Can You Dig It, Baby? My Interview with Carey Baldwin for Concrete Evidence

Posted on December 13, 2018October 29, 2018 by adminrachelgrant

The Kiss and Thrill blog, where this was originally published, will soon be disappearing, and I am republishing my Kiss and Thrill posts here to keep a copy. This one was written by Carey Baldwin and is from April 2013.

Today I’m delighted to offer you an interview and giveaway with my friend and fellow Kiss and Thrill mate, Rachel Grant. I first met Rachel at a Romance Writers of America conference where she was already racking up the Golden Heart nominations. Since that time I’m honored to say that she has become a wonderful friend. I am so delighted to present her to you today with her new release, CONCRETE EVIDENCE.

When I read CONCRETE EVIDENCE, I expected it to be awesome, and I was not disappointed. From the opening scene the thrills and chills drew me in. I love her smart, sexy heroine, Erica. As for the hero, Lee, all I can say is I’m a sucker for brainiacs with pecs ?

The secret life of archeologists is deftly woven into the plot, and a look at this fascinating world is a treat you won’t find in many books. I can honestly say I did NOT see the twists and turns coming, and they kept me reading late into the night. This is one of the best romantic thrillers I’ve read…ever. I absolutely loved it, and I know you will too.

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Concrete Evidence

A year ago she lost everything. Now she wants revenge…

Accused of stealing artifacts from a five-hundred-year-old shipwreck, underwater archaeologist Erica Kesling is determined to clear her name. She’s concealed her past and taken a job certain to give her access to the buyer of the missing antiquities. She’s finally closing in on her goal when she’s distracted by a sexy, charismatic intern who makes her want something other than revenge.

But Lee Scott is no intern. He’s looking for the lead conspirator in an international artifact smuggling scheme, and Erica is his prime suspect. He’ll do whatever it takes to win her trust and get her to reveal her secrets, even seduce her.

As Erica and Lee struggle to conceal their real agendas, the one thing they can’t hide is the attraction that burns hot between them. When Erica’s quest puts her life in jeopardy, Lee must choose between old loyalties and a woman he never expected to fall for.

Carey: Rachel, you have a fascinating background that greatly enriches your storytelling. I always imagine an archeologist as a dreamy, Indiana-Jones type, but I have little understanding of what the job truly entails. Can you tell us about being a real-life archeologist and how that has influenced your writing?

Rachel: If only archaeology were as exciting as the Indiana Jones movies! Most archaeologists in the United States work in the private sector (i.e. not for a museum or university) in Cultural Resource Management—projects driven by the National Historic Preservation Act and other environmental/historic preservation laws. As a CRM archaeologist, I worked primarily on prehistoric Native American sites in the Pacific Northwest, but I also lived in Washington, DC for two years, and enjoyed working on historic and prehistoric projects in that region. In my books, my characters are usually CRM archaeologists.

I would be remiss in my professional duties, however, if I didn’t point out that as much as the Indiana Jones movies are fun and exciting, sadly, the character is more of a looter than an archaeologist.

Carey: Oh, dear! I suppose so, but he’s a very enticing looter! Rachel you know we want to hear that story about finding “treasure” at a sewage plant. Spill, please!

Rachel: Ha! Never use the word “spill” in association with sewage treatment. I met my husband on my first professional dig, at the West Point Sewage Treatment Plant, in Seattle. We were excavating a 4000-year-old shell midden site that was found during construction during plant expansion. There was this cute guy who rejoined the dig after working for a summer in Jamaica. One day I was assigned to screen for him, and I knew he was flirting with me when I found gold-colored Jamaican coins in the buckets of dirt I was water-screening.

Yes, this is how archaeologists flirt. ?

Carey: What an adorable story! I wouldn’t mind if my husband gave me some gold coins. Why hasn’t he thought of that? What is your writing process? Do you plot, pants it or both?

Rachel: I’m a hybrid. I always promise myself I will plot more, pants less, but the characters and their situations always take over and change the story.

Carey: What inspires you as a writer?

