Stressing the Hero,  Suspense

Stressing Tomás Escobedo from No More Secrets by Fiona McGier #RLFblog #RomanticSuspense

Stressing Tomás Escobedo from No More Secrets by Fiona McGier #RLFblog #RomanticSuspensePosing as a tutor in a rich household in Colombia is the cover for agent Tomás Escobedo to search for evidence to convict the dangerous drug lord who lives next door, in No More Secrets, a romantic suspense novel by Fiona McGier. But when the lead actress in the indie crew filming a movie there tells him she doesn’t believe that he’s a tutor–that he’s just acting like one–he fears his cover will be blown by the beautiful blonde and endanger both of them.

Let’s meet Tomás Escobedo from No More Secrets, a romantic suspense, by Fiona McGier. Welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about your latest book.

No More Secrets by Fiona McGier

Genre Romantic suspense

Book heat level (based on movie ratings): Steamy R

Kelly, Raul, and Jared are making another movie together–this time in Colombia. Tomás is there, posing as a tutor, while trying to find the evidence to bust the drug lord who owns the mansion next door to the one they’re filming in. Kelly can’t figure out why his vibe doesn’t say tutor to her–until she figures out his secret. And he has no idea why she’s so quick to figure him out, until he learns about her ex-CIA mom, and ex-KGB step-father. They can’t fight their growing attraction to each other. Will it get them both killed? Or can they find their way to a happily-ever-after, once they have no more secrets from each other?

Stressing Tomás Escobedo

Every hero has a story. He has a background, a history, and a past. This interview allows us to meet a hero and get to know him better, by focusing on how he handles being relaxed, as well as how he handles stress.

Please tell me about your hero.

Age: 35

Gender: Male

Birthplace: A small town near Mexico City.

Profession: Secret Agent

Ethnicity: Mexican.

What does your hero look like?

He’s tall, over 6′, with dark brown hair that usually has a blond streak in the front. He has a gold hoop earring in his left ear. His eyes are very dark brown. He looks like a man who works out a lot, because he does. His body is a weapon that’s kept him alive for years.

Who is the significant other in his life?

Kelly Ann Sheridan, daughter of the heroine in Her Last Resort, book 3 in the Minnesota Romances series. She’s a blonde actress who first met her co-star, Raul Roderick, and their director, Jared Sorrenson, in the first book, For the Love of His Life. She’s vivacious and much more intelligent than most people think she is– she looks like Malibu Barbie, with a permanent tan, but has alert blue eyes.

The Hero’s Relaxed Side

This hero is at a party. Considering his story, describe the party.

There will be food and drink, and dancing–lots of dancing. Tomás likes nothing more than to get a female out on the dance-floor to show off his moves. Unfortunately, Kelly has no sense of rhythm. Even though this can throw off his style, he doesn’t care. He’ll be dancing with her until he has to drag her away so they can be alone.

How does the hero feel about being at this particular party, and what body language is he displaying that gives it away?

He’s spent many years perfecting his control over his body language, so you never know if his casual relaxed attitude is real, or just what he wants you to see. But if his woman is there and there’s dancing, he’ll be holding her closely, and he might let his guard slip and stop paying active attention to others around him. But he still will be alert to any signals that there is something going down.

Is he more likely to mingle or remain aloof?

He always studies a place out of habit, checking for exits and possible dangers. He mingles when he’s really relaxed. Otherwise, he acts casual while observing everyone and everything closely.

If he drinks, what is his drink of choice at this party?

He enjoys Mexican beer, when it matches the food. He also enjoys shots of expensive tequila. But he never drinks to excess, since he’s spent too many years being cautious.

How much drink is his usual?

Since he’s a tall, muscular man, he can drink more than others and still maintain his control over himself.

The hero figures out where the hiding places are and then goes there. Is it to hide, to avoid someone, or to go drag a friend back to the party?

He doesn’t hide–he faces danger head-on. He might drag Kelly off into a secret place so he can grope her, without an audience.

Is he likely to latch onto a friend and stay with him/her and ignore others, or is he the friend that others latch onto?

When he’s being himself, relaxed, he will stay with the people he trusts. When he’s in public with Kelly, he’s always at her side, to protect her from her public–some of whom get grabby sometimes. One look from him is usually enough to stop that.

