Tag: #authorinterview

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Miss Morton and the Spirits of the Underworld and Miss Morton and the Deadly Inheritance by Catherine Lloyd

Book Descriptions and Elise’s Thoughts

Miss Morton and the Spirits of the Underworld by Catherine Lloyd is a great cozy historical mystery. Set in the 1830s, it features Miss Caroline Morton, daughter of a disgraced Earl, now gainfully employed as a lady’s companion. Lady Caroline is happy to be employed by Mrs. Frogerton, who is interested in spiritualist gatherings at the home of Madam Lavinia and begs Caroline to come along. As Caroline tries to discern whether the spiritualist’s powers are real, a much darker mystery presents itself: Madam Lavinia is found lifeless in her chair, a half-empty glass of port at her elbow. In her desk is a note addressed to Caroline, entreating her to find her murderer.

Miss Morton and the Deadly Inheritance continues where the previous book left off. The previous story had Miss Caroline receiving an urgent invitation from a London law firm to discuss her late father’s estate. After all, the dishonored Earl of Morton died without a pound sterling to pass on to his two daughters. Caroline meets with a cagey lawyer, Mr. Smith, who shares life-altering news that the Earl composed a second will, leaving behind an undisclosed fortune. Mrs. Frogerton, however, is thoroughly unimpressed with the firm’s conduct and suspicious of their true motives. Her instinct proves right when the two ladies find the office ransacked, staff in turmoil, and Mr. Smith missing. The full weight of the situation doesn’t sink in until Mr. Smith dies following a brutal attack on the street. He had an empty envelope bearing Caroline’s name in his pocket. Further complicating matters is the amorous Mr. DeBloom, who claims his mother goaded the Earl into making bad investments and promises to link Caroline to her inheritance. She also must contend with the disappearance of Susan, her younger sister. As Caroline unwittingly becomes the center of both a criminal case and a sordid love triangle, she must tread with caution while seeking the truth.

These books have an appealing historical mystery with characters that are well-developed, and a plot that keeps readers captivated from start to finish. The historical backdrop is seamlessly woven into the narrative. Readers will anxiously await until the next books come out.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper:  How did you get the idea for the story regarding Miss Morton and the Spirits of the Underworld?

CL: I do a lot of general reading and somehow got onto hypnotism and celebrated mesmerists in the 19th century.  I thought Mrs. Frogerton would be the perfect person to fall for a con and that Caroline would be completely against it, which led to an excellent bit of conflict to add to the mystery from the start.

EC:  Does this story show the unfairness of the justice system and how some detectives have tunnel vision?

CL: As a British person I’m always fascinated by the nuances of class, and I always explore the inequalities in my books. Back in the 19th century the lines were drawn even more firmly on how someone was treated by the authorities, which depended very much on their status with the aristocracy.  Many times, an aristocrat could literally get away with murder. I also love a detective deciding who has committed the crime and then doggedly pursuing that belief despite all the evidence pointing otherwise. And to be fair, the suspect doesn’t help by refusing to cooperate and generally makes things worse for himself.

EC:  How did you get the idea for the story regarding Miss Morton and the Deadly Inheritance? Was it based on a Pyramid Scheme?

CL: I didn’t think of it as a pyramid scheme. I was more interested in what someone will do to protect sensitive information about themselves coming to light. How much are they prepared to pay, and at what point do they break? I was also interested in the blackmailer’s perspective and how they target their victims. I’m always fascinated by credulous people.

EC: How would you describe Mrs. Frogerton?

CL: Tenacious, caring, protective, uses her wealth toward good. I would also add shrewd right up front because she’s nobody’s fool. She’s very aware of how the world Caroline comes from views her, but refuses to be cowed by their attitude, which I love. I think she’s also a little credulous, loves a good piece of gossip, and is more than willing to lead the way into dangerous waters.

EC:  How has the relationship between Mrs. Frogerton and Caroline changed over the years?

CL: It’s become less polite. Mrs. Frogerton treats Caroline like family, and it’s taken Caroline a while to understand it. Caroline has learned to trust that her employer has her back. Caroline’s so used to being let down by those around her that it takes a lot for her to open up about her feelings but she’s beginning to see Mrs. Frogerton as her friend and perhaps as a mentor.

