Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Profile of Evil by Alexa Grace Excerpt, Interview & Giveaway


Profile of Evil
The Profile Series
Book 1
Alexa Grace

Genre:  Mystery/Suspense

Publisher: Golden Publishing

ISBN: 0985593954
ASIN: B00COA6MX8

Number of pages: 324
Word Count: 78,674

Cover Artist: Christy Carlyle

Book Description:

A vicious serial killer…

As the body count increases, Sheriff Brody Chase realizes there is a monster living in his county and using it as a dump site.

A missing girl…

Alison is a lonely, abused and bullied thirteen-year-old who has no idea her online heart throb is a serial killer.

Time is running out…

A life hangs in the balance, and the profiler and sheriff rush to stop the most terrifying killer of their careers.

Available at   Amazon   BN   iTunes



Excerpt
Brody pulled up in front of a two-story gray house in a nice neighborhood with palm trees lining the streets.  Flicking on the interior car light, he checked the address he'd been given.  It was the correct address, so he parked his rental car in the driveway.  There were lights on inside the house, which was encouraging, for he had a critical need to talk to the resident.
Impatiently, he rang the doorbell several times, and then pounded his fist against the front door.  Damn it.  He had not come all the way from Indiana to Florida to miss talking with this guy.  He had to be home.  Brody desperately needed his help before another teenage girl lost her life.  Sheriff Tim Brennan had written to him about how good this guy was, and if Brennan recommended him, he had to be excellent.  Brody hammered at the door again, before peeking through the front window.  There was no one inside, but from his position he could see open sliding glass doors leading to the backyard. 
From the side yard, he opened the iron gate to the back of the house.  The second he entered the backyard, he noticed a woman diving into an Olympic-sized pool.  Transfixed, he watched her as she swam to the far end of the pool, and then kicked-off to swim to the other end, this time on her back.  Her naked body, slick from the water, glowed in the moonlight.  The tiny glittering lights surrounding the pool made her look ethereal as she sliced through the water.

About the Author:

USA Today Bestselling Author, Alexa Grace began her writing journey in March 2011 when the Sr. Director of Training & Development position she'd held for thirteen years was eliminated. A door closed but another one opened. She finally had the time to pursue her childhood dream of writing books. Her focus is now on writing riveting romantic suspense novels.

Alexa Grace is consistently listed in top twenty of Amazon's Top 100 Most Popular Authors in the categories Romantic Suspense and Police Procedural.  In 2013, she was named one of the top 100 Indie authors by Kindle Review. A chapter is devoted to her in the book Interviews with Indie Authors by C. Ridgway and T. Ridgway.

Her books Deadly Offerings, Deadly Deception, and Deadly Relations are listed in e-retailer's Top 100 Bestselling Romantic Suspense and Police Procedural Books.  Deadly Offerings has not left the top ten bestselling free mystery romance and police procedural books since 2011.

Deadly Holiday, published in November 2012, is her holiday-themed romantic suspense novella, featuring all her Deadly Trilogy characters.

Alexa Grace's book Deadly Relations is included in the bestselling book set The Perfect Ten along with Dianna Love, Norah Wilson, Nancy Naigle, Andrienne Giordano, Misty Evans, Sandy Blair, Mary Buckham, Tonya Kappes and Micah Caipa.

Profile of Evil, the first book of the Profile Series was published in May 2013. Profile of Terror was released in May 2014  and Profile of Fear will be released in 2015.

Earning two degrees from Indiana State University, Alexa currently lives in Florida. She's a member of Romance Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

Her writing support team includes five Miniature Schnauzers, three of which are rescues. As a writer, she is fueled by Starbucks lattes, chocolate and emails from readers.

