Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Hunting Colton’s Witness by Anna J. Stewart

Book Description

It’s his duty to protect her…

But falling in love isn’t part of the job

Vivian Maylor is Detective Nate Colton’s key witness—and the most enticing woman he’s ever met. His determination to keep their relationship purely professional falls apart after an attempt on her life almost succeeds. With help from his newfound Colton family, Nate should be able to keep Vivian safe. But when he finds out Vivian might have a connection to a bigger case, the attempts on her life become more frequent. Will Nate get the chance to protect Vivian so they can explore more than their instant attraction? 

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Elise’s Thoughts

Hunting Colton’s Witness by Ann J. Stewart is part of a series where each book has different stories written by different authors. In this book, the heroine Vivian Maylor, becomes Detective Nate Colton’s key witness. He is attracted to her from the get-go. His determination to keep their relationship purely professional falls apart after an attempt on her life almost succeeds. With help from his newfound Colton family, Nate is hoping to keep Vivian safe. But when he finds out Vivian might have a connection to a bigger case, the attempts on her life become more frequent. The intensity ratchets up with both the mystery and with their relationship.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Regarding Hunting Colton’s Witness how did you get the idea for the story?

Anna J. Stewart: The idea came from Harlequin. As this is part of the ongoing Colton series for the Romantic Suspense line, they come up with the stories and characters, send me a synopsis/outline of it and then I put my twist, voice, and words to it. One of the reasons I love writing for this series is that I never know what kind of characters I’ll get or the type of story. It’s a nice surprise and a great way to shake up my storytelling abilities.

EC: Is this the last Colton book in the series?

AJS: Oh, no. There are 12 in this series all together, and I’m book 8. They each stand alone, but they each also carry through various threads regarding an over-arching plot or family element. So, there will be 4 more after mine (and 7 before, I think. (If my math is correct, LOL). I don’t imagine Harlequin will end the Colton’s any time soon. The fans of these books are numerous and devoted!

EC: How would you describe Vivian?

AJS: She’s a loner and very nervous. Being outside her comfort zone, which happens to be her home, is not her happy place. She does have a surprising sense of humor, but I think that’s more my influence, LOL. She’s learning how to cope better, I think, and pushing herself to take chances, which is how she ends up on a blind date in the first place. But of course, that doesn’t go well, and she ends up in an unexpected and rather dangerous adventure. She ended up growing a lot during her story and proving to herself she can handle a lot more than she ever thought she could.

EC:  How did her parent’s death in a car accident affect her?

AJS: I think that one event changed the trajectory of her life. Trauma like that tends to affect everything that comes after. It’s why she doesn’t like to drive, and only does it when she must. She’s not fatalistic per say, but she’s also one who tends to worry the worst is going to happen. Her journey is to accept that the worse can happen and everything will still turn out okay. So, while that one event impacted her life, by the end of the book, she’s come through something in a way that removes that dread she’s carried with her since the accident.

EC: How would you describe Nate?

AJS: Protective, practical, realist, over achiever, and charming. First, I think it’s inherent in all the Colton heroes and secondly, as a cop, good cops at least, have that level of compassion that makes them good at their jobs. At least the cops I write about. I’m not sure he’d consider himself charming, which by default means he is. He’s good at what he does and there’s a confidence that comes with that self-assuredness that is incredibly appealing. The protective instinct he carries comes from his background with a complicated family dynamic, so I think in a lot of ways it goes into overdrive where Vivian is concerned. It’s literally one of those things where the instant he sees her, he knows life isn’t going to be the same. Those are the most fun stories to write.

EC: How would you describe the relationship between them?

AJS: Respectful. I think that’s at the heart of their relationship. She’s not typical of the heroines I tend to write. She’s less confident and more insular and isolated by choice. But Nate never tries to change her. He accepts her as she is without question. That’s incredibly powerful and a good sign for a successful relationship. From Vivian’s point of view, I think Nate destroys all her misconceptions about relationships. He teaches her that it’s okay to put your heart on the line, even if you think it might get broken in the end. He makes her stronger and she makes him happy.

