In search of a THEME SONG

Music has always played an important role in my life. I began singing in church youth groups and performed throughout high school. Throughout college, I was a backup singer for music majors. I can’t tell you the number of times I was singing surrounded by egg cartons. So when I hear the poetry in a well-written song…I’m inspired to write.

I mainly use the soundtracks from R.E.D., Sherlock Holmes or Knight & Day for writing. But there are a lot of love songs that are my go-to to set certain moods. Billy Currington’s Until You; Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now and Love This Pain; Rascal Flatts…Okay anything from them.

Side note: I was introduced to Billy Currington with the song LIKE MY DOG by my best friend Jan Schliesman. (He's not bad to look at, either.)

When writing PROTECTING THEIR CHILD, a story about a couple that divorced in spite of loving each other, I began by listening to Let It Hurt. There’s more than one time that my family made fun of me singing this at the top of my lungs before I settled in to write.

I’ll be attending RomCon this year. One of the reader workshops has karaoke and of course I signed up. But wait… we had to choose one (1) –YES ONE!–song that encapsulated our work…or one book. What? Just one? It took me six weeks. Not kidding.

I could have gone with Smash Mouth’s EVERYDAY HERO. Of course my guys are all “average, ordinary, everyday super heroes” but that didn’t work for my heroines. So I kept looking… 

One of my husband’s favorite singers is Phillip Phillips. He’s super popular and you hear HOME all the time. I was actually practicing this, but something was still missing when using it to describe my books. Hmmm…action. And then…the next track on the album comes up…

“When enemies are at your door…”  YES !! That’s it exactly. I write on-the-run heroines caught in the wrong place at the wrong time books. AND !!! 

“You're my back bone.
You're my cornerstone.
You're my crutch when my legs stop moving.
You're my head start.
You're my rugged heart.
You're the pulse that I've always needed.” 

THIS IS THE ANGI MORGAN THEME SONG. DEFINITELY!

HE’D TAKE A BULLET FOR HER

His key witnesses dead, Texas Ranger Garrison Travis had to protect innocent bystander Kenderly Tyler. Her crucial evidence had two very dangerous Texas crime families willing to do anything to keep her quiet. But Garrison’s undercover status had branded him a killer, and now the bad and the good guys were after them both.

Hiding out with a handsome protector, on the run for her life, was so beyond anything Kenderly had imagined. While there was more than just adrenaline pulsing between them, the Ranger vowed his job was his life. Dare she wonder what would become of them should they actually make it out alive?

Catch photos from the other TEXAS RANGER: ELITE TROOP series on A Picture a Day. 

~ ~ ~

Website   Facebook   FB Fan Page   Twitter @AngiMorganAuthr     

Check out my newsletter or my monthly Giveaway

~ ~ ~

DON’T FORGET TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAYS.

Here's a theme song for your weekend! or maybe longer. Looking for a Rascal Flatts video, I came across this 2010 UNSTOPPABLE. Very COOL.

So what do you think? Do the words make you think of an On-The-Run-Romantic-Suspense? I hope so, I’m memorizing for the Karaoke event.

Enter for a chance to receive your choice from Angi's digital backlist and October earrings.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends October 2nd. Angi’s Books are available online: 

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Google

Hard Core Law Day 3

5 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT 
HARD CORE LAW

Waco, Texas
Home to Bush's Chicken and Baylor University. A major crossing point of the Brazos River for cattle drives. Home of the ALICO building, the first high rise of it's kind in the area. Just big enough that everybody doesn't know everybody, but small enough that the good guys know the lay of the land.

I loved having my readers choose the names of Josh's twins. I hoped to have Jackson and Sage steal the scenes they were in. I have author Lena Diaz to thank for adding tension to my kidnapping plot with her suggestion that one of the twins have diabetes. She took time to check y facts and give me accurate info about what would happen every hour that Jackson didn't have his insulin. Smooches to Lena !!

  

Naming the bad guys. Even though it was hard, I still loved referring to all my bad guys as Mack. Mack the Knife didn't make it into the book, but I wanted to add it. (LOL, I'm dating myself, right?) Mack-In-Charge, Baby-Faced Mack, Rifle Mack, Knife Mack, they all had something that identified them for the hero and heroine. Fingers crossed that it worked for the readers.


