WELCOME BACK AMELIA AUTIN!!

Her latest release, A Father's Desperate Rescue...

is part of the Man on a Mission series, which spotlights a film star in his darkest drama yet.

Widower Dirk DeWinter is a screen legend, but his favorite role is caring for his twin toddlers. So when his daughters are kidnapped while he's on location in Hong Kong, the desperate dad enlists the help of private investigator Mei-li Moore to track them down. But digging up secrets from Dirk's past unleashes something more potent—and dangerous—than either of them ever expected.

Mei-li knows Dirk is off-limits, both professionally and emotionally, still she can't help but fall for the doting father. As their mission threatens to unravel, will they risk their hearts and lives to save the twins—and each other?

READ AN EXCERPT: http://bit.ly/22j9Vy3

BUY THE BOOK: http://amzn.to/22ja3xi

Award-winning author Amelia Autin is an inveterate reader who can’t bear to put a good book down…or part with it. Her bookshelves are crammed with books her husband periodically threatens to donate to a good cause, but he always relents…eventually.

Amelia is a long-time member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), and served three years as its treasurer. She currently resides with her Ph.D. engineer husband in quiet Vail, Arizona, where they can see the stars at night and have a “million dollar view” of the Rincon Mountains from their back yard.

Jan Schliesman: How often do you Get Lost In A Story?

Amelia Autin: Every day. Either reading, or writing. There’s kind of a funny story I’d like to share about getting lost in a story I’m writing.

I was talking with a friend who’s also a fan last New Year’s Eve. We were discussing my November 2016 Harlequin Romantic Suspense (RS) release, The Bodyguard's Bride-To-Be. I was telling her that even though some readers had asked for it, it wasn’t Niall Jones’s story after all (Niall’s the second-oldest brother of Alec and Liam Jones of Alec’s Royal Assignment and Liam’s Witness Protection). I explained that at the time I’d submitted the proposal for The Bodyguard's Bride-To-Be, I didn’t know anything about Niall except that he was a black ops warrior—not enough to write his story.

I went on to say that since I’d turned in that proposal, I’d learned a lot more about Niall when I wrote the manuscript for Killer Countdown (my August 2016 release), which I’d just submitted to my editor the day before New Year’s Eve. (Killer Countdown is Shane Jones’s story, the oldest brother.)

My friend laughed in a humoring sort of way, and when I asked her why, she said, “You talk as if Niall’s a real person.”

I blinked at her. “Umm,” I stammered. “Well yeah.” Then I laughed, too, because she was right. I do think of my characters as real people I only get to know as I write them. So I couldn’t possibly write Niall Jones’s story before I knew more about him. Not just his profession, but the man he is deep down. That’s why almost all my heroes start life as secondary characters in other books.

Cody Walker, of Cody Walker’s Woman à Reilly’s Return

Trace McKinnon of McKinnon’s Royal Mission à Reilly’s Return and Cody Walker’s Woman

King Andre Alexei IV of King’s Ransom à McKinnon’s Royal Mission

Alec Jones of Alec’s Royal Assignment à McKinnon’s Royal Mission

Liam Jones of Liam’s Witness Protection à McKinnon’s Royal Mission

Dirk DeWinter of A Father’s Desperate Rescue à King’s Ransom

Shane Jones of Killer Countdown à Liam’s Witness Protection

Captain Marek Zale of The Bodyguard’s Bride-To-Be à King’s Ransom and Alec’s Royal Assignment

See a pattern here?

Sorry, I got off on a tangent. But that’s what I mean when I say I get lost in a story when I write. My stories are real to me.

Jan: If you could go back and pick a different career, what would it be?

Amelia: Funny you should ask that. I love accounting, which is why I went into that field, and I wouldn’t change that at all. Unless I could have been an opera singer. Then I would have been an opera singer.

The one thing I would have done differently if I could go back in time is, I would have kept writing. I had two books published by Silhouette Intimate Moments in the 90s, and received glowing reviews from Romantic Times for both of them (back when RT was the only game in town for romance reviews). But fear of failure was my nemesis back then—if you don’t try, you can’t fail, right? I’m not afraid of failing anymore…well, not much, anyway.

Jan: How did you know that romantic suspense was your style?

Amelia: I didn’t know. I still don’t. I’m the most surprised person in the room when someone says I write romantic suspense. I never set out to write suspense…it just sort of happened. And I’ll be honest, I’m looking to break out of that mold. Not that I don’t want to write romantic suspense, but I don’t want to be restricted to only writing that kind of romance.

Jan: What do you love most about A Father’s Desperate Rescue?

Amelia: That’s easy—my hero, Dirk DeWinter. I loved Dirk so much in King’s Ransom, he actually threatened to hijack the story from King Andre Alexei IV of Zakhar—not an easy thing to do with an alpha male like Andre. So I knew I would have to write Dirk’s story eventually, especially since heartbroken readers begged for him to have his own happily ever after ending following the devastating loss he suffered in King’s Ransom.

