MUSE MONDAY
I'm so happy to welcome back J. Arlene to Muse Monday. And she's talking about a genre near and dear to my heart, Romantic Suspense. Enjoy!
Hello again,
Brenda. Thank you very much for inviting me back to your blog. Today, I’d like
to talk a bit about falling in love and my January 15th Romantic
Suspense release, The Turkish Affair.
Let’s start
with those two words: Romantic Suspense. Don’t they conjure up stalkers, a
serial killer or two, car chases, shoot-outs, terrorists, a gun-packing super
heroine, and an impossibly handsome hero? Well…I must admit I prefer reality,
even when it comes to romance. If I were in danger, could I really count on the
sudden appearance of some gorgeous, sexy, very hot secret agent who instantly
puts a villain out of commission? Of course I couldn’t. And, I’m certain that
if I were being threatened by a madman, I’d be so wrought up, I wouldn’t have
the energy — or the leisure — to get to know someone I’m attracted to, or to
succumb to love’s powerful magic.
Which is why I
decided to write a different sort of romantic suspense. There’s certainly menace,
but it’s psychological. There has been a murder, but it happens off stage,
without graphic description, car chases, or screaming sirens. My setting is
exotic — the archaeological site of Karakuyu in an
My heroine,
Anne Pierson, is running from a scandal in her past, and her attraction to
archaeologist Renaud Townsend, threatens not only her peace of mind, but her
way of life. Renaud, intelligent, gentle, has no wish to settle, for his
passion is archaeology: “discovering the world from the ground down.” However, theft
and murder draw them both into the mystery, and into emotions they are unable
to control.
The Turkish
Affair: another look at romantic suspense.
Blurb
Love and Danger at
the ancient Hittite site of Karakuyu
Priceless
artifacts are disappearing from the ancient Hittite site of Karakuyu in Turkey,
and the site director has vanished. Called in to solve the mystery,
archaeologist Renaud Townsend is hindered by both his inability to speak the
language and the knowledge that the local police are corrupt. His attraction to
translator Anne Pierson is immediate, although he is troubled by her refusal to
talk about the past and her fear of public scandal. But when murder enters the
picture, both Anne and Renaud realize that the risk of falling in love is not
the only danger.
Excerpt
A delicious breeze tickled the air, and
the little boat rocked gently. A fine line appeared between his brows, and his
blue eyes were, once again, serious. “I need your help.”
She stared. “My help? With what?
Translating?”
“No. With something else. I have to find
out who is behind the thefts at Karakuyu.”
The feeling of dread returned, but she
forced herself to sound casual. “How could I possibly help
“I don’t know.” He sighed. “I suppose I
just don’t want to feel that I’m alone in this.”
What could she say to that? Tell him she
was the last person he should team up with? That long ago, she’d escaped arrest
by the skin of her teeth? If she did so, this splendid moment would be over.
The silver-foil glimmer of romance would be tarnished forever. He’d row back to
shore, drive back to Gülkale, get rid of her as quickly as possible.
“Anne?” He reached out to caress her bare
arm. “Come back from wherever you are.”
“You know nothing about me,” she said
jaggedly.
“Nothing,” he agreed.
She swallowed. “I could be involved in
the thefts for all you know. Why ask for my help? Why choose me?”
He smiled faintly. “A good question. I
suppose, quite simply, I need—or want—to trust you.”
She felt utterly miserable. Why was life
always like this? Wanting someone and not being able to have them? Wanting
trust, but seeing it snatched away before it came close?
“Okay, then.” His voice was surprisingly
tender. “If I promise not to probe into secrets, do I have
She nodded with resignation.
“Can I trust you?”
The answer to that was simple enough.
“Yes. Of course you can.”
His returning smile was radiant. “Good.”
She stared helplessly at the strong,
angular features highlighted by the merciless sun. “That’s crazy. You’re
willing to take my word for it? I could be lying.”
He leaned forward, cupped her chin in his
hand, and met her gaze evenly. “No way. Not with a face as expressive as
yours.”
Author Bio
Writer, photographer, social critical artist, musician, and
occasional actress, J. Arlene Culiner, was born in New York and raised in
Toronto. She has crossed much of Europe on foot, has lived in a Hungarian mud
house, a Bavarian castle, a Turkish cave-dwelling, on a Dutch canal, and in a
haunted house on the English moors. She now resides in a 400-year-old former
inn in a French village of no interest and, much to local dismay, protects all
creatures, especially spiders and snakes. She particularly enjoys incorporating
into short stories, mysteries, narrative non-fiction, and romances, her experiences
in out-of-the-way communities, and her conversations with strange characters.
Links
Web site: http://www.j-arleneculiner.com
Storytelling Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/j-arlene-culiner
Amazon Author page
https://www.amazon.com/author/jarleneculiner-quirky-romances
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0823B18Z3
The Wild Rose Press https://www.thewildrosepress.com/authors/j-arlene-culiner
Barnes & Noble : https://tinyurl.com/yx2lyg6v
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jarleneculiner/
This book sounds great! It's sitting on my Kindle now, ready for when I have some time for a treat!
ReplyDeleteSmart you!
DeleteThank you. I do hope you'll enjoy the story and the journey to a rather unknown part of the world.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being here today, Jill.
DeleteThank you Brenda, for having me here.
Delete