Romantic Suspense Blog Tour & Giveaway

I’m thrilled to be a part of Forever’s Romantic Suspense Blog Tour featuring the delightful Dee Davis, author of DEADLY DANCE, and Jami Alden, author of RUN FROM FEAR.

Both ladies have graciously answered some questions for me and are offering a special giveaway. I have 3 book packages which includes a copy of DEADLY DANCE and RUN FROM FEAR to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for the giveaway guidelines.

Mason - How has the writing industry changed since your first begun writing?  

DEE - Great question. And it has changed a lot since

my first book debuted in 2000. We’ve seen trends come and go. Remember how big Time Travels were after Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander? And Westerns bit the dust only to be rising again from the proverbial ashes. Historicals fell out of fashion (at least the non-regency ones) but they too have seen a resurgence. And we saw a shift from lighter paranormals to dark ones like Twilight and J.R. Ward’s series. Vampires seem to be still going strong.   

In the industry itself we’ve seen the birth and growth of digital publishing. And now of course the rise of the indie author thanks to programs like Smashwords, Pub-It and Kindle online. What happened to the music industry with the advent of the ipod and to some extent with the movie industry and VOD is happening to the publishing industry with the rise of e-readers. Which leads to your next question.

JAMI - It's changed immensely, with the availability and ubiquity of eBooks being the most obvious. But everything has changed, from how many hard copy books are available on shelves to how often authors need to have a book out to keep career momentum going. When I first started reading romance, most of my favorite authors only published one book a year. Now there's pressure to put out as much as you can as fast as you can, and that can be very daunting. 

And don't even get me started on trends! Since I started seriously writing ten years ago, I've seen so many "hot new trends" come along - unfortunately never anything I happened to write!

Mason - Do you think eBooks have helped or hurt the industry?  

DEE - I think as long as people are reading, no matter the format, then it’s a good thing. The hard part is adjusting the business models to incorporate a new method of reading and selling books. And, as is the birth of anything new, it’s going to be a difficult process as we all try to adjust—both readers and writers. But in the end, I think it will prove to have been a wonderful thing. A step into the twenty-first century!

JAMI - I don't think eBooks in and of themselves have helped or hurt the industry. I think the options now available for authors so self publish or publish with smaller presses has created a huge amount of opportunity for authors, both for original works and to help them breath life into their backlist titles. I think the major publishing houses are all working hard to figure out the publishing and pricing strategy that will please best serve readers and still keep them profitable.

Mason - What can readers expect next from you?  

DEE - Next up for me, the sixth book in my A-Tac series, DOUBLE DANGER, featuring A-Tac member and ex-SEAL Simon Kincaid. Simon is forced to face not only the threat of a terrorist act in Manhattan, but also the return of the woman he once let get away.  

JAMI - I'm currently working on at the first of two more romantic suspense novels  for Warner Forever. It doesn't have a title, but readers will recognize my hero, Tommy Ibarra, as Sean Flynn's buddy from HIDE FROM EVIL. 

Thanks ladies for answering these questions for me. Sounds like you both have more wonderful books for fans to look forward to. Now for a bit of background on both ladies.

Dee Davis has a BA in Political Science and History, and a Masters Degree in Public Administration. During a 10-year career in public relations, she spent three years on the public speaking circuit, edited two newsletters, wrote three award winning public service announcements, did television and radio commercials, starred in the Seven Year Itch, taught college classes, lobbied both the Texas State Legislature and the US Congress, and served as the director of two associations.

Her highly acclaimed first novel, EVERYTHING IN ITS TIME, was published in July 2000. Since then, among others, she’s won the Booksellers Best, Golden Leaf, Texas Gold and Prism awards, and been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Holt and two RT Reviewers Choice Awards. To date, she has sold 18 books and three novellas, including CHAIN REACTION and A MATCH MADE ON MADISON. 

 
She’s lived in Austria and traveled in Europe extensively. And although she now lives in Manhattan she still calls Texas home. For more on Dee, visit her website at www.deedavis.com.

  
Jami Alden is the Holt Medallion nominated author sexy romantic suspense. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her socially well adjusted alpha male husband, her sons, and a German shepherd who patiently listens to dialog and help her work out plot points. 

You can find out more about Jami and her books at www.JamiAlden.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jamialden, or by following her on Twitter @jamialden. 

Here’s a brief synopsis of the books.
DEADLY DANCE  -  As the intelligence officer for A-Tac, a black-ops CIA unit masquerading as Ivy League faculty, Hannah Marshall is used to working behind the scenes. But when a brutal murder hits too close to home, Hannah finds herself in the middle of the action, falling in love while racing to outwit a sadistic mastermind. 

A KILLER CLOSES IN. After the death of her A-Tac partner, Hannah doubts everything she thought she knew about love and loyalty. When handsome Harrison Blake joins the team, she's reluctant to trust him - or to act on her intense attraction to him. Then Hannah receives a podcast of a gruesome murder, and the only person who can help her find the killer is Harrison.

Harrison has spent years trying to hunt down the cunning monster who killed his sister. Now investigating with Hannah, he faces a shocking possibility - his sister's murderer has resurfaced. As the danger escalates, Hannah and Harrison grow closer, the desire simmering between them ignites. And when Hannah disappears, Harrison has only one chance to save the woman he loves. 

RUN FROM FEAR  -  With each step she takes, he tracks her every move, waiting for the perfect time. The perfect revenge. Until then, he'll watch her . . . RUN FROM FEAR More than anything, Talia Vega wanted to leave behind her harrowing past. Moving eight hundred miles away, she succeeded . . . until the one man who knows her darkest secrets wanders into the restaurant where she works. Now the agonizing memories come crashing back-along with an undeniable desire for Jack Brooks, the ex-Green Beret who rescued her from a sadistic monster two years ago. 

Jack Brooks knows that showing up unannounced is a purely selfish move. Talia doesn't need his protection anymore, but he can't get the raven-haired beauty out of his mind. And when a twisted madman is hell-bent on resurrecting her torturous past, Jack vows to do anything to keep her safe-even risk his own life to save the only woman he's ever loved. 

Now the giveaway guidelines. To enter this giveaway, send me an e-mail (mcbookshelf@gmail.com). Your subject line should read, “Win ROMANCE SUSPENSE.” Your message should include your name and mailing address. The contest is open to residents of the U.S. only and no post office box addresses can be accepted. In addition, the publisher is advising winners that they will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if they win the same title in two or more contests, they will receive only one copy of the title (or one set in the case of grouped giveaways) in the mail. (Winners here have always be great about letting me know if they have already won the book somewhere else so another winner can be selected. However, this announcement is something that has to be passed along from the publisher). And, just so you know, I don’t share the mailing information or use it for any other purpose. The deadline to enter this giveaway for a chance at one of the 3 book packages (400-page DEADLY DANCE and 464-page RUN FROM FEAR) will be 8 p.m. (EST) on Friday, March 30.

Has the changes in the publishing industry affected you? Thanks so much for stopping by.