When a VA therapist is brutally stabbed, Kate Holland is stunned—the man had clashed with her own shrink days earlier. But the shock deepens when Kate discovers stolen military-grade explosives hidden in his home.
The victim had been investigating a war crime overseas, and now the fallout is erupting in Arkansas. With Ruger at her side and Arash in the fight alongside her, Kate follows a trail of secrets and corpses toward a killer who won’t stop until innocent blood is spilled.
To stop him, Kate must risk everything—including the fragile trust she’s building with the two allies she can’t afford to lose.
BLOOD ON THE WIRE (Hidden Valor K-9 Mysteries Book #5) by Candace Irving is another outstanding action packed and thrilling addition to this series. I enjoyed every book in the entire series and Kate and Ruger’s journey, but I believe you could read this book as a standalone and still love it due to the strategically placed background information you may have questions about.
Special State Investigator Kate Holland and her K-9 Ruger are called to investigate the stabbing death of one of the Little Rock VA’s psychologists. When she gets to the scene, she realizes she met this doctor arguing with Kate’s own doctor just a few days earlier. As Kate and the local detective search the doctor’s home, they discover two safes. One has a cache of military grade C-4 and the other has a notebook filled with writing in code.
As Kate investigates the murder, she discovers the doctor was looking into a crime from two years ago in Afghanistan. There are suspects that are almost too convenient and many tangled stories of truth and lies. As the body count increases, Kate realizes someone is trying to get rid of all ties to the real killer and crimes of the past.
I love this series! I look forward to reading not only an intricately plotted suspense/mystery, but an intimate story of a vet’s healing journey through PTSD and a terrible wartime incident all while she navigates her current job, her work and personal connection to her dog, and finally her learned ability to open up in her personal relationships. The intricate plot and twists in this book left me continually guessing until the very end.
I highly recommend this suspenseful police procedural/K-9 mystery! This is a well written, engrossing series and I cannot wait for more.
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About the Author
A former US Navy Lt., Candace Irving is the daughter of a librarian and a retired boatswain’s mate chief. Candace grew up in the Philippines, Germany, and all over the United States. Her senior year of high school, she enlisted in the US Army. Following basic training, she transferred to the Navy’s ROTC program at the University of Texas-Austin. While at UT, she spent a summer in Washington, DC, as a Congressional Intern. She also worked security for the UT Police. BA in Political Science in hand, Candace was commissioned as an ensign in the US Navy and sent to Surface Warfare Officer’s School to learn to drive warships. From there, she followed her father to sea.
Candace Irving writes gritty military thrillers. She is the author of the Deception Point Military Detective Thriller Series and the Hidden Valor Military Veterans/K9 Psychological Suspense Series. She also writes military romance and romantic suspense as Candace Irvin (without the “g”).
Kate Holland has a new mission. As a special investigator for the governor’s office, she takes on Arkansas’ toughest cases—especially those involving veterans. At her side is Ruger, now her fully trained K-9 partner.
Their first case begins with a mutilated body and a stolen identity. The victim wasn’t who he claimed to be—and he was still actively serving his country when he died. As Kate digs deeper, other bodies surface…and the truth emerges: a warrior is missing.
Working the case puts Kate and Arash on dangerous ground—professionally and personally. The closer they get to the truth, the tighter the noose around them. Kate will risk everything to bring the missing soldier home. The only question is, who will make it out alive?
LAST DOG OUT (A Kate Holland/Hidden Valor K-9 Mystery Thriller Book #4) by Candace Irving is another gritty and intense police procedural/crime thriller addition to this outstanding action-packed series with a female veteran protagonist and her dog that you cannot forget even after the conclusion of each book. This is a series that I feel is best read in order due to the protagonist’s personal journey through PTSD, emotional trauma, and healing. Please note: this book does discuss PTSD, suicide, and depicts a dog fight.
Kate Holland and her newly promoted K-9 partner, Ruger are barely situated in their new jobs as Special Investigators for the Arkansas governor’s office, when she receives a call to investigate a mutilated body found in a ditch that is presumed to be a Marine veteran. As Kate begins to search for answers, the identity of the man from his wallet begins to fall apart.
