A Day In Charleston

I had the chance to visit Charleston, SC recently. For those who have never been there, it's a colorful port city with a tiny taste of New Orleans about it. It was a quick trip because I was on a tight deadline to complete BENEATH. But sometimes looming deadlines crush the inner muse. The pressure to write has a reverse effect and you find yourself penning such useful lines as, "She ate a piece of cake."

My day away started with a little seafood at Fleet Landing. Just traveling a few hours south and I was blessed with 80 degree weather on a winter day. 

The architecture was beautiful. The ambiance relaxing. It was a shame that the book I was working on was a young adult adventure under the ocean. None of what I was seeing in Charleston could make its way into the book. Well, except for the seafood. :)

So this refreshed writer went home and ended up being early on her deadline!

How about you, whether you're under a deadline for a book, or a deadline in everyday tasks...do you find stepping back for a few moments clears the brain?

Here is the end result of my little vacation...

BENEATH

From USA TODAY bestselling author Maureen A. Miller comes this young adult adventure that will plunge you deep into the Atlantic Ocean.   

It was Stella Gullaksen’s final break before starting her freshman year at college. Joining her best friend, Jill, and Jill's family aboard the STARKISSED, Stella wakes to a violent storm that capsizes the boat over a hundred miles off the New Jersey shore.

As the waves haul her under Stella knows that she is going to die. Instead, an unusual current drags her deep into the underwater canyons of the Atlantic Ocean. Powerless against the raging waters, she is suddenly sucked into a ventilated cave. One by one, Jill and her family also emerge in the sunken cavern.

With only a faulty diving flashlight to keep oblivion at bay Stella and her best friend's brother, Colin, search the cave in hope of finding a way back to the surface. What they discover, however, is that they are not alone. There are other survivors in this subterranean grotto–survivors spanning decades of maritime disasters.

 
Will this discovery prove salvation, or have they all been condemned to the same fate? A grim finale at the bottom of the sea?

On an alliance forged by friendship and attraction, Stella and Colin battle to escape the danger that lies beneath.

AMAZON

Disney Adventure Movies

Do you remember those old  Disney adventure movies? Swiss Family Robinson. 20,000 Leagues
Under The Sea. Island At The Top Of The World. Granted, some are older than me, but there has still been an opportunity to see them all. As a kid I couldn't wait to go onto the 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea ride at Disney World. Even at that naive age I realized that the submarine never actually went to that depth. Heck it didn't even go under water–just the windows did! At such a tender age you realize that you've just been duped.

Still, I've always loved a great adventure–be it in print or on film. I'm supposed to be a romantic suspense author, but every now and then I need to feed that inner child–the one who was disappointed that the 20,000 Leagues ride didn't actually go 20,000 leagues down. Coming next month I'll be releasing BENEATH, a young adult adventure about a family whose boat is capsized on the Atlantic Ocean. They get caught in a rogue downward current that hauls them deep into the Atlantic canyons and sucks them into a cave at the bottom of the sea. 

It may not be romantic suspense, but it has a touch of romance in it, and there is definitely suspense. And this time the ride really goes underwater!

How about you? Do you still enjoy Disney adventures?

BENEATH

An overnight fishing trip on the Atlantic Ocean…
 
It was Stella Gullaksen’s final break before starting her freshman year at college. Joining her best friend, Jill, and Jill's family aboard the STARKISSED, Stella wakes to a violent storm that capsizes the boat over a hundred miles off the New Jersey shore.
 
As the waves haul her under Stella knows that she is going to die. Instead, an unusual current drags her deep into the underwater canyons of the Atlantic Ocean. Powerless against the raging waters, she is suddenly sucked into a ventilated cave. One by one, Jill and her family also emerge in the sunken cavern.

With only a faulty diving flashlight to keep oblivion at bay Stella and her best friend's brother, Colin, search the cave in hope of finding a way back to the surface. What they discover, however, is that they are not alone. There are other survivors in this subterranean grotto–survivors spanning decades of maritime disasters.
 
Will this discovery prove salvation, or have they all been condemned to the same fate? A grim finale at the bottom of the sea?

On an alliance forged by friendship and attraction, Stella and Colin battle to escape the danger that lies beneath.

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | iTUNES | KOBO

Solar Eclipse '17

The writer in me thinks I missed out on a great plot opportunity. How many romances sprang up in the crowds that gathered to watch the solar eclipse in August? Strangers were hugging. Barbecues. Champagne. The mystery and anonymity of hiding behind eclipse glasses. It was the perfect blend for a romance, or even a little romantic suspense.

