SECOND CHANCE is a NYT Bestseller!

Hey All-

My agent called just a few minutes ago and gave me this most wondrous news. I'm so incredibly thrilled!

Thank you all for putting SECOND CHANCE on the NYT list!

I'm off to open some champagne and celebrate with my sweetheart.

Hope everyone is having a lovely Wednesday!

Recommend Monday!

Hey Everyone!

Did you have a fabulous week and weekend? Mine was wonderful and major busy! Thank you to those who have emailed and messaged me about how much you enjoyed SECOND CHANCE! I'm thrilled you're happy with Cole and Keeley's story and the happy ending they received.

I'm buckling down this week. Got to do some mega writing on SWEET REVENGE. I've found that writing during the week of a book release is almost impossible for me. So needless to say, I didn't get a lot of writing done last week. Need to make up for it this week.

But what about you? What fabulous books did you read last week that you're dying for everyone to know about? I didn't get the CHANCE to read anything new last week, so no recommends from me, dog-gone-it. But I do look forward to hearing about yours. Always eager to add to my TBR list!

Also, Oklanannie (Anne) was so SWEET to invite me over to her Book Board discussion loop. I'd love to have everyone join us. We're talking books, Criminal Minds, covers and lots of other fun book stuff. Come over and chat with us! Here's the link:

http://members.boardhost.com/Merism/index.html?1262298877

Hope everyone has a most excellent week. Now, tell us what you've been reading and then come chat!

Finally Fabulous Friday

Hi Everyone!

Hope you've had a great week. Mine was excellent. Writing a book that's near and dear to your heart and hearing that people are loving it does an author good. (: Thanks so much for the messages and emails regarding SECOND CHANCE. I'm so happy readers are enjoying Cole and Keeley's story and the happy ending they received.

Tonight, we'll start chatting on the Yahoo loop about SECOND CHANCE. If you would like to join the loop, just send me an email at christy@christyreece.com and I'll send you an invitation. Just be aware that tonight's discussion will include spoilers!

I'm in the midst of some major brainstorming for the 2011 SWEET trilogy. Thinking about mixing things up a bit. Be prepared for some surprises!

And guess what? 32 days until the release of LAST CHANCE! Yes, I admit, that seems like a long time, but with Spring arriving and lots of things going on, I anticipate the days will fly! I was thrilled that LAST CHANCE received a Top Pick rating from Romantic Times Magazine! The RT reviewer called LAST CHANCE a truly wonderful story. Yay!

Here's the link for the review: http://www.romantictimes.com/books_review.php?book=41580

Oh, and I have one copy of SECOND CHANCE left! So, if anyone hasn't had the CHANCE to grab a SECOND CHANCE, post a comment here with: I WANT A SECOND CHANCE! First person to post these words will win.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and don't forget to come back on Monday for Recommend Monday!

Until later. Read some great books and enjoy the wonderful new Spring!

Want a SECOND CHANCE?

Hi All--

Hope everyone is having a fabulous week! My week has been a bit busy so far, so I'll be offline most of today to do some major catch up. However, I did want to give someone a SECOND CHANCE at SECOND CHANCE.

If you would like a signed copy of SECOND CHANCE, post these EXACT words: I WANT A SECOND CHANCE!

First person to post wins!

I'll be back online at 6:00 pm (CST) for another CHANCE!

Happy Thursday All!

Ready. Set. Post!

Wednesday Wanderings

Hey All-

I'm headed to Huntsville today to talk with the Cupid Cafe Book Club. I'll be out of pocket most of the day, so won't get a CHANCE to give away SECOND CHANCE. Will be back online tomorrow. Plan on visiting for a CHANCE to win!

Thanks again for making SECOND CHANCE release day so fun!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday. It's sunny and warm here in Bama. Yay! Spring has sprung!

Thanks Everyone!

Thanks to all who stopped by to help me celebrate the release of SECOND CHANCE. Remember, if you get the CHANCE, send me photos of SECOND CHANCE on bookstore shelves at christy@christyreece.com. I'll post it on my Facebook page and if I can, will post it here on the blog.

