Don't Mess With Texas (51 page)
Read Don't Mess With Texas Online
Authors: Christie Craig
Tags: #Mystery & Detective, #Contemporary, #Fiction, #Romance, #FIC027010, #Suspense, #Adult, #Erotica, #Women Sleuths
Dear Reader,
Settings are a critical part of every book. They help establish the tone, give insight into characters, and act as the backdrop for the narrative that drives the story forward. Who can forget the first line of
Rebecca
—“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” The brooding house in the middle of the English moors sets us up from the very beginning for the psychological drama that is the center of the book.
When I first conceptualize a novel, I often start with the settings. Where exactly will my characters feel most at home? What places evoke the rhythm and pacing of the book? Because my books tend to involve a lot of adventure, the settings often change with the flow of the story. And when it came time to find the settings for DEEP DISCLOSURE, I knew without a doubt that Alexis would be living in New Orleans.
One of my favorite cities, I love the quirky eccentricities of the Big Easy, and I wanted to share some of my favorites with readers, including the Garden District and the French Quarter. Of course, Alexis and Tucker don’t stay in New Orleans long, and it isn’t surprising that they wind up in Colorado.
We moved a lot when I was a kid, and one of the few stable things in my life was spending summers in Creede. But because I’ve used Creede already in so many books, I
decided this time to use the neighboring town of South Fork as the place where George has his summer retreat. And Walsenburg—one of the places we often stopped for groceries on the way to Creede—as the scene of Alexis’s family’s disaster.
I confess that Redlands, Tucker and Drake’s home, is a place I’ve never actually visited. But a dear friend lived there for several years and tells such wonderful stories about it that it seemed the perfect place for my boys to have grown up and developed their love of baseball.
And of course Sunderland College, while fictional, is indeed based on a real place: Hendrix College, my alma mater. I spent a wonderful four years there, and I hope you enjoy your time at Sunderland with A-Tac as much!
For insight into both Alexis and Tucker, here are some songs I listened to while writing DEEP DISCLOSURE:
The Kill
, by Thirty Seconds to Mars
Breathe (2 am)
, by Anna Nalick
Need You Now
, by Lady Antebellum
And as always, check out
deedavis.com
for more inside info about my writing and my books.
Happy Reading!
Raves for Christie Craig and Her Novels
Christie Craig and Her Novels
“Delightful… Craig hits all the high notes en route to happily ever after.”
—
Publishers Weekly
on
Shut Up and Kiss Me
“Funny, hot, and suspenseful, Craig’s writing has it all. She’s the newest addition to my list of have-to-read authors. Warning: Definitely addictive.”
—Nina Bangs,
New York Times
bestselling author
“Craig is the jewel of my finds when it comes to new authors to add to my favorites list. Her characters draw you in immediately, make you care about them in no time flat, and her humor is to die for.”
“Christine Craig writes delicious sexy romances that are as addictive as a can of Pringles; once you start, you can’t stop! Hilarious, romantic… entertaining from start to finish.”
“Craig is like chocolate: addicting and good for you. I dare you to dive in and not get a good laugh.”
“Christie Craig will crack you up!”
—Kerrelyn Sparks,
New York Times
bestselling author
“4 ½-stars! Fast-moving, exciting, and suspenseful, with the many delightful characters Craig always provides.”
—
RT Book Reviews on Divorced,
Desperate, and Deceived
“Witty and fast-paced… Craig fills her new romantic thriller with a playful tone and quick banter.”
—
Publishers Weekly
on
Gotcha!
“Highly entertaining… a humorous tale that is one part suspense and all parts fun.”
—
RomRevToday.com
on
Divorced,
Desperate, and Dating
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2011 by Christie Craig
Excerpt from
Blame It on Texas
Copyright © 2011 by Christie Craig
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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First eBook Edition: September 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4555-0515-9