EC: How would you describe Caroline?

CL: She’s definitely loyal to those she cares about. She’s cynical because life has been decidedly unfair to her. I don’t see her as particularly out for justice in the purest sense, but she does have a dogged determination to expose the truth, especially when those that she loves are in danger. I see her as someone who is doing her best to move forward in a world that has changed dramatically for her.

EC:  Do you think Caroline has grown as a character since the first book and if so, how?

CL: Yes, she definitely has grown. At first, she could be a little passive aggressive and unwilling to trust others or truly show her feelings. I think Mrs. Frogerton has helped her regain her confidence and shown her that women can be successful in more than one role. She’s definitely learned to put her foot down on occasion and she’s not so internally angry.

EC:  How would you describe Dr. Harris?

CL: Honest, direct, arrogant, stubborn, with contempt for society He’s something of a rebel who regularly puts his foot in it especially with Caroline.

EC: What was the role of the father’s will in both books?

CL: It’s one of those themes that drives the action in both books. From learning that her father has left her and Susan, her sister, with nothing. From stealing their doweries and legacies of their mother, to finding out that he might have written a new will with intriguing possibilities is one of the continuing stories woven into the series. Caroline’s very reluctant to get involved with anything regarding her father. Even the thought that he’s reaching out from beyond the grave to possibly humiliate her again is terrifying. She almost can’t bear to hope.

EC: Is there a love triangle or actually a love quadrilateral in the book between Mr. DeBloom, Samuel, Dr. Harris, Inspector Ross?

CL: I don’t see it like that. To me it’s more of a study about how a beautiful woman attracts attention whether she wants it or not. It’s also a commentary on how Caroline is perceived as the lowly paid companion who no longer deserves the respect she was accustomed to when she was Lady Caroline.

EC: What is the relationship between each and Caroline?

CL: Mr. DeBloom sees her as a beautiful trophy and perhaps as a way to annoy his mother rather than as her real self.

CL: Samuel, Mrs. Frogerton’s son, is initially wary of her influence on his mother but comes to realize Caroline is a real person and learns to appreciate more than her beauty.

CL: Dr. Harris doesn’t want to like Caroline as much as he does, and he struggles with how to deal with that. They act more like brother and sister and Caroline likes being able to be herself with him. He also has a terrible tendency to shoot himself in the foot.

CL: Inspector Ross perhaps understands her better than anyone else as he’s taken a similar path outside his own narrow aristocratic world. Even though he is aware that she is beautiful, he also treats her as an equal, which I think Caroline appreciates.

EC:  What is the relationship between Caroline and Susan?

CL: Caroline has spent her whole life shielding Susan from the realities of their parents’ bad marriage and their father’s indifference. In her efforts to be independent and provide a home for herself and Susan she’s had to leave Susan with relatives. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Susan doesn’t appreciate this and ends up bonding with her cousin with predictable results. Nothing Caroline does is right in Susan’s eyes, and she is far too amenable to the machinations of her cousin Mabel.

EC: How would you describe Mabel?

CL: Lacks a moral conscious, callous, self-centered, a liar, instigator, and dislikes Caroline. Like most people with personality disorders, she’s supremely comfortable in her own superiority. She’s willing to sacrifice anything and anybody to get what she wants.

EC:  Did you try to enhance the plot with the great banter between the characters using their interaction with Caroline?

CL: I just love writing great dialogue.  I think it works very well in mysteries to stop the plot getting bogged down AND it’s much easier for readers to miss clues that are cloaked in banter than in narrative text.

EC: Next book(s)

CL: Miss Morton And the Missing Heir 2025

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: Zero Option by Peter Kirsanow

Book Description

November 1943. Stalin is pressing the Allies to open a second front in Europe in order to ease the pressure on the bloody grinding war in the East. Roosevelt and Churchill agree to meet the Soviet premier in Tehran. 

Wild Bill Donovan, the charismatic leader of the OSS, has intelligence that someone is planning to assassinate either or both of the Western leaders at the conference. He sends his best agent, Dick Canidy, to thwart the plan, but how can he do that when he doesn’t even know if the killer is a Nazi or an Ally?

