MJ Schiller, Bestselling Romance Author: November 2014

Today I want to make one of my books come alive for you through pictures. [Since I write romance, that should scare you, but I assure you, it’s strictly PG. ;) ] Two crucial scenes in my romantic suspense TRAPPED UNDER ICE take place at a winery that is roughly based on one located in Rocheport, Missouri. I recently had an opportunity to visit that winery again and it was cool to walk in Beth and Chad’s fictional footsteps.

I was in a panic, however, when I climbed to the top of the bluff overlooking the Missouri River and found a restaurant there. Where was Chad and Beth’s A-frame? The restaurant was gorgeous, but it didn’t have the charm of the winery, with its terraced patio area and spectacular view of the river below. After a bit, I discovered that the A-frame was still there, just a little further down the path. What a relief! Chad and Beth’s spot intact. It is a very romantic location, made more so by my own memories. My husband and I attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, which is not far from Rocheport, and we visited the winery when we first started dating. Maybe that’s why it came to mind when I began writing TRAPPED UNDER ICE.

Here are a few pictures from our recent trip. You will find the scene at the top of the bluff, and the path Chad and Beth slid down as they hurried to get back to practice before Roger blew his top. You’ll see some of the things that Beth oohed and ahhed about when they first started along their walk. Hopefully you’ll enjoy the pictures of a very scenic area, even if you haven’t read TRAPPED—yet.

If you haven’t read it, here’s a blurb to give you a feel for the characters that arrive at Rocheport’s winery.

Chad Evans, lead singer of the platinum record award winning band, Trapped Under Ice, is haunted by his past.

Growing up in an abusive home, he is left alone at the age of thirteen to raise his kid brother. Years later Chad still fights the pain he felt as a child, and the anger it causes, despite being a wildly successful rock star. “Chad [tries] to play his heart out on the stage; but he [can] never quite seem to leave it there.”

Three years have passed since her husband, Paul’s, death, but Beth’s life is still shadowed by sorrow.

The lunch lady/writer is thrilled to be enjoying a Trapped Under Ice concert with her daughter, Cassie. But when the concert is over, they are followed and attacked by two men in one of the stadium’s bathrooms. When Chad and his bodyguard, Pete, come to their aid, an instant attraction sparks between Beth and the tall singer.

Will Chad and Beth be able to leave their pasts behind? Or will they remain TRAPPED UNDER ICE?

They have to face difficulties from without, (ex-girlfriends who resurface, crazed fans who don’t want to take “no” for an answer…), as well as difficulties from within, (jealousy, anger, fear…). And just as the two seem to be able to work through their problems, someone starts sending Chad death threats. Will their story end before it even begins?