Genre Hopping ~by Author Marci Bolden



Many authors have a favorite type of book to write and stick with it. Me? I’m a bit more like a squirrel that ate an entire filter of barely used coffee grounds. My brain goes all over the place and is nearly impossible to control. I fall into the category of the genre hopper. I started my writing career in erotica, moved on to contemporary romance, dabbled in paranormal, dipped my toes into thriller. Now, after lots of research, interviews, and a week spent at the Writers’ Police Academy I’m diving into the romantic suspense pool.
Many authors bounce from genre to genre. While I can’t speak for them, I tend to switch things up because I follow what my characters are telling me to write. When I’m starting a new series, I rarely set out to write something for a specific genre. That’s probably a dangerous practice, but it is one that has worked well for me and lets me flesh out the characters and stories without worry of fitting into the boundaries of certain genres.
I didn’t intend for this to be a series, when I started writing these characters about three years ago, but I absolutely fell in love with these ladies. They are tough as nails, tender when they need to be, and always ready to kick butt.
The series started with Holly Austin being the victim of a crime and her boyfriend Jack trying to solve it, but quickly morphed into Holly being a badass private investigator leading the case. I knew before I was done that Holly was going to be the “hero” of the book. I wanted this focused on how strong women are. That doesn’t mean I’ve emasculated the men, not even close.
Holly and Jack are equals in every way.
Before I was finished, I knew I had to write books for the rest of the women on Holly’s team and my dabbling into romantic suspense became a six-book series!
The Women of HEARTS series is a bit darker romantic suspense. The cases aren’t cozy or easily solved. The reality these women live in can be tough, violent, and dangerous. But so can they. I’m so excited to introduce you to Holly Austin, Eva Thompson, Alexa Rodriguez, Rene Schwartz, Tika Brown, and Samantha Turner. With a diverse background in military, police, and professional training, the women have joined forces to make the world—or at least their town—a safer place.
I am so excited for this series and I hope you are too!
Hidden Hearts: Women of HEARTS Book 1 will be available October 15 and Burning Hearts: Women of HEARTS Book 2 will be following up on October 29.


Former Army Sergeant Holly Austin and her team at the HEARTS agency don’t normally find the police at their door. But it’s been weeks since a local woman vanished into thin air…and now there’s a second victim.

Police Detective Jack Tarek wasn’t officially working the Julia Fredrickson case until a second victim made the matter personal. Holly is willing to cooperate with Jack “unofficially,” but she quickly becomes a distraction he can’t resist. The leads on their cases might be running cold, but the attraction between the investigators is sizzling hot.
With every lead a dead end, those close to the investigation grow increasingly impatient for answers. Just as hidden secrets come to light, one of the investigators vanishes without a trace. The HEARTS team has just hours to solve the case—or risk losing one of their own.

After a spycam is discovered in a secure community, the
homeowners association hires HEARTS to track down the culprit.Investigator Eva Thompson fits the description of every victim so far and volunteers to move into a vacant condo to draw out the suspect from within. But until they know what’s behind the peeping, no one feels safe sending Eva as a decoy alone.
Joshua Simmons is Eva’s ex and the one man she can’t quite escape. As the county medical examiner, he frequently consults with HEARTS and cases—and uses that connection to keep close to the woman he’s still not over. When Eva needs a fake husband to work alongside her as a decoy, Josh agrees on one condition: that Eva won’t do anything to put herself in harm’s way.
Living together stirs up old feelings and old passions. And while Eva and Joshua try to sort out their demons, a voyeur is on the loose and getting braver by the day.

About Marci Bolden
As a teen, Marci Bolden skipped over young adult books and jumped right into reading romance novels. She never left.
Marci lives in the Midwest with her husband, two teenaged kiddos, and numerous rescue pets. If she had an ounce of will power, Marci would embrace healthy living but until cupcakes and wine are no longer available at the local grocery store, she’ll put that ambition on hold and appease her guilt by reading self-help books and promising to join a gym “soon.”

To learn more about Marci you can find her here:




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