Guest Author Sabrina Devonshire and her hero, Jeff Dickson

Please give a warm welcome to Jeff Dickson from The Open Water Swimmer by Sabrina Devonshire today as we sit down and see what makes him tick.

Q: So tell us about yourself. What got you in the crosshairs for your author?

I rattled around in Sabrina’s brain for two weeks before she finally turned on her computer and started writing. She laid awake nights wondering why am I thinking about this guy all the time? And I kept telling her it’s because you’re supposed to write my story. And once she started on the book, we developed this special symbiosis because Sabrina’s always been an avid swimmer and she understands the commitment and hard work required to succeed. She never became the Olympic-level swimmer she always wanted to be, so writing my character fulfilled her dream vicariously.

Q: What was it that drew you to your mate?  I met Dana exiting the water after a 10-kilometer race in Long Beach, CA. She stood on that beach, her wild dark hair pulled up on top of her head, waving her hands and talking to my best friend’s wife. Her hot curvy body instantly drove me wild. I stepped out of the water completely exhausted, yet wanting to squeeze her butt of all things. It was nuts. But in the long run, I’d have to say it was her fun, unpredictable personality and genuine interest in my swimming that held me.

Q: A little naughty fun, where was the wildest place you seduced your partner(s)? After a 10K race in Roatan—a beautiful island with white sand off the coast of Honduras—we were splashing around in the ocean just having fun when things took a turn for the erotic and we ended up horizontal in the sand. There was hardly any surf—the waves were gentle lapping tongues against our skin. Dana worried someone would see us until I worked her bikini off with my teeth. A herd of elephants thumping down the beach would have been hard pressed to distract me from what we had going on after that.

Q: Boxers, briefs or Commando on a man? A swimsuit’s usually under whatever I’m wearing because I’m usually headed to or from the pool or ocean. Whenever I’m not planning to get wet soon, I prefer boxers.

Q: If your partner wants to seduce you, what's one sure fire trick he/she can play? I could give you a list. My biggest weakness is her butt. It’s got a round, but well-toned shape like you wouldn’t believe—so enticing to grab…But if she walks across the room showing off her shapely backside in a thong (especially with that side-to-side swagger) and looking over her shoulder with those big brown come-and-get-me eyes, I’m a goner.

Q: What was one of the most embarrassing thing your author did to you in The Open Water Swimmer? Reveal all the negative chatter that clangs around in my head during a race. I would prefer no one knew about that.

Q: Anything else you would like to add? Yes. Please don’t think if you’re not a swimmer, you can’t enjoy The Open Water Swimmer. Sabrina has created a comfortable balance between racing scenes, suspenseful plot twists and romance. Readers will learn enough about open water swimming to understand what’s happening during race scenes, travel with us to exotic beachside race locales all over the world, and experience us falling in love.

Thank you Jeff for joining us on 'Meet the Character' day here at Dawn’s Reading Nook Blog. Please find  The Open Water Swimmer by Sabrina Devonshire at Extasy Books. Thank you for inviting me.

The Open Water Swimmer  by Sabrina Devonshire

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Open-Water-Swimmer-ebook/dp/B009FC1FPS

Web site: www.sabrinadevonshire.com

Blurb:

When children's mystery writer Dana Thomas has recurring nightmares about a swimmer drowning in a race, she aims to change his fate. Her plan to remain objective makes a serious splashdown when she meets her "mission," a towering blue-eyed man with the best cut set of pectorals she's ever seen.  Going incognito as a feeding station volunteer for FINA World Cup series races, Dana travels to Greece, Portugal, Honduras, and Tunisia to try to protect him. When heat between  the pair sizzles, Dana falls hopelessly in love with this man destined to die.

Elite swimmer and former Navy fighter pilot Jeff Dickson keeps dreaming he's drowning. Recently dumped by his long-time girlfriend, who found him too competitive, Jeff believes his driven personality and international travel schedule can't mix with love.  When Jeff meets Dana, he's instantly attracted to her voluptuous body and mysterious personality.  When Jeff learns she's been stalking him for weeks at swimming races, he decides she must be psycho.

A series of fateful events before the final race lead Dana to believe her nightmare is about to unfold.  Anticipating a dive-in and rescue scenario, Dana is shocked to discover that's only the beginning. Can she change the fate of the man she loves and survive?

Excerpt:

The starting gun sounded and Jeff sprinted into the ocean, kicking water everywhere until the density of the water overcame him and it was more efficient to swim than run. A fingernail jabbed his calf. A toe struck his face, partially filling his goggles with water. He slapped arms with another swimmer on a recovery. Jeff plowed through the water with all the gusto he could muster to break away from the mass. He planned to tag along behind the lead pack after he freed himself from the mire.

He kicked harder, propelling his body through the water like a speedboat. This is more like it, he thought, as surrounding swimmers dropped back. Soon, only the five swimmers he expected to see remained. The lead pack. Mark matched him stroke for stroke as they drafted off of Mike Hammel, the leader. Jeff felt a tap on his toe. Andy McCleery.

You have to keep a cool head to push yourself to the max for almost two hours. Every swimmer was in top physical condition. The man who crossed that finish line first would be the one who shut down the chatter inside his head that taunted him with my arms ache,  my legs are cramping, or I can’t handle that searing pain in my lungs for another second and kept on plowing through the water like there was no tomorrow. Jeff wanted to be that man.

Jeff swam in the wake of bubbles behind Mike’s feet—his perceived effort much easier with the draft. Jeff felt strong and powerful. Like Hercules. This is why I keep coming back. On land, the world is a crazy, chaotic place. Here, it all comes down to the water and me.

He felt the most like himself in the ocean. Once he got into the rhythm of his stroke and turned up the heat, he felt like anything was possible. Winning the race. Qualifying for the London Olympic Games in 2012. Winning a gold medal.

About the Author:

Sabrina Devonshire, an avid swimmer most of her life, can usually be found near or immersed in a body of water. If she's not seeking an endorphin rush in a pool, lake or ocean, she's often encouraging people to work out or writing a book or magazine article. She also loves traveling to off-the-beaten-path places where phones and electronic devices tend not to work well. Peru and Belize are two of her favorites. Sabrina lives in southern Arizona with her husband, two children, and fluffy dog, Sugar.