Spotlight & Giveaway: It Takes a Thief by Sloane Steele

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Sloane Steele to HJ!

Hi Sloane and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, It Takes a Thief!

 
Hi. Thank you so much for having me again (first time as Sloane, but as Shannyn I’ve been here before)

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

This series is inspired by my love for the TV show Leverage. I wanted to write a series with an all (or at least most) female crew who stole. It Takes a Thief, as the first book in the series, is about setting up the world and establishing the team: Audrey (Data), the hacker; Nikki, the thief; London, the forger, and the backers of the operation: Mia, the mastermind and Jared, the negotiator.

Cousins Mia and Jared have a plan to steal art from their fathers’ friends and replace it with forgeries. Then they’ll sell the art to pay reparations to the people their fathers stole from in a Madoff-type scheme. They hire the best and what starts as a job becomes more. They form a real team and Audrey and Jared fall for each other.
 

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

“The only people who say money isn’t important are those that have enough.”

“If I give you all my trade secrets, I lose my edge, devalue my contributions, make myself replaceable.”
“Not likely.”

“I said we had a business relationship.”
“There is no flirting in business.”
“You’re not participating in the right kind of business then.”

What inspired this book?

As I said, Leverage was the biggest inspiration, but so was Ocean’s 8. I love the idea of women running the show. But seeing as I write romance, I still wanted the kissing and HEA.

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

Before I start writing any book, I spend a lot of time getting to know my characters because I don’t do much plotting of the book. I create a playlist and I do a collage with actors as placeholders and I figure out what makes my character tick. My characters often surprise me.

What was your favorite scene to write?

I love the moment when Audrey forgives Jared for everything he screwed up and is willing to give them another chance. He offers her a job (other than hacking and stealing) and in true Audrey form, she fills the conversation with pop culture/TV references.

“You want me to be your Huck like in Scandal.”
He looked puzzled for a minute until her reference clicked. “Not exactly. In that scenario, I would be Olivia Pope.”
“You are a fixer. And your wardrobe is pretty damn fancy.” She smiled at the thought.
“I’m pretty sure they never slept together.” He narrowed his eyes. “You need a better metaphor.”
She thought about a more accurate comparison. “How about Felicity Smoak to your Oliver Queen?”
“Huh?” He stepped closer.
“You know…Felicity is a hacker-IT chick who loves Oliver Queen and then finds out he’s Arrow? Like the comic book Green Arrow? Rich dude by day, superhero by night.” They fall madly in love.
“Don’t know it. But I like that you think of me as a superhero.” His left eyebrow quirked up with his smirk, as he took a few steps closer still.
She rolled her eyes at his arrogance. “We really need to work on your pop culture knowledge.”

What was the most difficult scene to write?

The most difficult scene to write in this book was the black moment and the aftermath of it. There are so many secrets between these characters that trust is hard to come by. When that trust and loyalty is tested, especially from Audrey’s perspective, she’s torn. Walking away would be hard, not just because she’s fallen for Jared, but also because of what the job would give her: security for her grandma. Writing Audrey being vulnerable was tough because she’s used to being alone. She hasn’t had anyone to lean on in a long time and she worries about leaning on Jared.

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

While the storyline is a departure for me, this book is light romantic suspense, I think it definitely showcases what readers have come to expect from me as an author. Found family with all of its complicated relationships is a big part of this book, and that’s something I write about often. The fun banter between characters is also something that you’ll find in this book. The thing that’s different is the complexity of the plot – the external action is new.

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

I want them to laugh and have a break from reality. This series is all about escapism and watching some not-so-bad guys steal from worse guys to help people.

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

Between Two Thieves (Counterfeit Capers #2) releases in June and To Catch a Thief (Counterfeit Capers #3) releases in August.

As Shannyn Schroeder, before the end of the year, I plan to release a new Chicago-set contemporary romance series with a new family, the Doyles.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: 1 ebook copy of IT TAKES A THIEF by Sloane Steele, open internationally.

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: What is your favorite heist TV show, movie, or book?

