Guest blogger: Elisabeth Naughton

Thanks so much to Stefanie for inviting me to blog with you today! Some of you know me, some of you don’t. So for fun—and to get the ball rolling—I have a question to pose: Which of these statements do you think is false?

My name is Elisabeth.

I’m an author.

I’m a runner.

I’m a mom.

I’m a sucker for a happily ever after.

I’m a laundry slacker.

Yesterday I committed a heinous murder and I liked it.

Find it yet? I bet not. Because they’re all true. My name is Elisabeth. I am an author for Dorchester. I do run at least three times a week and have completed two half marathons to date. I’m a mom of three. I love a good happily-ever-after. I suck at laundry. Oh, and yeah. Yesterday I killed a trucker. Mind you, I have nothing against truckers, but the guy had to go. There was blood, there were screams, there was even a little whining (I hate it when they whine), but the end result was and is always the same—I killed someone and I liked it.

Twisted? Yeah, probably. But it’s part of my job. And as they say, someone has to do it.

What do you love most about your job? Me? I love that I get to do things I wouldn’t necessarily do in real life. Since I write romantic suspense/adventure and paranormal novels, murder and mayhem always seem to find their way into my books. I like that. I like that my characters are in jeopardy, that not only their love but their lives are on the line. I like that every time I kill someone in my books, the stakes are raised and time starts ticking for my hero and heroine to find an answer, save the day, or stop the world from ending. In what other profession can you say the same?

Of course, as much as I enjoy what I do, I will admit it has gotten me into trouble before. Case in point: My husband works for a pharmaceutical company and when I was writing STOLEN SEDUCTION – my January 2010 release –I asked him how I could poison someone and not make it look like murder. We brainstormed for a while and, since he wasn’t entirely sure how to cover up the murder in question, he asked a doctor/medical examiner he calls on for his job. The doc’s answer? “Get a lawyer.”

This was not the first time I got this response. When I asked a P.A. friend who works in the ER this same question he came back with, “Can I have your husband’s cell number? I think he needs to know what you’re researching.” Honestly? Do I look like an unhappy wife who wants to off her husband and get away with it? Apparently, I do.

It’s funny what people think. For a long time I was known as sweet and innocent Elisabeth. Former teacher. Mom. Wife. Harmless. Now that people are reading my books, they’re looking at me differently. What DOES go on in that head of hers? Just about the time they figure it out, a new book releases and they’re left wondering all over again. And I LOVE that. Keep ‘em guessing. That’s my motto. In my books. In real life. Even the people who know me best never know quite what to expect because, well, they’re not me.

How about you? Are you predictable? Or is there—deep inside—something unexpected lurking?

Bio:

A previous junior-high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her debut release, Stolen Fury, was a 2007 Golden Heart Finalist and has been heralded by Publisher's Weekly as "A rock-solid debut." When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ball park or dreaming up new and exciting adventures. Visit the author’s website at www.elisabethnaughton.com.