CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--ROMANTIC MYSTERY AUTHOR BETHANY MAINES ON POPPIES AND ELEVATORS

Bethany Maines is the award-winning indie and traditionally published author of romantic action-adventure and fantasy novels that focus on women who know when to apply lipstick and when to apply a foot to someone’s hind-end. She can usually be found chasing after her daughter or glued to the computer working on her next novel or screenplay. Learn more about Bethany and her books and find links to her on social media at her website.

Poppies Inspired by an Elevator Ride

This craft was used in Elevator Ride—Book 1 of the Valkyrie Brothers Trilogy—an action-packed, age-gap romance mystery. The heroine, Vivian Kaye, is the chair of the event committee for a Veteran centered non-profit.  When the non-profit throws a fundraising gala, they use oversized paper poppies as part of the décor. 

 

Of course, poppies are also used to denote Memorial Day—a tradition since World War I, inspired by a poem written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. So there was a nice nod to veteran tradition as well. Vivian’s father was a Marine Corps veteran who helped found the non-profit and Vivian has always been dedicated to it—something that the hero Rowan Valkyrie, an ex-Marine, doesn’t realize when he dismisses Vivian as a non-serious twenty-something. Of course, he ends up eating his words AND shooting at the bad guys who are trying to kill Vivian and her boss.

 

The Valkyrie Brothers Trilogy was inspired when I visited the Smith Tower in Seattle several years ago. The Smith Tower has a hand operated elevator and was once the tallest building west of the Mississippi. It’s distinct pyramid top and gorgeous art deco interior are an amazing setting for any story. However, while I quickly came up with the idea for the opening of what would become book three, when Ash and Harper meet in the elevator, it wasn’t until several years later that I finally figured out how to make all the brothers meet their love interests in their own elevators. Yes, that’s right. I really made them all meet in an elevator.

 

In Elevator Ride, Vivian ambushes Rowan in an elevator to serve him with papers. 

 

In Between Floors (Book 2, available June 23^rd), Rowan’s brother Forest is a single dad who thinks that perfection is the only answer to controlling the chaos of the universe. So, of course, fate delivers him a perfectly imperfect nanny. And then they get stuck in an elevator together and have to escape. 

 

And in Emergency Exit, the youngest Valkyrie brother Ash arrives at a party with Harper, the girl he just met in the elevator only to have everyone assume she’s his girlfriend. Except that a fake girlfriend might be just what Ash needs. The Valkyrie Brothers trilogy is a laugh-packed series of connected romantic mysteries starring the Valkyrie Brothers--Rowan, Forest, and Ash--as they struggle to find love AND stay alive in Seattle.

Elevator Ride

The Valkyrie Brothers, Book 1

 

Vivian Kaye has been tasked with serving a cease-and-desist letter to Rowan Valkyrie—the most hated tenant in Seattle’s Hoskins building—but when she ambushes the seasoned security professional in the elevator, she ignites a powder keg of tempers and attraction.

 

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Between Floors

The Valkyrie Brothers, Book 2

 

Wild-child Chloe Jordan returned to Seattle to face her past, but when she gets stuck in an elevator with grumpy Forest Valkyrie—the terminally stressed single dad who just rejected her as a nanny candidate—Chloe discovers that it's her future at stake.  

 

Pre-order (on sale June 23^rd)

 

Paper Poppies

Video link: https://youtube.com/shorts/zrR-ohmASOI

 

Materials:

Hard straws or sticks 

1” Styrofoam balls

Glue (Use a hot glue or low-temp glue gun or tacky glue.)

Red and black tissue paper or crepe paper

Florist tape

 

Directions:

1. Cut out approximately twelve red circles for the petals of each flower. The sample used a 3-1/2” circle template, but you can use slightly smaller or larger circles. If you don’t have a template, use a glass, round dish, or round cookie cutter. The circles don’t have to be perfect. Trace the outline over folded paper, then cut all the petals out at once.

 

2. For each flower, cut a black paper circle large enough to cover the Styrofoam ball. Cover the ball, securing with glue.

 

3. Fold/twist the petal shapes. Imperfect is best. Do a little zig-zag folding and crumpling.

 

4. Poke a straw into the bottom of the ball, glue to secure.

 

5. Glue petals to the ball and stem. Use as many as you think looks good.

 

6. Wrap florist tape around the base and straw stem, securing both ends with glue.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MYSTERY AND ROMANCE AUTHOR RHONDA BLACKHURST

Cozy mystery, romantic suspense and Hallmark-style contemporary women’s fiction author Rhonda Blackhurst enjoys hiding behind her computer screen, where she can unashamedly enjoy her addictions of dark chocolate and coffee. Learn more about her and her books at her website.

When did you realize you wanted to write novels? 

