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 - Except from "Deadly Revenge"

Thanks so much for supporting Nancy during her spotlight week. Leave a comment on this post today, Saturday, and Sunday and I'll pick a winner on Monday to receive a PDF copy of Nancy's novel, Deadly Revenge. Don't forget to leave your email and contact info. Enjoy this excerpt. Moderator Steph

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BLURB:
After Culinary Herb Gardener Ada Blaine loses the love of her life, she avoids men and spends years turning a beloved hobby into a thriving business. Former Marine Rich McConnell left behind a nasty divorce and traded a promising military career for a hardware store with no complications. He discovers he can't keep his hands off the elusive gardener, and her determination to remain independent falters when the ever-charming Rich weakens the wall Ada's built around her heart. Then just as late-in-life second-chance love seems possible, Ada is threatened by a sniper's bullet, and Rich's past comes back to haunt him.

Find me on the web at www.nancykayauthor.com

EXCERPT – Deadly Revenge

"What's on your mind today, Rich? You seem fidgety. On second thought, we'll both have tea. Coffee might just make you jump out of your boots." The storm door bounced shut behind her.

Rich squinted into the sun topping the trees along the lakeshore. Best to quit thinking about what he'd like to jump out of, and it sure as hell wasn't his boots.

Months ago the bottom dropped out of his comfortable, predictable world when Ada strolled into Tom and Mary McGraw's annual Christmas Eve gathering. Damn. He'd known Ada for years and always pictured her as trim, and... well, sturdy.

That night she'd looked sleek, all curvy in some kind of clingy getup. Not her usual chinos and denim. Plus, she'd done something to her eyes that made her look drop dead gorgeous. Hell, he'd never noticed her eyes before. Nor had he gawked at her extremely attractive backside. This morning while watching her pull weeds his gawking had gotten him in deep shit.

The door creaked open. Ada returned, carrying a tray. "Here." She moved forward. "I'll set our tea on the table against the wall and--"

The tray flew apart like an exploding grenade!

Scalding hot liquid stung his face, and thick cream arced like a fireworks display. Cups, saucers, and teapot crashed to the floor. In one fluid move, Rich pushed off the steps.

Frozen, Ada was staring at what remained of the tray in her hands when he slammed into her. He twisted, taking the impact as they hit the floor. Together they rolled across the porch and crashed into the wall of the cottage. Pinned beneath him, she lay motionless.

"Are you hit?" Rich scanned the woods north of the cabin. He ran a quick assessing hand over her body.

"No... I mean, hit? What are you talking about? You hit me," she accused in a tense whisper, and began to struggle.

"Lie still." He ordered, blood pounding in his ears. His words halted her frantic efforts. He laid a hand on her cheek and turned her head, forcing her to look at him. "That was rifle fire."

Like a snared rabbit, her eyes grew wide.

"Don't move, Ada," he repeated, softening his tone. "We're protected here, and I've got to find out what the hell is going on before we stand up like targets."

Author Spotlight - Nancy Kay dishes up a recipe for a cover

When I type ‘The End’, it means words floating around in my head have come together to create a story. Doing so is equivalent to the oven timer signaling ‘done’ for a carefully crafted dish. Suspense, a touch of mystery, and a generous dash of romance combined for readers to enjoy. Previously I mentioned the where of cover images, but what about the how?

Upon completing ‘Deadly Revenge’ - the second in my Deadly Triad series - I wanted my cover to entice readers, to send a message, to provide that subtle hint. So, I sent Jenifer Ranieri, a multi talented lady who designs covers at Desert Breeze Publishing, several turbulent lake photos taken by my husband, a better than average photographer. I thought a male silhouette holding an M14 rifle beside the crashing lake would send a strong message about my story.

Jenifer tweaked the lake scene, admirably so, but the man holding the gun just wasn’t working. The M14 is a sleek-barreled weapon with a gracefully curved wooden stock. The inserted silhouette grasped a heavy, scope laden weapon with a super large ammunition clip and looked like he had on a helmet. I shot off a stock photo of an M14 which resulted in a passable weapon, but the shooter image still lacked conviction to me.

A hurried call and a quick trip across town to Bob’s Gunshop and Indoor Range followed. Former Marine, now photo bug husband, was thrilled to get his hands on an authentic M14. The gun shop owner, another former Marine, was ready and willing to help. He switched out the ammo clip for one I preferred and provided the perfect spot by an open window to take pictures. The lighting was just right to catch the image, and after a few adjustments to his digital camera, my husband handed the camera to me and became a Romance Novel Model!

