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Friday, January 5, 2018

In the Heat of the Tropics by Christina Elliott - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hi lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Christina Elliott and her new book, “In the Heat of the Tropics”!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Christina and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!


In the Heat of the Tropics
by Christina Elliott

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GENRE: Romantic Suspense

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BLURB:

Amid a sweltering Miami summer, a serial killer is haunting the city. Reporter Ingrid Sorenson is assigned the story and her primary source is brusque detective Rick Gonzalez. The pair clash, but sparks of passion ignite. They risk their jobs to give in to their desire, but mistrust of each other’s career motives wedges them apart. Then Ingrid gets a tip that leads her into the killer’s lair. She and Rick must choose between saving themselves or rescuing their love.

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EXCERPT TWO:

The sky darkened again as if a dimmer switch had been thrown. Rick flicked on the headlights. “I don’t think we’re going to beat the rain,” he said. “Do you want to turn back?”

Worry crossed her face. “No way. I’ve got a deadline to meet,” she said. “I’m not afraid of getting wet.”

He gave her an assessing glance as they pulled up to a stop light. She was plucky, he had to give her that. And smart. The light changed and he turned his attention to the road. He had to keep his guard up. She was a reporter, first and foremost. He had to remember that.

“Have you found witnesses who might’ve seen a suspect?” she asked.

“I can’t discuss specifics of the investigation. The killer chose his times and locations very carefully, which suggests a lot of pre-meditation. These weren’t spontaneous homicides. He went to different areas known for prostitution pickups each time because johns would be scared to go to the place where one had just been murdered and the hookers would be on the alert, but they were all in this general North Miami area. He staked out lonely streets to direct the customer to drive to commit the sexual act and likely had his vehicle parked nearby to make a fast escape.”

Ingrid was avidly taking notes. He paused to wait for her to catch up, and wondered if he was saying too much. As long as he focused on details about the killer that someone would recognize, he couldn’t get in trouble.

By the time he pulled up to the scene of the third killing a mile away, fat plops of rain were sporadically splattering the windshield. They soon increased to a steady drumbeat battering the roof. 

“Crap,” Ingrid said.

“There’s not much to see, honestly, just another side street.”

“I still think I should see the actual spot,” Ingrid said.

He would have to end up with a super-thorough reporter. “I have an umbrella here somewhere,” he muttered, foraging under the seat.

Holding the umbrella, he jogged to the passenger side and opened the door. Necessarily brushing shoulders to fit side-by-side under the small shelter, they walked down the street to an alcove of an abandoned building.

“Victim three was found parked outside this doorway, Saul Martinez,” Rick said.

The sky cracked as if it were splitting apart, unleashing a torrent of water.

“I love these midsummer thunderstorms in Miami, don’t you?” Ingrid said.

Lightning illuminated her face with a bright halo.  Her cheeks shone where the rain had caught them, her forehead framed with tendrils of damp hair. Drops glistened on her eyelashes like tiny tears. He felt himself gliding toward her.

She blinked and the raindrops fell from her lashes. He halted himself.

“You’re getting wet. Let’s head to victim four,” he said brusquely. He turned toward the car without waiting for an answer.

The crime scene was a side street ten blocks west. This time they didn’t get out of the car. Rick pulled up and reconstructed the scene, restraining his urge to lean over her, just to breathe in her slightly sweet powdery scent, as he pointed from the window. 

By the time they pulled back into the station parking lot, the rain had tapered to a dancing sprinkle and fingers of sunlight poked through the clouds, sending an eerie, hazy wash over the atmosphere.

He parked. Ingrid handed him her business card. “If you think of anything else, call me. My cell’s on there, too.”

Rick tucked it in a pocket. “So, what are you going to write?”

“What you told me, plus I’ll call some serial-killer psychology experts.”

“Just don’t get me in trouble again.”

Ingrid gave him a hard look. He’d meant it as a joke, but it hadn’t come out lightheartedly. She’d taken it as a rebuke. Damn.