I knew I wanted to write before I could write—literally. At four years old, I scribbled with crayon on the knotty pine walls of our home. My parents weren’t impressed! I started out writing poetry but discovered novels were my true love.

 

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication? 

In 2010, I heard about NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and participated for the first time. That’s when publication popped into my head. In 2012, I published my first novel, The Inheritance. From there, I was hooked.

 

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?

When I set out for publication, I made a pros and cons list for both trad and indie. The only pro on the trad side was validation, so I chose indie. Validation from my readers was more important. Ten years later, the idea of trad publishing wiggled its way into my head, so I tried it. Inn the Spirit of Murder and Inn the Dead of Winterhave been picked up by The Wild Rose Press.

 

Where do you write? 

I focus best in my home offices in Colorado and Arizona. I’ve placed window film on the windows in CO. It lets the light in, but also keeps my attention in. My desk in AZ faces the window where I see citrus and palm trees, quail, and even a frequent coyote. If my mind gets “squirrely,” I pull the shade.

 

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind? 

Silence, nature sounds, or music without lyrics.

 

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life?

I retired from the Adams County District Attorney’s Office two years ago, where I handled some off-the-wall weird cases; some were too good from which to not pull threads. When I hear a reader say, “There’s no way that could happen,” I know that yes, it can and it does.

 

Describe your process for naming your character? 

I take care when naming characters. In my latest series, the main character is Andie Rose Kaczmarek. The surname is Polish for innkeeper, of which she is both.

 

Real settings or fictional towns? 

All three series (including the duology) are set in fictional towns loosely based on real ones. I use the real names of close-by larger cities.

 

If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written) which one would it be? Why? 

Where the Crawdads Sing. It’s absolutely brilliant!

 

Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours? 

Raising my boys. There is so much I would do differently as I’ve learned more. That said, they’ve grown into fine young men I couldn’t possibly be prouder of. 

 

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?

Coffee, dark chocolate, and a box of books. (A box is considered one thing, yes?) 😊

 

City girl/guy or country girl/guy? 

As a kid, it was always my dream to be a reporter in New York City. Now I’m 100% a country girl!

 

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books?

Inn the Spirit of Murder was released July 24, 2024. Book two, Inn the Dead of Winter, is well on its way once I hit the final okay button, zipping it off to production. Book three, Inn Hallowed Ground, is well underway. I’m also plotting a standalone mystery from multiple points of view and am included in a mystery merge short story anthology, hopefully to be released by the end of this year.

 

Inn the Spirit of Murder

A Spirit Lake Mystery, Book 1

Six-year-sober life coach and skeptic, Andie Rose Kaczmarek, and her red retriever emotional support animal, Aspen, become the new owners of the surmised haunted Spirit Lake Inn in Minnesota. When Andie Rose finds a body in the inn's kitchen, she fears it will be the death of what's most important-the stellar reputation of the inn her grandparents, Grandpop and Honey, built. Aware of the risk of stress in sobriety, she gets an AA sponsor-feisty, spirited Sister Alice who, 30 years ago, traded in one habit for another. 

 

Andie Rose falls prey to a new, potentially more dangerous addiction—solving the murder. But in typical Sister Alice fashion, she transforms the danger of solving a murder into a spirited good time. Will Andie Rose flip from skeptic to believer?

 

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MYSTERY AUTHOR KASSANDRA LAMB TALKS OPPOSITES ATTRACTING--IN FICTION AND LIFE

In her youth, author Kassandra Lamb had to decide between writing and paying the bills. Partial to electricity and food, she studied psychology. Now retired from a career as a psychotherapist and college professor, she spends most of her time in an alternate universe with her characters. She is the author of the Kate Huntington mystery series, the Marcia Banks and Buddy cozy mysteries, and the Co.P. on the Scene police procedural mysteries. She’s also written a guidebook for novice writers and writes romantic suspense as Jessica Dale. Learn more about her and her books at her website.

Opposites Attract...In Fiction and Real Life

 

I’m sure you’ve heard the two adages: “Birds of a feather flock together” and “Opposites attract.” Both can refer to romantic attraction. But which is true? 

 

As someone who has been an observer of human nature for many decades, I can say that ... it depends.

 

In some areas, it’s good to be similar. Values, goals, at least some interests, and even one’s sense of humor—it’s best to be on the same wavelength with those.

 

But with some personality traits, “opposites attract” applies. This is especially true for two traits: extroversion vs. introversion and intense vs. easygoing. With these two traits, if we are opposites, we tend to complement each other.

 

When I set out to write my newest series of police procedurals, I borrowed the protagonist, Judith Anderson, from another series (in which she was a secondary character.) I didn’t know a lot about her (see my post, How My Muse Revealed my Protagonist’s History with Flashbacks and Dreams.) I only knew that she was a good cop, a bit of a workaholic, and she had few friends.

