Aya Walksfar's Blog, page 20

Interview with Award Winning Mohana Rajakumar

Interviewer: No one understands the way culture affects women better than Mohana Rajakumar, an #awardwinningauthor. A #SouthAsianAmerican who now resides in the Arabian Desert, Mohana has a unique perspective which she shares with her readers in this powerful story of a young South Indian #woman.

Mohana, after writing seven other books, what moved you to write this book at this time?

Mohana Rajakumar: In reality I’ve been writing this book for the last 10 years. When I started self- publishing eBooks, I thought I was doing it to share my novel which is set in Qatar. What I realized eventually was that those seven other books that I published were practice for the writing and publishing of An Unlikely Goddess.

You often hear people say the first book by a writer is a working through of powerful experiences. That’s certainly true for this one. I don’t think I would have been ready to write this story then take it all the way to publication without my previous experiences as an #author.

Interviewer: As an author myself I know how demanding the profession is. How do you manage to write, be a wife, a mother, a teacher, (and whatever else you are!)?

Mohana Rajakumar: This is the question so many #women and not enough men are asked. My answer does involve a man: my husband is very supportive. If I need to be away twice a week until 9pm in the office, then he covers the home front. My strategy is simple – don’t procrastinate. Whatever you have to do, whether grade papers or write a blog post, cook dinner, get to it. And cut out TV or Facebook. There’s something in your life that isn’t very important that you can let go of in order to make room for your writing. Can you reuse that towel one more time? Or live with dishes in the sink overnight? Pick your battles.

Interviewer: I can attest that having a supportive spouse is absolutely the best thing that can happen to an author. Your husband and my wife are very similar. Mohana, I can see that you are a very dedicated author, but we all need to relax now and then. What do you do for fun?

Mohana Rajakumar: Sleep! Just kidding. I love, love, love to read. When I’m not writing or revising or preparing for a book launch, I’m reading, often 2 or maybe 3 books at a time. Fiction, non-fiction, academic ones on topics I like; there’s not a genre I won’t read unless it’s horror. And that’s only because I’m a scaredy cat.

Interviewer: I understand that. I, too, love to read. Along with reading, you have, obviously, traveled. Where is the most beautiful place you have ever been?

Mohana Rajakumar: Recently we were in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The water is so clear you can see your feet, the fish, the sea grass. Amazing. But I loved Portugal, too, when I went earlier this fall on a business trip with my husband. Every place I’ve come back from seems spectacular in the light of the everyday.

Interviewer: Like one of you other books, The Dohmestics, you’ve written a powerful book about an explosive topic. Is there anything that bothers you about the public’s response to books such as yours? (Not necessarily yours)

Mohana Rajakumar: Yes, the question: “Did that Really Happen to You?”

I was at a book talk a few weeks ago and someone in the audience asked the author, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge, how much of the book “had happened” to her. She was referring to a novel in which the main character suffers abject abuse and horror while still a child.

I was appalled at the question; it seemed voyeuristic somehow, as if the suffering of the character which represented thousands of unnamed people in real life, didn’t matter as much if the author hadn’t experienced that suffering herself.

The “did that really happen?” is one of the most awkward questions you can ask a writer after reading his/her book. We want the reader to be lost in the narrative, not wondering how much of it is autobiography.

My latest release, An Unlikely Goddess, will no doubt spark a similar set of questions. The story of an Indian girl who immigrates to the United States with her parents, suffers much heartache, and finds solace in academia, is not that different from my own. Sita’s trajectory, however, is a composite of many people’s journeys as immigrants, not only mine. In some ways she is the Everywoman of the female coming-of-age for South Indians.

I found this story important to tell because it shows how the #immigrant experience is not always the “making good on the American dream” that we have come to expect from the “Model Minority” of Asians in the United States. The recent interest in Indian Literature in English which depicts a very specific part of the Indian diaspora – often well-educated Bengalis – did not speak to my experience or those who I knew growing up.

This book tells the “other story”.

Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar is a South Asian American who has lived in Qatar since 2005. Moving to the Arabian Desert was fortuitous in many ways since this is where she met her husband, had a baby, and made the transition from writing as a hobby to a full time passion.  She has since published seven e-books including a mom-ior for first time mothers, Mommy But Still Me, a guide for aspiring writers, So You Want to Sell a Million Copies, a short story collection, Coloured and Other Stories, and a novel about women’s friendships, Saving Peace.

Her recent books have focused on various aspects of life in Qatar. From Dunes to Dior, named as a Best Indie book in 2013, is a collection of essays related to her experiences as a female South Asian American living in the Arabian Gulf. Love Comes Later was the winner of the Best Indie Book Award for Romance in 2013 and is a literary romance set in Qatar and London. The Dohmestics is an inside look into compound life, the day to day dynamics between housemaids and their employers.

