Her Darkest Secret prologue came to me in a dream one night many years ago. I wrote it down, and may have even blogged about it, but had no idea what it was about or where it fit. I wasn’t even published with one book! Fast Forward 13 published books later and I dreamed it again! Then the rest of the story fell into place along with the series ideas.
I didn’t think this book was going to find a home and that I might have to independently publish it or erase the overt faith thread, keeping the faith themes of course, and try to sell it to a general market publisher, but little did I know that Harlequin’s Love Inspired imprint was about to expand into trade books. My agent knew and sent it to them, then told me about the expansion. I didn’t know anything about the line but I knew, having been writing many books with Love Inspired, that the story elements and darker tone wouldn’t fit the LIS line…but these books are more complex and grittier. When I got the call almost a year later, I was floored and thankful!
During the initial stages of brainstorming the team, my SAC’s name was Declan Cage but then several books came out and the hero’s name was Declan! So Declan became Asa Kodiak and now I can’t see him with any other name!
The original title I gave the story was Cradle of Lies then it became Her Darkest Secret. Because the title was so focused on her secret, I knew that it needed beefed up even more–so I gave her secret even more complexity in the revisions.
If you have read my Love Inspired Suspense Security Specialists series, you’ll see a nod to Wheezer, the computer analyst and the Atlanta team. It’s subtle, but it’s there!
In my debut Love Inspired Novel, I added a creep factor in that had to be removed and I was sad because I loved it so much. Finally, 13 books later, and my editor asked me to amp up the creep factor (she unleashed something there lol), and I remembered that creepy thing I wanted to do in Fatal Reunion but couldn’t. However, it fit perfectly in this book! You never how long you’ll sit on something before you can use it!
I used several friends and their real-life signature dishes in the book! Here’s a nod to Cindy Walters, Jan Kerley, and Vickie Carroll and your baked beans, sausage balls, and Apple Dump cake!
Gus’s Fried Chicken where they go for lunch has been on Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives on the Food Network channel! It’s delish!
My grandmother inspired the nursery rhymes. When I was little she would tell me many of them before bed and end with Wee Willie Winkie using whatever time it was when she told the story. Once in the night I woke up and someone was peeping in her bedroom window. She’d left the window open for cool night air and I saw him staring at us. I was too afraid to move or say anything so I pretended to be asleep and he went away. I couldn’t have been any older than 10 but I’ll never forget it. When I woke her up after he left and told her she thought I’d been dreaming. But I wasn’t!
I was on a Lee Brice kick when I wrote this book, so Fiona has a deep love for him and his music too. 🙂
Her Darkest Secret prologue came to me in a dream one night many years ago. I wrote it down, and may have even blogged about it, but had no idea what it was about or where it fit. I wasn’t even published with one book! Fast Forward 13 published books later and I dreamed it again! Then the rest of the story fell into place along with the series ideas. 