 

So I wasn’t too surprised, as the series progressed, to discover she was a bit of an introvert. I also wasn’t surprised that she was a pretty intense person, passionate about her job and impatient with “nonsense” such as social niceties.

 

What did surprise me a little was her tendency to get anxious and restless when a case wasn’t going well. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, since I did thrust her into a new situation, way outside her comfort zone, by making her Chief of Police in a Florida city, hundreds of miles from her home state.

 

Enter stage right, her love interest, the sheriff of the adjoining county. Sheriff Sam Pierson has blue eyes, sandy hair, and an easy smile. And that was all I knew about him when my muse brought him on board.

 

Turns out he’s a bit more of an extrovert than Judith, and he’s very laid back. Which is a good thing. He tolerates her intensity, even taking it in stride most of the time.

 

But his easygoing nature is tested in Felony Murder, my latest book, when Judith informs him she has spotted him around town, when he was actually in his office in Clover County. He says he must have a doppelganger, and, at first, they both laugh it off.

 

But Judith keeps spotting this guy, who looks, and walks, and holds his head just like Sam. And he’s always talking to some woman (different women each time.) Plus, he’s wearing khaki, the color of Sam’s uniform.

 

Judith is not the most trusting person (because of her history,) so this is not a good scenario. Her old demons of distrust are stirred up, big time.

 

When I added this subplot to the story, I wasn’t exactly sure how it would get resolved in the end. Would they break up, at least temporarily?

 

Well, I should’ve trusted Sam. Here’s what this laid-back guy came up with...

 

“Are we good?” I went for a casual tone, but a lump had formed in my throat.

Sam looked at me for a long moment, his eyes soft. “I want us to be.”

I waited without saying anything, my eyes beginning to sting. I refuse to cry!

“Judith, I’m not going anywhere…but I’m disappointed that you don’t trust me more by now.” He paused, stared at the ceiling for a second, then met my gaze again. “I get it that you have trust issues, and I’ve tried to be patient with that. But…it hurts that you could think I’d play games like that, walk around town letting you spot me and then duck into the crowd.”

 

Mr. Easygoing hit just the right note with this speech, and without getting all that angry, as most people would. He is the perfect complement to Judith’s intense personality. 

 

I realized, after the fact, that I had modeled these characters a bit on my husband and me. We certainly prove the “opposites attract” adage when it comes to intensity. I’m the intense one, and he’s definitely quite laid back. That’s a very good thing, and probably the main reason why we’re still married after almost forty-eight years.

 

I once asked him, if he could summarize me in one word, what would it be? He said, “exciting.” How gracious of him!

 

My word for him was “comfortable.” I brought excitement into his introverted, laid-back world, and he has always been my comfortable safe harbor.

 

Do you and your mate have some “opposites attract” traits that complement each other?

 

Felony Murder

A C.o.P. on the Scene Mystery, Book 4

 

All is not as it seems in Starling, Florida…

 

A phone call from a desperate teen, awaiting trial for felony murder, spurs Chief of Police Judith Anderson to re-open the case of a drug deal gone wrong. But her investigation finds more questions than answers. How did the white gang members involved end up with sweet plea deals, while the Latino kid with no record is charged with felony murder? Meanwhile, attempts on the mayor’s life and glimpses around town of her lover with various women divide Judith’s attention and trigger her old demons of distrust.

 

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AN INTERVIEW WITH ANNALEISE THE GHOST

Today we sit down for a chat with Annaleise, who happens to be a ghost in author Jessica Dale’s (aka mystery author Kassandra Lamb) The Unintended Consequences Romantic Suspense trilogy. 

What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings?

Well for one thing, I was still alive! And it was a good life. I was happily married, and I had a tight group of good friends. My best friend, going way back to our college days, was and is James Fitzgerald.

 

We all lived in Washington, DC, but James also owns a house in the Virginia backwoods, which he inherited from his parents. It is, or rather was, the getaway haven for our group of friends.

 

Until one fateful autumn evening when my husband Charles and I got to the house before James. We’d left DC early so we could be the ones, for a change, to open up the house and get things set up for a relaxing Friday evening.

 

Only Ms. Dale had other plans. Someone was waiting in the house. I think they had planned to kill James, but we showed up first.

 

And that’s how I ended up being a ghost residing in James’s house.

 

What’s the one trait you like most about yourself?

That I can sense danger now and warn those who are in its path. I can spread out this sort of energy radar, if you will, and there’s like an energy shift in the air when evil is nearby. 

 

What do you like least about yourself?

That it’s so hard for me to talk. I can move objects, although that takes some effort, too. So I can type out the answers to your questions for this interview.

 

But mostly I can only communicate through my laughter. Somehow, it’s easy for me to laugh, but to form words out loud, that’s a real strain.

