As part of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s 60th anniversary celebrations, I thought I’d invite some suspense and romantic suspense writers onto the blog over the next few weeks to talk about how they incorporate the two genres.

Today, Amanda James is joining me …

Romantic suspense comes in many forms, how would you describe the sort you write?

Psychological suspense with a romantic element.

Is it as straightforward as calling it romance?

No. Because there’s always a dark twist or two and a a background of mystery/intrigue.

What is it about romantic suspense that draws you to write it or include it in your books?

I like writing exciting stories where the baddie gets their comeuppance… usually.

What sort of balance between the romance element and the suspense element do you have?

The suspense is the majority of the story. The relationship is always in there, but it’s not the main focus.

Do you come up against any regular misconceptions about the genre and how do you dispel these?

Sometimes it’s not taken as seriously as a straight police procedural, or crime story. I just say – read it, you might be surprised!

Blurb

Who can you trust when the past won’t let you go?

Kerensa and Leo are a happily married young couple who live in Cornwall. Leo works part-time in London as an investment advisor to wealthy businessman, Paul Donaldson. The couple hope to start a family soon and life couldn’t be better.

But Leo has been stealing from Paul and Paul isn’t the sort of man you steal from.

When Leo realises that Paul knows what he’s done, he has no choice but to resort to drastic measures.

Meanwhile, after discovering she is pregnant, Kerensa can’t wait for her husband to return home so she can share her news. But she soon discovers he’s gone missing.

After receiving a threatening phone call from Paul, Kerensa realises how much trouble her family are in.

Just how far is Paul prepared to go to get revenge? And will Kerensa ever be happy or safe again?