Saturday Spotlight – The South Winds by Allison Mullinax

 

 

The South Winds

by Allison Mullinax

Contemporary Romance

Fiery Seas Everlasting

August 7, 2018

 

Cassie Ray, manager of her family’s successful oyster house, has never asked for much out of life. The sun, surf, and sand are her companions. The regulars and tourists that flock to The Slippery Oyster are her livelihood. But when the Atlantic kicks up a hurricane, sending waves of black water threatening the coast, Cassie quickly learns that the south winds have blown in a lot more than debris and saltwater.

Dean Alexander left Turquoise Isle eight years ago and never looked back. With his sister’s wedding approaching, and a hurricane churning in the Gulf, Dean returns home, where he’s welcomed with a riptide of memories determined to pull him under.

Will Cassie and Dean make it through the crashing waves of the past? Will they get a second chance before it’s too late or will the storm ahead be too much for them to handle?

Excerpt:

EXCERPT #4 – CHAPTER SIX

“Was that Dean Dean?” Jonah asks, still standing in the same spot since he walked into the house, staring at me wide-eyed.

“The one and only.” Wiping my sweaty palms over my black pants, I grimace at the tight muscles grinding in my forearm, protesting any sort of movement from my fingers. “This night sucks.” I blow a stray strand of hair out of my face. The smell of fish grease clings to my locks for dear life.

“I pictured him taller, less… clean cut,” Jonah says over his shoulder, walking into the kitchen. He stomps through the house, the hardwood floor shaking under his boots. “Where’s the good stuff?” He shuffles through a bottle of ketchup, cartons of leftovers, and an expired jar of mayonnaise as his backside sticks out of the refrigerator.

“He didn’t used to be. He’s different. There’s nothing in there. Try up there.” I point to the cabinet above his head as he swings around. A slice of lunch meat hangs from between his lips momentarily before he sucks it into his mouth.

“You need to go to the grocery store. I could have sworn I saw a bottle of wine hiding back there last week.” Towering over the refrigerator, Jonah stands on his tiptoes to reach the back of my liquor cabinet, from which he produces a three-year-old bottle of vodka. Pointing to it, he shrugs, waiting for my approval.

“Yeah, that’ll do.”

“Sit.” Jonah nods toward the table and walks across the kitchen. He pulls two red plastic cups out of the cabinet and snatches a bag of Cheetos. He places his pay load on the table.

“I just can’t believe he came to the restaurant.” Walking over to my kitchen nook, I plop down on top of the dining table, my legs dangling over the edge.

“Wait, woman!” Jonah waves his hand frantically in the air before pulling a finger to his lips, shushing me. “Don’t tell me all the gory details yet. I want the vodka version, not the bitter-Betty version.”

“I’m not bitter.”

“Playa, please, I’ve never seen you wound this tight. I could bounce a quarter off the vein popping out the side of your neck. Gimme.” Jonah holds his hand out for a cup, twisting the lid of the vodka off with his teeth. The clear liquid splashes against the bottom as he spits the top out onto the table. I watch it spin against the grainy wood, making its way toward the edge. Harold eyes the lid curiously from the floor, waiting for it to drop into his paws.

“Drink.” Jonah keeps his eyes on mine as we both tilt our heads back, letting the shots burn down our throats. He pulls a fist to his lips, his eyes watering over. “This is terrible.”

“I know, give me another.” I cough, then slam my cup down onto the table.

“One more. I gotta drive home.” Jonah pours a single shot into each of the cups, and we

toss the fire into our bellies one last time. “We need to update your liquor choices, Cass.” He shoves his hand into the Cheeto bag, plucking out several, and leaving cheesy powder coating his knuckles.

“I may never drink vodka again after this.” I hold my tongue out, waiting for the burn to disappear.

Jonah tosses the cups into the trash along with the half-empty liquor bottle, giving a slight shudder as it smacks against the bottom of the garbage can. “All right, spill it.”

 

BUY LINKS:

Fiery Seas Pub Bookstore: https://www.fieryseaspublishing.com/product-page/the-south-winds

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/South-Winds-Turquoise-Isle-Book-ebook/dp/B07F6X6V18/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-south-winds-allison-mullinax/1129081625?ean=2940162142232

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gr/en/ebook/the-south-winds

About the Author: 

North Alabama native, Allison Mullinax, grew up in the small lake town of Guntersville, AL. She discovered the escapism and addiction of writing at an early age. Today she remains a lover of reading, all things outdoors, and spending time with her husband and three daughters. 

Social Media: 

 Website

Facebook

Twitter

AuThursday – Allison Mullinax

Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I am thirty-five years old, and I live in Alabama with my husband and three daughters. And honestly, being a mom of three is what consumes most of my time these days. Fortunately, I have a lot of time to write while they are in school. I love hiking, cooking, and of course reading!

How do you make time to write?

My youngest daughter will start pre-school this fall, and thankfully that will open up a lot more time to write. I currently write in stolen moments during nap times, early in the morning, and at night when the house is quiet and everyone is sleeping. I am looking forward to having several hours of daytime to create!

What genre are your books?

All of my novels center heavily around a romance, though my latest work is coming out more like a thriller…and I’m loving it.

What draws you to this genre?

I’ve always enjoyed reading about characters falling in love. It can be approached in many different ways, and I love the obstacles thrown in a hero and heroine’s path. It’s easy to root for a couple to get their happily ever after, and as an author, it’s my job to make that as difficult as possible for them.

Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?

I just love this question, because it really gives life to an author’s vision of their characters. Johanna, my heroine, looked very much like Emmy Rossum in my mind as I wrote her. Traveler, my hero, is Jesse Williams. Those eyes, swoon!

Do you ever get Writer’s Block?

