How did you get started writing?
Please help me welcome Marian Lanouette to my blog. I know that she’ll love lots of comments and there is a prize for one lucky commenter.

I wrote most my life, but it wasn’t until my open-heart surgery that I took it seriously. I knew now was the time to complete my novel.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I’ve always loved mysteries and romantic suspense so it seemed natural that when I did write I wrote in those genres.

Tell us about your current series.

Jake Carrington Mystery series tells the story of Jake and his partner Louie. Jake is single and Louie’s married. We see the world from both of their view points. It’s not only about the cases. For the first time in Jake’s life, he’s falling like a ton of bricks for a woman. A woman who does not want or need a commitment; it’s fun watching Jake chase his tail.

What is your favorite part of writing?

I like the solitude of writing. I grew up in a fun and busy household. I’m one of ten children and used to go into the closet for quiet time to read or write.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

It used to be editing and revising. Lately, I’ve found I’m enjoying it. I find the marketing time consuming. It takes away from my writing time. So I’d say marketing.

What is your next project and when will it be released?

The second book in the series, Burn in Hell, A Jake Carrington Mystery is now in line editing and will be released in January 2013. Besides editing, I’m working on the third book in the series Mated for Life. I’m also heavily revising my romantic suspense, Loss of Power.

What is your typical day like?

I walk three to five miles each day. When I get home, I shower; then head to my desk. I respond to emails, or blogs, edit the previous day’s work then write for four hours or more. I break for lunch and then more writing.

How much time do you spend promoting your books?

This is my first book and I’m spending half of a day promoting it. What works best for you? I’m finding social media, word of mouth and blogging are great tools to promote and get your name out there. My family, with such a large family all over the world they are also helping me to promote my book.

Bio:

Marian grew up reading. As one of ten children her vacations were spent between the covers of books. The books took her to faraway places and engaged her imagination. She started writing in grade school. Had her first poem published by eighth grade in the local newspaper, thus the writer was born. While recovering from surgery, Jake Carrington popped into her head. He wouldn’t leave her alone until she told his story. What a surprise to her, it turned into a series. Her bachelor’s degree is in accounting though she supplemented it with lots of creative writing course to balance the numbers. Marian lives in New England with her husband.

Welcome to my blog, Christine. Readers – Christine has graciously decided to give one lucky commenter a $10 gift card to Starbucks or Amazon, the winners choice. So be sure and leave lots of comments.

What did you want to be when you were a child? Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

CA: I flirted with being a ballet dancer for many years. I was a member (albeit briefly) of California Ballet Company, where I met my husband, and I loved it. I did know, however, that writing was in my genes (my father and brother are both published authors) and it would inevitably come out some day. Which it did, finally!

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

CA: I write paranormal romance, because I can make up the rules of the world. I write YA because I had an amazing teenagerhood, and want to share it. And I write contemporary romance, because I’ve been reading Harlequin Romances since I’ve been 13.

What genres are you drawn to as a reader?

CA: Everything! I love sci fi, fantasy, historical, the smexy, contemporary, memoir, history – I love it all. It just totally depends on my frame of mind as to what I pick up to read.

What do you have planned for the future?

CA: Writing-wise, I’m working on a YA series. I’m also writing a couple of plays, so that’s exciting.

Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself?

CA: Yes. I had completed ten manuscripts, and dozens and dozens of partials. I’ve been rejected by all the best publishing houses in New York City! But I learned one thing about those books; none of them were finished. Every single book I had sent out to editors/agents between 2003 and 2009 hadn’t been rewritten anywhere nearly enough. So those editors and agents, thank God, rejected me because I hadn’t done the work. It’s that simple (in my mind, at least!).

Do you have any words of inspiration for aspiring authors?

CA: Don’t give up. Write the entire first draft, then rewrite. And rewrite. And rewrite some more. Get feedback. Remember, a query letter is a different animal from the novel. Learn how to write them. Don’t think you already know, because you probably don’t. And that goes for EVERYTHING writing-related, not just query letters. Keep an inquiring mind; strive always to learn, for there is always something to learn. Be polite; be respectful of other authors, reviewers, and all readers. Especially when you’re on social media; be careful of how you present yourself, because yes, the world IS watching.

