Review - - FALLEN

FALLEN
By Carey Baldwin
Publisher: Witness Impulse (HarperCollins)
Release Date: June 9, 2015

 

Fallen is Carey Baldwin’s second book in her Spenser and Cassidy series, which chronicles the adventures of FBI agent and profiler Atticus “Spense” Spenser and Dr. Caitlin Cassidy, a forensic psychiatrist and FBI consultant. In Fallen, Spense and Caity delve into the underside of the glitz and glamor of Hollywood when a string of homicides in L.A. baffle the local police and they’re called in to help solve the case.

The action in Fallen kicks off when the body of a high price prostitute falls out of a hotel window right onto Hollywood Boulevard.  Soon after, other bodies are found with the same M.O. dubbed the “Fallen Angel Killer” by the press because of the way the killer displays the bodies of the victims, and the physical similarities between them. Spense and Caity scramble to try to make sense of the killer’s motive and how he’s finding his victims. The stakes are raised even higher when the Fallen Angel Killer kidnaps the next victim, and threatens to kill her unless “Celebrity X” publicly confesses their sins and issues an apology within 48 hours. So, the race is on to figure out who Celebrity X is and get them to confess, or find where the Fallen Angel Killer has hidden the victim.

Carey Baldwin writes heart-pounding romantic suspense that keeps the reader guessing and turning the pages.  I was fascinated by her exploration of the seedy underside of our celebrity, fame-crazed culture and the toll it takes on those caught in its trap.  The villain was a total surprise to me, but it totally made sense once all of pieces of the puzzle came together.  Baldwin had cleverly laid out all the clues for the reader to figure out, but not so blatantly that the solution was too obvious.  Baldwin’s medical and psychology background comes to the forefront and allows her to add an appealing richness and depth to the story by really diving into the killer’s motivation and psychological makeup to explain why he/she is so driven to kill. The writing is smart, fast-paced, and absorbing with a sly sense of humor. Baldwin has a great talent for drawing her readers into the story, and making them enjoy every minute of the pulse-pounding ride.

With romantic suspense novels, there is always the risk that the suspense will overwhelm the romance. In many RS novels, the love story gets lost in the suspense and mystery.  That is not the case in Fallen.  Spense and Caity’s relationship is definitely front and center in this book.  Baldwin deftly deals with the lingering fallout from the events of Judgement, the first book in the series, and uses that to move Caity and Spense’s relationship forward.  Caity has some scars and baggage to deal with due to events in her past, and I love how understanding Spense is and how determined he is to make things work between them. The two of them continue to work on their communication skills and growing attraction. The deepening of the emotional bond between them is wonderfully done and I loved them working through the bumps in their relationship.  Even though the relationship hasn’t gotten 100% physical, the sense of them becoming an even more solid team makes the reader invested in them as a couple and the series as a whole. 

Signs indicate that Caity and Spense are off to Dallas in the next book. I can’t wait to find out what’s in store for them next!  I highly recommend Fallen, and any of Carey Baldwin’s books, to anyone who enjoys a great romance suspense novel with great writing, spine-tingling plots, and compelling characters that will stay with you long after you get to the end.

~Lisa

Add a Little Suspense to Your Holidays

I love a good whodunit. Whether it be romantic suspense, a psychological thriller or a good old fashioned mystery, stories that lure me in, keep me on the edge of my seat and pit my wits against the villain are always high on my reading list. Here are three books that recently kept me up reading way into the night. I highly recommend them!

Judgment
A Cassidy & Spenser Thriller - Book 1
By Carey Baldwin
Publisher: HarperCollins / Witness Impulse
Release Date: October 7, 2014


If these two rivals can't work together...

Dr. Caitlin Cassidy is on a mission to protect the innocent. Fifteen years ago, she witnessed her father's execution for a crime she's convinced he didn't commit. Now she works as a forensic psychiatrist to make sure that other innocents don't meet the same fate.

Special Agent Atticus Spenser is hell bent on locking the guilty away. A brilliant FBI profiler, Spense loves a good puzzle...especially when the solution takes a psychopath off the streets. But his nemesis, the enigmatically vexing Caity Cassidy, is one puzzle he's never been able to solve.

...one of them is going to die.

