Meet author Sharon C. Cooper!

Hiya, readers! We are excited to host author Sharon C. Cooper at WordWranglers today! Sharon is in the hotseat, answering our questions and she'll share an excerpt from her latest Rendezvous with Danger below.


WordWranglers: Please tell us a little about yourself.

Sharon: Well, my name is Sharon C. Cooper and I write sweet and contemporary romance, as well as romantic suspense. I haven’t always been tied to a desk, a computer and a chair. I spent 10 years as a Sheet Metal Worker, and while enjoying that unique line of work, I attended college in the evening and obtained my B.A. from Concordia University in Business Management. My writing career officially started a few years ago while living in San Diego. It started with me writing (and selling) a children’s play, and then trying my hand at freelance writing. Now, most of my writing focus has been on creating enjoyable romances.

WordWranglers: Talk about your book. What was the first seed of an idea you had for your book? How did it develop?

Sharon: My latest release, Rendezvous with Danger, book 2 of the Reunited Series is a romantic suspense.

Blurb:
Alandra Pargas, ex-CIA counter-intelligence officer, plans to wreak vengeance on the people who tried to kill her. A little rendezvous with danger is not what scares her, though. It’s seeing the tall, dark, and dangerously sexy man she vowed to love forever that has her running for cover.
Former U.S. Special Operative, Quinn Hamilton, left the world of covert operations after the love of his life died in his arms during a black op. Three years later, he still loses sleep wondering if maybe he could have done something more to save her – until Alandra shows up on his doorstep. With her lies and betrayal, he wants nothing to do with her, yet, his heart won’t cooperate. It’s not until unknown enemies come after her that he must decide if he can leave the past behind and protect the woman he’ll always love. Will they survive this last mission and rekindle the love and passion they once shared?

The story-line for this novel gained momentum after I finished Blue Roses, book 1 of the Reunited Series. I received numerous emails from readers wanting to know more about Quinn Hamilton - the sexy, dangerous, and well-connected best friend of Tyler Hollister. I started with a short-story for Quinn – reintroducing him to readers and introducing his love interest, Alandra Pargas. The short story, Secret Rendezvous, is a prequel to Rendezvous with Danger. NOTE: Secret Rendezvous is FREE on all online ebook retailers.

WordWranglers: Great blurb! Was there a scene that was more difficult than others? One that you pondered whether or not to include it?

Sharon: Great question! Actually there were a couple, but the one that sticks out in my mind is the house invasion scene. Alandra Pargas (the heroine) has a black belt in Taekwondo and I wanted to show some of her skills in action. I thought it would be hard to describe her various kicks and punches, but it turned out great. Also, this particular scene wasn’t in my outline (I’m a plotter) so I was a little hesitant in adding it.

WordWranglers: What do you keep in mind as you write? An overarching question? A theme? The last line of the book?

Sharon: Another great question! I think the overarching question for me is usually – is the scene, chapter or story holding my attention. If a scene or a chapter bores me, chances are, it’ll bore my readers as well.  So I make sure the story (and the characters) are keeping my attention and are making me want to make it to the end of the story.

WordWranglers: What are you currently working on?

Sharon: I’m currently working on the first novel of my new series, The Jenkins Family Series. I wrote a short story last year, Best Woman for the Job, and received some great emails from readers. They wanted to know if Craig and Toni (main characters) were going to have a full-length novel and whether or not some of Toni’s family members would have their own story. The answers: yes and yes. The first book (still wrestling with the title) will be out late this summer. Readers can stay abreast of the progress of that series (as well as other series) by following my blog or by visiting my website.

WordWranglers: Exciting! How do you balance writing, marketing, promoting, bookkeeping, family and work?

