READERS' CORNER

P A U L A

G R A V E S

A N S W E R S

Y O U R

Q U E S T I O N S

To celebrate the release of the third installment of COOPER JUSTICE: COLD CASE, we've gone to our readers and asked them to submit questions for Paula to answer.

As a child, Paula Graves's favorite books were Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries and Harlequin Romances. When she realized there were books that featured both romance and mystery, she knew she'd found her calling. Now Paula writes for Harlequin Intrigue, where she gets to play both matchmaker and murderer and has a blast doing it. She loves to hear from her readers, who can reach her by clicking the contact button on her website, www.paulagraves.com. And today, some of those readers have asked what they’re most curious about . . . Paula.

Paula wrote her first story when she was 6 years old about her neighborhood friends and her solving a mystery. She wrote her first romance after her friend, romance author Kristen Robinette, talked her into trying it. I’ve known Paula through our Harlequin Intrigue Authors’ listserve. She’s giving, shares her time, and I know her family is very dear to her. Her characters are strong men who work hard, play hard and love hard. And her heroines aren’t your typical damsel in distress. I know she’s very excited about her 2011 RITA final for CASE FILE: CANYON CREEK, WYOMING. She’s also a double Daphne du Maurier finalist.

Tell us a bit about all these books, Paula. AND don’t forget to include your favorite scene from this month’s release: COOPER VENGEANCE.

Thanks for inviting me, Angi! CASE FILE: CANYON CREEK, WYOMING was the first book of the Cooper Justice series, and I'm thrilled to say it's also one of my two finalists in the Daphnes. The other Daphne finalist, CHICKASAW COUNTY CAPTIVE, is the second book in the series.

This month's release, COOPER VENGEANCE, is the final book of the Cooper Justice series and features the eldest Cooper brother, J.D., whose life has been marked by tragedy—the unsolved murder of his wife Brenda. We finally get to the bottom of who killed his wife—but not before J.D. meets Natalie Becker, a woman whose own grief fuels the fire in her belly as she seeks to prove who killed her sister. J.D. believes the same killer is behind both murders, but Natalie thinks she knows exactly who killed her sister.

Can they pool their resources and work together, even if their theories don't mesh? And just how much will their simmering attraction to each other complicate the situation?

I have two favorite scenes from COOPER VENGEANCE. One takes place in the middle of a ritzy fundraiser being held by the heroine, Natalie, and her parents to raise money for her dead sister's favorite charity. Because they fear the killer may be at the party, JD goes undercover as a waiter. There's a scene where he and Natalie sneak away from the fundraiser to talk, and they end up first in her sister's childhood bedroom, which her mother has turned into a shrine, and later they go to Natalie's childhood room, which is very different. There's some subtext, using the room to compare the two sisters, and how Natalie sees herself versus how JD sees her. The other scene happens later in the book, and it's a scene between JD and his 13-year-old son, with whom he's had some tense moments earlier in the book. I can't give any details, however, because it would be full of book spoilers.

FROM YOUR FANS
DESERE ASKS: Paula, when a story line grabs you and it is say onein the morning what do you do try to go back to sleep, make a mental note of it or get up immediately to write it down or pull out your laptop?
PAULA: I work a day job, so I can't just get up and write. If I have a thought about a story, I'll get my cell phone out and make a note, then roll over and go back to sleep.

TIM ASKS: Tell us about a real-life hero that you’ve met.
PAULA: When I was very little, my mom and my dad put their own lives at risk to pull some neighbors from a house that was filled with carbon monoxide. At the time I didn't realize what a heroic thing that was, but remembering it from adulthood, I see how brave they were and how they just saw it as something that had to be done, regardless of the risk to themselves. I wish more neighbors behaved that way--the world would be a better place.

TAMMY ASKS: MAJOR NANNY is your next book due out in October. A very intriguing title. Can you share some details about this plot?
PAULA: MAJOR NANNY is the 4th book in a multi-author series from Harlequin Intrigue called Daddy Corps. The first three books were GI COWBOY by Delores Fossen, BABY BOOTCAMP by Mallory Kane and COWBOY BRIGADE by Elle James. Daddy Corps is about a group of former military men who are hired by a rich businessman (and former CIA agent) to form an agency called Corps Security and Investigation. Their first job is to provide protection to the Texas governor, Lila Lockhart, who's running for president.

