Casey Dawes's Blog, page 8
July 25, 2019
Kat Martin’s Romantic Suspense: The Conspiracy
(Maximum Security)
Kat Martin
Harper Winston’s brother has disappeared. Pursuing his dream of sailing the Caribbean, Michael hasn’t responded to texts or emails in days. When even the Coast Guard can’t find him, Harper is forced to take desperate measures. Which means going to Chase Garrett, once her brother’s best friend, now the only man she can trust…or so she hopes.
As the successful owner of Maximum Security, Chase has learned to trust his gut. He knows Harper’s father is mixed up in a deadly business, and suspects there’s more to Michael’s disappearance than meets the eye. Getting involved again with the Winstons goes against everything he stands for, yet old loyalties die hard. As the case draws him closer to Harper and deeper into the Winstons’ snarled crime family, he is forced to put everything on the line to keep Harper safe…and both of them alive.
Buy Now
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Kobo | Google Play | iTunes | IndieBound Paperback | IndieBound Hardback
Real Life Heroes
As a writer, I’m always looking for new story ideas. For most writers, past experiences can be a very big help. Have you ever survived a dangerous situation? How did you do it?
When I was first learning to snow ski, I got caught on top of Stowe Mountain, Vermont in a blizzard, after the lifts had closed. It’s a huge ski area. It was my first day on skis and somehow I got separated from my friends and wound up on a black diamond run. Of course I started falling, and falling, and falling. Throwing myself down in the snow was the only way I knew how to stop!
By the time I got half way down, it was pitch black and freezing cold. I tried taking off my skis and walking, but the snow was deep and it was even harder that trying to ski. The clothes I had on weren’t nearly thick enough for a New England winter and I was afraid hypothermia would set in. I knew I was in big trouble.
Maybe the reason I started writing romantic suspense had something to do with that day. Just when I was ready to give up, just sit down in the snow and wait for whatever was going to happen, a guy came skiing down the hill out of nowhere.
Instead of skiing on by, he swished to a stop right next to me. He must have realized I was in trouble and if I didn’t get down the mountain, I could die in the subzero weather that night. The guy–my hero–helped me get up and start “skiing” back down the hill. He showed me how to snow plow, helped me make the necessary turns, and never left me,
no matter how many times I fell.
It took hours to get off that mountain. We wound up in an empty parking lot, where fortunately his car was parked, and he drove me back to the main lodge, which was snowed in by that time. I never saw him again, but I’ve never forgotten him. There is a chance he might have saved my life that night.
So I guess there really are heroes out in the real world. Chase Garrett, the hero in THE CONSPIRACY, is that kind of man.
The oldest of the three wealthy Garrett brothers, Chase, a private detective, owns Maximum Security, a highly successful Dallas security firm.
In THE CONSPIRACY, Harper Winston’s brother has disappeared. Desperate to find him, Harper is forced turn to Chase, once her brother’s best friend. But dealing with the Winston crime family won’t be easy. With time running out, Chase must find a way to keep Harper safe…and both of them alive.
I hope you’ll watch for THE CONSPIRACY, out in paperback on July 30th, and that you enjoy it. Till next time, all best and happy reading, Kat
About Kat Martin
New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in anthropology and also studied history. Currently residing in Missoula, Montana with her western-author husband, L. J. Martin, Kat has written sixty-five historical and contemporary romantic suspense novels. More than sixteen million copies of her books are in print and she has been published in twenty foreign countries. Kat is currently at work on her next romantic suspense.
WEBSITE
http://www.katmartin.com/
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY REVIEW
https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781335541895https://bit.ly/2PVYzoZ
CONTEST LINKS
MONTHLY CONTEST
Link: https://www.katmartin.com/monthly-contest/
SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/katmartinauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatMartinAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40241946-wait-until-dark
The post Kat Martin’s Romantic Suspense: The Conspiracy appeared first on Casey Dawes.
June 13, 2019
A walk in the woods
Last Sunday we went for a walk in the woods. No, not in the Appalachians like Bill Bryson, but a small nature trail down the Bitterroot Valley south of us.
First we were greeted by lupine, those delicate purple flowers that seem to carpet forest floors.
The trail drifted through a dark forest of tall firs and pines to a little stream. Not marked too well, we took a few wrong turns and had to go from rock to rock to get across a small stream, but eventually we got to Bass River.
The stream gushed with water from the mountains that had received more snowfall a few days before, chilling the air around it. Moisture loving trees and ferns decorated the bank. Standing near it filled me with peace and potential hope for the world.
