** SPOTLIGHT / INTERVIEW ** STALKED by Elizabeth Heiter

** SPOTLIGHT / INTERVIEW **  STALKED by Elizabeth HeiterStalked by Elizabeth Heiter
Series: The Profiler, Book 4
Published by MIRA on December 27, 2016
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

If you're reading this, I'm already dead…

That's the note seventeen-year-old Haley Cooke leaves behind when she disappears from inside her high school. FBI profiler Evelyn Baine is called in to figure out who had reason to hurt her. On the surface, the popular cheerleader has no enemies, but as Evelyn digs deeper, she discovers that everyone close to Haley has something to hide. Everyone from estranged parents, to an older boyfriend with questionable connections, to a best friend who envies Haley's life.

Secrets can be deadly…

One of those secrets may have gotten Haley killed. If she's still alive, Evelyn knows that the more the investigation ramps up, the more pressure they could be putting on Haley's kidnapper to make her disappear for good. It's also possible the teenager isn't in danger at all, but has skillfully manipulated everyone and staged her own disappearance. Only one thing is certain: uncovering Haley's fate could be dangerous—even deadly—to Evelyn herself.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million
iBooks
Kobo
Google Play
Powells
IndieBound
Harlequin MIRA

Read an Excerpt HERE!

 


Have you always wanted to be a writer?

The short answer? Yes! I honestly can’t remember a time I wasn’t buried in books – either reading or writing them. Before I could write, I was telling stories (and asking for stories to be told to me). In high school, I co-wrote my first completed manuscript (a young-adult action-adventure story) with the author who’s my critique partner to this day. Now, I’m thrilled to see my stories in bookstores, and I hope to never stop!

What’s your process like for writing a book?

Because I write in more than one genre, and I sometimes have multiple releases a year, I am always multi-tasking. Generally, I’m writing one book, researching the next one, and editing the previous one at any given time.

I’m a plotter – I like to know my characters and big plot points before I begin the actual writing. Some people talk about stories being either character-driven or plot-driven, but I think the strongest books are both. So, I spend time developing my characters (their backstories, what scares them, what they want, how they’ll change over the course of the story) as well as the plot (I begin with a bullet-point list of all the major plot points, twists and red herrings).

Once the prep work is complete, I sit down and start the actual writing. Depending on the length of the book, I might spend four to six months writing (but that doesn’t include research, plotting or editing time). I edit as I go, re-reading what I wrote the day before on each new day. And I’m writing most days until the book is complete and I’m ready to brainstorm the next one!

Where do you get your ideas?

Every book is different, and everything is potential inspiration. And no book is the result of a single idea – it all usually begins with a compelling what if? question that drives the rest of the plot forward, but to really have all the twists and turns of a suspense book that will surprise readers, it’s going to have to blossom into something much bigger than that first idea.

Still, every story starts somewhere. The idea for my Profiler series came after reading about a real-life profiler’s decades at the FBI. The idea of having a character who didn’t use the normal investigative methods to solve crimes, but instead relied on behavioral evidence, fascinated me. But it didn’t bloom into a full-blown series character idea until I came up with the motivation for Evelyn Baine. I asked myself, what kind of person could look at the country’s worst crimes day after day and search for the perpetrators? And I realized I needed someone with a very personal reason for being a profiler (enter Evelyn Baine, whose best friend disappeared when she was twelve).

The idea for my Lawmen series came as I was trying to develop a compelling title for a new trilogy of romantic suspense books (you can read more about that in my Behind the Series: The Lawmen Series. When I wrote those first three books, I created a secondary character I could use to spin off more books, and I knew he was going to have two foster brothers who could make up part of the third trilogy. But when the time came to write those books, I still had to ponder the premise of the next books!

How does the process of getting a book published work?

There are a lot more options now than there used to be, but I’m traditionally published, so the process I’m talking about is selling a book to a traditional publisher. It all starts with writing the strongest book you can (I highly recommend working with a trusted critique partner and entering contests or finding other ways to get impartial feedback before beginning to submit. With rare exceptions, if you want to be traditionally published, first you need an agent.

