The Precinct: Task Force
Harlequin Intrigue
ISBN: 978-0-373-69675-8
When his co-investigator was attacked just moments
after Detective Nick Fensom left the scene, he swore he'd never let her get
hurt again. Thanks to their tense relationship, criminologist Annie Hermann
wasn't happy to have Nick as her newly appointed protector. And although Nick
couldn't blame her, being together 24/7 caused him to see Annie in a whole new
light. Before long, he couldn't stop picturing the beautiful brunette wrapped
up in his arms-and in his sheets. But allowing unfamiliar feelings to get in
the way of the job was completely unprofessional...especially once Annie
discovered the evidence that could kill her.
THE PROFESSIONAL JULIE
Julie Miller is an award-winning, USA TODAY
Bestselling author--with a National Readers Choice Award and a Daphne du
Maurier among other prizes. In 2009, she was honored to receive a Career
Achievement Award in Series Romantic Suspense from Romantic Times Book Reviews.
Several of her 50 books have appeared on the USA Today, Amazon and BookScan Top
100 Romances bestseller lists.
The daughter of a Marine and a speech/language
therapist, Julie is a teacher who grew up in Missouri and now lives in Nebraska
with her husband (a teacher and YA author), son (a college student majoring in
Music Business) and an assortment of spoiled pets. She's been dubbed the
resident "Grammar Goddess" of her local writing group, The
Prairieland Romance Writers. You may write Julie at P.O. Box 5162, Grand
Island, NE 68802-5162 or email her questions or comments at the contact address
below.
Check out Julie's book giveaway contests, monthly
newsletter and more on her website.
JULIE TELLS ALL about Nick & Annie
ANGI: For those readers who may need a heads up, can
you tell us where to begin in your series?
Or how the "mini" series of TASK FORCE works vs the entire
series of THE PRECINCT?
JULIE: He’s a natural born
protector. Big brother to his 5 siblings. Buddy to his beloved parents,
grandparents and uncle. Detective who protects the streets of his city. He’s
the self-appointed bodyguard to Annie, a fellow task-force member who has the
brains to break their investigation wide open…a woman who is his polar opposite
personality-wise. And yes, he’s shorter than the average hero. But he’s Irish, scrappy and tough—don’t think
he won’t take you down if you threaten the things he’s sworn to protect.
ANGI: What's your favorite thing about TACTICAL ADVANTAGE heroine, Annie
Hermann?
ANGI: What’s Nick's favorite cartoon character?
JULIE: Marvin the
Martian. (Hmm… maybe that’s why Annie is
so appealing?)
ANGI: And Annie's biggest vice--it's only fair to ask?
JULIE'S GOTTA ANSWER: I think the Precinct
is different because it’s that unique blend of urban cops and that small-town,
Midwestern vibe that you find in Kansas City, where the books are set. The characters are what keep it fresh. While I have many recurring characters whom
readers seem to love and enjoy revisiting or getting to know, it’s easy to
introduce other members of the KCPD police force and all its partners—the crime
lab, the M.E.’s office, the D.A.’s office, uniformed officers, detectives, K-9
officers, friendly rivals at the fire department, etc. My readers seem to like the community of
characters I've created—it adds a depth to the books and characterization to
see characters, settings and issues grow and change. But when you throw someone
new into the mix—another family of cops, a visitor from outside of K.C., a new
neighbor—or throw a new crime or potential hero/ine at an existing character…
it’s magic. And a lot of fun to write!
JULIE: The Precinct: Task
Force miniseries began with THE MARINE NEXT DOOR, followed by KANSAS CITY
COWBOY. TACTICAL ADVANTAGE is the third story. Three more will follow and
conclude the miniseries this year: ASSUMED IDENTITY, TASK FORCE BRIDE and
YULETIDE PROTECTOR. If you've never read
any of my Precinct books (some are part of different miniseries; others are
stand-alone titled), they’re basically stories set in my fictional 4th
Precinct of Kansas City, Missouri. A lot
of my heroes are cops, DA’s, arson investigators, etc.
ANGI: What's your favorite thing about TACTICAL ADVANTAGE hero, Nick Fensom?
JULIE: He’s a natural born
protector. Big brother to his 5 siblings. Buddy to his beloved parents,
grandparents and uncle. Detective who protects the streets of his city. He’s
the self-appointed bodyguard to Annie, a fellow task-force member who has the
brains to break their investigation wide open…a woman who is his polar opposite
personality-wise. And yes, he’s shorter than the average hero. But he’s Irish, scrappy and tough—don’t think
he won’t take you down if you threaten the things he’s sworn to protect.
JULIE: She’s klutzy and
quirky and super smart. But once you get past the awkwardness, there’s a heart
of gold inside. Sort of BIG BANG
nerdish. Not your typical heroine. She
was a lot of fun to write.
ANGI: What’s Annie's favorite fairy tale?
