Spotlight & Giveaway: Alaskan Rescue by Terri Reed

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Terri Reed to HJ!

Hi Terri and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Alaskan Rescue!

 
Hello, thank you for hosting Alaskan Rescue.
 

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

This is the first book in the new Love Inspired Suspense continuity series for 2021. Set in the great state of Alaska, an elite state trooper K-9 Unit fights for justice with the help of their canine partners.
The book opens with a mystery that spans the series and is resolved in book eight. Each story has its own suspenseful mystery to solve.
Alaskan Rescue tells the story of Ariel Potter , a Husky breeder, who is being targeted by an unknown threat. Someone is trying to steal her dogs and to kill her. When Alaskan state trooper Hunter McCord rescues Ariel from the side of a mountain, he is determined to protect her by sticking close. But soon they both realize that the biggest danger maybe falling in love.
 

Please share your favorite lines or quote(s) from this book:

“What you did today was very dangerous.”
“What was it you said to me? That I have to trust that God will keep us safe?”
His mouth quirked. “I did say that. And I do believe it. And I believe in you.”
She drew back, not sure what to make of his words. “Since when?”
He lifted her hands and kissed her knuckles. “Since the first time I laid eyes on you.”
A short laugh escaped her. “Now, I know that’s not true. The first time you saw me, I was lying facedown in a bramble bush.”
His deep-throated laugh made her giddy. “Okay, maybe not the first time I saw you. But not too long after that. You looked at me with such trust in your eyes. I’ve never had anyone put that kind of faith in me.”

What inspired this book?

Part of the process in writing a story is finding pictures for inspiration. I scoured the Internet looking for just the right images of the two main characters. I came across an actress named Alona Tal. Her delicate features and pretty eyes embodied how I pictured Ariel Potter. And for the hero, Hunter McCord, I went with Superman, Henry Cavill. He has such a strong presence about him.
For Juneau, the Siberian Husky, a reader sent me a photo of her red dog which was perfect. And for Sasha, the husky puppy, I found a wonderful set of photos of Sochi Olympic skiers posing with an adorable black and white husky puppy. It was perfect.

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

I do a lot of character development using the enneagrams and Myers-Briggs personality types. It’s a concrete way of forming a three dimensional fictional character. And yes, the characters constantly surprise me when something is revealed during the writing that I hadn’t planned. For Ariel, I needed her parents out of the way so when she said to the hero they were nomads I had an ah-ha moment and that knowledge helped to round out her character. For Hunter, I knew there were issues with his father but I wasn’t exactly sure what until Hunter thought he didn’t want to go down the same road of trusting a women who betrayed him. Another ah-ha moment which played into Hunter’s romantic conflict.

What was your favorite scene to write?

My favorite scene was in the middle of the book. Ariel and Hunter are preparing to go to a banquet where Ariel will receive an award. I had fun writing her first glimpse of Hunter dressed in a tux.

~Worry nipped Ariel as she picked up her handbag from the foot of her bed, slipped her feet into low-slung beaded heels and headed out to the living room with Sasha trailing behind. Her steps faltered as she caught her first glimpse of Hunter and Juneau. They stood side by side looking out the front window with their backs to her, like two sentries.
Juneau spun and trotted to her, wearing a cute little black bow tie nestled around his neck. Sasha jumped at him, trying to grab the edge of the bow, clearly wanting to play. Ariel scooped up the puppy and cradled him in her arms.
When Hunter turned to face her, his blue eyes flared with appreciation. Their gazes locked. Then her breath caught in her throat as she fully drank him in. His dark hair had been tamed back, his jaw was clean-shaven and his well-tailored tux emphasized the width of his shoulders. She couldn’t help but sigh with delight when he came forward with a small square plastic floral box tied with a ribbon.
“Juneau’s going with us?” Ariel asked in an effort to take the focus off the way her heart pounded in her chest over the fact that Hunter had bought her a corsage for the occasion.
“He is. There are very few places I go without my partner,” Hunter said. “Hold out your left wrist.” She tucked Sasha into her right side and extended her left arm. Hunter slipped the elastic band attached to a beautiful white gardenia over her hand and settled it onto her wrist.
He held her hand, his palm gentle and warm against her own. “You are beautiful.”
Her mouth dried. She couldn’t remember the last time a man, a handsome man at that, had told her she was beautiful. Certainly Jason never had.
Wariness reared in her chest. Could she trust Hunter’s words? Or was he just being nice because it was part of his job?~

What was the most difficult scene to write?

There’s a moment toward the end when Ariel is accused wrong doing.

