Cover Reveal - Love & Redemption by Chantel Rhondeau

Title: Love & Redemption (Agents in Love - Book 2)

Author: Chantel Rhondeau

Will be released: April 18, 2014

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Swearing off sex is anything but easy for bad girl Shelley Daniels. Especially after she bumps into super sexy Gavin Hart, who’s running for his life.

All Gavin wanted was fast money and a chance to start fresh. Now this jewelry thief is the target of professional assassins, ones he witnessed murder a woman in cold blood.

Gavin drags Shelley into the world she was desperate to escape, full of secret agents, assassin plots, and a frantic plan to stop a terrorist group from perfecting a new weapon. Gavin also attempts to steal what’s left of her jaded heart while they hide from the murderers.

The killers strike again, drawing the pair back to the city. When a child’s life hangs in the balance, Shelley and Gavin have a chance to make up for prior sins, but finding redemption means risking everything—including their chance for true love.

CONTENT WARNING: Language, violence, and sizzling love scenes

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If you missed the first book in the series Love & Deception (Agents in Love - Book 1) now is the time to get caught up with Nick and Carlie's story.

What if everything you believed in was a lie?

In hiding for six years, Carlie Hollis is tired of running. All she wants is to stay in Sayle, Washington and make a success of her struggling delicatessen. Because of her past, she’s suspicious of anyone who takes an interest in her.

Nick Kendall works as a spy in a top-secret government operation, protecting innocent people from danger. Sent to Sayle on a mission to infiltrate a suspected terrorist organization, Nick finds himself attracted to Carlie, an alleged key player of the group.

Despite her misgivings, Carlie develops feelings for the handsome stranger, believing he is there to help her. But when Nick finds evidence of her guilt, he’s given orders to do the unthinkable—eliminate the target, one he's fallen hopelessly in love with. Will he follow orders...or become hunted himself?

CONTENT WARNING: Violence, language, sizzling love scenes.

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Sneak Peek from Laurel Heights -- There's a Ghost in My House

I've been revising an old manuscript and I'm excited about how it's coming together. Ever since I read Karen White's Tradd Street series, I've wanted to write a ghost story. Blending the paranormal with romantic suspense is...challenging.

I haven't written the blurb for this book yet...so, I'll treat you to a sneak peek from the first chapter.

She lay still beneath her comforter, listening to the unusual sounds coming from the lower floor. The house made a lot of noises, especially at night. She sucked in a ragged breath when it made a few more. Was someone in her house or was she being paranoid? Every shadow reminded her of Rand. He was in prison and would be incarcerated for a very long time, probably the rest of his life, but he could easily send one of his loyal associates to find her.

She wrapped her fingers around the grip of the baseball bat she kept next to her bed and hoped she wouldn’t have to use it. Confronting an intruder with a hollow piece of aluminum seemed like a lame defense. She had been considering purchasing a gun, but hadn’t done so yet. Maybe it was time.

She threw the comforter off, rose from the bed, slipped across the room with the bat over her shoulder, and opened the door to peer down the hallway toward the front stairs. Nothing moved. The house was quiet. Maybe a little too quiet. Only moments before, a symphony of strange noises had disturbed the night. It was as if opening her bedroom door had turned off the sound.

She stared at the back stairs directly across from her bedroom and considered going down to the first floor to check the door locks, but nixed the idea. Locked doors wouldn’t keep someone out of the house if they really wanted to get in. Better to barricade herself in her bedroom and keep the bat close by.

She slammed the door shut. No moonlight filtered through the flimsy fabric covering the window. The moon hid behind thick cloud cover. She tugged at the curtains, pulling them tighter to keep out the night. Before she stepped away, she caught a glimpse of something not quite right. Peeking between the curtain panels, she stared across the back yard through a grimy window and followed a dim light as it flitted back and forth inside the detached garage.

I anticipate the release of Laurel Heights September 2014. In the meantime, please consider purchasing one of my already published books. 

You Might Be a Writer If... #amwriting

You might be a writer if...

1.  You stare into space as if you’re catatonic. You’re husband/son/daughter asks you, “Mom, are you okay?” You answer, “Yes, I’m just writing.” Because you write the scene in your head before you even touch your computer keyboard.

