Sandra's Book Club: Blog Tour: Red Lily series by Anna J. Stewart

She'll risk everything to expose the truth.

Vanished

Circle of the Red Lily Book 2

by Anna J. Stewart

Genre: Romantic Suspense

She'll risk everything to expose the truth.

Since her twin sister Sylvie's disappearance seven years ago, single mother Mabel Reynolds has turned grief into action and become a strong voice for victims of violence and abuse.

When new revelations shed light on what may have happened not only to Sylvie, but dozens of other women, Mabel's hope for answers is reignited. But the new oh-so-charming DA overseeing the investigation seems more interested in a quick rather than an accurate resolution.

With little faith in the system, Mabel isn’t about to stay quiet, not when she’s finally close to the truth. She’s willing to go up against anyone—even a smug, irritating, attractive DA to get the answers she and other families deserve.

Open and shut.

That's what Assistant DA Paul Flynn has been told about his new assignment supervising a house of horrors case. With a high-profile conviction at stake, Paul can’t afford to make a wrong move if his professional goals are to be achieved.

But Mabel Reynolds has his attention. All of it. Attraction aside, the woman knows far more than what’s in the official files which makes her something even more intriguing. But using Mabel as an asset means exposing her and her young daughter to even more danger. Danger that is closing in on them from every side. As even darker forces appear, and their lives are threatened, Paul is faced with risking not only his entire career, but also the one thing he never anticipated losing: his heart.

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Exposed

Circle of the Red Lily Book 1

2023 Finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award

Working as a Hollywood photographer means Riley Temple has seen it all. But then she finds herself staring at the chilling image of a dead woman. When her questions about the film lead to violence, she reluctantly turns to the only person who can help. Detective Quinn Burton, the police commissioner’s son. Her history with the LAPD is complicated, her trust in authority, tenuous. But to find those responsible and protect those closest to her, she’s willing to do anything. Even trust a cop.

After more than a decade on the job, Quinn knows a dangerous situation when he sees it and Riley Temple is up to her ears in trouble. But not for the reason she thinks. The pictures she’s stumbled on call into a question a notorious murder conviction—one that powerful people have a vested interest in keeping in place. Seeing this case through means betraying someone: his job, his family, or the woman he’s falling in love with.

As old secrets are revealed, Quinn and Riley find themselves targeted by members of a secret society that has long maintained violent control over Hollywood’s powerful elite. A society that, until now, has remained hidden in the shadows. A society that will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.

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What inspired you to write this book?

Well, it’s the follow-up to EXPOSED and picks up a few months after the end of that book so my inspiration was necessity, LOL. The story has to continue (and I do plan for five books in the series total). VANISHED was a story I was anxious to write for a variety of reasons, but mainly I wanted to dive deep into the connection between twins. Mabel, my heroine, is a twin and it’s her twin sister Sylvie’s disappearance that drives her in just about every aspect of her life. Coping with that loss, that element of unknown, where she knows her sister is gone but she hasn’t necessarily accepted it yet, was appealing to me as a writer. I try to find new elements to explore with each book I write, so that was probably the biggest factor of inspiration this time around.

What can we expect from you in the future?

Book three will be out this time next year—I will start writing it after the holidays I think (depending on my other deadlines). I have a title and cover already (the cover is awesome!), but I’m holding off announcing it just yet. Each book will expand on the previous, so announcing it now will give a little away as to what happens in VANISHED. I can share that it’ll be Cassia’s story and I can’t wait to find out her backstory. I don’t plot, so I don’t have the answers about her agoraphobia and PTSD, but I’m going to do my best to make her issues unique and hopefully emotionally impactful.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in VANISHED?

Oh, there’s a large cast of characters but the three main ones are Mabel Reynolds, an accountant by trade but she volunteers as a rape advocate. It’s something she started doing after her sister disappeared; Mabel couldn’t do anything to help her sister, but she feels like she can make up for her failings by helping others who survive vicious attacks. She’s a single mother to almost nine-year-old Keeley who is just a spitfire of a little girl. I love writing children into my books, but I underestimated how difficult it would be to include one in a suspense/thriller. Finding that balance of keeping her safe but also putting her in the crosshairs was challenging for sure.

Lastly there’s Paul Flynn is the main hero, Mabel’s love interest, and a special investigator for the DA’s office. He has a history with Los Angeles, one he’s not anxious to revisit, but he’s also a loyal and dedicated friend and he’s asked to come back to oversee the house of horrors case that’s unfolding due to the ending events of EXPOSED (book 1 in the Circle of the Red Lily series). He’s determined to go through life alone, which made pairing him off with a single mother so much fun. The last thing he wants is a family (for reasons readers will find out, obviously), which means that’s what he’s going to be getting.

How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?

I knew when I wrote book 1 (EXPOSED), that one of the five main heroines introduced would have a connection to the case that’s blown open in that story. Mabel made the most sense because she was very logic minded and she was a single mother. She was a crusader given her work as a volunteer so giving her a solid connection to the missing women expanded her motivation. That kind of personality clashes with the hero needed to oversee the investigation into the case that’s causing some major political and professional issues for a lot of people in various positions of local government and the film industry. I usually start with conflict when beginning my stories, so pitting Mabel against Paul even when they’re going to be unofficially working together, just got the ball rolling on the story itself.

The titles are playing an important part in the stories, too. EXPOSED was the first title—and at the end a number of things had been just that—brought into the light, including the dozens of missing women who have gone missing over decades. People really can just vanish; it’s a sad reality for a lot of friends and families, so in that way, the title fed into the story.

Where did you come up with the names in the story?

Coming up with names is always one of my favorite bits of creation I get to do. I usually spend a couple of days going through The Character Naming Sourcebook (I have 3 copies!) and jotting down names that just speak to me. I tend to lean toward different types of names; unusual ones.

