My guest today is A. S. Fenichel, and she's got a new release, Joshua's Mistake, to tell you about. But before we get to that, I got all nosy and asked her a few questions that were on my mind. Please welcome A. S. to the blog!
Hi Donna! I’m so happy to be here. Thank you very much for having me on your blog.
1. I'm thrilled to have you here! First off, your last name is so distinctive. Where did it come from? And how is it pronounced?
Ha! My last name is my own. It’s the one I was born with, my maiden name. It’s Austrian but may have been changed at Ellis Island and no one in my family knows what it might have been prior to coming to America in the early 1890’s. It is pronounced "Fen-i-shell".
2. *murmurs it with a French accent* Oh, next question. You've shared great recipes on your blog. If you invited your hero and heroine, Joshua and Tessa, over for dinner, what would you make for them? (Yeah, I'll be there too, so you have even numbers at the table.)
Thank you! My husband and I love to cook. In fact we spent half of our Italian honeymoon at a cooking class in Tuscany. So the food would likely be Italian. Most people don’t mind our penchant for Italian and Mediterranean cooking. ;) Hope you like it too.
Menu
For the appetizer: Mussels steamed in white wine and garlic and served with a nice chardonnay. Crusty bread for dipping!
The pasta course: Penne with a simple red sauce.
The entre: Thick steak grilled and then finished in a balsamic sauce. Served with Chianti
Rosemary peas made with butter.
Roasted scalloped potatoes dripping with three kinds of cheese
For dessert: my homemade tiramisu. (You will die for this sweet pleasure.)
What time can I expect you?
3. I'm ringing your doorbell right now! What was the first scene you wrote in this book?
I almost always write from the beginning. I started Joshua’s mistake with Joshua arriving at the safe house at the New Jersey Shore where Tessa is being held by the FBI. He has been called in to do a mind probe, a very dangerous and invasive form of interrogation. However, what should have been a violent encounter, changes both of their lives.
A mind probe? Sounds intriguing. Thanks so much for giving us the inside scoop! And now here's more info about Joshua's Mistake -- I can't wait to read it.
~~~~~~
Accused of treason and the murder of her Psychic Special Forces team, Tessa is in the custody of the FBI. She’s shocked and terrified when the most powerful Psi Agent in the world shows up to probe her mind and discover her guilt or innocence.
Joshua never expected to find a victim of one of his probes attractive, but he can’t seem to leave her behind when all hell breaks loose. Saving the stunning blonde means being drawn into a psychic war that will definitely end his career—and likely both of their lives.
The rhythm of their psychic auras hums to perfection and neither can fight the bond, but it’s all ripped away by a madman with a grudge. Tessa falls into a coma, and Joshua will have to risk his heart and soul to pull her back from the brink.
A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
~~~Excerpt~~~
Joshua got up from the farm table. “I’ll be back in a little while. Peggy, can you show Tessa where she can rest?”
Peggy smiled warmly. “Of course. You’ll be wanting a shower too. If you give me those clothes, I’ll get them in the washing machine and have them clean when you wake up.”
“You’re very kind, Mrs. Flack.”
She waved a bony hand in dismissal. “You just call me Peggy. Everyone does.”
Tessa had said all the right things to Peggy. She had been polite and controlled her emotions. Inside, she was just short of full on panic. He was leaving her. Who could blame him? Tessa didn’t want to alarm the Flacks so she remained silent, yet practically screamed in her mind, “Where the hell are you going? Are you leaving me here?”
Part of her wanted him to hear and another part of her understood why he would want to get as far away from her as possible. Just because she could feel his emotions didn’t mean he would sense hers. He was undoubtedly very practiced at closing off his mind. If he was really a level ten psychic, he would have to just to stay sane.
He’d likely get killed if he stayed with her. At least he’d gotten her to a place where she could try to catch a few hours of sleep and then she’d be on the run. Probably for the rest of her life, however long that might be.
From the way his head spun around, she might as well have spoken out loud. His eyes widened and then he stalked toward her. He was visceral and terrifying. His body language said he wanted her and he might take her right there in the kitchen.
Tessa held her ground in the center of the old linoleum floor. She didn’t know if she wanted to move closer or run away. Everything about Joshua made her at once, curious, aroused and afraid.
