Authorsday: Anne K. Albert

(1) When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Anne - Until I reached a ‘certain’ age, I never imagined ordinary people could be writers. It seemed like such an incredible occupation--this ability to create worlds with words!

Then, in the late 1980s, working as a display advertising sales representative for a small weekly newspaper I came face-to-face with a computer. I fell in love with the sound of fingertips flying across the keyboard. That’s what inspired me to write my first book! I love that sound. It’s music to my ears.

(2) How did you pick the genre you write in?

Anne - I grew up reading Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Trixie Belden books. Later I discovered Agatha Christie, Erle Stanley Gardner and other whodunit authors. Realizing I could combine a mystery with a little romance and humor just makes me smile! It’s such fun to combine all three genres into a fun, fast-paced read.

(3) Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?

Anne - I’m very much a pantser. It took me a very long time to accept this process. I wanted to find an easier way to write. I tried outlining for two manuscripts, and included loads of details, twists and turns. But when it came time to write those stories, I couldn’t get do it. It took years for me to figure out why. The answer? I already knew how the story would end! Where’s the fun in that? I realized I’m my first reader. I write to find out what happens next.

(4) How many rejections have you received?

Anne - I received at least thirty agent rejections and ten or more editor rejections. It was frustrating to read positive comments about my work, yet not have anyone willing to take me on. I hate to admit it, but eventually I said enough. I quit searching and did not write for almost a year. A close friend encouraged me to give it one more try and re-submit. Thankfully I took her advice, and sold six months later.

(5) What place that you haven’t visited would you like to go?

Anne – Ireland. It’s on my bucket list. I. Just. Have. To. Go. There!

(6) What’s your favorite food?

Anne - Anything my husband cooks! All joking aside, he’s much better at it than I am. He’s able to taste a dish in a restaurant, analyze it, and then re-create it at home. It’s wonderful.

(7) What is your favorite writing reference book and why?

Anne – Without a doubt it’s Dwight Swain’s ‘Techniques of the Selling Writer’. It’s a multi-layered how-to book that will benefit beginners as well as bestselling authors.

(8) Who is your favorite character in your book?

Anne - I’m especially partial to Val, Muriel’s aunt. She is off the wall, does and says outrageous things, but has a heart of gold and would never hurt a fly. I admire her spunk.

(9) Where do you write?

Anne – I can write anywhere, but my favorite spot (weather permitting, of course) is inside our van. I jokingly refer to it as my “cone of silence”. It provides a cozy cocoon-like environment with zero interruptions. No telephone, no computer, and no visitors.  

(10) What was the hardest scene to write?

Anne - Nailing the first scene is always the most difficult part of the process for me. It’s not necessarily my least favorite, it’s just a little frustrating and time consuming – especially when I’m so anxious to get on with the story! I’ll usually write 10 to 20 versions of the same first scene. Most are variations on a theme with subtle changes that may seem insignificant to the reader, but are major obstacles for me. I have to get it ‘right’ before I can move on to writing the rest of the story. The initial process is often two steps forward and one back, but I’ve learned to accept it. It’s just how I write.

Author Bio:

Anne K. Albert has taught high school art, sold display advertising for a small town weekly newspaper, and worked for a national brand water company, but now writes full time. Her stories chill the spine, warm the heart, and soothe the soul…all with a delightful touch of humor.

Book Blurb:

Frank, Incense and Muriel: It’s the week before Christmas when the stress of the holiday season is enough to frazzle anyone's nerves, but to find a missing woman Frank and Muriel must deal with an embezzler, femme fatale, kidnapper, and of course, Muriel's eccentric, (but loveable) family whose desire to win the coveted D-DAY (Death Defying Act of the Year) Award just might make them all a little crazy.

ExcerpTuesday: Rachel Brimble

Reluctant Witness

Professional singer Julia Kershaw is leaving town and moving on with her life. She desperately needs an escape from her mother’s grief over the loss of Julia’s brother – shot and killed by an overzealous cop – and an ex-boyfriend who refuses to accept it’s over.

But when she becomes the sole witness to the murder of a man she has known all her life, how can she leave without helping to find his killer? But how can she work with a cop after everything the police have put her family through?

When Detective Inspector Daniel Conway is removed from the city chaos he thrives on, and sent to a sleepy seaside town, the last thing he expects is a murder case.  With an impeccable record that he intends to keep that way, for  both personal and professional reasons, he refuses to allow his very beautiful, sexy – and secretive to walk away from the case. Or him.

