Torn Tour + Giveaway: Interview with Cynthia Eden

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming Cynthia Eden back to the blog as part of the promotional tour for the fourth book in her LOST series, Torn. I absolutely adore this series and highly recommend it to all who love a little thriller action mixed in with their romance. Cynthia was nice enough to answer a few questions for me about lead couple Wade and Victoria, so I hope you guys enjoy the interview!

To introduce those who haven’t yet met Wade and Victoria in the previous books, how would each member of the LOST team describe them in one or two words?

Now that is a fun question! ;)  So, for Wade, the quick & dirty description would be: Hard ass. (Yes, I’m afraid that is how the other agents of LOST—would describe him. Wade is a tough, ex-detective, a real rule follower, and he isn’t the most charming sort.

For Victoria, she’d be described as: Intense. Quiet.
Victoria is a forensic anthropologist, and she’s far more comfortable working with the dead, and not the living. 



If Victoria was to teach a class on forensic anthropology, what’s the first thing she would say or lesson she would teach her students?

The first thing she would say is, “The dead have secrets. Your job is to uncover those secrets, no matter how long it takes.” 



Though their work often leaves them little time for relaxing or leading any kind of social life, what would Victoria or Wade say their dream date would entail?

LOL, I think Wade would enjoy a night at a local bar, maybe a football or a baseball game, then some alone time with his lady. 

Victoria would be the total opposite. Her dream date would be a day at the beach, far away from crowds, a cozy picnic, and private time with Wade.

Opposites attract, right? 



You clearly do a great deal of research in order to write this romantic suspense series. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve typed into Google for research purposes?

Sometimes, my Google searches scare even me! Okay, the weirdest one may have been…How do you survive being buried alive in a coffin? I wanted to know exactly how long one would survive and if there were any possible ways of escape.  



What is one interesting tidbit or piece of trivia you learned about forensic anthropology that you didn’t know before you wrote Victoria’s character?

I actually learned a great deal, thanks to Victoria.  (She was a helpful lady. Now I have all kinds of conversation starters.)  One weird tidbit I picked up was this…if you are trying to determine the age of a person’s remains (say you are working with a skeleton and you want to know how old the victim was at death)…try looking at the ribs.  It turns out that as people age, the ends of our ribs will be less flat and more ragged right in the area where the cartilage connects with the sternum.  So if you’ve got a skeleton with ragged ribs, you’re looking at an older victim. 

Another little fact (sorry, now I can’t stop!) I picked up…if you are trying to determine ethnicity, the skull is the key.  You can measure the distance between the eyes or you can study the shape of the victim’s teeth in your quest to figure out ethnicity. 

Thanks for taking the time to interview me—and for letting me talk forensic facts! ;) It has been fun!

The more facts the better! Thanks so much Cynthia!

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TORN

In New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden’s latest novel featuring the Last Option Search Team (LOST), one agent’s investigation entices a killer into making her his prey.

PARTNERS . . . FRIENDS . . .

Forensic anthropologist Victoria Palmer has always been better with the dead than the living. Shutting down her emotions, she lets few people in. But then Victoria’s latest investigation takes her and agent Wade Monroe to Savannah, Georgia. Handsome, dangerous, and more than ready to play dirty on any case, Wade weakens Victoria’s aloofness with just one glance.

. . . LOVERS

Wade knows their recent cases have pushed Victoria beyond her limits. But her skills are crucial to finding a college student who went missing five years ago. Victoria is able to determine she was murdered, and that the killer is still on the loose.

And when the vicious murderer targets Victoria, Wade must do everything in his power to protect her . . . because he refuses to let a woman he loves be torn from him . . . again.
 

Amazon • B&N • iBooks • HarperCollins

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CYNTHIA EDEN

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Cynthia is also a two-time finalist for the prestigious RITA® award (she was a finalist both in the romantic suspense category and in the paranormal romance category). Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over thirty novels and novellas. Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

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GIVEAWAY

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May 30

·         Got Fiction? – Review
·         Live to Read – Guest Post

May 31st

·         My Secret Romance – Review
·         Jeep Diva – Review

June 1

·         The Reading Café – Review
·         Waves of Fiction – Review

June 2

·         Book Reader Chronicles – Review
·         The Book Binge – Guest Post

June 3

·         SOS Aloha – Guest Post
·         Romance Junkies – Guest Post

June 6

·         Good Choice Reading – Review
·         Book Reading Gals – Guest Post
·         Paulette's Papers – Guest Post
·         HEAs Are Us – Spotlight