After she joined the e-book revolution, Mohana dreams in plotlines. Learn more about her work on her website at www.mohanalakshmi.com or follow her latest on Twitter: @moha_doha.

Mohana’s other book that I loved! The Dohmestics. Below is my review of it.

A MUST Read!, December 24, 2012


By
Aya Walksfar


This review is from: The Dohmestics (Kindle Edition)

I’m more of the blood and guts kind of reader, but when I was given an opportunity to read The Dohmestics I took it. And, I am glad that I did.

This thought-provoking book hooked me right from the first page. On the surface, it appears to be about six women whose lives intertwine, three are privileged women and three are their servants. But, there is so much more to this book.

It pulled me into a culture and then used that culture as a vehicle to explore the relationships and dynamics between the privileged and the poverty-stricken; between workers and employees; between men and women; between power and corruption. I was taken on a journey that challenged me to not only understand this foreign culture, but to view my own with enlightened eyes.

I loved how it took a small decision and traced the ripples of that decision to its’ tragic end. But even in tragedy there existed an opportunity for people to shine, to rise above all that limits them and to reach out to each other.

This book took me from anger to sadness to strength. Quite the journey, and one I highly recommend.

Stay tuned to this blog for all interesting things write!

Visit Aya on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ayawalksfar

Check out Aya’s books on http://www.amazon.com/author/ayawalksfar

Dawn Samira, Investigative Reporter

Dawn stepped out of Jazmine Wheeler’s back door just as a yellowed maple leaf drifted from the nearby tree. Her eyes skipped over the colorful maple tree, drawn upwards toward the glacier glistening atop White Horse Mountain in the bright autumn sunshine.

With two coffee cups in hand, Jaz walked up next to her. She held one of the cups out. Dawn looked over at her friend, accepted the coffee and smiled before her attention returned to the mountain looming so close she felt as if she could graze her hand over the snow-mantled peak.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Jaz murmured then sipped the hot black brew.

“My stepdad used to say he and mom were going to buy a place somewhere in the #Cascadefoothills when he retired.” She sighed as a wave of loss washed gently over her. It had been so long ago that she’d last heard his voice.

Jaz looped an arm over Dawn’s shoulders and gave her a sideways hug. “You’re welcome here any time, you know that don’t you?”

She leaned her head against Jaz for a moment. “Yes, I know, and I really appreciate it.” She shifted away from Jaz’s supportive arm and sipped her coffee. “I think I find fall a melancholy time because it’s like nature is closing in on herself.”

Jaz cleared her throat, but her gaze remained fixed on the mountain. “Alicia loved #autumn. Said it was when Mother Earth reminded us to slow down and breathe in the beauty of each day. She said, it was often when we are on the verge of losing something that we become poignantly aware of each precious, fleeting moment.” She blinked hard. “Sometimes, I think she fought the cancer to try to give me a few more of those fleeting moments.”

Dawn swallowed the last of her coffee. “Amazing people that we’ve loved, and lost.”

Jaz twisted her head so that she looked steadily into Dawn’s eyes. “It took me a long time to understand what Alicia meant when she said, ‘love is never lost. It’s always there in your heart, ready for you to wrap it around yourself like a well-loved cloak, unless you stuff it in a closet, slam the door and try to forget it ever existed.’” She ran a hand through her long chestnut hair as she turned to the cabin door. Forcing a cheery note into her voice, she said, “Hey, I promised you the best omelette on this side of the Cascade Mountains.”

Dawn followed Jaz into the bright interior of the cabin, gently closing the door behind her.

Join Dawn as she delves into the mind of the #serialkiller, The Avenger, in Sketch of a Murder.  NOW AVAILABLE at http://amzn.to/19omks3

To view more images of Autumn on Jazmine Wheeler’s farm in the Cascade Foothills, go to: http://www.pinterest.com/ayawalksfar

#Interview with #ChantalBellehumeur, #Horror Novelist

Interviewer:  I am pleased to have the opportunity to interview #ChantalBellehumeur after having read her #horror novel, Just Another Common Killer. Tell me, Chantal, have you always been a Ripperologist?

Chantal Bellehumeur: No, just since coming back from Whitechapel.  I was fascinated by the unsolved mystery of Jack the Ripper’s murders and took the #JacktheRipper walk, feeling very nostalgic for some unknown reason.  Later on, I started doing research and decided that I wanted to create a character based on this mystery man.  I thought it would be interesting to write about his reincarnation and make him more monstrous than in real life.  I thought about all the evil characters from horror stories as well as real life and kind of meshed them into a single being.   

