Interview With My Guest Constance Bretes

Please welcome my guest author, Constance Bretes. She’s here to share a little bit about herself and her Romantic Suspense, Jade’s Redemption. One of the characters in Jade’s Redemption, Patrick’s brother, Vincent Carter, is the hero in Jarillo Sunset. He has the ability to ‘know’ things and shares a few things with Patrick in the Jade’s Redemption story of what he ‘knows’ about the kidnapper, Jade’s emotional condition, and Patrick’s gift. The brothers are Native American. I haven’t read the book yet, but this reminds me of my character Ruthie’s ability in Destiny Calling, so I’ll have to check it out. Now let’s find out more about Constance and her book.

Blurb for Jade’s Redemption

Someone is kidnapping newborn infants and selling them to the highest bidder. Police Chief Patrick Carter has his hands full investigating the case. To complicate matters, he’s short on staff.

Jade Harlowe has secrets, ones that she vowed no one would ever know. She used to be a police officer, but when a tragedy occurred—one that everyone held her responsible for—she resigned and moved to another state to start over, accepting a job as a dispatcher for the police, fire, and ambulance departments.

When Patrick discovers Jade’s past police experience he offers her a job on the force. He needs help working the kidnapping cases, and Jade previously solved a similar case, so she could be a valuable asset. But will they be able to fight the attraction that’s sizzling between them? Something that could be very distracting if they can’t control it.

The clock is ticking. They have to find those babies and prevent more from being taken. But a very nosy news reporter may compromise everything if she digs deep enough to uncover Jade’s past.

Neither Patrick nor Jade thought they had room for each other in their lives, but working so closely together makes it impossible to deny the chemistry. Can Patrick break through the wall Jade has built up around her, or will her past finally catch up with her and she loses everything once again?

 He’s an overworked police chief, and she’s a disgraced cop. Can he rescue her from her own depths of hell without losing his heart to her in the process?

Excerpt for Jade’s Redemption

“Jade, in my office. I need to talk to you,” Patrick said.

“Okay.” She didn’t report to him, so why did he want to see her? She entered his office.

“Close the door,” he commanded, his voice terse.

She closed the door and sat in the chair in front of his desk.

“There was another kidnapping last night. Here’s the file on both kidnappings and files from other known cases to cross-reference. I need you to investigate the cases and try to get these babies back and prevent another one from being taken. I want you to go out into the street, ask questions, get in people’s faces, and help solve this crime.”

“Um, not an officer, Patrick.”

“You are now. If you’ll stand, I’ll swear you in.” He opened the desk drawer to get the book out.

“You can’t make me an officer, just like that.”

“Yes, I can. I know you were an officer in Oklahoma City, and I know your credentials are up-to-date. You are certified and ready to be an officer. All I need to do is swear you in.”

“You checked up on me?” Jade asked, her voice faltering.

“No, at first, I called the Oklahoma City Police to find out about the kidnapping case you mentioned. In the course of my discussion with the chief, I asked if he knew you, which he said he did.”

“Then you know what happened there.”

“No, they couldn’t tell me due to your non-disclosure stipulation.”

“Then you shouldn’t hire me.”

“I’m giving you an opportunity here. This is your chance to prove yourself. You are given full range to investigate the cases. You’ll report back to me every day as part of your training. I will guide you to where and how to solve this crime and many others. Now, are you up to it and ready to start?”

“But…Patrick…um…Chief. This is so sudden. I…” She was speechless, she didn’t want to do an investigation into a possible kidnapping. She didn’t want to handle cases that involved children. How could she get out of this? Did she really want to get out of this?

“Say yes so we can get started.”

“You sure about this?” She wasn’t, but she couldn’t tell him no. This was the kind of once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you didn’t turn down. It felt strange though; he never talked this fast, and he wanted her decision now.

“Yes, I’m sure. So, what do you say?”

“Chief, I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

“Why not?”

What could she tell him? “I’ve been away from police work a long time, and I’ve never been a detective. I was only in training to be one.”

“Your previous employer said that you were showing signs of being a good detective. Jade, I need a detective. I need fresh eyes, someone quick to analyze the situation and get to the bottom of this. I’m offering you a chance to prove you are the right person to do the job. Anyone else would jump at the opportunity. Why are you hesitating?”

“I…um…” She couldn’t tell him she didn’t want to work baby or children cases. You couldn’t be selective when you were a detective. You took all jobs, no matter how difficult or painful it was.

