WINTER PECK

Just in time for Christmas, this mid-month post is provided by Winter Peck (writing as Winter Austin).

Title of Current WIP?
Revenge, book 3 of the Degrees of Darkness series

Where did the idea come from?
Revenge has been the catalyst behind the whole series, spawning its predecessors Relentless and Retribution. The plot stems from the idea of how far would a man go to avenge the wrongs done to him and protect the woman he loves so he could have that happily ever after. And to go back even farther, the characters have been with me a long time. 14+ years of getting to know them and develop them. I’ve always loved mystery and suspense novels and the concept of a happy ever after, but a more realistic happy ever after. I like a nice wrap-up to a romance, but I like dragging out a romance between favorite characters. So that’s what I did.

What Genre Do You Write in?
Romantic Suspense/Thrillers

Agency Representation:
My fan-tab agent is Amanda Luedeke with MacGregor Literary Agency. She’s been the best to work with and I love that she’s as excited about my projects as I am.

Give a Short Synopsis of you book(s):
Relentless (Releasing Feb 11, 2013 from Crimson Romance under my pen name Winter Austin)

Dallas homicide detective Remy LeBeau trusts no one. He hides from a past that could kill him and anyone involved with him. What he’s not prepared for is the return of an elusive serial killer…and an unwanted desire to protect a witness at all costs.

Professional barrel racer Cody Lewis’s dream of being top in the nation is within reach until she discovers a murdered woman in her horse trailer. The event pulls her into the sickening world of the Rodeo Sweethearts serial killer—a madman who terrorized Dallas’s rodeo circuit five years prior and is now back for more. But what’s worse is that Cody fits the profile of the Rodeo Sweetheart victims…

As Remy dives into the investigation, he uncovers secrets of a botched investigation and a tight-lipped boss, while attracting unwanted attention from the killer. Battling his partner, his attraction to Cody, and the demons of his past, catching the killer could cost Remy everything. Even Cody’s life.

How long did it take to write that first draft?
First book, almost a year. Second book, 5 months.

Who or what inspired the book?
I have loved all things cowboy/cowgirl/rodeo/horses related and I had a hard time finding any good suspense book with even a bit of those factors in it. And as far back as I can recall I’ve had a fascination with the Cajun culture which brought about the character of Remy LeBeau–and believe me, I don’t fall for all that false hype about the culture. The dude has a real accent.
So, after my twin sons were born, I got bored and picked up the pen again. The first draft of this series was horrible, but 14 years later I found the right mesh of plots and backstories.

Anything to add?
I do have another book (see cover), my first publishing contract, coming out March 1, 2013 called Stitched in Love in the novella collection Threads of Love. In that novella I take a look at the effects of PTSD on an Army combat medic. While not something I have seen in my husband–a veteran of the Iraq war–but something dear to me as a military wife. You can find that book under Winter A. Peck.

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