Kate and her law enforcement friends must deal with politics, military secrets, and a secretive circle of powerful men and corrupt law enforcement involved in dog fighting, illegal arms, and prostitution. She discovers beside unraveling this web of death, money, and power, she is also looking for a stolen retired CAD (Canine Assault Dog). Can she find the killer, bring justice to the dead soldier, and find the CAD still alive?
It is no secret that I love this series and this book did not disappoint! Kate’s journey with PTSD has come a long way since book one and it continues here. The bond between Kate and Ruger is strong and beautiful. I love reading about his instinctive protective reactions towards Kate. Ruger’s climatic scene in this book had me holding my breath on the edge-of-my-seat. Kate’s relationship with Arash is believably written and I am looking forward to following it into future books. All the recurring secondary characters are realistically written and well developed. The police procedural/crime thriller plot was well written and fast paced with many twists and surprises throughout. This plot does go into dark criminal activity and animal abuse, but I never felt it was gratuitous.
I highly recommend this addition to the Kate Holland/Hidden Valor K-9 Mystery Thriller series!
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About the Author
A former US Navy Lt., Candace Irving is the daughter of a librarian and a retired boatswain’s mate chief. Candace grew up in the Philippines, Germany, and all over the United States. Her senior year of high school, she enlisted in the US Army. Following basic training, she transferred to the Navy’s ROTC program at the University of Texas-Austin. While at UT, she spent a summer in Washington, DC, as a Congressional Intern. She also worked security for the UT Police. BA in Political Science in hand, Candace was commissioned as an ensign in the US Navy and sent to Surface Warfare Officer’s School to learn to drive warships. From there, she followed her father to sea.
Candace Irving writes gritty military thrillers. She is the author of the Deception Point Military Detective Thriller Series and the Hidden Valor Military Veterans/K9 Psychological Suspense Series. She also writes military romance and romantic suspense as Candace Irvin (without the “g”).
Kate Holland has a new case. A psychologist assigned to a Little Rock VA hospital was found brutally stabbed to death. Kate met the man mere days earlier…following his argument with her own shrink.
At the victim’s house, Kate’s stunned to discover a cache of military-grade explosives. Is there more deadly C-4 floating around out there—and does someone have plans to use it?
Evidence found in the victim’s safe suggests yes. The psychologist was conducting a private investigation into a heinous crime that occurred more than two years ago and half a world away…in an active war zone.
Back in Arkansas, connections and bodies have begun to multiply. Can Kate zero in on the killer before he obliterates the most innocent victim of all—with the rest of that stolen C-4?
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Elise’s Thoughts
Blood On the Wire by Candace Irving brings back Kate Holland and her loving furry partner, Ruger. She is a former US Navy Lieutenant who writes the “Hidden Valor Series,” and the “Deception Point Military Detective Series.” Fans of Ruger get a bonus because there is now merchandise available for purchase at https://store.candaceirving.com/collections/hidden-valor-merch-collection
The plot of this book has Kate initially investigating the death of a VA psychologist who was brutally stabbed to death. But during the investigation, Kate discovers a cache of military grade explosives. But the psychologist is not the only death, and the multiple deaths bring about multiple suspects including Gwen Lindt, someone brutally raped. Kate must put together the pieces to find out if there is a connection between the C-4 explosives, the rape, and the killings.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?
Candace Irving: I wanted to put in this book where Kate will be in her PTSD journey, even after she finishes her therapy. The mystery involves multiple dead bodies including a psychologist and multiple suspects, one of which will be a worker in Civil Affairs.
EC: You better never ever kill off Ruger. Do you agree?
CI: Ruger will never grow old and will never die in the series. Never mind Kate, I could not handle it. This is fiction. There is not a timeline in the series. Kate and Ruger are in a little bubble so it will take many books to get through a year.
EC: What about PTSD?
