Kylie Brant Writes Heart-Pounding Suspense

Kylie Brant is the author of thirty-five romantic suspense novels, writing for Harlequin and Berkley until her more recent venture into self-publishing.  She’s been nominated for three RITA awards and five Romantic Times awards while winning RT’s Career Achievement Award and two overall Daphne du Maurier awards.  Her books are published in twenty-six countries and eighteen languages.

THE STORY BLURB

Eleven. For three long years that’s what she was called by The Collector, the sexual sadist who enslaved her.

Mia Deleon fought the odds and escaped only to discover that no one would believe her about the ordeal she’d endured. Not the police. Not her family or friends. Even the investigators she hired couldn’t find a trace of the sexual predator. So with help, she disappeared, always looking over her shoulder, living in the shadows. Knowing she’d never be safe while he was still free.

Security expert Jude Bishop had helped her vanish. Now he’s been hired to bring Mia back. A criminal profiler may have discovered a tenuous link to her case. But Jude is nearly too late because The Collector has already found Mia, too. And their race to trail the sexual sadist turned killer brings Mia ever closer to the man obsessed with her.

Because she became his prized possession the moment she’d evaded him. And he’ll stop at nothing to see his collection finally complete…

READ A LITTLE, BUY THE BOOK

Jan Schliesman: How often to you get lost in a story?

Kylie Brant:  Often, but not as frequently as I’d like.  When I started writing that time came directly out of my reading time.  My favorite books are those that make me forget I’m a writer…I forget to mentally edit and wordsmith and just turn pages, as rapidly as possible.  What I’ve learned is that I need to read in order to write.   Otherwise the words seem to dry up.  Which is wonderful, because now I have a real excuse to take time away from my writing deadlines to read :)

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

Kylie Brant:  I was reading most of Harlequin’s lines back in the day and still recall when Silhouette (Harlequin) Intimate Moments’ line was created.  I read the first four offerings that first month and knew this would be my favorite line.  The suspense was that something extra I’d been looking for and I was hooked.  A couple years later when I decided to try my hand at writing a book, I knew exactly what line I wanted to target!

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

Kylie Brant:  You have to realize that to a suspense author, creepy equates with cool :)  I’ve done some really fun things for research :)  A couple years ago I attended a week long Sirchie Academy that is usually only offered to detectives for evidence collection training.  It was awesome and we left the instructor a bit awed at how devious our writer brains were, LOL.  The creepiest thing I’ve done was crawling through caves in the Willamette Forest looking for the perfect place for my villain to stash his victims.  It actually took me four caves to recall that *bats* live in caves.  I HATE bats!  But one of the caves I crawled through ended up being featured in the book, so there’s that!

Jan Schliesman: How you do get in the "writer's zone"?

Kylie Brant:  Well, I can tell you my little rituals of needing a Diet Coke and a few rounds of Trivia Crack and maybe one or two of Solitaire Live.  But that’s really all about procrastination.  The zone begins when I edit what I wrote the day before and start getting those new words down on paper.  I have to write enough to get sucked back in…and then it’s just a matter of pages to get to the daily goal.

 

Jan Schliesman: Unhealthiest habit?           

Kylie Brant:  Hmm, that’d have to be my eating habits, LOL.  I have a professed disdain for green things and try to avoid fruit whenever possible.  We’re counting the Diet Coke as healthy, right?

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

Kylie Brant:  Oh I’d definitely be a homicide detective and/or an evidence tech.  Be invited to murder scenes and figuring out who did it?  That’d be awesome :)

Jan Schliesman: What do you love most about your current release?

Kylie Brant:  This one stayed with me a while after finishing it.  It was like I couldn’t quite let go of the characters.  That was a new experience.   Mia was so damaged, her character arc was a challenge to get exactly right.  But she and Jude were so real to me it was a little scary.

Jan Schliesman: Favorite sports team?

Kylie Brant:  Iowa Hawkeyes.  We have football tickets and tailgate before games with the family.  It’s great fun!

Jan Schliesman: The one question you wish someone would ask you??

