INTERVIEW WITH SUSPENSE AND PARANORMAL AUTHOR ALICIA DEAN

When you have Misophonia

Today we sit down for a chat with suspense and paranormal author Alicia Dean. She wrote her first romance at age ten (featuring a hero who looked just like Elvis Presley), and she still has the tattered, pencil-written copy. Learn more about her and her books at her website.  

When did you realize you wanted to write novels? 

When I was a child. I wrote my first romance at age 10.

 

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

My first novel was published in 2007, so 36 years. 😊

 

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

Hybrid

 

Where do you write? 

Usually in my living room recliner, but I love to get away and write in other locations when I can, preferably a secluded cabin in the woods…as long as there are no serial killers in the vicinity.

 

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

I like either silence, or rain sounds. Not music.

 

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

Only bits and pieces. I try not to put too much of myself into characters, but I know that most authors, whether they intend to or not, usually do. The plots are not drawn from real life at all.

 

Describe your process for naming your character? 

Most of the time, I look up baby names and see which names seem to fit my character. Sometimes, I like to give my characters a name that has meaning, even if it’s just meaningful to me. 

 

Real settings or fictional towns? 

Both. I prefer fictional since I can mold it to fit my needs and I don’t have to worry about accuracy. 

 

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

Well, this isn’t really a quirk, but the protagonist in my current work in progress has a condition called ‘Misophonia’ which translates to ‘hatred of sound’ wherein certain sounds, mostly eating sounds like crunching and smacking, trigger an uncontrollable reaction—part of which is rage and disgust and the desire to flee. 

 

What’s your quirkiest quirk? 

I actually have Misophonia. I’ve suffered from it all my life and didn’t know it was an actual condition with a name until a few years back. I always thought I was just picky and neurotic.

 

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

Probably Gone with the Wind. It’s my favorite novel which, of course, was made into a fabulous movie and both have been loved by generations. The characters and the plot were gripping.

 

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

I would have seriously pursued writing much sooner and stuck with it.

 

What’s your biggest pet peeve? 

See above. 😊 Crunching, smacking, and other sounds like people brushing their teeth, jiggling keys, pen clicking, rocking in a chair (yes, it’s weird, but those things drive me nuts…)

 

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

Books, coffee, Elvis music. (Would I have power? :D)

 

What was the worst job you’ve ever held? 

I was once a Telemarketer. I hated it…it didn’t last long at all. Not only do I hate talking on the phone, period, I also hated encroaching on people’s time and having to be so aggressive in trying to get them to buy the product. I also had a supervisor breathing down my neck and admonishing me for not being forceful enough. Miserable!

 

What’s the best book you’ve ever read? 

Gone with the Wind. Although, since it’s also the book I mentioned that I wish I’d written, I’ll add a few other standouts, like the Bosch series by Michael Connelly and Mystic River by Dennis Lehane.

 

Ocean or mountains? 

Mountains. (Although, if it’s an ocean where it’s cold, I’d pick ocean 😊)

 

City girl/guy or country girl/guy? 

City, all the way!

 

What’s on the horizon for you? 

I’m working on a police procedural that I hope to finish soon. And I have three series for which I need to write sequels. I’m also working on a Friday the 13^th story to be released on Friday, May 13, which is part of a project I’m doing with 12 other authors…get it, 13 total? 😊

 

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

Liberty Awakened is one of many of my books I’m re-releasing through The Wild Rose Press. They are getting all new covers, and I absolutely love the new looks. I’m also an editor at Wild Rose, and I love being published with them.

 

Thank you so much for having me as your guest!

 

Liberty Awakened

Isle of Fangs Series, Book 1

Liberty Delacort doesn't believe in Vampires. Then she meets the father she never knew, just before his death, and learns she's the last of the Van Helsing bloodline.

Eli, a 300 year old Vampire, doesn't believe Liberty has what it takes to stand between the humans and the Evil Ones on Sang Croc Island, and orders her back to the mainland.

Ryan, a friend of Liberty's late-father, disagrees and insists that Eli provide the promised training.

