Spotlight & Giveaway: EXPOSED by Anna J Stewart

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Anna J Stewart to HJ!

Hi Anna and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, EXPOSED!

 
Hi everyone! Great to be back with you again.
 

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

EXPOSED is the first book in my new romantic suspense series. I call it my Women’s Murder Club meets L.A. Confidential. When Los Angeles photographer Riley Temple stumbles across horrific evidence connected to a decades’ old Hollywood murder, she finds herself in the sights of Quinn Burton, a sexy homicide detective she probably shouldn’t trust.

This book is both something of a departure for me but at its heart is also about what all of my books are about: family. The ones we ‘re born to and the ones we create for ourselves. Not only is there a scorching romance between Riley and Quinn, but there’s a fun cast of secondary characters, including Riley’s former screen star great aunt Moxie and her four best friends. Each of these friends will get their own story as the mystery surrounding The Circle of the Red Lily, a secret society that has been lurking in Hollywood for decades, continues.
 

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

It would cost her her life, but if her gamble paid off, it might also, someday, cost him his. Someday, someone would have to stop him. Maybe … maybe she would be the one. Even if from the grave.

Stepping inside Unburied Treasures was, Riley supposed, what the devout must feel when they walked into church. Rather than incense and devotion, she smelled silver polish, dust, and more than a little a touch of expectation.

Homicide was the goal of a lot of cops when they signed up for duty. It had been his goal from the start. But there was one thing they didn’t teach at the academy: being called to a homicide always meant you were too late. Dammit. He was really tired of being too late.

“So?” Laurel nipped at Riley’s heels like an overeager gossip-craving Chihuahua. “Did you and Detective Sexy Pants hit a home run or what?”

Riley closed the door to her apartment. “I am not going to—”

“The hell you’re not,” Laurel ordered. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve even picked up a bat?”

What inspired this book?

A few things. The first is an old book I bought when I was sixteen years old. It’s a compilation of Golden Age and classic Hollywood icons’ studio portraits. I’ve always been fascinated by Marilyn Monroe and other film legends (I’ve read just about every biography about Marilyn that’s been written).

Second was an episode of White Collar where the character of Mozzie purchases an old storage unit at an auction that’s filled with photography equipment. Watching it, I asked myself what if there was undeveloped film in that facility? What would be on it? Who would be on it? Those questions and the aforementioned book, led me to both Hollywood and photography as my main focus in what will be a five-book series.

As a reader I love connected stories, complete stories mind you (each book will have a different HEA), but being able to incorporate some of my own interests, like classic Hollywood and the inner workings of the studio system as well as making it a police thriller, this book really does exemplify a dream project for me. At times I think it almost wrote itself.

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

My characters always surprise me, probably because I don’t plot. Generally I just jump in and start writing and discover who they are along the way.

Riley was really fun to get to know. She’s an edgy character. She has attitude and she also has her weaknesses. She’s also loyal beyond anything. If you’re in her circle, consider yourself protected. Making her a photographer gives her a unique perspective of the world. The camera really doesn’t lie. What film/pictures produce is truth and she’s all about that.

As far as Quinn, he was a more of a challenge. It’s not easy writing cops these days, but I knew from the jump that the word I most associated him with was honor. He needed to be to break through the shell Riley’s built around herself. Trust is big for her and when the book opens, the last person she’s ever going to get involved with is a detective. Makes for great conflict and fun story moments for sure.

I think the biggest surprise they both gave me was how fast they fell for each other, which can create problems for me as a writer. But just because they fall fast doesn’t mean it’s an easy relationship. There’s a lot standing between them, and a lot that gets in their way, plus there’s the external plot of someone being determined to stop them from exposing the truth of what Riley’s uncovered.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what new surprises they present as the series moves forward. Neither one of them is going anywhere, they’re going to both play an integral part of the story that unfolds, so readers can keep up with their relationship along the way.

What was your favorite scene to write?

I love love LOVE writing scenes with multiple people, especially when it’s a group of friends. There are a few scenes in EXPOSED where it’s the five friends–Riley and her four besties who all get drawn into the mystery of the Red Lily. One is their weekend yoga and mimosa session on the roof of Temple House, the apartment building where they all reside. Showing off all the different personalities and giving readers a peek into who they’ll be meeting in future books is always so much fun. There are a few scenes like that in EXPOSED, some funny, others a bit more dark and sobering, but all of them showcase the importance of friendships and the bonds women form between them.

What was the most difficult scene to write?

There’s a car chase through downtown Los Angeles that had me on Google maps and street view and… all sorts of sites trying to figure out the turns and locations and landmarks they’d be passing. I knew I needed a freeway overpass but I also needed an area that wasn’t too populated. I think I spent days getting a six or seven page scene just right. At least I hope I got it right! But yeah, scenes like that, especially when you’ve set the story in a very familiar place to a lot of people, gets especially tricky.

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

More than anything else I’ve written, I think EXPOSED is an absolute showcase of my voice and style. I love writing for Harlequin (I just celebrated my 25th release with them this past August), but there are limitations as to how far I can go with language choice and even the kinds of characters I can write.

With EXPOSED, the guardrails were off. I had permission to write what I wanted to write without restriction and having that chance really opened up a floodgate for me. It wasn’t just that I got to use profanity (there is some adult language in this book), it was more that I didn’t have to pull back and could allow the characters to exactly who they are. I also got to go super dark tone wise. The opening prologue, I think, is one of the best openings I’ve ever written in a book. So yes. EXPOSED is a definite showcase for what I can do.

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

First, I hope they just go on the ride and enjoy themselves. I know what it’s like as a reader to fall so deep into a story I never want it to end. If EXPOSED does that, even for one reader, I’ll be thrilled.

