Romancing Guest Post + Giveaway: Author Tiffany Allee

Today I have the pleasure of having paranormal romance and urban fantasy author Tiffany Allee on Romancing the Darkside. Her latest release, Banshee Charmer is an entertaining sexy murder mystery with a fun heroine and a smooth talking hero that will keep you turning the pages. Check out my review here. Say hi to Tiffany and be sure to enter the giveaway for your chance to own your own copy!

“The Best Friend” by Tiffany Allee 

I know what you’re thinking—oh yeah, best friend turned lover. A fun and many times engaging trope. I’m not here to talk about that, although I do enjoy it in romance. Today, I’d like to talk about giving props to the regular best friend, the non-love interest, the pal. A character who doesn’t always get as much notice in books—particularly in romance, where most of the attention is on the soon-to-be happy couple.

A big part of the focus in Banshee Charmer is on Amanda, a police detective in the paranormal unit and the main character’s partner. Mac, the main character, is a tough cookie herself, but her partner is a bodybuilder, a witch, and a department veteran. Their banter is mostly cop-talk, but I hope their feelings for each other come through. Here is an excerpt that shows how these two best friends relate.

The crisp air licked my skin as we made our way to Amanda’s car. Safely out of hearing range of our fellow officers, Amanda pulled a pack of cigarettes from her inner pocket and tapped one out. The fire from her lighter flashed and I blinked.

“Don’t give me that look.”

“I’m not looking at you,” I grumbled, continuing to glare at her cigarette. Amanda only smoked when a case really got to her. Her one vice lingered despite her best efforts to control her life with a stranglehold grip. Considering the stress of the job, smoking was pretty damn harmless compared to what she could be doing to cope. It bugged me enough to give her a dirty look, but I wasn’t about to criticize her aloud for a single weakness.

Not with everything she’d done for me.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts, and for the first time noticed her eyeliner and fading lipstick. “So how’d the date go?”

She crinkled her nose. “He canceled. I canceled the last one. I don’t think a doctor and a cop are capable of dating. If my schedule isn’t screwed, his is. Been over a month since we’ve met for a cup of coffee.”

“Want a hug?” I opened my arms wide and grinned at her.

“Shit.” She chuckled and tapped her cigarette lightly, releasing ash into the breeze.

Unfortunately for Mac, Amanda is killed early on by the very serial killer they are searching for. Not only does Mac have to deal with her death, she has to find a killer. Amanda’s death aside, I love reading about the relationship between main character’s and the non-love interests in their lives. It can add depth and humor.

What types of characters (aside from the main ones) do you like reading about most? The best friend? The villain? Someone else?

About the Author:

 

 

When she’s sent to a crime scene and finds her second dead woman in as many weeks, half-banshee detective Kiera “Mac” McLoughlin is convinced a serial killer is on the loose. Incubi are extinct, her boss insists. But what else can kill a woman in the throes of pleasure? When her partner is murdered after using witchcraft to locate the killer and Mac is thrown off the case, her frustration turns to desperation.

Certain the killer is an incubus, Mac works behind her department’s back to chase down slim, sometimes perilous leads. While the killer eludes her, she does discover handsome Aidan Byrne, an investigative counterpart from the enigmatic Otherworlder Enforcement Agency. Mac typically runs her investigations fast and hard, but with Aidan at her side, she’s running this one “hot” as well. But Aidan knows more than he’s letting on—something that could shatter their blazing romance and add Mac to the killer’s growing body count…

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A big thanks to Tiffany and Entangled Publishing!