The enthusiast in me, however, was too busy prepping for and enjoying the event. I live in North Carolina so we were at about 95% coverage here. It was a beautiful, sunny day, without a cloud to worry about. My viewing partner was ready long before me. Rather than watch the eclipse unfold, however, she was watching her mommy make a fool of herself with a tripod and camera. 

I had several lenses stacked atop each other. UV filters and polarizers. Of course, I was one of those who had procrastinated in getting the glasses, and ended up scrambling two days before, purchasing "Official Solar Eclipse Glasses" from the back of a van parked in the Walmart parking lot. Hey, he showed me an ISO certificate! I guess you can call them a shady pair of glasses (cue the groan).

Well, for all my prep. I couldn't see a darn thing through the lens. Fortunately, I did not sear my eyeball. In the end the only magic trick was to put the solar eclipse glasses over the camera and manage a few cryptic shots. But, all in all, it was a fun event. And one that I'd consider using in a future book. I mean, heck, my day had all the necessary elements.

• Villainous character in a minivan
• Stunning heroine - the four-legged fox in sunglasses
• HEA - a few legible photos of the eclipse

How about you? Were you able to view the eclipse this summer?

MT. EVEREST, ANYONE?

I confess. This is about as close as I’ll ever get to deep sea diving. I admire all those adventure junkies out there. Those zip-lining, skydiving, roller-coastering thrill seekers. My idea of recklessness is going five miles above the speed limit. Even as a kid I would look at all those kids at the waterpark climbing 100-foot towers to some waterslide of horror, while I would just shake my head and turn towards the innocent little pontoons in the placid canal.

Well, my WIP takes place in a deep sea cave. The logistics pose a challenge for me, but I look to the words of the great Nora Roberts for comfort. A decade or two ago I attended an RWA conference and she was teaching a class. She said, “Look at my desk. You’ll see little piles everywhere. Neat little stacks. Look at this pile right here.” She held up three sheets of paper, and said, “This is my research for THE REEF. Do you think I’ve actually been diving?”

If I stuck to my knowledge wheelhouse, I’d have only managed to release maybe three books. I have to broaden my horizons--horizons that are now taking me down…down…down. Glug, glug, glug. The research is fun. Some of the underwater caves are absolutely exquisite, and my bucket list has increased tenfold. Here are a couple I'd like to see.

Neptune's Grotto in Italy

Blue Grotto, Italy

As a writer, have you ever been forced out of your comfort zone in the spirit of expansion? As a reader, do you like to read about things you've never done before, or probably won't do?

www.MaureenAMiller.com

SO LONG, FAREWELL, AU REVOIR…

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu

Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy9_lfjQopU

I’m feeling a little nostalgic lately, knowing that this will be my last post at Not Your Usual Suspects, at least for a while. I’ll certainly be dropping by to check out what my NYUS colleagues are up to and celebrate their latest accomplishments.

So, naturally, I’ve been thinking a lot about the past, especially once I realized that I’ve been posting here for seven years! Much of that time, I’ve felt like a bit of a fraud, pretending I’m a “real” writer while my NYUS colleagues (the real writers) go about their amazing careers.

But I sat down and counted, and since 2010, the year On Her Trail came out from Carina Press, and the year I “met” some fabulous writers (I’m looking at you in particular Maureen Miller, Toni Anderson and Shirley Wells), I’ve published 11 novels, 25 short stories, and two collections. It would interest me greatly to know how many novels the NYUS writers have published collectively. I’m sure it’s enough to fill a small library!

So, see you around. Here’s to another fabulous seven years for NYUS.

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Sports In Romance

Many of you know this about me already, but I'm an avid (rabid) Tampa Bay Buccaneer fan. I have been since their inception. Granted, I was a little tyke when they came to be, but that was how it began for me. I was living in Tampa at the time, and all the local stores were practically giving away clothes for this new NFL franchise that no one cared about. Football in Tampa? Seriously? Sundays are for going to the beach. Anyway, my mom, always looking for a deal, bought up every children's shirt they had (probably totaled $25), and I ended up with an entire Tampa Bay Buccaneer wardrobe. Naturally, the whole "fan" thing just evolved.


But, football is in my blood. My grandfather played in the NFL (for one game!). He destroyed his knee in what nowadays could be cured by surgery, and expensive NFL insurance. His glory days were college, though. He was a rock star. A handsome Italian who could have any woman he wanted. He found my grandmother (who was four inches taller than him), and they were married for over sixty years.

With this history, you'd think I'd lean towards sports personalities in my romance novels. Strangely, no. I don't mind reading someone else's sports romance, but I can't ever bring myself to entertain the idea. I'd have plenty of material. I've been around football my whole life. That's probably the problem, though. For me, football is romantic. That is the romance for me. I have cried. I have cheered. And Lord knows, I have toiled (anyone who knows the Buccaneers would understand this). And I have loved. I have loved a team through every adversity.

