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Grace Murphy is a resilient character and I enjoyed writing her story. She’s had a difficult start in life, in and out of foster care. She finally finds someone who is a brother to her, who cares about her, just to find that he is not who she thinks he is. He’s dangerous. And he’s jealous of anyone she gives her attention to, which makes her life very lonely.

She’s sold by that same foster brother to repay a debt. It’s here where our story starts and where Vittorio discovers that, not only is there a traitor to the Ferraro family, but the Saldi’s are up to something. Then, he discovers Grace and what her fate was to be.





Imagine waking up in the hospital to find that an infamous billionaire playboy is taking care of you and claiming to be your fiancé. You’re wounded and betrayed and know that wherever you are, whoever you’re with, danger follows you. It’s a vulnerable position to be in. Then some wildly sexy man wants to protect you and take care of you. What’s a girl to do, right?

I love that Grace holds up under pressure. So much of her life is changing and other people are trying to maneuver her, but even with so much confusion and danger in her life she holds true to herself.

Grace is a perfect fit for Vittorio. She knows when something is worth arguing for and when it’s not. She’s sweet and caring and has longed for a family. The mutual respect between Grace and Vittorio is one of the things I loved most about their relationship. They want to understand one another and find harmony in their life together.



I love that Grace has her own kind of power and is a heroine in her own right. She’s a perfect match for a Shadow Warrior.

I enjoy doing podcasts and this most recent one with Kym and Misty over at was especially fun!



I talk about my personal life, my writing schedule and of course Shadow Warrior. But, more than that, we laughed and had a great time. I want to share that with you!



You can listen to the podcast

or on

or-


Tell me what you enjoyed most in the podcast!

I clearly recall the day I came up with the idea for my Shadow Riders. I have two Black Russian Terriers who are somewhere between 130 � 140 pounds each. People often comment that they look a lot like big, black bears. So, you can imagine my surprise when one day, they became very difficult to locate in the yard.

I stood up on the porch looking down into the dog yard. It’s large with lots of trees that line the fence. My dogs, Drago and Vladimir, were playing in the late afternoon sun, chasing each other and enjoying the day. It’s a joy to watch them when they play and I was in no hurry to call them back in.



As they ran around the yard they drifted over to the line of trees near the fence. Each tree threw a shadow across the yard, nearly leaning into one another on the ground. The shadows seemed to be stretching out toward each other. The dogs entered the first line of shadows and for a moment I lost sight of them. I was shielding my eyes with my hand, squinting against the dying sun and suddenly, they just weren’t there anymore.

Then Drago rushed in between the shadows, closely followed by Vladimir. They entered the next line of shadows and again, I could hardly see them at all. In my mind it was as though the shadows stretched to accommodate a path for them and they entered one, jumped to the next, disappearing along the way, but still moving forward.

My vivid imagination wondered what it might be like to travel from one shadow to the next. Why would someone do it? What would be the purpose? What if…an assassin had this ability? What would the assassin do and why? The thought took hold in a way that I had to do something about it. So, I began to imagine a family of assassins who looked to bring justice where it had not previously been served. Not a mob family, not really, but they might disguise themselves that way to hide what they really are; Shadow Riders.



My Shadow Riders series was born and today, June 4, 2019 my fourth book in the series, Shadow Warrior, will be released. I have so many ideas for the Shadow Riders and hope to keep writing about them for as long as readers enjoy their stories.

They always say that you should be careful of the quiet ones and I’m going to have to agree. Vittorio Ferraro is known as the peacekeeper of the Ferraro family but, what does that really mean when you come from a family of assassins who can travel using shadows?

In Giovanni’s book, , I hint that Vittorio is quiet, but extremely dangerous and that he may be much more dangerous than anyone imagines. So, in Shadow Warrior you get to see Vittorio in action and find out just how many layers he has.

I love that he has those layers. He’s quiet and thoughtful. He’s intelligent and clever. He’s dangerous and controlling. He’s loving and patient. The mix is both intriguing and sexy in my opinion. So, when he meets Grace and all of those different aspects of his personality are needed in order to keep her safe and win her love, Vittorio is put in the spotlight.



I enjoyed writing Vittorio’s story and learning more about him as he has to learn how to win Grace’s love and loyalty while also having to protect her from a particularly cunning and frightening predator. And as if that’s not enough, his entire family becomes a target which pushes Vittorio to the edge.

Vittorio has both inner-strength and inner-struggles which I feel makes him a fully realized, layered and 3-dimensional character that I hope people will invest in as they read his story. He’s romantic and sexy; a hero and warrior.























