Take it away, Kelly!
The fake couple trope — again, but
different
This
story started with me wanting to write about undercover agents, each working
with different agencies, who meet while undercover and are attracted to each
other. They each think the other is someone other than who they really are. My
intention was to keep that going for a while into the story, but Hot Ride
didn't turn out quite like that. As I did research and developed the story, it
turned out that Sera and Ryan had to know about each other. But I did force
them into close proximity by having to play the role of a couple living
together. Oddly enough, my last release, Sweet Deal, also featured a "fake
couple" trope, but wow, what a different book!
In
Sweet Deal, the stakes are high for Shelby, as she doesn't want to lose her
job, the job she had such a hard time finding after her last job ended badly.
The "fake boyfriend" is the answer to a boss who's getting a little
too friendly. The relationship develops between her and Jake because they're
spending time together.
Same could be said for Hot Ride, except the stakes in this case are entirely different. In my research, I learned how hard it can be to go undercover for a long period of time. There's the stress of constantly watching what you say, knowing your new identity and always staying in character. There's the daily exposure to drugs and the pressure to use them. There's the constant exposure to crime and danger and violence. Never being able to trust anyone, constant fear and paranoia. Undercover agents see things they can't do anything about, people getting beaten and at worse, killed. One mistake can cost you your life.
There's also the tension between the undercover
operatives and their handlers and bureaucrats, who sometimes might think the
operatives enjoy playing biker a little too much, who worry about how much
financial and human resources are being spent on the mission. Something the
leader of the undercover team is responsible for is making sure that the team
is “separating” —not confusing their undercover lives with their real ones.
It's all physically, emotionally and mentally exhausting. For many real life
undercover agents, it can take a toll on their health.
They face struggles like becoming personally involved
with the criminals they are trying to take down. Difficult decisions
about who to save...and who they can't save. The problem of becoming
personally involved with each other when they're work colleagues. How could you
spend that much time together as a couple, living that closely together,
without that happening?
What
do you think of that whole "fake boyfriend/girlfriend/couple trope? Like
it or hate it?
I'm a married mother of two who lives a very ordinary life outside of my imagination. When I'm not writing I'm usually reading. I also like to cook and that means I like to read cookbooks and cooking magazines. In the summer I enjoy spending time gardening and in the winter I like to read gardening magazines and seed catalogues. I love lying on the beach or on my deck with a glass of wine and a good book. I also love to travel. As you can see, pretty much all my activities involve reading somehow! Although I don't have as much time for it any more, I also love to shop, especially for clothes and shoes. Some think I'm obsessed with shoes but that is not true (although my husband would point out that there is no room left in our closet).
I love to hear from readers, so Tweet me on Twitter, leave me a comment on Goodreads or Amazon or my blog , or email me at info (at) kellyjamieson.com.
HOT RIDE
Release date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: Novel
Buy Links :
Blurb:
Abandoned or betrayed by everyone she ever loved, Sera Manning’s life spiraled out of control until a near death experience left her with a mission. Now a DEA agent, her sole focus -- and her first undercover assignment -- is to take down a drug cartel that’s manufacturing seductive, deadly angel sugar.
To do it, she needs access to Operation Black Abyss to establish a connection between the cartel and the Death Angels outlaw motorcycle gang. Which means she must pose as a couple with another agent who’s already deep undercover.
ATF agent Ryan Thomas desperately needs a female agent to maintain his cover in the gang, but the last thing he wants is a rookie agent jeopardizing his op. Especially one that is a sexy reminder why it’s a bad idea to get involved while on a case.
Living together, surrounded by crime, pretending their sizzling sexual tension is just for show is getting harder by the day. But as the mission comes to a head, the two fiercely independent warriors must decide which fear is worse. Losing their quarry... or losing each other.
Warning: Features a badass biker hero and kickass heroine who go at it undercover -- and under the covers.
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