I swear, I thought today was Allison’s Thursday. (oops) I have no clue why I thought that, because it’s clearly marked on my calendar.

So, let’s talk about what you have been reading lately? I’d love it if you’d elaborate! Tell me what you loved. Who was new to you that you now are putting in the “keep and re-read” stack? What are you looking forward to in the next couple of months?

I know some of my fellow MSWers have books coming out next month. [Ladies, y'all please chime in here with what you have coming up next.] I recently thoroughly enjoyed Allison’s KISS ME, KILL ME (stunning suspense, seriously) and Rocki’s EDGE OF SIGHT (sexy, smart, funny, page-turner).

Me? I finally read HUNGER GAMES and really enjoyed it, but am sort of worried about reading the sequels, because I don’t see how they could possibly live up to the first. (I am always worried about that with sequels, though.) I loved the toughness of Katniss, and how she grew into someone making choices instead of reacting, (though I honestly cannot see how they’re going to make this into a movie for kids the age the book was intended for–if it followed the book, it would be very graphic). Have you read the sequels? Were you glad you did?

I also recently read Eileen Dreyer’s historical, BARELY A LADY, and loved it. Eileen has a way of bringing that historical to life and bringing those characters’ issues and layers forward that is just… well… luminous is the word that comes to mind.

Karen Marie Moning’s FEVER series had me absolutely captivated last month.  (Read all of those back-to-back when I was completely sick with the flu, running my own fever, and stuck in bed for about two days, which is probably best, because I might have wanted to scream if I had had to wait between book 3 and 4). What I loved about this series is what she accomplished with Barons. [Spoiler.....] She did not change who or what he was, or sugar coat it — but she deepened that character to the point that you completely understood his actions and empathized and accepted him for what and who he was because of his complete dedication to Mac, in all her incarnations. Even though he may have started off with ulterior motives and that’s all Mac saw for a long long time, there was always that something else pushing him, and you realized that in the sacrifice part of the books. Um… I forget which book that was in, now. But I couldn’t believe she did it when she did it, and I was stunned… and completely reading as fast as I could read to find out how in the hell she was going to get back out of that. And then it made complete sense because she’d set it up already.] [Wow.]

Really loved Patricia Briggs’ RIVER MARKED. (It’s against the law to chain a favorite writer to their desk to get three or four books a year, right? damn. Just checking.)

Monica McCarty’s Highlander series? YUM. (Yet another writer I want to chain somewhere to have more books, faster.)

On my TBR pile: Unforgiveable (our own Laura Griffin), Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter (Tom Franklin), Rogue Island (Bruce DeSilva)… and probably a few that y’all will mention today.

For playing along, one commenter will win a $25 gift certificate to an online bookstore of his/her choice! Winner selected after 12:00 p.m. (noon) CST on Saturday, announced on Sunday.

Ever have one of those days when you thought you did something, but didn’t, and it nagged you all night in your sleep until you wake up thinking, “What did I forget to do?” Well, for me it was posting this blog last night! Then the kids did NOT cooperate this morning and I didn’t have five minutes to sit down until now. BUT you are in for a treat, because I interviewed our own JENNIFER LYON! (cheers, whistles, applause.)

Jennifer Lyon, aka Jennifer Apodaca, (hmm, that sounds like she’s a criminal and I’m about to put an APB out on her) is one of the three remaining original members of Murder She Writes when we launched this blog over five years ago. She is truly a talented, fun, engaging—if slightly neurotic (aren’t we all?)—writer, and I am blessed to have her as a friend.

Jen started in humorous romantic mysteries, and I loved her Samantha Shaw series. The first book, DATING CAN BE MURDER, was fun, smart, and quirky—a lot like Jen herself! But as she is human, there’s also a dark, angsty, romantic side that exploded within the pages of her Wing Slayer series.

I’m thrilled to interview Jennifer as she launches the next two books in her paranormal romance Wing Slayer series. Though she’s been writing on this blog for years, my goal is for you to learn something new about her.

For those of you who don’t know her, Jen grew up mostly in Southern California. “Much to the amusement of my children, I met my husband at the dog pound,” Jen said. “They love that story! I live a pretty traditional “real” life and a rich “fantasy” life through my writing.”

