Author Spotlight - Excerpt from: Perilous Shadows

Perilous Shadows: (Historical Romantic Thriller, late-1940s --- Sweet romance, warm intimacy, sophisticated themes presented tastefully)

Pioneer newspaperwoman Kiera Devane is on a mission to prove a woman can do a man's job, as she hunts a young coed's killer? Ace radio broadcaster Argus Nye lost one love to a murderous fiend and his pulse races as he tries to protect Kiera from herself as much as from this killer.

Kiera was doted upon by loving parent, but they were killed when she was a girl and she was shipped off to live with a socialite aunt who had little time for her. In her aunt's house, she learned life could be cold and cruel. As a result, she grew up to be an independent and demanding professional woman.

Argus Nye, still bereft from the loss of his first love, can't understand why this female reporter is mesmerizing him. As she takes chances with her life trying to catch a killer, he's determined to protect her.


*****

Chapter One

Sanctuary Point
South Shore of Long Island, NY
Late August, 1947, early afternoon

It shouldn't be this hard to come up with something. Argus Nye sat in his chair and stared blankly through the doorway of his miniscule office into WSAN's empty hallway. He scratched his head and a sandy brown lock tinged with gray fell into his face. His hunt for a good local news story had come up empty, making him antsy. This wouldn't do. After all, he had to live up to his rep as the Scottish Scoop Sniffer.

With one swift movement of his legs, he shoved his chair away from the desk and it hit the back wall. The old wooden chair's wheels squeaked. One day he'd have to bring in a can of oil. The radio station sure wasn't going to get him a new chair. He stretched, rubbed his eyes, and stood.

He didn't want to center the broadcast around last night's auto fatality on the Southern State Parkway. An hour of that would get dry fast, if he could even stretch it to an hour. He could. He'd done it before.

His stomach growled. Might've been a good idea to have had more than coffee for breakfast. With a movement practiced over time, he jutted a hip out and his thigh skimmed the corner of his desk. Then he propelled himself through the narrow doorway. The leather bottoms of his wingtips clapped against the linoleum flooring all the way to the tiny kitchenette.

The aroma of fresh coffee enticing him, he marched toward the two-burner stove, where Jim Heaney stood. "Any coffee left?" Last thing he needed.

His boss had one hand on the chipped Formica countertop. The other held a black and white speckled enamel coffee pot. "Argus, you gave me a start. I was lost in thought." The large man put the pot down on the stove. "Grab a cup and help yourself." He opened the small refrigerator's door, and took out a bottle of milk.
"Not much left here."

"Go ahead. I take mine black with a wee drop o' sugar." Argus deadpanned and poured, tossed two heaping spoons of sugar into the dark liquid, and stirred.

Jim rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I think I knew that." The big man paced back and forth and took a swig.

"Something got you down?" Argus sipped, grimaced, and stirred in another spoon of sugar.

"Thanks for asking. I'm not sure I did the right thing bringing that coed from Adelphi Women's College in for the summer intern position."

"Clarissa? She's a perky little lassie." All pink frilly blouses and swirly skirts. "Now what's got you thinking it was wrong taking her on?"

"She has these big plans... aspirations of someday writing a gossip column, even having a radio show featuring celebrities with a few society pieces thrown in the mix."

Lars Kronen, a thin man with a large Adam's apple and bony hands, walked in, picked up the coffee pot, and shook it. "Empty. This always happens 'cause my farm report's after most folks' lunch, so the coffee's gone. I'll ask Anna to make another pot."

Argus took another swallow. "Clarissa's sure at the right college to make society contacts so she can move into a gossip show."

Lars banged the pot on the stove. "Women don't belong in radio."

Argus took another sip. "When Kiera Devane subbed for me last fall, the lass did a fine professional job. Come to think of it, didn't she also attend Adelphi College?"

"I hear that Devane woman would stab her grandmother for a story." Lars grunted, turned on his heel, and left.

"At least Kiera had some credible news experience behind her when she subbed for you. This girl has no such thing, but she's full of big ideas for herself." Jim ran his hand over a head of thick graying hair.

Argus laughed. "That's why Clarrisa's here in the summer intern position, to get experience. She'll sharpen pencils, go out for sandwiches, help Anna with little things. What kind of trouble can she get into?"

"I just don't want her parents blaming me for turning her into a Kiera Devane."

Argus chuckled. "Little chance of that, laddie. This one's all fluffy and cute, while by all accounts Kiera's ferocious and..."

Screams coming from the reception area pierced the air.

"It's Anna." Argus ran down the hallway with Jim on his heels.

As they raced past Lars' office, the farm reporter poked his long face out, Adam's apple bobbing. "Is that Anna? What's going on?"

Another shriek.

Argus pumped his arms to pick up his pace.

