HUNKERING DOWN

We're having the damnest weather! 

Due to some horrendous storms (temps in the 70's and severe thunderstorms and flooding in January?), we've lost internet three times. I'm beating a judicious retreat rather than fight to get up the planned blog for tomorrow.

We've got rivers instead of roads and lakes instead of hay fields and an icy cold front moving in behind it all this. Temps were 72 at 2:00 this afternoon but it's 55 degrees right now(8:30 pm) and supposed to drop to 38 degrees before morning. More rain turning to sleet and snow to follow, or so they say. Aren't we so special? Can you imagine what the roads will be like when they freeze? Ugh.

Although I got all the animals fed and winterized I wasn't expect quite so much rain, strong winds, lightning and thunder. I have a dog who likes to dig to China on a regular basis because he likes to sleep in holes--I kid you not. With more rain and standing water than we expected, Hubs and I were out in the downpour trenching his dog pen so the dog house wouldn't flood. Silly dog. He's a chow/retriever mix.  

I'll have a new blog post for Friday. 

Have a great Wednesday!

MONDAY MUSINGS: STORIES AROUND THE CAMPFIRE

We’re writers. Storytelling for us is like breathing. Storytelling is as old as time. Oral storytelling is a long-standing art of most cultures. Much of it set to some form of music or through use of rhythms in word formation or a drum to remember the stories. I’m sure some of the stories were a way of sharing lessons learned, but I’m equally sure, making up stories were also a form of entertainment told around the cook fire. A way to also share the activities of the day and connect.

Storytelling hasn't changed all that much. We observe something in life that catches our interest. Maybe it’s something we've discovered through research, or something we've lived, or people watching, a snatch of a song, or a movie or show. As storytellers we take those observations, experiences, or snippets of life and give them emotions, setting, and an ending—sometimes happy sometimes not. It’s a way to take our experiences and knowledge and connect emotionally with our audience, the reader and ourselves. Our own campfire tales.

I read an interesting article not long ago, in The Scientist, about the Science Of Storytelling. The title caught my eye. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading it and it wasn't what I thought it would be but it was interesting.

The gist of it was science is a story about ideas and lessons learned. Not all that different from the stories around the cook fire or in a shaman’s circle. Scientists tell their stories via published papers and books, which has little or no narrative or personal thoughts.

A non-profit organization, The Moth, sponsored an event at the World Science Festival, called Matter: Stories of Atoms and Eves, and the point of this storytelling session is each story of the event had to be true, short, and told without notes. Not easy for a scientist trained to tell the facts and nothing but the facts and removing any personal feelings from the information. Each of the participants shared their knowledge but from a personal standpoint designed to connect with the audience and perhaps show the passion they felt towards their area of study.

As writers and storytellers we know how to craft and tell a story, not so easy for the uninitiated as one participant, Irene Pepperberg, noted. “It was quite the effort trying to get a 40 minute presentation into 10 minutes.” She gamely shared the unique difficulties and excitement of working with her research subject and “colleague,” Alex the African Grey parrot. In 2007 Alex died and she said, “I realized I'd lost the most important being in my life for the last thirty years.”
Each of the highly regarded participants told their stories. It was actually very fascinating to read the stories and then look at the body of research behind them. For that night, they were storytellers and connected with a rapt audience of over 250 people. Well-respected “elders” sharing their experiences around the cook fire, so to speak.

The thought of “elders” isn't that far removed in light of what The Moth’s executive and creative director, Lea Thau, said of the evening. “I was extremely moved by the evening. When you have someone who's contributed as much to the world as these people have, it adds a bit of gravitas, and we're all in awe. But the thing I love about storytelling is that it levels the playing field.”


Really, the art of storytelling, on one level or another, is merely tales around the cook fire or the dinner table. A way of connecting, sharing, and entertaining.

Do you think the art of storytelling has changed? Any thoughts?

HAVING FUN WITH RESEARCH

My guest is Terry Spear who writes some fabulous stories about wolf and jaguar shifters. I thoroughly enjoy her stories and stepping into a world created by Terry is almost as good as a vacation. I'd still like to find a nice beach with white sands, balmy warm breezes, and frothy turquoise waters, AND a Terry Spear book. Now, that would be a great vacation!

