THE GUILT TRIP - Pat Simmons - One Free Book

Welcome, Pat. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

My strengths and weaknesses can be intertwined in one or more characters’ personalities in any one of my novels. But it’s not limited to me, I might write other people’s personalities and mannerisms into the characters.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

You want me to limit my craziest to just one? Hmmm. I still can’t think of anything recent.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

It’s more like I first accepted that I had indeed become a writer after my first novel was published and I received that first encouraging email. That’s when I said to myself, “I really am an author.” Up until that time, I didn’t know if I had what it took to hold a person’s attention with my musings or not.

Those emails from readers are so important to us as authors. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

Christian romance, biographies, and anything connected with genealogy, especially African-American related material.

I loved the way you used the genealogy information in this book. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

Take naps when I’m exhausted. I’m deadline oriented, so I’m a stickler when it comes to making a schedule whether it’s cleaning, writing, or sewing, I believe in sticking to it. That’s the only way I can be productive.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Sometimes I have a name, but I have also changed names several times before I finish the story because the name didn’t fit the personality I wanted to portray. For example, in a recent ebook, I had Juanita as the main character’s name. By the time I finished, I had changed it to Jillian. I couldn’t see a woman named Blanche being a spitfire character in my book, but I could see Cheney or Tyra.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

First off that God chose to use me to share the good news about His salvation plan and purpose through entertaining Christian tales. Second is that others have nominated my work for awards.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

Considering I never wanted to be an animal, it would be a toss up between a bird and fish because they both are beautiful creatures. But seriously, I prefer being a person.

What is your favorite food?

Candy, hot dogs. and popcorn (a must have when watching a movie).

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Learning to manage my time, so I’m not burning a candle at midnight to meet a deadline. I’m a slow writer—about two pages an hour. Based on that calculation, I know how long it will take me to finish a 70-85,000 word novel if I write 5 days a week.

Tell us about the featured book.

In The Guilt Trip, Aaron “Ace” Jamieson is living a carefree life. He’s good-looking, respectable when he’s in the mood, but his weakness is women. If a woman tries to ambush him with a pregnancy, he takes off in the other direction. It’s a lesson learned from his absentee father that responsibility is optional.

Talise Rogers has a bright future ahead of her. She’s pretty and has no problem catching a man’s eye, which is exactly what she does with Ace. Their chemistry is undeniable and their passion explosive, but there’s one catch. Trapping Ace Jamieson is the furthest thing from Talise’s mind as she is determined to be a good parent when she learns she is pregnant and Ace rejects her. “I want nothing from you Ace, not even your name,” Talise means it.

But Ace’s big brother and cousins don’t plan to let the child who represents the twelfth generation descendant of a royal African tribe leave the fold. Whether Ace decides to accept his responsibility or not, Ace’s family embraces Talise to his shame. Before long, it’s his own guilt trip that leads him to the prayer altar.

He learns the blessings from his Heavenly Father to overpower the sins of his earthly dad.

The Guilt Trip is Book II in the Jamieson Legacy, but is actually a spinoff of the Guilty series.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter 1

Twenty-eight-year-old Aaron “Ace” Jamieson wasn’t married and never had been married. He wasn’t planning to pick out a tuxedo to meet a woman at the altar any ime soon. To maintain that resolve, Ace displayed the highest level of professionalism when it came to playing the dating game.

He had learned from his buddies that at the three-month mark, women began fantasizing about permanent residency. Therefore, his benchmark was seventy-two days or less. Ace was upfront with the ladies that he wasn’t looking for anything serious.

As he shaved, he snickered, recalling some of the tactics women used to trap him into marriage: lavish gifts, on-demand intimacy, or claiming to carry his love child.

Shaking his head in disgust, Ace rinsed off his razor. He methodically massaged aftershave on his face and throat. Women’s bluffs didn’t make him blink. He would not be lured into any baby momma drama.

But something had happened to his determination three months ago when his cousin’s friend introduced him to Talise Rogers. She swept him off his feet on the first date. There was something alluring about her independence, confidence and her exotic dark features on brown sugar skin.

Humph! Their connection was more than the explosive physical attraction. If there was a soul mate, Talise was it. Friends called her Tallie. To Ace, she was his Tay. He was convinced she had an invisible grip on him that was about to bring him down, and he wasn’t complaining. It took some back-and-forth battling between his mind and his heart, but Ace thought Talise just might be the one he couldn’t let get away.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Besides www.patsimmons.net, I’m on twitter @patsimmons and FB @patsimmonsauthor. I also have a Guilty series fan club page on Facebook.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY!!!

And thank you, Pat, for agreeing to be on my blog when I contacted you. The premise of your book intrigued me for a lot of reasons, and I read it as soon as it arrived. I loved your story and had a hard time putting it down. It was written from an African-American perspective, but the story could be pulled from almost any culture in these modern times. A very good book. My readers will love it, too.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

The Guilt Trip (The Jamieson Legacy) - paperback
Guilt Trip (The Jamieson Legacy) - Kindle


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