Spot the Cameos--Guest Eliza Daly--Plus Giveaway!

Identity Crisis

When Olivia Doyle’s father dies under suspicious circumstances, rather than inheriting a family fortune, she inherits a new identity. She learns they were placed in the Federal Witness Security Program when she was five years old. Her father was involved in an art forgery ring and testified against the mob. Brought up not to trust anyone, Olivia has a difficult time relying on U.S. Marshal Ethan Ryder to protect her, and to keep her secret. She fears her father may have continued his life of crime through her art gallery. She has little choice but to depend on Ethan when she realizes someone is now after her. Olivia’s search for the truth leads her and Ethan across country to a family and past she doesn’t remember.

At the age of ten, Ethan witnessed a brutal murder. He vowed when he grew up, he’d protect people in danger. Protecting Olivia is difficult when she won’t trust him. He soon realizes his desire to protect her goes beyond doing his job, but if his judgment becomes clouded by emotions, her safety could be jeopardized. 

Can Ethan and Olivia learn to trust each other when they uncover secrets that will change their lives forever?

Identity Crisis is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, All Romance, eBooks.com, and Kobo

My Cameo Appearances in Identity Crisis

When I first started writing I was often given the advice to write what I know. I rarely followed the advice because one of my favorite aspects about writing is conducting research and learning about new places and things. Yet, my personality and quirks often sneak into a book without me realizing it. The following are several appearances I made in my romantic suspense, Identity Crisis.

The heroine Olivia’s dad’s family is Irish. Her grandma’s maiden name is Flannery, which is my mom’s maiden name. Originally, Olivia’s last name was Daly, one of my family’s Irish surnames. However, when I decided to use Daly for my pseudonym, I had to change her name. I’ve been tracing my Irish ancestry for five years and have traveled to Ireland three times with my mother to meet our rellies. Ireland will frequently pop up in my books.

My heroine Olivia’s family owns lake cottages in Wisconsin. I grew up in Central Wisconsin near a popular resort area located on several connecting lakes. This area inspired the book’s setting, including the mini-golf course and the many cottages that have been turned into restaurants and shops.

Olivia and Reed go to a cemetery located on a hill overlooking a lake. In the resort area where I grew up, the fireworks are set off over a lake and everyone spreads blankets out across the cemetery to watch the fireworks. I guess it’s a little creepy, but I’d never really thought about it since we’d always done it.

The police officer Brian Gibson is named after my good friend’s husband, who is a police officer and helped me conduct research, such as how to blast someone with pepper spray, without incapacitating yourself.

I love art and if I went back to school it would be for an art history degree. I’ve been researching art forgery and stolen art for years. Chagall is one of my favorite artists, so he played a large role in the book. He painted the dome of the The Palais Garnier—the old opera house in Paris—which is one of my favorite buildings. I refer to Monet’s Woman with a Parasol, which is one of my favorite paintings. I have a mousepad and bookmark with this painting.

I’m a huge Packers fan, and so is Olivia’s grandpa. He discusses the team with his buddy and wears Packers attire.

Thank you so much to Mary for having me here today and helping me celebrate the release of Identity Crisis. I will be giving away an e-copy of Identity Crisis to one commenter. To enter, please leave a meaningful comment or a question for me--writing related or personal. Please include your e-mail address with your comment. The winner will be announced on March 22.  Thanks for stopping by! 

Eliza Daly’s first attempt at creative writing was in fourth grade. She and her friends were huge Charlie’s Angels fans and she would sit in her bedroom at night writing scripts for them to act out at recess the following day. She was Kelly Garrett. Fast forward to the present, she’s still writing stories about beautiful women who always get their men. The journey from fourth grade script writer to published author wasn’t an easy one, but it was always an adventure and the final destination was well worth it.

When Eliza isn’t traveling for her job as an event planner, or tracing her ancestry roots through Ireland, she’s at home in Milwaukee working on her next novel, bouncing ideas off her husband Mark, and her cats Quigley, Frankie, and Sammy.

You can find Eliza on the web at Website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.