SECOND CHANCE was a labor of love to write. Hope you enjoy Cole's story and his quest for a SECOND CHANCE.

Tomorrow, I'll stop in for a couple more CHANCEs to win SECOND CHANCE. And be sure to join me back here on April 23 for the release day party of LAST CHANCE!

Hope everyone has a wonderful evening!

LAST CHANCE to win SECOND CHANCE!

Welcome back to the party! Going to have to wrap it up early tonight since I'm going out to do another bit of celebrating with my family. Hope you've enjoyed the SECOND CHANCE release party. And when you get the CHANCE to read it, hope you love Cole's story!

As usual, I'm a low-key kind of party girl, but I do like to go out with a bang. So the prizes this time are: a $15 gift card to Barnes and Noble, a $15 gift card to Walmart, a $25 gift card to OutBack Steak House, and a signed copy of SECOND CHANCE!

First person to post the correct answer wins. Previous winners not eligible. To get you looking forward to the future, this question relates to LAST CHANCE.

Question: When McKenna meets Lucas for the first time, what does she tell him to call her?

Ready. Set. Post!

3:00 Contest

Welcome back for the 3:00 contest to celebrate the release of SECOND CHANCE! Congrats again to Heather who won the 1:00 contest!

This time, prizes are: A $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble and a signed copy of SECOND CHANCE

As I mentioned, I blogged over at RomCon the other day about SECOND CHANCE, revealing several things about Cole Mathison, including some things about his previous life, before LCR. And, for those of you who have read RUN TO ME, this will be an easy question for you.

First person who post the correct answer wins. Previous winners not eligible.

Question: What was Cole's profession before he joined Last Chance Rescue?

Ready. Set. Post!

1:00 Contest

Welcome back to the SECOND CHANCE release day party! Congrats again to Amber who won the 11:30 contest!

Okay, let's make it even more interesting. Prizes are: $15 gift card to Barnes and Noble, a signed copy of SECOND CHANCE and a signed copy of any previously released Last Chance Rescue book (RESCUE ME, RETURN TO ME, RUN TO ME, NO CHANCE)

Previous winners excluded.

Question: BECAUSE OF SOMETHING COLE DID, HE FEELS THE NEED TO PROTECT KEELEY FAIRCHILD AND HER CHILDREN. WHAT EXACTLY DID COLE DO?

Ready. Set. Post!

Congrats to the 11:30 Winner

Congrats to Amber for winning the 11:30 SECOND CHANCE release day contest!

Everyone else, there're are still prizes to be had! Come back at 1:00 for another CHANCE to win!

11:30 Contest and another CHANCE to win!

Congrats again to Sarah for winning the first SECOND CHANCE release day contest!

Now time for another!

Prizes: Signed copy of SECOND CHANCE and a $15 gift card to Books-A-Million. First person to post correct FULL answer wins. Previous winners not eligible.

Question: WHERE DOES KEELEY FAIRCHILD LIVE? (city and state)

Ready. Set. Post!

10:00 Winner Announced

Yay! Congrats to Sarah. She's the 10:00 winner of a signed copy of SECOND CHANCE and a $15 Barnes and Noble gift card!

Everyone else, come back at 11:30 AM for another CHANCE to win!

SECOND CHANCE is here!!!

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to the SECOND CHANCE release day party! Lots of contests, prizes and fun to be had today. Most of the contests answers can be found in the excerpts, my biography and frequently asked questions. And, since I just blogged about SECOND CHANCE at RomCon on Friday, a couple of questions will come from there.

I'm excited about SECOND CHANCE for many reasons. After torturing Cole so badly in RUN TO ME, I wanted to give him the kind of happy ending I felt he deserved. This book was an emotional roller coaster for me to write in many ways and the most difficult too. I wanted to give Cole his happiness as quickly as possible, but of course, I couldn't. I hope you enjoy his and Keeley's journey to their happy ever after!

Feel free to post comments here regarding SECOND CHANCE or any questions you may have. The contests hours will be 10:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM (CST).

