It was six
years ago today my very first story was published.
So much has
changed in that time yet so many things remain the same.
Savage Love
is a short story that was featured as one of Totally Bound’s Halloween Collection:
Bite Me in 2008.
I’m still
with Totally Bound but instead of just that one book I have now contacted and
released 30! Yes, this week will be the publication of my 30th book.
Wow! That
seems so amazing to me. 30 books in the six years that I have been writing!
While I still have work around my regular day job I have gotten better at
spending quality time on my writing time.
In the six
years there has been many short stories and even a few series. The most notably
of course being the Were Chronicles. Of course the Were Chronicles being
novella length works made the way for the full novel size series for the
Shifter Chronicles.
And none of
it would have happened if I hadn’t first gotten that contract from Totally
Bound which brought Savage Love into the world.
So in
celebration I wanted to share a little about the very 1st book of my
career.
Savage Love
by Crissy Smith- published through Totally Bound Oct 2008. You can still pick
up your copy from Totally Bound, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and many more online
sites.
Kelly Walker will do anything to catch her sister's killer,
including entering a world she'd had no idea existed, and giving her heart to a
man not completely human. Kelly Walker is determined to bring down the man who
killed her sister. One year later and there still hasn't been an arrest made.
She knows there is an on-going investigation headed by the attractive and
intriguing Alex Gray. The only man who has ever been able to touch something
deep inside her she'd rather not know about. Their attraction is almost
animalistic. Alex Gray has tried for a year to keep Kelly out of the
investigation he's given two years of his life for. But when he finds her
trapped with the man he knows has killed before, he must risk everything to
protect her. Showing her what he really is and what they are up against could
cost him the one thing he's waited his entire life for a mate.
Looking
back at the blurb of Savage Love I can still remember the emotions of my first
time, lol, of becoming a published author. This story will always have a
special place in my heart.
Just in
case you haven’t read the book yet I wanted to give you an inside look into
Kelly and Alex.
Savage Love Excerpt
Kelly
wasn’t happy, but she left the bar. What was she going to do anyway? Walk up to
Craig and introduce to herself as the sister of the woman he’d killed a year
ago. He would probably pull out a gun and shoot her where she stood.
Shaking her head, Kelly walked to her car. A sound from behind her made her stop and twirl around. No one was there, but the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Digging through her purse, she found her keys and gripped them tightly in her hand. She looked back at the door. She could go back inside and have Alex walk her to her car.
No, he might think she was making it up to be alone with him. Biting her lip, she turned back towards the car and jumped in surprise. The man in front of her was over six feet tall, had on a long blank trench coat, and was snarling at her. As he reached out for her, Kelly backed away. He moved faster and grabbed her upper arm.
He quickly pulled her in the alley behind the bar. She could see three men waiting.
Kelly started to kick, but a hand covered her mouth and an arm went around her neck, cutting off her air. Then she was standing in front of the man she had come to see.
Craig Lambert leaned forward and sniffed her neck.
Kelly tried to kick out again, but the man holding her was just too strong.
“I love the smell of fear,” Lambert said in a deep voice that made her stomach roll.
He straightened, and she could make out his facial features in the dim light of the alley. Just like the first time she’d seen a picture of him, she was amazed at how normal he looked. In fact, up close, he was quite attractive. No wonder why her sister had been interested in him.
“I saw you watching me. Do I know you?”
Kelly shook her head, unable to talk with a hand over her mouth.
“No? You do have something familiar about you though.” He ran thin, bony fingers over her cheek, and Kelly felt tears threaten to fall. When his thumb flicked over the pulse in her neck, she could have sworn his eyes turned red.
Eyes wide, Kelly watched him as he leaned forward. His mouth opened and his teeth, which had been normal, started to lengthen. Her scream was barely audible as terror she’d never felt before shook her body.
Before he reached her, there was a howl and something knocked into them. Kelly went down on her side and rolled away from the two men. She heard someone call out, “wolf,” as she scrambled to hide against the wall of the building.
The scene before her was like something in a movie. A grey-and-white wolf stood in the mouth of the alley as the four men spread out with guns drawn. Kelly didn’t know what to do, so she pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, hoping to stay invisible.
