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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Under the Paper Moon by Shaina Steinberg

Book Description

It’s 1942, and as far as her father knows, Evelyn Bishop, heiress to an aeronautics fortune, is working as a translator in London. In truth, Evelyn—daring, beautiful, and as adept with a rifle as she is in five languages—has joined the Office of Strategic Services as a spy. Her goal is personal: to find her brother, who is being held as a POW in a Nazi labor camp. Through one high-risk mission after another she is paired with the reckless and rebellious Nick Gallagher, growing ever close to him until the war’s end brings with it an act of deep betrayal.

Six years later, Evelyn is back home in Los Angeles, working as a private investigator. The war was supposed to change everything, yet Evelyn, contemplating marriage to her childhood sweetheart, feels stifled by convention. Then the suspected cheating husband she’s tailing is murdered, and suddenly Evelyn is back in Nick’s orbit again.

Teaming up for a final mission, Evelyn and Nick begin to uncover the true nature of her case— and realize that the war has followed them home. For beyond the public horrors waged by nations there are countless secret, desperate acts that still reverberate on both continents, and threaten everything Evelyn holds dear…

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Under The Paper Moon by Shaina Steinberg is a fun read. Between the scenes of WWII and the murder of someone in 1948 this blends a mystery and thriller. There is love, duty, loyalty, and forgiveness.

The heroine, Evelyn Bishop, has joined the OSS as a spy. Besides wanting to help the allies she is trying to rescue her brother, held in a German POW camp. Her supervisor is Nick Gallagher. They become intimate and grow close during the war until he betrays her.

Six years later, Evelyn is working as a private investigator. After trailing a suspected cheating husband, the suspect is murdered. Evelyn finds out that Nick is also a PI, who was working with the murdered victim. Teaming up for a final mission, Evelyn and Nick begin to uncover the true nature of her case, realizing that the war has followed them home.

The banter in the story adds humor to the story. There is a lot of action with some romance that includes a love triangle.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the series?

Shaina Steinberg: This is the first in a three-book deal, but I am hoping that I can continue writing more in the series. I love old movies and I started to watch movies from the 1940s. These had strong women like Katherine Hepburn or Ingrid Bergman. This is partly why I set it during this period. Plus, there is a correlation with my grandmother who was a strong and vibrant woman. She got married and did everything society expected of her. She had regrets because she really wanted to be a doctor or a nurse. She did not have many options in her life. My heroine, Evelyn, explores what my grandmother could have been.

EC: How did you get the idea for this story?

SS: I have been fascinated by WWII and my father read bedtime stories written by Elie Wiesel. He always said, ‘it can happen here so we must be vigilant.’ I see this is as a story that delved into the war, but not just that aspect. It shows what war can do to someone and the sacrifices made, especially what a parent would do to keep their child safe.

EC: Do you think there is a corollary between being a spy and a private investigator?

SS: Absolutely. Evelyn as a spy was extremely competent. She was taught to be undetected and how to notice small clues that might lead to something bigger.

EC: How would you describe Evelyn?

SS: She is very talented, good with a gun and able to speak five languages. She is a feminist and loves the adrenaline rush. She could be selfish, petty, sarcastic, stubborn but is also loyal, fearless, funny, and brave. She is from a privileged background. But after the war, her eyes are open, which gives her empathy.

EC: As with many of those in the military who have retired, they miss it. Please explain how you explored this in the story with Evelyn.

SS: There were two quotes in the book that refer to this. The first, “There is no place for me. Not here. Not there. Not anywhere.” The second, “Those first week’s home Evelyn felt as if she was under water. Sometimes it felt like sitting on the ocean floor with the weight of the water pressing down on her.” The second quote is like someone grieving and that grief encompasses everything in someone’s life. While later, after the grief is not so fresh, the person can be functional. The weight of the ocean water is the numbness. The first quote refers to how after the war she feels useless. Evelyn does not want to be a stay-at-home wife because she actively saved lives during the war and had a sense of purpose.

EC: How would you describe the hero, Nick?

SS: He was Evelyn’s commander during the war. During the war he felt fulfillment, a sense of purpose, confident, fearless, and self-assured. Now, after the war he feels hopeless with a sense of failure. He feels rage and anger. The anger is an undercurrent as to when he was abandoned by his family when he was so young, feeling his life was unjust and unfair. He uses that anger to motivate him.

EC: What about the relationship between Evelyn and Nick?