I think one reason Jen and I click is because we shared a lot of the same writing influences as young adults—romance and horror. Jen said, “Some of my early favorite authors were Julie Garwood (loved her historical romances), Jude Deveraux, Judith McNaught, Stephen King and Dean Koontz—which shows how mixed my reading tastes can be! I loved romance and I loved the horror. It’s probably not a big surprise that I write paranormal that combines deep love with some dark and gritty story lines!”

Jen is a reader first. To her, the fun part of marketing is the readers themselves. “I just love connecting with readers because I’m a reader myself. So I hang out on Facebook when I can, do a fun blog on my website, that kind of thing. But it took a while to understand what approach works best for me.”

Jen’s favorite color changes with her mood. (Okay, that’s a bit quirky—unless I’m the only one who always had the same favorite color!) Today, her favorite color is emerald green. Just don’t hold her to that tomorrow! And I found out that she changes her favorite reading genres. Today she reads a lot of paranormal romance, but she also likes mysteries, romance, women’s fiction, thrillers, you name it. (I sense a trend here . . . )

Everyone has odd writing habits. Jen says, “When I start a new project, I like to have a brand new sharpened pencil, and I get very cranky when the kids steal my pencils! While I do the bulk of my work on the computer, I like to “think” by free writing on notebook paper, and also I make notes on a yellow pad relating to research, character names, etc. And I’m a bit of a caffeine addict—I often wonder if I could write a book if I ever gave up coffee.”

I think writers single-handedly keep the coffee bean farmers in business.

Jen’s Wing Slayer Hunters are unique and the books rich with a well-developed world for her amazing characters. That’s all because she believes research is important.

“I have a notebook full of research! I have information on demons, gods, witches, winged creatures like dragons and a phoenix. I’ve researched chakras and various things related to witches like candles, herbs, crystals, lunar cycles and anything that I come across. Oh and for Phoenix, the hero of NIGHT MAGIC, I have pages of Chuck Norris jokes—Phoenix loves Chuck Norris jokes!”

It’s the original and humorous details—like the Chuck Norris jokes—that take Jen’s books a step above so many others.

NIGHT MAGIC, which will be out on March 22, is the third book in the Wing Slayer series, followed by SINFUL MAGIC on May 24th.

On NIGHT MAGIC, Jen said, “Phoenix and Ailish are special to me. They are both damaged, but they rise above their pasts and the dark torments they have suffered to fight for each other. Ailish’s blindness makes her tough and capable, and she brings the hardened and tortured Phoenix to his knees. Their story has stayed with me even though I finished writing their book nearly a year ago.”

I asked Jen what she loves most about the Wing Slayer world. “Two things come to mind: First is the magic because I truly wanted to create a world for readers who wanted a little magic in their lives. The second thing is the powerful bond between the witch and her hunter—their love is so strong, each of them would walk through flames for the other. But it’s even more than that, they learn each others darkest fears, and they do everything they can to protect their loved one from the thing that scares them most. That’s a kind of love and I hope it comes through in the Wing Slayer World.”

Finally, I asked Jen what’s one little known fact about her that she’s never shared with Murder She Writes.

“I feel like I’ve been on Murder She Writes so long that I’ve probably shared everything! My life is an open book except that I am careful to protect the privacy of my husband and kids. Okay, I’ve got an embarrassing one: In my early teens, I watched Starsky and Hutch, and had a crush on David Soul. I don’t see the appeal now!”

What’s one little known secret in your life? Embarrassing or fun or just quirky! Jen’s giving away the first Wing Slayer book, BLOOD MAGIC, to two lucky commenters.

(Aren’t these amazing covers? They look so terrific together!)

On Tuesday, I spent the day with several SWAT teams as they went through medic training with the FBI.

SWAT–Special Weapons and Tactics- operatives specialize in hostage situations, high-risk warrant service operations, search-and-rescue operations, covert and undercover tactical operations and crowd control. Team members must complete advanced training and, while it is different from department to department, it’s rigorous and they must re-qualify continually. In the FBI, SWAT members must qualify monthly at the gun range, for example. But it’s not only firearms training–the physical training is just as demanding.