Now the Full Moon has come and Liberty must stand in the gap. But unbeknownst to her--she's fallen for the wrong vampire.

 

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THE STITCH, BAKE, DIE! GREAT ESCAPES BLOG TOUR AND BOOK GIVEAWAY

Today is the official release day for Stitch, Bake, Die!, the tenth Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery. It also marks the start of the Great Escapes blogging tour for the book. Over the next two weeks, author Lois Winston and I, her reluctant amateur sleuth, will visit various blogs and discuss all the murder and mayhem Lois throws my way. I’ve given up begging her to write a plot where I inherit a fortune or win the lottery so I can escape to another genre where dead bodies don’t constantly appear at the feet of unsuspecting heroines, but she just laughs and asks, “What fun would that be?” Personally, I think it would be great fun, but she’s never listened to me. 

This time around Lois has me tangling with cutthroat retired women executives, Big Pharma, and a doctor who must have had his fingers crossed behind his back with he took his Hippocratic Oath. I’d say I need a vacation, but the last time Lois gave me one of those, she also dropped in a few dead bodies.

 

Anyway, I hope you’ll join us for our tour around the World Wide Web for a chance to win one of five copies of Stitch, Bake, Die! Lois is giving away. All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter at each of the stops on the tour. The more stops you visit and enter, the greater your chance of winning. 😁

 

Great Escapes Tour Schedule

October 4 – Elizabeth McKenna - Author – SPOTLIGHT 

October 4 – I Read What You Write - REVIEW, GUEST POST 

October 5 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT 

October 5 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT 

October 6 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT 

October 7 – I'm All About Books – SPOTLIGHT 

October 7 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST 

October 8 – Books to the Ceiling – SPOTLIGHT 

October 9 – Brianne's Book Reviews – REVIEW 

October 10 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST 

October 11 – My Journey Back – CHARACTER GUEST POST 

October 12 – Christy's Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 13 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT 

October 13 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW 

October 14 – Mysteries with Character – REVIEW 

October 14 – Hearts & Scribbles - SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

October 15 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 

October 15 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 

October 16 – Celticlady's Reviews - SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

October 17 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT  

Stitch, Bake, Die!

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 10

 

With massive debt, a communist mother-in-law, a Shakespeare-quoting parrot, and a photojournalist boyfriend who may or may not be a spy, crafts editor Anastasia Pollack already juggles too much in her life. So she’s not thrilled when her magazine volunteers her to present workshops and judge a needlework contest at the inaugural conference of the New Jersey chapter of the Stitch and Back Society, a national organization of retired professional women. At least her best friend and cooking editor Cloris McWerther has also been roped into similar duties for the culinary side of the 3-day event taking place on the grounds of the exclusive Beckwith Chateau Country Club.

 

The sweet little old ladies Anastasia is expecting to meet are definitely old, and some of them are little, but all are anything but sweet. She’s stepped into a vipers’ den that starts with bribery and ends with murder. When an ice storm forces Anastasia and Cloris to spend the night at the Chateau, Anastasia discovers evidence of insurance scams, medical fraud, an opioid ring, long-buried family secrets, and a bevy of suspects.

 

Can she piece together the various clues before she becomes the killer’s next target?

 

Crafting tips included.

 

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Apple Books 

#COOKING WITH CLORIS--AUTHOR JUDY ALTER COOKS UP SOME "CRUNCHY SOUP" AND DISCUSSES HER NEWEST AMERICAN WEST NONFICTION WORK

Judy Alter writes both award-winning historical fiction and nonfiction about the nineteenth-century American West as well as contemporary cozy mysteries. Her forthcoming western title is the nonfiction The Most Land, the Best Cattle: The Waggoners of Texas, a popular study of the Waggoner 3D and the Waggoner family. Learn more about Judy and her books at her website. 

Dining at the Waggoner 3D

For most of the twentieth century, the Waggoner 3D was the largest ranch under one fence in this country. Covering over 500,000 acres in six counties, it sprawls across much of North Texas. Founded in the 1850s by Daniel Waggoner, the ranch has been known not only for its size but for its cattle, Thoroughbred horses, and the vast oil reserves under its land. 

