REVIEW, INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY! Her Dark Places by Kelly Killarney

HER DARK PLACES

By: Kelly Killarney

Publication Date: June 3, 2014

‘Veronica Mars’ meets ‘Felicity’ in this sexy, snarky, New Adult Romantic Suspense novel.

Jasmine “Jazz” Holloway gets more than she bargained for when she heads to Sutton College for her freshman year. A long-distance relationship with her high-school boyfriend is tough to maintain. Especially when Brennan, the cute boy down the hall, keeps flirting. And after someone starts threatening her roommate, Jazz enlists the help of Sean, a smokin’ hot upperclassman who runs a P.I. agency out of a darkened corner of the library.

Jazz has to fight her attraction to both guys as she works to uncover the stalker. But as the stakes rise and tension heightens, the hardest part for Jazz will be keeping her own secret…what she’s really doing at Sutton College. And that’s something no one can know.

ABOUT KELLY
Kelly Killarney loves writing suspense and romance with a dash of attitude. She lives with her family and a head full of characters. Under another name, she is the acclaimed author of traditionally published young adult novels.

Where did the idea for Her Dark Places come from?

I had finished all my contractual obligations for the year (I also write under another name) and was stuck in a holding pattern waiting for things (could I be more vague?). I decided that I wanted to write a book just for me. Without concern for the market, agents, editors, readers, family, friends, anything. I wanted to write for fun again. So I mixed all my favorite themes into a blender of suspense, romance, mystery, attraction, attitude, etc. And I had an absolute blast. And then I decided I would self-publish the book and see if anyone else loved it as much as I did. I hired a cover designer, editor, formatter, etc., to make sure it would be a professional product. But no one knows about it. It’s like living a double life. I’m having a lot of fun. 🙂

What was your favorite scene to write and why?

Probably the scene where Sean confronts Jazz about her secret. You really get to see what’s underneath her armor in that scene and she’s vulnerable, which is different for her. And Sean is just, well, Sean. That’s all I’ll say about that. 😉

Did any of your characters surprise you by doing something you didn’t expect?

I didn’t expect Jazz to care about Audrey as much as she did. I knew she would want to help her, that’s just Jazz. But because of events in her past, Jazz has a wall around her. I didn’t expect her to let Audrey in.

Were there any scenes that had to be cut that you wish would have stayed in?

There was one, but it’s best left out. For now…

What are you currently reading? What books boys make you swoon?

Tease by Sophie Jordan. I love her books! Reece from Foreplay is totally swoon-worthy.

Do you have a dream cast for this series?

Hmm…I haven’t thought about it too much, but Chris Zylka would make a great Sean.

Any advice for aspiring writers?

Write a book you would want to read. Because you will have to read it again and again and again. Through your own revisions, through agent revisions, through editor revisions. You have to really love a book to read it that many times!

What’s next for you? Are you working on anything right now that you can tell us about? When can we expect book 2 in this series?

I also write YA under another name, so I’m finishing up a project in that world. HER DARK PLACES is my first entry into indie publishing, so it’s different for me. The deadlines are my own, and the release dates are chosen by me. Wow! As far as when book two will come out, that depends on a lot. I’m hoping word-of-mouth helps book one along and then I can move quickly.

5 Favorites

Favorite Song (right now) – Wait by M83

Favorite Book (right now) – I can’t pick just one! Impossible!

Favorite TV Show/Movie (right now) – Game of Thrones

Favorite Word – hope

Favorite Snack – Do Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups count as a snack? 😉

Reese’s absolutely count as a snack and I definitely enjoyed this book!! Friends, go buy it now so we can discuss and wait together for book 2!

Jaime’s Thoughts
Her Dark Places by Kelly Killarney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Her Dark Places immediately got my attention with the summary “Veronica Mars meets Felicity” – both shows I loved for completely different reasons. And after reading this first installment I can definitely see why it is being pitched this way.

Jasmine Holloway has recently started her freshman year at Sutton College. Jazz is currently dealing with the stress of a long-distance boyfriend, homework and exams… but add in the temptation in boy form that lives down the hall named Brennan and she just isn’t sure what she’s going to do.

But Jazz isn’t at Sutton for just school. She has a secret that has brought her here … one you’ll never guess.

And then her roommate starts being harassed and threatened and Jazz is determined to find the culprit. But she can’t do it alone and Sean… a sexy upperclassman who runs a P.I. agency out of the library is just the guy to help her figure the mystery out.

Let me address those of you who are thinking there might be a love-triangle here. So far I would say no. Jazz makes her feelings apparent here and I hope it stays that way, because I really think that there is the opportunity to build a wonderful male / female friendship relationship in this series

I thought the mystery aspect of this story was definitely well-done. I didn’t have a clue as to who was behind the harassment at all. I’m not sure if I was just enjoying the story and I missed all the clues or if it really was that sneaky. Either way, yay for mystery and suspense.

I also love that there is an overarching storyline here that will move from book to book – I’m definitely interested in finding out more about that and seeing how they go about solving the mystery that surrounds that.

This was definitely a quick read – at only 175 pages I sat down and read it in one evening. The pacing is quick and the suspense and mystery keep the story flowing. On top of that, you get the start of some great characters that I only hope we get to find out more about as the story goes on. While the characters themselves haven’t been completely fleshed out yet, I feel like getting to know more about them with each book is a wonderful way to build on the stories. (I’m definitely intrigued with Sean and want to know more!)

Overall, a great start to what I hope is a series that will continue. Killarney writes a story full of action and suspense and definitely gave me the swoons as well. If you’re a fan of quick paced mysteries then definitely check this one out! I’ll just be over here waiting for book 2!

This copy was provided by the author in exchange for my honest thoughts.