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Monday, May 18, 2015

Guest Post with Author Carolyn Crane and Giveaway


I am a RITA-winning author of romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and other tales of love and adventure (and erotic & dark romance as NYT bestselling author Annika Martin). My books have been published by Random House and Samhain, and I also go the indie route. I work a straight job as a marketing writer, I love to read in bed and run, I’m passionate about helping animals, and I make my home in Minnesota with my husband and two cats.



So you created an awesome secondary character and now he’s ruining your book!

Have you ever read a book where there’s a really exciting secondary character and you’re sitting there wishing the book was about THAT character?

It happens!

And from the author’s perspective, I can tell you how: it’s because when you’re trying to make a character really intriguing and interesting, a lot of times he or she turns out bland, I think because you’re trying too hard. But then when you’re not trying, a lot of time the character turns out really exciting. I think that happens a lot just in life, that your best stuff comes when you aren’t trying.

My first brush with this was when I was writing the Disillusionists Trilogy, my UF series. I wanted to put in this villainish guy to threaten my heroine, so I added Simon, a hugely reckless and threatening gambler. And wow, the readers loved him (he was supposed to be somebody to hate!) And I kind of loved him, too. So much that I gave him his own novella and kind of rehabilitated him to be not just a villain.

With the Associates, usually in every book there’s a side character who kind of pops, and nowadays I’ll let it happen, but severely limit their stage time.

In this book, it’s Dax, the tortured visionary billionaire leader of the Associates. He does these awful things for good reasons, and then he goes out and has risky sexual encounters with strangers to balance himself out. I also like Rio in this book, my stylish, dangerous, slightly suicidal assassin. He wears a nice suit and is super deadly and mysterious.

Nowadays the side character who pops for me ends up being my next hero, and it’s exciting for me to write about.

What about you? Has it ever happened to you in real life that when you’re not really trying, something turns out great?



TO SAVE HER PROSTITUTE TWIN SISTER SHE HAS TO SWITCH PLACES WITH HER...

When her estranged sister is won in a card game by a brutal drug cartel, Zelda knows what she has to do: take her place. Save her. Focus on infiltrating the shadowy group--and try not to think about why she left the spying game years ago. She’s slept with dangerous criminals before; she can do it again.

Hugo Martinez is one of South America’s most lethal and wanted men, a legendary mercenary living on a windswept mountain. Even at the height of the war he wasn’t in the habit of taking women captive, but the American whore has seen his face. And he and the orphan boy need a cook. He shouldn’t want this woman, but there’s something so unusual about her…

Meanwhile, Zelda finds herself falling for her captor…but is he the killer she’s been hunting all these years?

Purchase: | iTunes |
  

Check out what's up for grabs.

Up For Grabs:
  • 1 $75 Gift Card (Amazon/B&N)
  • 32 eBook copies of either Against the Dark, Off the Edge or Into the Shadows

To Enter: 
  • Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Good Luck! 

Special thanks to Carolyn Crane for sponsoring this tour-wide giveaway.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

47 comments :

  1. I like second chance romantic suspense the best! I think it's easier to believe in the romance blossoming under tense conditions if the H/h have a preexisting relationship of some sort.

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    1. Rebe, that is a great point. As a writer, it's a little easier, too, when they have at least been aware of each other a long time. Thanks for stopping by!!

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  2. I like all kinds of romantic suspense, depending on how the stories are written.
    As for real life, I had decided when I was 21 that I was NOT looking for husband material. I hadn't had that many dates in my life and I chose to enjoy simply dating after breaking up with my boyfriend of 1.5 years. And I did enjoy "simply dating". For 1.5 months. Next thing I knew, I met someone, and now 35 years later I love him more than ever. Yup. Something great came out of not really trying. (Too bad that doesn't necessarily hold true for "work", LOL!)

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  3. I like when the start as enemies, but working together fuels the flames of love and romance

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    1. ooh, enemies to friends is a great category!!

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  4. I like when they know each other, but don't like each other and the one is hired to protect the other. Lots of good banter!

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    1. Yeah, somehow the bodyguard thing just doesn't get old ever. Why is that?

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  5. I really like the kind of romantic suspense when they start out as enemies, or the hero is protecting the heroine and they fall for each other.

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  6. Romantic suspense is new to me but I am enjoying the books I've been reading so far ...

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  7. I like "enemies" to lovers suspense stories :-D

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  8. I like romantic suspense with a very alpha male hero.

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    1. um..seconding! Thirding!! Yeah! Thanks for stopping by!

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  9. not really sure... I think just a strong woman who isn't going ot back down and an equally strong man as well.

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    1. That is totally important. I think the weak heroines of yesterday are really just not that compelling anymore.

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  10. I like romantic suspense with men in uniform or crime/mafia stories, also enemies to lovers stories and forbidden romance are awesome ;) Thank you for the chance to win.

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  11. definitely second chance/reunion stories :) thanks for sharing!

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  12. Enemies to lovers or body guard /victim ones

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    1. Yes, yes, yes! If they are enemies for a good reason. Thanks for stopping by!

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  13. I love bodyguard romantic suspense stories

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    1. :) Thanks for stopping by! Good luck, Timitra!

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  14. It's good when they have a history together.

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    1. I agree. Sometimes intensity can pull people together, but when there is a baseline of understanding, that helps. Thanks for stopping by!

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  15. I'm partial the bodyguard romances :)

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    1. Those are so good. Yum. Thanks for stopping by!

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  16. I enjoy suspense and some angst to get things started and fast paced but never predictable.

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    1. Me, too! Angst and thrills. That's why I love Anne Stuart. Thanks for stopping by!

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  17. I enjoy a romantic suspense with a military hero.

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  18. I like paranormal romantic suspense the most but I also like some military, security, mercenary type stories. Enjoyed the guest post! This books sounds great, thanks for sharing! Congrats on the new release.

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  19. I like romantic suspense when the main characters know each other, but are skirting around liking each other. I also love military characters.

    Marcy Shuler

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  20. I usually gravitate towards paranormal and military romantic suspense.

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  21. I like romantic suspense with men in uniform and maybe the leading lady to have some sort of paranormal gift or just really intuitive and badass :)

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  22. I enjoy second chance stories with some suspense over a secret one of them may have.

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  23. I love pretty much all romantic suspense but especially if it involves bodyguards falling for their charges or military heroes.

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  24. I love all of them. If there's someone out there to hurt the heroin and the hero has to protect her... well, I like it!

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  25. I love when the H/H just seem to want to bicker and don't seem to care for one another, yet always fall in love

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  26. like the alpha male who is protective and the heroine who is an alpha in her own right

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