Author Bio:

Nike Chillemi has been called a crime fictionista due to her passion for crime fiction. She was an Inspy Awards 2010 judge in the Suspense/Thriller/Mystery category and a judge in the 2011 and 2012 Carol Awards in the suspense, mystery, and romantic suspense categories. She is the founding board member of the Grace Awards and its Chairman, a reader's choice awards for excellence in Christian fiction. She writes book reviews for The Christian Pulse online magazine. BURNING HEARTS is the first book in the crime wave that is sweeping the south shore of Long Island in The Sanctuary Point series, published by Desert Breeze. GOODBYE NOEL, the second book in the series released in December, 2011 won the Grace Award 2011 in the Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Thriller category. PERILOUS SHADOWS, the third in the series released in July, 2012. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers (Ning).



Nike Chillemi ~ Crime Fictionista http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/

Nike's latest release is: Perilous Shadows, Book 3 in the Sanctuary Point Series. You can find Nike's book here:

Desert Breeze Publishing. http://is.gd/2CY13PPurchase Links:

Amazon/Kindle. http://is.gd/W2Hm2N

Barnes and Noble/Nook. http://is.gd/RJF2zy

Author Spotlight - My Former Life as a Pet Rescuer by Nike Chillemi

In the early 1990s I felt a great burden for stray animals. Particularly pets who had been abandoned and thrown away by their owners. Almost immediately, through some church friends, I ran into a young woman who also had this burden on her heart. This was the confirmation I needed. The two of us began rescuing.

My new friend was great at adoption. She'd put signs up and sit at her phone talking to prospective adoptive pet owners. I set up a mini-shelter in my basement. I had a four foot square pen for an extremely large dog, or two smaller dogs that got along together. I had two large cages for small dogs or cats, and one small cage for a cat or kittens.

We did a lot of praying and a lot of chasing after animals in parks and alley-ways. But mostly other people found the pets and having heard of us, phoned asking if we had space for one more. Sadly, often we did not.

We did meet some resistance from "church folk" who admonished us that we should be rescuing unborn babies, not animals. Or at the very least work for the adoption of children. I recall telling one woman, "If we all do what God asks us to do, when He asks us to do it, it will all get done."

After about five riotous years with the cutest, funniest, most charming pets, my pet rescue friend's husband got ill and lost time from work and we had to stop. I later became a foster mom to two gorgeous sisters who eventually went back to their father. About a year after that my husband and I adopted three half-sisters who had been raised from infancy in foster care.

The photos included here are of the animals my husband and I kept…the less social ones, less adoptable ones. Of course people in the community who love animals have long memories and I still get calls to take in pets. Maybe that's why I presently have a house full of animals. We've even rescued baby squirrels fallen out of trees, kept them in a ferret cage, and released them back into the wilds of New York City.

Author Bio:
Nike Chillemi lives with her husband and very bright and beautiful high-school-age daughter in a borough of New York City on a protected wetland, not far from the Atlantic Ocean. Nike has to be near the ocean, which she loves. Nike's husband is a senior social worker supervisor at one of the "krazierst" NYC public hospitals substance abuse programs. If she needs info for her stories on the effects of a particular drug, she goes to him. She's met him after work at the hospital enough times to have personally seen drug crazed individuals brought in to the ER. This is all fodder for her stories.

Nike Chillemi ~ Crime Fictionista http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/

Nike's latest release is: Perilous Shadows, Book 3 in the Sanctuary Point Series. You can find Nike's book here:

Desert Breeze Publishing. http://is.gd/2CY13PPurchase Links:

Amazon/Kindle. http://is.gd/W2Hm2N

Barnes and Noble/Nook. http://is.gd/RJF2zy

Author Spotlight - The Right Balance When Writing A Whodunit By Nike Chillemi

I like a lot of action in my whodunits. Maybe that's why I loved THE LINCOLN LAWYER, the book and the movie. Well, truth be told, I went totally ga-ga for Matthew McConaughey. Then again, perhaps that's a discussion best saved for another time.
To satisfy my reading tastes a whodunit must have suspense, romance, action, and a dash of humor…in that order. Of course when the fellas write a mystery story they often whip up more action than romance. Some male mystery writers eliminate the romance all together. Those stories work and I enjoy reading them. But I'm a lady mystery writer and romance is part of what I do.

Since we're talking whodunits, suspense is the main element in the plotline and will have the greatest word count. The theory of mystery writing I subscribe to starts out with a dead body. The story opens with a crime scene which in real life is often chaotic. EMS, various law enforcement personnel, and sometimes the press are all doing their jobs at the same time. To depict this type of atmosphere accurately, the writer must maintain a high level of suspense from page one. To do that the pace must be kept up. The hunt for a killer has begun. Write in short spurts. Create snappy dialog. The trick is not to reveal too much, but just enough to keep the reader turning pages.

To my mind, once the suspense is taut and fast paced what is needed is romance to balance it out. I'll often write the romance scenes in prose that are more fluid than the staccato rhythm of my suspense and action scenes. However with strict adherence to my character's voice. My favorite murder mystery characters are uber-flawed. I like to create protagonists who desperately need love in their lives, but that's the last thing they want because they've been so badly hurt. Kiera Devane, pioneer newspaper woman and heroine in my historical psychological whodunit, PERILOUS SHADOWS, is just like that. Only love can heal her tortured soul, but she's afraid to let anyone get close to her. Of course all that changes when she meets ace radio broadcaster Argus Nye.