I love to research settings, animals (for shifter types), temperatures, plants, everything I can to make an urban fantasy story as real as werewolf and jaguar shifters can be. J

Visiting Grand Cayman Island was a lot of fun. I’d always wanted to set a story there because I thoroughly enjoyed it. When a story is set in a place you've been, it makes it easier. But I still did research to ensure I got my facts straight and added more details I missed—like about where the different types of sharks are located, and something about the huge amount of banks that are on the island (offshore bank accounts, ring a bell?), and more. I saw one when I was there, and it wasn't anything like what you might expect. I also saw a man in a business suit at the hotel where we were staying, chain around his wrist and a briefcase. Hmm-hm. And I included it in the story. The man and the stingray story? Happened to a man swimming near me. The tale the man told them about the ray with no tail? The shark with all the undigested ray tails? All of these the guide revealed to us during the snorkeling trip to feed the rays. So sometimes what I add is researched, and some of it is real. The pirates putting on a sword-fighting show was also real. Well, faked, but you what I mean. LOL

It was fun when Duncan couldn't stand it anymore and had to show how a real swordsman fought.

When I went to Grand Cayman Island, I did almost everything that Duncan and Shelley did, except swim and run as a wolf, and no fighting bad guys. I also went on a submarine, but Duncan and Shelley, being the wolves they are, didn't want to do that.

Since I also write thousands of blogs, I love to take photos of animals that I might share since they’re in the stories. I wish I’d had a decent camera to take pictures when I was on Grand Cayman Island. But that was one of the things I always forgot. A camera.

I’m getting better about it!

While visiting my son and daughter-in-law at Omaha, NE where my son is stationed in the AF, they took me to the zoo, and I got a lot of neat pictures of sharks and stingrays and jelly fish, caimans and jaguars—for my jaguar stories, and tons of other great stuff. But they had no wolves. They took me to another park, complete with wolves. My Thanksgiving was perfect!

My next story, A Highland Werewolf Wedding, is set in Scotland, and the castle ruins I used in the story, was actually one of the ones I visited and fell in love with. Visiting a place that you set your story can help to create a real world in a world of fantasy. Since I really loved it, like I did Grand Cayman Island, Scotland, and some of the silver mining towns in Colorado that I used to create Silver Town, Colorado, and the Oregon coast and Portland areas, I could create a world I loved, too. With a camera, I can take pictures to help me remember details I might forget. Tour guides can give details, too, that we might not be able to find by doing other kinds of research.

I’m still learning to use my new camera though. I spent a couple of hours at the local zoo, capturing a tiger cub playing with his mother, and a jaguar making its strange huffing roar because it was separated from her cub, and got home to find that I must not have turned the movie on when I was taking it.

*sigh*

I have to say that when I went to the Grand Cayman Island, I was still writing on a historical romance, and had no idea that one day, I would be writing a story about a hot Highland wolf meeting up with a sexy Texas she-wolf in that same island paradise.

Now, everywhere I go is a potential setting for a story.

Have you ever been somewhere that you can’t stop thinking about because you just had such a memorable time there?

Thanks so much to Sia for having me on her blog! And good luck to commenters!!

                                                                                                                                                                                   

BUY:   AMAZON,  B&N

A HOWL FOR A HIGHLANDER BY TERRY SPEAR – IN STORES FEBRUARY 2013

A Highland Wolf on a Mission...

Duncan MacNeill is hell-bent on catching the thief who's stolen the clan's fortune and run off to Grand Cayman Island. Duncan has rarely left his homeland and he couldn't care less about an island paradise. He never expected to find a beautiful distraction who will show him just how appealing paradise can be...

Meets a Dangerous Distraction...

Lone wolf and botanist Shelley Campbell headed to the island to study the old growth forests. She didn't count on meeting a handsome Highlander who can't keep his paws off her.

Excerpt (Amazon chapter read) 

"Fascinating characters and an exciting, action packed plot."  RTBook Reviews, 4 Stars

                                                                                                                                                  

FOR HOWL BLOG HOP IS A WOLF PRIZE PACK 

OF ONE OF TERRY'S BOOKS IN

HER WOLF SERIES

FOLLOW THE COUNTDOWN TO HOWL BOOK BLOGGER HOP:

1/24       Literal Addiction http://www.literaladdiction.com/ 

1/25       Under the Covers http://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/  

1/28       Book Lovin’ Mamas http://booklovinmamas.blogspot.com/ 

1/29       Anna’s Book Blog http://annavivian.blogspot.com/  

1/30       Urban Girl Reader http://www.urbangirlreader.com/  

                                                                                                                       

MONDAY'S MUSINGS: THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS...

