Book Dive #1: DENIED ORIGIN

This week I'm going to be doing something special, kind of a lead-in to my next book launch (Bet It On My Heart) on March 3. A "book dive" is a deeper and exclusive look into a story. Today we're diving into Denied Origin....

Title: Denied Origin

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Release Date: August 2008

Available in: Ebook and paperback

Original Concept: When crafting DO, I foresaw a fast-paced, heart-pounding race across the globe. I basically asked myself what places I wanted to learn more about and crafted DO around them.

Little Known Fact: The first draft was called "To Die For." It remained the working title of the story until I revised and submitted to TWRP, "Denied Origin" popped into my head. It was the last puzzle piece and the editors liked it so I went with that.

Why "Denied Origin"? Every story has one main protagonist and this is usually the character who changes the most. In this one, the heroine Valentina goes through a complete identity crisis. All her life, she's been told that she's a Brazilian heiress. Then her parents die and she's a wanted woman and she has no idea why, nor will she find out until she goes on this scavenger hunt for clues across the globe with a stranger, a bodyguard named Mark Welles. Throughout the book, she is denied origin - which is exactly why the revised title was the last piece of the story's puzzle.

Cover Artist: Rae Monet

Cover Fact: DO took home to October 2008 Covey Cover Award (Thanks, Rae!!!)

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Hero Name: Mark Welles

Hero Occupation: Retired military, retired FBI, retired bodyguard/bulletcatcher (Valentina is his last guard job)

Hero Description:

It isn’t Herve. She knew it when she ran her gaze over the strong, braced shoulders covered in a white T-shirt which he wore over jeans. He was tall, so tall. Well over six feet. His waist was trim, his build athletic, rangy. His hair was dark and long. It was just long enough to be
secured in the small band at the nape of his neck. From her angle, she saw he had a strong nose and a full mouth. He looked slightly angelic but dangerous all-the same. She shivered and couldn’t decide if it was from fear or excitement.

Hero's Stunt Double: DO was my third full-length novel and then I did tend to use physical muses when crafting heroes/heroines. For both Mark and Valentina, however, I didn't need them. They came to me so fully-formed. But if I had to decide, the only actor who could do this alpha justice would be Gerard Butler.

Hero's Greatest Strength: ability to think on his feet

Hero's Greatest Weakness: lays too much blame on himself

Hero's Astrological Sign: Capricorn (This sign is: Stable, serious, and confident... Loves structure and order. Capricorns are stubborn, determined, and ambitious.... A natural goal setter who accomplishes a lot when working under definite guidelines.... They can be very pessimistic, melancholic, and even unhappy. They need to learn that not everything is under their control and that it’s fine from time to time to relax and to let go of their worries.)

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Heroine Name: Valentina Tuttora

Heroine Occupation: Charity emcee, heiress

Heroine Description:

Her hair fell in long, black curls halfway down the length of her back. She usually wore it straight, but it’d dried into careless curls. He liked it better that way. It fell around her oval-shaped face with its naturally-tanned skin, heart-shaped mouth, perfect nose, and dark, dark eyes. Her eyes were the same color he remembered but deeper, more knowledgeable than before.... His admiration for her doubled when he saw she didn’t eye him with fear but with curiosity and a bit of irresistible challenge.

Heroine's Stunt Double: Salma Hayek

Heroine's Greatest Strength: encounters insurmountable odds and still manages to keep moving forward

Heroine's Greatest Weakness: pride/stubbornness

Heroine's Astrological Sign: Leo (This sign is: Creative and ambitious.... love to be the center of attention, and they often are because they are so enthusiastic, courageous, loyal, and generous.... need to learn to tame their pride and to be less vain.... love to give without asking, often assuming their gift is "truly needed")

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What Sets This Book Apart: Though DO is a romantic suspense, it isn't a conventional RS. It has a villain, taut chapters, elements of danger but the characters are led on a unique journey and wind up in an unexpected place.

Favorite Scene:

#1 - After their first-meet, Mark handcuffs Valentina to a bed to keep her from running away from him.

#2 - Sweet but sexually-charged scene after Valentina is injured, in which Mark helps Valentina dry off after a bath.

Blurb:

Former FBI agent and bodyguard Mark Welles’s career and life are going downhill until he meets Marcisso Tuttora, the man his father died protecting years ago. Wealthy businessman Marcisso puts the life of his only child, Valentina, in Mark’s hands by asking him to return to Rio de Janeiro to guard her.

Less than a week later, Marcisso and his wife are murdered in their beds, and Valentina is running for her life for reasons she cannot begin to guess until she meets Mark Welles. A stubborn heiress to an oil fortune and the son of a highly decorated soldier, they must find a way to escape the country without getting caught and find out why they are chased by a deadly terrorist. In a matter of weeks, they are driven into a scavenger hunt across the globe laid out by Valentina’s parents and embark on a passionate, emotional journey as exhilarating and intense as the race for their lives.

What People Are Saying:

This is a fast-paced story that keeps the reader on the edge of the seat and guessing. The action and sexual tension keep the reader wondering, waiting, and wanting more.... These characters are engaging and smart, and if you like to try to figure out a mystery, this is a great challenge and addition to your to buy list. There are a couple of gripping plot twists that’ll surprise you, but they make perfect sense in the end, once a series of astounding secrets are revealed, especially the big one.... I can only imagine Amber Williams will get better and better and be well read. Her creativity is obvious with this appropriately-named, highly-charged, danger-filled setting and story. Watch for her future works. She’s an amazing writer. No doubt about it.

- Writers & Readers of Distinctive Fiction.