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Meet the cast of characters from 'An Inner Fire'
My contemporary romantic mystery series featuring Grayce Walters includes a colorful cast of characters. I carefully developed each one so they would bring something unique to the series. James, Grayce’s cross-dressing best friend, is her faith sidekick, but he also adds a bit of comic relief to contrast the darker elements of the stories. By-the-book hunky arson investigator Ewan Davis is Grayce’s love interest, but his straight-laced logical nature contradicts Grayce’s intuitive approach to life. Hollie Thomas, Grayce’s feisty, tattooed office assistant, represents today’s younger pop culture element.
Included in the lineup, and just as important as any human character, is Seattle, Washington. I use specific locations and features of the city when I am plotting scenes in order to lend authenticity and realism to the story.
What makes Seattle a great “character” for a romantic mystery series? I’m happy to share my top five reasons.
- Seattle’s proximity to Mt. Rainier–58 miles—offers potential for natural disaster scenarios.
- As a port city on the border of Canada, Seattle is a logical location for stories that include international intrigue such as smuggling or terrorism.
- There are numerous naval bases on the islands surround Seattle. Think military action, submarine subterfuge and heroic service men and women.
- Seattle’s weather is notoriously dark and gray and rainy, which is equally good for setting up a cozy romantic interlude or bad guy skulking around.
- Seattle is home to several high-tech icons, such as Microsoft and Amazon, which translates into corporate espionage, telecommunications disruptions or worse!
Meet all of the characters in An Inner Fire. Available on Amazon or read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited.
#reader (or Hashtags for readers)
Some social media conventions come and go, but hashtags (aka #, also aka “pound sign”) have been around for more than 10 years. With the increase of activity and interaction on social media, they are more relevant than ever.
If you aren’t familiar with hashtags (#), they serve as a means of organizing and finding information on social media platforms. For example, if you enjoy reading romantic suspense, you might search #romanticsuspense to find authors, readers, books and events related to this genre on Facebook or Twitter.
Using hashtags as a search tool can help you find new content and information beyond those sources you’re already familiar with.
According the site amreading.com, these are ten of the most popular hashtags used by readers.
#AmReading
#BookLovers
#Bibliophile
#FreeBooks
#BookAddict
#Ebooks
#Books
#BookPhotography (a good choice if you’re on Instagram or Pinterest)
#KindleBargain
#WhatToRead
If I were to add my own favorite hashtags to the list, I would include:
#RegencyRomance
#Regencies
#AmWriting
#RomanticSuspense
#NewReleases
#AlphaHero
I dare you to have a little fun with hashtags. Enter #(Pick a word or phrase) and enter it into the search bar on your favorite social media platform. Did you find something new and interesting? Comment and let me know!
New Year's Resolutions: Do or don't?
Every year around this time, people start pondering New Year resolutions to lose weight, save money, travel more, stress less. It’s a well-known fact, however, that about 80 percent of those who’ve made resolutions are back to their old habits by February. That sense of futility discourages some people from making resolutions at all.
Add a little 'Jolabokaflod' to your holidays
Icelanders have a Christmas Eve tradition that is gaining popularity around the world. Jolabokaflod, which means “Christmas book flood,” is the custom of giving books as gifts on Christmas Eve then spending the evening reading. This tradition began during WWII, when other items were in short supply. Paper was not rationed so books became popular gifts.
Like most booklovers, this is a tradition I’m happy to adopt. Books are always on my Christmas wish list, as well as time to enjoy them. Right now, I’m reading a lot of romantic suspense as “research” for my Impossible Mission series. Anything by Toni Anderson, Cristin Harber or Katie Reus would go to the top of my TBR pile. If I find a quiet afternoon to curl up with a book for the pleasure of reading, Lisa Kleypas’ A Wallflower Christmas is my first choice for a holiday story.
Are books part of your holiday gift-giving traditions? If not, here are five ways to start a new bookish tradition.
- Pick a theme and have family members exchange book gifts related to the theme.
- Commemorate the 12 Days of Christmas with a new, gift-wrapped book awaiting the recipient every morning.
- Encourage your family to take a break from the holiday frenzy by sharing a story together. Disconnect from technology, make hot cocoa for all and listen while a chapter or scene is read aloud.
- Start a book collection you can contribute to every year. This might be signed print copies, the collected works of a favorite author or classics that can be enjoyed over and over again.
