Catherine Astolfo's Blog, page 13

Endorsement = Approval or Support - or both!

Here are the last, but not least, portraits of my endorsers. I am so thrilled with all six reviews of Sweet Karoline. After all, these are authors whose work I admire. And they like me, they really like me (and Karoline too, of course)!

I met Robin Spano at Bouchercon a few years ago, even before I'd read her books.
 
Later, we had a wild night at the Bloody Words Conference in Victoria, B.C., and I totally fell in love (the friendship kind) with her kind, thoughtful, funny, smart personality. We are forever bonded over red wine, getting locked out of a hotel, and William Deverell.

I know - the above needs more information, but what happened in Victoria stays in Victoria. Here's some stuff you can be told, though, from Robin's website:

Robin grew up in downtown Toronto and now lives in Lions Bay, BC. When she’s not lost in fiction, she loves to get outside snowboarding, hiking, boating, and riding the curves of the local highways in her big black pick-up truck. She’s a founding member of Off The Page Toastmasters – a public speaking group for writers. She is married to a man who hates reading and encourages her endlessly. Which is great, because it’s Keith who drags her away from her computer to do all those fun things outside.

I've met Keith, too, and they're both amazing. Robin's three books feature
Clare Vengel, a modern 20something who wants to be a great undercover cop. She isn't. She can slip into a cover role and befriend suspects in all walks of life, but her resistance to authority and her tendency to have too much fun on the job consistently trip her up.

I really liked all three novels, because the writing is smart and snappy, the voices are authentic, and the various settings are interesting. Oh, and the plots are great (you can tell I'm a more character-oriented reader, can't you?).

According to Robin's website, "the books can be read in any order. In fact, reader reviews favor the latest, so we recommend starting with Death's Last Run." Personally, I recommend all three. Visit Robin and decide for yourself!




Douglas Wickard and I met on Twitter. Seriously. Then we connected on Facebook. We started writing back and forth. I read his book and he read a couple of mine. We decided we were kindred spirits - certainly I loved A Perfect Husband and thought his twisted characters were right up my alley LOL.

From his website, here's a bit about Douglas that I think will explain why I found him so interesting:

"I left home early, at sixteen, and joined the military. By twenty-three I was a world traveler. I traded in my small-town upbringing for the City; Los Angeles first, then New York. For over twenty years I lived in the Big Apple, working in the hospitality industry, but I never stopped putting pencil to paper, fingers to keyboard. My introduction to professional writing began with musicals. My first optioned show was called Waiting. Head Over Heels and Lovers & Liars followed. Although Broadway was the goal, my shows never saw the light of the 'Great White Way.' But, my association and collaboration, at that time, with so many wonderful, talented musicians, singers and writers was a creative dream, a children's playground."

Well, he happens to be back in Los Angeles, having written his first thriller novel and nearly finished the second. Since my son and daughter-in-law are in LA, I was able to meet Douglas in person this year. Even though it was only for a quick drink, I know we'll meet up again. We talked non-stop and could probably do so for several hours!

A Perfect Husband is a terrific book, very exciting and gritty - you have to read it. Can't wait for the sequel. Here's a description, which sounds as awesome as the novel really is. (Click on the title to buy it.)

An abandoned cabin... a diabolical killer... a hidden cemetery. A deadly secret is about to be uncovered.
Sami Saxton is starting over.
Gone... is the philandering lawyer husband of twenty-three years. History!
Sold... is the Upper Eastside brownstone complete with designer zip code and 'all the right stuff.' Finished... is her somewhat tarnished career as a veteran editor in the ever-changing corporate world of publishing.
Could things get much worse?
Yes, of course. Sami just turned 42! But, Sami has made up her mind.
Far from the neon blur of Manhattan—the dizzy buzz of restaurants, theater openings and one too many cocktails—located seventy-two miles outside the City in the sleepy, rural township of Montague, New Jersey, Sami is looking to rebuild her life. A rebirth, one might call it. And, she intends to do this spiritual resurrection in a small, abandoned fishing cabin, built over forty years ago by her now deceased father.
Not quite...
A lethal serial killer has taken up residence in the basement of Sami's remote cottage, using her father's carpenter table for a hobby far more sinister than woodcutting.
Sequestered deep within forty-two acres of tall pine trees, bristling brooks and fresh water lakes...
Sami Saxton is about to fight for her life...
The hard truth... nobody will ever hear her scream!


Visit Douglas for yourself right here.

Who is Detective Madison Knight?

Welcome to my guest Carolyn Arnold. She's one of my virtual friends and has kindly featured me on her blog, too. Carolyn's the author of the Madison Knight series, and the Brandon Fisher FBI series.   Today, she’s going to tell us about the Madison Knight series.

Me: Carolyn, can you tell my readers about the Madison Knight series?

Carolyn: First of all, it is designed as a stand-alone mystery series, which means you can read these books out of order and still pick up on the series' characters and story line.

Me: Exactly who is Detective Madison Knight?


