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Monday, March 25, 2013

Guest Post with Author Eliza Daly and Giveaway

Today I am happy to welcome back to RFTC author Eliza Daly. Eliza is celebrating the recent release of her book Identity Crisis and has stopped by to chat. Please give Eliza a warm welcome.

Eliza Daly’s first attempt at creative writing was in fourth grade. She and her friends were huge Charlie’s Angels fans and she would sit in her bedroom at night writing scripts for them to act out at recess the following day. She was Kelly Garrett. Fast forward to the present, she’s still writing stories about beautiful women who always get their men. The journey from fourth grade script writer to published author wasn’t an easy one, but it was always an adventure and the final destination was well worth it.

When Eliza isn’t traveling for her job as an event planner, or tracing her ancestry roots through Ireland, she’s at home in Milwaukee working on her next novel, bouncing ideas off her husband Mark, and her cats Quigley and Frankie.

Places to find Eliza:

The Top Reasons I Would Get Kicked Out 
of The Federal Witness Protection Program

My husband always accuses me of not dealing well with change. I beg to differ. Eleven years agoI quit my full-time job to pursue my writing, leaving a stable income for a freelance job. I never know where my next paycheck will come from. My writing didn’t provide income until recently, and it still provideslittle stability. However, like my cats, I’m a creature of habit. I like the stability of my everyday routine. Entering the Federal Witness Protection Program, officially named the Federal Witness Security Program (WITSEC), would change every aspect of my life and I admit I wouldn’t do well.

A person can be kicked out of the program if he violates the rules, such as returning home, revealing his real identity to someone, or calling attention to himself. The heroine Olivia in my romantic suspense novel Identity Crisis, was lucky she was too young to remember being placed in the program. Her life isn’t turned upside down until 25 years later when her father dies and she discovers their past. While conducting research for Identity Crisis, I learned what people go through when entering WITSEC and I realized I would never last in the program.

Here are the top reasons I would get kicked out of the Federal Witness Security Program.

1) I’m very close to my family. I talk to my mom on the phone several times a week. I spend holidays with my family. Christmas is my favorite time of year. I would have a meltdown while decorating my tree with ornaments madeby my sister and given to me by family members. I would breakdown and call them or fly home for the holidays.

2) I wrote 11 books over 12 years. When I finally published, I shouted it through cyberspace and called everyone I know. The support of my family, friends, and fellow authors helped me through some disheartening times when I thought I would never sell. They always believed in me and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them. There is no way I wouldn’t call them the next time I sold a book, or reached a milestone in my writing, such as hitting the New York Times Best Sellers List. (Fingers crossed.) I need that support system.

3) Even if I could hideout, my author’s voice couldn’t. That elusive voice comprised of an author’s word choice, sentence structure, attitude, etc. I’ve had people who know me well tell me that my real voice comes through in my comedy books. I would have to stick to writing romantic suspense novels or a different genre. And being stuck in WITSEC would make it more necessary than ever to have comedy in my life.

4) I travel extensively for my job as an event planner. Growing up I dreamed of traveling around the world. I couldn’t imagine giving up traveling for work or pleasure. I have been in the travel industry for years, so I know people everywhere. In the past few months I’ve run into people I know at four different airports around the country. So even if I vacationed in obscure locales, I’d have to get there and take the chance of coming across someone I know along the way.

5) I’ve been tracing my Irish genealogy for several years. Milwaukee hosts the largest Irish festival outside of Ireland. My family stays at my house and we all attend the event together. I look forward to it every year. The bad guys could hang out there and wait for me, or at any major Irish fest in the country.

6) I could never give up Facebook and my other social media accounts. Although it would be good for me to cut out social media, since I’d be much more productive. I’d end up creating accounts under my new identity and commenting on friends’ fan pages. Writing is a lonely job and I need that interaction. It would be comforting to know that I could reach out to people on Facebook and there would always be someone there listening.

7) I have a difficult time keeping a secret. When I finally made a good friend under my new identity I’d want to confide in her and disclose my background.

8) I have bright auburn hair, fair skin, and blue eyes. I’m fairly distinct looking. I don’t exactly blend in. A co-worker used to always describe me to people I hadn’t met as having bright red hair and fuchsia lipstick. I don’t think I could give up either. I would cling to my physical identity, since I had to give up every other aspect of my identity.

Giveaway—Thank you so much to Danielle for having me here today and helping me celebrate the release of Identity Crisis. I will be giving away an e-copy of Identity Crisis to one commenter. To enter, please leave a meaningful comment or question for me--writing related or personal.

Thanks for stopping by!


When Olivia Doyle’s father dies under suspicious circumstances, rather than inheriting a family fortune, she inherits a new identity. She learns they were placed in the Federal Witness Security Program when she was five years old. Her father was involved in an art forgery ring and testified against the mob. Brought up not to trust anyone, Olivia has a difficult time relying on U.S. Marshal Ethan Ryder to protect her, and to keep her secret. She fears her father may have continued his life of crime through her art gallery. She has little choice but to depend on Ethan when she realizes someone is now after her. Olivia’s search for the truth leads her and Ethan across country to a family and past she doesn’t remember.