Tell us about your current series.

CA: Thanks so much for asking! I’m writing the Caine Brothers series. The Caines are tribreds – they have demon, human and Fae blood in their veins. Each Caine brother deals with it in their own way. Gabriel went and hid for ten years. Gregor refuses to acknowledge that it exists. And Justin has a healthy respect for the differences, until his mind comes unglued and revenge becomes driving force. Of course, each man has that one special woman who makes everything worth it in the end.

Book One is DEMON SOUL. Gabriel Caine has had his soul stolen, and he needs to get it back before he gives in to his dark side. Only Rose Walters, who has been sent back from the dead to save Gabriel, can do it; but to retrieve his soul, she must become fire.

BLOOD DREAMS is the Short Story that comes after DEMON SOUL, and shows you a bit of the behind-the-scenes stuff with the Villain of Book 1.

Book 2, DEMON HUNT, is the latest release – it came out July 16th. Gregor Caine is forced to pair up with a full-blooded Fae Warrior named Serra Willows in order to get rid of the demons overrunning Los Angeles. In doing so, the gifts in his blood, safely ignored until now, start showing up. Ultimately, his acceptance of those gifts, and of Serra, are vital to them winning the battle against the demon who would claim Serra for his own.

Book 3, DEMON’S RAGE, is Justin and Magdalena’s story, one of revenge, desire, and forgiveness. I don’t yet have a release date for this one, but I’m hoping for Spring 2013.

Thanks, Cindy, for having me today – I had a blast!

Christine’s Bio:

Christine Ashworth is a native of Southern California. The daughter of a writer and a psych major, she fell asleep to the sound of her father’s Royal manual typewriter for years. In a very real way, being a writer is in her blood-her father sold his first novel before he turned forty; her brother sold his first book before he turned twenty-five.

At the tender age of seventeen, Christine fell in love with a man she met while dancing in a ballet company. She married the brilliant actor/dancer/painter/music man, and they now have two tall sons who are as scintillating as their parents, keeping the dinner conversation lively.

Christine’s two dogs rule the outside, defending her vegetable garden from the squirrels, while a polydactyl rescue cat holds court inside the house. Everything else is in a state of flux.

You can find Christine here:

Website and Blog: http://christine-ashworth.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/CCAshworth
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/ChristineAshworthAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4768755.Christine_Ashworth
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Ashworth/e/B004WXK66O/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1338666193&sr=1-1

DEMON HUNT Excerpt

Gregor walked to Justin’s house at dawn, once again immaculate and in control in a gray three-piece suit. Fog still blanketed the streets in Santa Monica. The threat of more rain hung in the air.
He let himself in and heard the rush of the shower. Instead of bugging Justin, he went to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee, then drifted toward the wide picture window framing the tropical backyard.
The pool in the corner of the yard gleamed. Mist rose from it. A pale form cut through the water, swimming steadily. He was out the door and striding across the lawn before he realized he’d decided to move.
Serra stopped swimming to tread water. Invitation shone from her. “Join me.”
“No.” He hadn’t remembered her voice as being sultry. Now the sound of it curled deep inside him, set him aching. That there was even a question in his mind about her, about the two of them, pissed him off.
She was Fae. Off limits. End of story.
Right?
The neat pile of her clothes on the chaise caught his eye. “I’ll get you a towel.” He turned on one heel and headed back into the house. Made his way blindly into the guest bathroom and stood, his mind blank.
She shook his control, and he didn’t like it. He reached for his customary imperturbability and caught sight of himself in the mirror, coffee cup suspended half way to his mouth, his reason for being in the bathroom escaping him for the moment.
“I’m drawn to water. It soothes me. It always has.” Coffee spilled over his hand at the sound of her behind him. He turned and blinked, and remembered why he had gone into the bathroom.
She stood there, naked, pool water beading on skin that gleamed like a pearl. He looked his fill, helpless to do otherwise. An inch- thick scar ran down her throat to the top of her breasts, which were plump and tipped with pink nipples that tightened as his gaze brushed them. Her waist dented in and her hips curved out, making his hands itch, and the sparse curls between her legs were as pale a blonde as the hair on her head. Her eyes, those amethyst jewels, watched him with unnerving intensity.
He yanked the towel off the rail and thrust it at her while he passed her on his way out of the suddenly too-small room. He’d almost made it to the living room when she spoke again.
“I want you.”
A straightforward declaration, not a whine nor an invitation. A muscle in his cheek twitched. “We’ve got a portal to close and demons to kill. There’s no time for sex.”
“There’s always time for sex,” she said, shocked. “I’m quite good at it. I know you’ll enjoy yourself.”
“I’m sure I would. Get dressed,” he said, and taking a deep breath, headed into the kitchen for more coffee. If the demons didn’t kill him, dealing with her just might do the job.

