I am very excited about this one because it concerns an initial story idea I got from watching local news reports about the presence of the FLDS religious compound and the number of illegal aliens and drugs coming across the border south of Phoenix. After spending some hours on the phone with Big Mike talking about our characters, what they would be for a living, and how they would become embroiled in border and religious activities, we worked on putting together an outline, a timeline, and characterizations we could both follow along with.

That kernel of an idea I had so many months ago turned into a real nail biter of a suspense novel with, surprisingly, very little romance. This is something new for me. Yeah, when I started writing before Big Mike’s input, I was already adding romantic scenes. When the collaboration truly started, these scenes no longer made much sense so they were all deleted, for the most part. But I’m not complaining; I think the end result is incredibly good. Another bonus? Without the sex scenes this is one book I can be comfortable sharing with DMIL and my pastor’s wife.

Hopefully the next news we have regarding Whispers of Innocence is good news regarding publication.

Now, who will play the part of the heroine, Micki Lewis, in the movie? She looks like Scarlett Johansson so that’s a good choice. And the hero, Drake Elliot? I picture him looking like Dr. House but Big Mike modeled him after Sam Elliot.  That actor is a bit too old to play the part but Hugh Laurie might be perfect…

I use Google Alerts to let me know any time something is posted on the internet with my name and/or the titles of my books. My present this morning was a review of Veil of Deception from You Gotta Read Reviews. Shira, the reviewer, gave our book a “You Gotta Read” rating – the highest possible. She says:

Veil of Deception made me feel as though I were a part of this close knit community. I was the neighbor that got to peek into the lives of my neighbors sight unseen. I got to call them a best friend, a sister, or a brother. I felt their joys, pain, and anguish. I wanted to meddle and give my opinion every once in a while. I loved Danielle. She was such a strong woman that lived with a secret that haunted her for ten years. I felt that Hawk needed to stand up to his sister in law and tell her what he honestly thought. I enjoyed this book because it flowed. Even though there were two authors, it was very seamless. I enjoyed being a resident of Spenser Lake even for a few hours.

For Big Mike and I, this review is confirmation that our long months of work on Veil of Deception paid off. Yes, it was difficult at time, and even frustrating, but the experiment was a success. I know one of Mike’s biggest fears is that the reader would be able to tell the difference between our two writing styles but this was unfounded.

Now if we can just get our current collaboration, Whispers of Innocence, finished we will both be happy! If anything, I think it will be even better than Veil of Deception but we’ll leave that up to the readers.

Little Candy

Right now Veil of Deception is published as an e-book. If you prefer the print edition, you will have to wait a few months.

Did you get an e-book reader for Christmas? If so – lucky you! I’m still waiting for mine (after two years)… Veil of Deception would make a great first upload to your e-reader. At only $6 this is a real bargain.

We invite you to read the excerpts posted here. Ready to buy Veil of Deception? Click on this link to be take directly to the Champagne Books store.

As the book gets reviewed by various sites, we’ll share those with you. We don’t have any official reviews yet but initial comments are that readers are loving it! We hope you do, too.

Big Mike & Little Candy

How about a little introduction first? My name is Michael Davis, or you can call me Big Mike. Everyone does. I’m just a big guy with tender insides.

Does that shock ya that a big alpha male can write suspenseful stories with a romantic core? It did a lot of people, including my wife, kids and all my neighbors when I came out of the closet, so to speak. I get emails all the time, asking “Are you really a guy (yes I am)” or “Are there any other men that write romance?” Well, I don’t write pure romance, I create suspenseful stories that are built upon the premise that the bond between a man and women can provide the strength to overcome tremendous adversity. I wasn’t sure if my take on romance would resonant with the readers. But we guys do think a lot about the topic, just a little more juicy, a little more buried inside. Guys don’t like to show that emotional side cause it might expose vulnerability, but we do have it. I’m knew as a big softy to many of my friends, and I’m secure enough I can live with it, even a little ribbing every now and then.

Funny thing is, both the male and female readers have responded great. Though the guys say they skip the romance parts and focus on the suspense aspect (or at least that’s what they admit to.)

Then in comes my budette Candace (aka Cowgirl, Rocketgirl, Bosswoman, or a few other pet names). After reading a passage in one of her books I realized that a guy would have never said what she had the hero say. Plus, the way she conveyed the female POV was very enlightening to me in turns of the way woman actually think. I suggested, “Do you think its possible that a guy and girl …”, she didn’t even let me finish before she said, “Yes, what a great idea.” Course women never let a man finish his thoughts. I actually think it was her idea all along. she just led me down the path so I’d think it was my idea.

Its funny but a lot of times, we’ll ask the other, “Would the other team actually think that?” and each of us replies “Yep.” I have to take her word for it. I mean, she is the boss (at least I let her think so).

What do I do with my spare time? There isn’t any. I started on this wonderful journey of fiction writing about three years ago. I’m working on a fourth and fifth novel called VEIL OF DECEPTION and SHADOW OF GUILT, the first being a collaborate with Candace. I also post the good, bad, and ugly of the writing experience with 15 other authors at TheWritersVineyard.com.

Till next time.

Big Mike aka Michael Davis