Blog Tour Promo Post: Q&A with Carla Cassidy, author of 48 Hour Lockdown

Perfect for fans of Criminal Minds and Blacklist...

Uncover the lives and loves of the FBI elite as they take on the toughest assignments. This is a new four-book miniseries featuring an ensemble cast of characters spread across 4 books, featuring 4 urgent cases, with one stellar team of crime-solving experts.

The Tactical Crime Division—TCD—is a specialized unit of the FBI. Because of the growing concerns and need for ever-increasing response time to criminal events, the FBI created a specialized tech and tactical team combing specialists from several active divisions that include: weapons, crime scene investigation, protection, negotiation and IT.

Each title can be read as a standalone novel, featuring a unique hard to solve crime cases.

The Tactical Crime Division—TCD—is a specialized unit of the FBI. They handle the toughest cases in the most remote locations. When TCD learns of a school invasion turned lockdown, every agent is ready to engage. With children in jeopardy, the stakes couldn’t be higher. But it becomes personal for hostage negotiator agent Evan Duran when he learns Annalise Taylor is one of the captives holed up with the students in a school for the gifted. He’ll need every resource available at TCD and every ounce of his expertise to turn this disastrous situation into a rescue mission—and if he succeeds, maybe reunite with the woman he never stopped loving.

Buy Links

Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Google  |  Indiebound  |  Harlequin

Q & A with Carla Cassidy

1. The Tactical Crime Division is a specialized unit of the FBI. Did you do any research before writing about this type of fast-paced, high-adrenaline lifestyle?

CC:  Since my hero is a hostage negotiator, I definitely used the Internet to learn more about that particular skill. I also watch a lot of law enforcement-themed television. I’m addicted to shows like Live PD, Cops, and others.

2. The Tactical Crime Division series includes four books written by four different authors; what was it like to collaborate with other authors and how did you decide who got to write each storyline?

   

CC: Harlequin editors came up with the initial premise for the series, and then assigned the books to different authors. I was lucky to get to write the first book in the miniseries, which meant that I didn’t have to do a lot of collaborating. However, I’ve been a part of many multi-author series before and working with other authors has always been a pleasure. Everyone is respectful of each other and their writing processes, and it’s usually a lot of fun to work with others for a change!

3. Can you share a recent book you have read that you would like to recommend?

CC: There are so many! My main recommendation right now would be to read all of the books in this miniseries, the Tactical Crime Division!    

About Carla Cassidy

Carla Cassidy is a New York Times bestselling author who has written more than 125 novels for Harlequin Books. She is listed on the Romance Writer's of America Honor Roll and has won numerous awards. Carla believes the only thing better than curling up with a good book to read is sitting down at the computer with a good story to write.

Click me to learn more about the Tactical Crime Division series.

Book Trailer

Blog Tour Book Review: 48 Hour Lockdown by Carla Cassidy

Perfect for fans of Criminal Minds and Blacklist...

Uncover the lives and loves of the FBI elite as they take on the toughest assignments. This is a new four-book miniseries featuring an ensemble cast of characters spread across 4 books, featuring 4 urgent cases, with one stellar team of crime-solving experts.

The Tactical Crime Division—TCD—is a specialized unit of the FBI. Because of the growing concerns and need for ever-increasing response time to criminal events, the FBI created a specialized tech and tactical team combing specialists from several active divisions that include: weapons, crime scene investigation, protection, negotiation and IT.

Each title can be read as a standalone novel, featuring a unique hard to solve crime cases.

The Tactical Crime Division—TCD—is a specialized unit of the FBI. They handle the toughest cases in the most remote locations. When TCD learns of a school invasion turned lockdown, every agent is ready to engage. With children in jeopardy, the stakes couldn’t be higher. But it becomes personal for hostage negotiator agent Evan Duran when he learns Annalise Taylor is one of the captives holed up with the students in a school for the gifted. He’ll need every resource available at TCD and every ounce of his expertise to turn this disastrous situation into a rescue mission—and if he succeeds, maybe reunite with the woman he never stopped loving.