 

James always said my laughter sounded like wind chimes in a gentle breeze. And that’s how I sound now when I’m just trying to say, “Hey, I’m here,” or if I’m amused by whatever’s going on. 

 

But if I’m trying to warn people, I imagine a strong wind like in a storm, and then the wind chimes kind of clatter.

 

What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?

Well, I think making me dead and then turning me into a ghost was mighty strange.

 

But there was another thing that happened because of my death. Not really strange but ironic. You see, James and his next-door neighbor, Carrie, they had been dancing around each other for a while. It was obvious to me and all of our friends that they liked each other, but they both had a lot of baggage from the past.

 

But when this horrible thing happen—Charles’s and my murders—it broke down some of those barriers. James needed Carrie emotionally, and I think that she just couldn’t resist that.

 

Then later, when her abusive husband tracked her down (that’s why she was in the Virginia backwoods to begin with, to hide from him), James helped her deal with that situation.

 

Sometimes facing adversity together can become the glue in a relationship, and facing down killers together did that for them. 

 

Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?

Well, if I’d had a clue what was coming, I would have definitely argued against being killed.

 

But with that as given, I’d say the only other time I really objected to what Jessica was doing was when she sicced a stalker/rapist on poor Mary, who’s a friend of mine and James.

 

I really objected to that idea! Mary’s so sweet and gentle that we all assumed she was fragile. But turns out she’s got more backbone than we gave her credit for. She’s a survivor, like James and Carrie.

 

What is your greatest fear?

That something will happen to James. I’ve loved him for decades; not the same way I loved Charles, of course. But he was the brother I never had.

 

I couldn’t stop what happened to Charles, and it’s haunted me ever since (no pun intended). I’ve been terrified that James might end up having a similar fate. But now that he has Carrie, and they are so strong together, I’m not as afraid for him.

 

What makes you happy?

Seeing James and Carrie together; they’ve been through so much. I mean, I know from my own marriage that love isn’t always easy, but I think they’ll make it for the long haul. I sure hope so.

 

And now Mary has found someone, or at least it looks promising—that is if it turns out that he’s not the guy who assaulted her and is now stalking her. Every time she thinks it’s not him, something else happens that makes her doubt again.

 

You don’t know if it was him?

No, I wasn’t there. It happened in DC, and I can only go about a half mile from James’s house. James is trying to help Mary figured it all out.

 

And I help when I can, when I sense the guy is nearby, but he’s always wearing a ski mask, so no, I can’t tell who it is. I don’t have superpowers, after all.

 

If you could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?

Ha! Maybe I’d give myself superpowers, so I would not just know when danger was near but who was behind it.

 

Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?

Hmm, I guess I’d have to say the local sheriff. I mean, I have a lot of respect for him, too. He pretends he’s this good ol’ boy hick sheriff, but he’s actually quite bright.

 

However, he initially thought James was my killer, which was ridiculous. And then he thought Carrie had committed a horrible crime, when she hadn’t.

 

Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?

I guess it would be Carrie. She’s a strong woman, and yet loving. I think if I’d lived, she and I would have become close friends.

 

Tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?

Well, Jessica Dale is the alter ego of a mystery writer named Kassandra Lamb. She was first conceived when Kassandra woke up one morning and the entire story of my murder and James’s subsequent struggle to clear himself of it was laid out in her head.

 

And then a few months later, she woke up again with another entire story laid out in her head, this time a steamy romantic thriller. And that was the point when Kassandra knew she needed a pen name for these romantic suspense stories, because they were so different from the mysteries she usually writes.

 

All of Jessica’s books can be found on a special page on Kassandra’s website. 

 

What's next for you?

Well, Jessica says the trilogy is finished, but we’ll see. She also says she’s not planning on writing any romantic suspense in the near future. She’s said that before, however.

 

There was supposed to be a second book in a duet with Bartered Innocence (currently a stand-alone thriller). I was looking over Jessica’s shoulder while she was writing the book, and I really loved it. So I hope she gets inspired someday soon to write that second story.

 

In the meantime, Kassandra has started a new police procedural mystery series called the C.o.P. on the Scene Mysteries. I love that series too, especially the main character, a female Chief of Police who likes to be hands-on at crime scenes. I guess I’m just a sucker for strong female characters!  

 

Hey, thanks so much for having me on your blog to do this interview. It feels so good to have a “voice” again, other than just wind chimes!

 

Backfire

An Unintended Consequences Romantic Suspense, Book 3

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. ~ Divorcée Mary Hanson’s first date in years culminates with a toe-curling kiss that fills her with hope...until the middle of the night when a masked rapist, smelling of her date’s aftershave, breaks into her apartment. Frantic, she flees to the home of friends in the Virginia woods, not realizing she’s putting them in harm’s way—for her stalker is intent on possessing her, no matter what it takes. And even her best friend’s ghost may not be able to stop him...

