WHO'S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED?—an interview with Reece and Brandi

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook. Today Reece Covington and Brandi Doyle are my guests to talk with us about WHO'S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED?, a mystery/romantic suspense from Harlequin Intrigue originally released in print and currently available from Harlequin Intrigue in ebook.

Greetings, Reece and Brandi. Thanks for stopping by today.

Reece:  Thanks for the invitation, Shawna. We're pleased to be here. What would you like to know?

Right to business…LOL…okay.  My first question is for Brandi. You were being stalked, you had no idea why or by whom, and when you reported it to the police they basically dismissed you. They didn't offer you any help at all?

Brandi:  Absolutely none. I guess intellectually I understood their position. I couldn't supply them with a name or a reason or even any specific details. But emotionally, their attitude left me frustrated, angry…and very frightened. It was as if they were telling me when I turned up dead they would try to work it into their schedule but until that time…tough luck lady.

And then you were kidnapped from your own garage, escaped your abductor, and were able to find shelter from a storm in an empty cabin in the woods. And that's when Reece entered the picture?

Reece:  Yes. As luck would have it…or perhaps fate would be a more accurate word…it was my cabin. It was one of the few occupied cabins at the lake that time of year. I'd been living there, actually hiding away from society in general, since my release from prison.

You were in prison for two years?

Reece:  (clenches jaw into a hard line while frowning) Yes, two very long years on trumped up charges and false testimony from a police officer. That got me two years in prison and the loss of the private investigator's license. But, as a former P.I. I had the skills and expertise to help Brandi. That is, once she finally calmed down, stopped fighting me, and realized I wasn't going to hurt her. Then she told me how and why she found it necessary to break into my cabin while I was buying supplies.

Brandi:  I think fate is truly the right word. What are the odds of the cabin belonging to a detective, the very person I needed at a time when I truly needed help. It didn't take long for us to discover that the policeman who framed Reece was the same person who had abducted me.

Isn't that quite a coincidence…maybe too much of a coincidence?

Reece:  Not when you have all the facts and know the details.

If this policeman was someone that you had a long-standing feud with then that action, even though both morally wrong and definitely illegal, of framing you for a crime most have had a motive for him to do that. But why Brandi? What could she possibly have to do with anything or anyone connected with these people?

Brandi:  That was our biggest stumbling block. Nothing about it made any sense, but that didn't diminish that fact that it was very real.

Reece:  The more we dug into anything and everything that seemed suspicious, the deeper we sank into confusion. Being followed, threatened and even shot at quickly followed. Evidence disappeared. Unraveling the why became a major stumbling block, but we finally came across the one clue that connected the dots. Unfortunately, even though we had discovered the why we were still a long way from having all the details and evidence—all that pesky little stuff referred to as 'proof'. Another problem…by that time we were both being stalked and our lives were in danger. And then there was the FBI…

The FBI? Why…how did they get involved?

Reece:  That seemed at the time to have been a miscalculation on my part. I contacted an FBI agent I had worked with several years ago, thinking he might be able to give us some help as someone with connections and access to information who didn't have any association with the local police or local events. We ended up with everyone after us including the D.A.'s office and the FBI, albeit for different reasons.

It seems that the FBI should have been help rather than someone you were avoiding. Why were they trying to track you down and why didn't you want them to find you?

Brandi:  (grins) I believe all that is in the book.

Reece:  (grabs hold on Brandi's hand) Yep—it's all in the book.

Ah, yes. I know where this is going. You're about to tell me to read the book.

Brandi:  Right you are!

Sounds like an excellent idea. Thanks for being with us today.

WHO'S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED?, a Harlequin Intrigue mystery/romantic suspense by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format. Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com (do search for author name Shawna Delacorte). Also available from Amazon for Kindle and Barnes & Noble for Nook as well as other ebook vendors.  Check out my website for additional excerpts from WHO'S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED? and information about my other Harlequin ebook reissues.   www.shawnadelacorte.com

Blurb:

WHO WAS THE BEAUTY IN HIS BED?

After a long day, the last thing private eye Reece Covington expected to find was a beautiful stranger hiding out in his remote mountain cabin. And when she awoke and told him she was in danger, Reece had an immediate and intense need to protect her. Who was this woman who'd turned his world upside down?

Local law enforcement claimed there was little evidence supporting the danger Brandi Doyle reported she was in. Luckily, Reece quickly discovered the stalker Brandi was running from was the same man Reece was running to…for vengeance. But would their intimate connection only give an elusive criminal more ammunition for murder?

