Kylie Brant and (98.) Deadly Sins, a lil' good-bye, and a giveaway!

Kylie Brant visits us today to share a lil' something with us. Deadly Sins--the sixth and final book of her Mindhunters series--comes out next week, so she's here posting about goodbyes. Not only that, she has a giveaway for you too!

Sayin’ Goodbye to Characters

Deadly Sins is released on August 2. It’s book six in The Mindhunters series and will likely be the last in the series, although I never say never. And it still hasn’t quite hit me that my current project doesn’t have Adam Raiker whispering insistently in my ear. Doesn’t have one of his compelling employees trying to get me to throw the man a curve ball. I’ve been writing Mindhunter books for three years. That’s longer than I’ve spent on any series I’ve ever created. That’s longer than I stuck with yoga and it was supposed to be life changing. (Perhaps it would have been if classes hadn’t met at 5:30 AM.)

Goodbyes are hard. And forever (?) goodbyes are the hardest. It doesn’t make it easier that the people I’m saying so long to are fictional story people who I created. That should—if anything—make it harder. They were borne solely from my imagination, developed in the corners of my mind. There were days I had more conversations with these people--albeit silent ones-- than I did with members of my family, especially during deadline times. And I know them as well as I do family. If you ask me which of them eats the most pizza, which is likeliest to show a little thigh to get her way or which malecharacter exudes the most charm, and which is the most annoying… I can name them off just like I could with personal friends. And the fun part is that readers probably can, too. That’s what makes this so special. To have created something that I can share with others.

Prior to The Mindhunters the longest series I had ever written was four books. That particular experience taught me just how very short my attention span is. :) I learned after it that three connected books were all I could do before boredom set in. So three books was what I’d planned for this series. I hadn’t counted on the reader mail I received demanding to learn more about Adam Raiker, the head of The Mindhunters. And I certainly hadn’t expected my editor to request the same. I realize now it would have been a waste of one of my most compelling characters had Raiker not gotten his own story. His backstory, his very personality demands it.

Prior to beginning Raiker Forensics (The Mindhunters) Adam Raiker was a legendary profiler for the FBI. His last case for them ended spectacularly when he was captured, tortured and nearly killed by the child killer he was tracking. That case not only ended his career with the bureau, it ended his relationship with FBI agent Jaid Marlowe, the only woman he had ever allowed close.

It’s eight years later and a DC killer is targeting high profile targets for execution. Jaid and Adam are brought together on the same task force tracking the offender. But the deeper they look the more this case seems all wrapped up in the one eight years earlier. And when suspicion falls on Adam, Jaid has to decide whether to play it safe and risk everything for the one man she’s never forgotten…or stopped loving.

Title: Deadly Sins (Mindhunters #6)
Author: Kylie Brant
ISBN-13: 9780425242704
ARC: 339 pages
Publisher: Penguin, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Kylie Brant

An unknown assassin has appointed himself judge, jury, and executioner, brutally taking out high-level human targets citywide. And the list of suspects is a sensitive one: an Iranian diplomat, a U.S. senator, and a vengeful priest. It's just the kind of case to test the resolve of tough FBI agent, Jaid Marlowe. Especially when her new partner is Adam Raiker, Jaid's former colleague and ex-lover. But that's history—and it left scars.

Determined to leave it behind them, Jaid and Adam dive into the most shocking investigation of their careers. But when Adam himself becomes a suspect, Jaid must choose between past and present. Her choice plunges them into a far-reaching, high-level conspiracy of shadows—and on the run not only from secrets and lies, but for their lives. Now, despite their history, they have only each other, and the desperate hope that love can keep them alive.

drey's thoughts:
I can't decide if my favorite romance sub-genre is historical romance, contemporary romance, or romantic suspense.  Right now romantic suspense is winning, because Deadly Sins is so engrossing and its characters captivating.  

The hero and heroine have a history, both professionally and personally. Which means that working together on this case isn't the easiest thing ever, but then again this is Adam Raiker we're talking about.  Indestructible super-profiler with the heart of stone (or so everyone thinks).  While I liked Jaid, Adam carried this book for me...

I thoroughly enjoyed this final installment of Kylie Brant's Mindhunters series.  The plot has twists and turns to rival that famous street in San Francisco, yet every road meets up at the end.  I can't wait to see what else she has up her sleeves for us.

drey's rating: Excellent!

