A very warm welcome to author Shelly Connors joining us here today @ Love Bytes!
Shelly stopped by to talk about her newest release Dust in the Wind and on top of that she brought along a fantastic giveaway!
Welcome Shelly 🙂

Book:  Dust In The Wind: Serve and Protect Series-Book 2

Publisher: Publish Green-September, 2015

Cover: Emily Corey

Editor: Erin Shurant

Pages: 180

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

My Book Orders.com

Book Synopsis:

It has been four months since Jason Wright’s husband, Jake’s, death.   Jason decides it’s time to take Jake’s ashes to their final destination, the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys. To do this, he calls on the support of his friends, twins Kolby and Kaleb Bailey, along with police detectives, R.J. and Dean, who apprehended his husband’s murderer.

Dean and Kaleb’s fledgling relationship has flourished and they look forward to enjoying their first trip together. That is until Dean finds out the layover is going to be in Atlanta. The city holds many loathsome memories for the detective, but he feels the need to support his friend and his lover. A couple hours at ATL won’t kill him, or will it?

The relationship between R.J. and Kolby is floundering. R.J.’s past demons keep him from really entering any sort of commitment. This trip could be his chance to change things and turn them for the best. That outcome is not meant to be when R.J. is detained and unable to accompany the ensemble to Florida.

After the group leaves, R.J’s captain tells him he’s no longer needed on the stand for a past case, and to go home and enjoy the weekend. Unable to just go home, he ends up at the Twin’s and Jason’s restaurant to help out his sister and a friend who have been left in charge.

Weather cancelled all of the flights in and out of Atlanta, and while there, Dean mysteriously disappears. A frantic Kaleb calls R.J. to ask for his help finding his missing lover.

R.J. makes it his mission to find his partner and bring him back home safely. As events unfold, everyone is forced to work together and trust each other. Jason deals with having placed his friends in danger, Kaleb with the possibility of losing the love of his life, and R.J., with both trying to let Kolby into his heart and trying to save his partner, who has become like a brother. Their experiences have the ability to either pull them closer together, or tear them all apart.

Write up:

What an amazing experience this has been. Little over a year ago, I published my first book and the second just this September. I have met some incredible people on line and now in real life. It has opened up a brand new world for me. I have to admit, I sat at my computer with envy as I read the posts from the people who attended the GRL retreat in San Diego. I may be considered an author because I have two published books, but I do not earn my living through writing. Don’t tell my husband, but I have spent a lot more money on this profession than I will probably ever earn, but it has brought me great joy.

In this last book of the month listing is was very surreal to be listed with people such as Mary Calmes, Andrew Grey, Max Vos and many others. These are the people who I look up to when I write. I’ve even contacted Max Vos when I had questions and he was nice enough to instantly get back to me with extremely helpful information.

Dust In The Wind is my second book in the Serve and Protect series and involves the same characters. I have currently started the third book which I think may be the last in the series. It is hard to finish these characters I’ve created and say goodbye. I’m not sure how Abigail Roux did it with Ty and Zane or Mary Calmes with Jory and Sam. They become a part of you. And in some way or another, become real. Having spent years with these people, I can see how it is hard to say goodbye even though they are only in my imagination.

I’d also like to thank Emily Corey who did the book cover and insert for me. She is the daughter of a friends who is currently going to school for graphic design. It made the cover much more personal for me by involving people who are special.

Thank you to the people who have become my friends and helped me on this journey. It has been truly amazing. I hope the people who have given my books a chance have a least enjoyed them and they have made you laugh, smile and possibly sometimes cry. If not, they I didn’t do my job very well and I’ll keep working on it.   I hope you enjoy the excerpt.

R.J. was at the restaurant by four in the morning with coffee and donuts in hand. He figured since he didn’t have to pack, the least he could do was send them on their way with full stomachs. Wasn’t like he slept much anyways. He was still pouting about the fact he wouldn’t be going with them. He figured he would try to keep busy with updating himself about the two-year-old case on which he was going to have to testify, and possibly do a little work at the restaurant with his sister. It would be a good chance for them to bond and for him to see if what Dean was saying about Gerry and Sarah was actually true. It wasn’t as if he cared, because he liked Sarah. He just had to look out for his little sister, make her miserable, and put his nose into everything he could.

He was sitting on the hood of his car, drinking his coffee when the other car rolled in. Dean had stayed the night at the K Squared’s place and they all picked up Jason before arriving. R.J. removed himself from his vehicle and walked over to the car with coffee and munchkins in hand.

“You are an absolute lifesaver,” Kolby said as she got out of the driver’s seat and grabbed a cup out of the cardboard travel holder. She sighed heavily after her first sip. “If this morning is any hint of what the week holds, I’m in for a very long week. Sure you don’t want to come?”

Chuckling, R.J. handed out the rest of the coffees and munchkins through the open door. “Wish I could, but someone has to stay back and watch the ranch.”

Jason grabbed onto the items being handed out. “What is it with cops and donuts?”

“Those aren’t donuts, they’re munchkins. There’s a difference. Plus, it’s usually the only place open at this God-awful hour.” R.J. turned his attention back to Kolby. “You want me to drive your car? Makes sense since all the stuff is already packed.”

“Yeah, I’ll hop in the back between Romeo and Juliet.”

Furrowing his brow, R.J. asked, “You sure you want to get in the middle of that?”

“I might as well get used to it. Gonna be around it all week.”

Kaleb pointed his finger at Dean. “You get to be Juliet.”

“Hell no, I’m not dying first.”

Kolby grabbed Dean by the arm. “Just get your ass out of the car so I can get in. And Juliet didn’t die first, they just made it look like she did.”

Laughing at the banter, R.J. started the car. Snow was flying in the air even though it was the end of March. It made R.J. wish even more that he could go with them. He waited until everyone was in the vehicle and the doors were closed. Looking in the rearview mirror he asked, “Everyone comfortable?” They glared back at him.

R.J. looked over at Jason, who was sitting in the passenger seat with an urn between his legs. “You gonna ride like that all the way to Miami?”

The urn was a beautiful marbled blue and white. Jason placed his hand on the top. “There was no way I was going to put Jake in my checked luggage. I figure he can be my personal item.”

R.J. smiled. He had a hard time referring to what was in the urn as Jake. R.J. felt Jake’s spirit was gone when he found him hanging upside-down in the wrecked car. He also thought half of that spirit had gone into Jason.   “Well, if you keep him between your legs, at least you know he’ll be happy.”

A small snicker escaped from Jason. “And people say you’re an asshole. Go figure.”

Shelly’s paying job is as a High School Physical Education teacher. The writing gives her a chance to just be alone with her thoughts instead with hundreds of hormonal teenagers. She owes her quick wit to her students and her husband, who constantly keep her on her toes. Shelly lives in Central New York and enjoys good red wine and IPAs.   She accepts all sorts of comments and corrective criticism.

Facebook:

Shelly Connors: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008191996144

Serve and Protect:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Serve-and-Protect/354432621380496?ref=hl

email: shellyconnorswork@gmail.com

Dan’s Review of Dust in the Wind

Shelly brought an amazing Giveaway with her!

She is giving away 5 copies of book 1 and 2 , to 5 very lucky readers.

Leave a comment to enter 🙂