CI: Part of my goal for writing this series is to help vets and those who have PTSD. It is never just gone, even if someone finishes up their therapy. With Kate I took readers through the process of having PTSD and getting into the right therapy. The character is this story Gwen Lindt is the flip side who does not go to therapy. My consultant, Dr. Patricia Resick, and I discussed rape victims because the story centers on it. The victim in the story became promiscuous because of her horrific rapes. In her mind that is how she is dealing with her stress because she feels she can control it.
EC: Why does Kate have PTSD about her capture by Islamists and being tortured but not about her being raped by them?
CI: Dr. Resick pointed out that Kate is not hung up about the rape. I put in the earlier stories the reason. Because she was raped when unconscious she has no memory of it and therefore no PTSD regarding it. Kate will never lose control so for example she will never get drunk because she was raped while unconscious. She did kill everyone who raped her. What she did have is her physical appearance hang ups and conflicts.
EC: Why the Afghan smuggling plot of the story?
CI: SIV means Special Immigrant Visas that were given to translators and families who helped US forces during the War on Terror. But in this story, there were some characters who charged Afghans to falsify documents who wanted to come to the US. I found through my research this was going on. This part of the story was one of the chess pieces of the whole chess board part of the plot. One of the characters was motivated because he wants to help those who helped US forces out of these deadly situations and is not concerned with getting money.
EC: How would you describe Gwen?
CI: In the scene where Kate is first interviewing her, Gwen comes across as a major jerk. But as the story progresses readers might understand why Gwen acted the way she did, having a lot of resentment toward Kate. She had displaced anger. Gwen comes across as arrogant but actually she is still living in her trauma. Kate seems to understand why Gwen is acting out, that she is punishing people she displaces for those who were involved in the rapes. The statistic I put in the book is true: 20% of the women in the US at some point in their life will either be a victim of an attempted rape or were raped.
EC: Was this book sort of a crossover since you have CID Special Agent Regan Chase making an appearance from the Deception Point Series?
CI: Yes. This book is as close as I have come so far. Kate and Regan are friends. They can read each other, almost being able to finish each other’s thoughts. Kate was Regan’s mentor. Back when I wanted to connect “The Deception Point Series” featuring Regan and “The Hidden Valor Series” featuring Kate I decided that Kate while in Iraq realized that Regan is very good at doing investigative work.
EC: Why does Ruger dislike Dr. Manning, Kate’s psychologist?
CI: Ruger can sense Kate’s feelings and hurt. Ruger does not like men for obvious reasons. The moment Kate and Ruger walked into Dr. Manning’s office Ruger realized this was a smell that is freaking my mom (Kate) out because he is so attuned to Kate’s feelings and has such a strong sense of smell.
EC: What is the role of Ruger in this story?
CI: He comforts, a partner of Kate, and a search dog. Anyone who has a dog understands how Ruger is a comfort to Kate. Ruger can pick up on all her emotions.
EC: What about Arash and Kate’s relationship?
CI: They love each other. She wants to become intimate with him but initially pulls away because of the scars all over her body. They are honest with each other.
EC: Next books?
CI: There will be two books in “The Deception Point Series” that will finish off the arc. Pitch Black is the next Regan book and another one after it. These books will have a dual point of view, one from CID Agent Regan and one from NCIS Agent Mira.
The next Kate book will be after the two books in “The Deception Point Series.” The working title is Into the Cold. There will be people readers know and love and hate in this story.
EC: Rumor has it that fans of the Ruger series can get some merchandise?
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.
With a second serial killer case under her belt, Deputy Kate Holland is finally making headway with her PTSD. But when skeletal remains are unearthed on a sandbar amid the Arkansas River, Kate’s world is rocked again.
The decaying bones belong to a soldier once attached to a nearby National Guard unit, and their DNA links to an unsolved missing person’s investigation headed up by the very cop who spent his life undermining Kate’s personal and professional confidence.
The more Kate digs into the murdered soldier’s life, the more connections she discovers between the victim, an old family friend…and her own father.
Other bodies have begun to turn up as well, and these new murders appear to be connected to the original soldier’s death—and a sinister plot years in the making.
Will the clues her father missed all those years ago lead to the deaths of every current officer on the Braxton police force—including Kate’s?
