Author Spotlight Week - Q&A with Anne Patrick

I'd like to welcome author Anne Patrick to the Desert Breeze Spotlight this week! Anne's latest release with Desert Breeze is "Fire and Ash," and inspirational romance centered on firefighting. Welcome Anne?

STEPH - What was the inspiration behind your story, "Fire and Ash?"

ANEE: The idea came to me while watching the DVD of the movie Backdraft a couple of years ago. I know, I’m a little behind in my movie watching :-). Anyway, I loved Robert DeNiro in the part of the fire investigator and was really intrigued by what all goes into finding the answers to why a fire started.

STEPH - I don't know much about the book. Can you tell us?

ANNE: Fire and Ash is an inspirational romantic suspense. Here’s the book blurb: Fire Investigator Sadie McGregor is called to her hometown of Emerald Point, Missouri to investigate a suspicious fire which claimed the life of a local college student. By appearance the fire looks accidental. What Sadie and the handsome new police chief discover will not only affect those close to them, but will rock the entire community and may cost one of them their life.


STEPH - I see that's about firefighting. Did you have to do research for the story?

ANNE: Of course! I read several books and did some online research. I then had the good fortune of meeting a real life fire investigator named Keith Tarbox who helped me get inside the head of my main character, Sadie McGregor. He also read over the entire manuscript to make sure the fire scenes were believable and that I did my homework.


STEPH - How long have you been writing?

ANEE: I’ve been spinning tales since high school, but I didn’t really get serious about my craft until about three years ago.

STEPH - What attracts you to inspirationals?

ANNE: I like to read and write stories that grab at your heart; keeps you on the edge of your seat, and uplifts and inspires you at the same time. Inspirational romantic suspense does all that.



STEPH- Have you written any other genres?

ANNE: I write inspirational romance under the name Kinzie Monroe.

STEPH - Do you have any hobbies you'd like to share?

ANNE: I love to hike and go as often as I can. I also like role-playing video games, like the Final Fantasy or Tomb Raider series.

STEPH - What was the last book you read?

ANNE: True Courage by Dee Henderson. I have all of Dee’s books and have read each one at least twice.

STEPH - What's your favorite TV show?

ANNE: I don’t watch much TV, but when I do have the time I watch crime shows like The Closer or CSI. Imagine that :-).


You can find Anne's book on Amazon for Kindle, Barnes & Noble for Nook, Sony, All Romance Ebooks, Books on Board, Apple Ibookstore, Kobo and at the Desert Breeze Online bookstore.

Interview with Mary Hjerleid, Author of Too Hot To Handle

Mary's penned a fantastic story about firefighting with a lot of romantic suspense elements. I'm glad to have her here at the blog today! Let's get going with the questions....

#1 - How did you get the inspiration for Too Hot to Handle?

MARY: I have been writing since 1994 and my friend Jane McBride Choate, who is multipublished and is my mentor, introduced me to article writing as a way of getting in print until I finished my books. We also meet every Wednesday for the past nine years. My first book was completed in 2001 and has since also sold. I came across an article in the newspaper on arson dogs and how they sniff out accelerants. Their evidence is used in court. I did several articles on arson dogs which were published in several magazines.

My husband's son-in-law is a Loveland, CO firefighter (my hero) and doing a lot of research I came up with the idea of a romantic suspense. I also worked with Jerry Means who is an arson investigator for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

STEPH: How interesting, Mary! Isn't it amazing how one "type" of writing can lead into another? I also notice there's a lot of romantic suspense in the police field, so seeing you tackle fightfighting I find unique!


#2 - Do you cast your characters? Who is Jennifer? Mark?

MARY: I generally come up with characters after I have a general idea of what I'm going to write about.


#3 - Tell me a little about the plot of Too Hot to Handle?

MARY: Female arson investigator Jennifer Valdez and Fire Marshal Mark Edwards are forced to work together to solve a series of arson-related fires. A series of sabotage incidents occurs that place the blame on Jennifer, and while Mark can't deny he attraction he feels to her, he still has to do his job.

Betrayed by Mark's assumption that she is guilty --- Jennifer is deeply hurt when he can't believe in her innocence. While solving the arson, they must both learn to trust before they can truly love.


#4 - Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one. Do you have a tip for it?

MARY: I have the Kindle. My My husband just purchased one for me so I don't have any tips at this time since I'm still learning. I've downloaded several books from some of my writer friends who have sold ebooks.


#5 - What was the last movie you saw?

MARY: The last movie we saw in a theatre (it had been quite sometime) was Amelia (Earhart). Terrific movie.

STEPH: I want to see that! I love flying, what Amelia inspired and Hilary Swank. I'll have to add it to my Netflix pile. hehe

#6 - Who are some of your favorite authors?

MARY: Favorite authors: Kathryn Shay, Irene Hannon, Jane McBride Choate, Amanda Hart-Cabot, Sharon Sala

#7 - I see that you live in Colorado. Can you tell us something you love about it?

MARY: Yes, I'm still in Colorado. I came here in 1981. My older brother and his wife lived here and gave me a chance to start over. I remarried in 1995. We now live in Ft. Collins, Colorado. I love the beauty of Colorado, the mountains, although I don't ski, the friendly atmosphere and the friends I've made here. My husband used to do Ride the Rockies and we travelled so many great places like Durango, Aspen and other smaller communities. Each year was a different area. I'm really glad a made the move.

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Thanks for being here today, Mary. Too Hot to Handle is definately on my reading list.

Smiles
Steph

Featured Desert Breeze January 2010 Release - Too Hot to Handle

THE BLURB:
Female arson investigator Jennifer Valdez and Fire Marshal Mark Edwards are forced to work together to solve a series of arson-related fires. A series of sabotage incidents occurs that place the blame on Jennifer, and while Mark can't deny he attraction he feels to her, he still has to do his job.

Betrayed by Mark's assumption that she is guilty --- Jennifer is deeply hurt when he can't believe in her innocence. While solving the arson, they must both learn to trust before they can truly love.


EXCERPT:
For a moment, Jennifer stood with her mouth open, staring at the hole in the kitchen's plate glass window. When she saw a booted foot kick in the remaining jagged glass, she dropped the phone and ran for the front door.

Johnny swore as he crawled through the window. She undid the chain, twisted the dead bolt, and reached for the doorknob.

He grabbed her from behind. His arms, which she'd seen carry a four-year old boy out of a fire and cradle an old man who'd been badly hurt in a car accident, tightened around her chest and cinched her rib cage. Fear and anger knotted inside her.

"Let me go!" She felt the rage in him, like a volcano on the verge of erupting. His breath reeked of cheap booze.

"No way. I already did that and look where it got me." His grip grew more painful.

"All right. Let's go into the living room and talk this out rationally."

His grip eased fractionally. "Promise you won't run."

"I promise."


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I was born in Washington D. C. I married at 18 and went to work as an executive secretary for the Central Intelligence for three years. I had two sons from my marriage. Twelve years later I divorced. I moved to Colorado in October of 1981 and stayed with my older brother and his wife until I got on my feet. I have written three books, two of which have recently sold. Each year I attend writer meetings, workshops, conventions to hone my craft. I also belong to two other writer groups, one of which is inspirational.