Please join me in welcoming Elizabeth Heiter back to Always With a Book. Elizabeth’s new book, Seized, the 3rd book in her Profiler series, will be published at the end of the month. This is one of my favorite series and I’ll be reviewing it in the coming weeks, but for now, enjoy this great guest post and brief excerpt!!!
Title: Seized
Author: Elizabeth Heiter
Series: The Profiler, #3
Published: December 2015, MIRA
Danger is all around her…
What
should have been a routine investigation for FBI profiler Evelyn Baine
turns ominous when she’s kidnapped by a dangerous cult of survivalists.
As her worst nightmares become a reality, she begins to question what
she’s seeing. Because the longer she’s inside their compound, the more
she realizes this group is not what it seems to be.The next terrorist threat is right beside her…
As
the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team closes in, Evelyn suspects she’s stumbled
onto an emerging terrorist threat—and a cult leader who has a score to
settle with the FBI. If Hostage Rescue breaches the compound, Evelyn’s
dead for sure. If they don’t, the cult may unleash a surprise attack
that could leave the whole country shattered.
Creating a Series Character
When I wrote my debut novel, HUNTED, I knew I wanted my heroine, FBI profiler Evelyn Baine, to return for more books. So I purposely created a character who had room to grow, who could change and progress throughout the course of a series in interesting (and perhaps unexpected) ways.
To start, I made her 29 years old, a little young for her position as a profiler for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, but good for me, because that meant she had close to 30 years before the FBI’s mandatory retirement age. As a profiler who handles some of the country’s most difficult (and gruesome) cases, I needed her to have a deeply personal reason for the job she chose, something to drive her forward through case after case. I decided it was the abduction of her best friend Cassie when she was twelve years old. In HUNTED, Evelyn learns she was supposed to have been a victim, too.
In the sequel, VANISHED, Evelyn has already tackled a tough serial killer case and earned the grudging respect of her peers. She’s moved tentatively forward in a non-work relationship with Hostage Rescue Team agent Kyle McKensie. So, I throw her a tough challenge: the person who abducted her friend all those years ago is back (you can read about that in my Always With a Book post from last year!).
In my new book, SEIZED, which releases Dec. 29, the book begins with Evelyn having solved the case that has propelled her forward, and shaped her entire life. With that goal accomplished, she’s suddenly adrift, wondering if the FBI is really where she belongs. So, naturally, I have a group of cultists (who are adept at shaping people’s identities) take her hostage. Only, once she’s inside, she begins to suspect this cult is much more dangerous than it seems. She needs to reach the outside world to warn them, but she’s trapped, and her phycial situation really matches what’s happening internally for her.
From HUNTED through SEIZED, Evelyn grew a lot: she became (a little!) less socially awkward, opened up to those around her, and let in a possible love interest. I’ve finished the first draft of STALKED, the next book in the series, and Evelyn – like any real person – has continued to evolve as she experiences new challenges and tackles new cases. She’s got a lot more room to grow, and I’m looking forward to pushing her – and everyone around her – into different stages of their lives, and hopefully keeping the series fresh for many books to come!
About the Author: Critically acclaimed author ELIZABETH HEITER likes her suspense to feature strong heroines, chilling villians, psychological twists, and a little bit (or a lot!) of romance. Her research has taken her into the minds of serial killers, through murder investigations, and onto the FBI Academy’s shooting range.
Elizabeth graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English Literature. She’s a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America and Romance Writers of America. Elizabeth is also a regular columnist for International Thriller Writers at The Thrill Begins as part of “Murderers Row.”
Authors Links:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads
Books:
Profiler Series
#1: HUNTED, Available Now – My Review
#2: VANISHED, Available Now – My Review
#2.5: AVENGED – Special online short story – available 12/28/15
#3: SEIZED – Available 12/29/15
***Note from Elizabeth:
The books in my series can be read in order, or as
standalones. In between VANISHED, which
released last year, and SEIZED, I’ll also have a free short story in The
Profiler series called AVENGED. You can
read a chapter a day on the Harlequin.com website beginning December 28.
Lawmen Series
#1: DISARMING DETECTIVE
#2: SEDUCED BY THE SNIPER
#3: SWAT SECRET ADMIRER
**********************************************************************************
Brief Excerpt:
Lee Cartwright wanted to kill her.
Evelyn Baine didn’t need to be a profiler with a FBI’s elite Behavioral Analysis Unit – BAU – to know it. All she needed to do was stare into Cartwright’s angry, narrowed eyes – look at the snarl quivering on his lips, the thrust of his jaw as he leaned toward her across the table.
The bare bulb flickered overhead, deep in the bowels of the Montana State Prison. The distant chorus of prisoners’ voices reached her ears, but it was just the two of them in the tiny, dingy room. Just her and the convicted bomber. They were separated only by a flimsy table and a pair of standard-issue handcuffs. Those were bolted to the table, but looked as if they’d barely closed around Cartwright’s meaty wrists.
His eyes skimmed over her once more and she knew exactly what he saw – a perfect victim.
Thank you Elizabeth for sharing this…I can’t wait to catch up with Evelyn and see what’s next for her!
Thank you so much for having me back to your blog, Kristin! It's always fun to visit here!! 🙂