Okay, let's get this party started! We'll start off easy. First person to post the EXACT words: "I want a SECOND CHANCE" wins a signed copy of SECOND CHANCE and a $15 gift card to Barnes and Noble.

Ready. Set. Post!

Recommend Monday

Hey All!

Hope you had a fabulous weekend. Mine was crazy busy but in a good way. Lots of different things to do and a whole bunch of fun. And, of course, I was getting super excited about tomorrow. Anyone know why? Yay, Cole's books will finally be here and everyone will get a SECOND CHANCE. Maybe if I keep saying that, it'll make it come true. (:

I've received several emails this weekend from people who had the CHANCE to get it early and the comments have been super positive. Yay!

Since tomorrow is the official release day, we'll be celebrating all day with contests and prizes. The party begins at 10:00 am (CST). Also, if you get the CHANCE, snap some photos of SECOND CHANCE or NO CHANCE on the shelves, email them to me at christy@christyreece.com and I'll post them in my Facebook photo album.

That's tomorrow, but what about today? What fabulous books did you read last week that you're dying to tell everyone?

I'm excited that I have another recommendation, my second in two weeks! The book was totally unlike my preferred read, which is, of course, romantic suspense. This is a romantic comedy. And though I've enjoyed a few romantic comedies, it's not the kind of book I would normally grab. Not only that, it's written in first person, which I usually avoid. But the first sentence grabbed me and I could not put it down. Quite honestly it's one of the best books I've read in a long time and was exactly what I needed to read last week. What is this marvelous book, you ask? Kristan Higgins's Too Good to be True. Great title, don't you think?

Has anyone read it? The humor was exactly right, without anything feeling forced. Highly recommended if you're looking for a fun, quick read with lots of heart, a bit of angst and a whole lot of laughter.

So, what about you? What's your recommended read or reads for the week?

Share your reads today and then come back tomorrow, prepared to party!

Happy Monday All!

Happy Saturday!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by RomCon yesterday to chat about SECOND CHANCE and 'love conquers all' romances. Great conversation!

Don't forget to drop by on Monday to recommend your good reads. I have one I can't wait to share with you!

Also, Tuesday is the official release day for SECOND CHANCE. Join me here for the release day celebration including contests and prizes. And if you see NO CHANCE or SECOND CHANCE on the shelf anywhere, send me the photo at christy@christyreece.com and I'll post it on my Facebook page!

Have a marvelous weekend all. Talk with you Monday!

Blogging at RonCom

Happy Friday All!

Have you had a good week? Done anything exciting? Read any good books? Want to share what's going on in your world? Go for it!

I'm over at RomCon today talking about A Different Kind of SECOND CHANCE. I'll be discussing SECOND CHANCE, how the story came about and sharing some thoughts on why I chose the path I did for the book. Also, comment with your favorite 'love conquers all' romance(s) for a CHANCE to win a signed copy of SECOND CHANCE.

Here's the link: http://www.romconinc.com/index.php/conversations/post/281

Join me back here on Monday to share your good read recommendations with everyone. Guess what! I have another recommend! It's fabulous and I can't wait to share it with you.

And, hey, just in case you didn't know...the official release date for SECOND CHANCE is Tuesday, March 23, so be on the lookout for it. If you don't see it in your favorite bookstore on that day, you can ask your bookseller to order it for you.

I'll be having a SECOND CHANCE release day party on Tuesday, beginning around 10:00 AM (CST) with lots of contests and prizes. Mark your calendars and come join in the fun.

Hope to see you at RomCon! Have a fabulous Friday!

Recommend Monday

Good Monday All!

Was your weekend wonderful? Mine went by in a flash. I did a bit of everything including writing, answering interview questions for a few publications, Friday's RomCon blog and even got the CHANCE to watch a few episodes of Criminal Minds.

Speaking of blogs, I will be at RomCon on Friday talking about SECOND CHANCE and giving away two signed copies. I'll post the link on Friday; please come visit and weigh in about your favorite 'love conquering all' romances.

