And now on to the WINNER! Earlier this month I launched a contest to name the serial killer who will make his presence known to Lucy Kendall. I received many awesome suggestions, and the choice was very difficult, but I’ve chosen a winner.

It’s The Silver Stalker, suggested by Michelle Willms. She also presented some great background ideas for the killer, and I’m excited to talk with her about them.

The Silver Stalker will make his presence known later in the series, but it will be in a BIG WAY, so stay tuned. Congrats to Michelle, and thanks to everyone who submitted ideas!

PRAISE FOR ALL GOOD DEEDS

Unique Protagonist and a story that’s incredibly tense…

A must read book for intrigue, danger, suspense and mystery lovers…

WOW – this has quite a punch!

Some business next, but make sure you check below to find out how to snag some free and cheap stuff. Subscribers, make sure you read!

But what about content? Here’s the thing: my writing has to come first. I’ve got two releases slated for 2013 and will likely be adding a third. And whether you are a writer, reader, or casual observer, you don’t have any more time to read my long posts than I have to write them.

So we’re shaking things up. Most of you know I’m a research nerd, so we’re talking Twisted Facts on Monday. Short, interesting, (sometimes) fun facts on history, crime, technology, and whatever else catches my eye that day.

Thriller Thursdays will still feature Twisted Minds, but they’re going to be shorter and much easier to read through. I’ll also be featuring Thrilling Reads on my Facebook Author Page on Thursdays, highlighting some of my favorite suspense/thriller writers as well as up and comers, so don’t miss that.

Finally, I’m introducing a new feature I’m really excited about: Twisted Reads – Author Book Lists. Two Saturdays a month, I’ll have a guest author talking about the last great book they read and why it twisted their minds. If you’re an author and would like to sign up, please email me at stacygreenauthor@gmail.com.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVES

Subscribers: I’m going to be moving the blog to my website soon, so you will need to resubscribe through Feedburner for blog updates.

Because re-subscribing to the blog is a pain and my Feedburner is lonely, I’m entering everyone who signs up for the blog by January 17th into a drawing for a $20 Amazon Gift Card.

All you have to do is CLICK HERE and Follow Instructions. You can also go to the link in my right sidebar and SIGN UP FOR FEEDBURNER UPDATES VIA EMAIL.

You’ll also receive an invite to join my newsletter. By joining, you’ll not only get first crack at all contests, but you’ll also receive exclusive pricing on all future releases. The newsletter is monthly, and to sign up now, head on over here. You can also wait for the email, but I WILL NOT subscribe you without your permission. The party is no fun if you don’t want to be there.

Everyone who joins by January 31st will receive a free digital copy of my short story, Welcome To Las Vegas.

Thanks so much for making 2012 an amazing year, and I can’t wait to see what 2013 brings for all of us.

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions or changes to share?

From Amazon:

We’re on week four of Thriller Extravaganza, and I’m excited to welcome one of my favorite authors, Allison Brennan. I could have asked Allison to write on just about any thriller related topic, but since I’m starting my own series and I’m selfish, I asked her to tell us about how she approaches creating a series. She’s giving away a copy of one of her books, so make sure to read and leave a comment.

And don’t forget to sign up for Thriller Extravaganza’s Grand Prize: a silver spot in one of Kristen Lamb’s WANA International blogging classes or a $25 gift card and a bag of healthy goodies from August McLaughlin.

Writing Series by Allison Brennan

Until 2010, I always wrote in trilogies. Three books, very loosely connected, with a common theme or family of characters. For example, my “Prison Break” trilogy was connected by an earthquake at San Quentin that precipitated the release of some death row inmates. Each book was a stand alone romantic thriller stemming from that one event. My “No Evil” trilogy centered around the Kincaid Family, a close-knit Irish-Cuban family of (mostly) law enforcement. Each book stood alone as a complete story with a separate hero and heroine, but the books were all set in San Diego and the secondary characters were woven through the three books.

