Wicked Wednesday – THE FIFTH KINGDOM

I’m so excited to be sharing with you THE FIFTH KINGDOM today, my romantic suspense from Carina Press. RT Book Reviews gave it 4.5 stars and said:

“This story is an Indiana Jones-style thrill ride infused with just the right amount of romance and sexual tension…The mystery, the family dynamic and the love story all blend together perfectly in this delightful adventure. Who needs Harrison Ford when you’ve got a tale like this?”

If you cannot see the excerpt below, you can click here or use this link:

http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/63643722?access_key=key-1eyc5etyz7or3srynbqj

THE FIFTH KINGDOM Romantic Suspense

Wicked Wednesday – Sexy Alpha Heroes

There is something about alpha heroes that is so sexy, but of course, no one really wants a true alpha hero. I mean who could live with someone who always had to be on top, didn’t want emotional connections to anyone and equated physical strength with emotional strength. Just some of the not-so-nice traits of alpha heroes.

What we do love is strong men who are seemingly sure of themselves, but have that chink in their armor that allows for real relationships to develop. Physically strong men who are capable of being gentle as well as capable of showing emotional weakness. They can know to be strong by sharing the burdens of life with a significant other.

THE FIFTH KINGDOM Romantic suspenseWhen I started writing THE FIFTH KINGDOM, I knew CIA Agent Bill Santana was going to be that kind of sexy hero. One who was strong, but had a soft spot inside. A wounded spot, actually. I didn’t know that at first when I started writing, but as Bill met up with the prickly and equally alpha Dr. Deanna Vasquez, a lot of his pent up old emotions rose up to make him so much more of a real person.

That pain that he was carrying inside of him touched Deanna, who likewise had a similar wound in her psyche. I think that’s what made them so special together – that their love for each other healed the scars they both bore in their hearts.

Of course we need some action as well since it is a romantic suspense. In THE FIFTH KINGDOM, the action revolves around Bill’s search for an archeologist kidnapped by a Mexican terrorist group. The archeologist is Deanna’s mom, Dr. Miranda Adams, who abandoned Deanna nearly fifteen years earlier which is the source of her pain.

Miranda has discovered what may be Montezuma’s tomb and an ancient artifact within the resting place, but it is only as the story evolves that Deanna comes to realize that the relic has some very unusual powers.

I loosely based the relic on the Mexican sun stone (shown below). The sun stone is a calendar of sorts, but also a history of the Mexica people (whom we call the Aztecs). The original of the stone is in Mexico City and in the story, Deanna and Bill take a visit to the museum to see the stone and to also try and infiltrate the terrorist group.

In case you haven’t had a chance to check out an excerpt from THE FIFTH KINGDOM, here it is!

FIFTH KINGDOM Romantic Suspense by Caridad Pineiro and Carina press

Wicked Wednesday – THE FIFTH KINGDOM Romantic Suspense

THE FIFTH KINGDOM Romantic Suspense by Caridad PineiroWhen I was busy thinking about AZTEC GOLD atop that Mexican pyramid (and also wondering how I’d ever get down), I was also envisioning how I could use the locale for another of my favorite things – a romantic suspense novel.

That’s how THE FIFTH KINGDOM was born. I wondered what would happen if someone found something very important, like the tomb of the last great Aztec leader Montezuma. A find like that would have great historic and symbolic significance, especially since only one other such tomb has been found. Of course my writer’s mind then envisioned what would happen if there was something dangerous in the tomb. Something that could do great harm if it fell into the wrong hands. Add a sexy and wounded CIA agent and the daughter of a missing archeologist, who hasn’t seen her mother in nearly 14 years. Shake and you’ve got a romantic suspense novel.

What I liked most about this novel was surprisingly not the action and adventure, but the fragile understanding that develops between Bill Santana, the CIA Agent, and Deanna Vasquez, the daughter who also happens to be a well-known historian in her own right. They are both wounded souls who come to discover that maybe having family is not as bad as they both thought.

Without further ado, a short excerpt from THE FIFTH KINGDOM which will be out in July 2011 from Carina Press.

FIFTH KINGDOM Romantic Suspense by Caridad Pineiro and Carina press

Guilty Pleasure Monday Jeffrey Donovan

My husband has gotten me hooked on BURN NOTICE. It’s hard not to get involved with not only the interesting tidbits provided by ex-CIA Agent Michael Weston during the narration which appeal to the suspense writer in me, but also the wonderful cast of characters.

I love explosion-happy Fiona in particular, but there’s also no denying that the dapper and unflappable Michael Weston (played by Jeffrey Donovan) is a big draw.

If you haven’t watched the show, try to catch it in re-runs or online. The mix of suspense, comedy and romance (although could we get a little more of this BURN NOTICE writers!) is great.