Hi Cynthia! Thanks for inviting me over to your place to play today. It’s really exciting to be allowed to share a little bit of my work and journey with your readers.
And hi to everyone else who’s here today. Thanks for coming. I hope you’ll find something as readers and writers that’ll encourage you.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

Back when I was just starting out—way before I knew anything about plotting—I thought you just wrote. Genre? What was that?
I started writing thrillers because I loved Tom Clancy’s edgy mystery with international complications and a cast of thousands. So when people asked what I wrote I told them I wrote thrillers.
But then my wretched characters started falling in love and so I thought, hey, add in some romance. I mean, how much real life doesn’t have romance? Not much, right?
So then when people asked what I wrote I told them I wrote romantic thrillers.
It was about this time that I discovered Romance Writers of New Zealand and learned what a genre was and why I should care. I also learned how little I really knew about pretty much everything. Oh well. No problem. I finished that first romantic thriller manuscript, put it on the shelf, and started the next one.
Right, let’s see. Thriller? Check. Romance? Check. Start writing . . . and my heroine touches a painting and sees a murder happening.
I thought, “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” But it was so cool. I wrote a little more to see if I could actually build something living off the skeleton that was starting to form, and TOUCHING SHADOWS, Book One of The Scroll Of Shadows Trilogy was born.
So now when people ask what I write I tell them I write romantic thrillers with a supernatural edge.
I also have the first book in a contemporary YA romantic thriller series on the backburner, and my critique partner, Bronwen Evans, and I are collaborating on a vampire series.

Tell us about your current series.

My current series is The Scroll of Shadows Trilogy. The first two books are published and I’m working on Book Three as we speak. Here’s the “official” overview of the trilogy—imagine it being read by James Earl Jones with ominous music in the background . . .

After the death of Prince Albert, his widow, Queen Victoria, became consumed with her grief, spending the rest of her life in a search for a means to reliably contact the man she loved.
From among the more power-hungry of her courtiers an exclusive society arose; men with some psychic power—or the pretense of it—whose goal was not only the domination of the politics of England, but ultimately those of the world.
Told from the point of view of the heroine in each story, The Scroll Of Shadows series explores the effect the tentacles of this hidden society has on the twenty-first century lives of three siblings and their soul mates:
• Megan Alistair (TOUCHING SHADOWS), a woman who hides her psychic gift behind another woman’s face, but cannot hide her heart from the man determined to win it.
• Brandt Alistair, (SHADOW SEER) Megan’s twin, whose gift has shown him the death of the woman he loves, but not the way to change their future.
• Galen MacMahon, (GIFT OF SHADOWS) their foster brother, an undercover cop without psychic ability, but whose debt to Megan and Brandt is on course to destroy his one chance for happiness.
Each book of the trilogy follows one trail of twine out from the center of this labyrinth of lies. Only when all three trails unite and all three pairs of lovers stand together for the final showdown is the real agenda behind the Scroll of Shadows revealed.

What movie best describes your life? Why?

Seriously? The first ten percent of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Why? Because although I’m a bit of a hermit I know I should get out of this cupboard under the stairs and out into the real world. Trouble is, every time I step outside I get bombarded with megalomaniacal wizards, and owls that that are more intelligent than I am. So I lock myself back in.
The worst part about life in this movie is the little creep who keeps yelling something about going to the freaking zoo while stomping on the stairs above my head and raining plaster dust into my Mac. I could really do without him.
The best part is my beloved Hagrid who rescues me from loneliness and coffee deprivation and breaks down doors when I can’t find the keys any more. But he doesn’t make me cakes for my birthday. He’s more likely to buy me a battery for my car.