SS: Evelyn gave him stability, hope, and happiness. During the war they were bonded by danger. They are in love even though he betrayed her. From Evelyn he saw that she is kind, good, and has a belief in the goodness in people. Nick sees the world from her point of view, through her eyes. Nick gets a sense of purpose from Evelyn. I think she helps him channel all his anger into ways he can help others. After the war when he loses her, he loses his sense of purpose. I also think the war gave her a sense of purpose. She felt like she was doing something important that could save lives. I think a big part of Nick’s appeal is that he was her partner in that purpose, and he never thought of her as anything less than strong and capable.

EC: Is there a love triangle between Evelyn, Nick, and her current fiancé?

SS: Yes. There is a scene in the book where Evelyn describes James, her current fiancé,as “romantic, sweet, kind, and chivalrous.” Nick sees James as “desperate, needy, and old-fashioned.” If there was never WWII, she probably would have married James when she was twenty-two. Before she went to war that would have been enough because she did not know anything different. To her James is safe and represents her being home and her innocence as well as her living breathing connection to her brother. But what he represents is not enough for her anymore. Evelyn does not see a compability between her world before the war and one after the war. Her appeal for Nick is beyond more than their chemistry, but he was also there when she grew into the person she is now. But because of his betrayal she questions everything she saw and knew about him as well as how she sees herself.

EC: What is the relevance of the song, “Paper Moon?”

SS: Everything she felt about Nick was turned around once she thought he betrayed her. The song represents the way Evelyn sees their love. She thought their love was real and after he betrayed her, she now feels it was hollow. On a personal level it was one of my grandmother’s favorite songs, so it reminds me of her.

EC: Next book?

SS: It will be published in May of next year, with a working title An Unquiet Peace. One of my regrets was that I did not explore Evelyn’s female friendships in this book, but it is part of the second book. There are still conflicts between Nick and Evelyn. It will take place in October 1948 around the Berlin Airlift. Nick also has a case of a woman who wants to leave her marriage.

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.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Four Minutes and Act of Defiance (Tom Clancy) by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson

Book Descriptions and Elise’s Thoughts

Four Minutes by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson is a new techno-thriller series. It is different than most futuristic novels in that it does not alter the timeline completely as in the first Superman movie when Lois Lane lived instead of died.

The premise allows for intelligence gathering in the future to be used in the present to prevent an event from happening. Pat Moody leads a new elite squad, Task Force Omega to jump into the future for a short period of time, four minutes.

Another of their books is a Tom Clancy novel, Act of Defiance, to be published in May. It is a sequel of sorts to The Hunt for Red October. Instead of Jack Ryan trying to stop a Russian rogue submarine, it is daughter Katie who must put the pieces together.

As with all their series, Andrews and Wilson never seem to disappoint their readers. The plots are riveting and action-packed with premises that are mind boggling. Suspense is ratcheted up and the characters are compelling.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for Four Minutes?

Brian Andrews/Jeffrey Wilson: It will probably be a limited series but is open ended right now. We like our stories to start with these ‘what if’ questions. Both of us have backgrounds with the military and other government services. What if someone had a crystal ball to look into the future that can say what can happen? For example, what if days beforehand people knew about 9/11? Then we tied it to the cover Special Forces grounded in real math and physics. We did not want it to be a sci-fi book but rather a techno-thriller.

EC: What about the premise?

BA/JW: If someone could look forward and anticipate consequences then in the present it is possible to act. It is about gaining intelligence and coming back to the present to stop the event. They do not get a do over and do not know if the mission will really work. This technology could be invented soon. The questions we want to ask: can there be technology that goes into the near future; if so, how could someone manipulate it; what would the limits be? We put these limits where the team could go into the future 28 days and only stay for four minutes. They must use that information in the present to solve the problem.

EC: What did you mean by the book quote, “everyone wants to see us fail?”

BA/JW: It was not meant to target a real-world administration or political organization. Yet, the powers external to the US: China, Russia, and Iran, want to see us fail. They want to tear us down piece by piece, trying to destroy us from within, and trying to destroy us from outside. America needs to be united because when we are divided, we are weak, and our enemies realize it. They cannot beat us in the Cold War, economically, and militarily so they are trying philosophically and politically.

EC: How would you describe Moody?

BA/JW: Confident, charming, smooth, secretive, and the rest of the team do not trust him. When we first started writing him, we were not sure if he was a bad guy or good guy. He is apologetic for lying to his team, but not when it will help them complete the mission, safeguarding the country. He sees the need to make compromises and hard choices.

