Guest: Sarah Hoss and New Release, Highland Savior + Giveaway!

Welcome, Sarah! Congratulations on your new release! Please tell us about your writing.
I write contemporary romance novellas and my novels are historical paranormal romance. Why the two different genres you ask? Well, I hadn’t intended it to be that way. I began writing historical paranormal romance because I love time travel and going into the past. I enjoy the research involved. If you take a person from the future and place them in the past or vice versa, I find it interesting on how they would interact with  the people, adapt to their surroundings, and try to make a life for themselves in a place so foreign to them.  I like how it brings out their true nature.
My contemporary novellas began with one called Heaven Sent. I began writing it for a contest and from there, it became published. I decided then to continue to write them. One- because it gives my readers another genre to read plus it might bring in new readers who may not like the other genre. Two- I can put out the novellas in between the novels so that everyone has something to read while they are waiting.
You would think contemporary romance would be fairly easy to write considering we live in the here and now, but that’s not always the case. Because we live in this time, it can be harder to impress the reader.  No matter the genre, no matter the theme, we authors put our hearts in every book.
I want to thank the ladies here for having me. I appreciate the opportunity to speak and meet new people.
Thank you so much for being our guest today, Sarah!
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Highland Savior

Two Lifetimes – Two Hearts – One future, if they can only survive the past.

Hamish Macpherson is surrounded by turmoil: an arsonist is on the loose, he’s in the middle of a feud with a local clansman, and just as he’s trying to save his sister from a burning cottage, he appears in the middle of a foreign living room three hundred years past his own time.

Gillian Meadows thinks she’s self-sufficient and can handle anything until she witnesses a murder in the alley next to an Olde City tavern. In a desperate run to escape being the next victim, she stumbles into a wiccan store and accepts the help of the shop owner. Little does she know that one mis-spoken word of a simple incantation can change everything.

Neither world is safe, but Hamish can better protect Gillian if he returns to his own time. Gillian has no choice but to go with him if she wants to escape the danger closing in. Little do they know that his past could be the biggest threat of all to their future.
***
 Excerpt!
Loud shouts grabbed her attention. She stared forward, trying to ignore the fighting. A woman’s scream echoed from the alleyway, sending a shiver up her back, making the hair at the nape of her neck stand up.
The man yelled on the top of his lungs, something about her never doing it again. How he trusted her and he was a fool, that all women were the same. The crying woman pleaded.
Gillian stopped and searched the streets in both directions, praying the cab would come soon. She heard a slap, then another. She would have to cross the alley to get back to the bar and she stopped, not sure what to do. She had no desire to be stuck outside, listening to a man beat his girlfriend. Once inside the bar, she could tell someone and they could come and help her. Rat bastard deserved a little taste of what he was dishing out.
Her lips puckered and she blew out a long silent breath, trying desperately to steady her nerves. She walked on her tip toes, slowly approaching the alley. Her heart raced. Silently, she said a prayer asking to not be seen. Panic coursed through her veins like ice and she shivered.
She stood immobile with her toes touching the edge of the alley as she listened to the man’s degrading words. The woman’s sobbing gripped her heart and squeezed. She should do something, but what? She was no match against the brute. She had to get into the bar. The safest route was to cross the street, walk down a block, then cross back over to the bar. The fastest, was to cross the alley.
Staring straight ahead, she made it halfway across when a gunshot pierced the night air and broke her resolve. She stopped, covered her ears and bowed her head. Instinct told her to run but she couldn’t help but peek down the alley. The woman slid to the ground and fell hard on the cement. She didn’t move. Gillian willed her feet to go, but they had a mind of their own. The man stood still as he watched the woman collapse, the gun held tight in his hand at his side. Gillian’s entire body shook and she dropped her purse.
She screamed, then bit down on her fist to stifle the sound. The man turned toward her. Time seemed to slow down.
The lighting wasn’t the best and she couldn’t make out a lot of details, but he was tall.
He stepped toward her as she unconsciously took a step back, kicking her purse, and she bent over to pick it up. She turned to run, then her heel caught in the sewer grate, causing her to fall and lose her shoe. She was vaguely aware of a plastic bag as it blew down the street like tumbleweed. A street lamp flashed on and off at the corner. Faint music played from within the tavern. She was aware of the searing pain that shot through her knee and elbow and the overwhelming desire to get up and run into the bar. She scrambled to her feet, stumbling awkwardly with only one heel.
Before she’d taken two steps, he reached her and grabbed her arm. “Come here, bitch.” His words came out in a tone just above a whisper. It was creepy and grated against her nerves. He pulled her back into the edge of the alley.
Gillian was frozen in place. All of his attention stayed focused on her. The gun was still in his hand. She willed her mind to work and tried to slow her breathing before she hyperventilated. She needed to come up with a plan for escape. She turned quickly to look out into the street. People came in and out of the bar all the time, why didn’t someone come now? There were no cars, no nothing. Was the night conspiring against her?
He grabbed her by the arms, forcefully pulling her against his chest. She struggled but he was too strong.
“Let me go!” she screamed.
“You saw, didn’t you, blackbird?” His hot breath stung her ear. It reeked of whisky. Bile rose in her throat as he fisted his hand into her hair and forced her to stare at him.
She swallowed. “No, sir. I swear I didn’t.” Tears danced in her lashes, then fell down her cheeks at the pain of her hair being pulled.
“Bullshit.”
Spittle flew against her face as he spat his angry words. A car roared around the corner and she stole a glance. Her taxi. Here was her chance to get away before this turned uglier than it already was.
After sucking in a breath of courage, she yelled, “Go to hell!” then brought her knee up hard against his crotch, dropping him to the ground. His ring caught in her hair as he grabbed his injured manhood, causing her to jerk backward for a second. She spun on her feet, tearing her panty hose and ran for the taxi.
A gunshot echoed in the night for a second time. The bullet hit the decorative street lamp above her head, making a funny tinging noise. She reached the car just as another shot rang through the air, striking the back window of the car. Glass shattered and she ducked down into the seat.
“Drive me to Bradford Place Apartments,” she hollered as the driver was already putting the car into gear. As he dialed 911, she clutched her purse to her chest and cried. All she wanted to do was lock herself away in her apartment forever.
The cab sped away as the words of the man trailed her. “I will find you!”


