Famous equestrian Summer Davies travels to Wyoming to escape a scandal…and rescue Levi Blackwell’s rodeo. When she arrives early, the only place to stay is with the ornery—and gorgeous—cowboy. Their commitment to making the rodeo a success, and Summer’s affection for his young daughter, draws them together. When he learns about her past, will he still want her help? Or will he end up chasing her away?
***
Elise’s Thoughts
Wyoming Rodeo Rescue by Carol Ross is the third book in this third series about the Blackwell family. The plot is centered around family and misconceptions. Halloween plays a role in the story and readers definitely get a treat not a trick.
The hero and heroine both are struggling to find themselves. Summer Davies decides to lay low to avoid a major scandal. She is a famous equestrian who learns her boyfriend has cheated on her on the same night that he proposed marriage. Unfortunately, her reaction had been filmed and everyone can see her tossing the ring into a lake and storming out. To avoid the potential scandal that can derail her career, her trainer convinces her to fill in as headliner and MC for a rodeo in Wyoming.
There she meets Levi Blackwell, who used to be a rodeo rider, but quit due to an injury. Now, back at home, he decides to start up his own rodeo. He is going to use the money to help pay off his grandmother’s debts and be able to keep the Flying Spur Ranch. When they first meet, both butt heads. She appears to be a diva, and he appears to be hardheaded. But due to housing problems, she, her horse, and her trainer, stay at Levi’s ranch. What they realize is that they came to a wrong conclusion about each other and that they have an attraction to one another. They also both realize that Levi’s ten-year-old daughter is drawing them together since they want to protect her.
If someone wants to put a smile on their face this is the book to read. The story will at times make readers laugh with the banter. The plot is very touching.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: How are you doing after the loss of your husband?
Carol Ross: It’s been rough as you can imagine. Maybe, in the future I will write about my journey because I have a lot to say about it. I might write a non-fiction about my experience, since these books are more light-hearted. It has been hard. I have been devouring books and articles on grief. If I do write something, maybe someone who has gone through something similar can be helped.
EC: Halloween was brought into the story?
CR: They had a Zombie hayride, with each dressed in costume. Plenty of pumpkins and games. My chosen month was October. It flavored the whole book. I love this holiday if it’s not too scary. Just the cute stuff, no horror.
EC: How did you get the idea for the story?
CR: We have a collaborative process, throwing ideas out there and not overlapping. I liked the idea of opposites attract. My heroine started out different than she really was. The hero and heroine thought they were opposites but ended up finding out how similar they really were. They had a horse connection. They both had expectations that were not accurate.
EC: How did you get all the information about horses?
CR: I have a friend who has been showing horses for a while. She knows about the horse world. I would not say that the heroine is based on her, but there is a lot of her in that character. Just as with Summer, my friend, is also someone who should not be underestimated or that people should not assume things about her.
EC: How would you describe Summer?
CR: Impatient at times, career motivated, intense, hard worker, devoted, and anxious. I know readers thought at times she can be a diva. I think that scene did not come across as I wanted it. I wanted her to be a diva by circumstance, not an actual diva. The town took her by surprise, yet she was able to acclimate quickly. Reluctant diva is a good term. She never faced her problems unless it dealt with her horse. She needed to realize what she really wanted.
EC: Braden the ex-fiancé versus Levi?
CR: I did not want any heart break but wanted a complication. Levi was a rodeo horse guy and Braden was a stereotypic equestrian, a snobby rich horse guy. Braden thinks a lot of himself, wants eye candy for a partner, charming, reckless, publicity hound, and confidant. Readers should not be enamored with him.
EC: How would you describe Levi?
CR: He is kind, caring, can jump to wrong conclusions, might have tunnel vision about people, and his daughter means everything to him. He was wounded deeply by his ex and is stressed by the new family situation. He has a little bit of a temper.
EC: What about the relationship?
CR: Levi was shocked that he had strong feelings for Summer. Initially he thought she was not his type, looking on her as condescending and spoiled. They goad each other and are sarcastic. They misjudged each other. Neither was looking for love but realized there was a major attraction. An opposite attraction.
EC: What about Isla, Levi’s ten-year-old daughter?
CR: Cute, polite, smart, curious, determined, funny, and brought Summer and Levi together. Summer saw a lot of herself in Isla. She helped Summer because Summer was brave for the little girl when she could not be brave for herself.
EC: What role did divorce play?
CR: Passive-aggressive relationship between Levi and his ex. They liked to snipe and argue, even in front of Isla, almost putting her in the middle. Isla was hurt by their arguments. Levi could not see what he was doing wrong because he was too focused on what his ex-wife was doing wrong. In the end, they both saw the light.
EC: Next book?
CR: I have been on a hiatus because of my husband’s illness and death. Thankfully, my publisher and editor are amazing. I am under contract for a five book western series. It might be a little while until I write the story.
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.
Lessons in baseball enlightenment from three-time MLB Manager of the Year Joe Maddon.
