Interview with Esri Allbritten

If you read my review of Esri Allbritten's Chihuahua of the Baskervilles yesterday, you probably understand why I was eager to interview her. The book was a terrific mystery debut, and I loved the team from Tripping Magazine. But, Esri was even more fun to interview than I imagined. I hope you enjoy "meeting" her.

Lesa - Thank you, Esri, for taking time to talk to us about yourself and your books. Would you start by telling my readers a little about yourself?

Esri - I live in Boulder, Colorado, with my husband, Joe, and my cat, Musette La Plume. We have two sweet-cherry trees, and when they're full of ripe fruit, I like to go outside, turn the hose on high, and blast the robins that are busily taking one peck from each cherry. "Get out of here, you red-breasted bastards!" I yell. This both enhances the experience and keeps the neighbors from interrupting my workday with needless social calls.


Like most writers, I love learning about subcultures and imagining myself in other careers, other lives. I also enjoy the marketing aspects of selling myself as a writer (I used to work in advertising). Aside from that, I'm a big computer geek and have a folk-singing alter ego named Jenny Blossom.

Lesa - I've already reviewed Chihuahua of the Baskervilles, so I won't ask you to summarize it. But, I will ask you to tell us about the members of the staff of Tripping Magazine.

Esri - Suki Oota and Angus MacGregor are from previous, unpublished books of mine. Those projects didn't pan out, but I wanted to work with them again. I'll give you some of the back story I work with on all three characters. Most of this stuff is not mentioned in the books or anywhere else, so your readers can feel smug. I reserve the right to change any and all of it.

Suki Oota is Tripping's photographer. She used to work at National Geographic, but got fired for fraternizing with natives. Suki's overt sexuality and "I just want to have fun" attitude are ways in which she rebels against the expectations of her Japanese mother. Suki was born and raised in Los Angeles. Her father works in the film industry, and she has a trust fund. She is prone to coming up with T-shirt slogans.

Angus MacGregor's name is a sly tribute to M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series. Angus wants to make a name for himself, and he believes that with persistence and luck, he can do it by discovering some new supernatural phenomenon. Angus doesn't have a college degree. He gets by on personality and good salesmanship. He takes whatever jobs he finds and keeps his living expenses low by renting rooms in houses. He grew up in gritty, poor surroundings and is a recovering alcoholic.

Michael Abernathy is a literary writer who feels cheated that his Jewish mother married a gentile engineer and moved from New York to Colorado, thus depriving him of the support and intellectual stimulation of the east-coast Jewish community. He is a skeptic, and works at Tripping for the piddling salary, the resume' credit and because it's such a break from his real work. Michael's novel is called Don Juan Conejo, and it's about a woman in an abusive relationship who develops an intense relationship with her pet rabbit. This is a story I actually considered writing, and bits of it appear in the Tripping series as Michael works on it.

Lesa - Tripping, a magazine devoted to the paranormal, offers a lot of possibilities for the series. Where would you like to take the staff in future books?

Esri - I have strict criteria for a Tripping location. 1) It must be a U.S. city that I would be happy to visit repeatedly. 2) The location must have some kind of fun festival, landmark or activity. Manitou Springs has the Emma Crawford Coffin Race. For book three, I'm looking at Phoenixville, PA, which has Blobfest -- a tribute to the movie, The Blob. People should feel free to contact me through my website and suggest cities. I'm particularly interested in New England and also the South. Lots o' history there. New England in particular is lousy with stories of ghosts and ghouls.

Lesa - I know you answer this question on your blog. Tell us why you used a Chihuahua in this book.

Esri - It started when I was researching dog breeds for one of my characters or myself, I can't remember which. (Musette will be my last cat, as my allergies have worsened.) Chihuahuas (Chis) are smart, funny, cheap to keep, and I love their "canonical dog" shape -- like a tiny Dingo. They're the size of a baby, and when it's cold, the short-haired ones definitely need a little coat or sweater. What's not to love about a baby-sized dog that you can dress up? Some folks like to mime vomiting when I say that, but how long has it been since dogs were a "natural" animal rather than a creature we consciously designed for our own use and pleasure? Then there are people who insist that a dog's dignity suffers when you put clothes on it. To that I say, "Dogs have dignity? Are we still talking about the animal that eats cat poop and rolls on dead squirrels?"


Public Service Announcement: If you're thinking of getting a Chi, please consider adoption before buying a puppy from a breeder. Chihuahuas aren't for everyone. They're unsuitable for homes with small kids (those little bones are very breakable) and can be hard to housebreak. There are a lot of Chihuahuas in shelters.

Lesa - I know dog lovers will appreciate that public service announcement, Esri. That's important. Now, can you tell us anything about the next book in the series? Is the title based on another classic? Where are you taking the team?

Esri - I just finished The Portrait of Doreene Gray. Tripping goes to Port Townsend, Washington, a Victorian-era town on the Puget Sound. Port Townsend built beautiful buildings on the strength of the railroad's plan to go there, then lost most of its population when rail passed it by. It was almost unchanged when artists and retirees rediscovered it in the 1970s. In addition to being the location of the annual Wooden Boat Festival, Port Townsend is a place of mists, shipwrecks, and very strong coffee. My story revolves around fictional painter Maureene Pinter. Maureene painted a portrait of her twin sister, Doreene, about 40 years ago. The woman in the portrait appears to have aged since then, but Doreene hasn't. When Doreene decides to sell the portrait at auction, Maureene seems determined to stop her, but why? There's also a Chihuahua named Gigi.

Lesa - You wrote two other books. What is different about writing a mystery? Have you had much exposure to the mystery community yet? If so, what has been your experience?

Esri - Writing a mystery is about logic, secrets, and logistics. I have three sleuths and about five suspects per book. Every time a character acts, all the other characters react, and I prefer that they not behave stupidly, hide things from the police, or act against their own interests. I put each additional action through this litmus test while still keeping previous actions in mind, so it gets increasingly complex until, by the end of the book, I just want these people to die or go to jail, which is handy.


I learned most of what I know about publishing from the romance-writing community, and I still have great friends and colleagues there. Those are some warm and fuzzy gals. My experience with mystery writers is limited, because I'm farther in my career and haven't had time for much involvement. My impression is that crime-fiction writers are slightly more solitary, way up in their heads, and a little tetchier. (I fit right in.) The exception is thriller writers, who display a level of jocularity that's unprecedented in my experience. It must be the paychecks.

Lesa - Is there anything you'd like to tell us that I might not have covered?

Esri - Nope. These are great questions.

