Carmen DeSousa

By far, the most common question people ask when they find out I’m an author is: how did you come up with the idea? Well, it depends on the story, but I pull from everything. Something I hear someone say, a line from a song, just the thought of what a guy might say to a girl, or walking across an outdoor store in heels. Yep, that’s what happened. While shopping for a gift for my hubby, dressed in business attire and wearing high heels that were clicking across the hardwood floors, I thought to myself, “Who'd believe I am an avid hiker and whitewater kayaker ?” Next thing I knew I was jotting down questions to myself: How does a city girl end up owning an outdoor store in the middle of nowhere? And… What type of conflict would come about from it? But that’s all I do is ask myself questions and jot down a few notes. From there, I am the epitome of a pantser . I didn’t even write my prologue and a few chapters of the manuscript until after the entire story wa...

Excerpt: Jordan had his arm latched around her waist. “It sort of reminds me of our first anniversary, the cruise to San Juan, only safer. I never felt comfortable there.” She laughed. “Exactly where do you feel comfortable?” She leaned back against his chest as they marveled at the street performers who painted and danced for money. He tightened his grip around her and nuzzled her neck, laughing too. “That’s true. When I have such a precious commodity that I’m in charge of protecting, how can I relax?” “You’re so silly, Jordan. I don’t think anyone is going to try to run off with me.” He kissed the top of her head. “They’ll be sorry if they try.” She sighed. She never had to worry when he was with her. Jordan would always protect her. She’d never fretted wherever they went, even Puerto Rico. She knew nobody would take him on. After reading the 600-plus reviews--just on Amazon; there are two hundred more on iTunes and B&N--there seems to be a common c...

Long excerpt this week, as we are finishing chapter two of Split Decisions . If you haven’t been keeping up, you can catch up here if you like; there’s a link that will bring you right back. Please make sure you come back next week for a sneak peek at my new series releasing Labor Day Weekend. Excerpt: She remembered their short-lived romance as if it were yesterday. He was in town on business and had stopped for dinner at the steakhouse she worked. He waited hours for her at the bar, insisting she go out with him. Just coffee she remembered. She’d finally conceded and they’d talked for hours. Never once had he’d suggested anything inappropriate; he hadn’t even kissed her on the first night. Then he’d shown up the next night, and they had sat on the beach eating ice cream. He’d requested to go to her house so they could talk, and that’s all they’d done. He’d never pushed her for sex. In fact, she’d tried and he’d told her he wanted to wait until she could give him every...

We are in chapter two of Split Decisions , the follow-up novel to She Belongs to Me . To avoid spoilers, click here . If you've read She Belongs to Me , you can catch up with Split Decisions   here ; there’s a link that will bring you right back to this week's sample. Excerpt: She stared at her reflection in the mirror. She looked good for almost forty. She hadn’t even had to have surgery done.  Her manager had mentioned she needed to go under the knife if she wanted to stay current, but she no longer cared. She had more money than she knew what to do with, even though money had never been important. Her entire life she’d wanted nothing but love and respect. She’d wanted to prove she could be someone, not the unloved and unwanted person she’d been before she was famous. Only two people had ever loved her. Her grandmother and a man she’d met eighteen years ago, a little over a week before her twenty-second birthday. She had only known him for three days, and on...

We are in chapter two of Split Decisions , but you can catch up here if you like; there’s a link that will bring you right back. Excerpt: Caycee rolled out of bed, stumbling blindly to the bathroom. The room was dark, even though it had to be nearly noon. She felt the pounding in her head and parched mouth within seconds of standing up. Why did she do this to herself? Pouring a glass of tap water, she swallowed four ibuprofen capsules in an attempt to escape the pain; though she knew it would never disappear completely. Last night had started like every other night. First, they recognized her. Next, they would ask the bartender what she drank. Finally, they would introduce themselves toting two drinks, professing to be her biggest fan. If they were younger, they would talk about how they’d been listening to her music since high school, as if that should impress her. If they were older, they’d prattle, “I remember when that song came out I was…” Always the same and i...

We are in chapter two of Split Decisions , but you can catch up here if you like; there’s a link that will bring you right back. We're in a new POV...something you'd see in the actual book, but might miss in an excerpt. :) Coming here two to three nights a week was tiresome. It was only to watch Caycee make a fool out of herself repeatedly. She would sit within range of the bar, flipping her shoe on and off her heel, tossing her hair over her shoulder, and then casually letting it fall again while pretending to read some article in a news journal. All feminine subterfuge meant to attract some unsuspecting man into her lair. Caycee didn’t need money; she had plenty. But she liked having someone take care of her. She enjoyed the idea that she could overwhelm a man until he became so infatuated, he would offer her the world. Then she would chew him up and spit him out. She was particular at least; she didn’t allow just any man to take her home. She would wait unti...

We are in chapter two of Split Decisions , but you can catch up here if you like; there’s a link that will bring you right back. Excerpt: Eventually a brave charlatan with nothing to lose would approach. Tonight, he was a man over average height, just shy of six feet. Approximately two hundred pounds, well built, with light brown hair, he looked like her normal preference. After slipping off the ring from his left hand and tucking it into his pocket, he made his move. Hours passed as they laughed and toasted oblivious. And then, when there was nothing left to say, they left the restaurant together, his arm wrapped around her shoulder protectively, off to their next stop which would be some jazz bar or the like. By two a.m., she’d lost interest and turned down the man’s offer of festivities elsewhere. He wasn’t the one, and so, she would return tomorrow or the next evening. Always within sight, always out of reach. What would happen if she found the right one, would ...

We are in chapter two of Split Decisions , but you can catch up here if you like; there’s a link that will bring you right back. Excerpt: And this was her favorite place. As prestigious as it was, the restaurant catered to all lifestyles. The proprietors enforced no dress code other than pants and a collared shirt, and even that rule could be broken if someone of influence walked in, or if they drove up in an expensive enough vehicle. The five-star institution served the finest steaks and largest potatoes on the strip, and after dinner, a cigar bar awaited patrons. Because of this, highly influential and down-home businessmen alike dined as equals. She could go anywhere, but she always started here. As if waiting for someone to appear, as if the man-of-her-dreams would arrive and sweep her off her feet. The man she wanted never showed, so she returned every night, waiting it seemed, as imposters propositioned her. For more information, follow links: Amazon US ...