J

Martha: Right – Katie was definitely a stand up character and a "winner."

Q.7 Is there an ancillary character In Murphy’s Law you had the most fun with?

SANDY: I fell in love with Ross Kennedy. He came about because I had a student who begged me to name a villain after him. Ross should have been a shyster lawyer who was trying to cheat Katie out of the money she was supposed to earn by taking on Seth. But every time I tried to write Ross that way, he rebelled. He just wouldn’t let me write him as a bad guy. So Ross became the third side of a Katie/Seth/Ross triangle and a potential hero. I loved him so much, I had to give him his own book when Katie chose Seth, the love of her life. Finding the right heroine for Ross was a true joy. Ross’s story became his struggle of a Type A personality to learn how to let go – Free Falling. The ultimate kicker is that my student, the real-life Ross, is going to school to become a lawyer now because of that character. How cool is that?

Martha: That is cool about your student studying law! Now I just have to find time to squeeze in Ross’s story. J

Q.8 Do you read new authors? If so, who's your new favorite find?

SANDY: Hands down, Paula Quinn. Her Laird in the Mist and the sequels are phenomenal. I’m in love with Graham from A Highlander Never Surrenders. Her books really deliver in emotion and action.

Martha: I love Paula Quinn too! I was fortunate to recently review two of her books.

Q. 9 If you could have readers finish a sentence what would it be?

SANDY: When I read a book by Sandy James, I come away feeling…

Martha: My answer: I come away feeling emotionally charged from an intense romance.
Q.10 Some quick reply sentences:

Why I write ... To express all the things I feel deep inside.
What I am reading/watching/listening to ... I’m a Broadway freak, so I’m usually listening to some Broadway musical score.
My inspiration ... My children and my students inspire me.

Sandy, thanks for a great read and for sharing in an Author Chat! Thank you too for offering an ebook of Murphy's Law as a giveaway. Some lucky winner will really get to enjoy a wonderful romance.