“Thanks very much for your time, Detective.” Her tone was frosty. “If I have any other questions, I’ll call Major Montoya.” 

The slam of the door buffeted the vehicle.

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GUEST POST:

4 Big Reasons Why Readers Will Like “In the Heat of the Tropics”

1.   The Setting
One of the reasons I chose to set a romantic suspense in Miami/South Florida is because it’s a romantic, sensual setting. I used a lot of what Miami has to offer – the ethnic enclaves of Little Havana and Little Haiti, the hip neighborhoods of South Beach and Coconut Grove, downtown, the Bayfront where dolphins and manatees swim. I also used the Everglades as the killer’s lair, which is an eerie place, filled with Spanish moss and alligators! I lived in Miami for five years so I was able to draw on that experience to create a rich setting. I think it worked out well having the book released in the winter so people in cold climates will want to coy up with a read about a Florida summer!

2.   The Hero
Rick is an alpha male cop, a detective assigned to the homicide squad, which means he’s at the top of his game. He’s especially well regarded as he gets assigned to lead the investigation into the serial killer. Successful men are attractive! He oozes confidence and leadership, but can be quick to anger and does not suffer fools. That’s why he respects Ingrid’s smarts! He can also be vulnerable. He fell victim to a bad first marriage with a shallow woman, making him appreciate Ingrid’s depth and also making him slightly unsure of himself because he’s not used to that type of independent woman. I dated two cops so I had plenty of material to work with when forming this character! I also gave him an interesting back story. His mother was a refugee from Cuba, who crossed the Florida Strait in a rickety boat when she was pregnant. After a storm destroyed the boat, she washed up on a Florida beach and gave birth with the aid of a policeman named Richard, and that’s who Rick was named after.

3.   The Heroine
Ingrid is a smart, ambitious, independent reporter who doesn’t get scared easily. Sometimes her gusto for getting the story causes her to step over the boundaries of personal safety. This high tolerance for risk proves to be her flaw. I was a newspaper reporter for many years and I have a strong adventure lust and high threshold for fear, especially when I was working in Latin America and found myself in many potentially dangerous situations. I knew many other journalists like that as well. It’s part of the job. On the personal side, Ingrid has the natural girly angst about outfits for a date, angst over being a bridesmaid and never a bride, finding the right guy. I think those are feelings everyone can relate to, yet she’s unique in that she’s gutsy, plucky and knows what she wants.

4.   The Action
This is a fast-paced thriller plot. I don’t like slow anything! The police procedure is all pretty true to life, as is the newspaper newsroom, as I had ample experience for both. I also grounded the killer in an extensive backstory to give him the motivation for why he does what he does and gave him an eerie lifestyle. Writing the villain is the fun part of writing crime fiction! I’ve also included some steamy hot sex scenes, but if that’s not your thing, you can easily skip over them, and easily pick up the story.

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AUTHOR BIO:


Christina Elliott is a former Miami newspaper reporter and editor. She now writes spicy romantic suspense novels from Los Angeles, where she’s glad to report there are far fewer bad-hair days but sadly far less Cuban coffee. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America.

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CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA:

Website:

Facebook:

Twitter:

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle:

Amazon Paperback:

Barnes and Noble:

Kobo:

Apple iTunes:

Smashwords:

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Christina will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase made I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

12 comments:

  1. congrats on the tour and thanks for the chance to win :)

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  2. What is a good book to read on a cold day? Thanks for the giveaway. I hope that I win. Bernie W BWallace1980(at)hotmail(d0t)com

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    1. In the Heat of the Tropics will warm you up! Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. Thanks so much for hosting me today Ally!

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  4. Happy Friday! Thanks for sharing the great post :)

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  5. Loved the info in your guest post today. Liked the excerpt too.

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  6. This book is "my cup of tea", looking forward to reading it!

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    1. Hope you like it. Thanks for following the tour!

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