11/29/2011

IN HER SIGHTS--SHE CAN RUN

IN HER SIGHTS
Montlake Publishing
ISBN: 161218152X 

Jasmine “Jazz” Parker, Jefferson County SWAT's only female sniper, can thread the eye of a needle with a bullet. But she carries a secret from her past that she thought she buried for good at the age of fifteen. Two years ago she even drove away the one man she believed she could love—ex-Army Ranger turned reporter Luke Montgomery—to keep her past hidden. Now, in a fleeting second, the time it takes for one clean shot, one perfect hit, to save the life of the governor's daughter, Jazz's world begins to crumble around her.

Luke splashes her face and name across the front page of the newspaper, reawakening her past with a vengeance. A vicious enemy is now bent on destroying her life, forcing Jazz to turn to the one man she can never have in order to stop a killer before she and everyone she cares about pays the ultimate price.

Full of explosive action and almost unbearable suspense, In Her Sights is a relentless, steamy thriller surprisingly infused with soul and poignancy.

READ an EXCERPT
SHE CAN RUN
Montlake Publishing
ISBN: 1612181511 

Elizabeth was a young widow with two small children when she met Congressman Richard Baker. Handsome and wealthy, with a sparkling public image, Richard seemed like the perfect man to provide the security that Beth and her kids were craving. But when she uncovers a dangerous secret about her new husband, Beth realizes he will go to any lengths—even murder—to keep it. After barely escaping with her life, she and her children flee. They eventually make their way to a secluded estate in the Pennsylvania countryside, where Beth dares to hope she has found a safe place at last… 

Forced into retirement by an unexpected injury, Philadelphia homicide detective Jack O’Malley is mourning the loss of his career when his uncle abruptly dies, leaving Jack to dispose of his crumbling country house. Unbeknownst to him, his uncle engaged a caretaker just before his death, a mysterious woman with two children and a beautiful face that haunts his dreams. Determined to know her, Jack begins an investigation into Beth’s past. When he uncovers the shocking truth, and a local woman is viciously murdered, Jack puts his own life on the line to keep Beth and her children safe.  

She Can Run is a sexy, satisfying debut from award-winning author Melinda Leigh, packed with enough suspense and romance to get even the tamest heart racing! 

READ an EXCERPT

MEET MELINDA
More than a decade ago, Melinda Leigh left a career in banking to raise her children and never looked back. She started writing when her youngest child entered first grade as a way to preserve her sanity. Her paranormal romance and romantic suspense fiction has won writing awards across the country.

Melinda is also an avid martial artist. She holds a 2nd degree belt in Kenpo Karate, studies Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and teaches women's self-defense. She lives in a messy house in the suburbs with her husband, two teenagers, a couple of dogs and one neurotic cat with an inexplicable fear of ceiling fans. With such a pleasant life, she has no explanation for the sometimes dark and disturbing nature of her imagination. 



MEET ROBIN
Award-winning author Robin Perini’s love of heart-stopping suspense and poignant romance, coupled with her adoration of high-tech weaponry and covert ops, encouraged her secret inner commando to take on the challenge of writing romantic suspense novels. Her mission's motto: "When danger and romance collide, no heart is safe."  

Devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high stakes adventures with a love story sure to melt their hearts, Robin’s strong characters and tightly woven plots have garnered her the prestigious Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® Award. By day, she works for an advanced technology corporation, and in her spare time, you might find her giving one of her many nationally acclaimed writing workshops or training in competitive small-bore rifle silhouette shooting. Robin loves to interact with readers. You can catch her on her website and several major social networking sites. 

DOUBLE THE Q&A
ANGI: How often do you get lost in a story?
ROBIN: Before I started writing, I almost always got lost in the story. A few paragraphs and I was swept away. I miss that feeling, because since I started writing I'm more aware of the craft. When I do get lost in the story, I feel like it's a true gift from a master storyteller. 

ANGI: What’s the first book you remember reading?
MELINDA: The first books that made an impact in my childhood memories were The Black Stallion series by Walter Farley. As a horse-crazy young girl I read and reread every story. I wanted a horse just like The Black!
ROBIN: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. I loved Dr. Seuss books. My parents told me that I memorized the stories and used to lay my head on my dog, Topper, and 'read' to him. Of course, the books were upside down *grin*. 