Interviewer: Was there a lot of research in the writing of  Just Another Common Killer?

Chantal Bellehumeur: Yes.

Interviewer: I noticed that you used a style I don’t often see, and I call it a reportorial style for its tight writing. Why did you use the reportorial style of writing?

Chantal Bellehumeur: It wasn’t a conscious decision.    

 

Interviewer: If Jack had a dog, what breed would it be? Why?

Chantal Bellehumeur: Jack would most likely end up killing his dog.

Interviewer: What is Jack’s favorite color?

Chantal Bellehumeur: Black

Interviewer: Why does Jack believe he is the reincarnation of Jack the Ripper?

Chantal Bellehumeur: As a child he murders his two sisters in the same fashion as two of Jack the Ripper’s victims.  Under hypnosis, he talked about the unsolved murders as thought he was the Ripper himself and draws a man in a top hat as his self-portrait.  Later on in his life, he starts to have flashbacks of his past life and of the murders he committed…

Interviewer: What author inspires you and why?

Chantal Bellehumeur: I try not to let other author’s work inspire me.  There are a lot of great authors out there with different styles and interesting ideas.  I would not want to steal any part of their work.

Interviewer: What was the first thing you ever wrote? (whether or not for publication)

Chantal Bellehumeur: That’s actually a tough question.  I used to make little books when I was a child so I really can’t remember what the first one was about.

Interviewer: What is your strongest motivation for writing?

Chantal Bellehumeur: I have a passion for it and it is like air to me.  My readers give me that extra push. 

Interviewer: In five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?

Chantal Bellehumeur: I hope to have written many more stories…

To find out more about this amazing author:

AMAZON

US Amazon Author page

http://www.amazon.com/Chantal-Bellehumeur/e/B008YX5YGK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Canada Amazon page

http://www.amazon.ca/Books/s?ie=UTF8&field-author=Chantal%20Bellehumeur&page=1&rh=n%3A916520%2Cp_27%3AChantal%20Bellehumeur

UK Amazon Author page

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chantal-Bellehumeur/e/B008YX5YGK

Bookstop Cafe

Just.Another.Common.Killer will be sold in this UK bookstore

www.bookstopcafe.com

 GOODREADS 

Goodreads Author account.  Please post reviews.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4538804.Chantal_Bellehumeur

Book Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCJj5joeFDE

7 Novels available to purchase on Amazon + short story published in The Suburban Online magazine.


Request digital autograph: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/c_bellehumeur

Follow Chantal  on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chantal-Bellehumeur-public-author-page/347446362035640

Ruby Standing Deer Bestselling Author

Today I #interview #RubyStandingDeer, the #bestsellingauthor of  #CIRCLES, the first book in her  #NativeAmerica series. The second book, #SPIRALS, has also garnered much praise.  Ruby kindly consented to share her thoughts on books, and on life, with us.

Interviewer: What inspired you to write a series about #NativeAmerica several hundred years ago?

Ruby Standing Deer:  I dream a lot. In this dream, a Native elder sat in a chair across from me. He crossed his arms and started into my eyes. “Why don’t you get off your butt and write a book?” he grinned then faded. I jerked up and asked, “What book?”  No answer.

I started to drift off and only moments later, I heard a woman telling me about herself, and about her grandson. At three AM I found myself sitting in my chair with the laptop open. It did not take long before I had written a chapter, then two.  This is how #CIRCLES was born.

Interviewer: I noticed that your books do not contain explicit sexual content, nor do they have excessive violence.  What moved you to write without the sex and violence when many books today have a lot of both?

Ruby Standing Deer: Sex is a scared, private matter to be shared by a couple. Among my people it was not spoken of. I kept this tradition.

Violence, in ancient North America among the various tribes and clans, was not absent by any means. Many times, however, differences were worked out through talk. Even to garner honor in battle, it was not always necessary to kill the enemy. In fact, it was considered far braver to ‘touch’ an enemy than to outright kill them. It was called coup (pronounced coo).

Today, too many books are filled with violence, revenge and hatred. Isn’t there enough? Must it be that way for entertainment as well? Violence is at the core of many television shows, the news, and in real life, in your neighborhood.  Why must it be in all of the stories we read? Isn’t it enough to enjoy #humor, #spirituality, and just relax and read a good story where death is not the central theme?

Interviewer: I write #mysteries, you know the usual mayhem and #murder, but you’re right. There are times it is nice to sit down with a book that  centers around things other than death and killing, and sex, which often confused with love both in real life and in novels.

Tell me, Ruby, who is your favorite character, and why?

