Interview and Book Giveaway with Suzanne Hartmann

by Jeff Reynolds

This is the second time I've had the privilege of interviewing Suzanne Hartmann on this blog, and we'll be giving away a copy of her latest book Conspiracy.  Rules are below, including how to get an extra entry into the drawing. Also, don't miss her telling about the details of the Facebook launch party for Conspiracy.

AND WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

Congratulations to Heather Day Gilbert!

Jeff Reynolds:  Last time you were on, I asked about the inspiration for your story, but I neglected how you got started in writing. Do you feel it was more an interest you always had or a call?

Suzanne Hartmann:  Actually, the two are intertwined. I mentioned in my previous interview that the stories which eventually became the first story in the Fast Track Thriller series began as scenes I created to entertain myself while sitting through my kids’ various activities. But the idea to craft them into a novel didn’t even enter my mind until a thought popped into my head while I was taking a walk. It came out of the blue, and it took several weeks of prayer to determine that it was a God-nudge not an early mid-life crisis. So I began researching NASCAR (since I wasn’t at fan at the time), and a couple of months later started writing. Since then, God has led me on an amazing journey full of doubts, anguish, inspiration, and joy. But He has faithfully encouraged me every step along the way

JR:  The second installment of your Fast Track Thrillers has just crossed the starting line. Could you tell us about the series and your new release?SH: Conspiracy picks up only a few months after the dramatic, surprise ending to Peril, and we rejoin Joanne Van der Haas, a top-secret agent with enhanced strength who works for the nation's most clandestine intelligence agency. Her boss is accused of selling government secrets, and she must choose which to trust: the man she's worked with for many years or the NSA’s evidence. When the heat turns up and a traitor threatens those she loves most, Joanne’s friend, NASCAR champion Stuart Jackson, is the only person she can trust to help her follow the trail of clues. Although untried in the intelligence field, Stuart is willing to face the danger in order to bring the truth to light and keep Joanne from being implicated.

JR:  I have the impression that you've dealt with several obstacles both on the writing track and off. What has it been like, and what lessons has God taught you through the false starts?

SH:  Yes, I have, Jeff, both the typical obstacles any new author must negotiate as well as medical issues, including a major surgery last year that led to another trip to the OR in the midst of the editing process for Conspiracy. The main thing I’ve learned from both types of obstacle is the need to keep my eyes on Jesus. When I put my focus on people, I will inevitably be disappointed. But when I lay my troubles at God’s feet, I can rest in the knowledge that He will meet all of my needs. Much easier said than done, but He continually shows His faithfulness when I look to Him as my provider.

JR:  In the previous interview, I asked you about your non-fiction book, Write This Way and you shared about filtering as it relates to POV. Any other interesting facts that might help writers here in their literary qualifying attempts?

SH: Another stylistic error I address in Write This Way that I don’t see talked about much is the unnecessary use of small movements: turning, reaching, walking across the room, etc. Every action involves multiple smaller actions, but we don’t want to bore our readers with every single, tiny action required to accomplish something. For example, I could write, “James made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.” That involves many steps, from reaching into the cabinet to pull out the jar, to spreading the jelly. But since readers are familiar with how make a PB&J, we don’t need to include every little step. In the same way, readers automatically fill in little actions like reaching out before touching someone, or walking across the room to answer the door, or turning towards the window before looking outside. So we can leave these small motions out when writing.

JR:  Speaking of writing, I found your characters captivating, including supporting ones like George. What helped you develop that good a pit crew to keep the story running?

SH:  Thank you so much! I tried hard to create the type of characters readers want to get to know and read more about. The fact that you found them captivating thrills me more than you can know. The main thing I did to generate such characters is to make sure they were realistic. A huge factor in doing this is motivation. Whether for one of my protagonists or someone only in one scene, I continually asked myself, “How would this character respond?” “What would she do next?” and “What would make him do that?”

JR:  Again in the earlier interview, you mentioned getting writing ideas while driving your children around and how your daughter got interested in NASCAR. Could you tell us about your family? And have you ever made it to a NASCAR race?
SH:  My wonderful husband Steve and I celebrated twenty-five years of marriage this year, and we have three children: Andrew, David, and Rachel. We have homeschooled for sixteen years, and graduated both of the boys, so it’s just Rachel and I at home now.

