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Category Archives: Romantic Suspense

Guest Author: Genie Davis & Giveaway!

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I have a really interesting guest blogger today – she’s Genie Davis, who writes romantic suspense and is also a screen and TV writer.  Genie’s books have won a number of awards, and her screen work spans a variety of genres from supernatural thriller to romantic drama, family, teen, and comedy.  Cool, eh?  You can check out her full bio here.

I’m going to turn the blog over to Genie so she can tell us what’s going on in her world.

The Theme I Never Knew I Had

I never set out to write something with a particular theme. The theme is just something organic, something intrinsic to the story that appears in the course of writing the narrative for me. Imagine my surprise, a few years back, when I was interviewing for a TV staff writing job – a position I unfortunately didn’t get – when the executive producer said “What would you call the theme of your writing? I see redemption.”

Well, come to think of it – that was true of the screenplays he was reading. And still is, with my books. In fact, now I have an as-yet-unpublished novel actually titled Redemption. That particular book is a supernatural thriller with a solid romance stuck in between the Stephen King-ish chills, with the redemption of faith over evil, life over death, and love over loss the big three themes in this story.

But redemption is my own creative “key word” as it were, and it crops up in almost everything I write. I’m aware of it now, although I still don’t plan it, but I have to thank that exec for pointing out to me what I do.

Of my published books, my current title, the romantic suspense Executive Impulse, features redemption as a theme in several ways – there is, of course, the redemption of love – detective Kate has given up on men and love in general, following a lousy marriage, and even though she initially rejects Andy, she knows the real thing when she sees it. Andy finds redemption for his own self-worth – through Kate, his journalism, and his ability to work at whatever piece of business he’s thrust into.

A mystery I have coming out soon, Marathon, includes the redemption of a mother-daughter relationship; of a rocky, on-again, off-again romance finding purpose; and the redemption of a psychic gift, once discounted.

Previous works, the romantic suspense titles The Model Man and Five O’Clock Shadow, both include the redemption of purpose and creativity as themes, along with that all important love-redeeming quality of the main protagonists’ relationships. My first novel, literary fiction with a strong noir spine, Dreamtown, is pure redemption – a man without purpose or direction finds a true calling, and love; while a woman, bereft of hope, finds salvation.

Yes, I’m a fanatic about redemption, and I hope you’ll find some redeeming fun and suspense in all my titles.

If you’d like a free digital copy of Executive Impulse, or a hard copy of Five O’Clock Shadow, like my Facebook fan page and post which book you’d like to own on my wall – I’ll pick three posters at random to win the book of choice. :)

Vanessa, here.  You heard the lady!  Hop on over to her facebook page for a chance to win one of her great books!

Guest Author: Cheryl Bolen & Giveaway!!

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I’m so pleased to have acclaimed historical and romantic suspense writer Cheryl Bolen on the blog today.  Cheryl is the author of more than a dozen Regency-set historical romance novels. Her books have placed in several writing contests, including the Daphne du Maurier, and have been translated into 11 languages. She was named Notable New Author in 1999, and in 2006 she won the Holt Medallion (Honoring Outstanding Literary Talent) for Best Short Historical Novel. Her books have become Barnes & Noble and Amazon bestsellers.

Cheryl also writes romantic suspense as well as Regency romance, so let’s find out about that, too.

You had a distinguished career as a journalist before you began writing romance.  Why the switch and why the Regency Period?

I didn’t consciously decide to switch. I wrote the two simultaneously for many years. My first efforts at fiction were romantic suspense, but I wasn’t able to sell those. After I sold my first book, a historical romance titled A Duke Deceived, in 1997, I just decided I’d rather write fiction exclusively. I still like doing articles and blogging about Regency England, which is all non-fiction.

You’ve recently taken another branch in your career – writing for Amazon’s Montlake imprint.  Was it hard to switch gears from historical romance to romantic suspense?