When a young coed falls prey to a sexually sadistic killer, Caity and Spense are called in by opposing sides. But before the case can go to trial, the accused man is murdered in a brutal attack and Caity is critically wounded. Now Caity and Spense must put aside their differences and work together to uncover the truth - because the Man in the Maze is coming back for round two.

As a former clinical psychologist, Carey Baldwin knows plenty about the dark corners of the human mind, using that knowledge to superb effect in her newest book, Judgment. Once again, she has created a stunning thriller with a tightly woven plot, smart dialogue and twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. While there is no shortage of action, it's the characters who hold center stage in this story: the villains who will chill your soul and have you taking second looks at people you pass on the street and the hero and heroine who will capture your heart with the vulnerabilities hidden beneath the strength and determination they show to the world.

If you enjoy a story that challenges you intellectually, takes your emotions on a roller-coaster ride, delivers protagonists you can cheer for and villains that have you double checking the locks on your doors then Carey Baldwin is an author who should be on your radar.

The Hunk Next Door
The Specialists:Heroes Next Door - Book 1
By Debra Webb and Regan Black
Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue
Release Date: November 1, 2014

In the season of hope, someone's out for blood. Police Chief Abigail Jensen is determined to protect her town—and avoid falling too hard for Riley, the new guy next door. But deciding who to trust can be deadly, especially when he has deep secrets…. 

Agent Riley O'Brien's mission is clear when he joins the CIA's covert Specialist task force: protect a small-town cop from a terrorist, no matter what. Trading his identity for the undercover guise of a handyman is part of the plan…getting close to Abigail on a personal—and passionate—level isn't.

The Hunk Next Door kicks off a new series from Black and Webb that centers around The Specialists, a group of agents who give up their lives to take long-term, undercover assignments to protect people whose lives are at risk.  After reading this first book (in one afternoon - I could not put it down), all I can say is that I hope this series goes on for a very long time!

Protecting her town is Abigail Jensen's sole focus. After busting a major drug trafficking ring, she makes it clear during a television interview that Belclare, Maryland is off-limits to those with criminal intent and, in doing so, unknowingly makes herself the target of a deadly terrorist cell - the power behind the drug ring.

There are few people Abby trusts completely. She has to be suspicious if she's to be successful in protecting her town. When handyman Riley O'Brien shows up to help build the town's Christmas village her radar goes on high alert, especially when a series of escalating events aimed to harm the town and discredit Abby begin after his arrival. Is he the bad guy orchestrating the events or the only one she can turn to to keep the citizens of Belclare safe?

Black and Webb reeled me in from the start with the premise of this series, the fully developed characters and the small-town charm of Belclare with its quirky citizens, political in-fighting and evil simmering beneath the surface. Unlike many mysteries, in this one, the identity of the villain is revealed early in the book.  For me, this ramped the intensity even higher, giving me full access into the villain's thoughts and plans while leaving Abby and Riley on the outside, still trying to figure things out and save the town from an evil adversary as the book races to its stunning conclusion.

I'm already counting the days until February 1st and the release of the second book in The Specialists: Heroes Next Door series, Heart of a Hero.

Close to the Fire
Westen Series - Book 3
By Suzanne Ferrell
Publisher: Suzanne Ferrell Productions
Release Date: September 25, 2014



They once were lovers: 

After ten years of keeping his distance to the one woman he's always loved, Fire Chief Deke Reynolds is finally ready to set aside his grief and confess his guilt to Elizabeth "Libby" Wilson about his part in her brother's death. Libby's own guilty secret has kept her from sharing her life with the man who stole her heart as a teen and awakened her body as a young woman. 

Danger has forced them together again: 

A fire and their odd connection to a new teenager at the local half-way house have this couple finally sharing their secrets with each other. With an arsonist on the loose, threatening the town of Westen and its citizens, have Libby and Deke waited too long to find their love again? 


Suzanne Ferrell has charmed me with the heartwarming and quirky citizens of Westen, Ohio and put me firmly on their side as they battle those who would bring death and destruction into their midst. 

Second chance love stories are one of my favorite romance tropes. Deke Reynolds and Libby Wilson have been in love since their teens but a tragic fire tore them apart ten years ago. If anybody deserves a second chance it's these two but just as it appears they may be finding their way back to one another an arsonist enters the picture, determined to keep them apart...forever.

