Author Interview (and a Giveaway!): Traci Hunter Abramson & Sian Ann Bessey & The Danger With Diamonds

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Danger with Diamonds by Traci Hunter Abramson & Sian Ann Bessey, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! I’m delighted to have Traci & Sian on the blog to talk about their new book!

THE DANGER WITH DIAMONDS by Traci Hunter Abramson & Sian Ann Bessey
SERIES: Falcon Point Suspense #1
GENRE: Clean & Wholesome Romantic Suspense
PUBLISHER: Covenant Communications
RELEASE DATE: October 10, 2022
PAGES: 314

Some secrets are worth keeping. Others are not.

When Lars Hendriks arranges to meet Marit Jansen in Vienna, he is hoping their friendship will blossom into romance. What he doesn’t expect is a surprise visit from his cousin Cole or the loose diamonds he brings with him.

As a CIA operative, Cole Bridger is used to uncertainty, but when his work takes him back to Vienna, he looks forward to reconnecting with Isabelle Roberts, the fellow agent he dated briefly before duty took him away from Austria. Unfortunately, his silence over the last few months has created a chasm that he can’t cross without help. He barely takes a step toward repairing the damaged relationship when a brazen jewel heist seemingly links Cole, Lars, Marit, and Isabelle to the crime. The group is drawn into a deadly mystery, and once again, the treasures of Falcon Point are threatened. It doesn’t take long for them to realize they have stumbled upon something far bigger and more dangerous than a simple robbery. And someone on the inside knows it.

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Hi Traci & Sian! Welcome to the blog!

Traci: Dogs. Or both. I admit it, I love animals, but if I had to choose one, it would be dogs. I love having a dog to go on walks with as well as how dogs are always so excited to see you when you come home.

Sian: Dogs. I’m allergic to cats, so this was an easy one. 🙂

Carrie: The love of a dog is just the best – especially if you’re not allergic to it haha

Sian: Hallmark. I don’t watch much television, but I enjoy watching Hallmark movies at Christmastime.

Carrie: always a great time to watch Hallmark!

Traci: Music. Even though I appreciate audiobooks, since I spend so much of my time writing books, I enjoy the chance to appreciate a different format of entertainment.

Carrie: Music has so many benefits, too! And while I’m glad audiobooks are there for the people who enjoy them, I am not one who does lol.

Sian: Over. It just makes more sense. 😉

Carrie: haha! So everyone keeps telling me 🙂

Traci: I really love both, but the ocean is probably my favorite. I love watching the water coming up onto the beach and the sound of the constant movement. Even better is when I get to stay someplace like the Outer Banks where I can enjoy the sun rising over the Atlantic and then watch it go down over the sound.

Carrie: I’ve always wanted to visit the Outer Banks!

Traci: Print. I love ebooks for when I’m traveling, but there’s nothing quite the same as holding a book in your hands.

Sian: Print.I love having an ebook reader when I’m traveling, but if I’m home, I’d much rather have a physical book in my hand.

Carrie: exactly!

Q: Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?

Traci: Probably the one superpower my family and friends would say I have is that I typically have a lot of energy. If I could choose a superpower, it would probably be the ability to transport to anywhere I want to go without needing to spend the time traveling. 😊

Sian: I think if you were to ask my family what my superpower is, they’d say I’m really fast at washing dishes. It’s not very glamorous, but it’s useful. If you were to ask me what superpower I wish I could claim, it would be to be in more than one place at the same time.

Carrie: I love both of your actual superpowers AND your wished-for superpowers (can I share those too?)

Q: Who is your favorite book character from childhood?

Sian: When I was young, my best friend and I read the Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome. We decided that we wanted to be just like Nancy and Peggy in those books. We had all sorts of adventures together, including playing in a make-shift tree house and leaving coded messages for each other in a stone wall between our houses

Carrie: I have never heard of those but they sound like they would have been right up my alley as a kid, too.

Q: Which books are “on your nightstand”?

Traci: Wyoming Wild by Sarah M. Eden, Call of the Sea by Sian Ann Bessey, A Proper Scoundrel by Esther Hatch, Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington, and the Bible.

Carrie: Excellent choices in reading material!

Q: Writing spaces are as diverse as authors and books. Where is your favorite space to write?

Traci: My favorite spot to write is on my treadmill. I know it sounds strange, but there’s something about being in motion that really helps my creative juices flow.

Sian: I usually write at my desk at home. In the summer, I like to take my computer out onto the deck and work in the back yard.