What is your favorite part of writing?

Plotting. Oh yeah. I love, love, love plotting. Creating character and backstory, discovering reasons people behave the way they do.
It’s the chance to craft a world where you control the outcome, and no matter how bad everything gets (and it gets really bad) you can make everything right at the end. The goodies win, the heroine gets the guy, and the villain gets what he deserves—with a side serving of “nyah nyah!” Very therapeutic.

What is most difficult for you to write? Characters, conflict or emotions? Why?

Actually, I don’t find any of those three aspects difficult to write. My major difficulty comes when I have to describe setting.
If you’d ever had the dubious pleasure of reading one of my first drafts you’d discover a world where every character is naked and lives suspended in hyperspace. No one gets clothed or housed until the second or third drafts.
Why? I guess because in “real life” I don’t see the inanimate things around me. When I walk into a room I only see people—don’t worry, I only see live people! But this “item blindness” is horridly frustrating when I sit down to write setting and description.
Thank goodness for Beth Hill, my wonderful editor, who points out where I’ve dropped the ball (and what color it is). If it wasn’t for her, Google Images, and home decorating sites I’d be totally sunk.

Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

Oh, man. Where do I not get them from! A phrase on the radio news. A magazine article. A comment on a blog. A psychology textbook. An overheard conversation at a café, a train, or a bus trip. A dream. A nightmare. The punch line of a joke. A cartoon. A political billboard. The expression on a woman’s face as she watches her baby take his first steps. A grumpy teenager. Fears. Hopes. The concept of eternity. The reality of death. Poetry. Music—especially country music (no idea why!) and anything sung in a language I don’t speak.
Trust me, finding an idea is not a problem. Being disciplined enough to take that idea from birth, through the sleepless nights of colic, the terrible twos, snarky teenager-hood, and into the safe harbor of maturity without committing literary homicide, that’s the problem!

Do you or have you belonged to a writing organization? Which one? Have they helped you with your writing? How?

Yes, I currently belong to Romance Writers of New Zealand. They certainly have helped me, and not only with my writing. They also helped to save my life.
Back in 2004 I hit the scales at four hundred pounds and the doctors had given me eighteen months to live. I was medicated up to the eyeballs on antidepressants and, quite frankly, didn’t care if I lived or not. My husband came home one day, told me about a romance writing conference that was going to be held in Auckland, and asked if I’d like to go.
I’d finished that romantic thriller I mentioned, but I was too much of a physical and emotional mess to do anything with it. Plus the conference was at the other end of the country and I was too fat to fit into a plane seat.
My husband drove me eight hours to the conference, and it was a major, major turning point of my life.
I will always be grateful to the women I met there who didn’t judge me by my size but encouraged my talent, and to Donald Maass who was keynote speaker that year. He was incredible, and what I learned there from him, from the other speakers, and the women I met and spent time with sent me home with a determination to live. Not just to live, but to live and write.
A month later I had gastric bypass surgery, a year later I was less than half the woman I had been. I’m still less than half the woman I was! I’ve self-published two books, and have others coming out soon. I’ve been helped and encouraged every step of the way by my husband, and the women I met during that conference—and the ones that have followed every year since.
I am so incredibly, supremely lucky to have found this kind of love, knowledge, and support. May God bless the romance industry. The people who walk within it have the biggest hearts in the world.

Thanks again for hosting me, Cynthia. It’s been fun!

Giveaway
Today, one lucky commenter will win a free copy of either TOUCHING SHADOWS or SHADOW SEER, and also a $5 Amazon.com gift card. Be sure to include your email address in the body of your comment. Winner will be chosen September 20!

Buy links:
TOUCHING SHADOWS: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007LT3YJM
SHADOW SEER: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008T2D1PM

Blurb for TOUCHING SHADOWS

Megan Alistair has a gift; simply by touching a work of art she can tell whether it’s a forgery or a real master. But in the art world those who appreciate such talent can be dangerous, so Megan uses her gift in secret through someone she can trust—art dealer, Annalise Waterford.

