Still licking his wounds over blowing it
with the love of his life, Detective Jack Heart finds himself in over his head
with corporate politics, treachery, and vipers of the female variety. Under pressure to solve the case, Jack's
taste for danger will place him and those he loves on a collision course with
disaster.
Still licking his wounds over blowing it
with Carolyn Woods, the love of his life, Jack Heart drinks to excess daily. His
apartment is in shambles, he's isolated himself from all his friends, and he
stumbles to the couch every night to sleep off an alcoholic stupor. All that
changes when he receives a phone call with a job offer from a man he barely
knew.
Suddenly, Jack must track down an
embezzler inside a swanky corporation riff with politics, game-playing, and
treachery. The deeper Jack goes, the more dirt he finds. Can this out-of-place
detective survive and still crack the case? Not to mention some women he works
with have plans for him—plans that are way more than he bargained for.
One thing is certain: Jack's taste for
danger will take him to the edge of disaster.
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1. How did you start writing erotic romance? I actually started writing other things independently, then moved to writing New Adult for Lycaon Press, (both under another pen name) and then moved over to writing erotic romance for Breathless Press under this name for 18+ books. Breathless Press is the other side of Lycaon.
2. Plotter or pantster? I am both. I start as a plotter before I write, so I have a general arc, outline and flow, but then am a total pantster once I actually write.
3. What are three things you have on your writing desk? Ha! I have a miniature Tardis (that makes sounds when you pretend to fly it- yes I am a Doctor Who nut!), three or four different kinds of calendar books that I found out I needed to keep track of everything, otherwise I lose my mind, and three or four blank books are usually there too, filled with the latest thoughts, lines, titles that I have jotted down. They are all around the house too.
4. Favorite food? Chocolate rules (for a lot of writers).
5. Tell us a little about your new release. What character in the book really spoke to you? This book is a sequel to A Taste For Killing so readers will see the same main 2 characters and a supporting one from the first book though the focus is specifically on one of them. Favorite character-without giving too much away, there is a new character in this book that is not the lead, but I kind of fell in love with making him come to life. He is a very idiosyncratic character so that was fun to write.
6. I write because the power of art in all forms helps us to connect with things larger than ourselves. The power of words can entertain, make you think, change your mood... all sorts of things.
7. What is your favorite type of character to write about? I like sassy characters that are a little dangerous. I need to write more of those!
8. What is the sexiest scene you ever wrote? I think the sexiest scene I ever wrote is in my short story (published by Breathless Press as one of their "flirts") called "Eyes Only". There are some scenes in there between a kind of green marine and a woman in the country he's stationed to.
9. What advice would you give new authors in the erotica/romance field? That writing a romance or erotic romance is no different than other writing- the scenes that are romantic and erotic need to serve the main story. The book shouldn't just be scenes that are just there in order to write the erotic one. The main story and characters should be well written and realistic just like in an ordinary book.
10. What is next on your writerly horizon? Under this name I am writing another flirt, and eventually a book of short stories. Under my other name I will be writing the sequel to Erasing: Shadows eventually.
As he gathered his jacket up to go,
another visitor stopped by. At the door stood Cheryl Wong. "Hola. Habla usted español u otros idiomas?" Cheryl was a petite woman with pale skin
and dark hair that hung loosely around her shoulders. Attractive, now that he
saw her up close.
Jack stared at her, perplexed.
She came in and closed the door. Then
she took a seat at his desk. She seemed comfortable, like she had done this
before. "Sorry," she said now in English. That's just my way with new
people. I like to find out if there are any other bilinguals here and Spanish
is the most common."
"Ah," said Jack. "Well, I
speak a little football and baseball, but that's about it."
Cheryl laughed. She was prettier when
she smiled. But then most women were.
"You are on your way out?" she
asked. "I was wondering if you could do me a favor? My car is in the shop
and I took the subway here this morning, but I don't want to take it back after
dark. Would you be able to give me a lift home?"
Jack was nothing if not gallant.
"Sure, I could do that."
Then she threw a twist in. "You
know, there's a bar on the way. We could stop and have a drink."
Jack studied her. What was she up to?
He'd have to go through with it to figure her out.
"If you're up to it," she
added.
"Okay, sure. But I can't stay too
late."
"You have a wife or partner?"
Blunt,
this one. "No, I just have some work I have to get
to."
"Your first day, and they're
already piling it on? That hardly seems fair." She pouted her lips in
sympathy.
What
was that song? Maneater?
He had a feeling it was an apt description of Cheryl Wong.
Jack made sure to get his parking pass
from the secretary for tomorrow. He wasn't made of money, and today was gonna
cost him twenty bucks. Cheryl followed him out, and they took the elevator down
together. Jack thought this little get-together might be a good chance to
interview her. What was she head of again? He couldn't remember. He'd have to
ask her. His instincts told him to wait until the bar.
Jack made sure to put his briefcase in
the trunk. Cheryl brought a satchel with her and sat up front. She directed him
out. Apparently she lived not too far away from him, although in the city, even
a block of traffic could turn a short drive into an hour. Stuck in rush hour,
Cheryl made small-talk.