Carolyn: Major Crimes Detective Madison Knight, fueled by determination to find justice for victims, is a strong, independent female amidst a career dominated by men.  If you love a strong protagonist lead, I invite you to meet Madison for yourself.


To find out more about Madison Knight and the series, you can visit my website here.

Me: How many are books are currently available in the series?

Carolyn:Three novels are currently available, but two more are slated for release 2013.  FOUND INNOCENT will be the fourth in the series slated to release in fall 2013, and LIFE SENTENCE, the prequel to the series releases August 14, 2013.

TIES THAT BIND
Meet Madison Knight as she and partner must pull together to stop a potential serial killer.

JUSTIFIED
See the softer side of Madison Knight in Justified as she's assigned to a case on Christmas Eve.

SACRIFICE
Madison must risk all, including her career, to bring a killer to justice.

Me: Would you like to share some more information on the first in the series, TIES THAT BIND, and an excerpt?

Carolyn: Absolutely. 

This is the book overview:

Detective Madison Knight concluded the case of a strangled woman an isolated incident. But when another woman's body is found in a park killed with the same line of neckties, she realizes they're dealing with something more serious.

Despite mounting pressure from the Sergeant and Chief to close the case even if it means putting an innocent man behind bars, and a partner who is more interested in saving his marriage than stopping a potential serial killer, Madison may have to go it alone if there's not going to be another victim.


Excerpt of TIES THAT BIND: 

Chapter 1


Someone died every day.  Madison was left to make sense of it.  She ducked under the yellow tape and surveyed the scene.  The two-story, white-sided house would be deemed average any other day, but today the dead body inside made it of interest to the Stiles PD and a few curious onlookers who gathered in small clusters on the sidewalk.
She’d never seen the officer securing the perimeter before but she knew his type.  The way he stood there with his back straight, one hand resting on his holster, the other gripping a clipboard, identified him as an eager recruit.
He held up a hand as she approached.  “This is a closed crime scene.”
She unclipped the badge from the waist of her pants and held it front of him.  He studied it as if it was counterfeit.  She respected those who took their jobs seriously—on a regular day—but not when she functioned on limited sleep and the humidity level topped ninety-five percent at ten-thirty in the morning.  “Detective K-N-I-”  Her name died on her lips when the front door opened and Sergeant Winston stepped out.  She would have groaned audibly if he wasn’t closing the distance between them so quickly.  She preferred her boss behind a desk.
Winston gestured for the young officer to let her in.  He glared at her before leaving his post.  She envied the fact he could leave.
 “It’s about time you got here.”  Winston fished a handkerchief out of a pocket and wiped at his receding hairline.  The extra few inches exposed a large forehead that could have served as a solar panel.  “I was just about to assign the lead to Grant.”
Terry Grant was her partner of five years and her junior by three.  Damn if he’d give the lead to Terry.
“Where have you been anyway?”
She disregarded his inquiry, jacked a thumb in the rookie’s direction.  “Who’s the new guy?”
“Don’t change the subject, Knight.”
She’d have to offer some sort of an explanation for being late.  “Well, boss, you know me.  Up all night slinging back shooters.”
“Don’t get smart with me.”
She flashed him a cocky smile and pulled a Hershey bar from a front pant pocket.  The chocolate had already softened from the heat.  It didn’t really matter.  She took a bite.  Heaven.  She spoke with a partial mouthful.  “What are you doing here anyway?”
“Call came in.  I was nearby.  Thought someone should respond.”  He went to step over the tape to the sidewalk, but it wasn’t a smooth maneuver.  His foot got caught up in the band.  He hopped on the other leg to adjust his balance and straightened out.  He continued speaking as if he hadn’t noticed.  “The body’s upstairs, main bedroom.  She was strangled.”  He pointed the tip of a key toward her.  “Keep me updated.”  He depressed a button on his key fob.  The department-issued SUV’s lights flashed.  “I’ll be waiting for your call.”
As if he needed to say that.  Sometimes she wondered if he valued talk more than action.
 With the Sergeant gone, she could feel the eyes of the young officer on her.  He stood there judging her from a distance.  What was his problem anyway?  She took another bite as she turned her attention to the house.
Terry came out.  “Too bad you had to show.  I think I was just about to get the lead.”
“I’d have to be the one dead for that to happen.”  She allowed a small smile to show as she brushed past him.
“You look like crap.”
The smile faded.  She stopped walking and turned around.  Every one of his blond hairs was in place, making her self-conscious of her short cut, wake-up-and-wear-it style.  And his cheeks held a healthy glow, no doubt from his morning two-mile run.  She hated people who could do mornings.
“What did you get?  Two hours sleep?”
“Three, but who’s counting?”  She took another large bite.
“You were up reviewing evidence from the last case, weren’t you?”
She didn’t feel inclined to answer.
“You can’t change the past.”
She didn’t feel hungry anymore and wrapped up what was left.  “Let’s just focus on this case.”
“Fine, if that’s how it’s going be.  Victim’s name is Laura Saunders.  She’s thirty-two.  Single.  Officer Higgins was the first on scene.  Call came in from the vic’s employer, Southwest Welding Products, where she worked as the receptionist.”
“What would make the employer call?”
“She didn’t show for her shift at eight.  They tried reaching her first, but when they didn’t get an answer, they sent a security officer over.  He found the door ajar, called downtown.  Higgins was here by eight forty-five.”
“Who—”
“The security officer?  Terrence Owens.  And don’t worry we took a formal statement, let him go.  Background showed notta, not even a speeding ticket.  We can function when you’re not around.”
She cocked her head to the side.
“He also testifies to the fact he never stepped one foot into the place.”  Terry paused and laughed lightly.  “Said he’s watched enough cop shows to know it would contaminate the crime scene.  You get all those people watching those stupid TV shows, and they all think they can solve murder.”
“Is Owens the one who made the call downtown?”
“Actually, procedure for them is to route everything through administration.  A Sandra Butler made the call.  She’s the office manager.”
“So an employee doesn’t show for work, they send someone to your house?”
“She said it’s part of their safety policy.”
“At least they’re a group of people inclined to think positively.”  Madison felt sweat droplets run down her back.  Disgusting.  She moved toward the house.
“You can’t take that in there.”  The young officer came hurrying over.  He shoved the clipboard under his arm, tucked a pen behind an ear.  He jabbed a pointed finger toward the chocolate bar.
She glanced down at it.  Chocolate oozed out of a corner.  He had a point so she handed it to him.  His jaw tightened.  She forced a smile and patted his shoulder.  “Good job.”  He walked away with the bar dangling from the wrapper he held pinched between two fingers mumbling something indiscernible.
Terry said, “You can be so wicked sometimes.”
“Why thank you.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.  And since when do you eat chocolate for breakfast?”
“Oh shut up.”  She punched him in the shoulder.  He smirked and rubbed his arm, same old sideshow.  She headed into the house with him following behind her.
“Stairs are to the right.”
“Holy crap, it’s freezing in here.”  The sweat on her skin chilled, and she found it a refreshing welcome.
“Yep, a hundred and one outside, sixty inside.”  Two steps from the top, Terry spoke over a shoulder.  “And just a forewarning.  It’s not your typical strangulation.”
“Come on Terry, you’ve seen one, you’ve—”  She stopped talking, stood in the bedroom doorway.  Terry was right.