Where the Circle of the Red Lily books are concerned, however, there’s an added dimension I played with. All of the lead characters (five heroines, five heroes) have some name connection to a classic Hollywood actor or actress. Paul Flynn, for instance, is named for Paul Newman and Errol Flynn. Mabel Reynolds is named after Debbie Reynolds, one of my all-time favorite actresses. Mixing and matching a bunch of them was a bit of a puzzle I got to put together before I even started writing book 1. As the books get published, readers can try to figure out who the references are with the character names.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

The banter between Mabel and Paul. Whenever these two were on the page together, it just sang. They’re blatantly honest with each other pretty much from their first meeting and there was something refreshing about that and also freeing for me as a writer. The censor wasn’t in play like it normally is. And the scenes between Paul and Keeley, Mabel’s daughter. I could write those all day! Their Star Wars Monopoly game was particularly entertaining. I remember smiling like a fool the whole time I was writing that scene.

Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?

What makes Mabel tick? Her unending quest for answers. She’s determined to find out what happened to her sister and she’s willing to do anything. She makes enemies as easily as she makes friends because she’s not taking no for an answer. Losing her twin has left her feeling as if she’s missing a piece of herself and to her mind, the truth is the only thing that’s going to bring her any peace.

As far as Paul Flynn? He’s all about getting justice for the voiceless. Victims, their families, the people who can’t speak for themselves anymore? He’s going to be their champion in court and beyond. Like Mabel, he’ll do what has to be done to get the job finished. They compliment each other in that way, but it also means they’re going to butt heads a lot.

Who designed your book covers?

Authors on a Dime does my covers. My publisher was so fabulous in agreeing to let me hire the designer and I love the entire process. Kristen and I are friends (she’s an author as well) and she gets me. We almost have a shorthand at this point. When we were working on book 1, we knew we wanted to go with similar theming and a specific look that would go across all five novels, so landing on that “feel” took a few back and forths. For book 3 on the other hand? She nailed it on her first attempt. Seriously, I can’t wait to share that one because it’s my favorite one yet!

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Well, I can honestly say I wouldn’t change anything in VANISHED, mainly because I wrote the entire book twice. When I turned it in the first time, I just wasn’t happy with it. And it was keeping me up at night. So I asked for it back and hacked it apart, reworked it, and made all the changes that were bugging me. It ended up as an entire rewrite (and even ended up delaying its release), but I’m thrilled with how it turned out. And my editor even said she was glad I took it back to rework it. Needed to get those twists and turns a bit tighter and more unexpected.

If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Oh, this is a fun one to answer because I’ve actually “cast” all of the main characters in this series in my head. And in my notes. Mabel would be played by actress AJ Cook who plays JJ on Criminal Minds. It’s just who I’ve always seen in the role. As far as Paul Flynn? I envision Bradley Cooper; he’s got that swoon-worthy Hollywood thing going on that fits Paul to a T.

What is your favorite part of this book and why?

There’s a scene toward the end where I needed a huge event to happen that would endanger not only my main characters, but also a lot of innocent bystanders. Navigating all of that, piecing all of it together and keeping the intensity and pacing up was a challenge, but I think it’s some of the best writing I’ve done to date. I won’t give it away, because I think it’s a bit unexpected, but for readers who are waiting for it after reading this blog, I’ll just say Ka-Boom!

If you could spend time with a character from your book who would it be? And what would you do during that day?

Oh, that would be Aunt Moxie, Riley Temple’s (book 1’s heroine) great aunt. She’s eighty years old and is known for playing a particular role back when she was in her 20’s. She’s lived through the Golden Age of Hollywood and has a huge collection of movie memorabilia. I would love to just hang out with her and hear all the stories of the people she worked with and knew. Even though she’s fictional.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

All my main characters are my own creation. I’d feel limited and nervous writing someone based on anyone I know in real life. Secondary characters on the other hand, tend to be based off real people and murder victims and bad guys have a tendency to be inspired by people who have ticked me off in some way. It’s very cathartic.

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?

They always highjack the story and I’m a better writer because of it. Like I said, I don’t plot, so the characters have to show me the way. They don’t always get what they want, but I always give them what they need.

Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.

All of these Circle of the Red Lily books are kitchen sink books: there’s something in them for everyone. There’s romance (of course!), there’s mystery and suspense, twists and turns, there’s tons of humor (and sarcasm because it’s me) and a group of tight-knit friends who will do anything for one another. Pick up any of my books and it will always be about family—family found and family made. If that’s your cuppa, then grab VANISHED!

Have you written any other books that are not published?

I’ve got TONS of stories that haven’t been published, most of them paranormal romance. At this point I don’t think I anticipate they will be. I’m having way too much fun writing suspense and thrillers. I’ve got some ideas as far as moving into a different romance genre, but I’m afraid most of those will remain under the bed.

Anna J Stewart is the USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty sweet to spicy romances. Primarily writing for Harlequin’s Heartwarming (sweet romance) and Romantic Suspense (spicy) lines, she also writes romantic thrillers for Arc Manor’s Caezik Romance. In addition to being a Holt Medallion winner (Bride on the Run), she’s finaled in the Daphne duMaurier Award for Excellence, the National Readers’ Choice and had one of her books optioned as a TV movie. No matter the story, Anna’s books are always about family—the ones we’re born to and the ones we create. Anna lives in Northern California where she loves going to the movies, attending fan conventions, and heading to Disneyland, her favorite place on earth. When she’s not writing, she is usually cooking, baking, binge-watching her newest TV addiction, or re-watching her all-time favorite shows, Supernatural and all things Star Trek. She also spends a frustrating amount of time wrangling two monstrous cats named Rosie and Sherlock.

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