Ruby Standing Deer: Bright Sun Flower and Feather Floating In Water–who becomes known as Shining Light– are two characters who remind me of myself. I am the grandmother and the grandson put in one body. I may not have the powerful dream visions they do, but I do experience dreams, and I listen to the Spirits when they speak.

Bright Sun Flower loves life and so does her grandson. They see so much more than others do by just opening up. She is a teacher, and a guide. Throughout the story she tries to pass on her knowledge to the next generation. Like Bright Sun Flower, I also have dedicated my life to passing on knowledge.

In my books, I try to provide something that many #kids today are without: a connection to #tradition. Unfortunately, most kids spend a lot of time in day care centers and other care centers because both of their parents must work. Grandparents, unlike the old days, are often too far away to interact with the kids, even if they aren’t working out-of-the-home jobs. Consequently, the kids lose that connection to the past, to their own traditions. 

Once kids learned from their grandparents and their parents about sacred things, about everyday ways of looking at the world, about how to value and respect all living things. Times have changed and kids are no longer given that. In my books, I show how it once was and hope that some of the teachings that Feather and Bright Sun Flower share will reach across the pages and touch the kids.

Feather is full of energy, curiosity, and has a lust for life. He has to grow up much faster than a child should. He and I share this, as we also share Feather’s curiosity about life. And, heh, maybe we share his mouth, too.

Interviewer: You have published CIRCLES and the second book of the series, Spirals.  Are you currently working on a third book in this series?  If so, can you give us a “back cover blurb” about it and when you expect it to be released?

Ruby Standing Deer: I am two-thirds finished with STONES, the third book. Part of my childhood was spent on the back of a horse. It was there that I learned what true freedom really meant. STONES became much more than a book for me after reading about a man who raced to the wild horse auction, not to get the best horses for his ranch, but to get the best for the slaughter house. Each fall there are many roundups of these magnificent, beautiful, Sacred animals. Many are pregnant and give birth in the holding pens. Their foals die. The slaughter men call the horses and their young a waste of space.

Interviewer: Wow, that’s sad. It’s my understanding that many of these #wildhorses are grazing on public lands that have been leased for extremely low rates to large ranchers and that is where some of the conflict comes in: the ranchers don’t want the wild horses, a part of America’s heritage, to eat the food from the public lands. They want the grass for their cattle and their horses which then increases their profits.

So, STONES illuminates the slaughter of #wildhorses. What’s the rest of the story?

Ruby Standing Deer: STONES is about more than rescuing mustangs from a band who tracks them down for the hairy-faces (what they call whites in the story). The Hairy-faces don’t want Native People to acquire mustangs as it would increase their ability to resist the influx of the whites.

This story is about the journey of two young people, Singing Stone and Dove, both of whom are following sacred tradition.  Singing Stone is protecting a small herd of  mustangs from the Likes To Fight People and the Hairy-faces (whites so named because of the hair on the men’s faces.)

Far away in the Land of Tall Trees, Dove, the daughter of the Holy Man, Shining Light, dreams of the mustang boy. Through visions, she is told that she must go to Singing Stone and help him protect the #mustangs. Another dream tells her she must hurry for danger is closing in on the mustangs.

Interviewer: Will this third book complete the series, or will it run longer?

Ruby Standing Deer: I am not sure if there will be a fourth book. It depends on where I am led. I listen to my dreams, take long walks with my dogs and set my mind free. It is those times I ‘see’ what to do next.

Interviewer: How did you find your publisher? Did you query a lot of publishers, or find one right away?

Ruby Standing Deer: My editor/publisher, and I were in a writing group together a long time ago. The writing group, we both learned, was a scam. You bought ‘tokens’ from the site’s creators. Then, you took the tokens and bid on people in auctions to have them review your chapter. Unfortunately, except my editor/publisher, there was not one writer in the group.

Interviewer: What piece of advice would you give to new writers about working with a publisher?

Ruby Standing Deer: Find one who will listen to you, not tell you what he/she wants. Indie publishers are more likely to work with you, listen to you and then advise you.

Visit Ruby’s website at:    http://www.rubystandingdeer.com

Connect with Ruby on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/ruby.deer

Circles

MEET RONALD ARNEAU, COMPUTER SPECIALIST, SPECIAL CRIMES TEAM

MEET RONALD ARNEAU, COMPUTER SPECIALIST FOR SPECIAL #CRIMES TEAM

Interviewer: Mr. Arneau, thank you for coming to this #interview.

Ronald Arneau: (grins) Just call me Ronald. Everyone except the Special Crimes Team does.

Interviewer: Why don’t they call you Ronald?