2.  You shamelessly listen to strangers’ conversations and don’t think of it as eavesdropping. No, you’re doing research for your next book and keeping a list on your cell phone’s notepad of interesting comments you’ve overheard. Then, you have no qualms about using those quotes.

3.  You wake up early in the morning, and the first thing you think about is the scene you wrote at 2 a.m. and how you could make it better. The last thing you think about before you close your eyes at night is how you’re going to write the next scene. Because you always have a work in progress.

4.  You have no problem killing someone...in your writing. You get by with murder and your readers love it. The pages of your books are littered with dead bodies and no one thinks of you as a serial killer.

5.  You often talk about your characters lives as if they are real people, and your family responds to your comments as if you are completely rational. Because to respond any other way elicits a snarl from you. Your family is almost as familiar with your characters as you are.

6.  You talk about plot, point of view, characterization, motive, goal, and conflict incessantly, and your loved ones just smile at you and go about whatever they were doing, knowing that you are in your writer’s zone. It’s like getting a non-verbal pat on the head.

7.  You worry about how you could have made your last book better...even after it’s published. Because no matter how long you’re in the business, there is always something new to learn about the art and craft of writing.

8.  You consider writer’s block to be worse than having a root canal. Worse than constipation. Worse than a recurring nightmare. Worse than that sinking feeling you get when you misplace your purse and you think you left it on a bench in the shopping mall.

9.  You embrace the idea that you’ll never be normal. You know you think differently from most people and you’re okay with that. After all, when it comes to fiction, normal is boring. Twisted is better.

10.      Your husband refers to your computer as Precious because it is never far from your side. If you misplace it, you suffer a panic attack. You obsessively back up your work...just in case your computer dies. Your computer is your best friend and you don’t think that’s sick.

Writing Process Blog Tour

The lovely and talented Michelle Ziegler tagged me for this tour. You can find out about Michelle’s writing process here.

1) What am I currently working on? I’m revising a manuscript I completed sometime before 2010. I can’t remember exactly when I finished it. The working title is Laurel Heights. It’s paranormal romantic suspense and I’m very excited about the project because it will be my first time self-publishing my work. Not only do the main characters have to deal with desperate characters and bad guys, but they must also contend with pushy and sometimes mean-spirited—um, sorry about the pun—ghost or two. Of course the heroine is a woman who can take care of herself if she wants, but she asks for help from a man just because she wants to. The hero is a hunk with past, but then...aren’t they all?

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre? The most common romantic suspense trope seems to involve a damsel in distress who needs rescuing by a big strong, hunky male. The heroine must fall in love with the big strong hunky male while he is rescuing her from certain a horrible fate.

My heroines are rarely damsels in distress. I like my heroines to be strong, independent women. Survivors. They don’t wilt and cower. They stand tall and face adversity. Okay, so they fall hard for the hero, and he plays a large part in resolving the conflict in the book, but only because my heroine chooses to allow him to help her not because she has to have his help. My heroine is usually the one who saves the day. Because she can.

3) Why do I write what I do? I write romantic suspense because I love the moment where the breath catches. I like to read those moments and I like to write those moments. With romantic suspense, the reader gets a two-fer. Both the romance plot line and the suspense plot line must come to a pivotal moment, the moment the reader has been waiting for, anticipating. The first kiss. The confrontation with the villain. The I love you moment. The revelation of the deep, dark secret that makes everything make sense. When a reader keeps reading because he or she has to reach that wonderful ah-ha moment, I feel as if I’ve accomplished my goal. I live to read the words, “I couldn’t put the book down.”

4) How does my writing process work? Something will give me a bit of inspiration. The opening scene of the book will somehow pop into my head, and I’ll start writing the first chapter in my head while I’m driving or showering or eating or prepare another stinking tax return (I’m a CPA.) I decide where I want the plot to go. With the beginning and the end in mind, I’m a certified pantser in the middle. I let my characters dictate all the different directions the plot will twist.

I usually edit as I go. I’ll write a few chapters, then go back and rework them until the flow feels right, checking for continuity and deepening the characterization. Then I’ll write a few more chapters. It’s a stop and go process, but it works for me.

I hope you’ve enjoyed getting a little insight into my twisted writer’s mind. I’m tagging author Krista Ames to keep this hop going.