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New Orleans is one of my favorite cities as most of you know. Arriving there for the I could feel the excitement in the air. The event opened with a Jazz Fest and I was one of the authors sponsoring a little booth there giving away fun things. The Jazz Fest was one of my favorite events at the large conference. I loved the music and the line of people parading into the room with smiles, laughter and obvious joy. It was such a great start to the conference!

The speed dating with my Starfish writer’s group was especially fun. We’ve been together for years but, this was the first time we’d done an event as a group. Readers sat at tables and each of us rotated around the room, meeting each person. Everyone got a personalized champagne flute and a custom bracelet with charms from each Starfish group member. We told wacky fun ‘secrets� on each other so it was hilarious!


The Biker Babes lottery event was fun and I had such a great time learning about other author’s MC books. And of course it’s always a treat catching up with .

The costumes at the fairy ball were beautiful. Even I dressed up! Those let me tell you, fairy wings can be dangerous! LOL


Of course the highlight is always meeting readers, finding new authors and catching up with old friends. That’s what I loved most. I am excited to have found new authors and can’t wait to start reading those books!








It all ended on Sunday with my big lottery event which was brunch and a swamp tour! Our group was adventurous and fun and we had a great time seeing the Louisiana Bayou together with .


It was a whirlwind of fun and now I’m back home getting back to writing until I leave for the in Ohio in early June!













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From California to Montana and from the Bayou to the jungle I’ve set my GhostWalker novels in a variety of locations. Since I don’t do a great deal of travel anymore I research these locations in several ways. Sometimes I am fortunate enough to still go there myself such as with the Louisiana Bayou and San Francisco. Often I will send someone from my team, usually my daughter, to gather information first hand. I’ll research online, but it’s good to know what a certain area feels like on your skin, smells like or what it looks like during certain times of the day or certain seasons. I buy books about an area to learn about flora and fauna as well as the people, landscape, homes and legends. I may know people who live in that area and I’ll contact them to get their ideas, opinions and information. Videos and virtual reality can also give amazing aid.
I continue to expand the areas in which I set these stories. Recently, I’ve sent them to China and to Indonesia. I’ve been writing Team 4 stories recently so I’ve done a great deal of research in the bayous of Louisiana, China and Indonesia specifically.




Montana (Team One and Team Two)






Team Two is in the mountains of Montana. I love the wide open space of Montana and thought it would be a perfect place for one of my GhostWalker teams. And where better to place them than the beautiful mountains? Montana is the 4th largest state in the US and there are 2991 mountains with names in Montana.

When I was researching houses in Montana I found one that was completely self-sufficient. They used the wood from the logs in the forest on their property. They were totally off the grid. I loved how it was set up and had that in mind as I wrote.








California (Team Three)



Team 3 is based in San Francisco, California and have been together since childhood. They specialize in Urban Warfare. I live in Northern California and love the area so much. It is helpful that I’ve been to San Francisco so many times in my life. San Francisco is the 13th most populated city in the US. And I love that it’s near mountains, ocean, rivers and has such a diverse population.










Team Four

~LOUISIANA BAYOU~



The word bayou has its origins in the word "bayuk", which is the Louisiana French word for a small stream. The definition of a bayou is "a swampy arm or a slow moving outlet of a lake". A bayou is "a sluggish or stagnant creek, frequently flowing through swamp terrain. The term is used mainly when referring to areas in the delta region (the area near the mouth) of the Mississippi River. In comparison, a swamp is low-lying, marshy wetland, and is usually forested and seasonally flooded." The wildlife that can be found in the bayous of Louisiana is abundant. It is not uncommon to see alligators, raccoons, rats, crawfish, crabs or peeps. It is said that the insect and plant species of these areas could fill up a large phone book in and of themselves!
For more information visit:




Sunset



On The Bayou





Shrimp Boat






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One of my favorite cities in the world, I go there as often as I can, which isn’t often enough for me. I love the people, the history, the atmosphere, the food! There’s so much to do that I always find something new each time I go there.



~NEW ORLEANS~

New Orleans is a beautiful and historically rich city located in Louisiana, on the Mississippi River, approximately 110 miles upstream from the Gulf of Mexico. The city was originally named Nouvelle Orleans in honor of Phillippe II, Duc d'Orleans, who was the regent of France under French King Louis XV.

New Orleans, also known as the crescent city (because of its shape), was founded in 1718 by France and is the only U.S. city where French was the predominant language for more than one hundred years. In fact, there are many unique characteristics to New Orleans. For instance, it is the American city occupied longest by enemy troops during the Civil War. Also it houses the oldest continuosly active Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States, St. Louis Cathedral. The New Orleans Streetcar line is the oldest continuosly operating rail system in the world. And to top it off this city is known as the birthplace of jazz.

