Ruby Release Spotlight: In the Presence of Evil by Autumn Jordon

Posted by Jun 15 2011, 12:01 am in ,

Today we celebrate Autumn Jordon’s third release, IN THE PRESENCE OF EVIL, a thrilling romantic suspense in which the Russian mafia infiltrates the heart of a small Pennsylvania town and forces an independent young banker to accept the help of the strong-willed rogue she loved — and lost — as a teen.

IN THE PRESENCE OF EVIL cover imageIn handcuffs for a murder and nowhere to turn, Gina Rizzo’s only hope to stay out of jail is to accept the help of the man who years ago broke her heart, and who still makes her tremble with desire.

Staring death down is easier for Marine Cole Hanson than facing the woman who stole his soul and then betrayed him. However, when Cole returns home for the holidays and sees Gina in handcuffs, old feelings flare and even though he doesn’t trust her with his heart, he willingly steps up as her alibi.

When Gina’s life is threatened, Cole vows to protect her. However, staying alive becomes an undertaking for the two while they track a murder. Their only hope is to trust each other again, but if they do, will their rekindled love lead to their demise?

Autumn Jordon recently sat down with me to answer my burning questions about her newest thriller.
JAMIE: You’ve said that IN THE PRESENCE OF EVIL is inspired by true events, but I shudder to think of how much might be true! Can you elaborate on your inspiration for the plot of this novel?
AUTUMN: LOL, Jamie, not all of ‘In The Presence Of Evil’ is based on true events. Just a tiny bit. I can share only a little of that truth because of ethical reasons.  A wire transfer sent by the company I’d worked for somehow was breeched and requested to be rerouted to an account in Russia.  Fortunately, it was caught.  An investigation transpired and of course I took notes and started playing what if.  Life is definitely interesting at times.

JAMIE: This is your second novel about the Russian Mafia. Do I see another in the future?
AUTUMN: Yes. I’m just completed a third.  I don’t have a title yet.  It will be my last mafia book for a while.  I have few other projects started.

JAMIE: The small town of Mountain Pine feels like a real place. Is it? Do you plan to set any future stories there?
AUTUMN: The town is fictional, but a lot of its characteristics are based on a small town near my home here in northeast Pennsylvania.   I love the region I call home.  Using it as the setting for my books has thrilled many local readers.  They really get a kick out of reading something and knowing I’d based it on their hometown. My next book is set in New Jersey, Virginia and also in another small NE PA city, further north.  I think there is a popular current sitcom based in the PA city.

JAMIE: This is your third release, after your award-winning debut novel EVIL’S WITNESS and your sexy cowboy novella OBSESSED BY WILDFIRE. What draws you to romantic suspense?
AUTUMN: Evil’s Witness was also romantic suspense and Obsessed By Wildfire was a fun, sexy, contemporary western which still had a bit of suspense. I’ve always been drawn to suspense novels and movies.  And I’ve always been a sucker for a good romantic story.  I love the spine chilling thrills and the ‘AH’ factor.

JAMIE: Do you ever think of writing in another sub-genre?
AUTUMN: Yes. I have a romantic comedy written and hope to pitch the series outline at nationals.

JAMIE: Any plans to write another Western-set romantic suspense?
AUTUMN: I had such fun writing Obsessed By Wildfire and definitely would love to write another.

JAMIE: Tell us about your hero, Cole. What inspired you to write about this troubled teen turned military hero? Do you have any personal experience with group homes for delinquent teenagers?
AUTUMN: When writing a story, I think we all pull from our own lives and elements that are familiar to us.  There is a group home near our town.  I’ve seen them outside the home, playing basketball or just hanging out and wondered what their lives, past and present, were like and where their paths would lead.  The boys have attended a few for our churches services and afterwards we’ve socialize. A few of the boys hoped to continue their education and build a life for themselves. I hoped they did. They were my inspiration for Cole.

JAMIE: I always struggle with torturing my characters, particularly the female ones, but you back your heroine into a tight corner not once, but several times! This gave the book unrelenting pace and hair-pulling tension. Can you give me any advice on how to be mean to my girls?
AUTUMN: Gosh, I’m not a mean person, really, but my villains are. I guess you need to sit down with your villains and really get to know them.  Know to what lengths they’d go in order to achieve their goals.

