If a genie magically appeared, what would you wish for? (Just remember, no wishing for more wishes!) The “rules” don’t say so, but I’m going to guess all the big ones are out of order too. World peace, an cure for all cancers, an end to homelessness. I’m afraid those would be out of an individual genie’s range of powers.
How about proper medical treatment for all veterans. Or more funding for public libraries. Ending child abuse. Still too big?
Let’s get personal. I have a number of family members with major medical conditions. I’d wish for the ability to heal people. Let’s say I could only heal one person a day. If I started with my family, who would blame me? Then I’d move on to friends.
The trouble would be hiding my gift. If word got out, can you imagine the chaos? I’d never be able to go out in public without people accosting me, demanding I cure their loved one. I could charge extravagant amounts of money and hire security guards, but that wouldn’t make me happy. If I lived like a hermit, my ability would be wasted.
And how would I chose the one a day? My heart would be in curing children. But how could I cure a child and not cure the parents if they needed it?
So that’s my quandary. Maybe it would be easier to ask for a large sum of money. Millions of dollars. That way I could spread it out among many causes or give a lot to just one organization that was doing good work.
What would you wish for? You can tell us in the comments. In the meantime, I’m going to go see what the other authors have to say.
September 10, 2018
If a genie magically appeared, what would you wish for? (Just remember, no wishing for more wishes!)
Rules: 1. Link your blog to this hop. 2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop. 3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs. 4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting. 5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Question: What publishing path are you considering/did you take, and why? For those of you who follow my Monday Blogs, welcome to the first Wednesday of the month. This is a new hop I’m participating in and we’ll see how it goes. There are a lot of other writers on this one, and I hope you’ll check out some of the other posts. (More on that later.)
As you can tell, this hop is focused on writers. This month we’re talking about our publishing path.
I didn’t start writing fiction until a few years ago. Before that, my focus was on poetry, and I’d had limiting success getting published by small literary magazines. I had notebooks tracking where I’d sent poems and when, which had been accepted and where, and plans for the next round of submissions. Frankly, it was a lot of work. Then I went through a long dry spell with my poetry. At the same time, a story that couldn’t ever become a poem was bouncing around in my head. I’d heard about NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and decided it sounded like fun. A 50,00 word story in 31 days? No problem.
Yeah, it didn’t happen. I got to 49000 words and ran out of story. But I was hooked. I rewrote that story three times before deciding it was a lost cause but I learned a lot in the process and got hooked. It took three more books for me to decide I finally had one worth sharing with the world. I’d already started my research, and knew there were several options. Go the tradition route-find an agent and have the agent send it on to publishers or a more do-it-yourself option. Go Indie.
The decision, when it came down to it was easy. I wanted to control my own stories and not write them to someone else’s specifications. I wanted to be able to control my pricing and where and when my books would be available for sale. Sure, that meant I had to find an editor and formatter and cover artist on my own, but I was used to handling project planning.
But none of those were the biggest factor in my decision. When it came down to it, there was one more.
I’m not a spring chicken. I didn’t have time to wait for the traditional process to play out. How many years would it take? Two? Three? And that’s if I got lucky. Going Indie, I could make it happen quickly. So that’s what I did. I have published six books now, and I keep learning as I go. (You can find my books here https://pjmaclayne.blogspot.com/p/wolves-pawn.html ) Sometimes I look back and can’t believe I’m doing this, but I’m glad I did! Now back to that ‘other posts’ thing I referred to at the beginning. There’s a lot of other posts by a lot of great people in this hop. You can check out some of them by following the links below.
As the song lyrics go “‘Cause we are living in a material world and I’m a material girl.”
But I try not to be that girl. There are so many things that I value that can’t be bought. You know the list-friendship, love, time. But I’m not living off the grid and out of contact with humanity, so I buy things on a regular basis.
So what is the best purchase I ever made?
Let’s bypass the obvious- my husband’s wedding ring. That was an excellent purchase. And we’ll also skip over the computer I use to create my stories- a good purchase, but not the best. And I’m tempted to tell you about buying the Greyhound bus ticket that took me to a little college in northwest Wyoming. But I think I’ll skip that one, too.
