I've been an avid reader since I was
five, when Mom taught me to read. I've always written stories
in my head, when bored, or occupied with some other task like baking or
cooking, driving, and even sleeping, since I've woken up with entire story arcs
and well-developed characters demanding attention. I used to think that
everyone had characters talking to them all of the time.
A few years ago, I decided that my head
was getting too crowded, and that some of the people and their
stories had to be written--so they'd live in books, and readers' heads. I feel
like they are telling me their secrets, and then once the book is done, they're
happy to have been heard, so they're quiet. But then the next characters start
to talk, demanding their turn. I like the noise.
I write romances involving strong,
independent women who enjoy casual flings.. Enter the equally strong,
independent man who decides this is the woman for him. He has
to convince the heroine that he's the one for her. I love
happy endings.
Character Interview for Worth the Wait
Beverley: What’s your name?
Tonisha: My given name is Tonisha Gaines, but everyone calls me by my stage name, Nisha. My late grandfather, whom I loved a whole lot, used to call me Toni.
Beverley: Where
did you grow up?
Tonisha: My parents are both rich, powerful, and
politically-connected CEOs, so we lived in various mansions around the country
when I was growing up. When I was a pre-teen, we moved permanently to Newport
Beach in California. They're still there, though I was living in L.A. recently.
Beverley: During what time period does your story take place?
Tonisha: The present day--before the Co-Vid pandemic.
Beverley: What’s your story/back story? Why would someone come up
with a story about you?
Tonisha: I'm the only child of two driven and wealthy Black
parents, so I was kind of spoiled. I was always messing around with the piano
and the guitar, and writing my own music. I always wanted to be a pop star, so
I had my own studio in the mansion. My plans almost got derailed when I started
hearing this voice in my head, when I was fourteen. At first I didn't tell
anyone. Then when it got so I couldn't ignore it because it was so insistent, I
told my mom. She freaked out, of course,
and she and dad took me to a very expensive psychologist. He diagnosed me with multiple
personalities--schizophrenia--and started me on heavy doses of anti-psychotic
drugs. As long as I was consistent about
taking them, even though the voice didn't stop, at least I was able to ignore
it--mostly. When I was 17, my parents found a manager who was supposed to be
the best in the business, and signed a contract giving him license to oversee
my music career. He's kind of a pig. We
had a brief fling, but he doesn't really like females once they get to be legal
age. He's been a domineering asshole to work for, so I get back at him by
partying a lot, taking recreational drugs for fun, along with drinking too
much. Does it all interact with my
maintenance drugs? Sure. But even though I usually can't remember what
happened the next day, I've been told that I have a really good time. Those are
the kinds of themes I write my catchy pop songs about. That's been my life for the past 12 years.
Beverley: What’s your goal in this story?
Tonisha: My manager dragged me out of L.A. because it's been a
while since my last new album. I told him I write better when I have some
quiet, so he rented this property in some wilderness area of Maine--of all
places! Lot of trees and critters, no
night-life at all. He told me I have to write enough songs for a new CD, or
he'll end our contract. Probably not, since he's been making so much money off
of me for so many years. I just wanna have a good time.
Beverley: What conflicts are you facing?
Tonisha: 1- I've been having kind of a writer's block on new
songs. So, I've been doing lots of
partying with the session guys my manager hired to work with me. Then I woke up
this one morning lying naked in the snow, outside of a big mansion. The only
warmth was coming from this really hot man who was also naked. He has the most
gorgeous green eyes!
2-My manager sent me to see this local Maine
psychologist who's been giving me different drugs. I feel lots better,
physically, but the voice in my head is getting louder again. Not sure that's a
good idea.
3-I have no idea how to find the sexy man with the
green eyes. I don't even remember his name! But I feel drawn to him, with these
intense feelings, as if we belong together.
Totally weird, right?
Beverley: Do you have a plan for resolving them?
Tonisha: Uh, no? I don't usually solve my own problems--my manager
does. But he wants new songs, and wants me back on my old drugs. And for me to never see the hot green-eyed
man ever again, which makes me so unhappy that I've been writing some sad
songs. He's not gonna like that.
Beverley: Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?
Tonisha: Do you ever hear a voice in your head? Do you listen to
it, or ignore it? I really need some advice here, and I can't talk to my
parents, or anyone hired by my manager. I don't have any friends. But I'd
really like to find that sexy green-eyed man again. Maybe he could answer my questions.