Want to read more?  You’ll have to purchase Carolyn Arnold’s book.  Speaking of which, where can we find TIES THAT BIND?

Amazon Kindle US
Amazon Kindle UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Apple
Sony

You may also find out more about Carolyn Arnold and her books at:  http://carolynarnold.net

Two More of Karoline's Godparents!

You know how you have a baby shower and everyone comes and gives best wishes? Well, I'm going to introduce you to the ones who gathered at Sweet Karoline's book baby shower to give their endorsements. Come on in, maybe you'll meet some authors who are new to you and become your faves too. 

I met Mike (Michael J. McCann) at Word on the Street Toronto last year. Although I'd met him virtually (he's also a member of Crime Writers of Canada), we hadn't been introduced face-to-face. I immediately loved his enthusiasm, friendliness and sense of humour. So I bought his book. How thrilled was I that I also loved his writing? I immediately read another and another. So when it came to an endorsement, he was one of my first picks. Even though he was massively busy, he read Karoline for me.

Here's  an intro to Michael J. McCann from his website: 
Michael J. McCann lives and writes in Oxford Station, Ontario on seven acres in the Limerick Forest south of Ottawa. 

Lucky bugger, eh? His books are fabulous. You should read them. Here's a bit about the first novel I read.

Homicide Lieutenant Hank Donaghue is on vacation when he stops overnight in Harmony, a quiet little town where nothing ever happens. Without warning, the police kick down the door of his motel room in the middle of the night and drag him off to jail on suspicion of having strangled a woman behind a bar. Although he insists he’s a cop himself and had nothing to do with it, the local chief of police won’t listen. An eyewitness claims he saw Donaghue go behind the bar where the murder took place – and the victim was Chief Askew's wife. Donaghue calls on Detective Karen Stainer to help get him released from jail. Once he's free, he and Karen must find Marcie Askew’s killer before it’s too late! 

Go get Mike's books here: Michael J. McCann





Next up is Lisa Pell. She is one of my virtual friends, believe it or not. We hooked up on Facebook and Twitter and started conversing. Lisa lives in Washington, D.C., and I haven't had a chance to visit her there - yet.

