Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome first time guest Elizabeth Finn to the blog today to chat about her new book “The Devil’s Pawn”

Elizabeth, can you please share with us a little about yourself

I’m a Human Resources Specialist, I’m also a junior in a business management program thanks to a really good employer based tuition reimbursement program, and I’m the mother a four year old little boy.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

Not always, though after years of being complimented on my writing from professors, teachers, co-workers, family, and my own building satisfaction from writing, I can truly say it is really my passion.

Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?

My typical writing day starts after my son goes to bed at night, though I love to get up Saturday morning and write while he’s watching cartoons too. I often stay up far too late at night and leave little time for sleep. I don’t need much while I’m writing, my notebook where I keep plot ideas and notes for myself and that’s about it.

Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?

Most challenging is finding the time without completely exhausting myself or letting other parts of my life suffer. Most rewarding is completing a manuscript and having it contracted – there’s no better feeling in the world.

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?

How about a blurb…

When Ashton is left orphaned after her parents are murdered, her life becomes a hell she could never have imagined. Left to fend for herself, and responsible for a debt she doesn’t owe, she is swept into a life as a gentleman’s escort at a private men’s gaming hall. Her new manager makes it abundantly clear he doesn’t appreciate her inexperience, innocence, and shyness. On the contrary, he despises everything about her.

Derek can be “difficult,” she’s been told. And however dark and handsome he may be, he terrifies her in a way that chills her to the bone, but leaves her begging to understand him. As they are pulled along together, more secrets and threats than either one could ever conceive are revealed, and a common enemy emerges. This enemy will stop at nothing to bring Derek to his knees while using Ashton as the greatest pawn in his torturous game.

Will Derek be able to let down his shield of cold, harsh emotion before it’s too late? Will he be able to sacrifice himself to save Ashton, or will they both be destroyed by the secrets of their pasts?

How did you come with the idea for this story?

I’ve wrestled with this question so much on all of my books. I’ve been creating stories in my mind since I was a child, and most of what I’ve written have simply been stories that have been floating around for a few years. They must have been inspired, but I’ll be darned if I can nail it down!

Can you share with us your current work in progress?

In addition to my two releases that are out right now, The Devil’s Pawn and Brother’s Keeper, I have a 12/17/2012 release, Restoring Jordan that I’m really excited about. I’m also just finishing a paranormal erotic romance that I hope to have contracted very soon!

Who are some of your favorite authors?

When I first started reading romance, it was largely historical – I fell in love with Johanna Lindsey and Nicole Jordan. Liquid Silver Books has some amazing authors as well, and my “to be read” list is stacking up.

Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?

I write contemporary and paranormal, though I’d love to tackle historical at some point, and while these genres are so different, I do tend to write about redemption and I see some of that in my favorites.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

I can’t wait to read Parker Kincade’s One Night Stand, Rosanna Leo’s For the Love of a God, and also Chastity Bush’s Reluctant Angel.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I’m really excited about all three of my recent and upcoming releases, and I really hope people with check them. Visit me on my site, follow me, sign up to follow by email, because I’m not finished and I’d love to share more future stories with you!

Learn more about Elizabeth here:   Website / Facebook / ElizabethFinn77@gmail.com

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The Devil’s Pawn

Elizabeth Finn

Amazon|B&N

Derek can be “difficult,” she’s been told. And however dark and handsome he may be, he terrifies her in a way that chills her to the bone, but leaves her begging to understand him. As they are pulled along together, more secrets and threats than either one could ever conceive are revealed, and a common enemy emerges. This enemy will stop at nothing to bring Derek to his knees while using Ashton as the greatest pawn in his torturous game.

Will Derek be able to let down his shield of cold, harsh emotion before it’s too late? Will he be able to sacrifice himself to save Ashton, or will they both be destroyed by the secrets of their pasts?

Excerpt:

Once in the fitting room, Derek takes the chair again while I start to remove my clothes. I intentionally wore ugly, stretched-out, white cotton underwear that is entirely too big on me in the event he should be here. My mouth isn’t the only thing that can get me into trouble—my sarcasm knows no bounds when I’m unhappy.

As he sees the appalling excuse for an undergarment, his eyes move up to mine, narrowing darkly at my obvious defiance. I look coolly back at him before looking away dismissively. My anger and resentment of him from the humiliation he subjected me to the previous morning, not to mention his treatment of me over the past two weeks, have charged me into a bold, fiery bitch that no longer cares what retribution I might face. While my tongue usually gets me in trouble, today I decided to let my underwear do the talking.

Jacob enters with an armful of dresses for me to try on, and he cringes as he takes in my defiant granny panties, hated the world over by men, including, apparently, gay men.

He turns to Derek, and with a scrunched-up face, he worries out loud. “The dresses aren’t going to lay right over those…” He tosses a nod in my general direction.

Derek wastes no time at all reassuring Jacob and striking back at me. “No worries. Ashton was just taking them off. She won’t be wearing underwear anymore.”

I glare defiantly back at him as I drop the loose fabric to the floor. He returns the glare for a moment before letting his gaze travel down my body to my sex, and as it lands there, smoldering with heat, I turn abruptly from him, intentionally showing him my backside instead. I look to the mirror in front of me, and I catch his eyes flit away from me in annoyance. He worries his lip with his thumb and index finger as he contemplates, and the slightest of smirks crosses over his mouth. Jacob is standing by looking from one to the other of us, obviously wondering just exactly what he’s gotten himself in the middle of.

Derek finally looks back to Jacob. “Get on with it.”

I try on one after the other of the dresses. Some are perfect; Jacob pins in additional alterations in others. Derek sits by bored, only glancing up from his cell phone occasionally. One such occasion is when Jacob remarks that I’m “just not curvy enough for this one.”

Derek looks up to Jacob, but he shifts his eyes to mine before commenting, “Yes, well, if you can figure out some way of making her look female, you let me know.”

Jacob again lets his eyes pass between us, seeming to wonder all the while what he’s missing. As I hold Derek’s eyes with my own, my anger falters, and the pain that is behind my fury pushes through. I try to wrangle my tears into submission, but it’s no use. In defeat, first one, and then another spills from my eyes and slides down my cheeks. Jacob regards my state and excuses himself from the room.

I stand on the hemming block in the center of the room, refusing to look at Derek. But he’s looking at me, and as my hurt continues to work through my entire body, I let my tongue do what it does best. “Why do you hate me so much?”

He says nothing, but stands and moves to me. Reaching around behind me, he pulls the zipper of the dress down, and then, returning his hands to my shoulders, he pulls the straps down, exposing first my small breasts, and then the rest of my naked body as it falls to the floor.

He leans in to my ear and speaks. “You don’t know anything about me.” He then takes me by the hand and pulls me to stand in front of the mirror, and leaning to my ear once more as I watch him in the mirror, he speaks gently. “Lean forward and put your palms on the mirror.”