Men Under Fire
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Celebrating the Fourth of July
One of the highlights of summertime is upon us: The Fourth of July celebration! Across America, families and friends will come together in backyards, on beaches and at parks in honor of this holiday.
Independence Day is also a reminder that we are fortunate to live in a country that affords the opportunities and privileges as ours does. It’s also an opportunity to recognize those who serve to protect and defend our freedom.
Today’s military personnel serve with incredible dedication, proving that every man and woman has the potential to be a hero. That’s one of the reasons I often feature characters with a military background in my Grayce Walters series. Sergeant Nick Welby and his bomb-sniffing golden lab, the lead characters in MEN UNDER FIRE, are an example of this.
To those who have served or are currently serving, I offer a special thank you on this Fourth of July. Know that your service and sacrifice are appreciated.
How will you be celebrating Independence Day? Are you vacationing? Attending a family reunion? Cooking for friends? For those in need of culinary inspiration, check out these classic All-American recipes. One of our family traditions on the Fourth is making 
s’mores. If you’re interested in making homemade marshmallows and graham crackers, Martha Stewart offers a couple of recipes. Let me know how they turn out!
Happy fireworks and freedom!
Using local settings in my romantic suspense books
I’m currently working on the next book in the Grayce Walters series, MEN UNDER FIRE. Writing contemporary romantic suspense requires just as much research as historical romance suspense, but it’s a different kind of fact-finding. Since my books are set in Seattle, where I happen to live, it’s easy to incorporate my research into other activities.
For example, I volunteer as children’s tour guide and frequently lead groups through Pike Place Market. Because of spacing limitations, many of the marketplace vendors store their inventory in the Sanitary Market food locker. It’s rather dark and foreboding — the perfect backdrop for something sinister or dangerous, don’t you agree?
I’m also developing a female character who is a rocker trying to break into Seattle’s grunge music scene. To get some insight into this character, I interviewed Gretta Harley, a local musician. I believe this authenticity enriches my stories so that when readers step onto the page, they enter a world that is part fiction, part fact, but always entertaining and compelling.
Is there a location in your hometown that would make a good setting for romantic suspense?