I didn’t plan to write in trilogies, but when I sold my debut novel The Prey, my publisher asked me to write two more connected stories. I decided to focus on three women who were at the FBI Academy together and now, ten years later, their individual pasts are coming back to haunt them.

I always wanted to write both a stand alone and a series. A stand alone because it’s completely self-contained. A series, because I can build on one character over time, both layering and deepening characterization. Readers like all types of stories, but it’s often a solid series that finds resonance in the mass market. Readers know Jack Reacher as well as his creator, Lee Child. They know Stephanie Plum as well as Janet Evanovich. And one of my all-time favorite series, the In Death series, by J.D. Robb, has the formidable and sexy Roarke and Eve Dallas.

When my publisher agreed to buy the Lucy Kincaid series, I was initially thrilled. I loved Lucy, and wanted to see how she’d overcome her brutal ordeal from Fear No Evil, the last of the Kincaid Family trilogy. I sped up time a bit, made her 25 in the first book, and on the cusp of becoming an FBI agent. I wanted to take her from the beginning of her career—through the academy—and into her first real assignment.

Then I became scared. How could I keep the series fresh and original? I didn’t want readers to become bored with Lucy or her boyfriend Sean Rogan; I didn’t want to write the same book over and over. I also feared that, over time, I would tire of writing in the same world. A true, traditional series takes the same core group of characters and puts them in different situations over multiple books. A connected series is usually built around the same world, but with different characters taking a lead role. Laura Griffin’s Tracers series is a good example of a connected series; J.D. Robb’s In Death series is a good example of a traditional series.

I had to make some choices early on: First, I tightened the timeframe. For example, though the first seven books will be published over a three-year period, only 11 months will have passed in Lucy’s world. Each book takes place anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months apart. The primary reason is that I wanted all the major events to be part of the series. Also, I didn’t know when some of the books would be published, so I didn’t keep them true to real time. And mostly, I wanted to show Lucy’s growth during the pivotal years as she begins her career as an FBI Agent.

Michael Connelly successful wrote Harry Bosch in real time, so he aged in real time, and the stories took place a year apart (or however long his publishing schedule was for that series.) Lee Child writes out of order—some of his books take place in Reacher’s past, for example, so they’re not published in chronological order. And in J.D. Robb’s In Death series, I believe only 18 or so months have passed over 30+ books.

Other choices I had to make dealt with reader expectations. Because I write primarily romantic thrillers, and the first few Lucy books were published as romantic thrillers, I needed a love interest for Lucy who stays for the series. Reader expectations are important because if you mess with the readers, you’re toast. I decided that Sean Rogan was the perfect guy for Lucy as soon as I wrote him in an early book, Cutting Edge, where his brother, Duke, was the hero. I had to figure out how to get him out to DC, and which Kincaid’s would be part of Lucy’s series, and which would be completely off-page. I also needed to build Lucy’s world – what has she been doing for the seven years since the events in Fear No Evil? How did they change her? Strengthen her? What are her fears that will play a part in the series? Her strengths?

I don’t plot, so a lot of this I didn’t know until I was writing the first book—and some I didn’t know until I was writing the fourth book! But for my readers, Sean and Lucy are together. They will certainly have rough patches, but they will weather any storm. I hope I’ve laid that foundation well.

The difference in reader expectations plays a part in a new series I’m developing around Maxine Revere, an investigating crime reporter. This will be a thriller series, so I can play around more with relationships and don’t have to “pick” a romantic interest right off the back … though there will certainly be one (or two or three) that may be possible. The series is more about Max and the crimes she investigates, as well as her relationships with her staff and friends and, yes, the men she’s involved with.

The hardest part of writing a series, for me, is knowing how much to share in each book without being boring to continuing readers (or “telling” too much back story) but also giving enough information so new readers won’t be lost. It’s a delicate balance that I don’t know if I’ve mastered, but I’m constantly striving to find the right balance. My former editor gave me some great advice early on: give as much information as necessary for readers to enjoy THIS book. I think about that often!