 
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Excerpt from It Takes a Thief:

A reverse image search was easy enough to perform and she had Ms. Green’s name within minutes. Mia Benson. Benson. The name sounded familiar, but nothing immediately came to mind. Then Jay’s real name popped up. Jared Towers.
Fuck. Towers and Benson. Those names were synonymous with high-end con artists. No different than Madoff. Her heart thumped. Whatever she thought she’d learn, this wasn’t it. Maybe I’m wrong. She wanted to be wrong.
She searched for Jared Towers and Mia Benson. Window after window popped up. Some were benign articles about their work, but most of the information linked them to their fathers. While Audrey recognized the names, she’d never paid much attention to the full story. Millionaires stealing from people didn’t have an effect on her. She’d never had anything to steal.
Desperate to give Jay the benefit of the doubt, she read every article on their fathers. Forty minutes later, she had no benefit left to give. Towers and Benson stole from hardworking people and left them broke. When the police entered the picture, they fled the country. Most speculated they’d gone to a country without extradition.
Audrey’s blood ran hot. She clicked on story after story of families ruined because of those two men. People who lost their homes when they believed they were saving for retirement. Others whose kids had to skip college to work. Her heart broke a little with each instance. And she was helping Jared carry on the family tradition.
No, she wasn’t. She’d find another way to pay for Gram’s care. She went through the apartment and gathered all of her things. She wouldn’t be returning.
When the door opened, Nikki jogged through. “Guess what I picked up on the street?”
Jay—Jared—walked in behind her and held up a bag of food. He took one look at Audrey and rushed across the room. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
Ignoring his questions, she looked at Nikki. “Did you know?”
“Know what?”
“Who they are.” She pointed at the huge screen on the wall. “Jared Towers and Mia Benson, heirs to two of Chicago’s biggest thieves.”
“Damn,” Nikki said.
Jared set the bag of food on the table. He reached up as if to touch her, but she backed away.
“I’m out of here. Don’t call me. Don’t contact me.”
“Why?” he asked.
The confusion on his face told her he really didn’t have a clue.
“You lied about who you are.”
“I never lied. I just never gave you all the information. Neither have you. Or Nikki.”
“It’s not the same and you know it.”
“How is it different? You’re entitled to privacy but I’m not?” The confusion flipped to irritation.
“This isn’t about privacy. This is about lying about who you are. Regardless of whether I use Audrey or go by Data, I’m a hacker. I serve whoever will offer the biggest paycheck. Nikki goes by one name. She’s a thief.” She pointed at him. “You were pretending to be one of us.” She huffed.
“What’s the problem? We’re all the same. That’s what you’re getting at, right? You thought I wasn’t a criminal, but I am.”
“The problem is the type of criminal you are. You steal from people who can’t afford it. You rob people of their lives.”
His face grew red and his eyes flashed. He got up so close they were nearly nose to nose. “Do not confuse me with my father. He stole people’s livelihoods. I don’t.”
She snorted. “Sure.”
“I am no more my father than you are your mother.”
She snapped back from his words. How dare he bring her mother into this? “Fuck you, Jay. Jared. I don’t work for liars.”
“Oh, that’s rich. You just admitted you’ll sell yourself to the highest bidder.”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

When catching a thief requires becoming one.

Jared Towers has skills. One of them is being able to talk his way out of—or into—anything.

Audrey Abbott has skills, too. Need something hacked and only the best will do? She’s your girl.

He’s charming.

She’s reclusive.

They have absolutely nothing in common—except for a driving desire to take care of those who need it the most.

For Jared, that means assembling a team of thieves to steal back what rightfully belongs to the victims of a crime perpetrated by his own father. For Audrey, it means doing whatever she can to make sure her grandma never has to worry again.

And now they have something else in common: the art heist of the century.

It was supposed to be all business. Get in and get out, then move on to the next target. But when Jared finds himself falling for Audrey, artwork isn’t the only thing at risk of being stolen…

Counterfeit Capers
Book 1: It Takes a Thief
Book 2: Between Two Thieves
Book 3: To Catch a Thief

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Meet the Author:

Sloane Steele is the pen name for contemporary romance author Shannyn Schroeder. Shannyn is a part-time English teacher, part-time curriculum editor, and full-time mom, even though her kids are pretty self-sufficient teens. In her down time, she bakes cookies, reads romance, and watches far too much TV.
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