No one sees baseball like Joe Maddon. He sees it through his trademark glasses and irrepressible wit. Raised in the “shot and beer” town of Hazleton, PA, and forged by 15 years in the minors, Maddon over 19 seasons in Tampa Bay, Chicago, and Anaheim has become one of the most successful, most colorful, and most quoted managers in Major League Baseball. He is a workplace culture expert, having engineered two of the most stunning turnarounds in the past quarter century: taking the Rays from the worst record in baseball one year to the World Series the next and leading the Cubs to their first World Series title in 108 years.
Like his teams, Maddon defies convention. He is part strategist, part philosopher, part sports psychologist, and part motivational coach. In THE BOOK OF JOE, Maddon gives readers unique insights into the game, including the tension between art and data, the changing role of managers as front offices gain power, why the honeymoon with the Cubs did not last, and what it’s like to manage the modern player, including stars such as Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Yu Darvish, and Kris Bryant.
But you expect even more from a manager who meditates daily, admires Twain, and has only one rule when it comes to a team dress code: “If you think you look hot, wear it!” And Maddon delivers. Built on-old school values and new-school methods, his wisdom applies beyond the dugout. His mantras about leadership, mentorship, team building, and communication are meditations on life, not just baseball. Among those mantras are:
“Do simple better.” “Try not to suck.” “Don’t ever permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure.” “See it with first-time eyes.” “Tell me what you think, not what you’ve heard.”
THE BOOK OF JOE is Maddon at his uniquely holistic best. It is a memoir of a fascinating baseball journey, an insider’s look at a changing game, and a guidebook on leadership and life.
***
Elise’s Thoughts
The Book of Joe by Joe Maddon with Tom Verducci is a great read. He talks about his rise to become the baseball manager of the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs, turning both teams around including a World Series victory for the Cubs, the first in 108 years. Maddon explains his style of being part strategist, part philosopher, part sports psychologist, and part motivational coach. Any fan of baseball will also enjoy his comments on how the game has changed, some for the better and some for the worse.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Why did you gravitate to baseball managing?
Joe Maddon: I have managed twenty-three years including the Minors and the Majors. I tried to be a player but was told I was not good enough. Because I always wanted to get into the Big Leagues, I had to be a coach first. In 1981 I got into the scouting, coaching, and managing. I learned my craft.
EC: In the book you cover analytics. Do you agree with the quote in the book by former San Francisco Manager Bruce Bochy, who won three World Series?
“I came up with the more traditional way of managing. I made the calls. I made the lineups. The information is great, and I wanted it. It made the players better. It made the coaching better. But you still love to manage a game and have a feel for it. You need a balance. That’s what has gotten lost in the game.”
JM: I like the information. What I do not like is how the clubhouse has been infiltrated by analytical people who I believe hold more baseball power than actual coaches and managers. They are not held as accountable as a coach or manager even though they are supplying information that everyone wants us to utilize. I want it but it should be subservient to the game and not the other way around. It gets way too much credit for a victory instead of the good players.
EC: So how should it be used?
JM: When a team acquires players the information about them is important in deciding between this guy or that guy. It is wise to break down analytically what is valued in a player. It does help a lot on defense to determine where to put the players. There can be advantages with pitching in game planning. I do not think hitters benefit at all.
EC: Does the front office interfere during a game?
JM: This had not happened to me. When it comes down to analytical suggestions they do it as late as when a manager walks down to the dugout. There should be a league wide rule that analytical folks are not allowed in the clubhouse after 3 pm for a 7 pm game. Analysts should not be involved in meetings. They should give their information to the coach and then have the coaches give it to the players, not the analysts. The team should rely on a manager’s wisdom, feel, and experience. This is becoming archaic across the board in every profession.
EC: Let’s look at an example such as leftie on leftie or righty on righty?
JM: There is a lot of analytics involved with it. The third time through the batting order is a big part of it. It can be very devastating or detrimental to a guy if they take him out. What if that guy gets better in the latter part of the game. The analysts will back it up with numbers and data or argue back to front. I cannot disagree more. I believe that the analytics gets in the way of making a player great because the pitcher should be allowed to show they can pitch deep into a game. I know, just based on experience during a game, when a guy can go further, or he is at his Waterloo.
EC: What about the hitting coaches?
JM: The hitting coach has the toughest job in the game and are blamed way too much. Hitters have the greatest disadvantage regarding any part of the game. The pitchers are pro-active, while the hitters are re-active. The scouting reports can tell a pitcher exactly what the hitter is good at or not. This allows them to match up their strength against the hitter’s weakness or strength versus strength. Hitters get nothing out of this analytical world. To get better hitters then acquire, draft, and sign better hitters, with a track record of success.
EC: What is your managing style?
JM: My approach is different than anybody. I focus on different things. I like to have building blocks, relationships with the players, establish trust, and exchange ideas. I believe the greatest danger is not that our aim is too high, but it is not high enough. Simple is better. An overarching philosophy the more freedom given the better respect. I do not have rules except position players should run hard to first base and pitchers should always work on their defense. I think I am a “player’s manager.” I feel I am there to protect and defend my group. Praise publicly and criticize privately.
EC: Do you think there should be a robot umpire considering how many times they get the calling of balls and strikes wrong, including the first game of the Division series with Yu Darvish pitching?