Ronald Arneau: (shrugs) Everyone’s too uptight right now.

Interviewer: Why’s that?

Ronald Arneau: (frowns) This case we’re working on…(shakes head) It’s, well, it’s really difficult, but that’s all I can say about it or Lieutenant Williams will skin me.

Interviewer: (smiles) Okay, I won’t ask anything else about the case. I don’t want to get you skinned. May I ask why you wound up on the Special #Crimes Team?

Ronald Arneau: (presses lips together for a moment before answering) Well, the governor wanted me on it. That’s really all I’m allowed to say. I don’t need to piss the governor off. (murmurs very softly: again)

Interviewer: (steeples fingertips together) All right. I don’t want to tick off the governor, either, so we’ll leave that line of questions. Tell me, Ronald, what do you do on the Special Crimes Team? You’re not a #cop, are you?

Ronald Arneau: (Big grin) Not a cop. Don’t want to be a #cop.

I do whatever they need done that involves a #computer. Like the first thing Lieutenant Williams wanted me to do, even before we had our first official team meeting, was to set up everyone’s #laptop and create a Team Room where everything about the case can be posted.

Interviewer: Hmmm… Don’t laptops come pre-installed these days?

Ronald Arneau: (sits up straight and leans toward interviewer. Eyes are sparkling with enthusiasm) Most laptops that the general public would purchase come with a basic operating system and whatever application you order. The laptops for our team require additional software that only the police department has access to, as well as additional security software.

Interviewer: (cocks a brow at Arneau) Hmmm, I get the feeling you are telling me much less than the whole truth with that answer. What is a Team Room?

Ronald Arneau: You can think of a Team Room as a big library where we can securely store all kinds of information about active cases, and even have an archive for closed cases. This allows the team members to share information more easily.

Interviewer: (purses lips, gives a little whistle) Wow, that sounds darn complicated. I’m a technosaur, myself. What else will you be doing once everything is set up?

Ronald Arneau: Well, if they need research, I’ll do that; post #crime scene photos in the Team Room, examine computers or storage devices recovered in raids to extract evidence, trace IP addresses to find where communications or postings originated. If any of the team members have a problem with their laptop I can trouble shoot and help resolve those issues. Like I said before, anything related to a computer is my job.

Interviewer: (widens eyes and rolls them)  Wow! I’m impressed! That’s a brain fry; maybe we can move on to something that I’ll actually understand.

Ronald Arneau: (chuckles)

Interviewer: Do you live in #Seattle?

Ronald Arneau: (face settles into serious look) Yes. I wanted to get my own place, but I’ve kind of put that off for a little while. My dad’s sick.

Interviewer: I’m sorry to hear that. Sounds like you’ve lived here for a while. What are some of your favorite things about Seattle?

Ronald Arneau: I grew up in Seattle. I guess the thing I like most about Seattle is the #Pacific #Science #Center. My parents started taking me there when I was a kid.

Interviewer: What do you like about the Pacific Science Center?

Ronald Arneau: (big grin) I love Science on a Sphere. They use computers and video projectors to display these radical images of the atmosphere, oceans and land on an illuminated sphere about six feet in diameter. And the images are dynamic. There’s datasets that let the system explain complex environmental processes. That exhibit just opened in 2010.

Then there’s the Laser Dome….Man, that is so awesome. These laser artists do live laser art set to music. Really slammin’.

The IMAX Theater is really great, too. The Hunger Games is going to be shown there soon.

But I guess one of the things I’ve loved about the Center for years is the Tropical Butterfly House. You walk into this tropical jungle set up and there’s all these different types of live butterflies, just hanging on the plants and walls, and flying around, and sometimes they even land on you. There’s even a chrysalis viewing window where you can watch a new butterfly emerging.

Interviewer: I’ve gone to the Pacific Science Center years ago, but now I’m going to have to make time to visit it again. I’d forgotten about the Butterfly House, and the Laser Dome.

Well, Ronald, I’m afraid we’re out of time, already. It has been a pleasure talking with you.

For those who would like to know more about the Pacific Science Center:

http://www.pacificsciencecenter.org

COMING SOON: SKETCH OF A MURDER, BOOK 1, SPECIAL CRIMES TEAM

FOR MORE INFORMATION STAY TUNED TO THIS BLOG, OR VISIT AYA AT http://www.facebook.com/ayawalksfar

 

NEW #AUTHORS, NEW BOOKS TO READ!

This week I have read two books that are well out of the stream of ordinary. These #authors have both approached their subjects with a great deal of thought and craft.

