What To Do About Joe ~ Part One by Jannine Gallant

She peered through the snow-spattered windshield at the neon sign and hoped like hell there was room at the inn. Pressing harder on the gas, her Prius fishtailed on the slippery road, and the much smaller “no vacancy” sign hanging between the looped garlands of holiday tinsel became visible in the glow of her headlights.

“Why am I not surprised? It’s been that kind of day.” Isabel Bright glanced over at her traveling companion who had his nose pressed against the side window. “Who’s kidding whom? It’s been that kind of month.”

Gritting her teeth as her tires slid again, she wondered why she hadn’t had the foresight to buy chains before embarking on this insane trek. Maybe because I didn’t exactly plan ahead. The last-minute decision to drive cross-country to Amanda’s bachelorette party instead of flying had been sheer idiocy considering the weather, but she’d wanted to use the time alone to clear her head. Make a few decisions about her future.

“How’s that working out for you?” Her voice rang with sarcasm as the flashing neon sign above the sketchy-looking motel disappeared behind her in a swirl of snow on the lonely stretch of road. Why stop now when she could put a couple hundred more miles between her and her jerk of an ex-boyfriend. Even if the weather was better suited to a sleigh than her pint-sized car.

Beside her, Lucky panted, fogging the windshield. Isabel turned up the fan on the defroster, which was fighting a losing battle against the Irish Wolfhound’s heavy breathing.

“If we keep driving, maybe we’ll outrun the storm. Who knew it snowed in Arizona?”

She’d expected cactus, sagebrush, and balmy temperatures for this segment of her trip, not pine trees and a blizzard. The northern part of the state and the southern half might as well have been on different planets.

Lucky turned to look at her and whined, then scratched the door.

“Seriously? You have to go now? We’ll both turn into popsicles.”

He whined again and added a low woof for good measure.

“Oh, for crying out loud.” Isabel slowed to a stop in the middle of the empty road. Deserted because she was the only one stupid enough to be driving in a snowstorm. If she pulled to the edge, she’d probably wind up in a ditch. “Fine, you can get out to pee.”

When she opened the door and stepped into ankle-deep snow, a blast of arctic air hit her in the face and penetrated her faux-fur jacket, which would be plenty warm for spending Christmas in Las Vegas—if she ever made it there. Obviously, it wasn’t designed to withstand real winter weather.

“Come on. I’m not walking around the car to let you out.”

Lucky squeezed his way over the center console and landed beside her with a thump. He gave his massive head a shake and sniffed his way down the road in the direction they’d come. Wagging happily, he was obviously thrilled with the situation.

At least one of us is enjoying this.

“We aren’t here to play. Do your business, and let’s go!” Her shouted words whirled away on the unrelenting wind.

A rumble sounded in the distance, growing louder as lights appeared around the bend. Isabel shielded her eyes against the glare and breathed a sigh of relief when the oversized pickup stopped before running over her dog. Not that anyone could miss seeing him since he was as big as a small pony.

“Lucky, move!” She shuffled forward in leather boots with slick soles, struggling to stay upright. Swearing beneath her breath, she finally reached the driver’s side door of the truck where her dog stood with his front paws planted against the window. “Oh, my God! Get down!”

When Lucky ignored her completely and whined, the driver lowered the glass a couple of inches. “He probably smells the ribs. I was in the mood for decent barbecue and brought a rack home with me for my Christmas Eve dinner.” The deep voice held a hint of amusement.

“I’m so sorry.” Grabbing Lucky’s collar, Isabel pulled with all her strength. When he backed away without warning, her foot slipped out from beneath her. She landed on the icy pavement, sprawled on her backside. “Ouch!”

“Are you okay?” The door opened with a creak, and a big male in a puffy jacket bent over her, his face a blur in the darkness.

Lucky sniffed him and licked the side of his neck.

“I think so. Move it, you moron!”

Hastily, the man backed away. “I’m sorry, I—”

“Not you, my dog.” Isabel could feel her face heating with embarrassment as she tried to scramble to her feet.

