Blackmore, Inc. + What I'm Reading
Blackmore Inc.
That’s the name of a fictional security firm based in Sydney that’s run by four hot men. And guess what? I’ll be writing three of their stories for the new Harlequin DARE line! At least I think the firm will be called Blackmore, Inc., though at this stage, a lot can still change.
But I’ll give you a quick overview of the heroes of these books, along with a little visual inspiration in the form of Jason Mamoa :)
Cameron Blackmore: American, runs security firm Blackmore, Inc., Australia, along with his team. They do all kinds of security, including the traditional guarding that his grandfather built the business on, which features in all three books. Cameron is in long-standing conflict with his father, president of all of Blackmore Inc. He’s also hero of Book #1.
Simon Rodriguez: Miami native who left the girl of his dreams behind – the girl he could never have – swearing he’d never return. He and Cameron met each other in the army, and Cameron hired him when he took over the Sydney business. Hero of Book #2.
Max Jensen: Cameron’s college roommate, wealthy, never serious, from a big Australian ranching family and former rugby player. The only things that get him worked up are his older brother and Natasha. Hero of Book #3, set on the Great Barrier Reef!
Derek Latu: Max’s former teammate on the Manly Rugby Union Football Club, and the only member of the team who is married at the start of the series. Will he get his own book? We’ll see.
What I’m Reading
The books I’m writing are very sexy, featuring lots of (I hope) fun dialogue balanced with compelling emotion. This goes for both the Stockholm Diaries, Alice episodes as well as the new Blackmore Inc. books. In preparation, my reading pile features books to help me with all different aspects writing.
Higgins is a master of dialogue. Really. I loved this book, which features hilarious back-and-forth between the heroine and a reluctant hero with a heart-breaking past. Higgins achieves a perfect balance between fun and seriousness in this book.
I’ve been sucked into McCarty’s Highlander Guard series, and The Viper and The Rock are probably my favorites. Filled with melodrama that’s based on actual historical events (see author’s notes in the end), the sexy in these books really pulled me in.
You may have seen me mention this book before. No, I don’t know the author, nor do I have any sort of vested interest in selling this bookJ. It’s quite simply the best book I’ve read in a long, long time. This isn’t a romance, but it does speak to the topic of love. Heart-wrenchingly emotional and overall incredibly inspirational, as a writer and in general.
This is a super-sexy, revenge-to-love story that’s gotten a lot of hype, so I’m curious. I bought this a while ago, and I plan to read it right before I write Book #2, Simon’s story – also featuring revenge.
This is romance abroad, my favorite! I’m curious to see what Riley does with travel + romance.
I don’t read a ton of books on writing anymore – I did much more of that in college. But this one looks great, a mix of practical and inspirational, so I bought it. Perfect read for the RT Convention in Atlanta.
P.S. Are you going to RT, too? Let me know – I have some gifts for readers I meet in person!