Sharon: Whew, some days are better than others (smile). I’m big on to-do-lists. So pretty much everything gets scheduled, especially anything related to my writing. I typically designate more time to writing than to other aspects of my writing career - like marketing and promoting. I once read somewhere that the best thing an author can do to promote their books is to keep writing more books. As far as family – they come first! I treat my writing like a part-time job, but when it comes to family time, I always make myself available.

WordWranglers: Great advice, Sharon! Thanks so much for coming by today!


Excerpt:

Quinn eased around the paint-chipped pillar, and along the musty-smelling hallway, his gun held close to his body and ready to shoot anyone who got in his way. All he needed was to leave the building without being detected.

“You have twelve minutes to get out of there Q,” Malik said through Quinn’s earpiece.

Quinn proceeded through the corridor, his body tight against the uneven wall. He made the first turn and moved down the dimly lit hallway where a single bulb dangled from a sub-standard light fixture. He heard voices coming from a room to his right, so he turned left and maneuvered down the staircase. Ten more yards and he would be home free.

He made it to the final step and halted when he heard footsteps running on the level above him and then down the stairs behind him. He ducked into a nearby utility closet, not closing the door completely.

“We have a problem,” he heard Malik say in his ear.
No kidding, Quinn thought.

“Two snipers on the rooftop of the building adjacent to the one you’re in. Sit tight.”

Missions like this Quinn normally did solo, but he was glad Malik was there. They’d run into a few snags, and his presence had proven beneficial.

“All clear.”

No longer hearing footsteps, Quinn eased back into the hallway, down the back stairs and out of the building into the night. He made sure the information he had just stolen was secure inside his jacket, and he inched toward the gate. A tree branch snapped. Quinn slammed his body against the brick wall, blending into the darkness of the night. He stood still for several seconds and heard it again. Slowly, he turned his head toward the noise. What he saw, several yards away under the dim moonlight, made his heart stop.

Alandra. What in the… He blinked several times, unable to fathom why she was thousands of miles from home, and standing in the middle of what could easily become a war zone.

He retraced his steps. She anxiously looked around the area and then back at the small device she held in her hands. Within five feet of her, he must have made a noise because her head shot up and their eyes connected. And in slow motion everything exploded around her.

“Get down!” he yelled and saw her fall to her knees.

Without thinking he ran to her and chaos erupted in every direction. He scooped her up and nestled her behind a long concrete block and then he noticed she’d been shot.

“Oh, shit.”

“Quinn,” she said, grasping at his shirt, her eyes wild. “Please … be careful.”

“Malik, I need you. Now!” Quinn growled into his mouthpiece giving Malik his location while he jerked out of his jacket and placed it under Alandra’s head.

“On my way,” Malik said.

“Hang on baby. We’re going to get you out of here.” He ripped open her down vest and then her shirt to determine the extent of her injury. Blood spilled from the chest wound. Damn. He glanced around trying to decide the best route to safety as he removed his shirt, leaving him with only a black T-shirt on. Gunshots rang out around him as he pressed his shirt over her wound to slow the bleeding.

“Quinn… I love…you. I have to tel…”

“I love you too, baby, but I need you to hold... Oh, damn. Alandra? Alandra?” he growled when her eyes rolled to the back of her head. He cradled her closer to his body, willing her to stay with him. “Lan…” he started but felt a bullet slap the back of his shoulder - and then his back. Paralyzed by the sharp pain that traveled down his spine, gripping him like steel claws, he struggled to hold on to Alandra, fighting the blackness that threatened to overpower him.

“Alandra, baby, I...need you…to hold on.”

About the Author:


Best-selling author, Sharon C. Cooper, lives in Atlanta with her husband and enjoys reading, writing, and rainy days. She writes sweet and contemporary romance, as well as romantic suspense.

Sharon is a Pro member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), board member and member of Georgia Romance Writers (GRW), and a member of the Page a Day Writers Group. To read more about Sharon and her novels, visit www.sharoncooper.net

• Sharon's Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
• Rendezvous with Danger on Amazon (This book is exclusive to Amazon)