Terrific Tuesday with Barbara Huffert:)

Welcome! Please introduce yourself and tell us about your latest release.

Hi Molly. Thanks for letting me drop by. I’m Barbara Huffert and I write contemporary romance for Ellora’s Cave and Total-E-Bound. My latest release is Condemned, Book Three in my Cosmic Connections series. It’s the story of what happens when the hero, Brett Hudson, tries to deny his destiny.

Have you ever had an idea for a story which scared you after you began writing it?

I have one book that I don’t think I can ever show anyone which is too bad because the hero is absolutely yummy. I’m much too close to it. Or should I say there’s way too much of me in it?

Have you incorporated actual events from your own life into your books?

All the time!

How much research do you do? Do you research first and then write, or do you write first, then research as needed?

I do very little research. Most things I just make up as I go along and hope they make sense.

Is there any message you want readers to take from reading your work?

Be who you are.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? And have you ever had a story take on a life of its own?

Panster. I never have any idea where anything is going when I start. My characters tell me what to write and they tend to take me places I never imagined.

How long did it take for you to be published?

Um, five minutes? Some friends who I’d been letting read things nagged me until I submitted a book. I wrote the worst cover letter ever and expected a rejection which I would then show them so they’d stop pestering me. It was a complete surprise when I was offered a contract instead.

If you could go back and tell yourself anything when you first began your writing career, what would you say?

Edit as you go right from the start. Going back later is so hard! With me the characters have usually moved on already and I’m stuck, trying to fix things on my own.

Laptop or pen and ink? What are your ‘must-haves’ when writing?

Depends on where I am. Sometimes it’s not possible to have my computer with me. I need music or movies, some sort of noise. I can’t write when it’s quiet. The characters usually choose what we listen to or watch. There are some movies I can now recite since they played over and over as I worked on a book.

Who are your favorite authors? Who would you say influenced you the most?

That’s a tough one. Over the years I’ve read just about everything out there and I think there’s something to be learned from all of it.

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

I have a wicked knife collection. Sexy, dangerous knives, not kitchen ones. Sounds as if you and my oldest son would get along well!

For Fun:

Are there any Easter scenes in your books?

Nope.

What is your favorite Easter memory?

Getting our pet duck, Mrs. Quackenbush.

Do you garden, or do you have a black thumb like me?

I’m very chaotic in the garden. I plant everything in all the wrong places and then ask the yard spirits to watch over them.

Thanks for being with me today! Please let us know where to find you.

http://barbarahuffert.com/

http://barbarahuffert.blogspot.com/

Condemned Blurb:

Brett Hudson’s life is in shambles. An attempt to deny fate has left him wide open for an unscrupulous pair intent on ruining him completely. When the woman who is his destiny steps in to save him, Brett’s reaction only serves to make things worse.

Andrea Sloan knows she and Brett are meant to be together the instant they meet even though he is resisting the inevitable. Chance puts her in the right place at the right time to rescue Brett from the mess he’s become entangled in but his behavior in the process breaks her heart

Now Brett must salvage what’s left of his life and prove himself worthy of Andie’s love before it’s too late.

Excerpt:

After dinner, Brett walked Tish out to the gatehouse. Jesse and Andie followed, only to find they were unable to resist the hammock they spied in the yard. They settled in together and were talking comfortably.

When Jesse heard the door, he said, “Pretend you’re sleeping. Stay limp.” Softly, he whistled to get Brett’s attention. “I need your help,” he whispered as Brett approached.

“What can I do for you?” Brett asked frowning at the thought that something was wrong with Andie.

“We were only going to relax here for a minute but Andie’s out cold. I’m afraid if I try to crawl out, I’ll end up dumping her on the ground. Do you think you can lift her off me?” Jesse controlled his reaction when Andie poked his side where Brett wouldn’t see her. Apparently, she didn’t like his idea.

“Yeah, sure.” Brett gulped.

As soon as Brett scooped her into his arms, Jordan appeared. “Jesse, I hate to interrupt, but can I have a minute? I’m sure Brett doesn’t mind taking her in and getting her settled.”

“No problem,” Brett answered when Jesse looked at him.

Inwardly, he groaned. When he had picked Andie up, she snuggled into his arms. She mumbled something on the stairs, so he said, “It’s okay, Andie. I have you. I won’t let you fall.”

“Mm.” She shifted against him, nuzzling his chest.

“Here you are,” Brett said as he pulled down the covers and put her in the bed. “Let me get your shoes.”

Andie acted like she was still mostly asleep. “Wait,” she muttered, reaching under her shirt and unhooking her bra. Brett watched while she slid it off without removing her shirt in the way that only women could do. “Jeans,” she said as she lay back on the pillow and held out her bra.

“Ah, yeah, okay.” Brett took a deep breath and reached for the button. After he slid the zipper down, he told her to lift her hips. As he removed her jeans, he couldn’t help noticing that her panties were the same sheer material that her bra was. When he realized that he was ogling his friend’s girlfriend, he forced himself to look away. He finally managed but not before his gaze lingered on the hardened nipples that were clearly visible beneath her snug shirt. With great effort, he pulled the blanket over her body. Unable to resist, he leaned over and kissed her lightly. “Night, Andie. Sleep well.”

Andie snuggled deeper into the covers before she answered. “You too, Brett. Thanks.”

Brett closed the door to Andie’s room softly behind him. What the hell was he doing? He decided he must be even more stressed out than he thought to have just acted that way with Jesse’s woman. He should have pretended he hadn’t heard her when she told him to wait. He was as bad as a peeping tom! She was asleep and didn’t deserve to have him ogling at her like some kind of pervert. Thank God she didn’t know what he was thinking. And, to make matters worse, he’d kissed her! What possessed him to do something so stupid? She was off-limits. No exceptions. Sleeping or not, it didn’t make any difference. But damn if she hadn’t looked sexy, lying there, in nothing but her panties and shirt.