JM: I was really impressed that Yu did not really react. I texted him to let him know how much I loved and appreciated his composure. It did not go his way, but he was able to handle the adversity. Umpires are going to make mistakes. I prefer not perfect baseball. The problem is that the umpires are analyzed more, especially with the strike zone boxes. Before umpires could do whatever they wanted. If they did not like a hitter the strike zone is going to get wide, and for a pitcher they did not like the strike zone was going to get small. This shows the human element involved. I think the scrutiny and criticism is good for the game. When I was growing up in Pennsylvania and went to a bar there were always arguments. Social media is now the latter-day bar room. I was talking to a player who had a great idea: the umpire has an earpiece, calls the balls, and strikes on his own, but is reminded that he got it wrong in real time. He gets corrected during the game just as a hitting and pitching coaches do. I prefer this to a robotic umpire.
EC: Should the ball be less lively?
JM: Yes. I am hoping it will bring the game back without the ball leaving the ballpark. The problem is with analytics everyone stills wants the home run. I prefer that guys learn to strike out less, bunting for a hit when appropriate, and have the hit and run come back. Basically, movement, action, and strategy.
EC: What about the shift?
JM: I was one of the first guys to do it. People need to identify if it will be problematic for a guy to hit the other way or bunt, before they get to the Big Leagues. It is very difficult to do on a Major League level, to make those kinds of adjustments. Left-handed pull hitters will have better numbers when the shift is removed.
EC: What about the pitch clock?
JM: I like it. It will quicken the game since pitchers will pitch quicker and hitters will be in the box quicker. The game has a better pace.
EC: What about the new rule that pitchers will be allowed to throw over to first base only twice?
JM: It does give the advantage to the runner. Remember, I had John Lester in Chicago, and he did not throw over to first base. Yet, we still controlled the running game through pitching. There are other things that can be done.
EC: What was it like managing two big Superstars, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani?
JM: They are both great guys. Shohei and I would meet and decide what he can do and wanted to do. Did he need a day off or to pitch and hit on the same day? He is a joy. Mike Trout could have easily grown up in my hometown. He is a real solid guy with great parents. He has small town values. At the end of the year, he fixed a couple of things and looked good hitting.
EC: What do the Angels need to do to get Mike Trout to the playoffs?
JM: They started to do it this year. They have a lot of young guys I really like, nice starting pitching.
EC: Do you think that the injuries of the Angel players hurt you when managing them?
JM: We lost twelve in a row. Guys were struggling. We also had the best start at the beginning. We had a bad run with Mike and Shohei in a slump and our pitchers struggling. It was the imperfect storm. Guys just had a hard time all at once.
EC: What was it like to win the championship in 2002 with the Angels as a coach?
JM: It was the best moment of my life. It was a tough year for me personally with my dad passing away and I was going through a divorce. I was grateful to have that victory. I always wanted to be on the first Angel team that won the World Series. I have stayed in touch with a lot of guys.
EC: What is next on the horizon for Joe Maddon?
JM: I am an “in the present” kind of guy so promoting this book. I could manage again, more involved in the media, or open a restaurant, especially since I learned how to cook a pizza on a Weber grille that is outstanding. I believe in eyes open, ears open, and mouth shut to see what happens.
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.
Mitch Rapp confronts a very different kind of killer in the explosive new thriller in Vince Flynn’s number one New York Times best-selling series, written by Kyle Mills.
With President Anthony Cook convinced that Mitch Rapp poses a mortal threat to him, CIA Director Irene Kennedy is forced to construct a truce between the two men. The terms are simple: Rapp agrees to leave the country and stay in plain sight for as long as Cook controls the White House. In exchange, the administration agrees not to make any moves against him.
This fragile détente holds until Cook’s power-hungry security adviser convinces him that Rapp has no intention of honoring their agreement. In an effort to put him on the defensive, they leak the true identity of his partner, Claudia Gould. As Rapp races to neutralize the enemies organizing against her, he discovers that a new generation of assassins is on her trail. A killer known to intelligence agencies only as Legion.
The shadowy group has created a business model based on double-blind secrecy. Neither the killer nor the client knows the other’s identity. Because of this, Legion can’t be called off nor can they afford to fail. No matter how long it takes – weeks, months, years – they won’t stand down until their target is dead. Faced with the seemingly impossible task of finding and stopping Legion, Rapp and his people must close ranks against a world that has turned on them.
***
Elise’s Thoughts
Vince Flynn’s Oath of Loyalty by Kyle Mills explores the political world of today. Unlike books in the past with Mitch Rapp and Irene Kennedy, this book highlights a President that is at odds with Rapp and Kennedy and strives to eliminate them.
This plot has the whole team working together to save American democracy as well as each other. President Cook has forced Irene to resign, and the new CIA Director has convinced him that Mitch Rapp is a lethal threat. To get to Mitch they are seeking someone who will assassinate Claudia Gould, the person with whom Mitch has settled down. He along with Irene and Scott Coleman must neutralize this enemy. But Irene also must navigate a fine line, trying to convince Mitch not to go after an elected President and work somewhat within the system.
Between the riveting plotline and the team working together, fans of the series will be exuberant. They will not want to put the book down because this is a page-turner.
