Aloha to Kylie Brant and DEADLY SINS

Football season is just around the corner and the college banners will soon be appear in military housing.   My neighbors are Hawkeye Fans ... something that today's guest can appreciate!  Please join me in welcoming Kylie Brant for an intimate chat ....

Kim:  In your bio, you wrote "Enjoying new tropical getaways" ... can you share a favorite sight, smell, and/or sound from your trips?

Kylie:  It's always about sand and water with me! The endless expanse of a white sand beach hemming turquoise ocean...the crash of the waves; gulls wheeling through the air...an occasional ship dotting the horizon. All while sipping on a fruity umbrella drink :) That's my idea of heaven!

aloha-hawaii.com

Kim:  Come join us in Hawaii!  You are also a teacher - what have you learned from your elementary education career that you could apply to writing and publishing?

Kylie:  Well, writing has given me an avenue for those murderous thoughts Just kidding! I can't say that teaching and writing have much in common. I've always enjoyed both primarily because they are so different and they each fill a different part of me, if that makes sense. Teaching has its frustrations but it's challenging and new every day. It's intrinsically rewarding because I can see progress kids are making and feel responsible for my part in that. Because I work with the same kids from year to year I can track their growth over their school career and I love that.

Writing is more of a solitary occupation and there's really very little feedback or input about my product until it reaches an editor's or reader's eyes. By that time I'm on to a new book so feedback is very delayed and not very timely. Yet it's infinitely rewarding to be given the opportunity to create something new and to immerse myself in a world of my own making. Some days I prefer the worlds of my own making :) Although my characters can often be as headstrong as my students!

Kim:  What inspired The Mindhunters books?

Kylie:  I've always gravitated to police and law enforcement dramas and psychological suspense, whether in movies, TV or books. So writing dark romantic thrillers with a forensics/police procedural bent was a natural fit for me. I'm on several crime scene and forensics loops and there's one former law enforcement officer who claims there is no such thing as a perfect crime, only imperfect investigations. So I began wondering what would happen if there were an agency with infinite resources and time that could stay on a crime until it was solved. From there I developed the idea of The Mindhunters, a private forensics agency whose consultants hire out to law enforcement for high profile crimes.

 

Kim:  Tell us about your  new book, DEADLY SINS.

Kylie:  Deadly Sins is the sixth Mindhunters book but I'm told it stands well alone. It's Adam Raiker's book. As the head of the agency, he's been in all the books along the way in some fashion. This time he's asked to join the FBI investigation into a string of executions in DC. High level human targets are being assassinated and next to the bodies a card is left with one of the deadly sins written on it. The suspect list is a sensitive one: A US senator, an Iranian diplomat, and a vengeful priest. But by far the most troublesome part of the case for Adam is being paired with FBI agent Jaid Marlowe, his former colleague and ex-lover.

Jaid is determined not to allow their past interfere with working on the case. But neither of them have forgotten what they once had between them. And when the assassin turns his sights on Adam, Jaid is forced to choose: protect her career or join forces with the man she's never stopped loving. And hope they both survive...

Kim:  What's next for Kylie Brant?

Kylie:  This summer I wrote a prequel for The Mindhunters that details Raiker's last case for the bureau eight years earlier and separated him and Jaid forever (or so he thought!) It's available to readers free upon request.

Right now I'm writing a proposal for a straight suspense series. Then I have another novella to write that will be published in the anthology, "SEAL of My Dreams," out in November. Proceeds go to veteran's medical research. After that I have a romantic suspense proposal to write that features a recurring couple. And there may be another Mindhunters book somewhere in the future. I'm finding it difficult to say goodbye to the characters!

Readers can find me at www.kyliebrant.com or Facebook and Twitter.

Mahalo, Kylie, for joining us today ... and collaborating on SEAL OF MY DREAMS.  I will spotlight the anthology on November 11 - Veterans' Day.    In honor of Kylie's visit, let's giveaway a copy of DEADLY SINS to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Which "investigative" agency could utilize your talents, for example, FBI?  CIA?  NCIS?  Hawaii Five O?

2.   This giveaway is open to US residents only but I welcome comments from all readers - tell us about your country's "special" agencies!

3.   Comments are open through Saturday, August 20, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, August 21.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Kylie's books, check out her website, www.kyliebrant.com.