#authorinterview – Page 15 – Avonna Loves Genres

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Her Amish Country Valentine by Patricia Johns

Book Description

Can a wedding-date deception
Become true love?

Tired of being seen as a lonely workaholic, advertising exec Jill Wickey promises to bring her “casual boyfriend” to her sister’s Valentine’s wedding. Too bad he doesn’t exist! Then Thom Miller, a carpenter working at her aunt’s Amish B&B, offers to be Jill’s fake boyfriend—if they turn the lie into truth. But dating Thom in idyllic Amish country makes Jill wish their temporary arrangement could last…

From Harlequin Heartwarming: Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging.

The Butternut Amish B&B

Book 1: Her Amish Country Valentine
Book 2: A Single Dad in Amish Country

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Elise’s Thoughts

Her Amish Country Valentine by Patricia Johns blends Englishers within an Amish community. Readers will have fun seeing how a romance can bloom from strangers to friends to falling in love. What also makes the plot interesting is how the author has set up not one, but four different relationship stories.

The story opens with Jill Wickey coming to Danke Pennsylvania for her younger sister’s wedding. She is staying with her Amish great-aunt, Belinda, the owner of Butternut Bed & Breakfast. After her sister, Elsa, teases Jill about her single status she claims she has a plus one. Now, she just needs to find a date. A carpenter working on Aunt Belinda’s kitchen agrees to be Jill’s plus one with some prodding, but only if she agrees to casually date him before the wedding. He doesn’t like misleading people and this way it won’t technically be a lie. As they get to know each other they realize that they have a lot in common with strong feelings.

Jill’s family is English along with Amish cousins and Belinda who remained Amish. Belinda’s other job is being a matchmaker to the Amish community. She is asked by Nellie King to find her a husband, the condition for keeping her father’s farm. What Belinda does not realize is that her neighbor, Eli, aspires to be with her.

Each of the couples are struggling with their differences: Jill is a city gal while Thom wants to stay in the country. Elsa wants a big wedding, while Sean wants to just be married by a judge. Nellie needs a farmer, while Mark knows nothing about it although he is willing to learn. Belinda sees Eli as too dependent and odd. The four couples, Jill and Thom, Elsa and Sean, Nellie and Mark, and Belinda and Eli, think they have different reasons for finding or avoiding love. Readers will go through all the emotions as each couple struggles to find their happily ever after.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: The idea for the story?

Patricia Johns: My best-selling books are Amish. Heartwarming Publishing is not an inspirational line but are sweet stories. I suggested an Amish adjacent, which has an Amish environment, but the hero and heroine are English characters. We worked within the line requirements. In this book, it was a country versus a city story. I am drawn to Amish romances because of the way the community connects.

EC: It seemed the city people were the isolated ones; can you address that?

PJ: Often times I write about the insiders versus the outsiders. People within a tight community versus those city dwellers who are wishing they can be a part of the tight community. I liked the idea putting the English heroine, Jill, in an environment surrounding the wedding of her little sister. There is a tight Amish community and there are the English within the community who like living the country way. Now Jill is the fish out of water.

EC: What about the differences between Jill and her sister Elsa?

PJ: Both sisters are jealous of each other and have different strengths

Elsa is better with connecting with those in the family that stayed Amish. She is more domestic, able to knit and cook. A real people pleaser.

Jill is a loner, tough, intimidating, and does not reconnect easily. She is a workaholic, independent, private, succeeds professionally, and a career woman. Yet, she is guarded, pragmatic, and levelheaded.

EC: How would you describe Thom?

PJ: He is kind, honest, a hard worker, stubborn, wounded, protective, and decent.

EC: Can you describe the relationship between Jill and Thom?

PJ: Jill must look closer at what she wants for her life. She must decide what she wants to give up, and what she is willing to compromise on. She is in her thirties, so she has a direction, and has made choices/sacrifices to get where she is. At this point in her life is she willing to sacrifice what she has become? She wants a romance but is not sure how to open herself up to one. While Thom’s last romance had his heart more into it than his girlfriend. This really hurt him. It makes him ‘once bitten, twice shy.’ Then he falls head over heels for Jill, which loosens his feelings up again.

EC: What is the role of Eeyore?

PJ: I love him. He represents everything in the country life, where there is no control. He has his own mind and ideas. He is the heart and soul of the bed and breakfast. Eeyore can be obstinate, stubborn, adventurous, and does his own thing. I contrasted Eeyore with Jill and Elsa who want to control something. Elsa wants to control how people see her, the relationship with people, to have everything sweet and wonderful all the time. Jill wants to control her achievements and professional success. Then there is Eeyore the donkey who no one can control.

EC: There are four couples that try to achieve a relationship: Aunt Belinda and Eli, Amish Nellie and Mark, Jill and Thom, and Elsa and Sean. Are there similarities or differences?

PJ: There are marriages for convenience and marriages for love. The practical side has no guarantee they will find love, while the romantic side is making sure the personality of the partner makes it easy to live with.

Nellie is naïve, sweet, kind, and sheltered. She eventually decides she wants true love over the practicality. Nellie is a foil to the rest because she thought she wants a practical marriage, while the Englishers are looking for love

Eli is set in his ways, but his animals were his friends and family and companions. Belinda is frustrated with him because of his quirkiness. Eli has always been in love with Belinda.