***
Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Is the arc finished with this book?
Kyle Mills: I wrapped up this plot line and will move to something else. The timing of it did not work out. It is based on the fall of American democracy, which can come from either side. I wish the American people would take their job seriously. If there are bad politicians, we voted for them so are they a reflection of who we are? These politicians make rules that they never intend to follow. The point of the book is that the American people need to pay more attention to what is happening instead of being increasingly apathetic. Probably because they are so comfortable.
EC: It was great to have the team in the plot?
KM: It is always fun to have the whole team involved and working together. It is tough going up against the President of the US. Certainly, Mitch could not go it alone with a frontal assault. Everyone used their skill set to resolve the issue.
EC: Is President Cook based on anyone such as Trump, Biden, or Gavin Newsom?
KM: Not Newsom because I do not follow California politics at all. I never gave him a second thought. I honestly had to look something up about him because a lot of people asked me. I did not know what his politics are. After all, I live in Wyoming. I never want to write a character that resembles a real person and am not interested in partisan politics. I try not to mention Republican versus Democrat. The character I wrote might have Trump supporters thinking I am beating up on Biden, and Biden supporters think I am beating up on Trump. He is not intended to be either person.
EC: How would you describe President Cook?
KM: Arrogant, paranoid, charismatic, autocratic, ruthless, exploits weakness, and thrives on division. This is a guy who seeks power. He will do anything for power. I put this book quote in by Irene, “They (the Cooks) are not concerned with outside powers, because they aren’t a threat to them. They’re much more concerned with internal enemies-political opponents, critics, and eventually the American people.”
EC: Irene was against this President?
KM: She told him to his face with this book quote, “You’ve never done anything to earn my admiration or loyalty, while Mitch has done nothing but. I violently oppose where you and your constituents want to take this country.” The Cooks after she resigned, did underestimate her. She is in a very difficult position. It was interesting to write because she was torn in what to do. She knew that there is always a push and pull because he was elected as the President. Irene and Mitch are patriots who believe in the American ideal.
EC: How would you describe the First Lady?
KM: Analytical, calculating, sometimes dispassionate, married for convenience, and enjoyed power. She is not Hillary Clinton. She keeps the President grounded. She is Irene’s equal. Irene recognizes her as being extremely formidable. I liked writing the interplay between those two. They understand each other because both have goals where they take logical paths to achieve them.
EC: How would you describe the new CIA Director Darren Hargrave?
KM: Arrogant, manipulative, and enjoys destroying people. He is sucked into the cult of Cook and that is all he cares about.
EC: Does Claudia represent the unsavory part of the intelligence work?
KM: She, Mitch, and Irene have two personalities. The normal person and the killer. Mitch and Irene have had to make horrible decisions throughout the series to protect Americans. But there are also friendships and family. Some actual friends of my family, operators, were warm and wonderful people. But their profession was to kill people. When undercover they must fit in. I try to keep the story realistic.
EC: The next book?
KM: I want to go back in the new book to where the characters do not fundamentally change. There will not be a big heavy arc. It will be more action oriented. Ward, the trillionaire, is not a big player in the next book. Mitch is the problem solver with the gun. Regarding Irene and Mitch, readers will have to wait and see where they go from here. In the first half, the book will be more about Mitch and then the last half he will be joined by the team.
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.
Social media influencer Harper Hayes never wanted to marry. So how did drop-dead gorgeous cowboy Wyatt Blackwell end up as her husband in Vegas? Now Harper’s in Wyoming, trying to convince her gun-shy groom to stay married for at least a month so she can save face. But marrying a Wyoming Blackwell comes with a whole lot of complications. Especially when Harper falls for her handsome new husband…for real.
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Elise’s Thoughts
A Wyoming Secret Proposal by Amy Vastine is the second book in the The Blackwells of Eagle Springs compilation series. This is a sweet, enjoyable love story with a little bit of drama.
The story centers around Wyatt Blackwell, the youngest of five children. He was restless so he decides to find work in different parts of the US, to be a cowboy-for-hire working at different ranches throughout the western United States. After finishing his latest job before returning home, Wyatt and his buddies decide to stop in Las Vegas. There he meets Harper Hayes, a social media influencer. They meet, they get drunk, and get married. Unfortunately, neither one realizes they are married after sobering up.
To save face on her social media platforms, they’ve agreed to remain married for a month, but without telling each other’s family. She puts her trust in her stepfather and tells him about the marriage. From there everything blows up and readers wonder if Wyatt and Harper can maintain their relationship. There is also the continued story arc of how the Blackwells can save the ranch. Making appearances from the first book are Corliss, Wyatt’s older sister, their grandmother, Denny, and her brother, Big E.
This is a fun story with likeable and relatable characters. The plot is engaging and the banter between the characters will put a smile on reader’s faces.
***
Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?
Amy Vastine: Since there are five of us writing the Blackwell books we work as a team. There is an over-arching story that goes across all five. We each pick a character and then figure out a way to put it into the overall story. I had the baby of the family as the one who never was tied down to the ranch. I wanted to write an accidental marriage for the romance. I also have adult children who helped guide me in how to write the twenty-something characters. This is where the whole social media influencer came from.
