Like they say in retail…location is everything. Which is why for my latest release, In Too Deep, I chose Tybee Island, Georgia as my setting and home to the fabulously wealthy Randolphs. I’ve never visited Tybee, so I drew on the internet and my experiences with other islands to create the playground for the rich and beautiful.
Tybee Island is located off the coast of Savannah, a city with elegance and Southern charm. Creating the Randolphs beach house was the stuff dreams are made of. For a beach lover like me, who would like nothing better than to live by the ocean, I poured over pictures found inside real estate brochures. I created a white, two-story mansion with large porches, an Olympic-sized pool, and a cute stone archway near the kitchens. (Just to give it character.)
That’s the joy of writing. I can take a simple idea and transform it into sheer perfection. And speaking of ideal, what could be better than a sexy alpha male with money to spare, unsurpassable good looks, and devotion to his family? Drake Randolph personifies perfection and Emma Anderson fell for him instantly. She’s waited years for him and finally she gets the chance.
Summer in Tybee Island heats up when Drake and Emma must fight to protect everything they love. Hope you enjoy the excerpt and the taste of Tybee Island as much as I enjoyed writing it!
He’ll risk everything for the love of one human.
Agreeing to be her good friend’s bridesmaid, Emma Anderson jets off to Tybee Island for the wedding. Her dress is perfect and her shoes are adorable, but her friend’s elegant beachside home hides an ancient secret…one that threatens to expose a secret society of werewolves.
Drake Randolph has watched his sister’s friend grow into a ravishing woman, but he’s always kept his distance. As the heir to the Randolph fortune and the alpha of the Secret Society of Savannah Lycanthropes, Drake cannot afford to draw the innocent little brunette into the dangerous lycan world.
Passion between them soon blazes hotter than the Georgia summer. But when the wrong woman is kidnapped to prevent the wedding of a lycan to a mortal, Drake must risk everything to save Emma from the ones who will see the downfall of all he holds dear.
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Short Excerpt
Kicking off her white sandals, she descended a set of wooden stairs and stepped onto the sand. It squished between her toes, damp and still warm from the heat of the afternoon. The moon shone over the water, gleaming in the waves pulling toward the shore.
She stood at the water’s edge. The current sucked at her toes, burying them in sand, and she absorbed the soothing sounds of nature. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes. Perfect.
For a moment, she flashed back to her childhood. Not the endless summers she’d spent with the Randolphs. Earlier than that, long before her father’s death. A memory floated out of her grasp, on the edges of her subconscious but always moving away from her.
The water surrounded her ankles, the tendrils of the tide resembling a caress. As if someone touched her.
She opened her eyes, startled by the sensation.
A particularly large wave crashed around her legs. Thrown off-balance by the unexpected surge, she stumbled a bit until she regained her footing. Whatever memory she’d been chasing fled, replaced by the shock of the water splashing against her knees.
She returned her attention to the water. It eddied around her, the glow of the moonlight reflected in the tiny swirls of liquid. Bending down, she touched the surface and a jolt of energy poured through her. She lurched backward just as another wave crashed against her.
She moved closer to the shore, not afraid of the ocean but concerned by her reaction to it. Something wasn’t right.
The cry of a seagull jerked her back to the present. She glanced down and grimaced at the soaked bottom half of her dress. She didn’t mind as much as she should. At least the delightfully cool water eased some of the oppressive heat of the day.
The breeze, which had been strong all day, caressed her bare shoulders and ruffled her hair. She lifted her arms and twirled, letting out a tiny sound of pleasure.
At the end of her twirl, she caught sight of a figure standing alone on the patio. The moonlight wasn’t needed for her to recognize Drake. No one else had such a commanding presence. He tugged at her heart like the ocean’s current tugged at her ankles.
Christy Gissendaner is a romantic comedy author and believes that laughter and love should go hand in hand.
Christy lives in Alabama with her husband and three sons. She’s always hard at work on her next novel, but in her spare time she loves blackjack, karaoke, and anything resembling a vacation!
To find out more, please visit http://christygissendaner.webs.com
http://www.twitter.com/christygis
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http://www.goodreads.com/christygissendaner
April 8th, 2014 at 7:26 am
Thanks for having me today, Kimber!
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April 8th, 2014 at 8:29 am
My pleasure! 🙂
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April 8th, 2014 at 8:35 am
Love the excerpt. Good luck with the book, Christy.
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April 8th, 2014 at 6:41 pm
Thanks, Daisy!
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