"She Can Run" Blog Tour with Author Melinda Leigh

Author Melinda Leigh is joining us today. Her book, "She Can Run", a romantic suspense was released Nov. 28th.

More than a decade ago, Melinda left a career in banking to raise her children and never looked back.  She started writing when her youngest child entered first grade as a way to preserve her sanity. Her stories have won writing awards including Put Your Heart in a Book, The Marlene Award, Where the Magic Begins and The Gateway to the Best. "She Can Run", her debut romantic suspense novel with Montlake Romance, released in November 2011 and became the #1 Hot New Release in Kindle Romantic Suspense.

 

Melinda is also an avid martial artist. She holds a 2nd degree belt in Kenpo Karate, studies Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and teaches women’s self-defense. She lives in a messy house in the suburbs with her husband, two teenagers, a couple of dogs and one neurotic cat with an inexplicable fear of ceiling fans.  With such a pleasant life, she has no explanation for the sometimes dark and disturbing nature of her imagination.

Melinda is a member of Liberty States Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Kiss of Death, and International Thriller Writers.  You can also find her at Attacking the Page: A Blog on Martial Arts & Writing Action, Twitter,  Facebook and her website.

 

  BOOK BLURB (from author):

 Elizabeth was a young widow with two small children when she met Congressman Richard Baker. Handsome and wealthy, with a sparkling public image, Richard seemed like the perfect man to provide the security that Beth and her kids were craving. But when she uncovers a dangerous secret about her new husband, Beth realizes he will go to any lengths—even murder—to keep it. After barely escaping with her life, she and her children flee. They eventually make their way to a secluded estate in the Pennsylvania countryside, where Beth dares to hope she has found a safe place at last…

Forced into retirement by an unexpected injury, Philadelphia homicide detective Jack O’Malley is mourning the loss of his career when his uncle abruptly dies, leaving Jack to dispose of his crumbling country house. Unbeknownst to him, his uncle engaged a caretaker just before his death, a mysterious woman with two children and a beautiful face that haunts his dreams. Determined to know her, Jack begins an investigation into Beth’s past. When he uncovers the shocking truth, and a local woman is viciously murdered, Jack puts his own life on the line to keep Beth and her children safe.

She Can Run is a sexy, satisfying debut from award-winning author Melinda Leigh, packed with enough suspense and romance to get even the tamest heart racing! 

SHE CAN RUN

ISBN: 9781612181516

Publisher: AMAZON MONTLAKE PUBLISHING

Genre: FICTION, ROMANCE, SUSPENSE

Format: MMP, ebook

Length: 326 pages

Release Date: NOVEMBER 28, 2011

She Can Run blog tour site:  http://inhersights.blogspot.com

 

Welcome Melinda, thanks for stopping by and taking the time to talk with us today.

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First of all I want to thank Bea and for hosting a stop on my blog tour.  SHE CAN RUN is my debut book. As you can all imagine, I’m excited about its release.  

How do you begin to write a book?  It’s one of the most common questions I’m asked when people find out I’m an author. 

There are many kinds of writers. There are authors who write character-driven novels, and writers who are more plot-driven. I’m both of these things. 

I usually start with a simple formula:  every day person + bad situation (not the Jersey Shore kind) = main plot line.   I know many writers, especially in romantic suspense, focus on agents and super cops, but I find it easier to connect with an ordinary person. Plus, it’s interesting to take an average person and force her to reach deep for extraordinary courage and strength. Take a single mom for example. Sure, an FBI agent can do all kinds of cool stuff, no doubt.  But what about a single mom/accountant?  What if someone threatened her children? To what lengths would she go to protect her kids?  The heroine of SHE CAN RUN, Beth, would give up anything, including her life, to save her children. She’s not a special agent of any kind. She has two kids in tow. Her options are limited. 

Next I need a situation. Beth was widowed young and left to raise two children on her own. Eventually she remarries. But her new husband, a powerful politician, isn’t what he seems. One day Beth accidentally discovers a secret about her already-abusive spouse, a secret he tries to kill her to keep. 

 

Moving forward, how can I make Beth’s situation worse?  What are her weaknesses?  Remember Indiana Jones and the snakes?  You knew when Indy said, “I hate snakes…” that he was going to have to face said snakes in the climax of the movie. Analyzing Beth’s character, the first obstacle that jumped into my head is trust.  She just put her children in danger by trusting the wrong man.  So the climax of the book must force her to face this fear.  She’ll have to make the conscious decision to trust another man, my soon-to-be created hero. The stakes will be high. Her children’s lives will depend on her choice.  

Character and plot are intertwined. As a writer I can’t separate the two.  My novels are both plot based and character-driven. 

Want to know more?  Check out my website, MelindaLeighAuthor.com. Readers can also connect with me on Facebook & Twitter.  

 

Thanks for joining me today to celebrate the release of SHE CAN RUN.