Have you read Deadly Sins? What did you think? And if you haven't, well... Read on!

Giveaway!
Kylie has one copy of Deadly Sins for you, and this one has NO geographic limitations!! To enter, fill out the form below before 6pm CST August 18th. Duplicate entries will be deleted--leave a comment so you know you've filled this out. *wink* Good luck!

Kylie Brant stops over for a visit!

Kylie Brant has a new book coming out in November--Deadly Intent is book #4 in her Mindhunters series--and she's stopping by to say "hi" (and a few more words!), and give away a copy of her new book! Read on...

FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

About the author:
Kylie Brant is the author of thirty-one romantic suspense novels for Silhouette and Berkley. She's a three time Rita nominee, and has been nominated for five time Romantic Times awards, including a win for Career Achievement. Twice she's received the overall Daphne du Maurier Award for best mystery/suspense novels. Her books have been published in twenty-five countries and translated into fifteen languages. A mother of five, Brant also teaches full-time, working with learning disabled students.

I Meet the Most Interesting People...

Okay, a lot of them are products of my imagination, but they *are* intriguing story people, at least. People who, if they were real, I could admire and respect. People I'd be proud to call friends. Not because they're perfect. Perfection is boring :) My characters are flawed, sometimes deeply. They struggle to overcome obstacles to do the right thing. They've become good people despite sometimes traumatic incidents in their pasts. They're complex, because the most interesting people are multi-faceted, with layers that aren't easily pierced.

When I'm coming up with a new story sometimes it's the suspense plot that will occur first, but more often it's the characters who first spring to life, fully developed. Then the suspense idea closely follows and I ask myself, 'How would these story people react to that situation? What will it make it particularly difficult for them to reach their goal?" There's always an external conflict of course, usually in the way of a villain. But giving characters a flaw or an emotional conflict means they have an inner struggle as well.

My characters, despite any other flaws, are extraordinarily patient :) Some linger in my mind for years, waiting for their turn to have their story told. Others are more demanding, surging to the forefront and beating on the walls of my imagination, refusing to be ignored any longer. Just as in real life, the squeaky wheel is often heard first.

From my earliest years I've always been fascinated by why people do the things they do. In that way I suppose I imagine them from a psychological point of view. Naming them and giving them physical attributes are probably the last things I do for character development, and are the most deliberate actions I take with them. Oddly enough, the physical description of my characters often requires the most thought. I don't necessarily 'see' them so much as I 'know' them--what and who they are and what events have shaped them. I often land on their descriptions simply through the process of elimination--let's see, I haven't had a green-eyed heroine in several books :) Perhaps because of this quirk, the most difficult question I'm asked is: if your book were a movie, who would you cast as the leading characters? I always have to go back and remind myself, okay, what did they look like again? I tend to think that who people are inside is ever so much more interesting than what they look like!

Somehow my cast always seem to have at least one character that adds some comic relief. I don't do this consciously but I have a slightly twisted sense of humor and it sort of works into the stories, even if I don't necessarily plan it that way at first. These characters, whether a health-conscious partner detective, a tattooed scientist with unusual luck with women, or a pint-sized angelic looking lab assistant with the mouth of a sailor lighten the otherwise dark subject matter. They also provide a foil for the main characters, and through their eyes we're given an outside look at the hero and heroine.

The villain, of course, is the most interesting character to write, because evil is riveting. Delving into what events twisted people into psychopathy is endlessly fascinating. Perhaps because I had a perfectly ordinary upbringing, devoid of homicidal maniacs or anything more traumatic than having to wear braces for three years, I have to dig deep for these crazed characters at times. Unfortunately, the news is awash with horrible things that people have been forced to endure. But its also full of stories that prove the resiliency of the human spirit. And I think that factor, when it comes to the closure of the story, makes for the most satisfying of endings.

Some characters I've read have stayed with me always. Scout, from To Kill a Mockingbird. Holden Caulfield, from Catcher in the Rye. Huck Finn. What unforgettable characters have you run across in your reading?

Thank you for sharing with us, Kylie!! Y'all, find Kylie online at her website, http://www.kyliebrant.com/.

