Out of Time
Page 26
Simon grinned and reached for the sarong. “I love Mexico.”
SIGHT UNSEEN
SAMANTHA GRAVES
CLUES ONLY THIS PSYCHIC CAN SEE
Can an art thief earn an honest living? Raven Callahan does, with the help of a rare psychic power that lets her read the emotions locked inside ancient objects. But when her partner is kidnapped and Raven is forced to steal a priceless masterpiece to save him, ESP takes a backseat to quick wits, steely nerves, and the lethal skills she needs to survive.
A KILLER ONLY THIS COP CAN CATCH
Ex-cop Dax Maddox made just one mistake on the job, but it took a young rookie’s life and cost Dax his ability to see color. Now stalking a killer brings Raven into his life—and floods his gray world with vivid and conflicting emotions: anger and lust, suspicion and awe. Are the criminals they seek one and the same? If so, Dax and Raven’s growing need for each other could inspire a madman’s terrifying scheme for the ultimate revenge…
Available from Grand Central Publishing
(0-446-61838-1) ($6.99 US / $9.99 CAN)
Discussion Questions
1. Simon Bonner wants to retire from the backstabbing tomb-raiding world so he can live a normal life like everyone else. Do you think that retiring will solve all his issues?
2. Jillian grew up in a family of thieves. Because of this, she has always walked the straight and narrow, following the rules, following the law. In doing so, what has she sacrificed?
3. When they arrive in Mexico, Simon sees only badness and ugliness around him. Jillian sees the same things he does—the same people, places, and events—but she notices only the goodness and the beauty in them. As the story progresses, though, they each begin to see both the positive and negative sides of things. How does this change them?
4. Jillian and Simon argue about looters and looting. She says he’s destroyed history so he can sell his ill-gotten gains to the highest bidder. He says it’s better to have the artifacts found and points out that some of his best customers were museums. Who is right? Is it better to have artifacts dug up so they can be appreciated, regardless of how they came to light? Or is it better to never discover a precious piece of a culture long gone if it is done only for commercial gain?
5. Jillian is very different from her sister, who is a capable thief. Raven is physically and mentally strong and has an impressive skill set. How does Jillian compare herself to Raven at the beginning of the book versus the end of the book?
6. Although Paulie is Raven’s loyal assistant, what makes him such a good sidekick for Jillian?
7. Simon makes an executive decision to try to cut Jillian out of the final swap with the kidnappers, even though he knows she may never forgive him for it. He does it because he loves her, but is there really another reason?
8. Jillian chooses to bury the archives rather than risk having them fall into the wrong hands. Given the same situation, what would you have done?
9. Do you think Jillian and Simon will live happily ever after? What do you think makes a great romance?
THE DISH
Where authors give you the inside scoop!
From the desk of Carolyn Jewel
Dear Reader,
What was that line Shakespeare stuck in one of his plays? Oh, yeah. Hamlet, act 1, scene 2. “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” Even if you’re not Horatio, and chances are you’re not, that’s a true statement. When things go bump in the night, maybe it’s not the cat knocking stuff over.
Maybe there really is a monster drooling under your bed.
Right. There are things out there maybe you don’t know about. Say, for example, the mages in MY WICKED ENEMY (on sale now). A mage is a person who can do magic. Real magic. The kind that can get you killed. Or save your life. Depends on your point of view, I guess. Then there are demons and, more speciflcally, flends. They’re not people, but they can do magic, too. My advice is watch out for both. Here’s the thing you need to know about fl ends, though: most of the time they look like normal people. You could walk down the street and never realize that wicked-hot cutie sitting by the coffee shop window isn’t human and that if he wanted to, he could destroy your life. Could be your boss isn’t human (I’ve had one or two bosses I’m convinced didn’t have a check mark in the human category). For a flend, learning how to pass for normal is a survival skill. Didn’t used to be that way, but it is now. That’s just a heads-up for you. Here’s another one: they’re good at it because they have to be. They end up enslaved to some efflng mage if they’re not careful. And sometimes even if they are.