My book features former Marine Corps sniper Harlan McClain, who's on the spot when the governor's announcement of her candidacy ends with a literal bang--a bomb blows up under the dais where she was standing. In the chaotic aftermath, Harlan and the governor's aide, Stacy Giordano, work together to help survivors and...well, let's just say the bomber's not finished. When the governor hires Harlan to work with Stacy on security for an upcoming fundraiser, the sparks start flying between them, even though neither Harlan nor Stacy has any desire to get involved in a relationship.

Stacy's five-year-old son, Zachary, has Asperger's syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder. He's very high functioning--precocious in many ways (reading, verbal), but has serious socialization deficits. However, he develops a huge crush on Harlan, which is where the "nanny" part comes in.

TAMMY ASKS: Favorite cartoon character?
PAULA: Pepe LePew. I like his go-getter, never say die attitude.

AMANDA ASKS: Did you ever find the hero and heroine inspirations for the Cooper Cousins books that you were looking for back in October 2010?
PAULA: I have! The first two books are already written, and I'm about half way through the third. There'll be six altogether, and they'll be out in 2012.

TAMMY ASKS: Favorite flavor of ice cream?
PAULA: Rocky Road

AVI ASKS: When you pick the age of you characters, do you prefer younger or more mature heroines?
PAULA: I like heroines in their late twenties to late thirties. Usually 29-34. It's just a good age--mature and centered, but still young enough not to be jaded.

QUILT LADY ASKS: Have you ever based a book on something that happened to you in real life or maybe a friend of yours?
PAULA: I take bits and pieces of experiences from real life, but my real life is much duller than those of my characters.

TAMMY ASKS: Favorite time of the day?
PAULA: Recently, it's become early morning. We have a back deck that we just added benches to, and I sit out there with my cats and dogs and enjoy my little container garden. My mom comes out there, too, and we sit and talk. It's nice to have that quiet time before I have to go get dressed and head to my day job.
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You can find Paula at her website, http://www.paulagraves.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paula-Graves/115479116348
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Paula_Graves
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GOT ANOTHER QUESTION FOR PAULA?
For those of you ASKING A QUESTION…your name will be put in the hat for additional Paula Graves' books. Remember, you MUST ask a question. And I'm putting everyone's name who submitted a question for the blog back into the hat for a chance to win some of Paula's books.

Submitting The Question WINNER: AMANDA
Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. If possible, international participants may receive an electronic book store gift card. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

DON’T FORGET to LIKE us on Facebook or FOLLOW us on Twitter to keep track of who's next to "Get Lost". Come back tomorrow when Simone hosts Ellen Hartman and Friday when I’ll return with Thriller Author Linda Castillo. ~~ Angi

the Characters of Paula Graves

GETTING LOST a SECOND TIME with PAULA GRAVES

As a child, Paula Graves's favorite books were Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries and Harlequin Romances. When she realized there were books that featured both romance and mystery, she knew she'd found her calling. Now Paula writes for Harlequin Intrigue, where she gets to play both matchmaker and murderer and has a blast doing it. She loves to hear from her readers, who can reach her by clicking the contact button on her website.

When Angi asked me to do a character interview this month for my May Harlequin Intrigue release, The Man from Gossamer Ridge, I decided to employ a game the characters in my Cooper Justice series play occasionally. Rather than try to explain it, I think I'll let me characters do it instead...

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Alicia: Oh no, guys, Gabe's going for the cards.

Gabe: They asked for a Q & A. They didn't specify how they we were going to do it.

Alicia: Well, at least explain the game for the reading audience so they're not confused.

Gabe: The game is called Popsmack.

Alicia: Cooper family legend has it that the name was derived from the fights the game usually sparked.

Gabe: Not legend. That's the truth. I think it was Sam who named it that. Said that's all he could hear from our room whenever we played it.

Alicia: Popsmack can be played for good or for evil. You guys usually played it for evil.

Gabe: Have y'all noticed how she says "you guys"? Bless her little yankee heart.

Alicia: Yeah, bite me, Bo Duke. You going to get around to dealing or not?