Sean does not realize that one of his friends, Mae, considers herself his ex-girlfriend even though she has never dated him. He is clueless about her feelings for him. He has been in love with Elsa the whole time. Sean asks Elsa to have Mae as a bridesmaid. She accepts because she does not want to rock the boat although she is jealous of Mae. With the wedding Mae does not like the reality that Sean will never be with her and is off the table.

Jill and Thom must struggle between their lifestyle and their love for each other. Their lifestyles represent their security. They both want to control things to feel safe. Yet, falling in love is very dangerous.

EC: Next books?

PJ: It will take the full series to have Belinda and Eli find their happily ever after. The next book in this series is titled A Single Dad in Amish Country, released on June 27^th. The heroine is a commercial pilot, Hazel Dobbs who meets the single dad, a landscaper.

Their Amish Secret will be released April 24^th, a love inspired story. The heroine is Claire Glick who had a baby out of wedlock. She manages a bed and breakfast. The father of her son, Joel Beiler, shows up at her doorstep with medical problems. There is a lot of distrust between them. The theme of this book is what does each person in a relationship really bring to it.

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: The Hot Shot Series by Lisa Childs

Book Descriptions and Elise’s Thoughts

“The Hot Shot Series” by Lisa Childs is a two for one. There are two mysteries in each book. A threat against the hero and heroine involving their personal life, and an overriding arc that has someone sabotaging the team. Although the books are in a series, there is sufficient information given in each book that allows each to be read as a standalone. The novels have great banter, murder, deception, and some romance. There is non-stop action with one threat after another.

The latest book, Hotshot Hero in Disguise, starts out with a bang as a stove explodes setting fire to Hotshot Ethan Sommerly’s beard and hair. He is injured and taken to the hospital, where he finds out that his long hair and bushy beard have protected his face from severe burns, but now he must trim and shave them because of the burns. He goes to the beauty salon owned by Tammy Ingles who realizes after completing her work that he has been hiding his identity. Not only does the attraction between them heat up but also the threats. There are several prime candidates, and the tension ramps up as Ethan and the others try to figure out who is involved.

The book before this one, Hotshot Heroes Under Threat, has another team member being threatened, Patrick (Trick) McRooney. He was assigned to go undercover and investigate why all these “accidents” were happening to the team. No one knows if the threats are against him or the team. One of the firefighters, Henrietta (Hank) Rowlins is also being threatened. People are wondering if the assailant wants Hank dead, Trick dead, or the team dead? It seems every time Hank and trick are together, their lives are threatened. Even though there is a major attraction between them each tries to stay apart to prevent the other from being hurt, literally and figuratively. What makes the stories heartfelt is how each member of the team eventually has each other’s back. The suspense of the story will have readers turning the pages, wondering how the danger will be stopped.

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Author Interview

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

Lisa Childs: While in college my husband worked for the US Forest Department. He had gone out to fight wildfires. When I started the series, my editor told me to make the heroes “hot shot firefighters.” I went from there. It started as four books, but there will be twelve total books in the series.

EC: The last two Hotshot books have similar relationships?

LC: Yes, both heroes tried to have a hands-off attitude toward the heroines because they did not want to endanger her. They are protectors, a part of their personality to save and help people.

EC: In your latest Hotshot book, Hero in Disguise, how would you describe Ethan Sommerly?

LC: He is mysterious, very quiet, and hides behind his big beard and bushy hair. He is a loner with big secrets.

EC: What about the heroine, Tammy Ingles?

LC: She is everybody’s friend, loved by everyone. She is very supportive, blunt, funny, quick-witted, and likes to be in control of her own life.

EC: What about the relationship?

LC: Although Tammy is not looking for love, she is intrigued with Ethan. She enjoys flirting and teasing Ethan to see him get flustered. There has always been an attraction between them.

EC: Is the heroine in the book before this one, Hotshot Heroes Under Threat, Henrietta (Hank) Rowlins, like Tammy?

LC: No, she is very much different. She has flourished in a male dominated career, especially as a Hotshot. She is very tough, physical, and brave.

EC: What about the hero in Under Threat, Patrick (trick) McRooney?

LC: At first, he is resented by the rest of the team since he took the place of their beloved Hotshot teammate who died. Plus, he is also the boss’s brother-in-law, so people feel there was nepotism involved. He needs to prove himself, that he deserves to be there. Trick also has abandonment issues because his mother took off when he was young.

EC: What about the relationship between Hank and Trick?

LC: Hank is vulnerable and mistrusting. They dance around their attraction, partly because of the rule there can be no fraternization among teammates.

EC: Next books?

LC: Book 9 of this series comes out in December and is titled, Hotshot Heroes for the Holiday and is Trent Miles story with a new heroine, a detective from Detroit.

Book 10 comes out in May 2024 with the hero Rory Van Dam and the heroine, reporter Brittany Townsend.

Book 11 comes out in July 2024 with heroine Hotshot Michaela Momber and the hero, the owner of the bar. This is my 100^th book for Harlequin Publishers.

Book 12 comes out in October 2024 with heroine trooper Wyonna Wells.

I also write a bunch of different series, “Bachelor Cowboys” and “Bachelor Bodyguards.” A Cowboys Justice is a Cold Case Suspense novel coming out this April, and the next Bachelor Cowboy book comes out in June, Firefighters Family Secret.