SWAT teams know how to be cops–they can take out the bad guys and secure a scene–but what about the victims? Until the paramedics arrive, SWAT is in charge–after they neutralize the danger, they need to assess injuries, give first aid, and maintain control. The victims are their patients. These guys already have experience with advanced first aid. Many are former military, and all have extensive experience–as Toni can explain better than I, to make a SWAT team requires not only a wide-range of abilities, but being the BEST at it. You can’t just make the SWAT team and coast–you are constantly tested and need to re-qualify every month.

This was the third role playing day I’ve done with the FBI, and the second that focused on triage. There were six stations the teams rotated through, including a hostage situation, a domestic situation, traffic stop gone bad, and an active shooter in a school environment. However, this time trauma surgeons and paramedics volunteered their time and expertise–at their own expense–traveling from as far as Virginia and San Diego because they are so passionate about their job and believe fully in these types of training programs.

The training sessions, which are put on by the FBI and offered to local law enforcement throughout the area, are multi-day events. On Monday, the SWAT teams–some which traveled over 150 miles to participate–took classes from the medical personnel. And on Tuesday, they put what they learned to the test.

They all know it’s not real, but a team of UC Davis trauma nurses came out to make it as real as possible, with “moulage.” Moulage is the art of applying mock injuries in training ERT’s and other medical or military personnel. Moulage is applying pre-made rubber or latex “wounds” and often uses makeup for realism (such as blood, open fractures, gunshot wounds, etc.)

The injuries could be minor:

Skinned Knees

Or life-threatening:

Stabbing

Heather above had a deep stab wound in her thigh. The medic set her up with an IV of blood attached to the rubber wound so that she could make it bleed when the SWAT team arrived. It was kind of cool Her wound was used to teach a technique about packing with a tourniquet would be difficult or impossible to place–packing gauze deep into a gaping wound to cover as much surface area as possible to help with the clotting process.

Some of the wounds looked incredibly realistic. Such as Tom’s blunt force trauma:

Hamming it up

or this re-barb injury:

or Stan’s gunshot wound:

or my own “injury” — a protruding bone that I got from running and falling down the stairs when the shooting started.

In my scenario, there were two shooters in a school or workplace situation. SWAT came in, neutralized the suspects quickly, then tended to the victims while waiting for the helicopter and EMTs to arrive. The purpose is to, essentially, secure the scene and triage the victims–assess their injuries, perform emergency first aid (i.e. applying tourniquets, giving CPR, etc.) and prioritize for transport. Easy? Not really. As role players, we acted like victims. Once we were on–and there was simulated gun fire using paint pellets with a primer so it sounds close to a real gun–your heart races. The SWAT team comes through–and each team does it differently–to secure the site and take out the shooters. In a real situation, they’d have people running at them, or reaching for them to help, or calling over to them. There are screams and cries and they don’t know who the shooter is, often where he is, if there is a partner, how many–they have to go in assuming that everyone is a suspect. We’re not supposed to make it easy for them, because in the real world they’re going to encounter a wide variety of victims. Screaming. Hysterical. Crying. Helpful. Calm. Shock.

They need to ignore the victims while they take care of the shooters, secure the building, then tend to the victims. One thing the paramedic in my scenario suggested (and praised) was bring the victims together to share limited supplies, keep them in sight, and make them easier to treat and transport. Another point driven home: SWAT was in charge of the victims, not just the crime scene, until medical help arrived. They needed to treat us victims, talk to us, calm us down. Some of the teams were better than the others at small talk. Others were straight business.