I don’t so much get writer’s block, as I sometimes lack (the) motivation to sit down and put my fingers on the keyboard. The procrastination is real, y’all. Typically, once I’ve managed to get in my authoring space, the words flow easily.

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

Once the contract offers started coming in, it was that little bit of confidence I needed. I realized writing was something I could do and wanted to do, full time. I’m now in the process of completing my fourth book, and I don’t think I would have had the drive to do that so quickly without that little boost of encouragement from publishing my first novel.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

I would say a realistic reaction from a male’s point of view is something that I’m mindful about. As a female writer who often writes from a male’s perspective, I have to make sure my character is coming across authentic.

Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?

Allisonmullinax.com

Twitter: @allsnmllmx

Cover Reveal – The South Winds by Alison Mullinax

The South Winds
by Allison Mullinax
Contemporary Romance
Fiery Seas Everlasting
August 7, 2018

Cassie Ray, manager of her family’s successful oyster house, has never asked for much out of life. The sun, surf, and sand are her companions. The regulars and tourists that flock to The Slippery Oyster are her livelihood. But when the Atlantic kicks up a hurricane, sending waves of black water threatening the coast, Cassie quickly learns that the south winds have blown in a lot more than debris and saltwater.
​
Dean Alexander left Turquoise Isle eight years ago and never looked back. With his sister’s wedding approaching, and a hurricane churning in the Gulf, Dean returns home, where he’s welcomed with a riptide of memories determined to pull him under.
Will Cassie and Dean make it through the crashing waves of the past? Will they get a
second chance before it’s too late or will the storm ahead be too much for them to handle?

About the Author:

 North Alabama native, Allison Mullinax, grew up in the small lake town of Guntersville, AL. She discovered the escapism and addiction of writing at an early age. Today she remains a lover of reading, all things outdoors, and spending time with her husband and three daughters.  

Social Media: 

 Website

Facebook

Twitter

Break the Line Blog Tour

Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

Hello! I grew up in the small southern lake-town of Guntersville, AL, where I still reside today. I loved playing make-believe and pretend as a little girl, so I turned my favorite pastime into a career in writing. I am a wife and I have three daughters. Most of the time you will find me outside exploring, cooking a new recipe, or escaping the real world by reading a book.

How do you make time to write?

It’s something I force myself to do. Even if I would rather dive into a crime novel, or take a spontaneous road trip, I still make myself put my fingertips on the keyboard and write. My two older daughters are in school, and I stay home with our three-year-old. Her nap time allows me time to write a little during the day.

How do you relax?

On the rare occasion I allow myself to relax, I do so by reading a book from one of my favorite authors, hiking the trails on our farm, or sinking into a bubble bath.

Can you tell us your story of getting “the Call”?

I didn’t know I wanted to be a writer until later on in life. I knew there were stories brewing around in my head, but I have always had an overactive imagination. Until finally, my brain cooked up a plot line and characters that refused to stay trapped in my psyche. I decided to write my first novel during my two-year-old’s nap time, while waiting in car line to pick up my older daughters, and in the late hours of the night when the house was quiet. When I typed the words “the end,” I knew I wanted to type them over and over again. It was like a faucet that I couldn’t turn off.

What genre are your books?

Break The Line is a contemporary-romance set in the south. Writing southern novels comes natural to me. I love to give my characters a little twang in their voice and set them in a slow and easy backdrop. When It All Goes Still is a science-fiction romance, with a bit of a sinister side.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

It’s easy to write a man exactly how you would want him to be. The perfect gentleman, with a sense of humor, and looks as if they were molded from the gods. But that isn’t realistic. I give my male characters flaws. I make them human. My male characters get jealous, they all say things they shouldn’t, and they don’t always get it right. So, I would say the most difficult thing on writing the opposite sex would be not making him too perfect. I have to remember to make room for character development, and not flawless from the beginning.

What is your writing Kryptonite?

Dialogue tags are the bane of my existence. It’s something I’ve really had to work on, and still have to double-check myself on during editing.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Write! Every day! Sit in the chair and place your fingers on the keyboard and just write. Forget daily word-count, forget the rules, all you need to do is get words on a screen. Then you can go back and edit as needed.

Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?

My website is allisonmullinax.com.

My twitter handle is @allsnmllnx, and I have a facebook author page facebook/allisonnmullinaxauthor

Do you have a teaser you’d like to share with us?

Here is a small teaser from Chapter Five of Break The Line:

“No, Benson… you couldn’t possibly understand.” She’s looking down and picking a loose thread on the patchwork quilt. I watch her pull at the string, creating a crease along the edges of the material.

I let the silence linger for a moment. “What happened?” I risk asking. I’ll never get anywhere with her if I don’t try. I reach my hand out and place it over hers, stopping her nervous assault on the blanket. She doesn’t jerk away, she only looks down at my hand covering hers. And though the Alabama sun is warm against our skin, I see the chill bumps raise along her arms. She may think she’s hiding how she feels, but I’m honed-in to every breath, to every move she makes, and I know that I’m winning the war.

“I can’t fix something I don’t know anything about, Danni. Just try,” I say, aware that it sounds like I’m pleading with her. I don’t care, my pride never got me anywhere that I needed to be anyways.

I watch when she flips her hand underneath my touch, and twists her fingers into mine. There’s something about the way her hand fits into my palm. If a fishing rod ever felt like coming home, then her hand holding mine feels like going to heaven. She looks up, her eyes on mine, and my eyes fall to her lips.

“Someone I loved… very much… lost everything because of someone like you. And this,” she says, holding our entangled hands up, “no matter how good it feels, no matter how much I want it, feels like a betrayal,” she reveals, and the look on her face tells me that this battle can never be won in a day.