“Have you talked to the fire chief? Does he know?”

“Yes. I talked to him this morning. He’s going to hire someone to replace you.”

“What about the police commissioners?”

“I’ll deal with them.”

She stared at Patrick and swallowed a big lump in the back of her throat. A detective? Her heart hammered hard in her chest. Could she do it? If he knew her past, why would he even consider her for the job? Talk about a bombshell dropping. Couldn’t she have time to consider it?

But a little glimmer of hope sparked in her heart.

To Purchase Jade’s Redemption:

Amazon            Barnes and Noble           ITunes              Kobo

Interview With Author Constance Bretes

Most of my characters have a special ability or power. (Even Ruthie has the power of “knowing”) What kind of magic would you like to be able to do?

I would love to have the ability of “knowing” as Vincent has, in my ebook, Jarillo Sunset and his visit in Jade’s Redemption. It would be way to help others in distress, or maybe to help solve a crime.

Many people have a ‘signature expression’ (Ie: my character, Hope from Destiny Calling, often says “For Goodness Sake”). What expression are you known for—or would you like to be known for?

Don’t know if I’d want to be known for this or not, but I always say “Story of my life” especially when things go wrong.

Nothing is more rewarding than a genuine laugh and a good sense of humor. What can always make you laugh?

I love anything that is a joke, or a hysterical situation that happens to someone. My husband constantly makes me laugh with his dry wit. But I don’t like something that demoralize or hurts another individual. In each of my stories, I have included funny or hysterical incidents in them that happened to me.

My Enchantlings Series feature bikers. Would you call yourself a “backseat biker”, a “motorcycle mama”, or a “no-way jose’” kinda gal when it comes to motorcycles?

No. Way. Jose.

My character, Olivia (Liv) from Evil Speaks Softly has always wanted to be a writer. What about you? Did you always want to be a writer? What other profession(s) have you had?

I’ve been writing a lot of things at various times of my life. For many years, I kept a diary of myself and my feelings. I started taking writing seriously about ten years ago and had my first release in 2013.

I worked for 38+ years with the State of Michigan, in several agencies. My last job, when I retired 2015, was as a Forms Analyst for the Michigan Department of Transportation. My career with the State of Michigan started as a general clerk IIB, then a general clerk IVB, then Secretary III to Secretary IV, from there I went to a Department technician 10, to an analyst 12. I started with Department of Mental Health, then Michigan Department of Treasury, to Michigan Rehabilitation Services, to Michigan Department of Transportation.

Writing and marketing a book is hard work. Share your best “author tip”.

I have a newsletter, and I have a blog. I spend a lot of time promoting other authors. In my newsletter, I have an author spotlight, where I feature another author who writes in the same genre I write in. I have a monthly giveaway, sometimes two or three, like right now because of the holidays. I spend a lot of time creating graphics, scheduling tweets, facebook posts, google+ and Instagram posts. I schedule all messages to go out every 2 hours or so from 2AM all day long, except for Instagram, I schedule every 2 hours from 8am to 8pm. I participate in as many ‘freebees’ I can because I have no money in the budget for promoting or marketing. Such as blog hop tours, and stuff like that. I’m glad that I’m retired, because I would not have the time to do all this and write.

Constance Bretes Bio

I started writing contemporary romance and contemporary romance suspense fifteen years ago, and after multiple rejections, got my first contract for Delayed Justice, released in 2014.

I lives in Basin, Montana, where three feline furballs own me and my husband, and a dog that lives next door named Sara, who thinks she also lives with the Bretes family. I love the mountains that surround my home, I love basket weaving, jewelry making, and just visiting all the folks in the small community we live in.

I currently have seven books published, and a number of other ones in various stages of edits. Right now, I’m working on a new book, called Roadside Love. A murder mystery/romance is a small town in Wyoming. I have two other books that are at the end of their editing days and now at critique partners, the books are Elkhorn In The Moonlight and Rocky River Gold. Both are small town romances.

Connie can be reached through the following media.

http://constancebretes.com

https://www.facebook.com/conniebretes/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7737457.Constance_Bretes

Email: bretesc@gmail.com

http://beachwalkpress.com/constance-bretes/

Be sure to visit Connie’s webpage, navigate to the News & Things, and enter the monthly rafflecopter at the bottom of the page. Join her newsletter mailing list also at that site, and you will get my newsletter, once a month and only occasionally, anytime the rest of the month, if she suddenly has something that has come up after the newsletter was sent out.