 

Daniel Waggoner was among the first of men known as cattle barons who owned vast stretches of land and held great power over life in their region. Five generations of Waggoner descendants have lived on the land over 167 years, mixing ranching and racing with international fame, marriages, divorces, and lawsuits. The history is nothing if not colorful.

 

Like other large ranches in Texas and the Southwest, the Waggoner was known for hospitality. What may have begun with gatherings around the chuck wagon, featuring son-of-a-bitch stew and calf fries, evolved into elegant meals at the table. By the late twentieth century when Electra Waggoner Biggs was entertaining in her Santa Rosa home on the 3D, stew had been replaced with Hungarian goulash.

 

Mrs. Biggs was best known as a sculptor, her signature piece being a life-size statue of entertainer Will Rogers on his horse, Soapsuds. The original piece stands in front of Fort Worth’s Will Rogers Coliseum. Electra, the second Waggoner with that name, loved celebrities, and when she left New York for ranch life, she entertained lavishly.

 

According to the late Sarah Morgan, author of Dining with the Cattle Barons, Mrs. Biggs planned her menus carefully and always had her staff cook the meal once as practice before serving guests. One of her favorite dishes was the Hungarian goulash, which required cubing eight pounds of beef, dusting with flour, and browning. But, then, she had a staff to do it. Much more accessible is her recipe for chilled tomato soup. She called it “Crunchy Soup.”

 

When I made the soup recently, I adapted it to two servings instead of the twelve in the original recipe and added some green onions for color and taste. Mrs. Biggs used canned soup, but today’s cooks may want to substitute boxed tomato soup. If using prepared cream of tomato soup, omit the milk. Here’s what I did:

 

Chilled Tomato Soup

1 can Campbell’s® tomato soup 

Milk of equal amount (refill the soup can)

2 Tbsp. minced celery

2 Tbsp. green onions, minced

1/2 tsp. soy sauce.

Juice of one lime

            

Mix all ingredients except lime juice and chill. Just before serving add fresh juice of a medium lime. Serve very cold. Top with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

 

The Most Land, the Best Cattle

The Waggoners of Texas

In the 19th century, Daniel Waggoner and his son, W.T. (Tom), put together an empire in North Texas that became the largest ranch under one fence in the nation. The 520,000-plus acres or 800 square miles covers six counties and sits on a large oil field in North Texas. Over the years, the estate also owned five banks, three cottonseed oil mills, and a coal company. While the Waggoner men built the empire, their wives and daughters enjoyed the fruits of their labor. This dynasty’s love of the land was rivaled only by their love of money and celebrity. This colorful history of one of Texas’s most influential ranching families demonstrates that it took strength and determination to survive in the ranching world…and the society it spawned.

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUEST AUTHOR DEBRA SENNEFELDER BAKES UP A MYSTERY AND CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES

Debra Sennefelder is the author of the Food Blogger Mysteries and the Resale Boutique Mystery Series. An avid reader who reads across a range of genres, mystery fiction is her obsession. When she’s not reading, she enjoys cooking and baking and as a former food blogger, she is constantly taking photographs of her food.Yeah, she’s that person. Learn more about her and her books at her website. 

I have a few things in common with Hope Early, the protagonist in my Food Blogger mystery series. One of those things is that we love to bake. Like Hope, I bake for enjoyment, and I also bake to help sort things out. There have been times when I’ve worked out plot ideas while whipping up a batch of brownies or making a big pot of stew. In The Corpse in the Gazebo, Hope has a lot of sorting out to do because she’s a person of interest in her neighbor’s murder. Not only is she at risk of being arrested and possibly facing jail time, but she’s also at risk of losing her career.

 

Hope loves to feed family and friends, and because she’s a food blogger, there’s always something to serve up. Like these chocolate chip scones. They are slightly sweet and crunchy on the edges while soft and moist in the center. 

 

Yesterday The Corpse in the Gazebo released, and as a treat to myself, I baked up a batch of these scones. I may have had two!

