Night Stocker
By Anlyn Hansell
The Misadventures of Meghan Foster Part One (The Balance)
Paranormal Romantic Comedy
Publication Date: January 25, 2013
Length: 265 pages
Synopsis:
My name is Meghan Foster and I'm going to save you from yourself.
That is, if a certain someone doesn't stop me...
Don't let the pretty face fool you. I am a product of a seriously troubled past, but I'm a resilient little bugger. I'm a night shift stock replenishing machine and if by chance, you don't think that sounds too exciting? You are sorely mistaken, my friend. This is my life. I can't explain it. I won't even attempt to try.
I do have certain powers of persuasion that I am more than willing to use, especially if aforementioned 'certain someone' doesn't interfere.
His name is Lance and he is by far the most delicious creature I've ever laid eyes on. I have no idea who he is or what he wants with me, but I guess I'm about to find out the hard way...
Who says stocking shelves is boring?
Excerpt:
Later I'm sitting on the dock, a stupid grin on my face. Carly and Herb are locked in a passionate embrace next to the dumpster, he's licking her face. Holy crap, Herb…tone it down! He's just so overenthusiastic, and quite frankly? She doesn't seem to mind.
"Wrong."
"What's wrong? He thinks about her all the time. I think it's sweet." I refuse to look at Lance as he crouches next to me.
"Does she ever think about him?" That one had me thinking.
No, not exactly.
"He has a girlfriend," Lance states in a low voice.
"No, he doesn't," I reply, shaking my head with confidence.
"Yes he does. Oh! And did I forget to mention his girlfriend is pregnant?"
I bite my lip. Lance doesn't lie.
"He never talks about her. Hell, he never even thinks about her. He only ever thinks about Carly! I swear…" I whisper uncertainly.
"That's because he's a selfish bastard. And now…my misguided little matchmaker…you are officially…a home-wrecker. Good going, ass."
Suddenly Carly pulls from his embrace, smacking Herb across his face with a resounding Crack! She storms away, leaving a very confused Herb holding the side of his face.
"That'll leave a mark…"
I roll my eyes at Lance's whispered words.
I'm biting my nails. I just wanted to do was something nice tonight. Maybe something to counteract my stunt with Monica… I just wanted to feel good about myself. Now I feel like shit.
I'm being hauled up by my arm pits. "Come on." I can hear Lance's voice as I'm set on my feet, and none too gently, I might add.
"Am I in trouble?" I can't wipe the sheepish look from my face.
"Are you ever not in trouble?" He's nudging me toward the door to the warehouse.
My feet step reluctantly. "Are you going to punish me?"
"Maybe. Come on." Another nudge.
"I respectfully decline."
"You don't get a choice."
And with that, we are standing in the "Break Room of Doom" as I like to call it now. I hope he doesn't set me on fire. I hate it when he sets me on fire…
Author Interview:
The Avid Reader: What inspired you to write Night Stocker?
Anlyn Hansell: A trip to Walmart at 11:30 at night was the inspiration for Night Stocker. I don't typically shop so late but I realized I ran out of coffee and anyone that knows me knows I cannot function on less than a pot in the morning. It's like a whole other world at night - empty except for the occasional stocker. I turned a corner and there were three employees cracking up about some unknown joke. They were all silent as I walked by, picked up my coffee and walked out of the aisle. As I walked to the front I could hear them laughing again and it made me wonder just what the heck goes on there at night. By the time I was home, I had already mapped out the entire plot of the book. I was going to entitle it "The Devil Came Down to Walmart" but I didn't think they would be too pleased about that…
The Avid Reader: When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Anlyn Hansell: I remember taking a creative writing course in High School. I wrote some story about Stella, a biker chick magically transformed for some biker ball - some strange twist on Cinderella. I know it was a comedy, I really wish I would have kept it. I would love to read it now. My writing tendencies lay dormant for the next 10 years. I just found a notebook with the first few chapters of a fairly cheesy historical romance I started writing in my twenties. Needless to say, I will not be continuing that book.
The Avid Reader: What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?
Anlyn Hansell: I remember becoming a Judy Blume and Sweet Valley High fan late in grade school. It of course gave me an unrealistic expectation of what boys were actually like. Needless to say…I was a bit disappointed when I actually started dating real boys.
The Avid Reader: What genre of books do you enjoy reading?
Anlyn Hansell: I like romance, actually I love anything humorous so I guess romantic comedy would be my genre of choice. I also like horror and suspense.
The Avid Reader: What is your favorite book?
Anlyn Hansell: Intensity by Dean Koontz. That book…Oh! I was up ALL night reading that. Best book ever.
The Avid Reader: You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?
Anlyn Hansell: I have to go with the classics here - definitely Jane Austen. Are you kidding? Anyone who can create a timeless character like Mr. Darcy deserves some major props. Authors still imitate her work, write sequels, twist the story and make it their own. Mr. Darcy is and will forever remain my one and only 'book boyfriend'.
The Avid Reader: If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?
Anlyn Hansell: Probably the Civil War era. I only live twenty minutes from Gettysburg now - I used to live in an old civil war era warehouse that was converted into apartments right in downtown Gettysburg for about two years. That era is so inspiring; it has everything needed for a really good romantic suspense novel.
The Avid Reader: When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?
Anlyn Hansell: Easy. Apparently, since I wrote 6 books in a two year time frame. I was so incredibly inspired and the words just seemed to flow for a while there.
The Avid Reader: Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?
Anlyn Hansell: No fuzzy pets. Just a couple of fish, that's about all I can handle.
The Avid Reader: What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?
Anlyn Hansell: Fortunately for me, and my waistline, my favorite foods can only be found in the greater metropolitan Detroit area - my hometown. I live in the middle of Pennsylvania now and there isn't a single Coney Island around to tempt me. Chili fries, chili dogs - pretty much anything with chili on it. I would weigh 500 lbs. if I still lived in the "D". Big Boy Slim Jims too, again only found in Detroit. Ham and cheese squashed in a bun with two sides of tartar sauce. That's right. I said tartar sauce. Don't knock it 'til you try it.
The Avid Reader: Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?
Anlyn Hansell: Write for you. Be original. I read so much more than I write and honestly I feel like I read the same plot over and over again. I feel like it's copy-cat mania out there in the writing world and to be honest? The copy-cats can't be doing all that bad since their novels are near the top of the 'New and Popular' list on Amazon. Good for them. I just shuffle past those and look for a blurb that has anything other than "alpha male bazillionaire meets shy, insecure, sexually modest female for stalker-like relationship." I write the stuff I would like to read. Hopefully there are others out there that share my personality and get my goofy sense of humor.
Author Bio:
Anlyn Hansell is a 40-something wife and mother of one residing in a small town in South-Central PA. She has a BS in Distribution, a Masters in Business and an overactive imagination to boot. Writing credits previously included all manner of extremely boring ISO documentation, a published editorial on core sand in a foundry magazine and a recurring article in her company newsletter. Not much chance for creative writing there! She began her writing career two years ago, and in that time, has completed seven full length novels. The first four novels centered around romance, but she quickly began including a mystery element to keep the pages turning. She enjoys cooking and baking and of course, indulging in the products of those pursuits. She not only loves to write, she is compelled to do so. Every morning, starting at around 3:30 am, you can find her in her living room tapping away in the dark. It truly is the best time to write! She is currently working on yet another endeavor with the sole purpose of keeping her readers up well into the night.
Giveaway:
$50 WalMart Giftcard
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