Hi Cindy, thank you for inviting me to be your guest.

Can love win against the odds?

Do you have a theme in mind when you write?

When I looked at my work I realized that be careful what you wish for was a theme I often used. Haven’t we all wished we could have a high paying job or run our own business or sell everything in the city and live on a farm or connect with our high school crush? If we could, everything in our life would be better—right?
Of course these are fantasies. Most of us never really try to make it happen. We just enjoy the daydream. But my characters, with the best intentions, naively strive to make their wishes come true. They do what they believe is correct, but of course they can only see things from their perspective. Their good deeds and innocent actions bring unforeseen and unintended consequences that cause chaos in their lives and the lives of those around them. Because of this, events are put into play and they must deal with situations that are out of their comfort zones. Fearing for your life or dreading possible financial ruin isn’t the best time to fall in love. But then love doesn’t always wait—does it?

What writing advice were you given when you started your first novel?

I remember an English teacher telling me to write what I know. But I want to write about suspense, murder, espionage and of course romance, not to mention the bad behavior of the super rich. So I obviously rely on my imagination. With mystery / suspense I find the counter point of the hero and heroine being in danger and falling in love at the same time exciting. I want the reader to wonder if the characters will live enough to develop a relationship. I often toss a middle class person (s) into a situation out of their social milieu and their field of expertise and watch and to see if they can find their way out of their predicament as in my romantic suspense novels Money Power and Poison and Shattered Rules.

Do you plot each scene of your book before you write?

I’m a pantser. I tried to plot when I first started writing and had my first bout of writer’s block. Making lists and outlines and plotting every scene is a great idea but it just didn’t work for me. It was lucky I found that out early. I stopped plotting and the writer’s block disappeared. Now before begin I let ideas percolate. I have a general idea where the story is going. Even so, feelings and plot twists come to me as I write. Often I know the end of the book before I have a beginning. I don’t work backwards. But when I begin the first chapter, though I don’t have all the turns, I know the conclusion.

How do you choose your settings?

I prefer to have the story set in a place I know well. So I’ve set books in the San Francisco Bay Area, Lake Tahoe and in the gold country of California. One book is about a software developer, so it seemed obvious to set the book in the Silicon Valley with its many big name companies and even more small startups. However, I decided on Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. I’ve spent many summer vacations there. With my family I kayaked and swam and went sightseeing. We enjoyed Point Lobos State Reserve, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Seventeen Mile Drive, just to mention a few of our favorites. Watching the waves on the beach during one of the visits, I realized the tranquil beauty and perfect beach weather could be a counterpoint to a dark mystery punctuated by imminent danger.

How much research do you do before you start writing a new book?

I admire historical writers for their due diligence and detailed research. As a contemporary writer the research depends on subject of each book. Sometimes there is a lot of it; other times the story is straight forward and I don’t have much to look up. But I do enjoy the hunt for information, even as a kid I spent a lot of time in the library learning about any subject that caught my interest. Finding out about quarter horses and border collies for Her Country Heart’s Desire was a joy for me. Especially as we have a border collie named Rex, the sweetest, smartest dog around. I’ll be blogging about Border Collies soon. Please stop by Wednesdays on Blog with Reggi https://reggiallder.blogspot.com

Blurbs

Her Country Heart’s Desire
Coming soon to Amazon

Divorced, unemployed and with a little boy to support, Amy Long needs a refuge and a fresh start. After years living in San Francisco and vowing never to return home, she is back in the small town of Sierra Creek to claim the inheritance of her grandmother’s organic apple farm. She discovers her high school crush, cowboy Wyatt Cameron, is executor of the estate and half owner of the farm. How did he trick Granny into changing the will? Even though anger toward Wyatt pulses in her, his magnetism calls to Amy. Damn her female response to his sex appeal. Her grandmother must have felt the pull of his charm too. Was that how he got her to sign over half the farm to him?

Money Power and Poison

Can love survive against the odds? Five star review: “A mystery novel thrill ride. Fast-paced, plot-driven conflicts and characters that you can’t tear yourself away from lift it from an ordinary story to a darn good read.” Mimi Barbour author of the Vegas Series.
Why would business woman Kathryn Carlyle poison a man she only met once? Reporter Holt Rand needs a scoop and won’t stop until he gets answers. But when he meets Kathryn, his life is changed forever. Kathryn is drawn to Holt but how can she depend on a man who’s using her to further his career? And will they both die by the hands of a shadowy figure following them before they get answers?