The Yahoo group geared up this past weekend with some interesting discussions including favorite LCR heros, stretching the boundaries of believability and forgiveness. Also had a couple of SWEET discussions!

Okay, let's talk about your good reads from last week. And yay, I have one! The Secret Pearl by Mary Balogh. It was originally written in the early 90's and was rereleased in 2005. Heartless and Silent Melody are still my favorite Balogh books, but I enjoyed it. So much so that it was 3:00 AM Saturday morning before I turned off the light and yes, I cried at the end. Surprise! (:

So what about you? What did you read you're dying to tell everyone about?

Oh, and in case I haven't mentioned it, SECOND CHANCE comes out in eight days!!!

Happy Monday All!

A Saturday Hey!

Happy Saturday Everyone!

I just love Saturday mornings. They hold such promise, don't you think? LOL. Meanderings from my coffee deprived mind. I stayed up until 3:00 reading a book. Yay! I actually have a recommendation on Monday. How about that?

Thanks to those who stopped by yesterday to tell me what you're reading this weekend. Sounds like Monday will be filled with more great recommendations.

Congratulations to Ronlyn and Laura D! They are the winners of SECOND CHANCE! Ladies, if you'll send your mailing address to me at christy@christyreece, I'll get your book out to you this week.

And remember, I'll have an all day contest on release day, Tuesday, March 23. So be sure to come and celebrate with me and please invite others to join in!

Okay, I'm off to grab more coffee and see what my sweetheart has planned for today. I think it may involve a pot roast. One of the few things I do can do well in the kitchen. (:

Make sure to stop back by on Monday with your good read recommendations. Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend filled with all your favorite things!

Finally Fabulous Friday

Hi All--

Hope you've had a good productive week. Mine has been quite busy but not in the way I planned. I'm still playing catch up so I've spent way too much time away from home, away from my writing. But today, and hopefully for several more days, I'll be here and writing away!

I received an exciting package on Tuesday. A box of books--RESCUE ME, the German translation. Wow, it's so interesting to see my words in German and have no idea what they are! I recognize names and that's pretty much it. My sweetie said he took a semester of German and is sure he can interpret it. Yeah. Right. (:

The LCR Yahoo group is about to get started. Yay! You can join anytime by sending me an email at christy@christyreece.com with your preferred email address and I'll send you an invitation. There are a couple of people who asked to join but haven't joined yet. All invitations have been sent, so if you told me you wanted to be on it and haven't received the invite, you might want to check your SPAM folder. If it's not there, let me know and I'll send you another one. I'm looking forward to talking with you guys about LCR and plots. Should have lots of fun!

Have I mentioned lately that SECOND CHANCE will be released on March 23? Twelve days from today! And since it's Friday, I thought it'd be a good time to give away a couple of copies of SECOND CHANCE. I'll announce the winners tomorrow at 10:00 (CST). For a CHANCE to win, tell me what you're reading this weekend.

Happy Friday all! Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend, filled with your favorite things!

Recommend Monday

Hi everyone! Did you have a fabulous weekend? I think Spring has finally sprung here in the South. It's going up to 71 degrees today! Okay, admittedly it'll be in the 50's tomorrow, but I've decided to live in the moment. So, yay for Spring!

Last week was a catch-up week for me. I finished up my Rita contest reading and got my scores recorded. Also, I mailed out packages for contest winners. If you haven't received yours yet, it's coming! I should be able to get them all out this week. I gave away over 50 books, so it's taking a bit longer than normal to get everything finished.

This week I'm starting on the new book in the 2011 trilogy. I'm a bit tentative about announcing titles. The reason for my uncertainty is the confusion I experienced from this year's trilogy. At one point, NO CHANCE was supposed to be the last book and LAST CHANCE was supposed to be the first one. Not the book itself, just the title. However, after much discussion, it was decided that LAST CHANCE had to be the title of the last book since that was the last book in the trilogy. Not a big deal, but it became very confusing because the two books showed on several different websites with the wrong title for weeks. Thankfully that's over, but it was frustrating for a while.

