In The Midst of Passion
by AlTonyaWashington
When garage owner Topaz Emerson meets newspaper publisher Alexander Rice on a deserted road in Charlotte, North Carolina she’s understandably intrigued. Looks aside, there’s something about Alex that tugs and tugs relentlessly. Topaz never bothers to ask about his past…
For years, Alex has been haunted by memories of his days as a contract killer. Regardless of all that he’s accomplished, he can’t quite escape the ghosts that relentlessly pursue. Meeting Topaz brings hope that he isn’t doomed to live a cursed half-life.
That hope is soon threatened when Topaz and her fellow small business owners find themselves tangled in a mysterious land deal. The stakes are high and the results could be fatal. To protect the woman he loves, Alex may have to submit to his relentless ghosts and kill again.
From Publishers Weekly
In the latest novel from the popular African-American romance writer, prominent Charlotte, N.C., newspaper publisher Alexander Rice is struggling to distance himself from his former life as a violent member of the criminal underworld. When he meets ravishing garage owner Topaz Emerson, who has drawn the attention of every man in town and the ire of most women, he's hooked. Their relationship burns slowly, as Alex tries to protect Topaz from an aggressive real estate magnate who is using brute force to buy up all the businesses on Topaz's block. When their relationship heats up, though, Alex's secrets drive him to keep Topaz at a distance. Pushing toward a dangerous confrontation with the crooked men behind Lockhurst Properties, Alex finds he must spill his secrets and face his past head on, risking the love he and Topaz share in order to protect her. Washington's story of love, career and forgiveness is both sexy and earnest. Genuine relationships are the main draw in Washington's novels, and she does not disappoint—though too many times she narrates when her strong, smart characters could just as easily speak for themselves. (Aug.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Excerpt: In The Midst of Passion by AlTonyaWashington
Alex blinked, his surprise mounting as he realized two more of his close friends were acquainted with Topaz Emerson.
"What's wrong, man?" Ronald Holmes asked, having spotted the man's expression.
"I see y'all have met before." Alex’s striking gaze shifted between the smiling threesome.
Centron and Ronald looked down at Topaz. They each planted a tender kiss to her temple.
"This our girl!" Centron bellowed.
"Best mechanic in town." Ronald added.
Topaz laughed. "I've never fixed your car."
"It's your presence." Centron explained, placing one hand across his chest.
"Anyway," Alex groaned, shaking his head once the laughter quieted. "So what y'all doin' up in here?" He asked the brothers.
"Aw man, we always come to the Bayclub after work." Centron shared.
Alex snapped his fingers. "That's right, the firm is across the street." He remembered, referring the advertising agency the two men operated.
"Say, listen y'all got plans tonight?" Ronald was asking.
Alex and Topaz exchanged a brief glance, but shook their heads.
"Cool, why don't y'all come on out to our cousin's club.”
"What club?" Topaz asked, folding her arms across her chest.
"The Limit."
"That's on the other side of town, right?"
"Mmm," Centron confirmed, with a nod towards Alex, "they're havin' a birthday party for Goldie Sims."
Topaz snapped her fingers then. "I knew there was something I needed to do." She said in a hushed tone. "I have to go get that boy a present."
"You know Goldie too?" Alex blurted in a knowing tone.
"I know Goldie's crew sent out invites to everybody he knows." Ronald interjected.
Alex shrugged. "My damn office is such a disaster area, the thing's probably right in there." He sighed.
Topaz reached for her purse. "Y'all I need to go get Goldie's present. See ya at the party." She kissed Centron's cheek first, then Ronald's. "Hope to see you tonight." She told Alex, fixing him with a dazzling, lingering stare before she walked away.
Centron and Ronald noticed and fixed each other with knowing looks. Topaz had been gone a few moments when they realized Alex was glaring their direction.
"What man?" Ronald questioned.
Alex didn't mind his agitation showing. "How the hell all y'all niggas know this sista and I don't?"
The twins could see their friend was truly disturbed by the fact and let their smiles shine through.
"Finally got the upper hand on the Casanova." Centron chimed.
"Anyway," Alex grimaced, waving his hand in denial of the label. "She's just someone I'd like to know."
"I bet!" The twins spoke in unison.
Alex bowed his head. "She's fine," he acknowledged with a wolfish grin. "There's somethin' else, though."
"You just met her today, man?" Ronald wanted to know.
Alex shrugged. "Met her at a party De threw last night. Y'all know Trey Cooper?" He asked, watching his friends nod. "He was there too, told me how sweet she was and talked about how she was like one of the guys."
"Hell, she is." Centron confirmed.
"She's like a lil' sister." Ronald shared.
