If you’re familiar with my books, you know that most of them are set in San Diego County, where I live. My latest two releases with Harlequin Romantic Suspense take readers on a bit of a detour.
Stranded with Her Ex is set at the Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco. I like to include realistic details and this is my harshest setting by far. It’s stormy, inhospitable, and surrounded by sharks. Not exactly a romantic getaway.
An exotic wildlife preserve is a dream come true for conservation biologist Daniela Flores. Until she finds out her ex-husband is leading the research team. World-famous shark expert Sean Carmichael has only grown more ruggedly appealing in the time they were apart…the passion between them more intense than ever. But how could Daniela forgive Sean for betraying her when she needed him most?
Sean had come to the remote Farallon Islands to study killer sharks. Now a real killer is on the loose, threatening the woman he’s never stopped loving. And this time, he knows he can’t walk away. Marooned together during a deadly storm, Sean vows to go to hell and back to save Daniela…and for the chance to begin again.
Tempted by His Target is set south of the border, along Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Rather than being “stranded,” this couple is on the run. They’re chased by hitmen all the way to the Guatemalan border, with no five-star resorts in sight.
He could deliver her unharmed...but not untouched
Wanted for the murder of a Mexican drug lord's son, party girl Isabel Sanborn fled to Oaxaca. Now she owes her life to Brandon Knox, a passing tourist who just saved her from a hit man.
But Knox is no accidental hero-he's an undercover U.S. Marshal assigned to bring Isabel to justice. Instead, wanting to protect her, he joins her on the lam...with cartel goons and corrupt police in hot pursuit!
And as the danger escalates, sexual tension sizzles. For the first time in his career, Brandon considers jeopardizing his mission to safeguard his target. And though Isabel can elude the authorities, she can't escape her feelings...
Both have unique settings, dangerous situations, and steamy sex. If you want to be entered to win a print copy of either title, leave a comment below.
What’s your favorite type of setting for a romance novel? Do you like road romances or reunion stories? Cold, rainy islands or a hot, muggy jungle? Shark expert heroes or undercover lawmen?
Giveaway: Two new books – two winners. Just leave a comment on this post, along with your email address and which print book you’d like to win, no later than 7pm on Wednesday, October 5 to enter to win.
Well, all great things must come to and end. *sniffles* (Kris: Boo hoo, blah, blah.) But we hope you all have enjoyed the DIK Winter Giveaway!
We've certainly had a great time giving away all of these wonderful books and gift cards because we love you and have appreciated all of the support you have given us throughout 2010. (Kris: Actually I said that we should keep them on the island, but was outnumbered. And they call themselves Book Sluts. Hmpf!)
You all can visit us on the island whenever you'd like to party in the huts and have a tropical drink or two. (Kris: No they can’t. Remember we decided we were sick and tired of all the guests hitting on our menz. Yeah. Bugger off already.)
So we thought we'd end the most awesome DIK Giveaway with a bang. Ok, this is more like a nuclear explosion but you get the idea. (Kris: Anyone else thinking about Freud and DIKs and bangs and eruptions?? Oh, you so are. Fibbers.)
Because the finale is so big (Kris: See!) we've decided that we're going to give you a longer time to enter (Kris: *waggles eyebrows*). That's right, we're going to give everyone until the 8th of January, 2011 at 11:59pm (pacific) to enter.
For the Grand Finale we are splitting (Kris: *orifice clench*) up the books into separate categories for m/m and m/f and will draw a winner for each lot. Your read that correctly... two people will win a bunch of loot!
When you comment don’t forget to leave your email address and you will need to let us know which category you're going for - or if you want both. (Kris: *nods* We’re very flexible at DIK.) Easy peasy, right? Right.
So what's up for grabs???
Category 1: An incredibly spectacular m/m package: (not that kind of package - mind out of the gutters, people!) (Kris: HA!)
Finally, we’d like to thank all the wonderfully generous authors who donated books to the DIK Winter Giveaway. We couldn’t have had such a terrific experience without you all. You guys rock!
Once again we wish everyone a 2011 full of good reads, good luck!
(Kris: I suddenly feel the need for a cigarette...)
Please welcome Jill Sorenson back for her second day on the island!
