It’s time for me to start talking about the plot of my new novel!
I’ve hesitated for so long to talk much about it because it started out as something else entirely, and then morphed into what it is today, and along the way, I wasn’t yet confident about the direction. If there’s one thing I’ve discovered that authors are really good at, it’s self doubt. 😉
This fiction book falls under the genre of Romantic/Sexy Suspense. There’s a crime element, a mystery to solve, and two people with very different lives who are drawn to each other like magnets. The point of view is Close Third Person.
What this book ISN’T: a typical romance novel. Or, a deep investigative/forensic mystery.
This book is about the two sides of many things. Sometimes contrasting, and sometimes complementary ideas or elements. This theme shows up in several different ways: my characters themselves and their past and current lives; the two locations in the book where events take place; and the two personas that my female lead character is split between–who she has become, vs. who she really is. There’s some focus on the roles we all play in life, and how they evolve and change and sometimes we get too far away from our authentic selves in the process.
My lead character, Vanessa Hall, 35 years old, provides the main perspective of the story. She lives in Denver with her husband who is part owner of a large manufacturing operation in the area. They are wealthy and live in an affluent neighborhood. She’s smart, sassy, kind, and tougher than she thinks. On the outside, Vanessa’s life seems perfect. But we soon find out that’s far from the truth, and that what she thought she knew about her husband was also far from the truth.
The book opens with a dangerous and traumatic incident and not only is Vanessa injured, but she’s whisked away by the FBI to a safe location as she’s a witness to several crimes, and those involved in the crimes would really like to find her. It’s very much a situation in which Vanessa know things that she doesn’t know she knows. And the life she thought she knew has been completely upended.
The second prominent character is Alexander Eriksson, a 41-year-old FBI Agent who has spent his career in law enforcement. His specialty is reading people’s body language, tone of voice, and overall actions to ascertain facts and truth from them. He’s always observing. His LE background has made him jaded, serious, and no-nonsense. He’s a workaholic and married to his job. But somewhere underneath the hard surface is a gentle man who craves deeper connections with the people close to him. Alex is assigned to protect Vanessa at the safe location, but also to pull information from her about the incident, and her life, and see if he can unearth things she might know.
Two things soon become clear:
1. There’s something going on behind the scenes with the bad guys that neither Vanessa, nor the FBI, fully understands, and it’s making the investigation, and keeping Vanessa safe, very tough
2. Alex and Vanessa have a strong attraction to each other
The story takes place in Colorado, and I had fun writing scenes in well-known locations, or even just mentioning places that Coloradoans will recognize. There are small inside jokes that I hope will make people who live here, smile. 🙂
Lastly, this is purely an adult book. Not young adult. Adult. There’s sex, language, criminal activity, and violence. The gang’s all here! 😄
Please know that all sexual situations are consensual and depict healthy human interactions.
Upcoming posts: Title and Cover Art!
