One doesn’t recognize the really important moments in one’s life until it’s too late. ~ Agatha Christie
Often I’m asked what my romantic suspense series is about…in a nutshell. That quote from Ms. Christie about sums it up and you will even see that quote show up in the 3rd novel of the series. Think about our own lives. We get so wrapped up in the day-to-day doings that we don’t realize that we are living those important moments.

In the case of my characters, it is more about gaining control of their lives, admitting what is most important and seizing the day…oh, yeah and catching the bad guy too.
The NovelTea series centers around Grant Gerard, government agent (a spy) and Juliet Truesdale, bookstore manager. The tone is humorous and fun. The stories and books are written in first person and switch back and forth from one story to the next in view of whose perspective it was written. For example: Book 1 (A Night of NovelTea) is from Juiet’s POV, Book 2 (NovelTea Next Door) is from Grant’s POV, Book 3 (A NovelTea Murder Mystery) is from Juliet’s POV again, and Book 4 (A NovelTea Christmas) is also from Grant’s POV. It’s been interesting, educational and a whole lot of fun writing these stories and novels. In fact, I’ll be giving away a copy of A Night of NovelTea today. If you’d like a copy just leave a comment. If you’ve read Book 1 just let me know and I’ll give you book 2.
A Night of NovelTea brings us into the world of secret agents aka: spies through the eyes of the naïve bookshop owner, Juliet. She doesn’t know what’s going on, but she has no choice but to go along with it. I mean, this very attractive man just came into her shop, kissed her and left her instructions to meet him later with an envelope he left in her pocket. Does she really have any choice? Especially as she was just complaining about how mundane her life has become. She makes a decision to live in the moment, takes the challenge and meets her mystery man. Her life is never the same.
In the second book, NovelTea Next Door, I had to bring this spy world to life even more. That included creating a villain. I found this exercise completely freeing and exciting—getting into the head of a psychopath. And by the end of the story, I had to decide what to do with my villain. Does he die or does he live to see another day? That is the question. This is the book where the reader really gets to know Grant, and understand what it’s like being a spy. Not only the lingo and seeing an operation go through the motions but how he reacts when he realizes he cares for this woman as more than an asset to the mission.
If you want to understand Grant even more, make sure to stop by the NovelTea Blog and read his interview. It’s quite enlightening. Boy is he cocky, but I just love him.
http://novelteaseries.blogspot.com/2008/09/interview-of-grant-gerard-by-juliet.html

Book Trailers:
I have two book trailers for the first two released books.
A Night of NovelTea
NovelTea Next Door
Grant was even highlighted on Helen’s Heroes. Want to know more about my inspiration for creating him and what makes him tick, take a look. http://helensheroes.blogspot.com/2009/05/mondays-hero-grant-from-noveltea-series.html
Books 3 & 4 are due out next year. There was a little bit of a hold up on releasing the third novel but I think fans will be very happy with what my editor and I have worked up. I’ll tell more as the release date nears on the NovelTea blog.
A NovelTea Murder Mystery starts out just like the title suggests—as a murder mystery. It takes place on an Island out in the Outer Banks off the coast of NC just as a tropical storm is moving up from Florida. The players are introduced and then Juliet finds out that one of them may be a murder and a traitor to their country. Grant goes undercover to see what the suspect is up too and then the suspect ends up dead but who in the small Inn could have done it? In this book, Juliet figures out what she wants—wants with her life and with Grant. It’s the last time we’ll be in her POV and I wanted readers to know where she is at when the last and final book comes out.
A NovelTea Christmas takes places two months later back in the DC area. There are so many things going on in this final installment to the series—like mysterious gifts showing up for Juliet and Grant being attacked in the bathroom of a secured building. Grant also continues to work on locating the criminal he’s been after throughout the entire series. He’s figuring out his relationship with Juliet which he is not very good at. Things get very rocky between them. And things don’t improve when a sexy woman from his past shows up but it just might connect to his current case. Then his sister hounds him to show up for Christmas and his boss wants to promote him to a desk job. It’s going to be a great finale!
