It’s always wonderful to discover a new author and a new series to enjoy so I am delighted to welcome K.T.Lee to Linda’s Book Bag today to stay in with me.

If you’re an author who’d also like to stay in with me to tell me about one of your books, please click here for more details.

Staying in with K.T.Lee

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, K.T. 

Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Thanks so much for having me – it’s great to be here.

My pleasure. So, tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it? 

I’ve brought along Calculated Deception. I chose Calculated Deception because it is the first full-length novel in The Calculated Series, my new series featuring women in STEM teaming up with government agents to fight crime.

Calculated Deception features Dr. Ree Ryland, an engineering professor who loves her job and plays by the rules. However, when Agent Parker Landon and his FBI team discover that someone at the university has been procuring military-grade hardware by disguising it as test equipment, all evidence points to Ree. After the FBI intercepts a shipment that puts Ree in the clear, Parker is forced to tell her that she’s being used as a pawn by an unseen enemy. And now she’s in that enemy’s crosshairs. Ree turns down the protective detail offered by the FBI and insists on using her inside knowledge to help with the investigation. Parker is leery of bringing a civilian on to the team, but he’s surprised at how much fun he has working with Ree, even as he tries to keep her out of harm’s way. Parker, Ree and the FBI team find increasingly worrying evidence that someone is quietly acquiring everything they need to cause destruction on a massive scale. They must uncover the motive and identity of the killer hiding among Ree’s friends and colleagues before it’s too late.

(This sounds really exciting.)

What can we expect from an evening in with Calculated Deception?

Calculated Deception is a fun, page-turning suspense. You’ll see elements from spy thrillers with the focus on characters and small community feel of a cozy mystery. There is a little sweet romance as well.

My goal as a writer is to create a unputdownable book with a bit of fun and banter between the characters along the way. If I’ve made you laugh or kept you up too late reading, I’ve done my job!

(That sounds like the perfect combination!)

I thought I’d share a few quotes from book reviews on Goodreads and Amazon:

• “The book is well written, keeping the reader interested till the end. A thriller, with a smart scientist protagonist, and a romance makes this an excellent read.” – Goodreads reviewer
• “I loved this book from the beginning just for the title and cover alone. There is something empowering about a female main character that is intelligent, a College Professor, and an Engineer…This story was captivating and kept you interested throughout the book. It was a good mix of thriller, suspense, possible international terrorism, and a little romance. I loved it and will be reading the next one in the series soon!” – Shannon Waugh, Book Reviewer

(You must be thrilled with those responses K.T.)

What else have you brought along and why? 

I’ve brought along coffee and a few pieces of dark chocolate. Ree’s love of chocolate and coffee was particularly easy for me to imagine and put on the page. I share Ree’s habit of keeping “break in case of emergency” chocolate in my kitchen!

(That made me laugh so much as my husband and I always keep a bar of emergency chilli chocolate in the kitchen cupboard too!)

Like many writers (and engineers), I also love coffee. I have a collection of my favorite mugs displayed on a rack on the wall, from those with family photos to souvenir mugs from some of my favorite places. I’m currently drinking coffee out of my Rosie the Riveter mug – this one is also my go-to when I am editing my books. There is something about the iconic image with “We Can Do It!” written across the top that always gives me that extra boost.

(Great tip there for other writers K.T – have an inspirational mug to help those words flow!)

Thanks so much for staying in with me to tell me all about Calculated Deception K.T. I think it must be time to reach for a mug, settle down with the book and crack open the emergency chocolate!

Calculated Deception

Dr. Ree Ryland is an engineering professor who loves her job and plays by the rules. Her life is reassuringly predictable – until an enemy hiding in plain sight decides her squeaky-clean reputation is the perfect cover to commit a crime.

When Agent Parker Landon and his FBI team discover that someone at the university has been procuring military-grade hardware by disguising it as test equipment, all evidence points to Ree. After the FBI intercepts a shipment that puts Ree in the clear, Parker is forced to tell her that she’s being used as a pawn by an unseen enemy. And now she’s in that enemy’s crosshairs. Ree turns down the protective detail offered by the FBI and insists on using her inside knowledge to help with the investigation. Parker is leery of bringing a civilian on to the team, but he’s surprised at how much fun he has working with Ree, even as he tries to keep her out of harm’s way.

Parker, Ree and the FBI team find increasingly worrying evidence that someone is quietly acquiring everything they need to cause destruction on a massive scale. Now, they must uncover the motive and identity of the killer hiding among Ree’s friends and colleagues before it’s too late.

Calculated Deception is Book 1 in The Calculated Series. All books in The Calculated Series may be enjoyed as standalone novels or as a series.

Published by Vertical Line, Calculated Deception is available for purchase here.

About K.T.Lee

K.T. Lee is a writer, mom and engineer who grew up on a steady diet of books from a wide variety of genres. When K.T. began to write the kind of books she wanted to read, she mixed clever women and the sciences with elements from thrillers (and a dash of romance) to create The Calculated Series.

You can find out more about K.T.’s books at her website or find her talking about writing, science, and cute animals on Instagram and Facebook. You can follow K.T.Lee on Twitter @KTLeeWrites.