Welcome Debut Author Raquel Byrnes!

Today I'm thrilled to welcome Raquel Byrnes to A Minute with Marianne. It's a very special day for her - it marks the release of her debut novel with White Rose Publishing, Purple Knot! Over the past several months I've gotten to know Raquel, and she's a delight.

Raquel Byrnes lives in Southern, California with her husband of sixteen years and their six children. She considers inspirational fiction a wonderful way to minister to others. She writes romantic suspense with an edge-your-seat pace. Her first book the Shades of Hope Series, Purple Knot, released from White Rose Publishing.com on June 3rd. You can visit her at her website: www.raquelbyrnes.com and her writing blog, Edge of Your Seat Romance.

Here's a tickler about Purple Knot:

“Rain, you have to decide what kind of person you’re going to be. I have to know.”

“What are you saying, Jimmy?” Confused I looked at him.

“I’m saying that you’re racing towards a crossroads, and I want to know what path you’re
planning to take.”

“Now is not the time for this conversation, Jimmy. We’re chasing a suspect!”

“Now is exactly the time, Rain. I need to know, right now because anything you do out of anger or grief will directly affect me, too!” Jimmy said loudly.

Dread bubbled up into my chest. I tried to answer calmly but I felt control slipping. My throat ached with the words I wanted to shout at him. “Don’t make me do this, Jimmy. Not now.”

“Yes, now, Rain.”

“What do you want me to say?” I shouted. “What do you want to hear?”

“I want to hear that you won’t put your anger ahead of our future. I want to hear that you can walk away from the possibility of revenge.”

“Why…why would I do that?” I looked at Jimmy with wonder.

“Because you’ll destroy us in the process, Rain.” Jimmy reached out and caught the hem of my sweater in his fingers. He looked worried.

“Are you asking me to choose between nailing Parker and loving you?” Anger and confusion
whipped through me like a cold wind.

“No. I’m asking you to choose between the hatred boiling in your veins and the grace hanging over your head.”

*****************

Wow! Great excerpt, Raquel! I'm dying to know more about this book, and how it came to be -- perhaps five things none of us knew about Purple Knot?

Here is the inside scoop on some of those little known facts, Marianne:

• There is a hacker that helps the main character with the online name, Nitewriter6. That is actually my real online screen name. Those who follow my blog will see it.

• I started writing the idea of Purple Knot during my own time spent in a hospital dealing with a friend in trouble. I’d go down to the garage or write in stairwells. My favorite part was people watching in the cafeteria.

• I visited Seattle for research. My brother lives there and he showed me a lot of the cool places I use in my book. The Columbia tower indeed does have windows in the bathroom stalls and yes…I have tested them.

• I did a private detective course for my research into Purple Knot’s main character, Reyna Cruz. She had to speak the jargon and know how to track down a skip-trace so I did too. I even took a gun class and learned to target shoot.

• The title of the book is a clue to the mystery. See if you can solve it before Reyna does.

I love an author who so authentically embraces the world of their characters - I think it makes for such strong writing. This sounds like such a fantastic release, Raquel, and I can't wait to read it!

Thanks for stopping by the blog, and I wish you every success with Purple Knot! I know it will be a huge hit!