June 7

·         Romancing the Readers – Review
·         Books Books More Books – Review

June 8

·         Book Beacon – Review
·         Literacy Etc. – Q&A
·         Book Lovin' Mamas – Guest Post

June 9

·         Supernatural Snark – Q&A
·         I Heart YA Books – Review
·         Truly Simply Pink – Review
·         Sophia Loves Reading – Review

June 10

·         Cocktails and Books – Guest Post
·         Toots Book Reviews – Q&A
·         Ramblings From This Chick – Guest Post
·         Reese's Reviews – Guest Post

Shattered Blog Tour: Interview + Giveaway

Today I'm thrilled to have author Cynthia Eden stopping by the blog as part of the promotional tour for the third installment of her fantastic LOST series, Shattered. I loved the first two books in this series (each book features a new couple and a new mystery) and now can't wait to dive in to Sarah and Jax's story. I hope those of you who have yet to meet the members of LOST will do so after reading the interview, enjoy!

If the men and women of LOST could choose a character from any other piece of fiction to join their team, whose set of skills would they most want to utilize?

LOST would definitely recruit Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds. Her tech skills would be an amazing addition to the team. When it comes to computers, Penelope is a master, and she’d add both wit and tech value to the team.

This is a bit of a stretch, but if Jax were to play tour guide for someone who’s never been to New Orleans, what are three places he’d recommend they see?

I bet Jax would love to play tour guide! He’d start with Bourbon Street (a must for him), then he’d recommend a nice, long stroll through Jackson Square (with a pause for beignets). Jax would end the night with a haunted tour of the French Quarter. After all, he totally loves a good scare.

Sarah has very personal reasons for becoming a criminal psychologist. If she were to put together a file on her serial killer father, how would the first line of her notes read?

What a great question! And I bet Sarah does have a file on her father… probably quite a few.  The first line would be:

A monster who wears the skin of a man…Murphy should never be trusted and he should absolutely not be underestimated.

Despite the fact that each case widely varies, what would Sarah say are some recurring characteristics typically present in her profiles of serial killers?

Sarah would say that serial killers are highly intelligent and very methodical. After all, they’d have to be smart in order to get away with their crimes. Otherwise, they’d be captured after their first kill. The serial killers would also have very low empathy (or they’d feel no empathy at all). They don’t feel the pain of their victims—it’s all about the pleasure of the kill for the men and women Sarah profiles.

If Jax were to consider joining the LOST team, what’s the first question he’d ask founder Gabe before signing up?

Ah…Jax…well, he’d want to know, “Will Sarah be my partner? Because I’ll only work with her.”

Thanks so much for interviewing me!

Thank YOU Cynthia!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

SHATTERED

In New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden's latest novel featuring the Last Option Search Team (LOST), one agent is forced to face her past as she uncovers secrets about the man who may be the key to her future.

Criminal psychologist Dr. Sarah Jacobs is all too familiar with the kind of bad boys who belong behind bars. But the dark, dangerous man she meets in the New Orleans underworld is a new kind of ruthless, and all too irresistible.

Jax Fontaine doesn't claim to be a good guy, but he's loyal to his own code and brutally honest about what he wants. He and Sarah may be worlds apart, but when they're skin to skin, nothing matters but the heat between them.

And when a deranged killer targets Sarah, Jax will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

Amazon • B&N • Google Play • iTunes • Kobo • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

CYNTHIA EDEN

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Cynthia is also a three-time finalist for the prestigious RITA® award. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over fifty novels and novellas.

Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate. Her favorite hobbies including hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY

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Review: Twisted

TWISTED
LOST #2
Cynthia Eden
Romantic Suspense
384 pages
Avon
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
n the second seductive LOST novel from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden, an obsessed Last Option Search Team agent goes looking for trouble--and finds her in the Big Easy.

Dean Bannon comes to New Orleans for one reason only: to track down a missing sixteen-year-old girl. That's before he meets the drop-dead gorgeous con artist who makes him want to lose his legendary control.

With her past, Emma Castille doesn't claim to be psychic. She just notices things other people don't. Like the fear in a runaway's eyes--or the pain in an ex-FBI agent's heart. Her chemistry with Dean is blistering, but Emma follows her passion... not someone else's orders.