Dominic Stone also has a gift; that of financial genius. Everything he touches turns to gold. But while his talent has given him a freedom most people would kill for, it can’t buy him access to elusive family secrets. Secrets his stepfather died with. Secrets only art dealer Annalise Waterford might reveal.

Only problem? Annalise is missing—and half the art underworld is looking for her.

When Stone learns Megan may know where Annalise is hiding he’ll do whatever it takes to get the information. But Megan doesn’t need anything Stone can offer her—and couldn’t take it, even if she did. Because there’s more at stake than lost secrets and a missing art dealer, and Megan is better acquainted with Stone than he can imagine. Enough to be certain some things should stay hidden, and that any future together might well destroy them both.

Excerpt from TOUCHING SHADOWS

“So you have no idea where Annalise is?” Stone said.

“Sorry.”

His eyes had gone dark and hard. “Why don’t I believe you?” he murmured. “Why don’t I?”

“Probably because you’re naturally suspicious,” I suggested. “Or possibly because you’re used to the business world where lies are embedded in the corporate culture.”

He stared at me as though I’d just crawled out from under the lettuce leaf decorating his thousand-dollar meal. “I beg your pardon?”

“Then again, maybe with all your wealth you’ve lost touch with the world of normal people. Not everyone spends their life creating tall tales and perjuring themselves.”

Except in my world, but we wouldn’t go there.

“In other words, Mr. Stone”—I leaned back in my chair—“I’ve told you all I can. End of story. And the fact you saved me from more serious injury yesterday does not give you the right to come into my home and accuse me of lying to you. You don’t know me well enough.”

A muscle at the corner of his mouth tightened, then released. “Did Charles know you well enough? Or did you pull this ice princess routine on him too?”

Ice princess? Ouch.

“You see,” he continued before I could answer, “I wonder if maybe you had something on him. Threatened him—”

“Threaten Charles?” The idea was ludicrous enough to make me smile. “Do I look suicidal to you?”

Stone obviously had no sense of the ridiculous. “Is that,” he pursued, “why he cut his sister and niece out of his will? So you could play company director?”

“I doubt it.” Charles might’ve possessed a twisted sense of humor, but he’d lived for his work, had a strong sense of duty toward his employees, and I’d made it clear I wanted to sit on the board of a company—any company—as much as I wanted to poke my eye out with a red-hot nail file. “But then, he didn’t discuss his intentions with me. Anyway, when was receiving an inheritance of nearly three million pounds redefined as being cut out of someone’s will?”

“It’s a valid definition if your expectation was tenfold. How do you sleep at night? Or do you?” He gave me a sweeping glance. “Do you have the time? I believe congratulations are in order.”

I probably looked as blank as I felt. “Congratulations?” Condolences, yes. Congratulations? Hardly.

“On your pregnancy.” That sardonic little twist flickered over his mouth again. “Such incredible news. I understand Charles was quite bowled over. As for the timing, I’ll bet he found it hard to believe.”

The words were innocuous enough. His tone was not, skimming south of unpleasant and heading for offensive.

Son of a bitch. I rose. “Our business,” I said, my voice as cold as I could make it, “is concluded.”

I started to move toward the mantelpiece and the bell, but he rose too—as fluid as a cat—and intercepted me. Fighting down the impulse to back away, I forced myself to stand straight, to face him. Calm. Expressionless. “You’re in my way, Mr. Stone.”

“No,” he said, mouth grim, eyes hard, “you’re in mine. And trust me, you don’t want to be there. I’m familiar with women like you—beautiful on the surface but rotten at the core. You know where Annalise is or have some idea. Make no mistake, I’ll find her with or without your help. But if you imagine I’m going to dance to your tune, then you’re wrong.”

“Am I indeed?”

“Yes.” His voice frosted, then iced. “Imagine if certain rumors currently being whispered find their way to the tabloids. Dead millionaire’s girlfriend carries another man’s baby, for example.”

“Be my guest.” I moved around him and pressed the bell. “And when you see the Sharrocks again, tell them they’re even more foolish than I thought them. As, Mr. Stone, are you.”

“I’m whatever you like,” he said pleasantly. “But at least I’m not the kind of fool who’d take a rapacious bitch into my home and let myself be cuckolded by—”
The sound of flesh striking flesh brought me to my senses. That and the pain in my hand where it had struck Stone’s face.