BENEATH THE BONES: A Kate Holland Psychological Suspense (A Hidden Valley Military Veteran/K-9 Mystery Book #3) is another fantastically addictive addition to the Hidden Valley Military series featuring veteran and smalltown deputy Kate Holland and her K-9 companion Ruger. I start one of these books and I cannot put them down! I do recommend reading them in order due to Kate’s personal and psychological journey.
Deputy Kate Holland is making headway with her treatment of her PTSD and Ruger is almost done with his training to get his K-9 certification. When bones are discovered in a sandbar near the river, they are identified as a veteran from a cold case missing person’s case handled by her dead father.
As Kate begins investigating, she finds disturbing connections to an old family friend and while she does not want to believe it, he offers a confession to the cold case murder. A current murder is discovered as she goes to question a veteran tied to the same group of veterans that have ties to the old bones. A planned conspiracy is beginning to be uncovered that could kill many innocent people unless Kate discovers the plan and location of lethal munitions filled with a deadly biological gas.
I love this series! Kate is a flawed protagonist that has gone through hell, survived terrible physical disfigurement and mental trauma, but is finally getting the help she needs. Her ability to solve her previous serial killer cases demonstrated her grit and determination, but now with her continued healing and the emotional support of her K-9, Ruger, and the start of a relationship with fellow deputy, Arash, Kate is even more realistic, relatable, and believable. I am so excited to follow this relationship in future books. The suspense of the conspiracy plot was high with so many threads to connect, twists, and surprises throughout.
I cannot recommend this book and series enough! Once you open one of these books, you will not be able to stop reading.
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About the Author
A former US Navy Lt., Candace Irving is the daughter of a librarian and a retired boatswain’s mate chief. Candace grew up in the Philippines, Germany, and all over the United States. Her senior year of high school, she enlisted in the US Army. Following basic training, she transferred to the Navy’s ROTC program at the University of Texas-Austin. While at UT, she spent a summer in Washington, DC, as a Congressional Intern. She also worked security for the UT Police. BA in Political Science in hand, Candace was commissioned as an ensign in the US Navy and sent to Surface Warfare Officer’s School to learn to drive warships. From there, she followed her father to sea.
Candace Irving writes gritty military thrillers. She is the author of the Deception Point Military Detective Thriller Series and the Hidden Valor Military Veterans/K9 Psychological Suspense Series. She also writes military romance and romantic suspense as Candace Irvin (without the “g”).
There are similarities between both series in that each has great characters, very unlikeable antagonists, an intense plot, some romance, and a riveting story that readers will not want to put down. The author allows readers to connect emotionally with the characters. The differences are that the “Hidden Valor Series” takes place mainly in Arkansas, with the heroine, Kate, a retired CID officer, now working with the State law enforcement, while in the other series the heroines move around the globe and are active duty, having a partner both romantically and professionally: Kate with Arash, Regan with John, and Mira with Riyad.
With both series, books should be read in order. The Deception Point Series should be read in this order: Aimpoint, Blind Edge, Back Blast, and Chokepoint. These books involve an active-duty Army investigator, Regan, and an active-duty Navy investigator, Mira, both who are women. It is obvious that Irving has done her due diligence, with the research put in making the stories realistic and believable.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Which series came first?
Candace Irving: I wrote Blind Edge of the “Deception Point Series” before the Kate “Hidden Valor series.” Also plotted a few chapters to the next books in the Deception Point Series, Back Blast and Chokepoint. All these books were thought out. Then I was told that many people want plots set inside the US. As I was riding my bike in Arkansas and saw this seat deserted in a field, a brown bag filled with body parts popped into my head. I went home and The Garbage Man was born featuring Kate Holland. This was published first even though I wanted Blind Edge published before the pull out of Afghanistan.
Originally, I was going to write one book in this series and then another book in the other series, but it did not turn out that way. Those reading the Kate series realized that there is another series, “Deception Point,” and began to read it and love it.
EC: What is the big difference between the two series?
CI: Hidden Valor has an overriding arc about the characters’ backstory, but each book has a different plot. Deception Point has a continuing arc throughout the books that is the plot line. Both these series must be read in order.