Garrison, Jesse, Bryce & Josh

Texas Rangers all wear white hats for their official photos. It's said, that's where Hollywood got the idea that good guys wear white. Thanks for the great reception for my four special guys from Company F, headquartered in Waco. Also located in Waco is the Texas Ranger Museum. If you're ever driving on I-35, stop and take a look. It's a small museum, but filled with memorabilia.


Tracey's life changes from thinking about ice cream sprinkles to five minutes of complete terror as the twins are kidnapped.

EXCERPT from HARD CORE LAW

Amazon | Barnes &  Noble | Google Play | Kobo| iBooks

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ASK ME ANYTHING...I'LL TRY TO ANSWER. Or you could tell me YOUR favorite thing about the TEXAS RANGERS: ELITE TROOP series.

Hard Core Law Day 2

Traveling and getting back into my routine delays... my apologies for posting late.

I love to incorporate real locations and history into my stories. 

Waco is actually full of history. Crossing cattle across the Brazos river was very dangerous, so they built a suspension bridge. Locals use the bridge for all types of photo opportunities...including weddings. On a personal note, my first time to walk across the bridge was my daughter's 20th birthday when we took photos. 


I mention the bridge twice in HARD CORE LAW. The second is a big secret reveal, but here's the first.

~ ~ ~

“They have a new phone listed in my name. Bought it pre-paid at a kiosk. No idea what the number is. Handed us another and told us to head to the Brazos Suspension Bridge.”

“You can cross that on foot. Right?” McCaffrey was asking someone on his staff. “You know they’ll be waiting on the other side.”

Tracey kept watch, walking back and forth along the wall. She’d look out the storefront window, then make the horseshoe along the outside walls again to look out the other side.

Josh kept his head and his voice down. “I can’t contact you on this again. It’ll be in the car.”

“We’ll have men on the north side of the bridge waiting,” McCaffrey stated. “Trust me, Josh.”

“For as long as possible.”

EXCERPT from HARD CORE LAW
Amazon | Barnes &  Noble | Google Play | Kobo | iBooks
a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you'd read part of the series... who would you like to see return next?

Hard Core Law Day 1

HOW DO YOU GET A TEXAS RANGER TO BREAK THE LAW?

. . . KIDNAP HIS KIDS

The twins were all Josh Parker had in this world. So when they were kidnapped, he couldn't rely on his Texas Rangers star to get them back safely. Or involve Tracey Cassidy, the only person he trusted to care for his children. 

A family of criminals was asking him to break the law if he ever wanted to see his children again. 

But when Tracey caught wind of his plan, she knew no matter how big Josh's heart was, he had a future with his twins to look forward to. They needed their father. And this was one burden he wouldn't have to shoulder alone.

"THE BOSSMAN FINALLY GETS HIS OWN HEA!"

~NIKKI BROOKS

"ALL MAKINGS OF AN ENTERTAINING STORY,
THAT KEEPS THE READER ON THE EDGE."

~BOOKS & SPOONS

"FULL ON TERROR, WORRY AND ACTION FROM START TO FINISH"

~WENDY

We're having a party. To register for the Texas-Themed bracelet, join the facebook party and leave a comment. invite a friend (in the comments) for a 2nd, 3rd, etc. chance.

I had the rare privilege last week of watching a new friend read Hard Core Law. Even my "where-are-you-now's" didn't ruin the book for her. (YAY!!) She looked genuine when she told me how much she enjoyed it and what her favorite parts were. That's why I write. And I think the beginning of Nikki's review says it all: "The Bossman gets his HEA" (Happily Ever After). That's my favorite part of romance.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~what's your favorite thing about romance?

There are lots of ways to enter a giveaway this week:

7/18-19: Just Romantic Suspense

7/18-31: Happy July

7/18-8/3: Hard Core Law Blog Tour

7/20: Hard Core Law Facebook Party

Gunslinger Day 4

WELCOME TO HICO, TEXAS!

I loved researching Hico, it's history with Billy the Kid, the Koffee Kup and discovering the best pie in Texas. Don't forget, it's pronounced HIGH-CO.