Bill cleared his throat and walked out the door with his shotgun in his hand.
Peggy said, “Well, um…I’ll just wait for you in the next room, Tessa dear.”
Joshua didn’t stop until he was standing with only a sliver of light between them. She had to crane her neck to look up at him. His mouth came within a centimeter of hers, but he never touched her.
“I’m not leaving you.”
Her heart pounded in her chest and her stomach clenched painfully. “I can take care of myself.”
One side of his mouth lifted. His right hand came up and calloused fingers slid across her cheekbone. He was powerful. He could kill her. If his psi rating was true, he could likely kill her without touching her, but he could just as easily snap her neck. She could defend herself, but what would be the point. This was Joshua Lakeland. Eventually he would win.
Those same fingers continued until they were threaded through her hair and he forced her to look him in the eye. “I know you can, Tessa. I’m not leaving because I don’t want to leave you. I can’t explain why, but we’re in this together. You’re going to have to learn to trust me.”
She had to force air into her lungs. “I’ve already taken several leaps of faith. You just said you were leaving. If you want to go, then go.”
He shook his head, but didn’t release her. “I’m going to get rid of the car. I don’t want to get picked up by the local police because we made a rookie mistake and kept a stolen car too long.”
“Oh.” She could feel her cheeks flushing.
His left hand came up and cupped her other cheek. He ran a thumb along her bottom lip. She wanted to be impervious to his attention, but her body trembled at his touch.
His mouth drew closer. His breath mingled with hers as her lips separated partially in shock at what was about to happen and partially in need of his kiss. Those deep blue eyes locked with hers and she couldn’t blink or look away. He scanned her face to her lips, closed his eyes and stepped away.
Tessa’s instinct told her she should throw her arms around his neck and take the kiss he’d nearly given. Her cautious nature kept her feet planted in the spot on the linoleum.
Only the sound of heavy breathing filled the kitchen for several ticks of the clock.
“I’ll be back in a little while. You’d better get some rest.” Joshua walked out the kitchen door into the yard.
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~~~About the Author~~~
A.S. Fenichel gave up a successful career in New York City to follow her husband to Texas and pursue her lifelong dream of being a professional writer. She’s never looked back.
A.S. adores writing stories filled with love, passion, desire, magic and maybe a little mayhem tossed in for good measure. Books have always been her perfect escape and she still relishes diving into one and staying up all night to finish a good story.
Multi-published in erotic, contemporary and historical romance, A.S. is the author of the Mayan Destiny series, Christmas Bliss and many more. With several books currently contracted to multiple publishers, A.S. will be brining you her brand of romance for many years to come.
Originally from New York, she grew up in New Jersey, and now lives in the East Texas with her real life hero, her wonderful husband. When not reading or writing she enjoys cooking, travel, history, and puttering in her garden.
Website ~ Blog ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Google+ ~ Pinterest
I'm so glad you asked about how to pronounce her last name, Donna. Pleased to know I haven't been butchering it, lol. Italian cooking. Yes! Family on my mom's side is from Italy, around the ankle bone. I grew up with large meals like the one you mention above. Yum, yum, yum!
A.S. already knows I will be reading this. :) Congrats on the release. :)
Posted by: S.J. Maylee | April 02, 2014 at 12:50 PM
I wasn't butchering it either. Whew! But I was worried I might be. LOL Ankle bone? I like that. :) I'm so hungry right now it's not even funny. And Joshua seems pretty yummy too!
Posted by: Donna Cummings | April 02, 2014 at 12:55 PM
LOL. It's not a hard name, just an unusual one. Thanks, S.J. I hope you like Joshua's Mistake. Donna, he is totally yummy and so is the food. ;)
Posted by: A.S. Fenichel | April 02, 2014 at 02:50 PM
It's a lovely name -- which is why I wanted to make sure I was doing it justice. :) It sounds as lovely as tiramisu. And "three kinds of cheese". LOL
Posted by: Donna Cummings | April 02, 2014 at 03:26 PM
LOL! Thank you!
Posted by: A.S. Fenichel | April 03, 2014 at 08:50 AM