Christine Feehan's Blog, page 6

Slow Burn Romance- Murder at Sunrise Lake

I want Murder at Sunrise Lake to be a book people remember and think about long after the last page has been turned. I’ve always wanted to write a murder mystery and I love writing strong characters. I’ve always written romance and this book does have that though many of my readers may feel this is more of a “slow burn”.




I’m proud to write romance. I read many genres but prefer that the stories have some kind of romance in them. Romance is a natural part of life. People have friendships, they go places, they do things, they make love. There is nothing wrong or embarrassing in that. Murder at Sunrise Lake is a murder mystery, thriller but it does have a love story in it.




This love story is extremely romantic. This standalone book has a quite romance. It’s not graphic. It’s more sweet and steady.





Sam has been around for quite a while. He’s been Stella’s friend. Right hand. Her rock. He’s in it for the long haul starting with paying attention to what her needs are. He’s there, but in an unobtrusive way. There are little touches. Small things he does to invite her to trust him. And believe me, trust is sexy. If you don’t believe it Sam may just change your mind. He’s patient. Observant. Sweet. Kind. Courageous. Sometimes women want the good guy. Being a good guy doesn’t mean you’re not an alpha. Sam is exactly what Stella needs. Now he just needs to make her want him, too.



I have faith in Sam! Lol

Tell me about a slow burn romance that you loved!

Small Town. Big Secrets – Murder on Sunrise Lake

One of my favorite things to do as an author is to create these fictional small communities, which is something I did when writing Murder at Sunrise Lake. I’ve always lived in a small community. I love the feel of it. I love that people know one another. They help one another. You walk into a business, and they know your name and what you want immediately. Something bad happens and people show up for you because you’re part of them…part of that community. It’s like a family beyond your family. That’s something I’ve always loved about small towns.


I love developing that sense of community where you feel you know each other and have a certain level of trust in those around you. Those tight friendships are bonds I’ve felt myself and love to have in my books.
So when Stella wakes up realizing there’s a murder in her midst it shakes the foundation of what she believes about her life, her community and even her friends. That little bubble you’ve created and placed your life in, that community, those friends, it all feels under attack. You want to keep everyone safe, but then you know someone close to you, perhaps one of those very friends that you trust, is likely the killer.


Yes, I love creating those tight-knit bonds of community and friendship and then messing with it. Lol

Tell me about a place you love!

Murder at Sunrise Lake Release Day Blog!

I'm so excited that my first mystery novel is out today! Murder at Sunrise Lake is a romantic suspense and mystery novel standalone.
I wanted to share some of the articles, interviews and videos I've done recently or that have featured Murder at Sunrise Lake!









As usual, I'm doing a contest this week so if you like winning things check out the two ways you can enter this giveaway!
Contest Info HERE It's over at midnight on Thursday.


I did a release party celebration with Murder by the Book and Ashland Library!
I want to give a quick shout out to librarian Meena Jain who interviewed me and was so enthusiastic that I she had me chatting away and saying...well...you'll see the video. LOL
And a shout out to our marvelous moderator McKenna Jordan, the owner of the amazing Murder by the Book bookstore in Houston!
Murder by the Book Video Interview



The Inside Flap Podcast was fun and host Laura Medicus had me spilling my guts about wearing a Power Rangers onesie and other crazy things I probable shouldn't have said! LOL




Book + Main did an article interview with me and have an exclusive excerpt for those of you who still haven't decided whether to try my mystery novel or not. I hope you check it out!



Words & Whimsy Book Club on Facebook did a video interview! This was super fun. You do have to be able to access Facebook and join their online book club, but it's free and it's fun there!



Reader’s Entertainment Magazine featured the book trailer and will feature something about Murder at Sunrise Lake all week! https://readersentertainment.com/2021...



Behind the Mic with Recorded Books- Check out this fun video of narrator Alyssa Bresnahan reading from Murder at Sunrise Lake HERE





COMING SOON





FANE presents Christine Feehan and JR Ward in conversation to celebrate their new releases! You need to book tickets for this. You can find that information here- https://tickets.artist-tix.com/ticket...
There is a cost since it’s being put on by a third party, but it’s going to be so fun! You can purchase the ticket to watch the interview but you can also purchase the video ticket plus a book.



Framingham Library event – Romance Writing & Animal Magnetism I'll talk about writing animals or people with animal traits. So if you like animals this will be a fun one!

Do you enjoy the interviews? What do you like most about them?

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A Murder Amongst the Serenity

Murder at Sunrise Lake is the first standalone in years, and I wanted to write a murder mystery for so long I was so happy when everything came together.













