Dinca’s Review of A Father’s Quest (Sentinal Pass, Book 9) by Debra Salonen
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin SuperRomance 3 May 11

This is a totally different story than any I have read. Debra Salonen does a fantastic job of keeping me guessing. It doesn’t end anywhere near the way I thought it would, and it’s a very interesting read.

Jonas Galloway is serving in Afghanistan when his ex-wife disappeared with his seven year old daughter. On returning home he uses his insurance investigator experience and resourses to locate them. Discovering they have joined a religious cult, Jonas realizes he needs some divine help or at least some psychic power. He heads to the only person he is sure can help him.

Remy Bouchard is desperately trying to live down the weirdo syndrome that has followed her from childhood when she psychic-ly located a boy in a well. She does not feel she has any psychic powers regardless of what her mother had said. When her forbidden high school sweetheart shows up on her door step needing her help, she is torn by her need to help him and to move on with her life. Just being with Jonas is more than enough to tear her apart.

Remy agrees to help Jonas only if they will go take a DNA test, because they were led to believe they’re half siblings in their senior year.  Their feelings for each other are still strong and they desperately fight them along the way while trying to retrieve Jonas’ daughter.

This is the latest saga in The Spotlight on Sentinel Pass. Although the setting is in Louisiana, they do wind up back there at the engagement party of Remy’s twin sister. If you have read any of the series you will know the characters attending the party. The story starts with Remy’s sister leaving with her fiancé’ for Sentinel Pass.

I have to give Debra Salonen an A+ for the guess factor. I have been waiting a long time for writers to get on board with the science of DNA. This is the first romance novel I have discovered with it being an integral part of the story line. I do wish there had been more to it, but it still gets an A for content.

I would reach for another Debra Salonen read anytime. Other books in this series are listed below. I did review two other very enjoyable books in the series,  Until He Met Rachel (see my review here) and A Good Provider (see my review here).

Grade:A+

Summary: Jonas Galloway wouldn’t show up on Remy Bouchard’s doorstep without an excellent reason. Not after a secret destroyed what was so good between them. In this case, though, locating his daughter trumps unfinished business. He hopes he can persuade Remy to see it the same way.

Working with his high school sweetheart makes Jonas want to pick up where they left off. Especially because Remy is more tempting than ever. But he is a father and his little girl has to be his priority. Then an exposed lie hands him and Remy a possible future. And he can’t leave Louisiana without finding out if second chances are all they’re cracked up to be….

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Dinca’s review of The Good Provider by Debra Salonen
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin SuperRomance 12 Oct 10

The Good Provider has it all. A stronger-than-she-realizes heroine, a sensitive, caring hero, a believable asinine jerk, and an obnoxious soon-to-be ex-mother-in law, all which add up to a good read. This story has most everything in today’s lifestyles. I found this book a very believable tale of two people coming together with unexpected twists and turns ending with a realistic outcome. Debra Salonen has done it again with her continuing tales of Sentinel Pass.

Daria Fontina has spent almost six months planning the end of her dysfunctional marriage, only to be sabotaged over Christmas by her soon-to-be ex-husband. Her grandfather arranges a private pilot to whisk her away in her time of need. The last thing she needs is to be attracted to the gorgeous hunk who is also Hollywood agent.

I find myself Daria’s personal cheering squad. I even gave her a standing ovation when she dumps all of her ex-husband’s personal belongings in the yard after he has the gall to move back into her house while she’s in the hospital. That has to be my favorite part of the story. I am still smiling about it.

Nothing about William Hughes’s life is perfect – not his past, not his present, and who can predict the future. When his friends call on him to help out, he’s more than willing to lend a hand. He just isn’t sure he can do so without his other body parts becoming involved. After meeting the soon-to-be divorced gorgeous mom of two beautiful daughters, he knows he needs to stay focused and attached to his mission. But after coming face to face with her domineering soon-to-be ex-husband, he knows she has not exaggerated the situation. There’s no way he can pull out when he recognizes the danger signs. He just needs to find a way to assist without losing his heart.

