Author Spotlight: Teri Thackston

I'm honored to introduce to you all the brilliant author to Border Heat, Teri Thackston. She took some time out of her busy schedule to tell me a bit about her novel. Without further adieu...

Welcome Teri

Thanks so much for inviting me to your blog. I’ve been writing stories since I learned to spell, with a serious notion from about age eleven that I wanted to become a published writer. I just love the idea of creating stories…if those stories are romantic, all the better! Of course, it took quite a while to actually become a published writer, beginning with a few short stories from the True Confessions group of magazines, then a story in Woman’s World, and finally my first novel sale to Ellora’s Cave/Blush. That first novel publication was a long time coming, but well worth the wait.

My latest book, Border Heat, is a thriller with romantic elements, inspired by the illegal drug trade along the Texas border that our country has been enduring lately. I also pulled in the element of wildfires that have so decimated Texas—and other parts of the South—during this year’s terrible drought.

Murderous drug runners, a wildfire in the Texas desert and the President's runaway daughter…Game Warden Shannon Walker didn't sign up for any of this. Add the arrival of Tucker Daye—a sexy Secret Service Agent that Shannon used to date—unexpected betrayal and a desperate escape into the desert, and the border becomes hotter than Shannon can handle.

Here’s a short excerpt from the book

She strode right up to him and, with one hand on her hip, she jabbed the index finger of her other hand into his breastbone. “Let’s get one thing straight, Tucker Daye. I am in charge of this facility and this Wildlife Management Area. You and those other spies are welcome to help me and Sgt. Sanchez guard the prisoner, but we call the shots. Got it?”

Tucker lifted one eyebrow and resisted the impulse to push her finger away. Actually, his stronger impulse was to wrap his free hand around her wrist and haul her up close for a searing kiss on those pretty pink lips. They were entirely too tight for his taste and a long wet kiss would soften them up. He knew that about her, too.

But with the memory of Loretta apparently still fresh in Shannon’s mind, the odds on a long, wet kiss were about as low as his odds of riding a rocket to the moon. Not that it mattered. He’d made his choice on that score last February.

Besides that there were two teenage girls eavesdropping on their conversation. So instead of reacting the way he wanted, he relaxed his body and smiled at Shannon. “We’re not spies, sweetheart. We’re Secret Service agents. And I think we might know a little more about handling this situation than a couple of game wardens do.”

Her lips thinned more. “For your information, sweetheart, Texas game wardens probably receive more rigorous law enforcement training than you do.” The tip of her index finger pressed harder into his chest. “While you and your friends are here, you’ll do what I tell you.”

He cocked his head to once side. “I’ve missed you, Shannon,” he murmured, aware that the two teens had grown almost stone still. He lowered his voice a bit more. “Don’t tell me you haven’t missed me, too.”

BORDER HEAT is available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and Smashwords.com. 

I hang out at my website www.terithackston.com as well as Facebook and Twitter.