NEW
RELEASE and INTERVIEW
Deception in the Shadows
by T.
L. Haddix
Deception in the Shadows is the sixth in the Shadows Collection series. Also available: Secrets in the Shadows, Under the Moon's Shadow, Shadows from the Grave, The Shadows Collection (Books 1-3), Hidden in the Shadows, and In the Heart's Shadow.
Deception in the Shadows is currently on tour with Reading Addiction Book Tours. The tour stops here
today for my interview with the author. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
You can find out about T. L. Haddix's Firefly Hollow and the rest of the Firefly Hollow series in my previous blog post.
Description
When all the lies that have been hidden come to light, nothing will be
the same.
From the time she came to live with her Uncle Ron after the tragic deaths
of her parents when she was a young girl, Carrie Greer never had reason to doubt
she was wanted. Now a dispatcher with the county, she's a grown woman building
a life of her own. But after a trip to Florida, her uncle's attitude changes ...
and not for the better. While struggling to come to terms with this shift in
their relationship and all the collateral damage it causes, another tragedy strikes.
Ron Smith is murdered. And the only person with an obvious reason to want him
dead ... is Carrie.
Robbie Bailey is finally free to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a teacher.
But instead of attending classes, he ends up having to return to Leroy and to
Carrie, the girl he's been in love with since he was a teenager. He finds
himself in the position of having to convince her of the depth of his feelings
while protecting her from a vengeful killer bent on keeping long-buried secrets
hidden. And he isn't sure he can succeed at either task.
Excerpt
The tastefully appointed den was quiet, save the sounds of the antique
clock ticking on the mantel and the occasional popping of the logs that burned
sedately in the fireplace. The room’s two occupants were holding an entire
conversation with their eyes, as the woman seated behind the ornate mahogany
desk turned an envelope corner to corner to corner. The socially polite smile
she usually wore was absent, a cold harshness in its place that would have
surprised most who knew her.
That harshness was
no surprise to the man seated in the comfortable leather chair in front of the
desk. Trey London shifted, moving so that he could set the cut-glass tumbler he
held on a strategically placed coaster on the table beside him.
“How do you want to
handle this?” he finally asked. His voice was quiet, even though they were
alone in the big house and being overheard wasn’t a concern. Most things he
did, he did quietly. People found his calm demeanor reassuring for the most
part, with only a handful seeing that predatory watchfulness for what it truly
was.
She sat forward,
stunningly elegant even though she was attired in a simple blouse and skirt.
Her fingers ran across the top of the envelope where she’d slit it with the
pearl-handled letter opener earlier that day. “The same way we handled all
Hatcher’s other little… indiscretions. Quickly and without blinking. Making
those go away was fairly simple, and I see no reason this has to be different.
You’ll take care of it?”
He nodded. “Of
course. You know this will have to be dealt with in a more severe fashion than
the rest. We can’t pay him off or scare him off.”
An arched eyebrow
lifted as she gave a little shake of her head. “I’m aware. And I don’t care.
He’s not worth my concern. Do you have a problem doing it?”
“You know I don’t.
I’ve not spent the last fifteen years protecting your interests only to balk
now. When?”
“Soon. The sooner,
the better.” She lifted her own glass and took a sip of the amber liquid it
contained. In the firelight and the warm glow of the Tiffany lamp perched on
the edge of her desk, he saw her lips lift into a tiny smirk. “I worked too
hard to get where I am to let someone traipse in and take it all from me with
this kind of drivel. Hatcher and I never saw eye-to-eye about how these matters
should be handled. Apparently, he’s been paying through the nose to keep this
quiet. Well, this bitch doesn’t pay.”
That was the God’s
honest truth, he knew. Oh, she compensated him well, very well, to act as
clean-up man for whatever needed to be swept under the rug, but that was part
of their understanding. He made problems go away; that was his job. And he was
good at it. In the grand scheme of things, removing this newest problem wasn’t
even the vilest act he’d ever performed to keep her safe. But it would be the
first time he’d ever killed for her.
“I’ll see that it’s
done.” He stood and straightened his sweater before leaving.
She stopped him as
he reached the door.