EC: Do you agree that the similarity between each series refers to the characters’ backstory?
CI: Every character has a bad fathers and a Mother MIA.
EC: How would you classify the “Deception Point Series?”
CI: They involve the military but for me they are really crime thrillers. They are not like Tom Clancy’s books. Some people thought they are like the Jack Reacher series, but they are not. They are women and active duty.
EC: The Hidden Valor series has more PTSD references than the Deception Point Series?
CI: Yes, because Kate was very debilitated at the beginning of the series. She could no longer function in the military. Regan and John do not really have PTSD.
EC: Would you ever write a third series with just Mira, the featured character in Chokepoint?
CI: No, she will remain in the “Deception Point Series.” I consider this the active-duty series with Mira featured in a Navy plotline, any Army story will have Regan featured, and a veteran story will feature Kate from the “Hidden Valor Series.” I will give a heads up that there will be a crossover between Regan and Kate in the “Hidden Valor series.” Regan is undercover as herself and is investigating a case in Arkansas. Remember in the book, In the Name Of, there were a couple of phone calls between Regan and Kate. But in the crossover book, Regan and Kate will be together since Regan is Kate’s protege.
EC: Why did you have Regan get pregnant?
CI: At first, I was going back and forth if I should take it out. But then I decided to keep it. I know some people ask why she would have sex without protection, but she really thought she could never get pregnant.
EC: How would you compare your three female heroines: Kate, Regan, and Mira?
CI: Regan can mask her feelings: reading facial expressions, while only to a certain extent, Kate and Mira can, because they were taught that as part of their jobs. Regan can lie and people cannot tell, including pretending shelikes someone when she really doesn’t, while Mira cannot quite mask her feelings.
Kate has more compassion because of what happened to her and is more forgiving of others’ mistakes than Mira and Regan. Mira has a chip on her shoulder because she was charged with a crime yet was innocent.
All of them feel guilt. Kate because her best friend was beheaded, and she is determined to prove to her father’s ghost that she is a good investigator. Regan because her dad was a dirty cop; and Mira feels guilty because she never had to deal with the emotional abuse inflicted on her brother by her dad.
All are confident and self-assured. Mira has a temper, especially when people get in her face she gets right back in that person’s face. All are gutsy, if knocked down they all will get back up. They are all loners but are not lonely because they have friends and good support systems.
EC: Why was Kate retired and Mira/Regan active duty?
CI: I took some real elements that are common to those who served and combined them together so a lot of veterans can relate to part of her having PTSD. Because she had so much trauma, she knew she could no longer serve. I also want to differentiate between each series, so she is not active-duty, and the others are. Regan has her arm problems that when stressed she does not have a lot of control over, but it would not force her out of the Army. She did have to learn how to make her left hand her dominant hand.
EC: How would you compare your three male heroes: Arash, John, and Riyad?
CI: I wanted them all to be different although parts of Arash and John are my husband. Many readers think Riyad is a jerk, but it is because of his background. He takes no prisoners and makes no excuses. John is willing to own up to his mistakes. Riyad and John are active-duty Special Forces where they know how to be confrontational, while Arash was in military intelligence, knowing how to get what he wants without getting in someone’s face. Riyad does not consider any other opinions and expects people to do it his way, the SEAL mentality. To a certain extent Riyad has tunnel vision because of what happened to him when he was a SEAL commander. In their own way each are stubborn, sarcastic, but stoic.
EC: How would you compare all three relationships: Kate/Arash, Regan/John, and Mira/Riyad?
CI: Each hero gets under the heroines’ skin. Kate and to some degree Regan will cut Arash and John slack, while there is no way Mira allows Riyad any slack. Riyad would get in Mira’s face and say no and John would do the same things with Regan. Arash is clever on how he approaches his disagreements with Kate. All are driven. John and Riyad blame first and then questioned later regarding Regan and Mira, although John is willing to realize he was wrong, and say he is sorry, for his assumptions. Riyad gets upset with himself for calling Mira ‘woman’ because he cares for her, while she is starting to understand him after knowing his background. All the heroes are chauvinistic. All the heroes and heroines are caring, intense, compassionate, persistent, and protective.