I attended numerous NASCAR Nationwide and Truck Series races during the four years I volunteered with Midwest Raceway Ministries at Gateway International Raceway in the St. Louis area. It wasn’t until two years ago, however, that my husband and I attended our first Sprint Cup race at the Kansas Speedway. While we were there, we were blessed to be able to meet Jimmy Makar, the General Manager of Joe Gibbs Racing and the person who wrote the foreword for Peril, as well as Billie Mauldin, CEO of the Motor Racing Outreach, who handed out a hundred copies of Peril at the 2012 spring Bristol race. Both of these gentlemen realized even more than I did that my novel could be a powerful and unique outreach tool, and I am thankful that God led me to a connection with each of them.

JR:  I know that you're working on Revenge, the third leg of this series. Have you thought about what you'll do when your trilogy has crossed the checkered flag?

SH:  Although I have been pondering the idea of a prequel, I have decided to move on when I finish Revenge and concentrate on two partially completed novels. One is also NASCAR-related, but it is a romantic suspense novel. The other—like the Fast Track Thrillers—has a twist of the unusual, but it is women’s fiction.

JR:  Thank you very much for your time. As I've mentioned before, I'm looking forward to reading Conspiracy. Any web pages you want to mention so your admiring fans can keep cheering you on?

SH:  Thank you for hosting me on Sleuths & Suspects again, Jeff. Your readers can find out more about Peril and Conspiracy at my Fast Track Thrillers website at www.fasttrackthrillers.blogspot.com, and I invite all of your readers to the Facebook Release Party for Conspiracy on April 10 on my FB Author Page (https://www.facebook.com/SuzanneHartmann.Author ) For more information about Write This Way: Take Your Writing to the Next Level, readers can visit my blog at www.suzanne-hartmann2.blogspot.com, where they will find tons of advice about writing.

Jeff to the readers: 
Now is the time to enter the contest. Three simple steps.

1. Leave a comment (that's not hard, is it?)
2. Include your e-mail address so we can communicate with you -- you can spell it out like AuntDotKahm(at)Ant(dot)com
3. Suzanne included NASCAR, a sport that she wasn't familiar with, in her story. If you were to include a sport or hobby in a book you wrote that you aren't familiar with but would love to research, what would it be?

BONUS!!! 

Suzanne is offering an extra entry into the contest to anyone willing to allow her to add your e-mail address to her update list. (Don't worry about getting inundated -- it only comes out a few times a year.)

EXTRA BONUS!!! 

I will add yet one more bonus point to the first person who correctly guesses whose endorsement is on the front of Conspiracy. And key word is guess -- no fair peeking at the top. And the person who wrote it wouldn't be guessing.

Interview and Giveaway with Deborah Malone by Deborah Malone

It's time for an interview with one of my favorite writer's - moi'.  If you leave a comment telling me your definition of a cozy mystery and are a follower of this site then you could be the winner of your choice of one of my books "Death in Dahlonega" or "Murder in Marietta."


 

Can you give us a sneak peek at your new release “Murder in Marietta?”

     Trixie and Dee Dee head off to Marietta, Georgia for another assignment. They visit the Marietta History Museum where they spend the night to see if they can sight the resident ghosts. Sometime during the night a murder takes place in the museum and the director, Doc Pennington, is put on the suspect list. He asks Trixie and Dee Dee to help him find the real killer. Nana takes a larger role in this book and she won’t disappoint you with her antics.  All of this together makes a recipe for murder and mayhem.

Update:  My third book in the Trixie Montgomery series “Terror on Tybee Island” should be out in December.

 

What inspired this book?

     I’ve always loved to read so I think it was natural that I’d transition into writing. Mysteries have been my genre of choice since I was a young girl and loved to read Nancy Drew.  Cozy mysteries are one of my favorites and Ann George has been a big influence on my writing. As for writing Christian Fiction – Margaret Daley’s books were a big influence.

 

How did you know you were called to write?

     I’ve always wanted to write, but while I was writing my manuscript I wrote it as a secular book. While I was writing it I was thinking I’d like to write it in a manner that wouldn’t be offensive. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as “Christian fiction.” I had finished the manuscript when I read one of Margaret Daley’s books and went to her website where I ‘discovered’ Christian fiction. I couldn’t get enough. I joined ACFW and began to study how other writers wrote their books. I went back and rewrote my manuscript as Christian fiction.

 

 

Are you a panster or do you outline?

     I’m definitely a panster. I have a general outline on how I want the manuscript to progress, but that’s it. Then I might do a general outline for each chapter, but none of it is done in detail. Now after I’ve written a chapter I will go in Microsoft One Note and detail the chapter so I can keep up with my characters, timeline, setting, etc.

 

How long have you been writing?