Savagery rippled over his eyes like water over river gravel, raw and primal. For a heartbeat I thought he’d come after me, strike back. In fact, I hoped he would. I really hoped he would. Everything in me raged for a physical outlet for the wound he’d dealt me. Try it, I goaded him in my head. Just you try it.

But he didn’t. Instead he inhaled the violence back into him as a smoker inhales nicotine. It faded from his face, his eyes, his body, leaving only the memory, the scent of it, on the air.

“I apologize,” he said stiffly. “That was—”

“Don’t.” Through a fog of thwarted fury I was aware Kendall had arrived, but I no longer gave a damn. “Don’t waste your breath. Or your apology. You can say what you like about me—anything at all—but you will speak of Charles Dayton with respect, or God help you. Now, get out of his house. And don’t come back. Kendall, Mr. Stone is leaving.”

Bio:
Gracie O’Neil was born in London, and raised and educated in New Zealand. She lives in a state of cheerful chaos with her husband and pets; a German Shepherd who snores like a buzz saw, and a cat who ignores birds but steals their bread.

She first began writing in earnest in 1998, holed up in an apartment in Marietta, GA, while her husband, a field engineer, traveled the United States for fifteen days a month. She started her second manuscript in a hotel in San Diego, where she discovered the joys of room service—something she fully intends to exploit again one day.

Please help me welcome Kathy to my blog. Leave her lots of comments and be entered into the drawing for a prize.

Tell us about your current series.

Like many things in my life, defining my book series isn’t an easy task. The first book I published is A Dozen Deadly Roses. In that story Los Angeles Police Officer Jade Donovan is being hunted. Her lieutenant is out to get her, there’s a psycho stalking her and leaving dead roses at her door, but most frightening of all, she’s been assigned to partner with her son’s father, Mac Stryker. Mac doesn’t know he’s Donnie’s dad, and Jade will stop at nothing to prevent him from finding out and possibly taking away her son.

I wrote the book as a stand-alone story. Then, I published my next book, A Deadly Blessing, the first in the LAPD Detective Maddie Divine series. The book deals with Maddie’s marriage troubles, suspicions regarding her detective partner, and investigating a high-profile missing person case.
While readers loved Maddie and A Deadly Blessing, they kept asking me to bring back the characters of Jade, Mac and Donnie from A Dozen Deadly Roses. My writing is all about providing stories that readers love, so…

I’m currently working on the next book in the series. I haven’t come up with a ‘killer’ name (pun intended) for the book yet. But in ‘Book 3,’ (as I call it,) Maddie and Jade are partnered together to work on solving a string of burglaries, which leads to an emotional turmoil for Maddie. Along the way, Maddie and Jade are making a name for themselves in their new assignment. They’re dedicated, smart and hard working, and at least one co-worker isn’t pleased with their achievements.

I’m only about a third of the way into this story, but that’s what I know so far…okay, I know more, but I’m not telling!

Tell us about your heroine. Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.

Hmm, let’s see. One of Maddie’s strengths…she’s been through several traumatic life-changing events and yet she still gets up every day and goes to work. She’s a strong woman.

One of Maddie’s weaknesses is her inability to acknowledge that she’s been changed by the events in her life.

Do you have critique partners?

Oh yes I do! My critique partners, Leigh Court and Alyssa Kress are crucial to my final product. They know my writing weaknesses and help me recognize and correct those failings. I’m sure they wish I’d retain more of what they tell me, but they keep letting me come back to the group week after week.

How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?

I like to say that no one is safe from me. However, I never use a person just as they are. I might take part of a physical description of one person and pair it with a personality trait of someone else.

People tell me I’m very quiet when I’m part of a group. I think I’m basically a quiet person most of the time…that’s because I’m watching and listening. You’ve been warned.

Do you have a view in your writing space? What does your space look like?

My office space is in transition. So much transition that half of the office is in boxes in our guest room, and the other half is haphazardly set up in the room that is supposed to be my office. The really important stuff is in the room designated as my office. Most of what is in the guest room could probably be donated or something…but who has time? I’m writing!