"A woman like that." Alex said, watching the brothers nod. "I don't buy it."
Ron smiled at his twin. "It took us a long time to get to that point." He told Alex. "Every man we know is in love with the girl."
"Damn right," Centron agreed, "Topaz is the kind of sista who appeals to a guy on every level and that shit is rare. So, we cool with being friends if anything more is out of the question."
Ron chuckled. "Lex man, you'd say or do anything to be around a woman like that."
Alex couldn't deny the truth in that statement. He had only met Topaz the day before and she'd been on his mind ever since. "Trey told me she didn't have a man." Alex took another swig of his Bourbon. "She was with this brotha named Simon." He added, spying the look pass between
Centron and Ronald. "Y'all know him?"
"He had a thing with Topaz back in the day." Ron explained.
"Mmm," Alex grunted, stirring the ice cubes in his drink while he leaned back against the bar, "I figured they had a history. What's the story?" He prodded.
"They were engaged, right Tron?" Ronald asked his brother, watching him nod. Alex felt his hand tighten reflexively around the glass. An emotion he would not identify ripped through him at the sound of the word. "She break it off?" He asked, after several seconds of silence.
"He broke it off." Ronald revealed, waiting for Alex's surprised reaction.
"After they got back together." Centron provided.
"Elaborate please."
Ronald leaned forward. "Get this man, he broke it off first. Then, they got back together but I don't know, I guess it wasn't the same.”
"He broke it off? Why?" Alex pried, his tone one of complete disbelief. The twins shrugged.
"Damned if we know." Centron said, “but she's not with him or anybody else exclusively.”
"Why man?" Ronald slyly inquired. "You thinkin' 'bout tossin' your hat in the ring?"
"Hmph." Alex gestured, downing the rest of his drink. "Well with y'all clowns for my competition, I shouldn't have a problem achieving success." He replied.
The boisterous laughter that followed was enough to turn the heads of several women.
( Continued... )
© 2016 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, AlTonyaWashington. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.
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Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
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Intimate Conversation with AlTonya Washington
In The Midst of Passion
AlTonya Washington has been a romance novelist for 14 years. She’s traditionally published with Harlequin’s Kimani Romance imprint, winner of the Romance Slam Jam EMMA Award and two time winner of The Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer's Choice Award. AlTonya is a mom and works as a College Reference Librarian. In 2015, she received scholarly publication for her article An Indie Author in a Library World which appeared in “Self-Publishing and Collection Development: Opportunities and Challenges for Libraries” published by Purdue University Press. She enjoys a successful indie author career and is best known for her Ramsey/Tesano romantic suspense series.
BPM: What made you want to become a writer?
I decided to become a writer the summer after I graduated college. I attended the HBCU Winston Salem State University. I believe it was that experience that made me look at the romance novels I’d enjoyed since age 13, with a more critical eye. I still enjoyed the stories, but I craved seeing characters that looked like me. As the great Toni Morrison says “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it”. These words have been a driving force behind so many of the stories I’ve created. How long have you been writing?I penned my first story in the summer of 1994.
BPM: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
I believe I’ve learned how to write the story my characters are showing me instead of the ones I want them to act out. I listen to them more which has enabled me to create some pretty unforgettable people.
BPM: Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?
I don’t know if I’d say spiritual, but it is therapeutic. There’s a feeling I get when I’m writing that just soothes me. Whatever is going on around me or in my life, writing creates this…bubble that protects me from all the angst. Then, it rejuvenates and inspires to give me the strength to go and face the angst.
BPM: How has writing impacted your life?
It’s made my house a cluttered mess! I write everything in longhand so you can imagine the notebooks I’ve got piled. Seriously, it’s not that bad-I try not to let my ‘hobby’ put my home in too much of an uproar. To be honest, writing has ‘impacted’ my life in beautiful ways. I continually evolve as a more thoughtful person, more observant, more detail-oriented and definitely more focused!
BPM: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
There are so many I’s to dot and T’s to cross! I’m not just talking about inside the pages of the book either! This is especially true when the work is an indie project. Everything rests on your shoulders and you have to make sure the product is as satisfying inside as it is on the outside. I’ve learned that it goes beyond selecting the perfect cover image and font size for the title. The platforms used to create the work, proofing the work and proofing it again and again…there are so many levels of quality control. Still, the end result makes it all worth it.
BPM: Where do you see yourself as a writer in five years?
Five years…Wow…lots of changes. I pray they will be wonderful ones. My best guy will be in college I hope. I’ll be a free woman with even more time to write-yaaaay!! My biggest personal goal though, is to be writing full time. I hope to make this a reality before 5 years, but definitely by then.
BPM: How do you find or make time to write?