Thanks for reading about my series today. I leave you with an excerpt from the upcoming final book: A NovelTea Christmas. (from Grant’s POV)
“Juliet, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” I voiced my opinion.
“Why?” Her hand popped onto her hip just as she said the word. Her face filled with sarcastic ill humor. “Are you one of these techno-geeks who figure out all the complicated scientific conundrums?” She stepped around the desk to stand right in front of me. “No, I didn’t think so. It belongs to me and if the US secret services say it’s safe then that about does it for me.”
I snagged her arm as she turned away. “This conversation isn’t over,” I said to her. We started down between the cubicals together.
“Let go of my arm,” Juliet warned in a raised whisper when we were out of earshot of the analysts.
“Hold tight and I will.”
“You’re holding tight enough for the both of us.”
We turned a corner and entered a conference room. I closed the door, locked it and drew the blinds. Juliet and I had decided to keep our relationship on the quiet for now at DSA. Having this conversation in front of a crowd just might leak out our secret.
I found Juliet standing defensively on the other side of the room with a table between us when I pivoted around. “How could you do that to me…again!” She was angry. “It’s the same package I saw you with last night, isn’t it? Don’t deny it!” She wagged her finger at me.
“Are you finished?” Usually my anger flared when someone blew up on me like this, but for some reason I almost wanted to laugh. Juliet being angry was quite a sight. Her cheeks were rosy, her lips just as red and her hazel eyes bright and full of fire.
I stood up straighter and cleared my throat. “Yes, it’s the same package.”
“You didn’t trust me.” She leaned on the table between us as she spoke. “I thought things were different now, but I was wrong. You’re not any different than when I first met you. You’re just as cocky, just as emotionally unavailable, just as…as aggravating.”
“Come on, Jules, is that fair. I’m different.” She raised her eyebrows and frowned. “Okay, I might still be cocky, but I’ve really been working on the aggravating bit.” I grinned.
No affect.
“I did it for you, all right. For your safety.”
“And you couldn’t have maybe…Oh, I don’t know, told me about it last night? Don’t you think that I respect you? That I listen and take your point of view under advisement?”
“What can I say? I’m not used to people trusting me.”
“No, that’s not it. You don’t trust other people. Not even me. And that hurts.”
She looked me in the eye and I watched her breathe in and out a couple breaths before she made her way to the exit. I blocked her path with my body. I took her around the shoulders. “I’m sorry.” I could have said a whole lot more but those were just words. She was one-hundred percent right. If we were going to go the long stretch together I had to relearn how to interact with people. Juliet wasn’t like every other woman I knew. She wasn’t out for her own interests. She did trust me and love me.
“I’m an idiot.”
“Yes, I know you are.” Her mouth cracked into a slight smile and a tear skittered down her cheek.
I wrapped her up in arms and just held her for a minute. She inhaled deeply, her breath catching in her throat. Releasing her just enough to look in her eyes, I smiled and then kissed her. “I’m sorry, Juliet,” I whispered again.
“That’s just it, Grant. You’re always sorry, but I don’t know if things will ever change.”
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You can learn more about the NovelTea Series at the NovelTea Blog or my website. Leave a comment today and I’ll enter you into a drawing for a copy of A Night of NovelTea or NovelTea Next Door.
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Cindy K. Green is a multi-published author with degrees in History and Education. Previously a middle school English & History teacher, she now homeschools her own children and writes in several genres: Inspirational, Contemporary, Suspense, Fantasy and Historical romance. But whatever she writes she always throws in a bit of humor and fun. Find out more about Cindy and her books at www.cindykgreen.com and http://cindykgreen.blogspot.com/. To join her newsletter email her at newsletters@cindykgreen.com, and she will send you out all three parts of her FREE READ serial, “Valentine’s Challenge.”
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