Lucy Farago | In the Mood for Reading

A great book, a drink to suit our mood, a comfy seat and alone time. Sound good?
Kudos to you if this is your reading experience. Me, that's wishful thinking.
Eighty percent of the time I read, or listen, in my car, plugged into audio. The
upside to getting my reading-fix this way is my house is cleaner when I'm wearing
earphones. On occasion I get patio time with an actual book in my hand, and I've
recently started using my e-reader more and taking it to bed with me. Not by
choice but…er…I can make the print larger for my…well…my failing eyes. There, I
said it, I need reading glasses. But if I want to read books that aren't available
on audio, I have no alternative but to admit to my aging. It's worth the sacrifice
and beats falling asleep to the Food Network, which I also admit is my go-to
channel.

Unfortunately, the downfall to this great technology is that I don't sleep. Books
have never tired me out. A frying sauté pan on the other hand…. Memories of an
Italian upbringing? Maybe. Luckily, I can function on little sleep. I think the
ultimate compliment to an author is, 'I couldn't put your book down'.

As my first book is set to release, I hope to hear, or read, those words. What a
thrill it would be to know people are talking about my novel, that I had them
hanging off the edge of their seat wondering who the killer was. Or maybe the
discussions center on Maggie. Running a strip club wouldn't be the occupation of
choice for most women. It's a world that, let’s face it, makes most of us
uncomfortable. And while arguable, our biased perception of that world isn't the
greatest. But, I think Maggie said it best when talking to Christian.

"You assume that because I run a gentleman’s club I must be a seedy villain,
curling my moustache with a boo-ha-ha," she said without an ounce of humor.

But the women who work or dance in clubs are real. They have dreams, families and
yes some have issues. Maggie sees the person, not the act. Not what's done on
stage, but what can be done off. And naturally, she herself has dreams, a family
and issues.

I was a youth counselor for several years, before I had children and could pull
the long hours. Many people saw the kids as just juvenile delinquents. Some,
unfortunately, would be stuck in that rut, others, with a little guidance, could
be made to see their potential. Maggie sees the potential and wants to help
because sometimes no one else did or will.

As for the heroes in our books, a fellow friend and author said it best, 'swoon'.
Yes, I want a good old-fashioned swoon. I want readers to swoon. Isn't that a
great word? Christian is a hero in the true sense of the word. He's hired to
recover victims but has a hard time admitting that, while he's trying to make up
for his part in his sister's death, he wouldn't do it if he didn't want to. He is
Maggie's hero and in the end, she is his, because let’s be honest, as women, we
have this innate need to heal. Men fix things. Christian tries to fix things, his
family, the world he lives in and even Maggie, a task I didn't make easy for him
to attempt. Is he the readers' man of their dreams? Can you forgive his need to
fix? Better still, did he keep you up at night, thinking of ways to…cough…'fix'
him?

They say anyone talking about your book, good or bad, is positive. Triggering a
discussion means you've touched the reader in some way. Okay, that might be true,
but here's hoping I stay on the good, more than the bad. That said, I'm eager to
hear what readers have to say. Yes, the good and the bad. And maybe, if I've done
my job, I've captivated readers by a world they never thought would intrigue them.

About Lucy Farago

Lucy Farago knows there is nothing like a happy sigh at the end of a good book. With the encouragement of her loving husband, she wrote her first manuscript. An unpublished historical, it sits in a file on her computer, there to remind her how much fun she had learning the craft and becoming part of an industry whose books make you believe anything is possible. A big fan of Agatha Christie, she set out to write her first romantic suspense novel. Thrilled to be a published author, Lucy also teaches yoga, enjoys cooking, and saying what other people are thinking. In her fantasy world, her beautiful Siberian husky, Loki, doesn't shed and her three kids clean up after themselves . Alas, that fantasy will never see fruition. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

About SIN ON THE STRIP

What happens in Las Vegas always burns bright, especially after hours. In this sizzling new series, the city's 24/7 glitz hides one woman's darkest nightmares—and one investigator's seductive secrets...

Control is everything to gorgeous Maggie Anderson. Her exclusive club gives abused
and troubled women a refuge from Vegas's merciless streets—and helps her reclaim
her shattered sense of freedom. But now someone is brutally murdering those she
fights so hard to save. And baring her deepest fears to the one man who insists on
protecting her could be the one move she won't survive…

Elite private investigator Christian Beck knows this particular serial killer's MO —and his own wrenching failure to find him—all too well. But staying two steps ahead of Maggie's determination to uncover the truth pushes his well-honed skills past the limit—and ignites his most naked instincts. Now every clue is a lie, each irresistible desire a lethal trap. And the closer he and Maggie get, their shattering secrets will either save them—or torch their lives to glittering ash…