The book is a thriller, a mystery and in my opinion it’s downright eerie. Add in a slow-burn romance and this book is exactly everything I wanted! Lol






I’ve always known the Eastern Sierra is a place of nature, peace and revitalization. I have a daughter who is very active and loves to hike, boulder and camp. She would go out on these adventures and then talk about the serenity of where she’d been. I felt it was wonderful that people could go somewhere like that to feel reinvigorated and grounded in nature. But then my mind started to wander, as it often does, to the “what if” and the dark question – What if a serial killer wanted to feel reinvigorated? What if he found his way to the beautiful place? What if he ensconced himself into the community? What if he made friends and became trusted there? What if he just couldn’t stop killing?

Yeah…I went there.

It’s this juxtaposition of serenity and terror that intrigued me.



If you can imagine going somewhere away from the modern world. A place where you can have adventure and find peace, so you make friends there and start a new life. You can see these beautiful vistas, all different kinds of terrains, beauty that takes your breath away and it calms your soul. Then, imagine evil weaving itself into that tapestry. You wake up and just know something or someone evil has come into that sacred place. Worse yet, it’s someone close to you…you just don’t know who.

I imagined that. And now it’s a novel. Lol I hope you enjoy Murder on Sunrise Lake! It will be released June 29, 2021!

What do you do to find peace in your life?

Emmanuelle Ferraro; Baby Sister…Assassin

Emmanuelle Ferraro is the baby sister of the famed Ferraros of Chicago. Her brothers are protective of her. Loyal to her. And she has worked hard to be a top Shadow Rider. An instrument of justice. An assassin who uses the shadows to mete out that justice.




Emme doesn’t have her brothers go with her on her assignments. She takes her turn as a Rider just like they do. She’s not weaker. She’s not less. She is a force to be reckoned with. To be feared.



Outside of being a Shadow Rider Shadow Rider she is still the little sister. Even though she has grown into an independent woman. A woman who can take care of herself. A woman who falls in love with a man her family may never accept.

Her training to be an assassin isn’t what pushed her toward Valentino Saldi. It had nothing to do with keeping an eye on the enemy. She was young and saw an incredibly handsome and irresistible man who found her interesting. And when she became a woman, he did everything he could to make her his. He wanted her. But he had a secret. There was something about him that she knew wasn’t quite right. Something no one in her family knew.




Emme knew she had to tell her family. But when she started to tell her oldest brother, Stefano, he freaked out about who she saw and never listened to her regarding what she saw. His disappointment and anger at her forced her to be quiet.

Her mother was cruel. To the point of being abusive. Her mother found fault in Emme in all that she did. Emme would never measure up. Never be enough.
She loved her family, but she didn’t always feel accepted or heard. So when Val seemed nearly desperate to have her, to offer her acceptance and love, the relationship became as irresistible as the man. With Val she was worthy and wanted and loved. He gave her everything she craved.

But to have him, to really have a life with him, she would have to give up all she’d been born to do and be. She would have to suffer the disappointment of her family. Perhaps even their rejection.



Nothing is every easy. Betrayal. Heartbreak. Loyalty. Everything comes spiraling down on Emme as she learns Val has done something that can never be taken back. Her training as an assassin could save his life, but the cost of helping him was nothing she was trained for.

See the book trailer HERE

See other books in this series HERE

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Shadow Storm: Blood Ties

Shadow Storm is about to turn the Shadow Riders' mythology on its head!

Two families from Sicily. Ties with organized crime. The Ferraros and the Saldis. The Saldi family wanted the Ferraro family to join forces. They knew there was something about the family that was different, but wasn’t sure what that was. Whatever it was, they wanted in. But, the Ferraro family turned them down. So, the Saldi family waged war, doing their best to take out the entire Ferraro family. As the blood bath took most of the Ferraros, it was only those who could ride shadows that were able to escape. They scattered all over the world in a bid to save themselves. They found other Shadow Riders and began to grow the family again.



There are Shadow Riders all over the world. It isn’t just the Ferraro family. But, the feud with the Saldi family continued through time and over continents. Each family grew stronger in their own way. Those who moved to the United States created their own territories that they would do anything to protect.
History, even a violent one, creates relationships. The Ferraros and the Saldis are no longer actively fighting, but the feud isn’t over. There is no trust. No love. Well, except for Valentino Saldi and Emmanuelle Ferraro. That love stands against years of hate and mistrust. It’s not welcome by the families. But, what is to be done when the heir to one wants the now-grown little sister of the other?



The fact is, we all are good and we are bad. With a twist of the kaleidoscope the view changes. Perspectives change. Which of the families are not killers? Which of the families are not willing to destroy the other to keep their own safe? Who is good? Who is bad? What determines that?

In Shadow Storm we realize there are good people and bad people in each family. We find betrayal in the Ferraro family. We find loyalty in the Saldi family. Nothing is simple. Not in fiction. Not in real life. We all have layers to us. And the dynamics of the two families are about to get a turn of the kaleidoscope.
Emme is loyal to a fault. Her family means everything to her. She loves her brothers. Stefano is more like a parent to her.