EC: Is this where your personal experiences come in?

BA/JW: Yes. This is what it is like when in command. Some people must put themselves in danger. Brian says, for instance, as a submarine officer, I had to wear a radiation monitor. This team is making a big physical sacrifice. Our combined military service is what drives the engine of a lot of our work including the missions.

EC: Can you describe each member of the team starting with Tyler?

BA/JW: Man of action, direct, and intuitive. He embodies the Special Operations officer being dedicated and committed. He is a natural leader and motivator. He is like Dempsey in our “Tier One series.” He has courage, honor, and integrity.

EC: Zee?

BA/JW: She is a perfectionist and takes her intelligence analyst role very seriously. She feels as an outsider. Moody wants her to be a “spy.” She immediately tells Tyler because she wants to be a part of the team, not considered an outsider. Zee is the moral compass, the emotional glue, to keep the team grounded and not dysfunctional.

EC: Ben, Martin, Stan, and Adela?

BA/JW: We wanted to create a colorful cast. They are all dynamic. Stan is the fact checker and the researcher. Ben is the optimist. Adela is the Devil’s Advocate.

EC: Not harping on the math and physics but what is Spooky Time?

BA/JW: Conservation of time. When the team jumps the present is still moving by four minutes. When they return from their jump, they will always return to the present four minutes after they left. But what if they jumped two minutes into the future? The present would have moved by four minutes. We put in the Einstein quote, “The past, present, and future is an illusion.” There is a diagram in the book that explains it.

EC: You are now writing Tom Clancy novels so can you talk a little about your premise in Act of Defiance? This book was “Clancyesque.”

BA/JW: This, our first installment in the Clancy Universe come on the 40^th Anniversary of The Hunt for Red October. We feel Tom Clancy invented the techno-thriller genre with that book. We are updating this story with the new technology and the new warriors.

EC: Were you able to use “real life” military technology?

BA/JW: The navy gave us unprecedented access to the modern submarine force. We were able to go on the USS Indiana, a Virginia class submarine, and toured the Black Fish. We were able to see what a day is like for this current submarine officer. We are indebted to the navy and the admiral in charge of the submarine force. The US Navy should have been listed as a co-author since they supported this project.

EC: Do you agree that the Russian submarine captain, Ramius, would not have been able to disappear today considering social media and drones?

BA/JW: We agree completely. This is why we went in another direction. Konstantin, the new Russian submarine captain, has motivations completely different and far more dangerous.

EC: You included that very famous scene, getting Jack Ryan on the submarine, only this time it was his daughter Katie. Please explain.

BA/JW: This scene was not in the book but was in the movie. We wanted to play homage to the book and the movie by picking out some key, super cool incidents that we wanted to replicate in this story. This was an iconic scene in the film. We used a tightrope to put just enough of the nostalgia without alienating people who never read the book or saw the movie.

EC: How would you describe Katie, the female Jack Ryan?

BA/JW: This series has two dozen books. She is an original character, but readers do not know much about her. We can build up her character. Katie is sensitive, confident, thoughtful, analytical, and she has studied Konstantin just as her father studied Ramius in the first book. She is literally Jack Ryan’s DNA because she is his daughter, very similar to her dad. Yet, she does not see it. Just like the hilarious commercial that says, ‘you turned into your parents.’

EC: How would you describe Konstantin?

BA/JW: A warrior, stoic, unyielding, motivated, tenacious, and is a Russian patriot who hates America. He is also an angry guy and bitter about his father’s past, his wife’s illness, and his own disease. He is seeking vengeance and is self-destructive.

EC: Next book?

BA/JW: The next Four Minutes Book is dependent on the screenplay because it is optioned for television or the movies. Since the first book is left with a cliffhanger our intention is to figure out what happens to Moody and some of the other characters.

The next Clancy book is titled, Defense Protocol, coming out in November/December of this year. The plot has a what if with China making moves on Taiwan. Katie is trying to prevent having American and China in a shooting war.

The next “Tier One” book is titled Ember, coming out in July of next year. John Dempsey is back with his team. But the team must handle another new threat. There will be more of the team dynamics.

Sons Of Valor IV will come out in summer of 2025. It has not been written yet.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica

Book Description

Everyone has secrets, but not everyone has remorse…

A terrible accident.

Meghan Michaels is trying to find balance between being a single mom and working full time as an ICU nurse, when a patient named Caitlin arrives in her ward with a traumatic brain injury. They say she jumped from a bridge and plunged over twenty feet to the train tracks below.

