Crafting a Romantic Suspense Series: Omega: CoRD Book 1

I was able to announce last week that I signed a new 6-book contract with Harlequin Intrigue.

For those not overly familiar with Harlequin Intrigue, they release six romantic suspense books every month, of the shorter kind (about 210-225 pages). They're called category romances.  You can find them in bookstores like B&N and Books-A-Million, as well as other shops such Walmart, Target, and drug stores.

Writing for Harlequin is great, a lot of my author-heroes started with them, including Linda Howard, Elizabeth Lowell, and Nora Roberts. Because they publish so many books each month, it allows for many newbie romance authors (like me!) to get their start. But the books are only around on shelves for a month. After that they have to be ordered online.

My first book (PRIMAL INSTINCT) was published by Intrigue in April 2014. I then signed a 4-book contract with them for the Omega Sector (Covert Undercover) Series. Those books released in 2015.

 The new series I'm writing is a spin-off of the Omega Sector Series, called Omega Sector: Critical Response Division, or Omega: CoRD. CoRD is not a covert section of Omega (unlike the original Omega Sector books); everyone involved works out in the open. The six books are based on six different occupations within CoRD, and that is what is each book is tentatively titled right now.

Every couple of weeks I'll be talking about details for one of the books.

Book #1: THE TACTICAL TEAM SPECIALIST
Release date: January or February 2016
 
Hero:  DEREK WATERMAN

Derek was raised on a horse ranch in Wyoming, before spending time in the Army Special Forces, including tours in Afghanistan. He's a warrior at heart, and keeps to himself. His past is a dark place, and the thought of tainting sweet Molly Humphries with that darkness haunts him.

Heroine: MOLLY HUMPHRIES

Molly is a forensic pathologist and head of the lab at Omega: CoRD. She is brilliant, focused and logical, except for when it comes to Derek Waterman.

PLOT (back cover blurb):

I'm HUGELY excited about this book (I've already finished writing it, since it's due to my editor on April 1). Derek and Molly's story came very easily for me and watching them fall in love --despite some pretty hefty danger thrown their way-- was exciting and touching.

A lot of my inspiration for this story stemmed out of this video:

A brainy scientist in love with an alpha hero. She thinks she's irrelevant to him, but couldn't be more wrong. It was the perfect premise for a romantic suspense story. (And of course, if you haven't watched BBC's Sherlock, do so immediately.)

My love for Benedict Cumberbatch is well known, but he wasn't the muse for Derek in the book (I needed someone with guns and fighting skills), but Lousie Brealey's Molly definitely was the muse for my Molly.

And the rest of my inspiration? This picture, guys. This. Picture.:

I love everything about this picture so much. It captures a perfect moment I envisioned between Molly and Derek.

We've got some exciting settings too, in this book. Omega: CoRD headquarters found its home in Colorado Springs, CO and the story makes it way down to the thick rainforests of Columbia. Lots of action happening in both locations: explosions, kidnappings, gunfights in the jungle, fires, breaking and entering... There's definitely enough excitement to move the story along.

 There's an entire Pinterest  board dedicated to the book here. Hope you'll check it out. Looking at it makes me wish the book was coming out before early 2016!  But I think it's going to be a great start to the series. 2016 can't get here fast enough.

More details about Book 2 in the series (THE FORENSIC ARTIST) soon!

My Writers' Police Academy Experience: More Than Just Blowing $%&# Up (Although Do You Really Need More?)

I’ve spent the last fifteen years of my life teaching college-level public speaking for a living. My hubby, Captain Awesome, (engineer that he is) once added up roughly how many speeches I’ve seen.  Three speeches a semester x 75 students a semester (a very low estimate) x 45 semesters = 10,125

Over 10,000 speeches.

So when I say I don’t jump at the opportunity to attend conferences and conventions where people are doing more speaking, you can probably understand.

The Writers’ Police Academy was different. 

Held near Greensboro, NC each year, the Writers’ Police Academy (WPA), is a chance for crime/mystery/thriller/romantic suspense writers to experience hands-on what happens in the real world of law enforcement. So we can then turn around and get it right in our writing.

Here are some of the opportunities I was able to experience at WPA:

The decisions EMTs/Paramedics/firefighters have to make when faced with a multi-victim situation. We were given a demonstration (using actor victims) of what such a scene would be like.