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AUTHOR KATHLEEN DONNELLY ON THE CHALLENGES OF INCORPORATING A K-9 INTO A MYSTERY

Award-winning author Kathleen Donnelly has been a handler for Sherlock Hounds Detection Canines—a Colorado-based narcotics K-9 company—since 2005. She lives near the Colorado foothills with her husband and four-legged coworkers. Learn more about her and her books at her website.

The Challenges of Incorporating a K-9 Into a Mystery

I’ve been a K-9 handler for a private narcotics dog company called Sherlock Hounds Detection Caines since 2005. As I wrote my first book, Chasing Justice, and my second book in the series, Hunting the Truth, I knew I wanted to make the K-9 character and the dog work a major piece of the story. I am in awe of a dog’s ability to help solve crimes, not only in fiction, but also in real life. I thought as a handler that it would be easy, but I soon discovered that creating suspense and incorporating K-9 work into a mystery was a challenge.

 

This was mainly because I wanted to keep the K-9 work realistic. That meant that my fictional K-9, Juniper, needed to be a breed commonly used for law enforcement. I chose a Belgian Malinois because they do their jobs well and are very protective of their handlers. The decision to partner my main character, Maya Thompson, with a Malinois was straightforward, but then came incorporating the K-9 work into the story.

 

Many law enforcement K-9s are trained to find narcotics, track, apprehend, and find evidence. There are other jobs for K-9s in law enforcement such as bomb detection, but for my series, I decided Juniper would be a typical patrol dog. I found as I wrote that I had to think about each scene and how Juniper could help Maya. On the flipside, characters must face conflicts—even K-9 characters.

 

My books are set in the Colorado mountains where one of the real-life challenges is the weather. Temperature, humidity, wind and terrain can all affect a scent. If I wanted to make it easy on Juniper to track or find narcotics, I could make the weather an enjoyable day with little wind and some humidity. If wanted to make a track difficult, then I could make the weather windy, cold, or hot and keep the humidity low. I’ve enjoyed playing with different scenarios.

 

As I outline, I like to think about how Juniper can help in each scene. At times, this can be difficult. I don’t want there to always be drugs. Or to have Juniper track a criminal and easily find them. So along with weather, I play with the factor that there’s a human at one end of the leash and we can make mistakes. 

 

I enjoyed writing and showing Maya and Juniper bonding as well as Maya learning to trust her dog. Juniper is a typical Malinois, smart, playful, and extremely high energy. She likes to test Maya and see what she can get away with.

 

Incorporating all of this into the storyline along with plotting out a mystery, what evidence Maya and Juniper might find and even creating conflicts like losing a human track has been fun but challenging. I’ve enjoyed learning more about K-9s and bringing these amazing dogs to life in my series. 

 

So now I’m curious, do you love reading about K-9s, seeing how they can help solve crimes and learning about their jobs through fiction? 

 

Hunting The Truth

A National Forest K-9 Mystery, Book 2

 

“Hide, Maya. Don’t let the bad people find you.”

Those are the last words Forest Service law enforcement officer and K-9 handler Maya Thompson ever heard her mother say.

Returning to the Colorado mountains, ex-soldier Maya is no longer a scared little girl. She’s here to investigate her mother’s cold case, but fear creeps in when it comes to her personal life—things are getting serious with sheriff deputy Josh Colten.

After new DNA evidence surfaces, both her beloved grandfather and Josh warn her away from the case, suspecting that she could be the next victim. But Maya doesn’t listen.

Instead, Maya and her K-9 partner, Juniper, track a suspect deep into the forest and directly into grave danger…

 

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AN INTERVIEW WITH KARINA CARDINAL FROM AUTHOR ELLEN BUTLER'S KARINA CARDINAL MYSTERIES

Today we sit down for a chat with Karina Cardinal from author Ellen Butler’s Karina Cardinal Mysteries. 

What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings?

I was just your average Joe working on Capitol Hill. Seriously, my life leaned toward the side of bland. I’d been dating this guy who seemed normal, and I worked for a medical association in their government affairs department. I attended lots of boring fundraisers and committee meetings. My life could not have been more ordinary. Then one day, it was like … poof … the end of my normal life. The guy I’m engaged to turns out to be a stalker. His father is involved with the mafia, and my own impetuosity gets me into a jam that endangers my life. Ever since then, I keep finding myself amid the most ridiculous capers. 

 

What’s the one trait you like most about yourself?

I’d have to say, I’m fiercely loyal to my friends and family. As a matter of fact, it is my utmost loyalty that has gotten me into some difficult situations. 

 

What do you like least about yourself?

Well, Mike would probably say it was my impulsiveness. It borderlines on recklessness. I’ll admit, patience is not my strength. I’m not good at waiting around, and, occasionally, I act before knowing all the facts. 

 

What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?

