Interview: Spring's Promise by Kelliea Ashley

UFI welcomes Kelliea Ashley Author of Spring's Promise. Thanks for Joining us!!

What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview? 

Well, my Husky/German Shepherd/who knows, is seriously afraid of water. He cries like a baby when he has to go out in the rain. On the other hand, we can't seem to keep Copperkitty out of the shower. She even plays in the sink. Where did I go wrong? J


What do you enjoy doing on your down time? 

Gardening. It's strange, my flowerbeds are so pretty, but my house is a plant mortuary.
 
What is your Favorite part of writing? 

I love not knowing where the plot is going to go.
 
Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write? 

Nope. I wish I did, but when I get the urge to write I just plop my laptop on the kitchen table and go at it. I keep bugging my hubby to make me an office.
 
What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Genres? 

I love Christine Feehan's Carpathian Series. I also like Lora Leigh's Breeds.
 
How would you pitch Spring's Promise to someone who has not heard of it before? 

I would tell them it is a sweet romance with a dash of sizzling sexy mixed with a little action all tossed into a country setting with relatable characters.
 
Can you tell us a little bit about the world that Spring's Promise is set in? 

It is set in the small town of Penning, New York. It is a town surrounded by farms, lakes, rivers, and scenic woodlands. Anything can happen in Penning.
 
Do you have a favorite scene in Spring's Promise? 

I do. There's a scene where Ben has Becky up in the hayloft. He is determined to teach her some self-defense moves, not knowing that her father was a marine and a man who wanted his girls to know how to kick a little ass. I won't spoil it, but Becky isn't the one who hits the hay.
 
Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?

Ben. He is a stubborn ex-SEAL who came to Becky's family farm because he didn't want to go straight home to Montana. At a crossroads in his life, he sure wasn't expecting to find trouble-loving Rebecca Grant waiting to change his directions.

What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you? 

If you like Becky and Ben's story, you'll want to read the book that motivated me to write about them. Winter Gifts is my very first publication and my favorite. It is the story of Becky's sister, Maxine. I also have three small flirts coming out from Breathless Press in the next few months that you might enjoy and several books I've already published, but if you love paranormal fantasy, you will want to check out my Sister's of Fate Series. The third story is in the writing stages right now.
 
Thank you Urban Fantasy Investigations for having me over to chat about my new release. I've had a lot of fun and can't wait to return and share more characters with you.

This Or That Interview
 
Character: Rebecca Grant, heroine of Spring's Promise. 
 
Angels or Demons – Angels

Vampires or Shifters –Shifters because their existence could be easily hidden.

Left or Right –Right.

Up or Down –Up. There's nowhere to go when you are down.

Pizza or Pasta – Pasta. I make a mean spaghetti sauce.

Coffee or Tea –Tea. Who knew it would feel so awesome to throw a tea kettle at the head of a stubborn male?

Coke or Pepsi –Coke. I have to go with the classics.

YA or Adult – Adult. I have just recently found out why my sister likes to take romance novels in the tub.

Knives or Guns –Knives, though any sharp object will do in a pinch.

Reading or Writing -Reading.

Facebook or Twitter-Facebook. I love playing games while on long car trips.

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Kelliea Ashley lives near the Canadian Border in upstate New York with her husband, a cat named Copperkitty, a dog named Sammy, and several fish, who do not have names and are very lucky her husband feeds them.

A Jill-of-many-trades, she likes to incorporate her experiences from various jobs into her writing. She has been a nurse's aide, a news reporter, a radio personality, a dairy farmer, and a pharmacy technician to name a few. Though she didn't enjoy every job, she did take something important from each and every one of them.

Kelliea grew up an only child with a devoted single mother. She looked at books as companions and writing as a favorite escape. She has always been a bookworm who steadfastly refused to give up her paperbacks until her loving hubby bought her a Kindle for Christmas. Secretly she still adores the smell of a well-read book, but sh… don’t tell her husband.

