Meet Debut Author Jayne York

          Emily Converse never expected to return to Tamarack, Colorado. But she's determined to rescue her drug-addicted brother and start a new life. Standing in her way, she finds her stepfather, a powerful US senator, looming over her future like the ever-present monster he'd been during their childhood. Meeting wounded retired Navy SEAL, Michael McCandlis, is a steamy surprise in her homecoming, though he's adrift in civilian life. Together can they find a way to transform from victims to survivors?

Wild Women Authors is delighted to welcome debut author Jayne York as she celebrates the release of If Wishes Were Horses, her first novel with the Wild Rose Press. With Jayne is Emily Converse, female protagonist, and all around gutsy woman.

Welcome, Emily. Where are you from? I was born in the tiny Rocky Mountain town of Tamarack, Colorado

What did you think the first time you saw Michael McCandlis? Our first meeting was hardly ordinary considering that I thought he was attacking me. I got to practice my Mugger 101 class though. When I finally met him in the light of day, I thought he was exactly the kind of man that always gets my attention and consistently disappoints me. You know the type—smooth line, pretty face, confident swagger. 

Right up our alley. And your second thought? That I was risking my “New Leaf” program if I fell for the aforementioned characteristics.

So was it love at first sight? Hardly. More along the lines of lust at first sight.

What do you like most about him? His strength of character. Turns out he’s a good guy. There aren’t many of them out there.

How would you describe him? Physically? Six feet, four inches, two-hundred-fifty pounds of hard body. Emotionally? Adrift. He’s still trying to find his ground in civilian life. Up to the point we met, his only focus was the SEAL Team he’d been part of for fifteen years. An IED forced him to retire and he didn’t have a plan past his time in service. Until I came along, that is.

How would he describe you? He actually used the word “lush” about me. I thought he meant the alcoholic kind, but he was really complimenting my figure. First time that ever happened to me. Aside from that, he’d call me impetuous with a tendency to go off half-cocked.

What made you choose advertising as a career? It chose me. It’s hard to make a living as an artist and a writer these days. Writing add copy and doing graphics turned into a career.

What is your biggest fear? That I’m as much a fool as I think I am.

How do you relax? A tub full of bubbles and a glass of wine is Heaven on Earth.

Who is your favorite fictional character? Hard question. I love complex, capable women, V.I. Warshawski and Stephanie Plum come to mind. They screw up all the time but find a way to win. I like that.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? From my mother when I was whining about not having something. “Honey, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” Sound familiar?

Absolutely. Thanks, Emily. Now it's time to chat with Jayne.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer?

Again, hard question. I love such a wide range of things. Classics mostly: Out of Africa, Shakespeare In Love, The Magnificent Obsession, High Noon.

What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I have a wealth of hard-earned experience with the ramifications of living through alcoholic relationships. Emily uses those lessons in her personal journey, such as dealing with her cross-addicted brother and finding the strength to face down the demons of her past.

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? The Wild Rose Press may be small, but they are mighty. They were recommended to me by a fellow author. They’ve been incredibly encouraging and wonderfully helpful to this new author.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Don’t put me on the spot. I’ve got a list as long as my arm. The fist on the list is J.R.R Martin, I tried to wade through Game of Thrones a year ago and I’m determined to finish it now.

Tell us a bit about yourself. I've been an avid reader and sometime writer all of my life. I've never been able to resist the draw of a good story, and that has been true in my professional life as well. I was raised as the third of three children in the Colorado high country. Early on I discovered the joy of creating handcrafted jewelry, which led to a forty-five-year career as a professional jeweler. Every customer, every piece has its own story. I've collected them like pearls in a strand, and I often use them as a jumping-off point for the tales I tell. If you're looking for me, you'll find me on the shores of a northern lake, hammering away on my latest story of love and life in the modern world.

Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? My WIP is in the final stages of first draft. Tentatively entitled: Midnight Acquisition. It’s a heist story enmeshed in a romance. Hopefully will be out this time next year. After that, a sequel to If Wishes Were Horses. I think.

To learn more about Jayne York and the stories she creates, go to:

Website: www.JayneYork.com

Email: jayne@jayneyork.com

Jayne brought along an excerpt of If Wishes Were Horses:

          Once upon a time, she'd run away from Tamarack like her heels were on fire, and now here she was volunteering to step back into the furnace. What was the definition of insanity? Doing the same things over and over, expecting a different outcome. Like if she managed to change, be stronger, be smarter, things would turn out better—different. It wouldn't be that simple. She downshifted the Jeep to slow for the last of the S-shaped turns on the narrow ribbon of asphalt. 

          The road led her past the pretentious granite columns that marked her stepfather's compound. She wasn't consciously holding her breath, but a trickle of fear dribbled down her spine just the same. Her molars ground together in determination. The past wouldn't decide her present, not ever again. In spite of herself, images of her last day on his estate flashed through her mind like the herky-jerky frames of a child's flip deck animation.

          Fear sharpened every visual, clarified every word, enhanced every touch. She'd run down the steps, racing for her car. He'd charged after her, smelling of alcohol and fury when he tried to stop her headlong rush toward an unknown future. They'd screamed out their mutual hatred, all the bitter dregs of their time together. She smirked when she remembered getting in the lucky shove that had landed him in a heap on the ground. It had been her first glimpse that Senator Ray Domenico was not the invincible, all-powerful monster she'd known him to be.

To purchase If Wishes Were Horses, go to: https://www.amazon.com/Wishes-Were-

Horses-Jayne-York-ebook/dp/B07TVW54GQ