JAMIE: You featured several spine-tingling villains in this novel, and you’ve said in the past that you enjoy getting in the heads of your darker characters. What sort of research do you do for your villains? How close would you be willing to get to evil for the sake of writing about it?
AUTUMN: Honestly, I don’t want to meet any of them. Reading about men and women who’ve done what my villains do is enough, and that is what I’ve done.  Some books I’ve used for research are ‘The Unknown Darkness’ by Gregg McCrary, ‘Between Good And Evil’ by Roger L. Depue, and ‘The Human Predator’ by Katherine Ramsland.  Plus newspapers and online information and I’ve watched many films and documentaries. The history channel is very informative.  I’ve also interviewed a few FBI agents.

JAMIE: IN THE PRESENCE OF EVIL has a phenomenal cover! I gather that you had a strong hand in the artistic direction of it. Can you tell us more about that process?
AUTUMN: Thanks. IN THE PRESENCE OF EVIL’S cover came out exactly as I’d envisioned.  The Wild Rose Press allows their authors a lot of input into their design. They want you to be happy.
While looking for pictures to use in my trailer, I’d found the base picture for the cover on a stock picture site and bought it. I then forwarded it onto the art department along with details of what I thought would be a great cover.  Rae Monet, who also designed my website, www.autumnjordon.com, was the cover artist and she made it perfect.

JAMIE: This is your third release with The Wild Rose Press in about as many years, I believe. What enables you to keep up this steady pace? Do you find it difficult to balance writing and family, or are they complementary?
AUTUMN: Sometimes, Jamie, is it tough to balance life and writing, but writers write.  I can probably count on my hands the number of days I haven’t written a word over the last ten years. Three of those days were the wedding days of my children and four more were the days my grandchildren were born.
I write every single day.  Even if it’s a paragraph or editing a page or two.  I have three and half novels that haven’t found a home yet, but they will one day.

JAMIE: What is your favorite thing about being a published author?
AUTUMN: Hands down. Having readers say how much they enjoyed my work.  It’s a dream come true.

Everyone, please join me in congratulating Autumn on her newest release. She’ll be popping in all day to answer your questions about her novel, her process, or anything else you might think up. And do tell us: how much real life do you put into your own novels?

UPDATE: Head to http://www.autumnjordonsnotes.blogspot.com to enter to win a copy of IN THE PRESENCE OF EVIL!

42 Comments

Comments

42 Responses to “Ruby Release Spotlight: In the Presence of Evil by Autumn Jordon”

  1. Anne Marie Becker says:
    June 15, 2011 at 12:32 am

    Hi, Autumn and Jamie – congrats to Autumn on the new release. It sounds fabulous. I love stories where there’s a chance to redeem a lost love.

    Reply
    • Autumn Jordon says:
      June 15, 2011 at 5:56 am

      Me too, Anne. After writing this story, I wondered if Gina and Cole would passed by each other again, like the proverbial ships in the night, if the Russian mafia hadn’t shown up in town. I guess there is a silver lining to every story.

      Reply
  2. Gwynlyn MacKenzie says:
    June 15, 2011 at 7:52 am

    Congratulations, AJ. Great interview, Jamie.

    I love the cover of ITPOE. It’s stark, the contrasts are bold, and it speaks volumes about the story without saying a word.

    Emotions and people are real in my stories, but the situations are an amalgamation of observances through time. It’s that whole “lizard brain” thing; era has little to do with the basic emotional make-up.

    Reply
  3. Rita Henuber says:
    June 15, 2011 at 8:38 am

    Congrats Autumn and wishes for many sales. I have loved the cover from the moment you first shared. Sweet that you had so much input on how it turned out. I had the privilege or reading this story and wow! It is very fast paced. Couldn’t put it down. One reason is Aurumn’s great chapter ending hooks. Dang I wish I could do that.
    Great interview ladies.

    Reply
  4. Diana Layne says:
    June 15, 2011 at 9:02 am

    Autumn, that cover screams “buy me!!!” Enjoyed the interview, good luck!

    Reply
  5. Hope Ramsay says:
    June 15, 2011 at 9:22 am

    Happy release day.

    Jeepers, another sister-book to be added to the TBR list. This is getting redonculous. I need some serious summer hammock time in order to get reconnected with my Kindle.

    :)

    Reply
  6. liz talley says:
    June 15, 2011 at 10:09 am

    Congrats, Autumn! I enjoyed the first Russian mobster books and I think it inspired me as I write my first novel with suspense…which is much harder than it looks. I’m ready to go back to straight contemporary. My biggest hurdle is researching law enforcement. Villians don’t operate by rules – they do whatever it takes, but law enforcement have strict codes and laws – how did you do research on that?

    Reply
    • Autumn Jordon says:
      June 15, 2011 at 10:52 am

      During the investigation, I told the FBI agent about my book and said I was working on another. I asked for his card and we chatted later about my ideas. I also have a local police officer for a close freind. I love talking to these guys. And when they get started, they give me so many ideas.