At the age of ten, Ethan witnessed a brutal murder. He vowed when he grew up, he’d protect people in danger. Protecting Olivia is difficult when she won’t trust him. He soon realizes his desire to protect her goes beyond doing his job, but if his judgment becomes clouded by emotions, her safety could be jeopardized.

Can Ethan and Olivia learn to trust each other when they uncover secrets that will change their lives forever?

Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & NobleiTunesAll Romance | Kobo |

Check out what's up for grabs.

Up For Grabs: 

To Enter:
  • Please leave a meaningful comment or question for Eliza--writing related or personal.
  • Please fill out the Rafflecopter form

Good Luck =)
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28 comments :

  1. I love suspenseful romance, especially when there's a cop/mercenary/hunky guy protecting a woman. :) I'm definitely adding it to my TBR. Thanks for the chance to win a copy!

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    1. Thanks so much for stopping by and reading the blurb Leslie!

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  2. Thanks so much for having me here today Danielle!

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  3. What a great post, Eliza. I'm with you on them all, esp the family thing. I couldn't do without their support! But then again, all the support we writers give each other is pretty amazing :). Can't wait to read IC!

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    1. I know, what would we do without our support system? Probably not write... Thanks for stopping!

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  4. Very clever post! I'd be out on my butt, too, Eliza, for all the same reasons! I admire someone who can write a good blog post that ties into their story but is original, too.

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    1. Thanks so much MJ! I'm sure there would be many more reasons I'd get kicked out of the program but these are the top ones. Thanks for stopping by and reading them!

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  5. this book looks really good. eliza is new author to me and and as soon as i can find work i'll be sure to get this book!

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    1. Thanks so much for stopping by and reading my post Laurie! Good luck with your job hunt!

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  6. Eliza- I have read both Under Her Spell and Identity Crisis, and loved them both! You are definitely on your way to a spot on the New York Times Best Sellers List!

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    1. Thanks so much for reading my books Sandra! Glad you enjoyed them. And I'm hoping you have some psychic abilities and are right about the NYT Best Sellers List. :-) Thanks!

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  7. I'd have a hard time as well! It would be so difficult to cut family times completely! That US Marshall would have to be HOT, lol!

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    1. Yes, if the US Marshal was hot that would help. At least for awhile. :-) Thanks for stopping!

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  8. I'd be alright without the close contact with the family, but they'd probably boot me out because I'd get relocated somewhere like Fargo, ND, and I'd be like "Um, hell no!". I grew up in a city with 6.5 million people in ~900 square kilometres; I don't do the middle of nowhere :).

    Y'know, I never would've pegged Milwaukee as being super Irish... Boston, maybe, but not the middle of the Midwest! The things one learns, haha.

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    1. Lol, I agree. I live in a city and wouldn't do well in the middle of nowhere. Where's the symphony and theater? And what do you mean there are no wine bars???

      Milwaukee doesn't have a huge Irish population, but rural southern Wisconsin does, and Chicago has the 3rd highest Irish population in the U.S. so the fest draws a lot of people from Chicago, which is only an hour away. Milwaukee is the city of festivals and has an ethnic fest almost every weekend of the summer. Irish Fest brings in most of the entertainment from Ireland.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  9. I probably shouldn't have been laughing while reading that, but I was. I never really thought about all of that. I would probably go crazy if I couldn't talk to people I know. I know we would get kicked out, because my kids talk WAY too much.

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    1. Too funny Kim, but I totally agree. Keeping the secret would be next to impossible for me. I can't even imagine how families with kids keep their kids from talking about it and posting it on Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for stopping by!

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  10. I know you could do anything you set your mind to!! If you want to stay in WITSEC you would figure it out - and somehow find the loophole that would allow you still be connected to your family. But you would be very, very missed. So do us a favor and avoid those illegal activities that might get you signed up!

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    1. Oh Grainne, you know me and all the gangs and drug rings I'm involved in, it's only a matter of time before I'm stuck in the program. :-) I am going to try to get placed in Napa Valley, so at least I'll be close to you. And I'll own a winery to drown my sorrows. Thanks for stopping!

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  11. I could never been in Witness Protection because I could not give up Tab. Anyone who wanted to find me could simply hack into the Coca-Cola company and look for the stores that sell unusually large volumes of Tab. - Boom. I'm discovered.

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    1. Too funny, they could hunt you down through any store having a run on Tab. I hadn't thought of that angle. Thanks for sharing!

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  12. Beautiful book cover and very interesting description of the story.

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  13. Sounds like a very interesting plot for a book. I'm adding it to my TBR pile.
    I old not do well in protective custody either.

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  14. If my life or my children's lives depended upon staying in the program I could do it.

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    1. It's amazing Mary how many people leave the program, despite the threat to their lives. They kind of snap, which I guess I understand. Hopefully neither of us ever put in that position to even have to make that decision. Thanks for stopping!

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