WAKING NIGHTMARE is released!

It seems like such a long time ago that I signed the contract for this dark romantic thriller trilogy that it's hard to believe The Mindhunters are finally going to hit the shelves. But Waking Nightmare goes on sale September 1 and can be found online and in bookstores. Early reviews are very complimentary (whew!).

I actually went to contract for the series in 2007 and Berkley wanted to publish them back to back as soon as possible. But I only had this book done, and was still contracted with Silhouette for SRSs, so the schedule had to be delayed. Oh, and then there was the small item of my teaching job eating up some of my free time, too :)

Two years feels like forever in the publishing world. So actually seeing the books on the shelf will be a bit surreal.

A little about the series: The Mindhunters is the nickname for a private forensics firm that includes some of the best criminologists in the country. The agency is led by the legendary Adam Raiker, an ex-FBI criminal profiler. His employees are hired to consult with law enforcement on particularly puzzling and high profile crimes. Each story features an investigator from the agency, and they often have different specialties. Abbie Phillips, the heroine of book 1 is a forensic profiler. In book 3 the heroine is a forensic anthropologist.

It goes without saying that what I know about forensics that stems from personal experience wouldn't fill a thimble. But that's where my interests have long been, so I've been doing research for years. Waking Nightmare was especially fun to research because it's set in Savannah. That city has long been on my to-be-visited list for it's history, eerie legends, architecture and sheer southern grace.

I was surprised to learn that even the headquarters for the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department has ties to history. Built in 1870, it's the oldest continually active police headquarters in the nation. Here's a picture of the exterior facing Oglethorpe Avenue. They've attempted to leave that side of the building true to its original form:

Notice the old squad cars out front. If I hadn't researched Savannah for this book, I never would have known that the police headquarters there was a must see! The building, known as "The Barracks" features windows edged with white gingerbread trim. It's situated next to the spooky Colonial Park cemetery, which is reputed to be haunted. I have to wonder if the location is an accident or if it was by design!

There's also a portion of the book that takes place on a nearby vacation spot, Tybee Island. After reading up on it I just may have to schedule a vacation there. I do so love beach and ocean. And who could resist visiting a spot that used to be inhabited by pirates?

Here's a photo of Tybee Island Inn. Doesn't it just drip atmosphere?













Oh and just for a taste of what Waking Nightmare holds in store for you, here's the back cover copy:

FIRST HE LEARNS YOUR DARKEST FEARS
THEN HE MAKES YOU LIVE THEM

With a serial rapist loose on the streets of Savannah, hot-shot detective Ryne Robel needs all the help he can get for his task force. And he needs it now, before another woman falls victim. But Abbie Phillips isn't what he bargained for. Sent from an exclusive group of the best criminologists in the country, she's smart, fierce...and distracting. She may be a brilliant forensic profiler, but Ryne needs answers, not psychobabble and head games.

However, Abbie convinces him that head games are exactly what this elusive suspect is all about. The seemingly random acts of torture are actually calculated to match each victim's darkest fears. And the stakes are rising. While they study the devious psychopath, he's watching them--the next objects of his horrifying obsession.

You can find an excerpt on my site: www.kyliebrant.com.

No big surprise that some of my favorite TV shows through the years have been Hillstreet Blues, NYPD and now NCIS. I love watching the same sort of story lines I enjoy reading and writing!

Do your TV/movie viewing tastes run to the forensic and/or police procedural? If so, which ones do you watch? Are you one of those who find the subject matter too grim? What do you turn to instead?

One lucky commenter will receive a an autographed copy of Waking Nightmare!