However, even if the order of the new titles might change, I believe the names are set, so here they are:

SWEET REVENGE

SWEET JUSTICE

SWEET REWARD

What do you think?

I won't reveal characters yet until LAST CHANCE is out. You'll understand why once you read it. Promise!

Also, I've set up a Yahoo group for those who want to join. I'm doing this for readers who want to discuss the Last Chance Rescue books without being concerned they're revealing a spoiler. If you'd like to be a member, just send me your email address at christy@christyreece.com and I'll send you an invitation to join. Please be aware that there will be spoilers, so if you haven't read all the books that have been released so far, you might want to wait.

Oh and in case I haven't told you lately. SECOND CHANCE will be released March 23. Fifteen days from today! Yay! I do hope you enjoy Cole and Keeley's story. This book was difficult for me for many reasons. Once it's released, we can discuss why.

Whew! I think that's it for me today. Now, let's talk about your week last week. What did you read that you're dying to recommend to the group? What's up next for you to read?

Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday and all is right in your world!

Finally Friday

Hi All, have you had a good week? Are you glad it's over and the weekend is almost here?

My week has been relatively busy. After sending the synopsis of the first book in the new trilogy on to my editor on Monday, it was time to play some major catch-up. In between finishing up reading for the Rita contest, I've been mailing out books from the giveaways from last week. Still working on both through the weekend!

Hard to believe it's only 18 days away until SECOND CHANCE releases. Yay! It will be interesting to see what you think about SECOND CHANCE, which is much more mystery than any other Last Chance Rescue book I've written. Sure hope you guys love mysteries!

I've been thinking about how to get those together who want to discuss NO CHANCE without advertising spoilers. Any suggestions? Would you all be interested in a Last Chance Rescue Yahoo group where you could ask questions and discuss the books? Let me know and I'll check into it.

I haven't had a CHANCE to listen to the audio of NO CHANCE. Has anyone heard it? Let me know if you have. I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, I'm hearing from a few of you, including several of my relatives, that you've had some problems finding NO CHANCE. If you get a moment, let me know if you've had any trouble locating a copy.

Okay, that's it for me. Hope you all have a marvelous weekend! Stay safe, warm and grab a good read or two. Remember to stop by on Monday to share your book recommendations.

Until later!

Recommend Tuesday (not Monday)

Hi All, wasn't yesterday fun? What an interesting life Pamela Clare leads. I loved sitting back and reading your comments. Everyone has such a good sense of humor. Of course today is the official release day for NAKED EDGE. I know if you haven't already purchased it, you will soon. It sounds like a fabulous read and after hearing more about it yesterday, I cannot wait to get my hands that book!

Since we didn't do Recommend Monday, I thought we'd go for Tuesday this week. So what great reads did you enjoy last week that you want to tell the world about? Maybe we can grab them when we're getting Pamela's book!

As you know, my week was filled with blogs and contests, so I didn't get the CHANCE to read. I am taking this week to finish up the Rita contest books I'm judging and to send out all the books and prizes to the contests winners. If you won, be patient. They're coming!

Once I finish those things up, I'm going to get back to another synopsis on the new trilogy. I sent in the synopsis for the first book yesterday. Such a relief! I'm hoping to get the other one done soon so I can concentrate on writing them.

Thanks so much for the emails, blog comments and lovely reviews of NO CHANCE. That means so much to an author and your support is greatly appreciated. If you haven't yet had a CHANCE to read NO CHANCE, when you do, I hope you enjoy it! And thank you again to those who followed me around on blogs for the past couple of weeks. It was wonderful to see familiar names pop up!

I don't think I mentioned that I received two copies of SECOND CHANCE the other day, hot off the press. Wow, I thought the NO CHANCE cover was pretty. I love this cover even more! Stay tuned because I will probably have a contest soon to give away a copy! Also, not sure if I mentioned here that SECOND CHANCE received a 4 1/2 stars TOP PICK from Romantic Times Magazine! I'm thrilled!