“If you could make
it look like an accident, that would probably be best. And we’ll need to find
out what he has written down or stashed away, and make sure it disappears as
well. Because you know he’ll have something. They always do.”
“Of course they do.
I’ll take care of it. You know I will.”
“Why else would I
keep you around?” Her eyes dropped to his crotch, and he shut the door of the
den back with a quiet snick.
Watching her smile
was like looking into the eyes of a shark, and despite the emptiness, he felt
an odd sexual thrill run up his spine as she traced the edge of her glass with
a blood-red fingernail.
“Why else, indeed?”
He went to her, knowing better than to wait for her to come to him while she
was in this sort of mood, and stood at the corner of her desk as he waited for
instructions. His arousal grew as she slowly unbuttoned her shirt and stood,
only to kneel before him. Of all the perks of his job, he thought, closing his
eyes as her mouth found its way to him and started working skillfully, this was
his favorite. The thrill of the danger of knowing she could have him killed, or
that he’d be imprisoned for the rest of his life if the crimes he had committed
on her behalf came to light, just added to his pleasure.
Featured Review
Holy Cow! Deception in the Shadows is by far one of the best Romantic Suspense stories I
have read this year! With an intricate plot and a cast of complex characters,
this book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it. It
was definitely hard to put down and I could not stop reading until I read the
very last page. Unlike other books I have read this year, I was still guessing
‘who done it?’ until the very last. The epilogue ended in a complete cliff
hanger which demands answers, and I can only hope the next installment of this
series comes out SOON ... like NOW! Ms. Haddix has completely outdone herself in
creating this awesome masterpiece. With just the right amount of mystery,
romance and suspense all rolled up in this well-written novel made for an
effortless and engrossing read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who
loves a good romantic suspense that will keep you enthralled throughout.
Interview with the
Author
Hi T. L. Haddix,
thanks for joining me today to discuss your new book, Deception in the Shadows.
For what age group
do you recommend your book?
Adults 18 and over, though it’s okay for mature teens, as well. But
primarily it’s targeted at adult readers.
What sparked the
idea for this book?
I wanted to tell Robbie Bailey’s story. Robbie has been a character in
the Shadows series who has been on
the sidelines, appearing here and there, throughout the other five books. And I
felt he had potential, so I sat down and started wondering about who he was.
So, which comes
first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?
In this case, it was the character’s story. I had the background for the
heroine, Carrie Greer, but I wasn’t sure what to do with it. And I had this
desire to write a romance for Robbie … so after some finagling, the two of them
fit together nicely.
What was the hardest
part to write in this book?
The last twenty percent. Well, I should say the part from 80% on to about
95%, really. I knew how I wanted Deception in the Shadows to end, to tie up. And I knew how to get to a certain
point. But that last little bit was very hard to get my head around. It needed
to make sense and fit the story, and working that out turned out to be somewhat
difficult.
How do you hope this
book affects its readers?
I hope Deception
entertains them, and I hope it leaves them with a positive impression of the
book and the author. Also, I’d hope it would make them curious to find out what
happens in the other books in the series. There are five that come before this
one, as well as a completely different series which is straight romance with
light paranormal elements (which is the Firefly Hollow series.)
How long did it take
you to write this book?
Not counting the planning, and once I got to the "transcribing"
stage, the bulk of the writing took about three weeks … but then I hit that 80%
blockage. If I could’ve figured things out easily there, I would have spent
about a month writing the first draft. As it happened, it took about eight
weeks.
What is your writing
routine?
I get an idea, a spark, a nebulous thought, and I write it down so I
don’t forget it. That can be as simple as "Jason Hudson is having lunch in
a diner out on a country road." I let the idea percolate, and when I’m
ready, I start making general notes. Sometimes the notes are there from the
beginning with the spark. Sometimes they don’t come. Once they do, I get it "penciled
in" in my brain, then commit it to a paper outline. Once the outline is
done, I’m ready to write. I use Pages as a word processor, usually do about ten
pages a day, and in between "transcribing" the ideas from memory, I
work in my head on how I want scenes to go. So if you ever see me in the real
world and I seem distracted, I’m probably writing. :)
Good to know! How
did you get your book published?