John/Regan and Arash/Kate feel secure in their relationships. I would say that John is on one end of the spectrum of their feelings and reactions, Arash is in the middle, and Riyad is on the other end.
EC: Next Book(s)?
CI: With both series I know what will happen in the current book I am writing, maybe with the next book, but not with other books in the future. I am a linear writer in that I start at the beginning and plot every single chapter in succession. In the next Regan book, Pitch Black, which will come out in January 2026, Mira will be kidnapped after she and Riyad travel to Saudi Arabia for an investigation. Mira and John end up in Yemen with Regan and Riyad working together to find them.
The next Kate book, Blood on the Wire, will be published in August of this year. The relationship with Arash will progress. Also, her former partner Seth’s story will be a part of this story. The case involves a psychologist at a Little Rock VA hospital who was found brutally stabbed to death. In the victim’s house, Kate is stunned to discover a cache of military-grade explosives. Plus, the psychologist was conducting a private investigation into a heinous crime that occurred more than two years ago in an active war zone. Bodies have begun to multiply.
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.
The “Hidden Valor Military Veteran/K-9 Series” by Candace Irving is one of the best series to come along in quite a while. Each book combines a mystery, thriller, and police procedural. While the suspense is off the charts, there is also a very heart wrenching and heartwarming backstory of the characters that remind readers of the sacrifices made by those who serve to keep Americans safe.
The main character is Kate Holland, a former US Army detective that spent eleven hours as a prisoner of war in Afghanistan. She received a Silver Star after killing her captives and escaping. Fast forward to the present where she is a civilian investigator in her hometown of Arkansas. Because she has demons, she is contemplating suicide but discards those thoughts after saving a German Shepherd puppy, Ruger, shot by a hunter. Throughout the series both Kate and Ruger realize they are each other’s support. There is also a budding romance between Kate and another detective, Arash Kharoti, who is part of the plot mysteries and character world. Some of the other supporting characters are Sherriff Lou Simms, and Deputy Seth Armstrong.
There are five books in the series that should be read in order. The first one is a novella, titled Invisible Wounds followed by The Garbage Man, In the Name Of, Beneath the Bones, and Last Dog Out. In each book readers find a plot involving veterans that is very riveting along with more of a backstory on Kate, Ruger, and Arash.
These book plots are gritty, complex, intense, and have edge of the seat scenes. Anyone who has not read this series might want to start and those that are readers will look forward to the next book in the series.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: How did your being in the military help influence your writing?
Candace Irving: I am former Army, but it was brief. I did end up in the Navy. I was commissioned as an ensign in the US Navy but ended my career as a Navy Lt. I was sent to Surface Warfare Officer’s School to learn to drive warships and was also a damage control officer. Being a part of both branches enables me to write the lingo, plus I married an Army guy. My husband is a former combat engineer sapper who helps me with the explosive’s storyline. Regardless of which branch of the military, the mindset and how things work is the same. I know the correct questions to ask. For instance, in the Navy we do this so what is the Army or Air Force method?
EC: Why did you decide to write the Kate Holland series?
CI: I am writing for all readers but also am writing for all veterans. I hope this is my gift to them. If someone is a vet, they realize the thoughts and feelings of the characters are what they and I experienced. I want the stories to be realistic, not like a book I read that I threw at the wall. It seemed that author got everything wrong and angered me as a woman and a veteran. This is after 9/11, and our soldiers were coming back with serious scars. This author made it seem that the vet who had a scar was nonchalant about it instead of realizing that some veterans have painful memories. This is why I decided to write the Kate series. I wanted to write Kate as a veteran who had to overcome her scars emotionally as well as living with the physical scars on her cheek.
EC: Why the setting of Arkansas?
CI: I lived there for ten years. I thought how not many settings take place there. Fort Roots is an actual base so the place in my story is a wink and a nod. I changed the real place of Mayflower to Braxton because I did not want to be nailed to a specific town. Usually, she is in the small town with interconnected characters.