Lisa (in the middle) and her hubby to the rightAt one point, she asked me to read her book, and I was honoured to do so. Later, she actually included my review in Who's Your Daddy, Baby? Here it is:
 “The topic is certainly current, given the space age approaches to fertility. Add to that the connections through the cyber world and the story couldn’t be more contemporary or intriguing…However, what I really liked most about this book was the writing. It’s intelligent and witty, informative yet easy to read.”   – Catherine Astolfo, author of the Emily Taylor Mysteries and Past President of Crime Writers of Canada  Here's a bit about the novel, from Lisa's website: Inspired by the author’s experience, Who’s Your Daddy, Baby? is the story of Lori McGuire Pomay, a happily married career woman living in suburban Washington, D.C.  Lori undergoes genetic testing for in vitro fertilization and her world is rocked when she is told the dad she always knew could not possibly have been her biological father.  This mid-life shocker sends her into an alternately hilarious, heartwarming, and heartbreaking search for truth about her heritage – from Appalachian Cherokees to Purple Kings on a church stage, with high-rolling gamblers, car dealers, dentists, and all manner of confused amnesiacs in their seventies along for the ride.  If you think it sounds great, you're right! Lisa and I have never met in person, but we will, I just know it. Now that we're connected by being godparents of each others' books, it's inevitable. And when I read about her witty, fun-loving ways, I just know it's going to be a meeting of the jovial minds. Go buy Who's Your Daddy, Baby? here at Lisa's Website. 

Endorsers! How I Love Thee!

Since we have to wait a little bit for Sweet Karoline to show up, I want to introduce you to my amazing endorsers.

What's an endorser, you ask? Well, the first criterion is that the endorser must be another writer whom you admire. The second criterion is that s/he is willing to read your novel in manuscript form, ignore any errors (this is pre-edit, you see), and tell you what they think. You expect them to be honest, because obviously if they don't like the book, they won't provide an endorsement.

Fortunately for me, I found six authors who fit the criteria perfectly. I'm going to show them to you, two at a time, alphabetically.

I met Mel Bradshaw through Crime Writers of Canada. Before I met him in person, I had already read his book, Victim Impact, and loved it.  Once I met him in person, I loved him, too, and his wonderful wife, Carol.

Here's a quick peek from his website:
Torn from the Headlines: Victim ImpactDrug wars and courtroom drama in the Golden Horseshoe. The rights of the criminally accused versus the needs of the victims. A twenty-first century thriller.
When criminologist Ted Boudreau’s academic interest in biker gangs brings tragedy into his home, a penal progressive must confront his inner vigilante. There will be other victims. Can all receive justice?

“It’s a haunting novel… a must read.” (Don Graves, Hamilton Spectator)
I have to admit I haven't gotten to the Shenstone stories yet, but I have them ready to read once I complete two other novels I've got my nose into. Mel knows why I am especially interested in the Shenstone mysteries! Quarrel with the Foe and Fire on the Runaway are on my shelf. You should get them on yours, too. Go here for all the links: Mel's Website

"Detective Sergeant Paul Shenstone of the Toronto police gets his first case as lead investigator in 1926. His professional assets include a year of university, combat experience during the Great War, and a bachelor's freedom to focus on a problem without family distractions. His liabilities? A thirst for whiskey despite Prohibition, a fondness for women, and a tendency to go it alone rather than fit into an organizational pigeon-hole."
Mel Bradshaw and Me at a Signing with the "Other Mel" (Campbell) to Mel's left.


 Next in line is Liz Bugg. I recently attended the launch of her third book, Yellow Vengeance. (That's one of the two novels I told you about that I'm currently reading.) I have read the first two as well, and love them all.

Here's a sneak peek from Liz's website about her first book, Red Rover.

Thalia Spencer is missing. Is she in trouble or simply avoiding her family?

This fast-moving thriller follows Calli Barnow through the twists and turns of Toronto’s neighbourhoods, from rundown but friendly Kensington market to the Church Street gaybourhood, through the ravines of Rosedale and Mount Pleasant’s Mausoleums.

Calli is an engaging companion, flawed but determined, pursued by her own demons as she tries to find a missing girl before more trouble finds her.


The above synopsis mentions the three things I love about Liz's books: the fast pace, the setting descriptions, and the wonderful Calli whose witty, sardonic voice endeared her to me from the start.
Liz and I at the launch of Yellow Vengeance.
I've met Liz on a number of occasions and, I'm happy to report, not only do we like each other's writing, we like each other too! What a perfect combination.

Got get Liz's books at her website right here. 

Step up to the Book Bar: This Round is on Luke!

My guest, Luke Murphy, is one of my Imajin Books colleagues. One of the great things for readers - besides getting your hands on terrific titles - is that our novels are relatively inexpensive and, sometimes, we like to thank our fans by buying a round of books.

Take it away, Luke!

My International bestselling crime-thriller, DEAD MAN’S HAND, is now FREE, from June 26-28.

I’ve been so happy with the success and reviews since releasing my debut novel back in October. DMH hit International Bestselling status almost overnight.

There are so many crime-thriller writers and so many books in the genres that competition is at an all-time high. Many people have asked what makes my story so special and who would enjoy my book.

Why has this novel generated an audience?
- Dead Man’s Hand has tension and excitement as a result of the action taking place in a single week.


- The African-American protagonist is not stereotypical. While his race is significant, he does not moralize about the issue or his situation.  

- The “find out who framed you to save yourself” plot has a twist in that Watters researches the crime online, primarily using analysis of character rather than physical evidence.


- Point of view is easy to follow but engagingly complex, with scenes from the perspectives of Watters, the detective, the cheating wife, and a hired assassin.

Who is my MAIN target audience and why?

