Sunday, September 7, 2014

Interview with Romantic/Suspense Author Julie Bellon

Julie is married with eight children and eleven published books. Her novel All Fall Down won the RONE award for Best Suspense and her novel Pocket Full of Posies won a RONE Honorable Mention for Best Suspense. She loves to travel and her favorite cities she has visited so far are Athens, Paris, Ottawa, and London. She would love to visit Hawaii, Australia, Ireland, and Scotland someday. She loves to read, write, teach, watch Castle, Hawaii Five-O, and eat Canadian chocolate---not necessarily in that order.

Welcome back to my blog, Julie. You have four books in the Hostage Negotiation Team series: All Fall Down, Ashes Ashes, Pocket Full of Posies, and Ring Around the Rosie. Each is a “stand-alone” story. Please tell us about the last book.

Ring Around the Rosie is the Captain's story and it explores how his life gets turned upside down when his ex-wife is caught in a hostage situation with him.  Can the intense experience rekindle their feelings for each other? Here's the back cover copy for this one:

Revenge is a dish best served cold . . .

As the ex-wife of a law enforcement officer, Sarah Reed has known loneliness and loss. In order to cope, she makes a life for herself that's full of routine while building a wall of ice around her heart. Everything about her is as predictable as she can make it until a tiny detour for her ex-husband, Ron, changes her life forever. Caught in a bomb crisis, Sarah is taken hostage by a man who wants Ron and everyone around him to suffer---and his idea of suffering is more terrible than Sarah had ever dreamed.

Captain Ron Reed has seen the worst of humanity in his job with the Hostage Negotiation Team, but he never expected his past to come back with a vengeance---literally. Aaron Starks, a criminal explosives expert, has stolen next-gen bomb technology and uses it to force Ron to bargain for the lives of his team and his ex-wife, Sarah, the woman he still loves. But the situation escalates when Ron discovers that Starks has an even bigger objective in mind---using the bomb to show how vulnerable America and her people truly are.

Ron is willing to risk everything to save his country and those he loves, but when negotiations break down, will his sacrifice be too little too late?

My husband has read your first three in this series and really loves them. Where did you get your inspiration for this series?

I loved the idea of a Hostage Negotiation Team dynamic and how their personal lives would be affected by their jobs. I also read a lot of newspapers and current events jump out at me. My imagination takes over as I see how different characters could react in those situations and the stories just went from there.

What kind of research did you do for this book?

I have the privilege of interviewing several different law enforcement officials. I read tons of hostage negotiation transcripts. I feel like I researched every last detail from guns to bombs and bullet resistant wall panels down to the schematics of hotels, diners, and sub-basements.  I did a lot of research for this book and learned so much that never made it into the story! Maybe I should do outtakes sometime. That might be fun.

 You love to write romance/suspense. What intrigues you most about writing these stories?

I've always been attracted to this genre and what it means to want to protect your country or other people and how that balances with the instinct to protect those you love. I admire our military and law enforcement heroes and feel like there are so many stories to be told in what they deal with and how it affects them.  Their stories inspire my imagination and how I would feel in those circumstances and what I would do.  Of course I like the romance aspect because who doesn't want to have a little of that in their life?

Here are the covers for each of Julie's books in this series. 


I love learning about authors and the inspiration behind what they write. It has always intrigued me. I hope my readers will check out your books. Julie is having another contest in which she is giving away $30 Amazon gift card, A Booklovers Basket with three novels, a fuzzy new blanket and gourmet hot chocolate, or a copy of all four of the Hostage Negotiation Team series at http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/2014/09/ring-around-rosie-blog-tour-kickoff.html.


My readers find Julie at:

My website is www.juliebellon.com
Twitter: @juliebellon
Pinterest: juliebellon8

19 comments:

Olivia's Catastrophe said...

Ooh this sounds like a great story! I love the cover of the book, it's needless to say that white roses are in fact my favourite flowers! Thank you for the giveaway :D

lonelysearchforever@gmail.com

Check out my double giveaway: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/2014/09/make-up-in-society-guest-post-giveaway.html

Laurean Brooks said...

This sounds like a great plot with plenty of action and conflict to carry it through.

Julie, I pray God's continued blessings and direction on your writing.

Without THE AUTHOR, my quill runs dry-Laurean Brooks

Charissa said...

These sound like they might take me hostage too. That's pretty dangerous around here when laundry needs to be done. You should definitely do some outtakes, Julie, to put all that research to good use for our entertainment (or...you could come help me do laundry. Whites are up next)

Robin in NC said...

Wow!! I love the cover...it's so intriguing! Thanks for sharing with us Linda & Julie!

RW620(at)aol(dot)com

Shirley said...

Thanks for the wonderful interview and the chance to win a copy of this book. I think you found another winner Linda.
Shirley
straitfromthehive(at) email(dot) com

Sonja said...

I love a good suspence. Hope to read this one! Sonja dot Nishimoto at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

Sounds awesome can i enter please?
Jennettelebeau@yahoo.com

Linda Kish said...

This sounds like a terrific story.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Serena clarke said...

These books sound fascinating! I would love to read them! It is amazing how much research you put into writing your books. The covers are also amazing! Sclarke710@live dot com

Debra Erfert said...

I think every good suspense need a good romance, too. And Julie's story delivers both! Don't enter me into the contest. I already own all the books. I just needed to comment! lol!

Anonymous said...

If her past books are any indication about this latest one - then we are all in for another great story full of suspense and intrigue - just what a cool fall afternoon read demands!!- thanks for doing this

Jen plus 6 said...

I plan to read this one, one way or another! ;^)
It is always fun to find out background on how a book came to be.

601hammond @ gmail . com

Unknown said...

How did someone so easyly have the privilege of interviewing several different law enforcement officials and read those hostage negotiation scripts ?! spartananon@gmail.com

kmcgrew213 said...

i think its awesome how much research she did to really understand her story and characters unfolding in front of her.

i would ask if she has any actors/actresses in mind to play her favorite characters if any books were ever to be made into movies

kmcgrew213@aolDOTcom

Julie Coulter Bellon said...

Thanks so much for doing this giveaway, Linda!

Laurean, thank you for your prayer.

Charissa, I am seriously thinking about doing outtakes! :)

divyagit, it truly is a privilege to be associated with law enforcement that are willing to help authors make their stories as realistic as possible. There are a lot of great men and women out there!

kmcgrew213, I do have several people in mind! You can see them all on my Pinterest board "If My Books Were Made Into Movies." Ahh, someday! Here's the link: http://www.pinterest.com/juliebellon8/if-my-books-were-movies-i-would-cast/

And to everyone who commented and complimented me and my books, thank you so very much! Those comments are going in my feel good file for sure. :)

Sheila L. Majczan said...

This sounds like the type of book I would not be able to put down as I would have to learn if the hero is successful and how in both the negotiations and with his ex. The cover is lovely. So I need to start this book early in the morning and have nothing on my calendar.

Marsha Ward said...

I love how romance goes together with suspense in this novel. Thanks for the interview, Linda!

erinzachjj said...

I am so excited for this book! I absolutely can't wait to read these books.

Anonymous said...

I love the cover! Romantic suspense is so much for interesting to me than straight romance and this whole series looks great. Thank you for the giveaway!!

Bonnie Hilligoss
bonnie at bonnieanddave dot com