Nina Blakeman's Blog, page 2

The Medical Thriller

When I was asked to write a feature article for Mystery and Suspense Magazine, I asked myself, “How did I land up on this road?” I still don’t quite have the answer to that question, but here it is, https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/life-death-and-the-medical-thriller/

Blind Vision

A young neurologist, Dr. Callie Wallace, returns to her hometown of Sperling, Texas, with business partner and friend Dr. Richard Cortez to set up their neurology practice. The unexpected death of one of Callie’s patients throws the overachieving physician into a tailspin, and she begins to question her own sanity. Her mother wants to be there for her daughter, but a dark family secret keeps their relationship contentious and distant. A long-time boyfriend also wants to be there for Callie, but she keeps him at arm’s length and repeatedly turns to Richard, causing strain. It all comes down to who exactly Callie can trust…definitely not herself.

Blind Vision is a cozy mystery with a fervent zing! There’s charm and Rockwellian atmosphere, but instead of cupcakes, tea parties, and antiquing, there’s sexual undercurrent and other juicy tidbits. After all, life is messy. Drawing on training in biomedical science, I’ve written a medical suspense novel for the lover of mysteries fueled by family dynamics with just a hint of science for intrigue.

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books. Enjoy!!!

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Remembering Back

I remember in 2016 opening up my email and seeing that The Blow-up Man was an Award Finalist in the Fiction-Suspense category for Readers’ Favorite. I was elated, to say the least. This is because I don’t think I could’ve picked an occupation for 2 central characters that was more difficult to elucidate to the average reader than the Pharmaceutical Research Scientist. Basically, I have received 2 primary questions about the book, 1) do I have to understand the science to understand what is happening in the book, and 2) in describing the science, is it your writing style or lack thereof (OUCH!)?
The answer is ‘No’ to both these questions. It’s about characterization. Think of yourself going to a wedding reception and the seating chart has you sitting next to Dr. Todd Davis, a pharmaceutical research scientist. You are a fairly educated individual. Let’s call you Marion Smith.

You see him sitting there at the table and take your seat, introducing yourself. “Hello, my name is Marion Smith.”
He politely acknowledges you. “Dr. Todd Davis. How do you do?”
You politely inquire, “You are a physician?”
“No,” he replies. “I do pharmaceutical research.”
You probe further. “You work for a drug company?”
Todd Davis is now getting a little annoyed at your line of questioning. It’s immaterial to the situation at hand, a wedding reception. For him, it’s about social convention . . . obligation. “No, I am a scientist. I do pharmaceutical research at the university.”
You sense his irritation, but continue to try and keep the encounter amicable. “I have high cholesterol. I take a statin.”
“An HMG-Co-reductase inhibitor?” he asks.
You appear confused by the question. “No, Lipitor.”

At this point in the conversation, you look over to how long the line is at the open bar. You need a drink and expect the next two hours to just drag on. But don’t fret. Dr. Todd Davis has no plans to stay. He looks at his watch. His plan is to stay 30 minutes, no more no less. He will not be going home, but back to the lab. He lives, eats, and breaths his research. His thinking is primarily centered around his work, it’s hypothesis. His research is methodical, calculated, and definitive. Each word he uses, means exactly what science dictates that word to mean. An example, the word tether. Going to Thesaurus.com, I see 13 synonyms. In science, tether means the process associated with the delivery of transport vesicles or carriers laden with protein and lipid cargo to their correct membrane compartment. It means that and just that. He would never ever, ever say ‘tied to’. He would never gloss over his work, especially in a conversation with a colleague. Oh, can you imagine being a fly on the wall for that discussion? It would be about as exciting as watching paint dry and you would only pick up on a word or two to discern that they are actually speaking English.
I’ll leave you with this thought. In a piece written by Dianna Lesage entitled, Nobel Laureates Have a Message for Scientists: Stop Being Pretentious, a question is posed whether a scientist has a responsibility to explain the science they work on in a way that, when communicated to the general public, is understandable? Different answers to this question were explored. Let me quote a couple of lines, “We can’t force a person to take time out of their work to explain their work to people who don’t take the time to understand their work,” “Too often our scientists are surrounded by brilliant scholars and experts and they actually start to think all people think like them.” https://medium.com/gliosis/nobel-laur...
So, in closing, if you think it is an over-researched, trying- too- hard attempt to explain a work of science, try to think about character traits of this type of person and how he/she thinks, acts, and speaks, especially to a fellow colleague. Next, think what a manipulative, over-sexed, opportunistic, vengeful female could do to this type of person. YIKES!
P.S. Be on the look-out for the upload of my next book, Blind Vision. I’ve left the scientific realm (well, almost) and taken to physicians. So much easier for people to relate to and for me to write. Whew!

I Have a Sense of Humor . . . do you?

I took the picture below in Basel, Switzerland on October 31, 2019. Walking along, Scot and I came upon a street fair. With a few francs in our pockets, no admission charge, we said, “Why not?”

