Shadow of Deceit, by Mal Olson

I'm very happy to have fellow WisRWA member Mal Olson here today with her debut book, SHADOW OF DECEIT. I read the book and loved it...here's what I have to say:

"Shadow of Deceitdelivers on the author's promise of adrenaline-kicked romance with greatcharacters, a well developed plot, and action packed scenes that'll keepreaders turning the pages and wanting more! Shannon is a heroine who's beendealt a tragic blow but somehow manages to keep on living. Her strength istested when she discovers her recently deceased husband had deadly secrets thathave come back to haunt her. Though knocked for a loop the moment he seesShannon's beautiful blue eyes, FBI Agent Tony Crazaniak suspects she knows morethan she claims. Attempts on her life cast him in the role of protector as wellas investigator, and he's helpless to resist their sizzling attraction. The endresult is Mal Olson's great debut full of action and emotion that you won'twant to miss!"

Mal also answered a few questions for me, so enjoy the excerpt and then read on and comment for your chance to win an ebook copy of this wonderful book! (Make sure you leave your contact info in case you're the winner!)

SHADOW OF DECEIT, by Mal Olson
Genre: Romantic Suspense, 66835 words
Heat level: Spicy

Buy: The Wild Rose Press, Amazon

Can an FBI agent obsessed with redemption and a grievingwidow desperate to clear her husband's name learn to believe in love again?
Shannon Riedel faces down danger when a gunman breaks intoher office claiming her dead husband swindled him. When FBI agent TonyCrazaniak arrives to investigate, sexual heat sizzles. The ex-Delta Forceoperative's massive presence and dark eyes trigger an attraction the youngwidow finds unnerving.
When Crazaniak convinces Shannon she needs his protection,they partner to unearth secrets her husband left behind—secrets involving aTanzanian mine that yields perfect blue diamonds coveted by dealers around theworld—secrets connected to a terrorist leader Crazanaik has vowed to take down. 
With danger surrounding them, two emotionallywounded souls bond, but can they put their demons to rest and trust in love?Can they survive long enough to find out?

EXCERPT:

