Counting Down to Nowhere to Hide

What I'm reading: Fantasy in Death, by J.D. Robb


What with the moving, the renovations, and everything else that interrupts routine, I neglected the calendar. I really have to get my white board mounted on my office wall. It's less than a month to the release of my next book, "NOWHERE TO HIDE" from The Wild Rose Press. I have a million things to do. Sorry if this post is interrupted, but I've got to dash for a bit. While I'm gone, maybe you can check out my recipes for Key Lime Pie over at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen. Or poke around the Coming Soon link on my website. I'll be back as soon as I can.

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Oh, Good. Hi, everyone!

Terry's off running errands and she left her computer on. My name's Colleen McDonald, and I'm going to sneak in for a bit. Don't say anything to her, okay?


People have asked me what it's like to star in a romance novel. Well, first you pay your dues. I was a minor character in Terry's first novel, FINDING SARAH, and had a few lines, a few scenes, but nothing major. However, I didn't complain, hit my marks, was always willing to do revisions even if it meant my shining moments were in the deleted files folder on her computer. In return, she gave me my own book.

It's been a long time coming. I had to move across the country, and she had to change publishers. I had to pretend I came from another town, and she changed the names of my friends back there, but anyone who's read FINDING SARAH will probably recognize that "Andy" is really "Randy."

After a lot of revising and a lot of waiting, I finally got my shot at center stage.

Let me tell you, it's a lot easier being a secondary character. When you're the star, sure you get to hang with a hunk (although the LAST thing I wanted when I moved away from Oregon to Florida was a man, especially one in uniform). On the other hand, there are some steamy sex scenes, and he wasn't wearing his uniform in those!

For this book, I had to agree to be pretty naïve in the bedroom department. I had my doubts, but it turned out great, because my co-star, Graham Harrigan, really knew what he was doing and Terry made sure he "taught" me well. We had plenty of practice for that one. Now THOSE rewrites are fun.

Little did I know that while I was in between gigs, she was busy digging up things she calls, Goals, Motivation, and Conflict. Especially the conflict. She threw all this back story angst at me – she actually SHOT me between books. I mean, that's going a bit far, don't you think?

On top of that, she saddled me with this dotty landlady, plus a complicated mystery encompassing three counties. And because she 'retired' me from my cop status before the book started, I had to play second fiddle to Graham, who was on his very first case as a detective. Actually, he was still in training, and I did what I could to make sure he looked good. Professionally, that is. Physically, he looks VERY good.

Oops – Terry is coming back. Gotta run before she catches me. Never get an author angry—they can really make you pay!

I'm back. So sorry to leave you like that. I trust you had fun checking out the pie recipes, and maybe learned a little about NOWHERE TO HIDE. Hmmmm... wonder why my chair is warm. Must be the sunshine--it can get strong up here in the mountains. Guess I should have closed the blinds.

Be sure you come back tomorrow when my guest is Lynda Hilburn. She's going to be talking about the allure of the bad boy … see you then.