Winter Austin~Relentless

Winter AustinI’d like to welcome a fellow Crimson Romance author, Winter Austin, to my blog. Thank you, Winter, for visiting and congrats on the release of Relentless! Now let’s get down to business, lol. We want to know more about you and your book. And at the end, I’m going to throw in a bonus question related to one of my favorite topics — the apocalypse. (Raising hand) Yes, I’m a fan of Resident Evil.

In five words, describe your book, Relentless.

Wow, you’re making this hard. Huh. Relentless killer, stubborn Cajun detective.

What will we love about your hero and heroine?

What more can I say? Hot Cajun detective who spouts some French now and then. And a sassy redhead barrel racer who doesn’t take crap off no one, and I mean no one, well except her dad. What I love about Remy LeBeau and Cody Lewis, they’re like real people with pain and suffering in their pasts that have changed them. Not that I’m in love with their pain and suffering, wait, forget that. I’m the creator, what am I saying, I made their pain and suffering. And their romance isn’t quite as tidy as most romances, they are two very stubborn people who have misconceptions that drive wedges between them. And there a demons that haunt Remy, dark demons. Intrigue you yet?

I’m very intrigued and I’m sure readers will be too. We love flawed characters. What keeps Remy and Cody apart? What pulls them together?

Apart: both have tragedies in their pasts that have scarred them, Remy more so than Cody. Remy’s past is very dark and he knows what waits for him, and if he were to get involved with anyone he could lose them too. Cody’s issues stem from a horrible relationship and for her Remy seems to bring those issues back to the surface.

Pulling them together: this unexplained attraction, connection. They just can’t seem to stay away from each other, and the arguments that arise when they do see each other fuel this need to know the other person more. Cody’s safety becomes the driving catalyst for Remy eventually. He’s a protector. But Cody is a Texas gal, one raised to make it on her own. This damsel in distress persona men put on her drives her batty. And if you stick with the series long enough, you’ll get to see a side of her that makes me proud to be her creator.

Is this your debut book or do you have other works out there?Relentless click to buy

It actually is, under the name Winter Austin. I do have a novella in a collection coming out in March under a different name.

Was your journey to publication a walk in the park or a slow crawl over burning coals?

Slow crawl over those coals. This was a 14+ years in the making deal, and this book, in many different forms, is just as old as my path to publication.

What are your plans or goals for this year as an author?

Get books 2 & 3 to the Degrees of Darkness series out and ready to go, and write book 4—yup, it’s a 4 book series. I have some other books I’d like to get going, and market, market, market my books.

What words of advice would you give writers wishing to be published, either traditionally or self-published?

Never give up. If you’re programed to be an author you never let anyone tell you differently. My book Relentless was rejected, oh, about 30 times by editors, and some of those rejections were by the same house. It took me 7 years to finally get it published. I never gave up on the story and I never gave up on my desire to be an author.

I so admire your determination and it paid off. Good for you. Okay, one last question. If an apocalypse occurs, who would your heroine rescue other than her hero? I ask because the answer tells us a lot about our heroine. J

Probably her dad, Logan. Cody’s mother was murdered and her dad is all she has left. And believe me, you don’t want to get in Cody’s way when it comes to rescuing people. 😉

Winter, thank you so much for stopping by my blog. Good luck with your series and happy writing! To stalk Winter, you can find her at these places:

Winter Austin website: http://www.winteraustin.com/

Twitter: @WinterAustin_

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/w.austin.degressofdarkness

pinterest: http://pinterest.com/winteraustin/

Where you can see images of the character models.

Book Info:

Relentless (Crimson Romance)

by Winter Austin

Release Date: 11 February 2013
Dallas homicide detective Remy LeBeau trusts no one. He hides from a past that could kill him and anyone involved with him. What he’s not prepared for is the return of an elusive serial killer . . . and an unwanted desire to protect a witness at all costs.

Professional barrel racer Cody Lewis’s dream of being top in the nation is within reach until she discovers a murdered woman in her horse trailer. The event pulls her into the sickening world of the Rodeo Sweethearts serial killer—a madman who terrorized Dallas’s rodeo circuit five years prior and is now back for more. But what’s worse is that Cody fits the profile of the Rodeo Sweetheart victims. . . .

As Remy dives into the investigation, he uncovers secrets of a botched investigation and a tight-lipped boss, while attracting unwanted attention from the killer. Battling his partner, his attraction to Cody, and the demons of his past, catching the killer could cost Remy everything. Even Cody’s life.

Romantic suspense
Sensuality Level: Behind Closed Doors

Author Bio:
Winter Austin resides in the mid-west with her Beta Hero, four mind-boggling kids, and a bevy of pets. When she’s not trying to kill her characters in some form or fashion she can be found in the kitchen creating another culinary delight.

 

Available @

Crimson Romance: http://www.crimsonromance.com/upcoming-releases-romance-ebook/relentless

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Relentless-Crimson-Romance-ebook/dp/B00B03EHUA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358262763&sr=1-1&keywords=relentless+winter+austin

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/relentless-winter-austin/1114192565?ean=9781440564444