Romantic suspense stories are my favorite, and the reason I write suspense, which never fails to shocks me, since I didn't like mysteries at all growing up. I didn't consider Zane Grey westerns mysteries. They were just stories about cowboys chasing cattle rustlers through dust canyons. Women seldom found their way into his novels.
I refrained from reading anything scary, avoided Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys books like the mumps. I preferred the Bobbsey Twins. Now that I think about it, those books were mysteries, too, about trivial things disappearing while on vacation, then miraculously being found. Nothing scary. Never anything life threatening. I didn't read mysteries, but read everything else I could get my hands on. Historical novels and biographies were my favorite. What young girl didn't dream of marrying a Duke or a Prince?
Once I'd raised my family and found time to read again, a friend at work introduced me to books by LaVyrle Spencer and Kathleene Woodiwiss and I firmly believed I'd found my niche. I'd always planned to write when I retired, and now I knew what I'd write, novels about unlikely people meeting and falling in love, the same books I loved to read, romance novels about lost souls finding safe harbors for the heart.
I didn't discover romantic suspense until I stumbled on Heartbreaker, a novel by Karen Robards, a tale so scary I had to pop nitroglycerine tables every few minutes for stress-related chest pains, in order to finish the book. No way was I putting down that book until I'd read the last page. The author so completely reeled me in that I became the mother racing through the woods with my teenage daughter to escape the gun-toting bad guy on our trail. That's romantic suspense at its absolute best.
Law Breakers and Love Makers, my first romantic suspense Desert Breeze Publishing released, is best described as a roller coaster ride, where dramatic high points and bits of humor vie for the reader's attention in the hero's desperate race to keep the heroine safe.
Temp to Permanent, my June 1 release, also from Desert Breeze, didn't start out to be a romantic suspense, but unbeknownst to me the heroine ran into a former boyfriend a few days before the novel begins, and I didn't discover he was out for revenge until I'd written over a hundred pages. Thank goodness I'd characterized the hero as a man quite able to take on anything that came his way.
In my dark October release, Decisive Moments, there's romantic suspense of another kind. A determined photographer and a reclusive architect bump heads over her need to photograph a boarded up house he hasn't entered for years. The heroine's unexpected attempts to teach the hero to smile opens a chink in his armor that lets the heroine's five-year-old daughter slip through, and allows painful memories of the hero's devastating childhood to again monopolize his thoughts. Only love can heal his wounds and allow him to build a future for the three of them in a house he's refused to enter for most of his life.
Writing romantic suspense is far different from writing a contemporary romance. The writer has to think ahead and plant seeds of doubt while remembering to not make it so difficult the reader can't figure out who dunnit. Red herrings help, but the writer must simultaneously build the attraction between the hero and heroine even though they have a mystery to solve, and give the budding romance time to blossom before something really awful happens and spoils their fun. If they can catch the bad guy before someone dies, he's free to ask for her hand in marriage. Yes!
I like to think of It as a juggling act. How many story lines can I keep in the air without dropping one? So far my mysteries are straightforward, not convoluted like some I've read. I dearly love complicated plots, but am yet to plot one with lots of twists and turns, although one is simmering in the back of my mind.
Visit Toni's website at:
http://www.toninoelauthor.com/
Showing posts with label Temp to Permanent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Temp to Permanent. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Toni's inspiration for Temp to Permanent
In my other life as an accountant, I maintained the accounting software and supervised payroll. Each year just prior to year-end close I interviewed candidates sent over from various temporary help agencies for the most likely candidate to fill my shoes while I concentrated on producing year end financial reports.
One year, the best temp to interview for the job turned out to be a show-stopping male. He had the training, skills and willingness to help I was looking for and could start the next day, auditing weekly time sheets. Word spread among our employees and a steady line of women employees soon began parading past his desk to turn in their time sheets in person and see for themselves if what they'd heard about the new temp was true.