*eyeroll* Boy that’s a tough question to answer. So many choices—perhaps it was the time Rodrigo and I chased an assassin up I-95, until he turned the tables on us (Fatal Legislation). Maybe the time I allowed my neighbor to talk me into smuggling an Egyptian artifact into Mexico (Pharaoh’s Forgery). Or the latest, holding a séance at my aunt’s house to speak with the Civil War ghost living there (Spectral Revelations releasing October 2023). Really my author thinks up the most insane shenanigans. Sometimes I wonder if I’m in an I Love Lucy skit. 

 

Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?

Of course, we argue! It takes plenty of drafts and deletions before we’re both satisfied.

 

What is your greatest fear?

Losing my sister or family members during one of my escapades. 

 

What makes you happy?

Shoes. I love shoes. I’m an absolute shoe-a-holic. I should probably see someone about that. 

 

Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?

That would be my neighbor down the hall, Jasper. He’s into reptiles, and his condo is like Wild Kingdom. He’s always wandering the halls with a snake or lizard. It freaks me out.

 

Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?

My eccentric neighbor, Mrs. Thundermuffin. To say she’s colorful is an understatement. She’s also sharper than she lets on. I want to be like Mrs. T when I grow up.

 

Tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog? 

You can find her at her website. She also writes historical spy novels. You think I get into trouble. Wait until you read about her spies in WWII and the Cold War. Those ladies were something else. She bases the novels on true events.

 

What's next for you?
My author just finished the sixth book in my series, and she says she’s done with them. Perhaps, it means I can return to my normal life. However, you know the old saying—never say, never. Maybe in a few years, my author will come up with a new adventure. 

Ellen (the author): Don’t count on it. *crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow*

 

Pharaoh’s Forgery

A Karina Cardinal Mystery, Book 4

 

Margaritas, mayhem, and murder. Too bad her only defense is a cocktail umbrella.

 

After some of Karina Cardinal’s recent adventures—her lover Mike Finnegan would call them scrapes, jams, or pickles—she’s more than ready to blow this D.C. pop stand for a short girls’ trip to Mexico. Until Jillian’s roller skate wreck blows their plan out of the water.

 

With Jilly injured and Mike working, her fellow co-worker Rodrigo volunteers to share some sun, sand, and margaritas in Cancun. It’s tough to relax, though, knowing what’s in her suitcase. A package she promised to hand off to Mrs. Thundermuffin in Mexico.

 

Mrs. T’s evasive maneuvers around Karina’s questions wave more red flags than a bullfighter, leaving Karina no choice but to take a peek. Okay, so it’s not a kilo of something illegal. It’s an Egyptian death mask that turns out to be a magnet for crooks, conmen, kidnappers, and outright killers.

 

When the situation explodes into chaos, Karina and Rodrigo are lucky to have friends in the right place—at their backs. But they’re in one heck of a jam. And they could be going home in something tackier than a souvenir t-shirt—more like a body bag.

 

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GUEST SUSPENSE AUTHOR DONNELL ANN BELL TALKS ABOUT GIFTS--HERS AND OTHERS

Leaving international thrillers to the world travelers, bestselling author Donnell Ann Bell concentrates on suspense that might happen in her neck of the woods – writing what she calls Suspense too Close to Home. She’s the author of four standalone novels and is currently working on the third book in her Cold Case series. Learn more about Donnell and her books at her website. 

We All Have our Gifts 

By Donnell Ann Bell

 

I always believed I had a nice voice. Then I watched several seasons of America’s Got Talent and The Voiceand realized I could carry a tune and that’s about it. For what it’s worth, I readily accept I can’t dance and will never in this lifetime appear on Dancing with the Stars.

 

I tell you this, lest you think I’m being critical of people I love. It’s important to know our talents and equally important to know our limitations. In the words of writing coach Becca Syme, “Some people can, and some people can’t.”

 

When I was young and observant of family dynamics, I learned my father was good at his job, an extremely hard worker, but in no uncertain terms was he a handyman. In fact, if my dad even mentioned he was going to “fix” something, my mother left the room, picked up the phone and called a professional. I always thought that was a bit odd until she wanted a kitchen remodel. She showed us a spread in a home improvement magazine, stared longingly at it, and the first words out of my father’s mouth were, “I’ll do it.”

 

The outcome was ghastly, and they lived with it for a couple of years until even my father admitted the project was a disaster.  Later, my mom would have her dream kitchen, complete with an added sunroom. Better yet, it was completed by a licensed contractor.

 

Fast forward ten years or so when I met and married my husband. For all intents and purposes, I might have married my father. Not literally but figuratively, of course. My husband, now retired, was a chemical engineer, highly respected in his field of industrial water treatment. His brother, on the other hand, is an excellent carpenter and craftsman who builds houses. That started my husband down the wrong road of assumptions, believing he, too, carried a handyman gene.