Instead I’m going to brag about our Jeep.
A few years ago, the reliable little truck I’d been driving for years started to become unreliable. Little things started to go wrong and we were having to put money into it to keep it running on a regular basis. So we decided it was time to replace it.
I knew I didn’t want a boring car. And I was okay with another pickup, a slightly larger one. But I really wanted a 4-wheel drive vehicle, one that could handle the local roads in winter and get me places in the mountains a standard vehicle couldn’t. A Jeep seemed to be the obvious answer.
We did our research-checked out models, options, colors, used vs new. We made several trips to the dealership to see if they had what we wanted. When we finally found it, it wasn’t a perfect fit but we decided it was good enough.
at about 14000 feet above sea level
Why do I call it our best purchase? The Jeep has taken us places where we would never attempt to go in the old pickup. We’ve taken the back roads and discovered new-to-us places. We’ve driven it to the East Coast and to the West Coast. It’s been at 0 feet above sea level and at 14,114 feet above sea level.
But the best thing about the purchase? It’s the time together the Jeep has given us. It’s the freedom to take a side road and not worry about what we might run into. It’s the satisfaction and joy in pulling into the driveway after a long day exploring, with new memories of the beauty that this world has to offer.
And that’s why I’ll say the Jeep is the best purchase we’ve ever made. How about you?
Now let’s take a peek at what the other authors have to say.
September 3, 2018.
What’s the best purchase you ever made and why?
Rules: 1. Link your blog to this hop. 2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop. 3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs. 4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting. 5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
I’ve got one more! And many thanks to this week’s author, because Kris is the one who organized this whole thing. So I’m really happy to present Kris and her books
Many writers are inspired by real events or people in their lives. This makes difficult situations a form of research. “This stinks, but maybe I can use it in a book!” I write romantic suspense for adults as Kris Bock and middle grade novels (for ages 9 to 12) as Chris Eboch. In most of these books, the connection to real-life experiences isn’t obvious.
In my romantic suspense Whispers in the Dark, my heroine is an archaeology Masters student working at the fictional “Lost Valley” monument, which is closely based on Hovenweep National Monument, where I once spent a week camping. In Counterfeits, the heroine inherits a children’s art camp, which I based on a camp near Jemez Springs, New Mexico, where I’ve attended many writing retreats. Using real locations helps me bring the settings to life even if I did not, for example, fall into a ravine while fleeing from a bad guy.
But What We Foundwas inspired by helping to uncover a true case of murder.
Lest you think that makes me some kind of amateur detective, my involvement was purely accidental. Two friends and I were exploring the mountains, looking for some suitable gravel to try gold panning (because, why not?). We found a likely spot and were about to take a sample when the guys smelled something horrible. A glance in the right direction showed them a dead body hidden just out of sight of the path.
The next hour passed in a surreal blur. We’d left our phones in another vehicle, at the base of the mountain. Once we retrieved them, we still had to find a place with cell reception. We called 911, waited for the police, and led them to the body. Later that night we were interviewed by detectives.
By the following day, they had identified the body as a woman who had been missing. Her estranged ex-boyfriend was already a suspect in her disappearance, but without her body they’d have trouble prosecuting him. Seeing her picture on TV and learning about her family made the situation real in a new way. We wanted justice for someone we’d never met.
It’s All Research
As a writer, I knew I was getting rare first-hand experience into something powerful. I took pages of notes during that first week, even though I didn’t know how or when I might use them. I was fortunate to be with two men who talked openly about their experiences: the nightmares, the guilt over violence against women, the anxiety that came from now wondering what you might see in the bushes.
Three things struck me most strongly.
First, we all felt deeply invested in the case, even though we’d never met the woman in life and didn’t know anyone else involved. We followed the news stories, even though they made us anxious. When the murderer was finally sentenced … well, we weren’t happy (the sentence of less than 20 years, in our opinion, nearly long enough), but we were relieved that it was over.