EC: How would you describe Nate’s sister Lizzy?

AJS: I think Lizzy is still coming off the trauma of what happened to her (read Deborah Fletcher Mello’s Colton’s Secret Hideout for Lizzy’s story). She’s stressed and anxious and probably dealing with PTSD, but all of that is tempered by her found relationship with Ajay. In some ways I think she becomes overprotective of Vivian because of that, but she’s also happy that Nate and Vivian have found each other however the circumstances unfolded. Like all the Coltons, Lizzy is all about family first, which is another reason I love writing these books.

EC:  How has her trauma affected her?

AJS: As I stated above, I think it’s made Lizzy more aware of how people’s lives are affected by trauma and isolation. She’s always been outgoing and trying to push Vivian out of her comfort zone and I think that’s been part of her healing. Being able to focus on Vivian allows her some emotional distance from her own recent experiences. But it also makes her more sensitive and more protective. It’s a bit of a test for Lizzy, I think, to see her brother, who she’s only just recently learned about, fall for her best friend in Vivian so I think it brings her and Nate closer, too.

EC: What do you want readers to know about the Colton family?

AJS: First, don’t be overwhelmed by the number of books in the Colton series. Each year has its own dedicated series, sometimes it’s 12 books, sometimes it’s 6. But they’re fun reads when taken in chunks. Personally, I love interconnected stories where we see returning characters, can catch up with them, and see them after their HEAs, but also are introduced to characters who will get theirs in the future. They are meticulously plotted out and edited and at times the authors work with one another to make sure we’re getting all the details right about the crossover characters. If readers want an exciting group of stories that pull them from one book into another, then definitely check out The Coltons.

EC:  Next book(s)?

AJS: In January, the second book in my new McKenna Code series for Harlequin Romantic Suspense will be published. My other recent release is A Cowgirl on His Doorstep, which is my contribution to the ongoing Blackwell series for Harlequin Heartwarming. And then the fourth book in my Hawaiian Reunions series, Heartwarming again, A Christmas Island Romance, will be out on Christmas Eve! This one is a friend to more than friends romance that was just a delight to write. Christmas in Hawaii; There’s nothing better than that!

THANK YOU!!

***

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Frozen Lives by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush

FROZEN LIVES

by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush


October 7 – November 1, 2024 Virtual Book Tour


A Coroner’s Daughter Mystery

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for FROZEN LIVES (Coroner’s Daughter Mysteries Book #4) by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush on this Partner’s-In-Crime Virtual Book Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links, and a Kingsumo giveaway.

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Book Description

Chicago surgeon Emily Hartford has never quite shaken off the dust of her hometown in Michigan. She may be a professional success and have a princely boyfriend in the Windy City, but she can’t seem to let go of being “the coroner’s daughter” from Freeport.

Once again, she finds herself pulled back upstate during a wintery late March when Jeremiah, the eleven year-old son of her best friend, Jo, goes missing on the frigid shores of Lake Michigan. Emily immediately joins the search for the boy.

To everyone’s relief, Jeremiah turns up days later, alive and unharmed. But tensions remain high, and suspicions of every sort continue to grow. Jeremiah’s account of his abduction doesn’t add up and Emily worries about Jo’s unraveling marriage. Jeremiah’s recovery, it turns out, is not the end of their terrifying tale. It’s only the beginning …

For moving among them is a devious, malevolent force. Sowing panic while seeking to fulfill his own twisted needs, this wolf in sheep’s clothing leaves a trail of rack and ruin, negligent to the damages in his wake … and the bodies he leaves behind.