Buy Links

Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Google  |  Indiebound  |  Harlequin

Click me for an excerpt--->

48 Hour Lockdown was a good read. Full Stop. As the first part of the series, Carla Cassidy does a great job setting up the character profiles for the secondary cast of characters. In this book, the main characters are Evan Duran and Annalise Taylor. Annalise is a teacher at a prep school for gifted students. The main characteristics that drew me to Annalise was her passion for teaching, her compassion, and her love for her students. The story starts off as a normal day for Annalise and her students, that is until armed gunmen holds Annalise, her students, and other staff members hostage. Enter Evan Duran, hostage negotiator of the Tactical Crime Division and Annalise’s ex. I’m always iffy about stories that begin with a failed and/or past relationship. There was a reason you guys didn’t work out the first time, so what’s different this time? This aside, I usually wait to see how authors craft their delivery and how the relationship comes together by the end of the book. I thought that the main issue between Evan and Annalise was a lack of communication and Evan’s tendencies (What kind of tendencies? You’ll have to read the book to find out).

Who the hell breaks up with someone with a text message? And it was from the girl?!?!  

There were parts of the story where it dragged. The logistics and motives behind the hostage situation felt a little stilted. Carla Cassidy goes from the main story to a POV from another member of the TCD team. It didn’t feel absolutely necessary to have these scenes, but they do add some context to Evan’s backstory. The ending did conclude nicely; All in all, I think Carla Cassidy did a good job. There were a few things that I had an issue with, but they were minor things. 

4 stars

About Carla Cassidy

Carla Cassidy is a New York Times bestselling author who has written more than 125 novels for Harlequin Books. She is listed on the Romance Writer's of America Honor Roll and has won numerous awards. Carla believes the only thing better than curling up with a good book to read is sitting down at the computer with a good story to write.

Click me to learn more about the Tactical Crime Division series.

Book Trailer

Blog Tour Promo Post: Tactical Crime Division - 48 Hour Lockdown by Carla Cassidy

Perfect for fans of Criminal Minds and Blacklist...

Uncover the lives and loves of the FBI elite as they take on the toughest assignments. This is a new four-book miniseries featuring an ensemble cast of characters spread across 4 books, featuring 4 urgent cases, with one stellar team of crime-solving experts.

The Tactical Crime Division—TCD—is a specialized unit of the FBI. Because of the growing concerns and need for ever-increasing response time to criminal events, the FBI created a specialized tech and tactical team combing specialists from several active divisions that include: weapons, crime scene investigation, protection, negotiation and IT.

Each title can be read as a standalone novel, featuring a unique hard to solve crime cases.

The Tactical Crime Division—TCD—is a specialized unit of the FBI. They handle the toughest cases in the most remote locations. When TCD learns of a school invasion turned lockdown, every agent is ready to engage. With children in jeopardy, the stakes couldn’t be higher. But it becomes personal for hostage negotiator agent Evan Duran when he learns Annalise Taylor is one of the captives holed up with the students in a school for the gifted. He’ll need every resource available at TCD and every ounce of his expertise to turn this disastrous situation into a rescue mission—and if he succeeds, maybe reunite with the woman he never stopped loving.

Buy Links

Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Google  |  Indiebound  |  Harlequin

Excerpt, 48 Hour Lockdown by Carla Cassidy

A new miniseries from Harlequin Intrigue.

Stopping criminal activity wherever it happens. The agents at the Tactical Crime Division are ready for anything.

More and more, federal law agencies have to mobilize to remote locations to address large-scale crime scenes and criminal activity—terror, hostage situations, kidnappings, shootings and the like. Because of the growing concerns and need for ever increasing response times to these criminal events, the Bureau created a specialized tech and tactical team, combining specialists from several active divisions—weapons, crime scene investigation, protection, negotiation, IT. Because they are a smaller unit, they are more nimble for rapid deployment and assistance to address various situations. This joint team of agents is known as the Tactical Crime Division (TCD).

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Evan Duran—Special Agent Duran is a hostage negotiator for the Tactical Crime Division, a specialized branch of the FBI.