A shocking revelation.

When a witness comes forward with new details about Caitlin’s fall, it calls everything they know into question. Was a crime committed? Did someone actually push Caitlin, and if so, who… and why?

No one is safe.

Meghan lets herself get close to Caitlin until she’s deeply entangled in the mystery surrounding her. Only when it’s too late, does she realize that she and her daughter could be the next victims…

***

Elise’s Thoughts

She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica is a suspenseful thriller with a compelling twist. The characters are gripping although unreliable.

The main character is Meghan Michaels who is like any single mom, trying to find balance between working full time as an ICU nurse and being a doting mother. Now one of her patients, Caitlin Beckett, is in a coma with traumatic brain injury. As the story goes on authorities begin to question if she suicidally jumped from a bridge or was pushed.

Then there is Natalie (Nat) Cohen who Meghan runs into on the street. Nat was a high school classmate. After noticing a huge bruise on Nat’s face and having experience with abuse Meghan is worried and invites Nat to stay with her and her daughter Sienna.

Also wanting to make sure her teenage daughter is safe Meghan becomes a formidable character. Although thoughtful and caring she can become a “mama bear” if someone in her family is threatened.

As the story unveils readers see Meghan as strong but someone who has secrets that need to be kept. This is what compels readers to not want to put the book down.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Did you have the idea for the ending or the plot first?

Mary Kubica: I started with the twist first, which is unusual for me. I have a starting point and no idea where I am going with it. With this one the twist came first and then I stepped backwards and created the characters to go with it, building up to it.

EC: Comas played a role in the book?

MK: I did not know anyone who has been in a coma, but I did quite a bit of research. This book has a medical setting and there was a patient in a coma. I am also very fortunate to have several friends who are nurses, some ICU nurses. There is nothing like speaking to someone who knows the information and lives in that world. I asked them some very specific questions including the day-to-day experience of being a nurse. I wanted a couple of nurses to read the book after it was finished for accuracy.

EC: How would you describe the daughter Sienna?

MK: A typical sixteen-year-old girl. My daughter would have been the same age at the time I started writing this book. She is a little sassy, defiant, and likes to push the boundaries. She and her mother Meghan have a great relationship. They are close. She is obviously not shy and speaks her mind.

EC: How would you describe Meghan?

MK: I think characters will find her relatable. As a mother she puts her daughter first: Sienna’s happiness and safety. She has recently gone through a divorce and is trying to find her footing. Being a nurse and having to work she is trying to find the right balance between being a solo parent and working mom. She is very empathetic. But will do anything to protect those she loves. She is compassionate, guarded, and tough.

EC: What role did Nat play in the story?

MK: Meghan remembers her as a high school friend. She thought she knew her more than she did. She felt safe with her because Nat was someone she grew up with. Because she went through this divorce, she feels isolated, desperate, and alone so she confides in her a deep secret.

EC: How did you come up with the prologue scene at the beginning of the book?

MK: This was not the first thing I wrote. I knew I wanted to start something out with a bang that would grip the readers. As a parent the idea of someone taking their child is every parent’s worst nightmare.

EC: I never heard of virtual kidnapping, is it true?

MK: Sadly, this is prevalent these days. It is a way to get money even though there was never a kidnapping. They do not have that person.

EC: Would you have paid the money straight out?

MK: I do not know. This is one of the things I would bring up in my books. What would the reader do? Thankfully, most of us have never been in this situation. But if I thought someone had my child and had a short time to pay this ransom, I might have done it.

EC: Role of Caitlin?

MK: She is the patient in the ICU and unconscious. Because she cannot speak the readers get information from her parents, the Becketts. They reveal more and more about her over time. The more we learn about her, the less we like her. In the beginning Meghan bonds with Mrs. Beckett because they are both mothers who care so much about their daughters.

EC: Next book?

MK: I just started it so no title and no release date. It is another suspense novel. This has a new setting, the North Woods of Wisconsin. Two families go on vacation together and bad things start to happen.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Kingdom on Fire: Kareem, Wooden, Walton, and the Turbulent Days of the UCLA Basketball Dynasty

Book Description

Few basketball dynasties have reigned supreme like the UCLA Bruins did over college basketball from 1965–1975 (seven consecutive titles, three perfect records, an eighty-eight-game winning streak that remains unmatched). At the center of this legendary franchise were the now-iconic players Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton, naturally reserved personalities who became outspoken giants when it came to race and the Vietnam War. These generational talents were led byJohn Wooden, a conservative counterweight to his star players whose leadership skills would transcend the game after his retirement. But before the three of them became history, they would have to make it—together.

