Do You Have Time to Kill? by Jamie Hill (Author blog post)

My latest romantic suspense novel is now available at Amazon and will be in print in a few weeks. Time To Kill is book 2 in my Witness Security series. 

People seem to either love or hate series work. Readers have told me when they get to the end of a book and discover a cliffhanger, they sigh and do some quick research to find out if the book is part of series. Some find this disappointing. While I can totally relate to that position, I have my own reasons for preferring series work. (But not cliffhangers. I hate cliffhangers.)

When I finish reading a book I enjoyed, I have trouble leaving that ‘world’. (Similar to watching the last episode of Parenthood this week. I’ve rewatched the ending multiple times and need to erase the silly thing off my DVR so I can move on!) Back to books. Nora Roberts was the first author I read who really did series well, in my humble opinion. For sweet contemporary romance I grew up reading Danielle Steel, but her titles were singles. Nora introduced me to trilogies, where there might be three characters that are connected in some way and they each have their own story to tell. I discovered I loved that method of storytelling. I always wondered what might have happened to characters I enjoyed, and the series method gives me the opportunity to find out.

The first series I authored dealt with three cops who worked together in the Wichita PD. A Cop in the Family was fun because Family Secrets was one of my first novels, and I had a hard time moving on from Jack and Crystal. By writing more books in their world I was able to show what they were doing in later years.

My romance series, The Blame Game, focused on a family and relationships that four members developed over a span of twenty years. That was great fun to write.

Witness Security is set in Topeka, Kansas, at a fictional Witsec office. There will be four books, each telling the story of a different US Marshal working there. Doug Jackson found true love in book 1. His partner Jordan Burke gets her turn in book 2. If you know my writing, you’ll know that I’m not spoiling anything to say I always write happy endings, because that’s what I like to read. How they get there is the fun part.

I’ll continue to write series books because that’s what I love. I promise to always let the reader know up front that the book is part of a series. And I try to make each book stand alone, so you don’t have to read them in order if you stumble upon the second or third book first. But I recommend readers try to read them in order when possible, because that’s the way they were written. Oh—and no cliffhangers. My stories will be complete when you reach ‘The End’. Then you’ll get a peek at what’s to come in the next book. In this case, you can read the beginning of Cover of Darkness, Book 3 in Witness Security. 

I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did writing them!

Time To Kill
Witness Security

US Marshal Jordan Burke is happy for her partner when he takes a month off for paternity leave, but she's not happy about her substitute partner. Nick Pierce worked for the Topeka Witsec office years ago and left under less than the best of circumstances. When he’s asked to fill in he hesitates, but curiosity about Jordan makes him accept the job. The minute he sees her again he doesn’t regret his decision. From Atlanta to Los Angeles, Jordan and Nick discover that danger, and help, can come from the strangest sources. While they struggle to protect their witnesses, the bigger challenge seems to be keeping each other alive. And there’s always the possibility that they might kill each other first. 

http://amzn.com/B00RQRKB68

Jamie Hill

Jamie Hill was born and raised in a beautiful, mid-sized town in Midwest, USA. At various times she wanted to be a veterinarian, teacher, cheerleader, TV star or a famous singer. The one thing she always wanted to be was a writer. Starting at about age ten, she penned romance as she envisioned it in one spiral notebook after another.

When she's not working at the day job she loves, Jamie enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and watching movies (the scarier the better!) In her ‘spare time’ she can often be found writing, editing, or doing something more mundane like housework. After that, she's probably taking a nap. She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to drop her a line.

Find more about Jamie at these places online:
Books We Love: http://bookswelove.net/authors/jamie-hill/#
Website: http://www.jamiehill.biz/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jamie-Hill/135137799867321

Secrets and Lies by Jamie Hill

Blurb:
Natalie Jameson has a handsome husband, three wonderful children, and one very big secret. She's managed to keep it under wraps for over twenty years, but recent events lead her to decide she has no choice but to reveal the terrible truth. 

Alex Jameson has had one goal in life since the minute he met Natalie on their college campus. Do whatever it takes to make this woman happy. When circumstances threaten to unravel the web of secrets and lies they've built around themselves, will their love be strong enough to survive?

Review:
Natalie and Alex are the couple everyone strives to be. They adore each other and their children. Everything is perfect in their lives until one day when everything is changed. It makes me wonder how I would have reacted. The way that Natalie felt about having children made me laugh, I've been her. Poor Alex, I felt for him and had to laugh each time Natalie said "Honey, I want to have another baby." Through their fights, laughs, and struggles with their own feelings, I found Natalie and Alex to be a perfectly imperfect couple. The daughter Gillian had me balling my fists in frustration from time to time and simply because I have daughters that would react as she did. I wish I could say more about this book but it would give away the story, so on that front, I'm zipping the lip.

Seldom does a short book deserve the highest rating from me, but Secrets and Lies moved me more than I expected. Since it is a short read, the excitement is in finding out what actually happened twenty years ago. I must say that this was a very touching story that at times made me want to cry. Yes, this is a very heavy topic but Ms. Hill has done an outstanding job of weaving her way through the story in a manner that does not bring the reader down. The characters throughout the story were so realistic and the topic is something that I am sure many people have faced in real life. Ms. Hill nailed the relationship between a husband and a wife. Yes, they fight but how they deal with their arguments is so like a normal couple that I couldn't help but to draw from my past experiences. Relatable, memorable characters along with an amazing plot line make Secrets and Lies a story that you simply cannot miss.