Carrie: Traci, I know of two other authors who write while on a treadmill but so far y’all are the only three – I can barely WALK on a treadmill, much less write a novel. My heroes! And Sian, that sounds more my speed for writing 🙂

Q: What surprised you about your book or your characters as you wrote The Danger with Diamonds?

Traci: I think the thing that surprised me the most about the characters in The Danger with Diamonds is how easily Sian and I were able to write each other’s characters without too much adjustment in their dialogue. It truly was amazing that we were able to get to know these characters so well.

Carrie: that’s fascinating to me! I’m impressed!

Q: Did you have the whole plot outlined before you started writing The Danger with Diamonds, or did you let the characters dictate what came next?

Traci: I’ve thought about outlining once or twice, but I truly don’t have a clue how authors manage to do that. I am a discovery writer to the extreme. It was while writing The Danger with Diamonds that I learned most authors have a clue where they’re heading before they start writing a book. Sian managed to keep me on track as we worked together. She even insisted we decide on the bad guy before we reached page 200, which is usually about when I start to figure things out.

Sian: The characters definitely dictated what happened in this story. We knew them from their appearances in Heirs of Falcon Point, but in this book, their personalities had a chance to shine. Their humor and loyalty to each other played a big part in the storyline. Sometimes they surprised us by the direction they wanted the relationships and action scenes to go.

Carrie: sounds like these are definitely characters worth meeting!

Q: What is one of your favorite quotes from The Danger with Diamonds & why do you love it?

Traci: We had so many great quotes from this book, but probably my favorite two are: “Cole might be an idiot, but he was an observant idiot.” and “Where she hid a spare key in that dress was beyond him, but he was quite certain it would be impolite to ask…”

Carrie: haha i love those quotes!

Q: What do you most want readers to take away from The Danger with Diamonds?

Sian: I would love to have readers finish this book with a happy sigh. I hope they love the camaraderie and humor shared by the main characters, and that they feel a personal connection to them. I hope readers find the suspense, sweet romance, and Austrian setting a wonderful escape from the everyday cares in their lives, and that when the book is over, they feel uplifted.

Carrie: great answer ♥

Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.

Traci: My next release will be an ebook-only novella, The Best Mistake, which comes out in December, followed by Worlds Collide in February. Both of these are sports romances, the first set in 1960 and the second in the 1980s. After those, I’ll have several suspense titles come out later in the year. Covert Ops will release in May, and Unseen is slated for August.

Sian: My next release is, “The Call of the Sea,” a medieval book based on actual events that occurred in what is now Wales. It’s a Christian historical novel that features the Vikings. In April, another book in my Georgian Gentlemen series releases, and Traci and I hope to have the next book in the Falcon Point Suspense series release at the end of 2023.

Traci Hunter Abramson was born in Arizona, where she lived until moving to Venezuela for a study-abroad program. After graduating from Brigham Young University, she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency for several years, eventually resigning in order to raise her family. She credits the CIA with giving her a wealth of ideas for suspense novels as well as the skills needed to survive her children’s teenage years. She has gone on to write a number of bestselling suspense novels that have consistently been nominated as Whitney Award finalists. She considers shoes an optional accessory which became evident when she won her first three Whitney Awards in 2013 (Code Word), 2014 (Deep Cover), and 2016 (Failsafe.) Safe House won Whitney Awards for both the mystery/suspense category as well as 2017 Adult Novel of the Year. She added two additional awards in 2019 (Mistaken Reality – best mystery/suspense and Sanctuary – Adult Novel of the Year.) She currently lives in Virginia with her family where she enjoys sports, travel, writing, and recently retired from coaching high school swimming.

Connect with Traci by visiting traciabramson.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Sian Ann Bessey was born in Cambridge, England, but grew up on the island of Anglesey off the coast of North Wales. She left her homeland to attend university in the U.S. and earned a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in English.

She began her writing career as a student, publishing several magazine articles while still in college. Since then she has published historical romance and romantic suspense novels, along with a variety of children’s books. She is a USA Today best selling author, a Foreward Reviews Book of the Year finalist, and a Whitney Award finalist.

Although Sian doesn’t have the opportunity to speak Welsh very often anymore, she can still wrap her tongue around, “Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.” She loves to travel and experience other cultures, but when she’s home, her favorite activities are spending time with her family, cooking, and reading.

Connect with Sian by visiting sianannbessey.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card, a signed copy of The Danger of Diamonds, and book-themed swag (including stickers, bookmark, and postcard).

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 17, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 24, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

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This giveaway is hosted by JustRead Tours, not RimSP
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What about you? What makes you want to read The Danger with Diamonds by Traci Hunter Abramson & Sian Ann Bessey?