Katie McCabe’s life is going nowhere fast when FBI Special Agent Lucas Vasco jumps into her car at an intersection. Luc, his undercover guise blown, is on the run from the Mafia and expects to be killed at any moment. What he doesn’t plan on is finding himself attracted to the firecracker beside him. He feels compelled to protect her when her life is threatened, and insists she stay with him for her own safety.
After learning she has become the target of a psychotic hit man, Katie is whisked off to Luc’s house to hide. Once there, she’s shocked to discover that she and Luc have an unexpected connection—a connection Luc already knew existed, but withheld. Will their intense attraction reach flashpoint despite their misunderstandings and the pain of the past?
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Why I Love Romantic Suspense
First of all, thank you, Fatin, for inviting me to be a guest blogger today. I can’t tell you how excited I am to be here!!
Here is a typical day in my life. I wake; stunned by the fact that it is already morning. I tend to various hygiene and animal husbandry duties. I go to work. At work, I sit in a cubicle, tippy-tapping on a computer keyboard. At the end of the day I go home, manage my social media empire, maybe write a little bit, and go to bed. Then I get up and do it all over again.
Now do you want to read a romance novel (heck, ANY novel) about that? Yeah. Me neither. I might consider my cubicle a land of enchantment, but reading about a person schlubbing through the day working in one would be enough to make me poke my eyes out. That is why I love to write and read romantic suspense. Stuff happens in romantic suspense!
That’s not to say stuff doesn’t happen in other romance novels. Of course it does. In erotic romance, the stuff that happens is sexy sex sex. In contemporary romance what happens is often a comedy of manners or some drama. In paranormal romance the drama or comedy involves vampires or werewolves. And, yes, I love all of these subgenres too.
But in romantic suspense, the stuff that happens has a tendency to, well, blow up. It’s exciting. There are car chases! (Zip – Zap – POW) There are fight scenes! (Biff – Bap – POW) There are bad guys and good guys and people in trouble and life and death decisions being made. At the same time there is usually sexy sex sex and drama and comedy and in some books (not mine) maybe even a vampire or two. Romantic suspense has it all, baby.
Plus, we watch the hero and heroine strive to overcome huge obstacles. We watch them fight for their lives (literally), while they struggle towards an understanding of and love for each other. Everything is heightened. The suspense winds us up and the payoff of the Happy Ever After at the end is bigger because of it. We love the main characters….we’re rooting for them…we want them to make it….but will they? WILL THEY????
What about you? What genres or subgenres do you love? Romantic suspense? Contemporaries? Erotic Historical Paranormals? Something else? Let us know! One random commenter will be chosen to win a digital copy of my new romantic suspense novel, HOLD ME, releasing TODAY, 9/5/11 from Carina Press.
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Huge thanks to Debut author Betsy Horvath for joining us today. You can find out more about her and HOLD ME by visiting her website here. You can follow her on Twitter here and find her Facebook page here. Remember to leave a comment for the chance to win a download of HOLD ME. Good luck!
I really do like them all. I think the paranormal is my favorite, though.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
Hi, Debbie! I really do love a well-written paranormal. I think Nalini Singh and Meljean Brook are my favorite authors, but there are so many others!
Hi Betsy, thanks for your guespost. I love romantic suspense, but also historical romance, paranormal romance, some contemporary romance, and even cozy mysteries with hardly any romance in it. I love some good fantasy and urban fantasy and even some sf. So basically, I read it all, but the paranormal has the biggest part of my heart.
I like the premise of your new book, a second chance at love, and lots of danger.
Hi, Aurian! I was so happy when Fatin asked me if I wanted to guest blog that I about had the vapors. 😀 I do dearly love romantic suspense, but I love all romance. If a romance is really a romance, then it has me.
Hey, I like the little blue avatar the program assigned me. He looks kind of stunned – it’s the way I feel today. LOL
I read pretty much everything, but romantic suspense is first in my heart. Absolutely love it! I read write and breathe romantic suspense!!
Congrats on your book. It sounds awesome!
Thanks, Nikki! Romantic suspense really is great, isn’t it? Plus, it lets me vent all of my pent up frustrations and blow stuff up. LOL
Definitely Romantic suspense. It usually has everything but the kitchen sink (although I think I read one book where the H/H used the kitchen sink — kinky). I would love to win a copy of your book.
Hmmm…the kitchen sink? That sounds interesting…I’ll have to put that idea away for a future book…LOL Oh – maybe the microwave stand? The possibilities are endless. Thanks, Trish!
i love to read anything romance 🙂
I always say that romance sure beats the heck out of real life! LOL
Sounds good!
Thank you, Marjana!!
I think what attracts me to RS and many of the other subgenres of romance is the inherent conflicts that the h/h need to overcome together. Without someone or something for them to fight for, any story will seem like navel gazing to me 🙂
Congrats on the release, Betsy! Oh, and don’t add me to the drawing, because Hold Me is on my TBB list 🙂
Thank you, Cathy! 😀
Hi Betsy. Congrats on your release. You know I love romantic suspense! I also like to read historicals and historical romantic suspense. Basically, anything with some thrills to it sucks me in.