Buy Secrets and Lies here

Hide and Seek by Jamie Hill

Blurb:

Wild Thing Series, Book One. Life can’t be all fun and games, or can it? Madison Stewart spends her days taking care of children at the Sunny Days Childcare Center, and her nights wondering what’s missing from her life. When Robert Cooper brings his three year old daughter, Sophie, to the center, he not only fills the vacancy in Maddie’s classroom, but also the empty spot in her heart.

Sophie’s mother returns with her own agenda, and Rob is forced to choose between an old, familiar existence and his new, more complicated relationship. Shocked and hurt at his indecision, Maddie, with secrets of her own, feels the need to run and hide. When Rob seeks her out, what he finds stuns him and changes their lives forever.

Review:

Every once in a while you get a book that really touches your heart. Hide and Seek was that book for me. Although the relationship between Rob and Maddie wasn't perfect, it was a moving and powerful read. Maddie was a strong and confident woman who did what she needed to do in order to take care of her life. This is the part where it gets hard not to throw a spoiler in. From the moment that Maddie leaves her former life, the plot line takes off. There are so many twists and turns and I was up late into the night just waiting to see what happened next. Rob and Maddie had intense feelings of love but of course there was conflict in the form of an unpleasant ex and misunderstandings. Sophie's character gripped my heart and didn't let go. She seemed so grown up for her age and because of that, some of her reactions just made me laugh out loud.

Rob's character had me scratching my head sometimes, but watching him grow into the man he was meant to be made it all worthwhile.

Ms. Hill is one of my favorite authors and I'm reminded of that each time I read one of her books. She has a talent for taking the reader on a journey with unforgettable characters while developing a plot line that is highly entertaining. Hide and Seek is a very addicting read and I strongly urge you to pick it up the minute you get the chance.

Family Secrets by Jamie Hill

Blurb:
As if stumbling over a dead body isn't enough, Crystal Cartwright finds herself playing surrogate mother to two small boys when their father--her neighbor--doesn't come home. The kids aren't much trouble, but the thieves, drug dealers and kidnappers they're about to encounter are.

Detective Jack Dunlevy, a cop down on his luck, draws the cases no one else wants. A simple investigation involving a dead homeless man quickly changes as Crystal enlists Jack's help with the children. Drawn into a mystery that none of them could have anticipated, they're faced with a situation that will change their lives forever.

Review:
Ms. Hill is a genius! Family Secrets is the first book in the series followed by Family Ties. I had reviewed Family Ties (outstanding book), so I wanted to go back and read the first book in the series. This book is truly one of the best I've read in 2010. Crystal's character was less than perfect and I fell in love with her immediately. Sassy and brassy, this lady could hold her own. Jack's character was the kind of gentleman every reader wants as their hero. He was fiercely protective of Crystal and her unplanned little family. He won my heart right away. The plot line was AMAZING. It was action packed and kept me on the edge of my seat almost the entire time. It amazes me how Ms. Hill can fit in so much action, romance and just about every emotion under the sun, into a book that is only 138 pages long. Ms. Hill has become a favorite author of mine and I consider her to be an automatic add to my "to be read list". If you are a serious suspense loving reader who loves to form bonds with the characters, this is definitely the book for you! I loved it and can't wait to read more of Ms. Hill's books, she has the gift of knowing what the reader wants and then hitting you with an ending you certainly don't expect. Two thumbs up!

Family Secrets is Book 1 in the series followed by Family Ties which I also reviewed. You can find my review on this page.

Buy Family Secrets here

Family Ties by Jamie Hill

Blurb:

With a couple of dead bodies thrown in, Detective Brady Marshall's stolen goods case has just become a lot more interesting. His love life takes a turn for the better when he meets Gina Morris, a feisty waitress at the club where the latest victim has surfaced. A happily unattached ladies' man, Brady isn't looking to settle down.


Review:

The passion between Gina and Brady sparks the moment they meet. Brady Marshall is a full on hottie whose character is multidimensional. I almost feel like he grows into the man he is meant to be when he meets his match in Gina. Gina is not your ordinary woman. She's not the type to get jealous if her man looks at someone else which could easily happen given her line of work. The way that Brady and Gina relate to each other just makes you want to sigh and say "Aw, how romantic is that?" These two have the passionate relationship I love to see in my hero and heroine.

One thing I loved about this book was since Gina is Italian, she would throw Italian words around and then have to translate to Brady what she had just said. After a while, he grew accustomed to certain words. On top of that, Brady's partner is also Italian. I am thrilled when I read a book and am not simply entertained but learn something along the way as well. It's always an added bonus.

Family Ties started out with a bang and kept me on my toes throughout the entire book. I must say that Family Ties is a little bit different than other books because of who you think is the bad guy is and how things are wrapped up in the end. I'm not going to drop any spoilers but I will simply say that you have to read this book. The ending has a twist you won't expect.

Ms. Hill did an outstanding job with the plotline, and I was literally biting my nails the entire time I was reading. There is one thing that Ms. Hill did and that was keep me awake at night. I couldn't put this fast paced, action packed book down. I HAD to find out what happened next. It was addicting. Ms. Hill has a gift of hooking the reader and not letting go until the very last word. And even then, there was a description of Family Secrets (the first book in the series). It's now on my HAVE TO BUY list. So let me just leave you with this one suggestion. You really want to go out and buy this book. It's a 114 page book that is filled with every emotion you can think of. You won't want to miss this one. Ms. Hill is an author to watch.

Family Ties is Book 2 in the series preceeded by Family Secrets which I also reviewed and is posted on this page.

Buy the book here