So, no. No sports romances from me. But, if you ever sit down with me on a Sunday, I'll talk enough to fill a novel...

Any sports romance writers/readers out there? Any closet sports fans?

The Usual Suspects

Recently, I watched a movie with Benicio Del Toro in it, and was reminded of the classic, The Usual Suspects. Just this weekend I heard an announcer on ESPN refer to someone in the offices of the NFL as Keyser Soze. I had to chuckle that Verbal's character has persevered so long.

Given the name of our site, I started to relate the cast of The Usual Suspects to some of our NYUS authors.

Toni Anderson would probably be our Keyser Soze. She is all innocent and smiles on the outside, but inside lurks a calculating author of romantic thrillers.

I mumble a lot, so surely I must be the Benicio Del Toro character. :) 

Gabrielle Byrne’s character is the leader of sorts. That would have to be Anne Marie Becker, as she shepherds the NYUS authors, and keeps us on a clear path.


Chazz Palminteri is the US customs agent who finally puts the pieces together. I’ll go with Julie Moffet on that one. Her Lexi Carmichael would have figured out who Keyser Soze was from the get-go.

Okay, I know I’ve gone off on a bit of a tangent here, but deadlines and commitments have stolen away my blog topic muse! 

Are there any characters out there that our NYUS authors remind you of, or are there any Hollywood characters that you think take after you?

Making Monsters

As romantic suspense authors we are familiar with crafting monsters. In my last romantic suspense book, DUSK, my villain was a young man who murdered a couple on a remote road in South Africa. Twenty years later he went after their daughter. Monsters are the nature of the beast in this genre. Romance doesn’t come easily for the protagonists of a romantic suspense novel. They have to overcome such nefarious characters to reach their happy ever after.

Well, in addition to romantic suspense, I am the author of a young-adult science fiction series. In the last installment of the BEYOND series, which will be released next month, I had to truly create a monster. The Dallek. It's not so easy crafting a real monster, but that is why I enjoy this brief diversion into Science Fiction. I have a blank slate. This creature lives in a chasm high up in the mountains of an alien planet, and I can make him into anything I want. Suffice to say, the end result isn't too pretty. You wouldn't keep one in your house as a pet.

As a writer, is it a challenge to create your monsters–be they real, or some rogue beast on an alien planet? 

As a reader, does the monster in the book make the plot that much more beguiling?

And yes, if we're going to talk about monsters, you know I have to throw in a picture of the creature that stalks my home. She is a beast. If you don't believe me, look at her puppy training certificate. This was Level 1. The trainer suggested Level 43 for her!! 

Phobias

We all have them. I fear drowning. I have one of those emergency hammers to break the windshield should I ever accidentally drive into a large body of water. Granted, I’d probably lose all rationale in such a situation. 

I also have a fear–well, not necessarily a fear–more of an aversion–to cut flowers. I believe it stems from attending a funeral too early in life. I forever associate cut flowers with that. No Valentine’s Day bouquets for me. I would take that as a personal insult. (Hah! Hard to romance this romance author!) But, I do love flowers as long as they are growing in a pot, or naturally.

Okay, enough about me. Let’s talk about my dog. She has this strange phobia with the dishwasher. It has nothing to do with the machine running. If I simply shut the dishwasher door she has a complete meltdown (video below).

In my case my phobias can be identified. One stems from seeing a traumatic movie too early in life, and the other from a family funeral too early in childhood. 

So, what did my dog experience in her ‘childhood’ that involved a dishwasher?

Do you have any inexplicable phobias, or can you identify their sources? Have you used a phobia as a motivation for a heroine? Can you relate to the line, “Snakes…why did it have to be snakes?” :)

Maureen

www.MaureenAMiller.com

Best laid plans...

Well, by now I should have completed the fourth and final book in my BEYOND series, FOUR
WORLDS. Granted, this series is science fiction, but never fear, I am a romantic suspense author through and through. There is romance. There is suspense. It just happens to be on another planet. Of course, the main character is from North Carolina so that kind of brings it down to earth. :)



Anyway, I digress. As I said, I should be completing that book about now, but instead I have been sidelined by this monster.

Her name is Tink, but I simply call her, "The Mouth." She came home two weeks ago, and fortunately there have been great strides in that time. 

The first few nights I averaged about two hours of sleep. Music, TV, talk radio, stuffed animals...nothing worked to stem the nighttime crying. I was exhausted, and as soon as I tried to get some work done while she was napping...this is what would happen.

