Though Cape Diablo had a reputation for being cursed, Willa St. Clare--the only eyewitness to a murder investigation--found the remote island the perfect place to disappear.  Only, she never realized she was being followed....

A case of mistaken identity put undercover cop Landry Jones and Willa at cross-purposes. And though a mysterious entity on the island wanted to make sure Willa remained deadly silent, her only hope for survival rested on Landry's too-broad shoulders.  But as the danger around them escalated, was their undeniable attraction the greatest risk of all? 
 

For investigator Brenna Jensen, snowy Riverton, North Dakota, was the ideal home--until it became the target of a serial killer.  Not even FBI hotshot Nick Tarver could keep her from trailing the maniac who taunted her, shadowed her every move. Brenna was anything but comfortable with Nick, her bodyguard in black leather. The sexy lawman challenged her wounded heart.  But as the snow melted and the body count rose, Nick's arms became her only refuge.  For Brenna had uncovered the hit list--and her name was next.... 
 

As a Confidential agent, Isabelle Rush's assignment included tracking down and rescuing a kidnapped heiress in South America--not encouraging the attention of her infuriatingly gorgeous and highly skilled partner, Rafe Montoya.  Between the stray bullets surrounding them and the local cops arresting them, remaining focused was key to their survival.

But time was running out and their high-stakes mission was putting Isabelle's undercover training to the ultimate test.  Now, she would do all she could not to fall prey to an elusive enemy...or to Rafe's playboy charms. 

The wedding invitation sent to Cordell Turner had looked innocent enough.  But the person who had sent it, notorious serial killer Dryden Kane, was anything but.  With the calculating murderer on the loose, Cord was headed for a most unexpected family reunion.  Melanie Frist never imagined she'd see Cord's icy blues ever again.  But after she was targeted by a killer, Cord reappeared on her doorstep expecting to find only one life at stake.  Instead he found one more than he bargained for.  Would Cord be able to keep his newfound family safe from harm, or would the joyful reunion end in tears? 
 

Breaking in to the home of the man suspected of killing her father was reckless.  But Cassy Richards had to confront Lieutenant Gabriel Lowe and learn the truth.  She found a man with the aura of a predator--and the scars of a wounded soldier.  His eyes held a conviction that told her this man was innocent.  And by coming there, she'd put them both in imminent danger.

Gabe had lost his memory of the day a bomb exploded, killing the man he'd been ordered to protect and covering the theft of a deadly toxin.  He'd retreated to heal from his wounds--and to investigate outside the bounds of military law.  Cassy led the enemy to his door.  And now the beast would protect his beauty and see that justice was finally served. 
 

Ashley Orrick would protect her son at all costs. But escaping her all-powerful ex, whose infinite resources seemed almost impossible to elude, was one thing -- shaking Victoria Colby-Camp and her exceptional agents was another. Keith Devers had finally made the leap from analyst to investigator only to be presented with a conflict of interest. Something didn't add up about Ashley. Was it her long scarlet hair or emerald-green eyes...? More than that, it was her maternal ferocity that made Keith break all the rules. Because with this inheritance came a more costly price. But fleeing from danger could only get them so far from the one thing they couldn't escape -- runaway passions. 
 

B.J. Daniels: 
Two years ago I found myself in the Ten Thousand Islands of Florida -- a place a person could get lost forever without even trying. That experience became the setting for a three-book series with fellow writers Amanda Stevens and Joanna Wayne called Cape Diablo. What if there was an island where people went to escape, an island with a morbid history that some said made it haunted by the ghosts of a missing family?  The Cape Diablo series begins with Secrets of His Own by Amanda Stevens, out in July. My Intrigue, Undeniable Proof, comes out in August and Joanna Wayne's A Clandestine Affair ends the series in September. The Ten Thousand Islands of Florida had such an impact on me that I knew we had to do a series there. 

Welcome to the island. Good luck getting off alive. 

Delores Fossen:
For as long as I can remember I've always been interested in law enforcement and the criminal justice process. That's why many of my books feature heroes and heroines who are cops. In my July 2006 Intrigue, The Cradle Files, the hero, Sgt. Garrett O'Malley, finds himself in a grave situation not of his own making--someone has stolen his newborn daughter. Garrett has to use not only his law enforcement skills, but he also has to break a few rules.

