Guest post: The Scoop by VK Powell and giveaway |

Happy Friday!

Bold Strokes Books author VK Powell is here today. Woot!

VK is giving away 1 copy of Captain’s Choice to one lucky winner.

Please welcome VK Powell.

The Scoop

Last month my twelfth novel from Bold Strokes Books, Captain’s Choice, hit the stands. This one has special significance for a couple of reasons. It’s my first series work, the Fairview Station Series, and the story was inspired by an event in my career. I enjoy hearing how an author comes up with an idea for a story, so I hope you enjoy reading about my spark.

During year one as an assistant chief of police, I was assigned to assist in the renovation of a space for the department’s first district substation. For several years as a district captain, my lieutenants and I managed the affairs of our quadrant of the city from a corner of one floor of the municipal building (which also housed approximately thirty other offices) and then from the basement of a shopping mall. So, planning and watching our new home come to life was one of the highlights of my career.

The reno space was the lower floor of a functional textile plant. Company employees still required access to the top floor without entering the secure police facility. Our space had to be configured into a functional police station consisting of: a squad line-up room, sergeants’ cubicles, administrative offices, records, public meeting area, evidence and weapon storage, holding cells, interview rooms, lockers, toilets, snack area, a sally port for prisoner entry/exit, and a quiet spot for dictating reports. In addition, some interior doors needed added security from the public and others required additional security from officers, i.e. weapons and evidence.

Few police officers have experience drawing blueprints or designing buildings, and I was no exception. Seriously, I’d never even built a Lego structure. Some of you are probably rolling your eyes, but it’s true. The challenge of organizing the square footage into a facility that accommodated the officers’ needs efficiently and safely was daunting. My saviors were a talented group of city employees and…wait for it…a tiny Lego model that I reorganized often. I’m a visual person, so it worked. No judging, please. The final product was, and still is, a compliment to the community.

So…as writers often do, I asked myself, What if? What if this project brought together two women who had known each other as teenagers? What if they’d been close, possibly even fumbling lovers, but were torn apart? What happens when they meet again on a project that has career-changing potential for both their careers? And what if one woman is the police captain overseeing the project, and the other is the architect, and their ideas constantly clash? And finally, what if they struggle with egos, corruption, and their rekindled love?

Writing this book allowed me to revisit one of the most rewarding times of my career and to add a bit of spice that was missing from the original version. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed recreating it.

As always, thank you for reading.

CAPTAIN’S CHOICE

E-book $9.99
Paperback: $16.95
Release date: December 12, 2017
Romance

Newly promoted police captain Bennett Carlyle considers being project manager for the new district substation the way to prove her worth in the male-dominated upper ranks of the department. But when the first girl she loved returns as the architect with little understanding of the operational needs of a police station, Bennett’s career and her heart could face permanent damage.

Architect Kerstin Anthony believes the new police substation will be the springboard to her own firm and the necessary resources to care for her mother. When she confronts the girl she kissed in high school, now a tantalizing police officer with unrealistic expectations about the new facility, Kerstin’s path to success becomes littered with unexpected hurdles. Along with tight deadlines, budget restraints, and architectural challenges, she has to battle both past and present feelings for the woman she was torn away from years ago.

Bold Strokes Books / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Amazon AUS

MEET THE AUTHOR

A thirty-year veteran of a midsized police department, VK was a police officer by necessity and a writer by desire. Her career spanned numerous positions including beat officer, homicide detective, vice/narcotics lieutenant, captain, and assistant chief of police. Now retired, she devotes her time to writing, traveling, and volunteering.