~“We’ve had a complaint that you are giving your dogs performance-enhancing drugs,” the woman at the table said with a disapproving tone.
Dumbfounded by the accusation, Ariel’s gaze jumped to Hunter. “I wouldn’t ever do something like that.”
His troubled blue eyes held hers. “I’ve seen you giving the dogs some sort of powder in their food.”
Disbelief knocked her back a step. “It’s vitamins and minerals. Perfectly legal.” She turned back to the judges. “I do not give my dogs anything to enhance their performance. I would never violate the rules, nor would I put my dogs’ health in jeopardy.”
“Until that can be verified, you are banned from any races,” one of the other male judges stated.
“Banned?” Outrage heated her skin. “This is a fun run.”
“It’s still a race with a purse.”
Ariel’s fingers curled at her sides. “This is absurd!”
“The vet will need to take blood samples of your dogs to verify,” the woman spoke again. “If the accusation proves false, we will reinstate you.”
“Are you serious?” Ariel scoffed. “By the time that happens, the race will be over.”
She looked to Hunter for help. He didn’t come to her defense. Crushed by his lack of faith in her, she turned on her heels and walked out.
Hunter caught up with her. “Ariel, maybe this is for the best.”
“For the best!” She rounded on him. “Did you do this?”~

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

I don’t know that my writing style changes from book to book. The characters definitely do change and the story plot lines change but my voice remains the same. I think voice/style is what distinguishes one author from another. You can give two, or however many, authors the same basic premise but how they write using their unique voice will make each story different.

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

I hope that through the story of Ariel and Hunter facing their fears and letting down the walls guarding their hearts that readers will take away a hope that fear only has the power you give it and love is worth the risk.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

I just turned in the fourth book in my own series that will be released in early 2022. It doesn’t have a title yet, but for those who’ve read Buried Mountain Secrets, Secret Mountain Hideaway and Christmas Protection Detail, will be happy to know that Ian Delaney gets his own story.

I have started a new book with a US marshal hero and a woman who discovers a family secret that leads to a dangerous situation. This doesn’t have a release date yet or a title. But I’m excited to write the story.

And I’ve agreed to write a book in the 2022 new continuity series coming from Love Inspired Suspense. Stay tuned for more details. Keep an eye on my social media accounts for when the series is announced.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: A signed print copy of Alaskan Rescue and a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card–US only

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Excerpt from Alaskan Rescue:

A groan echoed in Ariel’s ears. Was someone hurt? She needed to help them.
She heard another moan and decided she was the source of the noise. Nausea rolled through her stomach as the world seemed to spin. What was happening?
Somewhere in her mind, she realized she was being turned over onto a hard surface. Dull pain pounded the back of her head.
“Miss? Miss?”
A hand on her shoulder brought Ariel out of the foggy state engulfing her. Opening her eyelids proved to be a struggle. Snow fell from the sky, stinging her cheeks, falling into her eyes. Then a hand shielded her face from the elements.
Her gaze passed across broad shoulders to a very handsome face beneath a helmet. Dark hair peeked out from the edge of the helmet and a pair of goggles hung from his neck. Was she dreaming? Who was this man?
She’d never seen this guy before in her life. This had to be a dream, right? Yet how could she dream about a man she’d never seen before?
The pull of sleep was hard to resist. She closed her eyes. Maybe the man in her dream would help her. But help her with what?
“Stay with me,” the man murmured.
His voice coaxed her to do as he instructed, and she forced her eyes open.
Where was she?
Awareness of aches and pains screamed throughout her body, bringing the world into sharp focus. She was flat on her back and her head throbbed.
Ariel started to raise a hand to touch her head, but something was holding her arm down. She tried to sit up, and when she discovered she couldn’t, she lifted her head to see why. Though doing so created more pain. Straps had been placed across her shoulders, her torso, hips and knees to keep her in place on a rescue basket. A metallic silver Mylar blanket had been tucked around her, insulating her body’s warmth.
“Hey, now, I need you to concentrate on being still and staying awake.”
That deep, rich voice brought her focus back to the moment. Memory flooded her on a wave of terror. The horror of rolling down the side of the cliff, hitting her head, landing in a bramble bush, and the fear of moving that would take her plummeting to the bottom of the mountain. She must have gone in and out of consciousness before being rescued. She gasped with realization. “Someone pushed me!”
The handsome man’s piercing blue eyes widened. Then his eyebrows drew together. “Pushed you?”
“Where’s Violet? Lance and Jared?” She struggled not to freak out. Why had someone shoved her off the edge of the cliff?
The man winced slightly. “You’re safe now. No one’s going to hurt you.”
Her dream man’s voice soothed her. But why wasn’t he answering her questions? She swallowed, her mind rebelling at the possible answers. “Who are you?”
“Trooper Hunter McCord.”
Definitely not someone she’d previously met. Ariel rolled the name around in her head. She liked the sound of it. Strong consonants, masculine and powerful. Was he someone she could count on? Trust?

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
  

Book Info:

A mountain search-and-rescue mission turns into a fight for their lives.

Sent to find a wedding party that disappeared during a hike, Alaskan state trooper Hunter McCord and his K-9 partner, Juneau, discover bridesmaid Ariel Potter hanging from a cliff. But this was no accident—she was pushed—and her hiking companions are missing. Now it’s up to Hunter and Juneau to find them…and make sure whoever wants Ariel dead doesn’t finish the job.

From Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

Alaska K-9 Unit

Book 1: Alaskan Rescue

Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Google |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Terri Reed’s romance and romantic suspense novels have appeared on Publisher’s Weekly top twelve, Nielsen’s Bookscan top fifty, Amazon Bestseller and featured in USA Today. Her books have been finalists in Romance Writers of America RITA contest, National Readers’ Choice Award, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award and finalists three times in American Christian Fiction Writers The Carol Award contest. Her novel A Family Under the Christmas Tree was adapted into a Hallmark movie retitled Picture a Perfect Christmas. Contact Terri @ P.O. Box 19555 Portland, OR 97224
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