Kylie Brant:  Still waiting for someone to ask me to be Supreme Queen Duchess of the Universe.  (I’ve got the title nailed down in *my own* universe…)

Jan’s GOTTA ASK:  

Kylie’s GOTTA ANSWER:   Um… do they have orange sherbet?  That’d be my pick.

Thanks so much, Kylie for joining us today!  Next up for Kylie will be SECRETS OF THE DEAD, a May release.  It’s a return to The Mindhunters series and this will be book 7.

 A QUESTION FOR KYLIE'S FANS...All of our characters have flaws and lord knows I have my own.  Worst writing flaw?  I’m the world’s worst procrastinator.  You know the saying, ‘Hard work pays off in the long run, but procrastination pays off now!”  Which of course bites me as deadlines loom.  
For a chance to win a copy of Kylie Brant's latest release, 11, Answer this question in the comments section below, along with your email address:

 What’s your worst flaw and how does it affect you?

FIND KYLIE BRANT:

Contact   Website   Facebook   Twitter   @KylieBrant

Get Lost with Author Joelle Charbonneau

Get Lost in a Story Readers, I am pleased to present New York Times best selling author Joelle Charbonneau  ~ Donnell

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say?

But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?  

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it.  But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies – trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose:  love without truth or life without trust.

Praise for The Testing

“The Testing is a chilling and devious dystopian thriller that all fans of The Hunger Games will simply devour. Joelle Charbonneau writes with guts and nerve but also great compassion and heart. Highly recommended.” – Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author of Rot & Ruin and Flesh & Bone

“Trained to rely on her wits, Cia must survive on her courage and trust her instincts, even when it means following her heart ever deeper into danger. A surefire favorite for dystopian fans, The Testing crackles with suspense, passion and betrayal set against a scarred and brutal world.” –Sophie Littlefield, author of Unforsaken and Hanging By A Thread.

 

DONNELL:  Joelle, welcome back to Get Lost in a Story.  It's been a long time!  Congratulations on hitting the list of the New York Times for book one in the Testing trilogy.  What went through your head when you hit #8 on such a prestigious list?

JOELLE:  Ha!  I value your friendship far more than any NY Times best selling label, although I have to admit the label is pretty darn cool.  But strange.  I admit that I haven’t a clue what went through my head when I got the news that we hit the list the first time.  All I really remember was shedding a bunch of tears.  The emotions – shock, thrill, joy, terror (don’t ask…but it’s in there) –were really overwhelming.

DONNELL:  You write other series as well as your YA trilogy.  Your Skating series published by St. Martins and your Choir for Hire series published by Berkley.  Do you walk into walls and spend a lot of time talking to yourself because I sure would?

JOELLE:  Is that how I got those bruises?  Huh…who knew?  I guess I should pay more attention to where I walk.  Or just sit down more!

DONNELL:  In addition to writing, you have a small child, and you just returned from a book tour.  I’m a little concerned that you’re not applying yourself.  Seriously, are you meticulously organized?  Should we be concerned you’re taking too much on?

JOELLE:  The kid is tons of fun and the book tour was a wild experience.  I’m glad I’ve gotten to do so many things that I’d never dreamed of doing since I started writing.  And while I try to stay organized, I admit that lots of things fall through the cracks.  At the top of the list is sleepJ

DONNELL:  Dumb, dumb question:  Do you have any hobbies?

JOELLE:  Deep sea diving….kidding!  I love to cook, which is great bonding time with the small person in my life since he loves cooking, too.  I’m also a big fan of all sports (are the Olympics here, yet?) and reading.  The last is probably a given, but hey – I needed something else to make me sound well-rounded.

DONNELL:  You visit a lot of schools as a result of the book, The Testing.  I assume your fans ask you lots of questions.  What is a question you were asked that surprised you?

JOELLE:  School visits are the unexpected and possibly the best part of my job as a young adult author.  The question that surprised me the most was when a student asked how I stayed motivated through all the rejection and if I had advice for them on how to survive rejection as well.  I was so impressed that the student (whom I’m told by a teacher has incredibly high grades and great test scores) was already thinking ahead and accumulating tools to face any difficulties she might face in achieving the future she is dreaming of. 