I stopped watching this so I could write a scene for a book, it came to me so clearly

What it feels like to get to try to get your weapon out of your holster when someone is rushing at you with a knife from only ten feet away (not easy! Keep perps at least 15 feet away or you don’t have much of a chance)

Self-defense with partners -- I somehow ended up with the Black Belt lady. Great pick.

What it is like (via simulator) to drive an ambulance with sirens and lights blazing. 

Instructor turned on the sirens & I didn't even flinch -- I'm used to a loud/chaotic vehicle

How daggone heavy a SWAT vest is (all in all, SWAT moves around with 40+ pounds of gear on them).

Sadly, they wouldn't let me hold the rifles.

How loud it is, even from 30 yards away, when a door is blown off its hinges. Being inside the building would scare the pants off someone who didn’t know it was coming.

The adrenaline that comes along with doing a building search, knowing someone is inside. Seriously, I was one of the more calm people (the officer helping us kept telling me how natural I look with a gun in my hand – that ought to be a frightening notion to some of my ex-boyfriends), and my heart rate was through the roof by the time the exercise was completed.

I'm telling you, it was SCARY. Even knowing it was safe.

The pressure of giving CPR to a critical patient while a REALLY HANDSOME young paramedic is watching in a moving ambulance.

Um, yeah... I don't know how his phone number ended up in my notes.

So basically, I loved it. And not just the hands-on stuff. I also enjoyed the more traditional workshops I attended on: prostitution, K9s, Special Ops, and forensic art. Not to mention all the information I gleamed just from talking to law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs, lab technicians and TSA agents. Just getting inside their minds, listening to their language, was fascinating and useful.

By the time I left I had a notebook full of scenarios, stories and specifics you can plan to see in my book soon. (In particular, you can expect to see a forensic artist and a hot paramedic in my future books. I’ve already got stories mapped out for them).

Plus, to be surrounded by writers the whole time --people who understand when you stop talking to them in the middle of a sentence to jot down an idea-- just made the entire experience even better. 

I'll definitely go again, and hopefully bring all my fellow Harlequin Intrigue authors along with me.

Why Is Getting Rid of Kids Easier than Getting Rid of Characters?

Yesterday I sent the kiddos off to school. 

I was terribly sad to watch them go. You see, I am one of those mothers who would spend all her time with her kids if I could. And having them home with me – all the time – just completes me in a way I never thought possible.

Is anybody but me rolling around on the floor laughing yet?

Holy cow. I love my kids, but THEY HAD TO GO!!! Here in Virginia we have a late school year start (the day after Labor Day) and I thought I would kill them the last couple of weeks.

But now they’re gone.

This was them, heading on off to school:

As soon as the last one was out the door, this was me:

(Or even better, see this dancing orangutan. That was really me: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153151189783228&set=vb.135376688227&type=2&theater) 

Interestingly, the day I said goodbye to my kids was the day I also said goodbye to Omega Sector Series characters I was writing for my next Harlequin Intrigue books. Book 4 was due to my editor on September 2, the day after Labor Day. 

Kicking the Omega Series guys out the door was a little more difficult than kicking my kids out. Maybe because the characters in my books rarely ask me to make them a sandwich or demand an iPhone for their birthday. 

But these characters have consumed me for the last ten months. Together, we’ve been in plane crashes and on yachts and in dangerous situations we were both sure there was no way out. I’ve spent hours every day figuring out what drives them and scares them and makes them more than they thought they could be. I’ve gotten to know each character as if he or she was a real person. Because to me they were each a real person.

Deadline reminder that has sat on my desk for 10 months

And although pitching, writing and editing four novels in ten months was CRAZY, I was sad when I wrote The End on book 4. 

Because that meant these characters were gone.

I guess they’ll be back somewhat in the form of copyedits, cover reveals, and, of course, the books themselves. That makes me happy and I truly hope readers will fall in love with these characters like I did. But for all intents and purposes, they’re gone for me. I have to move on to the next project with its own set of characters that need my attention. But hopefully not any sandwiches.

So I send off my Omega characters – the Branson siblings and those special people who come to love them in their stories– but without a happy orangutan dance. Because I know these guys won’t be getting back off the bus at 3pm.

I’ll miss them. I really will. They've been my buddies. 

But now I’m ready for the next set of stories and whatever crazy adventures we’ll take together.