I decided to self-publish after doing some research on the publishing
industry. I knew I could hire a professional team to help me produce the book
(cover art, editing, formatting) and it didn’t make sense to give 80% of
whatever profits I was fortunate enough to make to a publisher when I could
accomplish a large part of what they could on my own. As it turned out, that
decision has worked out well for me personally as well as professionally, as my
husband is my cover designer and formatter, and we were able to turn what he
did for me into a full-time job providing those services to other authors.
Fantastic! What
advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
Research, research, research. Just as traditional publishing wasn’t for
me, self-publishing isn’t for everyone. There’s no set rule that says you have
to fall into one category or another. Find the path that fits you best, and
learn everything you can about the field, both the artistic side and the
business side. Even if you go traditional, you should know both so you can
protect your interests. And grow a thick skin, either way. You’re going to need
it.
Great advice. What
do you like to do when you're not writing?
I spend most of my time writing, thinking about writing, wishing I was
writing, LOL. But when I do have spare time, I’m usually spending it with my
husband or our cat children, cooking, or crafting.
What does your
family think of your writing?
My family has been incredibly supportive. I couldn’t have done what I
have without them.
Please tell us a bit
about your childhood.
My childhood was … interesting. Even though I have sisters, I was raised
as an only child by an aunt and my elderly grandparents. I am very introverted,
and I’m not really good at the whole making friends thing, so I spent a lot of
the time with my nose in a book or daydreaming.
Sounds like a lot of
authors I've interviewed. So, you liked reading when you were a child?
Oh, yes. I was constantly reading, and pretty much anything I could get
my hands on - books, magazines, cereal boxes, even. My favorites were the Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew series. And I don’t think I’m exaggerating to say that I read
probably 85% of the books in my grade-school library by the time I was
thirteen.
When did you first
realize you wanted to be a writer?
Honestly, I can’t remember when I didn’t want to be a writer. But I
wanted to be everything - journalist, law enforcement, chef. Writing was just
always there in the background, always something I was good at. And writing is
what stuck. So now I can create characters who have all those professions I
wanted to try and live vicariously through them.
That's great! Did
your childhood experiences influence your writing?
Absolutely. I couldn’t even begin to count how much.
Which writers have
influenced you the most?
I’d have to say Nora Roberts, Debbie Macomber, Tami Hoag, as far as contemporary fiction. And there were several TV shows, such
as In the Heat of the Night that were strong influences, as well.
Do you hear from
your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I don’t hear too much from readers, though I’d like to. I’m still trying
to figure that whole social networking thing out, and I’m just getting started
there. But I’ve been very fortunate that when I do hear from readers, the
feedback has been positive. I’ve heard from a lot of people who’ve read Secrets in the Shadows and who wanted to say thank you. That book deals with
some hard topics, and some very personal topics, and it seems to resonate with
people.
What can we look
forward to from you in the future?
Well, if I’m lucky, I’ll have at least four full-length releases this
year, peppered in with some shorter works. As T. L. Haddix, I’d like to do at
least two Shadows
books, one Firefly Hollow, maybe two. And I’d like to throw in a couple of Mallory Love titles, as well, though those would be shorter (long novellas/short
novels).
Thanks so much for
taking the time to stop by today. Best of luck with your future projects.
Thank you so very much for having me. I had a blast answering these
questions!
About the Author
T. L. Haddix was born in Hazard, Kentucky, a small town in the center of
the Appalachian coal fields. Taught to read by her grandmother, T. L. has had a
life-long love affair with books, devouring whatever she could get her hands
on. From childhood favorites such as the Trixie Belden series and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books, to her current favorites from authors like Tami Hoag, Alex Kava, J. A. Jance, and Lisa Kleypas (among many others), T. L. still finds refuge
in the written word.
"Growing up, I wanted to be everything – astronaut, police officer,
doctor, teacher, reporter, psychologist – there was no clear choice for me. I
wanted to do it all. Becoming a writer has allowed me to do just that, because
I can live vicariously through my characters."
A resident of eastern Kentucky, T. L. is hard at work on her next book,
when she isn’t chasing after her three cat-children with her husband.
Links