On top of the amazing history of New Orleans, this city is a great place to visit. With multiple festivals, including Mardi Gras, great Cajun food, and abundant attractions, New Orleans is definitely a city not to be missed!

Larcos Bridge


French Market




Grand Island



For more information visit:






I have utilized Pearl Eco River tour to see the swamps in the Bayou on several occasions. I’ve learned a great deal through those tours, perhaps more that way than any other.
It’s important to me to see, hear and smell the environment first hand when I can. I was able to meet the people of the Bayou and get personal stories of the area.



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~COTTONMOUTH SNAKE~



Cottonmouth snakes, also known as water moccasins, are commonly found in the south and like to inhabit marshy areas in particular. They are the only poisonous water snake in North America. These highly venomous snakes are black in color and reach lengths from 3 ½ to 6 feet. Water moccasins are very aggressive and will defend their territory; they will even approach intruding human beings!

For more information visit:




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~ALLIGATORS~



Alligators are large reptiles that can be found in the southeastern United States and China. Unlike their cousin, the crocodile, alligators have blunt snouts and are relatively unaggressive. Between 1978 and 2003, there were only 2 alligator attacks in Louisiana, neither of which was fatal, and 13 fatal attacks in Florida. Typically alligators live between thirty five and fifty years and rarely grow larger than thirteen feet in length and six hundred pounds in weight. The largest alligator ever captures was caught in the early 1900's in Louisiana, and measured nineteen feet, two inches!
For further reading on alligators, please follow the links below:








Indonesia



Finding information on Sumatra was much more challenging than I thought it would be. It took several days and many hours of research to get the information I needed for Toxic Game. Palembang is one of the larger cities, but beyond that there’s relatively little information. I found personal blogs, travel guides, travel blogs and some news and photos that helped give me an overall view of the area.

Not even 20% of the research ended up in the book, but I wanted people to feel they were really experiencing the area.

I read a great deal, so I have many favorite series, but I’ve always been a Sherlock Holmes fan. Even when I was a kid. So, when I stumbled across Laurie R. King’s I was thrilled. And I was hooked.
If you have never heard of this series it’s about a young woman who meets a retired Sherlock Holmes and they strike up a relationship. Mary Russell, our heroine, is young, but brilliant and she and Holmes work together to solve crimes.






As she gets older she begins to have romantic feelings for Holmes and when a case abroad requires they travel together their relationship takes a drastic change.
Mary is really the main protagonist and I love her mind. She is certainly Sherlock Holmes� contemporary and a master sleuth all on her own.




The series starts with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice and I highly recommend the series to anyone who loves a thoughtful mystery with deeply layered characters.






Tell me about your favorite mystery/thriller series!













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Have you ever watched an old movie and realized that the futuristic looking weapon, communication device, clothing or whatever, now existed? How many of those James Bond weapons or spy gear that was completely made up by the author ended up being made by a government or other agency or company?

I think science fiction helps us to imagine the future. If someone can think it up, someone can make it happen.
That’s part of the reason I like to research real science and then re-imagine it for my own purposes. It’s always possible that, one day, whatever crazy thing I made up might actually come into being. Scary thought, right? LOL At least it’s fun to think about.

Below are several science topics I found fascinating and included in one or more of my books in some way.
When I studied gene therapy many years ago I didn’t realize just how often I’d refer to it in the GhostWalker series. From DNA splicing to creating a hot virus this topic continues to fascinate me.


Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is a procedure used to correct the genes that cause disease. There are many approaches that can be used to alter genes. The most common approach is the use of a neutralized virus to insert DNA into the genome. Currently the F.D.A. has not approved any gene therapy for sale, but it does exist experimentally.
For more information visit:





I researched bio weapons and warfare a great deal for Toxic Game. I was surprised to find how long bio warfare has been used.

Bio Warfare

Biological warfare isn’t something I made up nor is it new. History has recorded the use of infectious disease as a weapon as far back as 600 BC. Bio weapons utilize living organisms to spread dangerous infections and create a pandemic in order to cause harm to an enemy. The use of such weapons and the fact that the spread cannot be controlled makes the use of bio weapons a war crime.





I use remote viewing in a few of my books. ESP has always interested me and the Stargate Project was inspiring to learn about.




