Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "Quest for Justice"

Blurb:
Abby Ryals goes behind the sheriff's back to accept an undercover assignment with another agency to avenge fellow detective C.J. Bowman's death, and is stunned to learn he's very much alive when he leaves witness protection and follows her undercover to help keep her safe. Together, they must race the clock to defeat a notorious drug lord before he can discover their true identities.

Excerpt:
The unrelenting volleys of the twenty-one-gun salute reverberated inside Abby Ryal's head. With each shot fired, her heart skipped another beat. She tried to breathe, to draw in the cool fall air and clear her muddled senses, but she couldn't. The ache inside her only intensified, and she worried she might throw up right here in front of C.J.'s polished mahogany casket.

C.J. Bowman. Fellow Keller County detective. Her best friend, and former lover.

Dead.

Her stomach heaved. She wrapped her arms around her middle and dropped her head onto her knees. The ancient folding chair creaked as she released a shuddering breath.

Don't throw up. Don't throw up. Not here. C.J. will laugh his fool head off if you toss your cookies on the funeral wreaths. Their too-sweet smell is bad enough, and if you...

She sat up and smothered a laugh.

Oh, God. I can just picture him sauntering through the cemetery with that trademark smirk on his face, making fun of me. He gets off on that. He's always so--

The idea that she would never see him again curdled her stomach.

"You self-centered bastard," she whispered to herself, cringing as the line of uniformed policemen fired yet another round. Leave it to C.J. to go down in dramatic fashion, waging a one-man gun battle with one of the Deep South's most infamous drug cartels.

Tears filled her eyes as she murmured, "Always playing the hero. Only, this time it got you killed, didn't it?"

"Abby, you okay?" Jonah McKee, the detective who'd mentored her since she first got her gold shield six months ago, leaned over and asked with concern.

She nodded stiffly, unable to voice her pain, and aimed her gaze at the shimmering red and gold leaves on the trees bordering the tiny country cemetery. The brisk November breeze iced her heart. C.J. had loved this time of year. He loved to hunt, loved the contest of man against beast. Why, oh why had he chosen to challenge the most frightening beast on the planet -- Salvador Salazar, better known as Sal-Sal -- instead of climbing into his deer stand and scouring the wooded terrain for a prime ten-point buck?

Links:
To buy Quest for Justice: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-245/Keller-County-Cops-Book/Detail.bok
Website: http://www.melanieatkins.com
Blog: http://melanieatkins.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.face-book.com/melanie.atkins
Twitter: http://twitter.com/melanie_atkins
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/melanieatkins/

Author Spotlight - Melanie Atkins visits the Writer's Police Academy

One of my favorite conferences is The Writers' Police Academy, a weekend trip into law enforcement land put on by my Castle blog buddy Lee Lofland and friends in North Carolina each September. It's so much fun, and is so informative. Just the ticket for folks who write mystery or suspense. I've been twice, and loved it both times. Can't wait for the 2012 version!

Last year, I attended sessions on Crime Scene Investigation (outside, in the pouring rain), Blood Spatter, Self Defense, Fingerprinting (a phenomenal hands on class), Alternate Light Sources, and Cold Cases, just to name a few. I also tried the driving simulator, but the screens on either side angled to simulate the side windows of an ambulance made me sick as a dog. I got so queasy, I literally had to jump up and run to the restroom. Luckily I didn't throw up, but I almost did. I won't try that again.

My favorite part of the weekend was the FATS simulator training… a video screen that simulates actual police calls, making me the cop. I had a gun, too. It fired nothing but air, of course, but I still took my share of bad guys -- including a grandma at an airport coming at me with knitting needles. I kid you not! I did a lot better this year than last year. What a treat. This year, I hope to also do a ride-along with a sheriff's deputy. I've done that here three times when I attended various citizens' police academies (another total blast), but would love to do it again.

Conferences like this are great for suspense and mystery writers. Writers must do research, and I can't think of a better way to learn about law enforcement. I invite everyone to check out the new WPA website as soon as it's up and running. I'll post the address on my blog the day I get it.


To buy Quest for Justice: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-245/Keller-County-Cops-Book/Detail.bok
Website: http://www.melanieatkins.com
Blog: http://melanieatkins.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.face-book.com/melanie.atkins
Twitter: http://twitter.com/melanie_atkins
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/melanieatkins/

Author Spotlight - Melanie Atkins talksa bout the Mississippi Gulf Coast

The Mississippi Gulf Coast is one of my favorite places, and that's why I set my Keller Cops series there. The county in the books is made up, as is the town of Hunter's Bayou, but the setting is still on the coast in an area that's surging back since Katrina knocked it for a loop back in August of '05. The town I used as a model for Hunter's Bayou is perched on the edge of a bay. It stretches down to Highway 90 and on to the Gulf of Mexico. That highway is of the main drags that's also known to locals as The Beach. In the books, I call it the beach road.

Most of the stores along the beach were leveled by the storm when a thirty-foot wave swept ashore there, that broke my heart. So many fun little shops, restaurants, and beautiful homes just dragged out to sea never to be seen again. I don't know how many people died there, but I know a good many did. Several law enforcement officers survived by hanging on to a tree. Katrina was a truly horrifying event.