Lesa - And, my final question. Since I'm a public librarian, I always end with this question. Do you have a story you can share about libraries?

Esri - Libraries and I go way back. During the summers, our library had reading challenges for kids, and I always won. I would stagger up to the desk with a stack of books half my own height. The librarian would smile and say, "Back for more?"


My dad drove the library bookmobile for a year or so, while recovering from a soul-sucking engineering job. I thought that was the coolest thing ever. He and my mom wrote puppet musicals and performed them at the library during kid's hour. I still hang out at libraries a lot, and get excited when a town I visit has a good one. I've never met a librarian who wasn't very smart and also very kind. You're a unique breed.

This was fun. Thanks so much, Lesa!

Lesa - That was fun, Esri! Thanks for taking time to do it.

And, I have one more fun thing to offer readers. Esri has offered to give one person who comments here a copy of Chihuahua of the Baskervilles. So, if you're interested in the chance to win a copy, include your email address in the comments. Tomorrow evening, I'll pick the winner, and contact you for your mailing address. You're in for a treat!

Esri Allbritten's website is http://www.esriallbritten.com/


Chihuahua of the Baskervilles by Esri Allbritten. St. Martin's Minotaur. ©2011. ISBN 9780312569150 (hardcover), 288p.

Interview with Heather Graham

The press release said, "This spring, New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham takes her readers on a ghostly romp in one of her favorite locales:  New Orleans, in her latest hardcover, Phantom Evil." I couldn't resist. I jumped at the chance to ask Heather some questions about the book, and her background with the paranormal. I hope you enjoy the interview.

Lesa - Heather, thank you for taking time to do this interview. Would you introduce yourself for the sake of readers who may not be familiar with you and your books?

Heather -  I'm Heather Graham, and I'm happy (and terrified!) to say that I've been writing for almost thirty years; I've done category books, horror, suspense, romance, Christmas fiction, time travel, historical novels and . . . well, I've been around! I love what I do; I came from a theater background, and books are creating theater in the minds of others, or so I believe!

Lesa - Would you tell us about your latest book, Phantom Evil?

Heather -  Phantom Evil came from a longing running character, Adam Harrison (First introduced in Haunted.) It's actually part of what we've called the Harrison Investigation series. For years, Adam Harrison, who lost his son, a young man with special insight, at a young age. Not particularly equipped with extra powers himself, he sought out those who were--and sent them to help other people, nice folks just existing in the world who suddenly discovered that something beyond the realm of the usual was contacting them--or making their lives hell.  In Phantom Evil, Adam finally accepts a government assignment and puts together a special unit for the FBI. Because their first assignment is New Orleans, they become known as the Krewe of Hunters. In Phantom Evil, the team meets for the first time in a nineteenth century home in the French Quarter--a house with an evil reputation dating back to the end of the Civil War. A senator's wife, mourning the death of her son, is found dead in the courtyard; the senator swears that she didn't commit suicide, and rumors are running rampant that she was killed by ghosts. And so, the Krewe of Hunters arrives to find out the truth; suicide, accidental death, ghostly intervention--or murder. 

Lesa - That's an intriguing plot, Heather. I can't wait to read it.  New Orleans is one of your favorite cities. What draws you to that city as a setting for your novels? And, I know you encourage other writers to go to New Orleans. Do you want to discuss that as well?

Heather - There's just something special about New Orleans. My parents brought me when I was young--no, not walking down Bourbon Street! The cemeteries fascinated me, the architecture was amazing, and the power of the river there is mesmerizing. I have very close friends in Louisiana, too, which I'm sure, contributes to my feelings. I was in the city filming a trailer for Ghost Walk the weekend before Katrina hit Miami, and then devastated the Gulf. Now, every year, I put on a conference there that's strictly at cost and to bring people into the city. It's a national treasure, certainly--the Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of our nation, and there's so much wonderful history preserved.

Lesa - Why do you think paranormal fiction is so popular?

Heather - I believe paranormal fiction is popular because we've all allowed ourselves to admit we love it--and most people I meet do believe in the paranormal in one way or another, be it strange feelings they've had certain places, because of dreams, or because of events with loved ones. We all want to believe that we'll see those we love again--I know I do.

Lesa - What is your connection to ghostly exploration?

Heather - I was a young woman with little children when I went on my first ghost walk. It was in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and if you've ever been there, you know how incredibly spooky or maybe even hallowed the area can feel; the rivers meet there, fog rises, the town was the site of John Brown's raid, and it feels as if it's seeped in history. Our guide that night was Shirley, and she was fantastic. The tour was called Harpers Ferry Myth and Legends. She told the history, and what's happened since. She set a high bar for me as far as tour guides go! I want facts--not just, oh, we see a creepy shadow, and we think . . 

Lesa -  Do you have suggestions for those interested in ghost walks or exploration?

Heather - I'm friends with a group called The Peace River Ghost Trackers. I've been on a few expeditions with them, and I love the way they work; they're out to dispel rumor as well as try to discover if there is something happening out of the ordinary. We recently had them with us when we filmed a trailer for Phantom Evil at the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana. 

 

Some explorations will be good; some will be so-so. I say, you never know until you try. I never mind if they're just fun and theatrical but not really as filled with stories as you like--I just mind when they're inaccurate. I was on a tour in St. Augustine once when the guide told everyone that Osceola was beheaded because there is a true bizarre story about his head. But that's such a false piece of information to give to people! Osceola died of natural causes--then his physician decided to take his head! But, you never know until you go. Wherever I am, I go on a ghost tour. Some, naturally, are more rewarding than others.

Lesa - You’ve written more than 100 books. Can you tell us anything about your next book?

Heather - After the Krewe of Hunter series, I have a Christmas book out called An Angel for Christmas--different, for me! There are no bodies floating around. It's a true Christmas book, though it does a few other-worldly characters. And then, the third in a historical vampire series--Bride of the Night. Those books revolve around the Fox family and the Civil War; each family member inherited something of a blood disease, and must learn to use it for good, a difficult feat in the midst of the raging war that tore apart out country. After that, new team members will be joining the Krewe of Hunters, and they'll begin in Texas.

Lesa - What other authors do you like to read?

Heather - What don't I read is really the best question! I'm still voracious. I read so many authors I wouldn't begin to know where to start! A long time favorite is F. Paul Wilson. Years ago, I read a book of his called The Keep. A favorite book of all time is Killer Angels, by Shaara. Brilliantly written, and a lesson in creating incredible characters. 