 

Much like my father had with the kitchen, my husband decided he would economize and complete the laundry room in our basement. The laundry room, tucked between my children’s playroom, a bathroom, and a guest room, was space we used every day. No matter. He spent several hundred dollars on material, then banished us upstairs. After a few hours of banging and sawing, I dared a peek down the stairs to discover the washer and dryer now blocked a majority of the hallway.

 

Shortly after that, the door to the utility room flung open, my husband stepped outside, and in a disgusted voice said, “Hire somebody!”

 

Next year, we’re planning a bathroom remodel. I can already see him adding the budget in his head. I don’t think he’ll attempt to do it himself, but you never know. Wish me luck!

 

Speaking of gifts, I do believe one of mine is storytelling. To that end, for the rest of June, two of my books are on sale! Betrayed, one of my bestselling romantic suspense novels, and Until Dead, book two in my Cold Case Suspense series, are both on sale for the deeply discounted price of $.99.

 

Betrayed 

A mother told her baby’s death was a lie.

A daughter rocked by her true identity.

A detective fighting to protect them both.

A conspiracy that strikes at our most precious bonds.

When Oklahoma City resident Irene Turner learns the incomprehensible, that the stillborn baby she delivered 28-years earlier is alive, she takes the evidence to where her daughter now lives—Denver Colorado. Detective Nate Paxton can’t believe what Irene Turner shows him. Kinsey Masters, a world-class athlete, raised by a prominent Denver family, an unattainable woman he’s known and loved for years, was stolen at birth.

Irene Turner, Nate Paxton, and Kinsey Masters are united in a sordid conspiracy. But it’s who the conspirators turn out to be that will leave the trio shaken and in disbelief. Irene’s foundation of trust will be ripped from its core, as kidnapping, murder, and a thirst for revenge lead her to learn she’s been betrayed. 

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Until Dead 

This killer won't stop …until she's dead

When Lt. Everett T. Pope is notified of an explosion in downtown Denver close to the judicial buildings, his first instinct is gas leak. No such luck. As Incident Command and Pope's own Major Crimes unit move in, he discovers he knows the intended victims—an Assistant U. S. Attorney—and Pope's former partner, now a private investigator, has died shielding the injured AUSA with his body.

As ATF and the FBI take over investigating the bombing and unraveling motives behind the murder attempt, Pope is relegated to a peripheral role. But the injured AUSA's aunt is a United States senator used to getting results. She turns to the team that solved the Black Pearl Killer murders with a very big ask—find her answers and locate the bomber.

FBI Special Agent Brian DiPietro must recall his entire cold case team from their far-flung assignments knowing he's being asked to do the impossible. The senator, however, doesn't know the meaning of the word. All too soon, DiPietro finds his team working alongside ATF on a red-hot mission. One that uncovers a decades old cold case. 

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--AN INTERVIEW WITH ROMANTIC SUSPENSE AND MYSTERY AUTHOR SUZANNE BAGINSKIE

Today we sit down for a chat with romantic suspense and mystery author Suzanne Baginskie who's been writing ever since her mother gifted her with a five-year diary for her eighth birthday. She recently retired from a law firm as a paralegal-office manager. Now she writes daily spinning tales of romantic suspense that pair tantalizing mystery with compelling romance. Learn more about Suzanne and her books at her website.

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?

After years of writing and selling short fiction and nonfiction stories that mostly appeared in romance & mystery anthologies and twenty-two Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, I dreamed of writing a book that would have only my name on the cover.

 

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication?

After nineteen years, I wrote my first novel and entered a writing contest for a romantic suspense Harlequin line. Three months later, I was notified my book was in the last ten entries, but I didn’t win. The best part was it forced me to write a complete novel that I could rewrite and submit to other publishers. During Covid-19, with time on my hands, I saw a call out for romance manuscripts. I polished up the book and submitted Dangerous Charade. A week later in a Zoom call, I was offered a five-book contract and asked to write a series. 

 

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?

I’m traditionally published.

 

Where do you write?

Years ago, when we searched for a new home and walked through many different models, I fell in love with my current house because it had a small bonus office. That feature sold me on this particular home. When we moved in, I purchased some large bookshelves, a rolltop desk and matching wooden chair. The area has a large window and also a French door with little glass panes. I keep a Do not Disturb – Writing in Progress sign on the doorknob. It doesn’t keep my hubby out though.

 

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind?

Some days, I need pure silence. Other times, I play my favorite radio station with light rock music in the background and then realized I’m so deep into my head at times, I don’t even hear it.

 

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular?

I had a lengthy twenty-nine year career as a paralegal/office manager in a law office that handled criminal cases, divorces, and other general law. I also volunteered for the local Sheriff for nine years and helped with the Citizen Academy classes. I reaped valuable information from them both. Twisted criminal plots are happening almost every day. I watch television shows/movies and the news, read the newspapers, and discovered crazy characters reside around us all. 