- Thriller readers looking for an atypical thriller hero—an African-American who is no saint.


- Sports fans will be fascinated by Watters’ struggle to recover his decency and win, a kind of Blind Side story with little sentimentality and few illusions.

- A Las Vegas setting—the world of The Hangover movies and many youth films like Bridesmaids—will appeal to 20s-30s readers.

- Watters’ romance with a former prostitute will appeal to younger female readers.  The marital tension between Detective Dayton and his wife will interest adults. Both men and women will enjoy the twist on the femme fatale figure of the murderer’s lover, who has her own schemes.

Get Dead Man’s Hand for FREE - http://ow.ly/hd4Xv

Back cover text:

What happens when the deck is stacked against you…

From NFL rising-star prospect to wanted fugitive, Calvin Watters is a sadistic African-American Las Vegas debt-collector framed by a murderer who, like the Vegas Police, finds him to be the perfect fall-guy.

…and the cards don't fall your way?

When the brutal slaying of a prominent casino owner is followed by the murder of a well-known bookie, Detective Dale Dayton is thrown into the middle of a highly political case and leads the largest homicide investigation in Vegas in the last twelve years.

What if you're dealt a Dead Man's Hand?

Against his superiors and better judgment, Dayton is willing to give Calvin one last chance. To redeem himself, Calvin must prove his innocence by finding the real killer, while avoiding the LVMPD, as well as protect the woman he loves from a professional assassin hired to silence them.

Reviews:

"You may want to give it the whole night, just to see how it turns out."
—William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Back Bay and The Lincoln Letter

"Dead Man's Hand is a pleasure, a debut novel that doesn't read like one,
but still presents original characters and a fresh new voice."
—Thomas Perry, New York Times bestselling author of Poison Flower

"Part police procedural, part crime fiction, Dead Man's Hand is a fast, gritty ride."
—Anne Frasier, USA Today bestselling author of Hush

Get it FREE - http://ow.ly/hd4Xv

Luke Murphy lives in Shawville, Quebec with his wife, three daughters and a pug.

He played six years of professional hockey before retiring in 2006. Since then, he’s held a number of jobs, from sports columnist to radio journalist, before earning his Bachelor of Education degree (Magna Cum Laude).

Murphy's debut novel, Dead Man's Hand, was released by Imajin Books on October 20, 2012.

For more information on Luke and his books, visit: www.authorlukemurphy.com, ‘like’ his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorLukeMurphy and follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/#!/AuthorLMurphy

Consider Yourself At Home!

Another Guest from my Family of Imajin Books! Chris Redding introduces us to her newest book.

Which Exit Angel

Just released. Get it for the introductory price of 99 cents for a limited time.

Blurb:
She's an angel who hasn't earned her wings. He's a preacher who is questioning his faith. How are they supposed to fend off the coming apocalypse?

Excerpt:
A bell rang, but Detective Angela Sky wasn’t getting her wings.
Not that she wasn’t due, she just hadn’t made the commitment yet. She’d get around to it, right now she had a murder to investigate.
She fished her Smartphone out of her pocket to see who had sent her a text message. That’s what had been ringing, well, dinging because she’d left it on the default sound for incoming messages. Dang technology. Harder to solve than most homicides.
Gabriel again. Sighing, she put the device back in her pocket. He’d have to wait. She pulled her shirt from her sticky back. Dang New Jersey humidity. The dog days of August in New Jersey was not her idea of a good time. She didn’t want murders of angels to take place at all, but she’d enjoy a cooler climate.  Even the sun going down hadn’t taken the heat out of the air.
The body in question had already been removed, but had there been a chalk outline it would have included wings.
Bunny Watts, the deceased, had received her wings more than a hundred years before. She’d been a guardian angel, but no one in Heaven or Earth seemed to know what she was doing down a dark alley on a humid Saturday night in the small Shore town. 
Another person had been there too and that someone had killed Bunny. It was Angela’s job to solve the crime. The way kidnappers crossing state lines were FBI jurisdiction, angels’ deaths were her bailiwick .
The only witness sat in a Sea Witch, New Jersey, police car.
Sea Witch? What the heck kind of name was that for a town?

Buy here: http://amzn.com/B00D1TPXZY
Where to find Chris Redding
http://chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/chrisreddingauthor
www.twitter.com/chrisredding
Enjoy and thanks to Catherine for having me today.
You're most welcome, Chris!

One of the Family: Guest Kat Flannery

 

My Guest today is one of my Imajineers: our family of authors published by Imajin Books. Kat Flannery talks to us about how she writes her incredibly realistic characters.


When I’m writing I often visualize the characters to look like an actor or actress.

With my last book CHASING CLOVERS, I was asked all the time what actors I thought should play my characters and of course I had the answers right away, Ilsa Fisher and Dwayne Johnson, yes the rock. 

I’m not one who thinks my books could ever be movies, but hey, you never know. So just for fun and in case Hollywood comes calling I thought I’d help them out with who I think should play my main characters.







 Nora Rushton: I created Nora to be somewhat exotic looking in the fact that she had black hair and blue eyes. She is a healer, or what most call her a witch.