Interview
Where are you from?
I am originally from Indiana but currently live in Central Florida. I earned two degrees from Indiana State University in Terre Haute.  My heart is in Indiana where my books are based.
When and why did you begin writing?
I wrote a romance novel in 1985, went the traditional route and it was not published.  I made a career change that year and for the next 25 plus years, I devoted myself 100% to my training management positions.  When I lost my job in 2011, I did a lot of Internet research in self-publishing.  Indie authors like Theresa Ragan and John Locke really motivated me to take the indie route. Like them, I wanted to retain control of book design, writing, marketing, etc.  Thus, my indie journey began.
What genre(s) do you write in and why?
Romantic suspense is my favorite genre to read.  I like writing stories that surprise my readers and make them wonder what is coming next.  I want my readers to say, "I could not put this book down."
Tell us about your romantic suspense book Profile of Evil.
Profile of Evil is the first book in the new Profile Series and includes Carly Stone, who was introduced in Deadly Relations.
Profiler Carly Stone had seen her share of evil when she worked as a special agent for the FBI.  But nothing prepared her for the vicious predator that lures preteen girls to their deaths through the Internet.  The analysis Carly provides to law enforcement is truly a "profile of evil". 
An undeniable attraction forms between the sheriff and his profiler, and they are unsure of how they feel about that.  She's in Indiana to do a job.  That's all.  Once the killer is captured, she'll head home to Florida.  They both vow to end the job with their hearts intact.  But will the heat between them prove impossible to ignore?
As the body count increases, can the predator be stopped before he kills again?  A life hangs in the balance, and the two rush to stop the most terrifying killer of their careers — and time is running out.

Leaving the agency, she becomes a profile consultant for Indiana County Sheriff Brody Chase.  He needs her help to catch an online sex predator who is luring preteen girls to their death in his community.
The two resolve to stop this dangerous killer before he takes another young life — and time is running out.
What inspired you to write this story?
I wanted to tell the story of the terror a community would experience if a serial were luring innocent preteen girls on the Internet, abducting and killing them at will. In addition, there is a tender romance story that needed to be told.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I feel strongly that it is critical that parents know who their kids are communicating with on the Internet.  Predators target kids who are lonely and having difficulties with making friends.  The strongest defense a parent has against Internet predators is to prevent them from making contact with their children in the first place.
How much of the book is realistic?
The profiling and crime related scenes of PROFILE OF EVIL are very realistic.  I work hard to make sure the crimes and crime scene analysis are realistic and work with law enforcement to make sure they are.
What kind of research did you do for Profile of Evil?
I did more research for this book than I've done for all of my others.  I studied the psychological aspects of sexual sadists and serial killers, organized vs. unorganized serial killers, forensic computer technology, profiling, preferred targets of online sexual predators, and more.  Add to this list Indiana criminal law, since the book's setting is Indiana.
The sexual sadist, serial killer in Profile of Evil has been the most challenging to write because his character required so much research.  I was determined that his character, behaviors, and actions be credible so I researched by reading books written by profilers, discussed with my subject matter experts, and did extensive Internet research.   This research was also needed so I could write an accurate profile for my Carly Stone character.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
No, although some of my crime situations are similar to those that have occurred in real life, my characters exist only in my vivid imagination.
Who are some of your favorite authors? 
I love reading books by James Patterson, Alison Brennan, Ann Rule, Kathryn Casey, Laura Griffin, and others.  I try to stick to the thriller or romantic suspense genre, but I have always been a fan of true crime.
Is there a romance author, living or dead, who inspires you particularly?
I am inspired by the books of the prolific Nora Roberts, who is among the best authors alive to spin an exciting story.
What can readers expect from you in the future?
I am in the research phase of my next book PROFILE OF FEAR (Book #3 of the Profile Series), which will be released in 2015.  The book involves human trafficking so I am reading a lot of information on how traffickers operate.  The information is interesting but terrifying at the same time. 
How can we find out more about you and your books?
My books are sold on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Smashwords, Kobo, and more.  More information can be found on:








Tour giveaway

3 signed copies of Profile of Evil.


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