Valentino Saldi is ruthless and his loyalty must be earned. When his uncle, the leader of the Saldi family, adopts him after his parents die, Val feels a strong bond to the older man. And the bond is mutual.
Now, Val is under attack. His tie with Emme was severed. He stands alone against a powerful army of his own people. He’s wounded and vulnerable. When someone within his circle contacts Emme to tell her what’s happened the Ferraros must decide whether to join Val or let him die, effectively removing the greatest threat to their little sister’s happiness.

Of loyalty and love, which will win? Which is stronger? Which will ride out the storm?

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Romeo and Juliet: Val and Emme

SHADOW STORM






I always knew the Shadow Riders would have a violent history similar to organized crime that included a feud with another rival family. The Ferraros and the Saldis have that history. It’s this fight that nearly wiped the Ferraros off the face of the earth.

There’s nothing like a good conflict in any story to give intrigue and emotion. It seemed to make sense to me, and be a natural progression, of the overall story arc to have the two enemy families have children who’d grow up to be adults that would one day meet.



Val is somewhat older than Emme. He was ruthless even when they first met and she was too young to seduce. But, they had this magnetic pull that made them hyper aware of each other. So, when Emme finally came of age Val didn’t hesitate to lay claim to her, regardless of the fact that neither family would be agreeable to the match.





The Ferraros were nearly wiped out by the Saldis long ago. In the eyes of the Ferraro family the Saldis were enemies and could not be trusted. What did the Ferraros of Chicago treasure most? Their little sister. They were extremely protective of Emme. Everyone knew Valentino Saldi was a dangerous man in a dangerous family. The conflict for them was that Emme so obviously loved Val and they wanted her to be happy.



The Saldi family knew the Ferraros were dangerous. To them, the Ferraros were the bad guys. And, the fact is, the Ferraros are assassins. Killers. Regardless of how someone was investigated and what proof there was, the Ferraros took matters in their own hands and people died. The Saldis knew the Ferraros were not exactly all they presented themselves to be. They were hiding something. They couldn’t be trusted. So when the heir-apparent to the entire Saldi empire decided he had to have Emmanuelle Ferraro there was no one on the Saldi side happy to hear that.



Their relationship was doomed because of everything each family was. They would have to determine for themselves whether or not it was worth the fight to be together.

Of course, nothing is ever easy. Mistakes were made. When Val and Emme split up there was a collective sigh of relief from the families, even as Emme’s brothers were also sad for her.



Now, with Valentino in danger it’s the Ferraros who must decide whether or not to help the devil they know. And Emme to decide if the cost of loving Val is worth the price.

Shadow Storm Word Search Puzzle!

Shadow Storm will be released on May 25th so we're gearing up for the celebration with a fun word search puzzle!

You can do the puzzle online here - SHADOW STORM WORD SEARCH PUZZLE

You can also download it as a PDF there as well and print it out.

If you missed the book trailer you can watch it HERE



I hope you enjoy the puzzle and trailer for Shadow Storm!

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Celebrating Paranormal Day!

Can you believe it? There is an official Paranormal Day! I thought we could celebrate by talking about paranormal books and authors we love!




The paranormal books that inspired me most are Jayne Ann Krentz's Gift of Gold and Gift of Fire. I loved them! I knew then that I really wanted to write a paranormal story. I love Jonas and Verity and think you will too! Jayne Ann Krentz is always on my list of recommended authors.





A paranormal series that I really enjoyed and that I recommend is Christopher Rice’s The Burning Girl trilogy – Bone Music, Bone Echo and Bone Victory. This is a mix of thriller and scifi and I think you’ll enjoy it!




Some other authors of paranormal stories that you may enjoy include some of my favorites-

JR Ward




Nalini Singh



Rebecca Zanetti

Now let me know who you’d recommend and what your favorite paranormal book(s) is/are! And if you’re a writer, let me know who most inspired you!

World Book Day Celebration!

It's World Book Day and I wanted to celebrate it with you!





I want to thank Gallery Bookshop , a small, independent bookstore in my area, for always being so supportive to authors and thoughtful of readers!
Gallery Bookshop has been so kind and support to me over the years. They often host pre-orders for me books that readers can have signed and personalized by me. It's a wonderful thing to do for both myself and my readers!
The next signing is for Murder at Sunrise Lake ! You can get the book signed and personalized through them!

I also wanted to celebrate by mentioning some books I've recently read that I think you might enjoy!



Blinding Lies by Amy Cronin is a mystery that I really enjoyed reading.


The Runaway HeiressThe Runaway Heiress by Meg Tilly. Romantic suspense with wonderful writing. If you've not read Meg before, I do recommend giving her a try!

Most of you know I absolutely love Jayne Ann Krentz books so I was so excited to read her new romantic suspense novel All the Colors of Night which is part of her Fogg Lake series.

A new-to-me author that I've totally fallen in love with her KILLER series is Brynne Asher. I highly recommend this entire series starting with VINES. More romantic suspense. You see the pattern, right? LOL


I hope you'll share any new books you've read that you think I might enjoy!
Happy World Book Day to you!