Pressure Point by Betty Briggs
Suspense author Betty Briggs is back with the final installment of The Stephanie Trilogy, Pressure Point, and this book does not disappoint with its thrilling plot, romantic twists and turns, equestrian trope and returning characters — not to mention the hope of happy endings.
In Pressure Point (Sunrise Selections), one woman must risk everything to go on an international journey to save not just one, but two, young women, all while trying to keep her own life together and achieve the happily ever after she and her fiancé, Colton, have always dreamed of.
Fans of fast-paced suspense, thrilling romance and loveable horse tropes are sure to enjoy Pressure Point — which reads as a stand-alone and as part of a trilogy — in addition to the rest of Briggs’ novels. Read our review here.
Behind the scenes, here is what Betty Briggs had to say about the wrapping up of this latest trilogy — and how what’s coming next may be a surprise even to her.
Q&A WITH BETTY BRIGGS
Q: I know I’m not alone in loving the equestrian trope in mysteries and thrillers. How do you go about writing the horses’ personalities in these books as free-standing characters and a core part of the plot each time? How do you keep the trope exciting (for you and for readers)?
A: To me, horses are characters in and of themselves. Real horses all have singular personalities and behaviors. I based Kingston, Stephanie’s horse, on my horse, Major, who sadly passed away last year at the age of twenty-seven. Many of the events that have taken place in my books actually happened in Major’s life. Owning horses on and off since I was six years old, I find that they tell their own stories. I just observe and imagine what they would do in the situations in which I place my character horses. My pony, Rollie, plays the part of Rascal in Pressure Point, and he’s also on the cover. When I wrote his scenes, it was Rollie who played them out in my mind.
Q: I’m sure your new readers really appreciate that each of your books work as a stand-alone, while also being a part of a series. How did you go about writing these books so they could function in that way for your readers?
A: When I wrote my first three young adult books, Quality Concealed, Image of Deception and Challenge of Choice, about twenty years ago, I didn’t know they would be followed by three more books in the series. (Even though all books can be read independently of the others, I call the first three books The Heather Trilogy, and the last three: Depth of Deceit, Brutal Intent and Pressure Point, The Stephanie Trilogy.) While writing Depth of Deceit, it just popped into my head that I could use one of the characters from my earlier books as the mystery man in Depth of Deceit. He then paved the way for me to bring in two more earlier characters for Brutal Intent. In Pressure Point, I added most of the main characters from The Heather Trilogy so my readers could learn the paths these characters had taken during the preceding ten years. I aged the characters in these final three books so I could bring in more adult themes. I should mention that all my books are free from any bad language or offensive descriptions. One could almost say they would pass the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries test.
Q: I loved your decision to place the reader mid-action on the first page. How did you make the decision to do this, and how did that look in the writing process? Did you know from the beginning that you would begin there, or was that part of the revision process?
A: I wanted Pressure Point to start with an exciting beginning. In fact, it begins right after the end of Brutal Intent. I tried to briefly provide some backstory for my readers so if they hadn’t read Brutal Intent, they wouldn’t be confused. I knew from the beginning where I wanted to start Pressure Point and I knew how I wanted it to end. I just followed my characters on their journeys through the story. I guided them where they needed to be in order to bring about the sweet Pressure Point finale that I had planned.
Q: Your descriptions of Mexico and Canada were both so impressively imagistic, and reviews (including mine!) have talked about wanting to buy plane tickets to go to the destinations you’ve described. How did you go about creating such realistic scenes? Have you spent a lot of time in those locations?
A: The only setting used in Pressure Point that I have visited is in Montana. My husband is from there so I’m very familiar with that beautiful state. I‘ve never been to Mexico, or Canada and only visited New York City once. I did more research for this book than for any other of my stories. Google and I became good friends as I plotted this book. In addition, my pilot son flies to Mexico occasionally and took pictures for me, as did my daughter and her husband who own a condo at Telegraph Cove on Victoria Island, where I set the Canadian part of this novel. She also supplied me with pictures. When it came to the Bellevue Hospital part of the book, I got so interested in the subject that I read an entire book. Also, I have two doctors in my family who helped me with many of my medical questions.
Q: How do you decide which characters you will only take a journey with once and which ones you will stay with for a whole series?
A: Some of my characters had already found their happily ever after in earlier books. Some were still looking. These are the characters, along with several new ones, that I inserted into Pressure Point. After an author lives with their characters for as long as I have, they seem to take on a life of their own. I almost feel that I’ll see them on the street or at the barn someday.
Q: The ending of the story was sweet and such a comforting wrap on the series — but do you see yourself continuing with any of these characters and their lovely animal friends?
A: I think I have given all these characters a happy ending. I’m probably finished with them, at least for now. I might try another young adult story involving two sisters and their ponies. Perhaps I’ll bring in a mistreated pony that they try to hide to save its life, and how even though the young girls have entirely different ideas about saving the pony and it causes problems between them, they must compromise for the sake of the pony. The story is just beginning to form in my mind. Who knows, the sisters may end up being the daughters of Stephanie or Heather. Maybe I’m not through with these characters after all. Only time will tell.
About Betty Briggs:
Betty Briggs lives with her husband, Scott, near the beautiful Wasatch mountains. After thirty-three years as a legal secretary, she retired in 2005 and continues to write. She has two grown children, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, most of whom, she is proud to say, are horse lovers like her. She owns three horses.
Betty also cannot remember a time when she did not write. In grade school, she used to take work home at night just so she could create stories to entertain her classmates with during the school day. She loved filling the pages of notebooks on both sides of the paper so that it would crinkle.
At that time, her dream was to write and illustrate children’s books when she grew up, and it has come true. Betty now has five young adult novels to her name: The Heather Trilogy — which includes Quality Concealed, Image of Deception and Challenge of Choice — as well as two stand-alone novels, Fat Chance: Pony Tales and A Tuff-to-Beat Christmas. Betty also has three adult novels, which she refers to as The Stephanie Trilogy — including Depth of Deceit, Brutal Intent and now Pressure Point.
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