Blurb for Worth the Wait:
The Northwest Maine Pack
is settling down since Diego, the new pack leader, is almost done healing after
challenges to his leadership. His wife, Saoirse, presents him with a welcome
surprise. John, son of the late pack leader, has headed out to Boston, to live
with Freddie, Saoirse’s bestie, whom he met at her wedding to Diego. This
leaves a gap in pack security, so Diego asks if anyone from the family of
Canadian hunters is willing to fill in for him.
Grant
volunteers. He's been haunted by the memory of the black she-wolf he saw
on the pack grounds. His wolf tells him she is their mate, but he doesn’t even
know what she looks like as a human.
Nathan
has been without any real love in his life, since his family disowned him years
ago, for telling them of his secret duality. But when his wolf senses an
unfamiliar she-wolf, and they mate, the next morning, the woman has no memory
of anything they did the night before.
Everyone
has been waiting a long time for what they want the most. But the path to true
love is rarely an easy one. Especially when you are a werewolf.
Excerpt from Worth the Wait:
Nathan woke up with a start,
immediately aware that the chilly morning air was way too cold for two naked
humans with no blanket to share. In fact, he'd been dreaming of being trapped
in a refrigerator, and not only was he shaking, but so was the female his arms
were draped around. Memories flooded his brain, and he looked curiously at the
sleeping woman, whose back was plastered against the front of him, as they
spooned while they slept.
What
should I call her? I have no idea what her name is!
He cleared his throat, audibly.
"Um,
honey? Sweetheart? We need to move into the mansion. I don't know if you've
noticed, but it's really cold out here. Our body heat melted the snow, but
we're both wet and shaking."
He sat up and
she rolled onto her back, to give him his first look at her face.
God! She's gorgeous!
Her skin was almost the same dark tan
as the color of his fur when he was a wolf. Her hair was a mass of long, black
curls. Her lips were full, and her lashes were long and thick. They began to
flutter, as she struggled to open her eyes. Her eyes blinked open, then closed
again, as the morning sun shone directly into them.
Nathan was
sitting next to her, but moved slightly, so that his body was blocking the sun
that had blinded her.
She opened her
eyes again, and he was lost in the depths of their dark brown color, as she
regarded him intensely for a quick moment. She sat up quickly. "What the
hell? What are we doing out here in the cold?"
Her voice was
low and sexy, despite her irritation, and the chattering of her teeth. Nathan
fought the urge to lean over and kiss her, and instead responded to her
question.
"We fell asleep out here. I wanted
us to change and go into my apartment last night, but you were so tired after
our long night together, that you fell asleep out here. I didn't want to
disturb you, so I just wrapped myself around you, to generate as much body heat
as we could." He gave her a sheepish grin. "To tell the truth, I
didn't even feel the cold after I shifted. And you didn't shift, but fell
asleep right away. So I guess that's why you didn't feel the cold until
now."
"And why,
exactly, are we naked out here in the woods, lying in the snow? I mean, what
the hell kind of party was it, anyway?"
"Party?" he asked.
"Yeah. I
assume I met you at some party in--what did you call it? A mansion? So where's
everyone else? Didn't anyone think to check on us, after we decided to
frolic au naturale in the snow?"
He smiled,
shaking his head. "I was running alone when I saw you, on the other side
of the fence. Don't you remember?"
She shook her
head. "Nope."
His eyebrows
rose. "You don't?"
"No, and
I'm freezing my ass off out here. Let's get somewhere warm, preferably where my
clothes are, and then we can chat. Maybe over some hot coffee, hopefully."
He got up and
reached out his hands to help her. She took the hands in both of hers, to stand
up, and Nathan felt as if her touch included an electrical shock to his skin.
He looked into her eyes, which were now dark and stormy, reflecting her mood,
and he wanted to lose himself in their depths. She was quite a bit shorter than
him, with her head coming barely up to his shoulders. Her nipples were dark
pebbles on the round globes of her shapely breasts. They were standing close
enough that his hardening cock bouncing off of her thigh could not be missed.
"Down,
boy! I'm not into morning-after sex. Especially not when I'm in danger of losing
all feeling in my fingers and toes. Let's get into that mansion of yours and we
can talk about whatever comes up." She gave his cock a sideways smirk.
He began to walk toward
the clearing, to find his clothes. They kept up a good pace, which slightly
warmed them both up. But it was still undeniably cold.
Buy
Links for Worth the Wait:
https://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2883-9-worth-the-wait/
Social
Media Links
Blog and Website: http://www.fionamcgier.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/fionamcgier
https://www.facebook.com/fiona.mcgier/
Amazon Profile: http://www.amazon.com/Fiona-McGier/e/B003J8QJGE