A good agent is your best advocate and it’s important to remember that although the process can be challenging, when you do receive an offer of representation, you want to make sure the agent is right for you. Good ways to search for agents who might work for you is to look at authors you think you write like and see who their agents are; try querying them (or junior agents at the same agency who might be growing their lists). Always vet the agencies and when you do have an offer, make sure you know what you want and if that agent matches it (think about long-term career goals and how your agent plans to help you reach them).

After you find an agent, that person may work with you to tweak your book even further, and then it will go out on submission. A good agent knows what editors will be a good fit for your book and once you agree on a submission list, out the book goes! Hopefully, the next step is a publishing contract, but if not, then you write a new book and begin again, because rejection is part of the business, and perseverance is the best way to sell and keep selling.

How do your books connect, and can they be read out of order?

You can find the order for the books in my psychological suspense series, The Profiler series, as well as my romantic suspense series, The Lawmen series, over on my Book Series List Page page. Reading them in order lets you follow along as the characters grow and change; however, all of my books can also be read as standalones or out of order!

What’s the best way to reach you?

I love chatting with readers! You can email me, follow me on Facebook or Twitter, or join my newsletter, which goes out periodically with news of new releases, sales and giveaways.


BEHIND THE SERIES: THE PROFILER SERIES

Motive.  Means.  Opportunity.  They are the key components of most murder investigations.  But what happens when a crime has no apparent motive?  No logical suspects?  A crime that’s connected to other seemingly motiveless crimes?

This is where a profiler comes in.  A profiler can look at the crime scene – at clues to the perpetrator’s identity he doesn’t even know he left behind – and provide all kinds of details to help catch him.  Details like what kind of car the perpetrator drives, what sort of job he works, what kind of personality he has.  And maybe most importantly: how to catch him.

The heroine of my Profiler series, Evelyn Baine, is a profiler for the FBI’s elite Behavioral Analysis Unit.  It’s a job she picked when she was twelve years old, when her best friend disappeared.  She was never found and the dream of uncovering what happened to her has been the driving force in Evelyn’s life.

In the first book in the series, HUNTED, Evelyn gets what looks like a typical serial killer case to profile.  Except when she arrives at the crime scene, the behavioral evidence seems contradictory.  But it does tell her the killer has struck before, and unless they stop him, he’ll strike again.  As she digs deeper into the case, the serial killer she’s tracking begins to track her too.  This time, it may be Evelyn’s turn to disappear…


BEHIND THE SCENES: THE RESEARCH

I love researching new books. I love learning details I wasn’t even looking for when I started. And when I had the opportunity to visit the FBI Academy at Quantico, I learned that I shouldn’t have worn a skirt and heels. Why? Because they let me shoot on their firing range. And although it turns out I can hit a target just fine wearing heels, it’s probably easier to brace yourself against the kick of a shotgun in flats!

The trip to Quantico provided great hands-on research, and had the bonus of being the site where the Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) is located. In The Profiler series, HRT agents play key roles in the stories, and they are a fascinating, unique group – they are the FBI’s counterpart to military special operations groups. Their motto is servare vitas (to save lives) and they are trained to operate in extreme situations. HRT operators practice helicopter rappelling, SCUBA diving, and close quarters battle (CQB) as part of their regular routine. When HUNTED, the first book in The Profiler series, hit shelves in 2014, HRT was in its thirty-first year of operations.

In The Profiler series, HRT agent Kyle “Mac” McKenzie and his partner Gabe “Fonz” Fontaine were an interesting pair to create. Kyle is charming and confident on the outside, but getting into his head reveals a different, more complex side. His partner Gabe is a jokester, the kind of guy who can’t help but come into a room filled with serious profilers and tack a computer-generated picture of their boss with the heading “Predator Still at Large” on their community board.

In that room full of profilers is Evelyn Baine, the protagonist of The Profiler series. She’s a member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), and she spends her days getting into the heads of terrorists, serial killers, arsonists, and child abductors. Her job is to use their own thought processes to track them down and bring them to justice.

Once upon a time, the job Evelyn did was handled by the Behavioral Science Unit, which was located in a windowless room sixty feet below ground at the National Academy at Quantico. What a place to analyze killers! Now, the BAU has moved to nearby Aquia and the agents see daylight during their working hours!

