Sweet Justice by Christy Reece

By L. Dean Murphy

Honor Stone is a young, idealistic FBI agent when her path collides with Seth Cavanaugh. For a girl who has never walked on the wild side, dark and dangerous Seth is a temptation she can’t refuse. But Seth walks out of her life. Five years later, Honor is an operative with the elite Last Chance Rescue organization and Seth is a desperate ex-cop searching for his missing niece—one of many young women who have mysteriously vanished from college campuses. Going undercover, Honor attracts the maniacal cult leader behind the kidnappings and finds a way to work with Seth while steering clear of the passion that’s just one touch away from explosion. Seth knows he had all the right reasons for the wrong he did five years ago. And from the moment he sees her—and takes her in his arms again—this former undercover man will risk everything for one more chance with Honor.

Christy Reece added: “Reunited lovers join forces to rescue young women who are being abducted from college campuses. Seth is a former cop and the man who broke Honor’s heart five years earlier. As the investigation deepens, they realize someone is abducting young women across the country. But how and for what purpose no one knows. As the search narrows, Seth and Honor race against time to rescue the young women and stop the madman responsible.”

Publishers Weekly said, “Sweet Justice…A truly frightening, twisted villain and an action-packed finale make this one a page-turner.” Maya Banks, New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Away, said, “Sweet Justice is riveting romantic suspense. Christy Reece writes compelling characters and exciting plotlines, with action and romance woven expertly within the pages.”

Reece let The Big Thrill readers in on what makes the novel most compelling. “In the beginning scene, we see that Seth Cavanaugh is a man of conviction, willing to sacrifice his personal life and his reputation to bring an evil man to justice. Later, we see what those sacrifices have done to him.”

All successful writers are avid readers. Reece said that she has read “a little bit of everything. John Grisham, Stephen King, Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Suzanne Brockmann, Julie Garwood.” She added advice for aspiring writers: “Write. There’s no better way to learn and become stronger in your craft than continual practice.”

As for the mechanics of writing, Reece said of her outline process, “I have a vague idea of what the book will be about, but until I start writing the synopsis, I rarely know exactly what’s going to happen. Then as I begin to write, the characters move from scene to scene and reveal their story to me. The story always changes for me. I use the synopsis as a guideline when writing, but there are always twists and turns I never anticipate. I try hard to write a first draft all the way through. Then go back to fill in holes, make additions and corrections.”

Reece gave an incredibly generous response, when asked what helped most with her writing career. “Without a doubt, other writers. The kindness shown by my fellow authors is astounding.” Her kind words about other writers are an author’s karma, and that karma came back to her many-fold. Reece said of comments from readers, “The emails I receive from readers usually involve how much they enjoyed my characters. One in particular said that the message she received from all of my books was that with tragedy comes strength, and she loved how my characters show how very resilient the human spirit can be. I adore those words, because that’s exactly what I try to convey.”

Like many, Reece draws inspiration from real life. “Occasionally I’ll see a characteristic that might fit in well with a character, but for the most part, the characters are strictly from my imagination.”

Continuing in the vein of characterization, Reece added, “I like to show the heart of my main characters early on. At the very beginning, Seth reveals the sacrifices he makes tears him apart because of what it’s doing to his loved ones. Honor reveals that though she loves her career, she loves Seth a thousand times more and has complete faith in him. Readers connecting early on with my characters is key to having them care about the characters throughout the story.”

*****

Christy Reece is the New York Times bestselling author of romantic suspense. She lives in Alabama with her husband, two spoiled canines and one very shy turtle. Sweet Justice is the seventh in her Last Chance Rescue series. Sweet Revenge will be released on October 4, and Sweet Reward on December 27. Though Reece’s published works are all part of a series, she would like to try her hand at writing standalones, too.

For more information about the author’s thrilling career, visit her website.