Krista Ames was born and raised in Indiana. She now resides in Northern Michigan with the love of her life and their 4 children. She is a full time stay-at-home mom and pursues her writing career when she's not chasing kids, cooking or doing laundry. Krista can be found at http://www.apassionforromance.blogspot.comand would love to hear from you any time via mailto:krista@kristaames.com.

Confessions Of a Hoarder

No, not that kind of hoarder. Not like that horrid television show. Ugh.

My mother is kind of a sort of hoarder. She’s been on her own since my father died, but when I recently helped her move, I discovered that she hadn’t thrown anything of my father’s away. I guess I can understand the sentimental attachment to some items, but others I think could have been tossed years ago. By my father. Oh my Lord, I think my father had saved every bank and broker statement he ever received since 1950. My mother continued the practice. Mounds and mounds of paper tucked in every drawer. Stacks on top of desks and tables. I have some shredding to do. Makes me think I should reevaluate what I hoard...um...I mean save just in case the IRS wants to peek at my paperwork one day.

There really is such a thing as a paperwork monster. Really. I just conjured a huge paperman that looks a lot like a snowman. The difference is...a snowman seems friendly but a paperman doesn’t. Hmmm... What if there was an evil snowman... Sounds like the plot for a suspense thriller...or something. Maybe Misty and the Killer Frosty. What do you think? Best seller?

What about that snowman? Does he look scary enough? No? Probably not. Killer snowman needs to look...evil.

I don’t hoard stuff really. I’m an obsessive tosser. Clutter makes me anxious. My family knows I’m angry or upset when I start cleaning. Back off, Mom’s in a mood. I confess there is one area where I am an obsessive hoarder. As a writer, I collect words and scenarios, bits of conversation, quirky sayings, and odd situations. I have a note on my phone where I quickly save weird stuff I overhear in restaurants. Or at Walmart (the bane of my existence). Those bits of strange human behavior find their way into my manuscripts. Because I have a mantra I live by. Are you ready for it?

NORMAL IS BORING; TWISTED IS BETTER.

Yep, I loved being warped, and I like my characters to have at least one quirky personality trait or one really weird habit. Makes them human. Like me. I never have cared much for the perfect hero or the pristine heroine. People are strange, and so my characters should be as well. I read a book where the only thing the heroine had ever done wrong was be jealous of her sister over something trivial. I mean, come on, really? I finished the book because it was a nice, sweet little fantasy, but the characterization did not strike a real human chord. I want characters with meat on their thick bones. I’ve read heroes who did everything perfectly. Whatever they attempted was a success, and the heroine adored the hero with googly eyes, her heart mushing to the ground around her feet. He’s handsome, he’s strong, he’s smart, he can play the guitar while chopping a cord of wood or punching out a bad buy while reciting love poems and running a multi-million dollar, international corporation without ever leaving the confines of his spacious, fifty room mansion. Other women lust after him but his heart belongs to the sexy, sweet, adoring female who can’t understand why he wants her. Please!

Interesting characters have scars inside and out, sooo I collect...um...scars. No, not on my body. I like to give my characters a scar, either physically or emotionally. I mean more than just a broken heart from a previous bad relationship. People experience heartache and trauma. I like to give my characters some drama in their past that their fractured heart needs to overcome to trust and love again.

Sigh. Okay, there it is. I hoard drama. The more the better. So I’m going to offer you this bit of drama from my edit in process entitled Cross Examination.

Tamara’s head slid off her forearm and banged on the desk. She jerked and tried to focus, pressing against the pain in her forehead. A thump evaporated the grogginess. She bolted upright. She’d never heard that particular noise in the house before tonight. She berated herself for falling asleep in the garret—so far away from Gabby on the second floor.

When a thud and a creak followed closely on the first noise, she was convinced an intruder was in her house. She studied the clutter on her desk. The importance of what she discovered pushed through her panic. She couldn’t leave the list behind. Its existence alone was perhaps enough to put her life in jeopardy, enough to put Gabby in danger. She had to protect her daughter.

Scooping up her research, she crammed the paperwork into a large tote she kept under the desk. She glanced at her laptop, but left it with the lid open. Reaching for the light, she stopped and then left it on as well. She had to leave everything just as if she intended to return. She quickly erased the open document from the hard drive before she removed the travel drive from the USB port, tucked it in her pocket, peeked her head around the door, and then started down the stairs.

As she descended the back flight to the floor below, she stopped and listened. Moved a few steps. Stopped and listened. Whoever was rummaging around her things no longer tried to muffle the noise he made. Thuds, bumps, and scrapes punctuated her fear. Her instinct screamed at her. Without a doubt, the intruder was Scott.

Did he think she wouldn’t hear him? Maybe he imagined her cowering in her room waiting for him to do his worst. Maybe he still thought of her as the submissive little woman, powerless to oppose him. Or perhaps he believed fear immobilized her as it so often had in the past. He was a fool and he didn’t know her anymore. She was stronger for having spent so much time away from him on her own, learning to cope with life’s everyday problems without him. Never would she allow a man to control her again as she had let Scott. Her emotions were her own. He would not dictate to her how she would react.

Gabby was in her arms before Tamara caught another breath. The tote dragged on her arm as she tried to lift the child.

“Mom—”

“Shhh…” She placed her pointer finger over Gabby’s mouth. Fear reflected in her daughter’s eyes. Surely Gabby heard what she had heard. Her heart hurt for her child. They had once before left in the middle of the night. That escape had been difficult for Gabby. She’d had a hard time sleeping for weeks after that.

Out in the hall, she didn’t have to strain to hear. He made no effort to hide his ascent up the front stairs. Tamara descended the back. On the landing, she paused once more. Something crashed to the floor in her bedroom. She imagined him pulling out all her dresser drawers. Yanking her bed linens from her unused bed. She slept in Gabby’s room for fear Scott would find her, that he might sneak into her house when she was unaware and snatch her child away from her. She had been right to do so, despite all the parenting books that told her not to sleep in the same bed with your child.

She rushed down the remaining steps and ran for the kitchen door, no longer mindful of the racket she made. As she passed the counter, she grabbed her purse. Her compact, lipstick, brush, and a few wadded up receipts spilled across the countertop from the open flap. She hadn’t left it unsnapped. Had he searched the contents? She stuffed the scattered items back into the handbag with one hand. One glance around the kitchen and she was moving again. She slung the purse strap over her shoulder, rushed toward the back door, and wrapped her fingers around the doorknob.

“Tamara,” he yelled down the stairs. “Where are you? Quit hiding from me.”

She cringed at the anger in his command for her obedience.

She never doubted the man in her house was Scott. She could almost smell the menace. His voice crawled all over her—a voice she had hoped never to hear again. She yanked the door open and rushed into the night, her child clutched to her chest, the weight of her purse and the paperwork in the tote pulling on her arm. She didn’t bother to slam the door behind her.

All About Heroes Interview With Janet Lane Walters

Please welcome Janet Lane Walters to Suspense, She Writes. First, tell us a little about yourself, Janet.

As I usually say I've been writing since the dark ages, the days of typewriters and carbon paper. Actually I began in 1968 with short stories and graduated to novels when the short story market dried up. I took a break in the eighties to put four children through school and returned to writing in 1994 when I retired. In 1998 I discovered electronic publishing and was off and running and haven't looked back. I tend to be what I call an eclectic writer since I am published in mysteries, suspense, romance - contemporary and historical, plus paranormal stories. I also have a few non-fiction books dating from the days when I was a ghost writer for doctors. Under JL Walters I have a four book YA fantasy series. I've been known to dabble in music composition, Astrology and I do love to read most everything. As I tell everyone, housework is my hobby since that's what I do in my spare time. Not sure how many books I have floating around the internet but there are at least 30. The next book is always my interest.

As writers, we often become emotionally attached to our characters. Who is your favorite hero you’ve ever written?

I'm fickle. Usually my favorite hero is the one in the story I'm working on at present. I have favorite villains and a lot of great heroes. Lately my favorite has been Jules from A Spicy Seduction. He's tall dark and sexy and has a bit of a past that messes with his present.

Have you ever fallen in love with or had a crush on one of your heroes? Tell us about him.