Second, it affected every aspect of our lives for weeks. Even though the likelihood of finding another body, or even witnessing a different crime, was extremely slim, we were on high alert at all times. It was a struggle to put it behind us while still honoring the memory of the victim and holding on to what we had learned.
And finally, someone in law enforcement said that often people don’t report crime scenes like these. How could someone walk away from that? I started thinking about all the reasons someone might want to cover up their discovery, even if they had nothing to do with the crime. And that inspired What We Found.
Turning Truth into Fiction
Several years passed before I felt distant enough from the experience to fictionalize it, but I still had all those notes and memories to draw on. Some elements of What We Found, mainly the emotional ones, are taken directly from that experience. Most character and plot elements are fictional, although some are loosely inspired by the real events.
This isn’t an experience I would wish on anyone, but we’re glad we helped bring a crime to light and a murderer to justice. And it led to what I consider my most powerful and personal novel to date. After all, one benefit to being a writer is that the worst experiences are still valuable as research.
When Audra goes back to her small hometown after college, she simply wants to fit in, work hard, and protect her 12-year-old brother from their overbearing mother. Finding a dead body in the woods changes everything.
Her former crush, Jay, insists they don’t report the body. But the dead woman was murdered, and someone starts targeting Audra. She has to stand up for herself in order to stand up for the murder victim. It’s a risk, and so is reaching out to the mysterious young man who works with deadly birds of prey. But with danger all around, some risks are worth taking.
“Another action-packed suspense novel by Kris Bock, perhaps her best to-date. The author weaves an intriguing tale with appealing characters. Watching Audra, the main character, evolve into an emotionally-mature and independent young woman is gratifying.” Reader Ellen Rippel
This title stands alone and is not part of a series.
Excerpt:
An engine started. The battered old truck stood out like a janitor at the prom. It was dark blue, splattered with mud and probably decades old, with a cap on the bed. The evening sun glared off the side window, but as I walked slowly past the front I saw a figure inside – the one-handed man. He had his hand on the wheel but his head back, eyes closed.
I paused, studying his face. I guessed he was in his twenties, with short, light brown hair and pleasant features in a mask as still as death. He opened his eyes and looked straight into mine.
I couldn’t move as he held my gaze. My heart thumped against my ribs. He studied me without expression, no smile, no frown, nothing in his face but weariness.
Finally I had to blink, and once the eye contact was broken, I jerked my gaze away and kept moving. I quickly turned between the next two cars, to get out of his view. I’d have to cross behind his truck to reach my car, which might look odd if he was still watching, but I didn’t care so long as I got out of there, fast.
I noticed the rusty screeching again. It was coming from his truck. I stumbled to a stop, staring at the back of the truck. What could be making that sound? The tailgate and back window on the cap were closed, hiding the sight inside, but the screech came again and again like someone – something – screaming.
The screams seemed to echo in my head. I couldn’t take any more. I turned away with a hand over my mouth to hold back my own scream and hurried to my car.
Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. All ebooks are .99c to $3.99 or free with Kindle Unliminted.
The Mad Monk’s Treasure follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. In The Dead Man’s Treasure, estranged relatives compete to reach a buried treasure by following a series of complex clues. In The Skeleton Canyon Treasure, sparks fly when reader favorites Camie and Tiger help a mysterious man track down his missing uncle. Whispers in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. In Counterfeits, stolen Rembrandt paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico town.
We’ve all experienced loss, what is a loss that has really struck you? Compare losing someone you knew with someone you didn’t, and your thoughts on how it affected you.
Loss comes in many forms and many sizes. Everything from losing a loved one to breaking a treasured memento. I’ve seen a lot of shit in my life, and I grieve in different ways depending upon the circumstances.
While I don’t think I handle grief well, I also don’t like to show it. For little things, sure, I have my moment and then I move on. For the big things, not so much.