Long, long ago...

The oral tradition of storytelling is the one of the oldest traditions of civilization. Storytellers were not just entertainers, but teachers and historians. Some stories were based on actual historical events some were complete flights of the imagination and designed to teach—perhaps a moral, or teach the listeners critical thinking and sound decision making. Stories also reminded the listeners of bygone lessons from history, religion, and lessons of everyday life. Stories were guides to planting, hunting, fishing, and creating things for the community.

Then there were the legends or myths. They were designed to explain the unexplainable like creation, how land was formed, how the oceans stayed in their boundaries, how thunder came about, or lightning happened. There weren’t any scientists so people used things of their world—personifying animals or creating superhuman heroes doing great deeds to give an explanation. At the heart these heroes produced good results for the community but usually at great cost. These legendary stories encouraged the listeners to think and figure out how to do things or make sense of what was unknown to them and to appreciate sacred things. Many legends held subtle morals on what would happen if one person, or group of people, stepped away from what they held sacred and that one’s actions could affect the community for years to come.

There are many oral legends told around the world. Some have been captured in written word. The authors wrote down the oral tales of generations past and perhaps added their embellishments to fit the new audience. Think Homer—these weren’t new tales but a retelling of the old. Aesop’s tales and the brothers Grim. All tales retold from ancient times. Entertaining tales but with instruction at the heart of the story.

Many Native American tribes still have tales from old. On the surface they entertained, but below the surface were lessons to be learned. I’ll share one with you.

Medicine Bear

“Long, long ago, in the beginning times, bear was a great healer. He knew all the plants, roots, and barks that would cure sickness and heal injuries. Bear was the first medicine man. The people honored and respected Bear. 

Ah, but then came the summer of little rain. The crops did not grow and the rivers and streams were drying and there were no fish. The game animals were scarce 

In their hunger, the people abandoned their sacred ways and hunted bear for food. But, when they tried to cook him, his ashes went into the sky and became mosquitoes.”

The legend explained the unexplainable—how mosquitoes came about. The storyteller who thought it up as a parable, had great imagination and wisdom, and knew how to tell the tale so the lessons would be remembered.  It does entertain but there are lessons below the surface of the tale.  When we abandon our beliefs and turn our backs on what we hold sacred, no good will become of it.  

The tale also reminded the listeners the consequences of their actions could be felt for generations to come. You can bet every time a mosquito bit the listener they would remember the rest of the tale and why pesky mosquitoes were around.

wiki-commons

One of my favorite tales from Aesop’s tales is the dog and the bone. It makes you laugh and so it entertains, but the underlying lesson is all about being content with what one has and how foolish it is to desire more. Another lesson is about coveting (craving what belongs to another) what others have.

Many hurtful consequences come from such a desire and when you lose sight of what is important in your own life. Like the foolish dog, you often lose it all.

• Do you have a favorite fable or tale? What do you like about it?

READS FOR A COLD WINTER'S NIGHT

If you like your reads a bit on the otherworldly side, I've got a couple of good ones to check out! These paranormals (a bit of new and older) are a good blend of suspense, hot romance, and danger.

WILD CAT-Book 3 in the Shifters Unbound series

Jennifer Ashley

Heartbroken from the death of her mate three years ago, Shifter Cassidy Warden is tracking down his mysterious killer-one who could bring danger to all Shifters. But Detective Diego Escobar rekindles the flames of her mating desire. 

And once the fires begin, nothing and no one can put them out...

Read an excerpt  Amazon

This one was published last year but I've been looking forward to this one and the 4th in the series!

Ashley continues to flesh out her gritty reality and introduce new players who add depth and richness to the stories. Another excellent addition to the series! --RT BookReviews




                                                                                                                                               

GHOST OF A CHANCE

Caridad Pineiro


True crime writer Tracy Gomez is unsure of what to make of the unusual invitation from New York City attorney Peter Angelo: A one million dollar prize to anyone who can solve the mystery of three deaths which had occurred nearly eighty years earlier. 

