What if you found yourself in a different reality… same face, but different you? Whitney Ann Rhodes bounces into the alternate realities of Whit and Annie. Can she navigate Whit’s complicated and volatile life or survive Annie’s dystopian world living under the rule of a global authoritarian leader and his military regime? Will she resist or comply? Afterward, can Whitney return to her world and face what lies ahead?
EXCERPT: from Whitney’s first bounce: Whit’s World:
Jay pulled his chair over next to her. “You’ll have to explain each one to me in full detail. And you know what this means, don’t you?” He lifted her long dark hair and put it to the side over her shoulder and whispered, “We’ll just have to spend a lot more time together alone. He spotted the head of a dragon draped in roses that were left exposed from the scooped back of her sleeveless little black dress. Jay slowly leaned down and kissed the back of her neck. Shivers raced down Whitney’s back and she closed her eyes. He put his lips up to her ear. “I like your dragon. I would like to see the whole thing.”
She opened her eyes and turned to look at him. She bit the inside of her lip and chewed nervously on the side. He flashed the edges of his bright white teeth and gazed into her eyes. “Stay with me tonight?”
Whitney scraped the edge of her teeth against her bottom lip. “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet.” She inhaled and slowly released her breath. “I’m still fresh from a nasty break-up.”
He sat back in his chair. “Take all the time you need. You’re worth waiting for.”
Some might say I’m an introvert, but I’m not so sure—perhaps an introvert with a touch of extrovert tossed in; I was a cheerleader in high school, played sports, and have done assemblies in senior centers, schools, and classrooms to promote my books. I also taught K-7, Title One, and Adult Basic Ed, so I must have a bit-of-extrovert hidden in there somewhere. I speak with a soft voice, but have been known to vigorously debate an issue endlessly. Early in my life, my family advised me to become a lawyer—hence argumentative; but instead, I followed a far more rewarding path for me and became an educator. No regrets here. Teaching is one of the hardest professions you’ll ever love and stays with you for the rest of your life—we all know you definitely don’t do it for the money! For the next part of my life’s journey, I hope to fill blank pages with endless inspiring and curious creations that others will enjoy. So… in the end, who am I? All in all, I guess I’m a walking contradiction—an introvert/extrovert. At least I keep things interesting—you never know what to expect.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I remember listening to a song called, “Paperback Writer,” as a teenager and thought, that would be so cool. However, I first realized I could actually do it when I was teaching elementary and co-wrote a book with my students. I stood at the chalkboard and together we created “Squeakers,” a story about a mouse; it was one of the most checked out books in our school library for years until it finally fell apart. Also, when I taught Title One, I did a special poetry class with grades three-through-seven and submitted them; they were published in an anthology the next year. I wrote several manuscripts after that and got a children’s book published a couple of years later called Eagle Feather.
What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?
I read and write in several genres. I’ve written in sci-fi, romance, paranormal, mystery, time travel-fantasy and a file cabinet full of other genres. If I find a topic or premise interesting, I’ll read it; that’s also true for writing.
Is your book for adults, young adults, or children?
I’ve written manuscripts for all three; but as far as published books, I have two adult books and one children’s book. The adult science fiction romance books are BOUNCE and ALL GONE.
What is your current release or project?
ALL GONEwas released by Black Velvet Seductions (BVS) in December 2021. I’m currently working on a paranormal romance mystery called THE TREE; stay tuned, THE TREE is still a work-in-progress.
Tell us about the key characters
For BOUNCE, the key characters are:
Whitney Ann Rhodes, the conservative architect who bounces into the alternate realities of Whit—a tattooed, freedom loving, illustrator and liberal artist, and Annie—the ever-obedient wife under the rule of a militaristic dictator in a restrictive authoritarian world.
And Sawyer. In Whit’s world, Sawyer is an irresistible musician who captures Whitney’s heart and soul, but later proves to be unattainable in her own world. In Annie’s world, Sawyer is the loyal servant under the thumb of their brutal-authoritarian-dear-leader.
And last of all, Jason—the surprise discovery for Whitney, Whit, and Annie.
For ALL GONE, the key characters are:
Paige Martin, the passionate, dedicated investigative reporter who investigates a series of identical crop circles that suddenly appear near major cities across the world. Its cryptic message leaves the entire globe wondering whether the invitation to the next sighting—scheduled to be one year later—is a first contact or the second coming.
And the ruggedly handsome Nick Landon, a mechanical engineer who offers much-much-more than his intellect and ingenuity.
For THE TREE, my ghostly murder mystery.The key characters are:
Megan Warren, a curious-tenacious-witty college student, who finds herself thrust into a mystery that takes her on a perplexing journey of adjustment, numerous obstacles, and amazing discoveries.
Kinsey Warren, Megan’s very persistent older sister.
And Blaine Driggs, the hard-charging private investigator, determined to solve every case that comes across his desk, be they living or dead.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
For BOUNCE:
What if you found yourself in a different reality… same face, but different you? Whitney Ann Rhodes bounces into the alternate realities of Whit and Annie. Can she navigate Whit’s complicated and volatile life or survive Annie’s dystopian world living under the rule of a global authoritarian leader and his military regime? Will she resist or comply? Afterward, can Whitney return to her world and face what lies ahead?
For ALL GONE:
Are the newly discovered crop circles an invitation to the second coming or a first contact? Investigative reporter Paige Martin is thrust into a mystery that takes her on a wild adventure of survival, betrayal, and romance. Can she find the answers in time and survive in a world that could end at any moment?