     I started writing seriously in 2001 when I started writing for “Georgia Backroads” a historical magazine. I am still writing for them. I started on my book in 2002, but life got in the way and so I came back to it around 2009/10.

 

Tell us something silly about you.

     My friends and family could probably answer this better than me. The one thing I can think about is that I love to sing – but I can’t carry a tune in a bucket. So I sing in the car with the windows rolled up and the radio/CD’s going to cover up my singing.

 

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

     There aren’t any deep messages in “Murder in Marietta, but there is a theme of forgiveness and faith. For the most part I hope I make someone laugh and take them away from the stresses of real life for just a while. I want them to have some laugh out loud moments

 

What is your favorite season?

     Spring

 

What project are you currently working on?

     My third book in the Trixie Montgomery series “Terror on Tybee Island” should be out the first of December. Trixie and Dee Dee along with Nana and Trixie’s mama Betty Jo have gone to Savannah/Tybee Island, Georgia for a vacation. Of course they are going to have to help someone find a killer. My next book in the series is “Chilled in Chattanooga.”

 

What has been your most challenging experience writing a book?

     I don’t think I can list just oneJ  Learning the craft/rules of writing was a big curve for me. Then there is the editing. Then there is submitting to publishers. And then when you are finally published you think you are home free – not! Then there is the marketing. It seems there are always new challenges to learn in writing and publishing a book.

 

What is your favorite color?

     Blue

 

What is a fond childhood memory?

     I have many fond memories, but one that stands out is when my grandmother bought me a horse. My parents weren’t able to afford one so she chipped in to help and one Christmas they surprised me. Boy was I surprised.

 

What book are you currently reading?

     I just finished “Honored Redeemed” by Loree Lough.

 

Links for books: www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com

 

Links where you can find Deborah:

www.deborah-malone.com

www.deborahsbutterflyjourney.blogspot.com

www.sleuthsandsuspects.blogspot.com

www.cozymysterymagazine.blogspot.com

 

 

: Deborah Malone’s first novel Death in Dahlonega, finaled in the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Category Five writing contest! Deborah was also nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year in First Novel category. She has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, for the historic magazine “Georgia Backroads.” She has had many articles and photographs published, and her writing is featured in “Tales of the Rails,” edited by Olin Jackson. She is a member of the Georgia Writer’s Association as well as Advanced Writer’s and Speakers Association. As a current member of the American Christian Fiction Writer she has established a blog where she reviews Christian Fiction.  

 

 

 

 

 

Interview and Giveaway with Margaret Daley

Margaret Daley has a special place in my heart. When reading one of Margaret's books I became acquainted with Christian Fiction. I knew that is what I wanted to write. I'd already written my manuscript so I rewrote it to fit Christian Fiction. Margaret has written and published over 100 books. She writes in many different genres, one of them being Romantic Suspense. I look forward to this interview to learn more about her. She has graciously offered a giveaway of one of her books. To b eligible just leave a comment for Margaret, be a follower, and leave our email so we can contact you. Without further ado lets get started!

 

 

 

 

Interview Questions/Sleuths and Suspects Blog

         Tell us a little about yourself. I've been writing for over thirty years and married for over forty years. I have one son and four granddaughters. I love to travel, go to lunch and a movie with a friend and read when I get a chance.

        Tell us about your most recent book/or the book we are focusing on. Another book focusing on the Texas Rangers is out this October called Severed Trust. It is the fourth book in The Men of the Texas Rangers Series for Abingdon Press. The blurb for Severed Trust is: The day Sadie Thompson finds her high school student, Lexie, asleep in class and can't wake her is the day she realizes how entrenched a prescription drug ring is in her school. As Sadie is pulled into doing something about the growing problem, she becomes involved with Ethan Stone—a Texas Ranger who suspects the drug ring reaches far beyond the high school. Helping Lexie recover from the overdose, Sadie feels she is making a difference—until the 16-year-old's best friend dies from the apparent mixing of various prescription drugs. Lexie doesn't think her friend took her own life, but her relationship with her Uncle Ethan is precarious and she doesn’t know if either he or Sadie will help her discover the truth.

         Why did you choose this particular genre? I love to read romantic suspense, and it just seemed natural to write it.

         What was your journey to publication like? I first sold in 1980 to a secular publisher and wrote in that market for twenty years. I sold ten books then went through an eight year dry spell before I sold again. I thought of giving up writing, but I didn't. I went on to sell some more secular books before God gave me a book that could only be told as an inspirational romance. I sold that one in 2000 and have gone on to sell 63 books in the Christian market. If I had given up and walked away completely during my dry spell, I would have never written my Christian books, which is where I belong. God knew that as He knows everything. It took me a while to realize it. He didn't give up on me.