Lesa - Heather, here’s the question I always use to end an interview. I’m a librarian. Do you have a story to share about libraries or librarians?

Heather -  Librarians! They are my favorite people in the world. I'm about to attend the Jambalaya Jubilee at the library in Houma, La, and I just came from a fantastic conference put on by the library in Ft. Myers. There's no where an author can go and feel more loved and appreciated. I believe that one day we'll discover that librarians are really angels! They are the true patron saints of all authors!

Lesa - I like that idea, Heather, that librarians are angels! Thank you. And, it's great to hear you enjoyed the conference in Ft. Myers, since I worked with that conference for five years. It's always great to hear the authors are still enjoying it.  Thank you, and thank you for taking the time to answer questions. Good luck with Phantom Evil.

Heather Graham's website is www.theoriginalheathergraham.com

Phantom Evil by Heather Graham. MIRA. ©2011. ISBN 9780778329534 (hardcover), 368p.

Interview with Carol K. Carr

Every once in a while I discover a debut mystery author and enjoy their book so much I want to find out more about the author.  I loved the characters in Carol K. Carr's historical mystery, India Black.  If I get the chance to interview an author, you might be intrigued and want to pick up the book.  So, today, I'd like to welcome Carol, and thank her for taking time to answer questions.

Lesa - Carol, I was impressed with India Black, your first historical mystery.  But, before we talk about the book, let's talk about you.  Would you introduce yourself to my readers?

Carol - With pleasure!  I grew up in the midwest and went to college there, and then wandered off to the east coast where I got my law degree at George Washington University.   I'm coming to the writing party a little late, having already had a career as a lawyer and a corporate executive.  I moved back to Missouri a few years ago, and live here with my husband and two German Shepherds.  When I'm not writing, I'm an avid golfer and reader.  And the most important thing you need to know about me - I am a huge rugby fan.

Lesa - Well, that's a little different, a huge rugby fan.  But, let's talk about your book.  India Black is a fascinating historical mystery, set in Victorian London.  Why did you pick that period?

Carol - I've enjoyed reading about this era for a long time.  Victorian society is superficially similar to our own.  Britain was the most powerful nation on earth, and the U.S. has enjoyed that position since the end of World War II (there are exceptions to what that can achieve, of course).  There was a strong divide in the Victorian era between the haves and the have-nots, much like our own economic situation.  And there was a strong religious and moralistic tone to the Victorians that is often duplicated by people in our own society, especially with regard to spreading the "gospel" of our superior legal, political and cultural systems.  In one sense, it's almost like writing about our own society, so I feel quite at home in Victorian England.

Lesa - Would you tell us about the book?

Carol - It's an old-fashioned romp, featuring a bit of romance, espionage, comedy and feats of derring-do. India Black is a young madam dealing with all the difficulties of running a first-class brothel in London, including the government clerk who expires unexpectedly on the premises. Unfortunately, the case he carried (containing valuable government secrets) has disappeared, and India is soon blackmailed by a handsome British agent, Mr. French, into trying to recover the documents. Their adventures start at the Russian embassy and end on the coast of France, as they play cat-and-mouse with Russian agents along the way.

Lesa - You created wonderful characters in this book, India, French, and Vincent.  I hope they'll all return in the next book. Can you tell us a little about each character?  And, why did you pick a madam for the main character?

Carol - I'm drawn to heroines and heroes who don't quite fit the moral and heroic mold, and I wanted to create a character who was outside conventional society, had a healthy cynicism regarding that society, and could fight her own corner, if necessary.  Who could be more of an outsider than a madam?  Vincent sprang readily to mind:  every protagonist needs a sidekick, and I wanted one who could match or exceed India in street smarts.  They were a lot of Victorian children fending for themselves on the streets, and I figured they had to be pretty tough to survive in that environment.  As for French's character, he's a slightly superior person who follows the code of honor of the British public school, quite often to his detriment.  He's a mysterious chap; India is dying to know more about him, but he's not very forthcoming.

Lesa - What can you tell us about your next book?

Carol - India and French are tasked with protecting a Very Important Person at Balmoral castle during the Christmas holidays of 1876. Of course, Vincent manages to tag along. It's another caper through the Victorian world, with intrigue, swordplay, Scottish dancing and narrow escapes in abundance.


Lesa - It sounds terrific, Carol.  I can't wait to read it.  Now, on an other subject, who would you say influenced your writing?  Sometimes authors say they stop reading mysteries when they're writing them.  Who do yo like to read now?
 
Carol - As I mentioned, I'm very fond of unusual protagonists who are less than paragons of virtue.  I really enjoy the Harry Flashman series by George Macdonald Fraser (the direct inspiration for India) and the Baroness Troutbeck books by Ruth Dudley Edwards.  I absolutely do not stop reading mysteries when I'm writing.  In fact they are the only books I can read then as history and biography require too much focus.  I love Kate Atkinson, Laurie R. King, Susan Hill, Jim Kelly, Julia Spencer-Fleming, Christopher Fowler, and Phil Rickman.  Their writing styles are so different from mine that I don't worry about it bleeding over into my work.
 
Lesa - Is there anything that surprised you about being a published author, or the writing/publishing process?
 
Carol - Yes.  It's been an entirely pleasant experience!  I ended up with an incredible agent who is not only an excellent business woman, but is also witty and personable.  The editor who was assigned to my book is a delight to work with, and the publicist has kept me in the picture from the beginning of the marketing process. 
 
Lesa - Carol, thank you for taking the time for the interview, and, good luck with India Black.  I have one final question I always ask.  Since I'm a librarian, I like to know if you have a story to tell us about libraries or librarians.
 
Carol - Absolutely!  I grew up in a very small town (pop. 600) and the library was located on the ground floor of an old hotel, with a wood-burning stove between the fiction and non-fiction areas.  Two elderly sisters were the librarians.  The front door would creak ominously when you opened it, and little bell rang back in the living quarters.  One of the sisters would shuffle out to greet me, with her hair pulled back in a bun and wearing a dress that I swear she must have owned since the 30's.  But both had infinite patience with me, as I combed the shelves for something to read-a task that got harder the older I got.  Then I'd wait while the woman stamped each book and organized them into a tower of dreams and shoved them across the desk to me.  Writing it down, it sounds a bit creepy, but as a little girl, that old room with the fire crackling in the winter held all the possibilities in the world.  It was probably the atmosphere of the place that shoved me over the line into writing.
 
What a wonderful library story, Carol.  Thank you.  And, if readers would like to try a fun historical mystery, I'm recommending India Black.