DONNELL:  I heard a rumor you can carry a tune.  True/false?

JOELLE:   My masters degree claims this to be true!

DONNELL:  What’s in your refrigerator right now?

JOELLE:  You do realize that I’ve been out of town for 2 weeks right?  Milk and chocolate milk (just bought yesterday), some cheese and eggs.  Oh – there was a bottle of prosecco, but we opened that to celebrate INDEPENDENT STUDY’s appearance on the Times List.  I would have offered you a glass, but you live too far away.  The bubbles would have fizzled by the time you got it.

DONNELL:  It's the thought that counts.  Thanks.  Joelle, it’s your turn to ask the readers a questions.

JOELLE'S QUESTION FOR READERS:  Okay – here’s one I’m dying to ask – have you ever tried to figure out how many licks it really takes to get to the center of a Toosie Pop?  If so – how many?  I’ve never been patient enough to figure out the answer.

And I’m happy to give away a signed copy of either THE TESTING, INDEPENDENT STUDY or A CHORUS LINEUP.  Reader’s choice!

 www.joellecharbonneau.com

Facebook - www.facebook.com/AuthorJoelleCharbonneau

Twitter – @jcharbonneau

Joelle Charbonneau has performed in opera and musical theatre productions across Chicagoland.  She now teaches private voice lessons and is the author of two mystery series:  The Rebecca Robbins mysteries (Minotaur Books) and the Glee Club mysteries (Berkley).  Joelle’s also the author of New York Times Best Selling THE TESTING trilogy.   Learn more at www.joellecharbonneau.com, www.facebook.com/AuthorJoelleCharbonneau, or find her on twitter at @jcharbonneau. 

Lady Darby, the Second

MORTAL ARTS

Lady Darby, Book 2

Berkley Publishing

Scotland, 1830

Lady Kiera Darby is no stranger to intrigue-in fact, it seems to follow wherever she goes. After her foray into murder investigation, Kiera must journey to Edinburgh with her family so that her pregnant sister can be close to proper medical care. But the city is full of many things Kiera isn't quite ready to face: the society ladies keen on judging her, her fellow investigator-and romantic entanglement-Sebastian Gage, and ultimately, another deadly mystery.

Kiera's old friend Michael Dalmay is about to be married, but the arrival of his older brother-and Kiera's childhood art tutor-William, has thrown everything into chaos. For ten years Will has been missing, committed to an insane asylum by his own father. Kiera is sympathetic to her mentor's plight, especially when rumors swirl about a local girl gone missing. Now Kiera must once again employ her knowledge of the macabre and join forces with Gage in order to prove the innocence of a beloved family friend-and save the marriage of another...

THE LADY BEHIND THE LADY

Anna Lee Huber is the award-winning author of the Lady Darby historical mystery series. Her debut, The Anatomist’s Wife, has won and been nominated for numerous awards, including two 2013 RITA® Awards and a 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award. She was born and raised in a small town in Ohio, and graduated from Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN with a degree in music and a minor in psychology. She currently lives in Indiana, and enjoys reading, singing, traveling and spending time with her family. Visit her website.

NEVER ASK A LADY...

Oh, Go Ahead and Ask

ANGI: How often to you get lost in a story?

ANNA: Not nearly often enough. I wish my schedule allowed for more time to read, but I usually get lost in at least one story a week.

ANGI: Can you tell us about a real-life hero you’ve met?

ANNA: Trite as it sounds, my husband. He found a way for me to be able to write full-time and pursue my dream. He has always been my biggest cheerleader. I’m not sure I would have made it without him.

ANGI: There is never anything "trite" about having a hero for a husband !!

ANGI: What do you like about the hero of your book?

ANNA: Gage accepts Kiera for who she is and appreciates all her quirks. I always think of the chorus of Mindy Gledhill’s song “Anchor” – “There are those who think that I’m strange. They would box me up, and tell me to change. But you hold my close and softly say that you wouldn’t have me any other way.” We all long for someone to do just that. Nothing is more endearing or attractive.