JULIE: She doesn't believe
in fairy tales. She’s lost the people she’s loved. That, combined with her
logical brain, makes her believe in factual proof. She trusts the evidence, not the imagination.
JULIE: Marvin the
Martian. (Hmm… maybe that’s why Annie is
so appealing?)
ANGI: What do you like about the hero/heroine
relationship in TACTICAL ADVANTAGE?
JULIE: Their banter was so
much fun to write. Nick and Annie go together like oil and water. Lots of
teasing and tension there. But the fact
that they are such opposites in personality and background and working styles
made them the perfect team—they each complement what the other lacks.
ANGI: Does Annie read more than forensic books or
articles?
JULIE: The sports page.
ANGI: What is Nick's biggest vice?
JULIE: His grandmother’s cooking.
ANGI: And Annie's biggest vice--it's only fair to ask?
JULIE: Spoiling her cats.
When they let her.
ANGI: What started all the tension between Annie and
Nick?
JULIE: She’s brains; he’s
brawn. She’s logic; he’s instinct. She thinks things through; he reacts. And so on. About the only thing they have in
common is how that tension seems to translate into sexual tension… and a love
for baseball.
ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: Hey Julie, You've been writing
for several years about THE PRECINCT. How do you keep the series fresh and what's
different about this mini-series?
JULIE'S GOTTA ANSWER: I think the Precinct
is different because it’s that unique blend of urban cops and that small-town,
Midwestern vibe that you find in Kansas City, where the books are set. The characters are what keep it fresh. While I have many recurring characters whom
readers seem to love and enjoy revisiting or getting to know, it’s easy to
introduce other members of the KCPD police force and all its partners—the crime
lab, the M.E.’s office, the D.A.’s office, uniformed officers, detectives, K-9
officers, friendly rivals at the fire department, etc. My readers seem to like the community of
characters I've created—it adds a depth to the books and characterization to
see characters, settings and issues grow and change. But when you throw someone
new into the mix—another family of cops, a visitor from outside of K.C., a new
neighbor—or throw a new crime or potential hero/ine at an existing character…
it’s magic. And a lot of fun to write!
FIND JULIE on the Intrigue-Authors Blog &
UP NEXT for JULIE:
MORE FROM THE PRECINCT: TASK FORCE
ASSUMED IDENTITY TASK FORCE BRIDE
June 2013 September 2013
PREVIOUS RELEASES by JULIE:
THREE COWBOYSan anthology with fellow Intriguers:
Dana Marton & Paula Graves
Harlequin Intrigue
December 2012
THE PRECINCT complete list
including Book 1 of TASK FORCE
KANSAS CITY COWBOY
May 2012
Read an Excerpt
JULIE is giving away the winner's choice of a print (North
America) or e-copy (International) of TACTICAL
ADVANTAGE.
Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.
DON’T FORGET to FOLLOW us on Twitter #GetLostStories or LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all our guest authors and their prizes. Join Donnell tomorrow as she hosts DV Berkom. And come back next week when I host ANGIE FOX returning with her latest book ~Angi
JULIE WANTS TO KNOW: What's your favorite department or division of city police?
I love Julie's books--it's great to see her spotlighted here!
ReplyDeleteAs for my favorite police division... I haven't had much contact with the police, as I lead a pretty sheltered life! :) I guess I appreciate them all equally. Being a scientist, I have a soft spot for the crime scene and lab workers, but I don't know if they're police officers...
That's probably a good thing you don't have a lot of contact with cops, Lara. ;)
DeleteAs to whether a CSI is a police officer, it depends on the police department. Some are strictly scientists in the lab who process crime scenes/evidence. In some departments, though, CSIs can be cops who've gotten the training to become forensic investigators. They still retain their badge and status as cops, but they're assigned to the CSI division (just as cops can specialize and become K-9 officers, homicide, IA, etc.).
Welcome to GLIAS, Julie! You had me at KCPD! I grew up in KCMO, and when I was younger did the whole Citizen Police Academy thing with them, participated in a few ride-alongs and arranged for them to utilize some of the property I managed at the time to conduct surveillance.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely have to pick up Kansas City Cowboy, too...how could I not?
Small world, isn't it, Heather? What part of KC are you from? My parents/grandmother lived in Indpendence. Me, too, for a while. I've got relatives and friends in various parts of the city, still.
DeleteHope you enjoy the books! THE MARINE NEXT DOOR is actually the first book in the Precinct: Task Force miniseries. KANSAS CITY COWBOY is the second book. TACTICAL ADVANTAGE is #3. (A big thanks to Angi Morgan for interviewing me and putting the blog together! But I think she's like me... on a deadline!)
I am even more excited to read Tactical Advantage now that I read the interview. I will have to put together an order on Harlequin soon! Say Hi to Maggie for me. :) Oh and now that I know Nick has siblings maybe for your next series you could feature the siblings of the task force. Between Nick and Boone you already have over half a dozen stories to tell!