Carol K. Carr's website is http://www.carolkcarr.com/


India Black by Carol K. Carr. Berkley Prime Crime, ©2011. ISBN 9780425238660 (paperback), 304p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure - The publisher sent me a copy, hoping I would review it.

Interview with Jennifer Crusie

I've enjoyed so many of Jennifer Crusie's books, and shared them with my sisters.  Now, I finally get the chance to share a few moments of the author's time with you.  Despite her busy schedule with her latest book, Maybe This Time, she was kind enough to answer a few questions.  Thank you, Jenny.

Lesa - Jenny, I’ve been a fan for years, but some of my readers might not know you. Would you tell us about yourself?

Jennifer - First, thank you for having been a fan for years. After that … you know, I’m not very interesting. I live in southern Ohio on the banks of a big river that threatens to flood my first floor every few years, so that’s exciting. I write books about women who are just trying to live a decent life, often with a dog, and then catastrophe strikes and they try to fix it. Usually while falling in love. I think the stories are all different but that’s the common thread.

Lesa - Just to let you know, Jenny, when I was little, my family lived in Felicity, outside Cincinnati, so I know what you're talking about with the threat of floods.  So, it’s been six years since you had a book that was a solo effort.  Why have you been collaborating with other authors in recent years?

Jennifer - Menopause took my brain.  I couldn’t write by myself, the story I was working on would not come out and nobody could fix it, and then I met Bob Mayer who said, “We should collaborate,” and I thought, “He’s written thirty novels, he could get to me the end of one,” and I said, “Yes.”  And then I discovered I love collaborating.  But after Wild Ride, my brain had trickled back, and I said, “I think I can do this again,” and I tried a solo novel and loved it.  That was Maybe This Time.

Lesa - Tell us about Maybe This Time.

Jennifer - Maybe This Time is my version of Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw. It’s about a woman who is hired by her ex-husband to take care of two disturbed children in an isolated house in the wilds of southern Ohio. Trouble ensues. It’s a romantic comedy ghost story. With kids.

Lesa - That house in Maybe This Time is horrendous.  I saw the pictures on your blog, Argh Ink, but readers probably haven’t.  Would you tell us about the house?

Jennifer - It’s based on Bly, the house in The Turn of the Screw, complete with the same ghosts, but I used a real house in England called Woodlane Hall for my floor plan.  It’s a beautiful old house, but it’s four hundred years old, so there’s a creep factor, too. 

Lesa - I’ve always appreciated the independent women in your books.  Which ones are your favorites?

Jennifer - You know, I like them all.  They’re all different in their own ways, but they all share that sturdy outlook on life and that need to help people, save their families.  They’re active, not passive, and they don’t bemoan their fates because they’re too busy trying to fix things.  Andie in Maybe This Time is pretty much the classic Crusie heroine.

Lesa - I loved Southie Archer in Maybe This Time.  Do you have plans for him?

Jennifer - I have a novella called “Ghost of a Chance” started for him, but I may abandon it and just give him a subplot in the sequel, Haunting Alice, which is about Alice at 30.

Lesa - I think it's great that you'll have a sequel involving Alice.  Can you tell us what else you’re working on now?

Jennifer - I’m working on the first book in a four book mystery series.  It’s called Lavender’s Blue, to be followed by Rest in Pink, Peaches and Screams, and Yellow Brick Roadkill.  After that it’s two books that are set at the same time with different heroines, so the stories overlap but stand on their own: Haunting Alice and Stealing Nadine.

Lesa - Jenny, fortunately for us, it sounds as if you have your brain back.  Now, can you tell us who you read and recommend to others?

Jennifer - Patricia Gaffney, Lani Diane Rich, Anne Stuart, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jennifer Weiner, Georgette Heyer, Terry Pratchett, Michael Gilbert . . . the list is endless.

Lesa - Thank you, Jenny, for taking time to answer a few questions.  I always end my interviews with the same one.  Since I’m a public librarian, I’d like you to tell me a story about libraries or librarians in your life.

Jennifer - Librarians saved my life. I was a very bookish child in a family of athletes in a little town in the middle of nowhere and I never fit in anywhere but in our library, which was a wonderful old building with wooden bookcases and big scarred tables and huge windows above the cases because the ceilings were so high. The children’s library was on the third floor so I’d trek up those two flights and just lose myself there. It’s one of the reasons I became a writer, so I could do for other people what all those books did for me. God bless librarians, that’s what I say.
 
And thanks for the great questions, too!


Lesa - Jennifer, thank you for allowing me to ask a few questions.  And, good luck with Maybe This Time.

Jennifer Crusie's website is http://www.jennycrusie.com/

Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie. St. Martin's Press, ©2010. ISBN 9780312303785 (hardcover), 352p.

An Interview with Kathryn Casey

I've been a fan of Kathryn Casey's Sarah Armstrong books for a few years, ever since I read the first one, Singularity.   So, it's time I offered readers the chance to meet the author, and discover her books.  Today, I have an interview with the author, whose third Sarah Armstrong book, The Killing Storm was just released.

Lesa -  Kathryn, I’ve been a fan of yours since I read your first novel, Singularity, but some of my readers might not know you.  Would you tell us about yourself?

Kathryn - I’m delighted to, Lesa. I live in Houston, Texas. Out of college, twenty-five years ago, I began as a freelance magazine reporter, writing for Rolling Stone, MORE, Ladies’ Home Journal, Readers Digest, a bunch of other publications. I wrote about a lot of subjects, interviewed quite a few celebrities in the process. But early on, I started covering sensational murder cases. It seems that I have kind of a knack for it. I got a reputation for crime writing, and editors began calling me to cover big cases.

My first book was published fifteen years ago, Evil Beside Her, on a Houston case. It was a natural outgrowth of my magazine work, when I found a case that screamed for more than 3,000 words. So far, I’ve written six true crime books. It’s been an incredible education in law enforcement and the criminal mind. I’ve been behind the scenes in courtrooms, in squad rooms where homicide detectives banter about perplexing cases, in the homes of victims and their families, behind prison walls interviewing convicted killers. This allowed me to really probe into how things happen and why.

Five years ago I wrote Singularity, my first mystery. I saw it as the logical next step. I have all these experiences, all kinds of facts and scenes and bits and pieces I’ve picked up from my years as a crime reporter that in fiction, I’m able to refashion and use. Let’s just say that I’ve collected a lot of raw material.

Lesa - Your third mystery featuring Sarah Armstrong was just released.  Before I ask you to tell us about the book, I’d like you to introduce us to Sarah.

