Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked! Today, A.S. Fenichel stops by on her blog tour for her newest release Joshua's Mistake, and a character interview with her hero. This tale is a hot and sexy sequel to Kane's Bounty, and continues Ms. Fenichel's paranormal romance series.
Interview with
Joshua Lakeland from Joshua’s Mistake
A.S.: Joshua, we know that you’re a
psychic government agent. Tell us how you came to join such a dangerous
organization?
Joshua: I didn’t really join. I was
recruited at a young age.
A.S.: Where were you before you were
recruited?
Joshua: My brother Kane and I were
living in an orphanage somewhere in the southern part of the United States.
A.S.: Can you tell us what happened?
Joshua: I was five or six, my psi gifts
had already begun to show up in little ways. One day two men came and took me
away. After that, I was trained to use my psi skills. I was taught to fight and
survive in any conditions. When I was older I began getting assignments from
the FBI and CIA.
A.S.: What happened to Kane?
Joshua: He was recruited a few years
later by another organization. He became a bounty hunter, but I didn’t see him
again for many years.
A.S.: That must have been difficult for
you.
Joshua: (casual shrug) We found each
other. That’s all that matters.
A.S.: Are you still working for the same
organization?
Joshua: For the moment, but I’ve been
thinking for a long time that it might be time to open my own agency. I want to
make sure that people with psychic powers are not used for the wrong reasons or
at least give them a viable choice of where to work. Some get taken advantage
of, but for some the lure of a big payday is too seductive. When I open the Psi
Alliance, it will be different.
A.S.: I understand there’s some
resistance to you going private sector.
Joshua: (another shrug) The people who
matter are in my corner. Tessa and I will make a go of it.
A.S.: But didn’t you and Tessa Clark
meet under unpleasant circumstances? Weren’t you ordered to take information
from her mind by force?
Joshua: You know, I’m grateful for only
one thing, the greed and fear of some officials brought Tessa into my life. I
don’t owe them anything. I gave it all already.
Joshua: (a wicked smile) I guess you’ll
just have to read the book…
Ellora's Cave
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Here's the blurb:
Accused of treason and the
murder of her Psychic Special Forces team, Tessa is in the custody of the FBI.
She’s shocked and terrified when the most powerful Psi Agent in the world shows
up to probe her mind and discover her guilt or innocence.
Joshua never expected to find
a victim of one of his probes attractive, but he can’t seem to leave her behind
when all hell breaks loose. Saving the stunning blonde means being drawn into a
psychic war that will definitely end his career—and likely both of their lives.
The rhythm of their psychic auras hums to perfection and neither can fight the bond, but it’s all ripped away by a madman with a grudge. Tessa falls into a coma, and Joshua will have to risk his heart and soul to pull her back from the brink.
Excerpt
Joshua got up from the farm
table. “I’ll be back in a little while. Peggy, can you show Tessa where she can
rest?”
Peggy smiled warmly. “Of
course. You’ll be wanting a shower too. If you give me those clothes, I’ll get
them in the washing machine and have them clean when you wake up.”
“You’re very kind, Mrs.
Flack.”
She waved a bony hand in
dismissal. “You just call me Peggy. Everyone does.”
Tessa had said all the right
things to Peggy. She had been polite and controlled her emotions. Inside, she
was just short of full on panic. He was leaving her. Who could blame him? Tessa
didn’t want to alarm the Flacks so she remained silent, yet practically
screamed in her mind, “Where the hell are
you going? Are you leaving me here?”
Part of her wanted him to
hear and another part of her understood why he would want to get as far away
from her as possible. Just because she could feel his emotions didn’t mean he
would sense hers. He was undoubtedly very practiced at closing off his mind. If
he was really a level ten psychic, he would have to just to stay sane.
He’d likely get killed if he
stayed with her. At least he’d gotten her to a place where she could try to
catch a few hours of sleep and then she’d be on the run. Probably for the rest
of her life, however long that might be.
From the way his head spun
around, she might as well have spoken out loud. His eyes widened and then he
stalked toward her. He was visceral and terrifying. His body language said he
wanted her and he might take her right there in the kitchen.
Tessa held her ground in the
center of the old linoleum floor. She didn’t know if she wanted to move closer
or run away. Everything about Joshua made her at once, curious, aroused and
afraid.
Bill cleared his throat and
walked out the door with his shotgun in his hand.
Peggy said, “Well, um…I’ll
just wait for you in the next room, Tessa dear.”
Joshua didn’t stop until he
was standing with only a sliver of light between them. She had to crane her
neck to look up at him. His mouth came within a centimeter of hers, but he
never touched her.
“I’m not leaving you.”
Her heart pounded in her
chest and her stomach clenched painfully. “I can take care of myself.”
One side of his mouth lifted.
His right hand came up and calloused fingers slid across her cheekbone. He was
powerful. He could kill her. If his psi rating was true, he could likely kill
her without touching her, but he could just as easily snap her neck. She could
defend herself, but what would be the point. This was Joshua Lakeland. Eventually
he would win.
Those same fingers continued
until they were threaded through her hair and he forced her to look him in the
eye. “I know you can, Tessa. I’m not leaving because I don’t want to leave you.
I can’t explain why, but we’re in this together. You’re going to have to learn
to trust me.”
She had to force air into her
lungs. “I’ve already taken several leaps of faith. You just said you were
leaving. If you want to go, then go.”
He shook his head, but didn’t
release her. “I’m going to get rid of the car. I don’t want to get picked up by
the local police because we made a rookie mistake and kept a stolen car too
long.”
“Oh.” She could feel her
cheeks flushing.
His left hand came up and
cupped her other cheek. He ran a thumb along her bottom lip. She wanted to be
impervious to his attention, but her body trembled at his touch.
His mouth drew closer. His
breath mingled with hers as her lips separated partially in shock at what was
about to happen and partially in need of his kiss. Those deep blue eyes locked
with hers and she couldn’t blink or look away. He scanned her face to her lips,
closed his eyes and stepped away.
Tessa’s instinct told her she
should throw her arms around his neck and take the kiss he’d nearly given. Her
cautious nature kept her feet planted in the spot on the linoleum.
Only the sound of heavy
breathing filled the kitchen for several ticks of the clock.
Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)
“I’ll be back in a little
while. You’d better get some rest.” Joshua walked out the kitchen door into the
yard.