For anyone considering writing a series, remember that character is the most important thing. Not just your protagonist, but the supporting cast. You want readers to want to return time and time again to see what your characters are up to!

What is one of your favorite book series, and why? Everyone who comments (even just to say hi!) will be put in a drawing for one of two giveaways, winner’s choice. You can pick either a signed, print copy of Silenced, the most recent Lucy Kincaid book (or the first book, Love Me to Death), or you can pick digital copies of Silenced AND my stand alone romantic suspense novella, Murder in the River City.

Allison Brennan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nineteen novels and many short stories. The next Lucy Kincaid thriller, Stalked, will be out on October 30. She lives near Sacramento, California with her husband, five children, and assorted pets.

www.allisonbrennan.com

Thanks so much to Allison for this great post! She’s got some vital point in here that I hadn’t considered the past few weeks while working on my own series. Please leave her some love and give yourself a chance to win a copy of one of her books.

Hi Vicki! Welcome to Turning The Page – thanks so much for visiting today.

Thank you so much for having me, Stacy.

Your tag line is “sassy writer of sexy and funny fiction.” Is your main goal to make readers laugh? I would hope readers like the story. I believe if I made someone laugh, I did a good job with my writing. 

Your short story Store Wars is releasing from MuseItUp in August. I love the title–can you tell us about the story and what you’re doing for its release? Thank you so much! Handsome worried it sounded too much like the famous movie. I just laughed. Here’s a blurb: Janie’s heart’s desire is to open her own store, but that’s about to be thwarted when her old love comes back to town and is running the competition’s business.

Do you prefer writing short stories or full-length novels? I’ve written 3 unpublished novels and love them dearly. Just haven’t sold them. And frankly, I can write a lot of shorts in the year it takes me to write one book. I’m slow with books.

You’re a part of a very cool blog, The Plotting Princesses. What’s your favorite part of working with them? Oh, I can’t wait to tell the PP girls you said so!!! We all get along so well and help each other with our writing business. I love them dearly!

Your novel, I Believe, is a romance with a sexy storyline. What inspired it? I Believe is my sexy novella with a touch of magic. I was at RWA and woke up from a dream saying the chant. My roommate, the fabulous Elizabeth Essex, threw a pen at me and said to write it down. Since I excel in following directions, I did and worked and worked. (BTW, the chant is a poem I wrote for Handsome!)

What is it about romance that makes you love writing it? HEA’s are happy for me. I like to feel good when I finish a book.

You’re a member of RWA–what’s the biggest benefit from belonging to such a vast organization? Networking. I have met so many people from all over the world. I can’t wait to see them each year.

What are you working on right now? Do you have plans for any more releases this year? I have a release, Twinkle Lights, coming in December from MuseItUp Publishing. I’ve submitted two very shorts to Woman’s World–cross fingers! And for some weird reason, am writing another holiday story.

I’ve got to ask the personal questions: what are your favorite free-time hobbies and dream vacation? I always have a needlepoint project going. Two years ago, Handsome and I went on our dream vacation-we cruised the Mediterranean with extra days in Istanbul, Rome, and Venice. Sigh. Oh! I need another dream vacation. Maybe a cruise around Australia…. hehehehe

 Find Vicki Online

Website     Facebook     Twitter     Pinterest     Goodreads

Find Vicki’s books

MuseItUp Publishing           Amazon                Barnes and Noble

Like some of her characters, Vicki has worked a wide variety of jobs including lifeguard, ride attendant at an amusement park; a hardware store, department store, book store, antique store clerk; administrative assistant in an international real estate firm; and a general “do anything gal” at a financial services firm. The list is…endless.

Born in Dallas, a graduate of Texas Tech, she is married to Handsome, has two big boys, an attention-demanding cat, and two adorable poopies.