Kathryn - My protagonist, Sarah, has two lives. On a personal level, she’s a single mom and a widow. Sarah and Maggie, her daughter, live with Sarah’s mom, Norah, on the family horse ranch north of Houston. Like many women, Sarah struggles with balancing family and career, in her case an incredibly demanding one. In her other life, Sarah is a Texas Ranger/criminal profiler, who travels the Lone Star state diagnosing crime scenes and chasing bad guys

Lesa - Now, would you tell us about The Killing Storm, without spoilers?

Kathryn - The book opens with the abduction of a four-year-old named Joey Warner from a Houston park. From the beginning, those involved with the investigation are perplexed by the boy’s mother, who doesn’t act as one would expect. Meanwhile, Sarah is investigating the grisly slaughter of a prize-winning longhorns left for dead with cryptic symbols drawn on their hides.

Before long, Sarah is drawn into the Warner investigation. As the plot builds, Sarah has to decipher the longhorn symbols not only to solve the killings but also to lead her to the missing child. Complicating her quest is that a category four hurricane is bearing down on the Gulf Coast. If Sarah doesn’t find little Joey before the storm hits, the child will die.

Lesa - I find Sarah Armstrong a fascinating character, Kathryn.  As you’ve explained, Sarah is a Texas Ranger and a profiler.  She’s also a widow and a single mother. Why is she your sleuth, and how does her personal life impact her career?
 
Kathryn - As a magazine writer, I spent quite a bit of time with criminal profilers, interviewing them about their lives and their cases. I’m fascinated with the way they consider clues, everything from victimology and forensic analysis to an overall view of the crime scene, to narrow lists of suspects and focus investigations. Sometimes folks view profiling as rather mysterious, but it’s truly a combination of statistics, experience and psychology.

Once Sarah’s specialty was decided, I considered jurisdiction. Quickly I realized that I didn’t want Sarah to be contained within city and county lines. Along with a rich history, the Texas Rangers have authority throughout the entire state, which gives Sarah (and me) a lot of territory to work with. Yet, being a ranger is a tough job for a woman like Sarah, one who has a family. Perhaps that’s why the Ranger culture is still predominantly male; out of 144 Rangers in Texas today, only three are women.

Lesa - What do you enjoy most about writing crime fiction, as compared to true crime or reporting?

Kathryn - After so many years as a journalist, writing fiction is freeing. I get to put my imagination to work and go where it takes me. I love the feeling of endless possibilities, of constructing plots and inventing characters. I can have fun with the characters, and for the first time, I’m in control. I’m not hemmed in by what really happened. I’m free to answer the question: What if?

Lesa - Kathryn, what authors do you read and recommend to others?

Kathryn - There are so many, I hate to say because I’ll leave someone out. When it comes to true crime, I always read Ann Rule’s books. She’s not only a friend but she’s truly been an inspiration over the years. For fiction, I honestly don’t know where to start. I’m probably among the last on the planet to do so, but I’m currently into the second book of the Steig Larsson trilogy and enjoying it. I have The Help sitting on my desk, and one of Lee Child’s older books, Nothing to Lose, on my TBR pile. I enjoy reading the work of Laura Lippman, James Lee Burke, Michael Connolly, P.D. James, and many, many others.

Lesa - Is there something I missed that you’d like to talk about?

Kathryn - Yes. I’m incredibly grateful to those who read my books and recommend them to others. The importance of such personal reviews can be overstated. There’s so little publicity and marketing for most authors today that many books/authors go unnoticed. Many only succeed because readers spread the word. To those of you out there who have read my books, enjoyed them, and recommended them to others, a sincere thank you.

Lesa - Kathryn, here’s the question I always use to end my interviews.  I’m a public librarian, so I’m always curious.  Would you tell us a story about libraries or librarians in your life?

Kathryn - I honestly worry about our libraries, wonder what will happen to them in the bad economy with its continual rounds of budget cuts and the changes underway during publishing’s electronic revolution. I have a very personal connection with libraries, that goes way back, and I believe that I’m an author today because of a library I walked into as a child.


It happened when I was in middle school. I’m not sure how old I was, but I remember going into the neighborhood library one day to work on a research paper. I’d been there before, but this was the first time I’d used the Readers’ Guide to Periodic Literature. The book was mammoth, so big I had a hard time lifting it, and as I paged through, the type was so small, name after name, subjects, titles, and authors. As I turned the pages, it suddenly occurred to me that a lot of people make their livelihood writing. I guess I’d just never thought about it before, but I remember sitting in that library that afternoon, looking around at the shelves, heavy with books, and smiling. As a child who loved to read, a kid who from elementary school on wrote short stories, the realization that writing offered a career and a future was nearly overwhelming.

Lesa - Thank you so much, Kathryn, for taking time to answer a few questions.  I hope my readers will know a little more about you, now, and, even more important, more about the Sarah Armstrong books.  Thank you.

Kathryn Casey's website is http://www.kathryncasey.com/


The Killing Storm by Kathryn Casey. St. Martin's Minotaur, ©2010. ISBN 9780312379520 (hardcover), 320p.

Interview with Brenda Novak

I really appreciate Brenda Novak's patience with me while I did this interview. I hope you enjoy the interview with this New York Times bestselling author as much as I did. Remember when Lisa Gardner said she kicked off her career at seventeen? Wait until you read Brenda Novak's account, telling why she started writing. Parents will find it frightening. Thank you, Brenda!

Lesa - Brenda, for those of my readers who aren't familiar with you, would you tell us about yourself?

Brenda - I'm a New York Times Bestselling Author of romantic suspense. I've written nearly 40 novels since I was first published in 1999. (Could it really be that long--already? Wow!--LOL) When I started, I thought I had ONE idea, and here I am. Fortunately, I was wrong about that. My first book was a historical romance titled OF NOBLE BIRTH. Everything I've written since has been contemporary. For a number of years I wrote for Harlequin Superromance line, the longest of Harlequin's series lines. Then I veered into suspense and started writing connected books that were bigger and quite a bit scarier.

Lesa - I understand it was a terrible experience that brought you to writing. Can you tell us how you became a writer?