 

 

         What is a couple of your favorite books and what are you reading now? Amazonia by James Rollins and Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton are two of my favorites. At the moment I'm not reading because I'm so busy, but I have James Rollins' latest book waiting for me when I have some time to read.

         What are you working on now and can you give us a little peek inside it? I just signed an eight book contract with LI/LIS and will be starting the first book soon—a third book in my Caring Canines Series (first book was out in August, Healing Hearts, and second one will be out in December called Her Holiday Hero). This series is about service and therapy dogs and how they can help people. I will be starting a new series soon for Love Inspired Suspense—a search and rescue series in Alaska.

         What advice would you give authors who are on their own journey to publication? Keep writing. Persistence is important if you want to succeed.

         Do you have any books or websites that have helped you with your writing that you could share with us? One of my favorites is Debra Dixon's Goals, Motivation and Conflict. Great book to help with developing characters and plot lines.

         Is there anything you’d like to tell us we haven’t covered? Write with the market in mind, but write what you enjoy writing. It will show if you don't.

        Please let us know where we can find you on the web. Website: http://www.margaretdaley.com Blog: http://www.margaretdaley.com/margarets-blog/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/margaretdaley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margaretdaleybooks

By:

 



Interview and Giveaway with Fay Lamb

CONGRATULATIONS

PAT - WINNER OF

"STALKING WILLOW"

I'd like to welcome Fay Lamb to Sleuths and Suspects. I believe this is her first time to visit and I hope it will be many more. I first met Fay at the Catch the Wave Writer's Conference in Atlanta, GA last year. She is an excellent teacher and she is one of the friendliest and helpful editors I've met. I'm looking forward to seeing her again this year. I'm thrilled for her success with her debut books. She is gracious to offer a copy of her book "Stalking Willow" for a giveaway. Just leave a comment and your email address and be a follower of Sleuths and Suspects to be entered in the giveaway. Believe me you don't want to miss this book! Now on to the interview.

1.       Tell us a little about yourself.

I live in a small Florida town called Titusville. Most times when I mention the name of the city, I have to add that it is where Kennedy Space Center is located. My family, and my husband’s family have lived here for generations. Both of our grandmothers were born in Titusville. Besides writing, I am also an acquisition editor for Pelican Book Group—a job I love. I am a past-secretary for ACFW, and I moderated the ACFW Scribes’ Critique Group for four years.

 

2.       Tell us about your most recent book/or the book we are focusing on.

Stalking Willow is the first novel in my romantic suspense series entitled Amazing Grace. This story was released by Write Integrity Press in May.

 

Bitterness, a stalker, and a neighbor to die for. What's a girl to do? Trailed by a stalker in New York City, Willow Thomas, a young ad executive, scurries back to her small North Carolina hometown and the lake house where ten years earlier a scandal revealed her entire life had been a lie, and a seed of bitterness took root in her soul. The cocoon of safety Willow feels upon her arrival home soon unravels when she meets opposition from her and the stalker reveals he is close on her heels.

Can Willow learn to trust God to tear out her roots of resentment, reunite her family, ferret out a deadly stalker, and to rekindle the love she left behind?

 

3.       Why did you choose this particular genre?

I’m not sure that I choose the genre as much as it chose me. I’m usually the first one to put my hands over my eyes when something tense or suspenseful comes on the television. I also keep asking, “Tell me what happened? Did he kill her yet? How’d he do it?” However, when writing suspense, I know what’s going to happen, and I take a lot of joy in hopefully making the reader’s shoulders climb while they’re waiting to see if the hero or heroine will save the day, get out of the situation, and live to tell about it.



 

4.       What was your journey to publication like?

I have a number of adjectives to describe that journey: long, arduous, surprising, fulfilling, and incredible. I have always been a writer. Before I could write, I was a storyteller. Words are magically to me. As a kid who sat in a car while her mother worked or remained home behind closed doors as a latchkey child, storytelling was my preservation. When I finally realized how God wanted me to use the talent He’s given me, I had to learn how to craft my storytelling. That took a few years. Well, it actually took more than a few, but who’s counting?

 

Currently, and for what I think will be a very long while, I’m working with a tremendous editor, and those times in the past when I would have used the unhappy sounding adjectives were well worth it because now, I’m enjoying myself tremendously.