Triathlon Tuesday: What Doesn't Kill You...

At the end of 2012, I was finishing Primal Instinct so I could send it to the editor who had requested it. I was also training for the Disney Marathon (that was coming in January 2013).

I remember saying to myself: I can train for a marathon or I can write a book, but I can't really do both. Not with everything else I have going on in my life.

Awwww... I look back on the girl I was eighteen months ago and cannot help but want to smile and pat her on the head. Bless her little heart.

I registered for the 2014 Ironman Florida (IMFL) race on November 3, 2013. At the time I was looking for a challenge and felt like this was a good time in my life to do something as difficult as an Ironman (2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run). And I'd sold my first book, but hadn't heard anything about writing any more for Harlequin, so I would have time to train.

True story: three days after I signed up for IMFL, I got a call from Harlequin. They wanted me to write four books in nine months.

So now, instead of just writing ONE book and training for JUST a marathon, I would be writing FOUR books and training for one of the  THE HARDEST EVENTS ON THE PLANET.

Please excuse my yelling. And hang on while I wipe the spittle off my screen.

I've been doing my best to keep my cool, keep my head on straight, keep my eye on the prize (really, any number of "keep my..." adages apply) during the last few months.

I have four school-aged kids (each with their requisite activities; and a teenager who I'm discovering needs more one-on-one attention than a toddler), a full-time job teaching college (although, admittedly that is not a 9-5 job), am training for an Ironman Triathlon (which currently takes 8-10 hours/week, but will eventually take 18-20 hours/week in August & September), and am writing four novels.

I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

People ask me a lot how I manage to get everything done. 

I usually reply jokingly that sleep is overrated. (But the truth is, I love sleep and rarely get less than eight hours a night. I'm very protective of my sleep. Seriously.)

Here's the truth about how I get everything done:
1. I pretty much completely eliminated television from my schedule this spring. I watched one show: The Blacklist because I just couldn't help myself. In 2014 I have sadly said goodbye to: The Walking Dead, Almost Human, The Vampire Diaries, New Girl, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (although dang it, it looks like it finally got good), Nashville, Modern Family, and How I Met Your Mother.

Television is a time-sucker and does very little good in terms of stimulating creativity for me. Once I stopped watching it, I found I didn't really miss it.

2. I said no. No, I cannot be the chair of that committee at work. No, I cannot play sixteen different games of Words-With-Friends. No, I cannot be responsible for the entire bookfair at my kids' elementary school. No, I won't write that bi-weekly newsletter. Please contact me again after November 1 (once the Ironman is done, and my Omega Sector books are completed).


3. I get up earlier and go to bed earlier. This was hard for me. I liked my I'm-a-night-owl-artistic-type-so-I-will-regularly-stay-up-until-3am mentality. No. Now I'm getting up each morning usually before 6am and getting two hours of either writing or workouts done in the morning. I'm exhausted by 9pm every night, but that's okay, because I'm not trying to have my creative or physical juices flowing then. I'm just hanging out and chillin' with the fam. And I'm asleep by 10:00.

And the schedule doesn't end just because it's the weekend. Same thing. Although maybe starting at 7am.

4. My family is starting to work together as a team. I can't do everything, and my family is awesome, so everyone helps out. Kid #1 can do laundry. Kid #3 is an excellent cook. Kid #4, God bless her, wants to help as much as she can and often does stuff without me asking. Kid #2... well, he pretty much stays outside playing as much as possible. He's figured out if I can't see him, I don't ask him to do stuff.

Hubby helps out as much as possible too. And most of all, almost never complains about the fact that I constantly talk about stuff like chafing, blisters, core strength, and different flavors of Gatorade.

Would I do it all again this way if I had the option to go back? No. For the love of all that is chocolate... no, no, no. I would not sign up for IMFL for 2014 or would spread out my book deadlines further or not have so many kids. Or something.

But it is this way, and I've got to get it done. So I am. One day at a time.

Primal Instinct Release Party!

We had the Primal Instinct book release party yesterday (4/3/14) -- thrown for me by my fabulous parents and hubby. Had a wonderful time with my local friends and family. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!!

My Momma -- unloading books for me to sign

The Agony of the First Draft

So, this is how I've been feeling for the past two weeks, as I've struggled to finish Book #2 in the 4-book Omega Sector Series:

I'm pretty sure I've even looked like that guy in the last few days. But now, with no intent to be sacrilegious whatsoever, I can honestly say: It. Is. Finished.