Next in the mix comes action. Many of us who write in the crime fiction genre do not tote a semi-automatic weapon or know how to engage in combat style martial arts. However, we'd best write as if we do. The writer has to do his/her homework. What is the proper police procedure for the situation your protagonist is in? Make sure to accurately describe a roundhouse kick and know what type of ammunition your heroine should be using in her Glock. At the murder scene or when facing down the bad guys is not the time to give the protagonist prolonged internal dialog or to have him/her wax philosophical. Your main characters are human and infallible. They don't have to win every fight. Still they can't be so badly injured that it would be unrealistic for them to carry on the investigation. I like to beat up my main characters. In my debut novel BURNING HEARTS, I pretty badly beat up Harley Davidson riding, WWII war-hero Lorne Kincade. I'm not sexist about this in the least. So, in GOODBYE NOEL, I beat up heroine Katrina Lenart. My main characters are in a struggle: right vs. wrong, good vs. evil, they are trying to avenge the murder of an innocent victim. As a Christian perhaps that's why I'm drawn to this genre.

I find humor is a great way to relieve tension. It can also slow down romance when needed. In real life detectives indulge in witty and even snarky banter to break tension. Some detectives and other law enforcement personnel in the story should do this as well, for the same reason.


Purchase Links:

Amazon/Kindle. http://is.gd/W2Hm2N

Barnes and Noble/Nook. http://is.gd/RJF2zy

Desert Breeze Publishing. http://is.gd/2CY13P

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Nike Chillemi

Steph: PERILOUS SHADOWS is book three in your Sanctuary Point series. It's slightly different than the first two. Tell us about that.

Nike: PERILOUS SHADOWS has a strong psychological theme. It's a whodunit plus romance, but this one gets into the psychology of the two main characters quite deeply, and also several of the subordinate characters. I took time in this story to delve into the interior lives of the characters and to show how their pasts impact the story. Several characters have something to hide in this story.

Steph: Your first two stories featured strong-minded, independent heroines. Do you follow suit in PERILOUS SHADOWS with Kiera Devane.

Nike: I'm chuckling to myself because Kiera Devane is feisty as all get out. As a pioneer woman newspaper reporter in the late 1940s, she's fighting her way to the top in a man career. She's headstrong, and isn't afraid to take on any of her male colleagues. She's tough as nails, but her feminine side shows through in her flair for fashion. She very carefully puts her "look" together. And she's always checking to see if the seams in her hose are straight.

Steph: You've been supportive of American Christian Fiction Authors (ACFA), a new group begun by Shawna Williams, an author here at Desert Breeze Publishing. Tell us about that.

Nike: Well I think you can never have too many writers groups. The industry is huge. Groups spring up to address needs. Shawna set up American Christian Fiction Authors (ACFA) as a place for Christian authors who kind of felt they were square pegs trying to fit into a round CBA hole. They might be writing steamy novels, or Christian horror, etc. It's my understanding that ACFA is not trying to compete with any other Christian fiction organization, but rather is there for authors who might not have found a good fit in another organization. I definitely support that. There's room for everyone.

Steph: You are the Chair of the Grace Awards and you've stated that the awards is going to expand. Tell us about that.

Nike: Well for one thing, the Grace Awards has publicly endorsed American Christian Fiction Authors and is going to function as a sister organization to ACFA. Grace Awards will soon have a Goodreads group and the Grace Awards Facebook group is getting more active. The latest thing to be added to the Grace Awards Facebook Group is a prayer chain. Anyone (writers, readers, editors, etc.) can go there and ask for prayer. I believe in cross pollinating, or cross promoting. I'm hoping those who belong to the Grace Facebook page will also join the Grace Goodreads group. I'd like to see both Grace Awards groups become active and grow. If anyone is interested in the Grace Awards Facebook group, here's the link. https://www.facebook.com/nike.chillemi#!/groups/228634957153779/


Steph: Getting back to PERILOUS SHADOWS, tell us something about the story.

Nike: Let me give a summation of the story.

Historical Romantic Thriller, late-1940s ~ Sweet romance, warm intimacy, sophisticated themes presented tastefully

Pioneer newspaperwoman Kiera Devane is on a mission to prove a woman can do a man's job, as she hunts a young coed's killer? Ace radio broadcaster Argus Nye lost one love to a murderous fiend and his pulse races as he tries to protect Kiera from herself as much as from this killer.

Kiera was doted upon by loving parent, but they were killed when she was a girl and she was shipped off to live with a socialite aunt who had little time for her. In her aunt's house, she learned life could be cold and cruel. As a result, she grew up to be an independent and demanding professional woman.

Argus Nye, still bereft from the loss of his first love, can't understand why this female reporter is mesmerizing him. As she takes chances with her life trying to catch a killer, he's determined to protect her.