That's about it for me. Right now, I'm looking out my office window watching the snow fall. I think this is the snowiest winter we've had since moving back here. Don't think it's going to stick though. At least I hope not. I'm so ready for warm weather!

Okay, your turn. Tell us about your good reads and how your day/week is going.

Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Tuesday!

Special Guest Pamela Clare!

Hey All, I promised you a special treat and I'm delivering. Your very own day with Pamela Clare. I've been a huge Pamela Clare fan from the moment I picked up HARD EVIDENCE. (Sigh...Julian) Every time I read one of her books, I become immersed in a world filled with strong, sexy men, savvy, modern women and an intense, compelling story. And tomorrow I will get to do that again, because Pamela's next book in her I-Team series,NAKED EDGE, is coming out! I cannot wait! If you haven't seen her book trailer for NAKED EDGE, be sure to check it out on her website. So incredibly sexy. Beautiful scenery too... and I'm not just talking about the landscape! Whew! What is it about men named Gabe? (one more sigh...)

The more I get to know Pamela, the more I'm impressed by her. She's a newspaper reporter, a hugely successful author of romantic suspense and historical romance and she's a mom. How on earth does she juggle all of that? That was just one of the questions I had to ask her. She graciously put together an interview and agreed to allow me to post it here.

And not only will Pamela answer your questions today, she's also giving away two copies of NAKED EDGE to two lucky commenters. Yay!

Please give her a warm welcome. I know many of you have read and loved her books. And, though she didn't tell me, I did discover that today is her birthday. So Happy Birthday, Pamela! I'd sing for you, but I'm afraid you'd leave. Thanks so much for being here!

And remember everyone, be on the lookout for NAKED EDGE tomorrow, grab a copy and enjoy an intense, sexy read. You won't regret it!

Reader warning: For some reason, the contractions are coming out with Greek lettering. I've tried to retype those and am really hoping it works this time. If anyone reading this has a solution for this strange phenomenon, feel free to make a suggestion and I'll try the fix.

Now, let's hear from Pamela herself:

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to write romance.

I'm the single mother of two grown boys, now 23 and 20. I had the first as a freshman in college and the second during my senior year. I studied archaeology but worked part-time at a local newspaper. When I graduated, I went to graduate school for a while, but I realized I was just doing that to escape doing what I truly wanted to do — which was to write romance. I'd been a fan of romantic fiction since I'd read The Flame and the Flowerwhen I was about 14. My friends and I wrote love scenes and traded them back and forth. That was the first practice I got at romance writing. I wish I still had copies of those handwritten pages because I bet they’re pretty amusing.

It was important for me to pursue my dream of writing romance. Because I thought journalism would help hone my writing skills, I pursued that as my day job, but wrote fiction in my spare time on the side. I say that tongue in cheek because I didn't have a lot of spare time. I was working full-time with a 4-year-old and a 7-year-old. But even if all you write is one paragraph each weekend, you eventually end up with a novel.

It took me seven years to write my first book, a historical titled Sweet Release. During that time, I moved up the ladder in the newsroom and became the first woman editor of the paper. My team and I won a boatload of state and national journalism awards, including the National Journalism Award for Public Service, which included a party at the National Press Club across from the White House.

Initially I intended only to write historicals because that's what I read and what I loved. I still read more historicals than anything else. I ended up branching off into romantic suspense at the suggestion of my agent, who knew about my work as an investigative journalist. She called one day to chat, and I told her that I'd gotten a call from a state health inspector who had been inspecting a factory that I, too, was investigating. He'd called because he'd heard the plant manager telling the workers that if they couldn't get that “lady reporter” to back off, they might lose their jobs. So this inspector was afraid the workers would track me down and beat me up.

I shared this with my agent. She knew I'd gotten death threats in the past and that I'd had a couple of wacko stalkers. She said, “Why don’t you write romantic suspense because you live it.” And I said, "Yeah, except for the "romantic part."

But I gave it a shot, turning the investigation I was doing at that point into my first romantic suspense novel, Extreme Exposure.