Ferrell is adept at combining heartwarming with heartrending, engaging the reader's emotions at every level. She had me laughing, crying and holding my breath with fear. She also kept me guessing. Just when I was sure I knew who the villain was she threw in a twist that had me second guessing my conviction. Characters from previous books in the series play pivotal roles, enriching the story without stealing the spotlight from Libby and Deke. 

Close to the Fire stands well on its own but with characters from previous books making appearances there are spoilers from those books. You might want to start with the first book and read them in order. They are - in order: Close to Home, Close to the Edge and Close to the Fire. Ferrell also has a newly released Westen novella, Close to Christmas that takes place following the conclusion of Close to the Fire.

~PJ


Are you a romantic suspense/suspense thriller fan?

Who are some of your go-to suspense authors?

Any recent suspense books you'd recommend?


One person leaving a comment will receive a Kindle copy of Close to Home and Judgment.

One person leaving a comment will receive a print copy of The Hunk Next Door. (U.S. only)

Carey Baldwin Winner

The winner of a $10 gift card from Carey Baldwin is:

Laurie G

Congratulations, Laurie!  Please send us an email and let us know if you prefer 

Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Today's Special - - Carey Baldwin

I'm excited to welcome Carey Baldwin back to The Romance Dish.  Carey has a brand new book (released yesterday) and, let me tell you, it's fantastic! (Read my review) This former clinical psychologist knows how to craft a psychological thriller that draws in the reader and keeps them riveted to the story while at the same time scaring the daylights out of them.  I love her stories!

BONUS:  For a limited time you can download CONFESSION at only $1.99 for your Kindle or Nook!  

REMINDER:  Carey is hosting a Facebook release party for CONFESSION today from 1 - 5pm.  Details below in the Q&A. 

Welcome back to the Romance Dish, Carey.  The last time you were here your single-title debut, First Do No Evil had just been released.  Since then you’ve signed with a new publisher – HarperCollins – and your first book for their digital Witness Impulse line, CONFESSION was released yesterday.  Please tell our readers what they can expect from CONFESSION.

Thanks so much for having me, Patty! Readers can expect the unexpected from CONFESSION. I hope there will be lots of surprises in store for them. The book is about 30-40 percent romance and 60-70 percent suspense. It’s officially part of the Harper Collins suspense line- Witness Impulse, but the romance is an integral part of the story. One that I hope will tug your heartstrings. CONFESSION is a dark psychological thriller, along the lines of something you might see from Karen Rose or Allison Brennan in tone. So not for the faint of heart, as they say J.

CONFESSION has a tie-in to FIRST DO NO EVIL.  Should the two books be read in order or does each stand on its own?

The books definitely stand alone, but though they are not technically part of the same series, they are connected. Dr. Faith Clancy, the heroine of CONFESSION is the sister-in-law of Detective Daniel Benson, the hero of FIRST DO NO EVIL. Because one plot is independent of the other, readers can choose to read in any order. But I do think those who enjoy CONFESSION may want to go back and read FIRST DO NO EVIL and vice versa. Faith Clancy stays in the background in FIRST DO NO EVIL, and I think it might be fun for those readers of CONFESSION, who will have the inside track, to spot the hints in FDNE as to what’s really going on with good old reliable Aunt Faith. Both books have a similar mix of thrills and romance, so if you enjoy one, you’ll probably enjoy the other.

I loved both!

Carey, you always manage to throw an unexpected twist into your stories that never fails to take me by surprise.  Are your books plotted out in advance or does the direction they take sometimes catch you by surprise?

Hooray for taking you by surprise, Patty! The truth is I started plotting CONFESSION while I was still writing FIRST DO NO EVIL, so CONFESSION's plot was well over a year in the making- before I ever inked a single word. That said, many things changed during the actual telling of the story. So I guess the answer is I’m definitely a plotter, but I try to let the characters lead me as I write.

When I read your books I don’t do so as an observer but as a participant.  You have the ability to put me squarely in the middle of the action and into the minds of your characters; sometimes a very scary place to be.  I know they’re products of your imagination but do your characters ever scare you?