Rachel: Archaeology is a starting point for all of my stories. My husband has an M.A. in Nautical Archaeology and I mine his experience as much as my own. I usually start by asking myself how someone could get in trouble working in a particular region or on a certain type of project, and the story flows from there.

Carey: If you could travel to any location for a dig, where would it be?

Rachel: Will it sound terrible if I say that I’m done with fieldwork? I loved fieldwork, but after getting carpal tunnel in both wrists and other digging-related ailments, the excitement is gone. I LOVE visiting sites, though and would like to travel and see more World Heritage Sites.

Carey: Rachel, you have achieved something amazing: You are a four-time Golden Heart finalist. Congratulations! I understand your upcoming release, CONCRETE EVIDENCE, is one of your GH finalist manuscripts. I had the honor of reading an early version of CONCRETE EVIDENCE as well as the current one, which is out today. It’s fabulous! I can’t wait for our readers to get the 411. Was there a special inspiration or an original story question that led you to write this particular story?

Rachel: Thanks, so much, Carey! I’m so thrilled you loved CE! As far as inspiration goes, yes. When I lived in Washington, DC, I worked for a large, multi-national engineering firm, a lot like the one Erica works for in CE, and I had to write an Environmental Assessment for a unique house made out of a strange, yeasty concrete that no one knew anything about…

Carey: Do you have a playlist for CONCRETE EVIDENCE?

Rachel: I listened to a lot of Third Eye Blind (all their albums) when writing the first drafts of this book. So much that when I read it now, I hear lyrics.

Carey: Can you tell us what makes the hunky hero of CONCRETE EVIDENCE, Lee Scott, tick?

Rachel: Lee is deeply loyal. Once he meets Erica, he’s conflicted about the role he must play, but that loyalty drives him to see his job through.

Carey: What about the brainy and brave heroine, Erica Kesling? Did I mention I adore brainy heroines?

Rachel: LOL – I’m so glad you liked Erica! She’s a little reserved, but she has her reasons. ? She’s very driven, wanting to make up for her past mistakes and regain a sense of safety. To protect herself, she tries to keep everyone—especially Lee—at arm’s length, but he’s too taken with her to allow that. He is exactly the person she needs to pull her out of her isolation.

Carey: There are so many fascinating details and inside information woven into your plot. What’s all this about a deck of cards?

Rachel: The cards are so cool! In 2007, the DoD issued them to American troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan to educate them on the need to protect archaeological and historic sites in the Middle East. For more information on the cards, you can visit my website: Rachel-Grant.net. I have a few decks and plan to give one to a reader on my (currently nonexistent) mailing list, but it will have to wait a few more weeks, when my website update will be complete and all the planned bonus content for CE will be up.

Carey: What can we expect from Rachel Grant in the future?

Rachel: I have another book coming out, GRAVE DANGER, in late-May. GRAVE DANGER is set in the Pacific Northwest and isn’t connected to CE. Further down the line, I have other books set in the same world as CE. Lee shows up in at least one. ?

Carey: I certainly hope so! I love Lee! Looking forward to reading GRAVE DANGER! Rachel thank you so much for your wonderful answers. I know everyone is going to adore CONCRETE EVIDENCE as much as I do!

Gwen Hernandez Interviews Me – I put myself in Grave Danger

Posted on December 11, 2018October 29, 2018 by adminrachelgrant

The Kiss and Thrill blog, where this was originally published, will soon be disappearing, and I am republishing my Kiss and Thrill posts here to keep a copy. This one is from May 2013 and was written by Gwen Hernandez.

I wanted to be an archeologist for at least a year after I discovered Macchu Picchu (Peru) in a sixth grade textbook. I later realized I might not have the patience required for the job, but that didn’t stop my fascination with ancient sites and unearthed artifacts. Which is part of what I love about Rachel Grant’s books. They give the reader a glimpse into the real world of an archeologist. Add in some danger and steamy romance, and her stories have it all.