Tracy desperately needs the money to fix up the old inn she’s just inherited and solving the crime will also provide welcome publicity to help her sagging writing career. But accepting the invitation brings unexpected challenges, like spectral help during a séance and Tracy’s attraction to the sexy attorney monitoring the contest. 

Does Tracy only have a ghost of a chance to discover the secrets of the past or can she win a prize far better than a million dollars? 

Read excerpt Amazon ($.99 til March 31st)


"This is not just a ghost story and romance but it is a very good murder mystery.  Who killed the Ryan's and why? The wife and daughter's bodies were never discovered are they really dead?  This short story was a wonderful mystery in addition to a wonderful ghost romance." Paranormal Romance Guild

MARILYN BRANT: INTERNET DATING?

It's a pleasure to welcome women's fiction author, Marilyn Brant, visiting with us today. 

What I enjoy about Marilyn's stories is, while she may touch on themes of Pride and Prejudice, it's not actually fanfiction—using the actual characters of Jane Austen's tale and retelling the same story—it's fresh and new. Original. I love her imagination and ability to extrapolate from the original without reusing the characters. She creates new characters and situations with a nod to Austen. The stories are fun! 

Thanks to Sia for being so gracious and inviting me back to visit you all at Over Coffee!

I know sometimes, after a writer has published a few books, some may think that it’s old hat, and not as exciting as it was in those early days... But that’s really not true for me, especially in this case. Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match is my seventh novel (“Lucky 7?!”) and, in a way, I’m even more excited this time around because I’m getting to come full circle.

My debut book, According to Jane, which was released back in 2009, was a romantic women’s fiction story (with some steamy scenes, be forewarned!) about a woman who had the ghost of Jane Austen in her head giving her dating advice. This new novel is a contemporary romance, and it also gives an honorary nod to the great Austen. The hero and heroine inherited their names and some of their characteristics from the famed pair in Pride and Prejudice, Darcy and Elizabeth (a novel which turns 200 years old this month, btw). But the courtship of the couple in my newest book revolves around an Internet dating site and, also, a local coffee shop called the “Koffee Haus.” And, oh, how I wish I could meet you all there this morning... I know we are all fans of coffee here, right?!

When I was writing the book, I thought it would be funny for the hero and heroine to fall prey to a bunch of different stereotypes about each other, which is easy to do if you’re trying to judge somebody’s character from a list of qualities on an online dating site or based on their choice of a latté. I’m a devoted coffee drinker, so I have a little bit of experience with the latter...however, I had no experience at all with the former!

I met my husband over 20 years ago, and the internet didn't exist in any widespread mainstream way back then. So, I've always been really curious about the whole online dating process. And, as a novelist who wanted use this activity as part of my plot, I had to resort to sneaky tactics (like interrogating my single friends who had Match.com profiles!) in order to find out about the kinds of dating experiences that were out there--both good and seriously-not-so-good.  

One twenty-something guy friend of ours would entertain me almost every week with talkes of his latest Internet love matches. Some of them were VERY WILD! I'm pleased to say that he's happily married now, although he didn't meet his new bride online...A female colleague I used to teach with, however, had far more success (although, her romantic tales were not nearly as soap-opera worthy, LOL!), and she did, in fact, meet her husband via the Internet.

All in all, I think if Jane Austen had the ability to do any modern matchmaking, I more than suspect she’d be all over the idea of online dating. *grin*

• Have you or anyone you know tried to meet potential love interests on Match.com or any of the other dating sites? If you haven’t tried it yourself, would you want to? I’d love to know your thoughts!

Wishing you all a wonderful 2013!!

                                                                                                                         

Giveaway: 

Because Sia included my last novel, Holiday Man, on her recent post “Hot Reads for Cold Winter Nights” (Over Coffee, January 2nd), I’ll give away one PDF copy of that ebook to one commenter on this post. Open internationally!

                                                                                                                                                             

BUY: AMAZON AND  B&N

A single mother and an ER doctor meet on an Internet dating site—each for reasons that have little to do with finding their perfect match—in this modern, Austen-inspired story. It’s a tribute to the power of both “pride” and “prejudice” in bringing two people romantically together, despite their mutual insistence that they should stay apart…

Would an Elizabeth Bennet by any other name be as appealing to a Darcy?

