When I write a book, one of the first things that I decide is just where I intend to set my story. Whenever possible, I like to visit the cities that I use in my books. There is just something about actually being in the area—you can pick up on sounds, scents, special sights…all these fun little details that you can add into a story in order for the setting to become real for the reader.
In my books, I’ve set quite a few stories in New Orleans. Why? First…because I adore the city. New Orleans is just two and a half hours away from my home, so I’ve spent my whole life traveling back and forth to the Big Easy. It doesn’t matter how many times I visit; I always leave feeling inspired. Reason two? New Orleans is perfect whether I’m writing a romantic suspense or a paranormal. In the city, you can find so many unique elements, and those elements just beg to be included in books. And reason three? Readers seem to love the city just as much as I do!
I recently headed back with my son, and one of our first stops had to be the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. As we arrived, storm clouds were already rolling in…and I had to stop for a photo. The clouds looked so imposing as they spread toward the Cathedral. My son and I ducked in for a tour (he’d never been inside), and while we were there, crashing rain fell down, trapping us. As you can imagine…I immediately got an idea for a romantic suspense. (So if I write a future book where the story begins with our heroine trapped in the St. Louis Cathedral as the killer closes in…ah…you see how my inspiration started!)
A stop in New Orleans wouldn’t be complete without a stop by the Court of Two Sisters (an absolutely fantastic restaurant with some truly tasty gumbo). As I passed through the “charmed” gates, it was impossible not to think about how amazing the setting would be in a book. Then, I just had to amble around the courtyard before my meal. According to legend, Marie Laveau practiced her voodoo rituals in that very courtyard…and because of that story about Marie, the wishing well in that area is called the Devil’s Wishing Well. You add on the fact that an unsolved murder supposedly took place on the premises, and the spot was a prime location for book magic.
As readers slip into my latest romantic suspense, HOW TO CON A CRIME BOSS, they’ll be taking a trip into New Orleans with me…and I sure hope it is a trip they enjoy.
What cities do you enjoy visiting (both in real life and in books)?
Happy reading!
HOW TO CON A CRIME BOSS by Cynthia Eden
Wilde Ways: Gone Rogue
His life is in her hands.
Seth Wellington needs protection, but he never expects for that protection to arrive in the ever-so-sexy form of Harley Adaire. Their initial meeting is electric, and each time that he is around the deceptively delicate Wilde agent, his attraction to her grows. But this isn’t the time for Seth to be falling for someone. The world thinks he’s a master criminal. Just because his father maybe, sorta, okay, yes, was a master criminal. Now the FBI wants Seth to take over his father’s organization. The Feds want him to work undercover and bring down some very, very bad people.
The problem is that those bad people want to destroy him.
So in strolls Harley. A woman with a thirst for adventure, a smile meant to tempt, and a body that will rule his fantasies for years. She can be his bodyguard and his partner. She’ll stay by his side, and they’ll trip up the criminals surrounding them. Sounds easy. But…it isn’t. Because Seth has to pretend to be someone completely different. Someone dark and dangerous, and the more he pretends, the more he starts to lose sight of his real self.
And the more he wants her.
Possessive, passionate, deadly—that’s the man Seth has to be. Only when he’s with Harley, the possessiveness and the passion are all too real. Too bad they are surrounded by criminals who are hell bent on wrecking Seth’s world. The danger is mounting, the desire Seth feels for Harley is raging out of control, and, unfortunately, the body count may be starting to rise.
Because when you try to con a crime boss, you’re playing a very, very dangerous game…
Step one: Show no fear.
Step two: Prepare to fight dirty.
Step three: Become the man everyone fears. Everyone, but her…
A man isn’t supposed to get territorial when it comes to his bodyguard, but Harley is no ordinary bodyguard. She’s the woman who is quickly coming to obsess Seth. In this new, dark world around him, she’s also the only person he trusts. Now, if they can just stay alive and bring down the bad guys, maybe he can get his bodyguard to fall for him. Maybe.
Romance Suspense | Romance Erotica Sensual [Self Published, On Sale: July 25, 2023, e-Book, ISBN: 9781960633149 / eISBN: 9781960633149]
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About Cynthia Eden
Believe in monsters. They believe in you.
Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Cynthia is also a two-time finalist for the RITA® award (she was a finalist both in the romantic suspense category and in the paranormal romance category). Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over thirty novels and novellas.
Cynthia is a “hybrid” author. She has published extensively with New York (her New York publishers include Kensington, Grand Central, and Harlequin), and she has also enjoyed success in her indie writing career.
Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate. Her favorite hobbies including hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.
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