The romance genre is notorious for its clichés.Romantic suspense, my favorite subgenre, is full of them—and I wouldn’t have it any other way.I’m a huge fan of fresh, unique storylines, but I also have a soft spot in my heart for those tried-and-true themes that have been done so well, and so often.
My name is Jill Sorenson, and I’m a cliché addict.If loving an overdone trope is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
I asked Katie Reus, fellow sexy suspense author and partner in crime, to discuss this seriously awesome problem with me here at DIK.We’re going to name names, point fingers, and admit to our own guilt.It’s confession time, ladies!
Here are some of our favorite suspense clichés:
1. Serial killer villain
Jill says:This cliché is popular because it works so well.What’s more unsettling than a murderer on the loose?A multiple murderer on the loose!Serial killers can be scary, sociopathic, and sadistic.You just know that they’re going to kill again.They enjoy inflicting pain, and they want to do all sorts of nasty things to our poor heroine.Allison Brennan and Brenda Novak excel in creating realistic villains in this vein, but favorite serial killer book is Nora Roberts’ Carnal Innocence.Sexy Southern slacker Tucker Longstreet and vulnerable violinist Caroline Waverly steam up the pages while thwarting a dangerous sexual predator.
Katie says: I’m in total agreement with Jill. It seems that serial killers are often sociopaths and to me, there’s nothing scarier than a sociopath. Well, except a sociopath who’s also a killer. Yikes! These individuals have the ability to walk through life like ordinary people yet underneath the surface they’re monsters just waiting until they can strike again. I just finished reading Speak No Evil by Allison Brennan and all I have to say is the killer kept me up at night, especially after I found out who he was.
Guilty or Innocent?
Jill:I’m guilty.Both of my first two novels, Dangerous to Touch and Crash Into Me, feature serial killer villains.
Katie: Guilty as charged. Not published yet, but the manuscript I just sent to my agent features a vicious serial killer.
2. Wrongly accused hero
Jill says:The only thing better than a wrongly accused hero is a wrongly convicted hero.Two of my favorite romantic suspense novels, Karen Robards’ One Summer and Pamela Clare’s Unlawful Contact, use this plot device to full effect.It’s an instant source of conflict and a fountain of angst.In both books, the heroes are infatuated with the heroine before incarceration and fantasize about her at night in their jail cells.OMG I LOVE IT.
Katie says: I love this theme! In Kimberly Dean’s Manhunt (Red Sage Secrets Volume 11), the hero is wrongfully accused of a crime he didn’t commit but instead of going to jail, he takes the heroine hostage and asks orders her to help him clear his name. So hot!
Guilty or innocent?
Jill:Guilty again, hah.I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that Ben Fortune, murder suspect hero of Crash Into Me, is a stone-cold fox, not a stone-cold killer.
Katie: Not guilty (right now), but I have plans to amend that in the future. Being guilty is so much more fun than being innocent ;)
3. Sheriff Hero
Jill says:A law enforcement hero is often a reformed a bad boy.Now he’s a fine, upright citizen, as smart as he is strong.His jaw is chiseled, his uniform is sharp, and his muscles are rock-hard.“Just the facts, ma’am.”This kind of hero begs for a wild, sexy heroine to shake him up.Two great examples are Cameron Rafferty from Nora Roberts’ Divine Evil, and Ben Lawson from Victoria Dahl’s Talk Me Down.
Katie says: Something about a man in uniform turns me to mush. I like men in military uniforms better (Marines to be specific), but a man in uniform is still a man in uniform. Yum! He’s not a sheriff, but Detective Daniel Cardenas in Tracy Montoya’s I’ll Be Watching You is smoking hot! Oh, and there’s also a serial killer in that book too. I think I might have a problem ;)
Guilty or innocent?
Jill: Guilty and proud!Luke Meza, the hero for my latest release, Set the Dark on Fire, is a straitlaced city-boy sheriff who gets extremely hot under the collar for my small town, bad-girl heroine.
Katie: Guilty again! Remember the manuscript I mentioned above? It’s got a serial killer AND a sheriff hero. I just couldn’t help myself. Two clichés for the price of one!