Brenda - I never dreamed I'd write one book, let alone forty! I thought I was left-brained, better in business than any of the creative arts. Then I caught my daycare provider drugging my children with cough syrup to get them to sleep all day while she watched soaps and I worked as a loan officer. When I found the medicine in my baby's bottle and realized what had been going on, I was angry and hurt (since the daycare provider had been quite close to our family), and I could no longer trust others with the care of my children. I quit my job to stay home with them, but we were in the middle of a very difficult time financially. My husband's business was failing and we were losing everything. I had to do something to help, but I wasn't sure what (I had three kids at this time--I now have five). Fortunately, I was reading a great book, one that gave me a wonderful escape when I needed it most, and that's when the idea first occurred to me that maybe I could become a writer.

Lesa- Tell us about your new Heat series.

Brenda - Each book stands alone but they all revolve around a private security company called Department 6 and the retired special forces, private investigators and police officers who make their living working as “hired guns.” These men and women face some diverse and unusual circumstances—and some very frightening challenges.

In WHITE HEAT, Nate Ferrentino and Rachel Jessop, two members of Department 6, are hired to infiltrate a dangerous cult that has recently settled in the former ghost town of Paradise, Arizona. Members of this cult worship at the feet—and in the bed--of its charismatic leader, Ethan Wycliff. But with one woman claiming to have been stoned, and another missing, Wycliff might be more of a devil than the prophet he claims to be….





In BODY HEAT, Police Chief Sophia St. Claire finds herself out of her investigative league when someone starts shooting people at pointblank range and leaving them to rot in the desert sun just outside her small town. Help arrives in the form of California’s Department 6 Roderick Guerrero. But as the half-breed bastard of a wealthy local rancher, he has a history he can’t get past--a history that includes Sophia St. Claire.





In KILLER HEAT, the remains of seven women have been discovered in Skull Valley, Arizona. It’s up to Jonah Young, from Department 6, to assist the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Department in solving these murders. But he doesn’t anticipate the complications that arise when he’s forced to work with an old flame. Then everything grows more complicated—and far too personal. They quickly zero in on the most likely suspect, but betting on the wrong man might be the last thing they ever do….

Lesa - Why set the books in Arizona? Isn't there something about you growing up in Chandler?

Brenda - As you've mentioned, I lived in Chandler for eight years while I was growing up--back when it was still a farming community and not the sprawling metropolis it has since become. I miss those days, especially the long days of summer. Arizona is so atmospheric--with the history attached to so many of its small towns and the monsoons and the heat….


Also, Arizona has more than its share of ghost towns. Paradise, the setting of the first book, is one of them. I took a little (or a lot) of artistic liberty when I settled my fictional cult in Paradise, but it’s a unique place that really exists. With such a perfect name, I couldn’t resist.

Lesa - White Heat deals with a cult in Arizona. Can you tell us about the first book in the series, and how you came to write about a cult?

Brenda - In White Heat, Dept. 6 operatives Rachel Jessop and Nate Ferrentino must go undercover to stop a dangerous cult. As private security contractors, they’re used to danger, but this is a bit different than anything they’ve done before. The Church of the Covenant has taken up residence in what was once an old ghost town (Paradise) in the middle of the Arizona desert, which means they will be completely cut off from any support. The history they share adds to the difficulty of their mission, especially because they have to be able to depend entirely on each other. Ethan Wycliff, the charismatic leader of the cult is getting more dangerous by the day. One disenchanted member claims he and the others tried to stone her. Not only that, but a teenage girl has recently gone missing. The reports are alarming. They suspect Ethan is getting out of control, soon learn he must be stopped. But Rachel and Nate have to risk their lives in order to stop him.

I’ve always found fanaticism in any form to be fascinating, especially when linked with religious fervor because it gives those who believe an excuse to do just about anything they want “in the name of the Lord.” That they can do terrible things and feel JUSTIFIED is something that makes me shake my head. This book definitely doesn’t diss religion, but it does look at the various types of individuals who go to extremes and feel perfectly justified–even called on–to do so, as if they have some special permission from a higher power. White Heat also looks at real faith and those who are pure in heart in their search for spirituality. I found the heroine’s journey, the way she comes full circle (although her destination is a much healthier version of what she’d been forced into growing up), uplifting because it’s a journey that so many of us take. (Finding out who we are and what we believe about God regardless of what our parents have taught us.)

Lesa - What has surprised you about the writing field, writing, publishing, or touring?

Brenda - I think what I found most surprising is that being a writer means running a business. I pictured myself writing books and sending them off and didn't realize all that went on besides that. I spend at least half of each day handling the business aspects of my vocation--writing content for my newsletter or web site, planning promotion for new books coming out, writing speeches, etc.

Lesa - Who do you read and recommend to others?

Brenda - I love Debbie Macomber, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Janet Evanovich, Nora Roberts, Karen Rose, Elizabeth Gilbert, Linda Howard, Malcolm Gladwell, Ann Rule, Christine Feehan, Jayne Ann Krentz, Susan Mallery--too many to list!

Lesa - Is there something I've neglected to ask that you'd like to talk about?

Brenda - I'd like to mention my annual online auction for diabetes research. My son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was five years old. When I learned exactly what he would face in his life, I was distraught and felt I had to do something to fight back. It took me a couple of years to decide what I was going to do--but then I hit on the idea to have an annual online auction at my web site every May in honor of Mother's Day. I started six years ago. This past May we passed $1 million as a cumulative total and are now shooting for $2 million. Visit www.brendanovak.com to learn more about the auction and how you and your readers can get involved. It's a lot of fun and you can register all year.

Lesa - Brenda, thank you for taking time for this interview. Now, I always end interviews with the same question. Since I'm a public librarian, I'd like you to tell me a story about libraries or librarians in your life.

Brenda - It was the school library that made books available to me as a child so I credit libraries with my love of reading. I remember when I was in fourth grade, I found a shelf of classics. Until that point, I thought I didn't like reading. But then....I fell into those books and went through all of them. I used to hide under the dining room table so my mother wouldn't see me and ask me to do something that would take me away from whatever story I was reading. JANE EYRE was my favorite, then GONE WITH THE WIND.

Thank you, so much, Brenda, for offering readers a glimpse into your books and your writing life.

Brenda Novak's website is www.brendanovak.com

White Heat by Brenda Novak. Mira, ©2010. ISBN 9780778327950 (paperback), 400p.

Interview with Robert Dugoni

Last month, I was lucky enough to hear Robert Dugoni interview Craig Johnson at the Poisoned Pen. Bob is naturally funny, with a terrific interview style. So, when offered the chance to turn the tables on him, I jumped at the chance. His first legal novel, The Jury Master, was a New York Times bestseller. Three of his four critically acclaimed novels have featured lawyer David Sloane. And, if you ever get the chance to hear him speak, grab it. I'll be going back the next time Bob's at the Poisoned Pen.

