Mike Angley

Mike: My guest-blogger today is fellow Rocky Mountain writer, Mario Acevedo.  He writes the Felix Gomez vampire-detective series for Eos HarperCollins.  Mario’s debut novel, THE NYMPHOS OF ROCKY FLATS, was chosen by Barnes & Noble as one of the best Paranormal Fantasy Novels of the Decade.  His vampire character has been spun off into a comic book/graphic novel series by IDW Publishing.  Mario was voted as 2009 Writer of the Year by the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.  He is the chapter president of the Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America.  Mario lives and writes in Denver, Colorado.

Welcome to the Child Finder Trilogy!  You have an interesting background that preceded your writing career.  Tell us about that.

Mario: The prequel?  It ain’t pretty.  I went to college, got tossed in jail once, was commissioned in the army and got out, called from the reserves for Desert Storm, and was later mustered out for good.  My civilian life zigzagged from career to career as I moved around chasing jobs only to get laid off.  During that time I was churning through manuscripts, which now reside in my closet.

Mike: Sounds like an edgy beginning, but one that shaped up well.  Your writing career has been marked by some great achievements.  What brought you to write novels in the first place?

Mario: It started in the sixth grade when our semester project was to write a book.  Actually, what the teacher had in mind was more of an illustrated booklet.  I was paired with Stuart Williams.  This was way back when the original Star Trek was on the tube.  Stuart and I were crazy about the show and we decided to write a similar story.  When the projects were due, Stuart and I didn’t have a book to turn in.  Instead we had a three-ring binder thick with descriptions and diagrams, the crew roster, adventure scenarios, drawings of the uniforms and space ships, star maps.  Basically the story got away from us.  Still, our teacher realized we had done more work than anyone else and gave us an A.  Since then, I’ve always got a running narrative of “what if’s” going through my head.  Meanwhile Stuart went into the Air Force and flew Phantom jets.

Mike: Now, you’re dating yourself!  I haven’t heard anyone talk about the F-4 in a long time J.  But that’s an interesting beginning, and I can see the trappings of the fantasy realm you currently write.  Tell us about your stories.

Mario: I write about Felix Gomez who went to Iraq as a soldier and came back a vampire.  My stories are macho hard-boiled noir with a supernatural twist.  In the latest adventure, WEREWOLF SMACKDOWN, Felix gets trapped between rival lycanthrope clans in Charleston, SC, and the impending rumble could doom the supernatural world.

Mike: Goodness!  That’s an intriguing idea for a story.  How did you come up with it?

Mario: The concept of the first story came to me in a flash–a vampire-detective investigates an outbreak of nymphomania at a nuclear weapons plant.  After that I had to flesh out the protagonist, Felix Gomez.  Where was he from?  How did he become a vampire?  These questions took many cocktails to answer.

Mike: I, too, have found inspiration in a cocktail from time to time.  Did you imbue Felix with any special characteristics? Strengths? Failings?

Mario: Felix Gomez has undead powers: super speed and strength, night vision, tremendous powers of recuperation.  He’s got the usual vampiric weaknesses, aversion to sunlight (unless he uses a special makeup), silver, and garlic.  Something that is both a strength and weakness is his sense of honor and duty.  This serves as his moral compass (still skewed nonetheless) but it also means his adversaries know what makes him tick.

Mike: I like the idea of an honorable and sense-of-duty vampire.  You mentioned adversaries…who are they?

Mario: Alien gangsters appear in the first and third books.  They were a lot of fun to write.  A villainous vampire from the second book becomes the main antagonist in the latest.  One recurring complication is the Araneum, the secret world-wide network of vampires, who give Felix tough assignments to crack.

Mike: I know you served in the Army, but I’m sure none of your real-life experiences factored into your plots, or did they?

Mario: I’ve tried but I have yet to develop superpowers or meet aliens, werewolves, and nymphos.

Mike: (chuckling) Okay, I asked for that.  So what’s next?

Mario: I’m pitching new story ideas to my agent.  I’ve also got a comic deal with IDW Publishing that spins off my vampire novels.  The first issue will be out late April 2010.

Mike: Congratulations on the comic deal.  What’s in Felix’s future?

Mario: Felix Gomez is the central character of the series.  Soon you’ll see him in comic book form.  I have characters that pop in and out of the series.  The love interest from the first novel comes back in WEREWOLF SMACKDOWN but the romance doesn’t work out the way Felix thinks it should.

Drop by my website on March 23 for the special two-day promo of Werewolf Smackdown: http://www.marioacevedo.com

Mike:  Mario, thanks so much for visiting with us today.  Congratulations on all your past successes and upcoming comic series.  Folks, check out Mario’s website and be sure to visit during his upcoming promo.

I am honored today to have as my guest, a real Miami Vice detective, Michael Berish.  Mike was born and raised on the banks of the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, New York.  He received an A.A. degree in Criminal Justice, graduated from the University of Pittsburgh on an academic scholarship—with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, and later earned his Master of Arts degree in Communications from Miami’s Barry University, where he took courses in Production, Directing, Screenplay Writing.

MA: I have to admit, I enjoyed the television series, Miami Vice back in the 1980s, so it’s a real treat having you as my guest.  You have a fascinating background that, no doubt, informs your writing.  Tell my readers more about your law enforcement experiences.