Beth Ann Bennet isn’t looking for love. She’s an aspiring social worker using an online alias to study sex-role stereotypes. Dr. William Darcy isn’t looking for love either. He’s just trying to fund his new clinic by winning a major bet. Both think Lady Catherine’s Love Match Website will help them get what they want—fast, easy and without endangering their hearts. Both are in for a big surprise.

Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match…where true love is just a fib and a click away.
first chapter excerpt

                                                                                                                                                                           

MONDAY MUSINGS: THE NATURAL ART OF STORYTELLING

I love listening to and reading stories. Storytelling is as old as language. There is a rich history behind storytelling. To tell a story is as natural as breathing for people. Some are better than others, but we all tell them in one form or another.

Throughout history, narratives were used to entertain, teach, and build a community identity. Storytellers were often revered in their community because they were the source of current news, holder of traditions, the historians, teachers, the holder of religious beliefs, and the entertainers.

Early storytelling combined stories, poetry, music, and dance. Communities were strengthened and maintained through stories that connected the present, the past and the future.

We’re used to books, TV, and other electronic forms for history, religion, news, and entertainment choices. It’s hard to imagine a world without them. At the end of the workday we might eat our evening meal while telling our family about our day and then sit and watch a show on TV, listen to music, or read a book.

I imagine it wasn't so different thousands of years ago. Eating either in a community or family setting talking about the day. It was a time to express their worries, fears, beliefs, and explain the world they faced and usually through narratives. Just as today kids want to hear stories of what the world was like when their parents were young, so it was then. People wanted the tales of the traditions, battles, heroism, and the funny things that made the audience giggle or laugh. These tales draw people together in strength and unity.

Songs are a form of storytelling and were used to make work go by faster. The use of work songs is a very old practice. Some of the songs were songs of praise for the gods to make the crops grow, the hunt successful, to bring in the fish to the nets. Others were rhythmic chants to keep minds focused in unity of purpose and hands steady in planting or harvesting, perhaps cutting or making materials for building. Tough and repetitive jobs are easier with such chants. We still see vestiges of this practice in various cultures. Even the U.S. military use chants to perform marches and other repetitive tasks. At any given time, if you visit a military training installation, you’ll hear chants echoing around you. If you listen carefully you can tell the difference between the battalions by sound of their chants. It’s not hard to see how different people of old had their own style and rhythm.

Telling stories is natural for us. We use narratives when relaying something to friends or family in letters or notes, or telling our kids tales from our wild childhood. Hunters and fishermen tell some great tales. There are those who excel at telling stories. They have down the embellishments, tone, and method of telling a good story. Those few, just as with the ancients, are the entertainers. The bards of today.

There is a rich history of storytellers in various cultures and some still exist today. 

But that’s a tale for another time.

HEART PUMPING READS FOR A COLD WINTER NIGHT

There's nothing like a good suspense or thriller to get your heart pumping on a cold winter night. If it has a bit of romance in it, all the better. I thought I'd share a few with you today.

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, INDIEBOUND 

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT

Vicki Hinze

ENTER THE WORLD OF MILITARY INTELLIGENCE...

Can a first-grade teacher from Grace, Alabama stop a terrorist group from its deadly mission?

Can she trust her heart again?

Former Air Force scientist Dr. Julia Warner-Hyde went into hiding three years ago to escape her abusive ex-husband. Her new life as a small town schoolteacher is safe and peaceful-until her old lab partner, Dr. Seth Holt, arrives.

Terrorists have stolen the missile system Seth and Julia designed, and they fully intend to use it. Seth needs Julia's help to find, outwit and halt them, but he and she didn't part on the best of terms. He doesn't know that Julia has a secret enemy who might kill them both. Can she fight that threat and the terrorists-all while keeping Seth in the dark? How can she refuse to try, with millions of lives at stake? Excerpt

This is a good 4 star read. Good blend of military, black box (black ops) research lab, and a villain with a vendetta against the United States and for whom the idea of treason doesn't apply--in his mind. Good character driven story. A good romance played out against the background of treason and devastation. Lots of pressure to figure out who the villains are, their motives, and a race to stop a bomb from being detonated and taking out millions. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I definitely plan on reading more from this author.

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, INDIEBOUND

WAIT FOR ME

Elisabeth Naughton

A woman without a past…

After a tragic accident left her with no memory, Kate Alexander struggled to fit in with a husband and world that didn’t feel right. She’s had no reason to question what friends and family have told her, not until her husband is suddenly killed and she finds a photo of a young girl in his office. A girl who can’t be anyone but a daughter Kate didn’t know she had.