Well, my friends, you will just have to read the book and be prepared for a run on your emotions. As for mine, they ran the gauntlet from sad to happy, to hurt and angry, and a happily ever after all in one afternoon. Be prepared to sit back and relax as you fly around California, South Dakota, and even a jaunt to jolly old England and back.

Grade: A

Summary: Life as a single parent is good. Sure, Daria Fontina has hit some rough patches on her road to independence. But compared to the situation she left…

Things are coming together when she’s tossed a curve ball in the form of William Hughes. He’s a Hollywood agent with a glamorous lifestyle that’s a far cry from her busy-mom routine. Can this gorgeous man really be interested in her brand of domestic bliss?

Yes, he can, because he’s quite clear he wants her…and her little family. The temptation of him and the promise of a new start are almost too good to be true. She’s not convinced she’ll avoid repeating the past. But maybe it’s time for her to leap at the chance life has provided.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Dinca’s review of Until He Met Rachel by Debra Salonen
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin SuperRomance 11 May 10

Debra Salonen has a hit with the mysterious Rufus Miller. I had a hard time not taking a peek ahead while reading, but I just didn’t want to miss anything. With one misconception after another, these two opposites, Rufus and Rachel, are definitely attracted to each other.

After her short marriage collapses, Rachel Gray takes off in her Porsche, a leftover possession from her marriage, to Sentinel Pass in the Black Hills of South Dakota where her brother has settled. After all, she can start a website design business anywhere. She is counting on a local artist to be her first client. Rachel is impressed with the man’s work, even if he is a recluse and she refers to him as Big Foot’s cousin. When she discovers he doesn’t live in a hovel in the woods, she senses there is more to the bearded, flannel-covered hulk than meets the eye.

Rufus Miller is in hiding. Not just from the world but from himself as well. He has changed his name and lifestyle until he has transformed his very existence. When Rachel wants to open him and his work up to the world, he is reluctant. Rufus wants no part of him and his home displayed in pictures on the internet. He eventually finds himself allowing her to display his art on a website that turns out to be a huge success.

Rachel offers money to Rufus to be her date at a Christmas party and wedding so she can avoid the disparaging remarks from her mother if she shows up alone. Rufus agrees and shows up looking like the old self he left behind in New York. Rachel’s mother is so condescending to him she accuses him of having to rent a suit. At least the derogatory remarks are directed at him instead of Rachel. But when he vanishes from the party without saying goodbye, Rachel confronts her mother and then takes off after him.

The tension between these two is so tangible, from the first look they share to the box of sex toys later scattered at their feet, that you will read straight through to the last page. Even the supporting characters have believable personalities. Rachael’s mother could be a book unto herself. Maybe she will some day.

Grade: A

Summary: Rufus Miller is a mystery.

It’s the one fact the entire town of Sentinel Pass can agree on. And Rufus has no intentions of solving the riddle. He likes his privacy. His cabin and his work suit him just fine, thanks.

Then Rachel Grey shows up.

The energetic entrepreneur has decided Rufus is her ideal client and is full of marketing ideas to make him a household name. And he’s tempted. Not by her impressive strategy, but by her. Suddenly the guy least likely to answer a direct question wants to open up. Wants to share his space with her. Wants her to know all the skeletons in his closet. And that urge to be with Rachel so completely is the biggest mystery of all.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Thanks to the generosity of Harlequin SuperRomance authors Debra Salonen and Ellen Hartman, we had several contest winners to close out our May Spotlight! Winners need to e-mail Wendy with their shipping address to receive their prizes. We hope everyone has enjoyed this Harlequin Spotlight, because we sure did have a great time putting it all together!

The winner of two books from Ellen Hartman is:

Phyl!

The two grand prize winners of three books from Debra Salonen are:

Ruby D. and Greta!

These three runner-up winners will receive a copy of Debra’s latest book, Baby By Contact:

Virginia H., Jessica and TracyS!