With the magekind, it’s hard to tell where you stand, mostly because they started out human. They don’t have as much trouble pretending to assimilate. Human but not very, if you see what I’m getting at. It’s enough to make you wonder, isn’t it? I mean, do you even know who you are? Really and truly? Be honest. Maybe you just wake up one day and realize your entire life has been a lie. The man who raised you is a mage who crossed over to evil centuries ago, and now everybody and their brother wants you dead.
Maybe you get headaches. Bad ones. You know, a flash of pain from the supraorbital process down to your maxilla. Hurts like heck. And they’re getting worse. And worse. Then you see stuff that turns your stomach. So you run.
Right into the monster’s arms.
It could happen. It happened to Carson Philips in MY WICKED ENEMY.
Watch yourself out there. That’s all I’m saying.
www.carolynjewel.com
From the desk of Samantha Graves
Dear Reader,
When I wrote my flrst romantic suspense, SIGHT UNSEEN, I discovered that I loved exotic locales. The research was intense, but that only made these amazing places more amazing.
In my latest book, OUT OF TIME (on sale now), I got to visit Mexico with all of you. I have never been there, but someday I’d love to see it for my-self. In lieu of that day, I did the best I could with guidebooks, videos, travelogues, maps, photos, and even an online Speed Spanish class. What did we do before the Internet?
My fascination for Mexico turned into Jillian’s passion, as well. She embraced this culture and its people with an open heart. Her wide-eyed appreciation became a symbol for how she viewed life and people—seeing the beauty in everything.
Simon’s dislike for Mexico has nothing to do with the country itself, but with the betrayal he experienced there—a betrayal that marred him with a cynicism that shaped the rest of his life.
During the story, both characters must face the truth as Jillian begins to see the ugliness and Simon begins to see the beauty. It could have been Mexico or Guatemala or Santa Barbara—all places contain both ugliness and beauty. What you choose as truth is up to you. What you do with that truth deflnes you.
In the end, Jillian didn’t let the ugliness change the fact that there is beauty, and Simon didn’t let the beauty change the fact that there is ugliness. They simply found their common ground, accepting both as part of life and choosing to see the truth in their love for each other.
I hope you enjoyed both.
All the best,
www.samanthagraves.com
P.S. In case you were wondering, “Quite mis ropas” means “Take my clothes off.” Happy reading!
From the desk of Paula Quinn
Dear Reader,
Few authors get to see their characters come to life before their eyes, but I did. You met Graham Grant, the hero in A HIGHLANDER NEVER SURRENDERS (on sale now), in my previous release, LAIRD OF THE MIST. I met him in Grand Central Terminal. The Scottish Village there hosts a fashion show that was about to begin. I like kilts. I’ll watch.
Donning a kilt of black leather and matching jacket that he held closed at his chest, model and former rugby star Chris Capaldi stepped onto the stage like he owned it. His tousled mop of deep amber hair eclipsed killer green eyes that sparkled with confldence and a hint of wickedness. All he did was smile and a hor
de of women behind me started whooping and cheering in a dozen different languages. Oh, yeah, he knew the ladies were digging him, and he fed the frenzy by sliding the jacket off his bare bronze shoulders and curling his sulky mouth into a grin so salacious I swear every woman in attendance sighed at the same time. Grand Central was never so hot.
There was my Graham Grant. Six feet three inches of pure rogue.
Chris has graciously agreed to star in my next Grand Central Publishing release about a notorious rogue and a beautiful rebel he can never have. From the moment Graham meets the bold and passionate Claire Stuart, he wants to take her, claim her. But Claire has far more dangerous undertakings ahead than surrendering to a wickedly alluring Highlander. Amid betrayal, honor, duty, and ultimately love, she must put this vision in his place in order to save her sister’s life, and her own. Pick up a copy of A HIGHLANDER NEVER SURRENDERS and journey with Graham to a place that has remained untouched until now—his heart.
Enjoy!
All the best,
www.paulaquinn.com
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