For one thing, I don’t like to show my sorrow to other people. I prefer to do my crying in private. Although when I present my strong, outer shell to the world, I’m mourning inside. Or, I shut down my own emotions altogether until I reach a point when I can no longer avoid them.
Sometimes, I worry that it makes me look cold to people who are more willing to show their feelings. But I’ve also decided that it doesn’t matter. I know how I feel, and that’s what’s important.
For example, when my father died, I kept working until the day of my flight back home, despite my boss’s “hints” that I could take the time off. But work helped me to avoid acknowledging my feelings until I was ready too. And that was several months later.
In fact, the true depth of my loss didn’t hit me until several months later when my favorite uncle died. Soon after, one night when I was alone, I started crying quietly. I thought it was strange that I was crying for my uncle when I hadn’t cried that much for my father, but then realized I was mourning the both of them. And most of the tears were for my dad. So I allowed myself to cry some more.
Now (several years later) I can look back at memories of both men and allow myself both happiness and sadness. It’s not as odd of a combination as you might think. I can smile when I talk about my dad while my heart hurts a little.
August 27, 2018
We’ve all experienced loss, what is a loss that has really struck you? Compare losing someone you knew with someone you didn’t, and your thoughts on how it affected you.
Rules: 1. Link your blog to this hop. 2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop. 3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs. 4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting. 5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
The Mystery Exchange isn’t over yet! This week I’m please to present Amber Daulton and her story, Arresting Mason. Let’s start with a few questions for Amber.
What first gave you the idea for ArrestingMason?
A few years ago, I found a submission call for a bad boy anthology, and the stories were supposed to be pretty short. By the time I finished the first draft of my manuscript, I had exceeded the word count and still wanted to add more scenes. So I forgot all about the submission call and kept revising the manuscript until it clocked in at 80 thousand words and sparked ideas for more books, which is now a 5-book series.
For how I came up with the plot, I must thank my subconscious since I dreamed about it. For days after, I kept thinking about the hero, the heroine, and her brother, and the characters wouldn’t leave me in peace until I wrote out a rough plotline. Though I changed quite a bit as I put the dream down on paper (or rather computer), the main premise remained the same.
Please tell us a little about your hero, Mason.
Mason made some foolish mistakes as a teenager, and then ended up in jail. Though he joined a prison gang, he gave it up after the State released him on parole. He’s doing his best stay out of trouble, but the people from his past aren’t ready to let him go.
What’s a positive quality does Mason have that he isn’t aware of?
His ability to love. Though Mason wants to be a good person, he doesn’t think he deserves to have a woman show him unconditional love and acceptance. But when he loves someone, he doesn’t let anything stop him from showing and proving it.
Will readers like or dislike him, and why?
Mason has made a ton of mistakes—everyone has to one degree or another—but he’s ready to change and move on with his life. I think a lot of readers could relate to that, and they’ll like him because he’s a good person beneath all the scars and tattoos.
Does he see morality as black-and-white, or with shades of gray?
Shades of gray. He’s made too many mistakes and done too many bad things to see the world as straight forward as black-and-white.
How do others perceive Mason based upon his looks?
Most women find him hot and only care about the exterior packaging, and most men find him shady or dangerous. These assumptions are correct. Mason is one sexy man, and he’s hiding a bunch of secrets that could cost him his life. Deep down, however, he’s a good man and determined to do everything in his power to protect those he loves from his past.
Do you write using an outline or do you just start writing?
I would be so lost with an outline. When I get an idea, I write down everything on paper, chapter by chapter, and sometimes scene by scene if my muse is really flowing. Usually, I end up with 30 or 40 sheets of paper, jammed with additions in the margins, and with some paragraphs highlighted for reference. Once that’s done, I finally start writing the story on my computer.
In your stories, is there more action or romance?
I try to maintain a good mix of action and romance scenes, and let those scenes play off each another. It can be difficult to not overdue one type of sequence at times, and sometimes I have to cut a scene or move it elsewhere, but I’m all about the final product. What works for the story at large is more important than an awesome but unnecessary scene somewhere in the middle. It may hurt to cut that scene, but if it’s needed, I’ll do it.