Learning about Evelyn’s job meant understanding the seemingly incomprehensible motives of the criminals she tracks. It meant learning about how to analyze a crime scene for the behavioral evidence, and then use that to construct a criminal personality profile that would lead investigators to the perpetrator.

What kind of person can do that job? In The Profiler series, Evelyn is a highly-driven agent who always knew she wanted a spot on the BAU’s elite team. She’s haunted by the unsolved disappearance of her best friend when she was twelve years old and she’s searching for a way to fit in, both at BAU and in the world around her. Since she’s joined BAU, she’s always been the one tracking down the killers, so it was interesting to turn the tables on her.

 


 

Previous books in The Profiler series:

 

BOOK 1

HUNTED
Elizabeth Heiter
Published December 31, 2013

BLURB:

Terror stalks a small Virginia town. 

FBI rising star, criminal profiler Evelyn Baine, knows how to think like a serial killer. But she’s never chased anyone like the Bakersville Burier, who hunts young women and displays them, half-buried, deep in the woods. As the body count climbs, Evelyn’s relentless pursuit of the killer puts her career—and her life—at risk. And the evil lurking in the Burier’s mind may be more than even she can unravel.

Terror is closer than she thinks… 

The Bakersville Burier knows he’s got an FBI profiler on his trail. He knows who she is and where to find her. And he’s biding his time, because he’s planned a special punishment for Evelyn. She may have tracked other killers, but he vows to make this her last chase. This time it’s her turn to be hunted!

BUY LINKS:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million
iBooks
Kobo
Google Play
IndieBound
Harlequin MIRA

Read an excerpt HERE!


 

BOOK 2

VANISHED
Elizabeth Heiter
Published:  December 30, 2014

BLURB:

Sometimes, the past can haunt you… 

Eighteen years ago, FBI profiler Evelyn Baine’s best friend, Cassie Byers, disappeared, the third in a series of unsolved abductions. Only a macabre nursery rhyme was left at the scene, a nursery rhyme that claimed Evelyn was also an intended victim. Now, after all these years of silence, another girl has gone missing in South Carolina, and the Nursery Rhyme Killer is taking credit. But is Cassie’s abductor really back, or is there a copycat at work?

Sometimes, the past is best forgotten… 

Evelyn has waited eighteen years for a chance to investigate, but when she returns to Rose Bay, she finds a dark side to the seemingly idyllic town. As the place erupts in violence and the kidnapper strikes again, Evelyn knows this is her last chance. If she doesn’t figure out what happened to Cassie eighteen years ago, it may be Evelyn’s turn to vanish without a trace.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million
iBooks
Kobo
Google Play
Powells
IndieBound
Harlequin MIRA

Read an excerpt HERE!


 


BOOK 2.5

AVENGED
Elizabeth Heiter

BLURB:

Love and vengeance

FBI profiler Evelyn Baine and fellow agent Kyle McKenzie are—secretly—on vacation together, visiting an island off the coast of Georgia. Evelyn has recently solved a notorious cold case, so she considers their holiday a reward of sorts. More than that, it’s a cautious acknowledgment of her growing feelings for Kyle.

One day a body washes up on the beach, a body that’s been disfigured. The killer has carved the word “pervert” into the victim’s stomach. A second murder, with the victim labeled a “killer” appears soon after. The police don’t agree when Evelyn tells them the murders look like the work of a vigilante trying to avenge…something.

Evelyn and Kyle find their own lives at risk as they move closer to the truth.

BUY LINKS:

Free short story available online from Harlequin … read for free HERE!


 


BOOK 3

SEIZED
Elizabeth Heiter
Published:  December 29, 2015

BLURB:

Danger is all around her… 

What should have been a routine investigation for FBI profiler Evelyn Baine turns ominous when she’s kidnapped by a dangerous cult of survivalists. As her worst nightmares become a reality, she begins to question what she’s seeing. Because the longer she’s inside their compound, the more she realizes this group is not what it seems to be.

The next terrorist threat is right beside her… 

As the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team closes in, Evelyn suspects she’s stumbled onto an emerging terrorist threat—and a cult leader who has a score to settle with the FBI. If Hostage Rescue breaches the compound, Evelyn’s dead for sure. If they don’t, the cult may unleash a surprise attack that could leave the whole country shattered.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million
iBooks
Kobo
Google Play
Powells
IndieBound
Harlequin MIRA
Target
Walmart

Read an excerpt HERE!

