Your new release, DEADLY SEDUCTION, revolves around mind control. In today's world it seems the perception of privacy invasion related to national security is increasingly prevalent. Fears and sensitivities to perceived "controls" of this nature appear to be increasing as well--particularly when the authorities or the government is involved. Did these issues prompt any inspiration for this story?
 
In a roundabout way, yes.  The question of what government officials might do when they think no one is watching or keeping score is great fodder for fiction. The idea of mind control for a book plot evolved from trying to conceive the perfect biological weapon - something that would allow a government to gain mass control over an enemy's army.  Imagine the magnitude of being able to conquer/take over another government or continent without ever firing a shot.  There would be no casualties, no collateral damage, no harm to the environment, no destruction of infrastructure.  With mind control, our enemies could hate us one day and adore us the next.  Imagine the amount of research and covert human testing that would need to be done to perfect such a weapon.  It would be the optimal weapon....unless, of course, it was turned against us.  Who could be trusted with such absolute power?

Romantic Times called DEAD RIGHT a flat-out thriller. What steps do you feel are crucial for keeping the escalating tension of the romance intrinsically entwined with the breathless pacing of a thriller?

I like to endanger my characters emotionally and physically, so I use three separate arcs when plotting a story.  The first is the usual W-shaped story/action arc with turning points, twists, and a black moment.  Next is an arc for character growth; one each for the hero, heroine and villain.  These three characters form my triangle of opposition.  Last is the romance arc which charts the path from dislike to true love.  Front-loading the romance with unbearable conflict and angst is crucial.  When I finally entwine these various arcs - literally laying them over one another -  the big picture becomes clear and I can then tweak the timing of the twists and turns so they collide at the worst possible moment, again and again.  My goal is to keep my characters from catching their breath until the very end, which is the same response I hope to evoke in my reader.      

What's next for Cate Noble?
 
I'm finishing the third book in this series, DEAD RECKONING, which will be out in February 2011.  It will wrap up the story threads from DEAD RIGHT and DEADLY SEDUCTION and kick off a new direction for two more books in the series.  I'm also working on a partial for a new suspense series with deeper paranormal elements.  My biggest problem is more ideas than time to write.  My main resolution for 2010 is to learn to write faster!

Debra Webb wrote her first story at age nine and her first romance at thirteen. It wasn't until she spent three years working for the military behind the Iron Curtain and within the confining political Walls of Berlin, Germany, that she realized her true calling. A five-year stint with NASA on the Space Shuttle Program reinforced her love of the endless possibilities within her grasp as a storyteller. A collision course between suspense and romance was set. Debra has been writing romantic suspense and action packed romantic thrillers since.