The Next Big Thing: Discover New Authors & Books!

Authors Tagging Authors

The Next Big Thing is an around-the-world blog hop where authors of all genres tell readers about their next/recent book release in the course of answering 10 questions.  Each author has been tagged by another author to write a blog, and the current author then tags new authors who blog the following week.

I was tagged by my friend and talented author Cindi Myers, who posted her blog last week (click here to read it).  She also writes an informative marketing newsletter for writers, so check it out while at her site.

Tag, I'm It!

1) What is the working title of your next book? (or it can be your latest release)

The title of my next release (March 2013), interestingly enough, is The Next Right Thing.  Really, I didn't plan this.  It is available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other stores.

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

Besides being a writer, I am a private investigator whose former PI-partner-husband is now a lawyer.  You might call me his live-in PI.  The Next Right Thing features a female PI whose main attorney-client is a man with whom she's been secretly in love for years.

What can I say?  Fiction can mirror life.

3) What genre does your book fall under?

I would call it a romantic mystery.   

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Sandra Bullock and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Lawyer Marc Hamilton needs private investigator Cammie Copello to crack a case that means the difference between his keeping his law practice and family together, or losing everything -- only problem, it's the same case that destroyed her career two years ago.

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Published by Harlequin for their Super Romance series line.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I polish as I write, so from first draft to final manuscript = 4-5 months.

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Since I can't think of any recent novels that feature a legal thriller wrapped in a romance,  I'll compare this to the film Mr. and Mrs. Smith if they remade it into a romantic comedy.  Minus the assassin angle, of course.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I think I answered this in Question #2, above.

10) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?

It's set in Las Vegas, with a psychopathic drug-lordess secondary character who...no, I don't want to ruin the surprise.

I tagged these wonderful authors to carry on with The Next Big Thing.  Looking for great reads? Check them out!

B.V. Lawson: Former radio announcer, TV features writer, multi-published author and winner of the 2012 Derringer Award from the Short Mystery Fiction Society.

Nancy Wood: Mystery author of critically acclaimed Due Date and currently at work on her second book in the Shelby McDougall series, as well as a writing and business consultant.

Jan Moran: Best-selling author of Scent of Triumph, media spokesperson and brand communication consultant.  Her awards include a FiFi Award for Technological Innovation from The Fragrance Foundation, a Stevie Award, and a Cisco Growing with Technology honor.

David Swinson: After booking/promoting  such luminaries as Hunter S. Thompson, he became a highly decorated member of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan police department.  He's currently writing the second novel after his acclaimed novel A Detailed Man.

Praise for Colleen Collins's Books

“A must have for any writer serious about crafting authentic private eyes. Collins knows her stuff.” - Lori Wilde, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

"A brilliant mystery novel...I eagerly await the return of the Zen Man." ~Becky Sherriff, The Kindle Book Review

"Not only do the pages fly by with the action and plot twists, but the characters will keep you guessing their next move as well. I was thoroughly entertained and can't wait to read the next installment of this fabulous gumshoe novel!" ~ Wendy Hines, Minding Spot book reviews

"Make sure you have a few hours because the story will grab you and force you to keep reading(like any good story) until you are done. An excellent whodunit." ~Orlando Sanchez

"...a fast paced who-done-it that will keep you turning pages and guessing to the very end." ~E.A. Lewis

"What I didn't expect were the touches of romantic language, as delicate and erotic as a glance by Humphrey Bogart from under his hat." ~Bonnie Ramthun

"I loved this book. Living in Denver myself, I had fun recognizing certain areas in town - I can't wait to read the next one!" ~ V. Turner

Just finished March 2013 book: The Next Right Thing

Done!

​This past week I finished my first Harlequin Super Romance (The Next Right Thing, release date March 2013).  It was one of those stories that was truly fun to write, probably because my real life is close to the main characters' occupations (the heroine is a PI, the hero is a lawyer). Although the book is primarily a romance, there's a legal case brewing in the background, which comes to trial at the end of the story.

A brief intro to the characters

Cammie Copello: Thirty-two years old.  Private investigator.  After being put on probation by Marc, her  boss, for "crossing the line" in an investigation at his Denver law firm, she restarted her life in Las Vegas as a solo private investigator.  So the last thing she expects is for him to show up in Sin City, imploring her to resume work on that very same case.  Except it's not the same -- darker reasons now compel him to seek her help.

Marc Hamilton:​ Thirty-five years old.  Trial lawyer. After being set up by false accusations to lose his law license, Marc needs the expertise of his former lead investigator Cammie to clear his name.  But after not only ignoring her warnings a year ago when she first learned the source of these accusations, he created a no-win situation that resulted in her leaving his firm and his life.  He's willing to close that gap, but is she?  Especially after he shares the other secrets that now shadow the case.

The Next Right Thing: Available March 2013

I'll be running contests and giveaways as the release date approaches, so check back!