Talking With Elizabeth Goddard About Her Latest Release CRITICAL ALLIANCE
Can you please provide a brief summary of your new novel, Critical Alliance?
Mackenzie is a cybersecurity professor who teaches ethical hacking, but she also has hacking experience on the wrong side of the law. Everyone makes mistakes—if only her mistakes hadn’t alienated her from her family in Montana. But when a threat arises, she goes back to Montana to help protect her family and the company. She crosses paths with Alex Knight, a Diplomatic Security Services agent she met in the past. As the threats increase, Alex and Mackenzie work together to stop a dangerous hacker from exploiting national security secrets.
Each book in this series focuses on a different resident of Grayback County. Will characters from previous books in the series make appearances in your new novel?
Oh, absolutely! Readers love for characters to make appearances, and in this third installment, the characters play even bigger supportive roles.
Can you please tell readers a little more about Mackenzie and her background?
As mentioned, Mackenzie is a cybersecurity professor at a Michigan university where federal agencies often go to hire cybersecurity experts. She has dreamed of working for a federal agency—and specifically the DSS, Diplomatic Security Service—but has been rejected because she was caught in a big hacking scheme as a teen.
What do readers have to look forward to in this thrilling conclusion?
Critical Alliance dives deep into the disturbing ways every aspect of our lives can be affected by cybercriminals, and like most of my novels, all the activity happens in a place where the landscape offers dangers of its own. Readers can look forward to danger, adventure, and romance in a beautiful location.
Are there any threads that run through the whole series that will be wrapped up in this book?
Alex is home to decompress, but he also solves a mystery that started in book 1. Readers will learn who vandalized the Rocky Mountain Courage Memorial set up to honor Alex’s father, Terra’s mother, and Erin’s stepfather—those who gave their lives on the mountain to save others.
What makes this series stand out from the other books you’ve written?
I think the characters have interesting and unusual careers—not the typical jobs you see in romantic suspense. In book 1, Terra is a US Forest Service special agent; in book 2, Erin is a criminal psychologist and podcaster; and in book 3, Mackenzie is a hacker with a past. I had a lot of fun researching and writing these characters!
What do you hope readers will gain from reading Critical Alliance?
As always, I hope readers will be glued to the pages and experience the tension all while learning about cybercrimes. In addition, Critical Alliance offers a message of forgiveness and second chances.
What are you working on next?
I’ve started writing the first book in a brand-new series set in Alaska that focuses on missing people.
How can readers connect with you?
My website, ElizabethGoddard.com, includes icons to connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Bookbub, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads.
Thank you for joining us today Elizabeth!Â