Baby Rescue Mission comes out in September with the heroine a Child Protective Services investigator.

The “Bane Island Series” is with a different publisher, Kensington. It is a thriller. A former psychiatric hospital has been converted to a posh spa, but bodies start piling up. The final one in the series is out this October. There is a rivalry between the local sheriff and the guy who owns the spa. There is a lot of conflict

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk

Book Description

To find a Russian mole in the White House, an FBI agent must question everything. . . and trust no one

To save America from a catastrophic betrayal, an idealistic young FBI agent must stop a Russian mole in the White House in this exhilarating political thriller reminiscent of the early novels of John Grisham and David Baldacci.

No one was more surprised than FBI Agent Peter Sutherland when he’s tapped to work in the White House Situation Room. From his earliest days as a surveillance specialist, Peter has scrupulously done everything by the book, hoping his record will help him escape the taint of his past. When Peter was a boy, his father, a section chief in FBI counterintelligence, was suspected of selling secrets to the Russians—a catastrophic breach that had cost him his career, his reputation, and eventually his life.

Peter knows intimately how one broken rule can cost lives. Nowhere is he more vigilant than in this room, the sanctum of America’s secrets. Staffing the night action desk, his job is monitoring an emergency line for a call that has not—and might never—come.

Until tonight.

At 1:05 a.m. the phone rings. A terrified young woman named Rose tells Peter that her aunt and uncle have just been murdered and that the killer is still in the house with her. Before their deaths, they gave her this phone number with urgent instructions: “Tell them OSPREY was right. It’s happening. . . “

The call thrusts Peter into the heart of a conspiracy years in the making, involving a Russian mole at the highest levels of the government. Anyone in the White House could be the traitor. Anyone could be corrupted. To save the nation, Peter must take the rules into his own hands and do the right thing, no matter the cost. He plunges into a desperate hunt for the traitor—a treacherous odyssey that pits him and Rose against some of Russia’s most skilled and ruthless operatives and the full force of the FBI itself.

Peter knows that the wider a secret is broadcast, the more dangerous it gets for the people at the center. With the fate of the country on the line, he and Rose must evade seasoned assassins and maneuver past jolting betrayals to find the shocking truth—and stop the threat from inside before it’s too late.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk was published in 2021. It has been made into a Netflix TV series, http://www.netflix.com/thenightagent, and was released on March 23^rd. Both the show and book are riveting thrillers that delve into corruption at the highest levels of government.

The plot has FBI Agent Peter Sutherland tapped to work in the White House Situation Room. When Peter was a boy, his father was suspected of being a traitor, a breach that cost him his career, his reputation, and eventually his life. Now Peter’s job is monitoring an emergency telephone line from US diplomats or assets in trouble. The phone never rings until one night a terrified young woman named Rose tells Peter that her aunt and uncle are being threatened and the perpetrator is after her. Peter believes her and decides to help, thrusting him and Rose into danger as they try to find out if there is a traitor in the White House.

People can watch the Netflix episodes first and then read the book or vice versa. In both cases there is a riveting story that has some different aspects between the book and the series. Below is an interview with the stars of the show, Gabriel Basso (Peter Sutherland), Luciane Buchanan (Rose Larkin), the creator/showrunner/executive producer, Shawn Ryan, and the author, Matthew Quirk.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: After watching the Netflix episodes people could still go back and read the book because of the differences. Do you agree?

Matthew Quirk: People are not watching a rendition of the book. The show and the book are on their own terms. It is wild to see a scene I have written on screen, but there were also things that happened I did not write. I really loved the series. My wife and I were able to watch all ten episodes. I forgot it was my book. We were completely hooked. I am grateful to everyone involved in the production. The fun of it was seeing some of my scenes filmed and bringing in new stuff to give it a second life. It was fascinating to see how they did it and bring all the pieces together. Yet, both the book and the series have a man/woman on the run. They have the same spirit.

Shawn Ryan: I encourage people to read the book and watch the series. Matthew was great telling me to change what I wanted to change. For instance, the Metro bombing in the book is almost like a memory, whereas in the show I elevated it to a crucial event. There is a lot in the spine of the book that provides the spine of the show, a lot we filled in, and some things we felt we changed for the better. The book and the show are very much related, but they are also different artistic endeavors. I think you can enjoy both independently.

EC: What was your idea for the story?

Matthew: The world of the Night Agent does come from real life although I did take some liberties. It is something that is put on diplomatic cables to indicate the importance. Someone like Peter must wake-up an important official including the President. A relatively junior person on the Situation Room desk, if it happens in the middle of the night, that person could be briefing the President, the first point of contact of a global disaster.

Shawn: The story of a young man who wishes he knew more about his deceased father. I had an experience where my father died suddenly. As I cleaned up his house, I found some stuff that had me wanting to ask him questions about his past, but I knew I would not have that chance. I think I worked out my personal stuff through this story.

Matthew: I also wanted to have the accusations against Peter’s father as a cloud over him. His loyalty is being questioned for the sins of his father. I had friends whose stories are not dissimilar. The evil states try to entrap Americans and their tactics are very brutal. I tried to show how the Cold War was played out between the generations of Peter and his father.