A couple of pictures and a great cover artist. A recipe I’ll share for a fantastic romance novel cover!

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-254/Deadly-Triad-Book-Two/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Nancy Kay talks about Romance Novel Covers

When I write there are pictures in my head, vivid pictures of characters, locations or scenes. Upon completion, I must provide information for a vital document used to help create a cover to match the story - The Cover Art Input Sheet. I want my covers to reflect what readers will find inside, a hint of what they’ll discover between the pages. Covers help readers match their personal taste to a story, or, an intriguing visual will entice them to try something new and different.

My stories take place in and around the Great Lakes, a perfect ever-changing backdrop for mystery, suspense and, most important, love and romance. A turbulent lake can evoke fear and drama, or wild passion. The setting sun creates an atmosphere of intriguing romance, or the coming of darkness.



Since I live amidst rolling grape vineyards within walking distance of Lake Erie, I find it natural to transfer my love of these surroundings onto pages, while creating characters that come to love the beauty or fear the threat I create around them.

Using the lake to provide a background on my covers puts the reader into the scene, the location where the story will take place. Then add that subtle hint, a reflection on the water coupled with a shadowy figure for Deadly Reflection, and a turbulent lake behind the outline of a weapon for Deadly Revenge.

The final book in the series, Deadly Encounter, takes place in winter. Mother Nature’s wrath will play an important role as waves crashing on the shore become ice dunes. Sculptures that are breathtakingly beautiful, while at the same time, Deadly.

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-254/Deadly-Triad-Book-Two/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Toni Noel talks about the many faces of love

Poets believe love makes the world go round, but that's too broad a premise for the novel I have in mind. I'm looking for a suitable premise for a Valentine's Day novel I hope to have published next year, so I turned to the bestselling book of all time, the Bible, for inspiration.

In First Corinthians, Chapter 13, starting with verse 4 I found inspiration for more ways to show love than I have room to list here. For instance:

'Love is patient and kind.'

I immediately pictured a young mother in the park, caring for her children, the youngest crying over a skinned knee, while at home her mother bathes her bedridden husband of sixty years.

Or a kindergarten teacher consoling the son of a fallen Marine.

And how about the mother of triplets spoon-feeding her brood. These are all excellent examples of kindness and patience, but those images didn't inspire a plot for a story that will jump off the page.

I read further.

'Love does not insist on its own way.'

A headstrong companion does, however, perhaps the first indication of a relationship on the rocks. When you truly love someone, there's an easy give and take, not a struggle for supremacy. I pictured a macho lover slapping around his mate while a toddler crouched in the corner, afraid to move, not the kind of story I want to tell.

'Love is not jealous or boastful.'

Another indication a relationship is in trouble. To truly love a mate is to give your companion room to grow. The man who boasts of his prowess in the bedroom is too dependent on the adulation of his peers. That's not the kind of hero I like to read about and I'm not anxious to write about him either.

'Love is not arrogant or rude.'

Someone who truly loves you does not put you down in public or symbolically step on your toes, hogging the conversation, or declare you don't know what you're talking about loud enough for friends or family to hear. It would be far too easy to nail this character to the page in just a few words, but that novel would only be about a page and a half long, and I doubt anyone would read that far.

'Love does not insist on its own way.'

How about the husband who tells you what to wear? The date constantly suggesting you change the way you wear your hair? These relationships are headed for heartache down the road, definitely not the kind of relationships I want to write about.

'Love bears all things.'

There are certain things a character may be certain he or she cannot bear: a child's lies, the running away of a child, an adult offspring on drugs. Infidelity. Now I'm getting somewhere, that's four possible story ideas right there.

'Love believes all things.'

... Even the things the heroine knows in her heart are not true. What if the character wants them to be true because she loves the one telling the lies. 'No, I didn't bite my sister.' 'My fifteen-year-old is still a virgin.' 'No, I didn't put that scratch on Dad's new car.' 'No, I am not having an affair.' Love blinds a character to another character's faults. This premise has merit. I might give it a try.

'Love hopes all things.'

Love forces us to hope when there is no hope. The week before a friend with terminal lung cancer died his wife said, "We can still hope."

Are good causes ever really hopeless?

Can this marriage be saved?

Will law enforcement officers find the lost child in time?

Is global warming reversible?

Can Japanese scientists find a way to stop that nuclear reactor from melting down?

If this blog has caused you to stop and think, please comment.

Did any of these verses give you a new idea?

What kind of love do you like to write about?

Which kind of love warms your heart? Fills you with joy? Brings you to tears?

Your comment might help some other writer see where her character has gone astray.