For the last six years, K.J. Howe has immersed herself in the world of kidnapping to bring authenticity to the page. Her first novel, The Freedom Broker, won a Thriller Award for Best First Novel. Her second book, Skyjack, received a Boxed and Starred Review from Publishers Weekly and a Starred Review from Library Journal. Not only does Howe write with enthusiasm for her character, she meticulously does  research to bring real issues to the storyline. Thea Paris appears in the series as a kidnapping negotiator with a love for adventure and the ability to overcome her personal obstacles to get the job done. There are 25 elite professionals who travel undercover to the deadliest spots in the world to bring hostages home safely by any means necessary. Only one of those 25 elite response consultants is a woman.  She brings everything a man does to the job as well as her intuition. She is the inspiration behind professional kidnap negotiator Thea Paris. Although the Freedom Broker series is fiction, Howe brings personal knowledge of …