EC: How did you come by the story?

Shawn: I read thrillers and have a couple of friends who are authors, Gregg Hurwitz, and Robert Crais. In this case I had a meeting with Jamie Vanderbilt, the writer and producer whose company optioned the book. He asked if I would be interested. After reading this book I fell in love with the characters and saw an opportunity for the Secret Service arc I had been working on. I did not feel there was enough in the book for ten episodes.

Matthew: I had a friend who worked for the FBI in DC and would disappear every night around ten pm. People would whisper what was his job. This idea stuck with me even though I did not know what his actual job was. After speaking with my agent and friends, we all thought this is a good premise for a book. I came up with the story including the phone that never rings. The whole story is based on my imagination of what my friend did. I wanted to write something like classic 70s thrillers, written by Robert Ludlum.

EC: What about the Secret Service arc that was not in the book?

Shawn: I had been working on a Secret Service story independently but did not have enough for one show. I did not want to do a Secret Service story about protecting the President considering we see that a lot. I thought what jobs would not be prestigious in the protection part of that organization. I always have been fascinated in children of Presidents going off to college. How would that work? I did speak to someone on Chelsea Clinton’s detail. I essentially said this is how I imagine it and he thought I was close to reality.

Matthew: This made it fun because now I am watching as a viewer, with all the surprises. Shawn and I did talk a little bit on where the story was going. But overall, my attitude was ‘go for it’ since ‘I love your stuff and trust you.’ I also was invited to the set to watch some of the filming. I did chat with the actors and actresses briefly on the set.

EC: What about this quote in the show, “The Secret Service’s job is to protect the institution.”

Shawn: Those in the Secret Service must be different political types. Someone is willing to give up their life for Barack Obama, then Donald Trump, and then Joe Biden. I have always been interested in the mentality of this. They believe they are standing up for the institution of the Presidency and Democracy. The above quote by the Secret Service character Eric Monks is what he believes, standing up for a set of values.

EC: What were your favorite scenes in the series versus the book?

Matthew: The Secret Service arcs. The actors, D. B. Woodside who played Erik Monks, and Fola Evans-Akingbola, who played Chelsea Arrington, absolutely did a great job with their portrayals. This was all Shawn Ryan’s part of the story.

EC: Is it a David versus Goliath story?

Matthew: I think the espionage stuff mingled with the mundane. They are spies where on the weekends they would go to their children’s soccer games. They have suburban lives. The international intrigue intruded on the normal, boring, suburban life. It was a David versus Goliath story with a lowly analyst up against many powerful state actors.

Shawn: Ultimately what I really liked that emulates from Matthew’s book is that it is an underdog story. Peter is the least important person in a very important place, until that phone rings. This is like an Alfred Hitchcock movie where a very ordinary person is put in a very extraordinary circumstance. He is not a Jason Bourne or John Wick who would take on ten people in a room and come out victorious. I liked that Peter gets bruised and battered and yet keeps going. This could be a lesson for us: we might be overwhelmed at times with circumstances bigger than we can imagine yet we plow forward to do the right thing.

Gabriel who plays Peter: A better analogy is Hercules versus the Hydra. One head is cut off and more heads grow. It never feels like it’s a singular enemy and you do not know who it is, always being betrayed. This is what I likened it too.

EC: How would you describe Peter?

Shawn: This is a case where the collaboration between Matthew and me is very important. There is something noble about Peter, not wanting a lot of attention. He must be super careful because of the backstory involving his father. I absolutely think he is a bit naïve, which he must overcome throughout these ten episodes. I took pieces from my own marriage without realizing it. I tend to be like Peter in my life, immediately trust people until proven otherwise. Where my wife tends to be like Rose, justifiably skeptical.

Matthew: A rule follower, calm, bright, ambitious, curious, meticulous, confident, and honest to a fault. What I wanted to do with Peter, is force him to face the most difficult challenges. He was on the Metro train that was bombed, which lit a fire under him. He felt there was a conspiracy that drew him into the high stakes plot. Readers will question if he changed in the book, or did he have things bottled up most of his life?

Gabriel: Relentless, not caring about his own personal risk. He goes for it. He has become a rule follower because it was told to him by his dad that it matters. When you uphold the system, you uphold the principles behind the system. It does not make sense to him how those who took an oath are lying and manipulative. He feels betrayed by the whole process.

EC: How would you describe Rose?

Matthew: A survivor, sharp, tough, fearless, determined, and adaptable. She is a foil to Peter, because she is resourceful and does what it takes to get things done.

Shawn: I was having trouble with her characterization. I contacted Matthew and asked him what he was thinking with Rose. He told me something that really unlocked her for me, ‘I always thought of Peter as a rule follower and Rose is a rule breaker. The two of them must become a little more like each other to survive together.’ She had to live by her wits from a young age with no father and an absentee mother.

Luciane who played Rose: Very driven and ambitious. She is at a very, very low point in her life. I think she is like Peter; both are loners.

EC: Why did you choose the role?

Gabriel: I talked to Shawn, and he told me Peter will be real, grounded, and his hits will be grimy, with Peter out of his depth. Peter will not have to be Superman. I liked that a lot. I think it is more layered and nuanced than ‘I am the protagonist, get out of my way.’ It is more fun and serious. I was able to invest in the story. I think what helped is that I have been hit in real life, so I know what it is like. The tattoos are real; the scars are real. I am real. I did all the fighting and most of the other stuff. Except where insurance thought it too risky so the stunt coordinator would do it.