Debra Salonen is one of the hardest working writers in the romance genre. Since the publication of her first book in 2000, she’s amassed an impressive back list and garnered a loyal following among Harlequin SuperRomance fans. May marks the publication of the first book in a new five-book series for the line that will keep her and readers busy well into 2009. Debra recently took time out of her busy schedule, and agreed to sit down to an interview. Enjoy!

Wendy the Super Librarian: When you were growing up, your parents owned and operated their own taxi cab company. Most writers have colorful work histories, but this is by far one of the more intriguing ones I’ve come across! What was it like working in the family business, and did it shape you as a writer?

Debra Salonen: My parents bought the taxi company when I was five. I started answering the phone shortly after. Since I didn’t know how to write at that point, I had to take a call and quickly repeat it on the radio so someone in the cabs could log it.

For example:

Taxi phone rings.

Caller: “Send a cab to 314-Lincoln Lane S. Right away. I’m late for church.” (Now, I would probably say, “You should have planned better. This is so not my problem.”)

5-yr old Deb: “3…1…4…Lincoln…Lane…south. Okay.”

5-yr old Deb hangs up the phone, picks up the bulky, gray metal walkie-talkie thing that requires you to press the button on the side to talk and relays the number. I’m told I was rather demanding about making sure someone heard me and intended to pick up the fare.

Numbers. Memory challenges. Early map work. Communication skills. This job was like preschool with a purpose. But the kicker came when my father told me he’d “put me on the payroll” once I learned to write.

5-yr old Deb: Writing equals money?

Can you say subliminal forces at work?

In hindsight, I think the taxi business MADE me a writer. And once I learned to drive, every fare offered a chance to stockpile yet another interesting character.

WtSL: Your first novel, That Cowboy’s Kids, was published in 2000 and in 8 years you’ve amassed an impressive backlist. What is your work schedule like?

DS: I’d always planned to write books, but I was convinced I needed the right amount of open time and most definitely the right space to do my ambition justice. Kids have a tendency to interrupt a lot, so I told myself I’d wait until my two were older before I started writing that novel. Then other things came up, like a full time job that really drained my creativity-newspapers frown on you making things up. But eventually I ran out of excuses. I didn’t have the perfect space-my first office didn’t have heat or AC so in the winter I worked with gloves and a space heater and in the summer I got up really early to avoid dripping sweat on my pages. And time was still a premium because my kids were teens and I’d started my own bookkeeping business.

But here’s what I learned: it’s never going to be the perfect time and it’s definitely not about space; it’s about putting words on paper.

Debbie Macomber typed her first manuscript at the kitchen table with kids scurrying around her. I wish I’d been as brave.

I now have two lovely offices – a right brain and a left brain office. Okay, my right brain office is more of an alcove, but it’s where you’ll find me when I’m on deadline. Every day -a minimum of one new scene or ten new pages–until the book is done. I sit in my recumbent chair, click on my laptop and start typing. In between deadlines, I’m in the other office doing all the stuff that comes with being a published author in this day and age: blogs, interviews, art pages, PR, website updates, MySpace, etc.

And, honestly, some days I give myself permission to play with my three granddaughters, 4, 2, and almost 1. Kids tend to interrupt and I appreciate that a lot more now, but they’re definitely worth the time.

WtSL: While you’ve tip-toed into some other Harlequin lines, you’ve pretty much stuck with SuperRomance. What do you love about the line, and why did you want to write for it?

DS: Before I sold my first book, I was all over the place-writing-wise. Mystery, romance, suspense, comedy. I read it all and loved it all. I wanted to write it all.

But after two or three rejections, I realized the only way to sell was to give editors what they were looking for. So, I went to the book store and picked up a dozen or so new books. I read them all, looking for a publisher or line that would be right for the story I had in mind. SuperRomance was a clear winner.

