Title: Jagger
Series: Steele Shadow Investigations
Author: Amanda McKinney
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: 18th June 2020
BLURB supplied by Xpresso Book Tour
Secrets, lies, deceit… A former Navy SEAL turned homicide detective has met his match in this new *standalone* addition to the number #1 Bestselling Steele Shadows Series…
He found her covered in blood.
She promises she’s innocent.
The question is… Can he trust her?
Feared just as much on the streets as at a crime scene, Homicide Detective Max Jagger has dedicated his life to one thing—speaking for the dead. Everyone and everything else be damned, including his own demons. During one of the most oppressive heat waves to hit the small, southern town of Berry Springs, the former Navy SEAL is called to a scene where a real estate heiress is found standing over a dead body, holding the murder weapon. The local cops immediately dub it a slam-dunk case, but if Jagg has learned anything from his days running special ops, it’s that nothing is as it seems… including this suspect.
Despite her name, Sunny Harper is as beguiling as a fallen angel. Clever, cunning, completely unwilling to cooperate, and, perhaps his least favorite quality—mind-numbingly intoxicating. When evidence from the scene suggests an accomplice, Jagg begins to believe that Sunny is both innocent and in danger, despite the towns’ uproar to lock her up. Torn between his growing feelings for his suspect, he takes Sunny to a secluded lake house where he discovers there’s much more behind those enchanting green eyes… including secrets that could take them both under.
With his career on the line and the clock ticking, Jagg must decide if he can trust Sunny… before they both get burned.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Amanda McKinney is the #1 bestselling and multi-award-winning
author of more than ten steamy romantic suspense and mystery novels. She wrote
her debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY, in 2017 after walking away from her career
to become a writer and stay-at-home mom. Set in small, southern towns, Amanda’s
books are page-turning murder mysteries packed with steamy romance.
Her books include the HOT new bestselling series, STEELE
SHADOWS SECURITY, the multi-award-winning BERRY SPRINGS series and BLACK ROSE
MYSTERIES.
Text AMANDABOOKS to 66866 to receive Amanda’s newsletter and
get the latest on new releases, promos, and freebies!
Can you please
tell us a little about your new book Jagger in 30 words or less?
Jagger (Steele
Shadows Investigations) is a sexy, enemies-to-lovers murder mystery about a
Navy SEAL turned homicide detective whose world is turned upside by his
suspect, a mysterious, beguiling fallen angel.
In your
Goodreads Author details the genres you write are listed as Romance, Mystery
& Thriller, which of those is your favourite genre to write & why?
I’m a sucker
for romantic suspense/mystery. I love the delicate mix of romance, intrigue and
heart-pounding suspense, and of course the grand finale of it all, the happily
ever after ending. And let’s be honest, a swoon-worthy hero doesn’t hurt
either.
How did you get
your ideas for Jagger?
The Steele
Shadows series was an unplanned spin-off from the Berry Springs Series. I like
to think of it as Berry Springs’ steamer, darker, grittier, bad-boy brother.
The series was created when I finally submitted to the unrelenting voice in my
head telling me to write something more intense, more emotional, and more
alpha. With blind faith, I wrote Cabin 1, which became my first #1 bestseller.
The character in Jagger (Steele Shadows Investigations) is introduced in Cabin
1 and carried throughout the series. Jagger is a sexy, small-town murder
mystery about two very different strangers who come together to solve a murder,
not realizing they are about to engage in a dangerous game of cat and mouse
with a ruthless killer. It’s got it all—hot romance, murder, mystery, and even
a bit of small-town folklore and witchery!
Did you have to
any specific research for Jagger? If so what/how did you do it?
Yes! I was very
lucky to have open communication with a local detective while outlining Jagger.
My respect for that job tripled. The emotional weight of being a homicide or
sex crimes detective is at a level most people won’t ever experience. The job
truly is speaking for the dead while reliving the evil that was inflicted upon
them. It’s telling their story and getting them justice. I imagine it is
impossible not to take that kind of work home with you. If you’ve read my
previous books, you know that most of the heroes in my books are first
responders, former military or service men. I come from a long line of military
men and woman and I truly believe that soldiers, combat veterans, and first
responders carry a shield of armor that others simply don’t, and this manifests
in many different ways within each person (all those layers and layers!). I
have the utmost respect for them and I hope that shines through in my writing.
Who designed
the Cover of Jagger? Do you have a lot of input into the process?
Steamy Reads
Designs—otherwise known as THE BEST! I had a blast working with Maria. I am a
total control freak and she was able to combine my jumbled thoughts into a
design that was exactly what I saw in my head. I highly recommend them.
Do you have a
specific place and/or routine where you choose to sit & write?
I’m someone who
loves schedules, plans, and consistency. Spontaneity scares the crap out of me.
So I keep myself on a tight schedule packed with deadlines. I write every day,
no matter what. I find that this helps keep the same tone through the book, and
keeps my creative juices flowing. There’s nothing more frustrating than opening
my computer and staring at the screen for thirty minutes trying to figure out
what my next word should be. Writing every day helps to avoid that. I also have
a daily word goal, and I’m pretty hard-core about meeting it. I’ve been known
to set my alarm for 3 a.m. to get in some writing time before the kids wake.
Thanks to this restless nature, I can usually write book a book in a few
months.
Do you, basic
plot/plan for each individual book in the series, before you actually begin
writing it all out? Or do you let the writing flow and see where it takes the
story?
When I begin a
new project, the first thing I do is write a detailed outline—bulleted, of
course. Although the story develops as I go, I try to stick to that outline as much
as possible. I’ve realized that if I don’t, the story becomes scattered, filled
with major plot holes. And no one likes a massive plot hole.
What can we
expect from you next and in the future?
2020 is going
to be a big year for the McKinney Machine! I’m continuing Steel Shadows
Investigations with Jagger’s brother’s story, Ryder, coming this fall. I am so
excited to continue these character’s stories! The books will have everything
you’d expect in a McKinney novel—hot romance, alpha males, strong females,
fast-paced suspense and mystery, but will be standalone novels. No
cliffhangers! The best way to keep up to date on my new releases is to sign up
for my newsletter on my website.
AUTHOR LINKS
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