For my part, I had a non-life threatening but extremely painful broken leg with a protruding bone. And it was bleeding pretty darn good as well. I screamed when the gunfire started, then cried, sobbing, and depending on my mood during that drill, I would either beg for someone to help me or demand to know what happened to my friend Heather (the stabbing victim.) Kathy was part of the “walking wounded” — scrapped knees and a gunshot to the arm. She was great that when she saw the SWAT guys she’d stagger over to them. I could totally see that happening in real life. (I mean, if there WAS a shooter, I would definitely want to be as close to the cops as possible! Or I’d hide. )

We’re supposed to stay in role until the instructor calls for the team to come together. One SWAT team–which was tactically the most aggressive–quickly assessed everyone, applied the tourniquet to my leg, and then left me (as well as the other victims.) I couldn’t see what they were doing, but if I were being left without comment, I would probably want to know what the heck they were doing leaving me alone with a dead body as company. So they walk off and I called out, “Wait! Don’t leave me! I want to go home! Where are you? Please come back!” The head paramedic liked my improv

Near the end, the “helicopter” arrives and the SWAT leader is required to give a rundown of victims and injuries quickly and accurately. Then, the medic asks, “I have room for three. Who goes now?” And they need to know. If they don’t, the medic loses confidence that they’ve done the proper triage.

One of my favorite parts of the role playing drills is when the instructor walks through the scene and assesses the teams strengths and identifies areas of improvement. I say it that way because none of these SWAT teams were weak. This is where I learn the most–the little details that help me understand my characters and what they may face–both as a victim and as a hero. The facts and stats are always good to know, but it’s the reasoning behind decisions, the human factor of being a cop or a victim, that makes my books real to me, and I hope to my readers.

I talked to some of the guys afterward. Because everyone knows this isn’t real, I wanted to get their impression of the effectiveness of these types of drills. Of the three cops I spoke with, they were all enthusiastic about the program. One guy said that even though they know it’s not real, as soon as they’re geared up begin, the adrenaline starts pumping. Having role players with realistic injuries and playing a part makes it more real, and helps them focus on the situation. Everyone had praise for the medical experts who came out–on their own dime–to run the SWAT/medic training program. Some had never been in a program like this; others had participated before.

And all of them–from the SWAT operatives to the trauma surgeons to the paramedics to the FBI instructors who ran the program and assisted in the drills–are truly the everyday heroes I like to write about.

I can’t wait to do another drill. This was my third role-playing scenario. I’ve also toured Quantico (and plan to go back later this year), toured the morgue and observed an autopsy, and toured Folsom prison (and was warned that they don’t negotiate–so please don’t be taken hostage.) And more–I have been both lucky and blessed to be able to do a lot of these research “trips”–because while I love reading and learning from books, there’s nothing like going on-scene. I haven’t done a ride-along yet, but it’s high up on my list.

One of the other drills was a barroom hostage situation–the suspect stabbed his girlfriend and had a gun on her. He shoots at the cops when they come in, then is gunned down. So the scenario is designed to deal with both an officer down and life-threatening injuries to a hostage. Here’s a shot from the catwalk of that scenario:

And here is me with Joe Getty, from the morning radio program Armstrong and Getty. I did another scenario with Joe–when he was a bad guy and I was the wife of a wanted sex offender. On that day, we were both handcuffed and decided that being cuffed wasn’t fun!

Joe Getty & Me

My question for you all whether or not you’re a writer, what’s the one “research trip” you’d be excited about? Role playing with SWAT? A ride-along with local cops? Firefighters? A tour of the morgue? A prison? A military base? What about flying a plane with a fighter pilot, learning to parachute, or touring the underground tunnels in Sacramento? Shadowing a judge? A prosecutor? It can be anything, just something you’ve always wanted to learn about outside of your normal profession or hobbies. Comment for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to the online bookstore of your choice!

On a more personal note, thank you to everyone who helped put KISS ME, KILL ME on the NYT list (#16) and the USAT list (#32)! I’m now deep into writing IF I SHOULD DIE, which is scheduled to be released on 11.22.11. And I’m giving you all a sneak peak at the new cover . . . which looks so good with the first two Lucy books.

Three times in two days I’ve been asked who would play my characters in a movie. I have a few I absolutely know–like Timothy Olyphant as Sheriff Nick Thomas in SPEAK NO EVIL. Or Timothy Olyphant as the sociopath Theodore Glenn in KILLING FEAR. Or Timothy Olyphant as Sheriff Tyler McBride in TEMPTING EVIL. Or . . . well, he can pretty much play any character he wants to Yes, I’m a bit obsessed.