She has completed three manuscripts, written essays, and sold many short stories. She is a member of RWA, and the DARA, Elements, and RWA-WF chapters. In 2004, she joined DARA and has served in many capacities, including 2009 President. DARA awarded her the Robin Teer Memorial Service Award in 2010.

Most days begin with her hands set to the keyboard and thinking “What if??”

This Thing Called Writing

A couple of weeks ago the 3^rd book of the Alvarez Murder Mystery Series, Death Runs in the Family, hit the eWaves. I’m beyond relieved. Not just because it’s out there, but because I don’t have to rewrite it again and again.

I mean, you start a novel. You’re excited, filled with energy, hope, and love of the craft. You can’t wait to start the process, do the research, meet the characters, and create a spiffy plot, all that good stuff. If you’re a mystery writer like me, you pretty much know what the ending is going to be, but the ‘how’ of getting there! It’s elixir for the soul.

In the beginning, you’re open to all sorts of possibilities that spur you on during the countless, never-ending months. Writing a novel–at least at the start of it–is a wonderful adventure. Just you, your ideas, a computer, and buckets of strong coffee.

But at the end of this wretched, back-breaking process you want to run screaming into the night. There are eighty-four thousand words of what I suspect is pure, unadulterated drivel. This drivel is dripping with my blood and sweat–virtual, of course–but very real and bad clichés. True, that suspicion comes only in my more insecure moments. Much of the time, I believe it to be my best work. Healthy ego, don’tcha know.

Nonetheless, it’s been the same words and chapters over and over again, months on end. Reading, rereading, working, reworking, adding scenes, taking out scenes, and visiting my chiropractor when I could pry my creaking body out of the chair. Then it goes to the Editors.

Enough already. I’m sick of this book. I’m sick of finding out I’ve used the same stupid phrase or adjective multiple times in one chapter, which means I have to haul out the thesaurus to find something else that means the same thing. I’m sick of reading a sentence with the sinking feeling it needs to be clarified if anybody else besides me is going to get it. I’m sick of dashing over to a site called Popular Baby Names because I discovered, rather late in the game, too many of the characters’ names began with the letter ‘N.’

And what’s with one of the characters taking off for Ipanema like that in the middle of my story, anyway? I don’t know anything about Ipanema. This poor slob of a writer had to do all kinds of fast research on the fancy schmancy, Brazilian vacation spot. I had to study dozens of photographs, maps, articles, learn the monetary exchange, how they say hello, goodbye, etc. in Portuguese, which is a foreign language, fer cryin’ out loud! Honestly, characters have a way of getting a life of their own when you least expect it and then dictating to you what they are going to do. It sucks.

But I am currently free of Death Runs in the Family until I start the process all over again. I have this great idea for the 4^th book of the Alvarez Family Mystery Series and I can’t wait to start it!  Then it’s more of the above, because as every writer knows, writing is rewriting. It’s not so much talent as sheer stamina.

Heather Haven is the acclaimed award winning writer of The Alvarez Family Murder Mystery Series, Murder is a Family Business; A Wedding to Die For; and the newest release Death Runs in the Family.

EXCERPT from Death Runs in the Family

Chapter Seven

I Don’t Know Who’s the Bigger Idiot

Without much conversation, we jostled Nick out of the room and down the stairs. As a precaution, we used the back exit, Flint flinging boxes of DVDs every which way so fast, the clerk only managed one “hey” before we were out the door. The exit led to a narrow back alley filled with garbage, trash, and more small scurrying animals that should be calling the SPCA to complain about the conditions under which they’re forced to live.

While Flint went to bring the car to the side of the alley, I waited in the shadows next to Nick and pulled out the Glock. The irony of the situation hit me like a double charge on a credit card bill for shoes not only too tight to wear but last year’s style.

On the left, a disgusting dumpster; on the right, an even more disgusting ex-husband. And me stuck in the middle as usual—a reluctant PI if ever there was one.