 

5.       What is a couple of your favorite books and what are you reading now?

Bliss by Jeness Walker and Tracy Bowman is at the top of my list of all-time favorite reads. The story is laugh-out-loud funny from the start to the very last line. I hesitate to call it chick-lit or women’s fiction. Let’s call it humorous contemporary fiction.

 

Failstate by John Otte and A Fistful of God by Therese Travis are two of my favorite published young adult novels. I’m partial to Therese’s story because I acquired and edited it for Pelican, but both of these stories transcend their genre, and I highly recommend them.

 

Currently, I’m reading non-fiction. The book is The Prophecies Fulfilled in the Birth of Jesus Christ. An excellent read and study by Dianne E. Butts, a fellow writer at Pix-N-Pens.

 

6.       What are you working on now and can you give us a little peek inside it?

Right now, until September 1, I purposely took a writing hiatus because I had a packed August filled with workshops. However, I’m looking forward to delving into the writing of four books that are currently on deadline. I’m happy to give you a little peek inside Better than Revenge, the next book in my Amazing Grace series.

 

Issie pushed on the gas pedal. The Jeep shot from the bridge and onto the road, skidding against slick mud.

Using both hands, she battled for control of the vehicle, but gravity pulled against her body as the car spun in circles. With a cry, she let go of the wheel and grabbed Cole, pulling him close.

“Not the water, Lord. Don’t let us drown. Please, don’t let us drown,” she pleaded.

With a deafening crash and bone-jarring impact the vehicle came to a sudden stop. Issie held onto Cole, too afraid to move. After a long moment, he wiggled in her arms. She had pulled him to her despite his latched seatbelt. “Are you okay?” She inspected him from head to chest.

He nodded.

“Thank you, Lord.” Thunder boomed, drowning out her words of gratitude.

Looking out her open window through the pouring rain, Issie stared in amazement at the ruts gouged deep in the mire where they’d spun in circles. Their path had taken them away from the creek and across the road to slam up against one of the hundred year old elms. A miracle for sure. Her airbags hadn’t even deployed. Deep, shuddering breaths shook her body. She collapsed over the steering wheel again and sobbed.

Cole touched her. “Mommy, we’re safe. We can walk from here.”

So calm. Where did he get that part of his nature?

Yes, they were safe for the moment, but she’d feel even safer at home with Cole in his pajamas after a warm shower.

Issie groped around in the back of the Jeep, feeling for the blanket she always kept there. Rough wool grazed her fingertips. She pushed open the door, stepped out of the vehicle, and tugged the blanket over her head. Cole climbed across the seat and out to stand under the blanket she’d spread over her. The makeshift shelter did little to protect them against the driving rain.

Cole’s hand gripped her shirt. Water dripped from his bangs onto his straight little nose. His drenched clothing stuck to his body. His teeth chattered, and he let out a broken “Brrr” under his breath. She kept the woolen cover over them and started down the road toward home.

She looked down at him. “What do you say to a warm shower, a grilled cheese sandwich, some warm cookies, and a glass of milk?”

He smiled up at her. “Yeah.”

“Are you okay?” The voice emanated from outside their cloth protection.

Someone was on her property. She was alone and vulnerable. Issie screamed and pushed her son behind her.

 

7.       What advice would you give authors who are on their own journey to publication?

This is always one of my favorite questions because I love to encourage writers. Recently, I ran across an anonymous quote that said: “It may be true that the real writer writes, but most people believe that a real writers is one who is published.” My advice is to never let anyone tell you that if you are unpublished, you are not an author. Real writers write. Period. I wrote for years. Publication did not make me an author. The process of writing made me an author. And I was an author before I was published. So, I encourage writers to write. Write more than one book. While you’re seeking publication write more books. In that way, when the doors open, you have more to offer than one story. And publishers love to know that an author has more to offer.

 

8.       Do you have any books or websites that have helped you with your writing that you could share with us?

 

I recommend every book on crafting stories written by James Scott Bell: Plot and Structure, Revision and Self-Editing, and Conflict and Suspense. Mr. Bell has an easy style of teaching, and his examples are excellent. He doesn’t talk over our heads and provide strategies that would bore most writers. They are instructional and fun to read. For encouragement in your writer’s journey, I highly recommend his The Art of War for Writers.

 

9.       Is there anything you’d like to tell us we haven’t covered?

This has been a whirlwind summer for me. I’m so blessed and thankful to have three releases. Stalking Willow was released in May. Charisse, the first book in my contemporary romance series, The Ties that Bind, released in July, and Better than Revenge, the second novel in the Amazing Grace series releases and the story whose excerpt is shared in this interview will release in September.