The poor guy had a wife at home, but that didn't deter his admirers, who looked for any excuse to visit accounting and earn his smile. They even hung out of their cubicles whenever he walked by.
Those events inspired my second published novel, Temp to Permanent. I'd decided to write a novel about the overextended owner of an advertising firm whose secretary calls in sick on the busiest day of the heroine's career, forcing her to place an urgent call for a temp.
When a man so good-looking she longs to feast on him across a dinner table in some romantic setting shows up, she thinks uh-uh, no way. She needs help, not the distraction this handsome guy is already causing her, and tries to send him away. He convinces her to let him work without pay until lunch time, so he can prove himself to her.
And prove himself he does, in countless ways. His fingers fly over the keys of her computer. He uses his head and makes needed decisions without interrupting her. It's only when he clears his throat in the outer office that her thoughts return to him. How can she get any work done under these conditions? Somehow, she must.
And so the busy life of Carina Carrington gets turned upside down by a black-haired, blue-eyed temp determined to help her company succeed at all cost.
Here's a blurb: A struggling business woman and her secretive temporary secretary are drawn together by love and forced apart by her suspicions and his relentless adherence to ethics-in-the-office guidelines until he saves her life.
Temp to Permanent unedited Excerpt:
Carina Carrington's fingers flew across the computer keyboard.
Not fast enough.
She'd never meet her schedule without another pair of hands. Of all possible days, why did Rachael pick today to call in sick?
And what happened to her replacement? The temp agency had promised to send a secretary an hour ago. What was keeping her?
At the scrape of a leather shoe sole, Carina's concentration cracked.
"Hello, is anyone here?"
Startled, Carina hit a wrong key. Unless his face matches that heart-stopping voice, I'll throttle this salesman.
She abandoned the keyboard and swiveled around in her chair. Six feet of tanned muscles crossed her carpet. No way would she choke this hunk.
"There's no one at the desk out front," a husky male voice rasped.
Surrounded by masculine scent, Carina riveted her gaze on his business card, then glanced up. Devilish blue eyes locked with hers. She looked away to conceal her unprofessional, very unladylike reaction.
"I'm Gregory Lawless from Data Services. Pat Kilpatrick said to see Mrs. Carrington. Your receptionist--"
"Has the flu."
This perfect example of centerfold material could not possibly type.
With all the work still to turn out, I'll kill Pat, instead.
Reluctantly Carina pushed back her chair and stood to shake his hand. Good grip, self-confident. "That's why you're here, Mr. Lawless. I'm short handed today, and it's Miss Carrington."
She indicated a chair and waited for him to sit. "The agency didn't say they were sending a man." Oops. Maybe employers weren't supposed to say things like that anymore.
"Is that a problem?"
"Only if you can't do the job." She wasn't about to acknowledge how difficult he made the simple act of speech.
He folded his lanky frame into the visitor's chair she'd indicated and placed a folder on her desk. "Ms. Kilpatrick asked me to give you this copy of my résumé."
A deep cleft creased his chin. How could she think with that distraction? With her weakness for cleft chins she couldn't hope to actually work around this man. His devastating smile belonged in a bedroom. In a bar. Anywhere but in her office, ruining her concentration.
Carina sank into her own chair and opened his file to study the brief list of qualifications while steadying her heart beat. San Diego Data Services normally provided exceptional help, but Pat had warned this flu epidemic had also left her short handed. Gregory must be the last healthy soul available.
Healthy? He was that, all right. From what she could see, far healthier than a man had any need to look.
He'd indicated a willingness to work. Any warm body could man the phones in her secretary's absence. What about this unexpected heat? Maybe Mom was right and she was sex-deprived.
Perhaps tomorrow Pat would have a real secretary available. Her mind pictured a prim woman. Someone wearing a skirt whose very presence wouldn't take her mind off her work.
She glanced up from the résumé to study Gregory. Information in the agency's file was scant, little more than name, address and social security number. He looked about her age. Why would a man approaching thirty resign himself to temporary work?