The first draft, that is.

As I write more (this is the fourth complete novel I've written) I'm beginning to understand more about my personal writing process.

My process evidently involves writing a painful first draft, sobbing the whole time that:

I'm not a "real" writer, 
Nobody understands how hard this really is,
I'm always behind schedule, 
This is the worst book that has ever been written. Ever.
I just want to watch TV!
I have no intrinsic talent,
I'm sure I have permanent spine issues from sitting at this computer for so many hours,
My editor will laugh when she reads this book and burn my contract,
Why am I doing this again? 

All of these things run through my head -- constantly -- when I am writing. Capt Awesome (my poor husband) and a few of my friends take the brunt of the crazy most of the time during my first draft period, making it safe for me to be around other humans.

I reach a stress level while writing every book where I do this laugh/cry thing. I'm overwhelmed with stress but then Capt Awesome says something funny and I just totally lose it: laughing hysterically and sobbing uncontrollably at the same time. It's quite funny and yet very disturbing at the same time.

Just doing my part to make sure my kids have something to talk to their therapists about when they get older.

But then I finish the first draft, and realize that, somehow, everything is going to be alright.

Because once I finish that first draft, I have something to work with. I no longer have a blank screen in front of me, taunting me with it's emptiness -- reflecting my own inadequacies.

Instead I have something that can be molded into, hopefully, a pretty decent story. It may take a bunch of reworking, changing, or even eliminating: but it's never as scary as the first draft.

But if I had stopped and camped out in the hysteria of my own mind during the first draft, then I'd be stuck there. I'd never realize how a first draft can so easily be turned into something actually readable. By other people, even!

But it has to be written first. First drafts are unavoidable.

 I'll try to remember all this next month when I'm back in the throes of the first draft of Book 3. But somehow, I doubt I'll remember.

My Writing Process (Blog Tour)

I was asked to take part of the “My Writing Process” Blog Tour by Tracey Livesay. Tracey is a good friend and fellow romance writer.  We were roomies at the Romance Writers of America conference last year in Atlanta and have been on author panels together.   

Her debut novel released just this month The Tycoon's Socialite Bride – so fabulous! Find out more info about Tracey at: www.traceylivesay.com

So here’s the scoop on My Writing Process, based on the four questions.

What Are You Working On at the Moment?

I am currently writing Book 2 of a 4-book romantic suspense series. The series centers around Omega Sector – a covert interagency task force, made up of the most elite agents our country has to offer. The stories are about each of the Branson siblings (three brothers and a sister) who are in some way tied to Omega. 

These books will be released in January, February, May and June 2015 by Harlequin Intrigue.

How Does Your Work Differ From Others in the Genre?

The challenge with Intrigue books – because they are category books rather than longer single-title stories – is that I have to make my stories compelling and emotionally gripping in 55,000 words, rather than 90,000 words. Fortunately, that’s how I prefer it.

It requires keeping the main things the main things, and in Harlequin Intrigue books the main things are suspense and romance. My books are not filled with dozens of pages of backstory or description.  They’re not riddled with secondary characters that slow the progress of the story. The hero and heroine don’t meet half way through chapter five. 

Because of the word count constraints, the action and romance have to start almost right away.  And then it’s my job to make the characters (and the dangers!) heartfelt and real to the reader. It’s a challenge, but one I enjoy. It requires conciseness and focus – I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Why Do You Write What You Do?
In two words: first kisses.

I can be a pretty cynical person, so many of my friends were surprised to find that I had written a romance novel – I think they more had me pegged for straight up mystery or maybe science-fiction.

But the truth is, I love to read romance. Not sappy or bodice-ripping or any of the ridiculous stereotypical labels that often plague the romance genre.  But a compelling story where a boy meets a girl – in which one, or sometimes both of them, are wounded by their past in some way – and they find strength in themselves and completeness with each other.

Mostly, I love that moment when a character realizes: Holy crap, I’m in love with this person. And everything in their world changes. 

Of course, because I write romantic suspense, I also get to throw guns and serial killers and bombs and crime syndicate groups into the mix. I don’t want to let the love come too easily!

How Does Your Writing Process Work?

Often, sadly, not very well. Four kids, a day job, training for an Ironman… life can get in the way.

