Costa Rica – sneak peek

by Kristen James

Costa Rica (preview the first chapter on Amazon.) 

You can read the first 10% of any book on Amazon so I like to share from other parts of the book. This is near the beginning, before they leave Oregon:

Costa Rica by Kristen James

She barely registered when the front door swung open. Drew walked into the hallway and dropped his keys in the dish. The hallway light flicked on.

“Holy mother!”

His squeal spooked her into sitting straight up, and remembering why she’d been waiting for him. “Drew?”

“Annalisa? You scared the bejesus out of me. What are you doing sitting in the dark?”

She didn’t immediately answer. That must have clued him into her mood and he stepped closer, leaning on the door frame to wait. They’d always been straight with each other (ironic, isn’t it?) and skipped the lead ups.

“Vincent’s cancer came back. There’s another tiny tumor. It’s not treatable anymore.”

The air swooshed out of him. “Oh.”

He stood for a minute and then walked into the living room and slumped down in the recliner across from her. This was a painful moment, but he didn’t rush to her. He didn’t even sit with her. They sat in silence except for his occasional exhale. Drew didn’t really cry–this was as close as he ever came.

The light was just a soft one from the hallway, but it seemed too bright for this conversation. She waited a long time before speaking again. “They asked us to come over Friday night for a barbeque. I said we’d bring a salad. Vincent would have called you, but he said it’s been hard to get a hold of you.”

That last little line had a wealth of ill will. She’d been shell-shocked till that moment, but then she realized Drew had let his best friend down. Didn’t Drew understand that? Vincent was fighting for his life, and Drew was busy chasing skirt. And what if she had needed him? He hadn’t been there for her either. He had slowly and quietly packed up his emotional ties to her and left a shell. Her guilt, for that moment, evaporated.

Drew said not a word in response. Once upon a time this handsome man had been her rock, her friend and her guiding light. Now she wanted to slap him.

He finally realized she was glaring at him and glanced at his wristwatch. “It’s way too late to call him.”

“Yeah, it’s almost midnight.”

“You were out way past midnight just yesterday.”

“But I don’t do that all the time…” Her thought lost steam. “I’m not the one…”

Drew looked at her, really gazed into her eyes. His expression showed alarm and then dread. There it was, out in the open. Maybe they weren’t going to say it, but he had to know she was suspicious.

She had not once ever, ever doubted him. Even as they drifted apart, she didn’t question him, check up on him or wonder what he was doing. She envisioned a crack racing across that large stone bridge of trust, and it fell in a loud, painful crash.

She got up and went upstairs to bed. Drew never followed.

 

COSTA RICA

Annalisa and Drew have always dreamed of going to Play Flamingo, Costa Rica, with their best friends, Vincent and Melinda. But now they’re out of time.

Annalisa feels their marriage is just a shell for others to see–there’s nothing left inside. She wonders if they can rekindle their love in paradise, but there’s so little left. They gave up on their marriage along with their dream of having children.

Time is literally slipping away from Vince and Mel. Vincent’s cancer is back–his tumor is inoperable and he won’t do chemo again. This trip is now or never.

Costa Rica – the trip that inspired my novel

by Kristen James

I realized I went to Costa Rica before I began blogging so I’m not sure if I’ve ever shared any photos. I did write about getting the idea while on the trip, actually while walking on the beach. I wrote a summary in my journal then and even started the story after we returned, but it would be three years later when I finished the project. There were all kinds of little details that I incorporated into the book–I’m finding more and more that I love to use a real setting so I can find little things to make the story come to life.

We stayed by Playa Flamingo, just like my characters, and walked or rode bikes around the area for ten days, through warm rainstorms and sunshine. We went in July, the wet season, and I set the book around the same time so I could describe the area as I experienced it. My characters went to the same restaurants and beaches we did, although I made up the resort at the end to make the plot work. Annalisa and Drew even rented bicycles from Claudia as we did. We were riding along on a muddy road in our swim suits, barefoot, when a Tico waved and called “hello,” and I used that in the book too.

While the book is filled with tension and conflict, along with high moments and the beauty of Costa Rica, our trip was all fun. My husband has an uncle living in Costa Rica, and we ate a few authentic meals with his tios and got advice on navigating the area and culture. We also went fishing off the beach for rooster fish…and I ended up catching  sting ray. We took turns fighting what we thought was a fish for forty minutes while a crowd gathered, but when we got it in closer we realized what it was. Luckily for us, the line snapped and we didn’t have it free it by hand.

We spent our time walking or riding all over the place, to different beaches and places to eat. Getting away from our normal lives gave us space and time to think, and that sparked my creativity and my new story idea.