I HAVE to write. It’s like a vitamin. I don’t feel quite right until I have it in my system. Unless I’m out for the day with my best guy, there are few places I go without having work with me. I’m usually up by 5am, and start writing after my morning workout before I head off to the day job. On the weekends, I usually sit down to write 2-3 times a day and put in 2-3hrs per session.
BPM: Are you a plotter or a pantster?
I’d say both terms relate to me. I rely heavily on plotting, though I wouldn’t consider my books to be plot driven but character driven. I begin each writing project by taking a wealth of notes and gathering tons of research about the places and topics I plan to cover in any given story. I create a “What Has To Happen” document that can run anywhere from 15-20 pages in length and can contain as much as 75-100 different items I want to cover in the story. My title “A Lover’s Return” contained almost 200 notes in this document. Still, I enjoy the freedom that is associated with being a ‘pantster’. When it’s time to craft my rough draft some of this won’t make it into the story-the final decision always rests with my characters.
BPM: How did you choose the genre you write in?
I think the romance genre chose me. I have been an avid reader all my life. From the children’s classics like The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Secret Garden and more to the teen dramas like the Sweet Valley High series and the Flowers in the Attic series by VC Andrews, I was a fan of them all. Romance however was the only one that sparked my desire to write. Have you considered writing in another genre? I would enjoy crafting a mystery novel and have already plotted out a crime fiction title that I hope to start on later next year.
BPM: Tell us about your most recent work?
In The Midst of Passion takes place near my neck of the woods in Charlotte, NC. It’s the story of Alexander Rice and Topaz Emerson. Topaz is a beautiful and well known entrepreneur and so is Alex. As with so many of my stories, I enjoy writing about really gorgeous people and placing them in situations with tremendous obstacles to climb. In this story, the bulk of the obstacles rest with Alex. We discover that certain ghosts in his past will parallel the drama that unfolds with Topaz and the other entrepreneurs on her block when they encounter a group that wants to force them out of business. Available on Nook and Kindle? Yes, In The Midst of Passion is available in ebook format for most platforms- Nook and Kindle included.
BPM: Give us some insight into your main characters or the speakers. What makes each one so special?
Topaz is your quintessential beauty with a heart of gold and a line of work that most people would never guess-as the owner of a garage. People love her and love to be around her. Unfortunately, her beauty makes it difficult to develop long lasting friendships with other women primarily because men are quite interesting in developing friendships of their own. Topaz is a sweetheart, albeit misunderstood. Alex is a bit tougher to analyze. He enters the story as a successful newspaper publisher, but we soon discover that his past is nowhere near as normal. Alex is a former contract killer who has done a lot to outrun his past. He is in the process of realizing that past may be impossible to outrun when Topaz walks, or rather, drives into his life.
BPM: What was your hardest scene to write, the opening or the close?
With this book, I believe it was the scene that I hated to write, which was the close. There was so much going on in this story, so many aspects that tied together-so many dynamic characters. Once everything had been resolved, I just wanted to linger in this world soaking up all that had happened and perhaps pondering what more there was to come.
BPM: Share one specific point in your book that resonated with your present situation or journey.
One thing that resonated powerfully with me in this story was Alex’s inability to let go of his past. I think that’s something we all struggle with. Whether the issue(s) are ones that aren’t our fault or whether they are, I believe we tend to rehash certain points in our story over and over again. Doing this makes it impossible to truly let go. Like Alex, we are never truly free. I believe that’s the case until we decide to stop running from the dark spots and face them. I don’t think there is one ‘way’ in which we face them. I think it’s specific to each of us.
BPM: Is there a specific place/space/state that you find inspiration in?
I can write pretty much anywhere, but being at home on a rainy day continues to be my absolute favorite time, space, place to create. A gray, rainy day with the lamps on, a mug of hot tea and the kettle simmering on the stove means Tonya is somewhere in comfy clothes writing and smiling.
BPM: Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
Well I just adore all the characters in my Ramsey/Tesano series and I’ll probably write stories featuring them for as long as I’m able to write. My Sleeping Giants characters are becoming especially satisfying as are a few others I’ve yet to introduce to the reading public. As for recurring themes, the ‘mad scientist’ element has been drawing me in deeper and deeper. I’m having quite a bit of fun exploring that in my romantic suspense titles lately.
BPM: Do you want each book to stand on its own or do you prefer to write series?