ANGI: Is there a playlist you’d recommend for reading your MORTAL ARTS?

ANNA: I listened to the Inception Soundtrack constantly when I was writing Mortal Arts, so it would be the perfect playlist. It certainly sets the mood.

ANGI: Where do you read and how often?

ANNA: Usually on my couch curled up with my cat and a cup of tea, or in bed. I read as often as I can.

ANGI: What sound or noise do you love?

ANNA: The sound of the ocean crashing against the shore. I also love the sound of a gentle breeze blowing through the trees.

ANGI: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?

ANNA: Ooh, tough. I love both. But probably Action Adventure.

ANGI: What was the first story you remember writing?

ANNA: I was in the fourth grade. It was titled Prom Duty, and it was about a group of teens who form a band and play for their Senior Prom.

ANGI: What is your biggest vice?

ANNA: I am not a very spontaneous person, and wish I could be better at living in the moment. I know it sometimes irritates my husband, who can be very impulsive.

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: In a previous GLIAS interview you said "I always thought Maleficent from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty was always a particularly nasty piece of work – intelligent, cruel and vindictive.  I wouldn’t have wanted to go up against her.  And it made me like Prince Philip all the more because he dared to." Do your heroines face villains who are as cruel?  

ANNA'S GOTTA ANSWER: Yes. And certainly in Mortal Arts. The worst thing about the latest villain Kiera faces is that they believe they are right, that there actions are justified, and yet they are still incredibly cruel.

 ANGI: I just found out that Angelina Jolie is portraying Maleficent in a live-action film due to release in March 2014. Very cool.

FIND ANNA

Contact  Website   Facebook   Twitter   @AnnaLeeHuber

Goodreads   Blogs   Previous GLIAS interviews

 

UP NEXT for ANNA

A GRAVE MATTER

A Lady Darby Mystery, Book 3

releases July 2014

PREVIOUS RELEASES by ANNA

THE ANATOMIST’S WIFE

Lady Darby Historical Mystery Series

2013 RWA RITA FINALIST

ANNA is giving away a copy of Mortal Arts to one blog commenter. (North America Readers) Be sure to leave your email address for notification.

Note: COMMENTERS are encouraged to leave a contact email address to speed the prize notification process. 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. Come back tomorrow when Jillian hosts the Crew's very first, FIRST Friday. We're turning the first Friday of every month to an update post about us. We hope you like it! ~Angi

ANNA WANTS TO KNOW: I love movie soundtracks. Do you have a favorite soundtrack, or is there one that particularly inspires you?

Get Lost with Anna Lee Huber

Anna Lee Huber was born and raised in a small town in Ohio.  She is a graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN, where she majored in Music and minored in Psychology.  THE ANATOMIST'S WIFE, the first book in the Lady Darby historical mystery series, has been hailed as “…a riveting debut…” and will be released by Berkley Publishing on November 6^th, 2012.  She currently lives in Indiana with her husband and troublemaking tabby cat.  When not hard at work on her next novel, she enjoys reading, singing, travel, and spending time with her family. Visit her website at www.annaleehuber.com.

Find Anna at:

Website: www.annaleehuber.com

Facebook: AuthorAnnaLeeHuber

Twitter: AnnaLeeHuber

THE ANATOMIST’S WIFE

Scotland, 1830. Following the death of her husband, Lady Darby has taken refuge at her sister's estate, finding solace in her passion for painting. But when her hosts throw a house party for the cream of London society, Kiera is unable to hide from the ire of those who believe her to be as unnatural as her husband, an anatomist who used her artistic talents to suit his own macabre purposes. Kiera wants to put her past aside, but when one of the house guests is murdered, her brother-in-law asks her to utilize her knowledge of human anatomy to aid the insufferable Sebastian Gage-a fellow guest with some experience as an inquiry agent. While Gage is clearly more competent than she first assumed, Kiera isn't about to let her guard down as accusations and rumors swirl. When Kiera and Gage's search leads them to even more gruesome discoveries, a series of disturbing notes urges Lady Darby to give up the inquiry. But Kiera is determined to both protect her family and prove her innocence, even as she risks becoming the next victim...