Inside front cover excerpt:

Everything seemed to be in order, except for the woman asleep in his cabin. Reece took in everything about the stranger—the wet clothes clinging to her body, the tousled, short blond hair and a beautiful face that even in sleep was in obvious turmoil. He felt a definite tug on his reality, a strange combination of lust and concern.

Should he wake her and demand to know what she was doing in his cabin? He spotted her purse on the end table. As he reached for it she stirred, then jerked to attention.

Her eyes went wide with fright as her gaze landed on him.

Her voice was anything but firm as she eased her way out of the chair. She moved behind it in an obvious attempt to put a barricade between them. "Who…who are you?"

"Well, Goldilocks…this is my cabin, and I want to know why you've been sleeping in my bed."

THE TYCOON'S SON—an interview with Vicki and Wyatt

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook. Today Vicki Bingham and Wyatt Edwards are my guests for a conversation about THE TYCOON'S SON, a Silhouette Desire originally released in print and currently available as a Harlequin Desire in ebook.

Hello Vicki and Wyatt.  Thank you for making time in your schedule to be here today.

Vicki:  Our pleasure, Shawna.  Thank you for inviting us.

As I understand it, the two of you dated back when you originally lived in Sea Cliff then you both ended up leaving town and going your separate ways.  Wyatt, I'd like to address my first question to you.  What prompted your decision to move back to Sea Cliff after having been away for fifteen years?

Wyatt:  That's a good question, but I'm not sure I have a good answer…at least not one that made a lot of sense at the time.  Ten years before I returned, my father died and left me control of his business empire headquartered in San Francisco.  Prior to that I'd been working primarily with the corporation's international holdings.  For the ten years I was at the corporate offices I had a restlessness pulling at me.  I wanted to recapture the past, a time when things seemed much simpler.  In retrospect, I now realize that I was looking for the contentment I had when Vicki and I were dating.  So I had the old family home renovated and decided to make that my primary residence.  With computers and teleconferencing, I felt I could easily work from there and go into the corporate offices in San Francisco only a few days a month.

What about you, Vicki?  Why did you return to Sea Cliff after having been away for fifteen years?

Vicki:  My father owned the local country store…groceries in front and the post office in back.  When he died a couple of months earlier, I returned to Sea Cliff to run the store. I was a bit at loose ends since my husband had also recently died so that my entire family consisted of just my son and me.  When I learned that Wyatt was returning, I didn't know what to think or do.  I wanted to stay as far removed from him as I could. My memory was of the Edwards' family who lived in the big house on top of the hill like royalty in their castle looking down on their realm. The last thing I wanted was to bring up the past, to dredge up what might have been before he walked on me.

He walked out on you?

Wyatt:  And for fifteen years I had believed she was the one who walked out on me…left town as a means of leaving me.

That sounds like nothing more than a misunderstanding.  Couldn't the two of you have straightened it out with a simple conversation?

Vicki:  Unfortunately simple is something it wasn't.  My priority wasn't in straightening out the past, it was in protecting my son from the present and future because of the past.  The past was the last thing I wanted to dredge up.

Protect your son from what?

Vicki:  He was 14, a difficult age at best, especially to be pulled away from his friends and relocated to a small town. I wanted to protect him from what I believed would be an emotionally devastating situation for him.

Wyatt:  I kept pushing Vicki.  (he reached over and took her hand)  I wanted answers, I had to know why she walked out on me.  The truth finally came out and we were both shocked, but finally able to talk about it.

What truth did you discover?

Vicki:  I didn't walk out on him. I thought it was the other way around.  Bottom line, it was more than one truth that finally found the light of day.  (flashes a teasing grin)  But I can't tell you about what they were.

Wyatt:  You'll have to read—

LOL  I know…you don't need to tell me.  I have to read the book.  Thank you Vicki and Wyatt for stopping by.

THE TYCOON'S SON, a Silhouette Desire by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format.  Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com (do search for author name Shawna Delacorte).  Also available from Amazon for Kindle and Barnes & Noble for Nook as well as other online vendors.  Additional excerpts from THE TYCOON'S SON and information on my other Harlequin ebook reissues available on my website  http://shawnadelacorte.com

Blurb:

HER FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD SECRET

Years melted away the moment Vicki Bingham gazed into piercing blue eyes and took in the very gorgeous—very grown-up—version of the boy she'd once loved. The rich boy who had deserted her after a magical night of exploring caresses and explosive kisses. The millionaire who was father to her teenage son…and hadn't a clue.

Or did he?

Because Wyatt Edwards had taken an uncanny interest in young Richie, and an even more unsettling interest in Vicki herself, the moment he returned to town. He seemed to want answers—and it was clear he wanted Vicki. But all that would surely change once this tycoon discovered the truth….