The first shot rang out and Kelly jumped. The wolf charged into the alley, attacking the wrist of the one who’d shot at him. While he was busy, another man aimed for the wolf, but the animal moved just in time and sidestepped another bullet.
The first man was holding his arm as he fell away from the wolf. Kelly watched as blood gushed from the wound and dripped to the dirty concrete. She felt her stomach turn at the sight and steeled herself not to get sick. That wouldn’t help the situation at all.
Then the wolf jumped on the other guy, his sharp canine teeth clamping down on the man’s throat. Kelly closed her eyes as the man’s scream turned into a gurgle but the sound of movement had her opening her eyes again. She watched as the wolf released the man and stalked towards the other two men. The one who had held her, and the one who had killed her sister.
The men exchanged looks before jumping straight up in the air. The wolf charged at the same time but met only air as the two men disappeared.
Kelly wasn’t aware she was sobbing until the wolf turned, and she met his stare. She’d never seen a real wolf before, only on television, but she knew this wasn’t just an ordinary wolf.
He stepped forward, and Kelly held out a hand. “St…st…ayyyy,” she stuttered. Her hand shook and she could practically hear her own heart beat. The wolf stepped closer.
Hoping this was just a bad dream, she closed her eyes, counted to ten, then opened them, but the wolf was still there. Standing in front of her, his head tilted to one side, blood dripping from his mouth.
Kelly moved onto her knees and tried to crawl away. The wolf growled, and she froze in her spot. The growl vibrated the air around her. Obviously, the wolf didn’t want her to move. So she remained on her hands and knees against the old brick building, watching as he closed the distance between them. When he stepped in front of her, she once again got a look at the eyes.
A sense of calmness went over her as she looked in those deep grey eyes. She just stared, as she had done not more than half an hour ago. “Alex,” she whispered.
The wolf moved and she felt his soft fur against her skin.
The back door of the club swung open, and they both jumped. Before she could blink, the wolf hunched down and growled. Kelly felt a wave of relief as Marcus stepped out the door.
Kelly watched Alex’s partner take in the scene before him. The wolf was still crouched down and growling, and Kelly was still on her knees. She looked over to where the men had been but they were gone. There were no bodies or anyone but them in the alley. No blood or sign of what had taken place. If Kelly hadn’t seen everything with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have known anything had even taken place.
Marcus closed the door and turned towards her. Kelly started to stand, but the wolf turned his head and snapped at her.
Shaking her head, Kelly walked to her car. A sound from behind her made her stop and twirl around. No one was there, but the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Digging through her purse, she found her keys and gripped them tightly in her hand. She looked back at the door. She could go back inside and have Alex walk her to her car.
No, he might think she was making it up to be alone with him. Biting her lip, she turned back towards the car and jumped in surprise. The man in front of her was over six feet tall, had on a long blank trench coat, and was snarling at her. As he reached out for her, Kelly backed away. He moved faster and grabbed her upper arm.
He quickly pulled her in the alley behind the bar. She could see three men waiting.
Kelly started to kick, but a hand covered her mouth and an arm went around her neck, cutting off her air. Then she was standing in front of the man she had come to see.
Craig Lambert leaned forward and sniffed her neck.
Kelly tried to kick out again, but the man holding her was just too strong.
“I love the smell of fear,” Lambert said in a deep voice that made her stomach roll.
He straightened, and she could make out his facial features in the dim light of the alley. Just like the first time she’d seen a picture of him, she was amazed at how normal he looked. In fact, up close, he was quite attractive. No wonder why her sister had been interested in him.
“I saw you watching me. Do I know you?”
Kelly shook her head, unable to talk with a hand over her mouth.
“No? You do have something familiar about you though.” He ran thin, bony fingers over her cheek, and Kelly felt tears threaten to fall. When his thumb flicked over the pulse in her neck, she could have sworn his eyes turned red.
Eyes wide, Kelly watched him as he leaned forward. His mouth opened and his teeth, which had been normal, started to lengthen. Her scream was barely audible as terror she’d never felt before shook her body.
