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Guest Blog featuring Maggie Clare’s Lost and Found (a Tactical Solutions International #3) by Maggie Claire w/a rafflecopter giveaway! @GoddessFish @msmaggie_clare #romanticsuspense

Lost and Found

by Maggie Clare

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GENRE:   Romantic Suspense

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BLURB:

Dr. Lissa Morgan has had a crush on her best friend’s older brother since they were kids, but handsome, brooding Cam Taylor has never given her a second glance. When Cam unexpectedly shows up on Lissa’s doorstep bleeding and bruised, his personal life in shambles, things between them take a steamy turn. 

After an incredible weekend with the sweet, sexy doctor, Cam realizes what he’s been missing. But he’s run from intimacy his whole life, sure he doesn’t deserve a woman like Lissa. He’s doing her a favor by walking away – or so he tells himself.

Frustrated and hurt by Cam’s distance, Lissa must nonetheless rely on his private security firm when an annoying admirer becomes a threat. The more time Cam spends with Lissa, the faster his defenses crumble. When the disturbed stalker finally makes his move, Cam will do whatever it takes to save the woman who’s slowly healing his wounded soul.  

Lost and Found is the third book in the Tactical Solutions International series but can be read as a stand-alone.

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Excerpt One:

Cam woke with a splitting headache and no idea where he was. For a few seconds, before his foggy brain cleared, he simply stared at the white ceiling overhead. He ran a hand over the soft blanket covering him, and turned his head carefully to the side. A glass of orange juice, a bottle of pills, and a note sat on a coffee table. His cell phone, keys, and wallet were in a neat pile next to the glass. 

Snapshots of memory flashed back into his head, coming in reverse order, like a videotape rewinding. Liss suturing his head. Her friend bringing supplies. Cam sitting outside her door, getting drunk while he waited for her to come home. 

He reached for the note, licking his dry lips and squinting past the pounding in his head. 

Things you may do: 1. Drink this juice and take some Tylenol. 2. Take off your bloody clothes and leave them in the basket. 3. Shower – the sutures won’t dissolve. 4. Move into my room for more sleep. Things you may not do: 1. Leave – doctor’s orders.

He grinned, hearing Lissa’s voice in his head as he read her instructions. His smile faded when he remembered what had driven him to her doorstep in the first place. He couldn’t think about that right now. He considered sneaking out before Liss returned from wherever she’d gone off to, but he discarded the idea pretty quickly. He needed the pills, the shower, and more sleep. 

 

The Secret to Writing a Military Romantic Suspense

By Maggie Clare

 

We all know that the romance genre comes in many flavors. Romantic suspense is one such flavor or sub-genre. When you add the military element, that makes it even more specific. So, how do writers successfully blend these multiple genres to make it all work?

 

With my own writing, I first identify the primary genre for my story. For the Tactical Solutions International series, it’s romance. Regular military suspense thrillers can contain an element of a romance threaded through, but the romance isn’t necessarily the point of the story, and the romance may not even last. However, when you put romance in the genre description of a book, you’ve committed to writing it as a romance first and foremost. 

 

Romance novels have a particular set of rules to follow, things readers expect when they pick one up. For example, cheating is a no-no, and there must be a happily-ever-after for the romantic leads. The relationship is central to the story, and following the couple through their trials and tribulations creates the major tension and plot points of the story.

 

Now enter the suspense. I’ve chosen to use suspenseful plot action as the backdrop for my couples. For example, in Lost and Found, the protagonist has a stalker whose activity escalates throughout the narrative. When writing romantic suspense rather than, say, a contemporary romance, I have to make sure the plot contains underlying danger. I have to work in action scenes and intrigue. Essentially, I have to include all the elements of a straight up suspense with regard to the plot, but the main characters have to fall in love and end up together by the end!

 

Okay, so what about the military part? Because my main male character is an ex-Navy SEAL turned private security contractor, the military element is present. To make those scenes feel authentic, I made sure to do my homework. I happen to have a kid in the Navy, so I know how some of it works, but I also did more research. I made sure the military ranking was correct, I researched the sailors’ training, and I learned more about military culture. I didn’t want to pull readers out of the story with a mistake, like giving a sailor the rank of sergeant when that’s an Army ranking! 

 

At the end of the day, any book with romance in the genre description must focus on the romantic relationship first, and it must deliver a happy ending. The other elements provide a backdrop and create additional dramatic tension. When done well, it should all blend together seamlessly to give the story an authentic, sexy, fast-paced feel. I hope you’ll find that to be the case with my series! 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Maggie Clare is the pen name of award-winning speculative fiction author Tabitha Lord. 

When channeling Maggie, she writes all the naughty things! Her Tactical Solutions International romantic suspense series features hot hunky heroes, smart sexy gals, and nail-biting narratives. 

Count on Maggie to pair great story-telling with an erotic edge.

 

Twitter: @msmaggie_clare

Instagram: msmaggiec

Facebook: @msmaggieclare

Website: www.msmaggieclare.com

 

Amazon buy link:

https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Found-Tactical-Solutions-International-ebook/dp/B08957M62Y/

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

 

Maggie Clare will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 


 

7 thoughts on “Guest Blog featuring Maggie Clare’s Lost and Found (a Tactical Solutions International #3) by Maggie Claire w/a rafflecopter giveaway! @GoddessFish @msmaggie_clare #romanticsuspense

  1. Great excerpt and I enjoyed reading your secrets! I also enjoyed following the tour and learning about your book which sounds like a wonderful suspense book that I curl up with, thanks for sharing it with me and I hope the tour was a success!

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