Buy Link:

http://thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=89_78&products_id=1011

She opened the refrigerator door. “Do you want milk or cream in your coffee?” No answer. “Marcus?” 

And then he was there. Right behind her. His breath hot against the exposed nape of her neck. She gripped the milk carton tighter in her hand as she slowly straightened to find his six-foot frame looming over her like a phantom.

Fear beat a steady pulse at the base of her throat. “What are you doing?” she asked, forcing a laugh. “You scared the hell out of me.”

“Did I, Julia?  Did I really?”

Feeling incredibly hot despite the cold air coming from the open refrigerator door, Julia swallowed. “Please, Marcus. You have to stop this. It’s madness.”

“I only want to talk to you. It’s not a lot to ask,” he said, taking a piece of her hair and curling it around his finger. “I was hoping you were going to tell me all about the new Detective Inspector?”

Her heart picked up speed. “Inspector Conway?”

“Uh-huh. You’ve been spending a good amount of time with him.”  He inhaled a shaky breath. “Which makes no sense to me after what happened to Phil.”

She closed the refrigerator door. “Don’t do this.”

“Do what?  Remind you how a cop gunned down your brother in cold blood. Mistakenly thinking him an armed robber?”

“Marcus--”

He dropped her hair and grasping her shoulders, quickly spun her around. “No, Julia, no!  The whole town watched your poor mother’s heart be broken, saw your own hatred for the boys in blue. But now you’re stepping out with one as though you’re a couple?”

“I am not stepping out with him. I’m--”

“You’re what?  Come on, let me hear it. What are you doing with him?”

His face was white with anger. His face was so close to her own that she could smell the faint scent of a cigarette on his breath. Her stomach rolled.

Rachel lives with her husband and two young daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK.  Having always believed there’s someone for everyone, Rachel started writing her own tales of love once her children were at school.  Since then, she’s had several books published with The Wild Rose Press, Eternal Press and Lyrical Press.  She has recently acquired a US agent with her second Victorian historical. A member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, Rachel cannot imagine her life without romance or writing!

When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family.  And in the evening?  Well, a well-deserved glass of wine is never, ever refused…

Authorsday: Stuart Gustafson

Stuart Gustafson, author of Missing in Mexico – www.MissinginMexico.com

How did you pick the genre you write in?

I’ve always loved to travel, and I did a lot of it when I was in the corporate environment.  I knew that I still wanted to travel when I retired a few years back and I also wanted to write. So the idea of writing fictional mysteries set in wonderful places where we like to travel to just seemed like a natural way for me to combine writing and travel.

Was there something else besides travel that drew you to the subject of Missing in Mexico?

Yes; we’ve been vacationing in Los Cabos, Mexico, for 8 years, and the people there have always made us feel so welcome to be there.  Once I knew I was going to write a mystery novel, I knew it had to incorporate the charm and the culture and the warmth of the marvelous people of that area. The book also had to pull the reader into the town of San José del Cabo and let him or her get the feel of the town, to be able to walk around in it.

I see a common thread of travel; tell me more about it.

I’ve flown over 1,000,000 miles to 28 different countries, and I do have the US Registered Trademark Name of America’s International Travel Expert^®. So, yes, I love to travel. I also enjoy sharing any travel information that I know with other people. They just have to ask.  Writing the mystery novels set in exciting locations is one of the ways I have found to share my love of travel.

Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?

The quick summary is that I first plot it out and then it let it flow from there. Here is how it goes:

·         The true genesis of the book is that I decide where I want to spend a lot of time researching. I want the reader to feel as if the book’s setting is authentic and so I do spend a lot of time in the area. We’d already been going to Los Cabos each year since 2003, spending an average of six weeks per year there. I know the area quite well, and I talked with a lot people, gathered a lot of materials, and felt that I had enough research.

·         After I have the location for the primary setting, I write out the story plot chapter by chapter. Each chapter synopsis can be one sentence or it can be a long paragraph – just enough so I know how the story progresses through that chapter.

·         Once I start writing, I start at chapter one with its synopsis and I start writing at the computer; here is where it becomes “by the seat of my pants.” I don’t know how a given chapter is going to progress when I start it, which means that I don’t have any pre-conceived notion what the next chapter will actually – just its synopsis.

·         I just keep doing this, chapter by chapter, until the book is completed. This process invariably leads to many changes along the way as my brain develops new twists and turns that add to the mystery.

Are you working on a next book and what can you tell us about it?