I knew right away that she’d be soft and timid, yet when required she’d have a feisty side too.

Emily Blunt came to mind. She appears to have the same quiet, stoic mannerisms I created in Nora, but the fire needed to play her too.









Otakatay was bit harder for me to pin down.
He is tough as nails, gritty, lethal and will kill you if he needs to.


He is half Lakota and half white with a dark look to him.
 
All the regular actors don’t come to mind when I think of him, until it hit me when I was writing this post, Jason Momoa. Yes, that was it. Dark, feral, beastly look, with a yummy appeal to him as well.





Excerpt from Lakota Honor: PROLOGUE

Colorado Mountains, 1880

     The blade slicing his throat made no sound, but the dead body hitting the ground did. With no time to stop, he hurried through the dark tunnel until he reached the ladder leading out of the shaft.
 He’d been two hundred feet below ground for ten days, with no food and little water. Weak and woozy, he stared up the ladder. He’d have to climb it and it wasn’t going to be easy. He wiped the bloody blade on his torn pants and placed it between his teeth. Scraped knuckles and unwashed hands gripped the wooden rung.
     The earth swayed. He closed his eyes and forced the spinning in his head to cease. One thin bronzed leg lifted and came down wobbly. He waited until his leg stopped shaking before he climbed another rung. Each step caused pain, but was paired with determination. He made it to the top faster than he’d thought he would. The sky was black and the air was cool, but fresh. Thank goodness it was fresh.
      He took two long breaths before he emerged from the hole. The smell from below ground still lingered in his nostrils; unwashed bodies, feces and mangy rats. His stomach pitched. He tugged at the rope around his hands. There had been no time to chew the thick bands around his wrists when he’d planned his escape. It was better to run than crawl, and he chewed through the strips that bound his feet instead. There would be time to free his wrists later.
     He pressed his body against the mountain and inched toward the shack. He frowned. A guard stood at the entrance to where they were. The blade from the knife pinched his lip, cutting the thin skin and he tasted blood. He needed to get in there. He needed to say goodbye. He needed to make a promise.
     The tower bell rang mercilessly. There was no time left. He pushed away from the rocky wall, dropped the knife from his mouth into his bound hands, aimed and threw it. The dagger dug into the man’s chest. He ran over, pulled the blade from the guard and quickly slid it across his throat. The guard bled out in seconds.
     He tapped the barred window on the north side of the dilapidated shack. The time seemed to stretch. He glanced at the large house not fifty yards from where he stood. He would come back, and he would kill the bastard inside.
     He tapped again, harder this time, and heard the weak steps of those like him shuffling from inside. The window slid open, and a small hand slipped out.
     “Toksha ake—I shall see you again,” he whispered in Lakota.
     The hand squeezed his once, twice and on the third time held tight before it let go and disappeared inside the room.
     A tear slipped from his dark eyes, and his hand, still on the window sill, balled into a fist. He swallowed past the sob and felt the burn in his throat. His chest ached for what he was leaving behind. He would survive, and he would return.
     Men shouted to his right, and he crouched down low. He took one last look around and fled into the cover of the forest.



Click the title and buy Lakota Honor now! On sale for a limited time.


BIO
     Kat Flannery has loved writing ever since she was a girl. She is often seen jotting her ideas down in a little black book. When not writing, or researching, Kat enjoys snuggling on her couch with a hot chocolate and a great book.
     Her first novel, CHASING CLOVERS became an Amazon’s bestseller in Historical and Western romance. This is Kat’s second book, and she is currently hard at work on the third.
     When not focusing on her creative passions, Kat is busy with her three boys and doting husband.

Kat's Website: http://www.katflannery-author.com (or click on the banner above)
Kat's Blog: http://kat-scratch.blogspot.ca

Guest: Robin Spano!

My guest today is Robin Spano, Author of Dead Politician Society, Death Plays Poker and Death's Last Run. As a bonus, she is talking in her blog to another great Canadian writer, Deryn Collier, author of Confined Space. I've read all four of these books and loved them all. Robin's heroine, Clare Vengel, is a unique, feisty character that I know you'll fall in love with.

About Robin:
Robin grew up in downtown Toronto and now lives in Lions Bay, BC. When she’s not lost in fiction, she loves to get outside snowboarding, hiking, boating, and riding the curves of the local highways in her big black pick-up truck.
Her historical role model is Winston Churchill, more for his independent thinking than his drinking. Her secret dream was to be one of Charlie’s Angels, but since real life danger terrifies her, she writes crime fiction instead.
She’s a founding member of Off The Page Toastmasters – a public speaking group for writers.
She is married to a man who hates reading and encourages her endlessly. Which is great, because it’s Keith who drags her away from her computer to do all those fun things outside.
In this blog, Robin talks about the writing process and how she manages to keep the momentum going. Something all writers can identify with!

