Hi, Colleen Thompson here. Jessica, who’s on her way home from Iraq (can we have three BIG cheers here?) asked me to fill in for her today and talk about my latest romantic thriller, Beneath Bone Lake (Lovespell, 5/09).

Every American working in the war zone dreams of coming home to a joyful reunion. But for contract worker Ruby Monroe, the dream turns to a nightmare when she arrives to find her young daughter and her sister missing, her house in flames, and no one to turn to but the handsome convicted hacker she’s been warned not to trust.

I was inspired to write this book after reading about Americans working for big contractors overseas, some of which seem to be a law unto themselves, with their ties to people in power and their immunity from many U.S. laws. The deeper I dug, the more questions arose… along with a fascinating premise for an emotion-packed suspense chock full of action, danger, romance, and a conspiracy that reaches from the Middle East to East Texas bayou country.

But at its heart, Beneath Bone Lake centers on every woman’s primal fear: a child missing and in danger — and the incredible risks a mother’s love will push her to take to make things right again. But then, I’ve always believed the key to a great thriller (a great story, really) is to make the extraordinary relatable by connecting a character’s unique circumstances to emotions shared by nearly every reader.

Here’s hoping and praying the Jessica’s reunion with her family will be the joyous event SHE dreams of and that all of our soldiers and contract civilians will come home to their families safely very soon.

(Please clink the link to watch a very brief video Beneath Bone Lake preview)