Lesa - Thank you, Bob, for taking the time to answer some questions. I know you're the author of four books, but would you tell us about yourself before we discuss them?

Bob - Probably the thing that most defines me is that I am the middle child of ten children. I had a fantastic childhood as a result. The house was always filled and though we were competitive with one another, we were also very close. Being a middle child is probably in part why I’m a writer. My older brothers and sisters are all overachievers and I was looking for a way to stand out, to be different. I was always more into the arts than they were, which led me to writing as early as the seventh grade. It sounds trite, I know, but that’s what I always did. I gave up a not-so-promising athletic career in high school because a teacher noticed my writing ability and asked me to edit the paper and it would become my major at Stanford and my passion. Even after I went to law school, I knew I wanted to write. I started by doing theater throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and the artistic bug returned rather quickly. In 1998, married, with an 18 month old son, my wife and I decided it was time and we moved to the northwest so I could pursue my passion again.

Lesa - Which way should I ask this question? Why law, or why writing? What made you go into either career?

Bob- Law was really a product of the overachieving. With my brothers and sisters getting accolades and attending medical school, professional school became something that needed to be on the resume. I was probably lost a bit at that time in my life. Who isn’t at 22? How do you become a writer? I suppose I could have gone to an MFA program or something, but it just wasn’t part of my surroundings at that time. Knowing I didn’t want to be a doctor because I knew the time commitment it would require would all but wipe out any chance of writing, I chose law school…and of course there isn’t much of a time commitment with that profession now is there?

Lesa - Tell us about your character, David Sloane.

Bob - David is a modern day hero. He has a sense of justice and injustice and a high moral standard. He isn’t perfect. He has his flaws, just like the rest of us, but he is somebody that people can trust to do the right thing. People come to Sloane seeking justice that they don’t believe they can obtain elsewhere and because of his own background, Sloane can never say ‘No.’ In a courtroom he is the best, an attorney with an ability to get juries to decide for him that is almost hypnotic but it is the decisions he makes outside to the courtroom that really define him, particularly in Bodily Harm.

Lesa - Bodily Harm is your latest legal novel. What can you tell us about it, without giving away spoilers?

Bob - I had two goals for this book. I wanted it to move right away, a fast paced book from the opening pages. I also wanted to do something that would shock my readers, let them know that they can never predict what might happen in a David Sloane novel. Based on the emails I’ve received from all over the country, I think I’ve succeeded. As the book opens, Sloane is rushing to court to obtain a verdict in a medical malpractice case against a pediatrician for the death of a six year old boy. Sloane has never felt good about this case, which he took over from another lawyer in the office. Something just never sat well with him. He’s accosted in the lobby of the building by a young man with a file. Sloane has no time to talk but as he crosses the street the young man yells, “The doctor did not kill that boy.” When Sloane asks how the young man could possibly know that, the young man responds, “Because I did.”
Now, before Sloane can seek further answers based on the information in the file he takes with him, the young man disappears and Sloane must seek his answers elsewhere and the answers will come at a very heavy price. How’s that?

Lesa - Very good summary, Bob. Nice way to leave us in suspense! Now, can you tell me was there one person, an author or someone else, who helped you in your writing career?

Bob - I’ve received so much help along the way I’d probably miss someone if I tried to name them all, but the bottom line is I wouldn’t be doing this for a living were it not for my college journalism instructor Sam Goldman, which is why I dedicated this book to him. Sam is a force of nature. He was a newspaper man’s newspaper man. For 50 years he was in the business and even now, at 84, he still does statistics for some of the local sports teams in the Bay Area. He taught me to love words and to love to write. He taught me to always find the positive in every day and to never get too hung up on money or awards but to follow my passion and my heart.

Lesa - What has surprised you about the writing field - publishing, writing, or touring?

Bob - It is a tremendous amount of work! Really, writing a great book isn’t always enough. I know so many terrific writers out there who just haven’t broken out, haven’t hit any big lists yet because fans just haven’t discovered them. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to get your name known, to get people to take a chance and pick up one of your books. At the same time, I’ve learned there is no formula. There is no magic. For some it’s being in the right place at the right time. For some it’s that idea that just catches on. But for most of us it’s a matter of just writing quality books for many years and making new readers one person at a time until you hopefully reach that point of critical mass where word of mouth about the quality of your books takes off.

Lesa - What can you tell us about your next book?

Bob - Nothing. (I’m laughing because I know that sounds selfish, but I refrain from doing it because I’m still working on it and want to keep it fresh.) I can say this…Sloane will have to venture into a criminal courtroom to defend someone he loves and he will do so at a time in his life when he is most vulnerable.

Lesa - Is there something you'd like to tell the readers that I've neglected to ask?

Bob - Just that I keep hearing that reading is dying and electronic media is ruining the publishing world and …. You know what? If you love to read, as I do, there will always be books. And if we want to keep our libraries and our independent book stores alive and flourishing, which is so important to a community, it’s up to us to do it. The answer is to just pick up a book and read, and when you find a book or an author you really like, spread the word and encourage your children to read as well.

Lesa - Thank you for that statement about libraries and independent book stores, since naturally, both are important to me. Now, I get to ask my concluding question, and I know you have quite a story to tell. As you know, I'm a public librarian. Would you tell us a story about libraries and your life?

Bob - As I mentioned, I’m one of ten children. My mother didn’t have the time or the energy to entertain us. So often she would load us into the station wagon and drive us down the hill to the Burlingame Public Library. It’s a grand old stucco building with dark wood trim and it had the old card catalogues and dimmed lighting from overhead chandeliers. It reminds me of the grand room in the Harry Potter movies. On nice days the light would stream through the tall thin windows in the vaulted reading room and there we would all be, sitting quietly with our chosen books, reading -except probably my mother. I don’t have a specific recollection of it, but now I picture her sitting with her eyes closed, resting, enjoying the silence and the peace that only good books can bring.

Lesa - Bob, thank you so much for taking the time to answer questions. I'm sure I'll be seeing you at the Poisoned Pen, and on the bestseller lists in the future.

Robert Dugoni's website is www.robertdugoni.com

Bodily Harm by Robert Dugoni. Simon & Schuster, ©2010. ISBN 9781416592969 (hardcover), 373p.

Interview with Deborah Coonts

I just loved Deborah Coonts' debut Lucky O'Toole mystery, Wanna Get Lucky? I introduced myself at the Poisoned Pen when Deb was on tour, and asked if I could do an interview. "Lucky" for us, she was willing to answer some questions when she finished her book tour. Thank you, Deb!