Inside front cover excerpt:

"Here's to what has been and what is yet to be."

His words settled over her like a soft caress. He wrapped her in his embrace and snuggled back into the corner of the couch, pulling her with him.

"It's been a long time, Vicki. I've often wondered what happened to you, what you were doing…whether or not you were happy."

It was not what she had been expecting and she was not sure how to respond. "I was wondering the same thing about you."

Any further thoughts were put on hold when he claimed her mouth with all the passion he had been carrying inside him for the past fifteen years.

A soft moan escaped her lips. Things had gone too far. She could not stop what was happening even if she wanted to. If it was to be that they had only this one night together, then she wanted it to be enough to last her a lifetime.

THE SEDGWICK CURSE—A conversation with Taylor and Donovan

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook.  Today I'm speaking with Taylor MacKenzie and Lord Donovan Sedgwick about THE SEDGWICK CURSE, a Harlequin Intrigue mystery/romantic suspense originally released in print and currently available in ebook.

Good morning and thanks to both of you for joining us today.  I think my first question is for you, Lord Sedgwick.

Donovan:  Please call me Donovan.  (pauses) I still haven't been able to completely reconcile being the owner of the title, especially considering the circumstances that passed it on to me.

It's a title that's been in your family for a long time, isn't it?  Along with the large estate located in the Cotswolds area of England?

Donovan:  A very long time…for centuries to be exact, starting in the late 1600s after the monarchy was restored to the throne with Charles II.  (brightens as he grasps Taylor's hand)  But on the other side, if my family history hadn't taken a strange twist the way it did along the way I never would have met this lovely lady and would have always felt as if something very important was missing from my life.

So, Taylor…your family history and Donovan's family history were somehow connected?  You're from the United States and had never been to England, is that correct?

Taylor:  Yes, it's now been over a century ago that the connection between our families resulted in the curse placed on the Sedgwick family.  In my correspondence with Donovan's father, I lied about the purpose of my trip to England.  The reality of it was to trace the origins of the crime that had resulted in the brutal death of my great grandmother and great grandfather who were tenant farmers on the Sedgwick estate.  My grandmother was a baby at the time and was whisked away to safety by some of the villagers and eventually arrived in America by way of Canada.

Donovan…you didn't have any idea who Taylor was when she showed up at your front door one night?

Donovan:  (chuckles) I assumed my father had been dealing with a man who wanted to research the annual festival we hold on the estate grounds for a book he was writing on British country festivals.  Our particular festival has been an annual event for over 250 years.

And Taylor was that 'man'?

Donovan:  She didn't fool me for a moment.  I knew as soon as I opened the door that it wasn't a man standing there!  (turns serious) But her timing was terrible.  My father had…uh, he had died a couple of months earlier.  It was the night before her arrival that the century old curse had seemed to come to fruition with the evil of the past turned loose on the present, followed by a string of grisly murders…

(Donovan's voice trailed off and Taylor picked up the conversation).

Taylor:  I had never been as frightened in my life as I was shortly after I arrived at the Sedgwick estate that night.  I felt as if I was being stalked by some evil presence.  Sometimes it seemed so close that I could literally reach out and actually touch it.  Or worse yet, that it could touch me.

Was there someone…or something…actually stalking you?  Was any of it real or merely the result of the centuries-old gothic atmosphere of the older areas of the house?

Taylor:  Oh, it was real…very real.  And so was the resulting danger.

Donovan:  There was much more going on than just a malevolent presence playing havoc with everything and everyone.  There was an entirely separate agenda happening at the same time involving blackmail, deceit, and extortion.  All-in-all, a very messy quagmire of conflicting facts and feelings.

That sounds like quite a tangled web.  Obviously whatever happened was finally put to rest for good and the two of you are now married and still living on the estate.  How did all of that come about? 

Donovan:  (Taylor started to speak, but Donovan got the words out first) For the answer to that one, you'll need—

Ah…I know what's coming next.  You're going to tell me I have to read the book.

Donovan:  Exactly!

THE SEDGWICK CURSE, a Harlequin Intrigue romantic suspense by Shawna Delacorte is available in ebook at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com (do search for author name Shawna Delacorte).  Also available from Amazon for Kindle and Barnes & Novel for Nook as well as other online vendors.  Additional excerpts from THE SEDGWICK CURSE are available on my website along with information about my other Harlequin ebook reissues.  www.shawnadelacorte.com

Blurb:

THE CHILLING TRUTH

To learn the truth behind her great-grandmother's past—and the curse that still surrounded both her family and the old woman's tiny country village—Taylor MacKenzie made her way to England. But from the moment she arrived at her ancestors' manor house, an eerie chill echoed the evil of the past and a shadowy figure seemed to follow her every move.