                                       And now - Robin's inspirational "Power Hour" blog.
Power Houraka How to keep your MS chugging forward even when life conspires not to let you
My friend Deryn Collier and I were texting each other a few weeks ago.
I was distracted with a workload full of promotional and volunteer projects. New tasks were coming in faster than I could complete them and my email inbox was out of control. I normally hoard the whole morning for fiction, but I felt if I didn't attack my piling up to-do list, it would mushroom into oblivion and I'd disappoint a lot of people. Writing felt selfish.
Deryn had an edit deadline for her second novel and her kids were home for March Break. She loves spending time with her boys, admiring as they land handsprings on the couch behind her desk and overseeing the invention of labour-saving devices made of Popsicle sticks and elastics. But since she works from the living room, they were more than a little distracting.
We both wanted to work on our fiction, we technically had the time, but we couldn't find the concentration.
So we started the Power Hour.
Purpose:  To find the focus it takes to write a novel.
Required Apparatus:            1 communication device                                                1 friend who writes                                                1 work in progress (or idea in the mulling stage)
Method:Via text message, we declare our intent for one hour's work.We work for one hour toward our independent goals.We check back in, again via text, and say what we've accomplished.
(It should go without saying that we listen to and care about each other's goals.)
My Observations: I immediately noticed an increase in productivity.
Declaring intent helps solve the problem of staring at my manuscript wondering what to do next. If I know I have one full hour to figure out how Harriet outsmarts the old French guy in the cell phone store, I can put my mind to that, like it's a level in a video game, and either come out successful or make headway that I'm happy with.
I can shut out all the other tasks I have that day since I know that in one hour, I'll be free to attack them.
Writing this way is more fun. It's like having a colleague and a water cooler but keeping the long hours of solitude this profession requires.
Deryn's Observations:  The power hours help me with both focus and accountability. Setting a goal is key, and I know that at the end of the hour Robin's going to ask me what I got done, so that keeps me in line. I’m not going to wander away from my desk if I know that she is there, working too. I’d feel like I was deserting her!
Articulating the mini-goals also helps me realize just how much I do get done on any given day. Writing 100,000 words is a big job, and if I waited until I got to the end to celebrate it would feel like an unending grind. Plus it’s just more fun to have another writer to connect with, to give and receive encouragement on the crappy days and for the occasional kick in the pants, because we all need those sometimes.
We asked each other: What kind of writing is a power hour best suited to? Editing? New writing? Both?
Deryn: Both! I just finished a substantive edit and the power hours were great for keeping me very focused on quantifiable goals. I’m going to revise this chapter. I’m going to power through this whole section. Those were the kinds of specific goals I was setting. Now, I’m using power hours to focus on a brand new project. Who is this character? What is this setting like? How does this theme play out? The goals are more ephemeral, but at the end of the week I’m much more aware of having moved the story forward than I might be otherwise.
Robin: I've only tried it so far with my first draft stage MS, but it's been equally good for polishing as it has for generating new material.
And a perk: I've used power hours to sift through my daunting to-do pile. Picking one task at a time—one blog post, one article, one blurb for another writer—has helped me organize the chaos and feel in command of my workload again.
Conclusion: Highly recommend the power hour to help focus on your work and claim your time for fiction, guilt-free.

I highly recommend that you go to Robin's website right now and order all three books!                                              www.robinspano.com

Tradition! An Atheist Easter

 

             I am the product of a mixed marriage. Not the kind you might think of – this was according to the Catholic Church. You see, my father was not a Catholic. He was not even “religious”.  He often claimed he was an atheist, referred to himself as a heathen. He was one of those unfortunate people, nice as they might be, whose soul was destined to descend rather than climb to heavenly heights.  After all, ‘Catholics Catholics ring the bell, Protestants Protestants go to hell’. We used to shout that over the fence between our school and theirs, even though we carefully never actually said that last, very bad word. So it must be true.There was always hope that, surrounded by his female baptized children, my father might change his mind. His soul could still be saved. For my sisters and me, however, having one parent who didn’t haul us off to church on Sunday opened up a huge avenue for traditions. It became a tradition to pretend you were sick. (We took turns with that.) It became a tradition to sign out of Catholicism when you were sixteen. (I’m proud to say, I started that one. I argued that I’d been marked as a baby and had no choice in the matter. By the time I was sixteen, of course, I knew everything and could make my own decisions.) The best tradition of all, though, was Easter.My dad was witty, a prankster. He loved jokes and told them well. He also liked to entertain his daughters. Fly away Peter, fly away Paul…was one of my favourite magic tricks. He invented an Easter hunt that was unparalleled.  Using that intelligent comedic mind, he’d leave written clues all over the house. We had to read each one and figure out the riddle, which would then lead us to the next.