He put a hand beneath her elbow and lifted her effortlessly before steadying her at her waist. “Careful.”

“Thank you.” She let out a puff of breath in the frigid air as she slapped snow off her backside. “I apologize for Lucky and for stopping in the middle of the road. I’ll go move my car out of the way so you can get past me.”

“Your dog doesn’t look like he fits in that thing.”

“Just barely.” When Lucky lifted his leg to pee on his truck tire, she cringed.

“Uh, not to question your judgement, but you should put on chains.” The chatty stranger gestured toward the rear of her Prius, illuminated by his headlights. “The road conditions are only going to get worse as you climb.”

“Climb?” Her voice squeaked. “We’re still going up?”

“I’m afraid so, and the road crews won’t be out to plow anytime soon since this isn’t a major highway.”

“There was a pile-up on the freeway. I was lucky to get off when I did, and my GPS showed this road connecting to I40 in another thirty miles or so.”

“Thirty miles of winding road that climbs over a thousand feet. Maybe you should go back into town to wait out the storm.”

“There’s no room at the inn. Motorists who got off the freeway ahead of me must have filled the place.” She wrapped her arms across her chest and tried not to shiver as snowflakes dampened her hair. “I don’t have chains. I wasn’t planning to drive through a blizzard.”

“You travelled all the way from Virginia without carrying chains?”

She scrunched her brow. “How did you—oh, my license plate.”

“That’s quite a road trip.” When Lucky nudged his hand, the man patted his head. “Where’re you headed?”

“Las Vegas. Bachelorette party for one of my oldest friends right after Christmas.” Her teeth chattered, and she clamped them together. “I planned to get there a couple of days early. Sorry. I’m still blocking the road. I’ll move my car so you can go home and eat your dinner. Come on, Lucky. You aren’t getting those ribs.”

“I wouldn’t mind sharing. I certainly can’t eat the whole rack by myself, and I don’t like the idea of leaving you on the road without chains. The snow is really coming down hard, and you won’t get much traction with street tires. Chances are, you’ll wind up in a ditch.” He reached out to touch her arm, and she instinctively backed up a step.

“I’ll be fine.” At least I hope so. What kind of idiot was she, hanging out alone on a deserted road with a strange man. With her recent luck, he was probably a serial killer.

Seemingly reading her mind, he held up both hands. “Hey, I’m harmless. I promise.”

“I’m sure you are, but—”

“Do I look like a crazed killer? I’ve been told I have a baby face.”

“I can’t see your face in the dark. Anyway, what does a serial killer look like? I doubt they all wear creepy white masks à la Michael Myers.”

“I expect you’re right. Most probably look like normal guys—” He broke off. “I’ll shut up now. I’m sure this conversation isn’t reassuring you. If you take it slow and stay in the middle if the road, you should be fine. It’s not like there’s any traffic tonight.”

“True. We seem to be the only morons out driving.”

He grinned. “I’ll follow behind you until I get to my turnoff in another mile.”

“Okay. Thank you, uh . . .”

“Joe. Good luck with the rest of your drive, and have fun at the bachelorette party.”

She summoned a smiled. “I’m Isabel, by the way. I’ll do my best. Have a merry Christmas, Joe.”

“You, too.”

Amazingly, Lucky deserted the truck and the ribs to follow her when she headed back to her car. Even more surprisingly, she didn’t fall on her butt getting there. Maybe things were looking up, after all. A minute later, both she and her dog were inside the car. She shifted into gear and gave the engine some gas. Her wheels spun but finally caught, and the car lurched forward.

“Yes!”

With her wipers slapping the fat flakes pelting her windshield, she leaned forward and peered at the stretch of pristine white emptiness in front of her. No tire tracks to lead the way, but if she didn’t stray from the center of the road, she should survive the next thirty miles.

Behind her, the glow of Joe’s headlights was comforting. Until, with a double tap on his horn, he turned right and disappeared.

