Stolen ... Readers' Hearts!

I read Elisabeth Naughton's STOLEN FURY back when it first came out. What a treat! This smart, sexy book has everything--an archaeological treasure, a kick-butt heroine with a PhD, a totally hot thief she's forced to team up with (oh, darn!), and a fast-paced adventure. Looks like Publisher's Weekly agrees with me. Here's what they had to say:

"A rock-solid debut...Naughton's intelligent adventure plot is intensified by the blazing heat that builds from Lisa and Rafe's first erotic encounter."
--Publisher's Weekly

Now Elisabeth has a new title out--STOLEN HEAT--and she's here today to talk about it with us. As usual when I have a guest, my words are in BOLD and my guest is speaking italics. or regular text. Take it away, Elisabeth!

Big thanks to Emily for having me here today!

I thought it might be fun to talk about reunion stories, since my current release STOLEN HEAT, is just that. For those of you who haven’t heard about the book, here’s a short blurb:

Antiquities dealer Peter Kauffman walked a fine line between clean and corrupt for years. And then he met the woman who changed his life—Egyptologist Katherine Meyer. Their love affair burned white-hot in Egypt, until the day Pete’s lies and half-truths caught up with him. After that, their relationship imploded, Kat walked out, and before Pete could find her to make things right, he heard she’d died in a car bomb.

Six years later, the woman Pete thought he’d lost for good is suddenly back. The lies this time aren’t just his, though. The only way he and Kat will find the truth and evade a killer out for revenge is to work together—as long as they don’t find themselves burned by the heat each thought was stolen long ago…

I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for reunion stories. I love the nuances, the chance to make something right, the knowledge that nothing in this life is static, especially love. Of course, reading a reunion story and writing one are two very different things, and as I learned through the course of writing STOLEN HEAT, a reunion story is one of the toughest stories one can write.

Why? Because the writer not only has to explain what’s happening now – the plot, the characters, the emotions – he/she also has to explain what happened then. And how what happened in the past impacts what happens now.

STOLEN HEAT was no exception. The present day suspense plot in this book is deeply rooted in what happened between Pete and Kat in the past, and it took me several tries to get this book right. Those “tries” also included one very long call with my agent where she said, “This isn’t working,” and a whole lot of eyebrow pulling on my part. But the end result is something I’m very proud of. And I’m thrilled to know readers are falling in love with Pete and Kat the way I did.

After I finished STOLEN HEAT, I swore I’d never write another reunion story. That lasted, um…two books. I’m now working on another one, though in many ways this one is very different. But at the core is the same second chance at love you find in STOLEN HEAT. Of course, I’m already losing eyebrows, and in a few weeks I may be asking myself, “What on earth were you thinking?” But I know when this book is done, I’ll feel the same thing I did when I finished STOLEN HEAT. That it was worth it. That reminding readers second chances DO happen is important. That we all would benefit by remembering the loss of love is never final.

How about you? Do you like reunion stories? Any stand out in your mind as real keepers?

In honor of the release of STOLEN HEAT, I’m giving away a book! One lucky commenter will have their choice of either STOLEN HEAT (book 2 in the Stolen Trilogy) or STOLEN FURY (book 1, which released in Jan 2009)

(Emily hopping in for a moment here.) Did you catch that? Everyone who leaves a comment is in the running for one of Elisabeth Naughton's terrific books!So let us know you're here!
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Bio:
A previous junior-high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton now writes sexy romantic suspense and paranormal novels full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her debut release, Stolen Fury, was a 2007 Golden Heart Finalist and has been heralded by Publisher's Weekly as "A rock-solid debut." When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ball park or dreaming up new and exciting adventures.

Visit the author’s website at www.elisabethnaughton.com!

To enter her “Big” STOLEN HEAT Release Contest for a chance to win $100 VISA gift card and other daily prizes, go to Stolen Heat Contest

Thanks for coming by, Elisabeth. Ok, everybody! Leave those comments and questions for a chance to win STOLEN HEAT or STOLEN FURY!