Rather than inhaling the stench of fly-ridden garbage, I’d really rather be sniffing out dastardly doings of computer sabotage or thievery, in particular, long after said dastardly deeds have gone down. It’s my idea of a good job, especially when I get to zip off whenever I want and have a great lunch.

The part I like best—besides the food—is sitting at a highly polished, recently vacated mahogany desk in an air-conditioned office, sifting through the rubble of high-tech deceit and betrayal. I like gathering enough evidence to point a manicured fingernail at the culprit and shout j‘accuse! Backlit by enough briefs, memos, emails, and other telltale papers, the culprit is mine. That is a real high.

This was a real low. But I had to think about Stephen. My cousin was dead, and Nick knew something about it. Hell, maybe he even had something to do with it. And, of course, there were the cats. If Nick was in any way responsible, I might do him in myself and save whatever goons there may be the trouble.

All these things were flitting through my mind when Nick—the stupid idiot—made a lunge for my gun, muttering he could take better care of himself than I could. Sometimes an ex-marine, like an ex-husband, needs to get over himself.

One of the first lessons you learn as a PI is to not to carry a gun if you’re going to let anybody take it away from you. All the years I’ve been carrying, ten to be exact, people have taken all sorts of things from me—including my virtue—but never my gun.

So when Nick came at me, my knee went up fast, strong, and accurate. Ex dropped to the ground in a fetal position. God only knows what else was lying there with him, but I left him on the dirt, anyway. He was busy moaning while I cocked the Glock and gave a 360-degree spin, prepared to do whatever was necessary to keep the jerk safe. At least, for the moment.

Fortunately, no one showed up except a passing rat or two, excluding the one I stood over. After what felt like a lifetime, I saw Flint’s headlights, although I’m sure it didn’t take him more than three minutes to get there. I helped Nick up. He limped to the car, and Flint, bless him, raised an eyebrow over Nick’s condition but didn’t say a word. What a guy.

Death Runs In The Family

Lee Alvarez’ ex-husband, Nick — a man she divorced with joy in her heart and a gun in her hand – sprints back in her life only to disappear again. She’d love to leave it at that, but could he be responsible for the recent death of her cousin, who keeled over at the finish line of a half-marathon in front of hundreds of spectators? As PI for the family run business, Discretionary Inquiries, Lee follows the clues to Vegas, where she joins forces with Shoshone PI, Flint Tall Trees.  Together they uncover a multi-million dollar betting syndicate, a tacky lounge lizard act, and a list of past but very dead runners, plus future ones to off. At the top of the ‘future’ list is the love of her life, Gurn Hanson. Hoping to force the culprits out in the open, Gurn and Lee’s brother, Richard, vow to run San Francisco’s famous Palace to Palace footrace in only a few days. Can Lee keep the two men she loves from hitting the finish line as dead as her cousin? With more at stake than she ever dreamed possible, Lee is in a battle against time to stop the Alvarez Family’s 12K race with death.

Positive reviews for Heather’s books:

‘A fresh voice in a crowed genre. We will be hearing more from this talented newcomer.’

‘The writing was clever and I couldn’t stop laughing. This is the perfect beach book.’

‘Wonderful! Charming! Fun.’

‘This is an exceptionally fun read for those who love strong female characters, a bit of mystery, and a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor.’

Death Runs in the Family book trailer 

Buy Links

          MuseItUp Publishing            Amazon           Heather Haven Stories

Connect with Heather

Twitter      Blog

The WIP (formerly known as The Prophet) and now renamed TIN GOD is completed. Now, it’s just a first draft of a very complex plot, so after my vacation, I will be digging in for some serious editing. But I’m celebrating because I set the goal of having it complete before vacation, and I made it with two days to spare.

Ironically, INTO THE DARK (my debut from MuseItUp Publishing) was complete a year ago this week. My life has changed so much the last twelve months, and I’m so grateful to all my writing friends for their help and support.