ANGI: What sound or noise do you love?
ROBIN: My niece's and nephew's laughter…because the joy of a child makes the world right, no matter what's going on. 

ANGI: What’s your favorite cartoon character?
MELINDA: The old school me is torn between Scooby Doo and The Road Runner, both childhood favorites. Showing my age, I know. But I also enjoy Phineas and Ferb with my kids. It’s hilarious and includes plenty of jokes for parents.
ROBIN: Snoopy. Loyal to Charlie Brown, no matter what the poor guy did. 

ANGI: What’s your favorite fairy tale?
ROBIN: Even before Disney's timeless animated classic, I loved the story of Beauty and the Beast, because I truly believe a person's inner beauty trumps outer beauty every time. If only one reflected the other, the world would be a much simpler place. 

ANGI: Where do you read and how often?
ROBIN: I wish I could read more often, but when I do read it's usually in the tub with bubbles up to my chin. A bath can push the rest of the world away so that I have that much more of a chance to lose myself in the story.
MELINDA: When I’m not “lost” in my own story, which happens when I hit the halfway mark of a new manuscript, I read several books every week. Television doesn’t hold my interest very well. I often sit with the family in the evening and read while they watch their favorite shows.

ANGI: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?
MELINDA: Action Adventure every time. The real fairy tales are too creepy even for me. Putting children in ovens and yanking whole people out of a wolf’s stomach? Disturbing stuff.
ROBIN: Why not both? The Princess Bride comes to mind. So does Star Wars. I believe that most stories have their roots in these classic myths. Fairy tales speak to the core human condition and teach us what we could be, if we let our inner hero and heroine just come out. 

ANGI: What was the first story you remember writing?
MELINDA: SHE CAN RUN is actually the first book I ever wrote. Before I began it, I hadn’t written anything fictional since high school, though I’ve always been an avid reader. That said, the first draft(s) were awful. The story was in my head, but I had no idea how to structure a novel. The manuscript was completely rewritten five times as I learned the technical aspects of writing. With six years of effort and a huge learning curve behind it, SHE CAN RUN has special meaning for me.  

ANGI: Where do you read and how often?
ROBIN: I wish I could read more often, but when I do read it's usually in the tub with bubbles up to my chin. A bath can push the rest of the world away so that I have that much more of a chance to lose myself in the story. 

ANGI: What’s your favorite movie of all time?
MELINDA: The Uninvited (1944), a black and white film starring Ray Milland and Gail Russell. It’s a classically scary and very romantic ghost story set in a haunted seaside mansion on the English coast.  

ANGI: What turns you off like nothing else?
ROBIN: Those who make assumptions about people and situations without all the facts. They show their ignorance, but can be more destructive than they realize. 

ANGI: Be honest, when reading...do you put yourself in the heroine’s role?
MELINDA: Not always. I’m an ex-banker and a stay-at-home mom. It’s hard to put myself into the position of an FBI agent or a cop. I prefer stories about regular people facing dilemmas. That doesn’t mean I don’t read stories about special agents, but if I can’t see myself specifically in the heroine’s shoes, there has to be a universal element in the book that allows me to connect emotionally with her. 

ANGI: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?
MELINDA: Please connect with me! I’ve spent a lot of time telling readers about me lately. Now I want to hear about you. What do you like in romantic suspense? What do you read outside of romance?
ROBIN: Thank you for taking a chance on a new writer, for taking a chance each time you open a book in the hopes that the story will mean something to you. If I could give any advice, it would be to keep reading and share your love of reading with others so that the world of stories and books expands and grows and remains strong. By the way, I love to hear from readers. Please connect with me. You can get in touch via my website, www.robinperini.com where you can view the In Her Sights book trailer, read excerpts, read reviews, sign up for my mailing list and even request trading cards or a Kindlegraph. I'm also on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. I'd love to hear from you.

