romantic suspense | Linda McLaughlin/Lyndi Lamont

Romantic Suspense author Jacquie Biggar is in the spotlight this Sunday with an interview a look at her newest release, Tidal Falls.

Jacquie owned and operated a restaurant in her hometown of Edson Alberta for thirteen years before moving west to Victoria to take care of her grandson and pursue her dream of becoming a writer. She joined Romance Writers of America, Kiss of Death—an online suspense group, and a local chapter, VIC-RWA, of which she currently holds the position of secretary.

Do you outline your books or wing it? Describe your process.

I’m what’s known as a pantser, in other words I wing it. I get my ideas from current events and from there I build my character’s world.

How do you decide on setting?

The setting was the easy part. I love the west coast and small towns, so I made that an integral part of my story.

What genre(s) do you write in? Why?

I’ve always loved romance and dreamed of one day writing for Harlequin—still working on that—and suspense books keep me turning the pages, so it was a natural fit.

What is your favorite part of writing?

When you get that scene in your head and everything flows from the fingers to the keyboard, almost without thought. Love that.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

I’d have to say editing. I go over the same words so many times it can be frustrating.

Some writers edit excessively as they write; others wait until a novel is finished to do the bulk of editing. How about you?

I edit as I go. I’m compulsive, and can’t seem to leave it alone.

What’s the strangest thing you have ever done in the name of research?

Online searches for drug-running and human trafficking in Iraq and Mexico. I expected to be flagged by the CIA at any time, 

E-books, print, or both? Any preferences? Why?

For myself I prefer e-books, but I know a lot of people like print so I’ve gone with both for my novel. And let’s face it, there’s nothing like holding a book you wrote in your hands.

Please tell us your experiences with social media. What are your favorite and least favorite parts of it?

I love social media. It’s an amazing way to make friends with people from all over the globe. That being said, I’ve found since I opened an author page on Facebook, I’m getting lots of strange, “Hi, I’d like to get to know you better,” messages I could do without.

What do you read? Do you read different genres when you’re writing versus not writing?

I read a wide variety within the romance genre. Romantic Suspense-Iris Johansen, Suzanne Brockmann, Comedy-Jennifer Crusie, Paranormal-J.R.Ward, YA-Jodie Esch, Lisa Lange.

For more about Jacquie Biggar check out her website and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Here is a blurb from her novel, Tidal Falls, released Sept 15, 2014.

Sara Reed is on the run from an abusive ex who happens to have ties to a Mexican cartel. Mistakenly thinking her and her daughter would be safer if she had some kind of leverage, she takes a copy of some valuable files, files that make her a target.

Nick Kelley is an ex-marine trying to find his place now that his career is over due to injuries suffered from an IED. When the two of them meet in the pretty little town of Tidal Falls, the experience is explosive.

Available at Amazon.

My guest today is M. J. Schiller, author of Damage Done, another Rocking Summer Romance. Welcome, M.J.

Linda asked me to share four facts about myself or my book, so here goes:

Damage Done opens in Cork, Ireland. I had the pleasure of visiting Cork back in 2002. My feelings about the city are very similar to Tess’s. I may have even been asleep in the car when we arrived, like she was. After visiting a number of smaller towns in Ireland, Cork seemed every bit the thriving metropolis that Tess saw it as.

I gave many of the characters names from my own family. Two of the main characters are Michael and Teddy McKee, from my mom’s maiden name. There is a Dr. Callahan, who makes a paragraph appearance, and that is my grandmother’s maiden name. Michael is big in our family. My dad was named Edward Michael, but many of his friends would not know his first name as they called him Mike. Patrick Michael is my brother, and Michael Patrick is my nephew. It was fun writing characters with family names!

I was a junior Olympic synchronized swimmer, earning gold medals when that was the highest form of competition. Synchronized swimming became an Olympic event in 1984, right after I left the sport.

I have a nineteen-year-old, and seventeen-year-old triplets. Hmm…I wonder if that will ever make it into a book…

Damage Done (Real Romance Collection Book 3)
Genre: Romantic Suspense

“Even through bloodshot eyes he could see she was different.”

But can Michael leave behind the bottle, and his womanizing ways, to win over the lovely Tess Flanagan? Tess has sustained some damage of her own. Can she and Michael overcome the terrors of the past and learn how to love each other?

And if they do, will they be able to elude those after them who want to create their own damage?

On the run after an altercation leaves their boss in a pool of blood, will Michael and Tess be able to stay one step ahead of their pursuers? Or is it simply too late to correct the damage that has been done?

*This book is part of a COLLECTION not a series, different characters, different settings. They all center around people with “real” jobs, (teachers, firemen, construction workers, roadies…) unlike my other collections which feature rock stars and royalty. They can be read in any order.) *

You can find DAMAGE DONE at:

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00LU7719K

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/damage-done-mj-schiller/1119955011

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/damage-done-1

Excerpt:

“Tessie…” He offered again. “We have to get out of here.”

She remained frozen in her spot, staring blindly over the cliff. He moved a step closer and gently grasped her elbow. “Tess—”

She whirled around and his heart caught in his chest as he stared into her wild green eyes. Tears shone on her damp cheeks, glimmering in the moonlight like trails of scattered diamonds. “Nay, Michael,” she said, her words coming out choked. “I have to tell them the truth. It’s my fault. …I k-killed him.” She sobbed.

He looked at her sadly, begging her, “Let me help you.”

The back door creaked open and light spilled out from the bar across the grass, startling them. He saw Jimmy Flynn’s outline in the doorway. “They’re out here!” he yelled.

Without waiting for a response, Michael took Tess’s arm and steered her along the cliff’s edge. He stepped over the railing and helped her to the other side as well. They stood on a narrow ledge. To the left a trail dropped off toward the sea. He led her skittering down the path, loose rock pebbling the beach far below. He had taken the pathway many a night when he was drunk and feeling particularly reckless. Tonight he hurried over it with only self-preservation and Tess’s safety in mind.

They heard voices above them, coming from every direction as searchers fanned out along the top of the cliff. Their eyes met. They hardly dared to breathe. A flashlight beam ventured over the railing and along the cliff face. She clutched his hand, squeezing it until he lost feeling in his fingers. He tried to flatten himself even more tightly against the rock face, wishing it would somehow melt and absorb them. Several seconds passed and the beam of light was joined by another, and another, each swinging away, and then toward them again.

He grabbed a quick look at the churning sea below then closed his eyes for a second, and his stomach dropped. He took a deep breath before turning his head to look at Tess. Her eyes were closed and her lips were moving fervently, but she emitted no sound. He swallowed, wondering again why the sight of her affected him so. After several minutes a voice called out, “You won’t get away with this, Mikey.” Had someone seen them? He heard Jimmy Flynn mutter, “Wherever they are, we won’t find them tonight.” One by one the lights disappeared until only a solitary beam shone.

Thank you for having me, Linda! It’s been fun!

You can find M.J. at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MJ-Schiller-Romance-Author/286382241460365?ref=hl

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mjschiller/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjschiller

Tumblr: http://mjschilz.tumblr.com/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/mjschiller

Google + : https://plus.google.com/u/0/110797684036386240402/post

Don’t you love that gorgeous cover? I do.

Leave a comment for me or M. J. to be entered in my monthly drawing for a $15 Starbucks gift card.

Linda / Lyndi