Friday, March 28, 2014

Author Cate Beauman’s Justice For Abby (+Giveaways)



I’m delighted today to welcome author Cate Beauman back to 03 Justice For Abby_3DThoughts in Progress to tell us about JUSTICE FOR ABBY, the sixth installment in her bestselling romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County.

JUSTICE FOR ABBY is available for Amazon pre-order and will be on sale through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes beginning April 10. Cate is excited to share the rest of Abby's story after being rescued by her sister in the fourth book, FOREVER ALEXA.

To celebrate this release, Cate is hosting a pre-order party on her website complete with giveaways. Winners will be selected on April 10 so be sure to stop by www.catebeauman.com before then for your chance to win such items as jewelry, beaded book thongs, a handmade bouquet, and cool handmade baskets.

In addition, Cate is offering a giveaway to Thoughts in Progress visitors. Be sure to see the end of the post for details.

Now here’s a brief synopsis of JUSTICE FOR ABBY:

Nowhere to hide
        Fashion designer Abigail Harris has been rescued, but her nightmare is far f02 Justice For Abby_ebook_1600rom over. Determined to put her harrowing ordeal behind her and move on, she struggles to pick up the pieces of her life while eluding the men who want her dead.
        The Mid-Atlantic Sex Ring is in ruins after Abby’s interviews with the police. The organization is eager to exact their revenge before her testimony dismantles the multi-million dollar operation for good.
        Abby’s safety rests in the hands of former US Marshal, Jerrod Quinn. Serious-minded and obsessed with protocol, Ethan Cooke Security’s newest agent finds himself dealing with more than he bargains for when he agrees to take on his beautiful, free-spirited client.
        As the trial date nears, Abby’s case takes a dangerous turn. Abby and Jerrod soon discover themselves in a situation neither of them expect while Jerrod fights to stop the ring from silencing Abby once and for all.

Read an excerpt from JUSTICE FOR ABBY:

     The black bag was ripped from her head, along with several strands of her hair. Abby blinked against the bold light of the naked bulbs hanging from the low ceiling. She glanced around the dingy space in shock as her gaze traveled from girl to girl—six young teens, dirty, bruised, and malnourished, staring up at her through bland eyes while they sat or lay on filthy mattresses on the dirt floor. “What—”
     “In.” Victor shoved Abby into a small, windowless room, slamming the door, locking her in with a rusty scrape of something sliding against the heavy metal barrier.
     She walked on shaky legs to the wooden chair in the corner and collapsed to the uncomfortable seat, clutching her arms around her waist, shivering as she bit hard on her bottom lip while tears rained down her cheeks. Where was she? What was this place? She shuddered, remembering six sets of listless eyes holding hers. Nothing good was happening here.
     She covered her face with trembling hands and gave into her sobs, relieving the worst of her dread, wishing for nothing more than to be home with Lex and Livy. Thinking of her sister and niece, she forced away her tears, taking several deep breaths of stale air. If she wanted to see her family again she needed to pull herself together. She couldn’t get herself out of this—whatever this was—if she didn’t think. There had to be a way out. Her eyes darted around the barely lit space, searching for a weapon, another exit, anything.
     The door opened, and she rushed to her feet as a tall, well-built man stood haloed in the beam of light from the room beyond. Abby blinked as he stepped forward. “Renzo?” She bolted from the corner and fell against her friend’s firm chest as a wave or relief flooded her. “Oh, thank god.”
     His strong arms wrapped around her.
     “I’m so glad you’re here. I don’t know what’s going on. I need help. Can you help me?”
     “What happened?” He eased her back some, but she refused to release him from her grip.
     “My family—we were on our way home from Virginia Beach. We stopped at a rest area, and two men grabbed me and brought me here.”
     “You were with your sister and niece?”
     “Yes, Alexa and Olivia. I think they’re okay, but I need to call and make sure. Will you get me out of here?”
     “Of course.”
     She could hardly believe she was leaving. “Thank you. Thank you.” She hugged Renzo again as tears of gratitude flowed free. “I knew this had to be some sort of mistake.”
     “Come on, let’s get you home.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and walked with her to the door. “Oh, wait.” He stopped.
     “What?”
     “I can’t let you go.”

Did you enjoy the excerpt? Would you like to read more? You can read the first chapter on Cate’s website, www.catebeauman.com, or you can finish the whole book here!

Join me in welcoming, Cate as she tells us about the inspiration behind JUSTICE FOR ABBY.