Los Angeles native and longtime sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times, Scott Howard Cooper draws on more than a hundred interviews and extensive access to many of the principal figures, including Wooden’s family to deliver a rich narrative that reveals the turmoil at the heart of this storied college basketball program. Making the eye-opening connections between UCLA and the Nixon administration, Ronald Reagan, Muhammad Ali, and others, Kingdom on Fire puts the UCLA basketball team’s political involvement and influence in full relief for the first time. The story of UCLA basketball is an incredible slice of American history that reveals what it truly takes to achieve and sustain greatness while standing up for what you believe in.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Kingdom on Fire by Scott Howard-Cooper is a wonderful book to read during March Madness. College basketball has changed over the years, but not for the better with the days of selfish players, and defense being a strategy of the past. This is why this book is so relevant today because it shows how the game used to be played and what is missing in basketball today.

The unlikely trio of John Wooden, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (formerly known as Lew Alcindor), and Bill Walton created one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. From 1964 to 1975 the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) basketball team won 10 national championships, including seven in a row, and amassed four perfect seasons. This seems like today an unheard feat considering college basketball teams are hampered by the “NIL”, the portal transfer and “one-and-done.” The three together had a winning attitude set against the turmoil in America of the 1960s and 1970s.

This is a must read that captures the basketball history of that era and the cultural unrest regarding civil rights and the Vietnam War. The author fascinatingly weaves together sports, politics, and history within the contexts of UCLA basketball.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Why the title?

Scott Howard-Cooper: The title came about because I was struck that the UCLA Bruins obviously had this empire, this kingdom, and this program at the peak for so many years. I also wanted to put it with the backdrop of the times in America of the sixties and seventies. There was so many things going around the Bruin basketball players. The meat of the book is the arrival of Lew Alcindor before he became Kareem Abdul- Jabbar, through the departure of Bill Walton.

EC: Why write it now?

SHC: I wanted to write it now because this season that just finished is the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the seven consecutive championships. One year from now will be the fiftieth anniversary of Coach John Wooden’s last year.

EC: Do you think Coach Wooden was the best basketball coach ever?

SHC: I do, but I also think he would not think so. He was not a great coach in basketball strategy and was the first to say he was not a good x’s and o’s coach. He was not the guy who would ‘rule the chess board’, never would outsmart someone. Looking at the preparation and the system he had in place, the way he was able to mesh talents and personalities for so long, year after year, is remarkable. The times need to be factored in. He kept everyone focused. He also had the greatest coaching staff of all time. His assistants were invaluable in the strategy and the recruiting.

EC: Isn’t one of the things that made him great is his ability to know his weaknesses and hire assistant coaches to supplement that?

SHC: This is one of the reasons he was so great. He did not want yes men. He wanted people to disagree with him. He wanted smart people around him. Assistant Coach Jerry Norman played a role in the early strategy sessions. Another assistant coach, Gary Cunningham, was Lew Alcindor’s first coach of the freshman team. Other great assistant coaches were Denny Crum and Frank Arnold. He wanted to know what his assistant coaches were thinking. I do not think it was just a coincidence that Cunningham, Norman, and Crum played for Wooden.

EC: Do you think he had the players leave their politics at the door?

SHC: Yes and no. The politics and the issues going on in society were always with the players. Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton could have brought the whole dynasty down if they were about ego, worried about how many points they were getting, or wanting to bring the protests to the courts, which they could have done. I do think John Wooden was worried when Lew Alcindor came out from New York, that he would want to dominate the ball and the headlines. As it turned out, Alcindor and Bill Walton were the definition of selfless and team first. They had no egos. They did not care about the spotlight and in fact hated it. They would talk about their teammates. They cared about the win and playing right. Once they stepped on the court, they were selfless.

EC: Were there any players who tried to fuse their causes with basketball?

SHC: Yes. A player, Andy Hill came to Wooden during the National Moratorium Protest in 1969 and asked him to cancel practice to show people how UCLA basketball is standing up for a cause. This did not go over well. Wooden did not cancel. He looked at Hill and said ‘Andy you do not have to be at practice today. You do not have to be at practice ANY DAY.’ There were moments after the games where players protested. They did not silence the beliefs but knew how to keep them in check. They knew when and where. Bill Walton believed in Bruin basketball. While Walton and Alcindor had their stands on civil rights and the Vietnam War, they also had their stands on the greatness of UCLA basketball.