Emily solidifies her role as coroner’s daughter when she puzzles out this madman’s chilling machinations. Risking everything dear to her, Emily goes the icy distance to end his killing spree.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209528321-frozen-lives?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_12

Frozen Lives

Genre: thriller, suspense, female detective
Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: October 29, 2024
Number of Pages: 350
ISBN: 9798212638364
Series: The Coroner’s Daughter Mysteries, 4

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

FROZEN LIVES (Coroner’s Daughter Mysteries Book #4) by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is an edge-of-your-seat crime thriller/amateur sleuth mystery featuring Chicago surgeon Emily Hartford who gets pulled back to her small hometown of Freeport, Michigan when her best friend and son go missing. This is easily read as a standalone crime thriller and the author does a great job of intertwining Emily’s life from the previous books, so I never felt lost with her current relationships.

Emily is happy sharing a surgical practice in Chicago with her boyfriend, but she just cannot let go of her smalltown roots and all of her friends in Freeport, Michigan. She receives a call for help when her best friend Jo’s son, Jeremiah, goes missing. He is discovered a few days later unharmed, but the man who took him is still free. With accusations only ramping up the tensions in Jo’s crumbling marriage, Emily feels the need to support her friend.

As they all try to get back to a normal routine, no one knows the danger has not passed them by and it is about to become a race to find a twisted kidnapper and rescue Emily’s friends from a possible watery grave.

I could not put this book down and I am surprised that I had not read any of this series previously. If you have not either, this is a good book to jump in on because the author does a great job of giving the reader enough of Emily’s past and relationships so as not to be confusing. That said, I will be going back to read the previous three books because I enjoyed the author’s fast paced crime plot and hope the other three are just as interesting and well written. Even knowing who the kidnapper/killer is does not distract from the increasing tension and emotional involvement as the book races to a climax. I am excited to read the next book now that Emily has accepted the role she was born to have and to see what happens with her surprise personal ending.

I highly recommend this crime thriller/amateur sleuth mystery and look forward to reading more in this series.

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Author Bio

The television or movie screen is the closest most people will ever come to witnessing the forensic world. But Jennifer Dornbush was raised in it. As the daughter of a small-town medical examiner whose office was in their home. There were body parts in the fridge. She investigated her first fatality, an airplane crash, when she was 8 years old. Picking up pieces of skull with her father who simply saw it as an anatomy lesson. The first of many coroner lessons she experienced over two decades.

After exploring journalism and high school teaching, Jennifer turned seriously to screenwriting where she began to connect her coroner world to her writing. She sought out a degree at the Forensic Science Academy in Los Angeles to gain more forensic training and earned a unique kinship with LA’s top CSIs, fingerprint specialists, DNA scientists, and detectives.

To share her love of forensics with the writing world, she authored the top selling non-fiction authoritative book, Forensic Speak, used by not only by show-runners and writers, but also crime investigators and law enforcement.
She created an Amazon top selling mystery novel series, The Coroner’s Daughter, which she is currently developing as a series for TV. Her crime thriller, Hole in the Woods, is currently optioned for screen. She is a contributor to mystery anthologies, Hotel California and Thriller. She has also penned two true crime books.

As a screenwriter Jennifer wrote the theatrically released film and novel, God Bless the Broken Road (2018), adapted a popular YA novel to script, and sold a children’s show. She is currently developing TV drama series and feature films with various productions companies.
As a forensic consultant, she is frequently asked to consult with TV writers on shows such as: Bull, Conviction, Hawaii Five-O, Leverage, Suits, and Rectify. She teaches screenwriting and mentors aspiring writers.

Jennifer is a member of the Writers’ Guild of America, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers Association, & the FBI Citizen’s Academy Alumni.

Social Media Links

www.JenniferDornbush.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @jgdornbush1
Instagram – @jgdornbush
YouTube – @ForensicSpeakJenniferDornbush
Facebook – @JGDornbush

Purchase Links

Amazon –     https://pictbooks.tours/jofJf    
BN –     https://pictbooks.tours/VXE6b      
BookShop.org –     https://pictbooks.tours/OI98e    
Publisher –     https://pictbooks.tours/JmCiC  

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KINGSUMO GIVEAWAY

https://kingsumo.com/g/199o7d1/frozen-lives-by-jennifer-graeser-dornbush

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: A Letter from Ireland by Ann O’Loughlin

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for A LETTER FROM IRELAND by Ann O’Loughlin on this Bookouture Books-On-Tour post.