Did you always want to be a writer?
Yes, since I was twelve years old. It’s pretty cliché to say this, but I was hooked the first time I snuck a Harlequin book from my mom’s bedroom. (I’ve heard a lot of romance authors say something similar.) After reading that book, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. What’s next for you?
Book one in the Arresting Onyx series came out in April 2018. The other four books in the series are already done, but I want to go through and edit them again before I submit them to my editor at The Wild Rose Press. Each book will probably take a few months to go through. I’ve already started on book 2, Arresting Jeremiah, and I’m anxious to get the publishing ball rolling for that book.
Arresting Mason
Series: Arresting Onyx (book 1)
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 80k
Heat Rating: 5 Flames
Blurb
Once you’re in a prison gang, you’re in it for life. That’s what Mason Harding thought until the boss accepted his resignation. After the State releases him on parole, a sexy divorcée behind the wheel of a car almost ends his life quicker than a shank. His chance encounter with Mia Eddison results in a night of passion, but her brother—his parole officer—catches them together and doesn’t approve.
Mia falls hard for the cocky ex-con, but not because of his chiseled body. She vows to break through his walls and discover his secrets, but never expects those secrets to threaten her life.
When members of an organized crime ring kidnap Mia to force Mason’s return to the gang, he goes up against an old friend to save the woman he loves. Will his sacrifice be enough or will everything fall apart in a blaze of gunfire?
Tagline
Their chance encounter resulted in a steamy affair, but will his former gang and a parole officer tear them apart?
Excerpt
“Which one is your car?” She glanced around the crowded parking lot. A few streetlights pushed back the darkness and shadows. The restaurant served customers until midnight on the weekends, but no one loitered in the lot, at least from what Mia could see.
“Don’t have one at the moment.” Mason hooked his thumbs in the belt loops of his jeans. “I took the bus. It stopped a few blocks from here.”
“Would you like a ride?” She pulled the car keys from her purse. “I feel a little ridiculous we met here tonight. I just wasn’t sure if you were some kind of freak.”
His eyebrow lifted, and he closed the distance between them as a tiger would zero in on its mate. A sexy, masculine smile curled his lips. “Have you made up your mind yet?”
“I’ll let you know in the morning.” Desire trickled down her spine. Mia nodded toward the passenger side of the car for him to hop in.
He confiscated her keys instead to unlock and open the driver’s side door for her like a gentleman. Then he leaned closer and nuzzled her temple with his nose.
Not sure if he planned to seduce her in the parking lot or if he merely wanted to tease her, Mia pressed her hand to his chest and tried to think straight. “You’re the first guy I’ve gone on a date with since my divorce. I haven’t slept with anyone since Evan.”
He tunneled his fingers through her wavy, chestnut-brown hair. “I haven’t dated anyone in a long time either. We’ll take it slow or fast, whatever you want, but I promise you one thing. After I’m done with you, you won’t even remember that bastard’s name.”
Oh, God. She almost melted right then and there. “Fast. I want you, Mason.”
Amber Daulton lives her life by that one belief even though she normally isn’t so Zen.
As a fan of contemporary, paranormal, and historical romance novels alike, she can’t get enough of feisty heroines and alpha heroes. Her mind is a wonderland of adventure, laughter, and awesome ways of kicking a guy when he’s down. She probably wouldn’t be too sane without her computer and notebooks. After all, what’s a girl to do when people are jabbering away in her head and it’s hard to shut them up? Write! Nothing else works.
Have you ever spoken to a celebrity you really like? One you hated? Tell us about the encounters.
I live a quiet life. Like many writers, I’m an introvert. I don’t hand out where you’d meet a lot of celebrities. But I’ve got a few stories.
Way back when, when I was living in Florida, I participated in a community event that focused on family activities. It was a first time event, and was attended by a number of political figures, including the governor of Florida, Lawton Chiles. I got to hang out with him for a few minutes, and helped him make a beaded bracelet using the Florida Gators colors. (it was an activity aimed at kids and he also got some girls to help him out.) He spent a old War between the US and Russia was first lot more time then his schedule called for, and he ignored them while he joked with the kids and adults at the booth. I was most impressed by the fact that he seemed to be totally enjoying himself.
