From Tara Sue Me writing as Cat Waters:
There’s the truth you know….
At age 16, Athena Hamilton traded her body for survival when a powerful Vegas hotelier and pimp lured her into his world. Ten years of turning tricks has taught her to trust no one and feel nothing. Yet a chance meeting with a childhood crush sparks hope for something more.
The truth you believe…
There’s no way Isaiah Martin could want her. He’s a pastor. Too good. Too pure. But when she learns her days are numbered, she runs into the safety of his arms and trusts his promise of protection.
And the truth you never imagined…
The aftermath of a tragic accident and a bitter betrayal leaves her destitute and alone. The one man she shouldn’t trust offers her a chance to escape. But when good and evil collide, what do you do when the truth is Obscured?
Describe Athena in one sentence.
A determined woman who takes her future in her own hands, even though she knows it might get her killed.
Describe Isaiah in one sentence.
Handsome pastor who is more than he seems.
Favorite and least favorite scene to write in Obscured? (Without spoiling! ☺ )
Favorite scene is when Athena talks with the young girl in the mall. It’s one of those scenes I didn’t plan, but rather, it just happened. I felt Athena’s urgency in that scene. Her passion, knowing she probably wouldn’t stop the young girl, but she had do something. Which is saying a lot based on what she was told moments before that scene takes place.
My least favorite scene is anything with Mike. He’s such an ass.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Bargain shopping! I’m borderline obsessed with finding a great deal!
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Definitely my kids. They’re growing up and you see traces of the adults they’re going to be and I’m so proud.
If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
My grandfather on my dad’s side. He died before I was born, so we’ve never met. In fact, I’ve only met one of my biological grandparents.
Favorite Word and Least Favorite Word?
My favorite word is ‘no’ because I’m finally learning how to say it now that I’m in my forties.
My least favorite word is also ‘no’ because I don’t like hearing it!
Biggest fear?
Something happening to me and leaving my family alone. Or something happening to my family.
Deepest regret?
Not learning how to say ‘no’ earlier in life. I spent too much time trying to make everyone else happy.
Favorite memory?
The first cruise we took the kids on, we went snorkeling in Freeport. Seeing their faces as they looked under the water for the first time. Priceless.
Worst flaw?
I’m too passive. I need to get angry more often.
Most annoying pet peeve?
Bad drivers!
If you could change one thing about yourself…what would it be?
I’d speak my mind more
Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
Athena or Isaiah? Athena
Warm or Cold? Warm
Early Bird or Night Owl? Night Owl
Outdoor or Indoor? Indoor
Blondes or Brunettes? Brunettes
Ketchup or Mustard? Ketchup
Coffee or Cocktail? Coffee
Texting or Calling? Texting
Chapter One
The day I meet Isaiah Martin for the second time, I am running late. I pride myself on my punctuality, not to mention that my clients demand it, and I’m not paying attention to my surroundings.
I look at my watch again. Five minutes after. Shit. I scurry through the hotel lobby, making a beeline to the elevators. If luck happens to be on my side, I won’t have to wait, but the elevators in the largest hotel in Las Vegas are notoriously slow.
Will the stairs be quicker? I glance over my shoulder. The stairwell is located on the other side of the large open atrium. With my client’s room on the thirtieth floor, the elevator is faster, even if I have to wait. I turn back to the elevators.
And run right into a man standing in my path, overcorrect, and twist my ankle.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” he says in a soft, cultured Southern accent, reaching out a hand to steady me. “You okay?”
“Damn it!” My ankle throbs so much I’m not sure I can walk. I gingerly put my weight on the hurt ankle and curse again at the pain.
Suck it up, Athena. This is nothing. Think about what’ll happen if you don’t make it upstairs in the next few minutes.
“Ma’am?” Mr. Southern Gentleman repeats.
“I’m fine.” I tentatively move my foot side to side. “Just give me a minute.”
“Why don’t you come sit down and let me take a look at that ankle?”
“You a doctor?” Odds are Odds are he’s just your standard pervert wanting the chance to run his hand up my leg. Even if he is a doctor, I’m not about to let him put his hands on me. Not a wise thing to do, since it’s almost a certainty Mike will find out.
“No, ma’am,” he says. “But I think you may need to rest that ankle just a bit.”
“Really, I’m fine.” I put my full weight on the ankle and nearly fall over as the pain sparks up my leg. “Ow. Ow. Ow.Hell.”
He doesn’t speak again, but takes me by the arm and leads me to a bench near the elevators. His head drops down and he runs a finger along my anklebone. Pokes and prods me. “I don’t think anything’s broken, but you should probably stay off your feet for the next little bit.”
“Easy for you to say,” I snap. “You’re obviously not the one running late.”
He looks up and our eyes meet.
Warm caramel eyes. His thick, black hair is long overdue for a haircut and curls up the tiniest bit at his neck. His firm lips give way to a perfect “O” of surprise at the exact moment I recognize him.
“Athena?”
“Isaiah?”
He embraces me with a crushing hug. “Imagine seeing you here. How are you?”
My spine goes rigid, and I don’t return the hug. “I’m….I’m fine,” I stutter while my eyes dart around the lobby, trying to see if anyone’s watching me.
“I can’t believe it’s you.” He is oblivious to my discomfort. “Are you in town for long?”
I force myself to stop scanning the area and focus on Isaiah instead. A cold chill runs down my spine as I take in his handsome features. The last twelve years have treated him well. No longer is he the awkward teenage boy plagued by acne and thick glasses. He’s grown into the handsome man I always knew lay beneath the surface.
He looks at me in expectation. What did he ask?
I fiddle with the hem of my skirt. It rests just above the knee. “I live here.”
Tara Sue Me wrote her first novel at the age of twelve. It would be twenty years before she picked up her pen to write the second.
After completing several clean romances, she decided to try her hand at something spicier and started The Submissive. What began as a writing exercise quickly took on a life of its own. An avid reader of all types of fiction, she soon discovered she enjoyed writing a variety as well.
Tara lives in the Southeastern United States with her family, two dogs, and a cat.
An awesome prize! Thanks for the chance. Love your covers.