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK ROBIN: Where did your love of weapons come from?
AND SHE’S GOTTA ANSWER: I live in the west, so weapons are a part of life here. My father is a competitive small-bore Silhouette shooter and he attends shoots all across the country. He studies the mental aspects of the sport as well as the physics of ballistics and bullets. I've loved math and science all my life—a techno-geek through and through, so the technology fascinates me. My dad also informed me that women were some of the best shooters in the country and that women can compete equally with men in this sport. How could I resist?

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK MELINDA: Romantic Suspense & Paranormal Romance, two of my favorite genres. What’s your favorite thing to read? And can you give us a hint about the next book?
AND SHE’S GOTTA ANSWER: I read everything! Romantic suspense, paranormal romance, thriller, mystery, sci-fi, and horror. Occasionally I even experiment with literary fiction. I like variety, and I appreciate the nuances of all the different genres. Some of my favorite books, though, don’t fit nicely into any of the genre boxes. For example, I’m currently hooked on Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series, which is a unique blend of sci-fi and mystery. I’ll try anything different and love to see authors mix and mingle genres in fresh ways. I have a paranormal romance releasing from Carina Press in January 2012. AMAZON HEAT is doubly fun because it was co-written with my friend, Rayna Vause. The novella is the story of an archeologist who is kidnapped by a secret tribe of Amazon warriors while searching for his missing lover. I’m also currently working on a romantic suspense loosely connected to SHE CAN RUN. Police Chief Mike O’Connell blindsided by a feisty horse trainer and her relentless stalker. His current case is complicated by the discovery of a decades old murder that appears to be connected.

HEARD YOU TWO HAD A SPECIAL PROMOTION GOING...
** Win a Kindle! **
November 27 - Romance Bandits; November 28 - Attacking the Page; November 29 - Get Lost in a Story; December 8 - Caridad.com

Join Robin Perini & Melinda Leigh on a Grand Slam Joint Blog Tour Giveaway! To celebrate the release of our debut books from Montlake Romance, IN HER SIGHTS and SHE CAN RUN, we're are blogging together and giving away a Kindle to a lucky commenter on one of these four blogs. Comment as many times as you like, but only one entry per blog is permitted. Comment on all four blogs to be entered four times. There will be free books, too!

Contest ends midnight (EST), December 9th. The Kindle winner will be announced here and on the four blogs on or around December 10th. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Contest open to US residents only. Entrants using multiple accounts will be ineligible.

NOTE: GLIAS will post the winner of Robin & Melinda’s giveaway after the drawing on December 9th. But the contest lasts and is open on their blog tour.

FIND MORE MELINDA & ROBIN
Melinda's Website                     Robin's Website
Melinda on Facebook                Robin on Facebook
Melinda on Twitter                    Robin on Twitter
Blogging with Robin                 Contact Robin                   Robin on Goodreads

UP NEXT from MELINDA !! AMAZON HEAT, Carina Press
ROBIN !! will be returning in March to celebrate her Harlequin Intrigue debut with her 2011 Golden Heart winning manuscript, FINDING HER SON 

TELL ROBIN & MELINDA what your pet peeves are about novels you read. What would you like to see more or less of? REMEMBER, commenters will be entered in their drawing for free books & a KINDLE. 

READERS DON’T FORGET to follow us on Facebook & Twitter (#GetLostStories) for a daily update on who’s visiting GLIAS and what they might be giving away! Join us this week for Abby Gaines & Tawny Weber, but especially on Thursday for the GET LOST 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION.  ~Angi

35 comments:

  1. It is so great to have you both here, Robin & Melinda. Best of luck to you both with the debut line for Montlake!

    My pet peeve is when an author can't get their locale, facts or logic straight. It's just too easy to use a large city or facility and make it realistic (Get Google Earth). If you don't want to go to the trouble...then create your own city. And for the record all you Dallas fans--two hours south of Dallas, well, you can't see the skyline. Heck, you can't see it 25 minutes south on I35.

    Get it straight.
    ~Angi

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  2. Welcome Melinda and Robin! I don't have too many pet peeves in stories, but I definitely prefer strong characters over weak ones. By strong I want them to know what they want, recognize their flaws and be willing to change or accept. I know conflict is important in stories in order for the character to develop but it has to be good, active conflict. Sometimes if conflcits are dragged out and the same issue is beaten to death it can get tiresome. :)

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  3. First of all, thanks to GLIAS for hosting a stop on our Grand Slam Giveaway! This is a terrific blog. I can't wait to meet your readers!

