THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!
Chatting With Buckeyes is a series where I interview a different author from Ohio every month. This month, please help welcome Mystery & Romantic Suspense author Angela Henry to A Buckeye Girl Reads!
1. Can you tell us a bit about your first romantic suspense novel, The Paris Secret?
Sure! The Paris Secret is about a librarian, Maya Sinclair, who goes on vacation to Paris to lick her wounds after being dumped by her boyfriend. Almost as soon as she arrives everything goes wrong. Within 24 hours she’s wanted for murder and on the run with hot French journalist Simon Girard whose brother’s death is connected to Maya’s troubles. Together they discover a trail of murder connected to a priceless book hidden centuries ago by a French queen’s secret daughter.
I got the idea for The Paris Secret after taking a solo trip to Paris in 2007. I heard some 300 year-old gossip from a tour guide at the Palace of Versailles about a French queen who’d given birth at the palace to a child fathered by her African lover. The Paris Secret has history, mystery, suspense, thriller, romance, and paranormal elements. I call this my everything-but-the-kitchen-sink book.
Not really. I drew on my own experiences in Paris to write most of the scenes. For everything else, all I can say is: Thank God for Google Maps Street View! It was almost as good as being there.
3. Was it hard switching from writing mysteries to writing Romantic Suspense?
Yes and no. It wasn’t hard as far having the motivation to want to make a change and branch out with my writing. The challenge for me was being able to equally balance the suspense with the romance. In the end, The Paris Secret is still more mystery/suspense than romance because that’s where my comfort zone lies.
4. Do you have a favorite scene from The Paris Secret, and will we be seeing more of Maya and Simon?
I have a lot of favorite scenes. One of my favorites is where Maya and Simon get cornered on a rooftop by the police and are forced to do something pretty gutsy to get away, which has some rather…aromatic consequences.
I actually do have another Maya and Simon book all plotted and outlined. I’ll start writing it in a few months as soon as I clear some other writing projects off my schedule. It will include all the same elements as The Paris Secret but it will also delve into the circumstances surrounding Maya’s birth and the origins of her paranormal experiences.
5. You have a mystery series featuring GED Instructor Kendra Clayton-what is your favorite part of writing mysteries?
My absolute favorite thing about writing mysteries is the puzzles aspect. I love creating puzzles, and red herrings. I love leading my characters down the wrong paths and giving them enough clues for them and the readers to follow to solve the crime.
6. What made you start the Mystnoir Website, and can you tell us a little bit about it? http://aamysteries.blogspot.com
I started MystNoir in May of 2000 as a way to help get more exposure for mysteries by and featuring African-Americans. Many bookstores tend to lump books by African-American authors into one catch all section seriously hampering their discoverability since most mystery lovers go to the mystery section when looking for new mysteries. The site is a labor of love for me. But having said that, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to actively maintain it, as my own writing schedule is getting heavier.
Ohio Questions
1. Football season is almost here, and I have to ask: Ohio State Buckeyes or Ohio University Bobcats, or neither?
Ohio Questions
1. Football season is almost here, and I have to ask: Ohio State Buckeyes or Ohio University Bobcats, or neither?
I graduated from Ohio U! I’m a Bobcat all the way! Go green and white!
2. Do you have a favorite Ohio food or drink?
I love Cassanos pizza and my hometown of Springfield is home to Schuler’s Bakery where you can get some, if not the, best donuts in the state.
3. Where is your favorite place to go in Ohio?
I love going to the village of Yellow Springs. It’s literally a ten-minute drive up the road from where I live. It’s a really cool, funky little village with a lot of character and history. It was even a stop on the Underground Railroad.
4. What's the one thing everyone should know about Ohio?
Ohio is a great place to live. It has all the same art and entertainment, sports, dining and culture that other places have. I think a lot of people who move here are really surprised by all that Ohio has to offer.
5. Where can we find you on the web? Thank you so much for stopping by today!
5. Where can we find you on the web? Thank you so much for stopping by today!
Website: http://www.angelahenry.com
Twitter: @mystnoir
Facebook: http://is.gd/r6w3g6
Tumblr: http://angiehenry.tumblr.com
The Giveaway:
One lucky winner will get an ebook version of The Paris Secret.
My Review
About the book:
Less than twenty-four hours after fleeing to Paris, Maya Sinclair is the prime suspect in a brutal murder—and targeted by the real killer. When she's viciously attacked in the gardens of Versailles, Maya barely escapes with her life thanks to sexy French journalist Simon Girard.
Simon has been investigating the mysterious death of his brother, an art forger with ties to the woman Maya is suspected of killing. Still healing from heartbreak of his own, Simon reluctantly joins forces with Maya, who has awakened feelings within him he thought long dead.
Their search for answers uncovers the existence of a secret society, and puts them on a quest to find a missing crucifix rumored to hold the key to everlasting life. Together, Maya and Simon race through Paris one step ahead of a killer who will do anything to ensure some secrets remain buried forever..
*****NOW CLOSED******
Giveaway Rules:
Please leave a question for Angela or answer what draws you to the mystery or romantic suspense genre, must be a blog follower, and please leave an email so I have a way of contacting the winner. *disclaimer* If I do not hear from the winner within 2 days of posting the winner, then a new one will be chosen.Giveaway is open in 8/14/11 @ 11:00pm, est
~I am playing around with my background again, so don't be surprised if it looks different everytime you come back this week. :)