About Deadly Intent:
No one knows the patterns and nuances of communication like forensic linguist Macy Reid. She is also an expert on kidnapping, having experienced firsthand the stark terror of being abducted when she was a child. So she is the perfect investigator to be called in when a Denver tycoon's eleven-year-old daughter is abducted—for the second time.

The biggest stumbling block for Macy may be a member of her own team: Kellan Burke, the wisecracking, rule-breaking investigator who relishes getting under Macy's skin. Their styles couldn't be more different; the attraction between them more explosive. And when it becomes apparent that Macy can't solve the case without confronting the demons from her past, Kell is just the man to take her there—and back.

Read an excerpt!

Contest!
Kylie is giving away one copy of Deadly Intent to you lucky readers! This one's open to wherever The Book Depository will ship! Please make sure you check their list of countries before you enter...

For one entry, answer Kylie's question: What unforgettable characters have you run across in your reading? Make sure your email address is included, so that I can contact you if you win... Do it before 6pm CST Nov. 10th. Good luck!

Extra entries:
+1 Tweet this giveaway, comment separately with your twitter status.
+1 FB share (www.facebook.com/dreyslibrary), comment separately with your FB name.
+1 List this on your blog sidebar, comment separately with your blog link.

Don't want to wait? Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

Kylie Brant swings with some words and a giveaway...

Today I'd like to welcome author Kylie Brant to drey's library! She has so very kindly taken the time to answer some questions, read on!

drey: Hello Kylie! Thank you for stopping by, and for taking the time to answer some questions for us. Welcome to drey's library!

Kylie: Thanks for the invite, Drey! It's great to be here!

drey: When did you know you wanted to be a writer? What got you started?

Kylie: Although I've been an avid reader all my life, it didn't occur to me to try writing until my kids were 12, 11, 7, 4 and 4. I began out of sheer desperation--my favorite writers couldn't write fast enough to keep me in reading material. I decided one summer I'd write a book and that spawned a career that's lasted...gulp...nearly twenty years. In retrospect, I think part of the reason though was that it allowed me to spend hours in a room by myself. =) Quiet wasn't the normal course of affairs at our house when the kids were home!

drey: What was your first sale experience?

Kylie: Usually it takes very strong margaritas to get me to tell my first sale story. (How about some virtual margaritas?) After all these years it still makes me wince at my ignorance. But I started writing before the Internet made it so easy to network with other writers. I didn’t belong to any writing groups or know anyone else who was writing. I just decided one summer I was going to write a book.

After a few months, I deemed it ‘ready’ and opened up the cover of my favorite books (Silhouette Intimate Moments) to see where to send it. I got the phone number for the company in New York and called to tell the receptionist I had a book I wanted to send in and asked how to go about it. =)

She huffily informed me that they didn’t accept unsolicited manuscripts. I had no idea what that meant, but could tell from her tone that it was a bad thing. She finally gave a long-suffering sigh and told me about tip sheets and query letters. I queried and got an invite to submit and sent it in.

I figured I’d hear in about six weeks. Four months later I got a two-page rejection letter from a senior editor detailing the work’s strengths and weaknesses and inviting me to revise and resubmit. I did, but I’d wised up a little. This time when I sent that first manuscript in, I immediately started another. That was lucky because this time it took six months to get yet another two page rejection letter. Manuscript two had been submitted, so I revised the first yet again and sent it in, too.

When Silhouette called I was actually home from bed with laryngitis. Leslie Wainger’s (then senior editor of Intimate Moments) assistant called. She said she was just tracking down my contact information because—AHEM—I had neglected to include it with my manuscript. She went on to say that she was quite excited because she’d found me in the slush pile. I had no idea what that was, but thought she said flush pile, and that didn’t sound good! She told me Leslie was reading the manuscript as we spoke and that she’d be calling me later.

After we hung up, I started to wonder if I’d dreamed it. Maybe it had just been a Vicks Vapor Rub induced hallucination! But Leslie did call a couple of hours later and make an offer on manuscript two. She asked if I had any other works and I told her I had another in their offices. A couple months later she bought manuscript one, as well. So while I can claim to have sold the first book I wrote, it did go through some extensive surgeries first. =)

drey: What inspires your writing?