MB:  I worked as a patrolman, detective, and supervisor with the City of Miami Police Department for twenty-two years, thirteen of which were spent as an undercover detective in the REAL Miami Vice where I worked everything from Narcotics & Vice, Prostitution, Gambling and Pornography, to Dignitary Protection of President Jose Napoleon Duarte (of El Salvador) and Pope John Paul II.

I became proficient as an expert in the field of obscenity, testified in front of the Meese Commission on Obscenity during the Reagan Administration, and was subpoenaed by the F.B.I. to testify for them in New Orleans—as an expert witness—reference an interstate transportation case.  I’ve lectured in front of numerous civic groups, taught week-long seminars to other law enforcement agencies on First Amendment rights, helped train new Assistant State Attorneys on how to properly conduct obscenity investigations, and made over a thousand cases, mostly against organized crime syndicates, which have the best attorneys in the world.  I have also closed down twenty adult bookstores and theaters in Miami and never lost one obscenity case.

MA:  That’s an amazing resume of accomplishments.  Tell us about your writing career since leaving the real Miami Vice.

MB:  My first book is an anthology of stories that take place in Miami, in the Black ghetto known as “the Pit.”  This book, “REFLECTIONS FROM THE PIT,” pulls no punches; it shows you the good, the bad, and the ugly (warts and all), the dark side of police work, both the humor and the tragedy.  I feel my approach to storytelling is unique in that all of these stories contain individual, quirky, off-center characters that focus on their basic character flaws while dealing with the social issues of the day. They are meant to be snapshots into the dark side of police work and deal with segregation, teenage prostitution, crazies who think they have been abducted by aliens, the murdering of transvestites, the lack of compassion and sympathy by the younger generation for their elders, the stupidity of criminals and the cowardice of police officers in the face of danger (the latter of which is rarely seen on TV), hangings from police cruisers, affirmative action, Cuban freedom fighters (a.k.a. terrorists), the callousness of society towards the homeless, drug-dealing cops and corruption, bungled police stings, the “don’t get involved” syndrome, the raping of the elderly, and police brutality and its senseless violence.

“Reflections from the Pit” was awarded BEST FICTION NOVEL (2nd Place) published in 2008 by the Public Safety Writers Association.

“That fellow (Berish) has a real talent for writing a story. That’s excellent work.”
E. Howard Hunt (American author of sixty-three novels, C.I.A. spy, and coordinator of Watergate. President Richard M. Nixon once referred to him as “a prolific book writer.”)

This book reflects the very ’soul’ of honesty as well as the constant corruption involved in working as a beat officer.”
Bill Kelly Special Agent in charge of Obscenity Investigations for the Southeast United States (Retired) FBI, Miami, FL.

MA:  Congratulations on your award-winning novel, and those are some excellent endorsements.  What about the second book?

MB:  My second book, entitled “Bad Cop, No Donut” is an anthology of stories from 15 different cop/writers from around the country and deals with the theme of bad cops and their behavior.  It is due out around April/May 2010.

“A ride-around with some of the best cops and best cop writing in the business!” David Black, author of The Extinction Event and writer for CSI Miami and Law & Order

“Bad Cop, No Donut includes some of the most riveting stories I have read to date.  It’s a top-notch crime fiction anthology.” Donald Bain, author of the “Murder, She Wrote” series

“This collection is written by a squad of fine writers–some of whom are current or retired real-life cops.  Gritty, hard-hitting, authentic, and edgy–and guaranteed to keep you turning the pages.” Raymond Benson, author of the James Bond anthologies “The Union Trilogy” and “Choice of Weapons”

MA:  Once again, congratulations on your great endorsements, and my very best to you on the book’s success when it debuts here soon.  Are you working on anything new in the meantime?

MB:  Currently, I’m working on a new novel entitled: “When Kings Go Forth.” It’s not a cop book; it follows several generations of Hungarians (from 1849 to the present) and their trials and tribulations from Budapest to America.

MA:  I need a moment to get my head around that!  What a shift in direction and concept.  I wish you the very best with this new project.  Folks, please visit Michael Berish’s website for more information about this fascinating writer and law enforcement professional: www.realmiamivice.com

Visiting the Child Finder Trilogy today is author Mark W. Danielson.  Mark grew up in El Cerrito, California, overlooking San Francisco Bay.  He received his BA degree from the University of Northern Colorado and earned his MA from Webster University while serving as a Navy pilot.  He currently travels the globe as an MD-11 captain for Federal Express.  Mr. Danielson has published over 100 non-fiction articles in various periodicals since 1978.  Diablo’s Shadow is his third reality-based suspense novel, following The Innocent Never Knew, and Danger Within.  As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, he has participated in numerous author events, including the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Men of Mystery, Barnes and Noble Mystery Author’s Night, Cutting Edge Murder, Hi-Jinks on the High Seas, and Kids Love a Mystery.  His interests include hiking, fine arts, tennis, and restoring cars and boats.  His varied experience and travel is evident in his writing.  He and his wife live in Denver, Colorado, not far up the road from me!

MA:  So how did you end up writing?  Did any of your professional experiences influence you?

MD:  I have been painting and drawing my entire life, and writing is an extension of this.  Writing has always been easy, and it certainly helped in college.  I wrote a few things for the college paper, but never had the journalism bug.  At the time, my goal was to graduate and become an Air Force pilot.  My first published article was in Sport Aerobatics and I wrote several more for them and Sport Aviation.  After transferring into the Navy, my job forced me to become computer literate, and that’s when my writing really took off.  The ability to cut, paste, and spell check, made writing a lot more enjoyable.  After having countless non-fiction articles published in a variety of periodicals, I wrote my first novel, but never sought publication.  In fact, Danger Within may have been my first published novel, but it was the tenth novel I wrote.  Inspired by real events in my current job as an airline pilot, I felt it was important enough to get published.  Thankfully, the readers agreed.

