TBR welcomes LJ Garland and Debbie Gould

TBR: Welcome to TBR, LJ and Debbie. Will you share a little bit about yourselves?
LJ GARLAND : Though born and raised in the south, I’ve lived on both the east and west coasts. I love traveling, and  the latest adventures I’ve added to my Bucket List: Machu Pichu and Australia’s Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef. Someday, I hope to get to those places! I’ve been married to my best friend for over twenty years, spend my time home schooling three rambunctious boys, editing in the epub industry, and writing stories that I hopes catches readers’ imaginations as much as the characters and plotlines captivate me. In my spare time (what there is of it LOL), I have tons of hobbies, including building archery equipment from scratch and creating stained glass. I have a passion for anything that goes Boom! …from fireworks to high-powered combat rifles…it’s all good. My hubby and I are both rated helicopter pilots and spent our 10^th anniversary flying cross-country from east to west coast…an adventure I highly recommend.

DEBBIE GOULD : Born in Wichita Falls, Texas, at the age of two my mother and I moved to New Jersey, spending many happy years on my grandparents' horse farm. You'll sometimes find this setting as a backdrop in my stories. As a teenager, my mother and I found a new home in Vermont, which is where I currently reside. With a daughter in the Air Force (along with my six-year-old grandson), and two sons working for the family Well Drilling business, I now shuffle my time between a full time job as a nurse and my writing career. About seven years ago, while looking at over three hundred treasured books lining the shelves, I realized there was a multitude of stories of my own clamoring for release. Since then, I’ve seriously persevered in keeping the keyboard in constant motion.

 TBR: Tell us about Sins of the Mind and where it's available.
LJ and Debbie: Our latest release is the first book from the Red River series. It’s a romantic suspense from Decadent Publishing called Sins of the Mind.

TBR: Please tantalize us with a story blurb or excerpt.
LJ and Debbie:

BLURB:

Seven years ago, Abby Montgomery survived a brutal attack. Now she is ready to put her pain in the past and move on with her life. The problem is, one by one the men in her life are being viciously murdered.

The detective assigned to the case, Ethan Parker, has demons of his own to hide. As the danger gets closer to Abby, so does Ethan. But can they get past his secrets before the killer gets to them? Sometimes the sins of the mind are more depraved than the sins of the heart. 

EXCERPT:

“Moment?” He raised his eyebrows, tried for a surprised expression. “We were having a moment? Where was I?”

A husky laugh escaped Abby’s lips. She gave him a playful shove, but he caught her hand, his fingers encircling her delicate wrist. With great care, he bowed his head and pressed his lips to the center of her palm. Her sharp intake of air told him she liked it.

“Is this the moment you were referring to?” He kissed her wrist. “Or this?” His mouth grazed along her skin, up the side of her neck to the tender point below her ear.

“Mmm.” She shivered.

He inhaled, reveled in her unique scent. A mixture of spicy vanilla and exotic flowers invaded his senses and sent the room slowly spinning. Primal lust roared through him, demanded he possess her in a rush of carnal passion.

But Ethan resisted.

Intent on enticing Abby into a wild, heated frenzy, he trailed the tip of his tongue along her throat. Her pulse hammered beneath his ardent attention, and he reveled in her response. His fingers slid over her supple skin. One hand sought the silky tresses adorning her head while the other coaxed her legs across his lap and then slipped around her waist.

He pulled back, stared into her lovely face. Eyelids fluttering, she sighed in his arms. When she looked at him, desire burned bright in her eyes. His heart stuttered at the sight, and hot need rushed to his groin.

“Abby.” Her name rolled from his tongue in a mix of desperation and lust. A voracious hunger to taste every inch of her body washed over him. The urge to kiss the small of her back, to run his tongue along her skin, delving and dipping into her secret, sensitive places, all but overwhelmed him. “Tell me to stop. If you’re not ready, honey, tell me to stop right now and by all that’s holy, I will. But you need to know how much I want you right now.”

TBR: What inspired you to write about the theme?
LJ GARLAND : Well, it was all Debbie! LOL As I recall, we were both on the same Internet forum. We’d known each other for…what? Two years, Deb?