Share an excerpt
For BOUNCE:
Whitney forged a plan to survive in Annie’s strange world. She placed the book back on the table and whispered, “This reality is full of hazards at every turn. The laws are exact, and the punishments extreme for infractions.” Whitney reviewed the rules in her mind. They stone women for adultery, strap them for disobedience, and execute them for treason. It’s Sawyer’s job to ensure that the women in his household are submissive and obedient at all times.
For ALL GONE:
In this excerpt, Paige interviewed two people for her article on the mysterious crop circles: the first a UFO enthusiast, and the second, a reverend at a mega-church.
The man sat up straight. “This looks like it may be an opportunity for a first contact by extraterrestrials. I believe they will arrive on April twentieth, 2025. The numbers coincide with Easter. Perhaps this represents the dawning of a new beginning. I acknowledge its importance by the way the numbers are displayed repetitively. It is also clear to me that something will appear in the sky on that date, and logically, that could happen at the locations of the first crop circles.” …
The reverend drew in a breath. “Well, the religious symbols lead me to believe the message is for the believers, and the image pointing to the skies tells me to be watchful.”
Do you have a favorite scene?
I selected my favorite romantic scenes this time; both books are full of suspense with a lot of action, so I wanted these excerpts to focus more on the softer side.
For BOUNCE:
She stepped on the rug and gazed into the mirror. A woman with long black hair stared back. What’s happening? One side of her head was shaved. She drew closer to the mirror. The face was hers, but thinner, and instead of her shoulder-length hair, she now adorned long hair that flowed down her back. She glanced down at her breasts and viewed a nipple ring on each nipple. She flicked them. They were indeed pierced. Whitney scanned across her upper arms and spotted perplexing tattoos that resembled ancient writing. She turned around and found a tat of a huge dragon draped in roses beautifully place between her shoulder blades. Her familiar curves were replaced by lean, toned muscles—the sleek body of a runner.
Her ears perked at rustling noises coming from another room. She cracked the door opened. There stood a man putting on his faded blue jeans. She stared at the dark-haired man. He was tall and had a runner’s body, too. His arms and back were tattooed just like her new body. Her eyes grew wide as he acknowledged her.
She whispered, “Oh, my God. He’s gorgeous.”
He blinked. “Hurry up, Whit.”
Whitney remained frozen.
He peered at her and raised his arms. “Hey, beautiful, we’re going to miss the train.”
She closed the door and leaned against the hard wood, drawing in a long slow breath for courage. Okay, okay, Whitney, just calm down and find something to put on. She searched for something to wear but found nothing. Whitney grabbed a towel and put it around her. Then with one last tuck of the towel, she opened the door. The dark-haired hunk put his shirt on and sat on the bed. He slid on his boots and glanced up. She went over to the closet and opened it. Shit, only men’s clothing. She tried the next closet. Thank God. She pulled out a shirt and opened several dresser drawers. The dark-haired hunk glimpsed up at her, befuddled.
She chewed the inside of her lip. “Where is it?”
“What?”
“Never mind. It’s not important,” she said. Then a few drawers later, Whitney found a bra, lace underwear, and put them on. The hunk pointed to her jeans on the chair.
She nervously giggled and slipped them on. “Thanks.”
“Last night must have been rough.”
“Rough morning.”
The man pulled her down in his lap and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll make it better tonight.”
For ALL GONE:
Nick moved in closer and put his other hand on the wall behind her. “What’s so important that it’s keeping you up all night?”
Paige peeked up. “Did I wake you up the other night when I called out your name?” …..
“Dreaming about me, Ms. Martin?”
She shut her eyes. “Yes.”
Nick stuck his finger under Paige’s waistband. He brushed his fingertip below her belly button, abrading her mound of hair. She froze as an electric shock raced through her body. He pulled her boxers open, peered down the front of her shorts, and softly moaned into her ear.
Paige stuttered. “I-I… just wanted to apologize if I woke you up.”
Nick inhaled the aroma of jasmine shampoo, grazed her earlobe and brushed across her lips with his. He moved to her other ear and whispered in his low, breathy voice. “Apology accepted. You can wake me up anytime, Paige.” Then he kissed her forehead. “Can I do anything else for you, babe?”
She opened her eyes. “No, I wanted to apologize.”
Nick narrowed his eyes and gave her his crooked smile. “Well, then, I’ll wish you good night.” …..
Paige stared into Nick’s green eyes. A slow smile crossed her lips. He winked and released his grip. She strolled down the hall. Her hips swayed with each step. He closed the door and clenched his jaw.
“Damn.” Nick kicked off his shoes and plopped on the bed. “Bo, come.” Bo placed his head on Nick’s chest. He stroked Bo’s fur. “It won’t be long now. I’m in her dreams.”
What advice would you give a beginner?
One of my old professors told me years ago to schedule at least 15 minutes every day to write and let it become a habit. He was right. You do it faithfully and it becomes a part of you. Also, never give up, no matter how many rejection letters you get. Remember, you only need one yes; and as you build confidence and your skills, that one yes can be you. You can always self-publish when you’re ready. My last bit of advice would be to listen and consider the suggestions editors and experienced authors give you—most only want to help you make it the best it can be.
For THE TREE: It’s still a WIP (a work in progress).
BIO:
S. K. White is a lover of Science Fiction Romance and enjoys inventing new worlds and situations for her characters to discover, grow, explore, and fall in love in. She treasures writing in her journal and recording thoughts and ideas that flow from the experiences she sees and hears all around her. She uses many of those reflections to create the characters that appear in her novels, and the poetry she writes. S. K. White lives in a small town in the west and embraces glorious sunsets in the cool evening breeze, and savors the captivating western landscapes that surround her.