Purchase Links:

Amazon/Kindle. http://is.gd/W2Hm2N

Barnes and Noble/Nook. http://is.gd/RJF2zy

Desert Breeze Publishing. http://is.gd/2CY13P

Author Spotlight - Things I Tell Myself Not To Do by Nike Chillemi

Stop carping! There, I've said it. I'm tired of hearing authors gripe about all their publisher is not doing for them. Hey, it's tough out there and unless I'm pulling down a six figure advance with Random House, I'm probably not going to get everything I'd like from my publisher. Actually, I'd like a limo sent to my door to take me everywhere I want to go. Now that's pure fiction…in the fantasy genre.

Revise, rewrite, tweek, and make it better. Listen to my critique group, listen to my best friend who read the work in progress, listen to my editor. But once the book has been released, let it go. Stop rewriting in my head and get on to the next project.
Take the work seriously, but don't take myself too seriously. I've come a long way since I wrote my first serious whodunit over six years ago. I keep the manuscript around just for a good laugh, it's that bad. I can see that my writing has improved and is improving…and hopefully that will keep on going that way.

Don't stop counting my blessings. There are any number of writers who would willingly change places with me. I really do believe in the American dream. With enough hard work, over time (and that's so key because it doesn't happen overnight) even I can be a great success. That doesn't mean I'll be on the New York Times Best Seller List. But it does mean that if I keep at it, keep honing my craft, and keep up with smart marketing I will garner a reader following.

Don't ever take my readers for granted. They don't have to shell out the bucks to buy my novels. I'm very aware of that and appreciative of them. Don't sell them short. They're smart people. Don't write down to them. Don't give them pabulum. Treat readers with the respect they deserve.

Nike Chillemi ~ Crime Fictionista http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/

Nike's latest release is: Perilous Shadows, Book 3 in the Sanctuary Point Series. You can find Nike's book here:

Desert Breeze Publishing. http://is.gd/2CY13PPurchase Links:

Amazon/Kindle. http://is.gd/W2Hm2N

Barnes and Noble/Nook. http://is.gd/RJF2zy

Author Spotlight - Love Stories Wrapped in Mystery and an excerpt from "Goodbye Noel"

Thanks so much for supporting Nike during her Spotlight Week. Leave a comment on ANY of Nike's posts and she'll choose a winner to receive a PDF copy of her novel. Winner will be announced next Monday, 27 FEB. Please leave your email addy in the post so we can get ahold of you.

Thanks,
Moderator Steph

********

Love Stories Wrapped in Mystery

By its very nature, writing Christian romance is a challenge. Traditional wisdom has it there are all kinds of unwritten and written rules outlining what can't go into the book. I usually disregard all of that.

And yet, I definitely want my story to fall squarely into the realm of Christian romance. To achieve that goal and still have a thrilling romance, I strive to write a love story rather than a romance. Does that make sense? I create a romance by writing a love story.

They say a romance must have a happy ever after ending. To me, a love story must go to the depths of the heart, to an everlasting love. A Christian love story must go to the marriage altar and beyond...all the way to heaven.

And since I write romantic thrillers, my aim is to write a love story that is central and intertwined with the mystery story. I've been told I did exactly that in GOODBYE NOEL, the second story in my Sanctuary Point series. Katrina Lenart and Detective Ian Daltry have such a deep love they have no secrets from each other. As the story progresses they bare their souls to each other in the most intimate manner, totally exposing themselves and their vulnerabilities. And of course, they have great desire for each other in every way.

So, what makes this novel a love story? Well you can have romance without love and love without romance, but what makes a story exciting is when you have them both. GOODBYE NOEL definitely has both.


**********


BLURB:
The first body is found under a trimmed Christmas tree, the second as they ring in the New Year (1947), the third goes head long out a window. Will a young pediatric nurse determined to make it on her own be able to care for an infant whose mother was murdered and escape the killer who has struck again? Can she trust the stalwart village detective with her life and her heart as he works to catch this killer before somebody else dies?

Pediatric nurse, Katrina Lenart, grew up strong willed and independent minded, while sharing her mother's flair for high fashion. When the police chief gives her an orphaned baby to care for, her maternal instincts take over and she's willing to fight anyone who might not have the infant's best interests at heart, even the man she's growing to love. After an attempt is made to kidnap the baby, she and the resolute village detective team up and do some sleuthing, undercover at a cult as well as at a fancy ball.

Detective Ian Daltry is a widower with a child and is not interested in a new love. Hunting a killer who stops at nothing has placed him in the position where he must protect a beautiful young woman he's drawn to. Is there's something he's overlooked in analyzing the case? Will he find out what that is before this ruthless murderer kills someone he loves?

*******


Excerpt:
Chapt 5, scene 1
Long Island, New York
Late December, 1946

Katrina wanted to throw Detective Daltry into a snow bank. The nerve of him, barging into their house twice in two days, demanding she bundle the baby up and take him into the cold. How could that man not recall their harrowing, nighttime drive through the storm of the decade? She tossed her hair back over her shoulder, and with great difficulty held her tongue.

Momma apparently had no such reservations. "Detective, what you are doing is very wrong."

Katrina came up beside her mother, to show a united front. "This is outrageous." Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. She hated the tone of her voice, but this baby wasn't a ping-pong ball to be batted back and forth as the detective moved forward with his murder case.

He ignored her and continued addressing her mother.