The walk eventually emerged into open grassland, and the temperature changed dramatically. A clump of blanket flowers huddled under a wide-limbed tree.
We didn’t see another soul on our walk in the woods. It was the perfect place to touch nature.
These walks are important because they remind me of the beauty of where I live so I can put a taste of it in my books like Home Is Where the Heart Is. Enjoy!
The post A walk in the woods appeared first on Casey Dawes.
May 16, 2019
Choteau–Setting for Home Is Where the Heart Is
On the Rocky Mountain Front, about two hours south of the Canadian border, lies the small town of Choteau, Montana, population 1,691. The county seat, the town is most famous for dinosaurs and David Letterman.
Like a lot of small towns, it has a mixture of old businesses, some of which are failing, some restored. There are also new places, but by and large the feeling of the town has remained the same since I first went through it on my way from my home in E. Glacier Park to Great Falls in the 1970s. (Two hours each way.)
The Rocky Mountains have always loomed large in my imagination, especially once I saw them rising dramatically from the plains for the first time. 
I’ve changed aspects of Choteau, created stores and law firms that don’t really exist, but tried to keep as much of it as real as possible, including the grain elevators as you drive into town and the Roxy Theater.
I hope you enjoy the setting of Home Is Where the Heart Is. To learn more about the story, click here.
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April 25, 2019
Turkeys!
We’ve been having quite the wildlife parade through our back yard. In addition to the regular deer, we have had beavers, a fox, and a variety of birds at the bird feeder and across the river. Birds range from gold finches, house finches, flickers, chickadees, downy woodpeckers, and magpies to bald eagles, osprey, and even three vultures roosting in a cottonwood looking like something out of a bad movie.
And, then there was Tom here … It’s a wonder I get any writing done at all!
What have you got roaming around your backyard this time of year?
The post Turkeys! appeared first on Casey Dawes.
March 14, 2019
Looking at Something Too Long
As a self-publisher, there are many hoops you need to jump through, including getting a cover designed, your manuscript edited, formatted, and uploaded to the various distributors. With the re-release of California Sunset, the editing was complete, but the rest of it had to be done.
I have spent the past few weeks trying to get the book uploaded. Because phrases like “monopoly” and “too big to fail” make me very nervous, I’m not an Amazon-only publisher. That makes life more difficult since I have to upload the book three times instead of only one. This book marks my first foray into print books for myself, although I’ve done it for others through Concierge Self-Publishing.
Because the book already existed on Amazon (leftover print copies from Crimson Romance) and I didn’t want to lose the reviews, it entailed several emails to and from their customer service to get the listing pulled together. (Link on Amazon)
I did a few versions of the print book and uploaded it to both Amazon and IngramSpark. This morning I received a message from Amazon … the cover had a misspelling. This cover had been past my designer, me, my husband … I still couldn’t see it.
They very kindly pointed out the spine.
Sigh. The things we don’t see …
What are you not seeing today?
The post Looking at Something Too Long appeared first on Casey Dawes.
March 3, 2019
Winter Is Getting Old in Montana
This is the time of year most Montanan’s are tired of winter. While we know we have several more weeks of snow, we long for a little break from the white stuff and the cold. Temperatures are well below 0 degrees in many parts of Montana. Friends of mine outside of Glacier National Park are seeing temperatures of -41 or so. Brr!
I still have faith that spring will come again. The days are longer, allowing for the bright glint of sun to linger on the dazzling white. Store ads have moved on from shovels and snowblowers to rakes and lawn mowers. School spring break is only a few weeks away.
Spring is time for awakening, to shed things that no longer suit us, to move away from those who would steal our peace. So plant some flowers, dance in the rain, and listen to the birds sing. To life!
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February 14, 2019
The Power of Writing
This past weekend I had a chance to work with a number of teen writers on self-publishing. The focus was on the power of the written word, not only as a communication tool, but as a method of self-discovery.
As I prepare California Sunset for re-release, I remember how writing that book was a process of healing for me. It’s the book that’s closest to me autobiographically. While I didn’t suffer from all of the horrors the book’s heroine meets, too many of my child and adult experiences were perilously close.
Also, many of the tools that Annie uses to heal, were ones that I accessed during my own process. It’s only by learning to love herself that Annie can love someone else.
California Sunset will be available in e-book and paperback form the last week of February. (Please note that there are old copies of the book still for sale on Amazon, but these are leftover print copies. Simon & Schuster (Crimson Romance) is no longer printing these books.)
The post The Power of Writing appeared first on Casey Dawes.