Thanks for the kind words! And, yup. In fact LABYRINTH, the book I’m finishing up now is scaring the dickens out of me. I told my critique partners, I’m actually quite frightened by the story. You’ve heard of reading with the light on? I’m writing with every light in the house on.

Oh, my.  Every light?  Yikes!

Will we be seeing any of the characters from CONFESSION in future books?  There are two secondary characters that I want more of!   

Well, since you mentioned two characters, I believe we’re on the same page.  Dr. Caitlin Cassidy, a forensic psychiatrist and Special Agent Atticus Spenser (aka Spense) an FBI profiler, are the protagonists of LABYRINTH –scheduled to release Sept. 16, 2014. I really love these two as individuals and I also love their chemistry. I plan for readers to see much more of Caity and Spense in future books (and, guys, whatever you do – do not call Spense by his first name!) In CONFESSION, Caitlin tells Faith that it’ll be a cold day in hell when she and Spense team up. In LABYRINTH, let’s just say the temperature in Hades has dropped dramatically.

Oh, yes.  We are most definitely on the same page!  

Many readers have what we call comfort reads, those favorite books that never fail to lift our spirits no matter how many times we read them.  To what books or authors do you turn when your spirits need a boost.

I must’ve read To Kill a Mockingbird a half-dozen times. It never fails to inspire me. Any Jane Austen book, any time will lift my spirits, and there’s nothing better than a fast-paced fun thriller by Harlan Coben. I’ve also had the good fortune to read many “works in progress” by some wonderful friends (I won’t list them because I wouldn’t want to leave anyone out and they are all so special) and those books- in- the -making genuinely inspire me to keep going, write my best book, and just feel plain happy. Also, I don’t place dark thrillers in the comfort read category, but I sure do love them. There’s something about watching good overcome evil, even in the most impossible circumstance, that keeps me coming back time after time and makes me realize how small my worries are.

What would readers be surprised to learn about you?

It’s in my bio, but I’ve followed a crooked career path. I have a PhD in clinical psychology and practiced for a while before going back to medical school to become a pediatrician. I think most people wouldn’t expect someone like me (a pediatrician who sings the alphabet song with her patients) to write dark and sexy books.

If you could insert yourself into the life of any fictional character (with a way back to your real life, of course), who would you choose and why?

I adore Laura Ingalls from the Little House on the Prairie series. I’d love to experience life as a pioneer girl/woman.  Although I’m not sure I’d classify Laura as a fictional character – since the Little House books depict a fictionalized account of Laura’s real life. Also, I’m pretty sure the pioneer men were hawt and manly, so reason enough for me!  

LOL!  Excellent reasons!  

Where can readers connect with you online?

Thanks for asking. I’d love for readers to visit my website  (www.CareyBaldwin.com ). I’m on also on twitter (https://twitter.com/CareyBaldwin ) and facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CareyBaldwinAuthor) and you can sign up for my newsletter to get info on my new releases here (http://www.careybaldwin.com/contact/)

Will you be attending any conferences or book signings this year where readers will have the opportunity to meet you?

Yes! But first I’d like to mention if I may that today (March 12) I’m having an online facebook party to celebrate the release of CONFESSION. I’d love for readers to join me between 1PM and 5PM EST 
(https://www.facebook.com/events/770999556263155/) I’ve got guest authors, games and prizes including a fifty dollar gift card, so please stop by!

Upcoming in person events I’m attending include:

The Desert Dreams Conference April 4-6 Phoenix, Arizona

The Romantic Times Book Lovers Convention May 13-18 New Orleans

The Romance Writers of America Conference July 24-26 San Antonio, Texas

Thanks so much for visiting with us today, Carey.  Would you like to ask our readers a question?

Thank you for inviting me! It’s always fun to visit with you and Andrea, and to get a chance to interact with your readers. I’d like to ask your readers so many things, but I think I’ll settle for this: Has anyone ever given you a really great piece of advice that you’re willing to share today?

One randomly chosen person leaving a comment on today's blog will receive a $10 gift card from Carey - winner's choice of Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  

They say the Santa Fe Saint comes to save your soul—by taking your life.

Newly minted psychiatrist Faith Clancy gets the shock of her life when her first patient confesses to the grisly Saint murders. By law Faith's compelled to notify the authorities, but is her patient really the Saint? Or will she contribute to more death by turning the wrong man over to the police?