MA:  With all your experience writing non-fiction, why did you ultimately choose to write novels?

MD:  I enjoyed writing non-fiction, but fiction allowed me to tell reality-based stories without being documentaries.  This freedom opened up a whole new dimension in writing.  I continue to freelance non-fiction articles, but I get more satisfaction out of fiction.

MA:  Tell me about Danger Within and your other projects.

MD:  I write reality-based suspense stories.  As I mentioned, Danger Within is about an actual incident within the airline industry.  Except for the names and locations, the first third of this story is true.  While it is not autobiographical, I do share my protagonist’s frustration.  Those outside the aviation community have been as enthusiastic about this book as those within.

The Innocent Never Knew is the true story about the Balkans plane crash that claimed the life of Clinton’s Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown.  It is told as a side plot to this girl-on-the-run mystery, which begins with a fictitious plane crash in Albuquerque that claims the life of a US Senator.  This action-packed conspiracy goes all the way to Washington DC.  Those who have ever questioned Ron Brown’s death will love this one.

Diablo’s Shadow is a mystery where an estranged couple must cope when their daughter disappears on an outing with the father.  Full of accusations and twists, this book was inspired by the Polly Klaus kidnapping as well as more recent missing child cases.  Anyone with children will be hard pressed to put this gripping tale down.

MA:  I can certainly see the reality-based nature of your writing!  How do you go about develop your protagonists?

MD:  Without sounding trite, my characters truly write their own stories.  By the time I sit down and start writing, I have formulated the story countless times in my head, but still have no idea who the characters are until the writing begins.  No doubt these characters are extensions of people I have encountered and experiences I have gained in traveling the world as a military and airline pilot.  I have been very fortunate to see so many things; it is great sharing them in scenes.

MA:  I can appreciate that given my own military and law enforcement background.  What makes your heroes tick?

MD:  My characters are real, therefore they make mistakes.  Their strengths would be their determination to see things through.  Their weakness is they are human, but this human quality also allows the reader to connect.

MA:  What about your antagonists…anything you care to let us in on?

MD:  Each story has its own version of a bad guy, and I would be foolish to reveal them.  But the definition of “bad” is as vague as identifying a weed from a plant, or defining the enemy.  It all depends on your point of view.  It is very important that the antagonist(s) be characters with reason for their deeds.  People committing heinous acts without explanation have no place in a story.

MA:  Since your writing style, while fiction, is grounded in reality, I imagine many of your own life experiences come into play, other than what you’ve already mentioned.

MD:  Absolutely.  As an airline pilot, I was deeply affected by the incidents portrayed in both Danger Within and The Innocent Never Knew, while being a father inspired Diablo’s Shadow.  Polly Klaus was kidnapped from her Petaluma home, a mere two blocks from my sister’s house.  My nieces were close to Polly’s age.  It could have just as easily been one of them.  Events like this never leave you.

MA:  So what’s next?

MD:  I have a new detective series currently under consideration which introduces Fort Worth Homicide Detective Maxx Watts.  A classic murder mystery, Watts investigates the murder of a small publisher in Writer’s Block.  Hopefully I will have some news about this book later this year.  Its sequel, Boxed In, is well under way.  The third in this series is in my head, but it will be a while before I begin writing it.  What I love most about this detective is I can set him anywhere in the world.  The third book is set in France.

MA:  Do you intend to write sequels to your stories, or otherwise feature some of the same characters in future stories?

MD:  While all three of my published stories could have sequels, I prefer writing the Maxx Watts series.  Some characters from Writer’s Block will appear in Boxed In, and other characters from Writer’s Block will appear in the third book.  Once people get to know your characters, it’s good keeping them around.

MA:  As a writer of a trilogy, I have to agree!  What else would you like to let my readers know?

MD:  My web site is full of articles, information, and first chapter previews.  There are posts and photos from some of my international travels as well as articles that apply to some of my books.  As a Murderous Musings blog author, I write a weekly story on whatever comes to mind.  Some apply to the writing craft, some are on travels and experiences, and a few are simply fluff.  Feel free to check them out.

MA:  Thanks for spending some time today on the Child Finder Trilogy.  I encourage everyone to stop by Mark Danielson’s website and blog for more information about his stories and his unique background:  http://www.markwdanielson.com/ and http://www.murderousmusings.blogspot.com/

My guest-blogger today is Young Adult (YA) author, LM Preston.  Ms. Preston was born and raised in Washington, DC.  An avid reader, she loved to create poetry and short-stories as a young girl.  With a thirst for knowledge, she attended college at Bowie State University, and worked in the IT field as a Techie and Educator for over sixteen years.  She started writing science fiction under the encouragement of her husband (a Sci-Fi buff) and her four kids.  Her first published novel, Explorer X – Alpha was the beginning of her obsessive desire to write and create stories of young people who overcome unbelievable odds.  She loves to write while on the porch watching her kids play or when she is traveling, which is another passion that encouraged her writing.

MA:   Welcome aboard!  Please tell me a little bit about your professional background.