 

** Blog Tour / SPOTLIGHT ** AN UNFORGETTABLE HOLIDAY by Joanne Dannon

** Blog Tour / SPOTLIGHT **  AN UNFORGETTABLE HOLIDAY by Joanne DannonAn Unforgettable Holiday by Joanne Dannon
Series: Two Holiday Romance Novellas
Published by Clarendon 3 Publishing on November 25, 2016
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

A Magical Christmas In Jerusalem

Australian project manager Kiara Lonsdale is career focussed and determined to provide and care for the grandmother who raised her. Taking time off work to vacation has never been high on her agenda, but this year she’s made an exception. She’s helping her gran fulfil a life-long dream by accompanying her on a Christmas to the Holy Land tour.

Jacques Lenoir and his extended family run tours in Israel and he’s committed to their business. Jacques feels responsible for his grandparents’ welfare since they risked their lives, and others’, as operatives in the French Resistance, during the War.

But over romantic dinners in the desert, camel rides, and mud baths at the Dead Sea, sparks fly between Kiara and Jacques. Will this only be a holiday romance or will a touch of Christmas magic make it last a lifetime?

A Magical Chanukah in New York

Lisa Sassoon has shunned the scandal of her loser-ex cheating on her by escaping to New York. Instead of sightseeing, she’s become a recluse focusing on helping the less fortunate at a homeless shelter.

Gabe Olivari, entrepreneur and savvy business New Yorker, can’t let go of the pain of losing his best friend. So caught up in his own grief and believing he doesn’t deserve to be happy, he compensates by pushing everyone close to him away.

But when Lisa and Gabe meet, there is an instant connection that forces them to question not only their behaviours but their aspirations.

Can a dash of Chanukah magic help Lisa and Gabe realise that sparkling dates and dreamy kisses can lead to more? Perhaps even a lifetime of happiness?

authorinterview

Is there a special memory that you have about when you decided you wanted to become an author?

  • I’ve always loved writing and have notebooks filled with stories, poems, dreams and aspirations 🙂

Is there a particular author that you remember being the first that drew you into being a fan of the Romance genre?

  • I’ve always loved reading romance! I started reading Sweet Dreams as a teenager, then gravitated to books written by Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Daphne De Maurier before moving to Mills and Boon. I still read romance widely across contemporary and historical sub genres!

If you could visit one place in the world that you have never been, where would it be?

  • I’ve always wanted to travel with hubby to Italy and in particular to see the lakes.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?

  • I love spending time with my family and friends.

Is there a topic you’ve always wanted to write about that you haven’t had a chance to yet?

  • I have an idea for a time travel romance that I’ve been toying around with.

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author-pic

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joanne Dannon has been living in the world of romance for as long as she can remember.  From doodling love hearts on her school notebooks to regularly reading romances, Joanne’s world has always been filled with the excitement of love stories. So it was just a natural for Joanne to begin writing the genre she’s always loved.

Formerly a policy writer by day and romance writer by night, Joanne now spends full time writing the books she adores. Creating heroes for readers to fall in love with and heroines to cheer on, her characters are people readers can identify with.

Joanne writes to give her readers the experience she still loves to savor—indulging in a sigh-worthy-happily-ever- after, being swept away from the everyday by diving into a delicious romance novel.

Joanne Dannon is a happily married mother of two heroes-in-training who loves spending time with friends and family.  She can be found on Facebook and her website www.joannedannon.com chatting about reading, writing, cooking, vintage-inspired dresses and all things romantic.  She loves to hear from readers.

CONNECT WITH JOANNE:
Facebook      Website      Instagram      Goodreads

Sign up to my Reader Newsletter and to say thanks, I’ll send you a 
FREE e-copy of Bidding on Love! 
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** SPOTLIGHT ** An Interview with Harlequin Presents Author Rachael Thomas

 

Blackmail

TO BLACKMAIL A DI SIONE
Rachael Thomas
Harlequin Presents
September 2016

 

“When you’ve finished making offers for the bracelet, I have a proposition for you.” 