Shannon sat,stalled, her heart pummeling like prey snagged in an icy hunter's trap.
Someone knocked onher window.
Heart in herthroat, every muscle in her body tensed as she jerked her head toward thepassenger side and looked through frosted glass into the face of Special AgentTony Crazaniak.
Relief uncoiledthe knot in her stomach. She'd never been so happy to see anyone in her life.She unlocked the door, and he opened it.   
"Jesus, what thehell was that all about?" He dipped his head and plunked a snow-clogged footonto the floor mat as he grabbed her bags and tossed them over the seat.
"I don't know, andI wasn't sticking around to find out."
Crammingsix-foot-plus inches of man into her Porsche was like stuffing two hundredpounds of prime beef into a picnic cooler. But he managed not only to squeezein and make himself comfortable, he took charge.
"Traffic's moving,go!"
She eased theaccelerator, launching forward into an ice-jammed gridlock of traffic crawlingwest.
"You want to tellme what's going on?" His shoulder brushed against hers when he shifted in theseat.
"I would if I hadthe slightest clue." 
His heat made hernerve endings prickle. And as far as telling him what was going on? The "wouldif I could" may not have been the entire truth, but it was close enough. Besides,she didn't want to tell him anything. Yet.
What did sheactually know? 
Snow bunched onthe windshield as the wiper blades plowed through thick gruel, as her brainchurned, as she tried to come up with an answer the FBI operative would buy."Obviously someone's after me."
"Obviously. But,who?"
"I don't know."
"Jilted lover?"
Snapping her headaround, she glared at him. The full effect of his intense eyes sent heat wavesrippling down her spine.
"No." Cheeksblooming hot, she tugged her glance away and added, "Nolovers."    
She felt hisscrutiny slow-slide over her. The bloom that heated her cheeks spread down herneck.
"You ought to fixthat," said Tall-Dark-and-Scrumptious.
And the fact thatshe noticed that he was scrumptious flustered her. She wasn't lookingfor…anything. Although, she could use his broad-shouldered, don't-mess-with-meattitude and his FBI badge riding shotgun until she ditched the Lexus.
"Listen, I'm not…Imean…" What did she mean? "Not in the market…All I want is a guard dog until Ilose the lunatic in the Lexus."
He shrugged."Can't blame a guy for trying." His smile slammed the scrumptious meter so highshe heard bells ring, which made her reconsider her comfort level. She realizedshe would be safer, at least on an estrogen-to-testosterone level, without hismassive presence and raw animal magnetism steaming up the Porsche's windows.
Looking into themirror, she couldn't see the Lexus. She turned around and still couldn't spotit. Even if it were there, it couldn't pass four cars on Wisconsin Avenue on agood day, let alone in this snowy mess. 
"On secondthought, why don't I pull over at the next light and you can hop out. If I wanthelp, I'll whistle."
"I don't thinkso." He swiveled to look out the rear window, his mouth nearly brushing hercheek.
Too close. Toohot. Too dangerous.
She couldn't pullover without getting stuck in the slushy excuse for a right lane, but thatdidn't mean she couldn't stop, and that he couldn't let himself out.
When the line oftraffic stalled again, she eased her foot on the brake and said with a prick ofguilt over ditching him in calf-high muck, "End of the ride, AgentCrazaniak." 
He shook his head.
"I can make ithome from here. Thanks for your concern." Too bad he hadn't worn boots.
He settled hisbroad shoulders against the seat.  
"I no longer needyour assistance." She glanced over her shoulder again. "The Lexus isgone." 
"Not my style toleave a woman in distress."
"Distress?" At themoment, he was the cause of her distress. All she wanted was to get rid of FBIAgent Tony Crazaniak.
Her attentionsnagged on the Tahoe in front of them, which attempted a jackrabbit start,fishtailed, and landed in a snow bank.
"Maybe when youget out, you could give the guy in the Tahoe a hand."   
"You needprotection."
She reached intothe glove box and whipped out a gold lipstick tube. "I've got it." Pepperspray. She waggled bouquet de Red Hot Chili Pepper at him. 
"You need myprotection."
"How do I knowyou're really an FBI agent?" She flipped off the top.
He eyed her smallbut effective weapon.
"Come on, Shannon,don't mess around." Raising his hands in surrender, he leaned away and graspedthe door handle. "I don't think you want to do that."
"All I want is togo home. Alone…please."
A nanosecondlater, she found herself watching him stuff her pepper spray into his pocket.She didn't know how the exchange had happened. Other than fast.
"Protectivecustody." He patted his pocket. "I'll get you home safely, and you won't evenhave to whistle." 
Dear God, she wastrapped in her car with a man who oozed so much male charisma she felt like shewas drowning in testosterone.
"Seriously, how doI know your ID is legit? You could be an ax murderer for all I know."
"You want to callthe Bureau?" He offered his cell phone. "You can get the number frominformation. You wouldn't want to trust a suspected mass murderer for thecorrect number."
She rolled hereyes.
"It's listed underFederal Bureau of Investigation. They'll vouch that I'm a really nice guy."
When she took thephone, his body heat clung to it and warmed her palm, irritatingly so. "Areyou, really?"
"What, hiding anax under my jacket?"
"No." She scowledand thumbed in 411. It didn't hurt to check him out. "Are you really a niceguy?"
"What do youthink?"
She thought hewanted to interrogate her. And none of the nice guys she knew were pumped likeHercules. Rather than answering him, she spoke into the phone, "I'd like thenumber for the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
The car behindthem honked, and she turned her attention to driving and squeezed past thestranded Tahoe. While edging into the intersection, she concentrated on thesnow squall, the taillights of the car ahead of them, and on memorizing thenumbers the automated voice was reciting in her ear.
"Look out!"Crazaniak yelled as the Lexus materialized from the right, racing toward them."The bastard must have turned off somewhere and circledaround."   
"Jeez, he's goingto ram us!" Shannon dropped the phone and stomped the gas pedal. The tireswhined and spun and finally dug beneath the slush. But when rubber foundtraction, the car catapulted forward too fast.
Streetlightswhirled.
Her 944 swappedends twice on the glazed surface and came to a dead stop in the middle of theintersection. 
The Lexus revvedits engine, its wheels pelting ice. Then rocketed toward them for a secondattack.
Paralyzed, Shannonfroze in terror. Every muscle in her body locked up. Static electricity liftedthe hair at her nape. An image of the accident two years ago flashed throughher mind.     "Hit the gas! Hit the gas!"