Elizabeth Garcia’s The Reluctant Cowboy addressed some tough issues–such as violence, rape, gender identity, and love– but not with an in-your-face approach. She wove a story that pulled me in, made me feel a connection to young Jed, and consequently, to the pain and confusion he faced. I won’t say how it ended, but I will say I recommend reading it.

Chantal Bellehumeur’s, Just Another Common Killer. Not being a Ripperologist, nor really a fan of horror, still the book intrigued me and I didn’t put it down until I had finished it.  It was written in a reportorial style that added to the feeling of reality. Quite interesting, it kept me thinking even after I turned the last page.

To read more reviews on these books go to Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com

Both books are available on Amazon.

MEET DR. IRENE NELSON, #FBI, SPECIAL CRIMES TEAM

MEET DR. IRENE NELSON, FBI, #SPECIALCRIMESTEAM

Interviewer:  Dr. Irene Nelson is with us today. Thank you, Dr. Nelson for consenting to this #interview.

Dr. Nelson:  (inclines head slightly) My pleasure.

Interviewer: How did you happen to be assigned to the #Special #Crimes #Team, Doctor?

Dr. Nelson: Governor Marleton and I met a few months ago at a conference. When she felt it would be beneficial to create a special law enforcement unit to deal with certain crimes that crossed jurisdictions, she contacted the Assistant Director. They had known each other for years, so it was logical to ask him for input. My name came up, and….(she spreads her hands a little in an open gesture with a small smile) here I am.

Interviewer: Are you referring to the #murders of Dr. James Benning and Roland Henry?

Dr. Nelson: Those cases were assigned to the Special Crimes Team.

Interviewer: Wasn’t Dr. Benning a contributor to Governor Marleton’s last campaign?

Dr. Nelson: You would know the answer to that question better than I would. Politics is not my forte.

Interviewer: From my research, I understand that Lieutenant Williams, the head of the Special Crimes Team, has in the past objected to what he referred to as “Bureau interference.” How did he feel about Governor Marleton bringing you in?

Dr. Nelson: (face very serious) Lieutenant Williams is a dedicated professional law enforcement officer. He recognizes that additional resources can sometimes produce quicker results.

Interviewer: (gives a little grin) Hmm. So he really wasn’t all that thrilled at getting an #FBI agent dumped in his case, but figured that since he couldn’t kick you out, he’d take advantage of the extra help. Is that about right?

Dr. Nelson: (a smile tugs the corners of her lips. Her eyes twinkle) What an interesting theory based on your original question and my response.

Interviewer: I hope you aren’t offended, but I did a bit of research on your career.

Dr. Nelson: I’m honored that you found me that interesting.

Interviewer:  It seems that you’ve taken the long road to where you are today. Your first career was as a heart surgeon then you became a psychiatrist.  Why?

Dr. Nelson: I found heart surgery rather …predictable.

Interviewer: Is that code for boring?

Dr. Nelson: It is never boring to save a life. (She gives a small smile that takes any sting out of her words) I simply find the mind a more interesting part of the human body.

Interviewer: How does a heart surgeon slash psychiatrist– whose father is a well-known heart surgeon and whose mother is an equally well-known gynecologist– go from practicing psychiatry to becoming a Special Agent in Charge with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and then from there go on to join the Behavioral Analysis Unit, the #BAU, of the FBI?

Dr. Nelson: (raises a brow and quirks a smile) My, my, you really did research my background. (all levity fades from her face) However, you didn’t spread your net quite wide enough. A few years after I began practicing psychiatric medicine, my first cousin, Peter O’Reilly, was murdered in his own home. He had been a Special Agent in Charge for a number of years. His killer was eventually apprehended due to the work of the BAU. Being only children, and growing up in the same neighborhood, Peter and I were exceptionally close.

Interviewer: I’m sorry for your loss, Dr. Nelson. And, you’re right; obviously I didn’t research deep enough. Thank you for sharing.

Dr. Nelson: It’s been many years since Peter’s death, but I still miss him.

Interviewer: (glances at watch) It appears that our time is almost up. We’ve been talking about some pretty serious stuff, so let’s end this on a happier note. Will you share with us one #facebook page that you enjoy, one #restaurant you love, and one place you want to go visit someday?

Dr. Nelson: (a big smile spreads across her face and up to cause her eyes to twinkle) I’d love to. One #facebook page, hmm, (taps lip with index finger) I believe the one I am currently enjoying the most is called Wild and Wise Women; a close second, though, is one called Cops Kind to Critters.