I’ve got some big things coming up at Turning The Page. If you haven’t heard of Kristen Lamb’s #WANA Love Revolution or her new venture, WANA International, take a few minutes and check it out.

I recently asked fellow suspense/thriller writers in my Suspense, Mystery, and Mayhem group, “how can we help each other?” Well, I don’t have all the answers, but I’ve been inspired by Kristen’s WANA methods, and I have not one but two big surprises for you all this summer. Stay tuned!

Finally, I’m excited to announce the release date for my suspense novel INTO THE DARK is November 30. Merry early Christmas to me! I just returned my content edits and am looking forward to the line edits. To celebrate, I’m sharing the first ever excerpt of INTO THE DARK with you all.

He sees her when she’s sleeping. He knows when she’s awake. Her life he’s determined to take.

Crazy seemed to understand this. He paced the room, reminding Emilie of a caged tiger she saw in the zoo as a child. The animal’s huge paws had worn a bare path in the green grass as it constantly circled its enclosure. Like the tiger, the man’s eyes shifted from person to person, spot to spot but never settled. He knew he was as trapped as the hostages.

But the man sitting next to her was calm. Serene. And he scared her to death.

“Why are you here?” Butterflies swarmed in her stomach. Sweat rolled down her forehead and stung her eyes.

Laugh lines appeared at the corner of the man’s eyes. Was he smiling underneath the mask? “You don’t know, Miss Emilie?”

Her heart skidded to a stop. How did he know her name? Throat constricted, she shook her head.

“For you, Miss Emilie. I’m here for you.” 

How is your summer going? Are you all close to meeting your Row80 goals this round? Have you joined the #WANA Revolution yet?

Diane, thanks so much for stopping by today. Your novel, FATAL DISTRACTION, is getting some amazing reviews and climbing the charts. It’s the first in your new Jess Kimball series–can you tell us what inspired the novel?

Let me say first, Stacy, thank you for having me here. I enjoy chatting with authors and readers, so this is fun for me.

FATAL DISTRACTION introduces Jess Kimball and I hope she’ll become a series if enough readers are interested in her. So far, as you were kind enough to mention, the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. Fingers crossed on the series thing!

Inspiration for FATAL DISTRACTION came from several sources. But to start, I knew I wanted a very strong female protagonist and I knew the best way to make sure Jess Kimball was strong enough was to give her a supremely evil villain to overcome. I don’t write graphic violence because I don’t want to live in that world. It gives me nightmares! Evil villains must have realistic traits in my books. So I began by asking myself to describe the basic character of the most despicable person. We don’t normally ask ourselves questions like this, so the answers can be surprising.  Ultimately, to me, the most evil person is one who preys on those weaker than himself simply for personal satisfaction. In short, a true psychopath who is without conscience and victimizes the defenseless who cannot fight back.

Once that idea jelled, lots of inspiration followed. I love how that happens!

Who is your favorite character in FATAL DISTRACTION, and why?

Oh, boy. That’s sort of like asking a parent which of his children are his favorite, isn’t it? *laughs* Obviously, I like all the good ones, but the bad ones are harder to love. *laughs*

Is there a message in FATAL DISTRACTION you’d like your readers to grasp?

Yes. My books have themes and this one is no exception. In a very quick, shorthand way, the message here is “Grow or Die.” Sounds overly ominous, doesn’t it? *laughs*

How does your background as a lawyer play into your writing?

Someone said once that after you go to law school and learn to think like a lawyer, you can never think like anything else. I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing, but I am sure it’s true. I use what I’ve learned as a lawyer in everything I write. All of my books have some sort of connection to the law. I’m not sure how I’d write crime fiction without it. *laughs*

My Judge Willa Carson series always contains a subplot about what’s going on in her courtroom. My Hunt for Reacher series features two FBI Special Agents and the lead agent is Kim Otto, who has a joint law degree and accounting background. Annabelle’s Attack features a stolen cure for a fatal disease and the legal wrangling Jenny Lane must do to retrieve it. And Fatal Distraction is set in the world of Florida’s Governor Helen Sullivan, a lawyer, and Jess Kimball’s fight against the legal system to protect victim’s rights.