Below you will find a book summary, my book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Summary

My whole life, I’ve been haunted by a secret I’ve left behind on the coast of Ireland. I may be gone, but if you’re reading this Casey, I need to tell you everything…

When Casey’s dear friend Rosie passes away, her heart breaks in two; Rosie didn’t even tell her she was sick. And when a mysterious letter arrives from beyond the grave, describing the secluded island where Rosie spent every summer, Casey questions if she really knew her friend at all. With Casey’s hectic job ruling her life, and her marriage crumbling around her, she books a ticket to this beautiful Irish island to feel close to Rosie again, and find out what secrets she has hidden there.

Casey rushes to Rosie’s tumbledown cottage and immediately falls in love with the glimmering shores and breathtaking coves of Scarty Island. Why did Rosie keep this magical place a secret, even from her own husband? Desperate for answers, she jumps to the aid of locals organizing afternoon teas for tourists, and helps handsome but overworked pub owner Shay. Though Shay stays tight-lipped, Casey notices how his hazel eyes shine when she makes him laugh, and how her heart skips a beat when his rough hands brush hers.

But just as Casey finds herself falling for Shay’s quiet strength, a final letter arrives that changes everything. The tear-stained pages tell the story of a forbidden romance and a tragic day at sea that destroyed Rosie’s life. It could shatter Casey’s blossoming romance and tear the small island community apart.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217294589-a-letter-from-ireland?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=mrEKriMdOU&rank=3

Purchase Link: https://geni.us/B0DCHF7ZQDsocial

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My Book Review

RATING: 3 out of 5 Stars

A LETTER FROM IRELAND by Ann O’Loughlin is a women’s fiction story about four best friends who have a falling out and are never the same again. When Rosie passes away from cancer, which none of her friends knew about, she sets up a two-month long reunion of the remaining three women on her private island off the coast of Ireland, but there are secrets to be revealed in the form of letters from their dead friend.

The description of this story had me wanting to sit down and read about these women’s lives and it is full of surprises and big emotions, but not until far too late into the book. The first third of the story was repetitive, slow, and almost had me putting it down for good, but I carried on and was glad that I did as far as the overall plot.

The three women are portrayed at various stages of their lives and Casey is the focus. I had a hard time warming up to her and I never felt a deep connection to any of the three. The story focused as much on the location as the women which I felt their character development should have been deeper. The romantic subplot between Casey and Shay just felt thrown in and did not make me feel any more for Casey, especially since she was still legally married.

Overall, this was just an alright women’s fiction read that for me did not live up to the promise.

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About the Author

Ann is the Irish author of five novels and has been translated into eleven languages. Her first novel The Ballroom Cafe was also an ebook bestseller and in the top 20 bestselling books of 2015 on Amazon UK. Ann loves to write and often gets up at 5am to get the words down, before starting her other job of writing as a news reporter. A leading journalist in Ireland, Ann has covered all major news events in a long career with Independent Newspapers, Ireland. She is now a senior journalist with the Irish Examiner specialising in legal issues. Ann has also lived in India. Originally from the west of Ireland she now lives on the east coast with her husband and family.

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annoloughlinbooks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annoloughlinbooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/annolwriter

Newsletter: https://www.bookouture.com/ann-oloughlin

Book Review: A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

A GATHERING OF SECRETS (A Kate Burkholder Novel Book #10) by Linda Castillo is a gritty new small-town police procedural/crime thriller featuring Chief of Police Kate Burkholder in Painters Mill which is in Ohio Amish Country. This book can be read as a standalone for the crime thriller plot, but Kate’s personal and professional life have evolved throughout the series, and I enjoy reading them in order.

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called late in the night when an Amish family’s barn burns to the ground and their son is missing. The fire investigator is called when the fire fighters smell gasoline and a charred body is found locked in the tack room. The body is identified as eighteen-year-old Daniel Gingerich who appears to be a well-liked and hard-working Amish young man, so who would want him dead?