Billionaire Liev Dragunov has spent a lifetime plotting revenge against those responsible for his family’s ruin. Finally he has the way: Bianca Di Sione.

She’s denied their obvious attraction and coolly rebuffs every request to work for him—until he finds her weakness: a diamond bracelet she desperately needs!

Bianca must become his fake fiancée if she wants her trinket! But the taste of revenge isn’t as sweet as desire, and Liev discovers that she is innocent in more ways than one…

Book 3 of The Billionaire’s Legacy

 

Read Reader Reviews

 

Buy Links

Amazon Kindle      Amazon Paperback      Amazon UK

Harlequin US      M&B UK        M&B Aust

B&N        iBooks

 

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INTERVIEW with Harlequin Presents author RACHAEL THOMAS

It’s my pleasure to host Rachael Thomas today on her Blog Tour for her brand new book TO BLACKMAIL A DI SIONE, available both in print and digital in the links provided above!  Thanks for being here Rachael!

  • Is there a special memory that you have about when you decided you wanted to become an author?

I decided I wanted to be an author when I was about eight years old. My class had been set the task of writing a short story and once done, mine was read out as a good example of how to do that. It was the start of a very big dream!

  • Is there a particular author that you remember being the first that drew you into being a fan of the Romance genre?

I’ve always loved the Romance genre, since I was a teenager, but Liz Fielding visited my local writing group about ten years ago and brought with her Kate Walker’s 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. From that moment on my fate was sealed – I wanted to write for Harlequin Presents and nothing else would do.

  • If you could visit one place in the world that you have never been, where would it be?

I have always wanted to see Niagara Falls. It’s now sitting at the top of my list!

  • What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?

Other than reading? I am a keen photographer, but very much a beginner with lots to learn yet. I also love visiting old castles, of which there are plenty in Wales where I live and grand houses.

  • Is there a topic you’ve always wanted to write about that you haven’t had a chance to yet?

One day I’d like to write a book which is set in the past – but not for a while yet, I have too many Presents stories to write first.

  • Any future books or projects that you want to share with us to look forward to?

Married For the Italian’s Heir, which is part of the Brides for Billionaires miniseries will be out in November 2016 and I have just started writing my own duet about the Valdez brothers.

Thanks for having me here today.
x  Rachael

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rachael Thomas

Rachael Thomas

I love escaping to distant shores with my characters, entering their glamorous world and feeling all the emotions they experience as they discover their love for one another. A love so strong it will overcome all obstacles eventually, leading to that promised happy ever after.

Connect with Rachael Thomas on the web:

Website         Blog        Facebook                Twitter              Goodreads

 

** SPOTLIGHT ** Harlequin Heartwarming author KATE JAMES ** Blog Tour for WHEN I FOUND YOU **

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

When I Found You (K-9 Trilogy, #3)When I Found You
(K-9 Trilogy #3)
by Kate James
Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 365 pages
July 1st 2016 by Harlequin Heartwarming

Is she part of the solution…or the problem?

It could be a terrorist threat. Or is it some other sinister plot? An unprecedented rash of security breaches at San Diego’s international airport is putting passengers at risk and bringing the competence of the airport’s chief of security, Ariana Atkins, into question. With explosives the weapon of choice, police K-9 unit captain Logan O’Connor and his bomb detection dog, Boomer, might be Ariana’s best, if not only, line of defense. Logan is certain his belief in Ariana, and his growing love for her, aren’t misplaced…but it wouldn’t be the first time he’s misjudged someone’s intentions.

GoodreadsAmazonBarnes & NobleHarlequin

MY REVIEW:  http://thoughtsofablonde.com/?p=5527

Other Books in the Series

When the Right One Comes Along (K-9 Trilogy, #1)When the Right One Comes Along
(K-9 Trilogy #1)
by Kate James
Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 293 Pages
October 1st 2015 by Harlequin

Brought together by disaster. Kept together by love.

In the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, it’s chaos for trauma surgeon Jessica Hansen. Among the many victims, one patient stands out—San Diego Police K-9 search and rescue officer Cal Palmer.

Cal vows to help Kayla, a child orphaned by the disaster. But he needs Jessica’s help. Will their shared concern for Kayla and for Cal’s canine partner, Scout, allow them to put aside their personal torments and discover the difference love can make?