It was a challenge, though. Some readers questioned whether I could pull it off—Dirk had been so in love with his wife in King’s Ransom, you see, and I think they feared a new love would tarnish the old. Diminish it somehow. I didn’t want that. And that’s not the kind of man Dirk is. He truly means it when he tells Mei-li, “Loving you doesn’t mean I don’t still love her. I always will. But there’s room in my heart for both of you. Is that wrong?” The reviews I’ve read by readers whose opinions I cherish have indicated I succeeded…or rather, Dirk succeeded in making them believe it was possible.

Jan: What’s your favorite sports team?

Amelia: Sports? Who has time to watch sports? Seriously, though, I used to be a rabid Chicago Bears fan (football) for years and years—I’d even listen to the games on the radio. And I’ve been an LA Lakers fan (basketball) since the days of Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West…and that’s a long time!

Jan: Any writing rituals you follow? Celebrate a certain way when it’s completed?

Amelia: I don’t have any writing rituals, other than I keep track of my word count every single day when I’m writing, and I calculate my progress percentage-wise toward the word count I need to reach by the end of the manuscript (okay, I’ll admit I’m an accountant by nature as well as by training).

As for celebrating, my husband (always referred to as Bodyguard on Facebook) and I go out to dinner when I sign a contract or turn in a manuscript, but that’s about it.

Jan: What’s the creepiest thing you’ve done in the name of research?

Amelia: Creepy? I can’t think of anything I’ve done that would qualify as creepy. I have shot a gun, though. And I saved the targets from the one time I visited a gun range…not to mention all the spent shell casings. I still have them. Is that creepy?

Jan Schliesman: Best vacation you’ve ever taken?

Amelia: Probably my most recent one, a fifteen day land tour / river cruise through northern China. I crossed several things off my “bucket list,” including the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, and the Xi’An terracotta warriors.

 

Before the China trip it was Yellowstone National Park in the wintertime. I’ve been there in both the summer and the winter, and while both are unique in their own way, winter wins out for me. If you’ve never been there, you should make a point of going—it’s amazing. And snowmobiling is like flying.

Jan’s GOTTA ASK: What is your unhealthiest habit?

Amelia’s GOTTA ANSWER: Moi? Unhealthy habits? Surely you jest! (Sigh. I guess you don’t buy that, huh?) The most unhealthy thing I do is sit for hours at a time, both at work and in my home office, writing. I know it’s bad for me, but I get caught up in what I’m doing and somehow the hours fly by. Before I had knee replacement surgery I’d really pay the price when I finally stood up—my knees would be so stiff and painful! But now I have bionic knees, so…

Then, of course, there’s chocolate. But we’re not going there.

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UP NEXT:

Her Colton P.I. (book 5 in the Coltons of Texas multi-author continuity series, May 2016)

A private investigator tracks a mysterious widowed mother of twins in the next gripping installment of The Coltons of Texas series!

Raised in foster care apart from his six siblings, PI Chris Colton knows what it's like to be separated from family. So when a kindly older couple hires him to find their son's gold-digging widow who ran off with her twin toddlers, Chris won't rest until Holly McCay is held accountable. But he quickly discovers that his employers are out to get Holly. And they'll eliminate anyone standing in their way…including the brave woman and sweet little boys the investigator-turned-bodyguard has come to think of as his own! http://amzn.to/1oKuTZf

My 10^th published book overall (a small milestone, but important to me), and my 8^th in less than two years—Killer Countdown will be out in August. Is this a great cover, or what?

A reporter helps a sexy senator evade a deadly assassin in this thrilling Man on a Mission tale

TV reporter Carly Edwards has the scoop of a century! She's discovered that Senator Shane Jones was diagnosed with a life-altering illness, but she can't help but be drawn to his courage. So when Shane saves Carly’s life from a killer, she resolves to keep her story—and the irresistible politician—alive…

A politician and a media personality are a recipe for romantic disaster. The last thing Shane wants is to endanger Carly. But how can he prevent her from getting close when the very air between them sizzles? As their lives are threatened, Shane realizes Carly's the one woman he wants forever—if he can keep them both safe!

HUGE THANKS TO AMELIA FOR SUCH A GREAT INTERVIEW!!  THE FUN CONTINUES WITH SEVERAL FREE BOOKS UP FOR GRABS TO A U.S. READER WHO ANSWERS THIS QUESTION: Alpha or beta heroes? Or alpha-beta? Which do you prefer? And why?

One lucky reader who leaves a comment will win a copy of A Father’s Desperate Rescue.

One lucky reader who leaves a comment will win a copy of Her Colton P.I.

**CONTEST ENDS FRIDAY, APRIL 15TH!!**

BONUS GIVEAWAY: Copies of Alec’s Royal Assignment and Liam’s Witness Protection (companion books) to the first reader who answers all five questions correctly. (All answers can be found on my website, www.AmeliaAutin.com.)

1)      In what year did I win a Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® award?

2)      What’s my favorite color?

3)      What’s missing from the cover of Reilly’s Return? (Not as bizarre as Christina Dodd’s three-armed heroine on the cover of Castles in the Air, but still upsetting to me.)

4)      The idea for the opening scene in Alec’s Royal Assignment came from a real-life incident that occurred in what country?

5)      What does Juliana Richardson want her agent lawyer to do in the opening scene of King’s Ransom?