When Montlake originally approached me to write for them, it was on the strength of my historical romance sales, but then when they said they were looking for serial authors, I instantly thought romantic suspense was a better fit for serials. Before I sold my first book, I’d had a lot of success with romantic suspense in contests for unpublished authors, but after I sold a historical, I put all my eggs in one basket, which isn’t the best thing to do for job security. After I started indie publishing some of my out-of-print historicals, I decided to publish some—but not all—of the romantic suspense novels that had never found a publisher. Not every one was well written enough, but surprisingly, the first book I ever wrote (Capitol Offense) when I was in my early twenties didn’t suck too badly. After re-editing it and updating it a lot, it’s now out, and the reviews have been favorable.

What can you tell us about the new book.  It’s in serial form, right?

So glad you asked about my serial, Vanessa! In my Kindle Serial I’ve combined two of my favorite things: traveling to see England’s stately homes with researching English history. My lighthearted romantic suspense, Falling for Frederick, is about a lovely doctoral student who comes across the dead body of the curator of archives in the basement of Siddley Manor, owned by Frederick Percy, Lord of Rockford. Together, my heroine and Frederick have to crisscross England, searching stately homes for a priceless medieval artifact which may lead them to the murderer.

I’d like to say a word here about the Kindle Serials. At present, they offer a new episode of approximately 10,000 words (3 chapters for me) every two weeks. They may be changing the frequency to every week. Whenever someone purchases one of these serials, they pay a one-time fee of $1.99 and automatically get all episodes that have thus far been published. Then each new installment is free. When mine is finished at the end of April, Falling for Frederick will be available as a full-length novel as well as an audio book. It won’t be available internationally until that time. Currently, it’s only available at Amazon.

What’s up next in Cheryl’s writing world?

I’ve been catching my breath. I just finished writing the serial. I had two books come out in October, including a Regency-set inspirational romance (Marriage of Inconvenience) for Love Inspired Historical, a division of Harlequin. Like with Montlake, the senior editor there asked me to write for Love Inspired. She was a joy to work with, and I’ve found a huge market of readers who don’t necessarily want their romances sexy. I need to do proposals for a second stately home murder featuring Frederick and Antonia as well as Book 3 in my well-received Regent Mystery series.

Sounds great!  Folks, Cheryl is graciously giving away a copy of her new Harlequin book, Marriage of Inconvenience.  To be eligible to win, just tell us which genre you prefer, historical romance or romantic suspense, and a bit about why.  Or do you like both?

And by sure to stop by Cheryl’s website for info on all her books!

We Have Winners!!

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The winner of Lena Diaz’s book, The Marshall’s Witness, is Nicole Laverdure.  And the winner of Shana Galen’s new book, If You Give a Rake a Ruby, is Sandy Kenny.  Congratulations!  I’ll be in touch.

Thanks to everyone for stopping by the blog.  My featured author tomorrow will be fantasy romance author Erin Kellison.

Great weekend reads & a giveaway!!

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What are you folks reading this weekend?  I’ve got three great books to recommend:  one a historical romance and the other two, romantic suspense.  First up is a luscious historical by the talented Monica Burns.  Monica writes award-winning, sensual romance, often with a bit of a twist.  She has a new book out–Loves Revenge, and you can see at the top of the post that she’s got a gorgeous cover, too!  If you like lush, sensual historical romance, I can heartily recommend Monica’s new book.  Blurbs, info, and buy links are on her website.

I can also recommend Cynthia Eden’s new book, Guardian Ranger, which is the second book in her Harlequin Intrigue series, Shadow Agents.  Cynthia is a master of dark and sexy romantic suspense–I simply love her books!

Check out Cynthia’s website for all the info on Guardian Ranger and her other fab romantic suspense and paranormal romances.

And, finally, I can recommend another great book from Harlequin’s Intrigue line, this one from the talented Lena Diaz.  Lena’s a rising star in romantic suspense, with the emotional thrillers she writes for both Harlequin and Avon.  Her latest book is The Marshall’s Witness, and you can get all the details on her website.