GoodreadsAmazonBarnes & NobleHarlequin

MY REVIEW:  http://thoughtsofablonde.com/?p=385

When Love Matters Most (The K-9 Trilogy, #2)When Love Matters Most
(K-9 Trilogy #2)
by Kate James
Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 368 pages
January 1st 2016 by Harlequin Heartwarming

Keeping her safe at all costs

Could their backgrounds be any more different? Rick Vasquez, a K-9 unit sergeant with the San Diego Police Department, fled drug-related violence in Mexico as a boy. Madison Long, who recently became primary veterinarian to the SDPD’s canines, is the privileged daughter of a judge. Rick has dedicated his life to curtailing cross-border drug trafficking and preventing other young boys from being drawn into the dark world of the cartels.

But everything Rick and Madison value, and the growing love between them, is threatened by the dangers of Rick’s job, and the risks he’s determined to take…

Kate James spent much of her childhood abroad before attending university in Canada. She built a successful business career, but her passion has always been literature. As a result, Kate turned her energy to her love of the written word. Her writing has been recognized with a number of awards, including first place honors for Silver Linings in both the First Coast Romance Writers’ Published Beacon Contest and Ancient City Romance Authors’ Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award. Her November 2014 Harlequin Heartwarming release, A Child’s Christmas, received first-place honors from Southern Magic, the Birmingham Chapter of the Romance Writers of America, for the 2015 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, placed second in the Ancient City Romance Authors’ Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award, and was a finalist in RWA’s Desert Rose Chapter’s Golden Quill Award and the Colorado Romance Writers’ Award of Excellence. Finally, her October 2015 release, When the Right One Comes Along, the first book in her K-9 trilogy, has received a Best Book of 2015 award in the contemporary category.

She and her husband, Ken, enjoy traveling and the outdoors with their beloved Labrador Retrievers, Harley and Logan.

Kate would love to hear from you! You can connect with her by e-mail, through her website, her Facebook page, Twitter, or mail at PO Box 446, Schomberg, ON, L0G 1T0, Canada.

Tour Schedule

July 6th: Katie’s Clean Book Collection, Thoughts of a Blonde & Slice of Life
July 7th: Getting Your Read On
July 8th: Becky on Books
July 10th: Christy’s Cozy Corners
July 11th: EskieMama Reads
July 11th: Brooke Blogs
July 12th: Rockin’ Book Reviews
July 12th: Wishful Endings
July 13th: Mel’s Shelves
July 14th: 23 Review Street & Hardcover Feedback
July 15th: deal sharing aunt
July 17th: underneath the covers & Falling Leaves
June 18th: Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway

US/CAN PRIZE PACK: one K-9 trilogy women’s T-shirt, tote bag and a mug, a signed copy of the award-winning first book in the trilogy, When the Right One Comes Along, a signed copy of The Truth About Hope, signed book plates and a bag of Tim Horton’s coffee.

-Open to US/CAN only
-Ends July 24th

Grab Our Button!

 

 

INTERVIEW with Harlequin Heartwarming author KATE JAMES

It’s my pleasure to host Kate James today on her Blog Tour for her brand new book WHEN I FOUND YOU, available both in print and digital in the links provided above!  Thanks for being here Kate!  I have loved this entire K-9 series and am thrilled there is another one in the works!

I previously read and reviewed all three in the series, so I left a “MY REVIEW HERE” link underneath all 3 book descriptions above in case any of you missed my recommendations.

And now a little bit of getting to know Kate!  …

 

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Thank you for hosting me on your blog, Lynn, and for all your wonderful support of Harlequin Heartwarming. I’m thrilled to be here!

 

  1. We all know you are a dog lover … tell us about your babies!

Oh, my gosh! How much time do you (and the readers of your blog) have?!?!

My husband and I met because of our love of dogs and . . . well . . . because of the dogs we loved. Our blended family consisted of our Alaskan Malamute, Casper, German Shepherd, Kylie, and yellow Labrador Retriever, Buster.

1

It was heart wrenching when we had to say goodbye to them one-by-one. We didn’t think we were ready to add to our family again, but two young black Labs proved us wrong.