The main goal I have when I write about the legal system and the lawyers who work within it is to be authentic. So many stories about lawyers are simply wrong, and it bugs me! (Okay, so maybe I’m a little defensive about all those lawyer jokes after all. Sue me.)

You discussed psychopaths in a recent interview. How do you approach writing villainous characters? Do you draw from experience or rely heavily on research? Do you have a favorite bad guy?

All of the above. *laughs* I write realistic fiction rather than, for example, the fantasy genre, so my villains are usually loosely based on the evil that men actually do. I am also a big researcher and do my very best to get the facts right — and readers let me know about it when I miss the mark.

Favorite bad guy? Um, no. Bad guys are bad. I try to kill them off. Makes the world a better place, as far as I’m concerned.

On the topic of publishing, what’s one thing you wish you’d known before you published your first book?

That someday I’d have thousands of readers and to focus on writing stories my readers would want to read. When I was learning story craft, teachers focused on how to write the best book I can every time. But it was much later that I figured out the secret: always create a great reader experience, too. Believe me, the two things are not at all the same. Some of the most beautiful prose in the world is darn dull. Who knew?

Why did you choose to write series as opposed to stand alones? 

Because as a reader, if I love the characters, I never want to let them go at “the end.” As a writer, once I’ve made friends of my story people and become involved in their lives, it’s so much worse if I lose one!

When did you realize you first wanted to be a writer?

Maybe about the age of 10. That’s when I really fell in love with reading and thought I’d like to be able to write fiction some day.

Do you hear from readers much? Is there a particular comment from a reader that really resonated with you?

Yes, I do get reader mail every day. And I love it. There’s nothing better than hearing that someone enjoyed one of my stories. It always feels good when readers “get me.” (When they don’t like something, they rarely write to me — they post it on the internet!) What we see and how we see it is a recurring theme in my work. Recently, a woman wrote to me about my short story, Darla’s Deceit. She said my story had come to her in a very roundabout way and she wanted to let me know how much it touched her. Her daughter had recently been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, which is the condition Darla has in the story. This reader said my story helped her and her family because it made them realize how vision and eyesight are not the same thing, and how lucky her daughter truly is to have hope.

Like most of us, I assume your characters are always talking to you. What do you do to escape their voices and relax?

I love to read, everything, all the time. I love to write, which is what I do whenever I’m not doing something else. I’m a huge film fan. Travel and cooking are relaxing for me — when they go well. I really enjoy gourmet food in great restaurants with amazing red wine!

Dream vacation?

There are many places in the world I’ve yet to visit, but my dream vacation usually includes relaxation and quiet in gorgeous surroundings with exceptional service and a few spa treatments thrown in. I’d love to live in Judge Willa Carson’s home above George’s gourmet restaurant. But since I don’t, and gourmet dinner in my house is usually red wine and microwave popcorn, I guess visiting the Carsons would be my dream vacation!

One food you can’t live without?

Red wine and chocolate. Yes, I know that’s two.

FATAL DISTRACTION just released, and you’re busy with promo, but what’s your next project?

I’m working hard on the next book in the Hunt for Reacher series. The title is Get Jack Back. Lots of fun!

Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me, Diane!

Truly, the pleasure was entirely mine!

FATAL DISTRACTION: Relentless victims’ rights advocate Jess Kimball and Jack Reacher both deliver justice when the legal system fails. Reacher waits until trouble finds him and then he does whatever it takes. But Jess pursues legal justice and draws lines she will not cross. How can she win against killers who refuse to follow the rules?