"So you dined with the big cheese
today?" She opened.
"Word gets around fast."
"Yes, anytime someone from HQ
comes, everyone knows it. Knows to be on their toes."
"I see."
"What they can't figure out is
whether to be on their toes around you."
Now he got it. She was on a scouting
mission for the office. He wondered if they drew straws. "I'm just a
nobody," he said.
"I doubt that," said Cheryl,
"or the Deputy VP wouldn't have taken such an interest in you. So what are
you here to do?"
She said it smiling and casual, but
underneath he could feel the shark in her.
"I'm not allowed to discuss the
details," he said.
"Oh my," said Cheryl and
raised her hands as if she was being held up. "Never mind. I don't want to
get you in trouble."
"Thanks," he said, then stayed
quiet. She didn't try to pry anymore. He wondered if she would after a few
drinks. Wait. That was his plan. Who was playing who here?
The bar she chose was a nice one, and
after parking, they were seated in a booth at the back almost immediately. A
rowdier crowd held court around the bar, but they sat away from the noise.
They each ordered appetizers and a drink. Jack
stuck with beer. He didn't want to get liquored up. Cheryl ordered a fruity
drink. Then the sparring commenced.
Cheryl started first. "So what did
you do, Mr. Jack, before you came to work with us?"
For some reason Jack didn't want to say
he was a detective. "Freelancer," he answered. "What did you say
you were in charge of again? I've met so many people today I can't keep
anything straight."
"Government Contracts," she
answered.
"Oh that's right." Now he
remembered.
"And what did you do as a
freelancer?"
"Oh you know," he said,
putting her off, "found things that were lost, protected possessions, that
sort of thing. Before that I was a cop."
Cheryl's expression remained impassive.
"A policeman. That sounds exciting." Cheryl took the toothpick in her
drink and began to eat the fruit on it. Only the way she was doing it... Could she be? Nah... Jack thought to
himself as she sucked on a cherry. Well I
did wear a suit today. And shaved.
"It wasn't that exciting," he
said. "Just worked a regular beat. Got shot up one too many times and
retired."
"Oh," here she went with the
pouty lips again, "do you have scars?"
"A few." He could picture some
of his friends falling all over themselves by now. "How do you like
working for Devonshire? How long have you been there?"
"I like it ok. It's a job, you
know? I've been there five years. Most people have worked there longer."
"So people must like it."
"Yeah. Good salary and benefits.
People stick around."
"What about Jerry Wilson? He didn't
stick around."
Cheryl laughed and twirled the stick
with pineapple on it around in her hand. "What is this, the third
degree?" she asked, still half-laughing.
"No, sorry. I just heard he was my
predecessor and wondered what happened. I like this job; I want to make sure I
don't make any mistakes." Jack figured that sounded good enough.
Cheryl looked thoughtful. "Jerry
was here for about six months, I think. I always got the feeling he didn't
leave on his own accord, if you know what I mean."
"Ah."
"But I don't know any more about
it. If you really want to know, ask Cindy. She knows everything. But it's
probably confidential."
"Yeah."
Cheryl looked him in the eyes and sucked
down the pineapple. Their appetizers were done, and they had each downed about
two drinks. Then she surprised him. "Hey, you want to get out of
here?"
Their eyes met and held each other's
gaze. Jack stared, dumfounded. After that
comment, well...I'm game if you are. He arched an eyebrow.
"Sure," he said, "my place or yours?" Jack's experience
with women had usually been that they felt more comfortable in their own homes.
Cheryl surprised him again.
"Yours is fine. Is it close?"
"Pretty close, yeah." He thought
of his dump of an apartment. He hadn't cleaned it in forever. There were
probably old pizza boxes and bourbon bottles around.
Cheryl wrapped her coat around her.
Oh
well. What the hell. A month had gone by since his last
blonde spree. If Cheryl was okay with it, then he would be too. "I have to
warn you," he said. "I live in a pigsty."
Cheryl laughed again. "All
bachelors do."
"Okay then," said Jack as they
walked out into the night. "Away we go."
H.K. Sterling is an
author with Breathless Press known for stories with imagination, intelligence, a
kick, and twist endings. She likes to focus her writing on romantic suspense,
science-fiction, shorts, and anything that is spicy and unexpected. Sometimes
her books may even go dark. H.K. lives in Virginia with her husband who
graciously puts up with her passion for writing. H.K. currently has a Short Spy
Romance out called Eyes Only, a Mystery/Thriller
titled A Taste For Killing, and two
short stories in the Breathless Press Anthology, My Bloody Valentine. H.K.'s books are suitable for 18+.
Catch up with H.K.
Sterling on the following media:
Amazon
Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/hksterling
Twitter: @HKSterling
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/HK-Sterling/426989014069244?ref=hl
Email:
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HK Sterling
"Undercover Blog": http://hksterling1.blogspot.com/
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/HKSterling
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