It’s my pleasure to interview author Deena Alexander from Clermont, Florida.
Welcome to Ruff Drafts, Deena. Please tell us about your books.
Hunted for the Holidays is my fifth book with Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense. It’s the first book in my Jameson Investigations series, which will also include Hiding the Witness and Exposing Lethal Secrets, both of which are already available for preorder. It will also include a fourth book, which I’m working on now, which hasn’t been titled yet.
Very nice. Please tell us a little bit about your books — if you write a series, any upcoming releases or your current work-in-progress.
I love flawed characters, whose internal conflicts are as unique and challenging as the danger they find themselves in. This is a prevailing theme throughout most of my stories. Don’t we all have our own flaws to examine, our own challenges to overcome? But to face those challenges while fleeing from or fighting unimaginable danger takes a special kind of strength, courage and faith. In each of my stories, my characters face their own internal battles while running for their lives. So far, I’ve written Crime Scene Connection, Shielding the Tiny Target, Kidnapped in the Woods, Christmas in the Crosshairs, and Hunted for the Holidays, all of which are now available. Hiding the Witness is due to release on 2/25/2025, Exposing Lethal Secrets on July 1, 2025, and the fourth Jameson Investigations book in October of 2025. I am currently working on a proposal for a new romantic suspense series with Harlequin.
Your books sound quite interesting. Describe your goals as a writer. What do you hope to achieve in the next few years? What are you planning to do to reach these goals?
My biggest goal as a writer is to touch as many people’s lives as possible. I’ve always read a lot, and escaping into a fantasy world through books has gotten me through some of my most difficult challenges in life. I would love to offer that same faith, hope, and escape to someone else. I am working on a new proposal for Harlequin right now, and my goal over the next few years is to continue writing for Love Inspired Suspense. Oh, and I’d also LOVE for one of my books to be made into a TV show or movie. 😊
Great goals. What type of reader are you hoping to attract? Who do you believe would be most interested in reading your books?
Love Inspired Suspense is a Christian fiction line, so I would say people who enjoy clean stories with a lot of action and suspense along with their romance would enjoy my stories most.
They sound similar to my two cozy mystery series. What advice would you give other authors or those still trying to get published?
No matter how difficult things get, always pursue your dreams. Also, don’t ever stop learning. You must be able to not only accept criticism, but to embrace it and learn from it. Every rejection on your journey is also a learning opportunity.
Excellent advice. I agree totally. What particular challenges and struggles did you face before first becoming published?
I probably faced more challenges than a lot of authors, because when my writing journey began, I knew absolutely nothing about the writing process. I didn’t own a computer, didn’t know what Microsoft Word was, didn’t know how to send an email…never mind using track changes for editing. But I wanted to write, so I set up a loose-leaf binder and began my first novel by hand. Once my husband realized I was serious about writing a novel, he set me up an office and got me a computer. My best friend taught me how to work Microsoft Word, and I took off from there, researching everything I could get my hands on about the writing process.
Very inspiring.Do you belong to any writing groups? Which ones?
I am a member of Sisters in Crime and FHLCW (Faith, Hope & Love Christian Writers).
I’m also a member of Sisters in Crime. What are your hobbies and interests besides writing?
In my spare time, which is rare, I enjoy spending time with my family, walking (while taking pictures of scenery and wildlife), and reading.
I love walking and photography. Since I’ve moved to a more rural area, I’ve been photographing a lot of deer.
What do you like most and least about being an author? What is your toughest challenge?
The thing I love most about being an author is being able to share my stories with readers. My toughest challenge is finding time, not only to write, but to do everything else that’s involved—editing, marketing, etc… I also homeschool my fourteen-year-old son, so that is very time consuming.
Time is always an issue for us authors.
What do you like about writing ?
While my stories are romantic suspense, they do share a lot of similarities with cozy mysteries. They tend to be clean romances with themes of friendship and trust. They often take place in small rural towns and have the hero and heroine working together to solve a mystery.
That’s what I mentioned earlier. In fact, I thought that the first book of my Cobble Cove cozy mystery series, A Stone’s Throw, was a romantic suspense novel until readers began reviewing it as a cozy mystery.
Can you share a short excerpt from your latest title or upcoming release?
Shae walked beside her into the house and paused to listen in the doorway. Silence. “Go, now.”
