Meet the Aegis Risk Solutions team, where elite cybercrime investigators will risk everything for the women who steal their hearts.
Leila
I’ve spent years building walls, keeping the world at arm’s length because trust is a luxury I can't afford. But when a bestselling thriller is published under my name—and real people start dying exactly as described in its pages—my quiet life shatters. Overnight, I go from an ordinary citizen to the prime suspect in a twisted game.
The last thing I need is the relentless cybercrime investigator assigned to decide whether I belong behind bars. Darian Knox isn't just trying to crack my defense; he sees straight through every wall I've ever built. He’s infuriatingly persistent, unfairly gorgeous, and looks at me like he doesn’t know whether to strangle me or devour me. And I have no business noticing his broad shoulders, the dimples in his smile, or how he sends my pulse into overdrive. Especially when my life is on the line.
But if he thinks he’s going to shield me from the truth, he’s dead wrong.
Darian
Professional detachment has never been an issue for me… Until Leila Rourke. She's stubborn, infuriating, and far too brave for her own good. With her fiery red hair, sharp wit, and walls that challenge me at every turn, she’s a temptation I never saw coming. And she’s determined to face a killer head-on. But every time she pushes me away, it only pulls me in deeper, and with her life on the line, there’s no way in hell I’m walking away. Because this time, the stakes are personal.
As we peel back the layers of a conspiracy years in the making, it becomes clear the novel is just the beginning, and the killer is still writing the ending—with Leila as the ultimate target.
But I will burn the whole world down before I let anyone touch her.
THE FIFTH CIRCLE, the first book in the Aegis Risk Solutions series, is perfect for readers who crave a fiercely protective hero who falls first, a guarded heroine learning to trust, forced proximity, and a deadly cybercrime conspiracy. It delivers intense "touch-her-and-die" energy, sizzling chemistry, no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA.
Q. What inspired you to write this book? Was there a particular moment or event that sparked the idea?
Ans. I read a LOT of romance books. Many times, I found myself thinking the characters should have done this or that, or that storyline should've gone this or that way. Not that there was anything wrong with the books I read, but all these different story lines and character journeys continued playing in my head. So I wrote my own book?
Q. What research did you undertake to write this book? Were there any surprising or unexpected findings that you discovered during your research?
Ans. I must admit that I learned a lot. Even with my background in IT, there were a few things about cybersecurity that left me gobsmacked. On the suspense side, I'm sure my name is on some watchlist for googling "How long does it take a person to die if their throat is slit." Even though writing has been a dream of mine since I read my first book at the age of six, I didn't expect to enjoy the process so much, but I did.
Q. What was the biggest challenge you faced while writing this book? How did you overcome it?
Ans. Editing, and my perfectionism. At some point (after what must've been the hundredth edit), I had to force myself to draw the line.
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