Please give a warm welcome to Miranda
Whitley from The Hitman’s Mistake by Sally Brandle today as we sit down and see
what makes him/her tick.
What’s your
favorite thing to do when you’re not saving (the world, clients, your mate)?
Does daydreaming count? In a
perfect world, I’d live in the country with a loving husband, children, and a
menagerie of animals. I’ve dreamt of having a horse since I was a little girl.
But losing my family a few years ago made me face adult life fast. I quit
college, moved to Seattle, and started Serene Interiors Plant Care to support
myself by greening up stark lobbies in office buildings. I’ve escaped into a
world of plants to become as inconspicuous as possible.
What is it about
your love interest, Grant Morley, that makes you crazy in a good way?
His strength—both physical (insert
me fanning my face at the thought of his muscled arms wrapped around me during
a slow dance) and his ability to assess a situation and act. The FBI training’s
part of that, but he’s got a ‘don’t worry, I’ll catch you’ vibe. And believe
me, falling isn’t always bad.
Do you sometimes
want to strangle your writer? Thrash her/him to within an inch of their life?
Make them do the stupid crap they make you do?
Yes! I began this venture with a
Debbie Downer attitude. Uggh. Once Sally brought out the emotion of why I
wasn’t perennially perky, I stood up for myself and trusted my inner strengths.
In one instance, I confront a man preparing to strike an animal. Sally’s first
version of his payback seemed lame. A friend suggested how I might get out some
frustrations, and I’m proud of my subsequent actions. I’m not violent, but
there are ways to get your point across.
What’s your Favorite
food?
I prefer veggies and seafood. Give
me a Fettuccini Alfredo with shrimp, scallops, onions, mushrooms, red peppers
served over whole grain pasta and I’ll clean the plate.
Tell me a little bit about your world. What are your
greatest challenges in that world?
My world’s gray at the onset of the story. I literally
hide behind my plants, observing the world but not participating. I lost my
family and carry blame for the circumstances. Guilt’s difficult to conquer
unless you make the effort to forgive yourself. Thankfully I’ve got a BFF,
Corrin, who lives in the apartment next door. She’s not keen on dating either,
but once she realizes how I’ve changed due to witnessing an attempted mob hit and
the ensuing escape, she challenges me to color my life with the possibilities
laid at my feet.
Describe yourself
in four words.
Sensitive, supportive, peace-maker,
courageous.
What do you do for
a living? I own a plant care business at the
opening of the book, and you’ll have to read The Hitman’s Mistake to find out where that takes me.
What do you fear
the most?
I’ll never have a family to love
again.
The Hitman's Mistake
Romantic Suspense
After Miranda Whitley stops
crooked cops from assassinating a prominent Seattle judge, she’s next on the
hit list, and her survival depends on the buff FBI Agent she’s had one awkward
encounter with. But can she find him in time?
The last person Grant Morley expects to discover on his annual supply run to a Montana mountain hermit is alluring Miranda Whitley, nearly dead from a bullet wound in her side. An accidental witness or the cold-blooded accomplice to would-be assassins?
Miranda must convince Grant of her innocence, evade the killers intent on preventing her testimony, and fight her unwanted attraction for the agent…an attraction which seems to be mutual. Fortunately, love thrives in Emma Springs. If you love sizzling chemistry, Montana’s mountain landscape, and fast-paced action, then you’ll love Sally Brandle’s galloping thriller, The Hitman’s Mistake.
The last person Grant Morley expects to discover on his annual supply run to a Montana mountain hermit is alluring Miranda Whitley, nearly dead from a bullet wound in her side. An accidental witness or the cold-blooded accomplice to would-be assassins?
Miranda must convince Grant of her innocence, evade the killers intent on preventing her testimony, and fight her unwanted attraction for the agent…an attraction which seems to be mutual. Fortunately, love thrives in Emma Springs. If you love sizzling chemistry, Montana’s mountain landscape, and fast-paced action, then you’ll love Sally Brandle’s galloping thriller, The Hitman’s Mistake.
Excerpt:
Setting: Our heroine’s pruning indoor plants in the lobby of
Seattle’s Justice Building after hours. Her elderly friend, Judge Ike Gilson,
was working in his chambers earlier.
***
Soft taps came from a few feet behind her. She tilted her head.
Footsteps? From
the stairwell? Miranda released her grip, and the tree limb sprang free. She
swung her head and watched the branch skim the fly of the trousers on the man
now towering over her right shoulder.
Not Ike. She froze.
“What in the hell? Oh, didn’t see you there—” he sidestepped, and
her cup scrunched in protest under his big boot. The lid popped off and the double
shot of Kona glugged into a mocha-scented pool.
He jumped to avoid the puddle. “Damn energy conservation put you
in the shadows. Sorry, I nailed your coffee.” His swinging backpack missed her
nose by inches.
She twisted her body and scooted her butt until her shoulder
jammed against a carved pot.
“I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“It’s okay,” she mumbled, keeping her head lowered to
avoid further contact with the bag-wielding klutz wearing black
trousers. Must’ve been him she’d glimpsed a few minutes ago, while the elevator
doors had closed on the floor below Ike’s.
“I’ve never been attacked by a branch. Must say, you deployed it
well,” the deep voice announced. He stopped directly in front of her.
His hiking boots made her size-nine high-tops appear dainty.
Not the shoes of a snobby lawyer or a lost, post-trial pimp trying
to find his way out of the building. Still, the flailing branch served him
right for sneaking up on her. “I didn’t hear you.”
“And I shouldn’t text and walk,” he said in a lighter, almost sexy
tone. “I’m Grant.” He dropped his pack and stuck out his hand.
An FBI tag printed ‘GRANT MORLEY’ hung from the bag.
She peered from under her cap’s brim and gulped.
Him.
Agent of Interest. Her heart
took off at a gallop.
Buy at:
Amazon US link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DM795GP
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Hitmans-Mistake-Love-Thrives-Springs-ebook/dp/B07DM795GP
USA Today Interview: https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2018/08/08/for-lea-sally-brandle-wednesday/
Haynet (horse enthusiast) Review:
http://hay-net.co.uk/the-hitmans-mistake-a-review/
Night Owl Review: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Reviews/Paulinemichael-reviews-The-Hitmans-Mistake-by-Sally-Brandle
5 Star Review from Tome Tender: https://tometender.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-hitmans-mistake-by-sally-brandle.html?zx=44d668499a2e4d5f
About the Author:
Multi-award winning author Sally Brandle weaves slow-burning
romance into edgy suspense stories. Sally left a career as an industrial baking
instructor to bring to life stories motivating readers to trust their inner
gifts. Her rescue Aussie is her companion during long spells of writing, bouts
of tormenting weeds in her garden, or afternoons spent riding on the wind with
her twenty-nine year old Quarter Horse. Sign up for her newsletter at
www.sallybrandle.com for freebies. The Hitman’s
Mistake opens her Love Thrives in Emma Springs series of stories (without
intimate scenes). Torn By Vengeance,
Book 2, continues showcasing friendship, courageous women, and the men who
deserve their love.
Website:
http://www.sallybrandle.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallybrandle/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sallybrandle
Monthly
writing tips column: www.writer-writer.com
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/sallybrandle/
Sally’s Blog link: https://smpauthors.wordpress.com/author/sallygfrog/
1 comment:
Thank you, Dawn. I appreciate your support of authors and would love to hear from readers. Happy trails, Sally
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