Faith is going to need all her wits and the help of a powerful adversary, Luke Jericho, if she's to unravel the truth. But she doesn't realize she's about to become an unwitting pawn in a serial killer's diabolical game. For once he's finished with Faith, she'll become his next victim.

Review - - CONFESSION

CONFESSION
By Carey Baldwin
Publisher: Witness Impulse / HarperCollins Publishers
Release Date: March 11, 2014

For Faith Clancy, Santa Fe represents new beginnings:  a new home, new psychiatry practice, the opportunity to make new friends and, most importantly, distance from the family that is no longer her's..and the man who never was.  Everything looks bright, fresh and hopeful until Faith's patient - her only patient - confesses to her that he is the serial killer known as The Saint and is afraid he will kill again.  Faith has no choice but to turn him over to the police.  The law requires her to do so, even though she is far from certain that Dante Jericho, a man whose mind she believes is on the edge of psychosis, is the actual killer.

Luke Jericho is a man trying to piece his family back together.  His late father's choice to have an affair with the family housekeeper then install the woman and the resulting child (Dante) in a casita on the family ranch when Luke was a child was bad enough.  But when Dante's mother was killed in a car accident and their father banished a still young Dante from the ranch, it set into motion ripples that continue to reverberate through the Jericho family.  As soon as their father died, Luke tracked down Dante and is determined to heal the breach between them and restore to Dante all that was taken from him by their father.  Dante may be mentally and emotionally fragile but Luke believes in his innocence and is determined to prove the police have the wrong man.  To do that, he needs the help of Faith Clancy, Dante's psychiatrist and the woman with whom he has been fascinated since the day she strolled into his art gallery...then right back out again when she discovered he was the brother of her patient.

Faith has been on her own long enough to be prickly, independent and unlikely to accept help gracefully. Luke has been in charge of his family's ranch and other businesses long enough to go after what he wants. There are bound to be fireworks, especially when Luke learns that someone has broken into Faith's home. Suddenly, he is not only determined to prove his brother's innocence but also to protect Faith.  They are the only two people who believe in Dante and as they work to find the evidence that will free him their initial attraction deepens and strengthens.  But, the closer they get to uncovering the truth the more their own lives are put at risk, for the real killer is much closer than they realize...and has Faith squarely in his sights.

Carey Baldwin has crafted another superb psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and looking over my shoulder late into the night.  Reading one of her books is not a passive experience.  She doesn't relegate me, the reader, to the sidelines as an observer of the action.  She places me directly into the minds of her characters: the sick and twisted mind of a serial killer, the terrified mind of a potential victim, the desperate mind of a man racing against time to save the woman he loves and the determined mind of a woman facing her greatest fears.  I felt it all.

Carey Baldwin writes realistic characters, crafts riveting suspense, satisfies my romance-loving heart and throws in a twist that never fails to catch me by surprise.  I highly recommend her books!

~PJ

Avon Rocks the House

Andrea and I attended the Avon RWA cocktail party Friday night.  What a fantastic time we had!  Avon always puts on a wonderful party and this one was no exception.  They had delectable food, delicious drinks, flashing-light party favors and a rockin' photo booth!  Thanks to our friends at Avon Books for the invitation.  We had a great time!





Good friend, Nicki Salcedo from Georgia Romance Writers.  We're sisters of the heart.  Love this woman!

Andrea and RITA winner, Sarah MacLean.













PJ with Carey Baldwin, author of terrific medical thrillers. Happy to hear we have more books coming from this talented author!

Wonderful authors, great friends and really nice people:  Julie Anne Long and Toni Blake!










PJ with the sweet, smart, funny and incredibly talented Tessa Dare.

Sandwiched between two amazing women, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Cathy Maxwell.

Romance star Lorraine Heath and rising star Jennifer McQuiston!

Nicki Salcedo and PJ with the Super Librarian, Wendy Crutcher.









We rocked the photo booth!  Here are some random shots (the ones fit to print).  ::grin::

Andrea and PJ

Andrea, PJ, Cathy Maxwell

PJ with the GRW crew...and friends!

Tessa Dare and PJ making mischief.

What's your favorite kind of party?

Have you ever rocked the photo booth?  What's your style?  Funny or serious?

