I KNOW ACTION!

by Geri Foster 

First, I’m so pleased to be here with these very talented ladies. I know several of the Smart Girls Read Romance blog members personally, and the others I’ll get better acquainted with as we go along. What an adventure, huh, gals?

My first blog for you Smart Readers is about what I know best. I’m not an outstanding wordsmith, as you’ll soon discover, but I know action. How to build it, use it and how it keeps you readers turning the page. If you don’t know by now, I write Romantic Suspense. I’ve just finished my third book in the Falcon Series, OUT OF THE NIGHT.

I write each book quickly. Down and dirty, some call it, but I prefer, ‘getting the action down on paper’. Well, actually a computer screen, but you know what I mean. By doing this, I pretty much know where my story is going, until the last third of the book. I never write the end until I’m completely finished with the first part of the story. That means I might write two hundred and seventy-seven pages before I even think about how I’m going to end the story. The last part of the book is where all the subplots are tied up nicely, the black moment hits, and then the resolution pulls the story to an end.

All through the book I keep the action very high by constantly having my main characters in danger. In other words, they’re pretty much running for their lives throughout the whole book. I do this by having both characters fighting to save whatever is at stake. And I make it big. I feel if you are going to write Romantic Suspense, make it big, meaningful and full of action. Yes, it’s a love story, but we all know they are going to end up living happily ever after, so, I make them work for it. Make them work hard. Take away what they value most and put it in the peril, or completely destroy it.

Action is the best vessel to make you readers care. Have an alpha male get the crap beat out of him, get shot, or make a wrong move that jeopardizes the one person he cares for the most. But, never let my characters give in, or give up. 

You know when you’re watching a movie or a TV show, and the good guy and the bad guy are both facing off, and the bad guy tells the good guy to throw down his weapon, and he does? That’s called stupidity, or extremely lazy writing. Have a hero tough enough, brave enough and good enough to take that kill shot.

Men of action are what dreams are made of. They run forward when others run away, they think quickly, rationally and intuitively. In all my books I force my heroes to face their worst fears and come out better people. They live on the edge and can’t afford to back down, for that would mean death and destruction to our country. They fight, struggle and win, because action is their middle name.

I hope you’ll check out my books, OUT OF THE DARK, OUT OF THE SHADOWS and OUT OF THE NIGHT.

Below is an excerpt from my first book OUT OF THE DARK: Mac and Emily’s first brush with danger in a Moscow hotel.

Suddenly, the door to their room crashed open and two guys rushed in. They were armed and ready to kill.

Glock in hand, Mac fired twice. Before the intruder’s eyes could adjust to the dim light, they were dead.

When Emily didn’t respond quickly enough, Mac jumped off the bed and grabbed her arm. “We have to leave now. It’s going to get real ugly.”

“What?” she screamed. “This isn’t ugly?”

“I’ve seen worse.” He released her arm.

Obviously, she hadn’t. No doubt, nothing like this ever happened in the normal world, especially hers. With her nice orderly life, Mac figured she’d probably never witnessed anything firsthand worse than a broken nail.

 “What’s going on?” Emily had her hands to her mouth, her eyes the size of saucers.

“Nothing. Get the pilot on the phone. We leave now.”  Grabbing what he could, Mac snatched up his bag and threw in an assault rifle that belonged to one of the Russians, then Emily’s briefcase, laptop and purse.

Shouldering the bag, he jammed his Glock in the back of his waistband. He took her cell phone off the dresser, handed it to her and repeated, “Get the pilot on the phone while we move.”

Mac inched around the corner where the door used to be and checked the well-lit, carpeted hall. Clear.

Taking Emily by the hand, he led her out behind him. They darted for the stairwell. Security would investigate the sound of gunfire, and Mac didn’t want to be anywhere around when that happened.

Down two flights of concrete stairs, Mac stopped and leaned Emily against the cinderblock wall in the narrow shaft. He took her chin in his hand. “Listen, we don’t have time for you to go screwy on me. Call the pilot now.”

“I don’t know...I don’t know.”

“Emily.” He shook her gently. “Call him and tell him to ready the fucking plane. You’re going to get us both killed.”

With shaking fingers, Emily punched several numbers before she actually got anyone on the line. “Mr. Malloy,” she gasped. “There is an emergency and we need to leave tonight.”

Listening for any sounds that they were being chased, Mac hugged the wall and kept an eye on the doorway. Nothing so far.

“I understand,” Emily said. “You have certain papers to file and all that, but we’ll be at the airfield in an hour. And you’d better fucking be ready to leave!”

She disconnected the call and looked at him for approval then her eyes widened and her hand covered her mouth. “God, I dropped the F bomb.”

“You did good. Now stay close to me. When we go through the door to the lobby, we need to act as calm as possible.”

“Mac, I’m scared spitless.”

“Nothing to it, Em. Stay close. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He looked into her eyes then brushed his lips against hers. “Not ever.”

Thank you so much for stopping by. OUT OF THE DARK and OUT OF THE SHADOWS are out now. OUT OF THE NIGHT will be released later this month. For more information, contact me at my website.

http://www.gerifoster.com/

Don’t forget to leave a comment and win a free download of OUT OF THE DARK. You'll still be entered in the June 30th drawing for a Kindle Fire HD 7" Tablet. 

Keep reading!

Geri Foster