Her Master Defender

Her Master Defender

1. What can you tell our readers about your new novel Her Master Defender?

          This is the first book in the Masters Men Series. It’s about a Major in the U.S. Army who headed a special counter-drug unit. His last mission went horribly wrong and the story starts with his recuperation at home. 

2. The novel is based in Colorado, so why choose here as the setting for the book?

   Well, Colorado is my home now and I love it. With so many outdoor activities, it seemed the perfect setting to place my very physical heroes. 

3. What attracted you to write about ex army life?

          Hmm, that’s a tough one. I don’t know that it attracted me so much as felt right. I have several family members currently serving in the military and others who have already served. It just felt like a good way to show how hard but important relationships are to the men and women in the service.

4. Copper's has died of cancer, so how much research did you have to put into this aspect of the novel?

          I wish I could say I put a lot of research into it, but to be honest I didn’t. Cancer is just one of those terribly scary words that pops up much too often. Yes, my family has been touched by it more than once, too. I guess I wanted to show that though it is a difficult thing to deal with, you can grow stronger after facing it even when it doesn’t end happily.

5. Who do you most like to read and why?

          I like complex plots and definitely suspense. Oh, and don’t forget there should always be a strong relationship thread to the story. A story without relationship issues is rather empty to me.

          Some of my favorites over the years have been:

          Iris Johansen, Lisa Gardner, Linda Castillo the list goes on and on.

6. Which authors have been the greatest influence to you and in what ways?

          One I would have to mention would be Nora Roberts, at least in her earlier years. She didn’t worry so much about rules, just wrote her stories her way. I really liked that.

7. Tell us about your inspiration for the story.

          There really wasn’t anything specific that inspired the story that I can put my finger on. I’ve been playing with the idea of a story line around a set of triplets for years. These triplets lost their father at a very impressionable age and became fiercely protective of their family because of that loss.

8. Tell us about the second installment of this series Her Master Detective.

          Ah, the youngest brother Tres’ story. Maybe it’s because I’m the youngest that I feel especially close to Tres. He has always been the one to play peace keeper in the family and his choice of profession, a police officer/detective, continues that role into his adult life.

          He’s divorced and determined not to make that mistake again. Too bad his new sister-in-law introduces him to an intriguing woman with a mysterious past. A past that comes looking for her.

9. Did you know when first drafting that these books would become a whole series?

          Yes, I always planned to make this a series. Whose story came first was one of the biggest stumbling blocks, but Dos finally just shouted it had to be him. These characters get pretty strong-willed sometimes.

          What is interesting is, as I was working on the edits for Ace’s story tonight, my sister said, “So, what’s the next installment? One of Dos’ recruits?”  I had no intention of writing more with these guys in them, but now I have these new ideas percolating in my head. There will probably be future books with the Masters men making appearances, but this series will stand on its own. I might have to write a continuing series in their hometown of Braedan, CO. Who knows how many books that could entail?

10. What is next for you?

          Well, my agent at the Corvisiero Agency is working on selling one of my manuscripts. I’m not good at just waiting and wishing though, so I am working on edits of another manuscript that I hope to put out in January or February of 2013. It is another romantic suspense with a reporter heroine. When my sister read it the first time, she said, “I knew you had a dark side.” So, you might want to keep your night light on when you read it.


by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
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