 

If you’d like to try baking these chocolate chip scones, here’s the recipe. Enjoy! And thank you for celebrating the release of my new book.

 

Chocolate Chip Scones 

 

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

1/2 cup heavy cream (plus 2 tablespoons for brushing and a little extra if dough is dry)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 large egg

1-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1-1/4 cups mini chocolate chips

Turbinado sugar for sprinkling on scones before baking

Confectioners’ sugar for sifting on scones after baking and cooling

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

 

Cut in butter, with pastry cutter, two forks or your fingers, until the mixture resembles coarse meal but there are pieces of butter throughout. Set bowl in refrigerator while you combine the wet ingredients.

 

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2-cup heavy cream, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract.

 

Remove flour mixture from refrigerator. Drizzle wet mixture over flour mixture and add in the chocolate chips. Mix until everything appears moistened, but don’t over mix.

 

Transfer dough onto a floured surface and work into a ball. Dough will be sticky. Add a little more flour to work more easily or add up to 2 tablespoons of heavy cream if the dough is too dry. Gently pat and shape dough into an 8-inch disc. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 wedges.

 

Transfer wedges onto parchment paper covered baking sheet. Set them 2-3 inches apart. Brush scones with the 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and then sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

 

Place scones in refrigerator for up to fifteen minutes before baking. If space is tight, you can place the scone wedges on plates and then transfer to prepared baking sheet just before putting them into the oven.

 

Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top.

 

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and then serve.

 

These are best eaten the same day but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

 

The Corpse in the Gazebo

A Food Blogger Mystery, Book 5

 

Food blogging is turning Hope Early into a household name. But the dead body down the block makes her a #1 suspect...

 

It seems everyone loves Hope’s blog these days, and she’s busier than ever volunteering to help other women create their own paths to success. So she’s shocked when a neighbor petitions to run Hope right out of her small Connecticut town! Set in her ways, apparently Birdie Donovan doesn’t like the chaos Hope’s sleuthing creates, the police activity and crime scenes, and it’s happening way too often lately. Eager to make amends, Hope bakes Birdie a batch of her best muffins. The delicious treats might have smoothed things over—until Hope discovers Birdie dead in her gazebo the very next day...

 

Now instead of worrying about holding on to her beloved home, Hope is trying to stay out of jail. Because suddenly she’s the lead suspect in the case. Not even her boyfriend, Police Chief Ethan Cahill, is promising he can clear her name, much less discuss the investigation with her. It’s up to Hope to get to bake new ground on the case before the lifestyle brand she’s created—and her whole life—crumbles...

 

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--FALL DECORATING WITH AUTHOR TERRI REED

Romance and romantic suspense author Terri Reed has notched up many writing awards and landed on quite a few bestseller lists during her career. She’s also had one of her books, A Family Under the Christmas Tree, adapted into the Hallmark movie Picture a Perfect Christmas in 2019. Learn more about Terri at her website where you will also find links to her other social media sites. 

Hello everyone! It’s a perfect fall day with its crisp air, cooler weather and changing of the leaves. I love the burst of color on the hillsides and the comfy clothes I get to unearth from the closet--like snuggly fleece jackets, cozy sweaters, and cute hats. One of my favorite things in fall is to stop by the apple orchards and bring home fresh picked apples to make all sorts of apple inspired desserts. 

 

There is one aspect of fall, however, that I don't look forward to—cleaning up all the fallen leaves and acorns. 

 

We have a giant oak tree in our front yard and for the past couple of years it's been throwing acorns like snowflakes. I hear them hitting the ground and the roof of our house all day and all night. I’ll admit the acorns fall every year, but not like this. I Googled to find out why this was happening and learned way more than I probably needed to know about trees that drop nuts, which by the way, are called mast. 

 

Apparently, because our weather here in the Pacific Northwest has been so warm and we've had no spring frosts, the trees are overproducing acorns. One theory I read, said the trees were throwing more acorns in hopes new trees would sprout. I can’t have another big oak tree in my yard; there’s no room!