Yes, I am working a next mystery novel set in Sydney, Australia. In keeping with my pledge to make the story and its settings as authentic as possible, I visited Sydney five times last year to conduct research. It is an exciting city, and I think I discovered something about the Sydney Harbour Bridge that not many people know about – and it’s something that they certainly don’t publicize. Hmmm, you’ll just have to read the book to find out what that is.

You’ve made us curious now – when will that book be out? And is there another after that in the works?

I’m not committing to a release date for the Sydney book right yet, but it’s probably early 2012. I’m thinking that the book after that needs to be set in Florence, Italy, a place loved by the Renaissance painters.

I see more research trips in the future for you. How can readers keep up with you, your travels, and your books?

Jumping on the airplanes alongside my wife and me might be a little inconvenient, so the next best thing would be to sign up for my no-charge e-newsletter that’s on the book’s website at www.MissingInMexico.com.

If you could ask your readers one question, what would it be?

Once they pick up a mystery and start to read it, what does it have to have for them to keep reading it to the very last page, to the very last word?

Which authors today do you like to read, and why?

I like to read the young authors, and by that I mean the ones like me who are writing their first or second or third novels and who are really open to feedback from readers, bloggers, and reviewers. I don’t think I can learn anything from reading one more novel by Tom Clancy, John Grisham, Barbara Kingsolver, or Steven King. Sure, they’re wildly successful, but it’s not a success that you can imitate or copy. So I prefer to read the online reviews and blogs of the newer authors like me, and then read some of their books to see how they advance their plots and storylines.

What do you think are your strengths in terms of your writing?

I know the area very well, and so I’m confident that readers could almost use the book as a guidebook when they visit the area. Now that’s not the purpose of the book, but it was critical that the descriptions of locations be accurate, although some of the places are fictitious.
After all it is a fictional story, even though some people have tried to tell me, “Oh, isn’t that hotel supposed to be the such-and-such Hotel?”

What has been your favorite compliment about the book?

I’ll hope you’ll let me give you three compliments that I’ve received:

·         I’ve heard from many Los Cabos locals (from the former mayor, gallery owners, and residents) who’ve said that the book describes “their town” so well – that was part of what I wanted to do in this book.

·         Jess Todtfeld, Former Producer for ABC, NBC, and FOX said, “The story’s so real I felt like I was right there!”

·         Jimmy DeMesa, M.D. and author said, “Stuart brings ‘Cabo’ to life with his intimate knowledge of the area and his skill in writing. Even if you’re not familiar with Los Cabos, Mexico, Missing in Mexico is a must read if you’re into travel, suspense, and real-life drama – since this riveting story has it all. I couldn’t put it down and I’m sure you’ll be happy you read it!”

Where’s one place that you haven’t visited that you’d like to go to?

Africa is on my list of places to visit (with a notebook and a couple of cameras). I’ve heard so many intriguing stories about the beautiful scenery and the wonderful people there. It might become a book setting, or perhaps it just might be a great month or so of travel. In either case, it sounds like a wonderful place that I must see.

What did you enjoy most about writing Missing in Mexico?

Seeing the places in my mind as I first wrote the book gave me so much enjoyment. The story line is fictional, but yet the setting is real and so now every time I re-read the book or even certain parts of it, it’s like transporting myself down to San José del Cabo. For example, Chapter 16 is about the Art District, and going through that chapter is like strolling through the Art District during the weekly Art Walk on Thursday Nights.

Your book’s been described as ‘Mystery Tourism’; please describe that for me.

The book is primarily a fictional mystery novel, and I could probably have stopped there. Given that I’ve made the primary setting as authentic as possible while still making it fictional, there is the tourism factor thrown in, such as the Art District chapter that I mentioned earlier. So the combination of those two items makes it a Mystery Tourism novel.

Is the book just an e-book, and where can readers get a copy?

Missing in Mexico is available in soft cover as well as an e-book on the book’s website at www.MissingInMexico.com. I personally autograph each of the print copies before they are mailed out from Boise, Idaho.

Author Bio: Stuart Gustafson began writing in earnest after retiring from the corporate world in 2007. His work involved travel and so it was natural for him to want to continue traveling once he retired. Now when he travels, it's for fun; it's for pleasure; it's to see new places in the world. The way he has chosen to combine his love of travel and writing is to write mystery novels set in exciting locations around the world. Stuart has been married for thirty-seven years to Darlene and they have one daughter and one son. Stuart and Darlene live in Boise, Idaho.

