It is my pleasure to have the talented Stanalei Fletcher visiting my blog today. I am thrilled to be able to share both a guest post and to feature the first story in her Northstar Security series, as I have the honor of being her editor and I am enjoying the romantic suspense tales that are flowing from her fertile imagination!
Where Did the Idea For Northstar
Security Firm Come From?
by Stanalei Fletcher
It’s
no secret that my all-time favorite author is Alistair MacLean. From the moment I watched The Guns of Navarone
with Gregory
Peck, I was hooked. I was a kid, so yeah, I’m dating myself. That movie
hooked me on war movies for a lot of years. And then one day, in my older
brother’s stash of paperbacks, I found a book by Alistair MacLean-The Way to Dusty Death
. While other girls my age,
(junior high), were reading romance or mysterious, I was gobbling up stories
about alpha heroes and espionage. And guess what Mr. MacLean did? He threw in a
dash of romance. Not much, but enough for me to want a bit more. Thus was born
my desire to write a techno-thriller romance. I can’t claim to have
accomplished the techno-thriller part, but I hope that readers do enjoy the
rush of a fast-pace action story with a bit of romance to keep the character’s
motivations strong.
with Gregory
Peck, I was hooked. I was a kid, so yeah, I’m dating myself. That movie
hooked me on war movies for a lot of years. And then one day, in my older
brother’s stash of paperbacks, I found a book by Alistair MacLean-The Way to Dusty Death. While other girls my age,
(junior high), were reading romance or mysterious, I was gobbling up stories
about alpha heroes and espionage. And guess what Mr. MacLean did? He threw in a
dash of romance. Not much, but enough for me to want a bit more. Thus was born
my desire to write a techno-thriller romance. I can’t claim to have
accomplished the techno-thriller part, but I hope that readers do enjoy the
rush of a fast-pace action story with a bit of romance to keep the character’s
motivations strong.
Northstar
Security Firm was conceived with that goal in mind. An elite private security
agency whose mission is to bring truth to the wronged and closure to those who
need justice, Northstar Security agents search out wrong-doers, even at the
risk of own lives. Founded by former CIA agents (retired), Northstar Security has
a ninety-nine percent success record of closing every case. The one percent is
a still open case involving co-founder Byron O’Neal’s wife’s murder and Sean
Malone’s career-ending gunshot wound. But that one case doesn’t stop these men
from helping others when the call comes in. Nothing is a hundred percent
guaranteed, and angst over an unsolved case doesn’t keep good men and women
from fulfilling their duty. Just like Mr. MacLean’s characters do in his
stories.
You
can meet Bryon O’Neal and Sean Malone in the first book of my Northstar
Security series, Proving Ground. For more information, visit my website.
Northstar
Security Series, #1
The Wild
Rose Press
Stanalei
Fletcher
Tag Line:
Her only hope of saving the town, maybe even the country, is pinned on the man who broke her heart.
Blurb:
Screw-ups don’t get second chances. That’s what Caitlin Malone believes when she returns to Oregon after failing her first Northstar Security assignment. When she inadvertently stumbles across a plot to steal deadly pathogens from the bio-lab near her hometown, she sees a chance at redemption.
USDA Forest Ranger, John ‘Mac’ MacAlistair, doesn’t want to babysit the motorcycle club holding their annual rally in his national forest. To make matters worse, Caitlin is attending the rally with Mac’s estranged uncle. Having her home again brings up feelings that are better left buried.
It’s early September. Any spark will send the dry timber into a raging fire. The terrorists are counting on that distraction to work in their favor. When Caitlin is trapped by the wildfire, her only hope of rescue is pinned on Mac, the man she's tried two years to forget. Before they can share their feelings, Mac and Caitlin must first escape the burning forest and stop the terrorists from releasing the deadly pathogens.
“I’m
sorry.” She bit down on the pain that jolted through her, stealing away the
passionate moment forever. She’d waited a lifetime for Mac to kiss her like
that. Even though the kiss was over, blood still sang in her veins. A joyful
song. Wild and untamed as the forest. With Mac she was complete. Finally, at
home where she belonged. Just when things were going right, his embrace had
crushed her tender ribs.
“I should never have kissed—”
“No!” Caitlin pleaded with her eyes. “You can’t take it back.” Please, don’t take it back.
Mac swallowed.
Something shifted. Something changed. She couldn’t put a name on it, but his eyes softened, warmed when they looked into hers. Whatever had happened was irreversible. She sighed and closed her eyes.
Buy links:
The Wild Rose Press – Trade Paperback
The Wild Rose Press –ebook
Author bio and links:
Stanalei’s
love of writing romance stems from reading favorites such as Grimm’s Fairy
Tales, Barbara Cartland, and Alistair MacLean. She has over twenty years of
training in the martial arts and holds the rank of Sandan, a third-degree black
belt, in Aikido.
After
a taste of life on both U.S. coasts, she now resides in the beautiful Rocky
Mountains with her hero, who is also her best friend and husband. Together they
enjoy the open road astride a Harley, visiting museums and exploring ghost
towns.
You may visit Stanalei at:
Website
Website Book pageYou may visit Stanalei at:
Website
Twitter – @StanaleiFletch
Blog link
Join Stanalei's personal
newsletter
Thank you, ELF. This story was made so much better by your talented and discerning touch. I appreciate the opportunity to be a guest on your blog.
ReplyDeleteHa, a mutual love fest...it's great when an author and an editor can work together to bring out the best in a story. Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog and best of luck on the release, I've had such fun reading this story, since I love romantic suspense and I like my heroines as capable (if not more so, lol) as the heroes!
DeleteI'm really looking forward to reading PROVING GROUND. It's burning a hole in my Kindle and I can't wait to put my crazy day-duties on hold so I can get my blood pumping with fires and terrorists and deadly pathogens!!! Gargantuan C.O.N.G.R.A.T.S. on this release Stanalei and ELF...all the best.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the congrats, Jude and for stopping by. I hope you enjoy the story.
DeleteThank you so much for taking the time to visit, Jude. I hope that you really like the story, and that you have the time to write a review! I would love to hear what others think of the story.
DeleteWhat a sweet yet heartbreaking excerpt. She seemed almost desperate for him not to make their kiss a mistake.
ReplyDeleteThat was totally the feeling I had as I wrote it, Mary. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteI loved this scene, Mary, because it epitomizes the complicated relationship they have with each other, and evokes that wonderful feeling of rightness we have when we are with 'the one'. Thanks for dropping by and commenting!
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