Even farther back, when the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union was first beginning to thaw (long before the Berlin Wall fell) I got to attend a performance of the a Russian folk dance group. It was part of a college course (Russian was my language course) and our professor arranged for us to meet with the performers afterward. Many of them were looking to increase their English skills while we were trying out our Russian. The interpreter did a lot of work that night, but we all enjoyed ourselves.
Then there was the time I attended a reading by American poet Gary Snyder. I didn’t get to do much more than shake his hand, but at least I got to meet him. I’ve also met Craig Johnson, author of the Longmire series. Got to shake his hand too, and get a book autographed by him. I was also privileged to get a ticket to a lecture by Nelson Mandela, although I didn’t get to meet him.
I’ve also met Greg West, a Jason Aldean tribute artist. He actually worked for my husband before he developed his act. He’s a real down-to-earth guy, who is trying to make a living doing what he loves. (like so many authors I know!) He’s good enough that sometimes he gets mistaken for the real thing. In fact, I don’t mind giving him a plug. Go check out his webpage, and if you like Jasen Aldean, check out Greg if you have a chance! https://www.ultimatealdean.us/
The biggest celebrity I almost hung out with? John Travolta during Daytona Bike Week. (I’m not sure what year.) Me and my husband were at the old Pub 44, hanging out and having a beer, when John showed up, along with his contingent of bodyguards. (he lived in the area at the time.) Unlike some other people, we didn’t try to force our way over to him to get an autograph.
In a way, I felt bad for him. He didn’t appear to be having any fun. How could you, when every time you turned around you had someone trying to force their way close to you? When every move had to be cleared by your “people?” I can’t imagine living like that.
Oh, here’s a bonus one. Sister Joan Chittister, a social activist, spiritual leader and author, was one of my teachers in high school. She was our choral director and also taught other classes
And there you have it. My brushes with celebrities. Who’s on your list?
August 20, 2018
Have you ever spoken to a celebrity you really like? one you hated? tell us about the encounters.
Rules: 1. Link your blog to this hop. 2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop. 3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs. 4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting. 5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
What is your biggest fear? What random and innocuous thing makes your skin crawl?
“I don’t like spiders and snakes…”
But that isn’t true. While I’m not a big fan of spiders, If they stay outside, I leave them be. There are some snakes that I avoid when possible, but there are others that I find absolutely beautiful. Have you ever seen a black racer sparkling in the sunlight? They almost look deep blue in color.
And while I’m no entomologist, I like some bugs. Not your everyday standard cockroach, housefly or mosquito, but give me a dragonfly any day. (I’ve been known to rescue dragonflies that got inside buildings and take them back outside.) I love the variety pf colors and the way the sun makes them sparkle. I’m fascinated by the way they move through the air with what seems like no effort.
Maybe you’ve noticed I’m a very visual person from the above descriptions. Which leans nicely into my biggest fear.
Well, maybe not my biggest but the one I’m willing to admit to. I worry about going blind.
Sure, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. But all my hobbies, my profession and my writing are based on being able to see. There are plenty of audio books out there, so at least I’d be able to feed my love of reading. But to not be able to observe this wonderful world in all its glories and beauty and pitfalls – I’d have a hard time adapting.
To never see another sunrise or sunset. To never stand and the top of a mountain and marvel at the world stretched out below. To never watch an old couple hold hands as they slowly make their way down the sidewalk.
To never write another book or story or poem. Sure, there’s speech to text technology, but I’d have to learn to use it. And sometimes the visual presentation of words helps to trigger the writing process for me.
And I can’t imagine having to ‘visualize’ what a person looks like from the sound of the voice. Or the way they feel. Or what color their hair is. In fact, I don’t know how I’d handle never seeing reds, greens yellows and more again. At least I’d have the memory of colors in my darkness.