What an interesting question. I imagine I have crushes on most of my heroes. There's Simon from Rekindled Dreams who is the most alpha male I've written. Loved that he was tamed by a baby who wasn't his but the one belonging to his enemy and cousin.

How do you develop your heroes? Do you imagine their personality or their physical appearance first? Do they grow as personalities as you write or do you do a character sketch before you type the first word?

I use Astrology to cast all my characters focusing on the Rising Sign, Sun and Moon. This gives me the face they show the world, their inner nature and their emotional nature. Then I search for a name. Though I have all the info when I begin the rough draft, my heroes grow as I follow the plot line to make the story. Most of this is in my head rather than written down. One of my present projects has all my heroines being Cancers and the heroes are of the different signs. Right now I'm working on a Taurus hero, a music composer.

I like to give my heroes a personality quirk, just so they aren’t too perfect. Have you ever written a quirk for one of your heroes and what was it?

The quirk for my current hero is his obsessive amount of time he spends at the piano causing his hands to ache and needing help. Many times my heroes have quirky reasons for avoiding commitment until they find the right woman. One of my heroes in a fantasy romance can see and read lines of fire on the skin of others. So yes, they always have something that can be a roadblock to romance.

How do you name your hero?

I have a lot of naming books and I use them when I have trouble finding a name. Often the name pops into my head as I'm daydreaming about the character.

Who is your favorite hero in books, movies, or television?

Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. I've read the book maybe 16 times and watch the A&E production of Pride and Prejudice at least once a year. At present I've been following Sherlock and have found Sherlock to be fascinating.

Who is your hero in real life?

Would have to say my husband. He's a psychiatrist and has been known to tell his colleagues that my writing is an obsession he has no intention of curing.

Tell us about your most recent release and where we can find it. Who is the hero and what do you like about him the most?

This is a hard one to write since my latest release arrived on the shelves last week. This is a collection of short stories and novellas in which the heroes of four of the stories are transported to another world. They are princes of Rivand and all descended from the Riva family. They all have black hair and green eyes. They are captured by a witch who demands they love her and on refusal are transported to another world where they must find their way. Stephen saves a princess who has been turned into an amber dragon. Rafel is trapped in a tower and must choose one of two princesses. Ivor must compete musically to save a princess. Kristen has loved the heroine since he first saw her trapped in the amber gem. He must free his family from the curse she set on the Riva family.

Thank you for being here today, Janet. She has so many releases to choose from! Here is the blurb for her book Spicy Seduction released in December 2013.

Trusting others isn't in Jules Grayson's nature. With the firm belief that those he loves will leave him, he always leaves first. When a wedding and a business project force him to return to the Hudson River village, he finds the only woman who ever turned him down. 

Will the attraction to the best man at a wedding where she's the Maid of Honor lead Grace to break her vow of no man in her life until she is completely financially secure? And can their passion chase the dark shadows from their past? 

Here's an excerpt from Spicy Seductions...

"You can't go back there."

He ignored the young woman and opened the door. Heat, a touch of vanilla and rum hit him. The aromas formed a collage with the other scents with no single one stronger than the others.

The baker stood beside a marble-topped counter. She wore a long apron tied at her slender waist. Temptation to see if his hands could span her waist nearly made him forget his reason for being here. A white net covered hair as dark as his. Would her face match the delectable rear view? She held a plastic bag and swirled icing on a cupcake. The door closed with a loud snap.

Without turning, she held one of the confections. “Try this and let me know what you think.”

Jules accepted and smiled. The voice belonged to the woman of the brief phone calls. During those moments he’d conjured a face to match the husky tone. The image belonged to the only girl who had turned him down.

What if? Such an occurrence would be beyond belief. The thought stirred his dick.

Cool it, dude.

Jules bit into the pastry. The spice, rum, pineapple, dates and cherries blended to perfection with the cake.

“What do you think?”

Her question pulled him from a sexual haze. What about sex with me licking icing from your breasts? Had he said that aloud?

“Well?” She turned.

He nearly dropped the rest of the cupcake. Here was the face from his memories and the star of his teenage fantasies. Alarms clanged. Trouble. He drew a deep breath and smiled. This time he intended to reach his goal.

“Actually it’s great. Fruitcake flavor but light. The spices and fruit blend perfectly.”