I had no understanding of the romance genre at the time. I didn’t know the difference between a series, a line and a category. But I liked the stories the SuperRomance authors were telling. They were bigger and more complex. The authors really got into their characters’ points of view. Some were sexy, some weren’t. This was important to me because the story I was writing involved two damaged children and I needed my hero and heroine to put the kids first, even while they were in the process of falling in love. That story became That Cowboy’s Kids. I queried, sent in three chapters, revised upon rejection, resubmitted and sold.

And, although I’ve had a single title, Betting On Grace, with Signature and 3 connected books with Harlequin American, my first love has remained SuperRomance. The editors have always been open to pushing the proverbial envelope. (In Wonders Never Cease my heroine spent time in the body of the hero’s aging police dog, and in Love, By George one of the main characters is a Great Dane.) The book I’m working on now has a shared dream sequence that is slightly paranormal. I’ve always been told: “Whatever works works.” For a writer, that’s like the golden ticket to the chocolate factory.

WtSL: I know your writing keeps you busy, but a librarian has got to ask – what do you like to read? Any favorite authors?

DS: I always forget to put someone on my list and regret it later. You know what it’s like when you walk into the bookstore and promptly forget which book you went there to buy? That’s how I am with lists. But here are a few names that jump to mind: Susan Crosby, Jean Brashear, Brenda Novak, Kathy Shay, Eileen Rendahl, Alisa Kwitney, Elizabeth Berg, Laurell K. Hamilton, Judith Arnold, Randy Wayne White, Barbara Kingsolver, Michael Pollen, Isabelle Allende, Pat Potter, John Irving, Michael Critchton…to name a few.

Here are a couple of books that I’ve enjoyed recently and haven’t had a chance to check out others by the author: A Gentle Rain by Deborah Smith, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen and The Red Tent by Anita Diamant .

I’m currently reading two books: I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron and Three Cups Of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.

I belong to a readers group and we have a diverse cross-section of reading likes and dislikes. I think this is an excellent way to expand your reading horizons. My September release, His Brother’s Secret, is dedicated to the members of my book club.

WtSL: The first book in your Sentinel Pass series, Baby By Contract, debuts this month and it looks like this five book series is going to keep you busy through 2009! Tell us a little bit about the series.

DS: Think: “The Bachelor” meets “Northern Exposure.”

Sentinel Pass is an imaginary town in the Black Hills of South Dakota. SOUTH Dakota. That’s SOUTH of North Dakota. (I don’t know why anyone would mix these two up-have you ever seen North Dakota?, but it happens all the time.) Hint: the HBO series “Deadwood” was set here, Mount Rushmore is here, Dances With Wolves was filmed here, it’s just next door to Devil’s Tower…

Anyway, Sentinel Pass is a tiny town that really isn’t ready for its close-up. Then, its favorite daughter makes a teeny tiny mistake-she uses the Internet to offer part ownership in her family’s gold mine in return for viable sperm…”some restrictions apply.” And the delicious hunk who convinces her he’s the right guy to fulfill this contract is Cooper Lindstrom, a Hollywood bad boy with some serious baggage that includes his late mother’s bookie who is out for blood-Coop’s.

I can’t tell you how much fun I had with this book. I’ve been waiting all my life to open a romance novel with the words: “Pay up or die.”

The subsequent books belong to Libby’s “Wine, Women and Words” book club members: Jenna, Kat and Char. And squeezed in there somewhere will be Libby’s brother, Mac’s, story.

I love the Hills and I hope my stories and my characters do justice to the wonderful Black Hills mystique. If you haven’t been there, maybe reading my “Spotlight on Sentinel Pass’ series will encourage you to go. But you can always check out the photos from my research trip on my website.

WtSL: Debra, thanks so much for joining us for TGTBTU’s HSR Spotlight!

DS: Thank you, Wendy!

Contest Alert! Debra has graciously donated books for us to give away to TGTBTU readers during our May HSR Spotlight! I will randomly draw winners from the comments (from all the HSR Spotlight posts) at the end of May. Two grand prize winners will receive three titles: Baby By Contract, Love By George and A Baby On The Way. Three runner up winners will receive a copy of Debra’s May release, Baby By Contract.