Remote Viewing

Remote viewing is sometimes called ESP or extrasensory perception. I researched all I could about the Stargate Project which happened in 1978. It was a study done by the US military to find out what potential there was for psychic ability. When the CIA took over the review of the results of the project they did determine that ESP exists. But, because the use of it hadn’t gained enough military intelligence the project was dropped. Psychic ability outside of the military continues to be of interest.

Remote viewing



I have had a few books that talk about characters that can walk on walls and ceilings. In my mind many of the GhostWalkers have this trait though I may not have named them all. The ability to climb on nearly any surface would be very handy in a great deal of situations.




Setae

Geckos have an amazing ability to climb on just about any surface. They’re able to do this because their toes are covered in these microscopic hairs called setae. Scientists have studied the Gecko which has helped with new discoveries and inventions including ways to “glue� wounds.

I have several books in which a character has the ability to climb walls, ceilings or buildings. The ability has to do with setae on the person’s hands and feet.




There are many other topics I’ve researched over the years for my GhostWalker series. Artificial intelligence, poisonous creatures, psychic healing and so on. It’s hard to say what I might find out there in the world of science, but I’m always on the hunt for something unusual and interesting.













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Isolation was the backdrop of the Toxic Game story in a way. I put the GhostWalkers in Indonesia, specifically in Sumatra because there really are suspected terrorist cells there, but also because the deep jungle there is very far away from home on so many levels. I wanted Draden and Shylah to feel the isolation from all that they know and have only each other as their final “home�.


The jungle of Sumatra also set the mood being unsettled as it’s wild and unpredictable. There, you’re reminded that as human beings, we are also animals. And as animals we are predators. We’re taken to our basic level of survival and realize who and what we really are. Draden and Shylah had to realize their limitations and trust each other’s strengths in order to survive.




They’d been exposed to a deadly virus that killed painfully, brutally and without mercy. And where many people would accept their fate, hole up and wait to die, Draden and Shlyah couldn’t do that. They were driven by a moral code and need to use the last days of their lives to save others.

Saying goodbye, while also still trying to complete their mission, affected more than just Shylah and Draden. Knowing there really are people who go out on dangerous missions and make the ultimate sacrifice I wanted to show how that affects their entire team, their family, their friends. It’s a loss that is personal and extends to so many.



Writing the scene in which Draden realizes he is likely infected and he has to be left behind was emotional. I had to imagine the reaction of his team, and most specifically Joe’s reaction since he was their leader and a close friend. Each of the GhostWalkers on that mission who got out safely, what would they be feeling, how would they react and though I didn’t address each individual I wanted readers to realize the team’s feelings about leaving a man behind. Of course having to leave someone behind isn’t the same as giving up.
At one point Shylah is given the opportunity to say goodbye to her “sisters� Zara and Bellisia and that was even more emotional. To me, I felt the women would feel a sense of injustice on Shylah’s behalf because they found love and Shylah was left to die.



Of course this is a romance which promises a happy-ever-after so the story is also filled with hope, action, adventure and love. And of course the GhostWalkers aren’t going to just give up. If there’s a way to cheat death the GhostWalkers are going to be the ones out looking for it.













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What would you do if you knew you only had a handful of days to live? How would that affect how you act and what you say?


This question intrigued me as I began to write Toxic Game, knowing already that the danger the hero and heroine would face had to do with bio-warfare and having to stop the threat of a pandemic.

While Draden and Shylah are determined to complete their mission they face the fact that they may be infected with a deadly hemorrhagic virus that has no known cure.

Since they’ve become a unit in this mission they’re thrown together in a way that forces trust, but it also extends a level of intimacy. With only one person to share your feelings with, to share your fears with how would that affect you?




Neither Draden or Shylah would waste a lot of time feeling sorry for themselves. They were trained soldiers and that just wasn’t an option to them. But, to get through what they saw as their final days I knew they’d both want to take care of the other person. And when you know you don’t have to face the consequences of your actions then why not be totally honest and ask for the things you want before you die?




Time wasn’t going to be their friend in many ways, but recognizing there wasn’t going to be a lot of time made each minute count. It would make them realize that “now� was the best time to say or do what they wanted or needed. People think they have all the time in the world, but the fact is, you don’t. That’s just an illusion. We are faced with mortality and we really don’t know when our number is up. Knowing you’re last days are upon you could be freeing in a way. I wanted to convey that with this couple.




It was important to me that readers realize that, no matter what, this couple was meant to be. There’s something about being put into a life or death situation that can cause people to have intense feelings for one another that can fade once that danger is over. It made me up my own game writing the romance between them and I believe the result is that Draden and Shylah have become one of the most romantic couples I’ve ever written.













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