"I'm sorry, ma'am." He removed his fedora. "Chief Ferguson has already made the necessary phone calls and arrangements have been made. I must take Leslie Janos Bauer with me to the home of his aunt in Bay Shore. The chief would prefer your daughter come along in an official capacity as a nurse. It's up to her, but I have to take the baby."

Momma's face flushed beet-red, a sure sign she'd become enraged. "This is not good for him… this hustle from place to place."

"With all due respect, ma'am, a child belongs with his family, if at all possible." The detective took a step toward Katrina. "Now, will you please fetch the baby." It wasn't a request.

Katrina made sure she stood tall. "Yes, I'll get Leslie." She clenched her fists at her side and jutted her chin. "This is disgraceful.
You are using this infant to solve your murder case. Perhaps your own tragic life experience clouds your judgment?"

His mouth fell open and he took a step back.

"If you have it within your heart, give me one minute. I'll get him ready and get my coat and boots on." Without giving him a chance to reply, Katrina turned and stormed up the stairs.

Leslie lay sleeping in the baby-doll cradle Poppa had made for her when she was a little girl. Poppa had that kind of talent. He could make anything. In her heart she knew, he'd figured it would be her baby's bassinet. At least now, it had a real purpose.
She ran a finger over the hand carved leaves in the headboard.

"Milachku, time to wake up." She took the infant into her arms inhaling the smell of baby, sweeter than the most expensive imported perfume.

Leslie yawned and she snuggled her nose in the soft folds of skin between his head and shoulder, kissing his neck. He cooed, so safe in her arms.

She brought him to her heart, holding him, rocking him and spoke softly to her reflection in the mirror above her bureau. "Fat chance I'll ever walk down the aisle or have a family of my own with the man shortage since the war." Something deep in the core of her female-self rebelled, a throbbing turbulence, from which deep hunger erupted.

She stroked Leslie's cheek and made a funny face. The softness of his skin melted her heart.

He smiled at her and kicked.

"I'm so sorry. I promised I'd protect you and I can't." She forced a smile and made clucking noises.

He grabbed her hair and yanked.

"Ouch." She laughed, removing strands of her hair from his little fist.

A tear escaped and ran down the side of her cheek. "I can do this." She lifted her chin, sucked in a long breath, wrapped Leslie in a heavy quilt, and picked up his tote bag.

Nike Chillemi ~ Crime Fictionista http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/


Goodbye Noel (Desert Breeze) ~ Winter themed (1946/47)
---murder, mayhem, an orphaned infant, kidnap and romance. Can Katrina Lenart and Det. Ian Daltry catch a kller before he strikes again?


Burning Hearts (Desert Breeze) ~ Historical Romantic Thriller
---arson/murder and romance. Can Erica Brogna and Lorne Kincaid catch a wanton killer and thwart those who are trying to frame Lorne for the crime?

Author Spotlight - Get a Clue with Nike Chillemi

One of the things I've been told about the second book in my Sanctuary Point series, GOODBYE NOEL is that readers could not tell who the killer was until the very end. For some it was a real surprise. Yippee! That's exactly what I hoped to achieve.

I love to put up red herrings, but they have to be plausible suspects. The reader has to think, yes that one might be the killer. I also subscribe to the classic British theory of murder mystery writing. The killer must be introduced in the first quarter of the book. I can't stand it if I'm reading a mystery and the killer drops in out of the clear blue sky at the very end. I'd never do that. The second part of ye olde British theory is that the clues have to add up, not only for the real killer, but also for the red herrings.



I hate namby-pamby killers. What I want to see is a three-dimensional killer. When they've followed the clues and get to the end and are presented with the killer, I'd like my reader to feel that all along they've had a good idea of what types of food the killer eats, or hobby the villain might enjoy, or what book might be chosen for bedtime reading, if the murderer enjoys reading.

I worked hard on the killer in GOODBYE NOEL and I think although most won't have a clue until they get to the end, when they do reach the end of the story all the clues will add up.

Author Spotlight - Characte look at Katrina from "Goodbye Noel"

One of the best things about writing the character of Katrina Lenart in GOODBYE NOEL, the second in the Sanctuary Point series, is that I never knew what to expect. She was the type of character that sort of rewrote things if they didn't suit her. She's feisty, competent, beautiful, and she made sure she was smack in the middle of Detective Ian Daltry's murder investigation. One of the most fun scenes to write is when Katrina insists on going along with Ian to the weekly meeting of a group called The Children of Wisdom, a cult who may have been hiding the killer. As it turned out this was a scene that wrote itself with unexpected moments of humor. It opens when a woman in a red skating outfit is knocked down at an outdoor rink and Katrina and Ian come to her assistance.



Here's an excerpt from chapter twenty-four of GOOBYE NOEL.

Ian pumped his arms, rushing to help, but Katrina reached the lady first and knelt beside her. "Are you all right?"

This didn't surprise him. Katrina could skate rings around him. He stifled a smile on behalf of the woman.

Katrina smoothed an errant piece of hair out of the woman's face. "You went down pretty hard."

The little boy whirled around, making a tight turn and came back. "Sorry."