LM:  I am an engineering, part-time university professor, wife and mother of four kids. I love being an engineer and have over seventeen years and a Master’s degree in the field.

MA:  Wow!  I’m impressed, and I can see how that blend of science and motherhood came together to inspire your Young Adult sci-fi writing.  I take it that’s why you chose to write novels?

LM:  I’ve always loved writing, and did it a lot as a teen and college student to express my thoughts and exercise my active imagination.  I’d given it up when I started my career and had kids.  My husband dared me to write a science fiction novel and I was hooked ever since.

MA:  What makes your stories special and unique?

LM:  I write YA science fiction. I usually write stories about kids that seem to be the outcast but through their own struggles learn about themselves and overcome the impossible.

MA:  I don’t write the YA genre, so I can’t even imagine how it is that you develop your characters.  How did you go about creating your protagonist?

M:  Many of my protagonists just pop up in my mind. They find me more so than me developing them. Once the story flows I force myself to outline the entire book before I write. This works best for me and allows me to finish my books in about four months.

MA:  We share a similar technique.  While I use the same protagonist in my stories, I let each story flow, follow it with an outline, and then commit to writing it once it’s fleshed out that way.  So tell us more about one of your heroes.

LM:  In Explorer X – Alpha, my main character, Aadi, struggles with his desire to do the right thing and fights against the temptation to give in to his ability to abuse his powers.

MA:  What about an antagonist…is there a unique “bad guy” or a recurring nemesis of any kind?

LM:  There are several foes in this tale. The main foe is TEGRC, the company that created team Explorer X.  There are also the evil beings that try to torture and oppress Aadi and his friends.

MA:  I almost hesitate to ask, but did any of your real-life experiences factor in to the plot at all?

LM:  Yes. My childhood was challenging, and I was always tempted to make detrimental choices. Yet, each time I struggled and fought my way out of those circumstances.  I believe all kids have the ability to make the choices that allow them growth in their lives.  Also, the ability to do amazing things is a definite possibility for all.

MA:  So what’s next for you?

LM:  The Pack releases this August. It’s an adventurous upper YA novel about a blind vigilante who sets out to save her brother and the missing kids on Mars.  Explorer X - Beta comes out next year.  I just finished writing Bandits which is an upper YA novel about a boy named Daniel’s quest to find his father’s killer and treasure.

MA:  It sounds like you are really enjoying the journey.

LM:  I love writing because it’s my way of letting young people realize that they have a voice, and an ability to do anything.  If I can achieve my dreams so can you.

MA:  Well thanks for taking the time to visit with The Child Finder Trilogy today.  My readers can learn more about LM Preston and her stories by visiting her websites: www.lmpreston.com and http://lmpreston.blogspot.com/.

Author Jean Henry Mead is my special guest today.  She began her career as a news reporter, later serving as a news, magazine and small press editor. The author of four novels, her latest release is a senior sleuth mystery/suspense novel, Diary of Murder. She’s also the author of eight nonfiction books. Her magazine articles have won state, regional and national awards and have appeared domestically as well as abroad.

Welcome aboard, Jean!  Tell us about your professional career, before you became a novelist.

JHM:  My first professional writing job occurred while I was editor-in-chief of my college newspaper. I worked 35 hours a week as a reporter/photographer for a daily newspaper in California, and drove 25 miles to a neighboring town to carry 15 units of study. At that time I was a divorced mother of four young daughters. We studied together at night and all managed to stay on the honor rolls. I also coached and managed their softball team which went all the way to the national playoffs one year. It instilled the work ethic in my daughters.

MA:  You sound like a dedicated, multi-tasking mom and writer!  So how did you come about to write novels?

JHM:  I wrote my first novel at age 9 to entertain classmates, a chapter a day written with pencil on construction  paper. But when I reached high school I wrote for the school newspaper and went on to become a news reporter. However, there was always the desire to write novels. Raising four children on my own sidetracked that desire until the kids were grown and I remarried.

MA:  I understand fully how difficult it can be to write while pursuing something fulltime.  In your case it was raising your family, but for me it was my USAF career.  Do you have any professional experiences that influenced your fiction career?

JHM:  I was a police reporter so that inspired my mystery/suspense novels, but I first wrote a Wyoming historical novel based on years of research for a centennial nonfiction book. I spent two years behind a microfilm machine for that and had 18 inches of typed notes left over, which I plan to use for a historical mystery series.  And yes, I heavily researched members of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch for my novel, Escape, a Wyoming Historical Novel. It’s based on actual historical events of the late 1890s and is laced with humor.

MA:  Tell us about your subsequent novels.

JHM:  My second and third novels are my Logan & Caffertry mystery/suspense series, which features two 60-year-old feisty widows who solve the murders of their friends and club members living in a retirement village in California’s foggy San Joaquin Valley. Dana Logan’s beautiful journalist daughter arrives in time to help with the investigation but places her own life in danger. The book is titled A Village Shattered.

In the second novel, Diary of Murder, they’ve sold their homes in the retirement village and purchased a 32-foot motorhome to travel the country. On their way to Wyoming to visit Dana’s mystery novelist sister, Georgi, they learn that she has died. Georgi’s husband claims it was suicide, but Dana and Sarah find Georgi’s diary and investigate her murder. Along the way they encounter a vicious drug ring and more bodies. They nearly lose their own lives in the process.

I’m currently working on the third novel in the series: Murder on the Interstate. Dana and Sarah encounter a murdered young woman along I-40 and are targets themselves.