Annalise Taylor—A teacher held hostage at a private school. She’s also Evan’s ex-lover. She’d broken his heart several years before, and now he holds her life in his hands.

Jacob Noble—Is he the leader of a charitable church or the dangerous leader of a cult?

Gretchen Noble—Jacob’s wife, who is not afraid to abuse or kill. Will she kill Annalise before she can be freed?

Hendrick Maynard—Brilliant tech agent for the Tactical Crime Division. Will he be able to get the information Evan needs or will he be destroyed by old painful memories?

Walter Cummings—Chief of police in Asheville. Would his incompetence be the death of the hostages?

***

As he drove he made a few phone calls, and he finally pulled up in front of the nondescript brick building where TCD’s offices were located. He parked, got out of his car and hurried inside. As he strode down the hallway toward the main meeting room, he could hear Director Jill Pembrook apparently still conducting the morning meeting.

The main conference room was the heart of the office. It was where assignments were handed out and situations were brainstormed. The agents sat at a long, highly glossed wooden table. On one wall was an oversize FBI logo, and opposite that was the TCD emblem. A large, digital flat screen was mounted on the far side of the room, and a tablet lay at the head of the table.

Evan burst through the door. Director Jill Pembrook looked at him in surprise. “Agent Duran, how nice of you to join us on your day off.”

The director was an attractive, stylish woman of substance with cropped steel gray hair and a penchant for dark, custom-tailored suits.

She’d been with the FBI for over forty years, and she was definitely a force to be reckoned with. Her blue eyes could be warm and friendly or they could frost a puddle of water into a sheet of ice.

“I just saw the news out of Pearson,” he stated. “I need to get there… It’s Annalise.”

There was a collective groan from some of the other agents. Evan ignored it. “I’ll need you to arrange a plane to be ready for takeoff. Also, I’ll need Hendrick’s help on this. And I’m taking Agents Brennan and Lathrop with me.”

“Call off the SEAL team, Duran is on the case, everyone,” “Agent at Large” Kane Bradshaw murmured as the three men headed for the door.

Evan ignored him. While he liked Kane okay, there were times in the past they had butted heads when Kane could sometimes be a bit of an arrogant jerk. Director Pembrook though tolerated his glib attitude. And while Kane had no official rank as an agent with the bureau, he had an extensive background with deep black ops.

Hendrick Maynard, the tech guru nodded. “You got it,” he answered without hesitation. “Heading to my desk now. I’ll send you any relevant info ASAP.”

The director narrowed her eyes, and Evan felt the frost radiating from her. “Agent Duran, you are way out of line.” She paused and continued to hold his gaze. “Ten minutes ago North Carolina state officials called for federal help…” She paused and he was wondering if he should offer to submit his resignation. “You will also take Special Agent Rogers along with the others. This is an all hands on deck situation. Rowan as usual will accompany you and provide team support.”

Rowan Cooper, an attractive woman with long dark hair who worked as a liaison between the local police departments and the TCD team members, also rose and followed the men out the door. She accompanied any crew that deployed to a different location. Her specialty was smoothing over any personality difference or turf wars among different law enforcement units on scene. But her main responsibility was arranging overnight accommodations and making sure the agents had what they needed in order to remain focused on the task at hand.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied to the director. He knew he’d overstepped boundaries by barging in, but he’d felt the need to act immediately when he’d heard about the situation… About Annalise…

“Plane leaves in twenty minutes. Now go,” Di-rector Pembrook said. To him she added, “Duran…don’t pull this kind of stunt again.”

Evan would have offered to quit after the assignment if he met any resistance from the director to him heading up the detail due to his personal connection to Annalise. Nothing was going to keep him from negotiating this hostage situation.

“Never,” Evan replied before turning to leave.

***

About Carla Cassidy

Carla Cassidy is a New York Times bestselling author who has written more than 125 novels for Harlequin Books. She is listed on the Romance Writer's of America Honor Roll and has won numerous awards. Carla believes the only thing better than curling up with a good book to read is sitting down at the computer with a good story to write.

Click me to learn more about the Tactical Crime Division series.

Book Trailer