On the Hot Seat: 5 Questions with Anna Del Mar

Anna del Mar writes hot, smart romances that soothe the soul, challenge the mind, and satisfy the heart. Her stories focus on strong heroines struggling to find their place in the world and the brave, sexy, kickass, military heroes who defy their limits to protect the women they love. She’s the author of The Asset, At the Brink and her newest romantic suspense, The Stranger. Anna enjoys traveling, hiking, skiing, and the sea. Writing is her addiction, her drug of choice, and what she wants to do all the time. The extraordinary men and women she met during her years as a Navy wife inspire the fabulous heroes and heroines at the center of her stories. When she stays put—which doesn’t happen very often—she lives in Florida with her indulgent husband and two very opinionated cats.

Q: What’s inside the mind of a romantic suspense author?

A: A fast-paced adventure with lots of interesting twists and two characters under siege, fighting their demons, struggling to defeat their enemies and resisting the lust that will seed an evolving meaningful relationship in the journey towards passionate, true, forever love. Whoa. How’s that for a mouthful?

Q: Tell us why readers should buy The Stranger?

A: If you’re looking for an unforgettable adventure set against Alaskan’s majestic background with a heroine who is completely out of her element but relentlessly brave and an alpha hero who will do anything to protect her, then The Stranger is for you.

The Stranger is the second book of my Wounded Warrior Series, following on the heels of my Amazon bestseller, The Asset. A fun fact about the series is that each novel is a standalone journey.
The Stranger features Summer Silva and Seth Erickson, fire and ice, a most unlikely pair. When her sister runs away with a guy she met on the internet, Summer, a warmth-loving Miami architect, chases her reckless sibling to Alaska and finds her life in danger from more than the elements. Only a stranger, Seth Erickson, a wounded warrior who is also a powerful Alaskan tycoon with a quarreling family as complicated as her own and no time for a lady in distress—let alone one with a secret that will get her into great trouble—can save her from disaster. Together, two strangers from different worlds and opposite spectrums of the thermometer must unravel the intrigues that threaten their lives to chase after a new dream, in majestic Alaska.

Q: What makes a good romantic suspense?

A: A strong, twisting plot, an awesome setting and smart, clever, conflicted lead characters who challenge terrible odds and evolve to like, challenge and love each other throughout the story. Interesting secondary characters help. Oh, and a sweet, happy ending. That one’s key for me.

Q: What is a regular writing day like for you?

A: Intense! Wake up to the business of writing, already sleep deprived and in dire need of coffee. Then emails, social media, fans, colleagues, editors, the works. An afternoon of editing if at all possible, followed by an evening of glorious creative release. Then it’s on to dreaming, hopefully of my newest story. Wake up with a whole new book in my head. Then get up and do it all over again.

Q: What has writing taught you?

A: Perseverance: she who writes to The End gets to tell the story. Open-mindedness: the world is a wild, wide place where different strokes please different folks. Humility: no matter how much you know, you can always learn more. Joy: when you spend your days doing what you love happiness takes root in your heart.

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Here’s a first review of The Stranger. And it’s an awesome one!
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