She has a habit in the form of chocolate and loves a glass of sweet red wine. Romance has always been her favorite genre because she sees the miracle and magic in finding ones’ true love.

Kelliea has several other titles published by Breathless Press. They are for sale on Breathless Press's website, Amazon, Bookstrand, and Goodreads.

Find Kelliea and her books

Website / Facebook

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Spring's Promise
 Buy Link

A man lost and looking for his future. A woman tempted to break her own promises. Can they find a compromise in a season made for new beginnings?

Rebecca Grant came home to the farm to find herself and make amends for the damage she caused her younger sister. She never expected to find herself under Ben's seductive spell. Nor did she expect him to be engaged to a girl back home. 

Benjamin Farrand is a man trying to find his place after leaving the military. He wants to make those he loves back home in Montana happy, but when he falls for spirited Rebecca Grant all he wants to do is find his own happiness in New York. 

When spring brings an attraction for her sister's farmhand, Rebecca faces the challenge of keeping promises or breaking them to fight for the man she loves.

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Excerpt:

"I'm going to grab you now, don't move when I do." As he spoke, he moved up close behind her wrapping one arm around her waist and the other around her neck. Her muscles tensed beneath his palms, but she didn't give any other reaction. He took a deep breath, but was unprepared for the soft scent of coconut and woman. The urge to sink his nose in her hair was overpowering. Clearing his throat, he tried to shake off the temptation. "Now, your first instinct is to scream and grab my arms to remove my hold on you. That would be a mistake." 

"Okay, so what am I supposed to do?" Her voice came out a bit husky and her breathing sounded uneven. He grinned, knowing she wasn't immune to his touch. He wondered if the kiss in her Blazer had kept her up all night as well. I've been without a woman for too long, what's your excuse, Princess?

 

"Pretend to stomp the inside of my instep. When my hold eases slam your head into my face, then run like hell once you're free. Do it in very slow motion, I don't need a fat lip." 

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to ruin that pretty face of yours." She snapped out in thick sarcasm. 

"That's the kind of comments that are likely to make a man cry. Now, move." 

She huffed out a deep breath, slid her shoe down his leg a little too leisurely and then slowly moved her head back toward him. He gave a mock cry before dropping his arms. "So, now I run." She turned to face him and he noticed her cheeks were a rosy pink color. Oh, yeah. She's hot. Keep it professional, Farrand. 

"You run like the hounds of hell are on your heels because you don't stand a chance going one on one with any man who's bigger than you." 

"Thanks for the confidence building chatter, Ben." She placed a hand on her hip and tipped her head at him in a silent challenge. He stared at her neatly cut nails and grinned. Though she played at challenging him, Rebecca was a delicate flower. One he'd love to pick up and take home. He cleared his throat. 

"All right, this time I'm going to attack you from behind and you'll do the maneuvers a little faster, but with a measure of control. Try not to actually connect." 

"I'll try." She rolled her eyes and turned her back on him. Again, something in her readiness worried him, but he shrugged it off. "Relax your body. You don't know I'm coming for you. I'm silent in the shadows and you are...watching your favorite show. Sex in the City or The Bachelor." Her head turned and the look she gave him was lethal. 

"For your info. I do not watch either of those shows." Her tart tone of voice upped his respect for her. A little. 

"Then whatever it is you like to watch." He shrugged. 

"I like Duck Dynasty and Lost Girl. See? You don't know a thing about me." She turned back around, her ponytail bouncing against her back as she moved. 

"Duck Dynasty, huh? That does surprise me." 

"I love Si. He's down to earth and funny. Don't judge me." 

He moved then, rushing her with a swiftness that would have stolen the breath of any victim he chose to attack. His arms wrapped around her, but instead of using her foot on his instep, she twisted to the side, planted an elbow in his gut, reached back, and then grabbed his neck. Before he knew it he was flying over her hip and hitting the scratchy hay. Only his extensive training had him moving with the roll to end in a crouch before her. 

"This is the part where I run like hell?" she asked innocently.

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