She lifted the phone on her way through the kitchen and followed Gracie to her room. Everything seemed to be in order. Even though she knew she wasn’t handling the situation well, she couldn’t seem to get her emotions under control. For years she’d kept to herself and worked from home, but then Gracie had started school and wanted to play sports, make friends, sing in the church choir. Shae should have known better. And now her daughter was in danger because Shae hadn’t kept a low enough profile.
She dialed the number, listened to it ring…and ring. That wasn’t right. Someone was supposed to be available at all times in case of an emergency, in case she was discovered. She disconnected and tried again. Nothing. Her breath came in shallow gasps. It would be okay. She’d contemplated not calling anyway, so maybe it was for the best no one answered. Maybe God was leading her elsewhere.
Her heart shattered when Gracie picked up the stuffed bunny she’d stopped sleeping with a year ago and hugged it close as she started filling her bag with her most prized possessions.
Shae left her to it and went to her own room. She grabbed the two flight bags, dug through one for the loaded handgun, then stuck the weapon into the waistband of her shorts and shrugged a sweatshirt over it before dropping the bags beside the door to the garage. All of her important documents were already stashed in waterproof cases inside, as well as a good amount of cash she’d saved over the years. “Gracie, let’s go.”
Gracie emerged from the hallway, her bag and Mr. Cuddles clutched against her chest.
“Oh, baby, I—”
A car door slammed right outside the house, cutting her off.
“Get down. Hide. Now!”
Gracie scrambled beneath the Christmas tree in the corner, trampling packages, then peered between the branches.
Shae grabbed a pen and paper from her desk, scribbled the phone number down, and shoved the paper into Gracie’s hand. With no time for more than a quick reassurance, Shae backed toward the door. “If anything happens to me, you run to Katie’s house. Do you understand me?”
The doorbell rang.
Gracie’s gaze shot to the door and she nodded, teeth chattering, eyes wide.
“When you get there…” Three houses down with two possible killers on her heels. And now she was bringing this mess onto someone else, someone who had only ever been kind to them, who’d become a friend. “You hide until Miss Reva gets home, then tell her to call that number and tell whoever answers what happened. She should tell them who you are and that you need help. Okay?”
“Uh…huh…”
An insistent pounding rattled the front door. “Avery!”
Shae’s blood ran to ice as she stared deeply into her daughter’s brilliant blue eyes then yanked the handgun from her waistband. No one should know that name. She’d shed it six years ago when she’d become Shae Evans. “Get down!”
Despite her shocked expression when she caught sight of the weapon, Gracie crouched lower.
Hand shaking wildly, Shae aimed the gun at the door just as it splintered beneath a forceful kick.
Thank you. That was great. Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about you or your books?
If you decide to give Hunted for the Holidays a try, I hope you enjoy it!
I’m sure I and my readers will.
Thank you so much for having me!
My pleasure. Best wishes with your new release and future books. I’m sharing your social media sites and blog tour below.
Hunted for the Holidays
by Deena Alexander
About Hunted for the Holidays
Hunted for the Holidays
Christian Mystery & Suspense
Setting – Florida
Publisher : Love Inspired Suspense (October 22, 2024)
Mass Market Paperback : 208 pages
ISBN-10 : 1335980237
ISBN-13 : 978-1335980236
Digital ASIN : B0CTKNJMRW
Keeping out of sight
is the only way to stay alive.
When Shae Evans spots a familiar face at a Christmas pageant, she knows her witness-protection cover has been blown. Six years ago, her testimony put a crime boss away for life, but his vengeful son never stopped looking for her. Fleeing with her daughter, Shae accepts protection from former FBI agent Mason Payne—her child’s secret father. Now they’re only seconds ahead of the ruthless crime family who want Shae silenced forever. With threats everywhere, will they live to see the New Year?
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
About Deena Alexander
Deena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, where she met and married her high school sweetheart. She recently relocated to Florida with her husband, three kids, a son-in-law, and four dogs. Now she enjoys long walks in nature all year long, despite the occasional alligator or snake she sometimes encounters. Deena’s love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night, and she now works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor.
Author Links
Webpage Blog Facebook Twitter Goodreads BookBub Newsletter Amazon Author Page
Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Kobo Harlequin Google Play
Find All of Deena’s Books Here.
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
October 22 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
October 22 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
October 23 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
October 24 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
October 25 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
October 26 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 27 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
October 28 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
October 29 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – AUTHOR GUEST POST
October 30 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 31 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
October 31 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
November 1 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
November 2 – Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting – REVIEW
November 3 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 4 – Angel’s Book Nook – AUTHOR GUEST POST
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