Multiple personalities & a contest!!
By T.L. Schaefer

Howdy, all! I’m Terri Schafer (aka TL Schaefer, aka Keira Ramsay) and today I’m hijacking Delilah’s blog for a bit. As you can see from the very first sentence, I have um…identity issues. Actually, not so much, but when I started writing erotic romance as frequently as I was publishing romantic suspense, something had to give. I just couldn’t write super-steamy stuff as TL…it didn’t seem right, and I’d started writing as TL, so folks were used to reading more about intrigue than lots of explicit sex. As soon as my newsletter readers named me Keira as my erotic pseudonym, though, I was off and running.

Over the years, I’ve had a few folks scratch their heads over my multiple personalities, but after I explain, they get it…it’s not only part of my process, but almost more of a branding thing. Yeah, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Regardless of what name I’m writing under, I’ve always been totally up front about what each of those names mean. At first I was a little hinky about being loud and proud in public (read, places where readers weren’t)…after all, I work for the DoD (as a civilian, not active duty), and big government isn’t exactly known for it’s liberal or artistic tendencies *G*. I quickly got over that when my boss (a full-bird colonel) introduced me to a colleague years ago. “This is Terri Schaefer. She writes pornography in her off-duty hours.” I turned about six shades of purple, shook the visiting colonel’s hand and fled to my office. I would have been upset with my boss, but he obviously took such pride and glee in saying it (he was proud of me and has NO social skills), I quickly got over myself, and started hamming it up. Since then there’s been no looking back, and I’ve been surprised at how much more accepting folks are. Women look at me with that little twinkle in their eye, and men ask for my website so they can show their wives. Not a bad gig at all.

Sooo, now that I’ve shown mine, show me yours *G*!! Tell me about one of your more embarrassing moments as they relate to reading or writing romance and I’ll pick a winner of a choice of any of my backlist, as either Terri OR Keira!! Contest ends 19 September.

Lastly, if you like your heroes in uniform (be they cops, firefighters, or military) and your heroines with a bit of quirk, then wing by www.tlschaefer.com and check out an excerpt or two to wet your whistle!

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Behind Blue Eyes is a 3 August 2010 release from Samhain Publishing.

Crime-scene photographer Sara Covington hides behind her camera from the otherworldly ability that’s caused her nothing but grief her whole life. Yet denial doesn’t protect her when she runs across a serial killer with an aural signature she’s never encountered.

Suddenly she’s without a job and with nowhere to turn…except to an enigmatic, sexy-as-hell detective with a disquieting talent for seeing right through her defenses.

Brian Roney’s fascination with Sara compels him to bring her in on the case that ultimately gets her fired. Even though he senses her mutual attraction, something holds her back from stepping into his arms. He’s as determined to find out why she’s pushing him away as he is to keep her safe.

When the killer strikes again, Sara realizes the only way to stop the madman is come clean about her painful past—and embrace the gift she has so long denied. Before the grisly trail of bodies leads right to her doorstep.

Warning: A sexy alpha cop, a heroine with a past (and super spidey sense) and a maniac on the loose…what’s not to love?

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Now—Dallas, Texas, Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.

If I’d known when I woke up this morning that my life was going to change in a major way—again—I probably would have pulled the covers over my head and hidden like the coward I am.

Instead, I was actually pretty chipper as I took Xena for her morning walk, both of us enjoying the springtime morning sun. Guess that should have been an indicator of things to come.

Around us, the residents of Deep Ellum were going about their business, strolling into the weirdly trendy shops, grabbing cappuccinos, letting their dogs run free in the pocket park. I’d bet if I tipped my glasses down most of their auras would be relaxed and happy. But even as carefree as I felt this morning, opening myself up to strangers’ auras and emotions wasn’t in the cards on any day. At least when I wasn’t on the job, that is.

I slipped Xena off her leash and she scampered through the grass, her tail waving like a flag. Yeah, a shih tzu is such a girly dog, but hey, what can I say? I’m a girl, and the pooch gives me unconditional love. These days I take all the simple joys I can get.

I rescued her from an animal shelter only a few hours before she was to be put down. Don’t ask me what drew me to the SPCA; it’s not like I was looking for a companion, but I found one, nonetheless. Maybe it was two lost souls calling to one another. I’m just glad we found each other in time.

At the thought, a shiver of foreboding rippled through me, making me glance left, then right. There was nothing different about the people surrounding me, or the day in general that seemed out of place. But even as normal as it seemed, I’d learned to trust my intuition a long time ago. I whistled for Xena and boogied back to the loft. With each step I took toward home, my spine became stiffer and my heart heavier.

As I climbed the stairs to my haven, certainty hit me like a punch. There’d be another murder tonight, in my division, and I’d be called in to shoot it. Not that there was any shortage of violent crimes in Dallas on any given night, but the cloud-blotting-the-sun feeling I’d had in the park told me this one would be different. Time to suit up and put my game face on.

Shit. Sometimes being “gifted” with the Sight was a good thing. Most of the time it was a bitch.