Donovan Sedgwick, the new lord of the manor, had eyes that pierced Taylor's soul and held her in an otherworldly thrall. But he seemed ravaged by demons of his own—demons that only her kisses were able to calm.

Inside Front Cover Excerpt:

She whirled around, her gaze staring into the darkness of the garden. Someone was watching her, staring from the safety of some hidden place. She gasped for air as if all the oxygen had been taken away from her.

"Who's there? Who…?" The words came out as a whisper then they died in her mouth. Her heart pounded in her chest and the sound roared in her ears. A wall of fear surrounded her. She forced her feet to move, to carry her toward the house. Her plodding steps turned into a run as she headed for the light at the kitchen door.

"Where have you been?" The words came at her from the darkness. A jolt of adrenaline raced through her body before she identified the voice as Donovan's. Then he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her toward him….

THE MILLIONAIRE'S CHRISTMAS WISH—a conversation with Chance and Marcie

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook.  Today I'm talking with Chance Fowler and Marcie Roper about THE MILLIONAIRE'S CHRISTMAS WISH, a Silhouette Desire originally released in print and currently available as a Harlequin Desire in ebook.

Good morning Chance and Marcie.  I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me today.

Chance:  Thank you, Shawna.  It was nice of you to invite us.  So…what would you like to know?

My first question is for whichever of you wants to answer it.  How did the two of you meet?

Chance:  (Winks at Marcie) Do you want to take that one?

Marcie:  My pleasure.  I was minding my own business, doing a little window shopping on my way back to my car from the book store, when he came along and accosted me in broad daylight.  He grabbed me against my will then proceeded to kiss me.  I was truly shocked and also a little frightened.  I had no idea who he was or why he had picked on me.

Chance:  Wait a minute…in my defense that wasn't quite the way it happened.

Marcie:  (grins) My way sounds more mysterious.

Did he literally grab you on the street, a total stranger, and kiss you for no reason?

Marcie:  Oh, yes…that's exactly what he did.

Chance:  Well…not really…not like that.

Ah, ha!  What's the true story?

Chance:  I was being followed by another one of those tabloid photographers who were always trying to get candid pictures of me that they could exploit.

As sole heir to the Fowler Industries fortune, an eligible bachelor leading a very high profile life including sailboat racing and being seen in all the trendy clubs, I can see where there would be an interest in your activities.

Chance:  Since I was on my way to one of my special projects, I had to lose the guy following me.  I was looking for a place to duck away from him…hide in plain sight, so to speak.  My intention was to put my arm around her shoulder so it would look like we were a couple window shopping together, but for some strange reason she objected.  So I did what I had to do.  The photographer ran on down the street without paying any attention to a couple kissing in front of a store window.  I tried to explain to Marcie, but she ran off without listening.

Marcie:  It was later that I discovered who he was…Take-A-Chance Fowler, as the media referred to him.  Major playboy, always being photographed with different women. In other words, a spoiled rich guy living off the family wealth.

Chance:  Definitely not a very flattering assessment of someone she didn't even know.  I was determined to set her straight and change that opinion.

Take-A-Chance?  Where did that come from?

Chance:  One of those stupid tags the press pinned on me.  "Always willing to take a chance on some wild stunt."

Marcie:  I can't begin to tell you how embarrassed I was when he told me Chance was his legal first name, not some cute little nickname.  It was his mother's maiden name.  And the more I found out about the real person behind all those tabloid headlines, the more impressed I was and the more I liked him.

You mentioned your special projects.  What did you mean by that?

Chance:  I have several projects, I suppose you could call them charitable endeavors, I finance and am actively hands-on involved with, things I don't want the media to know about.  I don't want the other people involved to be embarrassed by finding their pictures and names on the front page of a tabloid newspaper.

What type of projects?

Chance:  (flashes a sly grin) You can find out all about them in the book.

Marcie, did you encounter any unusual problems when you began dating someone of Chance's…uh…notoriety?

Marcie:  (furrows her brow in a moment of concentration) Well, there were some uncomfortable moments with his family, such as the Christmas dinner at his father's house—

Chance:  (laughs) Merely uncomfortable?  That's an understatement!

Is there more to the family story than you're saying?

Marcie:  You mean other than his father being responsible for driving a wedge between us that nearly destroyed our relationship?

Chance:  My family is synonymous with the word dysfunctional.  They're the personification of that old joke…look up the word dysfunctional in the dictionary and you find their picture.  You'll find out all about them when you read the book.

