Hard Pressed

Sequel to Acting Out When one man has the worst of reputations and believes any misfortune befalling him is deserved, it's hard to feel worthy of love. Can absolution arrive in three little words? Journalist Phillip Drake is beginning to doubt the career he's chosen, his motivation, his whole existence. When an assignment arises to trail up and coming, and coming out, actor Gary Caldwell he's well aware it's his duty to dig for dirt ... and when Caldwell seems less than co-operative, Phillip half-convinces himself he'll be happy to do so. Gary has always been attracted to the reporter and finds it difficult to maintain a distance. Something is going on with Drake, not least of all the surprising revelation when Gary realises Drake is gay, and the attraction is mutual. After an intimate encounter, Drake disappears and Gary sets out to unravel a mystery that not only involves tracking down the reporter's whereabouts, but may also explain why Drake has done the things he has, why Drake harbours more than a little self-hate and more than emotional scars, and why the one thing Drake doesn't believe he deserves -- love -- is the one thing he's worthy of.

During Sharon's writing career, she's lived in a house with a Harry Potter cupboard under the stairs, shared a publisher with the creator of Roger Rabbit, and once took a trip to Jupiter. Only one of these has been in her imagination. Her work has appeared steadily in both print and electronic publications. Her short story "Bitter and Intoxicating" was snapped up for inclusion in the anthology Red Velvet and Absinthe. This compilation, edited by Mitzi Szereto with a foreword by Kelly Armstrong, was designed to evoke the romantic ethos of classic Gothic fiction with a serving of eroticism. With a repertoire of tales and a love of cross-genre writing, it surprised everyone (including herself) when Sharon branched out into erotic romance. These works have been critically acclaimed and often described as "deeply passionate." Sharon's worlds are vivid, unexpected, and sometimes intensely magical. She writes whatever her warped mind can come up with and is quite capable of writing something darker, grittier, and even outright twisted. She was propelled into the Steampunk universe of Space, 1899 and beyond, and also asked to write for Doctor Who related fiction, including Lethbridge-Stewart novels and short stories, and a Big Finish short audio story featuring the eleventh Doctor and companion, Jo Grant. For more information, visit sharonbidwell.co.uk.