EC: Will there be a season two with the same actors?

Shawn: We would love to make a season two. I hope there are enough people to watch season one and like it. It is important to me that each season tells its own story with a new location. Peter will probably be one of those characters.

Luciane: We do not make the decisions, but Gabriel and I hope there will be a season two.

Matthew: Right now, I have no plans to write a sequel to The Night Agent.

Thank you!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Dangerous One by Lori Foster

Book Description

Being alone is what he wanted… All he needed was her.

Hunter Osborn left his family, his friends and his job as a park ranger after uncovering a disturbing crime scene. Haunted by nightmares and harrowing memories, Hunter relocated to an isolated property near Triple Creek, Colorado, where he lives alone and keeps his interactions with people to a minimum.

Still, Hunter can spot trouble from a mile away, and when he encounters Jodi Bentley, he knows she’s trouble of the most tempting kind—even more tempting when she moves into the run-down cabin next door. Jodi is tough as nails, sexy as hell—and clearly struggles with her own traumatic past. Hunter tries to keep his distance, but when Jodi’s life is threatened, he can’t help being drawn out of his own darkness and into hers.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Dangerous One by Lori Foster is a spin-off of the McKenzies of Ridge Trail trilogy. The story has everything a reader would wish for: suspense, secrets, lies, power, control, manipulation, security, protection, acceptance, and love.

The hero and heroine both are fighting demons of their past. Jodie Bentley was abused and is trying to overcome the terrors, while former park ranger Hunter Osborn is trying to stop the nightmares after seeing a terrible crime scene. They both are now in a small Colorado mountain town to escape a troubled past, enjoying the isolation and solitude.

After Jodi moves next door, Hunter becomes intrigued by her personality. She can be a spitfire, cocky, independent, and strong, but she is also vulnerable, petite, and wants to be a survivor with a normal life.

But after she is threatened, Hunter and his dog Turbo, become protective of her. Sometimes she gets annoyed, but Jodi allows them into her life. What ensues is the budding romance and relationship between Jodi and Hunter, and the potential fall-out as Jodi finds herself hunted by a powerful man. They join forces as they build trust in each other and allow the walls built over time to fall.

The secondary characters helped to make the story even more interesting. They are very colorful and include Hunter’s brother Memphis, his dog Turbo, and Jodi’s non-blood related family. All the characters in this book will tug at the reader’s emotions as they will connect with them and form bonds.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story of The Dangerous One?

Lori Foster: Jodi, the female protagonist of this book, first appeared as a slight secondary character in another series, “The McKenzies of Ridge Trail.” But as sometimes happens, she stuck with me. Even when I’d be thinking about a different story, writing a separate plot or character, Jodi would sneak into my thoughts. Sometimes characters take over and they have a story to tell and I’m just the one putting their words on paper. That’s how it was with Jodi. She told me she’d need a special kind of guy, told me her life had been harsh and it wouldn’t be easy to move forward, but that she could do it with the right person at her side. Turns out she was right.

EC: How would you describe Hunter?

LF: Hunter is, above all, honorable and loyal. He’s an alpha through and through, the kind of man who can’t ignore injustice, even when standing up for others he can bring peril to himself. It’s in his DNA to help where and how he can. Sometimes, as in the case with Jodi, that basic nature is inconvenient as hell.

EC: How would you describe Jodi?

LF: Jodi is a wounded soul with a backbone of steel. If hurt, she comes out swinging, fearlessly and with everything she’s got. She’s extremely aware, especially now that she has personal experience with just how evil people can be. Distrust is her constant shadow.

Like Hunter, she’s a natural born protector, but because of her size and lack of physical strength, she utilizes a lot of attitude. Part of her learned response is to react first and ask questions later; yet she has great instincts, and she knows to trust them, especially where Hunter is concerned.

EC: Do you think the men in the story underestimated Jodi considering she used weapons as equalizers, used her banter for intimidation, yet they only saw her as a petite woman unable to stand up for herself while they were bigger, badder, and more superior?

LF: The less astute men did, but Hunter recognized her dangerous edge right off. He didn’t fully trust her capability at first, but he did trust her – so when necessary, he didn’t mind being her backup. Hunter is confident enough that he doesn’t have to take the lead every time.

EC: What about the relationship between Hunter and Jodi?

LF: Jodi always fell back on the wounded woman she once was, so it was easy for her to misconstrue concern with pity, or to think that Hunter’s concern was a lack of faith in her ability. Jodi hadn’t had many people in her life to teach her about love, so it takes her a little while to figure it out.

For Hunter’s part, he was a very reluctant neighbor. He didn’t want to care for Jodi. He didn’t want to worry about her. As always, though, that basic nature of his made it impossible to ignore her.

EC: What was the role of the dog Turbo?

LF: Turbo was also a wounded soul! Hunter saved him, despite his broken barker and an affinity to chew on things. To me, it was one more way to show Hunter as a nurturer as well as a powerful defender. I don’t think the comparison was lost on Jodi. Seeing how someone treats a pet can give us great insight into their character. Never, ever trust someone who mistreats animals.