I'd ask you to explain, but I already know what you're going to say.

Marcie:  (laughs) You have to read the book!

Thank you, Marcie and Chance.

THE MILLIONAIRE'S CHRISTMAS WISH, a Silhouette Desire by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format.  Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com (do search for author name).  Also available from Amazon for Kindle and Barnes & Noble for Nook as well as other online vendors.  Additional information and excerpts available on my website along with information about my other Harlequin reissues.  www.shawnadelacorte.com

Blurb:

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS…

When millionaire Chance Fowler first kissed the pretty stranger in his arms, he'd only meant to dodge the photographers who'd tailed him. Then she ran off—but he couldn't forget her tempting taste on his lips. So he sought out the tantalizing woman who'd ignited his long-dormant desire….

Lovely Marcie Roper was the first woman to close her eyes to Chance's fortune. And though she'd captivated the jaded tycoon, Marcie yearned for what his wealth couldn't buy—a man who would say "I do" and mean it forever. Could Marcie convince Chance that love—for the right woman—would last a lifetime?

Inside front cover excerpt:

She was certainly different from the type of women he usually encountered. Her eyes sparked with the fire of emotion and her stance declared a very appealing independence. Yes, indeed. Marcie Roper was quite different—a breath of fresh air. He recalled the way she felt in his arms, the taste of her delicious mouth. He fought the almost overwhelming desire to pull her into his arms and kiss her again.

He watched her walk away from him—for the second time since he first encountered her. She had turned out to be a very intriguing woman. He already knew about the golden flecks in her hazel eyes, her soft pliable lips, her addictive taste and how good she felt in his arms. And now he knew she was certainly a challenge—and Chance had never been one to back down from a challenge.

THE DADDY SEARCH—a conversation with Lexi and Nick

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook. Today I'm talking with Lexi Parker and Nick Clayton about THE DADDY SEARCH, a Silhouette Desire originally released in print and currently available as a Harlequin Desire in ebook.

Hello Lexi and Nick.  Welcome to my blog.  Thank you for being here with us today.

Nick:  It's our pleasure, Shawna.  Thanks for the invitation.

My first question is for you, Lexi.  As I understand it, you had an absolute personal agenda that took you to the Via Verde Dude Ranch at Jackson Hole, Wyoming—something far removed from a vacation.

Lexi:  That's right.  I was determined to locate my nephew's father and make him take financial responsibility for his son.

But why the Via Verde Dude Ranch?

Lexi:  My sister had always been wild and irresponsible, but when she became pregnant she totally changed.  She doted on her son.  Mother and I kept asking her who the father was but she would only say that the father told her he didn't want anything to do with the baby, that it was her problem and not his.  She eventually admitted to me that the boy's father was Nick Clayton who, along with his brother and mother, owned the Via Verde.  She had met him when she vacationed there and he had taken her to Hawaii which was when she became pregnant.  But she remained adamant that she didn't want anything from him, that she would take care of her son on her own.  She even took on a second job to earn more money.  It was a bad rainstorm that caused the accident when she was on her way to that job.  Custody of my nephew passed to me upon her death.  I decided that Nick Clayton had to take financial responsibility whether he wanted to or not.  So, I booked a three week vacation at the ranch for the sole purpose of confronting him.

Nick:  She totally grabbed my attention as soon as she got off the shuttle bus from the airport.  She had wandered over to the corral where I had just been thrown from a bucking bronco…(chuckles at the mental image) not a very impressive introduction.

Well, that certainly doesn't seem like the type of circumstances that could lead to romance.  Lexi had already made up her mind about the type of person you were.  How did you manage to get beyond that?

Nick:  I didn't have a clue about her agenda.  She did mention that her sister had vacationed at the ranch and had said how much she enjoyed it, but her sister's name didn't register with me.

Lexi:  The more I saw him, talked to him, was around him and his family, the more confused I became.  I started doubting my sister's claim about Nick being the father.  I couldn't reconcile what she claimed with the reality of man I had met…and against my better judgment, the man with whom I was becoming personally involved.

Obviously, somewhere along the way you changed your mind about Nick.  How did that come about?  What happened to make you think that perhaps Nick was not your nephew's father?

Lexi:  That's all in the book.

LOL…okay, let me try a different question.  Nick—at what point did you realize that Lexi had a hidden agenda toward you and what that was?

Nick:  (grins) That's in the book, too.

Thank you, Nick and Lexi, for being with us today.

THE DADDY SEARCH, a Silhouette Desire by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format.  Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com (do search for author name Shawna Delacorte).  Also available from Amazon for Kindle and Barnes and Noble for Nook and also at other online vendors.