EC: How do you keep character continuity since other authors characters are in this story?
AV: It is super hard. We write the other characters ourselves because we all write the stories at the same time. We do email and text each other questions to make sure we get it right. I feel a lot of pressure to get the characters written correctly when they are not my babies. Once we finish our manuscript, we send it to each other. We encourage each other to search through it to find the names and make sure the scene and banter fits. Our editorial team is awesome because they will tell us, “I don’t think this is how the character would respond.” They will help guide us. We get good feedback because they are part of the whole big story. I enjoy how the other authors will help with scenes and banter at times.
EC: Why Vegas?
AV: It made it easy to have the accidental marriage because they give marriage licenses very quickly. I had them meet at a Blackjack table. It is the easiest card game for me to understand. My dad taught me the tricks to this card game.
EC: How would you describe Harper?
AV: Flamboyant, relentless, feisty, independent, and strong. But she tries to hide her insecurity because she never had anything permanent in her life. She comes off that she has everything together, but she still seeks approval.
EC: How would you describe Wyatt?
AV: Gentleman, responsible, kind, funny, a hard worker, and a wanderer. Basically, a cool guy with a quiet charm. He felt pigeon-holed in the small town, having lived there his entire life. He wanted to experience something new. He felt he was not his own person because he is known through his family.
EC: What about the relationship?
AV: They decide to stay in the marriage temporarily and pretend to help her out with her social media posts. This fits her old way of doing things. They are from opposite worlds. She is a fish out of water in the small town, much different than the fast-paced city she is used to. They discovered what they needed through each other. She helped him appreciate what he had in the small town, something he took for granted. He cared about her even after the first impression.
EC: What was the role of Brock and Serena?
AV: They are part of the larger plot, Harper’s stepfather, and mother. Brock is the first, most obvious bad guy in the story who wants to take the ranch away from the grandmother. He is our red herring. Serena is that mom who does not always do things correct but wants to be a good mother. She redeems herself and encourages Brock to redeem himself.
EC: Your next book?
AV: My first Christmas heartwarming comes out in late November. It is titled Christmas Wedding Crashers. There are two rival families. The senior most members of the family decide to get married. The younger generation, the hero and the heroine join forces to stop this marriage. In that process, they begin to fall for each other.
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.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille returns with a blistering thriller featuring his most popular series character, former NYPD homicide detective John Corey, called out of retirement to investigate a string of grisly murders much too close to home.
In his dazzling #1 bestseller, Plum Island, Nelson DeMille introduced readers to NYPD Homicide Detective John Corey, who we first meet sitting on the back porch of his uncle’s waterfront estate on Long Island, convalescing from wounds incurred in the line of duty. A visit from the local Chief of Police results in the legendary Detective Corey becoming involved in the investigation of the murders of a married couple who were scientists at the top-secret biological research facility on Plum Island.
Fast forward through six more bestselling John Corey novels and The Maze opens with Corey on the same porch, but now in forced retirement from his last job as a Federal Agent with the Diplomatic Surveillance Group. Corey is restless and looking for action, so when his former lover, Detective Beth Penrose, appears with a job offer, Corey has to once again make some decisions about his career—and about reuniting with Beth Penrose.
Inspired by, and based on the actual and still unsolved Gilgo Beach murders, The Maze takes the reader on a dangerous hunt for an apparent serial killer who has murdered nine—and maybe more—prostitutes and hidden their bodies in the thick undergrowth on a lonely stretch of beach.
As Corey digs deeper into this case, which has made national news, he comes to suspect that the failure of the local police to solve this sensational case may not be a result of their inexperience and incompetence—it may be something else. Something more sinister.
The Maze features John Corey’s politically incorrect humor, matched by his brilliant and unorthodox investigative skills along with the surprising and shocking plot twists that are the trademark of the #1 New York Times bestselling author, Nelson DeMille.
***
Elise’s Thoughts
The Maze by Nelson DeMille brings back the wonderful hero John Corey. It’s been too long between DeMille books. But the good news is that this story is typical John Corey with plenty of action and non-political correctness. It also has John hooking up with Detective Beth Penrose both figuratively and literally as a partner. It was a pleasure interviewing Nelson DeMille.
Now once again, Corey is in Long Island, since his forced retirement from his last job as a Federal Agent with the Diplomatic Surveillance Group. Corey is restless and looking for action, so when his former girlfriend, Detective Beth Penrose, appears with a job offer, Corey decides to become a confidential informant for her, by investigating a private investigation firm, Security Solutions. They are suspicious that corruptness at the highest levels has been covering up the murders of nine prostitutes, a reporter, and a former police detective. With Beth’s help John goes undercover to unravel the maze of crimes from corruptness to bribery to murder.
As with all Nelson DeMille books readers get a fantastic murder plot filled with action. But they also get the bonus of great banter between the characters that is not politically correct. When not laughing at John’s jokes readers will be spell-bound with all the twists and turns.
***
Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Did you get any push back on writing John’s humor and statements?