Her heart thumped in her chest as she let her foot off the gas. Who was she kidding? No way was she driving miles and miles through a blizzard when it had taken her five minutes to go a measly one. And if by some miracle she made it to the freeway, it would probably be closed when she got there.

Turning, she stared at her dog. “What do you think? Should we go back to the inn with the no vacancy sign and beg for a place to spend the night, even if it’s only a shed out back? Or do we throw ourselves on the mercy of Joe—who hopefully isn’t a serial killer—and help eat his ribs while we figure out what to do?”

Lucky let out a low woof.

Isabel put the car in reverse. “That’s what I thought you’d say.”

* * * *

Is Joe a serial killer? Does Lucky get those ribs? To find out what happens next, come back tomorrow for part two. Don't forget, my latest book, HIDDEN SECRETS, is available in digital and print. Pick up a copy at your local Barnes & Noble or download it HERE. Happy reading! 

Hidden Secrets ~ Coming Soon to a Bookstore Near You! by Jannine Gallant

NOVEMBER 27TH is a big day--for me, anyway. HIDDEN SECRETS releases! This is the final book in my Siren Cove series and the last chance to see one of my books on the shelves of bookstores across the country. And in Walmart! Maybe sometime in the future I'll get another mass market contract. Maybe not. Just in case this is it, I'm hoping all of you will take a photo in a store with my book (yes, I want to see you in the picture, too). After the big day, I'll put something up on Facebook where you can post them. I mean, you'll be out there Christmas shopping, anyway, right? So mosey over to the romance books, find my baby, and snap a picture. There just may be a prize in it for you! And if you want to buy the book while you're there, even better. LOL

HIDDEN SECRETS is actually getting nothing but great reviews (knock on wood) on NetGalley. Since I've had some bad experiences with trolls there, this is pretty remarkable. Or maybe my book is just that wonderful! (I'm joking! Sort of...) Here's one I particularly liked from Kim V.

"You know it's coming, there's nothing you can do about it though. Yelling at the book doesn't help either. Ugh! Hidden Secrets, is such a great book. Many suspects kept me guessing."

That's the kind of visceral response you want from a reader! Here's a short excerpt from my villain's point of view, so you can see what got the reviewer so worked up.

With the wind flapping the tarp, he spread the square of plastic out beside the dead woman and rolled her body into the center. Long, brown hair tangled across her face, which was as white as her dress had once been. Now, the clinging material was caked with damp sand and stained a dark red.

This time, he’d used a knife to slice across the throat. He wasn’t particular about his weapons. Any sharp object that would get the job done, or a blunt one for that matter, was acceptable. Whatever was handy. The satisfaction came in watching the life force fade away, not in the method he used.

A psychiatrist would probably have a field day analyzing him.

He rolled up the bundle and secured it with a rope, then hauled away more of the sand that had been stained beneath her body. It was pushing seven before he finally finished. Gathering up the cleaning materials, shovel, and buckets, he shoved them in his pack with the flashlight and took a long look around. Nothing but pristine beach for as far as he could see. Except for the bulky package. After shrugging on the pack, he heaved the tarp-wrapped body over his shoulder and thanked God she was light. He’d ditch the last of the evidence somewhere a rushing creek wouldn’t expose bare bones in the future. He was too smart to make the same mistake twice.

In an hour, the job would be finished . . . until the next time.

If you're wondering what happened to the romance in this book, don't worry. There's a really sweet friends to lovers trope that plays out over the course of the book. In fact, here's a sample.

Why the hell did he kiss me?

After quietly closing the door behind her, she leaned against it and simply breathed. The kiss was no big deal. A spur of the moment impulse. It wasn’t like a single random kiss—even if it involved tongue—was going to ruin their friendship and make things awkward between them.

Was it?

She stripped off her clothes and dropped them into the hamper, then put on a pair of soft cotton shorts and a tank top, along with her fleece robe. She’d scurried into the bathroom and was scrubbing the enamel off her teeth when a knock sounded on the door.

“What?” she yelled through a mouthful of toothpaste.

“Are you okay?”

She spat in the sink. “Of course.”

“Can I come in?”