And just for fun, I’m giving away a copy of The Marshall’s Witness.  Just tell me what you’re reading this weekend for a chance to win Lena’s book!

We Have A Winner!

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The winner of Karen Whiddon’s book, The CEO’s Secret Baby, is Kelli Rolvaag.  Congratulations!  I’ll be in touch.

Thanks to everyone for stopping by the blog.  My featured guest tomorrow is historical romance writer Diana Cosby.  Be sure to drop by!

Guest Author: Karen Whiddon & Giveaway!

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For those of us who like romantic suspense – and there are a lot of us – the publishing world can be a frustrating place.  Many of the bigger traditional publishers have decided that romantic suspense is not the seller it once was, and have drastically cut back on the number of suspense books they publish.  A self-fulfilling prophecy if there ever was one, since making it harder for readers to find these books means they’ll eventually give up on romantic suspense and move on to other genres.

Fortunately, Harlequin is one publisher that still reliably produces romantic suspense, both through their category lines and their single title imprints.  My guest author today is one of the many talented authors in Harlequin’s stable of suspense writers.  She’s Karen Whiddon and she writes for Harlequin’s Silhouette Romantic Suspense line, and also for Nocturne, Harlequin’s paranormal line.

Luckily for us romantic suspense readers, Karen has a new book coming out in September.  I really love these category novels.  They have tight, suspenseful story lines and solidly satisfying romances that are great to gobble up in one go.  I also like the fact that the heroines in a lot of these books are ordinary women in danger, rather than secret agents or FBI profilers.  Not that I don’t like those types of heroines as well, but sometimes it’s fun to read about a character a little more like the rest of us!

Here’s the blurb for Karen’s new book, The Cop’s Missing Child:

Small-town cop Mac Riordan lost his wife in a car crash, but his infant son survived, only to later be kidnapped. Now, five years later, Mac locates him living in Anniversary, Texas, with beautiful Emily Gilley. The more he gets to know this mysterious mother of his son, the less he’s convinced she’s a coldhearted kidnapper. She might be a victim just as much as he is. So when Emily’s under-the-radar lifestyle is suddenly discovered, Mac comes clean. The threats against her—against their child—escalate and Mac must risk it all to protect his son…and the woman who’s brought him back to life.

Sounds like a great, classic romantic suspense story, doesn’t it?  I’ll certainly be looking for Karen’s book when it hits the shelves in September.

And for my readers today, Karen is giving away a copy of one of her previous books, The CEO’s Secret Baby.

To win a copy of Karen’s book, just let me know what you think about the current state of the romantic suspense market.  Do you wish there were more suspense books available, and where do you tend to find the ones you do read?  One person who comments will win a copy of The CEO’s Secret Baby.

And be sure to stop by Karen’s website for a listing of all her books, including her backlist, now available in digital.

Guest Author: Carey Baldwin & Giveaway!

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I love having debut authors on the blog, and I’m especially excited about today’s guest.  She’s Carey Baldwin, and she’s a practicing physician who also happens to write edgy romantic thrillers.  How cool is that?  Carey’s first book, First Do No Evil, was recently released by Samhain Publishing to great reviews, including this one from New York Times bestselling author, Cindy Gerard:

“Engaging, witty, intelligent and fresh. Add in hot romance and scintillating suspense, and Carey Baldwin has penned a winner!”

I’m turning the blog over to Carey, so she can tell us about her book.

Sex and the Single Dad

I love an alpha hero. There’s nothing hotter than an alpha…except maybe an alpha with a child. A friend of mine asked me if I modeled Danny, the hero in FIRST DO NO EVIL, after my new husband Bill. I didn’t! Danny was written just prior to the time I met Bill in a coffee shop. It’s a case of life imitating fiction.