Book Blurb: Sarah Johnson is a 19-year college freshman who’s not on the plane back to Seattle after a family vacation in Mexico. The family hires Stan, a seasoned Private Investigator, to locate her. Even with local help and some promising leads in the town of San José del Cabo, he's unable to find her, and he returns to Seattle to tell the parents. Months later he receives a mysterious letter from someone who says she can help him locate Sarah, and he jumps on the next plane to Los Cabos. Will this be the lucky break he needs to find her? Or will she remain missing -- Missing in Mexico?

ExcerpTuesday: Jeffrey Marks

Jeffrey Marks is author of the book Intent to Sell which is a must read for anyone who wants to be successful at marketing their book.

Under Reconstruction

Ulysses S. Grant took a swig of whiskey and smiled into his beard. Nothing got the morning off to a good start like a belt. The Commander of the Union Army didn’t have much to occupy his thoughts; the army’s usefulness had faded since Appomattox, a few parades and official appearances. Of course, the troops paraded for that damned, interfering General Sherman complete with a twenty-one gun salute today. The Union wanted to remind people what the government had sacrificed for them.

Did the masses care? People respected Grant’s contributions, but they yearned for rebuilding commerce and trade, professions he’d failed at before the war. Rumors around the Capitol marked him for President in three years. Then he’d have new battles to fight. Until then, he had to wait.

He downed the last of the flask and looked out the window, overlooking the lawn and the city of Washington beyond. Unless disaster struck, he could count on an easy nomination and a landslide victory. On his last tour, the townsfolk had loved him at every stop.

Julia had gone off to inspect the house presented to them by some wealthy Philadelphians, escaping the Washington summer. Even so, she’d made her wishes known to Ulysses before she left. Washington was to be her new home.

Ulysses pulled out his pocket watch, and cursed to no one in particular. Damn, another meeting with that pompous ass Stanton. What had Lincoln accomplished by appointing him as Secretary of War? Stanton couldn’t slug his way out of a cotillion, much less execute the Union siege at Vicksburg. Lincoln had known the courage needed to win a war and hadn’t hindered Grant—even though he’d taken shit for his choice. Stanton, with his presidential aspirations, observed from behind the safety of his desk.

Grant stood, steadying himself with one hand. Drinks on an empty stomach hadn’t been such a great idea. He’d probably be asleep a few minutes into Stanton’s long-winded ramblings.

He strode down the hall to Stanton’s office, passing a few sentries along the way. In the three months since Lincoln’s death, security had been implemented in the White House. Shoddily to Grant’s mind. Anyone could barge into the West Wing. This kind of laxity wouldn’t happen if, no—when he were in charge.

Authorsday: RC Bridgestock

How did you pick the genre you write in?

People say you should write about what you know.

 Bob completed thirty years in the police service. He served twenty-eight years as a career detective and reached the dizzy heights at the rank of Detective Superintendent. In his last three years he took charge of 26 murder enquiries, 23 major incidents as well as over 50 suspicious deaths. He was also a Hostage Negotiator and taught future detectives at the West Yorkshire Police International Training School. 

I also worked for the same police force as a civilian employee in numerous roles in my seventeen year career.

 Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?

Definitely by the pants!  Our ideas are based on real life experiences which allow us to sit down and write continually, sometimes for days at a time reviewing all the enquiries twists and turns. Once the first draft is done then the real work begins as we re-write.

 What is the best writing advice anyone has given you?

The best advice came from other published authors who took the time to share their experience with us. 

·         Complete what you start.

·         When you rewrite make sure every word in every sentence moves the story forward.

·         Always carry a pen and paper with you to write down that quote you hear or description of an event you witness.

·         Write from heart.

·         Never give up...

 Why did you pick the publishers that ultimately published your book?

Caffeine Nights Publishers have a simple goal and that is to publish books that entertain - Fiction aimed at the heart and the head...

They keep their list of authors at a sustainable level, so they can nurture, develop and work with them to provide quality books for the readers. You can read more about them at

www.caffeine-nights.com. The Caffeine Nights name also instantly struck a cord with Bob. Due to the long hours he worked he consumed vast amounts of caffeine to keep him awake.

Caffeine Nights have an offer on at the moment which means that if you buy ‘Deadly Focus’ from Amazon - post a review at Amazon and then email info@caffeinenights.com with a link to the review and you will receive a free ebook from their range. Proof of purchase is required.

 What is it about your crime writing that is different?