As for a restaurant…. As you know, I live in Virginia and haven’t been in this area for long; however, I met a lovely lady at Pike Place Market in #Seattle and we got to talking. She told me about a small eatery in #Anacortes. She said the town itself was well worth the drive north and she recommended #Gere-a-Deli as the place to have lunch. It’s in an old bank building on Commercial Street. The prime rib sandwich had thick slabs of prime rib, the bread was melt-in-your-mouth fresh, and the deserts are simply to die for.

Interviewer: Wow, now I’m hungry!

Dr. Nelson: (chuckles) You really have to try it out. Now, the last question: a place I would like to visit.  ( a dreamy look settles on her face) There are so many beautiful places in our world: #Mount Haleakala on #Maui in the Hawaiian Islands. I’ve seen photos of it, simply fascinating. #Yellowstone Park, I’ve never been there, but I’ve always wanted to see the geyser, Old Faithful. A cruise to Alaska’s on my list, too. (Her light laugh is like warm chocolate) However, of all the beautiful places I have yet to see, I think the one I would most like to visit is the #Redwood #Forest in California. Even though I am not a woodsy-type woman, I feel it must be so inspiring, so spiritual to walk among those ancient trees.

Interviewer:  I did have the good fortune a few years ago to visit that area. Those trees are truly awesome, and the drive is beautiful.  Well, Dr. Nelson, we are out of time. I want to thank you again for coming.

For those who would like to know more about Dr. Nelson’s choices:

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/wildandwisewomen

http://www.facebook.com/copskindtocritters

Redwood National Park:  http://www.redwood.national-park.com/

Maui, Hawaii:  http://www.gohawaii.com/maui/regions…maui/haleakala-national-park

Gere-a-Deli, Anacortes, Washington:  http://www.gere-a-deli.com/

To learn more about the Special Crimes Team and Dr. Irene Nelson:

COMING SOON: SKETCH OF A MURDER, BOOK 1, SPECIAL CRIMES TEAM

Stay tuned to this blog for release date information, or visit Aya at http://www.facebook.com/ayawalksfar   or   http://www.facebook.com/AyaWalksfarAuthor

COVER REVEAL! SKETCH OF A MURDER, BOOK 1, SPECIAL CRIMES TEAM!

Wealthy, prominent men sexually mutilated and gruesomely murdered.  Governor Marleton forms a unit, the Special Crimes Team, to take the heat and to hunt down the killer. The unit, seen as the Siberia of law enforcement, is comprised of misfits and loners, cops who’ve pissed somebody off.

Sergeant Nita Slowater, a mixed blood Native American, knew she should never have knocked that reporter on his skinny, white ass. Now she’s stuck as the second-in-command of the Special Crimes Team. As if that isn’t bad enough, her superior, Lieutenant Michael Williams, a black man, is in a constant state of PMS and riding her case.

If they can’t figure out a way to get along, more men will die at the hands of the self-dubbed Avenger.

The only bright spot in Nita’s life is her unlikely friendship with a homeless black woman, Molly the Pack Lady. Then Molly dies and wills her artwork to Nita.

Within the old woman’s art lies the key to the killer’s identity, but will Nita discover it before an innocent man dies?

COMING SOON!!!! STAY TUNED FOR RELEASE DATE!

 

COVER REVEAL! GOOD INTENTIONS, SECOND EDITION!

Bev Ransom thinks her life can’t get any worse after her father dies unexpectedly. At least she has her friend and employer, Rene Lawson, an intriguing older woman whose past is shrouded in mystery. Then, on a day like any other, Bev goes to work and by evening, Rene is dead.

Devastated and unable to let go of another loved one, Bev becomes obsessed with unraveling the mysteries that surrounded Rene. When she uncovers a twenty-year old secret, Bev’s world is shattered. Is there anyone she can

trust?

COMING SOON TO AMAZON !!!!!!

STAY TUNED FOR RELEASE DATE!

MEET OFFICER DRISCOLL MULDER, SPECIAL CRIMES TEAM

MEET OFFICER DRISCOLL MULDER, SPECIAL CRIMES TEAM

Interviewer:  I am so glad you could make this #interview, Officer Mulder.

Officer Driscoll Mulder:  Yeah, well, the Lieutenant said we should play nice with you.  (Folds his arms over his chest)

Interviewer:  Well… (interviewer  gives a small frown) Does that mean you would prefer not to be here?

Officer Driscoll Mulder: (Gives a big shrug) It’s okay. So what do you want to ask me?

Interviewer:  What do you want me to ask you?

Officer Driscoll Mulder: (Purses lips) You’d make a good cop. Answer a question with a question. (Gives another shrug) It’s your show.

Interviewer:  Okay. Why did you join the #Special #Crimes #Team?