I was immediately drawn to my own sexy alpha male from the very first date, but what really sealed the deal for me was watching him in action with his teenage daughter. There is nothing sexier (to me) than a hot, handsome, confident male who gets tears in his eyes when he sees his daughter in her prom dress.

That’s exactly the kind of man Detective Daniel Benson is, and it’s also the kind of man I married! Lucky me!

Danny Benson is as alpha as they come. He’ll charm your skirt…er…your socks off in a heartbeat and take down the bad guy with one hand tied behind his back. But when it comes to his daughter, Katie, well, that’s a whole different ball game.

Here’s a brief excerpt from FIRST DO NO EVIL that shows Danny’s vulnerability where Katie is concerned. The scene also features my heroine, Sky, and Danny’s brother, Christian:

Christian gave Sky a devilish wink that reminded her of how lighthearted Danny had been the morning she first met him. And she couldn’t help thinking that if Danny’s path had never crossed hers, he still would be. He looked so serious now, watching his daughter cross the room.

Gathering her silky auburn waves into a ponytail, Katie stepped in front of the entry-hall mirror, glanced defiantly in her father’s direction, and cranked up a tube of jet-black lipstick. A muscle vibrated in Danny’s jaw, and Christian shot him a stay-cool look.

A look that went unheeded.

“Don’t even think about it,” Danny barked.

 Katie brought the lipstick to her mouth and paused. A taunting move that shouted: I dare you to stop me. In her office, Sky had seen such battles between parent and child played out time and again, and they usually ended badly. Clearing her throat, she said, “Since your father seems to have forgotten his manners, I guess I’ll introduce myself. I’m Sky.”

“I’m Katie.”

“Nice meeting you, Katie. May I offer a word of advice?” Without giving her a chance to decline, Sky walked over and placed two fingers beneath the girl’s chin, lifting her face up. Katie’s green eyes—so fresh and dewy they called up an image of meadow grass on a spring morning—widened in surprise. “Nothing wrong with black lipstick. There’s such a thing as freedom of expression, you know.” This Sky directed at Danny, before turning Katie’s face to the mirror. “But your eyes are stunning. If I were you, I’d want to keep the focus here.” She touched Katie’s temple. “I wonder if that dramatic lipstick will draw attention away from your eyes. Don’t you have a color that would complement them without stealing the show?”

“She’s got a point. Your eyes are a knockout,” Christian put in.

“You have your mother’s eyes,” Danny said softly.

“I do?”

Danny nodded. “I’ve said so before, haven’t I?”

Single dad heroes aren’t common, and though a few notable exceptions spring to mind such as Sleepless in Seattle and To Kill a Mockingbird, they seem few and far between.

True Alpha Dad’s are even more rare. I’d love to see more sexy dads! How about you?  What turns you on in a hero?   I’ve got an e-copy of FIRST DO NO EVIL for one random commenter!

Vanessa, here. Carey, I totally agree that Alpha Dads make great heroes!  And here’s the blurb for First Do No Evil:

There’s a killer lurking in Dr. Skylar Novak’s family tree: the gene for breast cancer. That’s why her brilliant brother invented the Bella vaccine. But even if the miracle drug protects her from the cancer that took her mother’s life, it can’t save Sky from the flesh and bone evil stalking her in secret.

When the killer strikes, detective Daniel Benson finds himself in the wrong place at the right time. The bold detective manages to save Sky’s life…just in time for her to return the favor. Survival leads to seduction, and Danny risks everything—his career, even his life, to keep Sky safe. But will the buried sins they uncover cost him her heart?

Danny’s strong arms may hold her close, but only Sky can stop the terror that’s coming next…

Product Warnings

Contents include: One heart-melting hero—good luck getting this delicious detective out of your head. One reluctant heroine—wielding a Glock was never on her to-do list. One crazed villain—an entire flock of baa baa black sheep won’t be enough to put you to sleep. And a lifesaving vaccine with one deadly side effect—murder.