My goal is 1000-1500 words a day, which is about  5-7 pages.  The key for me, I’ve discovered, is protecting my novel-writing time. First thing in the morning, after getting the kids off to school, I sit down at my computer and write the novel I am contracted to write.  Usually while listening to the music of Cody Westheimer (fabulous mood music, for whatever mood you’re seeking).

I do not turn on Facebook.  I do not have my email open.  I do not work on my blog. I write my novel. Only after the required word count is completed do I allow myself to move on to other things.

All of the last two paragraphs would be TOTALLY AWESOME  if they were true. 

But the truth is, sometimes Facebook is blowing up my phone by the time I wake up and I’ve just got to get in on that time-wasting.  Or I have to research some random thing like who created liquid soap and why. Or I have a student who needs to be talked down from the ledge because she failed a quiz. Or I want to look at the sales figures of my current novel. Again. In case they’ve changed since yesterday.

But I’m working on protecting my novel-writing time. It helps that I have four insane deadlines in 2014 – basically one book due every 2.5 months. That doesn’t leave much time to waste. So I better leave you now and get back to that.

Hopping onto the "My Writing Process" Blog Tour next week (2/24):

1) Amy Woods is a new author for Harlequin Special Edition. Her first book will release in September, 2014. A library science grad student, research assistant, and writer, she lives in beautiful Austin, TX with her husband and a very spoiled rescue dog. Find her on her website: http://www.amywoodsbooks.com/, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

2) Sun Chara was shocked/surprised (in a fabulous way!) with her novel Manhattan Millionaire’s Cinderella First Prize Win in the JABBIC (Judge a Book by Its Cover) - Readers Choice/contemporary series. Hooray! https://www.facebook.com/sunchara3

3) Maria Michaels writes inspirational romance for The Pelican Book Group/White Rose. Her debut novella is Harte's Peak, part of the Redemption Peak series. Find her at: http://www.romancingthewriter.blogspot.com/

4) Jane Hunt returns to the My Writing Process tour next week too.  Her book, The Dragon Legacy, is available now. Find her at: http://jolliffe01.com/

PRIMAL INSTINCT - Cover Reveal!

I was harassing my poor father the other day on facebook. Evidently, a friend of his asked him what type of books I write. My dad -- bless him -- couldn't remember the term "romance novels" so how did he respond?

"She writes sex books."

Oh, boy.

It's not totally my father's fault, I guess. He hasn't read Primal Instinct yet, doesn't really understand that it's a romantic suspense book, complete with a serial killer and everything. And, I have to admit, when I first told him I had sold the novel to Harlequin Intrigue, all I told him was that it was about an FBI agent.

Oh, and I told him that this would be the cover:

My dad's response: "But, I thought he was an FBI agent. Where does he keep his weapon and his badge?" Maybe this picture explains a little of the sex-book talk. :-)

But today I got THE REAL COVER of Primal Instinct! Hot off the virtual presses from Harlequin HQ, here is the official cover for Primal Instinct that will be available March 18, 2014:

The back cover copy got changed a bit too. I like it:

A killer stalks the city streets, and one FBI agent is determined to bring him down in Janie Crouch's Primal Instinct. 

On the crowded streets of San Francisco, a serial killer watches and waits. Known only as "Simon Says," he lures his next victim while the FBI grasps for answers. Desperate, they turn to Adrienne Jeffries. Adrienne has an uncanny talent for getting inside the city's most dangerous minds. But first she'll have to get past FBI agent Conner Perigo. Skeptical of Adrienne's abilities, Conner begrudgingly enlists her help…unprepared for the powerful attraction that could jeopardize their focus. With little time, and everything to lose, they must work to find Simon's next victim—before he does.

(Back cover copy I originally submitted was:

Ten years ago Adrienne Jeffries was a profiler for the FBI with a talent so remarkable she became known as the bloodhound -- someone who could sense and track evil. But the price she paid for her abilities was too high, costing her almost everything. So she left the Bureau with no intention of ever returning.

FBI Agent Conner Perigo is trying to catch a killer who has eluded his team at every turn. He will use any means available -- including an unwilling ex-profiler with some sort of hocus-pocus abilities -- if it means finally getting ahead of the killer. What he doesn't expect is his attraction to Adrienne or his desire to protect this vulnerable beauty.

