Wednesday, September 11, 2013

HIGH CONCEPT

A couple of years ago, a kernel of an idea came to me during the throes of the 2010 election season. How far would one man go to win? Would he lie? Cheat?
Kill?
And the idea for High Concept was born.
Villain Isaac Olivetti wants to be governor of Colorado, and he's willing to sacrifice for the honor.
Around this same time, I'd been in the process of researching PTSD for a different book. Reading about PTSD in law enforcement officers was strangely fascinating, and the syndrome seemed like it would work well with my villain. Homicide detective Beck Stryker sprang forth: a guy who had seen his co-investigator killed and himself shot in the course of an investigation.
Last (sorry, Zach!) the romantic foil for my PTSD cop developed--a guy who himself had a rather uncomfortable past. Zach Littman is a forensic psychiatrist who has become an FBI profiler, running from demons of his own.
Take idea, add characters, and bake for a few months--Voila! High Concept was born.
It was a blast to write, and the crew at Loose Id made me look better than I am.
A huge thanks to publisher Treva Harte, editor extraordinaire Venessa Giunta, and cover artist Mina Carter for polishing High Concept to a shine. Hope you'll give it a try.
Here's the blurb:

Denver homicide cop and shooting survivor Beck Stryker lives to solve the case that left him with PTSD, chronic pain, and killed his co-investigator four months previous. Now his career hinges on his ability to work with the man who shut down his advances two years ago.

After last parting ways with Beck, psychiatrist-turned-FBI profiler Zach Littman never anticipated seeing the detective again. Being sent to Denver to work on a series of killings that have continued after the only suspect died is bad enough. Discovering the detective in charge is Beck leaves Zach gritting his teeth and girding his loins.

The last thing either of them needs is romantic entanglement with a fellow investigator, but danger is a powerful aphrodisiac. The case heats up, and friction between them ignites a fire neither can ignore, first at work and then in the bedroom. As they zero in on the plot behind the murders, the crosshairs zero in on Beck and Zach.
BUY: Loose Id