Carina drew a steadying breath. "Have you been with Data Services long?"
He tilted his head, obviously mulling over a reply. "This is my first assignment."
Great. Disgruntled by his admission, she looked away. Few skills and even less experience. Carina stole a glance. The smile hovering about his mouth prevented objective reasoning. "With a busy week ahead of me, there won't be much time for training."
He peered at the scribbled notes on her calendar and lifted one cocky eyebrow, giving him a rakish appearance that almost brought her out of her chair.
"Tell you what. Let's not waste any more time. Give me a chance to help and if I don't meet your requirements, you don't owe me a cent."
Desperation evident in his voice caused her to give him a sharp look. "So you're a gambler, too."
He straightened his back against the chair, then leaned forward and gazed at her. "I've nothing to lose," he admitted with admirable honesty.
Carina pondered everything she would gain if Gregory could fill Rachael's shoes. She wouldn't need to postpone tomorrow's meeting and might still land that contract.
Quick decisions were her trademark. "I'll only expect you to answer the phone. On Mondays it rings constantly."
He grinned, nodding. "How shall I answer?"
Criminey. Would she need to hold his hand and walk him through the office as well? "Carrington Graphics will do."
"I'll manage. What is the nature of your business? Ms. Kilpatrick said you needed someone in a hurry and didn't take time to fill me in."
"Advertising." From the bookcase behind her desk Carina selected two brochures and unfolded them for Gregory to examine. "This is a terrible time to come up short handed. I've two important presentations scheduled, one tomorrow, and another on Friday. Rachael always handles my prepress. Without her, I'll never be ready."
After a moment, Gregory leaned across her desk to return the brochures. Fragrance, spicy-clean and fresh, teased her nostrils. Aftershave and a recent shower, a masculine scent far too likely to distract her, if she gave it a chance. She wouldn't, absolutely couldn't. Not this week.
"I've had some experience with--"
"It's likely the phones will occupy all your time." She couldn't picture his neatly trimmed fingertips flying over a keyboard.
Imagining his hands tangled in some woman's hair though...
Easy. Far too easy.
Cut that out. "Why don't I get you settled at the front desk, Gregory."
He followed her into the outer office. "I prefer Greg."
She ignored the thump of her heart. "Greg it is."
The phone rang. Carina reached for it, only to find Greg's hand already there. He gave her a complacent look and shrugged.
"Good morning, Carrington Graphics," he said into the receiver. "How may I direct your call?" He listened a moment longer. "Certainly, just one moment, please." He placed the caller on hold. "There's a typesetting question on line one."
"Thank you. I'll take it in my office." She rubbed the circulation back into her fingers as she walked away.
The less she heard Greg Lawless' voice, the more she'd accomplish. Carina decided, and pulled her door closed before lifting the receiver. She had her secretary's work to finish.
You're invited to visit Desert Breeze Publishing's Web site, download the book, and find out what happens next. http://www.stores.desertbreezepublishing.com
And visit Toni's web site: http://www.toninoelauthor.com
One year, the best temp to interview for the job turned out to be a show-stopping male. He had the training, skills and willingness to help I was looking for and could start the next day, auditing weekly time sheets. Word spread among our employees and a steady line of women employees soon began parading past his desk to turn in their time sheets in person and see for themselves if what they'd heard about the new temp was true.
The poor guy had a wife at home, but that didn't deter his admirers, who looked for any excuse to visit accounting and earn his smile. They even hung out of their cubicles whenever he walked by.
Those events inspired my second published novel, Temp to Permanent. I'd decided to write a novel about the overextended owner of an advertising firm whose secretary calls in sick on the busiest day of the heroine's career, forcing her to place an urgent call for a temp.
