Deadly Pleasure (Francesca Cahill Series #2) [NOOK Book]

Interviews & Essays

Dear Readers:
When the idea of doing a mystery series occurred to me, I nixed it as I was not interested in writing hard-core mystery. Then, one day, when I was hiking up a mountain in northwestern Colorado where I now live, the idea came to me like a bolt of brilliance out of the blue. I would do a series set in turn-of-the-century New York City, with a heroine who was the daughter of a wealthy and powerful family, like the Carnegies. She would be intelligent and strong-willed, a bluestocking, and that would make her an eccentric among the ultra-wealthy, high-society types who surrounded her. Of course, once she solved her first crime, she would be hooked.

And so Francesca Cahill was born. And the moment she was, I just knew that she would have this wonderfully dysfunctional family -- a strong mother, an adoring father, a handsome, rakish brother -- and, of course, the hero of the series would be a Bragg! I decided to add to the fun by having some of my favorite characters from previous books and other Bragg family members pop up in New York and in some of the mysteries Francesca is solving. Eventually I envision spinning off some novels devoted solely to the younger Braggs.

Basically, this series is a blast for me because I love all of my characters, especially Francesca. In fact, the moment I think about her I grin! Her selfless and reckless determination to help anybody in need makes her a magnet for trouble. And though her judgment is sometimes lacking (she is so stubborn!), she always means well. Her reckless decisions provide lots of interesting plot twists for me to explore...and she does manage to get herself out of danger and save the day.

Rick Bragg is a great hero. He's the new police commissioner of the city -- a real hands-on type -- a powerful, brilliant and determined man. Research soon revealed how terribly corrupt the police were back then. That's what inspired many of the actions I had Rick take to reform the Police Department, as well as to deal with the social and political issues he faces -- issues that are made more complicated and interesting by the fact that while he's a member of the powerful, influential Bragg family, he's also illegitimate.

I should say that I truly don't consider this a mystery series, even though the mysteries are quite important to the books. My focus in each and every book is on Francesca's escalating romance, and on exploring the personal trials and tribulations facing the ever-growing cast of series characters that have been drawn into her adventures. For example, Francesca's brother, Evan, is a wonderful man, but his addiction to gambling has led to a forced engagement that he cannot stand, while his fiancée, Sarah Channing, could not care less about the marriage either, for at heart she's a bohemian artist who only wishes to paint. And Francesca's sister, Connie, is about to have her heart broken by her handsome but faithless husband, Lord Montrose, while Francesca's newly hired assistant is a young street thief whose mother is struggling to raise her four children in a tenement on a seamstress' wages. Then there is Rick's half brother, Calder Hart, possibly the sexiest hero I have ever created! He was raised in poverty, and now he is an extremely wealthy and powerful man -- one who doesn't give a damn about society and what's correct. He's the typical bad-boy hero -- a notorious ladies' man and a renowned world art collector. Fortunately, his wealth keeps all doors open to him, not that he could care.

New York City at the turn of the last century enchants me. It just happens to be my favorite setting and time period -- and the world I have created for the Deadly series is one where glittering ballrooms and Fifth Avenue mansions are juxtaposed against sordid back alleys and filthy tenements, it's a world filled with strapping, sexy men and intriguing, intrepid women, and here fairy tales can and do come true. That is, the gal does get the guy (usually a Bragg), and justice and love always win the day. This magical world has bewitched and bedazzled me, and I hope readers will fall in love with it too.