DEBBIE GOULD : Yup, about that. We had been brainstorming a plot in one of the books I was writing (still unfinished, lol) and I showed her the first chapter of another story that had been screaming in my brain at me. She liked it, and I asked her if she wanted to co-write it.

LJ GARLAND : That’s right! And I was excited because the story was interesting. Romance and murder, what’s not to like? So, we started brainstorming ideas and things got pretty intense and…what’s the word I’m looking for?

DEBBIE GOULD: Twisted?

LJ GARLAND : Yes. That’s a great descriptor. But we both loved it and voilà, Sins of the Mind!

DEBBIE GOULD: From there, came the town of Red River.

LJ GARLAND : And we loved so many of the characters—

DEBBIE GOULD: *cough* The ones that didn’t get killed.

LJ GARLAND: Right. The characters that made it through the first book. So, we thought the town might make a good series.

DEBBIE GOULD: Course that doesn’t mean those characters are safe.

LJ GARLAND: LOL Nope. Anyone can get murdered at anytime.

DEBBIE GOULD: Well, we can’t become predictable.

LJ GARLAND: Nope. Gotta keep things interesting. Course, if readers like a character, say Elliot Swanson or dear sweet Mrs. Fitzgerald, who runs the bakery, well, we might hear about it….

DEBBIE GOULD: If readers aren’t begging for Elliot’s head, then they’re crazy. Of course he’s probably the last one they have to worry about. Besides torturing our characters, we like to torture our readers now and then, so Mrs. Fitzgerald might want to buy a guard dog, lol. 

TBR: Are you plotters or pantsers?
LAURA: Plotter or pantser? Neither. J Um, both? Hmm…

DEBBIE GOULD: We outline lightly so we know what we are supposed to be accomplishing in each chapter, but we are always veering off course and re-arranging. Our characters don’t seem to like to be fenced in. 

LAURA: Yeah…we got ourselves some free-range characters! Hahahaha!

DEBBIE GOULD: (huge eye roll) We’re not talking chickens here. 

LAURA: Better not be! If they were chickens, they’d be dead. I mean, all that murder and mayhem going on in our story? Well, they’d be running around like chickens with their heads cut off!

TBR: Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to share?
LJ GARLAND: “Never give up, never say surrender.”  -Jason Nesmith, Galaxy Quest

DEBBIE GOULD GOLD: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

TBR: What's next for you?
DEBBIE GOULD : We are working on the next book in the Red River Series, yup more murder, mayhem, and romance, lol.

LJ GARLAND : Yep, we’ll be torturing the next characters even more than the first. Though, I think Sins of the Mind had several unexpected twists…and the characters got banged up pretty good.

DEBBIE GOULD : Think we should tease?

LJ GARLAND : Why not? LOL

DEBBIE GOULD : Okay. So, here’s a little bit of our latest WIP….

FBI Agent Will Donovan jogged down the platform toward the train. Each step jolted the flashlight in his hand, sending the beam of light dashing over the concrete in front of him. Would he be too late?

Rows of light illuminated the abandoned trains, left in an old offshoot line of Boston’s Boylston Street Station. He rushed past a wall decorated with graffiti and cobwebs, his footsteps ringing hollow in the old concrete-lined tunnel. Behind him his partner, Kate Yarbrough followed.

“Will,” she called, her voice a harsh whisper filled with warning.

He slowed up. Kate was right. Rushing in could get them both killed. Just because the psycho bastard hadn’t set traps before didn’t mean there weren’t any this time. With both hands, he swept his flashlight beam and Glock 23 across the area, searching out the monster who’d murdered so many women. But only dirt, gravel, and rusted tracks were revealed.

He twisted back to his partner, who tilted her head toward the train car. Get on the train, Will. Find the girl. He nodded.