If someone picked a fight at this party, how is the hero going to handle it?

He will end it. And the person who started the fight won’t be happy about how he does it.

Is the hero the one most likely to get tossed out of the party, or the one who does the tossing?

He does the tossing. He’s always in control of himself, so he never gets tossed out.

Will he know when to leave, or stay late and make a nuisance of himself?

He doesn’t stay long in public with Kelly, because he always wants to get her alone.

The Hero’s Stressed Out Side

How does the hero handle it if the cops or some other authority figure pulls him aside when he was blameless in a situation?

He will show them his IDs and explain who he works for. If he’s undercover, he’ll defend himself, using as little force as possible.

How does the hero react to hearing a scream?

He runs to check on it. He runs toward danger–it’s his job.

If he sees someone being assaulted, what is the FIRST thing that crosses his mind?

He assesses the threat and devises a plan to end the violence as quickly as possible, while attracting a minimum of attention.

If he sees someone being assaulted, what is the FIRST thing he does?

He acts on his plan and stops the assault.

This hero attempts to rescue someone and realizes that he is in over his head. The odds are against him and there is no way out. He is going to get his butt handed to him. What does he do?

This has never happened to Tomás. His training has always saved him.

The hero runs into the one person from his past he wanted to avoid. He can’t get out of the situation and must interact in some way. What does he do?

He’s polite but coldly terse. And he’ll excuse himself as soon as possible.

Someone younger than the hero is in charge of the situation, and they are handling it badly, perhaps bungling things. How does the hero deal with it?

He wouldn’t hesitate to take over and ensure that the outcome is favorable for himself, as well as any innocents involved. He’ll deal with hurt feelings once the danger has passed.

The hero is in physical pain but must bear up under it and keep going. What does he tell himself in order to get through the situation?

That he will get out of this, as he has so many other situations that seemed hopeless. He’s got a good track record of getting out of tight spots, so he’s confident.

What mentor’s words come to mind in a bad situation?

No one thing special, but he’s got a lot of respect for his handler, Malcolm, who has never steered him wrong.

What lesson from his past gets him through a stressful situation?

He’s always been able to get himself out of tight spots, so no matter how tough things get, he’s supremely confident that he can escape–especially now that he has Kelly to return to.

What one thing would you like readers to know about your hero?

He was introduced to readers as a young agent in Undercover Lovers. He thought he was in love with the heroine, Ameena. But he was too young to understand that he was just jealous because she chose his older partner over him. Since that hadn’t ever happpened to him before, he took it badly. He used to be open to assignations with any combination of females and males–he enjoyed sensuality in many forms. But now that he’s older, he’s ready to settle down. He just didn’t realize it until he met Kelly.

Where to buy No More Secrets

Universal Buy Link https://books2read.com/u/4NL6MN
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1027522?ref=draft2digital
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-more-secrets-fiona-mcgier/1137190498?ean=2940164115432&st=AFF&2sid=Draft2Digital_7968444_NA&sourceId=AFFDraft2Digital
iBooks https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1519082383
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/no-more-secrets-25

Fiona McGier Social Media

I sub in high schools during the school year. Otherwise I’m writing and blogging about my books–and reading and writing reviews. Not only do I write erotic romance, I love to read it too. I often read while camping with my long-time HEA. Our four adult kids sometimes join us. I also enjoy sewing–mostly masks these days– crocheting afghans to keep my loved ones warm, and baking–cookies, muffins, and especially pies. I’m known for my never-fail pie crust, so I put the recipe on my website under the pies tab, along with some of my family’s favorites, that I featured in one of my books that had a heroine who baked lots of pies.
Website www.fionamcgier.com
Blog www.fionamcgier.com
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/fionamcgier
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fiona.mcgier/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2987252.Fiona_McGier
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/fiona-mcgier-27d35716-8cc6-4638-8470-03331056b1d7
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Fiona-McGier/e/B003J8QJGE
All author: https://allauthor.com/profile/fionamcgier/
Authors Den–https://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?authorid=122551
Get to know Fiona McGier better by signing up for email updates on her blog.

 

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