Timothy Olyphant as hero:

(BTW, JUSTIFIED is the best show out there today–just FYI if you haven’t seen it! It’s on F/X. Wednesdays at 10 pm)

Someday, I would love to go through all my characters (villains and heroes and heroines) and decide who I think would be best at portraying them. But it would take me all night . . . and then some! So I decided to focus tonight on the main characters in the Lucy Kincaid series.

I could see Lucy as a television series more than on the big screen, because there are so many plot possibilities to “stand alone” even under the arc of the first book, LOVE ME TO DEATH. So if I was casting her series, here are some of the actors I would look at:

Lucy Kincaid
Lucy is a survivor, older than her years, Cuban-American, and very serious. She’s also smart, athletic, and prone to panic attacks that she hides from her family. She’s compassionate and resourceful. She’s lost her ability to relax and have fun, without serious prompting.

I had no one in mind, until I started watching DETROIT 187 and then Natalie Martinez seemed to fit the bill. She’s not exactly how I picture Lucy, but I think she could get into her personality very well. However, her boobs may be too big.

Other actresses that came to mind: Evangeline Lilly (LOST) (except for the light eyes)

Or Rebecca Hall

Sean Rogan
Sean is a genius, can be lazy, a “reformed” bad boy/ladies man. He is a geek in many ways (he loves his gadgets) and he is probably too attached to his car (a black Mustang GT.) He has a love-hate relationship with law enforcement, hates bullies, fights for the underdog–even if it means breaking the law. He likes to have fun–his motto, “Work smart, play hard.”

Most of the actors I like for Sean are too serious . . . he’s Irish, dark hair and blue eyes. But these come to mind:

Milo Ventimiglia. Probably not buff enough, but I just adore him

Joshua Jackson. He can do serious and laugh.

Ryan Reynolds. Just . . . I don’t know. He has a great look, but might be TOO light.

Ian Somerhalder might be too serious, but he has a terrific look and smile and an edge I love. I could see him as Sean

And D.J. Cotrona, also from DETROIT 187. A great look, but maybe too short for Sean. He might actually work better for Patrick . . . though Patrick looks more Irish than the rest of his family.

Then there are the secondary characters for the series.

FBI Agent Noah Armstrong, a by-the-book former Air Force Raven who doesn’t like Sean because he’s a Rogan . . . and Noah has had run-ins with Rogan’s.

Maybe David Anders? I’ve loved him ever since ALIAS, and thought he was one of the best characters on HEROES.

And the head vigilante (not to give away any spoilers by naming him), maybe Dylan McDermott. Not a lead role, but absolutely pivotal and a potential scene stealer.

Kate Donovan, Lucy’s sister-in-law . . . how about January Jones?

And FBI Agent Suzanne Madeaux in KISS ME, KILL ME–early 30s, blonde, beautiful, with attitude, I think Kristen Bell would be perfect.

And remember . . . KISS ME, KILL ME, book two in the Lucy Kincaid series, went on sale Tuesday. My mom thinks it’s even better than LOVE ME TO DEATH. RT Book Reviews 4-1/2 star review said: “[A] riveting new series. … Lucy continues to be a fascinating and enticing character, and her ongoing development adds depth to an already rich brew of murder and mystery. Brennan rocks!”

So now, tell me . . . who do you think should play the Lucy? Sean? Noah? Kate? Patrick? Dillon? Anyone else? Let’s have some fun, share your thoughts (no spoilers!) and someone will win a $25 gift card to the bookstore of your choice.

Yesterday, an aspiring writer emailed me and asked if I had any advice. I told her: write every day, learn to discern advice from critique groups (or anyone who reads your work) to figure
out if it makes your story stronger or not, be self-critical without being self-defeating, and edit ruthlessly. Few published authors sold their first completed manuscript–I sold my fifth. So if you love to
write, and knew today that you would never be published, and yet you still wrote, you’re halfway to publication.

That “I sold my fifth” means only one thing: I didn’t give up.

