Deadly Intent by Kylie Brant

By Selena Robins

Deadly Intent is book four of Kylie’s Brant’s romantic suspense series, The Mindhunters. In Deadly Intent Macy Reid, a forensic linguist with The Mindhunters has been called in to help find a child who’s been abducted for the second time. In addition to navigating a complicated case and trying to bring the little girl home before any harm is done to her, Macy must navigate her feelings for Kellan Burke, a one-night stand from her past.

Determined to solve the case, Kellan soon realizes that Macy’s secrets may hold the answer to the mystery. He must walk a fine tightrope and push her enough that she opens up, but not too much that she’ll hate him forever.

Deadly Intent has garnered rave reviews for Kylie’s Brant masterful way of plotting, suspense and creating unforgettable characters.

“Brant follows up last year’s Waking the Dead with another fantastic read in The Mindhunter series. Deadly Intent is gripping, action packed and thoroughly compelling.” ~~Annette Elton, Romantic Times Magazine

“DEADLY INTENT yanks you gut first into a story filled with masterful suspense. It’s an edge-of-your-seat read from start to finish with memorable characters and a villain that will haunt your dreams.” ~~New York Times bestselling author Sharon Sala

I had the pleasure of interviewing Kylie to talk about her latest release, Deadly Intent.

How do you maintain your creativity?

I find it necessary to refuel after finishing a book. My favorite way to relax is to hang out with family and friends and just avoid thinking story lines for a while. I also find that reading authors I really enjoy and watching movies that inspire me both help ‘refill the well’.

I believe that character development is crucial to a good book. What do you think readers would most enjoy about your characters in Deadly Intent?

Ellie Mulder is an eleven-year-old girl who has been abducted for the second time. I think the evolution of her character and the way she confronts her fears is admirable and intriguing. The exchanges between her and her captor were for me, the most gripping part of the story to write. The heroine, Macy Reid, had experienced a similar trauma when she was young, and her character grows and changes as a result of working the kidnap case, as well.

If Deadly Intent were turned into a movie, and you were able to select the cast, who would play your main characters?

I’m so out of the know when it comes to actors these days, this took a bit of thought. But Ewan McGregor bears some resemblance to the hero, Kellan Burke, with a dash of Matthew McConaughey’s irreverent sense of humor. For Macy, I’m thinking Selma Hayek, with a slight British accent.

What did you enjoy most about writing the villain in Deadly Intent or any of your villains in your suspense novels?

The villain in Deadly Intent is a hired assassin who has lost his ability to feel. He’s hoping by agreeing to kidnap and kill a child he’ll finally regain his emotions. He hadn’t counted on the child getting into ‘his’ head.

What do you like best about Macy Reid and what aspects of her character will readers relate to?

Macy came through a childhood trauma with a few neuroses but an inner strength I think the reader will respect. She’s confident and assured, except regarding Kellan Burke, her fellow investigator. Most of his wicked one-liners leave her tongue-tied, wishing for a handy retort. (And how many of us think of just the right thing to say, hours too late?!)

Not to mention that she has a very intriguing job as a forensic linguist. Where were these occupations when I was making plans for college???

What do you like best about Kellan Burke and why is he a good hero for the heroine?

Kell was a hustler on the Baltimore streets a decade before he worked those same streets as a homicide cop. Even before going to work for Raiker Forensics he’d seen it all, done most of it…so his reaction to Macy has him reeling. He can’t forget their one night together and it drives him crazy that she apparently has successfully put it behind her. So he takes every opportunity to needle her to provoke *some* reaction. Yet when she’s threatened emotionally and physically he’s there for her, proving to them both that he wants to be at her side permanently.

What is the most interesting thing you’ve come across while researching this book?

I learned that a severed thumb will keep for about three days in a cold climate, if kept on ice. 🙂 That Colorado has thousands of acres that have still never been explored and the Rockies house the Continental Divide. I also received an education on mask making. Oh, and I learned the assistant director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation that I spoke to has in-laws living in my home state. Small world!
Kylie Brant’s The Mindhunters series deals with a different set of investigators working for the legendary profiler Adam Raiker, formerly of the FBI. The first trilogy was released back to back in the fall of ’09. The series continues with Deadly Intent (Nov.’10), Deadly Dreams (April ’11) and concludes with Raiker’s story, Deadly Sins (Aug. ’10).

The first trilogy was sold to Germany in a heated auction and the first of the books was released there in August. It’s spent three months so far in the top twenty on German Amazon’s best-seller list for American crime thrillers.

Book three in the series, Waking the Dead, was a Rita nominee.