Then out of sheer desperation my husband downloaded an app that plays a music box lullaby on repeat. As soon as it came on her cries turned to little whimpers and then faded away completely. In less than two minutes she was asleep. Now, every night we listen to the music box and there is peace had by all.

I'm still working on the nipping/barking/whining during the day that sidelines me from getting my work done, but gosh, look at her. It's so hard not to just melt. 

Christmas will be a crazy one this year. I hope the family is patient. I hope my business associates are patient. I hope "The Mouth" is patient. And I hope you all have as awesome a holiday as I'm going to have!

Maureen
www.MaureenAMiller.com

Writer's Olympics

I'm always so sad when the Olympic torch goes out. Monday night I sat in front of the TV and said, "Now what?" For two weeks I didn't engage in the debate of, "What should we watch tonight?" If the prime coverage wasn't on, I switched to the auxilary channel that was piping in Olympic events all day long. That channel was actually much more entertaining. There you got to see some raw events such as women's weightlifting. I was ready to lift the couch after watching that!

I am hooked to these events because I enjoy viewing all the things I could never manage myself. We watch all these Marvel superheros in the movies when there are real superheroes out there. People who can perform hurculean feats. I have such admiration for anyone that reaches this level.

They should have an Olympics for writers. It could have such competitions as:

     Endurance Writing - Maximum word count in a single seating. 

     Marathon Writing - 26.1 miles on a writer's treadmill. 

     Writer's reach - Maximum stretch length to retrieve a much-needed pile of notes on that book cabinet you can just barely reach without standing up from your desk.  

     Writer's stare down - Who can stare at a single word the longest.

     Writer's coffee challenge - Who can drink the most coffee without running to the             bathroom during a pivotal scene.

What do you think? I'd slay the coffee challenge! I can wiggle in place for at least a half hour after three cups of coffee.


Maureen A. Miller
Competing in the Writer's coffee challenge trials.
www.MaureenAMiller.com

"But wait, I'm really a romantic suspense author!"

I love romantic suspense. I mean, seriously, I love romantic suspense. So much so that I created a site called JUST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE, which has celebrated romantic suspense authors for five years now. I just finished up a three-book romantic suspense series that was a joy to write and is receiving wonderful reviews.

So, for as much as I am ecstatic with any book sales, why is it that my young adult/science fiction has to be the popular one?!  

Okay, you ask, why did you write it if you are, "Little Miss Romantic Suspense"? Good question. I had this silly fantasy as a child (after watching way too many Battlestar Galactica episodes) that I wanted to be whisked away from my back yard on a space ship. Funny enough, when I grew up I still had the fantasy. LOL! So, writing about it seemed a tad more attainable than actually sitting in the back yard every night...waiting.

BEYOND was released a few years ago, but after all this time the series is suddenly rising up the Amazon ranks. It reached the top 20 in the entire Kindle FREE store a couple weeks ago. I get fan mail for this series. I get readers begging me to write another book in the series. And somewhere deep inside me is this timid little writer calling out, "But wait, I'm really a romantic suspense author."

Why do I feel like a traitor to myself? (Go ahead and say it, "because you have issues!") In the end I justify my impetuous segue into this alternate genre by claiming that it's really still romantic suspense...just in a different galaxy. :)

How far have you ever ventured from your favorite genre roots?

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Google Maps

As a writer, Google Maps Street View has become my best friend. In a scene from my currebnt romantic suspense, DUSK, my heroine was walking across Tower Bridge in London, where she needed to look up at the overhead tourist walkway linking the two towers. There was always the option of purchasing an airline ticket to London, hopping on the Underground, and walking halfway across the bridge so that I could see what she would see. Or, there was the less expensive alternative of Google Maps Street View.

I have repeatedly used this tool in writing. Not always for something as extravagant as a romp across the pond. I've used it for nearby intersections, admittedly people-watching. There are times where I need to see public buildings from a three-dimensional perspective.  What do my characters see when they cross a specific street? If my muse isn't cooperating these 'visuals' assist. 

Alas, I sometimes digress. It has become an obsessive game (flagrant waste of time) to try and spot the Google car in window reflections.

Then there is Maureen, the adventurer, who has visited the base camp at Mount Everest, walked across Sydney Harbor, and stood on top of Table Mountain in Capetown. Yes, I get addicted to traveling via this technology.

Sometimes as writers we have to be resourceful. We can't always hop on a plane and visit every country our eccentric characters want to take us to. I have even started tinkering with Google Cardboard for a complete virtual experience!

Are any of you Google Street View addicts?

