From the moment Ashley Dane entered his life, writer Eric Hawk began preparing himself for the day she would leave. She was from a different world, a world of bright lights and glamour, where her beauty landed her in the most prestigious fashion layouts. She had come to the Everglades on assignment, and only fear for her life had sent her running into the safety of his embrace.
Ashley had never known anyone like Eric. His life was free of big-city hassles, and she soon knew he was the man for her. But she had seen something she shouldn't have, and killers were on her trail. Would she and Eric ever have a chance for love?
Heather Graham was born on March 15, 1953 and grew up in Dade County, Florida, and attended the University of South Florida at Tampa, majoring in theater arts and touring Europe and parts of Asia and Africa as part of her studies. After college, she acted in dinner theaters, modeled, waitressed, and tended bar. She married Hershey Dennis Possezzere, and after the birth of her third child, she was determined to devote her efforts to her writing: her dream. She sold her first book in 1982.
Today, this author's success is reflected not just by reader response and the over 20 million copies of her books in print, but in many other ways. In addition to being a New York Times bestselling author, Heather has received numerous awards for her novels, including over 20 trade awards from magazines such as Romantic Times and Affaire de Coeur, bestseller awards from B. Dalton, Waldenbooks, and BookRak, and several Reviewers' Choice and People's Choice awards.
Heather has appeared on Entertainment Tonight, Romantically Speaking, a TV talk show that aired nationwide on the Romance Classics cable channel, and CBS Sunday News. She has been quoted in People and USA Today, been profiled in The Nation, and featured in Good Housekeeping. Her books have been selections for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild. She has been published across the world in more than 15 languages and has published over 70 titles, including anthologies and short stories.
Now, she had five children. Somehow, this prolific author manages to juggle it all - family, career, and marriage - while reaching a level of success to which few can aspire.
I thought I was buying a mystery book. A woman seeing a murder in the Everglades. Nope. Two stupid people get together and yell and scream, have sex, yell and scream, have sex. The murder is mentioned but not believed. More yelling and screaming and dish throwing and more sex! Good Lord! I wanted to yell and scream and throw stuff!!!! We finally address the murder towards the end of the book. But.......not before more yelling and screaming and sex. I was so tired of the two of them that I really didn't care what happened to either of them. I just wanted to know who was dead and why. Found out and didn't really like who and why. Sorry. Just really hated the book.
This book fit well in its time and genre. Today, not so much. Our expectations as readers have changed, and publishers have responded to those changed tastes. Authors change, too, unless they stagnate. Heather Graham Pozzessere now writes as Heather Graham, and she has honed her talent so that her fans know they're going to get a solid story, well told.
These earlier works—this one was released in 1989—show the plotting skill and the story flow that has become Graham's forte. The dialogue is reflective of the time; the sex/romance aspect is reflective of that imprint's guidelines.
This is another winner. One of my favorite author s. She I's a great writer of many different series of books. I loved every book she has written. She writes wonderful storylines and characters in every book. I highly recommend all her books. Diana Romano
Because I think some of her other books are a little better, Dead on the Dance Floor being one. My favorite book by her. I would tell anyone that likes her books to read them all & enjoy.
Ashley Dane, modeling the Tyler emeralds, is lured into the Everglades swamp by a lecherous camera man. She manages to escape, just to witness a murder. The runs again, straight into the arms of Eric Hawk, half-Seminole and brother-in-law of Wendy Hawk from Pozzessere's Angel of Mercy. Eric's also got someone after him, the guy who shot Eric's wife and Wendy's husband. Meanwhile, Eric and Ashley fight, bicker, and fall in love. That's a lot to fit in a slim Silhouette romance novel, so the action is very fast-paced and so is the crackling romance. In the way that people who have known each other less than an hour (awake) are suddenly unable to keep their hands off each other, while also not liking or trusting each other even a little. I mean, I get that the limit on page-count doesn't really allow an author to build an authentic relationship, so I can excuse that. I can also really appreciate the Seminole history that Pozzessere manages to impart in the text. I would rate this as above average for a Silhouette romance, but below average if it was published by anyone else (except Harlequin).