As Kate investigates Daniel’s life, she finds herself impeded by the Amish community of which she was once a member. As dark secrets begin to surface, Kate is forced to once again face the personal crime perpetrated against her in her youth which has an eerie similarity to what is whispered about Daniel Gingerich. While the Amish are a peaceful and loving community, there are certain things that are not discussed and can go unpunished due to shaming of the victim, and which are crimes in the Englisher world. Kate has many suspects, but the solution to this crime will lead to danger and sorrow.

I love reading this series and following Kate’s life. Kate is a complex character. She at times misses the Amish life but accepts her current path is the right one for her, especially when it comes to justice for everyone. All of Kate’s officers have a strong bond, Tomasetti is once again a great personal partner, and finally Tomasetti has popped the big question. Yeah. The crime plot was dark and gritty, especially juxtaposed against the assumed always perfect Amish way of life. This crime thriller is perfectly paced with plenty of surprise twists along the way and a surprise ending I was not expecting.

I highly recommend this small-town police procedural/crime thriller!

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About the Author

Linda Castillo is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Kate Burkholder series, set in the world of the Amish. The first book, Sworn to Silence, was adapted into a Lifetime original movie titled An Amish Murder starring Neve Campbell as Kate Burkholder. Castillo is the recipient of numerous industry awards including a nomination by the International Thriller Writers for Best Hardcover, the Mystery Writers of America’s Sue Grafton Memorial Award, and an appearance on the Boston Globe’s shortlist for best crime novel. In addition to writing, Castillo’s other passion is horses. She lives in Texas with her husband and is currently at work on her next book.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.lindacastillo.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindacastilloauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindaCastillo11

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/a-gathering-of-secrets-by-linda-castillo

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36187085-a-gathering-of-secrets?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=nLYt7sV3tQ&rank=1

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Son’s Secret by Daryl Wood Gerber

Book Description

Maggie Lawson is the smart, capable dean of a boutique college, but even the most confident mother has a weakness – her child. When Maggie can’t reach her college senior son, Aiden, to tell him that his father has been shot, she starts to panic. She texts. She calls.

Is Aiden ghosting her, or have the dangerous stories Aiden’s father, her investigative journalist ex-husband, pursues finally brought trouble to her door? Maggie is sure that something is very wrong, but no one believes her. As dark events unfold, she must rely on her own investigative instincts to find Aiden. But when Maggie uncovers a devastating secret, she faces a race against time to save him.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Son’s Secret by Daryl Wood Gerber is not the type of story her readers are used to.  Instead of gardens, tea shops, and fairies flying around she has ventured into suspense and mystery. This story explores the complex mother-adult son dynamic.  Parents will relate to the main character understanding the fine line between being hovering to being supportive and caring. Plus, the anxiety that every parent goes through when their children do not answer their texts.

This story has Maggie Larson, now the Dean of a college, trying to notify her son, Aiden, that his father has been shot and is in the hospital. When Aiden does not respond she begins to panic. Since they were close, she finds it difficult to believe he would ghost her, disappearing and disregarding her texts.

She eventually gets her ex-husband, Josh, to believe her and together they investigate what could have happened to their son. As they pursue the disappearance, evidence and then threats pile up, convincing them that something seriously has happened.

This story can be considered a domestic and psychological thriller.  Readers will be put on a rollercoaster ride. There is tension and intrigue that will have people taking the journey with Maggie.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Why this genre?

Daryl Wood Gerber: When I first became a writer, I wrote suspense, but they did not get published.  Finally with the cozy mystery genre I found my voice. Yet, I still wanted to write suspense.  So, I took a couple of the suspense I first had written and re-wrote them.  I wrote outside the norm of the cozy. I had an English publisher put this story out.

EC:  Idea for this book?

DWG:  This story had been sticking in my head for a long time.  It came to me when my son was clerking for a judge in New Orleans.  I thought ‘what would happen if he disappeared, and I could not get a hold of him.’  This is a mother’s worse nightmare.