MA:  How did you go about developing your two protagonists?  What are their strengths and weaknesses?

JHM:  I’m a seat of the pants writer who listens to her characters’ dialog. They actually write the book for me. I may have subconsciously adapted some of the characteristics of a couple of good friends for Dana and Sarah but they’re definitely originals with quirks of their own.

Dana is logical, an introvert and determined while Sarah is quirky, old fashioned and outspoken. They seem to balance each other’s strengths while shoring up the other’s occasional weaknesses.

MA:  Considering you write your mysteries in a series, is there are particular nemesis the ladies encounter in each book?

JHM:  Because the women are on the move, they dispatch each antagonist before moving on to the next murder case in a new location. On down the road, a former “bad guy” may escape prison and come after them, but I like fresh villains in each book.

MA:  Did any of your real-life experiences factor in to the plot at all?  I imagine as a former police reporter you’ve got some good fodder for your stories.

JHM:  Oh, sure. You have to write from experience to be convincing, unless you’re writing fantasy. My first freelance interview was with a couple of sheepherding sisters in the Wyoming outback, in their late 70s and early 80s. When I wrote my first novel, Escape, I portrayed them as twin sisters living in the badlands. Not until the novel was finished did I realize the characters had been patterned after the sheepherders.

MA:  So what are your future writing plans?

JHM:  I plan more Logan & Cafferty books because they’re so much fun to write. I’ve also finished a children’s  novel, The Mystery of Spider Mountain, and a nonfiction book to be published by Poisoned Pen Press, called Mysterious People–interviews with other mystery writers, including Carolyn Hart, John Gilstrap, Louise Penny and Rick Mofina, among many others. I’ve also started a historical mystery/suspense series featuring a single woman homesteader in Wyoming.

Thank you for turning the tables on me with this interview. You can access my Mysterious People interviews at: http://mysteriouspeople.blogspot.com/ and writing advice and book reviews at: http://advicefromeditors.blogspot.com/. Many of the writers I interview are giving away copies of their books to blog visitors who leave comments.

MA:  Thanks, Jean.  I appreciate your visit with us today and sharing information about your life and your books.  I encourage my readers to visit your websites for more about Jean Henry Mead.

I am pleased to introduce today’s guest-blogger, Stacy Juba.  Stacy is the author of the mystery novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today. She is a freelance writer and former daily newspaper reporter with more than a dozen writing awards to her credit, including three New England Press Association awards and the American Cancer Society New England Chapter’s Sword of Hope Media Award. Her young adult novel Face-Off was published under her maiden name, Stacy Drumtra, when she was 18 years old. Her web site is www.stacyjuba.com.

Eighteen years old!  You hear it right, folks.  Now that’s impressive.  Stacy, you have some significant writing accomplishments in your life, not only because you published so early, but because of the professional work you’ve done.  Tell us some more about that.

SJ:   I’m a new mystery author, with Twenty-Five Years Ago Today released in October 2009 and Sink or Swim scheduled for release tentatively in December 2010, both by Mainly Murder Press. I’m also a freelance writer/publicist, working with clients such as the Melanoma Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives from melanoma. (http://www.skincheck.org.) In addition, I’m a former daily newspaper reporter and have won several journalism awards over the years.

MA:  Why did you choose to write novels?

SJ:  I started writing short stories in third grade, and by high school, I was submitting stories to magazines.  I started my first novel, Face-Off, at age 16 and found that novel-writing came more naturally to me than short story writing.  I liked having the room to develop characters and allow the plot to unveil. Also, I was an avid reader growing up, and always dreamed of seeing my books in a bookstore. Once you have that experience once, you want it to happen again. The last reason is that even though I’m introverted, I have quite a lot to say. Writing novels is a rewarding way to express myself.

MA:  Did your professional writing career inspire your fiction writing in any way?

SJ:  It certainly did. I began my journalism career as an editorial assistant for a small daily newspaper.  My responsibilities included writing obits, wedding and birth announcements, answering the newsroom phone, and compiling the 25 Years Ago Today column from the microfilm.  This experience inspired my new book Twenty-Five Years Ago Today.  Following in my path, the protagonist is an obit writer and editorial assistant. While researching the 25 Years Ago Today column on the microfilm, she stumbles across an unsolved murder.  My second mystery novel, Sink or Swim, has been accepted for publication in late 2010. That book features a personal trainer who works in a health club. I worked in a health club during my senior year in college, and that experience lent authenticity to the gym scenes in the novel.

MA:  So, tell us more about your newest novel, Twenty-Five Years Ago Today.

SJ:  It would appeal to both mystery fans and romantic suspense fans. For twenty-five years, Diana Ferguson’s killer has gotten away with murder. When rookie obit writer and newsroom editorial assistant Kris Langley investigates the cold case of the artistic young cocktail waitress who was obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology, she must fight to stay off the obituary page herself.

MA:  Nothing like stumbling across a cold case to irritate a killer who thinks he/she has been in the clear all these years!  How did you develop the character of your protagonist?

SJ:  I gave Kris a job that I once had – obit writer/editorial assistant for a daily newspaper – and built her character from there. I decided that she felt responsible for a childhood prank which led to her cousin’s murder and has punished herself for years. As a result, Kris suffers from nightmares and insomnia and has a past addiction to sleeping pills. Kris works the night shift because she has so much trouble sleeping.  When she stumbles across the unsolved murder of Diana Ferguson, Kris obsesses over cracking the case and bringing justice to the victim’s family. Kris feels that if she helps this other family, perhaps she can redeem herself from her past mistakes.