And that’s my biggest fear. What’s yours? While you think about it, I’m going to go check the other authors.
August 13, 2018
What is your biggest fear? What random and innocuous thing makes your skin crawl?
Rules: 1. Link your blog to this hop. 2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop. 3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs. 4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting. 5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Who is your favorite antagonist/bad guy/villain in your books and why? What makes him/her tick? Spoiler Alert! If you haven’t read my books, this is your chance to turn back before I tell you who dunit. If you’ve followed this blog for very long, you know I’m a pantser. That means I don’t fully plot out my books before I write them. I may have a general idea of the story line, but details often change as I write. That includes my villains. Someone once said that if they didn’t know who the bad guy was by the end of the first chapter, I was doing it wrong. I strongly disagree.
Take my first book, Wolves’ Pawn. I knew from the moment I first met him that Elder Choate was the bad guy of the story. I didn’t understand his motivation at first, but that developed as the story did. He was a man driven by the belief that the old pack structure was the best and he failed to realize that modern ways would influence changes even to his tightly controlled world. His idea of what was right didn’t match up with the beliefs of Dot, my protagonist.
I tried to build him with more than depth than a single motivation. He’d been spurned by the woman who he’d chosen to be his wife. I never did figure out what caused the rivalry between the Choate pack and the Fairwood pack, one that had gone on for years. I suspect it was more than just a territory issue. One of these days I’ll figure it out.
SPOILER ALERT!
What I didn’t expect was for Elder Henry Fairwood, the hero’s father, to end up as an antagonist. I’d written him as a good guy for most of the book. When he revealed his true colors near the end of the book, I was crushed. But when I thought about it, it made sense.It was true to his time and upbringing. The fact that he surprised me meant it would surprise the readers as well, and I see that as a good thing.
But he ranks second in my list of favorites. I’d say my favorite is Annabelle LeRoix from the Baron’s Cufflinks, the third book in the Oak Grove Mysteries. I wrote her as an uneasy ally in Harmony’s quest to solve her current mystery. She was one of the good guys who, on the surface, sometimes acted like a bad guy. In fact, she was hired to help track down the bad guy.
Then I got to the end of the book and she revealed her true colors. And none of them were good. The whole acting as a bad guy wasn’t acting at all. Luckily, Harmony was up to handling the news. So was I, and this time it didn’t make me sad. I didn’t even have to go back and change anything in the story to make it work.
Annabellewas fun to write because she was so deeply flawed and she was good at hiding it. She was motivated by the classics-greed, power and love. A deeply flawed definition of love, in my opinion, but it fit her personality. I’d love to hear about your favorite villain in the comments. In the meantime, let’s check out what the other authors are willing to reveal about their bad guys.
August 6, 2018
Who is your favorite antagonist/bad guy/villain in your books and why? What makes him/her tick?
Rules: 1. Link your blog to this hop. 2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop. 3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs. 4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting. 5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
I know it’s August, but the #MysteryExchange isn’t over. This week I’m pleased to present Cathy Perkins and her Holly Price books.
A Different Point of View
By Cathy Perkins
When I was young, if you’d asked me for the last place I’d expect—or want—to live, my answer would’ve been, “In a small town.” Small towns seemed to be cultural wastelands, populated by gossiping neighbors who were all related to each other. And out west? That option never entered my Southern soul.
Fast forward a few years and dangle the right job opportunity at the right time and—you got it in one—we moved to a small town in eastern Washington state. We quickly discovered most of those myths about small towns were simply…myths.
As we settled into our new hometown, I debated whether my novels should make a similar cross-country leap. My South Carolina based mysteries featured a law enforcement protagonist. To get appropriate operational procedures, along with cop attitudes and humor, I drew from a circle of friends at various levels of local, state and federal law enforcement. Curious about procedures in our new town, I participated in the Citizen’s Police Academy and discovered most of the same policies and philosophies I’d encountered back east. (I also learned more than I ever wanted to know about making meth. Nasty nastystuff.)
