MHR Geer brings us holiday cheer...plus a book giveaway

We are pleased to welcome MHR Geer to CLC today to talk about her debut suspense thriller, Assumed. We had a lot of fun chatting with her and we hope you will enjoy our interview. MHR has one hardback copy of Assumed and a themed koozie for one lucky reader!

MHR Geer was born in California but grew up in the Mid-West. She attended the University of California, Santa Barbara to study Physics. After school, she moved to Ventura, CA and started a small bookkeeping business. She lives with her two sons and her unicorn husband (because he's a magical creature.) Visit MHR at her website and on Facebook and Instagram.

Synopsis:
When her friend Sandy asks for help, Anne Wilson leaves her small, lonely life in Miami for the picturesque island of Saint Martin. But as soon as she arrives, Sandy is murdered, and her death exposes lies: an alias, a secret past, stolen money. Suspected of murder and trapped on the island, Anne is shocked when a cryptic message arrives:
Find the money. Take it and run.

She follows Sandy’s trail of obscure clues, desperate for proof of her innocence and must decide if she can trust the two men who offer help-the dark, mysterious Brit or the American with a wide grin and a pickup truck. When memories resurface-dark truths she’d rather leave buried and forgotten, her past becomes intertwined with her present.

Her only way forward is to face her own secrets. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like for you?
It was like stumbling along a rutted, dirt path on a moonless night without a flashlight, but at sunrise, I looked back to find that I'd forged a surprisingly straight path.

What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing Assumed?
One of my biggest challenges is getting my characters to open up and share themselves. That takes time and work - like therapy, I guess. I laugh with them and cry for them and gain their trust, and they allow me to share their stories. Inevitably, my own demons surface, and I'm forced to work through some of my own pain. That's the reward. And finishing. Actually finishing the book was a HUGE reward.

If Assumed were made into a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
Great question! When Anne climbs into Lucien's bright red convertible (even though she's just met him,) I can hear Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" playing on his radio. In one of my favorite boat scenes (no spoilers!) I would play "Castaway" by Zac Brown Band, and the soundtrack would also include "Calm Down" by Rema & Selena Gomez, "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele, and Ed Sheeran's "Afterglow."

Tell us about a unique winter holiday tradition in your family.
About ten years ago we bought a fake Christmas tree that turned out to be magical. Each year, when we drag it down from the attic, all the toys in the house come to life. They get into all sorts of mischief while we sleep. On cold December mornings, I can hear my two boys whispering about the newest mess the toys have made, and they quietly (not really) clean the house before I get out of bed. On those mornings, my pillow is often damp with happy tears.

What is the last movie you saw that you would recommend?
Where the Crawdads Sing (Book by Delia Owens). But read the book first. The movie does a good job of conveying Kya's haunting loneliness. And some of the marsh scenes were as powerful in the movie as they seemed inside my head when I read the book. The movie is structured differently than the book, so you get to experience the story with an alternate perspective, and the story is so good, you'll want to see it from all angles.

Tell us about a favorite moment from this past year.
I remodeled my closet! It was a project I'd planned for so many years, but something else always took priority. This year I made it happen. My husband hung happy-geometric-blue wallpaper and installed clean, white shelving, racks, and drawers. It's only a tiny closet, but it's so bright and organized. Such a small thing, but I smile every time I walk inside.

Thanks to MHR Geer for chatting with us and for sharing her book (and swag) with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends December 20th at midnight EST.

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