MA:  So it sounds like you built some intriguing character flaws into your heroine.  Tell us more.

SJ:  Reviewer Diana Vickery at Cozy Library (http://www.cozylibrary.com/Default.aspx?id=692) noted that Kris is a bit naïve and not a hardnosed reporter, but that she has heart, desire and sympathy for her sources, something that is often missing in journalism today. Kris also has a strained relationship with her mother and sister. She has a hard time communicating her feelings and tends to hold things in, which leads to a build-up of resentment. She doesn’t trust others easily; however, Kris is a very trustworthy person herself. As a young woman in her mid-twenties, she has embarked on a journey of self discovery and is struggling to carve out an identity for herself and find her place in life.

MA:  So far you haven’t mentioned anything about your nemesis…obviously there’s a murderer out there.  Can you give us some insight?

SJ:  I think that question makes Twenty-Five Years Ago Today a unique candidate for book clubs to discuss. After the surprise ending, readers are left with the questions “What constitutes a villain?  Was the character who killed Diana Ferguson the actual ‘villain’ or was someone else the villain?  Was justice served?”  Readers have told me that the book stays with them for awhile as they ponder these questions.

MA:  Interesting. So in some respects it may or may not be a solved-cold case!  Beyond this novel what are your future writing plans?

SJ:  Mainly Murder Press will publish my second mystery novel, Sink or Swim, in late 2010.  It focuses on Cassidy Novak, a personal trainer who is stalked after appearing on the hit reality game show Sink or Swim – also known as SOS. I think it would appeal to mystery fans, as well as to fans of reality TV shows. In addition, I’m polishing up a paranormal young adult thriller tentatively titled Dark Before Dawn, and I’m also working on a new adult mystery series. At some point, I’d like to bring back an updated edition of my young adult book Face-Off, so I’ll be researching different options for that down the line.

MA:  Well Stacy, you have had – and continue to have – a wonderful writing career.  I want to thank you for stopping by the Child Finder Trilogy and sharing your stories, both fiction and personal, with us.  Please visit Stacy Juba’s website for more information about her and her books: www.stacyjuba.com.

Ladies and gentlemen, please help me welcome my guest-blogger for today, Linda M. Faulkner.  Linda is a transplant from New England to Montana, which is the setting of her mystery novel, Second Time Around.  In addition to writing fiction, she also pens a column, Business Sense, in The Weekender, a monthly entertainment newspaper (Orlando, FL) and articles for both regional and national magazines such as Three Rivers Lifestyle and Rough Notes.  A tremendous body of Linda’s work appears in the insurance industry, where she has developed, written, and instructed numerous continuing education workshops and seminars.  Visit Linda’s web site at:  http://www.lindamfaulkner.com.

Well, Linda, it sounds like you’ve been involved in the writing world for some time!  How far back does your interest in writing go?

LF:  I’ve been writing since I was a kid.  I joined both MWA and RWA in the late 1980s and served as Chapter President of RWA’s New England Chapter from 1990-1994, during which time I came this close to publication.  I first became published in 2002 with a monthly newspaper column in The Weekender, an entertainment monthly in Hunter’s Glen, Florida and went on to publish in several magazines, both regional and national.  My first mystery novel, Second Time Around, was published in January 2009.

MA:  You’ve written non-fiction features in newspapers, and non-fiction articles and training documents for the insurance industry…so what brought you to the fiction realm?

LF:  Probably because that’s what I prefer to read.  I like becoming involved in the characters; I invest myself in their lives and the outcomes of their decisions.  I can do that with a very well-written short story, but it’s over so soon!

MA:  I know what you mean about immersing yourself in your character development.  I like to tell folks that I “mentor” my trilogy’s protagonist, Special Agent Patrick O’Donnell, much as I would mentor young officers in my real Air Force career.  Did any of your experiences in your prior professional life contribute to your novel?

LF:  In an ironic way, my writing inspired my professional career.  I’ve worked in the insurance industry for over 30 years.  After founding my first insurance agency at age 28, I found myself a bit bored 11 years later:  you can’t climb up the ladder within an organization when you’re the boss!  I was invited to teach insurance continuing education seminars by the local agent’s association and after a few years, began writing the seminars.  That led to me opening another insurance business where I develop, write, and instruct insurance seminars.  As a result of that endeavor, I’ve been recruited to contribute articles to a national insurance magazine.  Writing insurance texts, on deadline, really helped me hone a number of my writing skills.  And no, I don’t base my fictional characters on people I know—although I sometimes “borrow” the names of people I know for my characters, with permission, of course.

MA:  I know you from the Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America chapter and email loop.  Is there a “local color” to your novel?

LF:  My debut novel is a mystery, which is set in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana.  What do you do when the dead body you stumble across turns out to belong to your father, the father you thought abandoned you in infancy?  That’s what Timmie Campbell asks herself.  Turns out her mother has been lying for years: about her father’s abandonment, about him not contacting them, about a lot of things. Unfortunately, Timmie can’t dwell on her mother’s deception because she has to deal with the stalker who’s monitoring her every move with cameras hidden in the trees outside her mountain home in western Montana–not to mention the additional bodies that begin piling up. Sheriff’s deputy Jack Kendall further complicates her life. He’s investigating the murders and is intent on resuming their relationship–the one he ended the previous summer.  Unfortunately for Jack, Timmie’s not the least bit interested in romance.  Her priority is stopping the killer before he eliminates everyone her family.