TBR: Any other published works?
L.J. Garland & Debbie Gould
Sins of the Mind –  Everyone she loves is dying. Is he next on the killer’s list?
Romantic Suspense
kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Sins-Mind-River-Series-ebook/dp/B0083W9XLE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337636191&sr=1-1
ebook: http://www.omnilit.com/product-sinsofthemind-792597-149.html

L.J. Garland
On the Fringes –  He’s an intergalactic thief. She’s the law. He’ll cross the universe to steal her heart.
Sci-fi Romance
kindle: http://www.amazon.com/On-the-Fringes-ebook/dp/B00328ZUZM/ref=ntt_at_ep_edition_1_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
ebook: http://www.omnilit.com/product-onthefringes-507131-143.html

Cadence Interrupted –  He knows she’s keeping secrets. The only thing she can trust are her skills as a pilot.
Romantic Suspense
kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Cadence-Interrupted-ebook/dp/B0030CMLMU/ref=ntt_at_ep_edition_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
ebook: http://www.omnilit.com/product-cadenceinterrupted-434360-152.html

MechMan – She wants revenge. He wants to be human.
Sci-fi Romance
paperback: http://www.amazon.com/MechMan-L-J-Garland/dp/1603182586/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1335976108&sr=8-2
kindle: http://www.amazon.com/MechMan-ebook/dp/B004OC06W2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1335976108&sr=8-2
ebook: http://www.omnilit.com/product-mechman-516526-143.html

Dreamspell Revenge – a collection of stories dedicated to the age-old thirst for getting even.
paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Dreamspell-Revenge-Lisa-Rene-Smith/dp/1603181881/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Dreamspell-Revenge-ebook/dp/B004IAS08C/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
ebook: http://www.omnilit.com/product-dreamspellrevenge-477933-152.html

Dead or Alive – Accused of a murder he didn’t commit, he turns to the only woman who can save him. Too bad she’s a bounty hunter who holds a grudge.
Sci-fi Romance
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Alive-Night-Stand-Series-ebook/dp/B007ZU72G8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337636450&sr=8-1
ebook: http://www.omnilit.com/product-deadoralive-788384-143.html

 

Debbie Gould
Second Chance – He’s built a wall around his heart. Only she can break through to help him love again.
Military Romance
http://www.amazon.com/Second-Chance-Night-Series-ebook/dp/B0070PJ4DC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1337695958&sr=1-1

November Rain – They share a connection halfway around the world. Will she survive when that bond is severed?
Military Romance
http://www.amazon.com/November-Rain-N%C3%A2t%C3%A2licia-Series-ebook/dp/B003WJRGTE/ref=tag_dpp_lp_edpp_img_in

Infidelity -  Somebody wants her dead. Can he figure out who and mend their relationship before they succeed?
Romantic Suspense
http://www.amazon.com/Infidelity-ebook/dp/B003Z9K4ZO/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1337696067&sr=1-3

Mountain’s Echo – He left her ten years ago. Can he convince her he’s back to stay this time?
Romantic Suspense
http://www.amazon.com/Mountains-Echo-ebook/dp/B003ZK5FXY/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2#_

TBR: Who are some of your favorite authors and books? What are you reading now?
DEBBIE GOULD : Suzanne Brockmann, Stephen King, Tami Hoag, Cindy Gerard, Kat Martin, Lori Foster…oh the list goes on and on. Right now I’m reading Christine Feehan’s Spirit Bound

LJ GARLAND : LOL I know! There are so many! Anne McCaffrey, Dean Koontz’s, Orson Scott Card, Suzanne Brockmann for just a few. I’m reading Suzanne Collin’s Mockingjay on my Android pad right now.

TBR: Where can readers find you on the web?
- We can be tracked down at http://www.garland-and-gould.blogspot.com/ where we blog, chat about stuff, and interview other authors.
- L.J. can be caught at www.lj-garland.com and emailed at mail@lj-garland.com You can also tweet her at @LJ_Garland1
- Debbie can be found at http://www.authordebbiegould.com/ and emailed at mountecho2006@yahoo.com.
- We love hearing from people who have enjoyed our stories!

And you can find Sins of the Mind here!

TBR: Thanks for visiting TBR, LJ and Debbie. All the best to you.

LJ GARLAND : Thank you so much for having us here today!
DEBBIE GOULD : Yes, thanks! We had an awesome time!