Rachel’s latest—out today!—Grave Danger, includes a determined archeologist trying to rebuild her reputation, a stalker, an unexpected find in the archaeological site, and a sexy small town cop who’s not sure if he can trust her, but can’t stay away. You won’t want to miss it!

She’s being stalked…

After struggling to recover from a career-crippling mistake, archaeologist Libby Maitland has landed the project of her dreams—a data recovery excavation in a picturesque, historic sawmill town. Tasked with digging up secrets of the town’s founding family, Libby soon learns that nothing in Coho, Washington, is as idyllic as it seems.

She’s barely settled into her new home when suspicious events make her believe she’s being stalked…

Or maybe she’s losing her mind.

Coho Police Chief Mark Colby can’t decide if Libby is crazy or if she has her own twisted agenda, but the deeper he delves into her past, the more intrigued he becomes. Even as he and Libby grow closer, he can’t quite let his initial suspicion go.

When Libby’s life is threatened, they must work together to determine if the truth about her stalker is buried in her past, or if the answers can be found in the layers of the excavation.

Read on for more about Rachel, archeology, and her books.

Gwen: Clearly your experience as an archeologist provides background for your stories, but was there something in particular that sparked Grave Danger? An incident? An article? A scene idea?

Rachel: The story for GD really flowed from the axiom “write what you know” – and while I’ve never been romanced by a hunky police chief or been stalked, I know a fair amount about prehistoric shell midden sites in the Pacific Northwest. I wanted to write a book about real archaeology, as it’s practiced in the United States, because most books with an archaeological storyline either focus on treasure hunting (which will get a real archaeologist blackballed) or contain other inaccuracies. So I started with the archaeological project, and plotted from there.

Avoiding spoilers, there is a discovery Libby makes during the excavation that is a real concern among archaeologists given the protocols we must follow in similar circumstances.

Is that vague or confusing enough? ?

Gwen: Hah, now everyone has to read it. ? This book was the first you’d ever written. I know you’ve made a lot of changes since the first iteration almost a decade ago, but what is it about this story that kept pulling you back in?

Rachel: I shudder when I think of that first draft. I set this story aside in 2008 so I could focus on writing Concrete Evidence and other, more suspense-y books, but I never really let this one go. This is my small-town-romantic-mystery, as opposed to my city-set-political-thrillers, and I’d love to write more books in this part of the romance genre. I’ve had the sequel plotted for years and I can’t wait to write it.

Gwen: I definitely want the sequel! In GD, Libby is an archeologist trying to restore her good name, and Mark is the chief of police of the small town where she’s starting a new project. What do you think makes these two characters perfect for each other?

Rachel: Libby is really attracted to confidence, because she’s lost confidence in herself after a professional and emotional setback, but Mark sees her strength—and the courage in her convictions that she thinks she lacks—from their first meeting. Plus they are both outsiders in a small, closed community, but they each need to understand and become members of that community as part of their respective professions.

To me, the town of Coho was a character—a beautiful, pristine historic gem on the outside, but with a dark and conflicted history that overshadows today.

Gwen: Confidence is definitely sexy. Grave Danger—and your first release Concrete Evidence—both have archeologist characters, but the books aren’t a series. Do you have related stories for either of them in the works?

Rachel: I’ve had the sequel to GD plotted for a long time and look forward to writing it. I have two sequels to CE written and am working on a third. No promises yet on when those books will be released.

Gwen: Ooh, can’t wait for more in both series. Grave Danger takes place in a small sawmill town in Washington State, and Concrete Evidence was set in the big city—Washington, D.C. Do you find it easier to write small town or big city settings?

Rachel: The fictional small town was based on an historic sawmill town not far from where I live. This setting was easier simply because I could adapt the setting to suit my needs, but I loved writing the D.C. book too, because I lived there for two years and know the city well enough to write it with confidence. In CE, every scene (except for the ones set on fictional tribal-owned land) was set in a place I’ve visited at least once. Erica’s apartment in SW D.C. was my own, and the Bethesda office building was (not really) shockingly similar to the building I worked in.