And she needs his protection, especially now that it seems the killer has targeted Adrienne as his next victim.

I think the new copy is better, tighter.)
 
My first book, my first cover  -- I must admit I was quite nervous, but I love it. I can't help but hope that everyone will be as thrilled with it as I am.

My Writing Space - Julie Miller

I'm continuing my series about something that interests me personally: writing spaces. I love to hear about that creative nook writers make for themselves in order to encourage the word-smithing genius. Therefore I've asked some of my author friends to share a picture and description of their personal writing spaces.

Julie Miller & I at RWA

As we go into this Thanksgiving weekend, I am grateful to have USA Today bestselling author Julie Miller sharing her writing space. Julie is an uber-talented writer and just a fantastic person in general. She has been such a blessing and encouragement to me as I've navigated the Harlequin Intrigue publishing waters with my first novel, and since her latest release, YULETIDE PROTECTOR, is her 50th (!!) book I've appreciated her guidance and support. When I first got "the call" that Harlequin wanted to publish my book, I told my editor that Julie was one of my favorite Intrigue authors. Don't I have good taste?

Julie and I met at the Harlequin party at the Romance Writer's of America. Let's just say shenanigans ensued, and leave it at that. Hehehe. Julie's such a Rock Star.

Intrigue authors - shenanigans!!

Because I love her so much I won't even tease her for having a monitor that looks suspiciously like it has a CD-ROM drive on it. :-)

Without further ado, From the Desk of Julie Miller:

1) Describe your writing space for us. Is there anything unique about it? Pretty normal place for a creative mind. Probably not organized enough for those who need structure, but I know where everything is. This room of the house is strictly "my" room.  Hubby has a Star Trek room decorated exactly how he wants with his precious things; my office is where I have my collection of collections: family pix and heirlooms, Pepsi items, Beauty & the Beast, antique/collectible toys, Beanie Babies, dolls, Mary Englebreit, Monet prints, etc. This is also where I have my shelves of keeper books, as well as reference books.  The official dog bed is in my office, too, and Maggie often naps right beside me as I work. Of course, any bed, pillow, sofa, spot on the rug is her bed, too, but she likes to stay close.

2) Is there anything else unique about your space? My dad built my writing desk.  He was a US Marine, a teacher, a master carpenter and the best dad a girl could ask for.  He built furniture for my brothers and me, as well as each of his grandchildren.  Besides being well-built and designed to my tastes, the desk is a wonderful memory of my dad.  He was always one of my biggest fans.

3) What do you like most about your writing space? I'm surrounded by things I love that

have special meaning to me. So it's a place where I love to go.

4) How long have you used this writing space? The extra bedroom was one of the reasons we picked this house. It's the smallest bedroom in the house, but has a big window for lots of light, and makes a perfect office for me. So, it has been my writing space since we moved in.

5) Any books or tools you have around your writing space that you can’t live without. Thesaurus. Dictionary. Baby name book. Sticky notes. Calendar. Wrist brace. Pepsi or cup of green tea, depending on the temperature.

6) Any organizational or writing space tip, tool, method, hint or amazing revelation you’d like to share.  Have a good chair, and make sure your monitor/laptop/keyboard/whatever you write on is positioned correctly (arms should be at 90 degree angle, for example) so that you don't run into back/neck/leg/wrist/eye/finger issues.  If you write a lot, you need to take care of your body's needs, or you won't be able to write for very long.

Julie Miller can be found at: www.juliemiller.org

Her newest Harlequin Intrigue YULETIDE PROTECTOR is on sale now.

Here's the cover blurb for Yuletide Protector:

HIS STAR WITNESS RECEIVES THREATS INSTEAD OF CHRISTMAS CARDS IN USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR JULIE MILLER'S MINISERIES THE PRECINCT: TASK FORCE

As the lone surviving victim who can put her attacker away in prison, heiress Bailey Austin becomes the key to the D.A.'s case against a notorious criminal. As lead detective, Spencer Montgomery must prep her for trial. But he becomes her personal protector when she starts receiving terrifying "gifts" meant to scare her away from testifying.

Spencer is a cop on the fast track to making captain one day, if he can keep his emotions in check. But as the stalker's threats escalate, he can't deny that Bailey has thawed his icy heart. Her courage touches him in ways no other woman has, and reminds him that she's more important to him than any investigation.