She thought about it for a moment. “Sure. Join the party.”

He pushed open the door and gave her a cautious smile. “You left abruptly.”

“You were on the phone.” Maybe if she didn’t mention the kiss that had rocked her world, he wouldn’t either.

“It was Blaze. That woman doesn’t give up. She wants to come down here.”

“And?” Paige rinsed out her mouth.

“What do you mean, and? I told her no way. I tried to be nice . . .”

“Maybe that’s the problem. Nice is overrated.”

“So, I shouldn’t be nice and apologize for losing my mind and kissing you?”

There it is. He just couldn’t leave well enough alone.

She decided to go for the direct approach. “Why did you?”

“You literally fell in my lap. Gut reflex when confronted with soft lips and even softer curves. I’m only human, and you were sitting on my—”

“Stop!” She held up a hand. “I’m taking my soft everything and going to bed. Feel free to shower. Cold is to the right.”

He laid a hand on her arm as she brushed past. “It was an excellent kiss.”

“I do most things well. Good night, Quentin.”

“Night, Paige.”

Minutes later, she lay in bed, not even close to sleep, while the water ran in the bathroom. Maybe he was taking a cold shower. Maybe the kiss had been all about hormones and the fact that Quentin currently wasn’t getting any.

They’d been friends their entire lives. Best friends. She didn’t want to screw that up with sex. Knowing Quentin’s track record in excruciating detail, a romantic relationship between them wouldn’t last since he obviously didn’t want anything long term. She wouldn’t let herself even think about the possibility. Instead, they would go back to what they’d always cherished. Friendship, pure and simple.

And maybe a little lonely.

Hopefully, you're intrigued by now. If you want the digital version instead of waiting for that trip to your local Barnes & Noble or Walmart, pre-order your copy on Amazon. We'll be deep into the first of our Christmas stories on release day (that's Nov. 27th folks!), and I hope you'll all join us for a month of terrific free reads. Visit my WEBSITE for future updates on my writing career, or follow me on Facebook. Happy reading!

The Elements of a Striking Book Cover by Jannine Gallant

HIDDEN SECRETS releases at the end of this month. I need to promote it. I don't intend to self-publish book one of my COUNTERSTRIKE series, (recently re-titled) FATAL ENCOUNTER, until May of 2019. For these reasons, I was NOT going to post my new cover. But I can't seem to control myself...

When I made the decision to self-publish this new series, I immediately stopped writing and started obsessing over covers. I was trying to put together a concept that fit with my outdoor scenery yet suspenseful vibe brand. I didn't want these to be exactly like my other covers, but I wanted them to be similar. I finally decided on scenes from the books where the heroine is running away from danger. Book One is in the woods. Book Two is on a rocky beach. Book Three is a pond near the heroine's cabin in the forest. Do you think I could find backgrounds I like with running silhouettes? Of course not. So, I emailed fellow Rose and cover designer extraordinaire, Alison Henderson, to see what she thought about adding a dark running woman silhouette to a background and to ask if she wanted to design my covers. She said "no problem." What a relief. But she also said she thought it would look better with a real person rather than the dark shadow I'd imagined.

And so the back and forth of creating the perfect cover began. So much thought goes into a cover. The concept. Images that convey the concept but also will actually work as a cover. It has to show up well in a thumbprint size plus attract the eye of a reader and make them click on it to read the blurb. I had a heck of a time finding background images that had a spot for the running figure, had a suspenseful vibe, but weren't too dark to show individual features, AND were cool and attractive enough to make a reader notice them. A tall order. We finally agreed on background images we both liked. Then, we had to find running women with the right coloring and the right clothes that could be dropped onto the backgrounds. Hello, 90% of the photos show women running toward the camera. Most all of them are wearing sports bras! Not what I had in mind for my heroines escaping crazed killers AT NIGHT in the dark and cold. We finally found images that work.