Then a madman breaks into Emma's home and leaves a twisted message: You're next. Now Dean refuses to let her out of his sight until he pries every last secret from her full, sexy lips. And suddenly Emma's aching to give him everything he wants.

MY THOUGHTS
Twisted walks us through the bustling streets of New Orleans with another member of the LOST team, and introduces us to a new killer who sees blood and pain as moves in a sadistic game of chess. Ms. Eden changes the suspense element a bit from book one, giving us the killer’s identity fairly early on so that our attention shifts from the who to the how and when he’ll be caught before shifting things on us once again. What results is a night spent reading instead of sleeping, making our guesses as to how things are going to unfold and then flipping the pages as fast as possible to see if we’re right.

Given this series is romantic suspense, the relationship between LOST agent Dean and next-on-the-killer’s-list Emma is as prominent as the hunt for the man himself. Things start out just a touch rocky with Dean, his habit of continually reminding Emma of his Incredible Hulk-like tendency to be dangerous when he loses control something that has us wondering if we’ll ever be able to take him as seriously as he takes himself. His fear of letting his control slip might have given us appropriate pause should we have been privy to a few quick flashbacks to times when he’s been as dangerous physically or emotionally as he claims, but aside from one instance that was clearly self-defense, there’s nothing about Dean that warrants his early game of hot and cold with Emma.

Before too long however, Dean gives up on warning Emma off and finally starts taking what Emma is more than willing to give, allowing us to settle into their romance in a way we feared we might not be able to in the first third of the book. As always, Dean’s LOST team all play minor roles as well, giving us peeks into their personalities that are just long enough to build our anticipation for their inevitable stories, but never so long as to have us wishing we could return to our lead couple. Overall, Twisted starts out a little weak on the romantic front, but the killer’s sick games keep us fully invested until the romance catches up strength-wise, and we’re left nothing short of satisfied as we look forward to Sarah and Jax’s book.

Rating: 3.5/5

Find Cynthia:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Review: Broken

BROKEN
LOST #1
Cynthia Eden
Romantic Suspense
384 pages
Avon
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Ex-SEAL and LOST founder Gabe Spencer is accustomed to the unusual in his job. But when knockout Eve Gray steps into his office, he's rattled. For the mysterious woman is a dead ringer for the heiress thought to be the latest prey of the serial killer who goes by the name Lady Killer.

When Eve awoke in an Atlanta hospital, her past was a blank slate. Then she recognized her own face in the newspaper and vowed to learn the truth. Determined to confront the nightmares hidden in her mind, she never expects to find a partner in Gabe.

As Gabe and Eve work together, their explosive attraction becomes irresistible. Gabe knows that his desire for Eve is growing too strong, bordering on a dangerous obsession, but nothing pulls him away from her. And when another Eve lookalike disappears, Gabe vows to protect Eve at all costs. While Eve may have forgotten the killer in her past, it's clear he hasn't forgotten her.

MY THOUGHTS
Broken reaches out and grabs hold from the very first page, ensuring we stumble into work the next morning bleary-eyed and mildly incoherent from lack of sleep. We can’t help but be as curious about Eve’s past as she is, a chilling prologue giving us just the barest hint of what happened to her before we meet her as a blank slate with nothing but a newspaper article to tell her who she is. Thanks to a few chapters that have us breaking away from Eve, her faulty memory, and her romance with Gabe to follow the killer as he begins his hunt once again, we find ourselves not wanting to look outside our darkened windows for fear that a face might be staring back at us.

While the relationship between Eve and Gabe develops quickly, it’s easy to grant her a bit of a pass on the intensity of her feelings given Gabe is the one person that’s made her feel safe since she got out of the hospital months ago, and a declaration of love is slow in coming (page-wise, not necessarily actual time-wise). The two of them together are all kinds of sexy, and as their relationship progresses and her case unfolds we’re also introduced to the other members of Gabe’s team, a group of men and women we can’t wait to learn more about in future books.

The mystery and horror of Eve’s past is incredibly well done, the killer’s identity easily narrowed down to a handful of people, but Ms. Eden makes it very difficult to guess who the culprit is from within that group. We point an accusing finger at one person after another before disregarding our guesses when new information (or suspicious behavior) comes to light. All in all, Broken is a heart-pounding read from beginning to end, the romance and suspense perfectly balanced so that one doesn’t outshine the other, and we reach the last page eager to find out who on Gabe’s team will be the next to be put through the emotional and physical wringer.

Rating: 4/5
 

Find Cynthia:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.