Gwen: I definitely find it easier to write about places I’ve lived or at least visited. What’s the most interesting thing you ever found while working as an archeologist?

Rachel: Oh, that’s a hard one! In the Pacific Northwest, we don’t have pottery, we have woven basketry instead. Woven fibers decompose easily—they are only preserved in ideal conditions, very wet, or very dry—so finding prehistoric basketry is rare. Years ago, I worked on an excavation inside Porcupine Cave in Eastern Washington and caves and rockshelters have wonderfully dry preservation conditions. I found—in the screen, not in situ—a small fragment of a basket. That was really cool, but it was only about an inch across and something that wouldn’t trigger backflips for people who don’t know how rare and unique the find was.

Another exciting find was in SW Idaho, when I found a petroglyph on a rock face on the Owyhee Plateau. The petroglyph itself wasn’t all that exciting – it was a simple circle slightly larger than a softball – but still, it was the first time that particular petroglyph was recorded by an archaeologist and I was thrilled to have spotted it.

On a more bizarre note, I once dug a pit and found a rusted metal bucket and shovel head—evidence the site had been looted about a hundred years before.

Gwen: How cool to be the first to record a petroglyph! And I hadn’t thought of finding looting evidence, but then I guess that’s just another layer of artifact with its own provenance… Okay, one last question, like my experience after reading about Macchu Picchu, was there a particular incident that sparked your interest in archaeology?

Rachel: I was a senior in high school when I discovered Elizabeth Peters’ mysteries, and I (fondly) blame her for my decision to become an archaeologist.

Thanks so much for hosting me today, Gwen! I want to thank all the ladies at Kiss and Thrill for the fabulous support you all have given me over the last months.

Gwen: Thanks for sharing your new release with us. I can’t wait for more of your stories!

Pick up one of Rachel’s books today. C’mon, you know you want to.

Concrete Evidence
Amazon | iTunes | Kobo | Barnes & Noble

Grave Danger
Amazon | iTunes | Barnes & Noble

The Weekly Recap – 12/7/18

Posted on December 7, 2018 by adminrachelgrant

SILENT EVIDENCE PreOrder Update

Silent Evidence is scheduled to release on December 28th!

It’s currently available for preorder at Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks. It won’t be available for preorder at Amazon until a few days before release.

Be sure to sign up for my mailing list, or follow me on Amazon or BookBub to be notified when Silent Evidence is available!

Mailing List Sign Up: http://oi.vresp.com/?fid=cb06226797

Amazon follow: https://amzn.to/2FqbASZ

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rachel-grant

The man of her fantasies is finally hers. Sort of…

Two things haunt forensic anthropologist Hazel MacLeod: the bones of victims of genocide she examines for her work, and former SEAL Sean Logan’s rejection. But within days of moving to her cousin’s estate to take a much needed break, she finds herself faced with both.

First, she’s called in to examine a mass grave in Virginia, then, her politician cousin receives a threatening letter and insists Hazel needs around the clock protection—from none other than Sean Logan. To make matters worse, because the threat to her is classified, Hazel and Sean must pretend to be lovers to hide that he’s her bodyguard.

Sean has spent years trying to avoid his boss’s sexy cousin, but now he’s guarding her twenty-four/seven and even bringing her as his date to a romantic destination wedding. As the heat between them intensifies, Sean can’t lose sight of the danger that brought them together. But when bullets start flying, new questions arise. Are the senator’s political rivals really behind the threat, or is someone trying to silence Hazel from speaking for the dead?

A #ThrowbackThursday Post

Remember the time my 12-year-old son made a video trailer for a box set? The set is no longer available but the video still makes me laugh. Enjoy!

https://www.facebook.com/RachelGrantauthor/videos/506621196481043/

The Weekly Giveaway

This week I gave away a signed print copy of BLIND FURY (Men of Steele, Book 1) by Gwen Hernandez – Writer.

Gwen is one of my go-to authors for romantic suspense. Her books have that perfect balance of suspense and romance with smart, sexy characters who must work together to save the day and find their happily ever after. When I read a book by Gwen, I know I’m getting a 5-star read.