Putting them together is where Alison did her magic! She cropped the background, then overlaid mist on my running woman (very cool) to make her blend and placed her in the perfect spot after experimenting with sizing. She looked like she was floating. Yikes! I decided she'd have to move her forward to firmer ground, even though I liked the deeper placement better. Instead, Alison added a little more greenery at her feet to fix the "floating" problem and ground her. I was THRILLED with the results!

The final ingredient of any book cover is the lettering font, color, sizing, and placement for the title and author name. I did a little research into what the top romantic suspense authors use. Most were straightforward fonts, no cutesy or rounded letters. It has to reflect the suspenseful genre, after all. White was a no-brainer on this background. Size and placement were the next aspect to consider. Big name authors mostly use very simple backgrounds with their name at the top in LARGE lettering. The title is generally at the bottom. Authors without name recognition have larger titles at the top and their names in smaller type at the bottom. I decided to use a combo of this. Title at the top, but my name in equally large type at the bottom. Why tell readers, hey this author does NOT have name recognition? Maybe if my name is large, they'll think they SHOULD know who I am. At least that was the thought process I used. Alison found the perfect font and put my request for sizing into action, and we got it done on the second try. Amazing!

So, here it is! The final cover of FATAL ENCOUNTER. I love it! I'm forever grateful to Alison for being so accommodating and working with me to make my vision better than I originally imagined. We're a terrific team! What do you think? Did we do a great job? Does this look like romantic suspense? Would you click on it to read the blurb?

To check out my other book covers, visit my WEBSITE. And don't forget to pre-order HIDDEN SECRETS! Happy reading!

The Ups and Downs of Publishing by Jannine Gallant

I think all authors go through different stages in their careers--ups and downs, hanging in limbo, bouts of self-doubt, wondering what to do next... I've probably been luckier than most because I was given the opportunity to see my books on actual bookstore shelves. Getting a 3 book, mass market contract was a dream come true. But I knew there was a risk involved. If they didn't sell well enough, I'd be cut loose. Well, people, that's what happened this week. I was not offered a contract for my new series.

All is not horrible, however. My editor said the quality of my writing has not diminished as it does with some prolific writers. He thought my series concept was a good one. They didn't reject me because they didn't like my book. More pluses--the second book in the series, LOST INNOCENCE, had far more pre-orders than the first due to the fact that it was picked up by Walmart. The first book, BURIED TRUTH, was only in Barnes & Noble and a few other oddball places. Still, I apparently earned back my advance on BT and am in the black after 6 months. I should double my sales on the second book if they don't get a ton of returns from stores that stocked it. It's too early to know how the third book, HIDDEN SECRETS, will fare in getting placed in stores. I'm hoping for the best.

The bad news is that my digital sales were not good. Paperback store sales were a whole lot better, so apparently I didn't have the visibility I needed in the online market. Also, contemporary romance (including romantic suspense) is not selling as well as it used to. Regency romance is hot. Erotica is dead. We've seen these cycles before. The big names in romance are still selling books, but romance sales in general are down. Publishers are adjusting their lists accordingly and tightening their lines. If sales for LI and HS drastically exceed expectations, Kensington will reconsider my proposal sometime after the first of the year, but I'm not holding my breath.

So, I've had the good news and the bad. I am not, however, doubting the quality of my writing. Publishing is a business, and the strength of a book is only one component to sales. Marketing matters. Reading trends play a huge role. Now I need to decide what I want to do next. My editor thinks I could easily acquire an agent, but I'm not sure I want one. Without one, it's hard to get in front of the big publishers. And if I do get in front of them, there are no guarantees. My track record is not the best, but at least I have one. I don't want to go the small press route again. There are positives to self-publishing, but marketing yourself is an uphill battle. I may have to mull this over for a while.

I'm not despondent. I was kind of expecting this. I hope I don't sound too whiny because I really hate that. I just wanted to let everyone who has supported me know that I'll be following a new path in the future, wherever that may lead. And in the meantime, I still have one more mass market book releasing in late November. I hope people will buy it and enjoy it. I'm looking forward to seeing it on shelves when I'm Christmas shopping!

For info on all my books, check out my WEBSITE. Happy reading!