Kylie: I love straight thrillers and psychological suspense novels/movies, as well as romantic suspense. My plots are a meld of news stories and the constant 'what if' my mind is always going through when I read/hear something that intrigues me. I also love learning about crime and forensics, and they are both prominent in my stories.

drey: When and why did you decide to meld romance with a thriller?

Kylie: Although I love the Silhouette Romantic Suspense line, as it grew shorter and shorter I struggled more and more to create a complex suspense plot. I actually had the idea to write a romantic thriller a few years before I acted on it. It meant stepping away from deadlines for Silhouette to write a book on spec. I wrote Waking Nightmare in 2006-07 and then went back to contract with Silhouette while I shopped it around. I ended up selling a trilogy to Silhouette a few months before selling The Mindhunters series to Berkley. So then I had four books to deliver in seventeen months...a pretty brutal schedule while I was teaching full time! (No kidding!! I'm amazed!)

drey: The heroines of your Mindhunters series are all strong, yet have emotional baggage from their past. Was this a conscious decision?

Kylie: We're all a compilation of our experiences and backgrounds and those figure into our motivations and perceptions. So it goes to figure that those people who are struggling to overcome something in their life make for a lot more interesting characters than, say, I would. =) So yes, I consciously shaped characters whose strength was melded by incidents in their pasts...and their background provides an obstacle to their future. Can they put the past to rest to earn their happily ever after?

drey: What's next for the Mindhunters? Are there more books? Will there be one with the boss--Adam Raiker?

Kylie: I'm currently writing book four in the series, Deadly Fear. Adam's story will be the last book in this trilogy, and there's an overarching suspense plot that links the books together. (Heh. Am I good or what??)

drey: Do you like to read? If so, what are some of your favorite books and/or authors?

Kylie: My writing time comes from what used to be my reading time, so I no longer get to read as much as I like. My favorite authors are Cindy Gerard, Tami Hoag, Sandra Brown, Nora Roberts / JD Robb, Lee Child, Robert Crais and Kyle Mills.

drey: What do you like to indulge in, when not writing?

Kylie: I enjoy reading, traveling, hanging out with family and friends and flower gardening.

And, to finish off, the Proust-lite:

1. What is your idea of earthly happiness? Today was a good example! It was a college football day so we spent it tailgating with family and friends. It was a beautiful day to be outside and I just like being around my favorite people :)


2. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? I've often said that my idea of hell is being chained to a sewing machine throughout all eternity =)


3. Who is/are your favorite heroine(s) in fiction? I love Eve Dallas, the recurring heroine in the JD Robb books. She's an ideal example of a flawed heroine who has endured a past emotional trauma that continues to impact her perceptions and reactions to people. It's a pleasure to watch her evolve and adapt as she learns to trust the hero in the series, as well as her friends.


4. Who is/are your favorite heroine(s) in real life? Oh, that would be my mom. She was my role model in every way. I also had two grandmothers who were quite strong women for their time.


5. What sound do you love? I'm a sucker for Christmas carols. =) I love everything about the season and have been known to take my CDs to school to listen to, because my family gets sick of hearing them!


6. What sound do you hate? The alarm in the morning. To say I'm not a morning person is putting it charitably.


7. The quality you admire most in a man? A sense of humor. That's one of the things that drew me to my husband, all those years ago. Some of his lines have found their way into my books over the years.


8. The quality you admire most in a woman? Strength and intelligence. I have little tolerance for women who become doormats to the people in their lives.


9. If not a writer, you would be a ... since I'm also an elementary special education teacher that's an easy one.


10. What is your favorite swear word? F*ck a duck.

drey: Thank you for your time, Kylie! I really appreciate this!

And now, you lucky ducks, pay attention... Kylie's giving away a copy of her latest Mindhunters release, Waking the Dead. This one's open everywhere--there's a print copy for a US/Canada winner, or an electronic copy to an international winner.

Rules:
-- Contest is open internationally (see above)!
-- To enter, comment and share: Do you want to read Kylie's Mindhunters series, and why?
-- Follow for 1 extra entry.
-- Share for 2 extra entries (let me know what & where, please).
-- Do it all before 6:00 pm CST November 16th. Good luck!

193. Waking the Dead by Kylie Brant...

About the book:

Former forensic anthropologist Caitlin Fleming knows bones. So the investigator is the first one called when seven sets of skeletal remains are found dumped in a makeshift graveyard in the Oregon wilderness. Each skeleton bears the same distinctive marks. And each is minus a skull.