      Reply
    • Diana Layne says:
      June 15, 2011 at 7:55 pm

      Oh, Liz, I don’t know how you write a book without killing someone!! I’d never be able to write straight contemporary.

      Reply
  7. Laurie Kellogg says:
    June 15, 2011 at 10:20 am

    Congratulations, Autumn. I love the cover. That dripping blood really gives me chills. It’s always fascinating to learn was the inspiration was for a story.

    Reply
    • Autumn Jordon says:
      June 15, 2011 at 10:53 am

      Thanks, Laurie. Wait until the next one.

      Reply
      • Jamie Michele says:
        June 15, 2011 at 1:07 pm

        The next one?

        Can you tell us what you’re working on now, Autumn?

        Reply
        • Autumn Jordon says:
          June 15, 2011 at 2:06 pm

          Sorry, Jamie. This is the second reply. Cyberspace is not on my side today.

          I have another story completed and cooling. You know. I need to forget it before reading with fresh eyes. Then edits and off to CP to tear apart. I love her. She does make the story better.

          Anway, just a bit, my villian desires everything a local police officer has, including his new girlfriend. He’ll stop at nothing to have her for his own.

          Reply
          • Jamie Michele says:
            June 15, 2011 at 2:22 pm

            *shivers* Sounds delightfully sinister!

            I totally know what you mean about letting a story cool. I’ve got one that’s been cooling for far too long. I finished it for the GH deadline and haven’t touched it since. I think I know it’ll take a lot of work to fix, and my current WIP just feels like a better, more put-together story, even in its first-drafty state.

  8. Kelley says:
    June 15, 2011 at 10:44 am

    Autumn, Congratulations. I loved reading about the initial inspiration for your story-real life is astounding.
    Good luck with it. The cover is really cool. I bet it will draw a lot of attention. Translation: new readers! I’ll definitely be among them.

    Reply
  9. Kelly Fitzpatrick says:
    June 15, 2011 at 12:39 pm

    Happy, happy day! Love your cover, Autumn.

    Reply
  10. Cynthia Justlin says:
    June 15, 2011 at 2:38 pm

    Happy release day, Autumn! I loved EVIL’S WITNESS and can’t wait to read ITPOE!

    I’m very shy when it comes to talking to people, so I admire your ease at talking to cops and FBI agents and such. I’d much rather just scour the internet for research, LOL, but I really do need to learn to step outside my comfort zone.

    Reply
    • Autumn Jordon says:
      June 15, 2011 at 3:11 pm

      Ah, thanks, Cyn. Talking to people does get easier. Believe me. Ask that first question and they’re off. People love to talk about themselves and their jobs- when someone is interested. Example, I met a woman who is a butcher on Monday. She didn’t find her job interesting, but in the back of my mind a started thinking plot. The more she talked the more I asked. Try it.

      Reply
    • Rita Henuber says:
      June 15, 2011 at 3:32 pm

      Cynthia the funny thing is they WANT to talk to you. In DC during the RWA conference I took a group to the White House. When those Secret Service Agents learned we were not just writers, but ROMANCE writers, the stories were pouring out of them and they offered cards with email addresses if we had any questions. They wanted us to be sure and write that they were all very good looking

      Reply
  11. Shoshana Brown says:
    June 15, 2011 at 3:24 pm

    Happy release day, Autumn! Wishing you many sales.

    Reply
  12. Amanda Brice says:
    June 15, 2011 at 3:43 pm

    Congrats on the new release, Autumn! Wishing you many, many sales. It sounds fabulous and I can’t wait to read it!

    Reply
  13. Shea Berkley says:
    June 15, 2011 at 11:38 pm

    Congratulations on the release of In the Presence of Evil, Autumn! Your cover is fantastic. When I first saw it I got chills, it’s that good. I immeditately wanted to pick it up and start reading it.

    Reply
  14. Vanessa Barneveld says:
    June 16, 2011 at 2:37 am

    Congratulations, Autumn! I agree with Shea–that cover is fabulous. So dramatic. I had to laugh at your comment about not wanting to meet your villains. I’m looking forward to reading In the Presence of Evil!

    Great interview!

    Reply
  15. Bev Pettersen says:
    June 16, 2011 at 7:48 am

    It’s a fabulous cover, Autumn. Looking forward to reading this book. My husband in in a Russian jail once and said it wasn’t a fun time!

    Reply
  16. Caroline Clemmons says:
    June 16, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    Autumn, this books sounds sooooo good and the cover is very nice. I look forward to reading it. Best of luck with sales!

    Reply

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