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Elise’s Thoughts

W.E.B Griffin Zero Option by Peter Kirsnow bring to life the characters within an exciting thriller. This story has Major Dick Canidy of the US Army racing to stop an assassin from disrupting a vital conference that will shape the course of World War II.Stalin is pressing the Allies to open a second front in Europe to ease the pressure on the bloody grinding war in the East. Roosevelt and Churchill agree to meet the Soviet premier in Tehran. Wild Bill Donovan, the charismatic leader of the OSS, has intelligence that someone is planning to assassinate either or both of the Western leaders at the conference. He sends his best agent, Dick Canidy, to thwart the plan.  Unfortunately, there are others also trying to thwart the success of the conference.  There is also the danger that an important weapon is being developed and it must be kept out of both the German and Russian hands. Readers will not want to put the book down.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Peter Kirsanow: I wrote two so far. The first one came out last year.  I always have been into WWII history.  I have read history books about the historical characters of this period.  The characters are larger than life with events the most cataclysmicin history. There is a lot of material. In writing about WWII there is an abundance of information even for fiction.

EC:  Were there any parameters you had to follow?

PK:  I was able to write my own stuff and not necessarily in the style of Griffin. But I had to have the characters consistent with the ones he created.  I tried to keep the personalities the way he had created, including speaking in the same manner.

EC: Was it true Russia tried to do an assassination hoax to kill the western leaders?

PK: Historically people think that might be true. If Stalin thought it could prompt the western powers to move up the day for D-DAY.  He needed a Western flank to open to relieve pressure on the Eastern front.

EC: How would you describe some of the antagonists?

PK: There are a couple of antagonists, all of whom I made formidable. Major Taras Gromev is one of them. He is a despicable character who can do just about anything. He is strong, determined, and guile. He is pure evil and ambitious. He had no second thoughts of killing friend or foe to achieve his objections.  The character I thought is the most fascinating is a historical one, Otto Skorzeny, a German commando.  He is like a James Bond on steroids. He was an Olympic athlete, James Bond. In fact, after the war he worked for Mossad.  He is hyper-smart, a roguish character. I even wrote in the book how he rescued Mussolini from a prison that was on top of a mountain, heavily guarded by allied troops. He is very efficient, resourceful, and disciplined.

EC:  The way Skorzeny rescued Mussolini reminded me of what Hamas did on October 7th?

PK:  Both are evil bad guys, the Germans and Hamas used gliders. I wrote this before October 7th. 

EC:  How would you describe the protagonists?

PK: They are talented, innovative, aggressive, diligent, daring, and resourceful. Major Richard Canidy and Lt. Eric Fulmer were quid essential Americans, all-Americans.  They were not evil or cunning.  They would win by being on the up and up.

EC:  What was the role of Dr. Sebastian Kapsky?

PK:  He was a carryover from the previous novel. In the first book, The Devil’s Weapons, Canidy and Fulmer rescued him.  He had encrypted the notebook so anyone who had it would need him to decipher it. I wanted the reader to think there was something in the notebook that could change the direction of the war and possibly giving the advantage to whoever possessed that information.

EC:  Next books?

PK:  It will not be a W.E.B. Griffin but one of my own, titled The Black Russian.  It is about a defector from Russia, Putin-like most reliable assassin. He comes to the US and offers his services to the CIA.  The President wants to use him but no one trusts him.  A former Navy SEAL is assigned to be his watchdog. The plot is based on if the protagonists do not prevail the world will come to an end. They are trying to prevent a nuclear Armageddon. The next Griffin book is a question mark if I will write 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: Billy the Kid: The War for Lincoln County by Ryan C. Coleman

Book Description

Age 14: Orphan

Age 15: Inmate

Age 16: Outlaw

Age 17: Killer

In 1870s New Mexico, the territory is at a crossroads. The indigenous population is being driven out—and driven down—by the white settlers migrating west after the Civil War. The center of power isn’t the governor but rather the Santa Fe Ring, a group of wealthy politicians, businessman, and landowners who exercise power through organized crime, theft, graft, and murder. Their main source of income is a mercantile store in Lincoln known as the House.

After escaping jail, William Bonney—a.k.a. Billy the Kid—is a seventeen-year-old orphan who’s been on the run for the better part of two years. All he wants is to belong—to find a place he can call home and people he can call family.

He’d have been better off alone.