Check out my website for additional excerpts from THE DADDY SEARCH and information about my other Harlequin ebook reissues.

www.shawnadelacorte.com

Blurb:

RANCHER DAD?

When Lexi Parker first set foot onto Nick Clayton's dude ranch, she had one goal in mind: to vacation undercover and find out if Nick really was the father of Lexi's precious, now-motherless nephew. It seemed like a perfect plan…

Until Lexi herself succumbed to the cowboy's devastating charms—and found out that this bighearted, honorable rancher was nothing like the love-'em-and-leave-'em rake her sister had portrayed. But if Lexi revealed her secret agenda to Nick now, would she lose her chance with the one man who'd ever stolen her heart?

Inside front cover excerpt:

Which one was the real Nick Clayton? The man her sister had described, or the one Lexi herself had observed?

There was no way you could call Nick irresponsible or callous. She could not imagine him knowingly abandoning his son or tell the boy's mother to get out of his life.

And most devastating of all was Lexi's sense of guilt for her personal involvement with the very man she had come to confront. What was she to believe? Her sister's accusations, or her own observations of a man who made her tingle with excitement and caused her heart to sing?

STORMBOUND WITH A TYCOON—a conversation with Dylan and Jessica

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook.  Today I'm talking with Dylan Russell and Jessica McGuire from STORMBOUND WITH A TYCOON, a Silhouette Desire originally released in print and currently available as a Harlequin Desire in ebook.

Hello Dylan and Jessica.  Welcome to my blog.  Thank you for taking the time to be here today.

Dylan:  It's our pleasure, Shawna.

Jessica:  Thank you for the invitation.

I understand there was a connection between the two of you before you encountered each other at the cabin?

Jessica:  Yes, the connection was my brother, Justin.

Dylan:  Justin and I were best friends in college.  I could tell Jessica had a crush on me back then (shoots her a sly grin), but she was in high school so I dismissed her as being too young for me to date.  Besides, I had the distinct feeling that it wouldn't have set well with Justin.  After college I moved away and even though Justin and I stayed in touch, I didn't see any more of Jessica.

What did you think about that, Jessica:

Jessica:  I have to admit to that crush.  I was fascinated with him…handsome, charming, an intriguing 'older' college man.  But, as Dylan said, there wasn't anything between us.  Over the years, Justin would relay information about Dylan's globe-trotting exploits and business successes, but once they graduated from college, I never saw Dylan again.

Dylan:  Not until that fateful day when she climbed into bed with me.

That sounds like an interesting reunion, to say the least.  How did that unusual situation come about?

Jessica:  Wait a minute!  LOL…before you get off on that track, I'd like to say something in my defense.

In your defense?  This sounds like it's going to be a really good story that Dylan is about to tell us.  Okay…I'm an equal opportunity interviewer.  Let's hear your excuse first then we'll get Dylan's side of it.  :)

Dylan:  (winks at her).  Yes, let's hear your side of the story first.

Jessica:  Justin and I own the mountain cabin together.  In my defense…Justin didn't tell me he had agreed to let Dylan use it for a few weeks.  The weather was okay in Seattle, but on the Olympic Peninsula where the cabin is…well, I arrived at night during a rain storm.  The power in the area was out which was not unusual during storms.  I made my way through the dark to my bedroom, got undressed, and climbed into bed.  I was exhausted from a tiring drive fighting the elements and immediately fell asleep.  I had no knowledge of anyone else being there until the next morning when I woke up with him in my bed.

Well, that sounds logical.  Now how about equal time to Dylan?

Dylan:  Thanks.  First, let me make it clear that I was in the bed and sound asleep when Jessica climbed under the covers and joined me there.  And in my defense…and also Justin's defense…(turns toward Jessica as he tries to suppress a grin) you told Justin you were going to be in New York for three weeks.

So, lack of communication started everything off on the wrong foot.

Jessica:  LOL…and it all went downhill from there.

Dylan:  And quickly, too.  The first disaster happened that very morning.  I built a fire in the fireplace to take the chill out of the air and smoke came pouring out into the living room.  She accused me of not knowing enough to make sure the damper was open, but I was quickly vindicated and proven innocent of any wrong doing in that debacle.

Jessica:  I thought for a minute he had set the cabin on fire.  And, I'm embarrassed to say, I immediately attributed it to what I assumed was his playboy lifestyle and lack of experience with real life.  In sharp contrast to the crush I had on him when I was in high school, I formed a picture in my mind of someone involved in shady business deals, a womanizer who couldn't or wouldn't make a commitment.  All-in-all, not a very flattering picture.