The skater smiled. "I'm fine, really. Accidents happen. No harm done."

She couldn't weigh more than a hundred pounds. Ian bent to help her up, hoping he wouldn't topple over on her. "Give me your hand."

The woman accepted his help and rose to her feet. A gold pendant on a chain slippedfrom beneath her neckline. The Egyptian all-seeing eye with rays emanating from it. Verysimilar to the tattoo on Red's arm.

Ian blinked. "What an interesting medallion."

Once upright on her skates, the woman held the piece up for him. "I'm rather fond of it."

He kept his voice neutral. "I've never seen a piece of jewelry like it."

The woman beamed. "It is compelling, isn't it?"

Katrina leaned toward the piece. "Does it come with a story?"

Ian bit back a smile. She should've been a detective.

"Well." The woman moistened crimson lips and excitement flashed in her eyes. "Since you asked, as a matter of fact, it does."
She paused and enthusiasm fought with caution in hergaze.

Drawing upon years of experience in getting people to talk, Ian pulled away from her slightly. It was a tactic he used when people wanted to tell all, but something stopped them.

She took a long breath through her thin nose. Her passionate interest in the story won the battle Ian read in her eyes. "Have you ever heard of the Descended Masters?"

Ian shook his head. "No, can't say that I have. What are they?"

"Who, actually. They are people of great wisdom. There are only four in all the earth. Here in Rockville Center we're blessed to have two Descended Masters living among us."

Katrina shot him a look and arched an eyebrow slightly.

Ian gave the woman a courteous smile. "I certainly can see how that would be a huge deal."

Katrina shot him another look, this one more urgent. He moved toward her, took her hand, and gently applied pressure mashing her fingers together. She surreptitiously maneuvered her hand and pressed back against his fingers, her facial expression now placid, but her gaze boring into him.

The woman waved her black-leather gloved hand in an arc. "I'm Madeline Edwards. Would you and your wife like to learn more about the Descended Masters?"

"That would be very interesting. Yes, I would like to." He turned toward Katrina and frowned. "But, I'm afraid my..."

Katrina threw Madeline a huge smile. "I'd love to. We'd both love to." She slanted her head toward him. "Wouldn't we, dear?"

He was going to have to kill her later. "Yes, we'd both love to. Is that the name of a group? The Descended Masters."

Madeline chuckled, as if she were speaking to beings of a lower form of intelligence. "No, no." She chuckled again, softer this time. "We call ourselves Children of Wisdom. The Descended Masters are our leaders."

Katrina nodded with solemnity. "This is all so very interesting. We're so lucky to have met you."

"Yes, it's fascinating actually and providential." Madeline eased closer and lowered her voice. "As a matter of fact we're having our weekly meeting tonight. Would you like to be my guests?"

"I would." Ian closed his fingers around Katrina's hand with some pressure. "But I'mquite sure the little woman here has another obligation this evening."

Katrina offered a demure smile and crushed his fingers with full force. "Nothing of great importance. I'd love to come along. A person should always try to gain enlightenment. Don't you think so, Madeline?"

He steeled himself against the pain in his fingers and nodded. He was definitely going to kill her.

Madeline's eyes glistened. "Why, yes, I do."

Ian cleared his throat. "By the way, I'm Ian." He avoided Katrina's insistent gaze.

Katrina knitted her brows. "I'm Katrina, but Madeline, I must clear something up for you."

"Oh?" Madeline withdrew into herself.

Katrina took the woman's hand. "We're not married yet."

"You're engaged. How exciting." High color flushed Madeline's cheeks, and she clapped her hands. "Tonight is going to be perfect. I can't wait."

Katrina raised her knee to relieve pressure on her injured ankle and then lowered it. "Where should we go? What time should we be there?"

Madeline fished in the jacket pocket of her skating outfit and came out with a dog-eared card. She handed it to Ian. "The meeting starts at eight o'clock sharp."

Ian gritted his teeth and took the card. It had a sketch of the Egyptian eye on one side. On the other side was an address. He glanced at Katrina, who stood there with a sly smile on her face. He forced the corners of his mouth to turn upward. "This is my lucky day."

Author Spotlight - May Williams shares her favorite film

As I mentioned in the Q and A from Monday, I love vintage film so I thought I would talk about one of my favorites today. The film that I could watch over and over is Desk Set (1957). This film from 20th Century Fox stars Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. I don't think there has even been a Hollywood couple with more chemistry than these two.

In the movie, Hepburn (ironically named Bunny) works in the research department of a major TV network. Tracy plays one of the first computer experts who is supposed to be designing a computer to do the work of the research department. As he finds out (and we already know here in the 21st century), the computer can only do so much. People have more value and more knowledge than machines. In the process of figuring this out, Hepburn and Tracy fall in love.

Although I enjoy the spunk of Hepburn in all of her films, I think she is particularly savvy and witty in Desk Set. The three ladies she works with are equally smart plus they all wear some fabulous 1950s dresses. My favorite scene is the Christmas party that roams through the different departments at the network. I've never been to a party quite like that, but it sure looks like fun.