As I said above, all of my books–every single one I have written or will write–is about the importance of connection. Family, friends, inner circles, they all can create magic in a book and it’s always something I try to feature front and center. Yes, the romance is important. It always will be, but who a hero or heroine surrounds themselves with is equally important.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t say I hope maybe I put a few scares into people. Those bumps in the night, jumps in the dark, that prickly feeling you get when you’re reading and you forget it’s a book? Yeah. That’s what I’d love for readers to experience.

Oh! And if you buy the book in print, visit my website for info on how to get a free signed bookplate!

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

I’m about two weeks away from starting book two in the Circle of the Red Lily series. I’m so excited to see where this story takes us. That should be out next July. In the meantime, I’m finishing up book two of my upcoming Island Reunions series for Harlequin Heartwarming. The hero in this one is completely swoon worthy.

As far as releases, EXPOSED is out now (yay!), and in February, THE PI’S DEADLY CHARADE will release from Harlequin Romantic Suspense. This will be the sixth book in my Honor Bound series and finally puts Kyla Bertrand (introduced in book 2) in the spotlight. I think readers are really going to love her and Jason Sutton together. I love a redemption story.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: 2 winners, each receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: One of the focal points of the book is Riley’s relationship with her friends. I can only imagine where these five (Riley, Mabel, Sutton, Cassia, and Laurel) might go for a girls’ trip. How about you? If you could go anywhere with your best girlfriends where would it be? Sky’s the limit.

 
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Excerpt from EXPOSED:

She pushed him back, moved around him and headed down the hall into the kitchen.

“A drink might be better than the silent treatment you were giving me in the car.”

“I wasn’t giving you the silent treatment.” She shrugged out of her sweater, tossed it over the back of one of the barstools, yanked open the fridge and pulled out beer and wine. “I was thinking. Deeply.”

“About?”

It would be so easy, she thought as the silence stretched, to admit the truth: that he was right. She could have died. She could have left Moxie alone. That she … her hand gripped the door of
the refrigerator until her knuckles went white. “Right now, all I can think about is that kiss you just planted on me.”

“Try again.” Looking as if he were traversing a mine field, he joined her in the kitchen. He pulled one of the beers toward him, snapped off the cap. “What are you thinking deeply about, Riley?”

“My Christmas to do list, what else?” She forewent her usual wine glass and instead chose one of the full-bottle ones Sutton had gifted her as a joke. As she poured, she could feel his gaze on her.
“Don’t judge.”

“Not about to.” But she heard the concern in his voice. It both calmed and unsettled her. Clearly he’d gotten some of his own pent up frustration out of his system, even while hers began to rebuild.

She drank, long and deep, set the glass carefully on the counter. Looking into its liquid depths, she said, “They sent you home.”

“They did. It’s procedure for when any cop fires his weapon,” he said as casually as he might have discussed recent sports scores.

He had fired, Riley thought to herself. The second he was back on his feet after tackling her to safety, he’d rolled over and fired. Second nature, she realized now. Protecting her had been second nature.

“IA and Professional Standards are examining the dashboard footage from the patrol units. I’ll be cleared and back on active duty soon.”

She drank, wincing against the red’s tannins as her system finally began to chug to a stop. Her insides felt as if an entire hive of bees had set up housekeeping, frenetically searching for a way out. She pressed a hand against her belly. “I’m finding it difficult to process everything. What you—” She drank again, wincing at the dull clink of the glass as she set it down again.

“We didn’t do enough.” His voice was flat, devoid of the emotion she herself couldn’t process. “The suspect’s dead—as are any leads he might have given us.”

She didn’t give a damn about leads right now. “You could have died.” And that, more than anything, was what left her shaking.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Working as a Hollywood photographer means Riley Temple has seen it all, but that theory is put to the test when she finds herself staring at the chilling image of a dead woman. When her questions about the film’s origin results in violence, she finds herself reluctantly turning to the only person who assures her he can help: Detective Quinn Burton. Her history with the LAPD is complicated, her trust in authority, tenuous. But to find those responsible and to protect those closest to her, she’s willing to do anything. Even trust a cop.

After more than a decade on the job, Quinn knows a dangerous situation when he sees it and Riley Temple is up to her ears in trouble. But not for the reason she thinks. The pictures she’s stumbled on calls into question a notorious murder conviction; a conviction partially secured by Quinn’s own police commissioner father. A conviction powerful people have a vested interest in keeping in place. Quinn prides himself on being loyal but seeing this case through means betraying someone: his job, his family, or the woman he’s falling in love with.

As their investigation begins and old secrets are revealed, Quinn and Riley find themselves targeted by members of a secret society that for decades has maintained influence and violent control over Los Angeles and Hollywood’s powerful elite. A society that, until now, has remained hidden in the shadows.

A society that will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.

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Meet the Author:

Anna J Stewart is the USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty sweet to spicy romances. Primarily writing for Harlequin’s Heartwarming (sweet romance) and Romantic Suspense (spicy) lines, she also writes for Arc Manor’s Caezik Romance. In addition to being a Holt Medallion winner (Bride on the Run), she’s finaled in both the Daphne duMaurier, and the National Readers’ Choice. In 2019, her Harlequin Heartwarming RECIPE FOR ROMANCE was optioned for television. No matter the story, Anna’s books are always about family—the ones we’re born to and the ones we create. Anna lives in Northern California where she loves going to the movies, attending fan conventions, and heading to Disneyland, her favorite place on earth. When she’s not writing, she is usually cooking, baking, binge-watching her newest TV addiction, or re-watching her all-time favorite show, Supernatural. She also spends a frustrating amount of time wrangling two monstrous cats named Rosie and Sherlock. You can read more about Anna, her books, and her workshops for authors at www.AuthorAnnaStewart.com.
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