Sloan: Hey, Renae! Thanks for letting me stop by today! It’s good to get away from the computer for a while. Oh, wait… I guess I’m still here, but you know what I mean!
Renae: Haha! Thanks for joining me here today. It’s wonderful to have friends visit and tell me about their work. Sloan wants to tell me all about her novel Dance with Destiny.
Tony DeLuca has to get to New York, nor’easter be damned. His older sister is getting married and it won’t matter to her if the entire east coast is shut down if it means she’s short a groomsman. She’s the only reason he’s willing to make the trip home to face a father who’s never forgiven him for wasting a perfectly good degree to become a firefighter. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to everything about Tony that his father will never accept.
Dominic Tricoli’s living his dream. He’s spent the past few years working to mesh his business degree and love of the outdoors into a thriving company, providing team building retreats for some of the country’s largest corporations. Unfortunately, there’s a price to pay for happiness, and having someone to come home to at night is the sacrifice Dominic made.
When Dominic overhears Tony’s plight, he’s drawn to help the man get to New York City. Little does Dominic know that one kind gesture will awaken a side of him he’s ignored for far too long. Against his better judgment, he gives in to his desires and Tony’s advances. Just for the night.
When destiny steps in, giving him another chance with the charismatic man who saved his hide, Tony’s willing to do whatever it takes to earn Dominic’s forgiveness and understanding. There may not be forever, but Tony’s determined to enjoy every single minute he’s given with Dominic.
You can’t fight fate. Whatever’s meant to happen, eventually will.
Sloan: Of course! It wouldn’t be any fun if he never got there.
Renae: These guys sound wonderful. Where did the inspiration for this story come from?
Sloan: Last year, a friend of mine was flying to a book signing in Tennessee and had issues with her connecting flight. In the end, a group of people wound up renting a vehicle to drive from Atlanta to Tennessee. I made sure that hadn’t sparked a story for her, because it sure as heck did for me! She gave me her blessing and I took off running.
Renae: Now, I’ve been having a quick look at Goodreads – this book was published in 2005?
Sloan: Nope! I had been filling out paperwork for my daughter right before I added Dance with Destiny to Goodreads and put in the wrong year (my daughter was born in 2005). No matter how many times I’ve tried to get it corrected, it keeps showing 2005.
Renae: Ahhh! The “once it’s on the internet it’s the truth” problem. So this was actually written in 2014. What was your first book?
Sloan: Unexpected Angel was my first. It’s an m/f romance with BDSM elements.
Renae: And now you’ve exploded with a whole bunch of books and stories. Congratulations! You’re doing so well. What is your favourite book you’ve written?
Sloan: This has to be the worst question ever! I love all of my books, the same as I love both of my kids the same. If I *have* to pick, I would say either Dance with Destiny or Wild Pitch, which is coming out in June. I really love those boys!
Renae: What do you think your writing style is? Do you have one? Do you just write what wants to come out? Do you try to conform to a certain mold?
Sloan: I have zero control in my writing. People laugh when I tell them I write what the voices tell me, but it’s the truth. I sit down and tell the story of whoever screams the loudest. Then, I get to go back and clean it up after I’m finished and have gotten to know them a bit better.
Renae: Are there things you want to go back and fix up with this book?
Sloan: That’s a tough one. I really do love the story as it’s written, but I think there are a few things I’d go back in and change up a little bit.
Sloan: Absolutely!
Renae: You’ve written a lot of books between starting in 2013 and now. Is this the career you’re pursuing?
Sloan: It is. I floundered for a long time, doing everything from managing a pizza parlor to working in a coffee shop to analysing health insurance claims. I thought there was something wrong with me because everyone else my age was settling down into careers. Once I started writing (which was before I wrote my first novel), something clicked and I haven’t turned back.
Renae: You have two young children – where do you find the time to write?
Sloan: Right now, it’s easier because they’re in school. I do most of my writing between when the bus picks them up in the morning and when they get home. Then, if I’m in a groove, I might dabble my way through our evening TV shows or write after they’re in bed. That being said, summer is coming up and I’m going to be sprinting like a mad woman to get ahead so I can enjoy my time with them starting mid-June.
Renae: What are you working on now?
Sloan: Right now, I’m gearing up for the release of Wild Pitch, which features two sexy professional baseball players. When I’m not in promotion mode for that, I’m busy writing the second novel in the Homeruns series, Curve Ball, which will come out late this summer. It’s great because I can sit around and watch baseball all day and call it mood music!
Renae: Where can people contact you?
Sloan: http://authorsloanj.com
https://facebook.com/authorsloanjohnson
https://twitter.com/authorsloanj
Renae: Thank you ever so much for coming and chatting with me today. I adore listening to author’s stories of how they came to be where they are, and where they are going. I hope you had a lot of fun. I’ll see you next time in the Sprint Group. **wink**
Sloan: Thank you so much for having me! I’ll be the bleary-eyed one in the sprint group **wink**