Where did you get the idea for your new novel?
I came across an account of the first woman sentenced to hang in some Southwest state (can’t recall which right now) in a book on women and the West. The account shared that they hung her, but she didn’t die so they just hung her again. But that planted a “what if” in my writer’s brain. I thought what if a woman was unjustly sentenced and hung for a crime she didn’t commit, didn’t die, then was proved innocent and pardoned. What would her life be like? What would she be dealing mentally, spiritually, physically? How could a woman like that find love and who would she find it with? The story took off from there.
Why did you choose this genre?
I’ve always loved history. So after finding and falling in love with Beverly Jenkins’ historical romances, I decided I wanted to try writing African-American historical romance. But I also have been trying to write erotic romance with a faith arc, what I call Christian erotic romance.
Tell us a bit about you. Where do you live and how long have you been writing?
I’m a native New Yorker and live happily in Brooklyn with my husband and our two cats. I’ve been writing seriously since 2003 when I joined RWA.
Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it? Does it help you with your writing?
I’m an ordained United Church of Christ and Presbyterian Church USA minister. Oddly enough, the genre it helps the most with is my erotic romance writings.
How can readers reach you or find you online?
I’m on Twitter as Twitter - @mscottauthor1 which connects with my more political and erotic interests and @Revannable where people can connect with my inspirational interests. Depending on the genre people are interested in, they can check me out on my genre specific websites: erotic romance: www.michalscott.webs.com,
gothic romance: www.annamtaylor.webs.com and
inspirational romance: www.annataylor2678.webs.com
Tell us about your current work in progress.
I’ve got two WIPs that finaled in a few contests, one since 2009 and the other since 2012. I am determined to finish and submit or self-publish them in 2017/2018. The first is an inspirational historic romance dealing with a mail order bride arrangement between a Northern freewoman who comes West to marry a former slave. The second is a paranormal Christian erotic romance that unites a former evangelical-turned-catholic heroine with her vampire ex-lover in an attempt to save her sister from vampirism.
One Breath Away by Michal Scott
Excerpt:
His smile turned up the heat in his gaze. Mary frowned, painfully aware the smell of her passion lingered in the air, despite the woolen barrier of her skirt.
He stepped forward so his hand-stitched boots stood toe-to-toe with Mary’s second-hand shoes.
“Eban Thurman, at your service, Miss Hamilton. May I get you something to drink?”
At her service? The air congealed. Mary gasped, trying to suck in air too solid to inflate her lungs.
“No—no, thank you. I’m not thirsty.” Her stutter mimicked the tremor between her thighs. She clasped her hands and planted them hard against her lap.
“It’s a really hot night.” He turned his hand palm up in a silent plea. “Perhaps you’d find a waltz more cooling.” He eased his fingers into her clenched hands. “May I beg the honor of this dance?”
“Beg?”
“Yes, Miss Hamilton.” He tilted his head, slanting his smile to the right. “Beg.”
“You don’t strike me as the begging type, Mr. Thurman.”
“To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.” He tongue-swiped his full lips as if he’d just tasted something he wanted to taste again. “I know when it’s time to beg.”
She pursed her lips into a frown, fought back the urge to grovel and won. Barely.
The fingers around hers, clean and huge and strangely slender, hadn’t moved, hadn’t trembled. Their stillness aroused her. His stillness aroused her. Her lips quivered. She inhaled deeply against the surrender summoned by that tiny tremor.
Resist the devil and he will flee.
Silently she called upon the truth in this scripture for rescue. The devil waited. She stared at the hand on hers, helpless against the appeal, the allure of temptation.
She swallowed hard, opened her mouth to say no, but her tongue refused to cooperate. She huffed out a breath and shook her head.
“I—I can’t. I don’t know how to waltz.”
“Well, you’re in luck.” His lips bowed in a smile, full, broad, and hypnotizing. “I’m an excellent teacher and I bet you’re a fast learner.” He gave her fingers a squeeze. “Shall we?”
He really wanted to dance with her. She blinked, speechless. A warning voice protested.
Resist.
Her heart countered.
Surrender.
Blurb:
Sentenced to hang for a crime she didn’t commit, former slave Mary Hamilton was exonerated at literally the last gasp. She returns to Safe Haven, broken and resigned to live alone. Never having been courted, cuddled or spooned, Mary now fears any kind of physical intimacy when arousal forces her to relive the asphyxiation of her hanging. But then the handsome stranger who saved her shows up, stealing her breath from across the room and promising so much more.
Wealthy freeborn-Black Eban Thurman followed Mary to Safe Haven, believing a relationship with Mary was foretold by the stars. He must marry her to reclaim his family farm. But first he must help her heal, and to do that means revealing his own predilection for edgier sex.
Then just as Eban begins to win Mary’s trust, an enemy from the past threatens to keep them one breath away from love…
Buylinks:
Wild Rose Press: http://bit.ly/2k3sXsR
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/One-Breath-Away-Michal-Scott-ebook/dp/B01L101Q6E/
Great interview! I learned so much about you, Anna. Loved ONE BREATH AWAY too. Such an amazing premise and beautiful writing.
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