When it was time to return home, we rode the local bus back to Liberia and the airport, which was a fun experience in itself. A man stood up during the ride to play a guitar and sing. Then we stayed in an ancient motel–the building was 200 years old. We just don’t see that in Oregon. I think we spent something like fifteen bucks for the room.

Here’s a few of my pictures:

 

honeymoon 004 honeymoon 006  honeymoon 010 honeymoon 019  honeymoon 040 honeymoon 041 honeymoon 042

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

honeymoon 037

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few fun little things. Whenever we were out walking, we would hear or see big iguanas fall out of the palm trees. It didn’t seem to hurt them. There were also little geckos everywhere that chirped at night. We spotted glowing fish in the waves. While walking through the jungle to the beach, we saw hundreds of tiny bright orange crabs. There was color everywhere and new things to see. Of course I’m dying to go back!

Because I live close to the Oregon coast, it was hard not to contrast the two places. I hinted at that in the book, too. The rugged and wild Oregon coast, where the book begins, captures how the characters feel. Then, in peaceful and tropical Costa Rica, they begin to work through their problems and discover what’s important to them.

I want to share a sneak peak from the book too, but I’ll make a separate post for that.

My 100th Blog Post!

by Kristen James

It was almost three years ago (and 100 posts!) when I started this blog/website. That was right after I had launched my author page on Facebook. It’s been an amazing three years with my professional life centered around what I love to do. And oddly enough, I’m most thankful that I can see lots of ways to grow as an author. It really is about the journey and not the destination! I like to think I’m still in the beginning of a fulfilling and exciting adventure, one with lots of twists and turns and milestones to celebrate, and more importantly, people to share it with. 🙂

I’ve shared about quite a few hikes over the last couple of years, but I have so many more places to go. Of course I want to revisit all my favorite places in Oregon. That’s one thing I love about where I live: all the hiking and wild areas to explore in the mountains and on the coast. I’ve started visiting Eastern Oregon more and finding a different kind of beauty there. I recently learned there’s a small number of moose living in the North Eastern corner of Oregon, and I’ve been dreaming about exploring there in the summer and seeing if we can spot them. They’re some of the smallest moose and have little antlers. So here’s to new horizons and more writing!

I thought I’d celebrate my 100th blog by adding another freebie to my list – this one is free today and tomorrow. If you haven’t read The Cowboy Kiss, now’s the time! It’s short, fun and flirty. This joins my two perma free books, Embers of Hope and The Fairy and Her Giant.

Here’s a view back at my house (somewhere out there) from a hike to a mountain top.

20140101_154918 - Copy

 

 

 

A Change of Pace, new work in progress, and a few updates

by Kristen James

There’s reasons to love every season, but it seems most people like the feeling of change that comes with autumn and spring. Changing things up is exciting. I was looking back to last year, and remembered writing Point Hope in January and February. That story was a change from romance to married romance and family drama. It kicked off a phase, I guess, because Costa Rica also features a married couple, and then In a Field of Oranges is an emotional romance but with heavy undertones.

So far this year, I’ve been busy publishing Costa Rica and In a Field of Oranges, and starting a new project. It’s a very different kind of story for me, but it’s one of those that began with a sudden spark. I’m writing in first person, with a new genre of New Adult, and with a somewhat unique format with two main characters sharing thoughts. While I’m a bit nervous about how my readers will react to something so different from my previous books, I’m always happiest with these ideas that come on in a flash. Point Hope started that way: a big figurative boom went off and a story exploded into existence, then I raced to write it.

I’ll share the blurb and a sneak peek below. First, some news on More Than Memories – the audiobook is in the final stages of production, so I hope it’ll go live in March. I also recently sold the German rights to AmazonCrossing, and they’re producing that version for release later this year. I’m excited about my first book in German! I still get excited about Trent and Molly’s story; they were such great characters to work with.

So, here’s more info on my work in progress.

Star Struck – working title.

Avery Waldorf wakes up from a concussion to find a voice inside her head. An oversexed male voice belonging to Marcus, who doesn’t know where he came from, but has an opinion on everything about her life. She just wants quiet so she can read, go to her English classes and flirt with the guy of her dreams, Nash, who is finally noticing her that way. Marcus wants to get up at dawn, run, snowboard, hike and basically take over her life. She can’t tell anyone without sounding like she’s lost it. Meanwhile Marcus doesn’t know where he’ll go if he leaves her mind. Maybe she is losing it…

A Tiny Teaser:  (This is close to the opening, when she first finds this strange man in her head.)

