BLOGGING WITH BEVERLEY: Lorelei Confer and Deadly Secrets

Lorelei Confer lives on a peninsula in the mid west coast of Florida with her high school sweetheart, now husband, and AJ, her longhaired Chihuahua.
In the fourth grade, she wrote her first story—something about getting a shot at the doctors—that was produced by the teacher for parents and students in an assembly. When she was older, she spilled her guts in a journal every night and wrote long newsy love letters to Viet Nam.
She is a multi published hybrid author of romantic suspense with two series: the Deadly series and the Saddle Creek series. She also has written numerous novellas and short stories.

Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?
Lorelei: I write primarily what I like to read which is Romantic Suspense. The research into different subjects i.e. money laundering or drug/human trafficking that is so intriguing to me I feel I have to share. But I always have to have a romance and a happy ever after.
Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
Lorelei: In the fourth grade a writing assignment impressed my teacher, Ms. Spotts, so much she made it into a play and invited other classes and family and friends to attend the performance; something about going to the doctor and getting a shot. I was thrilled, of course but then I started journaling. I journaled every day and when my high school boyfriend left for Viet Nam (see how old I am) I wrote to him every day, as kind of a diary. We’ve been married 49 years May 10th and I’m still journaling. Some of my personal life experiences are included in my books. After all, whose aren’t?
Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?
Lorelei: I’m a pantser so I don’t plot very much but when I get to the point of a major twist or turn my juices start going, trying to decide how much to say or how to say what and not give the ending away, even to the reader. I’m a big fan of Harlan Coben and he surprises me with every book. And that’s how I like to write.
Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
Lorelei: Mighty Mouse, not Mickey but ‘back in the day’ Mighty Mouse. He was always there to ‘save the day.’
Beverley: Who would you love most to meet 'in person' and why?
Lorelei: Harlan Coben; he really knows how to put words on a page.
Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it? Lorelei: Whatever I wanted to, I guess. I try to write every day but sometimes I’m writing in my head just waiting to spill it all out when I sit down with my computer. I think I’m writing in my head all the time, especially at night when I want to fall asleep. Many nights I get out of bed and write what’s been accumulating up there, and then I can sleep. Since I pretty much do what I want every day, there’s nothing really special that comes to mind.
Beverley: What are you working on now?
Lorelei: I’ve written two series, the Deadly series about Human Sex Trafficking and the Saddle Creek series, set in the shadows of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, about four young men and their loyalty to each other, through good and bad, as they each find their soul mates and grow old together. So I’m in different stages of three books right now, two for the Deadly series (they both need some layering) and the last book for the Saddle Creek series, which is the sheriff’s story. I hope to have them all available to purchase by the end of the year.

Blurb for Deadly Lessons

Lexi Morris, late to a Human Trafficking awareness seminar at her job and distracts Luke Miller, the presenter, an FBI Special Agent on the Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force/Coalition in central Pennsylvania. Their eyes meet and an instant connection occurs.

After a long day, Lexi walks to her car in a dimly lit parking lot while texting plans for a fun weekend but her weekend comes to a crashing halt when she‘s abducted with the intentions of being sold into sex slavery.

Luke, at his cabin in the woods for the weekend, observes suspicious activity at his late uncle’s cabin. When he investigates, he finds Lexi held captive and rescues her but not before engaging in a shootout with traffickers. He sets off on foot in a snowstorm, Lexi in tow, seeking the safety of his own cabin with her kidnappers in hot pursuit.

But is it simply coincidence when Lexi finds money, lots of money, in his jacket pocket? Is Luke her buyer and not her liberator? What will it take for her to trust him? Can he really protect her from a life of sex slavery?

Excerpt from Deadly Lessons

As she stepped outside her office building, Lexi pulled her coat tighter around her neck and chest against the cold night air as she stepped outside the university’s accounting office building. She settled her briefcase strap on her shoulder and stretched her back. In the crisp, fall mountain air the scent of the passing rain and of wood burning fireplaces filled the air. The long week’s work on next year’s budget left an ache in her neck. Her pulse thumped behind her eyes and she rubbed her fingers over her closed eyelids. No change.

The weekend loomed before her. She was free to do as she pleased and she would NOT think about work—that was for sure. She glanced at the time on her cell. It was later than usual. Where is the security guard, Gerald? He usually gives me a ride to my car when it’s this late.

Glancing at her pinging cell, she’d received more messages while working the last couple of hours. She tucked the earpiece in under her hair to listen to her calls while she forced one foot in front of the other toward the far corner of the dark, deserted parking lot. Lexi stopped to punch out a text reply to her friend Monica who had called to invite her to get together for drinks.

Know it’s Friday, but I’m exhausted. Rain check? Call you in thirty when I get home.

Starting toward her car again, she wished for a massage to work the kinks out of her upper back and shoulders. It wouldn’t make any difference if hot stones dotted her body, or aromatherapy tickled her nose, or an elbow dug into her knotted soft tissue. She snorted at her fantasy. She’d settle for a tall glass of chilled Chardonnay and a long soak in a bubble bath.

It began to drizzle again as she fumbled for her keys buried deep in her large satchel. Lexi cursed her habit of over-stuffing her purse with items she never needed and blamed it on her mother’s insistence to be prepared for anything. She smiled when her fingers closed around the key fob.

Suddenly, there were footsteps behind her, someone walking slightly quicker than her, catching up to her. She glanced behind her and a man, his attention zeroed in on her, was closing in. She broke into a run and the man behind her broke into a run. Her keys clutched in her hand, a footstep splashed in a puddle behind her.

Grabbed from behind, the man covered her face with a cloth and held it over her nose and mouth. She twisted around toward him; a very big, strong smelly man stood a foot taller than her and twice as broad. She rammed her fingers in his eyes, kicked at his shins but missed. Clawing and scratching at his eyes and face didn’t seem to faze him. He groaned and stumbled backward. Then, with renewed energy he came after her again.

Buy Links for Deadly Lessons
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Unwtoo
B&N: https://bit.ly/2OvGkmG
iBooks: https://apple.co/2uB7U8W
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2HV6Kgg

Lorelei loves to hear from her readers so if you want to stay “in the know” visit her website, sign up for her newsletters and contact her. www.loreleiconfer.com

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