Billy falls in with a gang of ruthless rustlers and murderers who work as muscle for the House. But when Billy crosses one of the members, the gang sets out to kill him.

Billy narrowly escapes, finding refuge under the tutelage of John Tunstall, an English immigrant new to the territory who has his sights set on opening a business in Lincoln—and he’s intent on competing directly with the House. But when Tunstall is murdered, any positive effect the mentor had on Billy is eradicated, leaving the Kid with only one thing on his mind …

Revenge.

From orphan to outlaw to killer, this is the untold story behind the legend of Billy the Kid.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Billy the Kid by Ryan C. Coleman shows the notorious bad guy in a completely different light.

This book takes readers on a journey with William Bonney, aka Billy the Kid, from the age of fourteen when he became an orphan, to fifteen when he was a prison inmate, to sixteen, an escaped outlaw, and at the age of seventeen, a killer.

New Mexico in the 1870s is not yet a state, but a territory. The center of power is the Santa Fe Ring. They are a group of wealthy politicians, businessmen, and landowners who exercise power through organized crime, theft, graft, and murder. Billy falls in with a gang of ruthless rustlers and murderers who work as muscle for the House. But when Billy crosses one of the members, the gang sets out to kill him. Billy narrowly escapes, finding refuge under the tutelage of John Tunstall, an English immigrant new to the territory who has his sights set on opening a business in Lincoln, intent on competing directly with the House. But when Tunstall is murdered by those working for the House, any positive effect the mentor had on Billy is eradicated. Billy has only one thought, to get revenge for his friend and mentor’s murder.

The Lincoln County War, in which, Billy becomes intertwined, is between Lawrence Murphy, a merchant with connections to the notorious Santa Fe Ring. On the other side is Alexander McSween, a young lawyer, and John Tunstall a merchant and rancher from England with a rival store. The competition soon moves into bloodshed. Out of a sense of loyalty, Billy takes the side of McSween and Tunstall, fighting on the side of “The Regulators.”  It was here that he became an outlaw, only because The Regulators did not have the power and influence on their side of the law.

Anyone who loves westerns will be fascinated with this book that breaks down all the discrepancies about Billy the Kid.  Coleman shows him as more of a gunman protecting his friends than a psychopathic killer. There is plenty of action that will keep readers pinned to their seat.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Do you agree the portrayal of Billy the Kid was that he was a psychopath?

Ryan Coleman: This was an inspiration.  The movies showed him as a psychopath with bullets whizzing.  This did not ring true for me. I wrote this book to put his life in context, since he was 14 – 21 years during the period.

EC:  How did you get interested in Billy the Kid?

RC:  It started with the movie “Young Guns” when I was a child. Over the years I was consumed so I searched for every documentary and book I could find.

EC:  Would this be made into a movie or TV show?

RC: I thought this book might make a good limited series.  My background is from the film and TV world as a writer. I met up with the screenwriter, Shane Salerno, who now represents novelists.  He suggested I write this novel. This is when I decided to write a book.

EC:  Do you think Billy is really a hero?

RC: I would not go as far as to call him a hero.  New Mexico where Billy resided was an extremely corrupt territory, not even a state yet. A 100% true story is when he gets arrested at the age of 14 or 15. This older guy asked him to hold some blankets and some guns that were stolen. But Billy gets busted and is taken to jail where he escapes. This is a pivotal moment in his life.  Unfortunately, circumstances created Billy the Kid and worked against him.

EC: Who were his influences?

RC: I think he was looking for a family.  He never knew his father and his stepfather was not very nice. He was looking for a mentor and father figure. He found it with John Tunstall.  Funny how he was always portrayed in the movies as an elderly wise ‘sit on my knee’ type of mentor. In actuality, he was only twenty-seven years.

He was also influenced by his favorite song, “Silver Threads Among the Gold.” The words were a metaphor for him not having control of his own life. He was pulled by a force greater than himself into the Lincoln County War, and not able to control his own destiny. As the book goes on, every time he dreams he gets a little further into the dark woods.

EC:  How would you describe who he was before Billy the Kid, Henry?

RC: He was a sharpshooter, clever, quick, and calm.

EC:  What about Billy the Kid?