 

10.   Please let us know where we can find you on the web.

My website is www.faylamb.com. There I have a blog entitled Inner Source where guest authors are interviewed and share about the issues contained in their stories—those issues their charactesr overcome by God’s amazing grace or even issues that God might have brought to their attention during the writing of their work.

 

I also love meeting new friends on FB (www.facebook.com/fay.lamb) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/FayLamb). Oh, and I’m also The Tactical Editor, providing editing and writer helps Monday through Friday at www.facebook.com/TacticalEd.

Deborah Malone’s first novel Death in Dahlonega, finaled in the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Category Five writing contest! Deborah was also nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year in First Novel category. She has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, for the historic magazine “Georgia Backroads.” She has had many articles and photographs published, and her writing is featured in “Tales of the Rails,” edited by Olin Jackson. She is a member of the Georgia Writer’s Association. As a current member of the American Christian Fiction Writer she has established a blog where she reviews Christian Fiction.  

Interview and Giveaway with Nike Chillemi

CONGRATULATIONS TO BARBARA!

WINNER OF BURNING HEART

 

 

Please welcome Nike Chillemi to Sleuths and Suspects. This is her first time with us. I hope you learn more about Nike and her writing from the interview. I've just heard from Nike and she is going to give away a copy of her new book "Burning Hearts." She will choose from the best comment. Be sure to leave your email address and be a follower. Without further ado here we go!

 

 

 

Q: Tell us a little about yourself. 

Nike: I grew up in upstate New York. My dad was an English teacher who read to my brother and me and I've had a love of books since. I wrote the requisite teenage poems filled with angst, which I read to my parents quite frequently. They were very good about not running out of the room screaming. I worked in marketing in the bridal industry before seriously throwing myself into writing for publication. Every once in a while I give my bridal industry experience away by writing something like: The gown, of pink tulle, having a sweetheart neckline and tulip sleeves, floated at her calves as she glided into the room.

 

Q: Tell us about your most recent book/or the book we are focusing on. 

Nike:  BURNING HEARTS (arson/murder, action, romance, and humor) is set on the south shore of Long Island in the mid-1940s. The story opens with an arsonist burning down a house, killing the owner. A young seamstress, Erica Brogna, make a rescue attempt, but the heavy smoke forces her to get help. Enter Harley Davidson riding Lorne Kincade, a WWII hero, who rushes into the inferno. The story is filled with action. The killer tries to frame Lorne for the murder. But it's also a "sweet" romance in which Erica and Lorne face trials together and fall deeply in love. It's actually my debut novel, which Desert Breeze first published as an ebook, but it's now come out in print and I'm very excited about that. I love ebooks and was completely happy with it in electronic format, but I do know there are readers who only read print and now BURNING HEARTS available for them.

Q: Why did you choose this particular genre? 

Nike: I love murder mysteries and detective stories. The vast majority of book I read fall into one of those two categories. I love to route for the good guys to win. My home, in New York City, has quite a few bookshelves filled with whodunits. I'm so wrapped up in this genre that I've been dubbed the Crime Fictionista. I write reviews of crime fiction and action-adventure novels for The Christian Pulse online magazine. I've judged several literary contests in the last three years, usually in the mystery/thriller category, but sometimes in the action-adventure category.  

Q: What was your journey to publication like?

 

Nike: It was filled with trepidation like everybody's. I had no idea what I was doing six and a half years ago when I wrote my first mystery novel. Not a clue. I keep the manuscript around just for laughs. It's that bad. I got a lot of help from more established writers and I hope I've returned that favor, helping newbie writers as they begin on their writing journey. 

Q: What is a couple of your favorite books and what are you reading now? 

The Roland March series by J. Mark Bertrand is one of my favorite Christian crime fiction series. He can't write them fast enough to suit me. COMES A HORSEMAN by Robert Liparulo is another. INJUSTICE FOR ALL by Robin Carol and EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE by M.K. Gilroy are two others I couldn't put down. Right now I'm reading the New York Times best seller BURNT HOUSE by Faye Kellerman.

 

Q:  What are you working on now and can you give us a little peek inside it? 

Nike:  I'm leaving the world of historical whodunits w/romance and venturing into contemporary mysteries w/romance. I'm constructing a series with really strong, spunky private investigator and law enforcement heroines. My stalwart male investigators may find themselves exasperated at times by these impulsive, but very capable females. My heroes are three-dimensional and ultimately can handle relationships with complicated women. The first work to introduce this new contemporary series is a novella, HARMFUL INTENT. My heroine is a girl-next-door private investigator from Brooklyn, NY who travels to Abilene, TX where she is accused of murdering her husband of one year. There is a huge amount of humor, some of it all out funny, or zany, with moments of satire. I'd compare it with some of the works of Susan Issacs (humorous romantic suspense) or Jaqueline Girdner (comic California murder mysteries) or Chris Well (Earl Walker series, hilarious Christian mysteries).  

