Failsafe Blog Tour

I apologize for not getting this up sooner, but here are the links for the blog tour for my new book, Failsafe. While the title is similar to those in my Saint Squad series, this is a new stand alone and will likely launch a new series. For those of you who have read Drop Zone, you'll see one familiar character. Ghost plays a part in this book and will likely demand his own story before much longer. I hope you enjoy these reviews:

Tour Schedule:

April 13th:
http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com,
http://www.iamareader.com/ (Kathy)

April14th:
http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/ ,
http://www.bonnieharris.blogspot.com/

April 15th:
http://www.rockinbookreviews.com/,
http://ilovetoreadandreviewbooks.blogspot.com/,
http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/

April 16th:
http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/,
http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/

April 17th:
http://www.wishfulendings.com,
http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/

April 18th:
http://www.iamareader.com/ (Cheryl)

October Madness

Tomorrow I begin my crazy weekend. Of course, my first day will be spent driving to Dulles Airport (I double checked to make sure I go to the right airport this time) and then flying through Dallas on my way to Salt Lake City. I'll arrive there in just enough time to get a rental car and head to a friend's house for the night.

Thursday I get to visit Payson Jr. High. I always love school visits, especially since I know how much my kids always enjoy an excuse to have a guest speaker instead of attending regular classes.

Friday will be another school visit, this one for the fourth grade at a friend's elementary school. Then, of course, since I'll be in Utah, and so will the BYU football team, I'll attend the game against Utah State that night with some friends and family.

Saturday will bring a couple of book signings for my latest novel, Drop Zone, which will be released tomorrow. The first will be from noon to 1:30pm at the Deseret Book - University Village in Orem. The second will be from 6pm - 8pm at Deseret Book - Fort Union in Midvale.

Then Sunday morning I get to attend the first session of General Conference with my daughter. I have a feeling that by the time I get on the red-eye to come home, I'll be ready for some sleep. Hopefully, I will also get the chance to see a lot of friends before that moment comes.

Drop Zone

The Saint Squad is expanding this October. Thank you to the readers who encouraged me to keep writing this series. Two new team members are joining the Saint Squad beginning with Damian Schmitt in Drop Zone. I am in the process of writing the next one which is expected to hit the shelves in 2015.


Back cover blurb:

Paige Vickers needs a new life, so she’s relieved when she’s given an assignment that takes her away from her stressful position as a psychiatric nurse with the CIA and puts her in a job as administrative assistant for Vanessa Johnson, an instructor for undercover operatives at the CIA’s training facility. 

 

At the same time, Damian Schmitt has been transferred to become a part of the Saint Squad—an elite group of Navy SEALs. However, on his first training mission with the team, he is almost killed, and the team suspects that the nearly fatal exercise was no accident. Then tensions accelerate when the rest of the squad is deployed on a secret mission—only to come up missing. 

 

When the Saint Squad’s disappearance endangers Paige’s boss, it is up to Paige and Damian to discover what has happened by going undercover to Maracaibo, Venezuela, the city of Damian’s childhood. The shocking twists and turns keep all  the members of the team guessing as they push to find out who is responsible for the attacks on the tightly knit Saint Squad. 

Twisted Fate

It seems like I always start each post with the phrase, "I know I haven't posted in a while." Yes, this is another of those posts, but so much has happened lately, I thought I should put something up here.

Photo by Heather Gardner Photography

First, thanks to all of the readers who nominated me for a Whitney Award. I won the Mystery/Suspense category for Deep Cover this year and I still can't believe that night wasn't just an awesome dream. Except maybe for the part where I accepted my award barefoot because I had kicked off my shoes. My daughter Christina will tell you she warned me to put them on...and she'd be telling the truth. Maybe that particular incident is just a tribute to my sense of humor...and my inability to wear shoes for more than a few minutes at a time.

The LDStorymakers Writers Conference in Layton, Utah that preceded this event was amazing. I had so much fun reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones. I taught a couple of classes and had an awesome group for Bootcamp. I'm already looking forward to next year.