Located southwest of Fort Worth on Highway 6 between Stephenville and Waco, it's exactly the right place for a much needed break in most drives that direction. Antiques, the Billy the Kid Museum, great food and a small-town feel were perfect for Bryce's story.

Kylie needed seclusion and support...exactly what a small town could give her. I'm thankful that readers are liking Hico as much as I do.

~ ~ ~

It had been a very long time since she’d allowed herself friends. Then again, being Bryce’s friend wasn’t too high on her agenda. She’d watched him out in the yard fixing up Mrs. Mackey’s rental. He’d stopped by the pie shop while she’d been at lunch.

It might be a coincidence, but Hico was a very small town. If there was a visitor here for a couple of hours, a resident was likely to encounter them a couple of times. So running into a neighbor at the store and pie shop was almost predictable.

She hadn’t been the only woman catching a second or third glimpse of his straight nose and dimpled chin. A constant five o’clock shadow had never done anything for her before getting a look at Bryce. She was full-blown giddily attracted to every muscle his tight T-shirts exploited.

The view as he climbed the ladder wasn’t helping to cool her heat.

Mrs. Mackey had praised Bryce’s ability as a handyman and suggested his skills not be wasted while he was living on their street. At face value her statement had been so innocent. Then the other ladies who had conveniently stopped by the museum had all giggled.

INSIDE THE KOFFEE KUP

Catch more photos from Hico and the other 

TEXAS RANGER: ELITE TROOP series on A Picture a Day. 

Available in stores  or order your digital copy on B&N; Amazon; iBooks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DO YOU LIKE SMALL TOWN STORIES?

Gunslinger Day 3

“What’s wrong with here?” Her fingers drew circles on his abs.

“Kylie.” He shook his head, then caught the look in her eyes. It was back, the fright that he’d seen when her shirt came off.

“I like it right here,” she whispered trying to sink to her knees.

He slid his hands to her elbows, stopping her. “I’m not treating our first time together like we’re teenagers looking for a fast thrill in a game room. We’re not only too old for that, we deserve better.”

Dusting her hands like she was done, she hurried away. “Fine. This is all I have, Bryce. All I can do.”

He touched her shoulder and she stopped. Did she want him to change her mind? Show her how much he cared about her? “If it were me… If our positions were reversed, and I was the one with scars. What would you do right now, Kylie? Would you let me run away? Continue to be afraid?”

She covered her face. “I am afraid.”

He could barely hear her. He asked just as quietly, “Of me?”

“Strangely enough, no. But yes, maybe of you most of all.”

“I don’t understand.”

Kylie faced him, cupping his cheeks, using a thumb to entice his lips—whether that was her intention or not.

“You’ve been looking for Sissy. I’ve seen that desire before from the men who admired her beauty. I’m afraid that you’ll be—”

“Be what?”

“Congratulations on writing one of the most emotionally intimate and sexy love scenes that I’ve ever read!” ACW

"The fantastically tantalizing Texas Rangers Elite series goes from strength to strength. This time the unassuming Bryce gets his woman!!" Nikki B, Amazon Review

"This is the third book in the Texas Rangers: Elite Troop series, and this was by far my favorite book so far. This book is a great mix of romance, suspense, heat, action and adventure.” Kathryn L, Amazon Review

“All in all this is a very strong addition to the Texas Ranger miniseries. I find Bryce and Kylie incredibly appealing and enjoyable.” ACW

Catch photos from Hico and the other 

TEXAS RANGER: ELITE TROOP series on A Picture a Day. 

Available in stores on June  18^th. 

Order on B&N; Amazon; iBooks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Does this teaser make you wonder what Kylie (formerly Sissy) is going to reveal?

Gunslinger Day 2

“I was trimming a dead limb and the saw got stuck.”

“Lucky I was around.”

“I have some iced tea. Can I get you some?”

“That would be great.”

“Okay.” She rubbed her palms together and stepped to the porch. She tried to turn her back on Bryce and walk like a normal person through her kitchen door.

It didn’t happen. She hesitated, waiting for him to lean the ladder on the tree. He just watched her act like an unsteady idiot. Bryce was practically a stranger. She’d only met him a couple of times in town.