At the end, we’d find the biggest treasures of all: the bunnies, chocolate or furry (never real), huddled in the crawl space under the stairs or the empty bathtub or in the garage. The clues led us down the stairs, out the back door, in the front door, all over the house and the yard.
When I took over the task after my dad died far too young, I realized what a logistical test this hunt was. You had to ensure that each hint was not too transparent (e.g. “Here’s your hat, where’s your hurry?” led to the coat closet) but not too difficult, depending on the age of the participants. Every clue had to lead to the next hiding place. Then you had to make sure you put them in the right spots (e.g. clue one had to be general and lead to the first real cache, then you couldn’t get mixed up or everyone would be led astray or discover the final treasure too soon). Now in my sixties, I still lead the hunt. I am almost ten years older than my father got to live. I too am an atheist, though I would probably say my dad and I more closely resemble agnostics than heathens. I irrevocably reject Catholicism. I believe in same sex marriage and the power of women, only two examples of why I cannot abide that religious institution. I don't much like any of the organized religions, but I also have the philosophy that if it works for someone, go for it.My sisters and I don’t care that we might look undignified as we race around the house with the kids. We honour the memory of our parents’ mixed marriage and our heathen tradition. Our mother, stricken by dementia, looks at us as though we’re the ones who’ve lost our minds. But we know she loves us and that she loved our father enough to defy the strictures of the time and marry him anyway.He was adopted by the many clubs and associations that came with church life, such as the Knights of Columbus. He brought life to charity dances arranged by the Catholic Women’s League (my mother was President). He walked with his daughters in religious or non-religious ceremonies. He was a passionate, thoughtful, funny, loving man. So much so that the priest endorsed Dad’s burial in the catholic cemetery.This weekend, we’ll carry on our atheist Easter. We’ll remember a man who absolutely must have gone straight to heaven, if there is one. We’ll have a blast and embrace each and every member of our fun-loving, crazy family, who always have each other’s backs, who forgive and accept and love unconditionally. Not a bad Easter message for a bunch of heathens.  

Three Random Things about Author Cheryl Kaye Tardif

   Three Random Things about Author Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Today's special guest is international bestselling author Cheryl Kaye Tardif, who is celebrating the release of her new thriller, SUBMERGED, during her official Blog Tour. I asked Cheryl to share three random things about her, and a bit about SUBMERGED.
Turns out we have a lot in common, since I too did background "acting" (in This is Wonderland).
Cathy, since we both have film connections, I thought it would be fun to share some random experiences I've had in the film industry. So here are my Three Random Things…
1.     Just over 20 years ago I worked as a background actor or "extra" in Vancouver, BC, and one of the shows I worked on was The Commish, starring Michael Chiklis (from Vegas and The Shield fame). I appeared in a few episodes, but the most memorable one was a Halloween show ("The Witches of Eastbridge" episode) where a killer was poisoning candy. I was in a scene with several cast members, including Michael—about 10 of us altogether. I think Michael thought I was one of the main actors because he introduced himself to me and shook my hand. Minutes later I met Stephen J. Cannell, producer/writer extraordinaire. Then I sat beside one of the guest actors for the scene.
2.     One of my other jobs as a background actor was for a scene on The Heights (a popular FOX show back then, similar to Melrose Place.) In my first scene on the show I was partnered with a much older man for a scene in a lounge. Since there can be a lot of waiting and retakes, I decided to make my "roll" fun and I convinced my partner that we were playing the part of older man and expensive escort. I even took off my wedding ring. When I told my husband afterward, he just rolled his eyes. He knows me well. I can make even a somewhat mundane task seem exciting. J
3.     On set for another episode of either The Heights, the director decided they didn't have enough extras for an outdoor scene on a busy city street. So we were asked to change our appearance as much as possible so they could use us more than once. Watching it back later with my husband, I pointed and said, "There I am." I had my hair down and was wearing a black jacket. A few seconds later, walking in the opposite direction, I showed up on screen again, hair up and wearing a blue jacket. I think that was also the scene where two of the main male actors had to scarf down hotdog after hotdog until the director finally said it was a wrap. I felt kind of sorry for those guys. They looked a little green…
And now I am dreaming about other movies—my movies, from my novels. One day. Until then, here's a little SUBMERGED appetizer…
From Cheryl Kaye Tardif, the international bestselling author that brought you CHILDREN OF THE FOG, comes a terrifying new thriller that will leave you breathless…
SUBMERGED
"Submerged reads like an approaching storm, full of darkness, dread and electricity. Prepare for your skin to crawl."—Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds
Two strangers submerged in guilt, brought together by fate…
After a tragic car accident claims the lives of his wife, Jane, and son, Ryan, Marcus Taylor is immersed in grief. But his family isn't the only thing he has lost. An addiction to painkillers has taken away his career as a paramedic. Working as a 911 operator is now the closest he gets to redemption—until he gets a call from a woman trapped in a car.
Rebecca Kingston yearns for a quiet weekend getaway, so she can think about her impending divorce from her abusive husband. When a mysterious truck runs her off the road, she is pinned behind the steering wheel, unable to help her two children in the back seat. Her only lifeline is a cell phone with a quickly depleting battery and a stranger's calm voice on the other end telling her everything will be all right.
*SUBMERGED has a unique tie-in to Tardif`s international bestseller, CHILDREN OF THE FOG.
Get SUBMERGED today.
Learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif at http://www.cherylktardif.comand follow her on Twitter.
Enter Cheryl’s March Giveaway – 59 Prizes! http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com