When a man so good-looking she longs to feast on him across a dinner table in some romantic setting shows up, she thinks uh-uh, no way. She needs help, not the distraction this handsome guy is already causing her, and tries to send him away. He convinces her to let him work without pay until lunch time, so he can prove himself to her.
And prove himself he does, in countless ways. His fingers fly over the keys of her computer. He uses his head and makes needed decisions without interrupting her. It's only when he clears his throat in the outer office that her thoughts return to him. How can she get any work done under these conditions? Somehow, she must.
And so the busy life of Carina Carrington gets turned upside down by a black-haired, blue-eyed temp determined to help her company succeed at all cost.
Temp to Permanent unedited Excerpt:
Carina Carrington's fingers flew across the computer keyboard.
Not fast enough.
She'd never meet her schedule without another pair of hands. Of all possible days, why did Rachael pick today to call in sick?
And what happened to her replacement? The temp agency had promised to send a secretary an hour ago. What was keeping her?
At the scrape of a leather shoe sole, Carina's concentration cracked.
"Hello, is anyone here?"
Startled, Carina hit a wrong key. Unless his face matches that heart-stopping voice, I'll throttle this salesman.
She abandoned the keyboard and swiveled around in her chair. Six feet of tanned muscles crossed her carpet. No way would she choke this hunk.
"There's no one at the desk out front," a husky male voice rasped.
Surrounded by masculine scent, Carina riveted her gaze on his business card, then glanced up. Devilish blue eyes locked with hers. She looked away to conceal her unprofessional, very unladylike reaction.
"I'm Gregory Lawless from Data Services. Pat Kilpatrick said to see Mrs. Carrington. Your receptionist--"
"Has the flu."
This perfect example of centerfold material could not possibly type.
With all the work still to turn out, I'll kill Pat, instead.
Reluctantly Carina pushed back her chair and stood to shake his hand. Good grip, self-confident. "That's why you're here, Mr. Lawless. I'm short handed today, and it's Miss Carrington."
She indicated a chair and waited for him to sit. "The agency didn't say they were sending a man." Oops. Maybe employers weren't supposed to say things like that anymore.
"Is that a problem?"
"Only if you can't do the job." She wasn't about to acknowledge how difficult he made the simple act of speech.
He folded his lanky frame into the visitor's chair she'd indicated and placed a folder on her desk. "Ms. Kilpatrick asked me to give you this copy of my résumé."
A deep cleft creased his chin. How could she think with that distraction? With her weakness for cleft chins she couldn't hope to actually work around this man. His devastating smile belonged in a bedroom. In a bar. Anywhere but in her office, ruining her concentration.
Carina sank into her own chair and opened his file to study the brief list of qualifications while steadying her heart beat. San Diego Data Services normally provided exceptional help, but Pat had warned this flu epidemic had also left her short handed. Gregory must be the last healthy soul available.
Healthy? He was that, all right. From what she could see, far healthier than a man had any need to look.
He'd indicated a willingness to work. Any warm body could man the phones in her secretary's absence. What about this unexpected heat? Maybe Mom was right and she was sex-deprived.
Perhaps tomorrow Pat would have a real secretary available. Her mind pictured a prim woman. Someone wearing a skirt whose very presence wouldn't take her mind off her work.
She glanced up from the résumé to study Gregory. Information in the agency's file was scant, little more than name, address and social security number. He looked about her age. Why would a man approaching thirty resign himself to temporary work?
Carina drew a steadying breath. "Have you been with Data Services long?"
He tilted his head, obviously mulling over a reply. "This is my first assignment."
Great. Disgruntled by his admission, she looked away. Few skills and even less experience. Carina stole a glance. The smile hovering about his mouth prevented objective reasoning. "With a busy week ahead of me, there won't be much time for training."
He peered at the scribbled notes on her calendar and lifted one cocky eyebrow, giving him a rakish appearance that almost brought her out of her chair.
"Tell you what. Let's not waste any more time. Give me a chance to help and if I don't meet your requirements, you don't owe me a cent."
