Thursday, February 11, 2016

Happy Valentine Weekend, Romance Readers Want to Know: Romantic Suspense Author Kris Bock, Giveaway

Wishing you all a Happy Valentine Weekend!


Romance Readers Want to Know
Thursdays on the J.Q. Rose Blog
Hello and welcome to the new series, Romance Readers Want to Know. On Thursdays the J.Q. Rose blog will feature a romance author who answers the most often asked questions from their readers. You can find out about new writers or enjoy learning more about your favorite authors and their latest books. You can also take advantage of the opportunity to leave a question for the author. Prizes will be awarded to lucky commenters.

This week I am happy to welcome romantic suspense author Kris Bock. Kris is offering an e-copy of Whispers in the Dark. This story features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. Read on after Kris' article to find out more about the story. Be sure to leave a comment to enter the drawing. Winner will be drawn after 9 pm EST on Sunday.


Romance Readers Want to Know from Mystery/Romance author Kris Bock

How does setting inspire your romantic suspense novels?

All of my romantic adventures are set in the Southwest. For example, in my romantic suspense Whispers in the Dark, my heroine is an archaeology Masters student working at the fictional “Lost Valley.” This site is closely based on Hovenweep National Monument. Located on the southern border between Colorado and Utah, these ruins were left behind by the ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi. It’s a smaller site than some, but that’s part of its charm. You can hike and camp without crowds.

The lonely location allows for an almost Gothic atmosphere – mysterious lights in the canyon, spooky moaning sounds, and plenty of people hiding secrets. My heroine, Kylie, finds more than she bargains for, of course – including mystery, danger, and new love. She also falls in love with the Southwest, as I did after moving to New Mexico more than a decade ago.

In Counterfeits, painter Jenny Kinley has spent the last decade struggling in the New York art world. Her grandmother’s sudden death brings her home to New Mexico, but inheriting the children’s art camp her grandmother ran is more of a burden than a gift. How can she give up her lifelong dreams of showing her work in galleries and museums? Her choice is complicated by meeting up with old friends, including dreamy Rob Caruso, the camp cook and all-around handyman, who of course has secrets. Jenny and Rob face midnight break-ins and make desperate escapes, but the biggest danger may come from the secrets that don’t want to stay buried.

I’ve been at many writing retreats at a music camp near Jemez Springs, New Mexico, and that inspired the children’s art camp which the heroine inherits in my book. I hiked in the surrounding area and took photos and notes to capture the setting. (See my Pinterest pictures.) The remote location provides for excellent action scenes and complications like limited cell phone service. I made it an art camp because I felt I could capture an artist’s persona after my time at Rhode Island School of Design.

Who do you imagine is your ideal reader?

My romantic adventures should appeal to fans of “lighter” romantic suspense, along the lines of Mary Stewart, Barbara Michaels, and Nora Roberts. In fact, Roberta at Sensuous Reviews blog said, “Counterfeits is the kind of romantic suspense novel I have enjoyed since I first read Mary Stewart’s ‘Moonspinners’, and Kris Bock used all the things I love about this genre.” (Full Review)

You’ll find plenty of action and a sweet love story, but not the gritty violence and explicit erotica of some modern romantic suspense. I also tried to bring the New Mexico scenery to life – gorgeous sunsets, dangerous monsoon storms, and everywhere you turn a plant or animal that wants to scratch, bite, or sting you. Armchair adventure travelers are welcome!


About Kris:
Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance involving outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. In Counterfeits, stolen Rembrandt
Author Kris Bock
paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico town. Whispers in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. What We Found is a mystery with strong romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods. The Mad Monk’s Treasure follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. In The Dead Man’s Treasure, estranged relatives compete to reach a buried treasure by following a series of complex clues. Read excerpts at
www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.
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Whispers in the DARK by Kris Bock
Romantic suspense
Back of the book:Whispers in the Dark by Kris Bock:

Archaeology student Kylie Hafford craves adventure when she heads to the remote Puebloan ruins of Lost Valley, Colorado, to excavate. Romance isn’t in her plans, but she soon meets two sexy men: Danesh looks like a warrior from the Pueblo’s ancient past, and Sean is a charming, playful tourist. The summer heats up as Kylie uncovers mysteries, secrets, and terrors in the dark. She’ll need all her strength and wits to survive—and to save the man she’s come to love. 

Whispers in the Dark, romantic suspense set in the Four Corners region of the Southwest, will appeal to fans of Mary Stewart, Barbara Michaels, and Terry Odell.

Amazon 


Click the book cover below to read a sample and/or purchase Counterfeits by Kris Bock.

1 comment:

J.Q. Rose said...

Good morning, Kris--Thanks so much for being my guest today and for sharing answers to readers' questions. I'm sure many visitors today will have questions for you. I hope they leave a question in the comment box for you.

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