“Morning.” The voice belonged to a fifty-or-so doctor in a white coat, salt and pepper hair, and a kind smile, and he was sitting on a stool or something right next to my bed. His square jaw and warm brown eyes projected safety and serenity. Encouraged, I tried to take in my settings. The room around him was painted cream but the light was too bright.

“Hi…” My voice came out like everything was okay. Maybe it was.

“You took quite the tumble yesterday.” He gave me a fatherly smile. “So I’m very happy to see you’re awake and alert. I’m Dr. Hartley. Can you tell me your name?”

Marcus.

What? I glanced around but didn’t see anyone else.

The doctor’s head shifted to the side, just slightly, and one eyebrow moved. My hesitation worried him. But I knew my name. Duh. “Avery Waldorf.”

Marcus. My name is Marcus.

Dr. Hartley relaxed. “Oh, good, Avery. Do you know what day it is?”

“It was Saturday when I crashed down the mountain. February second.” Why, oh, why did I go with them? I could have stayed home, read my book, drank cocoa and pretended it was snowing outside.

“Ah, yes. Now it’s Sunday morning. It sounds like you’re doing great. We ran a scan yesterday, and everything looked good to go.”

I tried to smile, and even that sent a whiplash of pain through my head.

He stood and went to the bag up on a pole, checking the level I guess. After making a note on the chart in his hand, he smiled at me again. “I’ll send a nurse for your morphine. The pain should clear up shortly. We’ll probably keep you for the day, just as a precaution. Your scans were fine. You’re alert. It’s just a good idea to keep you here.”

I managed to keep a straight face until he walked out the door. I would have been best to tell him, a doctor after all, that I was hearing some weird guy. I glanced around, something I had been afraid to do in front of the doctor, and confirmed the room was empty. None of my friends were standing behind the hospital bed, suppressing a laugh at their joking around. Where were they? They left me at the hospital?

What the hell is this?

The voice was definitely in my head. I must have hit it hard…so why didn’t something show up in my scans?

Hello? I hit my head?

No, I hit my head trying to freaking snowboard.

I looked around again, even knowing I wouldn’t see anyone there. How could a concussion make me hear voices?

You’re not hearing voices. What the heck is wrong with you? Why am I in the hospital?

He didn’t sound worried. I could hear, by my heartbeat, that I was. The day before was clear in my head, from driving up to the sky resort, playing around on the flats for a while, and then letting Kristina talk me into going up the hill with her. There wasn’t anything that unusual, not anything that should cause something like this. I closed my eyes, trying to relax my body, and breathed in and out. Just in and out. In and out.

Still here, babe. And still not sure what’s going on.

Who was this guy? Okay… so I can hear you talk but can’t see you…but you don’t know what’s going on?

~  ~  ~

Updates to come!

New Release: In A Field of Oranges

by Kristen James

In a Field of Oranges

It’s finally here!

Sergeant Lance Smith lost his men in Afghanistan, lost his wife to divorce, and came home to an empty life. He expected to come home with his best friend, Jared. That didn’t happen either. There is one thing he needs to do. He’d promised Jared he would visit his sister if anything happened to him. It doesn’t seem like much, but Lance needs something to keep him moving forward. He just needs to track her down first.

Once a nurturing heart and a competent psychiatrist, Sierra Thomas is now hiding from the world. She tried to make a difference and failed. She couldn’t stop her brother—the brother she’d raised—from enlisting in the Marines. Then she failed her patients, ending her career. She retreated to her family’s orange groves, hoping to forget the pain of her past.

In a world where you can lose everything in any given second, it’s dangerous to open your heart. But giving up and living “dead” isn’t what life is about.

~ ~ ~

Teaser:

Inside, Sierra still sat on the sofa, looking sleepy. She watched Lance walk in and stood up, reaching for the tray.

“No, let me do that.” He lifted it before she had a chance. “I’ll take this to the kitchen.”

She nodded, and that’s when he noticed she was unsteady on her feet. He dropped the tray back on the coffee table and gently took her by the arms. “Maybe you should sit down.”

She didn’t, though. She looked up at him with deep, needy eyes and a face that clearly said, “Kiss me.”

She’s high on that pain pill.

But knowing that didn’t stop the desire rushing through him or keep him from running his hands up the bare skin of her arms. She let her gaze drop to his mouth, and that sent him over the edge. Pure, hot lust spiked right through to his groin. Fighting and losing, he brought a hand to her chin and slowly, thoroughly kissed her. Her lips felt soft and pliant, and her body leaned into his. She was kissing him too, the kiss growing deeper, her body pressing even closer. A pleasurable haze had descended on him, so he almost didn’t feel her stiffen.

She pulled back and looked at him. “That’s why you can’t stay long.”

Preview the first chapter or buy on Kindle  (Prime members can borrow for free.)