Thanks for another fun post, Jill! Don’t forget, one lucky commenter will win a copy of Crash Into Me! With a smoking hot surfer hero and a diabolical serial killer on the loose, romantic suspense doesn’t get much better. Trust me, this book is awesome! Don't believe me? Click here to read an excerpt and more!
Please welcome fantastic author, Jill Sorenson, to the island! Jill Sorenson was born in a small town in Kansas, but she moved to San Diego with her family when she was twelve. After twenty years, she hasn’t lost her appreciation for sunny weather, her love for the Pacific Ocean, or her fascination with Southern California culture. She still lives in the most beautiful place on earth, San Diego, and currently holds the best job in the world, writing romance novels. When she isn’t daydreaming about characters or chasing after her adorable daughters, Jill enjoys going to the beach and taking long walks with her husband.
(Katie Reus) Please tell us a little about the genre you write and why you love it.
(Jill Sorenson) I love all kinds of romance and read across the genre, but I write romantic suspense because I think it fits my voice. I like a certain amount of realism, and I’m attracted to the thrill ride aspect of two people falling in love amidst danger. Maybe I’m a bit of a sadist, because I always torture my characters. They have to go through a hellish ordeal to get an HEA. (KR) Your first single title was featured in Cosmo. That’s got to be huge for any author! How tumultuous was your writing journey? Did you get a lot of rejections before receiving ‘the call’?
(JS) Thanks for mentioning that!Yes, the Cosmo feature was a very lucky break.Second only to being offered a contract with Bantam Dell in the first place!I think most authors would say the journey is tumultuous.Getting published is difficult.We have demanding day jobs, growing families.I collected dozens of rejections, and wrote five complete manuscripts before I got my first offer.
(KR) What would you say has been your most significant accomplishment as a writer?
(JS) Good question!I’m not a fast writer, so finishing a novel always feels like an accomplishment.Finishing Set the Dark on Fire was probably the most significant.I started it in 2007, just after my second daughter was born.She was a difficult baby (constant ear infections), and it was a tough year for our family.
Of course, I’m also proud of my other books.Readers have responded really well to Crash Into Me, so that’s very satisfying.It makes my day when I get an email from a fan.A few months ago, Maya Banks contacted me to say that she loved Dangerous to Touch, my debut for Silhouette Romantic Suspense.It blew me away!
(KR) What’s the hardest thing about being a writer?
(JS) Getting rejected.Still happens, still hurts. Amen to that! (KR) What are you currently working on?
(JS) I’m working on my next single title for Bantam Dell.
(KR) Tell us something about yourself that we might not know.
(JS) I’m a high school drop out and a valedictorian.
(KR) If you were stuck on a desert island what 3 things would you bring with you?
(JS) Food, water, and a tent.(Or am I supposed to say pen, paper, and my favorite book?) You can bring anything you want, but don't worry about the tent. I'll share my cabana ;)
(KR) What drink would you bring with you to the island? (JS) My favorite drink is a cantaloupe licuado.So refreshing and delicious! (KR) Anything you’d like to add for your readers and/or aspiring writers? (JS) For my readers:THANK YOU.For aspiring authors:stay on a schedule, accept criticism, and don’t be afraid to submit. (KR) Briefly tell us about your latest release.
(JS) Set the Dark on Fire features a sexy wildlife biologist and a straitlaced city-boy sheriff who team up to investigate a suspicious mountain lion mauling in Tenaja Falls, California.Sparks fly.Tensions smolder.Passionate fires rage out of control! (Excerpts and blurb will follow Wednesday)
Blurb from Dangerous to Touch, today's book giveaway All her life Sidney Morrow had tried to repress her disturbing psychic visions. Until a vision of murder shattered her fragile serenity. She had to go to the authorities—make them listen. But Lt. Marc Cruz didn’t trust her one bit. In fact, the sensual homicide cop treated her like a suspect. And sent her senses haywire….
The dark-haired beauty knew something about the serial killer Marc was after. But he was certain “visions” had nothing to do with it. Determined to be her constant shadow, Marc wasn’t prepared when desire blindsided him—and put them both in the path of a relentless killer.
That's it for today! Don't forget, one lucky commenter will win a copy of Dangerous to Touch! Click here to read an excerpt!! Come back tomorrow and hear Jill talk about cliches in romance novels and for another book giveaway!