Gabe: Okay--here's how the game works. Only two people can play at a time.

Alicia: Because three or more could cause a riot--

Gabe: Split the deck evenly between you and then you each lay out a card at the same time. Person holding the high card gets to ask the person holding the low card any question he wants, and she has to answer honestly.

Alicia: Note that he's already assuming it's the male who'll win. Maybe I should deal the deck.

Gabe: Have at it.

Alicia: Okay, ready. Deal the first card: Well, darn-- three of hearts.

Gabe: Hah, ten of spades. Let's see...what shall I ask?

Alicia: I'm not answering some questions in front of an audience.

Gabe: But the rules, baby--

Alicia: Don't push me.

Gabe: Okay, okay. Why did you pick Mill Valley University for your doctoral studies?

Alicia: I loved the town--small, very southern. So different from where I grew up in San Francisco, but not at all in a bad way. Plus, the criminal psychology program at Mill Valley is one of the hidden jewels of higher education. The head of the department is this brilliant, brilliant man who did pioneering studies on the criminal brain. Dr. Fanning was one of the primary draws for me.

Gabe: Is he hot or something?

Alicia: Oh, for Pete's sake. Deal the next card. Hah! Queen of Diamonds.

Gabe: Eight of clubs. Okay, I can take it. Hit me with it, baby.

Alicia: I know how much you love fishing. What's your best fishing memory ever?

Gabe: I bet you think it's the time Jake and I won that pairs tournament on Falcon Lake. Which was totally sweet and made us enough money to start our guiding service. But that's not it. There was this time when I was a teenager--

Alicia: If this involves a Chickasaw County High School cheerleader, I don't want to hear it.

Gabe: Chickasaw County Pee Wee Football League cheerleader, actually. I was the one who took my niece Cissy fishing the time she caught her first bluegill. I think she was maybe four years old. Never seen a kid more excited. She's still a heck of a fisherman.

Alicia: She keeps threatening to take me out crappie fishing at night. I guess if I'm going to call myself a Cooper, I need to get into the whole fishing experience.

Gabe: Don't worry, sugar, I'll bait your hook for you any time. Unless I have a bite or something.

Alicia: My hero.

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WHAT HAPPENED TO THE COOPERS?

Find out more about Cooper Justice and this THREE book COLD CASE series in Angi's April 13th interview with RITA FINALIST Paula Graves.

The Man from Gossamer Ridge
Harlequin Intrigue - May 2011

Gabe Cooper missed the chance to stop his sister-in-law's brutal murder by thirty inexcusable minutes. And even though the man responsible for Brenda Cooper's murder is dead, Gabe can't forgive himself for his mistake. So when his motherless niece Cissy leaves him an urgent message to visit her at college, Gabe drops everything to go. But he's not prepared for what his niece tells him. Cissy believes her mother's murder isn't solved at all. Worse, she's basing her beliefs solely on the theories of a pretty psychology instructor who looks more like a co-ed herself than any one he should take seriously. Alicia Solano believes the dead man had been only one of a pair of serial killers responsible for not only Brenda's death but dozens of murders across three southern states. And now there have been two new murders that fit the profile. There's still a killer out there, and he's found a new partner.

Hitched and Hunted
Harlequin Intrigue - April 2011

Cooper Vengeance
Harlequin Intrigue - June 2011

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So, Gabe and Alicia, folks! They may be feeling a little lighthearted today, but their story has plenty of chills and thrills, and their investigation breaks a decade old cold case wide open. Visit my website to find out more about The Man From Gossamer Ridge and where you can purchase a copy of your own.

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CONGRATULATIONS PAULA

for your Romance Writers of America 2011 RITA FINALIST.

Do you have any questions for Gabe and Alicia? Ask it here and I'll draw a name from among the commenters to win a $25 eGiftcard from the online book store of your choice!


Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. If an electronic Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.


