In Safe Hands {+ Giveaway}

It’s a pleasure to be taking part in the tour for author Katie Ruggle’s new release, IN SAFE HANDS, the fourth installment in her Search and Rescue Series.

Katie has graciously answered some questions about her writing. In addition, you have the opportunity to win a copy of HOLD YOUR BREATH, the first book in the Search and Rescue Series. Please see the end of the post for more details.

He was her hero,

But one wrong move ended their future before it could begin.

Now he'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe,

Even if that means turning against one of his own.

As a member of the Field County Sheriff's Department, Chris Jennings is used to having it rough. The Colorado Rockies aren't for the weak-of-spirit, but he's devoted his life to upholding the law—and to protecting the one woman he knows he can never have. He'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

          Daisy Little has lived in agoraphobic terror for over eight years. Trapped within a prison of her own making, she watches time pass through her bedroom window. Daisy knows she'll never be a part of the world...until the day she becomes the sole witness of a terrible crime that may finally tear the Search & Rescue brotherhood apart for good.

IN SAFE HANDS is available at the following sites:

Amazon

iBooks

Barnes and Noble

Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Katie as she answers some questions. Welcome, Katie.

What was the hardest thing about writing this series?

Katie:

The hardest thing about writing the Search and Rescue series was the crazy schedule. Although I loved that the books came out so close together (only two months apart), it made the editing schedule insane. At one point, I was working on three books at one time. Gah…just remembering that makes me tired.

How did you go about doing research for this book and the series?

Katie:

Most of my research for this series had been done unknowingly months or even years before I started to write it. I received my law enforcement degree while working for a police department. My favorite part of the job was collecting and analyzing forensic evidence as part of the Crime Scene Team. Also, while doing volunteer work with a fire department in Colorado, I was certified in cold-water rescue, which helped a lot with the first book in the series, Hold Your Breath.

For In Safe Hands, most of my research was on agoraphobia, gas leaks, explosions, and panic rooms. Yeah, I’m pretty sure my internet search history has put me on a few government watch lists.

If this book was turned into a movie, who would you like to see playing the two main characters?

Katie:

So, this is a tough question for me to answer, because I’m terrible at names, especially when talking about actors. I’m that annoying person who says, “You know that guy, who was in that movie, the one with the killer?” Yeah, I’d like that guy to play Chris.

What can readers look forward to next from you?

Katie:

The first book in my Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit series will be out in June 2017. There are hot cops and heroic dogs and scary villains and explosions and women on the run… What more could anyone ask for?

Katie, thanks for joining us today and sharing this background. I can understand when it comes to not remembering actors’ names. lol

Now for those who aren’t familiar with Katie, here’s a bit of background on her.

Author Katie Ruggle

When she’s not writing, Katie Ruggle rides horses, shoots guns, and travels to warm places where she can scuba dive. A graduate of the police academy, Katie received her ice-rescue certification and can attest that the reservoirs in the Colorado mountains really are that cold.

While she still misses her off-grid, solar-and-wind-powered house in the Rocky Mountains, she now lives in Rochester, Minnesota, near her family.

This giveaway is for one print copy of HOLD YOUR BREATH by Katie Ruggle, the first book in her Search and Rescue Series. The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only and will end at 12 a.m. (EST) on Tuesday, Oct. 18.

To enter the giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient. A winner will be selected by the Rafflecopter widget and I’ll send an email with the subject line “Thoughts in Progress Giveaway.” The winner will have 72 hours to reply to the email or another winner will be selected. PLEASE be sure to check your spam folder from time to time after the giveaway ends to make sure the notification email doesn’t end up there. If you win and you’ve already won the book somewhere else or you just decided for whatever reason you don’t want to win (which is fine), once again PLEASE let me know.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have you or do you know someone who has ever been involved in a search and rescue team?

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Gone Too Deep {+ Giveaway}

It’s my pleasure to welcome author Katie Ruggle to Thoughts in Progress today to talk about her recent release, GONE TOO DEEP, the third installment in her Search and Rescue series.

As part of Katie’s visit, thanks to the lovely Beth and the wonderful folks at Sourcebooks Casablanca, I have one print copy of the first book in her series, HOLD YOUR BREATH. The giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada. Please see the end of the post for more details. Now here’s a brief synopsis of GONE TOO DEEP.