RC:  He liked to taunt people, loyal, and took to revenge.  He was fearless, cold-blooded, charming, and felt whatever he did was justified to protect his friends. Once Tunstall, his mentor, was killed in front of him a switch was flipped.  At the time he was 17 or 18 years. He needed a meaning to his life, which ended up being retribution for his friend’s murder.

EC:  What role did the Buck Morton character play in the story?

RC:  He was a real person. He was really part of the bad gang, The Boys, and was killed by Billy’s group, The Regulators. After Billy joined up with The Boys, there was a member of that gang who was jealous of Billy because he believed his girlfriend had the hots for him. They wanted to kill Billy, which caused him to leave that gang. I used Buck as that person and made it his girlfriend.  I wrote in the story how she did not have the hots for Billy, but Buck believed she did. I used Buck as the connection between that event and how the Regulators killed Buck. This is where the fiction slipped into the historical fiction.

EC: What about Jesse Evans?

RC: He was the head of the gang, The Boys.  He had a very nasty streak. He acted as muscle and protection for Billy’s enemies.

EC: Did the corruptness in New Mexico cause Billy not to get a fair shake?

RC: That is true. The Lincoln County War was the story of organized crime. The corruptness was off the chart including the Governor. They had power that went all the way to the White House.  To enrich themselves they ruled through criminality. There were so many moving pieces to create the perfect storm that pulled Billy into the Lincoln County War where he became a legendary figure. There were actual records of how he spoke and thought. His friends who lived told of a completely different side of him, which was never shown on screen. Although his brother did not speak a lot about Billy. After Billy escaped from prison, they never saw each other again.

EC:  What do you want the reader to get out of it?

RC:  Being depicted as a psychopath did not line up with everything I learned about him.

EC: Do you think circumstances influenced who Billy became?

RC: His backstory was one of trauma.  His mother died when he was fourteen, while his stepfather abandoned him and wanted nothing to do with him. Everything I heard about him was that he was affable, charming, smart, literate, and personable. I think if his mother did not die when he was fourteen, there would never have been a Billy the Kid. His mother’s death combined with his stepfather abandoning him set off a chain of events.  It left a void in his life.

EC:  Next book?

RC:  I am thinking of writing something in the crime thriller genre.

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: Echoes of Us by Joy Jordan-Lake

Book Description

In the midst of World War II, a Tennessee farm boy, a Jewish Cambridge student, and a German POW forge a connection that endures—against all odds.

But now everything that Will Dobbins, Dov Silverberg, and Hans Hessler fought for is at risk as their descendants clash for control of the corporation they founded together. In an attempt to remake its tattered corporate image, the firm hires event planner Hadley Jacks and her sister Kitzie to organize a reunion for the families on St. Simons Island, Georgia, the place that changed all three men’s lives forever.

As Hadley and her sister delve into the friends’ past, they uncover the life of the courageous young woman who links them all together…and the old wounds that could tear everything apart.

Told in dual timelines spanning World War II and the present, Echoes of Us follows the ripple effects of war, the bonds that outlast it, and the hope that ultimately carries us forward.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Joannie’s disappearance and a mysterious older woman who lives on the Island during the present day makes the story suspenseful.

It seems there is an unlikely friendship between an English Jewish instructor, Dov, a Tennessee farm boy, Will, and a German submarine POW, Hans, who deserted.

In the present day, 80 years later, everything that Will Dobbins, Dov Silverberg, and Hans Hessler fought for is at risk as their descendants’ clash for control of the corporation they founded together. To remake its tattered corporate image, the firm hires event planner Hadley Jacks and her sister Kitzie to organize a reunion for the families on St. Simons Island, Georgia, the place that changed all three men’s lives forever. As Hadley and her sister delve into the friends’ past, they uncover the life of the courageous young woman, Joanie, who links them all together.

It is the story of love, courage, friendship, and resilience set on St. Simon’s Island within the backdrop of WWII. The mystery is center stage and very compelling. The plot twists and turns in unexpected ways, leading to an ending that is as surprising as it is satisfying. 

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the setting?

Joy Jordan-Lake: My family has been connected to where the story takes place, St. Simon’s Island off the coast of Georgia, which was my dad’s favorite place in the world.  I knew a lot of the history of the Island, but nothing about the WWII history until after they built the Homefront WWII Museum. It is incredibly well researched and allows viewers to see what it was like to be on an aircraft carrier, working on the radar station, a fighter pilot, or someone at home. 