ReplyDeletefantum2004ATsbcglobalDOTnet
Thanks, Laura!
DeleteToo true. See why it's hard for me to decide what stories to write next? Too many great characters and possibilities to choose from. ;) It's a nice problem to have, though.
I'll be sure to give Maggie a tummy rub for you. She'll appreciate it. She had a tough day at the doggie spa yesterday (aka the vet's!). There was soap & water, clippers and a shot up the nose involved. She's sleeping big time today, poor thing. But she no longer has that outdoor dog pew, and she's sooooo soft!
Hi, Julie, welcome to Get Lost in a Story! I think being a writer, my favorite is Major Crimes or the Detective Division. Although I love patrol because it's awfully fun to go on a ridealong. Thanks for joining us today!
ReplyDeleteAlways fun to be here, Donnell! Thanks for having me.
ReplyDeleteYeah, major crimes and detectives are my usual go-to. But I do love mixing it up every now and then. Polishing up a K-9 cop right now. Such great heroes!
Welcome back friend Julie !!
ReplyDeleteLove your books, love your characters and I admire all the departments on the police force. Thanks for stopping by GLIAS again. ~Angi
Thanks, Angi! As always, your interviews are a lot of fun. Thanks for putting it all together.
ReplyDeleteAnd good luck with that deadline!
THANKS, Good Luck right back atcha. I'm sure you have one too !!
Delete~A
Yep!
DeleteHi Julie, As I have little or no cop experience other than a cousin who is a retired Highway Patrolman, I'll base my answer on all the CSI shows I love to watch. Well mostly I watch. I turn to my current book while they are cutting on the body or when there is a lot of nasty stuff coming out of the body. I love how they figure things out. Guess maybe I listen more than I watch :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting, Lilsis. That's just like my hubby. He likes the mystery element, but not the "gross" stuff. I'm fascinated by all of it--appeals to my science-y, intellectual side, I guess. Don't know how I'd do in real life at an autopsy, but I did get to do all the dissection work in my college biology class. My lab partner, bless her heart, couldn't stand any of it. She sat in the doorway of the lab. But she was super good about taking the notes, so it was a fair trade-off.
DeleteHmmm... no cop experience. But I love reading JD Robb's books so I would have to say homicide... at least in books anyways. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree, May. I enjoy the whole crime experience much more in fiction than I do in real life. ;)
DeleteTo be honest, I've never read one of her In Death books. But my friends who know what I read and watch say I would love them. Need more time!
The only real experience I had was one winter I drove my mini van down side way's on a seasonal use only road. By sideway's , I do mean, sideways! I started out going down ok and the next thing I knew I spun side way's an ended up near an embankment and tree. I couldn't get out my door due to ice. I had a cb radio ( way before cell phones ) and kept saying over an over SOS ! I'm stuck and need help! Luckily a trucker did hear me, called in my call to the local cops. Eventually a cop showed up. The local fire dept. showed up to tow the van out. The cop ended up sliding all over the place to reach us. Us being me and my then disabled husband. We had to get out of the van and sit on a sled to go down the hill to his cruiser. The van did get pulled up and out. We went to the baracks to warm up and some one drove the van back to me. I have seen the cop a few time's over the year's and he was kind of sexy! I never went down in the winter on any of out local seasonal use only roads! Lesson learned!!! Pam
ReplyDeleteWhat a lesson...but it sounds like the great beginning to a book, Pam. ~Angi
DeleteYikes! That's quite an adventure. Sounds like you met some real heroes that day.
DeleteNice interview. Don't have a fav.
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
Thanks, bn! A man in a uniform of just about any kind makes for a great hero, I think. ;)
ReplyDelete*She doesn't believe in fairy tales. She’s lost the people she’s loved.*
ReplyDeleteNow that kind of line justs breaks my heart and makes her a character I want to root for and see have a happy ending.
Thanks, Clover. ;) Annie definitely has a lot of emotional baggage to get through. But Nick is pretty tenacious about getting a job done. (wink-wink)
DeleteGreat interview!
ReplyDeleteI don't know enough about the divisions to to have a favourite.
chey127 at ho;tmail dot com
Thanks for stopping by, chey!
DeleteAnd the winner is... Laura AKA Loves2ReadRomance. Congratulations, Laura--Maggie nosed your name out of the pile and selected you as today's winner!
ReplyDeleteJust send me an email and let me know if you prefer a print (North America only) or ecopy of TACTICAL ADVANTAGE, along with your snail mail address or account email for a Nook or Kindle gift. Then I'll get the book to you ASAP!
And thanks to everyone for stopping by and chatting with me and Nick & Annie! Thanks to Angi Morgan for hosting me at GLIAS today! And I hope you all get a chance to enjoy TACTICAL ADVANTAGE!
Thanks!
Julie
Thanks so much for sharing with us Julie and thank you Maggie for picking my name. I have sent you my snail mail Julie and will let you know when Tactical Advantage arrives.
ReplyDelete