Hi, Adrienne! And congratulations on YOUR release day with A Just Deception, available TODAY from Carina Press – LOL. I think we’re both just romantic suspense junkies. You’re right – it’s all about the thrills. 😀
I read them all, but romantic suspense and paranormal are my favorites. These are what I read the most.
Elizabeth Gray
Hi, Elizabeth! I love romantic suspense (obviously), and I also love paranormals. Right now I’m trying to write a straight contemporary, but I have a feeling it might spin into romantic suspense too. LOL
I enjoy reading the many genres in romance… I go with the flow of my mood at the time as to which I pick up… congrats on your debut!
Thank you, Colleen! It’s been a very exciting day 😀
Please enter me in contest. I would love to read this book. It sounds very good. Tore923@aol.com
Thank you, Victoria! 😀
Happy Release Day Betsy.
I love romantic suspense, especially with a paranormal twist.
caity_mack at yahoo dot com
Thank you, Cathy!! I think that’s why I love Meljean Brooks – she does the “person in jeapordy” thing wonderfully well, and then adds a little bit of the paranormal on top of it. 😀
Okay, so obviously I’m sleep deprived. Meljean BROOK and “person in JEOPARDY” *sigh*
I read everything that strikes my reading fancy but for relaxation a well written mystery with “Not Your Usual Suspects.” Your book sounds like a delight and the gentleman on the cover reminds me of Rudolph Nureyev sex-y.
Thank you, Elise!! Ever since I saw the cover for my book, the guy has been reminding me of someone and I just couldn’t think of who it was. But you’re right. There’s definitely a bit of Nureyev there. LOL
Love romantic suspense… CONGRATS on your release!!!
Thank you, Yadira!!! It’s been such a fun day. 😀
I read them all, but am partial to romantic suspense.
Hi, Estella! I think you’ve summed up the way I feel. As I’ve said above, I love everything romance, but I’m definitely partial to romantic suspense. Obviously. 😀
I enjoy romantic suspense and romantic mysteries. I also enjoy Highlander romances and paranormal romances…. Congrats on your release. AND thank you for the giveaway!
lindalou(at)cfl(dot)rr(dot)com
Thank you, Linda! I do enjoy a good Highlander story. And if the highlander is protecting a woman in jeopardy…be still my foolish heart. 😀
Romantic Suspense & Paranormals. Which is why I write both! Congrats on your new book & great post.
Thank you, K.T.!!! 😀
Happy Release Day, Betsy. I love romantic suspense for the mystery, action and drama as the hero and heroine race against time to catch a villain or save the world.
Thank you! Romantic suspense makes me feel powerful – there are bad things out there, but together people can make a difference. Plus they fall in love while they’re doing it! Win!
I love all types of Romance, Suspense, Historical, some paranormal SF Romance — but I do love the escapism of the Suspense.
Hi Robin! I do agree! Hey, I like your little avatar. It looks cool 😀
I love all romance, but romantic suspense is definitely my favorite. Anything to get my heart pumping and unable to put down that book!
Hi, Lisa! There’s nothing like rooting for a couple the entire book, wondering if they’ll survive, if they’ll find their way to each other…. That makes the payoff at the end even sweeter, IMHO. 😀
I actually like all kinds of romance. I am currently in a paranormal romance phase. I am reading both contemporary and historical. I really like Steampunk. This summer I hunted around for historicals set in something other than Highlands, English or Wild West.
jepebATverizonDOTnet
Hi, Jen! I haven’t read a whole lot of steampunk yet, but it fascinates me. I know Carina has a holiday steampunk collection coming out this year – that should be interesting. I’ll have to check it out. 🙂
Congrats on your release, Betsy! That hunk on your cover has been reminding me of someone too. Now I know who it is.
Hold Me is on my reading pile. Can’t wait to read it!
Hi, Shirley! Thank you! You know, now that Elise mentioned Nureyev, I see him every time I see the cover. And that’s not a bad thing 😀
I love all kinds of romance. I especially love historical and paranormal romance. I love historical because of the time period and love to see how much things are different. I love paranormal because it is something different. I love the fantasy part of it, and supernatural beings are generally so super sexy.
This is a new author for me and am always looking for new books and authors to read. Please choose me for the giveaway.
Hi, Chris! Thank you!
Congrats on the release!!
Sounds really good and my favorite genre. Thanks for sharing!
bacchus76 at myself dot com
Thanks, Donna!
I love romantic suspense, historical, paranormal. Please enter me. thank you.
lisagk(at)yahoo(dot)com
I read in a lot of genres, historical, paranormal, YA, western, UF, Sci-fy romance, contemp, and suspense but my main go to has to be paranormal
I love many genres and up there are historicals, paranormal and romantic suspense. It’s hard to choose one but all I want is a great story with characters that I can fall for.