EC:  How did you realize that there were German submarines on America’s East Coast?

JJL: When I first walked into the museum, I saw the story of someone killed on the East Coast by a German submarine. In 1942 a German sub was lurking off the coast of St. Simon’s Island and ended up sinking a couple of ships and killing a bunch of people. This is where the novel starts. Some of the characters are based on actual people. All the fictional characters are based on actual people and actual events. 

EC: How would you describe Joanie?

JJL: Quick-witted, fiery, courageous, and has guilt at times. She became a WASP, Women Air Force Service Pilot. Joanie has the name of one of my cousins that grew up on the Island.

EC:  What did the WASPs do during the war?

JJL:  They flied planes for their country. Joanie is based on a compilation of the WASP women. They are brave women. They ferried planes here in the US. They flew every single type of plane used during WWII.  They had to fly with unbelievable conditions: very little rest, really hard conditions, and unable to cleanse themselves. It was anything but glamorous. In the early days they came from money and learned to fly, while others were taught by their father, or a brother. They had a love of flying. Some were fashion models, farm girls, schoolteachers, and so on.

EC:  How did Joanie’s relationship with her twin brother, Sam, affect her?

JJL: He is someone Joanie can connect with and share her feelings about the mental and emotional loss of her father just as my father who died of Alzheimer’s. 

EC:  How would you describe Dov?

JJL:  He is the Jewish character. He has integrity, regrets not being in combat, and is very tender.  He is a compilation of characters. He is partly based on a real person who taught at the radar training school on the Island. I interviewed someone who helps to run the museum.  She commented that there was an instructor at the radar training school who was upset that he was here teaching while those he taught would be under terrible dangers and stress.  They had to decide if the plane approaching was a friendly or enemy that needs to be shot down. In the actual person’s letters, he was contemplating going back into the fighting arena. Dov represents this ethical struggle.  The allies decided to have their very best pilots become instructors. He was made British because there was a Brit who was sent to the Island by the English to train Americans.

EC:  How would you describe the German POW, Hans?

JJL:  He was drafted into the Nazi Navy. He chose to desert. I wanted to show how Dov and Hans were suspicious of each other, wary of each other, and even had hatred. He is partly based on the Captain of a German U-Boat that was on the coast of the Island who did not desert. I did the research on what would happen if someone deserted from the German military.

EC:  How would you describe William, the Merchant Marine?

JJL: I grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee so I made him a Tennessee farm boy.  He quotes Shakespeare and has an artistic soul. He is brilliant.  He becomes a friend with Joanie and Dov.

EC: Next book?

JJL: It is set in the North of Italy.  It has some flashbacks to 1969 but is set mostly during present day. The plot has the Mafia involved in a theft.  The working title is Outrageous Fortune.

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: A Healing Touch by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Book Description

Ruth “Dok” Stoltzfus is the kind of doctor who still believes in house calls, addressing not just her patients’ physical needs but their emotional ones too. When newly widowed Bee faces a breast cancer diagnosis, Dok connects her with Fern Lapp for support. When her painfully shy assistant Annie finds herself drawn to a new calling, Dok goes to great lengths to help her achieve her dream. And when an abandoned newborn mysteriously appears at her office one frosty morning, Dok’s world takes an unexpected turn as ripples of change touch several lives.

A Healing Touch is a captivating tale of compassion, resilience, and the bonds that form in surprising places. Bestselling and award-winning author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you into a new story that’s like medicine for the weary soul. Join Dok, Annie, and the tight-knit Stoney Ridge community as they navigate the twists of fate, discovering that sometimes the greatest healing comes from the heart.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

A Healing Touch by Suzanne Woods Fisher is a compelling read. Ruth “Dok” Stoltzfus is the kind of doctor who still believes in house calls, addressing not just her patients’ physical needs but their emotional ones too. The story begins with Dok confronting one of her patients to get help. When newly widowed Bee faces a breast cancer diagnosis, Dok connects her with Fern Lapp for support. When her painfully shy assistant Annie finds herself drawn to a new calling, Dok goes to great lengths to help her achieve her dream. And when an abandoned newborn mysteriously appears at her office one frosty morning, Dok’s world takes an unexpected turn because her husband wants to foster care the infant. A Healing Touch is a captivating tale of compassion, resilience, and the bonds that form in surprising places.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: The idea for the story?

