Just Evil by Vickie McKeehan (Guest Post)

A day in the life of an indie romance writer…

After a night spent with hunky Raphael, the alarm goes off at an astonishingly early six a.m. Even though I have no desire to climb out from underneath warm covers and leave Raphael, I must get up to keep my body in shape. Ah, yes, the dreaded workout and exercise. A few laps in my indoor pool should do the trick.

Half asleep, I stumble to the sliding glass door. I force it open with all my strength because my night with Raphael has zapped most of my energy. I step out onto my adjoining deck to dip my toes into the heated water of the shimmering pool only to discover my toes have landed in Beau’s water dish. Beau is my loyal little, bug-eyed pug. But when I finally come to my senses, when I finally come out of my dream-like state enough to realize I don’t have an indoor pool, Beau gives me one of his looks that clearly says, “Crazy woman. I knew I should’ve gone to live with the dog whisperer, Cesar Millan, when I had the chance.”

I decide coffee is what I need to wake up and plenty of it. After I wander into my gourmet kitchen, a voice from the walk-in pantry calls to me. “What can I fix the most talented, the most awesome writer in the business this morning for breakfast? Your wish is my command.”

As I drift over to the coffee pot, I tell my personal chef, “You know what I like. An egg white omelet with an avocado on the side and a toasted muffin with a tall glass of orange juice.”

Suddenly the male voice replies, “Okay, it’s either whole-grain Cheerios or instant oatmeal with a toasted waffle. What’s it gonna be?”

I sigh. Another bubble bites the dust and it isn’t even six-thirty yet.

Over my bowl of gruel, which grows cold while I pour my own cup of coffee, we go over the day’s schedule. I mention I should probably set up a meeting with my marketing department, my publicist, and my agent. I remind my personal secretary that my agent is brokering a deal to sell the rights for Promise Cove to Disney for several million dollars.

He nods back but counters, “We do have that trip planned to the grocery store for later because the cupboard’s getting bare. Plus, we’re out of toilet paper. As for the meeting with your department heads, I did get a confirmation that Del Taco is continuing Taco Tuesday so we’ll set up lunch there. How’s that sound?”

“I do like tacos,” I muttered into my cereal. “But just once, couldn’t we splurge and go to that cute little restaurant over the water for shrimp and lobster?”

He shakes his head. “That’ll blow the budget for this month.”

I sigh again. Time to head back into my fantasy world. The voices in Pelican Pointe are calling to me.

Just Evil, the first book in The Evil Secrets Trilogy, focuses on Kit Griffin, the daughter of former actress Alana Stevens, who was a cold and abusive mother. Kit has moved forward with her life, but when Alana is brutally murdered on Mother’s Day, Kit’s life comes to a screeching halt when the police focus their investigation on Kit.
An old family friend and the man Kit has loved since she was a teenager, Jake Boston helps Kit through the investigation. Jake knows about murder investigations, as he was the prime suspect in his wife’s murder two years earlier. Despite his past, Jake’s determined to win Kit over once and for all. But before that can happen they need to convince the police there's a killer working his way down a list with cold-hearted vengeance in mind.
Forced to delve into Alana's dark past, Jake and Kit uncover a forty-year-old double murder leading them straight to the door of a legal dynasty. Soon they find out just how far the heirs will go to keep the past buried.

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In Promise Cove, the first in the Pelican Pointe series, Jordan Phillips is at her wit's end, reeling from the violent death of her husband in war-torn Iraq and left to fend for herself and her baby. Alone and desperate in backwater Pelican Pointe, she faces an uphill battle against a judgmental and hostile town as she tries to rebuild her life. But when a mysterious and handsome stranger with a tragic secret appears, her fragile new world threatens to come crashing down around her. A heartbreaking story of love and romance, Promise Cove will hold you breathless until the very last page.

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Vickie writes romantic suspense. She's the author of three distinctive, very different series of books, The Evil Trilogy, the Pelican Pointe series, and the Skye Cree novels. She's just finished her ninth book, The Bones Will Tell, the second story in the Skye Cree saga.

Vickie loves to write and enjoys getting two people together, involving them in some type of danger, mystery or suspense guaranteed to challenge the budding relationship between the two main characters.

Her female leads are usually strong-willed, independent women and definitely not the kind who sit around whimpering, waiting for someone to rescue them. Not only that, when you read one of Vickie's books, you'll get a happy ending.

Vickie loves the outdoors, loves to play video games, and enjoys watching football with the hubby. If you've ever read any of her books, you know she's a die-hard Raider fan, which means she has the patience of Job. She's convinced the best food on earth is French fries. Whenever she's writing she keeps two things on hand at all times. Chocolate and Cheetos.

Vickie is proud to be a member of Romance Writers of America.

Contact her through her website: http://www.vickiemckeehan.com/