#elisesthoughts – Page 14 – Avonna Loves Genres

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Girl from the Red Rose Motel by Susan Beckham Zurenda

Book Description

Impoverished high school junior Hazel Smalls and privileged senior Sterling Lovell would never ordinarily meet. But when both are punished with in-school suspension, Sterling finds himself drawn to the gorgeous, studious girl seated nearby, and an unlikely relationship begins.

Set in 2012 South Carolina, the novel interlaces the stories of Hazel, living with her homeless family in the rundown Red Rose Motel; Sterling, yearning to break free from his wealthy parents’ expectations; and recently widowed Angela Wilmore, their stern but compassionate English teacher. Hazel hides her homelessness from Sterling until he discovers her cleaning the motel’s office when he goes with his slumlord father to unfreeze the motel’s pipes one morning. With her secret revealed, their relationship deepens. Angela-who has her own struggles in a budding romance with the divorced principal-offers Hazel the support her family can’t provide. Navigating between privilege and poverty, vulnerability and strength, all three must confront what they need from themselves and each other as Hazel gains the courage to oppose boundaries and make a bold, life-changing decision at novel’s end.

Gripping and richly drawn, The Girl from the Red Rose Motel explores the complex bonds between adults and teenagers and the power of the families we both inherit and create. Inspired by the author’s experiences teaching in a South Carolina high school, the novel is also an unflinching, authentic look at the challenges faced by America’s public school teachers and the struggles of the thousands of homeless children in motels who live, precariously and almost invisibly, amid the nation’s most affluent communities”-

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Girl from The Red Rose Motel by Susan Zurenda delves into very relevant issues of the day. It is told from three points of view: privileged high school senior boy (Sterling), a high school junior girl whose family lives below the poverty line (Hazel), and their high school English teacher (Angela). It is a drama about relationships, showing how poverty has impacted children and having to navigate being homeless with going to high school.

The plot has Impoverished high school junior Hazel Smalls and privileged senior Sterling Lovell meeting after both were punished with in-school suspension, Sterling finds himself drawn to the gorgeous, studious girl seated nearby, and an unlikely relationship begins. Set in 2012 South Carolina, the novel interlaces the stories of Hazel, living with her homeless family in the rundown Red Rose Motel; Sterling, yearning to break free from his wealthy parents’ expectations; and recently widowed Angela Wilmore, their stern but compassionate English teacher. Hazel hides her homelessness from Sterling until he discovers her cleaning the motel’s office when he goes with his slumlord father to unfreeze the motel’s pipes one morning. With her secret revealed, their relationship deepens.

This book will tug at reader’s heartstrings. The characters are complex, and people will root for each of them. The ending may not be what readers are hoping for, but it is very realistic. There are important current issues that are covered.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Did you base it on your experiences?

Susan Zurenda: I taught English for 33 years, mostly in the community college system. In the last ten years I taught AP English in high school. The story came out of my teaching experience since I taught the 4 AP classes and a fifth class called Reading Strategies. These children were behind in their reading and writing skills. I was supposed to be a magician to get their reading skills improved so they can pass the exit exam to graduate in South Carolina. In the story the children in the AP classes and this fifth class were from different backgrounds.

EC: Were there any incidents in the book based on your actual teaching experience?

SZ: Yes. One is what starts the action in the book. When Sterling and his friends take over his AP English class. I taught these eight boys who terrorized their teachers since middle school. They have never been called to task. I had three of them in a class. They tried to one up themselves with trifle behavior. I decided to just sit at my desk and the ringleader came up and started teaching. I went to the Vice-principal and insisted these boys be punished. They called themselves ‘the crazy eights,’ and I called them ‘the hateful eightful.’

EC: Are you the AP English teacher, Angela Wilmore?

SZ: No, but I could not have written her story if I did not have the teacher experience and knowledge. Angela is a lot nicer and funkier than I ever was. She is very stern and caring just like myself. She does not have children of her own. She helps the student Hazel when her family cannot help. Angela becomes Hazel’s foster mother. The inspiration for Angela becoming a

foster parent was a friend of mine, a teacher of the year. She did it because the child had no place to go.

EC: How would you describe Sterling?

SZ: He is very smart, in the AP class, but misbehaves so he finds himself in ISS, in school suspension. He does have some baggage because of what happened in his childhood. He is an arrogant, rude, disrespectful brilliant, affluent boy.