EC: Can you explain Jodi’s motto: “Everyday life for an everyday woman.”

LF: Jodi really wanted to reach the status of a mundane middleclass existence. She’d healed from a pretty awful situation. She’d found her footing and was able to put her energy into helping other women. But just as she encouraged those women to find a happy life, she wanted to do the same. First on the agenda for her was complete independence – even from a family who had helped her to survive. It wasn’t easy for her to separate help given freely from love (from her pseudo family) from help given out of desperate need (what she’d first required to survive). It helped that Hunter had come from an amazing family of his own – a family willing to give him the time and distance he needed to overcome his own traumatic experience. He was able to share that insight with Jodi, and to point out the true meaning of family.

EC: Do you believe there is a need for vigilantes because in a sense that was what Jodi and Hunter were?

LF: I’ll get vilified for this, but most definitely. We have vigilantes – those hired privately by our government and other governments, as well as mercenaries for hire when situations are dire and legal avenues are too slow.

I have the utmost respect for law enforcement. To me, the majority of police are heroes, but still everyday men and women, who sometimes find themselves in untenable life or death situations – either their own life or someone else’s. Mistakes can happen.

In my “perfect world” (which, of course, doesn’t exist) evil would always end. Permanently.

EC: Both Jodi and Hunter tried to isolate themselves living in a remote area: they built up walls to lock others out, yet felt it was defeating. Did both their families help to break down the walls along with each other?

LF: Jodi didn’t have any ties to her biological family, yet she had grown close with the family that saved her. For her, it often felt like pity and for a person with her internal strength that was difficult to bear.

Hunter, on the other hand, never had a doubt about the love and support of his family – his mom, dad and brother. They did their best to understand his need for isolation, but his brother had already grown impatient, and he loved Jodi for busting through Hunter’s emotional walls much like the Kool-Aid man. Since Jodi didn’t even realize she was doing it, it was extra fun to write. I often see my books like a movie playing out before me.

EC: Next book(s)?

LF: Hunter’s brother, Memphis, is a hero in the book, The Fearless One, out December 26th. I loved Memphis the moment he showed up on the page. Memphis has opened an RV resort (known for shady business) near the area where his brother, Hunter, now lives. His plan is to stop trouble before it happens, but in walks Jedidiah, hauling her own turbulent trouble along, and his plans get turned upside down in a big way. Love often does that to people.

April 25^th, I have a reissue, Meant to Be, published digitally. The story ties in with my Visitation series, but also stands alone, based around two people who grew up together and yet begin seeing each other in a whole new way when the female lead considers moving away.

May 9^th, I have The Little Flower Shop, which is set in the same small, quirky town as a previous book, The Honeymoon Cottage. It’s about a 40 something woman who decides to try to fit a little romance into her hectic life, and somehow becomes a hashtag on the town’s local social media. #theflowerlady I had loads of fun writing it!

June 1^st is my next “benefit book,” Bray. Each year I write a novella where the advance and all royalties go directly to a no-kill animal shelter. Readers met Bray as a young boy in Fighting Dirty, one of the books from my Ultimate series. He’s an MMA fighter with a rough background, which makes it easy for him to recognize when someone else is going through trouble. He knows Karen is hiding something, and he not only wants to help her, he just plain wants her – in every way. When the past catches up to her, she turns to Bray, and together they’re able to meet the trouble head on, as well as build a promising future.

August 22^nd, one of my reader favorites, Too Much Temptation, is being reissued with a new cover. It’s one of my sexier books featuring a voluptuous woman who doesn’t recognize her own appeal, and a man who loves her body but truly falls for her heart.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: All That is Hidden: A Molly Murphy Mystery by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles

Book Description

“Retired” detective and police captain’s wife Molly Murphy Sullivan tangles with Tammany Hall in the next in Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles’s New York Times bestselling historical mystery series.

New York, Autumn, 1907: Former private detective Molly Murphy Sullivan is happy with her place in the world. She and her policeman husband, Daniel, have built quite a life for themselves in Greenwich Village, in their modest-yet-beautiful-home in Patchin Place, filled with family, friends, and laughter. Molly and Daniel have a good marriage, a true partnership where they value each other’s opinions in all things.

So when he tells her they’re moving to a fancy home on Fifth Avenue—and that he’s running for the sheriff of New York—Molly is left reeling. Daniel begs Molly to trust him, but why would he run for sheriff on the Tammany ticket? A party known more for kickbacks and quid pro quo than anything else, it used to be everything Daniel despised. So what’s changed? And why didn’t he discuss it with her beforehand? Molly can’t help but wonder what Daniel’s got himself tangled up in… and whether he needs her help to get out.

In this next installment in this beloved series All That Is Hidden, the incomparable Molly is drawn into the dangerous world of politics, forced to navigate through the webs of lies and deceit which are hidden behind a veil of vast wealth and grandeur.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Molly always thought that she and her husband Daniel had a good marriage, which was a true partnership. But things seem to unravel when he comes home to tell her they are moving from their modest home in Patchin Place to a fancy home on Fifth Avenue. He has decided to run for sheriff of New York on the Tammany Hall ticket. She cannot understand this change in Daniel since he has had a long opposition to the Tammany record of corruption. Now she must deal with bodyguards, servants, and her bills paid for by Tammany boss, William “Big Bill” McCormick.