~*~

INTERVIEW:

Howdid you get started in writing, and how long have you been writing for?

Iremember writing my first romance when I was in seventh grade. It was anEnglish project, a short story, that I tied into the history subject of the jour—apair of young French lovers who had been kept apart because of the hero's falseimprisonment until Bastille Day reunited them. During high school, I was editorof my school newspaper, and for all of my adult life I've been writing"something."  But it wasn't until my daughter and I decided wecould write a romance, that I tried a full length book. We completed twocategory length romantic suspense novels. They never sold, but I still believewith some reworking they have potential. Each one holds a soft spot in my heartbecause we so much fun working on them together.  
 Whatgenre do you enjoy reading? Do you stick with what you write, or 'play thefield'?
Romanicsuspense is where it's at for me. The only thing better than reading a RS iswriting one. I realized when I looked at my bookshelves that most of my booksare either RS (Stacey Joy Netzel titles top and center) or mainstreamsuspense. Gregg Hurwitz is an awesome suspense writer that I especiallyenjoy. But I'm game for any really well written book and like to start out eachday with reading something that inspires me to write fresh.  Margie Lawsonand Mary Buckham always have good examples of fresh writing on their web orblog sites.  Tanya French, author of In the Woods, is anotherinspiring author. Now that I have a Kindle, I'm focusing on many excellentofferings available from fellow TWRP writers, as well as many WisRWA author'swhose books are only available electronically.(Thanks, Mal, I'm glad you've enjoyed my books. )
Whatdo you find most challenging in the writing process?Nowthat I've had a book published, I find it harder and harder to find time towork on my WIP. Many time-consuming projects have a way of saying"me first," while I know finishing the next book should be the mostimportant item on my agenda.

Whatdo you enjoy most?Startinga new story and creating the characters, although working out a plot withoutholes can be a challenge.

Whatdo you have in store for readers after they've enjoyed Shadow of Deceit?
Too Sexy for His Stetson , a RS set in Idaho where a rookiedeputy and her training officer try to stay focused on business—the whitesupremacist gang that's threatening their Idaho mountain community—while fightingthe forbidden attraction that sparks between them. Also in the works, is anAdrenaline Series that features an uncover FBI counter-terrorism team. I'm alsooffering two free short stories, which are available on my website, atSmashwords, and at most other ebook retailers. Me and Brad is aheart-warming sweet romance while Danger Zone is an adrenaline-kicked RSthat introduces one of the characters from Shadow of Deceit.You can find Mal at her website: www.malolson.com

Mal Olson writes adrenaline-kicked romantic suspense. When her consuming passion for writing allows time, she enjoys reading, flower gardening, jamming with friends on the mountain dulcimer, and hiking in a nearby state forest (or in the mountains somewhere). She has three grown children and one granddaughter and resides with her own special hero in southeast Wisconsin where she juggles writing time with her freelance landscape design business.

And check out Shadow of Deceit's book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MN-ph78gic

Buy links: The Wild Rose Press, Amazon

I enjoyed Me and Brad, but didn't know about Danger Zone. I'll have to check that one out.

Thank you so much to Mal for being here today! Remember to comment with your email contact and she will pick a winner on Friday.

Have a great week!

Stacey Joy Netzel