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Showing posts with label forensic thrillers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forensic thrillers. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Interview with mystery/thriller author K.J. Dahlen
Today's guest is K.J. Dahlen who is touring with Goddess Fish Promotions for her book Bones.
There's a giveaway for a lucky commentor, too. The details are below.
Bio:
Kim lives in a small town (population 495) in Wisconsin. From her deck she can see the Mississippi River on one side and the bluffs, where eagles live and nest, on the other side. She lives with her husband Dave and dog Sammy. Her two children are grown and two grandchildren and for that fact she feels blessed. She loves to watch people and that has helped her with her writing. She loves to create characters and put them in a troubling situation and just sit back and let them do all the work. They surprise even her at times. They take on a life of their own and the twists and turns become a story. She found she liked mystery/thrillers the best. She likes to keep her readers guessing until the very end of the book.
Welcome, K.J., please tell us about your current release.
Bones started out as a short story but there was something missing so I sat down with a legal pad and a pen and started fleshing out what became this book. The book took on its own twists and turns as I sat down to actually write it. It’s set in a small town because you’d never think something like this could happen in a small town. Max is my main character and in this book Max is a sheriff. When he discovers a cave filled with human remains he has to find out who the bones belong to and why these people where murdered and who murdered them.
What inspired you to write this book?
My books are more about how the crime is solved rather than the crime itself. The idea that someone could use a cave as a dumping ground and no one would know for years sets Max up to find out the who’s and the whys of the crime. What some people do to stop his investigation along the way is what the book is all about. Max has to solve the crime and he doesn’t let anyone take that away.
What exciting story are you working on next?
I am currently working on a book titled Hiding in Plain Sight - Chloe’s life began at the age of ten when she was placed in foster care in Oklahoma. Chloe can’t remember much of her early years and now thirteen years later someone sends her a picture of a little girl and her parents asking if she is the little girl in the picture. When her friend’s brother, police officer Teague Sawyer starts investigating he finds a gruesome murder and a mystery surrounding Chloe. She didn’t exist before thirteen years ago. Who exactly is Chloe and why were she and her mother on the run so long ago? And who is after her now and why?
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
To steal a line from a movie- when you think about being a writer from the time you get up in the morning until you go to bed at night, you’re meant to be a writer. I had so many scenes running through my head the only thing I could do was start writing them all down. I would get an idea and I would sit down with a pen and paper and within a day I’d have an outline for a book. I have fourteen books out at the moment with two more on the way, at least three more books sitting on editors desks and about 15-20 more books outline waiting to be written.
Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I’m very lucky, I do get to write full time. I get up before my husband to make coffee and throw his lunch together, then after he goes to work I open my computer and it’s my time to write. Sometimes I write all day and sometimes I don’t. I guess it depends on where I am in the current book.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
How I can take a simple phrase or idea and turn it into a book. I wrote one of my books, called the Prophet on the phrase, “Has he tried to convert you yet?”
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I loved reading and writing even as a kid. When I opened a book the author would take me on an adventure and that’s what I try to do with my readers. I try to take them with me as the book unfolds
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
If every time you open a book the author takes you places you’ve never been before then she/he is doing her job. I hope every time someone opens one of my books I take them along with me throughout the book. If I can do that then I am doing my job as a writer
Thanks for sharing a bit about your writing and your life with us, K.J.
Readers, K.J. giving one lucky commentor the chance to win a $10 Amazon gift certificate plus the chance to help her with her new book--the winner will get to write a short blurb and K.J. will write the book based on it. So, leave a comment here and at other stops along K.J.'s tour. The more you comment, the better you chances of winning.
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Thursday, June 9, 2011
Interview with novelist Richard Brawer
Thriller author Richard Brawer is Reviews and Interviews' guest today.
Bio:
After graduating the University of Florida and a stint in the National Guard, Richard Brawer worked 40 years in the textile and retail industries. He spends his retirement years writing novels, sailing, and gardening. He has two married daughters and lives in New Jersey with his wife. Beyond Guilty
Richard, please tell us about your current release.
Beyond Guilty is a high concept thriller where a wrongly convicted woman escapes from death row and fights to prove her innocence.
Teenager Eileen Robinson lives in an ideal, middle class African-American family in Houston, Texas. Through a careless act she causes the deaths of her two younger sisters. Tormented and alienated from her mother, she runs away from home. Befriended by a drug dealer, she moves in with him. At twenty-one she is a single mother of two falsely convicted of killing a state senator’s son and sentenced to death. At thirty-three she is executed. Or is she?
Reviewers have said about Beyond Guilty: "Twisting Action", "Thought Provoking", "A Fast Paced Thriller", "Sympathetic Character", "Authentic Dialogue", "Spirited Prose", "A Real Winner"
Please see all the reviews at my website.