EC: Were there any examples of discontent?

SHC: Jim Wooden, John’s son, a proud Marine, told me how angry he was at Walton for protesting. He wanted to confront Walton. This was not a cocoon, but everyone knew where to draw the line and not cross it.

EC: How would Wooden have reacted to the way the NIL (Name-Image-Likeness) is structured?

SHC: He would have reacted from afar. John Wooden would not be coaching in today’s world. He hated to recruit but did recruit Lew Alcindor. Weekends were family time for him and his assistants. Now players are recruited but must be re-recruited to make sure they do not transfer. He would not have had anything to do with this version of the game: the recruiting, the money involved, and the emphasis on individual stardom. He would have either have gone into retirement or he would have become a high school English teacher somewhere. He was old school even then. He would never compromise the basketball side. He wanted the ball to be moving. The people who wanted to play fancy and who needed to take the shot were the antithesis of what John Wooden wanted.

EC: Would Wooden have like the style of UCLA’s current coach where he yells at his players?

SHC: He would not have approached him. But if someone around the current coach initiated the conversation he would have commented. One of the interesting parts of the book shows how people need to suspend what they know about Wooden in the 21^st century. He was a yeller. He would ride his players in practice. He was on officials during games. He would even rag on opposing players. He was fierce and driven as a coach. He would do whatever was in the rules to win the game. The John Wooden, America’s grandfather, was not Coach John Wooden of the sixties and seventies.

EC: Who would you consider the best UCLA player ever under Wooden?

SHC: Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton are impossible to decide. Most people feel that Kareem Abdul- Jabbar is the best player in college basketball history. Through my research I found out that is just not the case. Bill Walton has a very strong case. He does not like to be put on the same plateau. Other coaches and John Wooden and opponents said that it would be easier to play Alcindor than Walton. There is not a clear-cut number one the way most people believe.

EC: Are you writing another book?

SHC: I am scratching out a few ideas and would like to write another book.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Deadly Mountain Escape by Mary Alford

Book Description

Can this officer stop a trafficking ring?

Or will deadly criminals stop her first?

A search for a missing young woman becomes a nightmare for K-9 deputy Charlotte Walker when she stumbles on a trafficking ring and is captured. Death seems certain until she’s rescued by rancher Jonas Knowles. Together, they take shelter in the Amish community he left behind. But they can’t hide forever—not when the criminals are still after them and countless girls are at risk…

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Deadly Mountain Escape by Mary Alford explores sex trafficking. This story is sadly all too relevant for today. Through the character’s eyes readers will understand all the dangers involved with rescuing these girls.

Charlotte Walker is a K-9-unit deputy that is asked by her neighbor to find her granddaughter, Lainey. As she and her canine partner, Annie, begin the search she is attacked and almost died if not for the efforts of Jonas Knowles who witnessed what happened.

Annie is a great addition to the story. She is brave and loyal and helped to rescue Jonas and Charlotte multiple times.

Because they need to escape their pursuers, they go to Jonas’s brother, Abram’s farm. Abram is Amish and agrees to accompany Lainey to the Sherriff’s office. By working together, Jonas and Charlotte as well as Lainey and Abram develop feelings for each other.

While pursuing the sex traffickers, Jonas and Charlotte become close and decide to tell each other why they closed themselves off to any type of relationship. But in sharing their guilt they realize they have feelings for each other. Charlotte lost her beloved fiancé after he fell to his death looking for a search and rescue victim. Jonas feels guilty over losing his wife and future child when she had complications during the pregnancy, and he was out trapping.

The setting, a very realistic Montana mountain winter, also plays a role in the book. Readers will take the journey with the characters as they trudge through snow, becoming wet, freezing, and tired.

This is a wonderful action-adventure suspense story with memorable characters and a plot that has several twists and surprises. The danger and suspense will keep people on the edge of their seats as they search for clues alongside Charlotte and Jonas.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story in Deadly Mountain Escape?

Mary Alford: I enjoy writing stories where the hero and heroine have gone through something very dark in their past. In this case it was both. This is the type of story I like to read. I also dealt with the subject of human trafficking because I want to shed a light on it. The next book that comes out will deal with more of that tragedy.

EC: Can you explain this book quote, “Focusing on the past is the surest way to stop moving forward?