Three years ago, beloved Florida Governor Helen Sullivan’s world shattered when her only son died in a senseless car crash, killing his best friend, too. Helen quickly discovered Eric’s crash was no accident and lured the killer to her son’s funeral to be caught. When the shooting ceased in the small country church, Helen believed her nightmare was over. Instead, she’d unwittingly escalated her duel with a cunning and patient assassin.

Now, investigative journalist Jess Kimball is driven to find the horrifying truth. Is the Central Florida Child Killer guilty? Or is the real killer still out there?

Helen and Jess together face the determined killer in a pitched battle of wit and nerve. Who will survive?

Buy Diane’s Books on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

You write horror – have you always been interested in darker fiction? How did that develop?

My first idea of horror was actually movies, especially Vincent Price. I loved B movies and Japanese horror movies. Later, I watched a lot of crime documentaries and read a lot of crime fiction, which is different from horror but close. When I came to writing, I thought I’d like to try something creepy and viola, The Mountain City Bronzes was born.

When did you start writing? Was it a childhood calling, or something that came along later in life?

As a child I did a lot of drawing and writing poetry. My father kept all these little ‘books’ pages stapled together that I had given him of poetry written when I was a child. I wrote stories later, in my teens, I liked science fiction then and my English teacher said she’d never read such a good student short story. This encouraged me but I didn’t really know how to go about it, so I left it and pursued drawing and painting, until the ninties, when I took a correspondence course in writing. I was in my thirties.

I love the tagline for THE MOUNTAIN CITY BRONZES: How far will a community go to protect the safety of their children when they start to disappear? The story is a compelling, engaging read – what inspired it? 

I wrote this for a student story, when I started the writing course. My first lesson was write what you know, so I wrote something about a sculptor and a small town. I took a lot of literary license with sculpting techniques.

Kevin is in an interesting character–is he based on anyone close to you? 

Kevin represents ‘boy’ to me, just a typical boy, based on every boy I’ve ever known who worshiped his father.

Do you have a favorite horror story? One you’ve read over and over?

No favorite horror story. There are so many good ones. Of course, Poe is a favorite.

What’s the scariest thing that’s ever happened to you?

The scariest thing that happened to me was when I was about two and we went to an inn. There was a pier and my sister and I ran out on it. I fell off the end and under the pier was a giant spider. It was so huge that sometimes I think that it was only because I was so small that I thought it was so big. I had a terror of spiders for years.

Put yourself in the townspeople’s shoes–what would YOU do if your child disappeared?

I would search forever if my own child disappeared and probably become morose and even feeling guilt,y and I’d never move so the child could always find  me. My original story had the line. “It is so hard to lose a child, the searching never stops'” but my editor wanted it out. But that’s how I feel.

Let’s get personal. You live in Eastern Canada, a beautiful part of the world. How does that play into your writing? What do you do for fun?

I like the seasons in Eastern Canada, so a lot of my writing has a lot of seasonal things in it. I do like to walk and do genealogy research.

What’s your next project, and where can readers find you?

I’m working on some more dark fiction, maybe not so dark as the first. I have a bio on amazon.com and on the museituppublishing website. I also have a blog at http://madworldca.blogspot.com.  On Twitter I’m known as Madoxane, and I have a facebook and linkedin page.

Excerpt from THE MOUNTAIN CITY BRONZES:

The jail was a great refuge in June, but even in the winter, I found it pleasant to play in. There was so much fun imagining the structure when it was full, back in the gold rush. I could almost hear the walls and floors resounding to the voices of the thousands of lawless men that lived back then. In the large, empty vastness of our jail, I loved pretending I needed to find escape routes.

One day after tromping through the halls for an hour, I found a locked door.

Why is it shut tight?  What is behind that door?

Buy At MuseItUp (99 cents)

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Coffee Time Romance (59 cents, on sale)

Thanks so much for Madeline for stopping by. Please make sure to leave her some love!