"Heart-pounding excitement...left me sitting on the edge of my seat."—#1 New York Times bestselling author DEBBIE MACOMBER for Angel Falls
The river runs wild
Former Fish & Wildlife Officer Charlotte "Charlee" Tanner still carries the guilt of a tragic drowning accident that occurred on her watch. She hoped moving back home to the wilds of central Florida would provide a safe haven-until she learns the death was no accident, and she's the intended target.
But no wilder than their passion
Tough and decisive, Lieutenant Hunter Boudreau loves his new job as a law enforcement officer with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. Charlee is his best friend, so when she comes under fire, he's not letting her out of his sight until the killer is caught. But Charlee won't sit by and let anyone else die for her.
As danger closes in and Charlee and Hunter's attraction threatens to consume them, Charlee has to decide if she can trust Hunter. And to save Charlee, Hunter will have to trust her, too.
Connie Mann is a licensed boat captain and loves writing romantic suspense stories set in Florida’s small towns and unspoiled wilderness. She is the author of Beyond Risk, (Florida Wildlife Warriors #1), the Safe Harbor series (Tangled Lies, Hidden Threat, Deadly Melody), as well as Angel Falls and Trapped! She has lived in seven different states but this weather wimp has happily called central Florida home for more than twenty years.
When she’s not dreaming up plotlines, you’ll find “Captain Connie” on the Silver River, introducing boats full of schoolchildren to their first alligator. She is also passionate about helping women and children in developing countries break the poverty cycle and build a better future for themselves and their families. Besides boating, she and her husband enjoy hanging out with their grown children and extended family and planning their next adventure.
STAY CONNECTED
THE Q&A
ANGI: How often to you get lost in a story?
CONNIE: Whenever I get a spare minute—and often when I should be doing something else! I get twitchy if I don’t have a nice-sized stack of books on hand, and usually slip my Kindle into my bag so I always have options while waiting anywhere. I try to read at least 45 minutes every night before bed. Ahem, except for nights when I get lost in a great story and it’s 2:00 am before I look up. Then I’m totally unrepentant, but bleary-eyed and sucking down caffeine the next morning.
ANGI: What’s your favorite thing about your book’s hero?
CONNIE: Only one? Hunter is everything you want in a hero. Former military, tough cop, hard body, slow Cajun drawl (be still my heart), but my favorite thing about him is the way he sees Charlee, the heroine. Of course, he likes the way she looks, but it’s his absolute confidence in her abilities and instincts—especially when she’s big-time doubting herself—that makes me love him all the more.
ANGI: What’s your favorite movie of all time?
CONNIE: I think it will always be Dirty Dancing, hands down. The way Patrick Swayze looked at Jennifer Grey during some of those dance scenes…swoon. And I love the way he came back for her and made sure everyone saw her the way he did. “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.” Such a great story.
ANGI: What’s your perfect day?
CONNIE: Since I’m a boat captain in my “other” life, my favorite days always involve water. Nothing beats the chance to spend time with family and friends on our small boat, either out in the Gulf of Mexico or in the Atlantic. (We live right in the middle of the state, so we can go either way.) If we also get to walk on the beach at either sunrise or sunset? Double bonus. There is nothing better in the world.
ANGI: Salad or soup?
CONNIE: Totally depends on the time of year. In the summer, I love great big salads, and I often throw fresh and dried fruit and nuts in there to jazz things up. In the winter, especially if I’ll be out on the water, I throw everything but the kitchen sink into my crockpot so I’ll have a hearty soup/stew ready when I get home.
ANGI: Would you put yourself in a Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?
CONNIE:
Definitely Action Adventure. I would love to hunt for pirate treasure with the likes of Matthew McConaughey (Fool’s Gold) or run around searching for artifacts with Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones)—as long as there were no snakes. There absolutely cannot be snakes. Shudder.
ANGI: Favorite TV rerun you watch every time you channel surf?
CONNIE: I’ll watch NCIS every time, no matter how often I’ve seen that episode. I love the dynamics between the team, though I will admit it’s not quite the same without Abby. The writing doesn’t seem to be quite as clear and hard-hitting as it used to be, in my opinion. But I still love the show.
ANGI: Favorite date night…fancy or at home?
CONNIE: I can’t remember the last time we had a fancy night out, unless it was somebody’s wedding! We’re more pizza-and-a-movie-at-home kind of people, and we take turns choosing the movie. (I don’t want to watch blood and guts ALL the time, LOL!) In the winter, hubby builds a fire in the fireplace, which I love.
ANGI’s GOTTA ASK: SHOW ME YOUR SHOES… Why are these your favorite?
CONNIE’S GOTTA ANSWER: I love these little booties because they’re cute and sassy—and completely different from the sturdy (read: boring) work shoes I wear with my captain’s uniform. Since I can only wear them for a few days in Florida before it’s back to flip-flops, you’ll find me in them every chance I get. I’m probably breaking some fashion rule, but I don’t care.
UP NEXT for CONNIE:
#Florida Wildlife Warriors Book #2
I am hard at work on the edits for book 2, Josh Tanner and Delilah Atwood’s story. The daughter of an anti-government militia family will have to trust a government man in order to save her sister. Sign up for my newsletter so you won’t miss any of the updates and details on when the book will be released.
PREVIOUSLY RELEASED by CONNIE:
TANGLED LIES
Safe Harbor Series Book #1
Some family secrets are best left buried at sea.
Orphaned as a child in Russia, boat captain Sasha Petrov has spent most of her life adrift, anchored only by her loving foster family. So when they beg her to return to the family marina in Safe Harbor, Florida, for Mama’s sixtieth birthday, Sasha complies, hoping to put the past behind her. But Mama has other plans: she wants her three foster daughters to find Tony, the biological son who disappeared twenty years earlier.
Sasha agrees to try, but that’s easier said than done when bad boy Jesse Claybourne shows up, reigniting an old attraction. Back in Safe Harbor on a quest of his own, Jesse gets tangled up in Sasha’s search, and soon the two are close to uncovering an old town secret that some will stop at nothing to protect.
When Jesse is violently beaten and Sasha’s dog is poisoned, they realize the past is hiding something more sinister than they ever imagined. Can they uncover the truth without destroying Sasha’s family and breaking each other’s hearts, or are they sailing against the wind?
HIDDEN THREAT
Safe Harbor Series Book #2
She’ll uncover who’s poisoning her hometown—at any cost.
An environmental crisis is the last thing clean-water crusader Eve Jackson expected in her hometown. She’s used to taking on powerful DC politicians in her fight, but when a baby in Safe Harbor, Florida, shows mysterious signs of possible poisoning, the danger hits painfully close to home, stirring memories of her own mother’s death.
Eve’s search leads her to the Sutton Ranch, now run by her high school crush, Cole. Focused on keeping the family ranch afloat as a series of deformed calves are born to his herd, Cole has no time for Eve’s crusade. But as her unwelcome questioning ostracizes her from locals, Cole’s irritation turns to intrigue—not only about the source of the poisoned water but also the tenacious, loyal, and passionate woman determined to help.
As Eve digs deeper into Cole’s operation, she sees her suspicions in Sutton Ranch may be misplaced. Yet she can’t shake the feeling that his ranch, and perhaps his past, hold the answers she seeks. When the sabotage escalates, the two must work together to uncover the culprit—if they can survive the investigation.
CONNIE is giving away a signed print copy of BEYOND RISK .
International Giveaway.
CONNIE WANTS TO KNOW: How much does a book’s setting influence your decision to read a particular story? Does where a book takes place make a difference to you?