April 21, 2006

Inspiration

Music of the moment: Tindiba - By Samite

I’m working on my line edits for HEART OF MERCENARY — the first book of my Silhouette Intimate Moments SHADOW SOLDIERS trilogy due out in October this year. It’s set in the dark heart of the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), a land even more primal and unexplored than the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (or Congo-Kinshasa). It’s a place that challenges my heroine, Sarah, a nurse from Seattle, in the most profound ways possible. A rough mercenary hero with an armored heart doesn’t help. Neither does the fact that Sarah is carrying a biohazard container with an unidentified level 4 pathogen that she has to get out of the jungle and to the CDC in Atlanta at all cost — and because of her deadly cargo, she has unwittingly become a pawn in a lethal global game. And now, with the clock ticking down on a deadly threat that could change the shape of the world’s future, plus a hostile militia on their tail — never mind the natural hazards of equatorial jungle … the only way my hero and heroine are going to see their way through this is to find common ground … and love.

Trouble is … I woke up to a low grey sky spitting wet snow this morning — a world away from the steamy jungle. I needed to feel the heat, fast :). I think I’m like most authors in that I surround myself with inspiration, or emotional triggers, for each book. For this one it’s a playlist that includes the soundtracks from BEYOND BORDERS (Clive Owen plays a real old school alpha to die for :)) and TEARS OF THE SUN (Monica Belluci plays a doctor with morals close to Sarah’s heart … and, well, there’s Bruce Willis who fights his attraction for the good doc all the way). I also have music from Samite, Ayub Ogada (CONSTANT GARDNER), Geoffrey Oryema, and Jaluka (a home town favourite from South Africa).

Monica Belluci and Bruce Willis in Tears of the Sun.

But by next week I will need to return to the dry and vast deserts of Arabia for A SULTAN’S RANSOM, followed by a cool New York City, and then the Caymans for RULES OF RE-ENGAGMENT where the clock finally stops ticking in the trilogy’s dramatic showdown. And just wait until I show you my inspiration for Rafiq Zayed … and Jacques Sauvage

Posted by Loreth @ 7:07 pm | THE WRITING LIFE

3 Responses to “Inspiration”

On April 22nd, 2006 at 3:37 pm
Toni Anderson Says:

Hey Loreth–are you now blogging? Can I out you on my blog tomorrow???

Wow!! Fabulous stuff, site, info
On April 22nd, 2006 at 8:36 pm
Meretta Says:

She’s a blogging queen, only 17, la la…dig out your Abba albums! Let’s dance!
On April 22nd, 2006 at 9:33 pm
Loreth Says:

Be careful, Meretta … I actually DO have old Abba albums!

MANHUNTER dishes up “Creepy chills” - 1st review is in!

After Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer Gabe Caruso can’t save his fiancee from a sadistic serial killer, he has trouble dealing with the guilt. His only consolation is that he put the man in jail. Cutting himself off, Gabe takes a post in Black Arrow Falls, a small town in the Yukon. There, he meets tracker Silver Karvonen, a woman with secrets of her own. Both are stunned to feel the pull of attraction. Then the killer escapes, and Gabe knows that trouble is on the way. Loreth Anne White serves up some creepy chills in Manhunter (4), as a serial killer wages both psychological and physical warfare. This compelling tale, part of the Wild Country series, features two emotionally scarred people who discover that being together makes them stronger.

—Sandra Garcia-Myers

“THE HEART OF A RENEGADE is a skillfully crafted novel, packed with complex characters involved in a well-used plot line; however, it is innovatively done. Loreth Anne White’s pacing is superb, maintaining ever mounting intensity as the story plays out. This story is rich with detail, and a plot that could be expanded to a 450 page hardcover. That said, it does not feel as if it were condensed but evolves in the expected manner only to twist and turn a bit adding interest and suspense. The dynamics between Jessica and Luke are extraordinarily well handled.

White is a very gifted author and whose future novels will be sought out by this reviewer.”

–Thea Davis

A TOP PICK from Romantic Times BOOKreview for THE HEART OF A RENEGADE

“Luke Stone is just like a stone. After his pregnant wife is murdered, he closes up emotionally, until his employer asks him to protect Jessica Chan, who’s a target of the Chinese Triad Dragons for attempting to expose their atrocities. Luke doesn’t want to be responsible for anyone, and he’s surprised to find a kindred spirit in Jessica. When they’re on the run with only each other to lean on, their emotional barriers crumble. The Heart of a Renegade (4.5) is an action ride full of thrills and surprises and a love story that will make your heart beat faster.

Loreth Anne White has expanded her Shadow Soldiers series, and intriguing and dynamic characters continue to make it compelling.

—Sandra Garcia-Myers

And a five-star review from CataRomance.com:

From the instance THE HEART OF A RENEGADE starts, one will take an indrawn breath and continue to gasp until the explosive ending. The danger is believably suspenseful with heart-pounding threats, and how they are carried out is terrifying realistic. Just when one thinks all is going smoothly for the hero and heroine, more peril crops up and they must once again fight for their lives.

Luke and Jessica are one of the most endearing couples about whom I have had the pleasure to read, and their compelling story profoundly touched me. Whether they are fleeing from the enemy or expressing exactly how they feel on a subject, their actions are authentic and make them seem very true-to-life. Ms. White had me caring for this couple and what the future holds for them, causing numerous tension-filled moments during the story. THE HEART OF A RENEGADE masterfully evokes images and feelings to create an enthralling plus emotional story which never disappoints.
–Amelia Richard

SEDUCING THE MERCENRY earns Cata award