Intersection Column | Throwaway Lines with Surprising Significance

by Angela Carlisle

When I began the first book in The Secrets of Kincaid series, I had little idea what I was doing. I’d never finished a book before, hadn’t even come close. Honestly, I was unsure if I could write a whole book. But I had an idea for a story and decided to give it a shot.

Now, I am not one of those authors that can sit down and plot out an entire book—much less an entire series. Would I like to be? Absolutely. But when I try, my brain laughs and gives me the spinning wheel of death. I’ve learned to save my energy. Because of this, my writing process involves a lot of figuring things out as I go.

Funny enough, that first book contained several details that ended up being much more important than I envisioned when I pecked them out on my laptop’s keyboard. Yes, they served a purpose at the time, but their impact on the rest of the series was even more significant. And while I’d love to take credit for how certain things ended up fitting together, I really can’t, because I had no clue what the final puzzle was going to look like.

One throwaway line resulted in the genesis of Hailey Nieland, her toddler with congenital hearing loss, and a precursor to the predicament Hailey’s in at the start of Silent Menace. And I’d thought I was just providing a plausible explanation for why another character needed to keep an eye on his uncle’s farm. Go figure.

Peter Lewis also became a main character essentially by accident. He was originally supposed to be little more than a walk on–walk off character with only a bit of on-page time. But it turns out there’s quite a bit more to him. And who doesn’t love a handsome British bodyguard? Because of what happened in that earlier book, Peter—like I often am—is in a place of figuring things out as he goes. Despite his training and his newfound faith, he’s afraid to step back into the career he loves after the incident that nearly cost him and his client their lives two years ago.

As both Hailey and Peter struggle to find their footing in a world that looks nothing like they once anticipated, they discover that moving forward doesn’t necessarily require having all the answers—and that facing your fears is sometimes the only tenable option.

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About the Author

Angela Carlisle resides in the hills of northern Kentucky, where her first romantic suspense series takes place. An editor and copywriter by day, she prefers to spend her free time with friends or reading, baking, and drinking ridiculous quantities of hot tea at home. Learn more at AngelaCarlisle.com.

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About the Book

After the exposure of her deceased husband's criminal activity, CPA Hailey Nieland struggles to move on with life as a single mother raising a hearing-impaired toddler in a small town. Her hope is restored when she gains a major client. . . until she begins finding anomalies in the accounts. As threats against her escalate, Hailey must work with bodyguard Peter Lewis to expose a complex cover-up before she becomes the next victim.