Debbie Baldwin
Author Interview - Debbie Baldwin
Author of Illicit Intent
Illicit Intent (Bishop Security #2)
Calliope Garland’s newsdesk assignment was fairly straightforward—dig up the dirt on the sketchy CEO of a Wall Street hedge fund. But when the man is murdered and valuable data destroyed, a simple investigation turns deadly. Calliope is unwittingly in possession of vital financial information and a priceless work of art; either of which may get her killed. With an ever-growing list of people who want to harm her, Calliope must set aside her reservations and turn to the one man she knows she can trust.
Miller “Tox” Buchanan is a study in contradictions: kind but lethal, passionate but distant, self-possessed yet hesitant. He knows he should keep his distance, but when Calliope is hurled into danger, Tox will stop at nothing to protect her.
This is the second book in the Bishop Security Series but can be read as a standalone. The book has some explicit sexual situations and violence equivalent to an R-rated movie.
Author Interview - Debbie Baldwin
Author I draw inspiration from: I have a fairly unusual approach to romantic suspense, a typically formulaic genre. I like to take historical events and use them as inspiration for the story. The first book in the Bishop Security Series, False Front, involves fictional events surrounding the real-life World War II Japanese bioweapons research lab known as Detachment 731.
Illicit Intent, Book 2 in the series, draws on the infamous Gardner Museum heist in 1990. The robbery is a bit of an obsession of mine, and the novel actually has a subplot of historical fiction that details events leading up to the robbery of thirteen priceless works of art that are still lost to this day.
The third book in the series, Buried Beneath (coming this July), springs from the story of a Sixteenth Century Moorish king who fled the Spanish crusaders and hid a vast treasure on the island of Mallorca. I love the idea of taking small kernels of historical truth and turning them into romantic, action-packed stories.
Author Interview - Debbie Baldwin
Favorite place to read a book: The porch of my cottage on Lake Michigan. It's so far north, I usually need a blanket even in July!
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Oh Jeez Louise. I considered writing some esoteric, intellectual answer, but the truth is I would choose Ian Fleming's James Bond. Not only would he be a very satisfying person with whom to share a tight space (wink wink), but he could also probably get us out of the damn broken elevator!
Author Interview - Debbie Baldwin
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: I would say it was my second summer of law school when I passed up a high-paying law firm internship to work for Newsweek Magazine in their Washington DC bureau. I was surrounded by fascinating people, gritty politics, and a hive of activity. It was fertile creative soil and inspired a novel (unpublished) that still sits in my bottom desk drawer.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Yes
The last book I read: Agatha Christie Murder at the Vicarage—You caught me on a good day. Yesterday, it would have been a particularly steamy, guilty pleasure read!
Author Interview - Debbie Baldwin
Pen & paper or computer: Computer. Although I do keep a pen and legal pad by my bed in case I need to jot down a thought in the middle of the night.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Easiest question of the lot. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. She's a little nerdy and a lot ballsy. Jane Eyre chooses a man out of love, not necessity, and refuses to be anything but an equal in a relationship. She defined a modern woman long before modern women were a thing.
Author Interview - Debbie Baldwin
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: Teacher. I substitute teach English at the high school my children attended, and I find so much joy in reading and discussing literature with the kids. That or a professional binge watcher.
Favorite decade in fashion history: 1970s. I'm not sure why (and that answer changes depending on my mood), but I really love that 70s hippie vibe. I think the reason could be that I just read Daisy Jones and the Six and I'm in a flowy, Fleetwood Mac headspace right now.
Place I’d most like to travel: Malta. A year or so ago, I read an article about all the different countries that have occupied Malta over the centuries and the resultant hodgepodge of cultural influences. I'd love to spend time exploring the architecture, food, and landscape of the island. I'd also love to set a novel there!
My signature drink: My friends joke that they wouldn't recognize me without a Diet Coke in my hand. In wilder times, I created a drink called a Ruby Fusion: fresh ruby red grapefruit juice, grapefruit vodka, a splash of club soda, sugar on the rim, and a lime wedge. It's a party in a martini glass!
Favorite artist: Too many to list here. I can get lost in museums. I love Rodin sculptures and Renoir paintings, but I also like stumbling upon obscure artists in small galleries anywhere in the world. I collect Ahzad Bogosian landscapes and the abstract works of Alicia LaChance. Now, if there's a page I can attach to this, we can peel the onion on musicians, writers, photographers, actors...
Number one on my bucket list: Go to Hawaii. Fun fact: Hawaii is the most isolated land mass on earth. And it's a state!
Anything else you'd like to add: I want to add a deeply heartfelt thank you to Ashley and you, the readers. As I'm sure you can imagine, indie authors work hard to get their books seen. I owe you all a huge debt of gratitude for helping me in my effort.
Find more from the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DebbieBaldwinBooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbiebaldwinbooks/
Twitter: @dbaldwinbooks
Author website: http://www.debbiebaldwinbooks.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20274777.Debbie_Baldwin
Author Bio: Debbie Baldwin is a successful print media and television writer. She is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Virginia School of Law. Debbie and her husband live in Saint Louis, Missouri with their puggle, Pebbles. They have three children in college.