JUSTICE FOR ABBY is one of my favorite stories in The Bodyguards of L.A. County series (Okay, they all are, but I really love Abby and Jerrod!). I truly enjoyed writing their adventure. Oftentimes I found myself caught up in Abby’s rollercoaster ride as she heals from her experiences as a survivor of the Mid-Atlantic Sex Ring. At times I cried with her, and at others, I laughed. She’s so strong and sweet, but she’s vulnerable and struggling. Enter Jerrod Quinn, the perfect man to provide her protection and help her overcome her ordeal in his own quiet way.

Although Abby’s story is one of fiction, sex trafficking is a very real crisis for millions of young women, men, and children all over the globe. My idea for this novel came after a night in front of the television watching crime television. A segment showcasing the mysterious disappearance of a young woman named Amy Bradley bothered me greatly. She vanished from a cruise ship in March of 1998 while vacationing with her family. Unfortunately, Amy has yet to be found, but she is believed to be alive, stuck in the horrific world of human sex trafficking. I immediately began my research into this very troubling epidemic and shortly after wrote Forever Alexa, the story of Abby’s sister dealing with the aftermath of Abby’s disappearance. My readers have requested Abby’s story, and I felt the need to share her experience. 

I hope you enjoy getting to know Abby and Jerrod as much as I enjoyed writing these two fantastic characters.

Cate, thanks for sharing the inspiration behind JUSTICE FOR ABBY. Knowing the backstory adds intrigue to the story for me.

Now Cate shares more about writing this latest installment with the Unofficial JUSTICE FOR ABBY soundtrack.

Music always plays a huge part in my writing process. With two boys and two dogs in the house, music helps me “get lost” in my story. I typically listen to Pandora or YouTube and put together a playlist of songs that I feel represent the characters or the situations they face as the novel unfolds. Here are a few of the songs that I had on “repeat” while I created Jerrod and Abby’s story! You can listen to them on my website www.catebeauman.com.

The soundtrack, of sorts, for Justice For Abby:
· Applause by Lady Gaga
· Safe and Sound by Capital Cities
· She Is by Ben Rector
· I Should Go by Levi Kreis
· The Other Side by Jason Derulo
· Why Don’t You Love Me? by Hot Chelle Rae ft. Demi Lovato
· We Owned The Night by Lady Antebellum
· Stars Go Blue by Tim McGraw
· Open Your Eyes by Snow Patrol
· Come Back by Pearl Jam
· By Your Side by Tenth Avenue North
· Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

clip_image006Cate currently lives in Tennessee with her husband, their two boys, and St. Bernards, Bear and Jack. She is the author of the bestselling romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Before her career as an author, Cate worked in special education for 12 years.

“I’m a pretty lucky girl; one day I woke up and my entire life changed. I saw the light, so to speak, and decided I was going to be a writer. Now, three years later, I’m working on my seventh novel, Saving Sophie, and I’m an Amazon bestselling author. I’m very grateful for the support and success I have had,” explained Cate.

For more on Cate and her writing, visit her website and connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and her Amazon Author Page.

The Bodyguards of L.A. County

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Cate's Previous Best Sellers:

You can also check out Cate’s previous books which were all featured as Amazon Best Sellers in 2013:
Morgan's Hunter 4.1 Stars!
Falling For Sarah 4.6 Stars!
Hailey's Truth 4.5 Stars!
Forever Alexa 4.5 Stars!
Waiting For Wren 4.7 Stars!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This giveaway is for 3 eBook copies of JUSTICE FOR ABBY. The giveaway is open international. To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The giveaway will end on April 11. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today and visiting with Cate. Do you like learning about the inspiration behind books you read? Does knowing what the inspiration was, make a difference in whether you read the book or not? a Rafflecopter giveaway

5 comments:

  1. Cate, thanks for visiting with us again. It's always fun to discover the next installment in The Bodyguards of L.A. County series. Wishing you much success.

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  2. That's scary that girl has never been found.

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  3. Mason - Thanks for hosting Cate.

    Cate - Thanks for sharing the background to your story. Sex trafficking is a horrible reality of life for far too many people. *shiver*.

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  4. congrats to Cate on her new book!

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  5. Good morning everyone! Make sure you click "I commented" under "leave a blog post comment" above in the Rafflecopter so you are entered into the giveaway.

    Dezmond - thank you very much!

    Diane and Margot - you are so very right. I can't tell you how many times I was in tears while doing research for Justice For Abby. It is so heartbreaking.

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.