Who are your favorite Avon authors?

We have signed Avon books and conference swag for three randomly chosen people leaving a comment.  (U.S. and Canadian addresses only)

~PJ

Review - - First Do No Evil

First Do No Evil

Blood Secrets #1

By Carey Baldwin

Publisher:  Samhain

Release Date:  June 26, 2012

First Do No Evil by Carey Baldwin hits all the right notes in a compelling, superbly written romantic suspense thriller that grabbed me from the beginning and still hasn’t let go more than two weeks after I turned the final page. 

Dr. Skylar Novak has had more than enough tragedy in her life.   Her mother died of breast cancer when Skylar was a young girl.  If that wasn’t bad enough, her father was murdered during a home invasion when she was a teen.  But now, fifteen years later, she's settled into a good, if unexciting, life.  She’s planning her wedding to the man with whom she runs a medical clinic serving the disadvantaged of Flagstaff, Arizona, her older brother has just formulated a vaccine that shows promise for preventing the type of breast cancer that killed their mother and Sky has finally started to put the horrific events of that Halloween night fifteen years ago behind her.   As she awakens Halloween morning with “a premonition of happiness,”  you just know that fate is about to deal her another blow.

Flagstaff Detective Sergeant Daniel “Danny” Benson is one of the good guys.  A widower with a young teen daughter, he’s strong, protective, sexy and a bit of an outlaw at heart.  When he and Sky meet while waiting for a local coffee shop to open, it’s instant chemistry but she informs him she’s meeting her brother and fiancé for breakfast and Danny doesn’t poach on another man’s woman – even if he’s certain that Sky isn’t in love with the man she's planning to marry.  Then a robber enters the picture and events take a startling and tragic turn.  One person leaves the café in a body bag; three others in ambulances and life, for all of them, will never be the same.

Three months later, just as Sky is beginning to come to terms with the latest loss in her life, Danny shows up with an outrageous theory.  He believes the robbery was in fact staged to cover up a premeditated murder and that Sky or her brother, or both, were the intended targets and could still be in danger.  He's the only one who believes that though and needs Sky to help him prove or disprove it.  Even though she's still fascinated by the sexy detective, Sky thinks his theories are ridiculous and wants no part of the investigation but when certain facts come to light, she begins to wonder if perhaps he could be right.  She agrees to help, sending them hurtling down a path filled with danger...and desire.

If I had not already known that this book is Baldwin's debut, I would have thought she was a veteran author with many published novels under her belt.  This book is that well written.  The characters are realistic, well drawn and easy to relate to.  The story is fast paced, filled with suspense and has enough twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.  The villain is seriously scary; a person with no conscience, no sense of remorse and a complete sense of justification for heinous actions all hidden behind a charming mask that's presented to the world at large.  The fact that Baldwin reveals the identity of the killer early, allowing us to watch the interaction between killer and victims and giving us a window into the killer's thoughts, makes that person's actions even more chilling and kept me frantically flipping pages long into the night.  Sky and Danny are characters who deserve a happy ending and had me pulling for them from the beginning.  Sky's personal journey is particularly rewarding and Danny is my favorite kind of hero.  Some of the violence is pretty graphic but not gratuitous.  As a reader, I wouldn't have felt the same impact had Ms. Baldwin not shown us the full extent of the killer's evil.  (I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to stuff like this so the fact that I liked this book so much is another testament to the author's superb writing skill.)

I highly recommend First Do No Evil and am already anticipating the next book from this very talented author!

~PJ

Carey Baldwin Winner

Many thanks to everyone who stopped by to help Carey Baldwin celebrate the release of her debut book!  The winner of Carey's prize package of a $25 gift card and digital copies of both FIRST DO NO EVIL and THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER is

CATSLADY

Congratulations, Catslady!  Please send your email address to us at theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com and we'll put you in touch with Carey.

Today's Special - - Carey Baldwin

I am so thrilled to welcome debut romantic suspense author Carey Baldwin to The Romance Dish.  Talk about your multi-talented, multi-tasking authors!  Carey is a full-time practicing physician, mom, critique partner (to Tessa Dare, Courtney Milan and Leigh LaValle), former clinical psychologist and a brand new newlywed!