- Choose a book relevant to the recipient’s current life events and handwrite a heartfelt message. It might be an advice guide for a young person going off to college, a cookbook with recipes related to an exotic vacation destination or business advice for an entrepreneur.
For more information about this Icelandic tradition, visit Jolabokaflod.org.
Holiday Goodies for You!
Hello,
How is it that time seems to fly by faster during the holiday season? Is it because there are more things to do or because we want to savor every single moment of this special time of the year?
I hope you’re spending time on the things that matter most to you. For me, that’s time with friends and family, enjoying the performing arts, writing and savoring the unique opportunities in my home city of Seattle.
I’m sharing a picture a friend took a few years ago when we had a rare white Christmas. The delicate white flakes are the perfect accent for the greenery and red bows decking out Pike Place Market.
I’ve collected some freebies and 99-cent books for you to indulge in when you have time to curl up and read. I hope you find a new favorite among the suggestions.
Lastly, be sure to enter my Holiday Giveaway. One lucky reader will win a new Kindle Fire.
Wishing you all the joys of the season!
Jacki
Get more military romance
Coming 2.7.19
Navy SEAL Finn Jenkins will do whatever it takes to protect beautiful Sophie Dean, no matter the risk to his own life…or heart.
More gripping military romantic suspense in Book 2 of Jacki Delecki’s Impossible Mission series.
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Nook | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play
I’m giving away a Kindle Fire!
Click here for a chance to win!
Another chance to win!
Have you read my novel Mission: Impossible to Resist? For a limited time, you can enter to win the book plus 20 fantastic Romantic Suspense Novels from an amazing collection of authors AND a brand new eReader – just follow me and other great Romantic Suspense authors on BookBub! Click here for details.
FREE Military Romantic Suspense
Fake a relationship with his ex-wife? Not on your life!
When a terrorist steals a drug submarine, Navy SEAL Dane “Viking” Erikson finds himself thrust into his first HOT mission with an unexpected partner: his ex-wife, DEA agent Ivy McGill. Dane doesn’t want to work with the one woman who still twists him up inside, but he can’t refuse a direct order from his commanding officer.
Ivy’s on a mission of her own–to put the ruthless drug dealer she blames for her mother’s death out of business for good. If she has to work with Dane to get it done, she will. And she absolutely will not fall for his hard muscles and killer smile ever again. Once burned, twice shy.
But Dane and Ivy have never been able to keep their hands off each other. While they may believe that sex and love don’t intertwine, they’ll find out what’s real and what isn’t when a dangerous player takes matters into his own hands. They’ll need to be more than a team to survive what’s coming their way–and it’s not going to be easy!
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FREE SEAL Romantic Suspense
Can He Be The White Knight She Needs?
Navy SEAL, Mason Gault, faced many dangers while in the line of duty. No matter how bad a mission has gone, he finds solace in three things: His family, his teammates and the waves of the Pacific Ocean. When he hears a woman’s screams for help, he charges in to save her without a second thought.
Sophia Anderson takes care of everyone but herself. She will stop at nothing to keep her family safe. When she goes searching for her runaway little brother in a bad part of town, she becomes the one in need of rescue.
Sophia is burdened with scars from her past. Mason understands that empowering her spirit is just as important as protecting her well-being. As their love and passion soars, so do threats against her. Can Mason continue to be the compassionate white knight that she needs, while ensuring her safety?
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99¢ Christmas Box Set (Free on KU)
Fifteen all-new historical romances, brimming with sizzling passion and the promise of true love — told within sumptuous Christmas settings.
Peril with a Prince – by Emily Murdoch
Duke of Christmas – by Ellie St. Clair
The Night Before Scandal – by Scarlett Scott
Master of the Moor – by Emmanuelle de Maupassant
Wicked Deeds on a Winter Night – by Stacy Reid
My Lady of Misrule – by Amy Rose Bennett
Mistletoe Mistress – by Nicola Davidson
A Christmas Masquerade – by Vanessa Brooks
Bastian’s Surrender – by Carole Mortimer
The Marriage Game – by Gracie Malling
Her Mistletoe Promise – by Jaye Peaches
Trusting Her Highland Laird – by Brandy Golden
Yuletide Yielding – by Ashe Barker
A Bluestocking for Christmas – by Viola Morne
A Wicked Christmas Wish – by Em Brown
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