Available on Amazon
Buy link http://amzn.com/B00FTIWMOK

Excerpt
Money Power and Poison
Chapter One Page 2

With the exception of a black truck parked at the curb, the street was empty. The pickup’s engine revved. The cab light came on and cast an eerie glow on the driver’s face. He smiled at her.
As she thought about waving to let him know the headlights were off, the vehicle drove straight at her. It jumped the curb, sideswiped her, and sent her flying.

With a thud, she landed on the muddy front lawn of a neighboring condominium. The sound of the engine faded as the vehicle disappeared.

She lay motionless on the ground. Cold mud oozed into the fabric of her skirt. A twinge jabbed her and terror banged against her rib cage.

Overriding the sense of shock was her need to get home where she’d be safe. She grabbed the strap of her purse and attempted to stand. Pain shot through her hip and down her leg. She fell back into the mud.

A man dressed in black came out of the darkness and stood over her. Before she could cry out, he bent down and covered her mouth with his huge hand.

“Don’t scream. You’ll wake the whole neighborhood. I’m not going to hurt you.” He helped her stand.

The streetlight lit his face and a lock of coffee brown hair fell over his furrowed brow. Five o’clock shadow covered his jaw and his full lips formed a grim line. Compassion shone in his obsidian eyes. It was incongruous to his hardened expression. He reminded her of someone, but she couldn’t think of a name.

“Your uncle sent me,” he said in a deep voice.

“You were at the police station.” She pushed a strand of hair from her face.

“Yeah. Thought I could talk to you. They wouldn’t allow it. Can you stand by yourself?”

“I think so.” A spasm shot into her leg muscles and her knees buckled. She grabbed him and reluctantly leaned on his lanky body for support.

“I’ll call 911.” He held her to him.

“Don’t phone them.”

“You’re hurt.”

“I’m okay.”

“The police need to know about this. Use my cell.”

“No. I can’t handle the police again tonight. I’m cold. I’m muddy. I just want to go home.”

“Can you walk?”

“Yeah,” she said, hoping she could. The first step sent pain racing through her. She gasped.

With one hand he steadied her. With the other, he yanked a smart phone from his pocket. “What’s your address?”

“330 Sea View Avenue, number three.”

He punched in 911. “There’s been an accident. A woman’s hurt. I need an ambulance sent to 330 Sea View Avenue number three ASAP.”

After he pocketed his phone, he carefully scooped her up in his arms. “Let’s get you home.”

Never one to ask for help, this time she had to admit she needed it and balanced herself by putting her arm around his neck. His body heat warmed her as her cheek rested against his solid chest. Odd how protected she felt, almost as if this stranger were an old friend.

Shattered Rules Available on Amazon
Buy link http://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Rules-Reggi-Allder-ebook/dp/B00GWPX09A

Workaholic FBI agent Brick Larson loves his job. He doesn’t need personal relationships. He’s been burned too many times. The last thing he wants is to get involved with the younger sister of his ex-fiancé. But to defend the United States that’s exactly what he’ll do.
Kelly Shaw covertly loved Brick when she was a teenager and would have trusted him with her life then. But that was years ago. Neither are the same people they used to be. Can she trust him with her secret? Will she live long enough to find out?

Bio
Reggi Allder has lived in small towns and big cities and enjoyed both as each is special in its own way. Because of this, she sets her books in both settings.
At UCLA she studied screen writing and creative writing. Later she worked as part of the support staff in a large city hospital, as a newsletter editor and as an advertising manager. She’s married and has two kids and three dogs. Even though she didn’t know it at the time, the various career moves and life events now help her craft her books.

www.reggiallder.com/
Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSbkubSq2I0
Blog with Reggi https://reggiallder.blogspot.com

I’d love to have coffee with everyone and chat. I can’t do that so please leave a comment for a chance to win a cup of coffee on me by winning a gift card from Starbucks. Best, Reggi