 

I also learned that trees don’t drop nuts until the tree reaches 50 years old. Our tree is estimated to be 150 years old. 

 

While this overabundance of acorns makes a mess, it also brings an overabundance of birds—so many different kinds, though, I love to see the Blue Jays. There are also squirrels out in droves. We've even had raccoons and possums snacking on the acorns. It makes me happy to see the animals coming for nature's bounty. 

 

A few years ago, I made some fall decorations for our Thanksgiving table. I recently got them out and decided to incorporate some of our abundant acorns into my fall decorating. I have them sitting on my entryway table for now. And I just love how adding some acorns really makes it more festive.

 

To make these centerpieces, these are the items you need:

Mason jar [colored ones look nice]

silk flowers and fall foliage

glass rocks

ribbon trim

leaf stickers

a glue gun

an LED candle

acorns

 

In celebration of fall I wrote a novella, Protecting the Heiress, as part of the Dangerous Pursuits collection. These 15 original novellas of suspense are available for preorder now. The collection releases October 12 on all online retail platforms.

 

Protecting the Heiress

Time is running out...

On a damp Seattle night, Cecily Fairhaven is rescued from a mugger by the man who broke her heart, Malcolm Cruz. When she learns it’s not a coincidence that Malcolm has shown up out of the blue and that her life is in danger, she must set aside her hurt and anger to trust the man she once loved. But is she really safe? Or will she suffer another broken heart when he leaves? 

 

US Air Force Operations of Special Investigations Agent Malcolm Cruz received a cryptic message begging him to protect Cecily. To honor the man who’d been instrumental in his career, Malcolm wasted no time traveling across the world to safeguard the only woman he’s ever loved and to ensure she makes its home to deal with her father’s estate.  But as the threats against her escalate and his feelings for her resurface, he begins to wonder if either of them will come out of this unscathed. 

 

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--HISTORICAL MYSTERY AUTHOR D.S. LANG ON THE DONUT DOLLIES OF WORLD WAR I AND A DONUT RECIPE

WWI Donut Dollies

Author D.S. Lang has been making up stories since she was a little girl. Along the way, she’s taught at the junior high, high school, and college level, and worked as a program coordinator, a golf shop manager, and an online tutor. Now, she spends much of her time reading, researching, and writing. Most recently, she has delved into the Great War era and the years immediately after it. Her Arabella Stewart Historical Mystery Series was inspired by her Great Uncle Brice who served in the American Expeditionary Force during World War One, and by her love of historical mysteries. Learn more about D.S. and her books at her website. 

My Arabella Stewart Historical Mystery series is set shortly after the Great War (World War I). The main character, Bella, was a United States Army Signal Corps operator. Her childhood friend, Constable Jax Hastings, served as a lieutenant in the American Expeditionary Force.

 

In doing research for the series, I have found many interesting details to weave into the books. One involves “Donut Dollies.” The “Dollies” were active from World War I through the Vietnam War.

 

The “Donut Dollies” of World War I brought a taste of home to the American Expeditionary Force serving in the trenches of France. All were Salvation Army volunteers who were best known for providing coffee and donuts at the front, where they faced being gassed and bombed along with the troops. More than 100 ladies were involved.

 

Because the donut-making machine was yet to be invented (that happened in 1920), the women had to be creative in producing the fried concoctions. Sometimes, they used baking powder cans to cook the donuts, tin cans to cut them, and used artillery shells to roll out dough. 

 

In addition to making donuts and coffee, the women mended uniforms, helped nurse the wounded, and wrote and read letters for illiterate soldiers.

 

The original Salvation Army recipe has very basic ingredients. Some were provided to the women; others (like eggs and fresh milk) were purchased from local farmers. The recipe is available from various sources. The following one is from https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/metro/famous-donut-day-recipe/

 

Salvation Army Donuts

Yield: 4 doz. doughnuts

 

5 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 3/4 cup milk

5 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 tablespoon salt

1 tub lard

 

Combine all ingredients (except for lard) to make dough.