In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder…

          George Holloway has spent his life alone, exploring the treacherous beauty of the Colorado Rockies. He’s the best survival expert Search and Rescue has, which makes him the obvious choice to lead Ellie Price through deadly terrain to find her missing father. There’s just one problem—Ellie’s everything George isn’t. She’s a city girl, charming, gregarious, delicate, small. And when she looks up at him with those big, dark eyes, he swears he would tear the world apart to keep her safe.

          With a killer on the loose, he may have no choice.

          Ellie’s determined to find her father no matter the cost. But as she and her gorgeous mountain of a guide fight their way through an unforgiving wilderness, they find themselves in the crosshairs of a dangerous man in search of revenge. And they are now his prey…

Please join me in giving Katie a warm welcome as she answers some questions for me. Welcome, Katie.

What type of research do you do for this series?

Katie:

Most of my research for this series was done long before I started to write it. My jobs and education and hobbies all played a part in teaching me what I needed to know to build the Search and Rescue universe. About five years ago, I received my law enforcement degree while working for a police department. My favorite part of the job was collecting and analyzing forensic evidence (yes, I admit that I’m a total forensics nerd). A few years later, while doing volunteer work with a fire department in Colorado, I was certified in cold-water rescue.

For GONE TOO DEEP, one of the things I had to research was cold-weather camping. I’m not a camper. Although I love doing all sorts of outside things—hiking, biking, fly fishing, target shooting, horseback riding, four-wheeling—when I’m done, all I want is a soft bed and indoor plumbing. The wilderness is wonderful, but civilization has its perks, too.

What do you hope readers come away with after reading this book?

Katie:

Honestly, I just want people to be entertained. If my Search and Rescue series gives readers a few hours of happy escapism, then I’ve done my part as an author.

What surprised you the most as you wrote GONE TOO DEEP?

Katie:

I was surprised to find that a great number of people (ahem…my editor, for example) do not think that moose are scary. As George says, and I paraphrase, since I’m too lazy to find the exact quote, “I’d rather have a close encounter with a bear than a moose.” George is smart (and I don’t say that just because I created him). Moose are freaky.

What type of books would George and Ellie read?

Katie:

Hmm… I think that George would read non-fiction (maybe historical?) and possibly a Western or two. He’s kind of an old-fashioned guy. Ellie’s definitely a romance reader.

What can readers look forward to next from you?

Katie:

IN SAFE HANDS, the fourth book in my Search and Rescue series and the one that ties up all the loose ends into a (semi-) tidy knot, will be out in October. Also, I just finished the first book in my new Rocky Mountain K9 series (out in 2017). There are women on the run, hot cops, brave dogs, lots of explosions—what more could you want from a book?

Katie, thanks for joining us today. I’m in the crowd that think moose are scary. They’re big animals so I’m going to be extra cautious around them.

Author Katie Ruggle

When she’s not writing, Katie Ruggle rides horses, shoots guns, and travels to warm places where she can scuba dive. A graduate of the police academy, Katie received her ice-rescue certification and can attest that the reservoirs in the Colorado mountains really are that cold.

While she still misses her off-grid, solar-and wind-powered house in the Rocky Mountains, she now lives in Rochester, Minnesota, near her family.

GONE TOO DEEP is available at the following sites: Amazon, Barnesand Noble, iBooks, and Kobo.

This giveaway is for one print copy of HOLD YOUR BREATH by Katie Ruggle. The giveaway is open to residents of US and Canada only and will end at 12 a.m. (EST) on Sunday, July 31.

To enter the giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient. A winner will be selected by the Rafflecopter widget and I’ll send an email with the subject line “Thoughts in Progress Giveaway.” The winner will have 72 hours to reply to the email or another winner will be selected. PLEASE be sure to check your spam folder from time to time after the giveaway ends to make sure the notification email doesn’t end up there. If you win and you’ve already won the book somewhere else or you just decided for whatever reason you don’t want to win (which is fine), once again PLEASE let me know.

Thanks for dropping by today during Katie’s visit. Are you or someone you know involved in search and rescue? Have you ever wanted to be a part of a search and rescue operation?

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