Most of us write and rewrite and become better writers because of it. There will always be the writers who sell their first book; there will always be the writers who can’t self-edit and think that everything they write is brilliant. Fortunately, I am neither, and I am in the majority.

I rarely repost a blog, but today I am. It’s two years old and I original wrote it for Murderati. But I blogged yesterday for my friend Robert Gregory Browne because he was on a tight deadline and forgot today was my day to post here. I stared at the computer, brain dead, and remembered a comment a couple weeks ago that someone sent me about this exact blog post and I thought wow, it’s perfect! And still relevant.

ANATOMY OF A SUPERFICIAL NOVEL

Some writers sell their first completed manuscript. I wasn’t one of them. I sold my fifth.

When I speak to non-writing groups (and, unfortunately, some writing groups) and share that fact, they’re surprised. Why did it take me so many books? Why didn’t I self-publish if NY didn’t see my genius? Why didn’t I rewrite my first book to make it better? My husband told me once that he would have rewritten and edited and tweaked his first book until it sold or he was dead.

If I had done that with HOT LATTE, I’d be dead before I found a publisher.

I told this story over drinks at the 2009 PASIC conference to our own Toni and Rocki. Rocki stared at me, mouth open, and said, “YOU–YOU Allison Brennan–actually wrote a book called HOT LATTE?!?!”

I had a good reason. Every morning my heroine walked to the local coffeehouse and ordered a hot latte. Duh.

HOT LATTE was a romantic suspense. It had all the elements of a romantic suspense novel–and then some. I wrote it in three months (while working full time, though at that point I only had three kids), then edited it, proofread it, and thought it would certainly land me an agent and sell. Because, after all, FINISHING a book was the hardest part of writing! (Oh, ignorance is bliss!)

I sent out over fifty queries to agents I’d “pre-qualified”–I didn’t know anything about writers groups or critique groups. I was ignorant of most things, except I did know that I shouldn’t pay to get my book read or published. I actually found the Preditors & Editors site before I heard of RWA! So my pre-qualifications were kind of limited–they couldn’t charge fees, they couldn’t be “not recommended” by P&E, and they needed to be looking for romantic suspense. (After this first set of queries, I greatly improved my querying system! But this was my first book.)

After I sent the queries, confident that I would get an offer, I started on my next book. I had a lot of rejections, but that was ok–already, I knew my new book was better. I wanted to have it done before I had that contract in hand, so I’d have another book all ready for my new publisher.

Oh, the joys of ignorance.

I ended up with one request for a full manuscript. I was elated. Certainly she loved my voice, and all it takes is one person (well, two if you count the editor who will buy it . . . )

I sent that puppy off, with a nice cover page, an SASE (though I suspected she’d call if she was offering representation, so we could chat), and hope. I mentioned in the cover letter that she’d requested the manuscript, and I was almost done with my second novel–PROTECTING HART–(do I hear laughing?) and would she like to see that too?

A few weeks later, I received my SASE. The agent had enclosed my cover letter (attached to writers classes that she and her agenting partner offered–be wary, scams come in many shapes and sizes!) with one word double-underlined:

SUPERFICIAL.

Fortunately, I have a pretty thick skin. While the scant criticism stung, I had already finished my second novel and had started querying again. (And no, I never sent another query to that agent. But in 2008, about five books after I hit the New York Times list, said agent asked if I could do her a favor by speaking at a small, regional writers conference because she was a great admirer of my work. Saying no (very politely) felt good. Is that petty?)

I have since analyzed my first completed manuscript and “superficial” is the last thing I’d call it. Convoluted, messy, poorly written–yes. But there was a plot–a whole lotta plot–that changed the boundaries of “six degrees of separation” theory to, I don’t know, two degrees of separation . . .

If I were writing my logline for HOT LATTE today, I’d have something like this:

Seattle detective investigating a string of serial rapes that take a sudden deadly turn, he realizes that his new, sexy neighbor alarmingly fits the profile–and the web of attacks is getting closer to home.

Okay, that’s rough, but it doesn’t sound TOO bad, right?

Except that the book had so much . . . more. In fact, it had EVERYTHING.