EC:  Do you think part of the key to this story is the non-response of adult children?

DWG:  Yes! The adult children do not answer their phones, and many times do not answer their texts. It drives me crazy, and I put it in the story.  I would write to my son asking if he had seen my three previous texts and to please respond.  He answered, ‘sorry mom I got busy, and I thought I did.’  Really, he could see if he did. My first fear is that something was wrong because he was not responding.  I do not think I overreact.

EC: How would you describe Maggie?

DWG: A nurturer, hovers, caring, sometimes smothering. She wonders if she is a helicopter mom. When her friend and daughter-in-law tells her she is too much she wonders if she is over-reacting to her son not responding or is she right to worry. She is a complex character because this is a contradiction to her being a dean of a college, and previously an investigative reporter. After her brother committed suicide, her mother checked out.  Maggie promised herself she was not going to be that type of mother and would be dialed in. Her attitude comes from myself who is a mom who does not want to hover but wants to guide because I am older and wiser.

EC: How would you describe her son Aiden?

DWG: He is artistic, creative, and at times emotionally overwhelmed. He is sometimes very tough on himself. After he lost his fiancé, he has become emotionally ripped open for two years. Now a woman comes into his life who he falls in love with. He can be temperamental.

EC: What is the role of Maggie’s divorce?

DWG: Her ex-husband is an investigative reporter. After he had a couple of affairs they got divorced. I had him shot and in the hospital to show that Aiden does not respond to the dad also, never reaches out, even though they are close. Maggie must repair the bridge with her ex so they can work together to find Aiden. He helps to keep her grounded.  They become a wonderful team if the emotional baggage is taken away.

EC: What about the role of suicide?

DWG: Maggie had to deal with it twice in her life.  Once, when her brother committed suicide, and when she had a student commit suicide.  Now she worries if Aiden has committed suicide. This drives the story.

EC: Next book?

DWG: It comes out in October, the first in a new series, “The Literary Dining Mysteries.”  It is titled Murder on The Page.  It is a cozy mystery involving food and books. A caterer lives in North Carolina in the Blue Ridge mountains who was close to the local bookstore owner.  After she were killed, she is determined to find out who did it. Each book in the series will focus on some classic novel. This one will have Pride and Prejudice. The community will have book clubs with food, reading, and dress up.

THANK YOU!!

***

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Zenith Man by McCracken Poston, Jr.

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for ZENITH MAN: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom by McCracken Poston, Jr. on this AME Bog Tour.

Below you will find an author Q&A, a book synopsis, my book review, an excerpt from the book, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Author Q&A

How did you do research for your book?

Since my book is about a murder trial in which I was the defendant’s lawyer, the research was first done for the trial. Beyond my case file, I did other research in the media archives and other places to piece together the strange story of Alvin and Virginia Ridley.

Which was the hardest character to write? The easiest?

Unplanned, my book also became the true story about the relationship between me and my father. I wrote it truthfully, but any time you are writing about a loved one, it can be hard. The easiest character to write about was my client, Alvin Ridley, although he was a tough client!

What made you write a book about the Zenith Man?

This was the most incredible story to live through. After the trial ended, I immediately felt that this would be a good book.

Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

So far, I have written nonfiction.

There are many books out there about true crime. What makes yours different?

My story is the inside account of being the criminal defense lawyer for a most unusual defendant.

What advice would you give budding writers?

Write the bones of your story down quickly. You can add the other stuff later. Save the stories!

In your book you state….”The voters would get their change, but mostly the faces would stay the same.” Why is that?

The rash of partisan party-switching that took place in Georgia after my last political race (and first defeat).

Do you have another profession besides writing?

I am a full-time criminal defense lawyer, thanks to the second act that Alvin Ridley gave me, and for 28 years I have been a part-time juvenile court judge.

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing down experiences and stories all of my adult life. Social media allowed me to share vignettes and short tales, all true stories.

Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you overcome it?