Desperation evident in his voice caused her to give him a sharp look. "So you're a gambler, too."
He straightened his back against the chair, then leaned forward and gazed at her. "I've nothing to lose," he admitted with admirable honesty.
Carina pondered everything she would gain if Gregory could fill Rachael's shoes. She wouldn't need to postpone tomorrow's meeting and might still land that contract.
Quick decisions were her trademark. "I'll only expect you to answer the phone. On Mondays it rings constantly."
He grinned, nodding. "How shall I answer?"
Criminey. Would she need to hold his hand and walk him through the office as well? "Carrington Graphics will do."
"I'll manage. What is the nature of your business? Ms. Kilpatrick said you needed someone in a hurry and didn't take time to fill me in."
"Advertising." From the bookcase behind her desk Carina selected two brochures and unfolded them for Gregory to examine. "This is a terrible time to come up short handed. I've two important presentations scheduled, one tomorrow, and another on Friday. Rachael always handles my prepress. Without her, I'll never be ready."
After a moment, Gregory leaned across her desk to return the brochures. Fragrance, spicy-clean and fresh, teased her nostrils. Aftershave and a recent shower, a masculine scent far too likely to distract her, if she gave it a chance. She wouldn't, absolutely couldn't. Not this week.
"I've had some experience with--"
"It's likely the phones will occupy all your time." She couldn't picture his neatly trimmed fingertips flying over a keyboard.
Imagining his hands tangled in some woman's hair though...
Easy. Far too easy.
Cut that out. "Why don't I get you settled at the front desk, Gregory."
He followed her into the outer office. "I prefer Greg."
She ignored the thump of her heart. "Greg it is."
The phone rang. Carina reached for it, only to find Greg's hand already there. He gave her a complacent look and shrugged.
"Good morning, Carrington Graphics," he said into the receiver. "How may I direct your call?" He listened a moment longer. "Certainly, just one moment, please." He placed the caller on hold. "There's a typesetting question on line one."
"Thank you. I'll take it in my office." She rubbed the circulation back into her fingers as she walked away.
The less she heard Greg Lawless' voice, the more she'd accomplish. Carina decided, and pulled her door closed before lifting the receiver. She had her secretary's work to finish.
You're invited to visit Desert Breeze Publishing's Web site, download the book, and find out what happens next. http://www.stores.desertbreezepublishing.com
And visit Toni's web site: http://www.toninoelauthor.com
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Romantic Suspense Author Toni Noel
[Anne] Name one of your favorite books as a child.
[Toni] The Lilac Lady. I have no idea who wrote it, but the story was about a young girl living next door to a lady who shares her love of flowers with the child. My mother bought three hardback books for a dollar and it was one on them. I was also a Bobbsey Twins fan. Never read Nancy Drew, I didn’t like mysteries. Now I write romantic suspense. Go figure.
[Anne] Do you have a favorite author?
[Toni] Sharon Sala. She writes about subjects other writers avoid.
[Anne] Out of all the books you’ve read, which one comes immediately to your mind? If there is a favorite scene you remember, please share.
[Toni] Judy Duarte’s first inspirational Entertaining Angels. It's about a little girl who leaves poignant letters for her deceased mother in a tree in the park, and the lady who answers them.
[Anne] Your favorite vacation spot (whether you have been there or not)?
[Toni] A car-and-passenger ferry plying Alaska’s Inland Passage. Our sleeping compartment was larger than our accommodations on an anniversary cruise to Bahama. There were comfortable chairs in the main viewing room where we could watch whales sounding, and several restaurants with enough choices to satisfy anyone's hunger. On deck at the rear of the ferry adventurous young people slept in tents and dangled fish hooks over the side.
[Anne] Which would you rather have: A custom closet or a custom kitchen?
[Toni] My husband does the cooking. I recently had the kitchen remodeled for him, but my forty-four-year-old closets desperately need help. The closet rods are so overloaded one actually broke!