    Angi, I agree. Details are important and writers need to do their research.

    Na, one of the reasons I love romantic suspense (RS) is that the genre is full of strong characters, particularly the heroines. Not many wishy washy women in RS. Plenty of active conflict is what makes a good RS a fast-paced,page-turner.

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  4. Thanks for the warm welcome to GLIAS, Angi! It's so cool for this to be the stop on my release day for IN HER SIGHTS. Dream come true for me!

    As to research...I completely agree. There needs to be authenticity in the writing. I will admit that in my book, I took a bit of license about the location of the gym in In Her Sights...don't throw things at me, Colorado folks. For the most part, though, Google Earth and a road trip to Denver was my friend :-). The technical stuff...that's all true.

    Na...I agree with you on strong characters, and like Melinda, I think that Romantic Suspense lends itself to creating strong characters--one of the reasons I love to write it!

    Thanks for stopping by. It's an exciting day!

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  5. Best of luck to both of you, Robin and Melinda! I'm so excited for your debuts, and both stories sound awesome. Looking forward to more as well!

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  6. Ladies, your stories sound so enticing!

    I noticed sometime in the 90s that whenever a historical heroine is pregnant and does NOT tell her husband, she'll get kidnapped. I don't understand that. You'd think the stakes would be higher if the hero knew he was going to be a father.

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  7. Liese, thanks for sharing in the excitement! This has been a thrilling few days for this debut author.

    Abigail, that is tooo funny! Thanks for joining us today.

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  8. THis may be a double--sorry! But I don't think the first one posted. Robin, I love Jazz--she's so strong. Melinda, I look forward to reading your book. My peeve is too much description.

    Jane Myers Perrine

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  9. They both sound fantastic! I'll be adding both to my TBR list :)

    Jess
    Romanceaholic.com

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  10. Jane, I totally agree. Too much description makes me start skimming. Thanks for stopping by.

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  11. Jess, I'm heading over to check out your website. Nice to "meet" you here today.

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  12. Angi, I read a book once that took place in Boston and the characters were all happily eating grits. I'm from there and had never even heard of grits until I moved south! COMPLETELY threw me out of the story.

    Another friend is from Louisiana and read a story where the parishes were called counties.

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  13. Abigail,
    I read a story where driving down the busiest section of "highway" 10 minutes north of downtown Dallas...the limo pulled off in an Oak Grove. Ugh...prime real estate, near SMU or even in Plano if they drive fast. And there's an oak grove? Come on ! I began counting the missed opportunities to get it right. From what I remember there were about 30 somethings wrong with just location in that book.

    ~Angi

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  14. Abigail & Angi,
    Those types of errors can really pull me out of a story, too.

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  15. My biggest peeve about novels I read is when I don't get fully immersed in the world of the story. I really love a total immersion read. This takes a great deal of skillful world building, an engaging story, memorable supporting characters and a great hero and heroine! Whew! Kind of a tall order. Lol!

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  16. Hi Liese--so great to see you here. It's been an amazing, exciting time for us. Glad you stopped by.

    Abigail, glad the stories appealed. You had me rolling on your description. I think the big thing about stories is motivate characters' choices and make it feel universal. And keep things fresh...be it plot or emotion.

    It's such an honor to see you both here. Thanks for joining us...what a fun release day for me.

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  17. Hey, Jane. Thanks. Jazz was always such an amazing character for me. She practically wrote herself.

    As to description, great comment. I like significant description where it means something--preferably with an emotional connection. I, too, tend to skim if there's too much.

    Thanks SO much for stopping by!

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  18. Hi Abigail--thanks for visiting GLIAS and putting us on your TBR pile. It's music to this debut authors ears.

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  19. Abigail and Angi...it's interesting what can pull us out of a story, isn't it...for me though, more than setting, emotional inconsistencies can put me out of a book. I find that if I fall in love with a character, then I am ALL IN a story.

    So, let's flip the question around...what aspects of a story REALLY help you get lost? Plot, Character, Setting, Emotions?