Maya Angelou once said “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Until recently, I understood this agony. She was speaking to me.

What is your next project?

I have been blessed with many interesting legal cases, but I am also drawn to trying my hand at fiction – perhaps based on true stories.

What genre do you write and why?

Nonfiction. The story I had to tell is a true story.

What is the last great book you’ve read?

I recently reread The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?

Someone I know told me that they could hear my voice in the writing of my book.

If your book were made into a movie, who would star in the leading roles?

I refuse to jinx it, but the Alvin Ridley role is Oscar bait!

If your book were made into a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?

I would love classic 1980s Athens, Georgia music, to wit: Pylon, B52s, R.E.M.

What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing your book?

I was frustrated in the telling of the story in other ways over the years.

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like?

For years like the tortoise, then at once like the hare!

What is one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring author?

Keep at it.

Which authors inspired you to write?

Grisham, Turow, King

What is something you had to cut from your book that you wish you could have kept?

My first draft was 177,000 words. Obviously, lots had to go. But I think it came out about right.

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Book Synopsis

Was this small-town TV repair man “a harmless eccentric or a bizarre killer” (Atlanta Journal Constitution). For the first time, Alvin Ridley’s own defense attorney reveals the inside story of his case and trial in an extraordinary tale of friendship and an idealistic young attorney’s quest to clear his client’s name—and, in the process, rebuild his own life.

In October 1997, the town of Ringgold in northwest Georgia was shaken by reports of a murder in its midst. A dead woman was found in Alvin Ridley’s house—and even more shockingly, she was the wife no one knew he had.

McCracken Poston had been a state representative before he lost his bid for U.S. Congress and returned to his law career. Alvin Ridley was a local character who once sold and serviced Zenith televisions. Though reclusive and an outsider, the “Zenith Man,” as Poston knew him, hardly seemed capable of murder.

Alvin was a difficult client, storing evidence in a cockroach-infested suitcase, unwilling to reveal key facts to his defender. Gradually, Poston pieced together the full story behind Virginia and Alvin’s curious marriage and her cause of death—which was completely overlooked by law enforcement. Calling on medical experts, testimony from Alvin himself, and a wealth of surprising evidence gleaned from Alvin’s  junk-strewn house, Poston presented a groundbreaking defense that allowed Alvin to return to his peculiar lifestyle, a free man.

Years after his trial, Alvin was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, a revelation that sheds light on much of his lifelong personal battle—and shows how easily those who don’t fit societal norms can be castigated and misunderstood. Part true crime, part courtroom drama, and full of local color, Zenith Man is also the moving story of an unexpected friendship between two very different men that changed—and perhaps saved—the lives of both.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157995299-zenith-man?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=AH1gVat6bE&rank=2

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

ZENITH MAN: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom by McCracken Poston, Jr. is a captivating debut true crime/court room novel told by the small-town Southern attorney of a man accused of murdering his wife no one knew he had. This is the first time I have heard of this case. Court room dramas can sometimes be very boring or dry, but this case is fascinating, and I could not put the book down.

Alvin Ridley had been considered “different” his entire life in Ringgold, Georgia. One day in October 1997 Alvin called 911 to report the death of his wife. No one knew he was married or that anyone was even living with him. Alvin tried to tell the authorities he found his wife dead in her bed with her face in her pillow after an epileptic seizure, but the coroner believes it is a murder, and he is arrested.

McCracken Poston, Jr. returned to his law career after a failed Congressional election and failed marriage. Alvin was known to Poston as a local character who used to sell and repair Zenith televisions. Alvin asks Poston to represent him after his arrest and he agrees because he just cannot believe Alvin is capable of murder.

Alvin is a difficult client, but Poston learns how to bargain and deal with his idiosyncrasies. As evidence is disclosed, Alvin and his wife’s lives are examined, and Poston spends more time with Alvin, he is determined to prove Alvin innocent.

