Devil’s Gold by Amanda McKinney
Publication date: February 13th, 2018
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Despite being chronically late, occasionally disheveled and a tad disorganized, Dixie Knight is one of the top private investigators in the country, and when a young woman goes missing in the small, Southern town of Devil’s Den, Dixie takes the case. She expected it to be another ordinary missing person case — until Lizzie Meyers is found naked and beaten to death at a local, seedy motel.
While visiting relatives on his two-week leave, Marine Liam Cash bumps into Dixie at the local bar, and his attraction to her is immediate. When Liam connects Dixie’s current case to two unsolved murders in his hometown, he steps in to help find the killer, and keep her safe, whether Dixie wants him to or not.
After another woman is found brutally beaten, Dixie turns the town upside down trying to solve the mystery — could it be the rumored witch that lives in the mountains; the rich, neurotic doctor’s wife; or the perky, blonde receptionist at the local medical clinic?
Time is running out and Dixie knows she has to put the pieces of the puzzle together before another body turns cold in Devil’s Den.
~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Amanda McKinney~
1. What gave you the inspiration for the storyline?
I’m a sucker for
a good murder mystery, steamy romance, and I love badass female
sleuths—so I put the three together! Throw in a creepy small-town, a haunting
witch, and a few super sexy alpha males, and the Black Rose Mystery
series came to life! When I write a book, my number
one goal is to make the reader feel a mix of emotions—fear, anticipation,
surprise, lust; you name it. If he, or she, goes to bed thinking about my book,
or stays up all night just to finish it, I’ve done my job. And I really think
Devil’s Gold hits on all of those emotions.
2) Are there any
hidden themes in the book that you hope readers will discover?
The primary
themes in Devil’s Gold are Good vs. Evil/Light vs. Dark, and Love/Lust. A theme
that is also prevalent, and perhaps most important, is Courage. Each of the
sisters of Black Rose Investigations are smart, courageous, take-no-prisoners
kind of women, and Dixie, the main character, is certainly no exception. As her
case turns very dark and the bodies start to stack up, Dixie swallows her
fears, stays the course, and becomes more determined than ever to find the
killer—even when the cards are stacked against her.
3) Are any of
the characters based on real people you know?
No, and that’s
what I love so much about writing fiction! I get to create characters out of
thin air, and build a story around them. I create their strengths, their
weaknesses, their physical appearance, their pasts and present. It’s so much
fun! Shaping characters is one of my favorite parts of writing.
4) Who has
influenced you most as a writer?
Honestly, my
mom. Every dream begins somewhere, but the next step—the hardest step—is
believing in yourself enough to make it happen. Reading had always been a
passion of mine, and that passion evolved into a dream of becoming a writer,
and I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have taken that first step, written that
first word, without the support and gentle push of my mom at my back. She wholeheartedly
believed in me and my talent, and because of that, I’m currently writing my
sixth book, with many, many more to come. Love you so much, mama!
5) If you could
have any three literary characters over to your place for game night, who would
you invite, what would you play, what would you serve, and why?
First and
foremost, Roarke from Nora Roberts’ In Death Series, and Eve, too, because
she’s such a badass. I’d have Roarke’s invitation made separately, informing
him of a “no shirt” policy. And lastly, I’d invite Gandalf from Lord of the
Rings… because really, what’s a party without a wizard? I’d serve cocktails
first, a fancy mix of martinis, and then a few Busch Lights for good measure; I
am, after all a proud Southern woman. And then we’d play spin the bottle, with
a magical bottle created by Gandalf that always pointed to Roarke, and then
promptly head outside to watch Gandalf practice his latest magic tricks. I’d
close the night serving Roarke’s special coffee in cute little cups. Do you
think it’s as good as Starbucks?
6) Do you feel
that you can ever have too many books?
Absolutely not!
As cliché and corny as it sounds, I believe that books are the keys to our
imaginations—they inspire us to step out of our narrow little minds for a bit,
and think out of the box. And wonderful, amazing, powerful things can happen
when we think out of the box.
Author Bio:Amanda McKinney, author of Sexy, Suspenseful Mysteries wrote her debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY, after walking away from her career to become a writer and stay-at-home mom. When Amanda isn’t tending to her two beautiful boys, she’s hidden behind her computer screen crafting page-turning murder mysteries, peppered with titillating love scenes. Having been born and raised in the south, Amanda’s books are set in small, country towns and reflect southern culture at its finest.
Amanda’s debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY, was released in January 2017, followed by the first two books in the BERRY SPRINGS SERIES, THE WOODS and THE LAKE. The third book in the series, THE STORM is scheduled to be released in the Winter of 2017.
Thanks for hosting today, Jen! :)
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