I love to read novels set in interesting places.  Currently, I’m reading a historical romance that takes place in Nazi-occupied Paris during WWII.  I’ve always loved Paris, which makes the book even more fun to read.  Being able to recognize the settings where the action takes place, as well as the names of restaurants and streets I have visited. As a writer, going to the place your book is set, or choosing a place you have actually been, is the best way to make your book seem real. In THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL, the novel takes place in Colorado, a state I love to visit.  After I’d concluded my second Maximum Security novel, THE DECEPTION, which was set in Texas, I was looking for someplace different for book number three.  Colorado, with its wide variety of landscapes and extreme climate conditions, seemed perfect. Having been to Denver a number of times, street names were familiar, parks and airports, locations of smaller towns, and rural mountain communities. Since this was a Maximum Security novel, a romantic thriller, I began by researching crime in the state.  I had digging and digging and finally stumbled onto an article about the U.S. Army chemical weapons…

Kate could hardly believe it.  Jason Maddox, the last man in the world she wanted to see, was sitting right beside her.  Worse yet, he was the man she had just hired to help her find Chrissy’s killer.  What the unholy hell had just happened? “So…umm…where do we start?” she asked, accepting whatever circumstances fate seemed to have set in motion. “I need to take some notes,” Maddox said.  “I’ll be right back.”  He rose from the swivel chair next to hers and she tried not to think how good he looked in a yellow knit pullover and dark blue jeans. But the pullover stretched over his powerful chest and an amazing set of biceps, one with a tattoo of an eagle perched on a globe and the words Semper Fi inked beneath it.  She had noticed it that night in the parking lot. She blocked the thought as he walked away and tried not to notice his long legs, broad back, and round, muscular behind.  She felt like fanning herself.  Just looking at all that hard masculinity made her face feel warm. He disappeared out the door, returned a few minutes later with a lined yellow pad, and sat…

“I couldn’t put it down!”  Those words are some of the most satisfying comments an author can receive.  Nothing pleases me more than a note from someone grumbling about staying up late to finish one of my books. It’s music to my ears. There are lots of ways to earn those precious words.  Writing a fast-paced novel is one of them.  It is certainly my goal every time I start a new book. My latest, THE DECEPTION, was no different.  I knew I would be writing Hawk Maddox’s story.  Hawk had been on my mind since he first appeared in a previous novel, BEYOND DANGER.  I knew what he was like–strong, determined, tough as boot leather, and at six-foot-four, two-hundred-twenty pounds, a total beefcake hunk. He was also a bounty hunter, which made him an interesting character with an interesting job.  I always try to find the hero’s perfect match and Kate Gallagher was just right for Hawk.  Tall, blonde, and curvy, she loved country music and drinking tequila at the Sagebrush Saloon. But that was her secret side.  She also owned her own business consulting firm so she was smart and hard-working. I like to read books that draw…

As I was finishing the last few pages of my upcoming novel, THE DECEPTION, Hawk Maddox and Kate Gallagher’s story, I got an interesting phone call.  I’m fortunate to be represented by a literary agency in New York as well as an agency in Hollywood. Since I love movies, I’ve always wanted to see one of my books made into a feature film.  The Hollywood agency phoned about my novel, BEYOND REASON.  The story is set in Texas and is an action-adventure that revolves around the rivalry between Carly Drake, who inherits her grandfather’s failing trucking firm, and powerful multimillionaire Lincoln Cain, her number one competitor. Worse yet, Carly needs Linc’s help to find the men who are willing to kill to keep her from making Drake Trucking successful again. Big money is involved.  And very big danger. The transaction involving the rights was exciting from beginning to end, with David Haring at TinRes Entertainment making the offer, several agents negotiating the terms, and me–thrilled to have a chance to see one of my books made into a film.  Most likely, the story will be a made-for-TV movie, but it is also optioned with the possibility of a major motion…