This is a story that pulled me in from start to finish. Mr. Poston’s storytelling brought Alvin to life on the printed page. He is honest about his personal failings and his misunderstanding of Alvin, who was years later diagnosed to be on the Autism spectrum, even as he grows to care about his client personally. As the story progressed, I felt more and more compassion and empathy for Alvin. His care of his mother before she died, his love of his wife, his care of his cats, and his love and pride in his TV repair shop all showed how he tried to always do what was right, but because of his paranoia and autism, many others in his small-town ostracized him. What we do not understand, we fear. His chosen inscription on his tombstone made me cry. With Alvin not being diagnosed at the time of his trial, you wonder how many other “different” people have been wrongly accused and imprisoned over the years.

I highly recommend this debut true crime novel with a defendant I will not soon forget.

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Excerpt

Prologue

October 4, 1997

Emerging from his late parents’ run-down house on Inman Street, itself for years the target of local innuendo, Alvin Ridley, failed television repairman and the town bogeyman, abruptly turns to lock the door. Glancing around to see if his perceived tormentors are watching him, he pulls open the formidable homemade gate and then slowly drives a thirty-two-year-old Chevrolet pickup truck through it. Then he jumps back out and quickly closes and locks the gate with chains and a padlock.

Two-tenths of a mile down Evitt Street, he carefully drives the 25 mph speed limit right past the local volunteer fire department, visibly staffed with an ambulance and professional EMTs always on the ready, and turns south on U.S. Highway 41, away from town. Thinking better of it less than half a mile later, he pulls into the roadside monument for the 1863 Battle of Ringgold Gap and turns around.

Continuing to drive slowly, as if it were a usual lazy Saturday morning, he pulls into the ShopRite parking lot and tries the pay phone on the exterior wall. Unsuccessful with this attempt, he gets back into the truck and drives through two parking lots to a pay phone located along LaFayette Street, behind the Catoosa County Courthouse Annex and Jail. He puts coins in the phone and calls, if you believe the later speculation, a funeral home to retrieve a dead body from his house. He most certainly calls Erlanger Hospital in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, but is instructed that this is a matter for the Catoosa County authorities.

Reluctantly he dials 911. The Catoosa County 911 office is just across the street. The operators could look out the single window facing LaFayette Street and see the stooped figure making the call.

“Catoosa 911. Where is your emergency?”

A pause, and then he answers flatly, giving his home address.

“What’s the problem?”

Again, lacking emotion, he says, “I think my wife’s passed out.”

The operator confirmed the address.

“Yeah.”

“Is she breathing?”

“I don’t think so—it’s behind the steel plant there.” He adds matter-of-factly, “I’m calling from a pay phone booth.”

“You don’t have a phone at your house?”

“There’s no phone there.”

This is the portion of the 911 call, in the detached voice of the caller, that is instantly spread around the world upon the revelation that a dead body was found in the ramshackle house on Inman Street. The immediate problem for investigators is, who was this soul? Certainly not the alleged spouse of the infamously solitary Alvin Ridley. Ridley said it was his wife, but can produce no identification for her. The body of the woman he calls his wife—Virginia—is declared dead by the coroner Vanita Hullander, who plans to take it to the hospital across the county in Fort Oglethorpe, and the next morning,deliver it to the state crime lab in Atlanta.

The portions of the 911 call not shared with the public or played on the news stations were the parts where the caller shared that his wife was, in his words, “epi-letic”, or that he ended the call with a request: “Please hurry.”

Later that morning, five miles to the south, an extremely hungover failed politician, failed husband, and marginally failing lawyer, rises. Too down and broken to even drive to Athens to see his beloved University of Georgia Bulldogs play, and seeking something for his blinding headache, he drives slowly into town.

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Author Bio

McCracken King Poston Jr, is a criminal defense attorney and former state legislator in the Georgia House of Representatives. He gained national attention for his handling of several notable cases that were featured on CNN Presents, Dateline NBC, A&E’s American Justice and Forensic Files.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.mccrackenpostonjr.com/

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Twitter: https://x.com/RealZenithMan

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Purchase Links

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