A man desperate for a reason to live…

Ryan Harrison lost his wife in a plane crash five years ago. To cope with the pain of her loss, he dedicated himself to his job and to raising their daughter. Now a successful pharmaceutical executive, Ryan has everything a man could want—money, fame and power—but he’d give it all up in a heartbeat for just one more day with the woman he still loves.

Two lives about to converge.

As Kate begins to dig into a past she doesn’t remember, evidence leads her to San Francisco and puts her on the path toward Ryan, a man who sees in her the woman he loved and lost. Kate feels a draw to Ryan, one she can’t explain, but is that feeling enough to convince her this is where she’s supposed to be? As Ryan and Kate search for answers, they uncover lies long buried, a passion hotter than either expected and a danger that threatens…even now…when the second chance they’ve both been searching for is finally within reach. excerpt  (HEADS UP FREE ON KINDLE)

In my opinion this is a 4 1/2 star read. Love a good romance with a twist. Smooth and filled with suspense, lots of tension, unexpected twists, and danger. Elisabeth does a great job with romantic suspense (and on paranormal too.) This book was chosen as a nominee for 2012 Best Romantic Suspense--for good reason.

*********************************************************************************

Speaking of heart pumping reads: yesterday's winner for Colby Marshall's, THE CHAIN OF COMMAND is John Philipp! Congratulations John!

*****************************************************

CHATTING WITH AUTHOR OF CHAIN OF COMMAND--COLBY MARSHALL

       

My guest is suspense/thriller writer, Colby Marshall. Her debut novel is a captivating story of an assassin with an agenda, a government in crisis, a dangerous web of lies and corruption, and as with all good stories—a touch of romance. Being the curious sort, I had some questions for Colby.

How has your own romance colored how you write romance in your stories? Or does it?

I laughed out loud at this question, because my first thought was, “Does your blog have a rating?”  Let’s just say between us girls that some of the love scenes…hmm.  I’d better plead the fifth.  My mom might read this post! 

All joking aside, my husband is actually a brilliant sounding board for my romances, simply because I do write from both female and male points of view.  When it comes to the violence in the story, I've heard many times that I write like a guy. What five-foot-one girl who owns more glitter than your average craft store doesn't have a thing for car chases and knife fights, right?  But when it comes to writing romance from a man’s point of view, I’m sometimes a bit too…tasteful.  My husband reads my work as I write, and he always reminds me to keep my voice in the right place when writing a male POV.

Well, I don’t have the glitter but I’ll admit I love fights, car chases, and action flicks and books 

• You’re a dancer and choreographer. Do you design the dance composition of a piece, like the dance patterns and movements? I’m thinking of the routines they do with Dancing With The Stars?

Yep, that’s exactly what I do.  In fact, not too long ago I was one of the professional dancers for the Dancing Stars of Central Georgia, a charity event modeled after Dancing with the Stars that raised over $200k for the Central Georgia Alzheimer’s Association.  I was paired with a local celebrity, and I created a routine for us.  I trained him for eight weeks prior to the event, where we performed the samba to Lady Gaga’s “Telephone.”  I love flashy concepts and do a lot of choreography for theatres, so of course we dressed the parts as well, complete with glittery lightning bolts on our faces and crazily-teased hair.  What can I say?  The theatricality came out!

Wow! Sounds like a lot of work but fun, too!

I love to read a good thriller although writing one would be tough I think because all of the parts that have to come together to make the story flow and build tension.

• What excites you about this genre?

 

Those things that have to come together are both the most challenging thing about writing thrillers as well as the thing that excites me most about them.  When I’m reading a thriller, I try to solve the puzzles as I go, and if a read keeps me guessing until the end and delivers a resolution that I believe, that author has made a fan for life in me.  That’s why when I’m writing a thriller, I will give myself headaches to make it more layered and complex: I hope to give readers that experience of not knowing what’s coming, but also the ability to read back and totally see how it was coming the whole time.  

• How much do current events play into your writing? 

Current events (and past events) do often give me initial sparks of ideas.  CHAIN OF COMMAND first took root in my head when a few years ago, more women began to appear in campaigns for the White House.  The idea for the new thriller I’m currently working on started when I read about a recent high profile murder case.  My stories are never “based on a true” story type things, as they are entirely fictional, but I do tend to hear news items and think, “But what if that sort of a situation happened with a different twist?”

• What do you like about McKenzie McClendon, the heroine of Chain of Command? What about Noah? 

McKenzie is fearless.  She might not know she’s fearless, but she is.  When she gets an idea in her head, she will chase it down, wrestle it to the ground, and beat it into submission no matter what.  I think her tenacity makes her a fun character to write.  As for Noah, I just love that he is a complete badass.  There’s no way around that phrase to describe him for me.  He’s the type who, in movies, sets off the explosion and walks away without flinching.  They’re both independent, but that mutual boldness is exactly why they bring each other to their knees where no one else can.     

What’s not to love about a badass like Noah?

• Noah is a SEAL and proud of his training (and McKenzie has a rather negative view of SEALS)—what’s their common ground that allows them to work together? 

They definitely don’t have much common ground at all in the beginning.  They end up working together because each has an ulterior motive: Noah plans to use McKenzie to get out of a sticky situation, and McKenzie thinks she can use Noah for a career-making story.  Unfortunately for both of those well laid plans, as they hunt for the truth, the two of them find out the other is a real person and not just a tool to be utilized.

• Now that you’re a new mother how has this impacted on your writing time? 

Balancing a new baby and writing time is a feat.  Sometimes I do it quite literally: I balance the baby on my lap to feed her with one arm and pluck out keystrokes with the other.  The biggest impact on my writing time is that now it is not guaranteed.  When I get settled in to write, I know at any moment I could be interrupted.  A chunk of writing here and there as I can grab it has to work, where before I would make sure my writing environment was more controlled.  Basically, I have had to become one with the chaos.  Luckily, I’m good at multitasking.  (Birthday cake ice cream helps, too.)

• How has being published changed your life? In what ways? 

It’s an interesting change, for sure.  Mostly, I've noticed how things that would before have seemed so “out there” now feel like just part of a running machine.  Recently, I missed a phone call that a few months ago I’d have scheduled my entire day around.  I wasn't able to return the call that day because I was in between TV spots to promote the book, which felt crazy!  I've had people I've been friends with for years ask if they could possibly “get me to autograph” a book for a friend of theirs.  I always want to say, “Are you kidding?  I love signing books!”  I always tell them of course but laugh and say, “But I do hear if you can find a copy that isn't signed, it’s worth an absolute fortune.” 

• What’s coming next from Colby Marshall? 

I’m currently editing the next book in the McKenzie McClendon series, which is about a surgeon providing infants for the black market baby trade.  McKenzie needs an angle on this story to keep her job—and her home.  When her high school sweet heart tips her off that his wife may have been one of the victims, she launches a frantic search to find the killer and her ex’s son.  I’m also working on a new series about a forensic psychiatrist with graphemeàcolor synesthesia—a form of synesthesia in which an individual's perception of numbers and letters is associated with the experience of colors. One half of a vicious team of killers is caught, and she uses her unique gift to hunt down the mastermind still at large.

Hmm, how soon did you say I can read these? I'm looking forward to getting my hands on these!

Colby, thank you for taking  time, out of a very busy life, to answer my questions and sharing a bit about your other loves. 

• A publisher's ARC copy is up for grabs for a lucky commenter today.

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The road to the Oval Office is paved in blood… 

The simultaneous assassinations of the President and Vice President catapults the Speaker of the House into the White House as the first female President of the United States. Evidence points to a former Navy SEAL as one of the assassins.

Relegated to writing sidebar stories instead of headlines, journalist McKenzie McClendon composes a scathing story about the Navy training killers, igniting the fury of the alleged assassin’s former partner.

Former Navy SEAL Noah Hutchins doesn’t believe his partner could have committed the heinous crime. They’d endured the horrors of Afghanistan together. His buddy was a hero, not a murderer. 

No one who knows the truth is safe… 

Thrown together in a search for the truth—and a career-making story—McKenzie and Noah must unravel a dangerous web of lies that includes a radical foreign faction, a violent ultra-feminist group, and corrupt politicians willing to kill to keep their secrets. And an assassin who is still on the loose. 

His next targets are already in his crosshairs…Excerpt

 

•  A publisher's ARC copy is up for grabs for a lucky commenter today.