Dylan:  She definitely had me on the defensive.  I felt I should do whatever I could to redeem myself in her eyes, but I had been trying to deal with an upheaval in my life.  I needed the quiet and mostly the isolation the cabin provided.  I needed to get my life together again.

Jessica:  I couldn't picture someone like my perception of Dylan Russell being content in such a remote location with no social activities or other people.  He kept insisting that he had the right to stay because Justin gave him permission to use the cabin and the fact that I owned half the cabin was immaterial since I was supposed to be in New York.  I suggested—strongly suggested—that he check into the lodge on the main road, but he refused to even consider it.  He wouldn't say why he insisted on staying in the cabin.

Dylan:  Then the matter was taken out of our hands.  The bridge over the creek…the only way out of the area…was closed because of high water and there was no end in sight for the rain.  We were now stuck in the cabin together with neither one of us having any way out.  So, there was nothing to do but agree to a truce and try to get along.

What was this problem you were trying to work out, Dylan?  It sounds like something very serious to drive you to an isolated cabin in the mountains.

Dylan:  Serious?  Very.  What happened had me rethinking my entire life, all the choices I had made over the years, and trying to figure out a new direction for myself.  Jessica McGuire presented way too much of a distraction.  And a temptation.  And a concern.  Her presence left me in a very awkward and uncomfortable position.

What had you in such an unsettled state of mind to begin with?

Dylan:  (flashes a teasing grin) That can be found in the book.  Along with Jessica's actions and reactions.  And then there's Justin's input.

Jessica:  Oh, yes.  My brother definitely got off on the wrong track.  But, as Dylan said, it's all in the book.

Thank you Dylan and Jessica for stopping by.

STORMBOUND WITH A TYCOON, a Silhouette Desire by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format.  Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com  (do search for author name Shawna Delacorte). Also available from Amazon for Kindle and Barnes & Noble for Nook and other online vendors.

Check out my website for additional excerpts from STORMBOUND WITH A TYCOON and information about my other Harlequin reissues.  www.shawnadelacorte.com

Blurb:

AN UNEXPECTED LOVE…

Wealthy, jaded playboy Dylan Russell had sought an isolated cabin in the woods to escape his fast-paced life and reconsider his future. He wanted solitude…but awoke to a woman in his bed! Nothing had prepared Dylan for the sight of his best friend's sister…or the sensual spark that embracing her ignited.

After a canceled project, publicist Jessica McGuire looked forward to days of relaxation. She never expected to encounter the man who had stirred feelings deep in her soul years ago. Stranded with her in a storm, Dylan beckoned her closer with his bedroom eyes. But would Jessica have to be content with only a few nights of passion when she yearned for his love for a lifetime?

Inside Front Cover:

Jessica McGuire didn't know how long she had been sleeping when something nudged her awake. She managed to open one eye enough to see the morning light of a stormy dawn and know that it was still raining. Then a strong arm curled around her waist, jolting her into full wakefulness. A body snuggled up against hers—a naked body that was unmistakably male. A strange, naked, male body. In her bed.

SECRET LOVER—a conversation with Jim and Andi

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook.  Today I'm talking with Jim Richards and Andrea Sinclair from SECRET LOVER, a mystery/romantic suspense from Harlequin's Intrigue line, originally released in print and currently available in ebook.

Good morning, Andi and Jim.  Thanks for joining me today.  Your story is certainly spread out geographically.  It starts in the middle of a snowy winter at an area of summer vacation cabins in the woods on Vancouver Island in Canada and travels all the way down the west coast to La Jolla, California, next to San Diego.

Jim:  Good morning, Shawna.

Andi:  Thanks for the invitation to stop by for a chat.

Andi, you're from La Jolla, a charming Southern California beach town adjacent to the north side of San Diego.  And you live in a restored bungalow right on the beach.  Why would you leave such a marvelous location and travel to the Canadian woods in the middle of winter, a time when most people are getting away from the cold, snowy climate and traveling to a warm and sunny place to spend the winter?

Andi:  (chuckles) That's a great question, one I kept asking myself as I looked out the cabin window and watched the snow falling.  I'm an author…mystery novels.  The book I was working on was something different for me.  Instead of creating the plot from beginning to end, I was using a real case from the news that had never been solved, a cold case, as inspiration.  I concocted a similar storyline to the facts of the real case as the back story for my novel and was in the process of trying to bring it forward and solve my similar but fictional mystery.  Unfortunately, I was having a major case of writer's block.  My agent made a reservation for me at the cabin campground hoping the change of scenery and isolation would eliminate any distractions and help me get back on track again.