Deb combined my first two questions with her answer. Notice she's a little mysterious about her own life? Hmmmm.

Lesa - Deb, Wanna Get Lucky? is your first published book, but I know it's taken you a while to get to this point. Would you tell us about yourself? I loved Lucky O'Toole and Wanna Get Lucky?, but neither would exist without Las Vegas. Vegas is an important "character" in your book? What drew you to Las Vegas as the setting?

Deb - When my son was fifteen, I did what any well-adjusted, self-respecting parent would do--I let him choose where we were going to live. Until that point, I had never been to Vegas and really knew very little about the city. When I arrived, I fell in love with the energy, the excitement...the emphasis on entertainment. As a writer, entertainment is what I aspire to do. In addition, the whole world comes through Vegas. The city is a veritable melting pot of cultures, values, fantasies--incredible fodder for a novelist.

Lesa - Where did Lucky O'Toole herself come from?

Deb - After my aunt (who is four years my senior and more of a sister than an aunt) read the manuscript for WANNA GET LUCKY? she announced that Lucky is the woman I always wanted to be. In retrospect, there's probably more truth to that than I would care to admit. Certainly she has my sense of humor. But, she also is the perfect foil through which I can introduce readers to the magic of Vegas. Lucky is young enough to know better, but not old so old that she doesn't occasionally throw caution to the wind. She has a job where she can interact with all aspects of Vegas from the tourists who come looking for a bit of magic or mayhem to the residents who provide it.

Lesa - I kept a great deal back when I reviewed Wanna Get Lucky? I wanted readers to enjoy the surprises as much as I did. Can you tell us about the book, without spoiling it?

Deb - Probably not. I think you did a wonderful job of setting the stage. It's Vegas. It's sexy and romantic. It's fun. With a little murder and mayhem thrown in. A wry heroine of questionable parentage who can kick ass in her professional life, but whose personal life is a mess. A hero who wears dresses for a living, but longs to be a serious musician. A mysterious new man in Security. An old boyfriend. A four hundred pound Reverend who likes the swinging lifestyle. A young woman tossed from a tour helicopter into the middle of the 8:30 Pirate show in front of the Treasure Island Hotel. As for the surprises, well, that's why one should read the book.

Lesa - I love that description, Deb, since the book is driven by the characters, including the character of Vegas. Now, you've just finished an extensive book tour. What were the highlights? What surprised you about the tour?

Deb - All of the tour was amazing. As one author before me has said, "One fears being asked to go out on book tour. And one fears not being asked." So, it's an honor to get to do such a thing, and it certainly shows the enthusiasm of my publisher, which is very gratifying indeed. On the other hand, it can be grueling. This tour though, was great fun. The bookstores were so enthusiastic and supportive as were the readers who showed up. The highlights would have to be getting to meet folks who have read my story and like it! I'm still humbled and amazed. The enthusiasm and the kindness of everyone I met on tour was a wonderful surprise.

Lesa - What authors inspired you, and who do you read?

Deb - Every person who deigns to sit at a computer and attempts to create inspires me. Writing is darn hard. The journey to acquire good craft, to hone your storytelling skills, is a long, arduous one where your only reward my be the delight of a well-written passage, or the turn of a good phrase. So, those who take up the sword are inspiration indeed. As for who I read, I read a little bit of everything. I read for style and craft, but I mainly read for knowledge. A writer has to know a ton of stuff.

Also, I will have to say that I know what kinds of stories I am able to write, so I enjoy reading stories that I know I would never have the imagination or skill to tackle. My favorite recently has been The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.

Lesa - I know you've already completed the next books in the series. What can you tell us about them?

Deb - Book Two is entitled, LUCKY STIFF, and it is currently scheduled for a February release. The story takes place over a big fight weekend in Vegas. Numbers Neidermeyer, a rather unsavory female oddsmaker ends up in pieces in the shark tank at Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay Resort. The Beautiful Jeremy Whitlock, Las Vegas' best PI and the younger live-in lover of Lucky's assistant, Miss P, is framed for the murder. Teddie is pursuing his dream of being a songwriter--much to Lucky's consternation. A delicious French chef is hired by the Big Boss ostensibly to open a high-end restaurant, but Lucky is sure he was hired to cause her grief..and to keep her perpetually off kilter. The District Attorney is caught in a three-some on the twelfth floor. Lucky's mother, Mona, decides to auction off a young woman's virginity from her bordello in Pahrump. And Lucky has to pull everyone from the fire... So, in short, more of the same.

Book Three is titled, SO DAMN LUCKY. Although it is written, I'll leave a bit of mystery as to it's story. However, suffice it to say, that it is my favorite in terms of the relationships and how they evolve. All the cast of characters returns and the zaniness begins when a magician actually disappears...

Lesa - Well, Lucky Stiff sounds just as much fun as Wanna Get Lucky? And, nothing like keeping us in suspense! Now, I imagine you've heard all of these questions before. What would you like us to know about you or your books that hasn't been asked?

Deb - Good Heavens! Tell my secrets? I don't think so. But, in the interest of fun and fair-play, I love horses, I can ride motorcycles, I don't have a dog but am dying for a Jack Russel terrier, I read romance novels, I am enthralled with Garth Brooks' music right now (ten years late getting to that table--par for the course with me) and I am fairly clueless about this thing called LOVE.

Lesa - My final question is one I always ask, Deb. I'm a public librarian. Do you have a story about libraries?

Deb - As a voracious reader from an early age who had a very limited allowance, the North Dallas Public Library was my saving grace. I think I read every book in there at least once. I can remember many a summer afternoon spent curled up in a beanbag chair in the corner, surrounded by conditioned air (very important in the muggy Dallas summers) and stacks of books of all kinds, but mainly commercial fiction. I was absolutely horrified that I was limited to six books to take home. My mother would often almost die of apoplexy while I carefully chose my six treasures. This is where I became the commercial fiction junkie who stands before you today. Every writer begins as a reader. And libraries create and feed readers from an early age. This writer applauds and thanks you!

And, I applaud and than you, Deb. I really appreciate the time you're taking to answer the questions.

If you'd like to know a little more, I reviewed Wanna Get Lucky? on May 17, and the recap of Deborah's appearance at the Poisoned Pen appears on the May 21 blog, Macmillan Night at the Poisoned Pen.

Deborah Coonts' website is www.deborahcoonts.com

Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts. Tor/Forge. ©2010. ISBN 978-0765325433 (hardcover), 352p.