[Anne] It’s Saturday afternoon and you’re home alone. What are you wearing? And yes, you must have clothes on.
[Toni] Something blue, always. When it’s chilly, like today, I get cozy in fleece. In the summer, I wear cotton knits or capris. You do not want to see me in shorts.
[Anne] What’s your favorite dish?
[Toni] Lasagna. Favorite meal, steak.
[Anne] Other than writing, what do you enjoy doing?
[Toni] Gardening, camping, and talking long walks. I’m a nature lover at heart.
[Anne] You’ve just landed a multi-book contract with a major publisher! Which vehicle would we be more likely to see you driving after you’ve collected your huge advance: a Hummer, RV, truck, muscle car, or BMW?
[Toni] None of the above. We’re a two Volvo family, and I dream of replacing one of those twenty-year-old vehicles with a trim Volvo SUV.
[Anne] What’s your favorite television show?
[Toni] NCIS. Movie? Toy Story 3.
[Anne] You’ve won a talent show! What act did you perform?
[Toni] I used to sing church solos and recite Poe's The Raven for school programs, but not anymore.
[Anne] Would you rather have the power to be invisible or be able to fly, and why?
[Toni] I’d love to be invisible. I’m actually very shy. I dread walking into crowded rooms.
[Anne] What was one of the most surprising things you learned during your journey to publication?
[Toni] Good writing is hard work, but you meet some wonderful people along the way.
[Anne] What was the most interesting research you did for a book?
[Toni] For my time travel Rising Above, I had to learn how to maneuver a hot air balloon.
[Anne] Where do you go when you need to get inspired to write?
[Toni] To an RWA chapter meeting.
[Anne] Do you have any writing quirks?
[Toni] I do my best writing on rainy days, we just don’t get enough of them in Southern California.
[Anne] What do you think makes a good story?
[Toni] Well-defined characters determined to get what they want.
[Anne] What are you working on now?
[Toni] A contemporary romance about a stager and the wealthy man whose house she is hired to help sell.
[Anne] What's one of the more interesting experiences you've had with one of your readers?
[Toni] I'm still waiting to have one, perhaps it will happen at the Romantic Times Convention.
[Anne] Complete this scene: It was raining.
[Toni] A burly man came out of nowhere, and before I could react, he shoved me into a passing car.
Check out Toni's Lawbreakers and Love Makers!
Blurb:
Deputy Sheriff Jon Sutherland reunites with his high school sweetheart when he responds to a silent alarm she sets off while house sitting. This chance meeting sends the sheriff and Zoe Westmoreland on a roller coaster run for their lives.
Burglars escaping from her parents’ home, send her sprawling. Twice. Then she finds the gardener floating face down in the family pool and interrupts a burglary-in-progress next door. When the gardener's death is ruled a homicide Jon moves in to keep Zoe safe. Not all that easy.
Two men try to force their vehicles off the road, and the one time Jon leaves Zoe alone those really bad guys show up again. Thanks to Zoe's quick thinking and resourcefulness, the crooks get a free ride to the hospital and she winds up in Jon’s arms for keeps.
Purchase from her publisher: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-113/Toni-Noel-Law-Breakers/Detail.bok
[Toni] The Lilac Lady. I have no idea who wrote it, but the story was about a young girl living next door to a lady who shares her love of flowers with the child. My mother bought three hardback books for a dollar and it was one on them. I was also a Bobbsey Twins fan. Never read Nancy Drew, I didn’t like mysteries. Now I write romantic suspense. Go figure.
[Anne] Do you have a favorite author?
[Toni] Sharon Sala. She writes about subjects other writers avoid.
[Anne] Out of all the books you’ve read, which one comes immediately to your mind? If there is a favorite scene you remember, please share.
[Toni] Judy Duarte’s first inspirational Entertaining Angels. It's about a little girl who leaves poignant letters for her deceased mother in a tree in the park, and the lady who answers them.