Officer Driscoll Mulder:  (Brows shoot up to his hairline) You go right to the meat, huh? All right. ( He sits up straight and locks his eyes on the interviewer) I joined them because I’m #gay. (He leans against the back of the chair, his eyes never leaving the interviewer’s face.)

(Interviewer raises a brow) Why would being #gay be the deciding factor on whether you joined the team, or not?

Officer Driscoll Mulder: (Purses lips and makes a sucking sound between teeth as he watches interviewer) There are still neanderthals who believe that being a cop means being a ‘man’s man’ (He makes air quote marks with his fingers) and to them being gay makes me less than a man. Oh, I could’ve hid in the closet, kept my mouth shut and blended, but that isn’t me. I march in the Pride Parade, I speak up in the locker room when someone thinks some of their heterosexist jokes are oh so funny. Doesn’t make me popular.

(Interviewer gives a small head shake) So being on the Special Crimes Team is better?

Officer Driscoll Mulder:  (He slouches in his chair, stretches his legs out in front of him) Don’t know yet. Just got there. Can’t be any worse than where I was.

Interviewer:  If being a #cop is so difficult, why do it? Why not go into some other line of work?

Officer Driscoll Mulder:  (A weariness settles on his young face) Being a cop is difficult, and dangerous. Between the bigots on the street who would love to shoot a gay cop for being gay, and the bigots in the force who wouldn’t mind turning a blind eye to that kind of shooting, being a gay cop is even more dangerous, but if not me, then who? If I don’t push forward, there will be no trail for any other LGBT person to follow.

And those queer kids out there, the ones who hate cops, well maybe they can relate a little better to a queer cop. At least, it lets them know there is someone who might understand. Do you have any idea how many of the #street #kids are LGBT–lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender?  The last stat I read said that 50 percent of the street kids are there because they are #LGBT. Many of them are thrown out of their houses, or they run from a violent reaction from their parents. That’s one of the reasons why I’m an out, gay cop.

If that means I transfer into what other #cops see as the Siberia of law enforcement…. (He gives a one-shouldered shrug) then that’s where I’ll go.  No bigot is going to stop me from representing my people—LGBT people—and giving a voice to them from within law enforcement. Besides, (he gives a grim smile) if I keep shining a light, maybe others will see the kinks in the system, and maybe there will be a chance to effect a change.

Interviewer: That is quite a burden, but I admire your courage. If we don’t forge a trail and create changes, then who will?

My wife and I married as soon as it became legal for lesbians to marry in Washington State.  Not only does it protect our right to be with our loved one in a medical situation, and to make those important health calls, but the inheritance law won’t penalize us as it does when two people who build something together but can’t marry are penalized. And that is just two of the rights that heterosexual couples have enjoyed all along, but were denied to lesbian couples, to all LGBT couples.

(Interviewer smiles) One of the things I appreciate about being able to marry is letting other people realize: my choice of who I love does not take anything away from you, and it brings to the world nearly 25 years of two people living a life of commitment and love. In this world, especially today, we need all the honest, healthy love we can get.

Well, Officer Mulder, I truly do thank you for coming. And for those who would like to learn more about who LGBT people really are, I suggest you visit sites such as Have a Gay Day (FB)( http://www.facebook.com/MyGayDay ). (Remember: that no single site, or any number of sites, can claim to speak for “all LGBT people” just as no site, or any number of sites, can claim to speak for “all heterosexual people”.

COMING SOON!!!!!!  SKETCH OF A MURDER, BOOK 1, SPECIAL CRIMES TEAM

Wealthy, prominent men sexually mutilated and gruesomely murdered.  Governor Marleton forms a unit, the Special Crimes Team, to take the heat and to hunt down the killer. The unit, seen as the Siberia of law enforcement, is comprised of misfits and loners, cops who’ve pissed somebody off.

Sergeant Nita Slowater, a mixed blood Native American, knew she should never have knocked that reporter on his skinny, white ass. Now she’s stuck as the second-in-command of the Special Crimes Team. As if that isn’t bad enough, her superior, Lieutenant Michael Williams, a black man, is in a constant state of PMS and riding her case.

If they can’t figure out a way to get along, more men will die at the hands of the self-dubbed Avenger.

The only bright spot in Nita’s life is her unlikely friendship with a homeless black woman, Molly the Pack Lady. Then Molly dies and wills her artwork to Nita.

Within the old woman’s art lies the key to the killer’s identity, but will Nita discover it before an innocent man dies?

STAY TUNED TO THIS BLOG ( http://www.ayawalksfar.com ) for RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT!

Visit author, Aya Walksfar, on Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/ayawalksfar

Visit Aya at   http://www.pinterest.com/ayawalksfar to see photos of places important to the members of the Special Crimes Team.