As with most of the books there is a glimpse into the society of the times. Their ward, Bridie, has been attending a wealthy private school, paid for by Molly’s friends Sid and Gus. She is being picked on for being poor and smart. That is until she helps to rescue Blanche McCormick, Big Bill’s daughter, from a fire aboard a tour boat. Afterward Bridie and Blanche become BBFs.

The mystery also involves the killing of Big Bill, found dead in a locked room. Everyone is wondering if the real-life William Randolph Hearst had something to do with it since his investigative reporter of Tammany Hall has disappeared. Now Molly and Daniel must go undercover to investigate and find the killer.

The characters added to the intriguing story. It alerts readers to the ever-changing times and the realism makes for an insightful plot.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: What was it like working as a mother/daughter team?

Rhys Bowen: I had put the Molly Murphy series on hiatus because I simply did not have the time to write three books a year. I knew Clare was a very good writer and since she wanted to give it a go, I said ‘let’s give it a try.’ She read through the whole series, seventeen books, and was able to find Molly’s voice perfectly. It has been seamless. At the end no one could tell who wrote what. In the third book, Clare wrote the end of the book by herself.

Clare Broyles: Writing with my mom is fun. We spark each other as we come up with ideas. As a mystery writer I had to consider how Molly could solve the crime in a clever way. I get to write a scene and have this amazing author, my mom, read the scene.

RB: We chat with each other every evening, making writing not a solitary profession. We can create together more and exciting scenes.

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

CB: We wanted to do something with a wealthy Fifth Avenue story. Every single day the book takes place I read the New York Times for that day. One story had a mail bag ripped open and the mail flew everywhere. I thought, what if a letter contained important information that someone else got a hold of. I also read how a pleasure cruise caught fire on the Hudson. Finally, there were some stories of how Tammany Hall sparred with William Randolph Hearst who joined with the Republicans in attempting to win the Mayorship of New York. From there we decided to make a wealthy school friend of Bridie, the soon-to-be adopted daughter of Molly, a daughter of a Tammany Hall official.

EC: You set up the characters before the mystery comes into play?

RB: In the Rhys Bowen books a body is not usually found before page 100. I tend to bring my characters together, allow the readers to watch them interact, and then someone is killed. We very rarely have a body early in the book. There is a mystery in the beginning since Molly cannot believe that her husband Daniel accepted a job with Tammany Hall without consulting her. Molly always will have a personal life.

EC: Molly is not thrilled with Daniel over his unilateral decisions?

CB: Molly likes to do things herself. She is proud of keeping her house and raising her child. She never looked for an easier life. She feels out of place having to move to Fifth Avenue in a house Tammany Hall has given Daniel. It is her Irish background where she feels out of place with the gentry. She is not very good at giving orders to servants. She enjoys raising her child and being with him.

RB: As a husband of the time, he is remarkably understanding. A husband of the time could say he does not want Molly doing detective work, beat her, and a woman had no claim on the property or the children. A wife was really another possession. He is scared for her because she does take risks. In the beginning, he asks Molly to trust him. There is a lot of Feminism in the Molly books.

EC: What role does the Tammany Hall official ‘Big Bill ‘play in the book?

CB: He represents several different bosses in New York and New Jersey. They wanted to control the docks. I read of an official who had a two-sided desk, sliding it out so a person could put their bribe in it. The book is really about the relationship between him and his family with Molly, Daniel, and Bridie. Big Bill is overwhelming, charming, someone who likes to have his way, evil, corrupt, yet helps the downtrodden.

EC: What was the role of the Fifth Avenue house versus the house on Patchin Place?

CB: Having to move destabilized Molly and threw her off balance. She did not know how she was going to pay the servants.

RB: Molly could not wait to get back to Patchin Place especially since her neighbors and friends were across the street and her support group. She knows the rules there. She is much more comfortable in her own home.

EC: What about Big Bill’s wife, Lucy McCormick?

RB: She is a complete antithesis to her husband. He is the rough Irishman without refined manners who has learned how to manipulate, a classic mob boss. He married her for her money and position in society. She is a very loving mother, kind, and caring. She is not a snob and wanted to be friends with Molly.

CB: She is a kindred spirit with Molly. She also feels a bit trapped in her life, not really wanting to be involved in politics.

EC: Bridie’s friend, Blanche transformed?

RB: She transformed from a mean girl to a good friend. She represented a typical teenage girl. After being rescued by Molly and Bridie she realized they were good caring people. But she is obviously very spoiled. Girls at that age are a prowling pack and enjoy picking on someone different. Bridie is not like them since she is poorer than them and very bright. She made a judgement and saw how Bridie is supported by her family.

EC: What about the forensics?

CB: Before I came into the series Daniel was a big proponent of fingerprints. It is a new science at the time the book takes place. It is not admissible in court yet, but still can be useful to find the preparator.

RB: Autopsies had been done for a while. We are getting into the very beginnings of blood types and blood spatter, just around the corner. They are starting to get the scientific evidence to back up the “who done it.” This is one of the reasons I like writing these times, because the detective still must use their smarts.

EC: Next books?

RB: The secondary characters in this book will have a break in the next Molly book. It is summertime in New York, where school is not in session.