****

A frown creased Grace’s forehead. Did she know this man? Something resonated in her memories but a name didn’t bob to the surface. He resembled the faceless man of her fantasies. Had the same hair color, not long but short and styled. Was he someone she’d seen on TV, except she usually watched cooking shows, not sports or movies?

“How did you get in here?”

“Via the door.”

His crooked grin brought a name closer to the surface. Did he look like someone she should recognize? “And Bonnie let you come back?”

“The arrival of some customers diverted her.”

Grace sucked in a breath. Who was he? He was too young to be one of the men her mother had dragged home. “Do you really think the cupcake is good?”

“I do.” He finished the last bite and crumpled the paper. With a flick of his wrist he tossed the small wad into the trash bin across the room.

His smooth voice flowed over her skin like a swatch of velvet. Whoever he was, he’d talked about her treat like a man who knew food. Was he a rival? Had he come to steal her recipes? He certainly hadn’t come to ask for a job. Not when what he wore looked custom made.

“What will you call this one?”

Grace stepped back. The cold marble of the worktable edge pressed against her back. “Fruitcake.”

“Not like any I’ve ever tasted.” He grimaced. “Hate holiday parties when the hostess presses dark dense stuff she’s ordered by mail or baked.”

Grace laughed. “I’ve eaten some of them. For me, this is trial sixteen.”

You can find Janet at the following social media sites..

Twitter http://twitter.com/JanetL717

Blog Http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3 

Promo Is Killing Me!

I’d like to speak to my fellow writers...

Before I get started, let me say right off that I’m much more interested in gaining readers than making a ton of money. I realize I’m probably never going to make a fortune as a writer. What I’m looking for is the number of copies sold, so I will know how many books got into the hands of readers. I spent some time recently getting my information together to prepare my taxes for 2013. After I had tallied my royalties and promotional expenses, I realized 2013 was the first year of my writing existence that I’d made a profit. (Sorry—the accountant in me was just showing...) It surprised me how many books I’d sold. I was much more successful last year than I had imagined, so my goal this year is to at the least double the net amount of books (total copies “sold” less copies I gifted for promo purposes) I sell for royalty.

A new year has begun, and as writers we are all probably reevaluating our writing careers and refocusing our promotional strategies. At least we should be if we are determined to stay in the business, so I’m asking my fellow writers to help us help each other by answering a few questions about our marketing strategies in 2013. What worked for you and what didn’t?

Did you use twitter as a primary marketing tool?

If so, do you think this kind of exposure generated any sales? To me, it seems the majority of my followers are other writers. Are we even reading each other’s tweets? How often do you purchase a book based on a random tweet from someone you don’t already have a connection with?

Do you advertise on sites like The Romance Reviews, Night Owl Reviews, Story Finds, or Chick Lit Plus?

If so, how effective has this been in generating sales? Personally, I haven’t experienced increased sales from this kind of exposure. Does anyone pay attention to the ads on those sites? I’m guilty of just going on those sites and making sure my ad looks right. How often do you purchase a book based on an ad on one of those sites? I have. I thought Sharon Buchbinder’s book Obsession looked interesting, so I purchased a Kindle copy.

Do you promote your book on Facebook group pages?

If so, do you think you’ve generated any sales through this kind of exposure? I promoted heavily this way in the last half of 2013. I haven’t been able to tell if any sales were made due to this kind of exposure. Personally, I have purchased two books that I thought looked interesting based on the author’s promo on one of these sites.

Do you guest post frequently on other people’s blogs?

Does this kind of exposure generate sales? I have backed away from blogging this past year because it has been very frustrating to me due to the very slim number of commenters on blog posts. To me, blogging has become time consuming and generates very little sales activity. What has been your experience?

Do you ever purchase and review books from authors outside your author connections?

If so, how do you find new authors to read? In 2013, I bought some books from authors I wasn’t familiar with. Some of those books have been enjoyable reads and I went back to the author for another read. I also started a book review site, which has introduced me to some excellent authors.

Click on image to go to review blog!

My time is so limited these days, and I want to make every ounce of promotional energy count. So what say you, fellow authors? What has worked for you? Or are you just as frustrated as I am with your promotional efforts? Any and all feedback will be much appreciated!