MA:  I see.  There’s a little Rocky Mountain romance to add a twist!  How did you develop your characters?

LF:  I tend to develop all my characters the same way.  First, I choose 2-3 important personality/character traits, a goal/mission, and move on from there.  In the case of Timmie Campbell, the protagonist in Second Time Around, I also made sure a couple of her personality/character traits conflicted with those of Jack Kendall, her love interest and “partner” in solving the mystery.

MA:  What makes Timmie strong and what makes her weak?

LF:  Timmie’s strengths are her compassion and perseverance; they’re also her weaknesses.  I enjoy building characters in shades of grey rather than black and white; it makes for a more interesting personality and allows for changes and growth down the line.

MA:  I presume since it’s a mystery you have one or two nemeses that Timmie has to deal with?  Tell us about him/her/them.

LF:  Well, the murderer is the “bad guy,” but her parents also played that role, to a lesser degree.  Because of her upbringing and her parents, Timmie has issues with people who lie.  That’s a thread through the story, which might be considered a nemesis.

MA:  Since you live in the real-world setting of your fictional story, have any real experiences shaped the plot?

LF:  The setting is real:  pretty much my own backyard.  And the critters are real, too, although I changed some of their names.  The opening scene, where Timmie is walking her two dogs down her driveway in the forest when the dead body comes rolling down the hill, happened to me—except for the dead body part.  My husband and I were walking our four dogs, and we heard a rustling in the forest.  The puppies went on alert and, being the writer with the vivid imagination, I said to Stephen, “Wouldn’t it be neat if a dead body came rolling down the hill?”  He said it would be lovely, but I don’t think he really meant it.  The opening for the book was born.

MA: (Chuckling) You know, only mystery writers and law enforcement professionals think that way!  What’s next after Second Time Around?

LF:  I’m currently at work on two mysteries:  Two-Timed, a follow up to Second Time Around, and Death Benefits.  I’m hoping to complete each of them by the end of January.

MA:  Will we see Timmie and Jack again in your next novels?

LF:  Funny you should ask this question right now.  I have always tended to move on when a book was complete.  But my fans (gosh, I love saying that!) have been pushing for another book about Timmie and Jack.  So, I’ve been asking fellow writers their take on writing series versus standalones to get a different perspective.  When I began Two-Timed, it was with the same protagonists, Timmie and Jack, and I lost interest after a few chapters.  But now that I’ve resumed the story from the POV of one of the minor characters in Second Time Around, a suggestion from another writer, it’s moving right along and keeping me very involved.  I suspect I’ll be doing some of that in the future:  writing several books from differing POVs of characters involved in all of them.  But I also see me writing standalones, too.

MA:  That’s a neat way to approach it – a series, but from the point of view of different characters…gives people a new perspective each time.  I want to thank you for stopping by and chatting with me and my readers.  I encourage everyone to visit Linda Faulkner’s website for more information about her and her new novel, Second Time Around:

http://www.lindamfaulkner.com and Author Exchange Blog: http://www.lindamfaulknertips.blogspot.com

I was invited to appear as a guest on a very special and unique website, The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood, which periodically features interviews with men in a blog called, Man-to-Man.

“The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood” is a collection of first-person stories about what it means to be a man in America today ~ from Pulitzer winners and Poet Laureates to ex-cons, Pro Football Hall of Famers and just regular guys. The authors describe their defining challenges, losses and triumphs through honest and simple truths, and are hoping to spark conversations about what it means to be a good man today.

Among the men profiled:

• Pulitzer Prize nominated war photographer Michael Kamber, who describes his perilous job and why he has sacrificed so much for it.
• Nationally renowned yogi Rolf Gates reveals how two women, his sister and his daughter, led him down a spiritual path that ultimately saved his life.
• Bestselling author Mark St. Amant muses about a romantic, post-wedding journey to Italy that nearly ended his marriage.

That’s why this book and DVD—along with the web site, the film, the online discussions and public events—is so important; it is a forum for men to talk and to be heard, to tell their stories and encourage other men to do the same.

I had the wonderful opportunity last night to appear as a guest on Bob Calvert’s Talking with Heroes radio program.  Bob is a good friend of the Military Writers Society of America, and on his show last night he was interviewing several MWSA officials as well as the recent Book and Author of the Month winners.  I’m proud to say my second novel, Child Finder: Resurrection, resulted in my selection as the January 2010 MWSA Author of the Month.  I blogged about it before, and you can go back if you like to read the original post: Mike Angley Is Author Of The Month January 2010!

Here’s the link to my interview on the Talking with Heroes Radio program.  My interview begins around the 43 minute mark, and runs for about eight minutes.  Enjoy!

My special guest today is a very prolific mystery writer.  Marilyn Meredith is the author of over twenty-five published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Dispel the Mist from Mundania Press.  Under the name of F. M. Meredith she writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series.  No Sanctuary is the newest from Oak Tree Press and a finalist the mystery/suspense category of the Epic best in e-books contest .