The BLUE-LINK series are all standalone books

SHADOW

Sophie Diem's boss has skipped town, abandoning their counseling firm and taking her investment money with him. As she seeks to rebuild her professional career she is distressed by the appearance of a stranger. The man keeps to the shadows, but he is definitely stalking her. In an attempt to flee him she accepts a job offer...in London. Surely crossing the Atlantic would be enough to deter her Shadow. 

Glenn Barber is a desperate man. He sorely wants answers. The man that can supply them has gone missing, though. Now all Glenn can do is go after the next best thing, the man's former employee, Sophie Diem. 

Sophie is shocked to spot her shadow in London. What she learns is that Glenn, the Shadow, is not a stalker, but rather her only protection. As her attraction to Glenn grows, together they conspire to locate her former boss and stop him before he can harm others.

"The sexual tension with Sophie and The Shadow was off the charts. Overall, the book had it all: romance, suspense and humor." 

"I loved this book. The characters were strong and the suspense was just right."

On sale now for $0.99!
AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | iTUNES

MIST

A mysterious footlocker washes up on Livvy McKay's shore. Minutes after recovering it she is assaulted by an intruder. Wounded and unable to give chase, she is startled by a knock at the front door. A stranger is looking to rent a boat from her business, McKAY'S CHARTERS. Livvy doesn't believe in coincidences. Especially when the stranger is wearing black−just like her assailant. 

Jack Morell is a desperate man. After receiving a cryptic phone call from his uncle−a call spiked with the sound of gunfire in the background, he is frantic to locate his uncle's missing ship. Warned to use discretion, Jack opts to rent a boat from McKAY'S CHARTERS for his search. 

Together, Jack and Livvy uncover the contents of the footlocker and now they are being hunted. 

Someone doesn't want the world to know what is in that trunk. Someone who is well-connected. 


Unable to trust the authorities, Jack and Livvy have only each other. Will it be enough to survive the Atlantic's frigid clutch? 

On sale now for $0.99!
AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | iTUNES

DUSK

As a young girl, Amanda Newton witnessed the brutal murder of her parents. As an adult she is targeted by their murderer.

Beautiful. Reserved. Mysterious. Amanda Newton, the CEO of BLUE-LINK epitomizes control with her adept handling of the global company. But that control is threatened with a series of attacks against her.

Ray Gordon, a former Navy SEAL is looking to open his own security firm. One more contracting job with BLUE-LINK would complete the funding. When he is hired to protect Amanda Newton, the Ice Queen herself, he never bargained on falling for her.

Amanda has something her attacker wants. He has waited over twenty years to claim it, and he will destroy anyone close to her to get it. 

...but he's met his match in Ray Gordon.

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | iTUNES

Find out more about Maureen at www.MaureenAMiller.com

Say No To Crab Racing!

Last week I went to New Orleans for hubby's business. His company hosted a big gala. It was nice to be wined and dined for a few days, but it was certainly filled with oddities...such as this woman. (No, not me, the one wearing an Aztec temple.)

Another oddity was this statue. I'm not quite sure what to say about this.

At night we visited a conference room lined with bizarre kiosks. One contained "crab racing". A pile of crabs sat in the middle of a pen, and to me they appeared to all be dead. I pointed that out to the host. He said, "They're not dead, they're sleeping." And he proceeds to jab at them with a stick. One raised his claws in protest, but he sure as heck didn't 'race'.  I was ready to go out on the street with a FREE THE CRABS poster. The next exhibit was "pose with a live alligator". I felt like I was in some sort of Chevy Chase Vacation movie.

On our second night of conferences we entered a darkened chamber, and out of the shadows came this powerhouse! It was a tad surreal to be assaulted with such loud noise without actually being able to see the source. But having origins in marching band myself I had to give them a fist pump of respect.

What does all this have to do with my new book? Nothing. But, at least I can say no crabs or alligators were harmed in the writing of DUSK. :)

Writers know that conferences can be a tad surreal. Have you been to any conferences outside the writing industry?

Coming next month...

DUSK

As a young girl, Amanda Newton witnessed the brutal murder of her parents.

As an adult she is targeted by their murderer.

Beautiful. reserved. mysterious. Amanda Newton, the CEO of BLUE-LINK epitomizes control with her adept handling of the global company. But that control is threatened with a series of attacks against her. 

Ray Gordon, a former Navy SEAL is looking to open his own security firm. One more contracting job with BLUE-LINK would complete the funding. When he is hired to protect the ice queen herself, he never bargained on falling for her.

Amanda has something her attacker wants, and he will destroy anyone close to her to convince her to relinquish it.

...but he's met his match in Ray Gordon.

www.MaureenAMiller.com