We came along this concession stand and I about laughed my ass off.

In honor of National Hot Dog Day, July 22, 2020, I consider this photo most apropos.

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Trying Not to Take Things Too Personal

“Governor Lujan-Grisham urges out of state residents, of Texas in particular, to stay away from non-essential visits to the state until a vaccine is found.” https://www.newschannel10.com/2020/07/10/new-mexico-halt-indoor-restaurant-service/

Anyone who knows me, knows the fondness I have for Taos, New Mexico, especially during these hot summer months. But now, I’ve been told I’m not welcome.

I believe the high at home today is supposed to be 107 degrees with winds out of the SW at 18 mph (just delightful).

However, there’s always fun to be had right here in the Lone Star state . . . for sure!

But here’s what happens when you let your husband pick the golf course. Still, I can be a sport, even at the Cowboys Golf Club, and had a good time. Go Pack Go, BTW.

P.S. May I recommend the Ring of Honor Salad in the clubhouse? So good!

 

Reindeer Games

Who doesn’t enjoy a good holiday party, right? Good people, good food, and spirits . . . yes, you must have spirits. Throw in some healthy competition, and then you have yourself a real party. Darts, bean bag toss, and ping-pong are all fine examples to test a guest’s athletic prowess. But throw in ax-throwing (yes, I said ax-throwing) and you really have yourself a party!

How did this author fare under the pressure of this heated Paul Bunyan-type activity? Horrible, but they tell me it’s all in the wrist.

Merry Christmas Everyone,

Nina Blakeman

My Other First Born

When I read this review of The Blow-up Man, I couldn’t help but think of parents that have had more than one child. I’ve heard it said that their first born is just a bit more special only in the fact that the child was their first. The Blow-up Man was this author’s first, but in reality, nothing or no one could take the place of my first and only child, Anthony Sharp.

To read the review of The Blow-up Man, check out this link, https://redheadedbooklover.com/the-blow-up-man-nina-blakeman/

Thank You High Plains Radio Readers Book Club

I wanted to thank the High Plains Public Radio (HPPR) book club for inviting me to be a discussion leader for its 2019 Spring Read, It’s a Mystery to Me! From The Postman Always Rings Twice and Gone Girl to True Crime Addict and Blind, Torture Kill: The Inside Story of BTK, the Serial Killer Next Door, it was one exciting read after another. The recommendations didn’t stop there. Classics such as Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Sherlock Holmes also made the reading list. Books with a local fare also were featured, like Killers of the Flower Moon, Amarillo, and my own, The Blow-up Man and Envy Rots the Bones. With over fifteen titles, I couldn’t think of a better way to transition to spring.

But how does the HPPR Book Club work. A steering committee makes the selections based on the theme of the discussion. At the lead is Programming Director, Kathleen Holt. From the above list, it can be seen that the list can include past and present works, as well as fiction and non-fictional reads. Discussion leaders are assigned to particular titles. The Discussion Leader is to submit a bio and photographs for the Book Discussion Guides. Also, they are to record and submit four Book Bytes to be aired on designated dates during the radio’s programming schedule. Finally, they are to participate in the live, on-air broadcast at the end of the season.  My BookBytes aired March 13, 2019 and March 20, 2019 (The Blow-up Man), and then March 27, 2019 and April 03, 2019 (Envy Rots the Bones). The 2-hour on-air broadcast was at the Garden City, Kansas Studio, May 05, 2019. A special thanks to my husband Scot who accompanied me (I was awaiting cataract surgery). BTW, it went fine, thanks for asking.

Want to hear a BookByte for The Blow-up Man, visit this site, https://www.hppr.org/post/poison-everything

Want to learn more about High Plains Public Radio, visit this site, https://www.hppr.org/contact-or-visit-hppr

One more thing before I sign off, Release was nominated by Outskirts Press of Denver for the 25th Annual EVVY Awards under the Psychological and Suspense category. Wish me luck.

Last-Minute Shopping

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For the person that has everything . . . they probably don’t have this book set. It just came out this weekend. . . . eek! Available on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Nina-Blakeman-Thriller-ebook/dp/B07L7FR4DK/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1544549759&sr=1-5&keywords=nina+blakeman

All three in Kindle format for only $9.99

Check This Out-5 Stars

If you like dark, suspense-filled dramas, this one’s for you. Ms. Blakeman has penned a well written, complex thriller that might just give you nightmares. You’ll need your wits about you as numerous characters make their appearance as, chapter by chapter, the action moves from one locale to another. The story revolves around seriously dysfunctional families with a myriad of issues. Bodies fall willy nilly—without conscience, through vengeance, and perhaps even by mistake. Characters are deeply flawed, darkly sociopathic, vindictive, egocentric, without remorse, and they often find release in harmful ways. There is only one innocent and he’s but three months old. I can’t say this story entertained me, but it certainly was intriguing and compelling.

Thank you Colorado Avid Reader