Jim:  That's where I encountered Andi.  After a year of running, I finally found an out of the way far off the beaten path place in the Canadian woods on Vancouver Island and had worked there four years.  In the off season I was the winter caretaker of the cabins.  We occasionally had someone check in during the off season, but not that often.  So, to have a beautiful woman staying there all alone was far from ordinary.  While bringing in some more firewood for her, I noticed all the crumpled, discarded sheets of paper on the floor and asked her about them.

Andi:  I had so thoroughly researched the facts of the real case, that I couldn't let go of the real man who was the center of the story—a man who had done the right thing in exposing criminal activity and agreeing to testify in court, then an attempt on his life put him in protective custody.  Shortly after that he disappeared from the safe house.  With their key witness gone, they had to drop charges.  That left me with lots of questions.  Was he bought off by the bad guys?  Had they killed him and disposed of the body?  Had he taken off because he changed his mind about testifying?  Everything I had dug up about the missing witness said he was an honorable man.  So what happened?  I couldn't concentrate on my fictional version.  Part of that, I'm sure, can be blamed on the time I spent as assistant to a top investigative reporter.  All my instincts were pushing at me to follow the real story rather than make up a fictional ending.

What about you, Jim?  What went through your mind when you saw her research notes?

Jim:  That's an easy question.  Pure and absolute panic.  My mind flew in every direction at once trying to latch on to anything that made sense.  I even gave a brief thought to the possibility of her being a professional hired killer sent to silence me.  For five years I had been living by my wits…five years since I had been forced to flee the custody that was no longer protecting me.  The only person I could trust was me.

So the two of you formed an alliance?

Jim:  Not exactly and certainly not at first.  Even though I'd seen some of her research notes, it was a little while before she tumbled to my true identity.  That's when the trouble began.

Andi:  Well, the trouble actually began a little before that.  I got a phone call from my agent telling me someone had broken into his office and the only thing they took was his file on me containing my real name in addition to my pseudonym and my address in La Jolla.  At that point it hit me…someone thought my research for my novel had turned up information telling me where the missing witness was hiding and I had probably gone to meet with him.

Jim:  So against my better judgment, we hit the road together making the 1500 mile drive all the way to La Jolla in order to avoid airports where someone might be watching for me.  The theory being that someone looking for me would not be looking for a couple vacationing by car.  But the journey was far removed from being a smooth, uneventful trip.

What happened?

Jim:  In addition to all the pitfalls during the course of those 1500 miles, once we arrived in La Jolla we were faced with a whole new set of dangers including Andi being shot—

Andi:  Don't give that away.  Save some surprises for them to discover when they read the book.

Uh Oh…you're going to pull that 'you have to read the book' stuff on me?  That has become a repeated pattern with these interviews.

Jim:  (tries to suppress a teasing grin) And that somehow surprises you?

LOL…okay.  Enough questions.  Thanks for being here today.

Andi:  It was our pleasure.

SECRET LOVER, a Harlequin Intrigue mystery/romantic suspense by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format.  Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com (do search for author name Shawna Delacorte).  Also available from Amazon for Kindle and Barnes & Noble for Nook as well as other online vendors.

Be sure to check out my website for additional excerpts from SECRET LOVER as well as information on my other Harlequin reissues.  www.shawnadelacorte.com

Blurb:

A MYSTERIOUS AND SEXY STRANGER

Andrea Sinclair found herself inexplicably drawn to Jim Richards—mind and body—as if she already knew him. His hair and face were wrong, but there was something about the man… Was he the one she'd been searching for ever since he left the Witness Protection Program with a price on his head?

Jim had been alone for too long—alone and lonely. He couldn't help fantasizing about Andi, though she represented life-threatening danger to him. She knew everything about him—everything he'd carefully tried to erase. Could he trust her to help him find the killer who pursued him…? He didn't have a choice. His heart wouldn't let him leave her.

Inside front cover:

What was there about Jim Richards that seemed so familiar?

Andrea focused on his eyes, his nose, the shape of his face. His athletic build—broad shoulders, long legs and good looks. His bed-tousled hair. She recalled the warmth of his handshake and the moment of poignancy when he had placed his hand on top of hers. A tremor of desire shivered inside her. Why?

The man was an enigma, a puzzle with many layers and facets. Did she have the right to pry into his private life? Her sense of integrity said no, but her instincts kept tugging at her with a different answer. Every instinct she possessed told her he was not who he appeared to be, that he was hiding something.

Andi had to know who Jim Richards really was and why he had assumed a secret identity. The last thing she needed was to become involved with a mysterious stranger.

But she couldn't ignore his allure….