Earlier this month, a couple of the friends I met in person at my first LDStorymakers conference joined with me in a fun publication. You can see from the photos that we all enjoyed ourselves at little too much at times.

Twisted Fate was born from the realization that Stephanie Black, Gregg Luke and I all write mystery/suspense for the same publisher and yet we all have our own flavor. Stephanie writes classic mystery/suspense. She is exceptionally gifted at pacing her novels and creating a lot of tense moments as she guides her readers on the path to discover who dunnit.

Gregg is a pharmacist by day and a scare-the-pants-off-you writer by night. He uses his knowledge of the medical field to write amazing medical thrillers, the kind that make you wonder if the stories within his pages could really happen.

As for me, I write government intrigue, relying on my past experience working for the CIA as well as the experiences of many of my friends who work in various military and government positions.

Twisted Fate gives a flavor of each of our writing styles with three unique stories and a chance to try a new author or two.

For my novella, Hunted, it brings back some of the characters from my Undercurrents series. The main characters are Doug and Jill Valdez who first met one another during Ripple Effect. Doug has shown up a few times since then when characters in my other books needed an FBI agent they could trust.

In other news, the Saint Squad is expanding. Two new members are being added to the elite squad of Navy SEALs. The first will join us in Drop Zone (October 2014) and the second will appear sometime in 2015. I'll post the cover shortly.

Chances Are preview

Today I received my much anticipated cover for my next novel, Chances Are, along with the blurb for the back of the book. I thought I would share, so here you go. It will go to print this week, and the publication date will be this March.

Maya Gupta is a survivor. After escaping an impending arranged marriage in India as a teenager, she has thrived in America. But now she faces her greatest challenge yet—cancer has invaded her life, and unless she finds a way to participate in a clinical trial in Washington, DC, this may be one battle she loses. When Maya’s best friend Kari offers Maya the lifeline of a place to stay—her brother’s currently vacant DC apartment—the young woman eagerly accepts and goes to meet her fate . . .

 

Ben Evans’s plans have changed, and he’s heading home for some much-needed rest and relaxation during his off-season in the major leagues. Upon arriving at his DC apartment, however, Ben is shocked to find Maya—his sister’s friend, who he hardly knows—in residence. He soon finds himself trapped between protecting his above-reproach reputation and searching for a way to help a woman he is coming to admire. When Maya’s fight to survive her disease becomes more complicated than ever, she and Ben scheme an extreme solution to her predicament that tests to what lengths they’re willing to go together to save Maya’s life.

Final proof

Today I found in my inbox the much anticipated final proof of my next novel.

A red pen, a freshly printed manuscript. This is one of my favorite parts of being a writer. I love that moment when I realize I get to spend the next week or so reacquainting myself with some old friends.

Gone are the memories of the sleepless nights, the struggles with characters who wouldn't cooperate, and the edits that sometimes cut out some of my favorite scenes. Now I only feel the excitement of reading a book I've been waiting for, one with characters I already know and love.

Usually by the time I get to this point in a project, I'm already well into writing my next book. Admittedly, I'm running behind schedule this year. Mentally, I've been gearing up for what I should write next, but I know that I don't do well when I get interrupted, so I've let my imagination work without putting many  of those thoughts to paper.

The new characters and plotlines that have been circling through my head may not be happy with me, but for the next week they're shifting down on my list of priorities. This week I get to play.

BYU Women's Conference Signing

This will be a first for me. Even though I graduated from BYU and I have a daughter going to school there, my schedule has never worked out before to do a book signing at BYU's Women's Conference. Ironically, I have friends from here in Virginia who have been encouraging me to go out to Women's Conference for years. This week, I'm finally taking their advice.

For anyone who will be attending, or even if you're just in the area, I hope you'll drop by. Here are the details:

Book signing at BYU Bookstore in Provo, Utah

May 2nd

10:30AM - 12:30PM

I will also be in Utah into the following week and plan to drop by a few stores in the Salt Lake City area so if there's one you want me to put on my list, let me know! My "drop ins" will happen between Monday, May 6th and Wednesday, May 8th. I know I'll be in Centerville, Utah the evening of May 8th, but everything else is still up in the air.

