The Art of Suspense

I'm afraid I've been watching too much of NBC's The Blacklist. Suspense elements are now working themselves into the new book I'm writing.

In the name of "research" I also just bought a book from the Harlequin Intrigue line called Agent Undercover. According to Stephen King, reading is essential to becoming a good writer. Given his prolific success, it seems like good advice!

I'm half way through with Sophie Kinsella's The Undomestic Goddess. She's good at telling a story where the suspense slowly unfolds.

Feel free to leave a comment with your favorite books or shows that unravel elements of suspense in a compelling way. I'm always looking for inspiration.

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Limitless New Releases

My NA Contemporary romance Dating Maggie will be out Oct. 27th. It's about an actress who encounters a rancher; he threatens to turn her five year plan upside down. In the meantime, my publisher has put out some intriguing new releases and pre-orders over the past few weeks. If you are looking for a compelling read, check out the Limitless Publishing page and curl up with a page-turner this weekend.

Christine Hartmann On Writing & Wild Within

I'm happy to welcome author Christine Hartmann to the blog today. Her new release, a romantic suspense, Wild Within has an intriguing premise. She was kind enough to answer a few questions about her writing life. Her book is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. What is your process for plotting out your novel? I make a rough outline of the plot. Then I work on the scenes. I love the book Story by Robert McKee. I don’t do it his ideal way, but I have used a lot of the advice in that book. What is your greatest challenge as a writer? Finding the balance between my busy full-time job and my book writing career. I love my job—it’s meaningful and important to me. But so is my book writing. Finding a balance sometimes involves compromises, and it’s usually the book writing that has to compromise. Do you write in one genre or multiple genres? Why? I write in multiple genres. My first book was a memoir, So Far Away: A Daughter’s Memoir of Life, ...

My Friend Amber Roshay's Book: Reaching Prague

Amber and I met in college. Our common interests have included college theatre department rebellion, living abroad, creative urban dwelling and writing. She's one of the most talented writers I've encountered. Her writing is compelling, emotionally raw, it's simply spell-binding. She's just published her novel, Reaching Prague and will soon have her second title, How the fat girl got thin published. If you're in the market for a sweet spring read, check out the synopsis and the link to her website below: Reaching Prague is a darkly psychological tale of adultery set in contemporary Prague. Betrayed by her husband, Sarah Billings flees to Prague in an effort to cope his duplicity and to figure out the rest of her life. In Prague she meets Mikul, a handsome bar owner with mafia ties, who at first seems to be exactly what she needs. Soon they are conducting an illicit affair filled with erotic tension, painful awakenings and looming violence. Slo...

MJ Greenway

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