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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Featured Author: Michelle Somers


Welcome Today's Featured Author
Michelle Somers!!!




Blurb for Lethal in Love:
Homicide detective Jayda Thomasz never lets her emotions get in the way of a case. So when a serial killer re-emerges after 25 years, the last thing she expects is to catch herself fantasising over the hot, smooth-talking stranger who crosses the path of her investigation.
Reporter Seth Friedin is chasing the story that’ll make his career. When he enters the world of swinging for research, he never imagines he’ll be distracted by a hard-talking female detective whose kiss plagues his mind long after she’s gone.
Past experience has shown Jayda that reporters are ruthless and unscrupulous. But when the murders get personal and danger closes in, will she make a deal with the devilish stranger to catch the killer? How far will she and Seth have to go? And do you ever really know who you can trust?


Buy links for Lethal in Love:
iBooks:
Amazon US:
Amazon Aus:
Amazon UK:
Kobo:
GooglePlay:


Lethal in Love excerpt:
‘We should have DNA results in less than two weeks.’
Seth turned in time to see Jayda step onto the balcony. ‘That’s great. Chase came through for you then?’
‘Not Chase.’ Her gaze dropped.
‘Oh?’
‘I didn’t tell him.’
‘Oh.’ He couldn’t fathom the relief those four words gave him. ‘Any particular reason?’
She shook her head, her eyes still evading his as she joined him at the handrail. ‘I called in a couple of favours. Once we get something concrete, I’ll fill him in. No point sending the squad off on tangents if we’re wrong.’
‘Sounds fair.’
‘Does it?’ Her lips snapped closed, as if the words had escaped without her consent. ‘I have to go.’ His hand caught her wrist before she moved out of reach.
‘Are you okay?’
‘Aside from losing someone I love and being benched from the job that would help me find her killer? Sure.’
‘We’ll find him, with or without the Department.’
Her eyes welled. ‘Thanks. It’s nice to know at least one person in this mess is on my side, no matter the reason.’
He dropped her hand. It wasn’t as if she could delve into his brain and read the images that flashed across his conscience. A computer file containing lists of his own. Lists that included Jayda.
He turned back to the railing and stared down at the russet-tiled roof below. It wasn’t as if having those details meant he would use them.
She hesitated. Waiting for him to speak, perhaps? Then her expression closed and she moved towards the door.
‘I have to go out for a few hours, so let’s call it a day.’
‘I’ll come with. We’re a team, remember?’
‘It’s personal.’
Visions of her and Chase pushed him to ignore the determined tilt of her chin. ‘How personal?’
‘As personal as it gets.’
At the quiver of her lip, something clicked. ‘You’re either going to your father’s or Bec’s.’
She startled, then shook her head. ‘Private seems to be a word outside your vocabulary.’
‘Let me come with you.’
‘This isn’t part of your story.’
‘I know. Not everything is about the story.’ Did he really just say that? He shrugged. ‘Can’t this be an instance of one friend helping another?’
‘Is that what we are? Friends?’
‘Why not?’
A blush stained her cheeks and he knew what she was thinking. It was the very same thing his own body felt as he stepped closer.
His heart pounded. ‘What are we, Jayda, if we’re not friends?’
Heat radiated from her lips, they were so close. He allowed his palm to scale her arm, running up and over her shoulder to her neck, where his thumb rested on her carotid, measuring the racing gallop of her blood.
‘Let go, Jayda. Your rules don’t take into account this thing between us. I felt it the very first moment I saw you, and I know you felt it, too.’
The moment froze, expanding like the silken filament of a spider’s web unfettered in the pull of the breeze. Her eyes never left his as she dragged in a lungful of air.
Then she blinked and turned away, unhinging his hand.
‘If you’re coming, you’d better get ready.’ She was already through the door and halfway across the living room when her final words filtered back. ‘We leave in five minutes.’