Sleepless mornings

I have to admit, I always get a thrill when I find out that someone enjoyed one of my books so much that they couldn't put it down until they finished it. Often, those comments come with the complaint that I kept them reading well into the night. If you have ever been in that situation with one of my books or someone else's, I completely sympathize.

Courtesy Contemplative Imaging

For the past several weeks, I've had a story idea coming to life that is moving like a freight train. One with a whistle that sounds regularly at 4:30am. Okay, admittedly sometimes it sounds a little later. Sometimes earlier.

The good news is that besides writing over two hundred pages in the past three weeks, I also submitted another novel to Covenant. I'm not sure about the title yet, but it is a spin-off from/sequel to Code Word. I had to find out what that key went to! Hopefully, I'll hear in a few weeks if that one will be accepted for publication. As for my current project, more on that later. My characters are calling again.

Amazon likes these novels too!

I have been insanely busy trying to finish my latest manuscript and finally finished the rough draft yesterday. Here is all of the news that I've neglected to pass along recently:

First, in February, I was informed that Code Word was selected as a Whitney finalist. So thank you to everyone who read and nominated it.

I received the news from my publisher last week that two of my novels are now on sale on Kindle. Royal Target is available in its original version and Freefall has been altered into a mainstream novel, meaning that the story is basically the same, but the references to the LDS Church are no longer present.

Then this morning I received this email telling me about my latest release. I already have my own copy, but this was definitely a great way to start the day!

Your Amazon.com     Today's Deals     See All Departments

Traci Abramson, Are you looking for something in our Literature & Fiction department? If so, you might be interested in these items.         Literature & Fiction                 Deep Cover Traci Hunter Abramson   Price: $10.93

Cover Design Finalist

Just wanted to share the news that the cover for Code Word was selected as a finalist for Favorite Cover for 2012 in the Cozy Mystery/Romantic Suspense category by LDS Publisher. The voting ends tonight (Saturday, Jan. 26) at midnight. I'm assuming that is at midnight Mountain Standard Time. If you want to take a look at the finalists, click here.

Countdown to Christmas and latest news

It's true that I've been terrible about posting lately. Rest assured, I have been busy writing...and writing...and writing some more.

The title for my next novel was just finalized yesterday. Deep Cover is a new stand-alone novel and will be released in March 2013. I also finished writing my part of a project I have in the works with authors Stephanie Black and Gregg Luke. We should know more about what is happening with that in the next couple of months.

Also, my book Code Word is going to be featured sometime in the next few weeks on LDS Women's Book Review. If you're interested in seeing some fun updates on some of the authors in the LDS writing community, click on this link below. I'll post an update here when Code Word is featured.

 

Kansas City book signing

This weekend I will head to Kansas City to teach a few classes at the LDStorymakers Midwest Writers Conference. I will also be joining a lot of my fellow author friends at a huge book signing on Friday, September 14th beginning at 7pm. If you're in the area, I hope you'll stop by and say hi.

Location:

Oak Park Mall Barnes & Noble
11323 W 95th Street, Overland Park, KS

Authors will include:

Traci Hunter Abramson (yes, this is me!)
Lisa Magnum
Josi Kilpack
Heather Justesen
Danyelle Ferguson
Don Carey
Karen Hoover
L.C. Lewis
Steve Westover
Llynn Parsons
Tamara Hart Heiner
and more!

Free first chapter

I just received a message from my publisher that they have updated their website to include the fall line, including a sneak preview at the first chapters. Here is the link to the first chapter of Code Word. Hope you enjoy it!

I'm  heading to the airport, but just wanted to post today's code word: beliefs. Hope to see everyone at one of the signings tomorrow! Or Tuesday. :)

Thursday's code word

Today I have spent trying to tie up some loose ends before leaving for Utah tomorrow, so I'm a little later than I had planned. The good news is that I now have 300 butter bars, 200 brownie bites, and 250 homemade rolls in my freezer all ready to go for a friend's wedding that will occur the day after I return to Virginia.