Author Spotlight -Excerpt from Redemption For the Devil

Jillian has offerd to share this excerpt with us from "Redemption for the Devil." She's also giving away a cruise magnet and a copy of the ebook. One winner will receive the ebook, the other the cruise magnet. Leave a comment on any post over the course of Jillian's week on the blog with your email address. Winners will be announced here on the blog and on the Desert Breeze Connections Loop on the following Monday, 1 August.
Smiles!
Moderator Steph

**********

The two men Rena talked about noticed them and crossed the floor to where Peg and Rena stood. The taller one said, "I'm Devlin Cosgrove and this is me mate, Liam Cormac. And you ladies are..."

"Ooh, Peg, they's from your homeland. Hear that accent?" Rena said with glee.

Peg made eye contact with the two men. "Where do ye live?"

Devlin sketched a bow. "We hail from Dublin, Miss Peg. You?"

She said, "Cork."

Liam lifted one eyebrow and said, with a leer, "Let me guess. Your friend called you Peg. But you're really Miss Mary Margaret Whatever, nice Irish Catholic girl, go by Peg to seem informal but wouldn't open your legs for a man without a wedding ring, right? That sum it up?"

Peg gasped, stunned that a man she'd just met made such a statement. She wasn't so shocked as to be paralyzed, though, and she smacked him across the mouth, the sound carrying a bit even in the loud room. "How rude you are. You're not a nice man."

"Never said I was, did I ma'am? I can tell by the dress you have on, the thick stockings and the long hair braided on top of your head that you're wound tighter than the ropes holding this ship to its berth. I've been around the Catholics enough to know how rigid the women can be. Good luck to the man that tries to pull your dress over your head." With that last comment, Liam bowed at them, stalked off across the room and straight to a girl with bobbed hair and in a flapper-style dress.

"Well, Gor! What an ass your friend is," Rena said to Devlin.

Devlin said, "Ignore him, he's a bit uncouth. He's back in society after a three or four year break. Forgot how to talk to women. Especially the Catholic ones, Protestant yob that he is."

"Was he in prison?" Rena asked in a whisper.

"Not for me to say," Devlin replied with a shrug. "Now, what's your name?"

"I'm Rena Comstock."

"Rena, will you dance with me?" asked Devlin.

"Sure I'll dance. I love the Charleston." She turned to Peg. "You don't mind, do ye?"

"No," Peg said. "Go, have fun."

Peg headed to the bar and ordered a straight Paddy's Irish whisky, neat. She leaned on the wall near the bar to enjoy the drink. Taking a deep breath, she savored the smell of the liquor. Her da's favorite brand.

As she savored her first sip of the elixir, Liam walked over. "You must really be from Cork to be drinking Paddy Flaherty's whisky. Straight." He indicated her glass. "It'll grow hair on your chest."

"Did ya think I was lying about where I lived?" Peg snarled at the man she'd smacked just a few minutes prior, stunned at his audacity in approaching her again. Her hand itched to make contact with his face again.

"Can't trust many folks these days, Mary Margaret."

"Why are you here? You dismissed me as not worth your time. Why are you talking to me now?"

"I merely came over for a refill, Mary Margaret. Can't I be neighborly while I wait for my drink?" He leaned his elbows on the bar.

Author Spotlight - Jillian Chantel talks about her favorite authors

My favorite writers are an eclectic grouping. Kind of. There's an underlying theme but it may be hard to fathom at first glance. There are four writers that are on my must-buy list. Most of them have been favorites for a very long time- most dating back to the 1980s.

My absolute first love favorite is Martha Grimes. She has been writing her series of mysteries named after British Pubs since the 1980s. Her hero and his best friend are solid, nice guys that I'd love to share a pint with at any pub on Earth. Their lives are peppered with lots of quirky, oddball characters that are so endearing, it's criminal. These mysteries are interesting and fun.

My second favorite writer is Dean Koontz. Back in the early days, he was much more about horror, but he was also always about good overcoming evil. As he's gotten older, he's toned down the gore but he's ramped up the evil. His antagonists are extremely clever and downright satanic. But there's always a message of faith and hope in his books. That makes me want to read them to watch the protagonist outwit the force of evil. And it doesn't hurt that Dean is a master of witty dialogue. His characters always face their trials with good humor.

Thirdly, I love to read John Sanford. He has a couple of series going and they are excellent. These stories are more gritty and edgy. The main characters are in law enforcement and solve complicated crimes all while bantering with each other.

The last author I have on my must-buy list is Harlan Coben. I've been reading him since his first release and he gets better and better with each book. And, again, witty repartee between his characters.

So, the thing that ties these authors together in my mind is their wit and great dialogue. It doesn't hurt that they have elements of crime in the stories as well. These are also big draws for me.

Author Spotlight - Jillian Chantel talks about her favorite movies

My favorite movie is a tough question, really almost impossible to answer. I'm an avid film buff and I adore all the old ones the most. I'm a huge Hitchcock fan as well as a Cary Grant fan. The films they made together almost make me swoon in bliss. I also love the Thin Man movies and any of the other 1930s screwball comedies. The fast pace of the dialogue makes me grin like the Cheshire cat standing on his head. It's such fun to watch those actors play verbal ping pong. I like to try to write snappy dialogue like that.