Thank you so much for having me here as a guest on Get Lost in a Story!  Cat, you were the first person to ever ask me to make a guest appearance, and I can’t tell you how much that meant to me.  Thank you for being so welcoming and enthusiastic to such a starry-eyed newbie. 

CAT:  What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?

ANNA:  I love stories with mystery, romance, often some history, and sometimes a little magic.  Anything really that sweeps me off my feet and takes me on a journey I don’t want to end.

CAT:  What’s your favorite “love” word?

ANNA:  Acceptance.  For me, that’s the core of what love comes down to – accepting a person for exactly who they are, faults and triumphs.  That can be romantically, or as a friend, or a family member, or as a fellow citizen. 

CAT:  What’s your favorite cartoon character?

ANNA:  Hands down, Winnie the Pooh.  The original A.A. Milne stories and the cartoons are such classics, even the music.  When I was young, my grandfather used to walk with us grandkids out to the forest behind their house.  He told us it was the Hundred Acre Wood, and if we yelled loud enough, Winnie the Pooh and his friends would come out and visit us.  We loved standing there calling out to the chubby little cubby – “Winnie the Pooh, where are you?”  Even as we grew older, and understood it was just a game, we still played along with the younger grandkids, unwilling to miss out on the fun. 

 

I made it a point to visit the real Hundred Acre Wood, Ashdown Forest, when I visited the UK two years ago.  We didn’t see Pooh Bear, and Christopher Robin and his ancestors have long since moved away, but we did see the Poohsticks Bridge and pass by Eeyore’s Lonely Spot, and we visited Pooh’s Corner, a tourists’ shop. 

CAT:  Who’s your favorite villain?

ANNA:  I always thought Maleficent from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty was always a particularly nasty piece of work – intelligent, cruel and vindictive.  I wouldn’t have wanted to go up against her.  And it made me like Prince Philip all the more because he dared to.

CAT:  Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?

ANNA:  Often, but it must be instrumental – symphonies or movie soundtracks, etc.  Music with words distracts me, even opera in foreign languages I don’t really speak.  I have a Bachelor of Arts in Music (Vocal Performance), so I get too carried away by the vocals. 

CAT:  What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?

ANNA:  Go into shutdown mode, which usually consists of taking a long, hot bath, and lying in bed and watching TV, and refusing to think any deep thoughts.  And there’s usually some kind of chocolate or sweet involved. 

CAT:  If you could interview one person (and it doesn’t have to be a writer) who would it be?

ANNA:  Maybe Betty White.  I’ve been a huge fan of hers ever since I was a little girl watching Golden Girls on Saturday nights.  In college, we watched the reruns every night in our dorm suite.  I would love to just chat with her about life, the ups and downs, staying healthy mentally and physically, living through loss and love.  For me, her celebrity is secondary.  I wish my grandparents and great-grandparents had lived long enough for me to have those kinds of chats with them. 

CAT:  Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?

ANNA:  Tea – usually Chai or English Breakfast, with cream/milk and sugar. 

CAT:  What would you say is your most interesting quirk?

ANNA:  I’m extremely sensitive to the texture of food.  If it feels gross in my mouth, I just can’t swallow it, even if it tastes fine.  It sets off my gag reflex.  Oatmeal, clams, oysters, rubbery chicken, okra, garbanzo beans, black-eyed peas…

CAT:  Which era would you least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most?

ANNA:  The 1920s fascinate me, but I would have looked terrible in the fashion of that age.  I’m much too curvy, and I cannot pull off short hair.  But I love the empire-waist dresses and Spencers of the Regency period, not to mention the fact that they do an admirable job of hiding a rounder tummy.

GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?

If you visited the UK, where would you most like to go?  And if you have already been to the UK, what was your favorite place to visit? 

Anna has offered one copy of The Anatomist’s Wife to a US Resident.  Please leave your email address in the comments.