I would love to know how you balance your job as a reporter, your career as a successful romantic suspense and historical romance author and being a single mom too. I find that amazing!

Do I balance it? I'm not sure. There are days where I feel like I'm not a person, but rather a “to do” list. The hardest things for me are getting enough sleep, remembering to take care of myself and dealing with the stress of the newspaper and preventing it from eating into my creative time. That last one is really tough. Journalism is not a low-stress job. I joke that it's a contact sport. But I'm getting better at compartmentalizing and saying, "This doesn't matter now. What does matter?"

I've had to determine what's really important to me and cut everything else out. I don't have television. When I go to the store and see the covers of the tabloids, I have no idea who those people are. I've never seen Buffy orSurvivor or Lost. I rarely go to movies. I don't date. I don't entertain guests or go to parties. Every hour of my day is built around being productive.

To aspiring writers out there who say they don't have time to write, I say, "Baloney." If I can do it, almost anyone can do it. What are you doing between 4:30 AM and 7 AM? I've done a lot of writing during those hours.

I try to get all non-fiction related stuff done Monday through Thursday. That includes laundry, shopping for groceries, cleaning the house — everything. Then Friday, Saturday and Sunday are about writing romance. And I write all day until I can't stay awake any longer.

My kids' needs come first. When they were little that was especially true, of course. But even college-aged kids need TLC and support from their mommies. I text and e-mail back and forth with them every day.

Do you have enjoy historical or romantic suspense more? Do you find one easier than the other?

That's a tough question. I enjoy each of them, but for different reasons.

Historicals provide more escape for me, both as a reader and a writer. I love history passionately. I love everything about writing historicals, including the research, which I take quite seriously. I have many more ideas for historical novels than I do for contemporary novels.

But writing contemporary romantic suspense is fun because I have such freedom to use any language I want to use without looking up the words to make sure they existed in 2010. The stories can be edgier both with regard to the story and the sex. When I first started writing them, I would sit at my computer and laugh, because I was funneling stuff from my day job into the stories and that struck me as hilarious.

Another cool thing about writing romantic suspense is that I am able to funnel real experiences into the stories. All of the I-Team novels are based on something I've actually done and deal with real challenges that society is facing from pollution to human trafficking to the abuse of women in prison.

It's nice to be able to alternate between the two subgenres, actually. It challenges me and also keeps my creativity limber, I think. I don't know too many authors who regularly write two distinctly separate subgenres.

Is there another romance subgenre you’d like to try?

Hmmm… Well, I have an idea for a paranormal series in my head. No vampires. No werewolves. No shape shifters, demons, gods, angels, fairies, leprechauns, satyrs, dragons, mummies, zombies or sidhe. Whether I ever write it remains to be seen. But other than that, no. I need reality in stories in order to enjoy them.

I do have some things I want to write outside of romance altogether, including a thriller or two that I'd like to write in Danish. I really want to get to this one day, and soon. Plus, I'd like to write some straight historical fiction one day.

All of your romantic suspense novels are part of the same series. Tell us about the I-Team. What is it? Is there really such a thing as an I-Team out there?

I-Team stand for Investigative Team. It's a team of top-notch investigative reporters whose job it is to dig deep into what’s going on around them and to expose wrongdoing that would otherwise never come to light. That's the kind of reporting I enjoy the most. Because investigative reporting can be expensive, a lot of papers are no longer doing it. But it’s really vital to healthy society to have someone out there who’s working as a watchdog.

The I-Team in my books is based loosely around the group of investigative reporters with whom I won the National Journalism Award. Though we no longer work together, we're still in touch and are very good friends. The big difference between the I-Team in my books and journalism in real life is that most investigative reporters, most columnists and most editors are male. So rather than being made up of mostly women, the newsrooms where I've worked have been almost exclusively male. When I first started, the sports editor shook my hand and said, “Welcome to the men’s locker room.” And that’s kind of what it was like for a long time. I've tried to hire more women and bring more women into the profession, but not a lot of women can deal with the confrontational aspects of investigative reporting. Like I said, it's a contact sport. It's the rugby of writing.