Sounds great, doesn’t it?  I love romantic suspense, so I can tell you that Carey’s book is moving to the top of my TBR pile.  And after you’ve answered Carey’s question, be sure to visit her website for more info and to check out her blog and all her extras.

 

Guest Author: Stacey Joy Netzel & Giveaway!

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My friend and very accomplished author Stacey Joy Netzel is on the blog today.  She writes fab romantic suspense and also lovely contemporary romance. Her heroes are rugged, her heroines resilient, and her books are a real treat.  I’m going to turn the blog over to Stacy now, as she asks us a very important question.

Sensual or Explicit?

What’s your preference in romance?

As a reader and writer, I’m a fan of sensuality in romances versus outright explicit sex. I like the promise of what’s to come, the delayed gratification of a sizzling attraction, and getting to use my imagination a little (or a lot).

I love the drawn out foreplay, not forever mind you, but just enough to get my heart beating that slow thud of anticipation like the heroine’s. Whether it’s in a specific scene, or through a good portion of the book, if it’s done right, there are times I enjoy the expectation more than the actual act.

Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with the end result of the sensual foreplay and I’m even getting more comfortable writing it, but when a writer can make me experience that thrill of anticipation along with the heroine, that’s gold!

Here’s an excerpt of a sensual scene that I enjoyed writing in my contemporary western CHASIN’ MASON:

When his father announced his engagement to a gold-digger with a lying, scheming fourteen-year old daughter, seventeen-year old Tripp Warner left Warner Ridge Ranch and never looked back. Until the day he got the phone call that his father had died unexpectedly.

Reggie Reed lives with her guilt every day but can’t quite work up the courage to track down the son of the man who raised her as his own. When Tripp shows up at his father’s funeral eleven years later—and a hell of a man to be reckoned with—he has no interest in her too-late apology. Worse, they’ve inherited half shares of the family ranch—but only if they work together to catch Mason’s Gold, the stallion a young Reggie let escape and made sure Tripp took the blame for.

Tripp proposes a secret competition to the beautiful witch who stole his life: whoever catches the stallion first gets the ranch all to themselves. It sounds simple, but once they’re out on the range, tempers and passions flare in the Texas heat and nothing goes as either of them expects.

EXCERPT:

“You’d better put your boots back on, Princess. You never know when you might happen on a rattler.”

White-hot anger seared through her again. She whirled around so fast he took a half step back.

“It’s Reggie. Or, if you prefer the bitch version, then call me Regan, but stop calling me Princess.” She took a step closer. “And touching as your concern is, my boots are soaking wet because of you, so just leave me alone.”

One side of his mouth quirked. “Poor, Princess. You didn’t see him today, did you?”

Just that quick, he flipped her on the defensive. She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin as he stepped past to spread out his wet clothes.

“At least I looked,” she griped.

“I looked.”

“Yeah, right, in your dreams, maybe.”

“Saw him, too.”

She was pretty sure he was lying, yet her stomach still flipped uneasily. “Where?”

“Like I’m going to tell you.”

Biting back a growl of frustration, she muttered, “Cocky jerk,” on her way over to the woodpile next to the cabin. Since she obviously wasn’t going to get the sleep she needed, she might as well start the campfire to dry out her boots and make some dinner.

Reggie piled her arms with a couple pieces of smaller kindling, a couple larger chunks, and—

An ominous rattle froze her in place.

Over the logs in her arms, her gaze sought out the source and spotted a coiled Western Diamondback who must have been sunning itself against the cabin logs—three feet from where she stood. In all her years out here, she’d never run into a rattlesnake. Because she was careful, watched what she was doing, and honestly, had just been plain lucky.

Damn Tripp and his warning—he’d jinxed her! Without her boots for protection, if the snake bit her, she’d be in real trouble.