AUTHOR BIO:
Sarah Hoss grew up believing she could try anything and if she set her mind to it, she would succeed. Sixteen years of dance lessons, Cheerleading, and school plays proved to her that her parent’s words rang true. Writing was no exception. Reading the Outlander series made her fall in love with time travels and the historical places books could take her. Always a child with a vivid imagination, she realized as an adult, she could put her imagination to good use and began writing. Marrying her very own hero, they live in Indiana in the town where she grew up. They have three beautiful children and one hyper dog. When Sarah isn’t writing, she enjoys gardening, camping, and watching her kids’ play sports.


Where to find Sarah-



Twitter- @SarahHoss1

Facebook- 
Sarah is giving away an ebook copy of Highland Savior to one lucky commenter!


24 comments:

Mary Preston said...

A great post. I had not thought about contemporary being hard to write because of discerning readers.

Highland Savior looks fabulous.

Sarah said...

I also wanted to let everyone know that book one, DREAMS OF THE HIGHLANDER, is on sale for one more day for 99 cents.

Thanks Mary for joining me here today!

Thanks for having me Fierce Romance!!!!

Unknown said...

Love the excerpt! Love time travel and this one sounds great!!

Unknown said...

Love the excerpt! Love time travel and this one sounds great!!

Carol L. said...

Don't enter me because I can't read e- books . But I had to tell you this excerpt has hooked me in. I love time travel books & highlanders. Thanks for the excerpt.
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

Renee Vincent said...

Great to see you have another release, Sarah!!! Congratulations and I must say, I totally LOVE this new cover! So pretty!!!

Wishing you lots of sales, babe!

Alina K. Field said...

Congratulations, Sarah! Contemporary can definitely be a challenge to write since every reader is an expert on the period! LOL!

Unknown said...

Hi Sarah,
Congratulations on this new book. Engaging excerpt - makes me want to read the book. Personally, I prefer historicals (whether it's paranormal, fantasy, romance, western, Scottish/Irish/English/wherever, Asia... you get the drift, right?) over contemporary. However, I love mysteries, suspense, thrillers - so when I find a good contemporary with those elements, I usually jump in.
Thanks for a chance to win this.

C.D.Hersh said...

Exciting excerpt. Good luck with sales.

C.D.Hersh said...

Exciting excerpt. Good luck with sales.

Sarah said...

Thank you so much. Time travel is my favorite, too!

Sarah said...

The first book is out in print. This one will be in print also in about 8 months.

Sarah said...

You are one of the sweetest friends and thank you. I love your support!

Sarah said...

So true! Thank you for stopping by.

Sarah said...

Thank you for joining us and good luck in the drawing. I'm with you on what I like to read.

Sarah said...

Thank you so much!

Paisley Kirkpatrick said...

Best of luck with your book, Sarah. Great cover, by the way.

Unknown said...

Sounds great!!

Joanne Guidoccio said...

Love the excerpt! Best of luck with sales :)

Angela Covarrubias said...

I just bought Chasing a Highland Moon about a week ago, and have still not got to read it yet. I hope to soon! Your new book sounds great, and I would love to read it. There are not enough hours in the day to read everything I want to. It's sad! Thanks for the giveaway!

Unknown said...

I also wanted to let everyone know that book one, DREAMS OF THE HIGHLANDER, is on sale for one more day for 99 cents. http://kquotes.com/

Celtic Barb’s Tartan Book Review Blog said...

Awesome excerpt Sarah! Congratulations and wish you every success.

Barb
Tartan Book Reviews

Anonymous said...

Wonderful interview! I love highlanders!

Charlene

Charlene.fraley@yahoo.com

Sarah said...

Thank you everyone for the congratulations and for joining me here today! I love the Fierce Romance blog and am excited to be here.

Thank you for you compliment on the cover. Rae Monet is the artist and she is amazing!

Good luck everyone!