February 5, 2019
Kat Martin’s New Romantic Suspense: The Conspiracy
(Maximum Security)
Kat Martin
Harper Winston’s brother has disappeared. Pursuing his dream of sailing the Caribbean, Michael hasn’t responded to texts or emails in days. When even the Coast Guard can’t find him, Harper is forced to take desperate measures. Which means going to Chase Garrett, once her brother’s best friend, now the only man she can trust…or so she hopes.
As the successful owner of Maximum Security, Chase has learned to trust his gut. He knows Harper’s father is mixed up in a deadly business, and suspects there’s more to Michael’s disappearance than meets the eye. Getting involved again with the Winstons goes against everything he stands for, yet old loyalties die hard. As the case draws him closer to Harper and deeper into the Winstons’ snarled crime family, he is forced to put everything on the line to keep Harper safe…and both of them alive.
Buy Now
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play | iTunes | IndieBound
Story Ideas
I’ve always been a plot-oriented writer. People ask me how I come up with ideas for my novels and the truth is, I don’t really know.
Recently I wrote a very short digital story–AFTER THE SUNRISE, just published on Amazon–mostly because I woke up on a Saturday morning with the story fully developed in my head. Kurt Layton seemed like a great hero and I thought it would be a good way to introduce my first hardcover novel, THE CONSPIRACY, which will be out January 22nd.
Kurt works as a private detective for Chase Garrett, the wealthy owner of Maximum Security, an extremely successful private security firm.
Chase is the oldest of the three Garrett brothers. He and Brandon, the youngest, a former soldier, are true Texas men, comfortable in cowboy boots no matter where they are. Reese, the middle brother, is CEO of Garrett Resources, the family-owned, billion-dollar oil and gas company.
The brothers, though each is his distinctly his own person, have a very strong bond. They’re the kind of men who are there for each other, no matter what happens.
In THE CONSPIRACY, Harper Winston’s brother has disappeared. Pursuing his dream of sailing the Caribbean, Michael hasn’t responded to texts or emails in days. When even the Coast Guard can’t find him, Harper is forced to take desperate measures. Which means going to Chase Garrett, once her brother’s best friend, now the only man she can trust … or so she hopes.
But the last thing Chase wants is to get involved in the Winstons’ snarled crime family. No way should he take the case, but old loyalties die hard.
As danger draws him closer to Harper and deeper into trouble, Chase is forced to put everything on the line to keep Harper safe–and both of them alive.
I hope you’ll watch for THE CONSPIRACY and that you enjoy it. I’ll have three more high-action, sexy romantic thrillers coming your way in the future.
Till next time, all best and happy reading, Kat
About Kat Martin
New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in anthropology and also studied history. Currently residing in Missoula, Montana with her western-author husband, L. J. Martin, Kat has written sixty-five historical and contemporary romantic suspense novels. More than sixteen million copies of her books are in print and she has been published in twenty foreign countries. Her last novel, BEYOND CONTROL, hit both big lists … NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST as well as the USA TODAY BEST-SELLING BOOKS LIST. Kat is currently at work on her next romantic suspense.
WEBSITE
http://www.katmartin.com/
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY REVIEW
https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781335541895https://bit.ly/2PVYzoZ
CONTEST LINKS
SPECIAL CONTEST
Link: https://www.katmartin.com/the-conspiracy-giveaway/
To CELEBRATE the release of THE CONSPIRACY, enter my new contest for a chance to win a KINDLE FIRE 7″ Display, Wi-Fi, 8 GB, and a Kindle copy of INTO THE FURY, INTO THE WHIRLWIND, and INTO THE FIRESTORM. Contest runs from Jan 1, 2019 through Feb 28, 2019.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/katmartinauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatMartinAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40241946-wait-until-dark
The post Kat Martin’s New Romantic Suspense: The Conspiracy appeared first on Casey Dawes.
January 31, 2019
Winter in Montana
When I first moved up to Montana from California, people were perplexed with what I’d do during the long winter. And, there’s no getting around it, winters in Montana are cold and long, even if you live in the so-called “banana belt!”
There are two kinds of people in Montana–those who get a kick out of winter and those who find it an excellent excuse to stay inside. I owned a pair of cross-country skies (once) and did downhill for a few years, but I definitely fall into the latter group.
Fortunately, I’m also a crafter. I’ve run the gamut from macrame, to needlepoint, to knitting, and quilting. There are other things I’ve tried, but those were the things I stuck with the longest. Macrame was a great help the winter back in the 1970s when I didn’t have a television. (Yikes!)
