Aicha Zoubair

Jessica Bell

Monday, December 30, 2013

The Power of Mentors – Regan Black @ReganBlack

The Power of Mentors

Thanks for hosting me here today! It’s a pleasure to be here and connect with your readers by way of Orangeberry Book Tours. As a paranormal romance and romantic suspense author, much of my day is spent in relative solitude – when two retired greyhounds and two cats with inflated egos are hanging out in the office it’s hard to be lonely.

And yet…

While my pets have plenty of personality and aren’t afraid to interrupt me or even ‘talk back’ during my writing time, they aren’t as helpful at identifying a story problem or resolving a marketing question as a human.

Mentors are the people we look up to and admire for their various skills or accomplishments. They are the people we’d like to resemble when we grow up. Debra Webb, one of the top names in romantic suspense, has been that person for me for the majority of my career.

Since our first meeting at a writer’s conference, I’ve leaned on the advice Debra offered in those sessions and during more casual chats afterward. She gave me an outstanding cover quote for my first novel (Justice Incarnate) and she did the same recently for Bulletproof, calling the book “Dark, gritty, sexy suspense with one hell of a hot hero.”

Oh, yeah, I did backflips when I saw that!

I’ve been fortunate to enjoy a close friendship with my mentor through the years and without Debra, I can say Bulletproof  and the Unknown Identities series would still be a strong idea languishing in the ‘to be developed’ file. You see, I was spinning my wheels with several options and no confidence to choose a direction. It took my mentor’s intervention to push me out of my own way.

About a year ago, when Debra’s acclaimed Faces of Evil series was soaring to amazing heights, she called to check on me. Suffice it to say my year wasn’t going nearly as well as hers. In fact, I was sure my career was going down in flames. I had the obituary written (it was some of my best work), but Deb refused to believe it.

More importantly, she refused to let me believe it.

Our friendly phone call quickly shifted into a serious business meeting. I took pages of notes while she dissected my career, listened to my goals and ideas, assessed my strengths and productivity, and laid out a plan to move me forward.

Bulletproof is the next step in that plan:

A soldier is nothing without his honor.

To avoid a dishonorable end to his decorated military career, John Noble made a deal with the devil. He gave up his name, endured harrowing training, and accepted every mission thrown at him for one purpose: redemption.

An ambitious reporter, Amelia Bennett, is about to break the story of her career, if she lives long enough to tell it. Caving to her boss’s demand, she hires a bodyguard and soon it is obvious John Noble is the only obstacle standing between her and certain death.

Debra’s expert guidance gave me confidence as these characters moved from concept to three-dimensional people. With in-depth brainstorming and “Oh! What if…?” phone sessions the story came alive on the page. She kept me motivated with hard release dates, editing, and even advice for the cover art concepts.

The past year has been a productive adventure for me, and I hope readers will enjoy the results with Bulletproof and the subsequent stories in the Unknown Identities series.

Live the adventure,

Regan

Bulletproof

“Dark, gritty, sexy suspense with one hell of a hot hero.” -USA Today bestseller Debra Webb

A soldier is nothing without his honor.

To avoid a dishonorable end to his decorated military career, John Noble made a deal with the devil. He gave up his name, endured harrowing training, and accepted every mission thrown at him for one purpose: redemption.

When he accepts his latest orders, providing personal security for a reporter in trouble, he bargains hard to guarantee it will be his last job for the shadow agency he knows only Unknown Identities (UI).

An ambitious reporter, Amelia Bennett, is about to break the story of her career, if she lives long enough to tell it. Caving to her boss’s demand, she hires a bodyguard and soon it is obvious John Noble is the only obstacle standing between her and certain death.

Just when John believes he has found someone he can trust and love, who loves him unconditionally for who and what he has become, his orders are amended: Amelia Bennett is to be terminated.

Introducing Unknown Identities: an alternative for elite soldiers and spies facing criminal charges… if they can survive the program.

Don’t miss Double Vision, the next installment of this sizzling, action-packed series.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre - Romantic Suspense

Rating – R

More details about the author and the book

Connect with  Regan Black on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.reganblack.com

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