Where to find Michelle Somers
You can find me at www.michelle-somers.com where you can sign up for my newsletter, keep up-to-date with any news and read my blogroll (I don’t have a blog right now, but I’m a real blog-hopper – yep, I get around).
Also on social media:
And I’m on youtube. Take a look at my teaser of Lethal in Love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE3jSTph28Q



Interview With Michelle Somers:
  1. Can you tell us a little about your books?
I have one book on all cyber-bookshelves at the moment, and my second is due out early next year.
I was thrilled at this year’s Romance Writers of Australia conference when my debut novel, Lethal in Love, won their Romantic Book of the Year Award for long romance.
Lethal in Love is a sensual romantic suspense set in Melbourne, Australia, where I’ve pitted homicide detective against reporter.
Jayda and Seth’s story begins in a swinger’s club, where they are both undercover – Seth to catch a story, Jayda to catch a killer. Their meeting is electric, and throws Jayda so far out of her comfort zone she lets Seth kiss her, and more, she kisses him back.
Luckily, her partner puts an end to things before they develop further, and Jayda is called to the scene of another murder, presumably committed by the serial killer returned to the streets of Melbourne after a 25 year sabbatical.
The Night Terror hunts innocents, all women in their twenties, blue eyes, blonde hair. He stalks them, strangles them, then severs a finger, keeping it as a trophy.
Jayda will do anything to ensure women can feel safe on the streets again. Even team up with a reporter who is too sexy, too bossy, too distracting for his own good. And hers.
Much as she needs Seth’s insight into the Night Terror case, Jayda fights him every step of the way. She doesn’t lean – ever. Her past has taught her to be resilient and self-reliant. And she won’t relinquish her power to anyone. Least of all a man. And if he’s a reporter? Well, her inherent distrust and dislike of reporters is based on experience. Experience doesn’t lie.
Seth has an uphill battle to prove he’s not like the rest.
Then the Night Terror makes a move, things get personal and Jayda must discover who she can trust, and who wishes to destroy her.
  1. What inspires you to write?
I think there are two parts to this question – why do I write and what inspires me?
I’ll answer the first part first.
I believe writers are born, not made. I write because I can’t imagine not writing. Because I feel incomplete if I don’t. And I’ve always loved romance, after all, who doesn’t want their very own happy ever after? Breathing life into my characters and sharing their stories gives me a great deal of joy and satisfaction, and my only bug-bear is that I waited so long before I gave into the calling.
In terms of where I find inspiration, that’s always a tough question to answer. I guess I’d say - everywhere.
I find everyday life a constant supply of ideas and light-bulb moments. Like most writers, my brain seldom switches off. From an unusual news headline to the curious shopping habits of someone in the supermarket produce section. To strange behaviour of a driver in the car behind me or a neighbour whose genial mask slips, making me question what they could possibly be hiding.
Then there’s the psychology. The whys and wherefores in a person’s mind. Why do they act the way they do? What makes one person a psychopathic murderer and another a force against evil? Researching this area is like stumbling into a black hole. I get so lost inside, it’s almost impossible to find my way out.
As horrifying as this material is, it’s also great fodder for characterisation. How do psychopaths think? How do they act? How do they fit almost seamlessly into society? What fuels their need to kill without an ounce of remorse or empathy toward their victims?
By combining all these factors, life’s inspiration, along with my loves for romance, mystery and the darker side of evil, it’s no wonder that Lethal in Love was born.
  1. Do you have a favorite spot to write?
Anywhere sunny and warm. And when that fails, I write on my living room couch with Emerald, my cuddly black cat, by my side. 