Rita Herron: 
My next Intrigue, Look-Alike, a Nighthawk Island story that comes out  in September 2006, is about a set of identical twins where one of the  twins suffers from an identity crisis.  In this story, I drew on my personal experience as a twin to understand and add depth to both of the twins. I wanted the reader to see the emotions and bond they share as well as the tension and problems that arise from being a twin. Many twins share a close bond, but because they look alike, people expect them to act and behave just alike, may have problems establishing their individual identities and personalities. Of course, in my story, there is a good and bad twin, along with murder and mystery, whereas in my real life, my sister and I are very close, and there is no good or evil one!. We do have similarities but we also have different personalities and interests. 

Elle James: 
I draw on personal experiences to understand my characters and help my readers understand them as well. In Beneath The Texas Moon (Mar 06), I wrote about a small town in Texas. I lived in a small town in Texas for thriteen years and can still taste the caliche dust. Closer to my emotional pschye is, Dakota Meltdown (Aug 06). My heroine has self-esteem issues due to burn scars. I was burned over a third of my body as a child. I still have major scars and I understand the fear of new relationships because of my scars. Dakota Meltdown was also based in North Dakota. I spent a year and a half living in that lovely state and experienced the biting cold and the spring melts I incorporated in that book In my next book, Lakota Baby (Dec 2006), I write about a woman whose baby is stolen. Having had three babies, I can understand the terror of losing a child. So yes, I write from experience. It might not be the exact experience, but it relates.

Mallory Kane:
One of the wonderful things about writing is the opportunity to vicariously and safely try things I would or could never do in real life. And to experience life in a completely different way--guided by my hero and heroine who are much braver than I am. So I guess my personal experiences generally consist of reading, TV shows and movies I enjoy, and people I've met. I do use my medical and pharmaceutical knowledge whenever possible in my stories.  In Covert Makeover, my July 2006 Intrigue (out now,) the third book in the Miami Confidential series, I became (virtually) an ex-CIA agent, a divorced father with a young daughter, a traumatized young woman with major trust issues, a tall and handsome Chief of Security sworn to protect his employer, a murderer, a loving and wise nanny, and (several times) a victim of attempted murder. 

Susan Kearney:  
I draw on pure fear from my life when I write my books.  I used to be a competitive diver and competed for the University of Michigan.  The tower diving that you've seen on TV once every four years at the Olympics is what I did.  I still remember being petrified of trying a new dive.  That stomach knotting fear that weighs on you the day before attempting a brand new trick is nerve wracking, nail biting, terrifying stuff.  And that fear is easily remembered when I write.  It transferred easily to my current book The Quest, a July release from Tor.  In The Quest there's lots of danger and action.  The characters aren't just in fear for their lives but the lives of everyone in the galaxy. 

Sylvie Kurtz:: 
I love New England and small-town life, so I tend to set my stories in that kind of setting.  Pull of the Moon (Dec. 2006) is set in New Hampshire, a setting rich with old houses against a backdrop of granite mountains and thick woods just right for a Gothic, kidnapping and murder.  I love to learn new things, so I tend to give my characters jobs or hobbies that I'd like to explore.   In Pull of the Moon, Valerie Zea, is a TV segment producer--something I've always thought would be interesting.  Sometimes, I give my characters habits I can't enjoy, but wish I did--like jogging--or a talent I'll never have--like playing a musical instrument. 

Dana Marton:
My August release Bridal Op takes place in South America and I had a chance to visit there two years ago so I put in some of my personal experiences (as well as doing lots of research). I try to draw on personal experiences as much as I can with each book since I would like the readers to feel that my stories are true to life. If I don't have any personal experiences with a location (Camouflage Heart takes place in Malaysia and Rogue Soldier takes place in Alaska), I interview as many people as I can who actually live there and draw on their knowledge.

Julie Miller:: 
I'd say most of my writing ideas come from my years of teaching, and in particular, the time I spent as a sponsor and counselor of Nebraska's IMPROV program--a program that uses theater and communication skills to help adolescents discuss and deal with issues of importance to them. Through IMPROV, I had the opportunity to work with students and volunteers from many backgrounds and occupations--police and DEA officers, undercover cops, paramedics, CEO's, rape survivors and trauma counselors, ER nurses, rehabilitated criminals and so on. The many law enforcement men and women I worked with have provided a great inspiration for my Precinct mini-series that I'm writing for Intrigue. 

