FINDING LOST by Deena Remiel

I've known Deena Remiel for a few years, and recently reconnected with her at a conference, where she was extremely supportive. She also has library experience--and calls librarians "Book Waitresses," which I love. At the con I attended, she gave a great session, Crafting the Dark Moment, that I got a lot out of. Her forthcoming romantic suspense, FINDING LOST, comes out in 2015.

How could anyone be miserable in paradise? Carrie Samuels could write a book about it. Far away from her family and friends, she’s fled to Isla Mujéres hoping to escape a relentless stalker who knew how to torment and leave no calling card. What started out as a short-term solution has turned into a long-term jail sentence on a tropical island.
Painfully handsome, with a killer smile and well-hewn body, Dillon McMahon left his past behind and plans to spend the rest of his life off the grid on Isla Mujéres, the perfect place to dig in. Living next door to a sexy, quirky, and mysterious woman makes it all the sweeter.
When Carrie and Dillon’s pasts collide with the present, it threatens their budding relationship and sends them into a maelstrom of danger, abduction, and attempted murder. Sometimes, no matter how far you run, you just can’t hide.




Here are Deena's answers to some questions:

In your website bio, you talk about writing dark stories. What draws you to Good vs. Evil, and can you tell us more about your journey toward becoming an author?

I've always been fascinated by the struggle between good and evil in our world. I'd watch the news growing up, listening day after day to horrid stories of crimes perpetrated against human beings BY human beings, and then, suddenly, those stories took a back seat to stories of heroism and "feel good" pieces. I noticed this rise and fall of good and evil and came to an understanding that it will always be so. Our job is to make sure that good always prevails. 

In my writing, I can make sure that happens. No matter how dark, how depraved, how evil a situation may be for my hero and heroine, good will always win and there will always be an HEA or a HFN. 

It's good to know that even in dark moments, there's always a way to prevail! Your forthcoming romantic suspense, FINDING LOST, comes out in 2015. Where did the idea for the story come from, and how did the characters develop as you wrote them?

FINDING LOST was created by answering this question: What if living in an island paradise was perceived as living in a prison? I started crafting my heroine first. Who is she? Why would she think living in paradise was hell? Then I crafted the hero. What's his story? Why did he move to paradise, too? Next, I crafted a reason for them to connect and the rest of the suspenseful plot that helped these two people change and grow and fall in love. 

What an excellent way to build characters! Your series, The Book Waitress, is compiled of 13 serialized novellas. What are some advantages to writing in a serialized format? 

I think one advantage to this kind of project is that I get to go deep into plot over a long period of time. I get to craft relationships, watch them climax and fall apart while new ones are forged, and make sure it's all plausible and realistic.  Serializing affords me the opportunity to release stories in a shorter time-frame than a full-length novel, satisfying my readers' need for more, more, more. As a writer, it's always hard to say goodbye to characters that are dear to my heart. I won't have to say goodbye to Camille and the gang for quite a while. :)

I'm glad! What are some of your current projects?

I'm currently working on Book 4 of The Brethren Series- ANGEL RISING, Part 1. When that goes off for edits, I will begin writing Book 5 of The Book Waitress Series- ROCK-A-BYE DEMON, and Book 6- STICKS AND STONES.

To snag Deena's books for yourself, click the links below: