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was born and raised in Chicago. Her father was a history professor and her mother was, and is, a voracious reader. She grew up with a love of history and books. Her parents also loved travelling, a passion they passed onto her. Karslen wanted to see the place she read about, see the land [image error]and monuments from the time periods that fascinated her. She’s had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa.

She’s now a retired police detective who spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. Her desire to write came in her early teens. After she retired, she decided to pursue that dream. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, four rescue dogs and a rescue horse.

Thanks for this interview, Chris! When did your passion for thrillers and action/adventure fiction begin?

I don’t know if I could put a specific timeframe to my interest. I can’t remember a time it wasn’t there. As a child, I loved the old horror movies where folks were chasing or running from the Mummy or Dracula etc.�� and the thrillers like North by Northwest,�� The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Manchurian Candidate. When I got into my teens, James Bond became popular. I loved the movies and devoured Ian Fleming’s books.�� Along that same vein, I enjoyed The Jackal, and Three Days of the Condor. Who didn’t love Indiana Jones? Now, I can’t wait to see movies like The Avengers, Iron Man, The Bourne Identity and still love the Bond movies.

When did you decide you wanted to become an author?

��I wanted to write since I was a teenager. But by the time I was ready for college I lacked the confidence to try so I went with the “safe�� route and became a business major. Once I retired, I was ready to take a risk and live my dream.

Tell us about your latest novel, .

[image error]The heroine, Charlotte Dashiell, is a nautical archaeologist. She’s working on her Doctorate in that field. Her thesis is very controversial and approval by the Doctoral Committee for her thesis is at risk if she doesn’t find evidence to support it. A shipwreck found off the coast of Turkey may hold her proof. She manages to obtain a position on the recovery team. En route, the Turkish government agent assigned to the wreck is murdered and she is on the scene at the time it occurred. Her close presence at the time of the crime coupled with a loose connection to a private collector of black market artifacts makes her a person of interest to the Turkish authorities. Atakan Vadim, the hero, is the Turkish agent sent to investigate her further. He becomes her dive partner. As the story progresses, he discovers smugglers plan to steal certain high value relics from the wreck and frame Charlotte for the theft. He also learns the thieves plan to murder her in the process. For her own safety, he presses her to leave the recovery team. She refuses. If she leaves, she loses all hope of finding proof of her thesis.�� Together, he and Charlotte work to find out who is behind the smuggling operation. During the course of the story, the relationship between the two turns from one of wariness and distrust to friendship, trust and love. ����

What made you decide to set it in Turkey?

��I love Turkey. I’ve visited several times. I knew after the first time, I would set a story there. It’s such a fascinating country. In Istanbul, the exotic Ottoman architecture mixed with the modern immediately captures your interest. There’s the hustle and bustle of the bazaars, which I enjoy, especially the Spice Market. It’s a colourful place. You can’t throw a rock in Turkey and not hit something historical. Their history goes back to the Bronze Age. Turkey’s been part of the Hittite Empire, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire and a secular, independent modern nation. The people are nice.�� The food is excellent. The landscape is remarkable in its variance. There’s the beautiful coastal area along the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean and the starkly different coastline on the Black Sea. The region of Cappadocia with its fairy chimneys and underground cities is other worldly in appearance. ����To the east are mountains and grassy plains.��

Did you have to do a lot of research about police procedural there?

Not police procedural per se. Atakan is actually a representative of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. I was fortunate enough to have a contact/advisor who is an archaeological diver and Turkish. He told me that all legitimate archaeological sites in Turkey have a representative of the Ministry present to watch over the safety of the site and relics. I took some dramatic license and gave Atakan more police authority than he’d have in real life. For the SWAT operation, I did research weapons used by the Turkish authorities and how they would interact with our military stationed at Incirlik Air Force Base in Turkey to obtain intelligence information needed. Again, I was lucky. I have a friend who headed up a SWAT team for a major US city and who was a Marine reserve who served in Iraq and trained our soldiers in urban-crisis entries. My friend was familiar with how the flow of intelligence gathering is handled. He also advised me on some of the SWAT tactics.

There are a lot of Turkish words in the story. Do you speak Turkish?

��No. I’d like to learn. I do have the Rosetta Stone program for Turkish but it is an extremely difficult language. It uses the Latin alphabet that we are familiar with but the conjugation and pronunciation is not what you’d expect. My Turkish diver friend helped with the translation as did another Turkish friend who’s a tour guide. I cannot understand it when spoken to me (rarely anyway). I am better at reading it and then I really only know some basic words and phrases.

I found the myth about Troy fascinating. To this day, do they know for a fact that Troy existed?

����Yes, Troy definitely existed. There have been archaeologists working the site for many decades. When we speak of Troy, it usually the kingdom associated with the Trojan War. At the time the war was supposed to have taken place, the kingdom was known as Wilusa and part of the Hittite Empire. Excavation at the site is ongoing and they have made some incredible discoveries in the last couple of decades. *I should mention that not all archaeologist/historians agree that the war occurred. Personally, I tend to believe those who do think it happened.��

There are many underwater scenes in the story. Do you scuba dive?

��No, I don’t dive. I had the benefit of an archaeological diver to advise me. I also did a lot of research on the subject and had books that documented many shipwreck recovery projects.�� The books had pages of pictures showing the divers working a wreck.�� I had pictures of the entire process from building the camp to cleaning the relics. Twice I’ve been to INA (Institute of Nautical Archaeology) in Bodrum, Turkey. I was given a tour of the facility and shown some of their photos, the conservation lab, the desalination tanks and the hard work and time involved in the piecing together of artifacts.

How long did it take you to write Golden Chariot?

Two and a half years, mainly because of the research. While I worked on one of my paranormal romances, I began the research for Golden Chariot. I’d done eighteen months of research before I wrote a single word. Then, I did several drafts over the next year before I was happy with the result.

Are you disciplined?

Yes, for the most part. I have to admit that I do have days when the smallest shiny object can distract meJ I do try to get some writing in at least 6 if not 7 days a week. I don’t always get the number of pages done I want. Some days I consider it a success if I get a few paragraphs finished but I try to make an effort.

Describe a typical writing day for you.

��I try hard to get all my errands and appointments done in the morning. Then, I take a break and have a bite to eat. I am usually at my desk by 12:00 or 12:30. I work on promotion, answer emails and try to read at least a few chapters of stories from writer friends for review purposes. After that, I pull up my work in progress. I read the last few pages I wrote to get my head in the same place again. I spend the next 4 or 5 hours writing or rewriting as needed.�� That’s a typical “good�� day. Like I said, there are those days I spend hours writing, deleting... sighing...writing, deleting and again...sighing.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being an author?

��When a reader tells you how you’ve moved them or which character or scene they loved. It’s so wonderful to have a reader say “I felt like I was there.��

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

��Writing is hard work. You’ll have days that are pure frustration, days that you can’t seem to get three lines right. Keep at it. Keep studying the craft. Every workshop I attend, I take something useful away. If you’re stuck on how to approach a scene, one thing I find that helps is to read a similar scene by an author you like. Analyze what you like about it and how they handled the scene and see if you can recreate the feel in your story with your spin.

What’s on the horizon for Chris Karslen?

��I am currently working on book three of my Knights in Time series. The first two are: Heroes Live Forever and Journey in Time. This is a paranormal romance series. I hope to have my current story, Knight Blindness, done and ready for release later this year. I’ve also finished the draft of the sequel to Golden Chariot. I hope to have the final finished and ready to publish early next year.��

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This interview originally appeared in Blogcritics.

Jack L. Brody’s The Moroni Deception is an exciting page-turner in the tradition of The DaVinci Code, one that will be relished by fans of suspense thrillers.

The presidential election is just around the corner and it looks as though charismatic Republican candidate and Utah senator Brockston Ratchford is going to win. The fact that his wife has been brutally murdered and his daughter kidnapped has only gained him public sympathy.

However, his wife isn’t the only one whose throat has been cut from ear to ear and whose forehead has been marked with strange symbols. A retired history professor by the name of Martin Koplanski has suffered the same fate, and the fact that he’s the author of a book that apparently doesn’t sit well with the powers that be in the Mormon Church doesn’t look like a coincidence.

New York Times journalist Chenault begins working on the story. With the help of Rachel Potter, a fledgling reporter for the The Salt Lake Tribune, he sets out to investigate the murders. Soon, a dark grim history begins to emerge, one of ancient artifacts, secret societies, and a mysterious prophecy that points to none other than Senator Ratchford.

Who, in fact, is The Prophet? Who is meant to be The Great Restorer? As the clock ticks and the presidential election approaches, the bodies pile up.

I enjoyed this novel immensely. The Moroni Deception is a hell of a ride. The pace is quick, the characters compelling, the stakes high. I really liked Chenault. He’s smart and sympathetic and has a good heart. I especially like that he’s not one of those tortured journalist heroes with a bitter past and prone to drinking. That was refreshing. The ending is surprising and satisfying.

The Moroni Deception is a controversial novel in the same way as The DaVinci Code is. So if you enjoy thrillers with religious and historical undertones, you’ll get a kick out of this one.

Please welcome my special guest, Jack L. Brody, author of the latest suspense thriller,�� . I had the opportunity to read it and you can find my review in��. In this interview, Brody talks about the history behind the book and how difficult it was to dwell in Mormon controversy, among other things.

About the author:

Jack Brody is a writer, ex-military, and an avid traveler. After his Army stint and then deciding to pass on law school, he went to film school, wrote screenplays, and held a number of jobs which ran from everything to working for a newspaper for one day, to film production, to then going into real estate (with at least five others along the way).�� He's fascinated by history, politics, and architecture, all of which play a part in his novels (yes, he already has two more in the works). When not writing, he can often be found hiking with his two faithful dogs, occasionally breaking out the old BMW bike for a ride though the mountains, or playing volleyball or bar trivia with his friends.�� He divides his time between his home in the Southern Appalachians and wherever his passport will take him. After reading Jon Krakauer's bestselling "Under the Banner of Heaven," he was inspired to undertake a full year of research in preparation for the novel. Taking what he'd learned, along with a bit of imagination, the result was the conspiracy thriller,��The Moroni Deception. Go to����for more information about the novel and to read the first chapters for free.

The Moroni Deception is your first novel. What made you decide to sit down and write it?

I'd written screenplays for a number of years, and had made several half-hearted attempts at a novel before, but not only was it was so different, but it was so much harder I found than writing a screenplay, so I had tended to give up pretty easily.�� The thing I ran into with screenplays, however, was the old Catch-22, that to sell a screenplay you have to have an agent, and to get an agent you have to have sold a screenplay.�� I won't go into a lot of details--for possible future legal actions which I may still take, but in my attempt to navigate around this agent obstacle, I sent my very best screenplay directly to two different director/producers.�� Both wound up--although it's not yet been proven in court-- "borrowing" very large and significant portions of this screenplay, and went on to make two different movies where I got to see a lot of my work up on the big screen, but without a penny in compensation.

The second film even went on to make over $100 million, which was sadly ironic, because I had always jokingly referred to that script as my "$100 million dollar screenplay."�� Those episodes really kind of took the wind out of my sails, and so I thought I the next time, maybe I need to to write a novel, and that hopefully it would be easier to find an agent, who could then represent my 5 other screenplays.���� My first, well, I hate to call it an inspiration, but what spurred me on, believe it or not, was an episode of "South Park" --"All About Mormons."�� Like a lot of people, I had never really given the religion much thought and had always just kind of thought of it as one of the lesser know Protestant branches of Christianity. After having my interest sparked, I then went on to read Jon Krakauer's��Under The Banner of Heaven. With all the sordid history, and some, what I found to be, rather odd beliefs and practices, I knew, there was a lot of potential there for a novel.

I found the history behind the story fascinating. Is the prophecy mentioned in the novel true?��

I did, well, I won't say "tons," but literally, pounds of research, from all the books I went through, notes that I took, and reams that I printed off from my internet research.���� While I had some idea in the beginning of what my story would be--which at the time, started out having to do with a rogue FBI agent who was investigating the murder of his Mormon girlfriend who had broken away from one of the LDS's radical fundamentalist offshoots.�� As you can see after reading it, it's changed quite a bit from that. I then probably took close to a year of doing nothing but researching and taking notes, mostly of what seemed like fascinating items to further explore and perhaps later work into the story.�� As far as "The White Horse Prophecy" goes, I wish I could take credit, but Joseph Smith supposedly first came up with that in the 1840's.�� There's actually a pretty good Wikipedia entry on the prophecy that gives a basic explanation.�� Mr. Romney has mostly dodged the question when asked about it, but I think back when he was running the first time, he said something along the lines that he considered the Prophecy to be a matter of "speculation and discussion by church members" and "not official church doctrine."

The novel deals with a negative aspect of religion, especially the Mormon religion. Was it difficult to deal with this aspect of the novel while working on it?

Definitely, because I never wanted to turn it into a screed against the religion, and I tried to say some positive things that I could find whenever appropriate in the story.�� I did, though, want to work in as many true beliefs and historical facts as I could and let the reader make up his or her own mind.���� Like Michael Chenault, the main character, as well as the writers of our Constitution, I�� firmly believe that everybody has the right to believe in, and practice their religion in whatever way they see fit.�� But on the other hand, if say, Tom Cruise, a well-known practicing Scientologist, was to run for President, I would have to take his religion and beliefs into account before I went into the voting booth.

How long did it take you to write it?��

If I could condense all the time I spent, doing both the research and the writing, it would probably be about 2 and a half years.�� However, and unfortunately for me , that's not the way things work, especially when we're not only living out our lives, but trying to put bread on the table with our day job. So the true time it took stretched out to almost 5 and a half years. I started it more than a year prior to the election of 2008, which is how I remember.

Are you a disciplined writer?

In that, unlike most people, I wrote and completed a novel, yes.������ But when compared to other writers, definitely not.�� When I read about how a guy like Dan Brown gets up every morning at 4:30 or some ridiculous hour, does an hour of exercise, and then sits down to write for 4-5�� straight hours, or 10-15 full pages, and I'm both impressed and amazed.�� My writing time has always generally been limited by how much energy--both physical and creative--that I had left at the end of a working day.�� I often found myself not beginning my writing until 11 at night, and then writing until 1 or sometimes 2 AM.�� And that, again, was not every night.�� I also for about a year, had a very real case of "writer's block" where no matter what I did or how hard I tried, I couldn't get anything substantial down on the page.�� I even went to a hypnotist, which didn't do a lot, and I almost gave up.�� Also during this time period,�� I�� had to deal with a heart attack at a relatively early age, which came completely out of the blue, and then after that, the year and a half long battle a best friend of mine had to endure in his losing fight with cancer.

Did you plot in advance? ��If yes, tell us about your plotting process.��

Well, as I mentioned earlier, I started out with a completely different story.�� I don't even quite remember where along the way my protagonist turned into an investigative journalist, other than that I thought I wanted to create a character who solved his problems more with his brains than with what he was packing, which seemed to be so often the case with a lot of adventure/thriller protagonists I was reading at the time.���� With��The Moroni Deception, which I think is fairly intricately plotted, a lot of the little details that I think made it that much better, came out along the way.�� I, of course had a general plot outline in my head, and then down on paper.�� And then when something else would pop into my head, I would see first if it worked, second, if it actually made the story better, and then if it would work into the overall conspiracy.���� The lead conspirators/villains I didn't settle on until probably two thirds of the way through that I was working on the book. But when I finally did settle on this person or persons who shall remain nameless, that's when I then went back and made little subtle changes starting from the beginning.

What reaction do you think or hope your story will have on the general reader? Do you think it'll create a controversy the way The DaVinci Code did?��

Well, the reaction I've gotten so far from just about every reader I've spoken with, or heard from either by email or through their reviews, is that��The Moroni Deception��is a fast, fun, very topical read, especially with the current election going on.�� I guess I should mention that in addition to exploring the strange but true history of the LDS (Mormon) Church, the protagonist, Michael Chenault, is investigating the background of a candidate running for President, who is a Mormon Senator from Utah, who it appears will say or do just about anything to get elected.�� Comparisons have obviously been drawn to Gov. Romney, and I've even had the timing of the release questioned.�� But I really did just finally finish writing in mid July, and I'm pretty sure I had no idea five and a half years ago that Mr. Romney would be in the position to be our next President come this November.�� As far as controversy, I can imagine some old school LDS members maybe not being too happy with some of what is revealed,�� but I'm not making any of it up--like the White Horse Prophecy, or the secret brotherhood of vigilant assassins known as the Danites, and some of their beliefs, like for instance, how any man can become a god and one day live on his own planet.

Where is your book available?

With a brief bit of explanation, because it took me so long to finish the book, I realized that if I went the traditional route of trying to find an agent, and then a publisher, and then have the publisher finally release the book, it could take up to another 2 to 3 years.�� I thought the timing was right, with the current election and all the interest there has been in the Mormon religion over the last several years, as well as the fact that electronically delivered books appear to be the wave of the future, to just release it initially for Kindles and Nooks and the like.�� And then, who knows, hopefully, maybe a publisher might want to step in and release it in hardcopy if there appeared to be enough interest.�� So with that said, right now��The Moroni Deception��is available from Amazon for Kindles, at Barnes & Noble for their Nook, at the iBookstore for Ipad, as well as for Kobo, Copia, and soon supposedly for the Sony reader, as well at Gardners Books, Baker & Taylor, and e-BookPie.

Anything else you'd like to tell my readers?

I guess just that if you're a fan of thrillers like��The Girl With The Dragon Tattooor��The Da Vinci Code, or you're one of those readers who likes to learn a little something along the way as you're being entertained, then I think you're really going enjoy my book.�� As there is some sex, and quite a bit of violence, it may not be everyone's cup of tea, and despite the fact that most 12-year-olds probably know more about life than I did when I was 20, I still wouldn't recommend it for anybody under 17. Also, I wanted to thank you for the great questions.

Thank you for the great interview, Jack, and best of luck with your book!

My interview originally appeared in Blogcritics,

My guest today is Gabriel Valjan, author of the��Roma��series, published by��Winter Goose Publishing. The first book, , came out earlier this year. The sequel,��Wasp’s Nest, was just released this week.��The third��installment��is scheduled for August 2013.

Valjan attended the��University of Southern California for his undergraduate education and completed graduate school in England at the University of Leeds. Ronan Bennett short-listed him for the��2010 Fish Short Story Prize. Valjan’s short stories continue to appear in print and online literary journals. He recently won��ZOUCH��Magazine’s inaugural Lit Bits Contest. He lives in New England.

Find the author on the web:����/����/��

Wasp’s Nest��is available on����/����/����/��

Read my review of Wasp’s Nest on��.

Thanks for this interview. Tell us a little about what got you into writing?

Like most things in my life the road was not always obvious or straight. I didn’t always know that I wanted to be a writer. As a child I read voraciously, so I was quite awed, quite intimidated, by the great talents on the bookshelves at my local library. I began with a lot of self-doubt about my ability to sustain an idea, create multidimensional characters, and capture the tics of dialogue. I knew what I enjoyed in literature, understood to some degree how it all worked. I was convinced (still am) that nobody could teach the idea that starts a short story, a novel, or a poem. When I had set aside the initial excuses and insecurities, I discovered that I was having fun and I had stories within me.

What was your inspiration for��Wasp’s Nest?

After I wrote the first in the series,��Roma, Underground, I knew that I had created my cast of characters. Two things happened then: one, I wanted to see how each of my characters would grow and evolve, interact with each other, the world around them, and bond emotionally; and two, I wanted to take my own sense of ‘what if�� thinking and create situations and see how my characters would negotiate them. I believe what makes my characters interesting is that��they each of them has their own ‘issues,�� as we all do in life, but mixed in it all is a cultural collision of American and European. In��Wasp’s Nest, the ‘what if�� has to do with cancer research and technology. What if someone had a way of detecting cancer at the level of DNA and prevent cancer from occurring without chemotherapy, radiation, and disfiguring surgeries? Since the majority of us will die either from heart disease or some form of cancer, there is that ‘what if.�� And then there is the ‘what if�� in��Wasp’s Nest��of the threat a potential cure poses to those industries that profit from chronic illness. I don’t suggest that ‘what if�� is a pure either/or. Dance with the angel of a cure, but don’t forget that the Devil was also once an angel.

For those readers who haven’t read this or the first book yet, what is the blurb of the series as a whole and how many instalments are you planning?

I haven’t committed to an exact number, but I had planned six novels. The overall arc of the series is watching friends learn how to love and trust each other, learn how to move within a morally compromised world. The main character Alabaster (or Bianca if you prefer her alias) is difficult to know, extremely intelligent, and dichotomous at times in her thinking. She sees things others do not, yet she struggles with intimacy and trusting another person. Dante, her boyfriend, is a nice guy, a little too patient with her at times. Farrugia is a stoical investigator with an edge to him. His peer Gennaro is a widower who has never forgiven himself for causing his wife’s death. Alessandro has brains but picks the wrong women. Then there is Silvio, the ambitious and humorous interpreter. In��Wasp’s Nest, readers will be introduced to Diego Clemente, a garrulous, very Boston character. Throughout the Roma Series I try to infuse authentic Italian culture and food.

In this novel, you dive into the controversial world of biotechnology, genetics, and pharmaceutical companies. Is the theory about wasps, the methyl toolkit, and their connection to cancer in your story a real thing?

The��Nasonia��wasp is real. There are three species indigenous to the U.S. and a fourth was indeed discovered in Brewertown, New York. In the novel I mentioned Mendelian genetics, which should return readers to basic biology. I try to keep it simple. I address the reason why this wasp was selected and why the fruit fly is an imperfect model. The reader will discover that the Nasonia wasp is no pleasant creature, but what I said about its genetics is true; it is easy to study, easy to manipulate, but the ‘what if�� is that current research in��Nasonia��is devoted to the development of pesticides. The concept of the methyl toolkit is real. The ‘what if�� I propose is pointed at oncology. I don’t think that it is misleading to say that we all have the potential for cancer. Women with a familial predisposition to cancer, for example, can be tested for the BRCA1 and HER2 genes for ovarian and breast cancers, respectively. A while back, the actress Christina Applegate tested positive for the BRCA1 gene, which was unexpressed, but she opted for a double mastectomy as a pre-emptive strike. This is an example where technology exists and the ethical debates begin. While some sophisticated ideas do exist in Wasp’s Nest, I tried to not make them inaccessible. I believe readers are intelligent and seek intellectual engagement while they enjoy a story.

How much research did the book required?

I always do a great amount of research, but I hope that what I decide to include is articulate and not beyond the grasp of the reader, or so implausible that it is science fiction. I research technology online and in technical libraries. While I don’t have a Ph.D, I’ve retained a working vocabulary from my scientific education. With the methyl toolkit I did speak with an immunologist and instructor who researches cancer and teaches at the graduate level. While I was remiss in thanking him in the Acknowledgements I had him in mind when I introduce readers to Portuguese food in��Wasp’s Nest.�� I should also mention that another form of research necessary to the Roma Series is cultural in nature. Two of my friends act as my editors. Dean proofreads all my work; and Claudio does the ‘cultural editing.�� Both men are far more knowledgeable in Italian than I. Claudio is a native speaker, a linguist, a journalist and a professional translator, with northern and southern Italian culture in his veins. While I can read Italian with respectable facility, only the native speaker can give you the authentic phrases and turns of phrase. This ‘cultural editing�� was crucial to the third novel, out in August 2013, since it deals with a volatile part of recent Italian history, with an unfortunate American connection.

I love the title, which of course suits the story well because it works on two levels. Did you come up with it right away or did you have to brainstorm?

I knew the title from the start. I had wanted to create a story in Boston. The title does work on many levels. It alludes to the insect, the Bostonian stereotype of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, and the colloquial expression of getting into a mess, although I think the proper phrase has to do with a ‘hornet’s nest.�� One of the particular joys with��Wasp’s Nestwas working with Winter Goose in designing the cover art. I should point out that the wasp on the cover is not a��Nasoniacritter, but a yellow jacket wasp.

How long did it take you to write the novel and did you plot in advance?

I wrote��Wasp’s Nest��in four to six weeks, BUT I spent longer editing and shaping it before I submitted it to Winter Goose, where it underwent more editing with James Logan. Fellow Winter Goose authors Jessica Kristie and Sherry Foley provided me with invaluable feedback and suggestions before James touched the manuscript. Jessica is a poet so her contribution around imagery was helpful. Sherry is the author of two Winter Goose thrillers:��A Captive Heart��andSwitched in Death. She taught me other “suspense tricks.�� I can’t emphasize how helpful they were for both��Wasp’s Nest��and for me as a writer. In terms of plotting, I knew where I was going with this novel. It did feel at times like “seat of your pants�� writing, but I advocate getting the story down on paper and then editing afterwards.

What made you decide to make your main character a woman? Has this been challenging? If yes, in what way?

The genesis for the Alabaster character came from a dare. I was talking to a work colleague whom I’ve known for over ten years. Margaret knew that I was writing short stories at the time so she suggested that I try my hand at writing a female character.�� The result was a short story entitled “Alabaster.�� Yes, it is challenging to write out of gender and I would add that it is also difficult to write from a child’s perspective. I have a deep respect for children’s authors since they have to modulate story and vocabulary to their audience. I don’t think writing from a female point of view is insurmountable. Research can get you the answers. The skill is in transforming the knowledge into believable action and dialogue.

In Book I, it was Rome. Now, it is Boston. In both novels your locations are fleshed out in vivid detail. How important is a sense of location in a story?

In the Roma series I try to make the location a character. We can take our environments for granted.��Wasp’s Nest��takes place in Boston, the third, fourth, and fifth novels take place in Milan, Naples, and Boston. Cities change all the time: think of Whitman’s Manhattan and New Jersey, T.S. Eliot’s London, and Baudelaire’s Paris. The modern metropolis provides a remarkable backdrop to our individual and social conflicts and pleasures.

How do you keep up with what’s out there in terms of spy gadget technology?

I hope readers don’t think that they are getting Jane Bond. John le Carré��Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy��proved that spy-craft is a slow game of chess. As I mentioned earlier, I read a lot so I read the geek articles whenever I find them, rummage in the libraries when an idea takes root, but in terms of gadgetry I think I use a remarkable device called the ‘intelligent brain,�� and it happens to belong to a woman.

As it’s the case with book I, there’s a lot of marvellous food description in��Wasp’s Nest.��

Starving is not an option in Italy. How could you not love the food and the attitude of La Dolce Vita?

If you could narrow down the three main elements of a good spy story, what would they be?

Ambiguity. Misdirection. Movement. A story has to move; the pages have to turn. Ambiguity in character and motivation is true to life. Human beings are not selfless creatures; that is why I think altruism is a virtue. One of the joys of a good mystery is watching intelligent people being intelligent.�� This is damned difficult to write, since your protagonist has to be smart enough to spot something that neither the other characters nor your readers can see, even though it’s right in front of them.

You also write poetry and short stories, having published many in literary journals. What do you find more enjoyable: working in a poem, a short story or a novel?

Each has its appeal. Poetry is a house with all the necessary language; and by its nature, not often natural language. The short story is an airplane with a short runway and flight is imminent or the plane crashes. The novel is an endurance race, where there are miles to go, numerous paths to take, but you have only so much water and food: use them wisely. For me poetry is intimate and personal. While I enjoy the short-fiction format, I have noticed that what was once acceptable �� twenty to fifty pages is now impractical, with most stories clocking in at 5,000 words. Flash or micro fiction is challenging. Is it a story or a vignette? I’ve only had one flash-fiction piece published; it was a 111-word story that I did for a contest for ZOUCH Magazine.

Congratulations on winning first prize in��ZOUCH��Magazine’s Lit Bit contest. Can you tell us about it?

I was searching for the “calls for submission�� web pages and I saw page after page of requests for flash fiction. I felt dismayed but then I thought: What can I tell in a short, SHORT piece? I wrote one sentence that told a hero’s journey. The brevity of the form drew upon my experience in writing poetry.

What’s on the horizon for you?

I’m almost done writing the fifth book in the Roma Series. I’m trying to find a publisher for a three-volume noir series that I have written. It has two main characters, an American and a British woman, who are part of the American intelligence community. The novel starts in Vienna and continues in McCarthy-era Los Angeles and New York, highlighting the time, the mores, and the dark rivalry between the CIA and FBI.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?

Write because you love to write. No matter how great you think the writing is, please have someone edit it for you. Respect your reader and try to understand that not everyone will like you, that criticism, while an opinion, is an opportunity for improvement. If you find a writer that you like then write a balanced review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and ŷ������. Last but not least �� thank you for reading.

This interview originally appeared in��.��

A native of Chicago, former police detective and now romantic suspense author Chris Karslen grew up with a love of history and books. Her parents loved traveling, a passion they passed on to her. She's had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa.

Though her desire to write began in her teens, Chris spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies before she decided to pursue her dreams. Chris is the author of the romantic thrillers��Golden Chariot,��Byzantine Gold��and numerous other romance novels.

Now a��fulltime��writer, she lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, four rescue dogs and a rescue horse.

Learn more about Chris and her work on her��and��.

Read my review of Byzantine Gold .

Her mission as an author...

I want to entertain the reader with my stories. I want to share my love of certain things, like places, history, and time travel. It’s my way of saying, this is why I love England or Turkey or history etc. I like using the characters to present a “what if�� question and have the reader join me in asking it to.

Her inspiration for Byzantine Gold...

Charlotte and Atakan from Golden Chariot—I like them and wanted to show how their relationship progressed. I also liked many of the support characters. I wanted to bring them back. The best way is another shipwreck. I liked using Turkey, as I did in Golden Chariot but also liked the idea of keeping the setting in that region but not necessarily Turkish waters, but someplace a bit different. I needed it to be a place that Atakan still had authority. I set it in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The setting is beautiful and it still, for Americans, has an unusual flavour.

The next thing was what to do with Atakan and Charlotte. I had to resolve the issue of Tischenko and I welcomed the idea of fleshing him out more. I knew I’d set him on a path of revenge but I needed something more for the plot. Terrorism is a global problem. Artifact smuggling is one source of funding for terrorist organizations. I did not want to do the usual Al-Qaeda situation. I chose a terrorist organization that originated in Turkey and is in Iraq and Iran now too, the PKK. The extreme militant wing of the PKK presents an on-going problem in Turkey.

I picked a Byzantine ship because I love some of the art and jewellery from the period.

Her hero and heroine...

Atakan Vadim is an agent for the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. He has his PHD in archaeology. Fact: The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism has a representative present at all legitimate archaeological sites in the country. Their job is to oversee the safe handling of recovered artifacts along with site safety and preservation.

He is from a middle class family and grew up near the town of Milas in the Mugla Province. His father was a career military man and his mother oversaw the family orchards in his father’s absence. Atakan has a married sister. He’s close to his family but can’t see them often due to distance. Istanbul is over 400 kilometres from Milas.

Atakan is a consummate professional. He is a reserved man unless he knows you well, then he shows his dry sense of humour and with Charlotte his very sensual side. He has a strong sense of honour and ethical code. He’s not a man driven to “obtain or possess�� things. His apartment is functional although he has an interesting display of collectibles which are family heirlooms.�� His apartment has a beautiful view of the Bosphorus Strait and that is more important to him than high end furniture. Nice suits are his one very expensive taste. He likes to dress well on the job.

Charlotte Dashiell is an American nautical archaeologist who just received her PHD. She’s outspoken and extremely determined in her pursuits, which sometimes disturbs, sometimes worries and sometimes amuses Atakan.

She’s the daughter of a Chicago policeman and a homemaker. Her parents divorced when she was a teen and her father remarried to a Chicago policewoman and her mother is remarried to a wealthy businessman. Charlotte also has an older brother who’s a member of the Chicago Police Department SWAT team She too is close to her family and tries to visit once a year.

Like Atakan, she is the consummate professional when working a shipwreck recovery team. She’s not overtly vain as her job requires her to keep her hair simple, she’s diving most days and not concerned with makeup. Conservation work on the relics is hard on a manicure. That said, she has a jealous streak when it comes to Atakan. She’s not above passing an acerbic comment or two when she’s introduced to a former girlfriend of his. When she has the opportunity, she does take pride in her appearance and dresses nicely.

Her guilty pleasure is belly dancing for Atakan. She takes lessons in Istanbul, where they live. Atakan is a big fan.

About the cover art...

The overall concept was mine. Although most of the story takes place in Cyprus, Istanbul has such distinctive architecture and buildings I wanted something of it on the cover so a reader knows the story has a different setting. I wanted the shipwreck and divers because of the nature of the story.���� This is what draws the characters to this place. I worked closely with the designer. I asked her to look at my previous cover, and the trailer for Byzantine Gold, which I was very happy with, and to look at my book boards for both this and Golden Chariot on my Pinterest page. She had the idea for the bullets and crosshairs in the lettering. She put all my wishes together and came up with a cover I love.

Her advice to aspiring authors...

Do join a critique group. You need other eyes to read your work. Your family and friends will avoid hurting your feelings and as a result are often not as honest as you need them to be.

Take classes or if you can afford it, go to conferences and seminars to learn the craft. If you can’t afford workshops, then buy books from the experts. Three I like and keep in my desk and reference are: Writing the Breakout Novel and The Fire in Fiction by Don Maass, and Goal, Motivation, and Conflict by Deb Dixon.

Develop a tough skin and accept the fact that your early drafts (and that’s what they are, drafts) are not ready to send to an editor or agent or to self-publish. Every new writer believes what they’ve written is perfect. Perhaps there’s someone out there this is true for but I can’t think of any. Hemingway said, “There’s no such thing as writing, only rewriting.�� Stephen King in his book, “On Writing,�� said, he never lets anyone see his first draft.

Read books in the genre you want to write in. This is important. You need to have an idea of how stories in that genre flow, how tension and action and characterization is handled. Literary fiction is generally not the same style as a thriller. The readership of different genres have different expectations.

When you read a scene that is especially moving or well done, or one that stands out to you, then dissect it. See what it is that “makes�� the scene work so well for you and try to do the same but with your own spin.

___________________________________________

Book Description

A sunken warship from the Byzantine Era carrying an unusual cargo of gold has been found off the coast of Northern Cyprus. News of the valuable cache has attracted the attention of a terrorist cell. They plan to attack the recovery team’s campsite and steal the artifacts. On the Black Market, the sale of the relics will buy them additional weapons.

Charlotte Dashiell, an American archaeologist, and her lover, Atakan Vadim, a Turkish government agent, are scheduled to be part of the recovery team that brings up the artifacts. While en route to Cyprus, they find themselves caught in the crosshairs of Maksym Tischenko, a Ukrainian contract killer bent on revenge. Charlotte, Atakan and Tischenko share a grim history. As a result, Tischenko is a man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal—seeing them both dead.

��/��

Cheryl Kaye Tardif��is an international bestselling Canadian author, who is best known for��, a psychological thriller that had over 49,000 downloads on Amazon in March 2013,��, a supernatural suspense thriller that has sold over 50,000 copies (Sept 2012) and made Amazon's Top 100 bestsellers list (overall list) multiple times out of nearly 2 million ebooks; and��, a much-loved, inspiring family tale with a hint of mystery, which is now available in its third edition--plus a school edition with a discussion guide.

Cheryl has not only held hundreds of book signings, she has organized multi-author signings, held a virtual book tour and taught others how to do their own, and she has presented at conferences in Canada and the US. Cheryl is known amongst her peers for her creativity and knowledge regarding book marketing, and has worked as a��. She is a member of various social networks, including Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, ŷ������, Shelfari, LibraryThing, AmazonConnect and Chapters Online Community.

Cheryl has been interviewed by numerous TV and radio stations in Canada and the US, and she has been featured in a variety of newspapers and magazines in both countries. According to photojournalist, Heather Andrews Miller, who interviewed the author for a��Real Estate Weeklyarticle, Cheryl is a “gem in the literary world��. And according to Graham Hicks of the��Edmonton Sun, "Cheryl Kaye Tardif specializes in mile-a-minute pot-boiler mysteries, usually set in Western Canadian locales."

Cheryl is also the publisher at��, a venture that is dear to her heart. Imajin Books publishes quality international fiction at affordable prices, with a focus on ebooks.

Born in Vancouver, BC, Cheryl Kaye Tardif was a "military brat" and a "military wife" who has lived all across Canada and in Bermuda. She now resides in Edmonton, AB, with her husband Marc and the family dog.

Q: It's great to have you as my guest on The Dark Phantom, Cheryl! Tell us why readers should buy SUBMERGED.

A: SUBMERGED is not a story of perfect people. In fact, it's the opposite. It's about people with flaws, like you or me. If you're looking for a fast-paced psychological thriller with real-to-life characters, then SUBMERGED is for you. Not only will it keep you turning the pages until late into the night, you won't want to put it down until you know who exactly is responsible for pushing Rebecca's car into the river, trapping her and her two young kids.

Q: What makes a good thriller?

A: Fast pacing, unexpected twists and memorable characters are what makes for a good thriller. A great thriller will also connect with you on an emotional level.

Q: What is a regular writing day like for you?

A: I usually start with a writing goal, perhaps 3000 words. Then I go over my notes, read the chapter I left off at and carry on writing. Sometimes I have music on; sometimes not. Most often I exceed my word goal for the day. If I'm on a real roll, I won't stop until I feel I'm at a good place to stop. I'll take breaks when I need them, but they're usually short. And quite often I'll edit along the way.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about being an author?

A: The rewards are two-fold. First, seeing my characters come to life in a story is very rewarding. But even more rewarding is receiving emails from readers who have enjoyed my books, especially if they "get" the often deeper meanings in my works—or when they tell me my work affected their lives in a positive way.

Q: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received that you’d like to pass to other authors?

A: Determine if you want to put out a book as a hobby or write as a career author. Then learn everything there is to know about writing and publishing, and treat this like a business. Because that's what it is.

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From Cheryl Kaye Tardif, the international bestselling author that brought you CHILDREN OF THE FOG, comes a terrifying psychological thriller that will leave you breathless��

�� ��

"Submerged reads like an approaching storm, full of darkness, dread and electricity. Prepare for your skin to crawl."

—Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds��

Two strangers submerged in guilt, brought together by fate��

��After a tragic car accident claims the lives of his wife, Jane, and son, Ryan, Marcus Taylor is immersed in grief. But his family isn't the only thing he has lost. An addiction to painkillers has taken away his career as a paramedic. Working as a 911 operator is now the closest he gets to redemption—until he gets a call from a woman trapped in a car.

Rebecca Kingston yearns for a quiet weekend getaway, so she can think about her impending divorce from her abusive husband. When a mysterious truck runs her off the road, she is pinned behind the steering wheel, unable to help her two children in the back seat. Her only lifeline is a cell phone with a quickly depleting battery and a stranger's calm voice on the other end telling her everything will be all right.

*SUBMERGED has a unique tie-in to Tardif`s international bestseller, CHILDREN OF THE FOG.

Learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif at and follow her on .

Enter Cheryl’s March Giveaway �� 60 Prizes!

I'm thrilled to have ��Anne K. Edwards as my guest today. Not only has Anne been my online friend for many years, but she's also a wonderful writer. Find out more about Anne and her books from her website, .��

Thanks for this interview, Anne! Why don't you start by telling my readers about our latest book and what inspired you to write it?

Shadows Over Paradise was written to show a heroine can stand on her own two feet and does not always need a man to make her a whole person or to rescue her in all situations.�� Julia Graye is such a woman, however she does accept help if offered and needed. The inspiration comes from my youth when almost every female character ever written was incomplete without a man to make her decisions and tell her what to think and do. It was the day of when a real man could spank a woman or even slap her in the face and this was considered appropriate behavior. This was and is abuse and I could never understand how a woman would or could love such a man whether in real life or fiction.�� Yet these same men weren't above leaving a woman to raise a batch of children alone while they went on to a new life. I had to ask could a weak, incompetent woman do this and survive?�� Yes! Because they did.�� So I modeled my heroine after that type of woman, yet she is able to love and look�� forward to��marriage and a family. Julia Graye, the heroine of Shadows Over Paradise must make some fast decisions when she finds herself kidnapped, accused of murder, and nearly�� killed. The act of merely walking down a street puts her in danger.

Do you use index cards to plot your book?�� No, because my plots are so full of twists and turns and I don't outline at all when I begin to write. However I use these cards for notes, clues, a list of loose ends to tie off before the last page is written so�� I do recommend keeping a bunch handy.

Have you suffered from writer's block?�� Yes. There are just some days or weeks when I lose interest in writing and even reading and am content to sit and stare at anything on the TV.�� I call this a creative burnout and it never lasts long. It's as if the mind just wants a change of scenery for a while, then goes back to work.�� There is no time in particular for it to happen or length of time to last.

How was your experience looking for a publisher. What words of advice would you offer those novice authors who are in search of one?�� My experience was varied with several lessons.�� I learned to ask other authors about publishers, to check submission times, to query about submitting and to read contracts before signing.�� Would you believe I had a book tied up for seven years by one publisher because I thought their contract was standard? I know others who did this too. Some contract points can be negotiated also, so if you have questions or doubts, get them out in the open. Don't believe verbal promises. Get it in�� writing. I had to buy the rights back from one publisher that posted the book on the site and let it sit.�� That same publisher made a book into a multi partnership. They didn't pay artists or editors, but gave them a part of the proceeds when the book sold. Does the publisher edit a book? This is very important in smoothing lapses and bumps in an author's writing. My advice to any writer is to proceed with care.�� I'm sure its such experiences that leads some authors into self publishing and all the work it entails, but I lucked out when I discovered Twilight Times Books. I've been with them for over ten years and never had any doubts that I was satisfied.�� There are many good presses out there and I heartily recommend authors give them a try.

What author or type of books do you read for fun?�� I read Anne Macaffrey for fantasy and real adventure with real people but not necessarily those written by others under her name. I love a good mystery like Agatha Christie. I have read some great historicals, but the romances I read must not be full of love scenes, but have a good story. There are several different subgenres here and almost any reader can find one or two to please them.

Do you think a critique group is essential for a writer?�� This depends entirely on the author and their needs or what they expect from such a group.�� If the author wants honest feedback, they should search out like minded writers for such a group. In other words, a children's author is not the best judge of a slaughterhouse thriller, but they can give helpful comments on related genre writers' work, just as another thriller author can helpfully critique the slaughterhouse thriller. The author must realize that any critique group members may give widely varied comments to the work. One may merely be jealous and seek to make the author feel less able than they are, one may overpraise because they are afraid of hurting an author's feelings, and yet another may offer advice that actually is parroted from the group leader or founder if it has a founder who thinks he or she knows all there is to know about writing and is yet unpublished. The group is meant to be an ego trip for that person.

Do you have another novel in the works? Yes. It a second in the series of Hannah Clare's investigations.

Is there anything else you'd like to tell my readers?�� Yes, if you are a reader, insist on a well told story and if you�� are an author, insist on crafting a well told, edited, well written story. This way everyone who loves books will be satisfied. A writer writes for the reader and the reader will look for that writer's work to enjoy.

Some dark serendipity plopped a young Patrick Greene in front of a series of ever stranger films-and experiences-in his formative years, leading to a unique viewpoint. His odd interests have led to pursuits in film acting, paranormal��investigation, martial arts, quantum physics, bizarre folklore and eastern philosophy. These elements flavor his screenplays and fiction works, often leading to strange and unexpected detours designed to keep viewers and readers on their toes.

Literary influences range from Poe to Clive Barker to John Keel to a certain best selling Bangorian. Suspense, irony, and outrageously surreal circumstances test the characters who populate his work, taking them and the reader on a grandly bizarre journey into the furthest realms of darkness. The uneasy notion that reality itself is not only relative but indeed elastic- is the hallmark of Greene’s writing.

Website:��

Q: Welcome to The Dark Phantom, Patrick. In a nutshell, tell us why readers should buy PROGENY.

A:��Because��my Netflix bill is due. Plus, it has re-readability. PROGENY is written as more than just a horror thriller. It's very much a coming-of-age story for not just the two boys in the story, but also for their fathers. Most of the characters have hard lessons to learn. And the book's monsters are just the ones to teach them. ...The survivors, that is.

Q: What makes a good horror adventure?

A: For me, aside from the obvious thrills, a story like this should present relatable characters who get a chance to grow through the horror they experience--not just be traumatized by it. Though that is surely going to happen as well.

Q: What is a regular writing day like for you?

A: I get up late, go to the gym, then set up my computer and work through the night, taking breaks every hour or so to think through the plot and see if some backtracking or some strange twist is in order. Usually it is.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about being an author?

A: ��The accolades showered upon me by the loving masses. Also, it's a great form of therapy. I have a vivid imagination anyway so it's good to find people who enjoy what I come up with; it means I'm maybe not so crazy after all. Or else, they are too. Whichever, it's all good.

Q: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received that you’d like to pass to other authors?

A: My dad told me that if you don't give an outlet to your creative impulses they will destroy you. So if doing it because you love it isn't good enough, there's always that, I guess.

R. Barri Flowers is an award winning criminologist and internationally bestselling author of more than sixty books–including thriller and suspense fiction, relationship fiction, young adult mysteries, true crime, and criminology titles.

Bestselling mystery and thriller fiction, including SEDUCED TO KILL IN KAUAI, MURDER IN MAUI, MURDER IN HONOLULU, KILLER IN THE WOODS, DARK STREETS OF WHITECHAPEL, STATE’S EVIDENCE, PERSUASIVE EVIDENCE, and JUSTICE SERVED.

Other novels by the author include the bestselling relationship novel, FOREVER SWEETHEARTS, and young adult novels, COUNT DRACULA’S TEENAGE DAUGHTER, GHOST GIRL IN SHADOW BAY, and DANGER IN TIME.

Flowers has also written a number of bestselling true crime books, including THE SEX SLAVE MURDERS, THE PICKAXE KILLERS, SERIAL KILLER COUPLES and MASS MURDER IN THE SKY. He was editor as well of the bestselling anthology, MASTERS OF TRUE CRIME.

The author has been interviewed on the Biography Channel and Investigation Discovery.

Official Website:��

Q: Tell us why readers should buy BEFORE HE KILLS AGAIN: A Veronica Vasquez Thriller.

A: BEFORE HE KILLS AGAIN is a crime thriller written by an award winning criminologist and bestselling author of such true crime books as THE SEX SLAVE MURDERS and thriller fiction, including MURDER IN MAUI and DARK STREETS OF WHITECHAPEL.

This book is about an FBI profiler and criminal psychologist who returns to her hometown of Portland, Oregon, to assist the police in tracking down a serial killer, who murders beautiful women in pairs.

As someone who has written extensively about real life serial killers, BEFORE HE KILLS AGAIN brings verisimilitude to the perpetrator and his psyche as he pushes the boundaries in handpicking his victims.

For readers who love thriller fiction where the villain is a frightening serial killer who matches wits with the beautiful protagonist and homicide detectives on the case—or are fans of TV series such as Criminal Minds, Dexter, and Hannibal-- this is a novel you are sure to enjoy.

Q: What makes a good thriller novel?

A: A good thriller novel is one in which there is a constant sense of danger and a suspenseful whodunit, with three dimensional characters who bring you along for the ride as they converge for a heart pounding conclusion.

Within this regard, the thriller should also convey a strong plot with smart twists and turns and deft pacing that will allow the story to play itself out while keeping the reader thoroughly engaged.

Some great thrillers that come to mind include Robert Ludlum’s The Aquitaine Progression and John Grisham’s The Pelican Brief. I believe that BEFORE HE STRIKES AGAIN also fits in this category.

Q: What is a regular writing day like for you?

A: A regular writing day for me involves getting up at 6 a.m. and heading to my computer at 7 a.m. (after an hour of working out and having breakfast)—where I spend the next five hours writing and rewriting my latest book.

After a noontime lunch and chores, I am back at it by 1 p.m., where I go at it on computer till 5 p.m. (sometimes 6 p.m., if really on a roll), typing away in faithfully sticking to the plot in my head.

I call it quits for the night after that and am back in the grind the next day.

This is a routine I follow seven days a week. I am the type of writer who is not easily distracted by other things—understanding that I get out as much as I put in as an author.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about being an author?

A:�� What is most rewarding to me as an author is being able to successfully write in multiple genres (thriller, true crime, young adult mysteries, and criminology). As such, I have fans in these different genes, giving me a good reason to try and keep up with them in bringing out fresh material they can take pleasure in reading.

Aside from that, I enjoy the camaraderie with other authors, having found some great friends over the years to seek advice and words of wisdom from while returning in kind.

Q: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received that you’d like to pass to other authors?

A: That’s a great question. Hmm�� I’d have to say that the best writing advice I’ve ever received and have passed along to other authors came from a bestselling crime writer who told me when I first got started: “The thing that separates serious writers from those who aren’t in it for the long haul is the ability to shake off rejections and look at as constructive criticism rather than personal attacks—making yourself a better writer in the process with each rejection letter.��

Definitely words to live by for any writer willing to work at it to hone your craft till you get where you’re going in finding success in the business.

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Book Description:

From R. Barri Flowers, award winning crime writer and international bestselling author of Dark Streets of Whitechapel and Killer in The Woods, comes a gripping new psychological thriller,��Before He Kills Again: A Veronica Vasquez Thriller.

FBI psychologist and criminal profiler Veronica Vasquez returns to her hometown of Portland, Oregon to assist police in apprehending a ruthless serial killer dubbed “The Rose Killer,�� who kills beautiful women in pairs, leaving a rose on top of each corpse.

Heading the investigation is homicide Detective Sergeant Bryan Waldicott. Veronica must win him over, along with the entire task force, and prove herself worthy of the job. Since losing her husband three years ago, Veronica had been focused on her work to escape the pain of loneliness and separation. A romance with Waldicott, who has issues of his own, complicates things for them both as they try to stop a serial murderer before he kills again.

When she begins to suspect that the new husband of her estranged sister Alexandra could be the killer, Veronica pursues that delicate angle and, in the process, becomes a target herself.

Before He Kills Again��is tense thriller that will keep readers on edge till the very end.

��Purchase:

��/��/��/����/����/����/��

It's a thrill to have here Alexandra Sokoloff as my guest today, not only because her books are awesome, but because she happens to be one of my favorite writers. Needless to say, I've read all of her books.

Alexandra��is the Thriller Award-winning and Bram Stoker, Anthony, and Black Quill award-nominated author of multiple supernatural thrillers, and the Top Ten Amazon bestselling Huntress/FBI thriller series (Huntress Moon, Blood�� Moon), which has also been nominated for a Thriller Award for Best E Book Original Novel.

The��New York Times��Book Review has called her a "daughter of Mary Shelley," and her books "some of the most original and freshly unnerving work in the genre."

As a screenwriter, Alexandra she has sold original horror and thriller scripts and adapted novels for numerous Hollywood studios. She has also written two non-fiction writing workbooks: SCREENWRITING TRICKS FOR AUTHORS (highly recommended, by the way!) and WRITING LOVE, based on her internationally acclaimed workshops and blog, and has served on the Board of Directors of the WGA, west and the Board of the Mystery Writers of America. ��

Find the author:��,��, on����,����and

Q: Hi there, Alexandra. Tell us why readers should buy BLOOD MOON.

A: If you’re at all interested in unusual psychological crime thrillers, this one will probably grab you. The main character is an FBI agent who is on the trail of what looks like a female serial killer, which Agent Roarke knows very well doesn’t occur in real life.�� So there’s a real psychological mystery about who this female killer is and why she does what she does. Readers find their expectations challenged and their sympathies conflicted, just as Roarke does.

Q: What makes a good thriller?

A: I think different people are looking for different things in thrillers. There’s such a wide variety of experiences and sensations available from different books in the genre. Personally I am bored senseless by car chases and gun battles and international intrigue. What I love in a thriller is nail-biting suspense and psychological game playing and sexual tension and mystery and moral dilemmas and twists. So that’s the kind of thing I write, of course!

Q: What is a regular writing day like for you?

A: I start by seven or eight a.m. and write for seven or eight hours a day, much more if I’m on an intense deadline. Some of those hours are business, of course. But I’m a full-time writer, I treat it like a job because it IS my job.�� One thing that is not like a regular job is that I change clothes a lot during the day.�� Some days I am quite dressed up. I need to entertain myself some way other than eating!

Q: What do you find most rewarding about being an author?

A: Without question, having readers read my books and experience the world and the characters just as if they’re caught up in a film. And then being able to dialogue with them about the story and characters and their experience of the story. It’s such an intimate relationship. Incomparable.

Q: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received that you’d like to pass to other authors?

A: For aspiring authors, “Find a small room in a big city and sit down at your desk in front of the window. When you stand up ten years later, you will be a writer.�� That’s from Saroyan.

And for authors in general, “E-publish.”�� It’s more complicated than that, of course, but you asked for the best advice!

—�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ�Ĕ���

Book II of the Huntress/FBI Thrillers

Twenty-five years have passed since a savage killer terrorized California, massacring three ordinary families before disappearing without a trace.

The haunted child who was the only surviving victim of his rampage is now wanted by the FBI��for brutal crimes of her own, and Special Agent Matthew Roarke is on an interstate manhunt for her, despite his conflicted sympathies for her history and motives.

But when his search for her unearths evidence of new family slayings, the dangerous woman Roarke seeks �� and wants �� may be his only hope of preventing another bloodbath.

Purchase BLOOD MOON

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