I look forward to visiting the coast now, but I do miss seeing and visiting the landmarks that are no longer there. The stately homes in Pass Christian, Gulfport's library, the Gulfport Grand Casino's giant neon buildings, Treasure Bay Casino's pirate ship, Valentino's… I had so many good times there. Treasure Bay had absolutely the best bread pudding I've ever eaten, and I loved browsing for gifts and fun little treasures at Valentino's.


The bright white sand on the gorgeous beach is still there, however. As are the centuries-old oaks and the Biloxi Lighthouse that has withstood many, many storms, not to mention a multitude of new hotels, restaurants, gift shops, stores, and casinos -- all this time built on the land side of Highway 90 away from the water.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast really is a visitor's mecca. I love to go down, stay at a hotel on the beach, and write. You won't find a more beautiful view in too many places. Ya'll come down!

Author Spotlight - ABC's Castle - Melanie Atkins drug of choice!

Everyone in the universe should know by now that ABC's Castle is my favorite TV show. Lord knows I've put it out there enough. On Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and as part of Lee Lofland's weekly Castle blog (Tuesday mornings after a new episode has aired) on The Graveyard Shift at http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/.

I love the drama, the comedy, and the romance. Especially the romance -- and that makes sense, with me being a romance writer, right? I mean, seriously. I hang out on one of the main Castle boards, read Castle fanfiction -- some of it is really, really good -- and rewatch the best episodes time and again. I'm what's known as a Caskett Shipper, and no, that doesn't mean I export coffins. It means I want the show's two leads, Castle and Beckett, or Caskett, to get together... sooner rather than later. All this waiting around is killing me.

Some people talk about the Moonlighting Curse, claiming that if a couple on a show gets together, the show will tank -- but I disagree. Relationships are fluid, and even if Rick and Kate become a couple, they'll still have plenty of conflict to keep the show interesting. I think it will be even better, if you want to know the truth. We'll still have the drama, comedy, and crime solving… with some hugs and kisses thrown in. I'm all for that.



Anyway, I find TV to be great motivation for writing. I watch a lot of other shows, too, nearly all of them crime dramas, with a couple of comedies and a fluffy guilty pleasure or two throw in. I love Justified, Dexter, In Plain Sight, Unforgettable, Person of Interest, Desperate Housewives, Hot in Cleveland, The Big Bang Theory, The Closer, Blue Bloods, Law & Order SVU, and Southland. Yep, that's a lot of TV. Thank goodness for DVRs! I only watch TV at night, except for checking in on the news and enjoying the Golden Girls while I eat breakfast, but I get plenty of motivation in the evenings. And I love it.

I've gotten a good many story ideas from bits of dialogue and the way a character in a particular show might bite the dust, and I've also learned a lot about what not to do… and a lot of that I've learned from Castle and Lee's next day assessments.

Still, goof ups aside, I love that show. Can't wait for the next episode, one we won't see for a couple of weeks thanks to March's basketball hiatus. Bring on the Caskett! I'm ready.

Links:
To buy Quest for Justice: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-245/Keller-County-Cops-Book/Detail.bok
Website: http://www.melanieatkins.com
Blog: http://melanieatkins.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.face-book.com/melanie.atkins
Twitter: http://twitter.com/melanie_atkins
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/melanieatkins/

Author Spotlight - Q&A With Melanie Atkins

STEPH: I don't know much about "Quest for Justice." What's it about?

MELANIE: In this story, Detective Abby Ryals goes behind the sheriff's back to accept an undercover assignment with another agency to avenge fellow detective C.J. Bowman's death, and is stunned to learn he's very much alive when he leaves witness protection and follows her undercover to help keep her safe. Together, they must race the clock to defeat a notorious drug lord before he can discover their true identities.

STEPH: "Quest for Justice" is in the Keller County Cop Series. Can you give us an overview of the series? Where is it set? The time frame?

MELANIE: This contemporary romantic suspense series set in the fictional town of Hunter's Bayou on the Mississippi Gulf Coast features the tough, handsome men who work for the Keller County Sheriff's office. Can you say hot heroes?

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

MELANIE: Took me months to write this book. I got stuck at one point and put it down. They usually go much faster for me. Everything came together at the end, though, and I'm very happy with the way the story turned out.

STEPH: What was the inspiration for this story?

MELANIE: I read about a drug bust in the paper, and that kicked things off. I admire law enforcement and appreciate the job they do to help us stay safe.

STEPH: Abby is the heroine. What are her strengths? Weaknesses?

MELANIE: Abby is a cop herself. She's smart, resourceful, and brave. I'd say her weakness, however, is C.J. Bowman. She'll do anything for him... including risking her life and going undercover to avenge his death.

STEPH: What does CJ find attractive about Abby?

MELANIE: Even with her gritty determination and kick ass attitude on the job, she's still all woman. He appreciates that.



STEPH: How did you come up with the title, "Quest for Justice?"

MELANIE: That's what Abby and C.J. are after: justice. Makes sense, right?

STEPH: What's your writing space like?

MELANIE: It's a mess! I write jammed in the corner of my bedroom in a recliner with a laptop on my lap. Works for me, though. It's comfortable.

STEPH: How important is setting to the story?

MELANIE: Extremely important. The setting helps set the mood, and that grounds the reader to the tone and flow of the story. I love using sultry Southern settings.

STEPH: How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

MELANIE: By going to a parade! We have the fabulous Mal's St. Paddy's Day Parade here in Jackson, MS every year, and it draws crowds of 30-40,000 people. It's amazing! And so much fun. It's like a Mardi Gras parade.