“I hope you like it sweetened. That’s all I have.”

“Sure. I’ll get this down.”

“Thanks so much. It’s stuck up there pretty good.” Oh my gosh. She was babbling, trying to wait him out. If he’d just look away, she could dart into the kitchen.

A little about Kylie Scott

Before she was on DANCING WITH THE STARS this past spring, Paige VanZant was the persona and looks that I modeled my heroine after. It's hard for me to post a picture of a heroine. Normally, they're more vague and because of that end up being more relatable (at least for me).

Kylie Scott is a former teen model who fell for the wrong guy. Quickly married. Quickly divorced. Readers will discover why in the prologue. She had to quickly learn how to take care of herself and that's where Paige's inspiration came into the story.

I love Kylie as a unique character who wants to protect the people who she cares about. She's certainly not helpless and definitely thinks out of the box.

Billie the Kid plays a central roll in Hico.  They're very proud of their history and legend. The statue on the right is the first thing Kylie sees when she rolls into town. The second is the Koffee Kup restaurant. When Bryce is undercover, he's amazed that the free-roaming roosters and chickens aren't eaten by the cats on Pecan Street.

The little things about this town made it come to life for me. Hope it does the same for readers.

Catch photos from Hico and the other 

TEXAS RANGER: ELITE TROOP series on A Picture a Day. 

Available in stores on June  18^th. 

Order on B&N; Amazon; iBooks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Do you like to read about heroines who can defend themselves or need to be rescued?

Gunslinger Day 1

“Shirtless? Of course I’m shirtless.” Bryce Johnson yanked the muscle shirt over his head, catching it on his ear. “What legitimate undercover Texas Ranger mows a lawn trying to get a woman’s attention wearing a shirt?”

“I bet you have your glasses on, too.” There was a familiar sound from his partner, Jesse Ryder, as he held the phone to his chest and laughed. “And…um…don’t forget your Sig is showing.”

Bryce scrambled behind his back. He gave up and went inside to drop his weapon, shirt and glasses. He didn’t need to see up close to mow the lawn anyway. The briskness of the AC helped cool his frustration. A little.

“You know…” Jesse continued laughing. “If just taking your shirt off doesn’t work, you could try a speedo and a giant sombrero.”

“Har har har.”

A little about BRYCE JOHNSON

Bryce was such a wonderful guy to write. He made an appearance in BULLETPROOF BADGE, helping his fellow Ranger, Garrison Travis. In SHOTGUN JUSTICE, he went on special assignment to prepare him for his own story. He's Company F's resident authority on Texas organized crime, a bit of a computer nerd who's wanted to be a Texas Ranger most of his life. But this guy actually knows how to ride a horse and has an interesting background that readers are enjoying.

Bryce also wears glasses that aren't pictured on the cover. And throughout the story...he's sunburned. I have always wanted to begin a story with a hunky hero mowing the lawn, dripping sweat, cooling off with a water hose. Seriously...total fantasy on my part. That rarely happens around here because you do get sunburned. But still, a girl can have her fantasies.

On a road trip while writing this book, one song (you'll find it in the book) got stuck in my head and looped through my speakers. I listened to it over and over, but thought of Bryce's story the entire time. Then it was a challenge to work it in and Bryce's history finally showed itself to me. Things like that are the cool part of being a writer.

And I have to give credit to a friend and fellow writer for the "speedo and giant sombrero" line. Christine Crocker was at a short workshop I gave about brainstorming where the line was created. I jumped at claiming it (if she didn't) and it was on paper that afternoon.

Road trips are important to me. I hope to find something about the town's setting that I can bring into the book. The KOFFEE KUP was a special find. Best Pie in Texas...seriously !  Tim and I had four slices... We bought some to bring home, but it didn't make it. And that was AFTER a full chicken-fried steak with the fixings.

Catch photos from Hico and the other 

TEXAS RANGER: ELITE TROOP series on A Picture a Day. 

Available in stores on June  18^th. 

Order on B&N; Amazon; iBooks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Do you like Nerdy Heroes that are ready to break the rules to win?