If there’s something the world needs right now, it’s hope. And Toni Anderson’s latest romantic suspense, Colder Than Sin, has got it in spades.
Quentin Savage’s presence was her most precious weapon of all. The thing that kept people alive even during the worst atrocities. Quentin gave her hope.
Once it starts, it never slows down. It’s rough. It’s tense. It’s gritty. Hell, it’s got content advisory. FBI crisis negotiator Quentin Savage is the keynote speaker at a security summit on an island in Indonesia, where Haley Cramer is attending, trying to drum up interest in her security firm. When terrorists invade and begin killing all the guests late in the evening, Quentin grabs Haley and they make a run for it. Only, they don’t get very far before they’re captured. The nightmare that ensues is enough to make any fan of the genre break out in a sweat. Quentin is first and foremost an FBI agent, sworn to protect the lives of his fellow Americans. So when he and Haley come across other Americans who’ve been held hostage in the same area, he’s duty- (and morally) bound to help them escape. Danger escalates around almost every corner, and every time you think Quentin and Haley have caught a break, the danger escalates. This was another great book, but it was exhausting.
I was excited to catch up with Anderson to get a little insight into her FBI world and figure out how marine biologist with a Ph.D. on the ‘effects of temperature and temperature acclimation on muscle fiber properties and swim performance in fish’ made the shift to NYT and USA Today Bestselling romantic suspense author.
What is the most interesting/unexpected thing about you that’s not on your Web bio?
In high school it was a toss-up as to whether I pursued fine arts or science. Writing was never on my horizon even though I was an avid reader. At that point in my life the idea of being a published author was right up there with climbing into a rocket ship and heading off on a one-woman Mars mission.
You’re English and now live in Canada – why the FBI, not MI5?
Good question. I have used MI6 in small ways (The Killing Game), and the British SAS characters who pop up in the Cold Justice books are a Black Ops group run covertly by MI6. But the FBI appealed for many reasons. One, the market wasn’t saturated with FBI Agents at the time I started writing the books, and I don’t believe it’s saturated now. Two, the FBI deal with every kind of crime imaginable and that gave me a wide scope for potential stories. And the US market is the biggest market for Romance, so it made sense to set the books there. But I am a little obsessed with the FBI. It could be a problem 😉
What is your writing process?
It’s ugly. I’m also constantly trying to improve it, and constantly failing.
I assume you research content for your books in the field … what is the most fun you’ve had doing research?
I don’t do as much field research as I’d like unfortunately. I have the most fun at the Writers Police Academy/MurderCon conferences. Between firearms simulation training and doing PIT maneuvers to knock cars off the road, it’s an absolute blast! I did visit the Strategic Information and Operations Center inside FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. in January 2016. It was during the transition and the Unit Chief pointed out the secure room where they’d investigated Hillary Clinton’s emails. He wiped his brow at the memory.