  1. Do you have a favorite food or drink you must have nearby when writing?
Tea or coffee during the day. At night, the occasional indulgence of a glass of Moscato.
As for snacks, I have a weak spot for salt and vinegar chips, and I’ve never been known to pass up an offer of chocolate, especially if it’s dark with chilli or nuts.
  1. Do you listen to music while you write?
To my husband’s absolute disgust, I don’t. He’s one of these people who needs noise to work, lots of it, whereas I’m one of those finicky people who can’t concentrate in anything but complete silence. That means I tend to write best on days when the kids are at school, hubby’s not working from home and the house is empty but for me and Emerald.
  1. Do you have a favorite character to write about?
Not yet, but I do have a character in the planning stages that I just can’t wait to get stuck into.
The story is a kind of Stephanie Plum meets James Bond scenario set in the US. It’s full of suspense and tension, and some weird, wacky and wonderful characters. And more than a few surprises.
My character’s name is Jasmine Flowers and her life is a throwback to the days of bell-bottoms, moccasins and Bob Dillon. Yes, her grandparents are modern-day hippies, much to Jasmine’s dismay. But, let’s call her Jaz, as does everyone but her rather colourful, slightly eccentric grandmother Mimi.
Jaz is an art therapist, a cat lover and a stickler for routine. So, when she crosses paths with the danger-loving secret agent Drew Stanford, her safe, predictable world is thrown into turmoil. Especially when he’s kidnapped seconds after he kisses her, and the one person who could have helped her find him – Drew’s friend – turns up dead.
Stepping out of her comfort zone and into danger isn’t easy. As is the realization that beyond that step, her life will never be the same again.
The first in Jasmine’s series should be out toward the end of next year and I just can’t wait!
  1. For a reader who hasn't read your books yet, which book do you suggest they start with?
Lol! I have one book out, so I’d suggest starting with that.
Lethal in Love is a great place to start if you love romance and suspense with equal passion. It’s a perfect melding of my two favorite genres, and deliberately so.
With a kick-ass female homicide detective, a damaged but determined reporter and a sadistic serial killer, what’s not to love?
If you’d like a taste of my writing style and some secondary characters from Lethal in Love, I’ve just released a short story romantic suspense. It’s called Cold Case, Warm Heart, and I’m offering it free for a limited time to all my newsletter subscribers. Sign up is from my website www.michelle-somers.com and I promise you’ll only hear from me once a month.
In my newsletter, not only do I share updates on what I’ve been doing for the month and sneak previews of what I’m writing, but I’ll drag you across to the darker side of life. This month we found out why one of the most prolific serial killers the US has ever known wasn't all bad. Mmm, food for thought....
Sign up to find out more.


  1. If you could spend 24 hours as a fictional character, who would you chose?
Wow, this is so hard. Of all your questions, this threw me the most to the point where I found myself thinking and rethinking my answer.
I’d want to choose a strong female character, and there are so many I could choose here. Funnily enough, the first that comes to mind is Lucy from C.S.Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.
This was a hands-down favorite childhood story, and many-a-time in my pre-teen years I’d step into my closet and push against the very solid wall in the hopes of finding Narnia. I’m not telling whether I ever found it or not…
I’ve always loved Lucy, even before I understood the importance of character arc and growth.
Lucy was such a rounded character, such an inspiration. Her journey toward self-realisation was one of strength and courage, and at the end of her story, I saw a young girl realise her true ability, her true worth. She saved a world and its people, became a hero and a queen, without once losing her humility or her humanity.
Plus, she got to hang around with talking animals and fantasy creatures, and she rode on a mighty lion’s back.
What’s not to love about that?

9. What are writing projects are you currently working on?
A sequel to Lethal in Love called Murder Most Unusual. This book is in its final editing stages and should be released early 2017. Here’s a little bit of what to expect:
Author Stacey Holland lives in a fictitious world where the mortality of her characters is governed by a tap on her keyboard. Homicide detective Chase Durant’s cases are real and gritty, where one wrong move could be your last. When their two worlds collide, and fiction melds with fact, can they fight the attraction raging between them, all-the-while fighting the killer determined to destroy them both?
Exciting, right?
I’m also working on an anthology of psychological thriller short stories, as well as a series of non-fiction ‘how to’ books for authors. The first in my Simply Writing Series is a step-by-step guide to building a killer synopsis. I can’t wait to share my strategy with other writers, and Simply Synopsis will be out mid-2017.



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