You can find Paula at her website: http://www.paulagraves.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paula-Graves/115479116348
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Paula_Graves


LIKE us on Facebook or FOLLOW us on Twitter to keep track of who's next to "Get Lost". Come back Friday when Heather hosts Kris Kennedy & tomorrow with Sarah MacLean. Til next week when I host Intrigue Author BJ Daniels. ~~Angi


GOT A QUESTION FOR PAULA? Next month we're hosting a READERS' Q&A. Just send me your question and Paula will answer it here on the blog to celebrate the third book of her series: COOPER VENGEANCE. You can post your question directly to me, Paula, leave it on Facebook, tweet it. However you'd like to get it to us. We'll be drawing for free books and a Barnes & Nobel giftcard from those asking questions.

Don't forget to ask Gabe and Alicia a question today! Commentators are eligible for a B&N gift card.

Paula Graves

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE COOPERS?


Twelve years ago, Brenda Cooper died at the hands of a brutal killer. Her case remains unsolved. Until now. Three Cooper brothers. Three strong and determined women who change their lives. Three deadly foes. And one last chance to close the book on a case that has haunted the Cooper family for over a decade.




Hitched and Hunted

Harlequin Intrigue - April 2011



Going back to Mississippi, four years after leaving her old life behind, was a bad idea even before the F-4 tornado struck. Now there's no way Mariah Cooper can talk her husband, Jake, into cutting the trip short and heading back to the safety of their life in Gossamer Ridge, Alabama. Jake could never walk away from people in need. But Mariah knows, deep down, that she's living on borrowed time. She'd left Mississippi, changed her name and fabricated a whole new past for a good reason: Mariah is keeping a devastating secret, one she fears will destroy her perfect life with Jake and her young son Micah. Because the woman Jake married doesn't really exist. And the woman she used to be is marked for murder.

The Man from Gossamer Ridge

Harlequin Intrigue - May 2011



Gabe Cooper missed the chance to stop his sister-in-law's brutal murder by thirty inexcusable minutes. And even though the man responsible for Brenda Cooper's murder is dead, Gabe can't forgive himself for his mistake. So when his motherless niece Cissy leaves him an urgent message to visit her at college, Gabe drops everything to go. But he's not prepared for what his niece tells him. Cissy believes her mother's murder isn't solved at all. Worse, she's basing her beliefs solely on the theories of a pretty psychology instructor who looks more like a co-ed herself than any one he should take seriously. Alicia Solano believes the dead man had been only one of a pair of serial killers responsible for not only Brenda's death but dozens of murders across three southern states. And now there have been two new murders that fit the profile. There's still a killer out there, and he's found a new partner.

Cooper Vengeance

Harlequin Intrigue - June 2011



It's not just the law of averages that convince Natalie Becker that her sister Carrie died at the hands of her playboy husband, Hamilton Gray. Newlywed Carrie had recently confided to Natalie that she thought Hamilton might be having an affair—he kept strange hours and didn't seem that interested in sex anymore. But proving murder, in a town where the Grays are even wealthier and more privileged a family than her own, may be the hardest thing Natalie's ever tried to do. The last complication she needs is a tall, stubborn ex-Navy mechanic named J.D. Cooper, who has his own crazy idea about who killed her sister—and his wife.





A LITTLE ABOUT PAULA

As a child, Paula Graves's favorite books were Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries and Harlequin Romances. When she realized there were books that featured both romance and mystery, she knew she'd found her calling. Now Paula writes for Harlequin Intrigue, where she gets to play both matchmaker and murderer and has a blast doing it. She loves to hear from her readers, who can reach her by clicking the contact button on her website, http://www.paulagraves.com/.



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CONGRATULATIONS PAULA

for your Romance Writers of America

2011 RITA FINALIST.


The winners will be announced at the RWA conference on July 1st.


Case File: Canyon Creek, Wyoming

Series Suspense/Adventure







THE Q&A DRILL



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

PAULA: I think I have to get lost in the story every time I sit down to write. The story can't work if I don't. What's funny is, while I'm in the middle of writing the book, I usually think it's horrible, disjointed and nonsensical, and I despair that I'll ever be able to fix it in editing. But I usually find that the story coheres better than I thought, because as long as I stay in the story, it works itself out subconsciously.



ANGI: What’s the first book you remember reading?

PAULA: I'm sure I read a ton of "baby" books, but the first book I remember that had a powerful impact on me was Sam, Bangs and Moonshine by Evaline Ness. It was about a young girl with a penchant for telling tall tales and how her fibs had nearly disastrous consequences. It was a tale full of danger, intrigue and thrills, but it also had a very good lesson about knowing when fancifulness is good and when it can be harmful.