Q:  What advice would you give authors who are on their own journey to publication? 

Nike: First of all, keep writing. In the beginning, don't worry about how good it is. Just write it. The first manuscript will most likely get rejected. I don’t know a single writer who submitted their first work and an agent went mad for it and published it. Everyone got the first one tossed back to them. At least everyone I know did. The other thing newbies should do is read in their genre. Read the very best writers in their genre. The ones who are winning awards. Then ponder what makes their writing so good. Don't copy them. Keep your own voice, but learn techniques from the best. 

Q:Do you have any books or websites that have helped you with your writing that you could share with us?

Nike: The one single thing that's helped my writing more than anything else is the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) critique groups. That's like bootcamp for writing Christian fiction. I highly recommend getting into an ACFW group. I've also taken ACFW writing courses and courses other groups have given. I belong to a crime scene writers group where a lot of the members are retired law enforcement personnel. That group concentrates on the police procedure and technical elements of writing crime fiction.  

Q: Please let us know where we can find you on the web. 

Nike: You can find me at Nike Chillemi ~ Crime Fictionista  http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/ 

Purchas Links:

BURNING HEARTS at Amazon, now in paperback. http://tiny.cc/7tojyw

The Sanctuary Point, historical murder mystery w/romance series at Amazon. http://tiny.cc/uwojyw



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bio: 

Like so many writers, Nike Chillemi started writing at a very young age. She still has the Crayola, fully illustrated book she penned (penciled might be more accurate) as a little girl about her then off-the-chart love of horses. Today, you might call her a crime fictionista. Her passion is crime fiction. She likes her bad guys really bad and her good guys smarter and better. 

She is the founding board member of the Grace Awards and is its Chairman, a reader's choice awards for excellence in Christian fiction. She writes book reviews for The Christian Pulse online magazine. She was an Inspy Awards 2010 judge in the Suspense/Thriller/Mystery category and a judge in the 2011 and 2012 Carol Awards in the suspense, mystery, and romantic suspense categories. BURNING HEARTS, the first book in the crime wave that is sweeping the south shore of Long Island in The Sanctuary Point series, finaled in the Grace Awards 2011 in the Romance/Historical Romance category. GOODBYE NOEL, the second book in the series released in December, 2011 won the Grace Award 2011 in the Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Thriller category. PERILOUS SHADOWS, third in the series released July, 2012, and DARKEST HOUR, the fourth in the series released in February, 2013.  She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers (Ning). http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/



Giveaway and Interview with Deborah Malone by Deborah Malone

MURDER IN MARIETTA

BY DEBORAH MALONE


CONGRATULATIONS CINDI
WINNER OF "MURDER IN MARIETTA"

Okay, it's my turn to interview an author. It didn't work out with the author I'd planned on interviewing so I'm going to interview none other than moi. I have two cozy mysteries out, "Death in Dahlonega" and "Murder in Marietta." I hope these questions will give you a little insight into my life and I hope you enjoy reading about me. Don't forget to leave a comment about this interview and be a follower for a chance to win a signed copy of "Murder in Marietta."

 

 

Here are the questions. Answer any and/or all of them. Some of them may be answered within other questions so just pass over any repeats.

Sherri, thank you for having me on you blog. I hope my readers learn a little something about me they didn’t know. I always love to hear from my readers.

Tell us a little about yourself. (Where you grew up, how many siblings you have, when you came to know the Lord, a little about your life now, etc.)

My dad was from Opelika, AL and my mother was from Cincinnati, OH. It’s so true when they say opposites attract. My dad had moved there to work for General Electric. While they were there they had my two older brothers, Bill and Curtis. In the early 1950’s they moved to north Georgia where my dad was transferred to work at GE. I wonder sometimes how I would have turned out if we’d stayed in Ohio – I’d be a *&^% YankeeJ This past summer we had a reunion of twelve cousins in Cinn on my mother’s side. Some I hadn’t seen for 40 years. It was so much fun!

 My mother had RArthritis, but Dad never missed a church service taking us kids to church.  I have had my ups and downs with my faith, but I’ve never given up on God. I’ve come to the conclusion there are some things we will not have the answers to while on this earth. And that is alright – in Pro. 3:5 we are told to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” That is the verse Trixie holds on to in “Death in Dahlonega.”