Carey, along with Tessa, Courtney and Leigh released an anthology in May that is part of a breast cancer fundraiser.  Be sure to check out Three Weddings and a Murder.  Her single-title debut, First Do No Evil was released June 26. Find more information about Carey at her website (be sure to check out the "fun facts about moi") and connect with her at Facebook and Twitter.


Welcome, Carey!

Love and Coffee Shops

Thank you so much to everyone at the Romance Dish for having me today! This is one of my favorite blogs, and I am delighted to be here.  I have a giveaway coming up, but first I want to talk about love, lightning and those wonderful places called coffee shops.

Let's start with lightning. You never know when it will strike. In one of my favorite movies of all time, MEET JOE BLACK, a father (played by Anthony Hopkins) has a heart to heart with his daughter (played by Claire Forlani) about her unexciting relationship with her boyfriend. He doesn't want her to settle, and he's very persuasive.

Hopkins "To make the journey and not fall deeply in love, well, you haven't lived a life at all. But you have to try, because if you haven't tried you haven't lived... I want you to get swept away out there. I want you to levitate. I want you to sing with rapture and dance like dervish." 

Forlani "Oh, is that all?" 

Hopkins "Stay open…you never know. Lightning could strike."

And hooray! Lightning does strike just days later when Forlani meets Brad Pitt at a local coffee shop!  

Now I've seen that movie about a million times, but I can tell you I never believed lightning could strike me. Those wonderful, bigger than life encounters don't happen to ordinary people. Or do they?  

After my babies (Who are we kidding? These children are big dogs now!) left the nest, I finally started dating again. I'd been divorced a long time, and I was going through the motions of meeting new men with all the same enthusiasm I had formerly reserved for studying for my pathology exams in med school. Until one evening I arrived early for a first meet at…a coffee shop. Starbucks in Barnes & Noble to be specific.

He wasn't there.

I retreated to the ladies' room and after, as I was sneaking past the coffee area, feeling perfectly justified not waiting on a tardy man, I saw him. Tall, blond, built, and waiting for me. I veered into the coffee shop. Cautiously, I allowed him to buy me a bottled water and escort me to a tiny table with wobbly legs. Three and half hours later I walked out of ….the coffee shop, my own legs wobbly. Lightning had struck.

In FIRST DO NO EVIL the heroine, Skylar Novak, is going through the motions of living life until the day she meets a handsome detective outside…a coffee shop, and lightning strikes. Danny and Sky have a bigger than life moment, and that moment changes everything.

If you like, you can read their encounter by going here: http://www.careybaldwin.com/books/first-do-no-evil/ and clicking on Excerpt. 

I'll paste the blurbs from FIRST DO NO EVIL and THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER below for those who are interested.

FIRST DO NO EVIL

Blood Secrets, Book 1 

One killer is in her blood. The other is in her house. 

There’s a killer lurking in Dr. Skylar Novak’s family tree: the gene for breast cancer. That’s why her brilliant brother invented the Bella vaccine. But even if the miracle drug protects her from the cancer that took her mother’s life, it can’t save Sky from the flesh and bone evil stalking her in secret. 

When the killer strikes, detective Daniel Benson finds himself in the wrong place at the right time. The bold detective manages to save Sky’s life…just in time for her to return the favor. Survival leads to seduction, and Danny risks everything—his career, even his life, to keep Sky safe. But will the buried sins they uncover cost him her heart? 

Danny’s strong arms may hold her close, but only Sky can stop the terror that’s coming next…

THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER

May 2012 

Including Carey’s story SOLOMON’S WISDOM

Four friends who care have each contributed their own story to bring you this very special anthology. You’ll enjoy three historical romances and one contemporary romantic thriller—four distinct voices united for one cause. All profits from the purchase of the anthology will be donated to the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. Funds will be used to support research to find a cure or prevention for breast cancer and for outreach programs with an emphasis on assisting low-income, elderly and minority individuals. 

Now for the give away. I'm offering a $25 gift card and a digital copy of both FIRST DO NO EVIL and THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER to one commenter drawn at random. My question is this: Have you ever had lightning strike? Or do you have a favorite encounter from a book or movie where lightning strikes?

Thanks so much to the Romance Dish for having me, and to everyone who stopped by!