Lynette Eason is the USA Today bestselling author of the Extreme Measures, Danger Never Sleeps, Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians Series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, among others. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master’s degree in education from Converse College.
In this interview, Lynette talks with us about her new novel, Double Take, the first book in her new Lake City Heroes Series.
FF: Double Take is the first book in the Lake City Heroes Series. What was the inspiration for this series?
I’m not sure I was inspired—more like I grabbed some writer buddies and held them hostage until we figured it out. Seriously, I have some great author friends who never hesitate to do some brainstorming. I did want the series to stay true to my voice and genre. With Double Take, I actually had an outline I wrote probably three years ago. The idea came to me and I jotted it down, but I didn’t really have a place for it. Until it was time to submit the contract for the next series. I went back over the idea, made some tweaks, and knew that it was the perfect first book idea for this series.
FF: What is the connecting element between all the books in your series?
The connecting element is the cast of characters and the setting. The stories are set in the fictional town of Lake City, North Carolina, about an hour outside of Asheville.
FF: Can you please tell readers about your protagonists, Lainie Jackson and James Cross?
Lainie and James have a complicated relationship from the get-go. One of her best friends is James’s sister, Stephanie, who she’s known forever. And Lainie’s had a crush on James for about that long. But she was resigned that he’d never see her as anything more than his younger sister’s friend, so when her ex came along, she was vulnerable. James, on the other hand, had vowed never to let his heart be vulnerable again. When you let people get close, they have too much power to hurt you. Then along came Lainie, and now he’s fighting to keep her alive and out of his heart all at the same time.
FF: How did your characters meet?
They’ve known each other since childhood.
FF: Both Lainie and James are struggling through past issues. How are they able to help themselves while helping each other?
Lainie and James learn a lot from each other. Honestly, James is the only man in the world who could win Lainie’s trust after her experience with her ex-fiancé. And she still has the occasional doubt. Outside of his siblings, James has never really had anyone stand up for him and tell others that he’s not the loser he sometimes feels he is. When he overhears Lainie defending him to his father, he’s a goner. And it takes both of them to catch a killer, so there’s that.
FF: What are some of the main themes covered in Double Take?
Some of the main themes include forgiveness, reconciliation, loyalty, second chances, and sacrificial love.
FF: What do you hope readers will experience when reading your novel?
First of all, of course I hope that readers love the story itself, that they’re thoroughly entertained. Second, I hope that the inner battles the characters face can somehow resonate with readers and draw them closer to the Savior.
Double Take
Lake City Heroes Series #1
Lynette Eason
Revell
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Romantic Suspense
Release Date: January 9, 2024
ISBN-10: 0800741196
ISBN-13: 978-0800741198
Book Summary:
Eighteen months ago, Physician Assistant Lainie Jackson was attacked and shot by the person who was supposed to love her the most—her fiancé, Adam. Although Lainie survived, she continues to be hunted by someone who looks like Adam. But how can that be since she ended up killing her fiancé in self-defense?
After being honorably discharged from the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Detective James Cross now works with his friend and partner, Cole, at the Lake City Police Department. When James is injured, he ends up in the hospital under the care of Lainie. As their relationship deepens, James is determined to help Lainie by finding out if the past has come back to haunt her—or if the recent attempts on her life come from a new threat.
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