[Anne] Your favorite vacation spot (whether you have been there or not)?
[Toni] A car-and-passenger ferry plying Alaska’s Inland Passage. Our sleeping compartment was larger than our accommodations on an anniversary cruise to Bahama. There were comfortable chairs in the main viewing room where we could watch whales sounding, and several restaurants with enough choices to satisfy anyone's hunger. On deck at the rear of the ferry adventurous young people slept in tents and dangled fish hooks over the side.
[Anne] Which would you rather have: A custom closet or a custom kitchen?
[Toni] My husband does the cooking. I recently had the kitchen remodeled for him, but my forty-four-year-old closets desperately need help. The closet rods are so overloaded one actually broke!
[Anne] It’s Saturday afternoon and you’re home alone. What are you wearing? And yes, you must have clothes on.
[Toni] Something blue, always. When it’s chilly, like today, I get cozy in fleece. In the summer, I wear cotton knits or capris. You do not want to see me in shorts.
[Anne] What’s your favorite dish?
[Toni] Lasagna. Favorite meal, steak.
[Anne] Other than writing, what do you enjoy doing?
[Toni] Gardening, camping, and talking long walks. I’m a nature lover at heart.
[Anne] You’ve just landed a multi-book contract with a major publisher! Which vehicle would we be more likely to see you driving after you’ve collected your huge advance: a Hummer, RV, truck, muscle car, or BMW?
[Toni] None of the above. We’re a two Volvo family, and I dream of replacing one of those twenty-year-old vehicles with a trim Volvo SUV.
[Anne] What’s your favorite television show?
[Toni] NCIS. Movie? Toy Story 3.
[Anne] You’ve won a talent show! What act did you perform?
[Toni] I used to sing church solos and recite Poe's The Raven for school programs, but not anymore.
[Anne] Would you rather have the power to be invisible or be able to fly, and why?
[Toni] I’d love to be invisible. I’m actually very shy. I dread walking into crowded rooms.
[Anne] What was one of the most surprising things you learned during your journey to publication?
[Toni] Good writing is hard work, but you meet some wonderful people along the way.
[Anne] What was the most interesting research you did for a book?
[Toni] For my time travel Rising Above, I had to learn how to maneuver a hot air balloon.
[Anne] Where do you go when you need to get inspired to write?
[Toni] To an RWA chapter meeting.
[Anne] Do you have any writing quirks?
[Toni] I do my best writing on rainy days, we just don’t get enough of them in Southern California.
[Anne] What do you think makes a good story?
[Toni] Well-defined characters determined to get what they want.
[Anne] What are you working on now?
[Toni] A contemporary romance about a stager and the wealthy man whose house she is hired to help sell.
[Anne] What's one of the more interesting experiences you've had with one of your readers?
[Toni] I'm still waiting to have one, perhaps it will happen at the Romantic Times Convention.
[Anne] Complete this scene: It was raining.
[Toni] A burly man came out of nowhere, and before I could react, he shoved me into a passing car.
Check out Toni's Lawbreakers and Love Makers!
Deputy Sheriff Jon Sutherland reunites with his high school sweetheart when he responds to a silent alarm she sets off while house sitting. This chance meeting sends the sheriff and Zoe Westmoreland on a roller coaster run for their lives.
Burglars escaping from her parents’ home, send her sprawling. Twice. Then she finds the gardener floating face down in the family pool and interrupts a burglary-in-progress next door. When the gardener's death is ruled a homicide Jon moves in to keep Zoe safe. Not all that easy.
Two men try to force their vehicles off the road, and the one time Jon leaves Zoe alone those really bad guys show up again. Thanks to Zoe's quick thinking and resourcefulness, the crooks get a free ride to the hospital and she winds up in Jon’s arms for keeps.
Purchase from her publisher: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-113/Toni-Noel-Law-Breakers/Detail.bok
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