Nikki Duncan: A Killing Cupid Valentine

Sometimes a story just comes to us. Maybe we watch a TV show or have a dream or someone says something that spurs an idea. My book SOUNDS TO DIE BY was spurred into life by two sentences spoken in a conversation. Other times we have to work hard at creating a story, including building the characters from scratch. This has been the case with my current WIP ¡V EMPATHIC ECHOES. With A KILLING CUPID it was different again. I wanted to give readers something to stay in touch with my FBI guys between releases, and the chance came up to do a Valentine¡¦s theme. It could be about anything we wanted, but we had to have a Valentine theme in there somewhere.

Now, my critique partners and people who¡¦ve plotted with me before know that
it¡¦s pretty much impossible for me to do a simple plot. I just can¡¦t do it.
Apparently not even in a 3,000 word short story. LOL

In this case, the title came to me almost immediately. A KILLING CUPID had it all for me. It¡¦s suspenseful, has Valentine¡¦s day in it, and it hints at romance. As for the story itself, I knew I wanted to take this chance to get to know Aidan and Lana a little better, but their relationship isn¡¦t one where they would be dating. I mean, he¡¦s FBI working in the Specialized Crimes Unit and she¡¦s a reporter looking for award winning stories. These aren¡¦t two people who would team up, so of course I teamed them up.

A serial killer is tracking high-profile, professional women in Miami. He¡¦s
killed one woman every night leading up to Valentine¡¦s Day. If the Feds are
right, they have to catch him fast or he¡¦ll be free to repeat his pattern next
year. Assuming he only has this one pattern. Of course Lana, the Lois Lane of
reporters, steps in to act as bait. The trouble is Aidan. He doesn¡¦t trust
reporters, but more he doesn¡¦t want to see Lana in danger. Even if he doesn¡¦t
admit it to himself. And the great surprise for me was that this story kicked
off the ideas for the full story that will belong to Aidan and Lana. ļ

When Heather read this story she told me it reminded her of the 2-minute
mysteries she used to read as a kid. Now, I don¡¦t remember those stories, but
I
have the memory of a gnat at times so that doesn¡¦t mean a whole lot. LOL I
would love to hear what you think though, so please check it out and email me,
or come back here and chat about it. It¡¦s free! There¡¦s no reason not to
check
it out. ļ