SHE’S DESPERATE TO LEARN THE TRUTH
When always-play-it-safe Jenna Ryan starts questioning how her brother died in Afghanistan, someone decides she must be stopped. Permanently. Her brother’s best friend—a sexy thrill-seeker she can’t stop thinking about—won’t reveal what he knows about the fatal shoot-out, putting Jenna at odds with the only man she trusts to keep her alive.

THE TRUTH IS THE ONE THING HE CAN’T GIVE HER
Former special forces operator Mick Fury would give his life to keep his best friend’s irresistible sister safe. He took an oath to stay silent about their last mission, but Mick’s will is tested by the white-hot attraction to Jenna he’s tried to ignore for years. Now he must risk everything—even falling in love—to protect her from the truth that could destroy them both.

The Most Popular Post of the Week

This week we started Monday with a video of sleeping kittens – and it was so relaxing!

https://www.facebook.com/RachelGrantauthor/posts/1120377144786506

HUSH. Carey Baldwin’s CONFESSION is coming!

Posted on December 6, 2018October 29, 2018 by adminrachelgrant

The Kiss and Thrill blog, where this was originally published, will soon be disappearing, and I am republishing my Kiss and Thrill posts here to keep a copy. This one is from July 2013.

Today is a special treat because I get to ask the amazing and talented Carey Baldwin about her new release, HUSH, and then put her in the hot seat James Lipton-style and ask her the Inside the Actors Studio 10 questions.

I loved FIRST DO NO EVIL, so when Carey told us her plans for HUSH, I begged her to let me interview her so I’d get to read HUSH before everyone else. I simply couldn’t wait.

HUSH didn’t disappoint. Charlie and Anna drew me in from the first page. Carey’s smooth voice, rich characterization, and deft plotting made the novella an absolute pleasure to read. I’m anxiously awaiting her next release and have a feeling it will be a knock-down drag out-fight between the rest of the K&T ladies and myself over who gets to host Carey then.

Rachel: Carey, I know HUSH started out as something different. Can you tell us about how the story changed?

Carey: Rachel, HUSH was truly a labor of love for me. I wrote the first version of this novella specifically for inclusion in a limited-time charity anthology, Three Weddings and a Murder. Between anthology sales and private donations Leigh LaValle, Tessa Dare, Courtney Milan and I raised over $10,000 for breast cancer research. So thank you readers!

The other novellas from the anthology have already been individually released for profit, and I had planned to do the same with mine. But the truth is, around that time, my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and he eventually lost that battle. I know everyone handles loss differently, but for almost a year, I simply couldn’t bring myself to write.

When I did pick up the pen (okay, keyboard) again, I decided to do a major rewrite of my novella. The inciting incidents remain the same, but the events behind them have changed, and it’s a significantly longer story. The title, HUSH, is also new. I absolutely loved telling Charlie and Anna’s story, and I hope readers will enjoy it too!

Reformed bad boy Charlie “Drex” Drexler returns to his hometown of Tangleheart, Texas hoping to make peace with his dark past and make amends to those he’s wronged. He’s also looking to reconnect with an old flame. But Anna won’t cooperate, new questions tear open old wounds, and his best friend’s wife and baby disappear. Can Drex and Anna mend their broken hearts while fighting for their lives and racing to bring mother and baby home safely?

Click here to read the prologue.

Rachel: I know you have more exciting news to share, so spill.

Carey: I’m so so thrilled to tell you that I’ve recently signed a two-book deal with Harper Collins for the new Witness suspense line over at William Morrow.

I’m excited to be part of this brand new line that launches in October with a mix of classic titles (Agatha Christie), best-selling authors and new voices. I fall into the “new voices” category of course!

To quote from Harper Collins’ press release on the new Witness line:

“It’s an exciting collection of brand-new content, international bestsellers not previously available in the U.S., and newly digitized backlist classics. It runs the gamut from police procedurals to literary suspense; historical mysteries to action thrillers.”

