My first post & a giveaway!

My first blog post on Here Be Magic! I'm happy to be a part of this talented group of writers!

Please let me introduce myself--my name is Sandy James. I'm a teacher from Indiana who decided to started writing books when my children were leaving the nest. I found myself at loose ends. No more soccer games, plays, or choir performances to attend. A blessing and a curse. When I realized I was filling my free time by devouring books at a ravenous pace--books that weren't always satisfying--a plan began to form in my mind. Then came the straw that broke my back.

I read a romance about a thirty-nine year old heroine who was married. Great! A heroine like me! My celebration was short-lived. After claiming--several times--the heroine still looked seventeen, I pitched the book against a wall and decided to write my own. A time travel romance about a married couple who were separated by a "twist of fate." So from that very first book, I was writing paranormal.

I finished Twist of Fate in late 2005. And it led to another book and another...and I was addicted. I wasn't writing to publish. It was merely an outlet for me to express myself. But then some of my teacher friends wanted to read my books, and they liked what they read. So I figured, why not? What did I have to lose?

Funny, but although my published books are all contemporary romances, most of them have a paranormal element. In Free Falling, the heroine is an empath. In Faith of the Heart, Sarah is a genuine faith healer. When it dawned on me how much fun it was to have those little bits of magic, I decided to write a full-out, no-holds-barred fantasy romance. Which leads me to today!

That book was the first in what turned out to be a four-book series--Alliance of the Amazons. Book one--The Reluctant Amazon--releases on September 3rd.

Here's the blurb:

The last thing Rebecca Massee expects on her wedding day is to go from jilted kindergarten teacher to Amazonian Earth warrior. But when she causes an earthquake after her groom says I don't, she discovers that not only does she possess incredible powers, she is one of four lost chosen sisters who must fight to keep humanity safe from rogue gods and demons. Luckily she has help: ruggedly handsome Scottish warrior Artair MacKay, her protector and teacher.

An immortal, Artair has trained countless warriors for more than four hundred years. He understands Rebecca's confusion at the new world she's been thrust into and worries she is too emotionally vulnerable, but that doesn't stop his growing feelings for the beautiful and fearless woman.

When an evil force threatens to destroy the Amazons, Rebecca must claim her full powers--but they come at a cost. Can she sacrifice the man she loves if it means saving the world?

 

Why did I choose today to introduce myself? It's my birthday! I'm thirty-nineteen today! In celebration, I'm going to give away a gift instead of receive one! Leave me a comment, and on Sunday the 19th, I'll draw a name at random. That commenter will receive an ARC of The Reluctant Amazon!

I'm thrilled to be a part of Here Be Magic, and I hope to keep churning out those fantasy books for Carina!

*hugs*
Sandy