Volunteering for the Sexual Assault Center as a hospital victim’s advocate provided an intimate view of law enforcement. Other than one cocky, testosterone-laden patrol officer and another older guy I wanted to strangle (except that would be assault and I really had no interest in going to jail), I found the officers professional, well educated and well trained. Nobody’s perfect, but I appreciated what these men and women did on a daily basis.
And those inevitable slow days in a small town? Well, let’s just say the day my in-law’s moving van got stuck at the entrance to the retirement village (blocking traffic on the main road—another relative term), all four patrol cars PLUS the sergeant showed up. Once they finished laughing, they helped a retired mechanic (who was in heaven being the expert, by the way) do something to a suspension part and un-stuck it. For some strange reason, the chief of police was not amused when I relayed this story at a party… So far, I’ve refrained from using this tidbit in a book.
With only five patrol officers on duty during a shift (and fewer than this in the even smaller nearby towns) reciprocal agreements were a must. Neighboring cities, counties, even Washington State Patrol was a welcome addition when suspects took to the highways to escape. I made use of this mutual support during Holly Price’s carjacking in So About the Money (Book 1 in the series). In addition to the local officers, county deputies and state patrol officers joined the chase to catch the villains in that scene. On a broader scale, I’ve used the involvement of outside agencies—the DEA, for example, in In It For The Money—to work with—and against—the local law enforcement agencies.
I’d better back up a second. For this series, along with changing locations from South Carolina’s cities to a small town in eastern Washington, I switched from a multiple (hero, heroine, villain) point of view approach and a law enforcement main character, to a single, civilian character. Whew! Talk about stretching and growing as an author. Everything that happened in the story had to come through that one character’s experiences and reactions. (And no cheating with, “Well, Laurie, as you know, this thing you should already know about happened, but let me give you the complete backstory.”) Action and body language became as important as dialogue for revealing character—but that’s a different discussion.
Rather than having my new protagonist act as a private investigator or a journalist working the crime beat, I made my heroine an accountant. Curious, bright and loyal to friends and family (hmm, she’s much better at crime solving than my dog) she made a terrific character to “follow the money.” Of course, when you poke at villains, they have a tendency to poke back, harder. It was fun to write the scenes where Holly bumped up against law enforcement and filter the scene through her impressions—her point of view—rather than another cop’s.
My new law enforcement friends did insist I get the details right. Even if they produced giant eye-rolls from my heroine.
So About the Money romps through eastern Washington with its rivers, wineries, Native American casinos, and assorted farm animals. Add in some wicked fun chemistry between the CPA amateur sleuth and a local detective and Holly Price better solve the case before the next dead body found beside the river is hers.
In It For The Moneycontinues Holly’s adventures:
Holly Price traded professional goals for personal plans when she agreed to leave her high-flying position with the Seattle Mergers and Acquisition team and take over the family accounting practice. Reunited with JC Dimitrak, her former fiancé, she’s already questioning whether she’s ready to flip her condo for marriage and a house in the ‘burbs.
When her cousin Tate needs investors for his innovative car suspension, Holly works her business matchmaking skills and connects him with a client. The Rockcrawler showcasing the new part crashes at its debut event, however, and the driver dies. Framed for the sabotage, Tate turns to Holly when the local cops—including JC—are ready to haul him to jail. Holly soon finds her cousin and client embroiled in multiple criminal schemes. She’s drawn into the investigation, a position that threatens her life, her family and her increasingly shaky relationship with JC.
Thanks for letting me visit today, PJ! I invite your readers to head over to my blog and read your #mysteryexchange post about the story behind The Marquesa’s Necklace, The Oak Grove Mysteries, Book 1. https://cperkinswrites.com/2018/07/paranormal-transformation/
Author Bio
An award-winning author of financial mysteries, Cathy Perkins writes twisting dark suspense and light amateur sleuth stories. When not writing, she battles with the beavers over the pond height or heads out on another travel adventure. She lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd. Learn more at her website, http://cperkinswrites.com.