I also adore period movies, like Sense and Sensibility and Emma. The imagery and scenery are always outstanding, to say nothing of the houses and clothes.

And who doesn't love Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro and all their tough guy movies? Both of these guys have gritty down pat. One of the hottest movie scenes ever is in Sea of Love with Pacino. He's very versatile and I never tire of watching him.

Movies are actually my muse, I believe. I'm what's called an auditory learner and learn best by hearing things. Listening to dialogue in movies makes me feel inspired to write my own, so to choose a favorite is very hard for me.

I think if you held my feet to the fire and I had to pick, it would be Notorious with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. It's definitely one that bucks the romance genre- the heroine marries the bad guy. And Claude Rains plays the role to perfection. It's a toe-tingling, dark movie and I recommend it highly- very atmospheric.

Author Spotlight - Jillian Chantel talks about her passion for writing

I write both contemporary and historical fiction. I love history and always have. Many have called me a history buff and I'm almost unbeatable at Trivial Pursuit in that category. I have tons of knowledge in the old noggin about all kinds of different eras.

When I first started writing, I focused on contemporary because I'd heard horror stories of the "historical police" coming after writers that used the wrong phrases, improper slang and even the incorrect kind of underwear for the heroine. It made me quake in my lace-up Victorian boots and I vowed never to take on that challenge and be hauled off to whatever hoosegow was waiting for research-poor writers or even writers that knew the era, but were a little less careful than they should be.

So, I moved along in my happy little contemporary world, spicing up my stories with things I learned as a lawyer and hanging around with cops and US Marshals, which is a fun job if you can get it. I was blissful and content in this little cocoon I built around myself.

Enter Liam Cormac, an Irish devil with a sneer, a nice strong thigh (one of my weaknesses) and a wicked grin (when he chooses to use it). He wouldn't take no for an answer and there I was, in the middle of writing a historical. I glanced around my room, looking for those other police, the ones that aren't as fun to hang with as my buds in my legal job. Uh-oh. Was that one over in the corner? Whew, no. It's just the pesky cat wanting to be fed.

Anyway, if you need me, I'm hiding in the closet. Let me know when it's safe to come out.

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Jillian Chantel

STEPH: I don't know much about Redemption for the Devil. Can you tell me a little more about it?

JILLIAN: It’s a story, based in 1920s Ireland, of a young man who thinks he has nothing left to live for once his family disowns him for his role in the fight for Irish freedom from the English. He undertakes what amounts to a suicide mission and meets the heroine. Once he meets her, he's torn between his duty and his desires.

STEPH: How long did it take to write?

JILLIAN: The first draft took 21 days. It was my NaNoWriMo book for 2009. The edits took longer, of course. The hero in this story came into my head in October 2009 and said, "My name is Liam Cormac and you are going to tell my story." This is very much Liam's book.

STEPH: Did you do a lot of research for the novel?

JILLIAN: Not per se. Having both an Irish and English background, I love this period of history and have several books about Michael Collins and the fight for Irish Freedom. Since I read the biographies and history books, I had a lot of the knowledge in my head already. I've been blessed with a great memory for details and things I've been exposed to; therefore, the research required for the story was just a refreshing of my recollection. I was very wrong about one thing- that was when the Empire State building was constructed so I had to find another New York landmark for the hero to see under construction. Fact checking is very important.

STEPH: Where did the inspiration for the story come from?

JILLIAN: I think it was all the information I have in my head from loving this era on top of that pesky Liam not leaving me alone. He really wanted his tale to be told.

STEPH: If your story was going to be made into a movie, who would you cast as the leads?


JILLIAN: That's tough because the people I would cast are older and not even of the same generation as each other. LOL. I had a young Alan Rickman in my head as Liam and Maureen O'Hara as she was in The Quiet Man as Peg. I think I better leave the casting to Hollywood.

STEPH: OMGOSH! I ****LOVE**** Alan Rickman as an actor. I'm sooooo there!!


STEPH: What is the theme of the novel?

JILLIAN: The theme is definitely redemption and forgiveness. Mostly forgiveness of self. This is definitely Liam's journey to forgive himself for something he perceives as a wrong when he was a young man and how he learns to cope with that and feel redeemed in his own eyes.

STEPH: What do you want readers to take away from the novel when they finish it?

JILLIAN: I think I would like them to take away a feeling that it's never too late to make something worthwhile of your life. And I also hope they take away a feeling of love for this story. It was such a pleasure to write and I hope people enjoy the journey with these characters.

Young Alan Rickman
STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one?

JILLIAN: I have the Kindle App for my Ipad and Ipod, Ibook apps and I have the Sony reader as well.

STEPH: What's the last movie you saw?

JILLIAN: Midnight in Paris

STEPH: What's your writing space like?

JILLIAN: I write in the living room. I started writing when my kids were little and I can't write in the quiet. I have to have noise so in the living room works for me. If it gets too crazy, I put on headphones and listen to music..

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booktrailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izodnXeyzDI