As for a view, I just enjoyed a summer thunder and lightening storm – a real rarity in Southern California. My office looks out onto the street so I can tell how much rain we’re getting by the wetness of the street. My view isn’t worth taking any pictures.

Do you prefer to read in the same genres you write in or do you avoid reading that genre? Why?

My reading time is really limited, but when I do read ‘for fun,’ it’s usually a mystery, suspense, or thriller.
I like reading in my genre because, generally, the bad guys get their ‘just rewards’ one way or the other. That doesn’t always happen in real life.

How far do you plan ahead?

I used to be a much better planner. I’m not sure what happened to that skill. But to give you an example, I have to put visits with my daughter and her family on my calendar – I’m not kidding and they only live about a half-hour away.

It’s not unusual for me to be scheduling things a year and a half ahead of time. Those come off fine. It’s the events that come up at the last minute where I don’t say ‘no’ to that cause all the trouble.

What did you want to be when you were a child? Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

As a very young child I wanted to open a no-kill animal shelter. Once I saw Jack Webb on TV in Dragnet, I wanted to be the female version of Joe Friday…at least that or a blackjack dealer in Las Vegas.

I’m glad being a cop won out.

Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?

I’ve gotten some wonderful letters from readers. One young girl told me that, Jade Donovan, in my book A Dozen Deadly Roses, had given her a role model. This reader is a teenager and comes from a troubled family and wants to become a police officer after reading my book.

Another reader wrote to me and told me that she hated to read, but discovered my book A Deadly Blessing and couldn’t put it down. She uses my books to improve her reading skills.

Another reader, a mother, said that while the subject matter of teenaged sexual exploitation in A Deadly Blessing was tough to read, it allowed her to open up dialogue with her children about the dangers they might face as they grow into teenagers.

To have that kind of impact in people’s lives is not only thrilling, it’s a responsibility to be the best writer I can be – to tell my stories in a way where it’s more than just authentic crime told in an arresting story.

BIO:
Kathy Bennett is no stranger to murder and mayhem. After twenty-one years as a Los Angeles police officer, this retired cop’s authentic crime experience results in arresting stories.
As a police officer, most of Kathy’s career was spent working patrol in a black and white police car. Prior to retirement, Kathy was assigned as a Senior Lead Officer, with approximately five square miles in the City of Los Angeles her responsibility. Kathy also served as a Firearms Instructor at the LAPD Police Academy, a crime analyst in the ‘War Room’, a Field Training Officer, and worked undercover in various assignments. She was named Officer of the Quarter twice, and Officer of the Year once.
She’s married to a Los Angeles Police Officer, Rick and they have one daughter and one granddaughter.
Kathy likes to go hiking with Rick and their three Labrador Retrievers, incorporating photography into many of their adventures. Attempting to recapture some of the excitement of working the streets, Kathy can periodically be found in Las Vegas risking a few bucks on slot machines, blackjack or craps tables.
EXCERPT:

A DEADLY BLESSING
MADDIE − 1
“Maddie, do not hang up the phone.”
“Travis, I’m working. I can’t talk right now.”
“You’re always working. What’s more important, our marriage or your job?”
My partner, Darius Cutter, plucked my cell phone from my hand. “Hey, dude, she’ll call you later. The chief and the mayor are waiting for us.” He snapped my cell shut and handed it back to me. “Let’s go.”
“You shouldn’t have done that.” Immediately, the phone vibrated in my hand. The display showed a smiling photo of my husband — a photo taken when Travis was okay and normal. A pang of sorrow stabbed my chest.
“Ignore it,” Darius said, referring to the quivering phone. “Call him back when we’re out of our meeting.” He led the way out of the noisy detective squad room to the foyer where we’d catch the elevator.
I knew Darius was right. When the chief of police calls and orders you to a meeting with the mayor, you hustle your ass to get there. But my husband was on edge, to say the least. Guilt weighed heavily on me for putting work ahead of him, but I rationalized that Travis was a cop and knew that sometimes it was necessary. Meanwhile, I followed my partner while we traversed the Police Administration Building and then over to City Hall.
It’s not every day a girl gets to meet both the chief of police and the mayor of Los Angeles. I wondered why today was my day.