Nelson DeMille:The Maze is my last John Corey book because of the politically correct crowd at the publishing house. There was some pushback on the John Corey character. They wanted me to make changes, which I would not make except for a few. Even though I moved publishers and had another editor who seems to be better with the John Corey character, there was still push back. I am not going to go through this again, a lot of nonsense. In fact, a book club of sixteen ladies, read the book and had no problem with John Corey. They are not easily offended. This is my audience and what they wanted to read.
EC: You always play on words?
ND: You are referring to these examples, Is Amy Lang a “receptionist in distress? Or a deceptionist out to entrap me?” And the other, “E and E meant escape and evasion, not encounter and engage.” The latter is from my Army days. Some guys in training tried to take down the guys who were after them. The former quote is having Amy as a wild card.
EC: Has Beth changed over the years since the first book, Plum Island, came out in 1997?
ND: Yes, Beth has changed. In the first book she was a goody-two-shoes, doing everything by the book. Now she is more like John, breaking and bending some rules. She, like John, wants to get at the truth and wants justice. Beth is pushing the envelope to get that, something she would not have done in Plum Island. She is more ruthless, goes rogue, and has lost faith in the system because the higher-ups are corrupt and somehow involved.
EC: Has John changed since Plum Island?
ND: Ninety percent of what I wrote about him is there. He is still a bullshit artist, a smart aleck, who likes to buck the system and authority. He does really follow rules and regulations. He has good instincts and is a danger junkie. He is not ready to go out to pasture. He seeks to become relevant again. If I ever wrote another John Corey, he would end up working for a private security firm to keep an American diplomat or businessperson in another country safe.
EC: What about the relationship between Beth and John?
ND: Emotionally they are lovers who are realizing they were made for each other. In many of my books, I enjoy superimposing a romance with the action. Maybe in my next life I will be a romance writer. Beth is more comfortable in her own skin in this book, more willing to stand up to John. I had her in a more powerful position than John, a Detective Sergeant, second in command at the Suffolk Homicide Police. The roles have reversed since the first book.
EC: The plot is based on the real Gilgo Beach murders?
ND: About ten bodies were dumped on the beach in Long Island., not far from the Hamptons. This happened eleven years ago. The grisly murders, all sex workers, believed to be the work of a serial killer or killers. It has captivated the public, stumped local police, and frustrated victims’ family members still waiting for an arrest. The Suffolk County Police have not even come up with a person of interest. They are stymied. It is a very active case with the Police Chief refusing to cooperate with the FBI. There have been a couple of documentaries about it. I fictionalized it and made it the Fire Island murders with a lot of the elements of the Gilgo Beach murders. I wanted to show how throughout America there is corruption at the highest level, and illuminate the society that it originated in. What I tried to do in the book is highlight how there is something wrong with the culture and society through the investigation of the murder.
EC: The real-life police chief is somehow involved?
ND: Then-Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke was busted for the 2012 assault of a handcuffed suspect who swiped a bag of sex toys and porn from Burke’s trunk. The sordid incident was covered up by then District Attorney, but the chief eventually went to jail. The murders have not been resolved, and there are questions if the DA and Burke are involved personally.
EC: What about your bad guy, Steve Landowski?
ND: He is a control freak, a liar, cunning, and arrogant. He volunteered to be working for the Vice-Squad while working as a cop. Steve is a rough guy who lives by his wit. He enjoys the power to corrupt the people around him. He sexually harassed women, which shows how he does not think much of women.
EC: The role of the Maze?
ND: It was a figurative way to explain the case with multilayers of interlocking crimes and suspects. I put in this book quote, “a maze of twists and turns…crimes that ranged from simple prostitution to the corruption of public officials and law enforcement people to murder.” I also physically had a maze of hedges for the final scene of a shoot-out. All Corey books have one. It reminded me of the scene in the movie “The Shining.” The maze can be a creepy place. I know because I have been in one.
EC: What about your next books?
ND: The next book, Blood Lines, I am writing with my son. It will be out October of next year. It has the same main characters as the first book, The Deserter. Two members of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) will be back: Scott Brodie, a former infantry soldier in Iraq, now a top CID investigator is teamed with Maggie Taylor a former Civil Affairs E-5 in Afghanistan, who is working for CID. While Brodie is wise-cracking, arrogant, and someone who has trouble following orders, Taylor is a by the books person who tries to rein in Brodie. The plot has the murder of a CID in Berlin. My third book in this contract might be my last book, October 2024, titled The Explorer’s Club. It is a combination of “Indiana Jones,” “James Bond,” and “Around the World In Eighty Days” where the hero is trying to find an American woman possibly kidnapped.
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.
A Cowboy in Amish Country is a heartfelt story that explores the Amish and English values. Unlike most Amish books, this story had an Amish woman, Sue Schmidt, deciding to leave the Amish fold. She feels stifled by the culture and even though she is pregnant, to be a single mom, she does not want to give up the life she loves of herding and working on a ranch. Unfortunately for the English rancher, Wilder Westhouse, that has hired her, Sue’s family lives next door. This story is a great read where readers will take the journey with Sue.