What inspired you to write this book?
Beyond Guilty was inspired by a screen play written by my daughter, Marlo Brawer Lyons. In her script, the protagonist is an African-American male wrongly accused of a murder and sentenced to death. Despite her being a lawyer in the movie industry and the screenplay winning a number of awards including $1,000 from a “Writer’s Digest” contest, she was not able to generate interest in Hollywood. I said to her, “Let me write it as a book with an African-American female protagonist as there are many black actresses looking for a strong leading role.” Thus, Beyond Guilty was born.
However, in the process, the book took on a life of its own and dramatically deviated from the screen play. Marlo has written a new screen play from Beyond Guilty and is shopping it around.
What exciting story are you working on next?
A fourth Murder at the Jersey Shore mystery with Detective David Nance.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
First, let me say if one’s main consideration as having “made it” as a writer is money received, I have not yet made it. However, money was not my primary criteria. To me, getting rave reviews from both reviewers and readers was when I considered myself as having arrived as a writer. So I first considered myself a writer when my historical novel, Silk Legacy was published in 2006.
Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I am retired, so I find plenty of time to write. I try to write every day, but occasionally I get stuck. I don’t like to write just to fill pages with words. If I’m stuck, I take a break and think about where I want the story to go next. Some of the inspiration comes during my hour walks that I take almost every day. Unfortunately, most of the inspiration that “unsticks” me comes when I turn the lights off in bed at night. I keep a huge pile of paper and a flashlight next to the bed to jot down the nocturnal inspirations. It is those nights that I don’t get a lot of sleep. There are even times I get out of bed and begin to write again, sometimes to dawn.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A businessman. The family have always been independent business owners in the textile industry of which the retail end was one facet.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I like to include something educational in my novels. In Beyond Guilty it's nanomedicine, a revolutionary field of medical science that has the potential by the mid 2020s to cure cancer, alzheimers, diabetes, and many more diseases.
Although only a small segment of the plot (the main focus being Eileen's quest to prove her innocence) nanomedicine is a fascinating subject. I chose it after reading an article about it in a magazine. My daughter's screenplay had her protagonist trying to salvage his DNA before it got destroyed to prove his innocence. I thought that was old news.
Of course I ran into immediate problems trying to include nanomedicine in the plot. I was neither a doctor nor a scientist. So I started research on the internet. 99% of the articles were way over my head, but one author, Robert A. Freitas Jr., Senior Research Fellow at the Institute For Molecular Manufacturing, explained it in "English". I contacted him and asked him if he would look at what I wrote. Not only was he happy to do so, he graciously edited the references to nanomaufacturing and nanomedicine and has written the essay at the end of the novel about the progress being made in developing nanomedicine.
The next question I had was would the reader understand the subject? I think this review answers that question: “The author’s inclusion of the concept of nanomedicine in the plot is articulate and intriguing …Readers who like the thrillers and mysteries with a medical theme should find Beyond Guilty interesting and entertaining, as well as faster-paced than most books in this sub-genre.” Von Pittman for The Genreview
Anything else you like to share with the readers today?
My writing process:
First: I form a major premise along with the ending of the story. In the mysteries it’s naturally "who-done-it." In the historical fiction novel, it’s the resolution between the characters. And in the suspense novels, it’s how to the protagonist gets out of peril.
Second: I create my protagonist and antagonist―their looks, quirks, and their experiences in life that affect their personalities and the way they react to events.
Third: I create a very rough outline as to how the story will progress from beginning to end. Note I said very rough as this changes as the story evolves.
Fourth: I try to create a captivating opening chapter such as finding the body in the mysteries, putting the protagonist in jeopardy in the suspense novel and creating the conflict in the historical fiction.
Finally: I write from my opening chapter to the conclusion of the story. I strive to take the reader on a journey that is never a straight line, but more like the line of a gyrating stock market. I place red herrings in my mysteries, adventure and jeopardy in my suspense novels and many setbacks in my historical fiction novel. However, one thing remains constant―there is always CONFLICT. The most important aspect of a novel is the conflict between the characters. Without conflict there is no story.
Richard, thank you for stopping by today and for sharing so much with us. Best of luck with your writing projects.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Review of Top Suspense: 13 Classic Stories, 12 Masters of the Genre
Top Suspense: 13 Classic Stories, 12 Masters of the Genre
Contributors: Max Allan Collins, Bill Crider, Stephen Gallagher, Lee Goldberg, Joel Goldman, Ed Gorman, Libby Fischer Hellmann, Vicki Hendricks, Naomi Hirahara, Paul Levine, Harry Shannon, Dave Zeltserman, Top Suspense Group
Fiction - short stories
Rated: Very Good (****)
Review by: Lisa Haselton
Short story collections are excellent for finding new authors and new genres of writing that intrigue. An anthology is a small investment that lets you enter worlds you might not otherwise find. I’m a suspense and thriller fan, so when asked if I’d review Top Suspense: 13 Classic Stories in return for a complimentary copy of the e-book, I agreed. I have not been compensated for this review.