HOT LATTE
Romantic Suspense–120,000 words
By Allison Brennan

Leah Cavanaugh is a virgin. (Dammit, I know SOMEONE is laughing at me now . . . )

Leah works from home, the top floor of a Victorian flat, for a Seattle-based computer company similar to Microsoft. Her primary job is computer security–monitoring the network, testing new security protocols, etc. (I know nothing about this, I made it all up–didn’t even know enough to know I knew nothing.) She hears a noise in the vacant second floor apartment. Because even then I couldn’t stand too-stupid-to-live females, I didn’t have her investigate. She called the police. (Yeah!) Except then she remembered her first floor elderly neighbors, the owners of the building, and she feared they would be hurt or injured by the evil intruder. So grabbing a baseball bat (because all single white female virgins living in urban cities have a baseball bat handy), she ventures downstairs, not wanting to confront anyone, but to reach her neighbors so she could stay with them until the police arrived. (Don’t ask me why she didn’t simply CALL her neighbors on the phone.) The intruder is in the stairwell and she hits him; he attacks. Just to defend himself, mind you, because he is after all a cop and the new tenant.

Ta-da. A classic romantic suspense set-up.

The opening chapter wasn’t bad, which is probably why I got that request for a full and finaled in a contest.

But it gets worse. A whole lot worse.

* Det. Mark Travis, sex crimes, moved to the apartment because he was being stalked by his psychotic ex-girlfriend. He got a restraining order against her when she went all Fatal Attraction on him, and he’s embarrassed by it.
* Leah is a virgin. Mark is a womanizer.
* Leah was engaged to a charming VP in her company, who she learned was having an affair. She broke off the engagement.
* Leah’s best friend is the kind, happily married VP colleague of her cheating ex.
* The kind friend discovers someone is stealing secrets from the company, and Leah is tasked with figuring out who it is.
* Meanwhile, Mark and his partner Dave are investigating a string of rapes. Now one of the victims ends up dead.
* Leah goes to a nearby coffeehouse every morning (remember: HOT LATTE. As if anyone could forget . . . ) The guy behind the counter is infatuated with her.
* We learn soon that he’s stalking her.
* Mark and Leah start talking. They’re attracted. They kiss. (This takes about 100 pages, there’s a lot of other stuff going on! Corporate espionage, stalking, police investigation . . . )
* Mark’s ex-girlfriend tracks him down and sees him kiss Leah. She plans revenge.
* Leah’s ex-boyfriend turns out to be the one stealing secrets. She turns him in. He disappears.
* Someone trashes Leah’s apartment. (It’s Mark’s ex-girlfriend, but they don’t know that.)
* Leah’s stalker sees a confrontation between Mark and his ex. (Clue! Foreshadowing! Obvious!)
* Leah moves into the rectory with her brother, an ex-Marine turned priest. (No one laugh–in SUDDEN DEATH I used this too, only he was ex-special operations turned priest. And it worked this time . . . I hope!)
* Mark continues his investigation and begins to suspect that Leah is in danger because of the physical victimology and because the pattern of attacks is getting closer to her apartment, spiraling in.
* Her ex tracks her down with his two partners in crime. He’s furious she foiled his plans and wants her to break into the payroll system and transfer payroll to his Swiss bank account before it’s direct deposited into employee accounts. She refuses. He shoots her brother. Peter is dying and she’s forced to help.
* Mark and his partner come in and rescue them, arrest the bad guys.
* Mark and Leah have sex.
* He tells her his theory about the rapes. She doesn’t believe him. He suspects her “kind” friend in the company. She’s furious.
* The stalker breaks into Mark’s apartment and steals a knife. He kills Mark’s ex-girlfriend and frames him.
* Mark’s arrested and put in jail.
* The stalker kidnaps Leah. Takes her to his house. She tries to escape, but fails. He returns, re-captures her, and takes her to a cabin in the Cascades because he learned the police had found his identity.
* Mark’s partner helps prove he couldn’t have killed the ex. They learn Leah is missing.
* Because of the investigation that’s been going on, Mark figures out the killer had to be the guy at the coffeehouse. They go to his house–no one is there.
* . . . Except the killer’s mother, who’s long-dead in her bedroom. (Yeah, yeah, I know. Don’t say it.)
* They have evidence Leah was there; through property records track down the cabin.
* Surround it. (Yeah! SWAT!)
* The killer wants to get married. He sets up a fake wedding and makes Leah wear a wedding dress.
* Bedlam ensues. Mark rescues Leah, but I think Leah ends up killing the stalker–I don’t remember. It’s been seven years . . . okay, now nine years . . .