MA: We all have moments in our past that we dwell on them. Even with someone who was lost, people always regret not spending more time with them. They are living in the past and missing those times in the moment that are so rewarding. I am guilty of this also. People tend to beat themselves up over something they cannot change.

EC: How would you describe Jonas?

MA: He is bitter. Despite everything that has happened to him he tries hard to become a hero. He is one of those that has regrets and blames himself for losing his pregnant wife. He lost his wife and baby. It shattered him and he left the Amish faith because of this. He has a lot of guilt that has him keeping to himself. He is very determined and can be protective to save the other women in the story.

EC: How would you describe Charlotte?

MA: She is in law enforcement. She is strong, family oriented, and caring. She also blames herself for losing her fiancé falling to his death. She just focuses on her work and not on relationships. She can be angry, guilty, and confident. She is angry because her life did not turn out the way she wished.

EC: How would you describe Lainey?

MA: She is a typical teenager who wants to live her life with a little rebellious streak. She is on the flighty side and immature. She is kidnapped but is very headstrong. She falls for an Amish man who is helping her escape.

EC: What about the relationship between Charlotte and Jonas?

MA: Charlotte helped him come back to life as they work together to rescue the girls. They are connected because they both lost a loved one and can relate to what each other are going through. They bond through their grief. As the story unfolds, they end up counting on each other and protecting each other, slowly developing feelings for each other. They realize they want a future together because they are kindred spirits.

EC: What was the role Annie played in the book?

MA: She is the dog that helped them throughout the search. Annie is based on my dog named Kelly who has passed on. They both are a bluetick coonhound. She is fiercely protective and would do anything for her owner.

EC: You also write a self-published book, Shrouded Past?

MA: This is book five of the Hope Island Securities Series. This is the first book in the series that does not feature one of the founding members team. Going forward the founding members, as in this book, will not be featured, but will be in the story assisting.

EC: Next book?

MA: It is titled Ambush in the Mountains featuring Lanie and Abram. It will deal a lot more with human trafficking. There will be another wounded warrior soldier with a woman who escaped from a human trafficking ring. It will come out in July.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: In Sunshine or in Shadow by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles

Book Description

New York, 1908: The days are getting longer—and warmer—in Manhattan. Molly Murphy Sullivan doesn’t want to leave her home in the city, but typhoid is back, and she’s expecting. So she heads north with the children to summer with her mother-in-law in Westchester County. Molly tells herself it won’t be so bad, after all the countryside is pretty, and she’s determined to make the best of it. Even if she’s leaving her husband, Daniel, behind. And at least she’s not the only one heading north. Her great friends, Sid and Gus, are headed to the Catskills to visit Sid’s family.

Though her mother-in-law is a surprisingly excellent host, Molly quickly grows bored. And when Sid and Gus invite her to visit, Molly jumps at the chance to stay with them at an artist’s community. What a pleasant time they’ll have, so far from the city, although Sid isn’t so enthusiastic about having to visit her family in the nearby Jewish bungalow community. But deep in the Catskills, tensions are running high, and it’s not long before a body delays Molly’s return to Westchester.

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Elise’s Thoughts

In Sunshine or In Shadow by Rhys Bowen and Clare Bowles the focus is on the good friend of Molly Murphy, Sid. As with all these books readers get a glimpse of what is happening in the time period that is weaved throughout the story. This book is very relevant because it delves into the Catskills before it became a resort and how antisemitism flourished, just as today.

Because of the typhoid epidemic in the city, Molly and her children decide to stay with her mother-in-law in Westchester. Molly, who’s bored, visits her friends, who are staying at an artists’ retreat near Sid’s relatives. Sid’s grandfather’s alleged ill health was just an excuse to get her to the Catskill farm, where a matchmaker has brought possible mates for both Sid and her cousin Mira.

Mira’s match, Mr. Simon Levin, has made many enemies. Sid’s match is a college professor she finds interesting but has no intention of marrying. While out walking in the woods, Levin is shot with his own rifle, and the local police immediately focus on Mira, as a suspect. After her friends beg Molly to help Mira, she unearths other motives for his murder.

The reader is kept guessing as to who the murderer was almost to the very end, with clues strewn throughout. Where it really shines is in the descriptions of life during that time period, 1908, and all the historical information on the early Catskill resorts. A riveting murder, fun characters, interlaced with tidbits of historical information make this story a great read.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How much are you involved in writing this story?