I think the easiest way to answer this question is to show you a review by the well known script writer Peter J Hammond who is famous for his work on Sapphire & Steele, Torchwood and Midsomer Murders amongst but a few TV programmes. He said of ‘Deadly Focus’ :-  'I think it's marvellous. It's both witty and harrowing, and the dialogue and characters are great. It also reveals so much about working coppers' problems with the system. I know this sort of thing has been dealt with in previous police stories, but you bring a deeper insight to it without being preachy or pretentious. Most importantly, the police characters are believable and one cares about them. The mortuary viewing scene with the dead child is heartbreaking. In fact, it's a difficult book to put down'

We tell it as it is through the eyes and emotions of someone who has dealt with numerous real life murders.
 

 What do you consider your strengths in terms of your writing?

Writing from experience of the subject; there are also two of us and we both draw upon that which eliminates research time and therefore allows us time to be productive.  In the last four years we have written three novels in the RC Bridgestock series introducing DI Jack Dylan and his partner Jen.  ‘Deadly Focus’ was published in May this year; the sequel ‘Consequences’ will be out later this summer and the third is with the publishers for consideration.  I am presently re-writing book 4 and Bob has started both 5 & 6.

 What are your favourite quotes?

In every walk of life there are always those only too ready to criticise, which is why we think this quote by Roosevelt is special...

It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust, sweat and blood; who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again; who knows great enthusiasm, great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.

And

Carpe Diem! For we must seize what time we have and enjoy!

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Togetherness...  Whilst working for the police we rarely saw each other. When a ‘job’ was running the children and I sometimes didn’t see Bob for days. In fact he would come home to bed and go back to work and I wouldn’t even know he had been there but for the fact his side of the bed had been slept in!

There is also a great deal of personal satisfaction when you see your work come to life and something you can’t do in real crime is to be able to dictate the outcome.  Making the characters live and breathe is a privilege and believe it or not we actually discuss them as if they are real now - how sad is that?

But opening the box that is delivered to your door and seeing your published book for the first time is something else... 

That said the endorsements the book then receives  from the reader, the media along with working and retired police officers, who tell us that it takes them back to the incident rooms brings a thrill to our hearts and makes us very proud.

Where do you write?

We have just recently created an office to ensure discipline and avoid distraction. Bob can write anywhere but I need the ‘white noise’ of solitude. Other authors and people who work from home will tell you that family and friends think that because you’re at home working you do nothing in fact it is quite the reverse, because we are at home we work night and day sometimes.

How do you write together as a team? Who does what?

There is no magic formula to our writing. Once Bob has a crime scene in his mind, he can write about the enquiry till he captures the murderers, as he did in real life, with all the highs and lows of any investigation he was duty-bound to take charge of.

I add the emotion and the scenes drawing out Bob’s feelings from his sometimes harrowing descriptions.

Did we say there’s no magic? Maybe we’re wrong, because suddenly we have a fictional story with the real-life feelings of the man in charge, Dylan, and his partner Jen, who are very loosely based on ourselves.

We are both committed to writing full time now. Writing is an addiction and now the characters are alive, it is exciting to live with them.

Bob

Bob spent two years in a dye works before joining the police force in 1974. As a career detective he worked in the CID at every rank. For over half of his service he was a senior detective, retiring at the rank of Detective Superintendent. As a Senior Investigative Officer (SIO) in charge of homicide cases he took command of some twenty-six murder investigations, twenty-three major incidents including shootings and attempted murders and over fifty suspicious deaths and numerous sexual assaults, some of which were extremely high profile in his last three years alone He was a Force Hostage Negotiator and was also commended for his work into the investigation of a protracted, high profile investigation of police corruption in another police force.

Carol

In 1988 Carol commenced working for the Police as a member of the support staff in the Administration Department. Carol enjoys reading and likes nothing better than to lose herself in a good novel. She always knew Bob could tell a good story because of the experiences he had had in his life but her nagging fell on deaf ears until in 2008 when out of the blue he enrolled them on a College course to 'Write Your First Novel’.

Carol is now the Chair of a local writing circle that developed from that course and involves the community in writing competitions for all ages

Chelle Cordero: Stories That Reflect the Real World

I like to read and write contemporary stories, stories that reflect the real world around us. The real world is fraught with plenty of controversial, sometimes frightening, and sometimes angry topics. People show they can be ugly sometimes; others show genuine heroics in the face of enormous catastrophies. I try not to shy away from this realism.