Cait needs outdoors guide Zach Sharper for one reason only-—to help her find her way through the Willamette Forest as she pieces together clues. Despite the attraction that burns between them, nothing will be allowed to shake her focus. Until the killer closes in to terminate the investigation... and the ones on the verge of unmasking him...

drey's thoughts:
This is the third Mindhunters novel from Kim Brant. I flew through this one just about as quickly as I flew through the other two.

Caitlin Fleming is a former cover-girl turned forensic expert. She is very aware of how her looks impact those she interacts with, but is more interested in getting the job done. And when she's called onto a site where there's nothing left of the victims but the bones, boy does she have a job to do.

Waking the Dead is just as tightly-written as Waking Nightmare and Waking Evil. The characters are interesting, and the romance doesn't push everything else in the story to the backseat. I can't wait to see what comes next.

Title: Waking the Dead
Author: Kylie Brant
ISBN-10: 0425231143
ISBN-13: 9780425231142
ARC: 326 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group,2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of Waking the Dead was an ARC provided by Kylie Brant for this review.

192. Waking Evil by Kylie Brant...

About the book:

Buffalo Springs, Tennessee is a neighborly kind of place where folks leave their doors unlocked and crime is unheard of. But once every generation, a strange red mist settles over the town, and with it comes omens of death...

When the body of a young woman is found, forensic investigator Ramsey Clark is called in. She knows about the legend of the mist and about the curse that has the entire town afraid of the dark. But Ramsey believes in evidence, not superstition, despite what she’s told by the parapsychologist who has been dogging her every step. Then another murder rocks Buffalo Springs, and Ramsey begins to wonder if a killer is playing on everyone’s fears or if a prophecy is indeed being fulfilled—-one victim at a time.

drey's thoughts:
So, after reading Waking Nightmare, and knowing that I had all three Mindhunters books, I couldn't not pick this one up as soon as I could. So I did. Because patience is definitely not a virtue in my pocket.

Anyway, I wasn't disappointed by this follow-up to Waking Nightmare. It's just as gripping, and the characters are just as well drawn... And I don't know where Kylie Brant gets her ideas for the crimes, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to get on her wrong side...

Title: Waking Evil
Author: Kylie Brant
ISBN-10: 0425230716
ISBN-13: 9780425230718
Paperback: 359 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of Waking Evil was provided by the author for this review.

191. Waking Nightmare by Kylie Brant...

About the book:

First he learns your darkest fears. Then he makes you live them.

With a serial rapist on the loose on the streets of Savannah, hot-shot detective Ryne Robel needs all the help he can get for his task force. And he needs it now, before another woman falls victim. But Abbie Phillips isn't what he bargained for. Sent from an exclusive group of the best criminologists in the country, she's smart, fierce…and distracting. She may be a brilliant forensic profiler, but Ryne needs answers, not pyschobabble and head games.

However, Abbie convinces him that head games are exactly what this elusive suspect is all about. The seemingly random acts or torture are actually calculated to match each victim's darkest fears. And the stakes are rising. While they study the devious psychopath, he's watching them—the next objects of his horrifying obsession.

drey's thoughts:
Ok, so apparently I'm into thriller-romances... Or, at least, into thriller-romances that are more thriller than romance. Not that the romance isn't part of the story--it is--but it's so nicely written into the story that Waking Nightmare doesn't read like a romance with a mystery in between the pages... Anyway, I'll stop blabbing now...

Waking Nightmare is Kylie Brant's first Mindhunters novel. There are 3 so far--with the third coming out in November. In this one, the heroine is Abbie Phillips, who has fears of her own that she needs to overcome to find the psychopath terrorizing Savannah. And working with Ryne is complicating enough--without having to put up with his attitude.

If you like romance-thrillers with strong-yet-flawed heroines, reluctant heroes, and a satisfying mystery, then you'll want to pick up Kylie Brant's new series. I inhaled all 3--lucky me! =)

Title: Waking Nightmare
Author: Kylie Brant
ISBN-10: 0425230236
ISBN-13: 9780425230237
Paperback: 343 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of Waking Nightmare was provided by the author for this review.