Suzanne Woods Fisher: I have a doctor in the storyline, a sister to the Amish Bishop who left home to pursue her education.  In one of my previous books, she circles back into Stoney Ridge, becoming a doctor to the Amish. Even though this is not really a series, she will be a prevalent part of this book and the next. I wanted a book to be a hybrid, where modern medicine meets Amish wisdom.

EC:  How would you describe the doctor?

SWF:  She has a rural practice with a sense of appreciating the traditions and language of her patients. She does return to her roots in some ways. She must contend with the Amish patients who cannot afford to spend the money on medical procedures. She is coming with all the bells and whistles of modern medicine.  It is not that they do not accept modern medicine but have more of a holistic view. The Amish will seek alternative treatments.  With a serious diagnosis they are more willing to accept there is a biological end to life. Whereas with modern medicine, death is the enemy.

EC:  Why the women characters in their fifties?

SWF:  There are two women in their fifties. It says something about that stage of life.  They are really seasoned and have a necessary viewpoint.  They understand that life will have bumps ahead.

EC: How would you describe “Dok” Ruth Stolfzfus?

SWF: Practical, caring, responsible, an over helper, and an over worker.

EC:  How did you come up with so many diseases?

SWF:  I had mumps, behavior disorders, cancer, and anxiety disorders in the story.  I am not a medical professional. I studied and did research to try to get the information correct. I hoped I addressed the information correctly.

EC: How would you describe Dok’s assistant, Annie?

SWF:  Shy, has social anxiety, a loner, and lacks confidence.  Yet she wants to make a better life for herself so has become unflappable. She must handle her mother’s crisis. After she sees an EMT who is Amish at work she had a sense of a calling. This is why she is pursuing to become an EMT.

EC:  What about Annie’s mom?

SWF: Her mother is inflexible and cannot let go.  She tries to put a guilt trip on Annie because she knows of nothing except to be a mom. She does not know how to deal with an empty nest.  She is a person craving attention, which is why she is a raging hypochondriac.

EC:  How would you describe one of Dok’s patients, Bee?

SWF: She is prickly, reclusive, introverted, and likes horses more than people. She is a former Olympic Equestrian. She has taken the love of horses to become a breeder of horses.  

EC:  Was part of the theme, letting go?

SWF: Annie’s mom could not let go. Dok could not let go of the child she was foster parenting, and Bee could not let go of her grief after her husband died. Bee also could not let go of selling the horses she breeds and cannot quite let go of her horse babies.

EC: Do you think the men in the story were similar or different: Matt, Damon, and Gus?

SWF: Matt is Dok’s husband.  Damon is the horse trainer to help Bee while she is going through radiation treatment for breast cancer. Gus is the Amish EMT who opened Annie’s eyes.  All three were a little more open to accepting. 

EC:  Next books?

SWF: The next book will come out in November, titled A Year of Flowers.  It is four novellas combined in the print edition. Three teenage girls who worked in a flower shop had been mentored by the owner. They were the best of friends.  Something dreadful happens in the store.  They left.  Each novella delves into the life of one of the girls seven years later. The fourth novella brings them back to the little town to face the owner.

In May of 2025 a book titled Capture the Moment will come out. It is the first in a series surrounding national parks.  This story has a young woman who is a zoo photographer that has been asked to take a photo of a famous grizzly bear.

The next Amish book is out in October 2025.  It does not have a title. Dok’s practice has been flooded ever since the local news wrote a story on her. To help, her husband gets the idea to send in an application to a program that will send two medical school graduates. She has two residents with all book knowledge and no people knowledge.

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: Hunting Colton’s Witness by Anna J. Stewart

Book Description

It’s his duty to protect her…

But falling in love isn’t part of the job

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

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Elise’s Thoughts

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

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Author Interview

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

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

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

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

EC: How would you describe Vivian?

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

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

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

EC: How would you describe Nate?

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

EC: How would you describe the relationship between them?

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

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

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

EC:  How has her trauma affected her?

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

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

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

EC:  Next book(s)?

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

THANK YOU!!

***

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