Although I am admittedly opinionated and passionate-in-my-beliefs, I try not to infuse my characters with my attitudes. I want each character I create to be an individual with their own views and their own motivations. Some of the topics I’ve included in my stories include rape (female AND male), homosexuality, promiscuity, politics, prejudice, obsession, greed, and betrayal.

None of my characters are all good or all bad (even if a few villains came close) just like in real life where no one is all one way or the other – somehow even the most detested still have someone willing to love them. That’s life.

I’ve heard comments about a few of my stories and the themes I’ve written about; thankfully I’ve gotten more kudos than protests.

The most controversial topic I’ve included in my stories (so far) was in Hyphema. Hyphema features an interracial and intercultural marriage between a red-blooded Caucasian American Christian male and a Pakistani Muslim immigrant – the story takes place in a post-9/11 world. The cover shows a beautiful young woman wearing a Berka (scarf and face covering). I’ve certainly heard strong reactions and I am sure there are a few who would never read the book simply because of widespread prejudices and fears since 2001.

A quote from a review of Hyphema says, “Cordero meets headlong a number of real problems facing her characters. She doesn't sugar-coat cultural differences and prejudice…”

Subject matter should matter and when it evokes strong feelings and discussion, I believe that I have done my job as a writer. I tackle contemporary subjects and real life situations because I want folks to THINK long after they put my book down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bio:

Chelle has come a long way since first joining the Vanilla Heart Publishing queue of authors nearly two years ago with her first novel, Bartlett’s Rule. Now with nine novels on the market, she has solidified her standing as a Romantic Suspense author (7 romantic suspense & 2 mysteries.) She also has short stories in the VHP anthology With Arms Wide Open, Mandimam’s Press anthology Forever Friends, the VHP anthology Nature’s Gifts, VHP anthology Passionate Hearts and Mandimam Press anthology Forever Travels.

Bartlett’s Rule was named one of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s Top Ten Reads for 2009; Final Sin was a 2009 Pushcart Nominee; and Hostage Heart, Final Sin and A Chaunce of Riches were nominated in the 2009 Preditors’ and Readers’ poll and had top-ten finishes. Chelle Cordero was recently featured as one of the authors in “50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading” published by The Author’s Show in 2010.

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Blurb:

Hyphema: Bleeding in the eye caused by trauma.

Matt Garratti, a paramedic from New York, moves his wife and son to North Carolina to work at his dream job as a flight medic. Pakistani born Sudah, his wife, receives frosty stares and insensitive comments from their new neighbors. Before long, Matt wonders if he is pursuing his dream or bringing his family into a nightmare from which they may never wake.

ExcerpTuesday: Lauren Hope

Lauren Hope is a suspense author who throws in romance, comedy, and a little mystery depending on the story.  She is the author of the enthusiastically reviewed  Shadow Series - Hidden Shadows and its sequel, Chasing Shadows. After getting a degree in Communication, studying abroad in Rome and Florence, Italy, and working in the corporate world, she decided writing was her ultimate love. Her latest novel, Screaming to Be Solved, is a fast-paced, twisting suspense that she thinks her readers will love! Lauren and her husband, Michael, live in a small town in Tennessee with a big yard, an even bigger love, and their floppy eared pup named Jade.

HIDDEN SHADOWS |   EXCERPT

“Oh, one more thing before we get started today.” Jenna snapped her fingers. “Know what this is?” She held out a crumpled piece of notepad paper for Molly to examine.

Molly’s eyes scanned the short, cryptic message:

Your time’s coming.

Looking confused and apprehensive Molly narrowed her eyes. “Weird. Who wrote this?”

“Don’t know.” Jenna shrugged her shoulders. “That’s why I asked you. When I got here this morning, it was stuck to my office door.”

“Really weird.” Molly repeated her sentiment. “Maybe it’s a mistake. Possibly meant for another doctor? Sounds like an appointment time or something. I don’t know. I’ll ask around if you want me to.”

“Yeah, sure. If you have time, that’d be fine. No biggie though.” Wadding the paper in a ball, she tossed it into the nearest trash can, banking it. “Whoo, hoo!” She threw her arms in the air, laughing, and slapped Molly’s hand for a high five.

When Jenna’s watch gave a whining beep, she glanced down and knew it was time to get moving. “And the day begins.” She smiled at Molly and tapped her watch. “Would you mind setting up while I go get my fuel, please? As usual we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off this morning. I only got one cup of coffee at breakfast and that was about…two hours ago,” Jenna estimated. “Time for another pick-me-up.” She grinned and trailed off to the break room while Molly made her way down the hall to get ready for the first appointment.