Sit-down Saturday with Kate James (Home to Stay)

Welcome to Sit-down Saturday! Today we’re celebrating the release of Home to Stay (book four in the San Diego K-9 Unit series).


Congratulations on the release of Home to Stay, Kate! Can you tell us a little about the book?

I would be happy to!

In Home to Stay, a young boy disappearing from his family's campground propels San Diego K-9 officer Shannon Clemens and her canine search-and-rescue partner, Darwin, into action. For the rookie cop haunted by a childhood tragedy, bringing Sawyer Evans's son safely home is more than a job. It's a mission she can't fail. But forging a friendship with the father is a tactical error that could compromise her first solo assignment. Yet the deepening bond between them is almost impossible to resist.

How did you come up with the story idea for Home to Stay?

In the first three books of the San Diego K-9 Unit series, my heroes and heroines (and the heroes’ dogs, of course) had to deal with conflict involving a natural disaster, drug smuggling and possible terrorist threats. When the opportunity arose to write rookie-cop Shannon Clemens’s story, I debated what the worst possible conflict could be for Shannon and the story’s hero, Sawyer Evans, to contend with. I settled on what I consider to be every parent’s worst nightmare—a child gone missing.

Is there an underlying message in Home to Stay that you would like your readers to know?

I have always been grateful to the men and women who dedicate their lives to law enforcement, and I have been disappointed by the lack of respect and down-right hostility some people have been showing to people in this essential and demanding profession. Could you imagine what our world would be like if one day all police officers decided NOT to go to work?

Law enforcement is not a nine-to-five job you can leave behind when you go home. The atrocities that police officers have to deal with are staggering, and each and every day they put their lives at risk to protect us and our way of life. Hopefully, my San Diego K-9 Unit series—and Shannon’s story in particular—give those readers who do not personally know law enforcement professionals a glimpse into the lives of these brave men and women.

If there is one bottom-line takeaway, please allow me to suggest this: The next time you encounter someone who has dedicated his or her life to law enforcement or the military, please say a simple “thank you for your service” to them. You’d be surprised how much those simple words might mean to them.

What's next for you?

I have three releases this year! In addition to Home to Stay, Sanctuary Cove released in March and A Priceless Find, a sequel to the award-winning A Child’s Christmas, will be released on October 1st.



Any final words you'd like to share?

I'm thrilled to be sharing a release month with Catherine Lanigan, Syndi Powell and Cari Lynn Webb! Please check out their terrific books, too. To celebrate our releases, we have a great giveaway underway. You can learn about the giveaway and enter it here. Here is a picture of our prize pack:

I'm also excited to kick off my Prism Book Tours blog tour for Home to Stay today. It's a fun-packed schedule with TWENTY-EIGHT (yes, that's 28!!) stops in five days! Huge thanks in advance to all the wonderful bloggers who've signed up for this tour. You can find the full schedule of stops and details of the tour giveaway here. I will provide some additional information on this blog tomorrow.


Here's a sneak peek of the grand prize.


In addition, I will be giving away six signed books to readers selected randomly from everyone commenting on one of the blog posts associated with the tour. I hope to see you along the way!

Also, I'm honored that Harlequin has included the San Diego K-9 Unit series as one of its "Five Miniseries to Devour this Summer." You can find it and the other four terrific miniseries here. For the entire month of July, When Love Matters Most and When I Found You are on sale at a $1.50 off each, when purchased through the Harlequin website.



How can readers connect with you or learn more about your books?

As always, I love to hear from readers. You can learn about my books and connect with me on Facebook, Twitter or my website.

Thank you for stopping by and happy reading!

Kate

Purchase Links for Home to Stay




Comments

  1. I loved, loved your answer to question three, Kate. Working with law enforcement, I couldn't agree more. Great sit- down! Home to Stay was a fantastic read!

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    1. Thank you, Jill, and I'm glad you enjoyed Home to Stay--while getting some exercise! :)

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  2. Good morning--congratulations on a new release--and three this year! Wow, what an accomplishment. Thanks to you and others here, I found the Prism book tour both fun and beneficial. I know I'm always commenting on the covers of Heartwarming books, and Home to Stay has another winner cover. Very appealing!

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    1. Thank you, Virginia! Prism does a wonderful job coordinating the tour and they are known to a lot of bloggers.

      Happy Saturday to you and your family!

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  3. Kate, this one sounds absolutely heart-wrenching. Child abduction would be such a difficult subject to tackle. What a wonderful shout out to law enforcement officers. I feel the same - so, so grateful that these brave men and women choose these demanding careers to keep us all safe.

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    1. I wondered if it would be appropriate for Heartwarming when I first came up with the idea, but Paula was wonderfully supportive and here it is!

      Thank you for your view about law enforcement officers.

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  4. Congratulations on the new release! Great topic.

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  5. I have and have had a lot of law enforcement and military guys in my family. Even they say there are some bad apples in the barrels who taint them all. Those are hard jobs no matter where an individual serves. Loved your book, Kate.

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    1. True, Roz. Sadly, there are bad apples in any bunch, but that shouldn't overshadow all the good. I'm glad you enjoyed the book!

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  6. Congratulations on your new book, Kate. It sounds like a wonderful story. Yes, I heartily agree about showing our appreciation to the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect us.

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    1. Thank you, Linda, for both!

      Best wishes for a fantastic weekend!

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  7. I'm putting in my appreciation and thanks to all our men and women who have chosen to serve and protect us. You are so right, Kate, what if--even for a day--all our law enforcement decided NOT to show up to work. In Canada and the US we live in freedom because we stand on the shoulders of the brave people who fought for our freedom to create our nations and to sustain that glorious right, we DEPEND upon our law officers. Those who disrespect our law officials need to find another planet to live on. Okay, there's my soapbox for the day. HOME TO STAY was enthralling! I can't say it often enough. And I am so looking forward to Priceless Find in October. The cover is marvelous. Congratulations all around, Kate.

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    1. Catherine, I'm so glad you enjoyed HOME TO STAY, and I am thrilled to share another release month with you, for your wonderful book, FAMILY OF HIS OWN!

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  8. Kate, I'm losing sleep thanks to you. I stayed up too late to finish HOME TO STAY night before last because I couldn't stop until I knew how it all worked out. Great story.

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    1. Aww...I would like to say I'm sorry, Beth, but I can't! :) I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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  9. An excellent book!!

    I am grateful and thankful for the officers who are committed to their profession. Sadly though, brutality and mistreatment of some ethnic groups is a reality. I truly hope it's the exception, and not the rule.

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    1. Laurie, thank you for the comment about my book. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

      You make an important point, and there's no excuse for abuse of power. The son of a close friend (one of the most decent young men I know) had a horrific experience that I'm struggling to find the words to express how I feel about. Knowing many law-enforcement professionals, I can state that the majority are as outraged by the occurrences you refer to as you and I are.

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