The Amish Matchmaking Dilemma has a progressive Amish woman, Naomi Peachy wanting to share her culture with the English. But she needs the help of the bishop to agree and seeks the help of her childhood friend, Mose Klassen, who is now an Amish scholar. He is initially against any connection with the English, afraid that the Amish culture will be influenced. In addition, Naomi has become his speaking tutor to try to help him find a wife and overcome his stutter. Sparks fly between the two and they soon recognize each other’s worth.
Patricia Johns’ knows how to tug at reader’s hearts with her great characters and plotline. Both stories are uplifting, inspirational, and after reading them people will look forward to the next books.
Author Interview
Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the stories?
Patricia Johns: I’m often asked where I get my ideas from, and honestly, I don’t really know! I walk around with story ideas rattling around in my head all the time. I normally start with a certain kind of story I’d like to write, and it builds from there. Sometimes it starts with a character I want to write about, and other times it’s as simple as wanting to write a marriage or convenience, or a Beauty and Beast sort of story. Whatever tickles my fancy at the time.
But with that said, for both books, the inspiration began with the characters.
ForA Cowboy in Amish Country, I wanted to write the story of Sue Schmidt, Wollie Schmit’s scandalous little sister who no one forgot after she ran away. What happened to her? And what about her happily ever after? And that is how the story grew.
For The Amish Matchmaking Dilemma, Naomi Peachy is a character from the last book of another series (Redemption’s Amish Legacies, Love Inspired books), and I pitched the story to my editor who suggested that we use her story to start a new spinoff miniseries. This new miniseries is called Amish Country Matches, and it follows six Amish women who the community matchmaker is determined to find matches for.
EC: Why did you have one of the characters stutter?
PJ: I knew Naomi would need a man who’d match her strength. I decided upon Mose’s stutter because my son has a stutter, although not as debilitating as Mose’s. I see how hard my son works to overcome it, and the different strategies he comes up with for school presentations. So that got me to thinking about how much goes on inside of a man that he never says out loud, and how we women long to hear all of it. A story was born.
EC: How much is true about the Amish-including Ordnung?
PJ: I do a lot of research for my Amish stories. The Ordnung is a real collection of rules for a community. Each community has their own Ordnung, and it changes very slowly. Each Amish community is a little bit different. They might have slightly different clothing requirements, or different expectations when it comes to technology. Some communities have no issues with cell phones. Some don’t even have running water! Each community is unique, which is very useful for an author. I create fictional Amish communities that would be much like many real communities, but are still fictional, so I have some flexibility.
EC: Is it a rare case where someone does not return to the Amish-why did you do it?
PJ: In A Cowboy in Amish Country, my heroine ends up staying outside the Amish way of life and marrying her Englisher cowboy. I hope that doesn’t ruin anything for future readers! But if you know romance novels, then you know that Sue and Wilder would end up together. I decided to have Sue marry Wilder and live a life “on the fence,” so to speak, between two cultures, because I think that is something many of us do! I married a man born in Africa, and our relationship and our life is a unique blend of both cultures. As a lot of us grow up, we find our own paths, and the church, or the way of life our parents raised us doesn’t always fit in our adult years. I wanted to show that struggle for Sue. She was raised Amish and she loves the heritage her family gave her, but it doesn’t fit anymore. She loves riding herd and working with cattle. Her skills just don’t fit into the Amish expectations. But how does she make peace with that? How do you keep a family close when you’ve dashed their hopes for you? That was the complicated knot I wanted to work through in this novel.
EC: How would you describe Sue?
PJ: Sue is true to herself. I think that is the core of her. She knows what she wants, and what she’s good at, and she isn’t willing to lie to anyone, including herself. She was born and raised Amish, that will always be an integral part of her, but she doesn’t fit into the Amish life. Being an Amish wife would crush her spirit. She thinks she might be willing to live in those confines for the sake of her baby, but even then, she can’t pretend she’s anything but the complicated woman she is. I loved her honesty. She’s just so determined to live her life authentically that pretending to be anything she isn’t impossible. She’s pregnant, and she won’t apologize for that! She’s willing to accept her life as it comes and do the best she can.
EC: Could you identify with Sue?
PJ: Personally, I really identified with Sue, since I grew up in a conservative church that no longer fits me in my adult years, either. And yet, I love everything my parents gave me in my upbringing. I hope other readers connect with her, too, and see themselves in her.
EC: Do you think she was caught between two worlds: Amish and English-going home or having her freedoms?
PJ: Yes. Her Amish background offered her an “easy” solution. If she just cooperated and went home, she could be a stay-at-home mom for her little one. No worries about paying rent or figuring out a childcare solution. But that came with all the strings attached, and she doesn’t believe that the Amish way of life is the only way to live anymore. The big issue is that her Amish family won’t accept halfway. Sue has found a way to use her own skills as a ranch hand. It’s in no way shocking for Englishers. But for her Amish family; Pure scandal! If she goes home, she must be Amish, 100%. They believe women should stay in the home, cooking, cleaning, preserving food, sewing, and doing hand crafts, which she refuses. She’ll never be part of the family in the same way, either. Either way, she’s losing something very important to her.
EC: What about her “English life”?