I enjoy both. I make a conscious decision before starting a new project on whether I intend for it to be a standalone or a series. I enjoy series which allow me to plant those little seeds that I can watch spring up during the course of the books-as with the Ramsey/Tesano saga. I enjoy the standalones as well. Standalones give readers the closure they want without the fear of a cliffhanger. Now, I’m hooked on creating standalones within a series- which follow a particular theme. These are stories that a reader can pick up from anywhere in the lineup and not feel the need to read the other titles in order to enjoy the story in hand. I’m having great fun exploring this in my new Sleeping Giants interracial romantic suspense series.
BPM: Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Writing energizes me all the way! I don’t write when I’m exhausted-I never try to push past it because I don’t feel it produces my best work. If I’m not feeling energized, I recognize that I need a fresh brain. I refuel (with sleep) before going back to the drawing board.
BPM: Do you believe in writer’s block?
I believe in exhaustion. I really believe that’s what hinders so many writers and they misdiagnose it as a block. Not saying it doesn’t exist, only I think a writer should first examine their fuel gauge.
BPM: Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?
I’m not so sure anymore. What is it? I once said I’d never write about a couple having to deal with infidelity. I write romance and I don’t see how that could be crafted as romantic but I’ve been having some ideas lately that may require me to revisit the idea and we’ll see…
BPM: Do you try to deliver to readers what they want or let the characters guide your writing?
I think what readers want is a good story. I try to provide one with every project. It doesn’t work for me not to listen to my characters-getting into their heads, discovering who they are and presenting those layers to my readers is one of the great joys I get out of writing. My readers expect a dynamic plot but they also want to experience that connection to the people (the characters) who live the story.
BPM: Is there a certain type of scene that's harder for you to write than others?
Not really, but for me love scenes depend on the kind of scene it is. For instance, with an ‘almost’ love scene, I can pretty much write that anywhere-they’re fun, quick, sexy scenes in route to the rest of the plot and can be used to advance the story in an incidental way. For the ‘all the way’ love scenes, I prefer to write those at a time and place where I know I won’t be interrupted. If you’ve read my work, you know that sometimes those scenes can go on for a bit. I write from beginning to end with those and strive to make them as intense as a scene of dialogue. It’s important for writers to understand that love scenes are part of the plot as well and really begin from the first moment the characters meet in the story. They should not be written simply as sex tossed in for good measure, but have a true connection to the work.
BPM: What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
Best money I ever spent as a writer was back in 2001 when I attended the Romance Slam Jam Literary Conference in Orlando, FL. I was a new mom, money was VERY tight and I even think I missed the registration deadline but I was living in Orlando and able to reach out to Mrs. Brenda Woodbury, who was the local contact person for the event. She worked magic to get me there. Aside from a few magazine short stories, I had nothing in the way of a major publication. Attending that event was like being admitted to another world -a fantastic one I had only dreamed about. Once I started writing, I pretty much shied away from reading romance-not wanting anyone else’s voice to intrude on my own.
So…until 2001, I had no idea African American Romance existed at such a level. One reason I started writing was because I couldn’t find the books I wanted. In SC of the 1980s & 90s, I could NOT find such stories on the shelves. The BEST part about Slam Jam, were the readers-energetic, intelligent, curious women with insatiable reading appetites. They made me believe that my voice had a place and an audience in this new and dynamic world.
BPM: Have you written any other books that are not published?
Oh yeah! I’ve got two at the rough draft stage that I just haven’t pushed into final draft mode and several more that I’ve done outlines for, but haven’t had the time to move any further with. We won’t discuss all the stuff still rattling around in my head.
BPM: What projects are you working on at the present?
Now THAT’S a loaded question! I’m working on so much-or I should say so many things are coming down the pipeline. Folks tend to get on me about my work taking so long to release, but it’s hard for me to work on more than one book at a time. I admire people who can. I enjoy giving my all to one world at a time. I’d say it works pretty well for me, there’s a lot on the horizon. 2017 will see a new Harlequin Kimani entitled “Silver Screen Romance”. Also, the second in my Sleeping Giants Series “Conquered” which follows “Intoxicated” that released in June 2016. There will be new T. Onyx erotica “Pleasure’s Possession” a spin off from the earlier “Pleasure’s Powerhouse”. “Tradition”- a new family saga trilogy set in Charleston, SC. I’ll wrap up the year with “Book of Scandal- The Tesano Elders”.
BPM: What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you?
I’m good with any method- FB, Twitter, Instagram. I absolutely LOVE emails from my readers, though many often drop me a line via FB Messenger when they have a quick question. It’s a great pick-me-up when I see a message from a reader.
BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
http://www.lovealtonya.com
https://twitter.com/Ramseysgirl
https://www.instagram.com/novelally
https://altonyasblog.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAltonyaWashingtonFanPage
Books by AlTonya Washington
https://www.amazon.com/AlTonya-Washington/e/B001JS2S7U
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