Of course I gotta sneak a little romance in there!

My first book, CONFESSION, releases March 4th, 2014. The story centers around a wet-behind-the-ears psychiatrist, Faith Clancy, whose very first patient confesses, while they are alone in session, that he is the twisted serial killer who’s been terrorizing the city.

Rachel: I can’t wait for CONFESSION! Okay, it’s Inside the Actors Studio time, where Carey answers the ten questions James Lipton asks at the end of the show.

What is your favorite word? Mountain stream. Yeah, I know that’s two words. I’m like that!

What is your least favorite word? No!

What turns you on? Really? Geez. My husband and Brad Pitt.

What turns you off? Sardines. Big time.

What sound or noise do you love? Mountain stream. Hmm.

What sound or noise do you hate? I hate the sound of gossip.

What is your favorite curse word? Mother F****** Read my books, you’ll see. ?

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Dude, three’s enough!

What profession would you not like to do? Anything involving cleaning.

If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Come on in, your mom and dad are throwing you a welcome home party.

HUSH
Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads

FIRST DO NO EVIL
Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads

CONFESSION
Amazon | Goodreads

Fatal Series Author Marie Force Joins Rachel Inside the Actors Studio

Posted on December 4, 2018October 29, 2018 by adminrachelgrant

The Kiss and Thrill blog, where this was originally published, will soon be disappearing, and I am republishing my Kiss and Thrill posts here to keep a copy. This one is from September 2013.

Today I am thrilled to welcome Marie Force to Kiss and Thrill! Marie is the author of the intense and enticing romantic suspense Fatal Series in addition to the McCarthys of Gansett Island and other bestselling contemporary romance series.

Book 6 of the Fatal Series, FATAL MISTAKE, released in June to the great excitement of her fans, who launched the book onto the New York Times bestseller list, debuting at #20 on the ebook list.

A critical error.

A Cinderella season cut short.

A star player murdered.

D.C. is recovering from angry riots after one player’s mistake blew the D.C. Federals’ chance at the World Series, and Lt. Sam Holland is determined to unravel the twisted web of motives behind the star center fielder’s death. Was it a disgruntled fan, a spurned lover or a furious teammate?

While Sam digs through clues, her husband, U.S. Senator Nick Cappuano, fights for his political life in the final days of his reelection campaign as financial irregularities threaten his future. It’s a distraction Nick can ill afford with Sam in the midst of another high-profile murder investigation and both of them trying to help their adopted son, Scotty, cope with the murder of a ball player he admired.

Determined to bring the killer to justice, Sam must root out the truth before another mistake proves fatal.

Marie chose my favorite type of interview for today’s blog, because I get to put on my James Lipton costume (Will Ferrell does him better, but since we’re not doing video I’m going to claim to come in a close second).

So now, without further delay, are Marie’s answers to my questions, unabashedly stolen from James Lipton, who adapted them from French television personality Bernard Pivot, who modeled his questions after the Proust Questionnaire.

1. What is your favorite word? Kerfuffle

2. What is your least favorite word? Lover

3. What turns you on? Intelligence

4. What turns you off? Ignorance

5. What sound or noise do you love? My kids’ laughter

6. What sound or noise do you hate? Rap music

7. What is your favorite curse word? Fuck. Is there another one?

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? None.

9. What profession would you not like to do? Accounting.

10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? All your favorite people didn’t make the cut. Wouldn’t you rather be with them Down Under?

I have to admit, my answer is the same or similar to Marie’s for at least five of these (including #7). How about you? How many of your answers would line up with Marie’s?

Marie Force is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal best-selling, award-winning author of more than 25 contemporary romances, including The McCarthys of Gansett Island Series, the Fatal Series, the Treading Water Series and numerous stand-alone books. Her new series, The Green Mountain Series, begins Feb. 4, 2014 with “All You Need Is Love.”

While her husband was in the Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland and Florida, and she is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island. She is the mother of two teenagers and two feisty dogs, Brandy and Louie.

Subscribe to updates from Marie about new books. Join one of her many reader groups.

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