 

Describe your process for naming your character?

I name my characters in three different ways. Number one is using a baby book of 60,000 first names. My 2007 edition features the meanings, origins and all the derivations. The last names are harder, I either take the daily obituary column page, and borrow a last name from there, or think about my family and friends and use one or two of them in my stories, first or last name. I get tickled when they notice their name is in my book. Then I know for sure they read them!

 

Real settings or fictional towns?

I like actual town settings and tend to research so I can name the interstates and use city highlights to make the area more realistic. I use FBI buildings in the town vicinity featured in the story. The weather plays an important role in some of my books too. The first is set in a small fishing town of Crystal Springs, Florida, the second in Allentown and the mountains of Pennsylvania and the third in Daytona Beach, Florida. 

 

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?

In my third book, the male FBI special agent’s wife was ill with cancer and passed away while he was on duty. After he buried her, he just couldn’t bear to take off his wedding ring and wore it for over two years. You’ll have to read it to find out why. When he fell in love with his partner, he wondered what she thought of him still wearing the ring throughout their missions, but he never took it off. At the very end, he finally removed it and stuck it in his drawer before he proposed.

 

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

I’ve realized I’ve been analytical all of my life. Everything I do has to be done logically and not out of order. I’ve established a steady routine and strong habits. I’m also curious, modest, and very observant. Monday through Friday, I begin with an early four-mile walk, and then a shower and breakfast. After that, I go into my office and work on my writing.

 

If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written,)

which one would it be? Why?

I would choose to write Wizard of Oz, the literary book by L. Frank Baum. As a child, I read this book over and over and it’s still my favorite. As a writer, I realized it gives you the perfect guide to writing a book since every character in it wants and needs something and they go the extra mile to obtain it. 

 

Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours?

There is one thing I would do over. I would have chosen the career of a flight attendant. So, I could have earned the status of free flights for life because I love to travel. Since I can’t do it over, I grab every opportunity to see the world with my husband and friends. We do cruise a lot. I’m retired and I make sure there’s always a cruise booked in the near future.

 

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Lateness! I was brought up to arrive earlier than necessary and I still exist in this manner, so it irks me very much if someone is late.

 

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?

Coffee daily, lots of books to read and a roof over my head to protect me.

 

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?

When we first moved to Florida, I took a job at the counter of a drycleaner business. After the clothes were dropped off and the ticket was written, I had to empty the pants and jacket pockets before setting them in the cleaning basket. I hated sticking my hands inside all those pockets, it made me cringe. And I’d pull out the oddest things, dirt included. Crumbled up handkerchiefs or used tissues, grimy combs, and lots of coins. Too bad they didn’t give me rubber gloves back then. I quit after three weeks. 

 

Who’s your all-time favorite literary character (any genre)? Why?

I’ll go with Dorothy Gale in the Wizard of Oz. She landed in an unknown world, killed a witch, and never missed a beat. Then continued on her journey to find a way back home to Kansas and her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. I loved her passion and the perseverance trait she possessed. 

 

Ocean or mountains?

I am a Thalassophile. A lover of the blue ocean. I grew up in New Jersey and always enjoyed our summer trips to the shore. I love walking on the sandy beach when the Atlantic Ocean’s waves crashed against the shoreline and covered my feet. I guess that’s why I’m addicted to cruising. I never tire of gazing at the bluest, foamy topped waves hammering the ship as it sails on sea days to our next port or the long wake it leaves behind it. 

 

City girl/guy or country girl/guy?

City girl for sure. I love to be close to all the shopping malls, grocery stores, churches, and theaters. Plus, the airport and most of all the Florida cruise ports. 

 

What’s on the horizon for you?

Dangerous Undercurrents, Book four in my FBI Affairs series. I’m currently writing my novel and hope to have it completed in the near future. This book will take my FBI characters off dry land and have them board a cruise ship for an adventurous, undercover mission. 

 

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books?

My husband makes all my business cards and bookmarks. He is so creative and is also an avid reader. His suggestions, support and understanding has really helped me during my entire writing career. I sincerely thank him in this blog. 

 

Dangerous Charade

FBI Affairs, Book 1

 

When an undercover sting in Nevada at a Las Vegas Casino goes wrong, FBI Agent Noelle Farrell’s cover is blown, and someone wants revenge. Noelle is sent to Florida under the Witness Protection Program where she runs into her old partner, FBI Agent Kyle Rivers, a man she worked closely with and admired. Kyle’s mourning his father. He failed to keep him safe from a deadly stalker. Deep in hiding as a witness for the IRS, someone targets Noelle. She fears for herself and her four-year-old daughter’s safety. Noelle struggles to keep her independence. Kyle vows to protect Noelle, unaware she has a secret—one her assailants already know.

 

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