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  20. Gjillian--

    And you just gave me the answer to my last question LOL...you're right...to get lost so many of those elements have to be there. i, too, love to get swept away by a story. It's such a gift, especially with lives so busy these days!

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  21. GJillian,

    Being able to relate to the characters helps immerse me into the story. There has to be an emotional connection to make the characters real and make me care about what happens to them.

    Thanks so much for sharing in all the excitement today.

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  22. Congratulations Robin and Melinda on helping launch the Montlake Romance line.
    Pet Peeves -- hmm - a really slow start to a book. One where I have to slog through a beginning. I probably won't bother.

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  23. That's true, Nan. Slow starts are rough. But I try to stick for at least 3 chapters if the premise or characters have appeal. Sometimes the pace picks up, and I end up really liking the book overall. If I'm not hooked by the end of forty pages though, I'm probably done.

    Thanks for stopping in today.

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  24. Thanks, Nan. Montlake has been a joy to work with. Great editors, great PR folks. Really author friendly.

    Sometimes it's hard to know where to start a book, but I think a good beginning is very important, too. When deciding to buy a book, how much time do you give the author to pull you in? A page, three pages, a couple of chapters? Just curious.

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  25. I don't like a book that starts out slow. Also don't like it when they go into to much detail like several pages describing a house or the dress she is wearing. I get bored with that real quick.

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  26. Virginia, I think pacing is important, too, especially in suspense books. Thanks for stopping by.

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  27. Quick pacing is something I love in books, too Virginia. Which is one of the reasons I love Romantic Suspense! Interesting how so many others have indicated something similar.

    I love fast-paced reads, but with heart, which is one thing I love about Melinda's book! Thanks so much for stopping in, Virginia. Great to hear from you!

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  28. I'm on the East Coast, and it's time for me to wrap up my night. Thanks to the hosts of Get Lost in a Story for letting us visit with you all today. And thanks to everyone who came out to share our debut excitement. It has been a pleasure to discuss books with all of you!

    Have a great night, everyone.

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  29. Thanks for a great day Melinda and Robin! I love lots of discussion!

    ~Angi

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  30. Hi Melinda and Robin (still early out here on the left coast ;0)

    Both excerpts sound exciting - congratulations on your releases!

    Pet peeves, hmmm, as a writer I think I'm more aware of structural issues, head-hopping and plot holes but the 'isn't that convenient' solution really drives me nuts.

    And re the research - I read a book last week set in the South. The heroine drank Pepsi the whole way through. No, just ... no. All sodas in the South are Cokes. :)

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  31. Thanks so much for stopping by Cathy. It's been a wild ride and so glad you liked the excerpts.

    I'm a Coke girl myself, so LOL on Pepsi :-).

    As to convenience, I count on my CG to look at me with disbelief and say...you can do better. Thank goodness for them!

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  32. Characterization makes or breaks a book for me. I look forward to "meeting" Jazz and Luke and Beth and Jack on the page. Thanks, Angi, Robin, and Melinda for a great interview. Congrats Robin and Melinda on your Montlake debut.

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  33. Pat, characters are key for me, too, and I love experiencing how relationships develop between them.

    It's been an exciting week so far. Thanks!

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  34. Hi everyone! SO glad you stopped in. The winners of the books are:

    She Can Run Winners: Na & Pat O'Dea Rosen
    In Her Sights Winner: Nan Dixon & Virginia

    The KINDLE WINNER from the GRAND SLAM BLOG TOUR is LINDE!

    Congratulations. Please contact us at robin(at)robinperini.com or melindaleighauthor(at)yahoo.com with your mailing address so we can get your free books right out to you.

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  35. CONGRATULATIONS TO LINDE, winner of the BLOG TOUR KINDLE DRAWING !!

    The winners of Melinda Leigh's SHE CAN RUN are Na & Pat O'Dea Rosen.
    The winners of Robin Perini's IN HER SIGHTS are Nan & Virginia.

    Thanks everyone for stopping by and continuing to support our guest authors.

    Send an email to GetLostInAStory@gmail.com and we'll hook you up with Melinda & Robin.

    ~Angi

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