And today's code word is: operation.

Collect all five words this week and bring them to the signing on Saturday to be entered to win a prize. It's almost party time!

Crazy day and code word

I'm running a little behind today trying to get dozens of things done before I leave for Utah on Friday. Thank goodness I live on the east coast so it hopefully isn't too noticeable to most people. :)

Anyway, today's code word is: Navy SEAL.

Another signing scheduled & code word of the day

Another book signing has been added to my Utah schedule. Gregg Luke and I will also be signing at The Book Table in Logan (29 South Main Street, Logan, Utah) from 2PM to 4PM on Tuesday, August 7th.

Here is the complete updated schedule:

First book launches - first time Code Word will be available in stores:

Saturday, August 4 - 11AM to 1PM:

Seagull Books, 1720 S. Redwood Rd., Salt Lake City, UT

Saturday, August 4 - 3PM to 5PM:

Seagull Books, 1052 N. Main St., Spanish Fork, UT
Signings with Gregg Luke:

Tuesday, August 7 - 11AM to 1PM:

Seagull Books, 1114 N. Main St., Logan, UT

Tuesday, August 7 - 2PM to 4PM:

The Book Table, 29 S. Main St., Logan, UT

And now for the code word of the day: Family

If you collect all five code words this week, bring them in to the Redwood Seagull signing and you will be entered to win a prize. Hope to see you at one of these events!

Code Word book launches

The schedule is set for the Code Word book launches in Utah for this weekend. This Saturday at 11AM, I'll start in Salt Lake at Seagull Books' Redwood store. Want to enter to win a prize? Watch each day for the Code Word of the day. Today's word: Saint Squad.

Can't make the morning event, or do you find the Utah county area more convenient? Come see me at Seagull's Spanish Fork store where the fun will continue beginning at 3PM.

And for my friends in northern Utah, I'll be coming to Logan with the incredibly talented Gregg Luke on Tuesday, August 7th beginning at 11AM. Gregg will be with me signing his new book, Deadly Undertakings.

Hope to see you at one of these events!

Saturday, August 4 - 11AM to 1PM:

Seagull Books, 1720 S. Redwood Rd., Salt Lake City, UT

Saturday, August 4 - 3PM to 5PM:

Seagull Books, 1052 N. Main St., Spanish Fork, UT

Tuesday, August 7 - 11AM to 1PM:
(Note: author Gregg Luke will also be at this one.)

Seagull Books, 1114 N. Main St., Logan, UT

Heading to Palmyra

I'm heading to Palmyra tomorrow. Anyone want to join me? I'll be doing book signings at Latter-day Harvest in Palmyra this Friday and Saturday. Here's when you can find me at the book store. And if any of you are at the pageant on Friday night, come find me...in the middle of our other thousand close friends. :)

Friday, July 13th - 2pm
Saturday, July 14th - 10am

Code Word coming August 2012

It's official! Code Word is coming out earlier than I thought and will now be available in August. Here is the cover and the blurb from the back of the book:

The media portrayed the military operation as a complete success, but Navy SEAL Jay Wellman wouldn't describe it that way. He was there. As he tries to come to terms with his role that fateful night, he notices something different about his teammates and wonders if there may be more to their beliefs than he first thought.

When she heard the gunshots, Carina Channing knew the past had caught up with her. She may have changed her last name, but she can't change who her father is. Carina understands the evil that lurks in "The Family," and she is determined to steer clear of that life and any other emotional connections.

When they meet, it seems Jay and Carina have only two things in common--mutual attraction and the fact that they are both struggling to overcome devastating trauma. But when a member of the The Family arrives and upsets the delicate balance in Carina's life, Jay chisels away at the barrier Carina has erected around her heart and offers himself as her protector and friend. But can Jay's Navy SEAL skills, military connections, and loyal Saint Squad friends keep Carina and her sisters safe? And with their different beliefs, can Jay and Carina's friendship grow into anything more?