PJ: Her “English” life is what fits her most comfortably. She loves working with cattle and riding herd. She loves using her skills and that feeling of freedom on horseback. She can’t have that in the Amish world—that’s men’s work. But with Englisher freedom comes a lot more complications. She’s going to be a single mother—and there is nothing easy about that! What’s best for her? What’s best for her baby? What’s even possible? She’s stuck.
EC: Why the comparison with Annie Oakley?
PJ: Annie Oakley was an adventurous woman who became a sharpshooter in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows in the 1800’s. She didn’t stick with women’s roles of her day, either. She used her skills and created this fabulous life for herself that defied all of society’s expectations. Sue is a lot like her.
EC: What is the theme?
PJ: For me, the theme was balancing your upbringing with your present self. Who did you used to be? Who were you raised to be? And who are you authentically now?
EC: Describe Wilder:
PJ: Wilder inherited the ranch along with his brother Conrad a few years earlier. For Wilder, this is a fresh start. He stopped drinking, and he’s proving to himself and everyone around him that he can be better than he was. But the land they inherited is smack in the middle of Amish country. Wilder is an outsider, but he sees something in the Amish life that really appeals to him. They’re stable, reliable, and steady people. That’s very attractive to a recovering alcoholic. He’s worked hard to be accepted by his neighbors, but if he follows his heart with Sue, they’ll block him out. He’ll have betrayed his Amish neighbors in a personal way, and what can a new rancher do without the help of neighbors? Wilder uses his work as therapy, so when he hires Sue to help him on the ranch, she’s being welcomed into the most personal part of his life. The ranch is everything to Wilder!
EC: Describe the relationship?
PJ: Wilder and Sue have an immediate connection. They’re both lost souls—they’re both trying to figure out who they are. For Wilder, he’s heard stories of Sue for years, and she’s like the stuff of local legend. When he meets her in the flesh, he’s a little bit in love with her already. For Sue, Wilder is strong, handsome, capable, and calm. He’s everything she needs right now, but she knows that she’s a liability for him. They can’t help how they feel about each other, but if they give in to their feelings and stay together, they both lose a lot!
EC: Role of Wollie, Sue’s brother?
PJ: Wollie is complicated character, because he represents everything most conservative in the Amish culture, but he’s also Sue’s brother. She feels no obligation to act in the “feminine” way her brother expects. They grew up together. They looked out for each other. But when Sue left, she left Wollie behind and he felt personally betrayed. And yet, they’re still siblings. They fight, argue, and truly love each other. He will always be passionately Amish. And Sue will always be his little sister, even if she won’t toe the line, he wants her to. Her brother is very protective of her, and in the end, Wollie is the one who helps Wilder to embrace some of the Amish culture and become more a part of their family.
EC: In The Amish Matchmaking Dilemma describe Mose:
PJ: Mose is a cautious man. He grew up with a debilitating stutter, and he found his outlet through writing. But talking? That’s the hard part. It’s held him back romantically. Women couldn’t see what was going on inside of him, and he couldn’t tell them very well, either. But Mose longs for love and marriage, and he decides to get the help of a matchmaker from another community. He thinks that careful planning can make up for lost time.
EC: Describe Naomi:
PJ: Naomi is energetic, free-spirited, happy, impulsive, a chatterbox. She’s fun-loving, and she truly enjoys connecting with people. That’s why she’s passionate about building bridges between the Amish and the Englishers. How can we help others if we keep them at arm’s length, she argues?
EC: Describe the relationship:
PJ: Naomi and Mose were friends as children. Naomi was the fun one, and Mose just cooperated. It was all Noami needed, really, and she dragged Mose along with her on her adventures. Mose was smitten from childhood onward. But he knows that she’s far too progressive for him, and she can talk right over him with no effort at all. He doesn’t think a relationship with Naomi would work, even if he could convince her that he was worth her heart.
EC: Amish versus English?
PJ: In this book, Naomi is eager to welcome Englishers into their midst so that the Amish can share the beauty of their culture and their faith. How can you be a witness to people when you won’t have a real, honest, personal relationship with them? But the Amish only stay unique and different if they keep outside influences away, and that’s the problem. If they keep to themselves, there is safety and uniformity. If they open their doors and tear down the fences, how can they maintain their unique lifestyle? How can they protect their children from outside influences? But we Englishers wish we could get an inside view of their world. We long to belong with them, don’t we? It’s why we read books with Amish characters and delve into the Amish world through fiction.
EC: Next book?
PJ: My next book that’s coming out in March 2023 is called Her Amish Country Valentine. This is the first book in a brand-new miniseries called The Butternut Amish B&B. This miniseries is about an Amish bed-and-breakfast owner and Amish matchmaker named Belinda Wickey who connects with her Englisher guests as they stay with her and get a view into her Amish world. Belinda is unique in that she pulls her guests right into the middle of her life and gives them a truly inside view into her Amish community. The first book has a workaholic marketing whiz who is staying with her Amish great-aunt Belinda for her sister’s Valentine’s Day wedding. When she lies to her sister and says that she has a date to the wedding, the carpenter working on her aunt’s kitchen cabinets volunteers to be her date as long as it isn’t a lie! He needs them to spend some time together before the big day.
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.
