I have two romantic suspense series, the first of which is the NYPD Blue & Gold Series: BURNOUT, BLOOD MONEY, and DISAVOWED. This series follows a heroic and hunky team of NYPD detectives as they fight to protect the public and those they love most. BURNOUT was my first published novel, and is still one of my favorites.
Due to my love of dogs, it was impossible not to include canines as peripheral characters in my NYPD Blue & Gold stories. Then, in late 2016 I lost my beloved Belgian sheepdog, Jet. After I started posting pics of Jet on social media to honor and remember his beautiful soul, my editor suggested I write a K-9 series. I jumped at the opportunity and voila, my Federal K-9 Series was born.
My Federal K-9 Series, beginning with LOCK ’N’ LOAD and ARMED ’N’ READY, follows a group of six federal K-9 officers, each of whom work for a different agency. I’ve worked really hard to integrate my personal experience as a federal agent and dog lover into these novels, the results of which I hope are unique, with attention-grabbing plots, real-life investigative elements, and deep, meaningful conflicts that will resonate with readers and pull at their heartstrings. I also interviewed K-9 officers (and their dogs!) to help me create loyal and loving canine characters that play integral parts not only in the plots, but in bringing my human characters closer.
Tell us a little bit about your writing, what is the process like?
I’m what I call a “combo plotter-pantser,” meaning that half the time, I utilize a fairly detailed plot outline to work from, but the other half of the time I wing it, and wind up writing by the seat of my pants. I start by creating a chapter/scene outline that is around 50 pages, which includes the deets of my hero, heroine, and now, K-9. As I begin writing, however, plot elements and characters always wind up morphing into something better, which is when I write on the fly. The only constant with every story I write is that I always know how the book begins and how it ends.
What is the one piece of advice you’d give new writers?
There are actually two pieces of advice I’d give new writers. The first, is that no matter how demoralized you are by the number of rejections in your inbox, don’t ever give up. By that I mean, don’t ever stop writing and don’t ever stop pitching your stories to agents and editors. You never know when that first contract is right around the corner. I didn’t. Nobody does. For an agent or editor, taking on a new client is subjective. They have to love-love-love your book. You may have gotten 100 rejections, but all it takes is that 101st agent or editor to offer you a contract. With that in mind, here’s my second piece of advice. Try pitching to a newer agent/editor, or try to find one who is actively building their clientele. Agents and editors who are actively building a list are often outlined in the “About Us” or the “Our Team” pages of a publisher’s site.
What are you working on currently?
I’m currently finishing a first draft of the third installation of my Federal K-9 Series, still unnamed as of yet. The hero of this story is Eric Miller, a Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Years ago, Eric’s best friends were murdered, and he’s been seeking revenge ever since. The heroine, Tess McTavish, has been running from her past, searching for her place in life, and a place to call home. Tess and Eric are opposites in every way. It will be an uphill battle for them to discover that despite their differences they’re truly soul mates.
What is the most frustrating aspect of the writing process?
For me, it’s not having enough time. I’m somewhat of a perfectionist, although I rarely meet my own goals. It’s important to me that I put out the best possible book that I can, yet even after a book is released, I always wish I’d had another opportunity to review that manuscript one last time and keep tweaking it until I’m satisfied. As long as I keep working full time as a law enforcement officer, I’ll always have great fodder from which to create new romantic suspense stories, but time will never be on my side. Perhaps one day…
Tee O’Fallon's newest release Armed ’N’ Ready, Federal K-9 Series #2 releases February
25, 2019!
Risking his life for her is the easy part. Risking his heart is
the toughest assignment he'll face.
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