Your next book in the series, Naked Edge, will be out on Tuesday. What can you tell us about it?

I'm so excited! It will be almost two years since Unlawful Contact, the third book in the series, was released, so it's about time!

Here's the blurb from the back of the book:

What do you do when desire drives you to the very brink?

The day Navajo journalist Katherine James met Gabriel Rossiter, the earth literally moved beneath her feet. Nearly killed in a rockslide while hiking, she found her life in the tall park ranger’s hands. Although she can't forget him she thinks she’ll never see him again. She is crushed when she recognizes her rescuer among the law enforcement officers raiding a sweat lodge ceremony one night, throwing her and her friends off Mesa Butte, land they consider sacred.

Gabe long ago swore he would never again lose himself to a woman not even one with long dark hair and big eyes that seem to see right through him. But from the moment he first sees Kat, the attraction he feels is undeniable. Appalled by what he has been ordered to do, he'd determined to get to the bottom of recent events at Mesa Butte and to keep Kat safe.

But asking questions can be dangerous almost as dangerous as risking one's heart. And soon Kat and Gabe's passion for the truth and each other makes them targets for those who would do anything, even kill, to keep Native Americans off their sacred land.

Naked Edge tells the story of Kat James, the I-Team's only American Indian reporter. Raised on the Navajo reservation, Kat has a very different world view than the rest of her I-Team friends. For starters, she's a virgin and she'd determined to remain so until she meets her "half-side,” i.e., her perfect, matching male half. In many ways, she's the strongest heroine I've ever written, but she's not a “kick-ass heroine.” Her strength is a quiet inner strength that is based on her spiritual values as a traditional Navajo.

Gabe is in many ways her opposite - "a man slut" who believes in nothing and no one. But there's a reason he is the way he is. He saves Kat's life one day when she's almost killed in a rockslide and finds himself drawn to her, in part because she sees qualities in him that he has either forgotten or never recognized. When someone close to her is killed, he realizes that she may be in danger, too, and he puts his life quite literally on the line to protect her.

Characters from the past novels in the series play a part in this story, so fans of the other books will get to catch up on what's been happening in Denver.

The story draws not only on my years reporting on events on the Navajo reservation, but also my own experience of nearly dying in a mountain climbing accident. Like Kat, I was badly injured and was rescued by a park ranger who just happened to be a paramedic and was backpacking in the same area on his day off. I was airlifted to a trauma center — a harsh way to earn a free helicopter ride.

I wrote a long author's note to accompany the book describing the story's background and my climbing accident in full. It's on my Web site, together with excerpts and other extras, at www.pamelaclare.com.

And on the whimsical side, if you could interview anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?

Wow, so many names rush through my mind all at once: Bono. Martin Luther King Jr. John Lennon. Cleopatra. Jesus. Mozart. Caesar. King Arthur (the real one). Anne Boleyn. Hitler. Marco Polo. Bartolomé de las Casas. Michelangelo. Erik the Red. Robert Rogers. Queen Elizabeth I. Joan of Arc.

I don't think I could pick one, though perhaps it would be Robert Rogers, the creator of Rogers Rules of Ranging and father of the Army Rangers. My MacKinnon's Rangers series, set during the French and Indian War, is based on his work leading a company of Rangers out of Fort Edward, NY. I've been there. I've walked where he walked. But I'd sure love to hear his stories and watch him fight.

Thanks for inviting me here, Christy. It's been fun getting to know you! I've got your books on the of my TBR and am looking forward to getting some reading time so that I can enjoy them.

Pamela, thanks so much for visiting with us. Now that I've learned more about you, I'm even more impressed. And NAKED EDGE sounds even more enticing!

What questions do ya'll have for Pamela? Comment for a CHANCE to win a copy of NAKED EDGE!

Special Guest Coming Soon!

Hey All, I promised you a special guest and I'm going to deliver. Really I am! But I'm having a bit of a technical problem with her post. I'll get it up as soon as I can figure out the glitches.

Stay tuned!