ANGI: What’s your favorite fairy tale?

PAULA: Has to be Beauty and the Beast. The quintessential romance story. I'm also fond of The Emperor's New Clothes because I think one of the most important things a writer can be is a truth-teller. We may write fiction, but we're revealing truths--about human nature, about love, about hope, about struggles. We fail our readers if we don't tell the truth, even if it means swimming against the current.



ANGI: What’s your favorite cartoon character?

PAULA: Pepe LePew. Yeah, he can be a little bit of a lecher, and he has trouble understanding the word no. But you have to admire his sheer dogged determination and his affable "c'est la vie" attitude when he fails. I admire someone who lives life to the fullest and doesn't let the inevitable moments of failure get him down.



ANGI: What turns you off like nothing else?

PAULA: Picking on someone weaker than you. If you want to be confrontational, fine, but make it a fair fight.

ANGI: Is there a playlist you’d recommend for reading your latest release?

PAULA: Hitched and Hunted features an already-married couple discovering deep fractures in their relationship that they had tried to pretend didn't exist. This foundational weakness in their relationship comes out at the worst possible moment--when the wife's past comes back to threaten their very lives. So the playlist I used for inspiration was a little dark and had a lot to do with the idea of betrayal and threatened love, songs like "Stay" by Little Big Town, "Somewhere Tonight" by Bob Seger, "Ice" by Sarah McLachlan and "No Air" from the Glee soundtrack.



ANGI: Die Hard or Die Harder?

PAULA: Die Hard. Arguably the best action movie ever. Definitely the best Christmas action movie ever.



ANGI: Who’s your favorite villain?

PAULA: Hans Gruber from Die Hard. Alan Rickman rocks.



ANGI: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?

PAULA: I love to hear from my fans. I remember, before I was published, I thought it was an imposition to write an author and tell her how much I loved her book. It felt, I don't know, kind of presumptuous, as if my opinion mattered. Now that I'm on the other side, I've gotta tell you, I was so wrong. Writers love feedback. We love to hear what we're doing right and what we're doing wrong. So if you ever get a whim to write an author, or talk to her on Facebook or Twitter, just do it. She'll be thrilled to death to hear from you. Unless you're mean. Then, keep it to yourself. :)



ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: Paula, you are definitely a southern gal. Are any of your heroes ever considered a “damn Yankee”?

PAULA’S GOTTA ANSWER: Until you asked the question, I really hadn't totaled up the numbers. As of the end of 2011, I'll have written twelve books. Ten of them had Southern heroes (and ten also had southern heroines). Only one of them had both a hero and a heroine who weren't southerners - Cowboy Alibi, which had a Wyoming cop and an amnesiac former con-woman who grew up wandering the western part of the US with her swindler father. Even my two non-Southern heroes, the aforementioned Wyoming cop and his best friend, also from Wyoming, can't really qualify as damn Yankees. I suppose I'll write a Yankee hero one of these days. But Southern boys are just so sexy and fun...



Paula’s question is for people who enjoy short romantic suspense stories: Is there a particular topic, or style of mystery, or type of romantic relationship, or type of character that you're just not getting enough of in romantic suspense books? I'm always looking for new ideas, and I often find that what other people are looking for are also topics or characters that intrigue me as well.



Paula will give away individual copies of my four previous Cooper Justice books - one book per winner, their choice of title. Four books total. (INCLUDING HER RITA NOMINEE seen above.)




Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. If an electronic Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.









You can find Paula at her website: http://www.paulagraves.com/





Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paula-Graves/115479116348





Twitter: http://twitter.com/Paula_Graves











Don't forget to LIKE us on Facebook or FOLLOW us on Twitter to keep track of who's next to "Get Lost". Come back Friday when Donnell hosts Rene Ryan & tomorrow when Jill hosts Linda Wisdom. Til next Monday when I host historical regency author, Kieran Kramer. ~~Angi











PAULA'S QUESTION FOR READERS: Is there a particular topic, or style of mystery, or type of romantic relationship, or type of character that you're just not getting enough of in romantic suspense books?