 

Thoroughly knead dough, roll smooth, and cut into rings that are less than 1/4 inch thick. (When finding items to cut out donut circles, be creative! Salvation Army dohnut girls used whatever they could find, from baking powder cans to coffee percolator tubes.)

 

Drop the rings into the lard, making sure the fat is hot enough to brown the doughnuts gradually. Turn the donuts slowly several times.

 

When browned, remove donuts and allow excess fat to drip off.

 

Dust with powdered sugar. Let cool and enjoy.

 

The Salvation Army began conducting “Donut Day” in 1938. The event is still marked the first Friday in June.

 

A Lethal Arrogance

An Arabella Stewart Historical Mystery, Book 3

 

After returning home from serving in the Great War, Arabella Stewart’s goal, to save her family’s resort, seems within reach as the summer season progresses. She and her business partner look forward to re-establishing a successful championship golf tournament, once the signature event of the resort’s year. Trouble arises when a participant clashes with more than one person, including Bella’s best friend Ida Byington. When the man is found dead as the result of a suspicious automobile crash, Ida becomes a top suspect. Eager to clear her friend and ravel the mystery, Bella once again helps Constable Jax Hastings investigate and discover if the man fell victim to his own lethal arrogance.  

 

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AN INTERVIEW WITH SPECULATIVE FICTION AUTHOR JAMES SHADE

Today we sit down for a visit with speculative fiction (both fantasy and horror) author James Shade. Learn more about him and his books at his Facebook page. 

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?

I was young when I started writing stories; I used a composition book to write the adventures of my action figures in grade school. I don’t think I had formed the idea of writing a novel until junior high school.

 

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

Heh. A long time. Even in my engineering career, I wasn’t published until a few years after I graduated college. Once I started taking my novel seriously, it still took almost ten years.

 

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

Indie. But with my current horror project, I am querying for traditional publication.

 

Where do you write?

Almost anywhere if I have a notebook with me. And sometimes I still note ideas in my phone. But my dedicated writing editing is done in my home office.

 

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

Occasionally I will write with music in the background. Usually movie soundtracks, like Lord of the Rings.

 

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

Plots, none, aside from the way the human subconscious works, I suppose. But character traits, I use real people all the time. Either people I know, or ones I observe. Airports, restaurants, and bars are great places to people watch.

 

Describe your process for naming your character?

For fantasy setting characters, it’s a challenge. I try to find something that can be spoken smoothly but still feel unusual enough to evoke the setting. But for my modern work, I used to use a phone book—generally for surnames, as first names just come to me. Now it’s a little more difficult and I rely on odd internet searches, like “What are the most common Italian surnames in Nebraska?”

 

Real settings or fictional towns?

Fictional, with references to real places.

 

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

One of my character’s grandfathers has a belt buckle collection—you know, those over-the-top pewter, North American wildlife kind that you find at state fairs. An entire drawer of them.

 

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

I write my first draft longhand. I can’t seem to be as creative typing on a keyboard.

 

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

Elric of Melnibone. Or Foundation. Because I can only hope to come close to the scope of these stories and the characters in them.

 

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

There are probably a thousand little things, but mainly they involve saying “yes” to something that was a new experience instead of being afraid to try it.

 

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Being late.

 

Ocean or mountains?

Mountains.

 

City girl/guy or country girl/guy?

Country.

 

What’s on the horizon for you?

Last year I graduated from the Denver Lighthouse Writers Book Project program, and I am actively querying my horror project that I finished there. I am also working on my next horror novel, tentatively titled “The Metallurgist” which is a Cthulhu-homage that incorporates a lot of my experience in aerospace engineering and project management. I am looking forward to an upcoming writing retreat in Fairplay, CO this fall and hope to finish my first draft on that trip.

 

Thieves of Islar

Jaeron thought he understood the streets of Islar. He thought he had come to accept his decision to follow his father’s plan for him, to become a thief in a city rife with corruption rather than pursue his own interest in the priesthood. Family came first. Then he and his siblings return home from their first ‘job’ to find their father dying–murdered–and a package stained in his blood. A package containing three exceptional wooden toys and a decade-old letter hinting at their lives prior to their adoption.

 

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