Q&A With Carla Neggers, Author Of DECLAN'S CROSS

Please welcome the queen of the romantic suspense novel, Carla Neggers, author of almost 70 novels, including Heron's Cove, Saint's Gate, That Night On Thistle Lane, and Secrets Of The Lost Summer. Her books have been published in more than 30 countries and praised as "a breathtaking reading experience" (Providence Journal), "gripping and suspenseful" (Nashua Telegraph), "outstanding" (USA TODAY), and "compelling" (RT Books Reviews). Today, the New York Times bestselling and prolific author is on Mina's Bookshelf to talk about her recent release, Declan's Cross, third installment of the acclaimed Sharpe & Donovan series (August 27th 2013, Harlequin MIRA).

Q. Welcome, Carla. Tell us a little bit about your latest release, DECLAN'S CROSS (Sharpe & Donovan #3)?

A. I loved writing this book! I know I always say that, but DECLAN’S CROSS is set (mostly) in Ireland, one of my favorite places. FBI agents Emma Sharpe, an art crimes expert, and Colin Donovan, a deep-cover operative, are in Ireland to decompress and get to know each other better. It’s November, cold, dark, wet, totally romantic. Toward the end of their stay, they get word that Julianne Maroney, a marine biologist from Colin’s hometown in Maine, is on her way to the tiny Irish village of Declan’s Cross. Alarm bells go off for the two agents. Of all the Irish villages Julianne could visit, why Declan’s Cross? It’s where an elusive, daring art thief first struck ten years ago. When Julianne’s new friend disappears, Emma and Colin are drawn into a deadly race to find a killer. 

Q. Where do you do most of your writing? Do you have a certain place that inspires you most?

A. I do most of my writing in my office at our house on our hilltop in Vermont. I look out at a huge old maple tree on the edge of the woods. Great view when I need to think! But I don’t stay in my office. I migrate to other parts of the house, local cafes…and Ireland. Ireland is an incredible place to write. 

Q. Your books have been described as being very down-to-earth. Do you think your strong sense of roots and your big family have something to do with that?

A. No doubt! Having six brothers and sisters helps keep me grounded. We grew up in rural New England but our father was Dutch – he’d been a sailor – and our mother is from the Florida Panhandle. Imagining their lives before we were born, in such different places, fueled my imagination. My Dutch cousin Christine and I were pen-pals as kids. I used to try to picture her life in Holland. We finally met as adults when I visited her in her pretty Dutch village, not unlike the one I’d imagined for her. “Roots” don’t necessarily involve people down the street! 

Q. With more than 60 novels published, how do you come up with new and compelling stories that capture your readers’ attention?

A. I always have ideas. It’s why I write! Not every idea turns into a book – sometimes it’ll spark a scene or just drift away – but I always have characters, scenes and plots simmering. It’s just the way I’m wired. 

(Photo Credit: Julie Ireland)

About the author
Carla Neggers has been spinning stories ever since she climbed a tree with pad and pen at age eleven. Now she is the New York Times bestselling author of almost 70 novels, with millions of books sold in over 30 countries. Her popular Sharpe & Donovan romantic suspense series featuring FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan launched with Saint’s Gate in 2011 and has been praised as “a breathtaking reading experience” (Providence Journal) and “gripping and suspenseful” (Nashua Telegraph). In 2012, her Swift River Valley series debuted with Secrets Of The Lost Summer, which garnered a starred review from Booklist, a Top Pick from RT Book Reviews, and shot onto the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. Growing up in rural Massachusetts with a Dutch father, a Southern mother and six brothers and sisters, Carla developed an eye for detail and a love of a good story. Her imagination, curiosity and sense of adventure are key to creating the complex relationships, fast-paced plots and deep sense of place in her books. When she isn’t writing, Carla loves to travel, hike, garden and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband, Joe, are frequent travelers to Ireland and divide their time between Boston and their hilltop home in Vermont, not far from Quechee Gorge. To know more about Carla, please visit her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon pages. 

About the book
An escape to an idyllic Irish seaside village is about to turn deadly in this riveting new novel by master of romantic suspense Carla Neggers. For marine biologist Julianne Maroney, two weeks in tiny Declan's Cross on the south Irish coast is a chance to heal her broken heart. She doesn't expect to attract the attention of FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan—especially since a Donovan is the reason for her broken heart. Emma and Colin are in Ireland for their own personal retreat. Colin knows he's a reminder of everything Julianne wants to escape, but something about her trip raises his suspicion. Emma, an art crimes expert, is also on edge. Of all the Irish villages Julianne could choose…why Declan's Cross? Ten years ago, a thief slipped into a mansion in Declan's Cross. Emma's grandfather, a renowned art detective, investigated, but the art stolen that night has never been recovered and the elusive thief never caught. From the moment Julianne sets foot on Irish soil, everything goes wrong. The well-connected American diver who invited her to Ireland has disappeared. And now Emma and Colin are in Declan's Cross asking questions. As a dark conspiracy unfolds amid the breathtaking scenery of Declan's Cross, the race is on to stop a ruthless killer…and the stakes have never been more personal for Emma and Colin. (Goodreads)