She is a member of EPIC (Electronically Published Internet Connection), Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and is on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America.  She was an instructor for Writer’s Digest School for ten years, and served as an instructor at the Maui Writer’s Retreat and many other writer’s conferences.  She makes her home in Springville, CA, much like Bear Creek where Deputy Tempe Crabtree lives.  Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com

Marilyn, welcome aboard!  Those are some wonderful accomplishments and affiliations.  It sounds like writing is in your blood.  Is it something you always did, or did/do you have other passions besides writing?

MM:  I’m the mother of five children. The first part of my life consisted of all the things you do when raising a family, but I was always a reader.  The writing I did at the time was mostly PTA newsletters and plays for my Camp Fire Girls to star in.  I had all sorts of jobs from being a telephone operator, teaching in a school for developmentally disabled pre-schoolers to owning and operating a licensed residential care home.

MA:  So, were you writing throughout all these other avocations or did it come later in life?

MM:  I made a couple of attempts when I was in my early thirties, sent them off, was rejected and threw the manuscripts away.  When my sister researched our family genealogy, what she found contained a lot of unaswered questions.  I wrote two fictional historical family sagas based on the genealogy and after many, many rejections managed to find publishers for both.  When I was done I knew I wanted to keep on writing–and mysteries seemed the logical choice since that’s what I was reading.

MA:  Quite an interesting journey!  I’m impressed by the family connection to your early fiction work.  Now, none of your early professions seem to lend themselves to the kind of novels you write, but did you find any inspiration from them?

MM:  None of my careers inspired my writing, although I’ve certainly included bits and pieces of different jobs and experiences into some of my stories.

In my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, Tempe is a combination of a female police officer I did a ride-along with, a female resident deputy I wrote a profile article on for the local newspaper, and a Native American artist I’d met on several occasions.  In my Rocky Bluff P.D. series, because I feature different members of the department and their families more in one book than another, I have to say they are based on many police officers I’ve met over the years.  I’ve had a lot to draw on.  We lived in a neighborhood full of police officers and their families; my son-in-law was a 15 year veteran of a beach community police department; and I now have a grandson who is a police officer in a mountain community.  I belong to Public Safety Writers Association and many of the members are active or retired law enforcement.

MA:  It sounds like law enforcement is certainly part of the family history, so I can see the connection to your work.  Tell us about your current projects.

MM:  Dispel the Mist is number eight in the Tempe Crabtree mystery series.  While helping in the investigation of a popular county supervisor with ties to both the Mexican and Indian communities, Tempe finds herself in deep trouble and has an encounter with the legendary Hairy Man.  Our local Indian reservation, which is often the setting for many of the books in this series, has a place called Painted Rock which is a cave of boulders with a pictograph of the Hairy Man–the only Big Foot pictograph in California.  When I visited I knew Tempe would also go there.

No Sanctuary is number five in the Rocky Bluff mystery series. I like to say it’s about two churches, two ministers, two wives and one murder.

MA:  You mentioned you have had two major protagonists throughout your writing career.  Tell us about them.

MM:  The heroines in both series are strong women though very different.  In both cases, the women lost their first husband and raised a child alone.  In Tempe’s case, her son is grown now and off to college and Tempe is married to the pastor of the local church..  In No Sanctuary, Officer Stacey Wilbur’s boy is only five and she’s still single though she is romantically interested in one of the Detectives in Rocky Bluff P.D.

Tempe always sees things differently than the detectives she works with, often going off on her own to make sure the right person is being blamed for the crime, a strength…but one that often causes her problems.  Her Indian heritage comes to play often–in this particular book it’s the legends her grandmother told her and dreams that may prophecy the future.  Officer Stacey Wilbur is small but able to defuse bad situations without relying on her physical powers and she’s willing to take on new challenges which she does in the latest book when she’s asked to help trap a pedophile.

MA:  Since you write mysteries, I assume you have a fair share of “bad guys,” but are there any particular ones that pop up throughout the series?

MM:  There are always bad guys in every book–the murderer.  But an ongoing character who has caused Tempe problems in the past has a turnaround in this book, Detective Morrison.  In the Rocky Bluff novel, one of the police officers, a friend of Stacey’s and Doug’s is a bit on the bumbling side, sometimes to the detriment of a case.

MA:  Your depiction of the Painted Rock is a fascinating real-life experience and feature you embedded in your work.  What about others?  Do you include aspects of other real laces or people in your novels?

MM:  When I had the opportunity to visit the Painted Rock site on the reservation and see the pictograph of the Hairy Man, I knew this all had to be included in the plot of Dispel the Mist.

I’ve been a member of several churches over the years, and known good ministers and a few who weren’t so good, and I’ve known their wives, church secretaries, female choir directors and of course a lot of this is part of the plot of No Sanctuary.

MA:  What’s next for Marilyn Meredith?  Are you going to continue the series?

MM:  I have another Rocky Bluff P.D. book called An Axe to Grind coming out after the first of the year, and my next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery will appear in September.  I just finished another Rocky Bluff novel and I’m starting a new Deputy Tempe mystery right now. Both series are available in all the usual places–except I’m the only one who still has the first two in the Rocky Bluff series which can be purchased from my website.  The middle two are only available as e-books on Kindle. The latest and all of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries are also available as e-books.

MA:  Marilyn, thanks for coming by the Child Finder Trilogy and sharing your background and your writing with us!  I am in awe at all you have accomplished in your life, especially the fact that you have published over 25 novels!

I love a good mystery and I encourage everyone to visit Marilyn’s website to learn more about her and her stories:  http://fictionforyou.com