Tell us three things about you that would surprise your readers.

 I went back to college in my early 40’s and graduated at the age of 45 in 1999.

I’ve had Fibromyalgia since 1992.

I’m a novice photographer and love macro shots of nature. I’ve had a showing of my photographs at our local hospital.

Were you an avid reader as a child? What did you read?

Yes, yes and yes. I’ve been saying lately that I came out of the womb readingJ Mysteries have always been my favorites and I loved Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon.

What is your favorite genre to read now?

Gee – would you believe mysteries? LOL  However, since I’ve been reviewing books for my blog I have read just about every genre there is and I feel I’ve opened a whole new world of reading for me. I would encourage others to read outside their safety zone –favorite genre – and discover a whole new world.

As a child or teenager, did you ever dream of being an author?

Yes – When I was a teenager I started a mystery. I think I made it to page 3 or 4.

When did you first begin writing, and why do you write still?

I started writing when I went back to college and took a creative writing course. I knew then I wanted to publish something. In 2001 I published my first article in a historical magazine “Georgia Backroads” and I’ve been writing for them since then. I still write because I still have goals in my writing I haven’t reached yet. Also, I love it and it helps me keep my sanity in a stressful world.

How long did you write before you sold your first book?

I found a floppy disk dated 2002 when I began, but life got in the way. I wrote and edited consistently for three years to finish it.

How many books do you have published?

My debut cozy “Death in Dahlonega” published by Lamp Post Publishing was my first book.  “Murder in Marietta” will be my second book so that is two I’ve had published. I’m working on my third in the series, “Terror on Tybee Island.”

Tell us about your latest book.

Trixie and her best friend Dee Dee go to Marietta on assignment where Trixie is going to spend the night in the supposedly haunted Marietta History Museum.  She has convinced Dee Dee to spend the night with her. When the director of the museum woke them up the next morning they thought he was having a heart attack – but he had just seen a dead body. Add in the antics of Trixie’s great-aunt Nana and you have a recipe for murder and mayhem.

Do you put yourself into your main character, or do you find yourself borrowing from family or friends as your characters develop?

My goodness yes – but that’s all I’m going to say.

Is there any scene in your book that came from a real-life happening?

There are several in my first book “Death in Dahlonega.” At the beginning when they are going to Dahlonega and eating trail mix is reminiscent of when my friend and I took a trip to Dahlonega. I don’t think there are any scenes in “Murder in Marietta” that really happened.

Are you a plotter, a pantster, or somewhere in between, and can you elaborate on your answer?

I’m definitely a panster. I have a general outline on how I want the manuscript to progress, but that’s it. Then I might do a general outline for each chapter, but none of it is done in detail. Now after I’ve written a chapter I will go in Microsoft One Note and detail the chapter so I can keep up with my characters, timeline, setting, etc.

Share something about your day-to-day life that might help a reader to feel as though they know you a little better. As I’ve mentioned I have fibromyalgia which limits how much and how often I write. I also have an adult daughter, Niki, who is severely disabled. About five years ago I needed help with her care. So now I have caregivers who come every day to help with her care. There are people coming in and out during the day so there is never a dull moment.

Do you have a favorite scripture? If so, why is it your favorite?

Trixie’s favorite scripture for “Murder in Marietta” is Eph. 4:32

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.

How do you choose names for your characters?

I use the phone book, internet, and I also ask other writers to give me suggestions.

What is the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you?

Several years ago I decided to let my hair grow out. I used a curling brush/iron on my hair. One day it got tangled and I couldn’t get it out. I had to unplug it and go to my neighbors and ask for their help. They had a good laugh about it.

 Where can your readers find you on the internet?  www.amazon.com,   www.barnesandnoble.com

www.deborah-malone.com

www.deborahsbutterflyjourney.blogspot.com

www.sleuthsandsuspects.blogspot.com

www.cozymysterymagazine.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Deborah Malone’s first novel Death in Dahlonega, finaled in the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Category Five writing contest! Deborah was also nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year in First Novel category. She has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, for the historic magazine “Georgia Backroads.” She has had many articles and photographs published, and her writing is featured in “Tales of the Rails,” edited by Olin Jackson. She is a member of the Georgia Writer’s Association. As a current member of the American Christian Fiction Writer she has established a blog where she reviews Christian Fiction at www.deborahsbutterflyjourney.blogspot.com.   You can also catch her at www.sleuthsandsuspects.blogspot.com and www.cozymysterymagazine.blogspot.com.