2

They came into our lives unplanned. They were fourteen and sixteen months respectively when we first met them, intelligent and with great temperaments. They’d been held back by the breeder for show and breeding, but she’d decided to sell them. Looking into their adoring chocolate-brown eyes, we knew instantly that their forever-home would be with us.

It was my editor, Paula Eykelhof, who first commented on how wonderful it was that we had brought these rescue dogs into our lives. I protested that they weren’t rescue dogs. After all, they’d been cared for and never abused. But, as with most things, Paula was right. Having lived their entire lives in kennels, their behaviors told their own story, as we gradually introduced them to the big wide world.

I have never crated a dog before, but Harley and Logan needed the comfort and security. Over two years later, they still love to spend time in their kennels, but they prefer to curl up, or stretch out, together in one kennel.

3          4

They have their own cushy beds in our bedroom, but still tend to share one. And, yes, they like to sleep on their backs . . . or on top of each other.

5          6          7

And during the day, they seek out the warmth of the sunshine and snuggle.

8          9          11          12

Logan can’t bear to be without us and would love to be able to curl up in our laps.

Harley sees a butterfly (or anything resembling one) and a little switch trips in his head and all else ceases to exist in his world. We’ve had to install a fence at the back of our property, where there is a steep incline, to keep him from running over it!

Logan’s need to be close has resulted in a damaged laptop screen. (I’ll spare you the details!)

13

Yes, that’s a tooth mark on the left middle.

Harley’s predilection for chasing butterflies has caused more than a few trampled perennials.

14 BEFORE

 

15AFTER

 

Here is a video clip of Harley at our cottage. You’ll hear my husband’s voice after Harley catches a Frisbee but abandons the game to pursue a butterfly: http://youtu.be/MwRVhfIdMSQ. Clearly, Harley does not yet consistently heed his master’s voice . . . it’s that little switch thing! 😉

Harley and Logan have come so far in the years they have been with us, and continue to delight us each and every day. A computer screen is easily replaced and perennials grow back, but the unconditional love and affection they bring into our lives is limitless and unparalleled.

 

  1. Is there a particular author that you remember being the first that drew you into being a fan of the Romance genre?

I have to say that (although not strictly romance) I love Nora Roberts’s books. I just finished The Obsession, and (please refer to the above question about my love of dogs) my favorite character in the book is Tag, the dog. He even has a pivotal role in the conclusion of the book! 🙂

 

  1. If you could visit one place in the world that you have never been, where would it be?

I love to travel, and I have been fortunate to have visited and lived in some wonderful places. I have not been to the South Pacific yet, and I would love to visit Bora Bora. It might be where my husband and I celebrate our tenth anniversary next year!

 

  1. And speaking of travel … any exciting plans for the summer?

When the weather is nice in Ontario, we like to stay relatively close to home. This is a picture of my view right now, as I type my responses to your questions.

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We tend to do most of our leisure travel when the weather is inclement in Ontario. The next trip we have booked right now is to St. Lucia with friends from Texas to celebrate our ninth anniversary. Of course, I will be in San Diego in July for RWA 2016!

 

  1. What projects do we have to look forward to with you?

Mid-June, I submitted the manuscript for my next release, which will likely be the first book in a mini-series set in a small town in the Adirondack Mountains region, the heroine’s home being loosely based on our cottage in Ontario (please see picture below).

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For readers who enjoyed my K-9 trilogy, here’s a nice little surprise! When I submitted my most recent proposal to Harlequin, they added an extra book to my contract. It will be the fourth book in the K-9 trilogy! I suppose we’ll have to start calling it the “K-9 series!” It’s the story of rookie K-9 officer, Shannon Clemens, and her rookie police service dog, Darwin, both of whom readers will have a chance to get to know a little in When I Found You!

 

  1. What is the most recent movie that you went to the theater to see?

I have to be honest that I prefer to read over watching movies, but my husband and I went with close friends to see X-Men: Apocalypse.

 

Thank you, again, Lynn, for inviting me to your blog!

Best wishes and happy reading!

 

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Thanks for being here Kate!  Can’t wait to see Shannon’s story come to life in that added on K-9 book and I’m sure you’ll get us all wrapped up in your Adirondack Mountains one(s) soon! 🙂  Best of luck to you on great success with this new book, and on enjoying a beautiful summer there in your slice of heaven.