Before he reached her, there was a howl and something knocked into them. Kelly went down on her side and rolled away from the two men. She heard someone call out, “wolf,” as she scrambled to hide against the wall of the building.
The scene before her was like something in a movie. A grey-and-white wolf stood in the mouth of the alley as the four men spread out with guns drawn. Kelly didn’t know what to do, so she pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, hoping to stay invisible.
The first shot rang out and Kelly jumped. The wolf charged into the alley, attacking the wrist of the one who’d shot at him. While he was busy, another man aimed for the wolf, but the animal moved just in time and sidestepped another bullet.
The first man was holding his arm as he fell away from the wolf. Kelly watched as blood gushed from the wound and dripped to the dirty concrete. She felt her stomach turn at the sight and steeled herself not to get sick. That wouldn’t help the situation at all.
Then the wolf jumped on the other guy, his sharp canine teeth clamping down on the man’s throat. Kelly closed her eyes as the man’s scream turned into a gurgle but the sound of movement had her opening her eyes again. She watched as the wolf released the man and stalked towards the other two men. The one who had held her, and the one who had killed her sister.
The men exchanged looks before jumping straight up in the air. The wolf charged at the same time but met only air as the two men disappeared.
Kelly wasn’t aware she was sobbing until the wolf turned, and she met his stare. She’d never seen a real wolf before, only on television, but she knew this wasn’t just an ordinary wolf.
He stepped forward, and Kelly held out a hand. “St…st…ayyyy,” she stuttered. Her hand shook and she could practically hear her own heart beat. The wolf stepped closer.
Hoping this was just a bad dream, she closed her eyes, counted to ten, then opened them, but the wolf was still there. Standing in front of her, his head tilted to one side, blood dripping from his mouth.
Kelly moved onto her knees and tried to crawl away. The wolf growled, and she froze in her spot. The growl vibrated the air around her. Obviously, the wolf didn’t want her to move. So she remained on her hands and knees against the old brick building, watching as he closed the distance between them. When he stepped in front of her, she once again got a look at the eyes.
A sense of calmness went over her as she looked in those deep grey eyes. She just stared, as she had done not more than half an hour ago. “Alex,” she whispered.
The wolf moved and she felt his soft fur against her skin.
The back door of the club swung open, and they both jumped. Before she could blink, the wolf hunched down and growled. Kelly felt a wave of relief as Marcus stepped out the door.
Kelly watched Alex’s partner take in the scene before him. The wolf was still crouched down and growling, and Kelly was still on her knees. She looked over to where the men had been but they were gone. There were no bodies or anyone but them in the alley. No blood or sign of what had taken place. If Kelly hadn’t seen everything with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have known anything had even taken place.
Marcus closed the door and turned towards her. Kelly started to stand, but the wolf turned his head and snapped at her.
That was just a small scene
at the beginning of the book but goes to show that Kelly is like many of my
female characters. She doesn’t stand behind the men in the books. If she needs
to go and take care of business she does. Even when she isn’t aware of the
paranormal world she finds herself smack dab in the middle of.
Another very surprising but
wonderful thing that happened with Savage Love is that as my first book I hit
All Romance EBooks best seller list! Even to this day I still hold five star
over all review at the site.
For my first attempt at
sharing the written word with people this cannot be explained enough of the
pride and excitement that I get.
I have some awesome readers
and fans that have spent the last six years encouraging and supporting me in my
venture. I wouldn’t have made it so far without all of you.
Top say Thank You I am
continuing my Anniversary Celebration by giving away a free book.
And it is super easy to win!
All you have to do is
comment on this blog post and you will be entered to win a free EBook copy of
Bear Claw: Shifter Chronicles Book Two.
Bear Claw is my latest
release I want to share the story in celebration of the anniversary of Savage
Love.
Just my way to give back a
little something!
So don’t be shy, say hi, and
be entered for your chance to win! Contest ends at Midnight CST 10/29/14 and
runs all day 10/28 and 10/29/14! One lucky winner will receive a free EBook
copy. But don’t worry if you’re not chosen. There is a huge blowout coming with
super great prizes!
Thanks for stopping by,
Crissy Smith
Paranormal Romance on the
‘WILD’ side…