EC: Most of the books in this series involve murderers centered around veterans. Do you agree?
CI: I am a detective writer at heart so there must be a dead body. Suddenly these bodies were popping up all over the place in this small town that previously had three murders in ten years. I knew I had to change Kate from being a Sherriff’s deputy to working for the state police with Ruger as her K-9 partner that involved veteran cases. The plots involve a very intense mystery that put the heroes and heroines in a dark and nasty place which they must overcome.
EC: Do you own a dog since Ruger is one of the featured characters?
CI: Yes. The inspiration for Ruger is my fifty-pound standard poodle. Some of the weird things my dog does makes me laugh and I say to myself, ‘that is totally going into the book.’ Dog behavior is pretty much consistent.
EC: How would you describe Kate?
CI: She is not Superwoman but does have skills, such as the way she handles knives. She is determined, smart, funny, strong-willed, stubborn, a survivor, guilt ridden, at times feels depressed, doubts herself, and feels shame.
EC: How about Ruger?
CI: He keeps Kate calm, has a sense of purpose, loyal, a guard dog, a service support animal, as well as a canine partner to Kate. He and Kate rescued each other.
EC: What do you want readers to understand about how Kate’s wounds affected her?
CI: While Kate was serving in Afghanistan she was ambushed and then raped. She suffered injuries of a broken collarbone, a broken shoulder, and burns. She saw her best friend, Max, beheaded by the Islamists. She wears his watch and when she gets anxious turns it until her skin is raw. I wanted to make it realistic, so I took on all her emotions. Kate started to get CPT treatment with the trauma focused sessions centering around pains that interfere with the normal recovery process and have her identify problem patterns.
EC: is Kate’s therapist, Dr Manning, based on Dr. Resick?
CI: Yes. From book 2 going forward she became Kate’s therapist. She took the situation I created for Kate and said this is what would occur with her. She reads the book and is Dr. Manning. She makes suggestions for Kate as Dr. Manning, like having her wrap her wrist so when she feels the need to turn the watch her skin will not be raw.
EC: What about her boss, Lou?
CI: He is like an uncle to her. He can read her, is helpful, and caring. Because he knew her father was heartless and someone who constantly put her down, Lou tried to be the opposite to her. He and his wife felt like Kate was the child they could not have. He is based on a neighbor I had in Arkansas, someone compassionate, grounded, figured out what make people tick, and had a lot of common sense.
EC: How would you describe Detective Arash?
CI: He is caring, understands her, trusting, encouraging, and protective. He and Kate share a deep connection.
EC: What about the relationship between Kate and Arash?
CI: I thought hard what kind of man Kate should end up with. It must be someone who does not care about her scars but embraces them. He realizes she is strong. In a way her scars are a badge of honor. Kate is afraid she will lose Arash because of her scars and baggage. She also has issues with showing off her body to the man she wants to look perfect too, Arash.
EC: You have another series, “Deception Point” besides the Kate “Hidden Valor” Series. Can you talk about them?
CI: Both series have investigations and detective stories, but “Deception Point” has a global setting while “Hidden Valor” takes place in Arkansas. The main character of the “Deception Point Series” is Special Agent Regan Chase, an active-duty CID, while Kate is a retired CID. I used my Damage Control Officer experiences to write the book, Blind Edge, of the “Deception Point” series.
EC: Will the “Hidden Valor” series be made into a TV show?
CI: I did option the rights for this series with a potential TV series.
EC: Next book?
CI: Kate will have her last therapy session in the next book, Blood on The Wire that comes out in August of next year. But readers should not worry, Dr. Manning will not be written out of the series. It will be a process for Kate to get over all her scars on her body and face. The relationship with Arash will progress. Also, her former partner Seth’s story will be a part of this story. The case involves a psychologist at a Little Rock VA hospital who was found brutally stabbed to death. In the victim’s house, Kate is stunned to discover a cache of military-grade explosives. Plus, the psychologist was conducting a private investigation into a heinous crime that occurred more than two years ago in an active war zone. Bodies have begun to multiply.
THANK YOU!!
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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.