I did a lot of needlepoint stockings for my kids–a great thing to do while you are watching interminable wrestling matches and Little League games. But I have the same piece that I’ve been working on for the past decade it seems. I managed all the grays in Half-Dome, but the minute changes of green in the grass is killing me!
Then there’s quilting. I’m about halfway through making quilts for my nine grandkids. That’s the latest on the left. Wonder what he’s into?
What about you? Any craft habits you developed and lost? How about the ones that stuck around?
The post Winter in Montana appeared first on Casey Dawes.
January 17, 2019
Kat Martin’s New Romantic Suspense: The Conspiracy
[image error]
(Maximum Security)
Kat Martin
Harper Winston’s brother has disappeared. Pursuing his dream of sailing the Caribbean, Michael hasn’t responded to texts or emails in days. When even the Coast Guard can’t find him, Harper is forced to take desperate measures. Which means going to Chase Garrett, once her brother’s best friend, now the only man she can trust…or so she hopes.
As the successful owner of Maximum Security, Chase has learned to trust his gut. He knows Harper’s father is mixed up in a deadly business, and suspects there’s more to Michael’s disappearance than meets the eye. Getting involved again with the Winstons goes against everything he stands for, yet old loyalties die hard. As the case draws him closer to Harper and deeper into the Winstons’ snarled crime family, he is forced to put everything on the line to keep Harper safe…and both of them alive.
Buy Now
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play | iTunes | IndieBound
The Texas Mystique
Since my new book, THE CONSPIRACY, Chase Garrett and Harper Winston’s story, is set in Texas, I thought it might be fun to talk about one of my favorite places.
There is something special about Texas. My husband and I lived in Houston for a couple of months one summer and it was a wonderful experience. The people in Texas are extremely friendly, and always seem to be in a good mood.
We stuffed ourselves on gourmet meals in some of the country’s finest restaurants, ate a ton of delicious Tex Mex, enjoyed Asian, Indian flatbread, and just about everything else. We visited art galleries, the beach, and drove past some of the beautiful ranches in the area.
That was the good news. The bad news was Houston in August is HOT. It’s also muggy and sticky and you just can’t wait for October to arrive. Or maybe September.
Two years ago, we traveled to Lubbock for a Western Writers of America conference. I was reluctant to go in the summer, but it turned out to be a really great trip–hot but dry. We visited the Museum of Texas Tech and met some fun people, including old-time movie star, Barry Corbin, who’s been in everything from Urban Cowboy to The Best Little Whore House in Texas.
For the past few years, I’ve been setting my stories in Dallas, one of my favorite cities. In THE CONSPIRACY, out January 22nd, Harper Winston’s brother has disappeared. Desperate to find him, Harper is forced turn to the wealthy owner of Maximum Security, private detective, Chase Garrett, once her brother’s best friend.
But dealing with the Winston crime family won’t be easy. With time running out, Chase must find a way to keep Harper safe … and both of them alive.
Texas is a place that captured my soul long ago. If you don’t have time to visit, I hope you look for Harper and Chase in THE CONSPIRACY and that you enjoy.
Till next time, all best and happy reading, Kat
About Kat Martin
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New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in anthropology and also studied history. Currently residing in Missoula, Montana with her western-author husband, L. J. Martin, Kat has written sixty-five historical and contemporary romantic suspense novels. More than sixteen million copies of her books are in print and she has been published in twenty foreign countries. Her last novel, BEYOND CONTROL, hit both big lists … NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST as well as the USA TODAY BEST-SELLING BOOKS LIST. Kat is currently at work on her next romantic suspense.
WEBSITE
http://www.katmartin.com/
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY REVIEW
https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781335541895https://bit.ly/2PVYzoZ
CONTEST LINKS
SPECIAL CONTEST
Link: https://www.katmartin.com/the-conspiracy-giveaway/
To CELEBRATE the release of THE CONSPIRACY, enter my new contest for a chance to win a KINDLE FIRE 7″ Display, Wi-Fi, 8 GB and a Kindle copy of INTO THE FURY, INTO THE WHIRLWIND and INTO THE FIRESTORM. Contest runs from Jan 1, 2019 through Feb 28, 2019.
JANUARY 2019 CONTEST
Link: https://www.katmartin.com/monthly-contest/
For January, Kat Martin is giving away a signed hardcover edition of Book 3 in the AGAINST series, AGAINST THE SUN to celebrate the release of THE CONSPIRACY on Jan 22nd. NOTE: THE CONSPIRACY is not part of the prize.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/katmartinauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatMartinAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40241946-wait-until-dark
The post Kat Martin’s New Romantic Suspense: The Conspiracy appeared first on Stories About Love.