The variety of stories offered in this collection is a great introduction to the suspense genre. The stories are unique and I appreciate the type of suspense each offers. It’s like going to a dessert buffet and being able to sample everything from slices of fresh fruit to a triple-decker decadent chocolate slice of cake. After all the sampling, you may find you still have a dessert (genre) of choice, but you may have found one or two new desserts to add to the menu. There can’t be any regret in expanding your palate for one evening.
The authors are aptly described as ‘masters,’ and ‘are all widely-acclaimed, multiple-award-winning professionals.’ It’s a credit to the genre to have 12 such masters of suspense all in one collection.
Because the stories are so different from each other, I found I needed to pause between them and reset my mind before moving on. A cleansing of my palate, so to speak. Stories cover the gamut from early 1900s to futuristic, desert to city, day to night, love to hate, hopes to obsessions, and gut reaction to well-detailed plan. A few stories end with the main character having an “Oh, crap, this is not going to end well,” epiphany. I find those entertaining, especially when I don’t see them coming.
“Unreasonable Doubt” by Max Allan Collins is a great lead story. Discovering it’s based on a true story increased the entertainment value. “Death’s Brother” by Bill Crider grabbed me with an early unexpected twist. “Poisoned” by Stephen Gallagher caught me by surprise at the end, as did “Remaindered” by Lee Goldberg. I think I had the “Oh crap” epiphany the same time the main character did. “Fire in the Sky” by Joel Goldman has two storylines combine into one like a flame upon a path of gasoline. “The Baby Store” by Ed Gorman crept me out, I admit. “The Jade Elephant” by Libby Fischer Hellmann went one step too far in its conclusion for my suspension of disbelief. “The Big O” by Vicki Hendricks doesn’t do much to raise opinions of trailer park living, but the climax (pun not intended, but it’s appropriate) was palpable and satisfying. “The Chirashi Covenant” by Naomi Hirahara is one of those stories where I think “that could happen in real life.” “El Valiente en el Infierno” by Paul Levine entertains with its young protagonist. “A Handful of Dust” by Harry Shannon is one of my favorites in this collection. “The Canary” by Dave Zeltserman had me chuckling with the main character at the end. And I feel the 6-author round-robin story that wraps up the anthology is well-done. The reveal of which authors wrote which 250-word portion is a fun test and exploration of the various writing styles.
I have to admit my disappointment in knowing that out of the 13 stories, only 4 were never published before this anthology: “Unreasonable Doubt,” “Fire in the Sky,” “The Canary,” and the 6-author group story, “The Chase.” I was surprised to find as many editing issues as I did, but I’m sure the mistakes will be corrected, if they haven’t been already.
Top Suspense: 13 Classic Stories delivers as the title says – classic stories. If none of the authors are familiar to you, you may find a new author to read. If you’re already a fan of one or more, reading a short story from a novelist can satisfy your need for a good read before the next novel comes out.
Stop by the Web site to read more about the suspense authors in this anthology, as well as others: http://topsuspensegroup.com.
Title: Top Suspense: 13 Classic Stories, 12 Masters of the Genre
Contributors: Max Allan Collins, Bill Crider, Stephen Gallagher, Lee Goldberg, Joel Goldman, Ed Gorman, Libby Fischer Hellmann, Vicki Hendricks, Naomi Hirahara, Paul Levine, Harry Shannon, Dave Zeltserman, Top Suspense Group
Publisher: Top Suspense Group
Pages: 198
Price: $2.99 Kindle and Nook
Monday, January 24, 2011
Live chat/interview with thriller novelist Jamie Freveletti - 1/30/11

The Writer's Chatroom presents thriller novelist Jamie Freveletti.
WHEN?
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Eastern USA Time.....7-9 PM
Not sure what time that is wherever in the world you are? http://www.worldtimeserver.com
WHERE?
The Writers Chatroom at: http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm
Scroll down to the Java box. It may take a moment to load. Type in the name you wish to be known by, and click Login. No password needed.
Please note: The chatroom is only open for regularly scheduled chats.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Live Chat/Interview with Robin Burcell 1/3/10

The Writer's Chatroom presents Robin Burcell.
WHEN?
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Eastern USA Time.....7-9 PM
Not sure what time that is wherever in the world you are? http://www.worldtimeserver.com
WHERE?
The Writers Chatroom at: http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm
Scroll down to the Java box. It may take a moment to load. Type in the name you wish to be known by, and click Login. No password needed.
Please note: The chatroom is only open for regularly scheduled chats.
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