Is it any surprise the book was 120K words? It had virtually every element that romantic suspense has–all in one book! No wonder I thought I was brilliant. ROFLOL.

And I didn’t even tell you about the crime scenes. Suffice it to say . . . I had some timely memories from previous victims to help Mark figure out Leah was in jeopardy.

Murder, rape, stalking, corporate espionage, virgins, psychopaths, jilted lovers, sex–HOT LATTE had it all. And then some.

I’ve used many of these elements in future books: Seattle setting/sex crimes detective (THE KILL); stalker/rapist (SPEAK NO EVIL); psychotic ex-girlfriend (KILLING FEAR); ex-soldier priest (SUDDEN DEATH). They work much better solo . . .

I’ve never regretted writing this book, even though it never sold (and it never SHOULD sell. And I don’t think I have the manuscript anymore, in any format electronic or print.) I learned so much about story, pacing, characters, and suspense. Writing HOT LATTE helped me develop my voice. There are some things in that book that are still true for me today:

* I always develop a villains POV. (Well, not anymore. In KISS ME, KILL ME — that comes out on Tuesday (Blatant Self-Promo) there is not villain POV.)
* I usually have at least one law enforcement/investigator as a protagonist. (Also not true — neither Sean nor Lucy is in law enforcement . . . yet.)
* I have a hero and heroine, they get to have sex, and they survive by the end of the book. (Really, the very basic frame of all romantic thrillers.) (And yes, I’ve done that in all my books except ORIGINAL SIN because Moira and Rafe didn’t have sex until book two, CARNAL SIN. I thought it was worth the wait . . . )
* I love writing romantic suspense.

KISS ME, KILL ME will be my sixteenth published novel. I’m currently writing IF I SHOULD DIE, Lucy Kincaid #3.

I’ve been thinking recently about debut novels. My debut was THE PREY (my fifth completed manuscript.) Because I enjoy being mentally tortured, I read my reviews. Most people think that my books have gotten better, with minor exceptions. (My mom is always honest with her opinion!) Some people love THE PREY and my first trilogy, and pretty much think everything I’ve written since is crap. But one review for THE PREY said something very interesting:

I have to be honest; If this had been the first Brennan novel I’ve read, I probably would have enjoyed it more. But because I’ve read her more recent work, I found this one lacking.

I don’t regret writing and publishing THE PREY. I love the story. But I happen to agree with this reviewer. If I wrote that story today, there are some things I would have done different. Not major story points, but there are some scenes that didn’t need to be in the book, and others I should have written. I would have limited the introspection more (during revisions, my editor asked for introspection in a variety of places. In hindsight, she didn’t want them in EVERY space–she just wanted more depth. I went overboard.) And I would have made my heroine more sympathetic. She was a bit too cold, though justified.

I’m proud of the book because it was my first publishable book. Not the first book I wrote, but the first book that was “good enough” to see print. But like HOT LATTE and PROTECTING HART where I learned about story elements and structure and pacing, I have learned a lot since writing my first trilogy. And I think most authors will agree that, with some exceptions, they’ve improved.

It’s only when we get bored with our stories that they lose their spark.

What do you think? Have your favorite authors gotten better? Stayed about the same? Disintegrated into a pile of mush? Do others feel the same, or was it just you?

As an author, do you feel you’ve improved? Did you sell your first book? Tenth? If you didn’t sell your first book, knowing what you know today about your voice and writing, be honest: is that book publishable? Could it be salvaged? Or is it a valuable lesson learned (and kept hidden from the world) that helped you become the author you are today?

I’m giving away one copy of KISS ME, KILL ME which comes out on Tuesday. Read an exclusive three chapter preview here. Comment by midnight Friday PST.