Guest Blogger – Karen E. Olson!

July 16, 2009

My good buddy Karen E. Olson has a new series out this month, a Tattoo Shop mystery, set in the anything goes world of Las Vegas…in a tattoo parlor. Cool concept, huh? And for those of you who’ve read BRANDED AS TROUBLE, if you’ll recall, I have a single line in there referencing India’s friend, tattoo artist Brett, who lives in Vegas, which is a wink wink, nudge nudge to Karen’s character.

Today Karen is stopping by to chat about adding a romance hero to a traditional “cozy” type mystery.

Mysteries aren’t just about the mystery anymore. There’s got to be a little romance to keep those fires stoked, to keep readers turning the pages to find out who’s going to hook up with who and when. Maybe there’s a sex scene, or maybe it’s just implied. Whichever it is, there’s some steamy stuff going on.

Unfortunately, when I started writing my new tattoo shop mystery THE MISSING INK, I hadn’t planned on a romance.  I had no romantic interest picked out, even though I knew one would have to come along at some point.

I was many pages into the manuscript when I called my editor and asked, “I guess you want some romance, right?” “Of course,” she said. I had a problem, though. I hadn’t met anyone in the book I thought would be right for Brett, my protagonist. She needed someone just right, and he just hadn’t shown up yet.

I kept plugging along, hoping to meet someone along the way, when suddenly he was there. Simon Chase. Manager of the Versailles Resort Casino. A Hugh Jackman lookalike, except with a few more blonde streaks in his hair. Oh, and did I mention that he’s British? (Here’s a little peek)

“He stepped closer and ran a finger along my jawline, his face close, his eyes smoky … [he] leaned in, this time really kissing me, not like that little peck outside the elevator. His hands slid around my torso, one landing on the dragon’s tail, the other on the lily just under my breast as we each leaned closer, our bodies pressing against each other, neither of us wanting to come up for air. I let my fingers do a little walking under his ever-present suit jacket, outlining the muscles that I’d seen in that picture on my Google search.”

He was worth the wait. What do you think?

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