by Elizabeth Goddard
Have you ever thought about what you would change if you could have a do over in life? If you could go back in time and change any aspect of your life—what would that be? If you’ve lived a few decades like me, then you might have a better idea of what you would change, and how to go about it. There are so many things I’ve wanted to do, that I might have a hard time deciding, even if I had the chance to do it all over again.
Since I write novels for a living, I get to start over and do new things all the time through my characters! I love creating innovative stories, especially when it’s proposal time, which means a fresh new setting and collection of compelling characters.
It’s like getting a chance to start over with life. Sort of. You know what I mean. That’s why I’m so excited to share about my new series, Coldwater Bay Intrigue!
Fans have asked how I come up with series ideas.
First, setting is what inspires me to write new stories. I love beautiful, stunning scenery. For the last several books, I have entrenched myself in the Pacific Northwest with my Mountain Cove series (southeast Alaska) and then Wilderness, Inc. (southwest Oregon). All gorgeous locales. I wasn’t quite ready to give up the region yet, and set this brand-spanking new series along the Washington state coastline.
(Image from Canva.com)
But there’s more, much more . . .
After I pick a locale, then I come up with an enticing blurb.
Here’s the series blurb that went into my new series proposal to Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense.
“This series is set in a fictional bay–Coldwater Bay—along the Washington state coastline and follows four siblings. Several towns border the bay and a long beach peninsula separates the bay from Pacific Ocean. All the towns are encompassed within one county. The bay has a history rife with trafficking, smuggling and all manner of crimes, but now boasts a thriving tourist economy.
But with secrets long buried—all is not as it seems.
The siblings made a pact to make the world a better place. They grew up in Coldwater Bay and though they tried to leave, the waters of their home calls to them, but . . .it’s the danger that brings them back to face their pasts.”
Next I take the blurb and develop a synopsis for each of the four stories in the series, which requires coming up with the characters along with the plots. The Strand siblings were fun and interesting characters—Sadie Strand is first up in Thread of Revenge (February 2018). She’s a marine biologist—yeah, that was something I wanted to be early on but I took a different direction.
Then there’s Jonna who is a previous ICE agent, but she’s running from her past and now owns a storm watching in on the coast (Stormy Haven, 2018). Next up is Cora, an underwater archaeologist, and then Quinn who is a DEA agent.
It’s been exciting to bring the siblings together with their romantic counterparts—a CGIS special agent, a NCIS agent working undercover, a marine division deputy sheriff, and a previous U.S. Diplomatic Security Service agent.
So many interesting careers and backgrounds should make for an exciting series. I hope you’ll pick up a copy of Thread of Revenge—an exhilarating start to this new adventure, romantic suspense series.
“Thread of Revenge is the first explosive book in the Coldwater Bay Intrigue series. This story gets off to an exciting start and really doesn’t let up the entire time.”—Britt98
COAST GUARD PROTECTOR
Marine biologist Sadie Strand is back in her coastal hometown to prove her best friend was murdered—but searching for evidence almost costs Sadie her life. Abducted, drugged and left for dead on a sinking boat, she’s barely rescued in time by Coast Guard Investigative Service special agent Gage Sessions, an old friend. Assigned to protect Sadie and connect three complicated cases, Gage risks his life time and again to make sure the woman he once loved survives. But although the handsome, guarded agent vows to protect her, someone will keep killing to ensure the truth never rises to the surface.