Rhys Bowen: Very involved. We talk through the story idea. Then Clare does some research, and we see what we want to incorporate. In the first couple of books, we wrote alternating chapters. Now Clare is writing more, but I am still going in and giving my suggestions. I am still very hands on. Working with someone else is a gift because they have enthusiasm and new ideas.

Clare Broyles: If I do write a scene or a chapter she reads it immediately for feedback, and vice-versa.

EC: How did you get the idea for this story?

RB: We realized we never focused on Sid and her Jewish heritage. We thought it might be interesting to have her family wanting to have her married off. With the typhoid epidemic everyone wanted to get out of the city, but Jewish people were not welcome at the normal resorts. They decided to go up to the Catskills and stay in primitive cabins. We used typhoid to get Molly out of the city. Even some upscale houses became sick. This is why we bought in the cook, “typhoid Mary,” who went from household to household affecting the families.

CB: We wanted to write everything going on at the Catskills. It had its beginning in 1903. Park Rangers were just coming into existence. Their chain of command had them reporting to NYPD, a perfect line to Daniel. They had the mining in trouble. There was also the growing environmental movement that started to clash with the big quarry there. Plus, there was a Bohemian community of professional women. Ontera was its name. We fictionalized it. We wanted to show that it was a place where woman could be free.

EC: Your story is very relevant today considering what happened on October 7^th and the antisemitism going on in the US today. Do you agree?

RB: It is very relevant now. It did not matter how respected someone was or how rich, it was hard for Jewish families to get out of NYC. They were still not welcome. The police detective in this story exhibited the underlying antisemitism that comes out all the time. My health club is in the Jewish Community Center and there must be a guard outside and now there is a sheriff’s car.

CB: There were stories around that time that had to deal with the ‘No Hebrews allowed” signs at the upscale resorts. Unfortunately, this continues to be relevant throughout the years.

EC: There is a portrayal of the different levels of Judaism. Please explain.

CB: Sid’s family was wealthy and less religious versus the religious immigrant strain.

RB: One of my oldest friends in New York picked up some tiny things we did to make it more accurate. She did loads of research for us.

EC: The Catskills?

CB: It was based on fact. Some background, there were some wealthy Jewish philanthropists that wanted to help Jewish immigrants. This was about fifty years before. They bought large tracks of land in the Catskills to give to arriving families who instead of farming made money by renting out cabins.

EC: How would you describe Mira, Sid’s cousin?

RB: She is an interesting character. Not much of a fighter. Not strong-willed or independent. She is hopeful. She is very young who has been a sheltered Jewish girl. Sid and Gus gave her options in life.

EC: You also go into arranged marriages?

RB: Her role in life was to marry whoever her family chose for her and live happily ever after. We put in this quote from Sid, “This is how it is done in the old country. Parents chose a spouse, daughters obey, with a question of dowry and financial advantage. Love did not enter into it.” Gradually we see Mira gaining strength throughout the story. There were very few opportunities for women. Sid and Gus survived because they had money. Maybe this is easier than online dating now.

CB: It is not just the Jewish community that does this. We first considered to set it in Boston with Gus’ family. Women at the time did not have much of a voice. Mira’s family did not force her into marriage but made that option the most attractive. I think Gus’s family in Boston would have done the same thing.

EC: How would you describe the victim, Levin, who was chosen to marry Mira?

RB: He is brash. He is someone who talks about how good they are at their job and how much money he makes. He is annoying and sleezy. He is not trustworthy but is clever enough to convince people he might be a good match.

CB: He talks a good talk.

EC: What about your next books?

RB: The historical novel comes out in August titled The Rose Arbor. It takes place in 1968 with a little girl vanishing. The heroine is a journalist. Her roommate is a police officer. They go down to the South of England. Through their research they find out that three little girls evacuated during WWII also disappeared. This book is a jigsaw puzzle tying all the cases.

CB: The next Molly book has Bridie growing up, a fourteen-year-old. Ryan, a playwright, has written and acted in some motion pictures. Bridie is offered a part. It is titled, Silent as The Grave. It takes place in 1908. The very interesting part of the stories are the situations that lead to a murder. The way the people acted and felt in history.

RB: The special effects were all real. Someone tied to the train tracks was real, taking terrible risks. This all is presented in the book. It comes out the same time next year. All our books are linked to real time. We think about what happened then and how do we tie into it. I like to learn when I read. The sleuth character and how she handles things that stretch her makes the story interesting. When people write me fan mail, they never say that was a clever plot, but say “I love Molly,” which is what matters.

THANK YOU!!

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