The rattle continued and the snake’s head rose higher as it moved slightly to the side. Reggie’s fear mounted. What should she do? Throw a chunk of wood at it? Stay frozen? Run? God, she’d forgotten everything Judd and Ernesto had drummed into her head and her limbs started to tremble from the strain of holding perfectly still with the armload of wood.

“Don’t move now, Princess.”

Tripp. She would’ve sagged with relief, but didn’t dare move a muscle. She hadn’t even heard him coming up behind her.

“He’s big,” she whispered, her voice shaky.

“I see him. Easy now, I’m going to put my hands on your arms.”

She knew it was coming but still flinched. His firm grip revealed his tension, which only made her more nervous.

“Strike distance is half the length of his body.” Sure, that she remembered. “He looks at least six feet long.”

“He’s lucky if he’s five—we’ve got a good six inches on him,” Trip assured her. His breath fanned her ear as his body pressed against her back. “We’ll just give the little guy a minute to settle down.”

His hands slid inch by slow inch down her arms until he held her in the circle of his arms. She wouldn’t have thought it was possible, but she relaxed, leaning against him as he helped absorb some of the weight of the wood to relieve her aching muscles. Even though the air was still quite warm, she welcomed the reassuring heat of him against her back, somehow safe in his protective hold.

Quick as it’d begun, the rattling subsided. The snake uncoiled and slithered away toward the woods, mesmerizing in its gracefulness. Reggie followed the reptile with her gaze until the striped tail and lighter colored rattle disappeared. She closed her eyes in relief.

You’d think she could breathe now. Move. Do something.

“You can let go of the wood,” Tripp said, his voice somewhat gruff.

She wanted to press her ear against his warm mouth. Instead, she said, “It’ll drop on my toes.” He chuckled and the sound sent a curl of desire straight through her.

“Then let me help.”

Leaving one hand curved around her stomach, he used the other to methodically toss each piece of wood back on the pile. When her arms were empty, he slid his palms down along her forearms, twined his fingers with hers and wrapped her in the most sensual embrace she’d ever experienced.

With her eyes still shut, there wasn’t a single inch they touched she wasn’t aware of. His cheek alongside hers, chin resting on her shoulder, chest to back, his hips nestled just above the curve of her butt. As the tension drained from her body, she let her head relax back against his shoulder. She’d gladly stay right here for eternity.

Her eyes popped open. What was she doing? The danger was not gone—he would hurt her. He’d made no secret of the fact that his main goal was to get back at her, to take away everything she held dear, like she’d done to him.

She stiffened in his arms, straining to break free of his hold. She thought she heard him sigh as he released her, but when she spun around to escape into the cabin, he caught her arm and drew her against him.

Face to face. Chest to chest. Hips to hips.

Another wave of heat swept through her when she realized she wasn’t the only one physically affected by the moment of insanity in his arms.

“It’s only going to get worse, you know.”

“W-what is?”

“This thing between us,” he said. “It’s not going away, so why fight it?”

She refused to look up; she couldn’t let him get to her—even though he was probably right. “The only thing between us is the last eleven years.”

His fingers flexed against her skin. “And despite that, I still want you, Regan.”

The rough statement weakened her knees, but his use of her given name reminded her of his true opinion of her. It gave her the strength to finally meet his blue eyes, desire-darkened to the color of a midnight sky. When it came right down to it, she was fighting for her life.

“No, Tripp. You want to ruin me, and apparently, you’ll use any means necessary.”

~*~

CHASIN’ MASON has just been re-released with a brand new sexy cover and is on sale for $1.99 for a limited time (regular $3.99). Get your copy at: AMAZON, BN, SW, ARe

So, again I ask, do you prefer sensual or explicit in your romances? Let me know and I’ll enter you into a drawing for your choice of an ebook from my backlist.

Thanks so much to Vanessa for having me here today, and to everyone who’s come by to visit. Happy reading!

Thank you, Stacey, for that wonderful excerpt! Readers, Stacey is a wonderful writer–I’ve read her books and I love them. So answer her question, then check out her website for more info on her books!