Author Q&A: Elle Kennedy, Midnight Rescue

I'm very happy to welcome author Elle Kennedy to the blog today!  I've read several of Elle's books and recently read her latest book Midnight Rescue for review.  It's the start of a new series and once I finished the book, I could not stop thinking about the characters.  I love it when books do that and those are the kinds that leave me with the biggest impression of them.  I'll have my review of Midnight Rescue up on the blog later on today, but for now I'm going to chat with Elle!

Welcome to Hanging With Bells Elle! Tell us about yourself.

Well, I grew up in Toronto and I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. Becoming a writer was always my one and only career goal. Fortunately, it panned out for me  I’m also a bit of a dork—I spend my free time reading, playing board games, writing depressing songs on my guitar and playing with my dog. I’m probably the least adventurous person you’ll ever meet! 

Book 1 of your new series was released on May 1st! Midnight Rescue is part of the Killer Instincts series. What is this series about and how did you come up with the idea for this new series?

The series focuses on a group of mercenaries led up by a former Ranger, Jim Morgan. The heroine of Midnight Rescue works for a legendary female assassin who only employs women, so the series also offers some kickass heroines along with all those alpha males. Each book will involve a high-stakes mission and a steamy romance. As for how I came up with the idea…I knew I wanted to create a romantic suspense series, but I also wanted it to be darker than usual. I wasn’t sure if the dark subject matter would fly with readers, but I decided to take a chance and see what I could come up with. After a lot of brainstorming, Killer Instincts just sort of came together. 

You've got some strong female characters that can handle difficult situations in your Killer Instincts series, such as Abby Sinclair who is the heroine in Midnight Rescue. How important was it for you to show these women in this positive light even when the situations they get involved in can be negative at times?

It’s very important, and also, very hard to do. Abby did a lot of unsavory acts for the sake of a mission, and I knew that would turn off some readers. But life isn’t always pretty, and I tried to show this through Abby. She might find herself in dark situations, but she is perfectly capable of handling herself, and I hope the strength she possesses allows readers to see her in a positive light. 

You mainly write Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense novels. Is there another genre that you would like to write?

Young adult. I love young adult. When I was a kid I read everything I could get my hands on. The Sweet Valley series was my ultimate favourite, and that’s what made me love romance. I’d love to write a series like that, featuring a core group of teens. 

What are some of your favorite books that you have read and some of your favorite authors?

There are a lot of authors I enjoy—Danielle Steel, Iris Johansen, Christine Feehan, JR Ward, Shannon McKenna, Kay Hooper, Jodi Picoult, Dennis Lehane…I could keep going on and on, so I’ll just stop. I also have way too many favourite books. My recent favourites are Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood books, and Feehan’s Game series. 

What are your plans for the future for your books?

Right now, I’m finishing the third Killer Instincts book, and after that, we’ll see what happens with the series. I also have several more Out of Uniform books planned—the series features Navy SEAL heroes and is much hotter than KI. And I’m still writing for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, and will have a new miniseries out next year. 

Thanks Elle for stopping by the blog and I can't wait to read more of your books!

Thanks for having me!

 

Dangerous. Ruthless. Savage. And she's the good guy.

Abby Sinclair had a desperate childhood until she was rescued and adopted by a retired army ranger who molded her into a master of self-defense. Now, she's a cunning and fearless assassin thrust into assignment after dangerous assignment, using everything she has-nerve, resilience, strength, sex-to come out on top. Her only rule: trust no one.
Abby's latest assignment is in Columbia: go undercover and snuff out a dangerous arms dealer active in the underground sex trade. But when Abby purposely blows her cover in a last-ditch attempt to free the helpless victims, deadly mercenary Kane Woodland is recruited as back-up. His mission: get Abby out of that hell hole.

The last thing Kane expects is to feel a primal attraction for Abby. But when she convinces him to join her on her perilous mission, their newfound passion could put the lives of their whole team at risk

You can find out more about Elle and her books on the web: 
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