In my October 06 release, Baby Jane Doe, I based my heroine, Commissioner Shauna Cartwright on a conglomeration of female officers I've met and worked with. Some of the issues she faces--like earning respect in a man's world, balancing a demanding job with family life, staying tough while being feminine (I had a sheriff tell me that his toughest deputy is a female I know through my church--he said he wouldn't want to mess with her! And she's quite a beautiful, fashionable woman, too.)--are all issues that I've discussed with real lady cops. Just like them, I think you'll find Shauna is a force to be reckoned with. 

Ann Voss Peterson:  
I have a pretty safe life.  I don't run into serial killers much, I wasn't kidnapped from my own wedding, and I'm not involved in a lot of police investigations.  Okay, I'm not involved in any police investigations.  So I have to search out experiences that help me write the plots of my books.  To that end, I took part in my local police and fire department citizens' academies to experience some of the training and situations police and rescue professionals face (read more about it on my website, annvosspeterson.com).  A lot of my police research made its way into my Wedding Mission series, out in June, July and August!

But there are other parts of my personal life that make it into my books.  In each of the Wedding Mission books, one of the characters has a profession that I myself have done.  In June's Serial Bride, Sylvie is a waitress.  Evidence of Marriage, (July 06), features Diana the University of Wisconsin English student.  And in my August book, Vow to Protect, the hero is a self-employed window washer, a job I held for ten years before selling my first novel to Intrigue!

Joanna Wayne:: 
I draw on all aspects of my life in writing my Intrigues and always have. For one thing, I'm from a large family and am fascinated with family dynamics and how that affects people's lives. I call on some aspect of that in many of my books. And having lived for many years in New Orleans, I frequently use the sultry, southern ambiance of the city and the neighboring bayou communities in my stories as I did in Alligator Moon, The Gentleman's Club and Security Measures, which was just named a finalist in the Texas Gold Contest. 

I also love to travel and find many of the places I enjoy also make great settings for stories. The Diablo series, which I wrote with two of my best writing buddies, Amanda Stevens and BJ Daniels, is set in the gulf islands off the coast of Florida. It is a fascinating area, swampy and mysterious, the perfect setting for my September book, A Clandestine Affair, which is a very sensual and suspenseful paranormal story of a crime that happened thirty years ago and the dead who will not let the evil go unpunished. And boy, what a hero for that one. 

Rebecca York: : 
One thing I try to do with my books is visit the area where they're set.  Right now, I'm working on the first book of the Intrigue Blackout continuity, Wait Until Dark, which will come out in June 2007.  It's set in Boston during a frightening night when the lights go out all over the city.  Since I'm not very familiar with the area, I'm going there on a research trip in August.  The book takes place in the Back Bay area, and I'm looking forward to visiting the various locales, particularly Trinity Church and Copley Square. 

I set a lot of my books around Washington, D. C. because I grew up in the city.  I think using D.C. as a backdrop adds cachet to the story, so I feel lucky that I know the area well.  In my current Berkley release, Shadow of the Moon, the hero and heroine are investigating secret liaisons at an exclusive night club where the rich and famous can act out their sexual fantasies.  The club is at the edge of Rock Creek Park in upper North West--just a few minutes from my old house.
 

Sylvie Kurtz  sends congratulations to Erwin Michael of Texas who won her July contest and who will receive a signed copy of Ms. Longshot and a Bombshell-purple reading light.

Joanna Wayne is happy to announce that Security Measures is a finalist in the prestigious Texas Gold Contest.

Sylvie Kurtz. Contest Blurb: Win a signed copy of both Personal Enemy and Ms. Longshot as well as a chime heart.

Julie Miller invites you to plunge into her summer contest for a chance to win a signed early-bird copy of her next Precinct book from Harlequin Intrigue--Baby Jane Doe.  Starting August 1st, you can register for the contest by going to her website.  Follow the directions there.  As an added bonus, you'll get to read a short scene from October's Baby Jane Doe.   The deadline to enter is August 21. 

Joanna Wayne:  Enter to win a copy of Security Measures by Joanna Wayne.