CB: Bridie is devasted that Blanche has gone to France for the summer. The family visits Daniel’s mom, Mrs. Sullivan. Molly is being driven crazy, so she gladly accepts an invitation to go to the Catskills with Sid and Gus. Three different communities are brought together: Sid and Gus are part of an artist’s colony, there is a new ranger there since the Catskills are now a state park, and in the bungalows are a fledgling Jewish colony. The murder has to do with a matchmaker.

RB: My historical novel is titled The Paris Assignment, published in August, even though the main action takes place outside Paris, ending up in Australia in the 1940s. There are two parallel stories going on in the book. The heroine acts as a courier for the allies. It was not an easy one to write because it tugs on readers’ heartstrings.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Collateral Damage by J.A. Jance

Book Description

After spending twenty years behind bars, Frank Muñoz, a disgraced former cop, is out on parole and focused on just one thing: revenge. The wife who abandoned him after his arrest, the mistress who ratted him out for abetting a money-laundering scheme, the detectives who presided over his case all those years ago—they all have targets on their backs.

For Ali Reynolds, the first Christmas without her father is riddled with grief and uncertainty. And with her husband and founding partner of High Noon Enterprises, B. Simpson, preoccupied by an upcoming New Year’s trip to London, she is ready for a break. But when Stu Ramey barges into her home with grave news about a serious—and suspicious—accident on the highway to Phoenix involving B.’s car, things reach a breaking point.

At the hospital, a groggy, post-op B. insists that Ali take his place at a ransomware conference in London, as troubles brimming around High Noon come to light. But questions remain: Who would go to such lengths to cut the tech company from the picture? And what if Ali and the rest of the team are also in danger?

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Elise’s Thoughts

Collateral Damage by J. A. Jance blends a very twisted story involving security, battered women, organized crime, murders, corruption, and revenge. It is told from different points of view between High Noon characters, several police forces, and investigators trying to piece together a puzzle that spans many different jurisdictions.

Readers soon learn about Frank Muñoz, a disgraced former cop, out on parole after twenty years. He is focused on revenge for those who helped to put him behind bars: The wife who abandoned him after his arrest, the mistress who ratted him out for abetting a money-laundering scheme, and the detectives who presided over his case all those years ago.

Ali and her husband B. Simpson are drawn into the situation when B’s airport shuttle is run off the road, with he and the driver hospitalized. Was B. the target or just collateral damage since the driver was a retired detective?

The added twist is that B. suspects someone might have tried to prevent him from attending a London Conference on cyber security. He insists that Ali take his place at a ransomware conference in London. But she knows she would be an inadequate substitute, so she convinces Cami, an assistant, to make the presentation with Ali as the face of the company.

Jance has an uncanny way of bringing the plots together. Ali and company unravel this complex plot that allows readers some thrilling scenes.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Rumor has it you had a hard time writing this story?

J. A. Jance: This book took a whole year to write. In 2022 I was working on it. After writing nine chapters I handed the draft over to my husband, Bill. He handed it back to me and said, ‘I cannot read this. It is a mess.’ He is a very brave man. I reread what I had written, and he was correct, it was a mess. What was wrong, is that the bad guy had not appeared in the first quarter of the book. There was no foundation in the first draft. I did a complete rewrite. Bill, my agent, and my new editor all liked the new story.

EC: In this book Ali Reynolds is not endangered?

JAJ: Yes. This is unusual. I wanted to show how it takes a village of law enforcement officers to solve a crime.

EC: You made the police officers come to life?

JAJ: These days the press has the police as bad, uncaring, and evil. A scene in the story really underscores how much the police characters in the books cared. I had goosebumps when I wrote it. The bad guy from the Arizona Highway Patrol is arrogant and an a-hole. But all the others are good and are lined up against evil. The vast majority are not bad. Part of the purpose of this book is to give their stories, such as Hal.

EC: How would you describe, Frank Muñoz, the bad guy?

JAJ: He is resentful and has a motivation of revenge, to kill those who have wronged him. He is angry, dangerous, arrogant, an abuser, and corrupt.

EC: This book includes domestic violence?

JAJ: It was the whole point of the book. The Dahlke House was made up but based on my knowledge of domestic violence and the counselors. Often the people involved also have been abused. Domestic violence workers are heroes and are at risk. The guys who perpetrate domestic violence think it’s my way or the highway and anyone who gets in their way will be run over. The initial murder of Danielle had her husband as a suspect. The police cleared him and was able to give him his whole life back, totally exonerated. This is important because in solving long cold cases justice is served but also clears the names of those thought to be perpetrators but were not, getting rid of the suspicions hanging over their head.

EC: You have different types of characters in your books?

JAJ: What makes a painting, the contrast. In my books, there are little pieces of lightness, such as Cami taking down that attorney in London. B. is somewhat MIA because he is in the hospital getting a shoulder replacement. Instead of using the saying, ‘follow the evidence,’ I follow the story.

EC: What about the next book?

JAJ: The Brady family shows up in the next Walker Family book due out next fall. In September it will number six, titled Blessing of the Lost Girls. It is set on a reservation. The stories and legends I learned as a storyteller on the reservation are weaved into the background. There will be missing and murdered indigenous girls, which I knew about since the early 90s. Readers might want to look at my blog on my website.

THANK YOU!!

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