Exclusive Interview with Author Wendy Owens

 

What inspired you to write about the subject of learning to live again after loss?

I wrote from a real place of grief in my life. A year and a half ago my family lost my brother-in-law at the young age of forty. It hit us pretty hard, especially my sister. They had been together for 18 years. He was the godfather to my children. I was in so much pain I needed a release, and for me these books were a place to put that grief.

Is Mackenzie Phillips, the heroine of 'The Luckiest,' the same kind of heroine as Emmie Hayes from the Stubborn Love series? 

Mackenzie is so different from Emmie. I think they start from the same place, but Emmie is one who needs the strength of someone behind her to really succeed in life. Mac however becomes one of those individuals that needs to reach success independently to truly feels like she owns it.

You've described The Luckiest as "Mom, you're not allowed to read this"-steamy. Does your mother usually read your books? 

So far out of eight books my mom has only read Stubborn Love. She recently retired and started with Stubborn Love and plans to move on to Only In Dreams next. She is for is one of my toughest critics. I think she would be thrilled if I wrote Amish love stories. Yes, I am not kidding, my mom like Amish romances.

What made you decide to start your podcast, The Hidden Bookshelf?

I have a conference in October called Queen City Indie Con in Cincinnati, OH. I was looking for a way to spotlight authors who were speaking as well as other writers in the community. My husband does

tech podcasts for subjects he is passionate about, so when he suggested I do the same it only seemed natural.

Was it difficult to transition from YA paranormal to NA contemporary romance?

I was ready when I shifted to NA so the writing shift wasn't hard.

Find a completely new readership basis was. I am about to switch genre

again and I'm hoping my readers will follow me on the journey.

Do you ever plan to write another YA series? 

I do! and I am. It's a YA Dystopian series that has mutants and domes and sexy men covered in dust. Everything a girl could ask for. The series is called The Vale Saga. I hope to begin releasing them this winter.

Who is your favorite Dr.?

Hands down, David Tennant!

Once upon a time Mackenzie Phillips thought she’d found her happily ever after. She had married her high school sweetheart and had started her perfect family. But one tragic night Mac’s perfect life was ripped away from her, leaving her beautiful fairy tale existence in ruins.

When everything worth living for is suddenly taken from you, how do you keep going? People told her how lucky she was just to be alive after that night, but she didn’t agree. 

Years passed with Mac living in a fog, until another unfortunate turn of events placed her world on its head once again. Now, still carrying the tender wounds of her past, this widow has to face the realities of life again.

Broken and truly alone, she must find work. In walks her new employer, Dean Johnson, a guy who is just broken enough himself, that she thinks he might actually be able to understand her. But Mac soon discovers that that bond with Dean may instead force her to face demons she isn’t yet ready to deal with.

**Contains mature material including language and sex.

Purchase your copy of The Luckiest

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1niUa9z

Apple IBooks:  http://bit.ly/TheLuckiest-Ibooks

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Barnes & Noble ( Paperback ) : http://bit.ly/TheLuckiest-Paperback-BN

Excerpt:

I glance in, but the box is dark inside all of the tissue paper. My hands retrieve the first item. “Buckeyes!” I exclaim.

“I can see why she’s your best friend.” Dean leans on one elbow, watching me explore the contents one by one.

I reach in, continuing to pull out items—a black hair scarf with cherries, a pair of earrings from one of my favorite local jewelry designers in Cincinnati, Abbi Glines’s newest steamy romance. My cheeks go hot as Dean sees the cover, lifting his eyebrows.

“Well, I think that’s it,” I say, lifting the box, the sound of something shifting inside catching my attention. “Oh, there’s something else.”

I reach in, and as I do, I can feel Dean’s eyes locked on me. I feel something long and cool slip into my hand. Locking my fingers around it, I let the box fall away. Instantly, I see Dean straighten up, a half-cocked grin on his face.

Much to my horror, I look down to see a pink rubber penis-shaped device in my hand. I freeze, but my cheeks are on fire. All I can think about is the different ways I am going to torture Monica before I kill her.

“I can explain,” I begin. I’ll tell him she’s crazy—like actually certifiable.

He’s still grinning at me as he gives me a slight nod. He closes the gap between us even more.

“You know, I can help with that,” he offers, and I can’t help but wonder if he’s serious, or perhaps maybe I’m wishing.

“You think I’m that easy?” I hit the ball squarely back to him. I consider licking my lips, but worry that may be over the top. I’m looking directly at him, and damn, he’s incredible.

“A guy can hope.” He pauses, playfully lifting an eyebrow. “Can’t he?”

I grin. In fact, I can’t do anything but grin. He moves closer, and I glance down, realizing I’m still holding the device. My breath hitches, but he still moves closer. He’s facing me, never moving those gorgeous blue eyes away from me. He slides his arm around my waist, and as he presses himself against me, I’m sure I can feel an erection. This surprises me, and my hand releases the dildo, which falls to the floor with a thud.

“What’s wrong? Can’t contain your excitement around me?” he whispers, his breath warm on my neck, just below my ear.

My mouth is watering, my heartbeat quickens, and my head is now spinning. I pull back, the distance giving me a slight bit of clarity. The idea of this kind of pleasure is tempting. The bulge in his jeans tells me he is interested.

In an attempt to casually conceal the pink rubber shaft, I use the toe of my platform sandals to kick it under a nearby chair. Dean cocks a brow, his face shifts, and he laughs softly.

“What?” I shrug innocently.

“Did you just kick a dick under a chair?” He’s still laughing.

“Watch it, or I might make a habit of it.”

“Ouch,” he hisses, then winces, grabbing himself as if he were imagining the attack.

My eyes dart past his shoulder, where Storm is coming up the stairs. She has on her headphones, staring at the face of her phone. I nod my head at Dean, indicating we’re no longer alone. I shift, moving to walk past him. He grabs my hip, pulling me into his grasp.

“We’ll continue this later,” he promises. He takes my hand and leads me past Storm and out of the bus without a word. I wonder if she can tell what had been transpiring from the look on my face.

As we move around the side of the bus, I feel his hand shift to the small of my back. It’s like he knows all the places to touch me to drive me absolutely insane.

About The Author: 

Connect with Wendy Owens:

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Wendy Owens is a writer, born in the small college town, Oxford Ohio. After attending Miami University, Wendy went onto a career in the visual arts. After several years of creating and selling her own artwork she gave her first love, writing, a try. It’s become a passion ever since. Wendy now happily spends her days writing the stories her characters guide her to tell, admitting even she doesn’t always know where that might lead. Her first series, The Guardians, is a YA fantasy series about angel and human hybrids.

Since then she has branched into NA Contemporary Romance and released titles to include Stubborn Love, Only In Dreams, and Do Anything. Her next romance, The Luckiest, is scheduled to be released in July 2014.

When she’s not writing, this dog lover can be found spending time with her tech geek husband, their three amazing kids, and two pups. She loves to cook and is a film fanatic.