IN HIS SAFEKEEPING—a conversation with Tara and Brad

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook.  Today I'm talking with Brad Harrison and Tara Ford from IN HIS SAFEKEEPING, a mystery/romantic suspense from Harlequin Intrigue originally released in print and currently available in ebook.

Hello Tara and Brad.  I know you're both very busy.  Thank you for making time in your schedule to sit down with me.

Tara:  Thank you for inviting us.

Brad:  It's nice to be here.

My first question is for you, Brad.  It might be a bit awkward.  I hope I'm not stepping on any toes.

Brad:  Uh Oh…that sounds ominous.  (grabs arms of chair as if bracing himself)  I guess I'm ready.  Go ahead.

Tara:  Don't worry, I'll protect you.

Brad:  (tilts head, raises eyebrow and gives her a teasing grin)  I thought protection was my area of expertise.  As a Deputy U.S. Marshal, that's one of the things we do.

And that brings me to the subject of my question.  You and Tara first met when you were protecting her from a killer who was doing away with all the witnesses in a case that was a done deal—the defendant had been convicted on all counts and sent to prison.  He subsequently died in prison of a heart attack.  So…well, I guess I have two questions about this.

First question is why did Tara need protection?  Why were witnesses being killed when the trial was over and the defendant's death from natural causes put an end to the possibility of him being released from prison.  And next—

Brad:  Let me handle that question before you get to the other one, and I think I already know what that is.

Five out of six witnesses living in different parts of the country had died within six months, all from mysterious 'accidents'.  I found that way too coincidental, especially when two of the witnesses were in the Witness Security Program and had new identities.  Tara was the only witness still in the Seattle area and alive.  I took my suspicions to my boss who told me to stop spending my time pursuing something that was not a case.  I couldn't accept his decision.  Every fiber of my being said the remaining witness was is danger and I needed to protect her.  What I didn't realize at the time was how difficult it would be to convince her of that little fact.

Tara:  (chuckles)  I readily admit that trust was so far down my list that it barely registered at the bottom.  (becomes serious)  But when someone blew up my car, I began to come around to his way of thinking.

Brad:  And your second question?

The two of you…isn't it against the rules for you to become personally involved with someone you're protecting?

Brad:  Yes…both 'company' rules and very definitely my personal rules.  My only excuse is that it was a highly unusual situation.  I was a one man protection team with no backup and no Marshals Service support or help.  Some unknown person was trying to kill Tara for an unknown reason and when this person realized a Deputy Marshal was on the scene, I became a target, too.

Wouldn't that, along with Tara's car being blown up, be proof enough of the danger to go back to your boss?

Brad:  It would, except for one little thing.

Tara:  Actually one very big thing.

Brad:  With two of the dead witnesses in the Witness Security Program, given new identities and relocated to different parts of the country, the only way for a killer to have located them would be with inside information.  There was a leak of information from the Marshals Service.  I had no way of knowing who I could trust.

Tara:  That pretty much made it the two of us against the world type of thing.

Brad:  I had an immediate attraction to her and add a set of circumstances that made it nearly impossible to not get personally involved…well…(he gave her a loving glance) what can I say?  It was meant to be.

Out of all your contacts there wasn't anyone you could trust?

Brad:  Well…there were two people I could trust, two people who were willing to help.

Who?

Tara:  (smiles)  I'm afraid you'll have to read the book to find out.

Well…how about this.  Why were the witnesses being killed? Was it just a revenge thing?

Brad:  That's what I thought…for a little while.  At first it seemed like the most likely motive.  Then it became obvious that revenge had nothing to do with it.  You'll need to read the book to find out the answer to your 'why' question.

LOL…I can see that more questions aren't going to get me any more information.  Brad…Tara…thanks for being here today.

IN HIS SAFEKEEPING, Harlequin Intrigue by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format.  Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com (do search for author name Shawna Delacorte).  Barnes and Nobel for NookBooks at http://www.bn.com and Amazon for Kindle at http://www.amazon.com and other online vendors.

Stop by my website for additional excerpts from IN HIS SAFEKEEPING and information about my other Harlequin/Silhouette ebook reissues.    www.shawnadelacorte.com

Blurb:

HER PROTECTOR

One by one the government witnesses who'd testified against a mob associate began to die—and now Tara Ford was the last witness remaining. Suddenly with a killer shadowing her every move, she was forced to rely on the protection of U.S. Deputy Marshal Brad Harrison—a man whose take-charge attitude made her temper flare and whose strong sensuality made her heart race.

Brad never let emotion interfere with duty. But in close proximity with all-too-sexy Tara, he forgot all the rules. His instinct to keep her safe was as basic as his desire for her. And when he held her tenderly, he couldn't help but wonder who posed the most immediate danger—the killer or Brad's charge.

G-Excerpt (inside front cover excerpt):

"We need to get something clear right now, Tara." Brad's words were very matter-of-fact, his attitude all business. "I expect to have my instructions obeyed without hesitation or questions. Your life could depend on your immediate response to my orders."

Tara glared angrily at him, but he stood his ground and refused to back down. Brad Harrison had her confused. He was a virtual stranger who had burst uninvited into her world, tried to take control of her life and demanded that she trust him. Yet his unwavering gaze sent a ripple of desire through her body unlike anything she had ever experienced. There was a lot more at stake here than a question of control.

Every time he touched her, a sensual rush coursed through her body. It was totally inappropriate for the situation and equally out of character for her. But for reasons she could not clearly fathom, she had made the decision to tentatively trust this very sexy and desirable man. Hopefully it would not be the biggest mistake of her life…or worse yet, the last decision she would ever make.