EC: How would you describe Hazel?

SZ: She is shy, quiet, and shameful of her desolate situation, having to live in a hotel. She does not seek out friends.

EC: How about the relationship between Hazel and Sterling?

SZ: When he starts to show he likes her she does not believe he is serious. It is a while until she opens up to him. She grows throughout the novel. Sterling and Angela show her it is possible to get out of the world of poverty. She becomes more self-confident, logical, and level-headed. I did hear of students living in run down motels, considered homeless. A guidance counselor I know started the organization CAST: Care, Accept, Share, and Teach, to assist families.

EC: What was the role of the Red Rose Motel?

SZ: I wanted to separate the families who are homeless from the drug addicts and mentally disabled. There are a lot of families with children who are homeless. In January 2022 there are about 350,000 children nationwide living in hotels because their families were evicted. There is a lack of affordable housing. The family gets evicted because they do not make enough money to afford a rental unit so they move to the Red Rose Motel.

EC: Next book?

SZ: I do not know if I will write another book.

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.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah

Book Description

The latest installment in Darci Hannah’s delicious Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series set in small-town Beacon Harbor, Michigan, featuring a baker heroine who lives in the local lighthouse with her beloved Newfoundland dog, Wellington.

Lindsey prefers to keep her bakeshop’s Halloween decor light and autumnal, rather than gruesome and ghoulish. But everyone knows her lighthouse home is haunted. Some intrepid teens have even tried to break in to witness the resident ghost themselves. Dreading Halloween night, Lindsey reluctantly allows her influencer and podcaster best friend, Kennedy, to host a live ghost hunting investigation in the lighthouse, conducted by a professional team. Protective of her ghost, Lyndsey is understandably nervous about what they might uncover . . .

The segment is uneventful—until things take a terrifying turn. The team freaks out. As Kennedy joins the mad dash outside, she bumps into what looks like the prankster teens’ creepy clown costume hanging from a tree. But when Lindsey’s dog, Wellington, begins to whine, they make a grim discovery: the clown is no dummy. It’s a corpse.

Now Lindsey and company will need to keep their cool if they want a ghost of a chance to solve the murder—and see another Halloween . . .

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Elise’s Thoughts

Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah is a good book for the Halloween season since many are already decorating their houses. This Halloween atmosphere has ghosts, goblins, pranksters, costumes, pirates, clowns, and dogs in costume along with professional ghost hunters.

The plot has the main character, Lindsey, renovating an old lighthouse, for her home and bakery. In the story the Halloween festivities include Lindsey having in her bakery a lot of pumpkin-flavored treats. Lindsey has also reluctantly agreed to let her best friend, Kennedy, do her live podcast from the lighthouse with professional ghost hunters. But things go sideways after they all stumble upon a fresh corpse in Lindsey’s yard. First, they thought it was teens doing a prank, a clown as a dummy, but it’s a corpse. With the help of her friends and her resident ghost they strive to find the murderer.

The mystery has many tricks and treats that include twists and turns. The action leaps from the pages. One of the treats the author gives her readers is the delicious seasonal recipes included at the back of the book.

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Author Interview

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

Darci Hannah: This is the fourth book I have written in the series. I have the setting in Michigan. I love to bake, and my youngest brother bought a bakery, so I incorporated a bakery and lighthouse into the series. I wanted to be a paranormal writer, so I slip some of this into my writing. When I started this series, I thought of a haunted lighthouse tale within a cozy mystery. I always visit a lot of lighthouses. I came to realize a lot of lighthouses have a history and a story about lingering lightkeepers. In this series the lighthouse has a history and a ghost story. Lindsey, the protagonist lives in the haunted lighthouse and has developed a working relationship with this lighthouse ghost.

EC: Was any of this real?

DH: A lot of the techniques of the ghosts I use are from real lighthouses here in Michigan. People see eerie green lights which I incorporated in this story. There are a lot of shipwrecks here. Because I did dive on shipwrecks, I included it in the story.

EC: What is the role of Halloween?

DH: It was great fun to write a Halloween theme. The idea came from my publisher. There are pirates, the Wizard of Oz comes into it with the costume of a straw headed person. The “Pumpkin Pageant” had people dressed in costume along with their pets. Everyone in the bakery owned by the protagonist dressed in a theme costume. There is also a pumpkin carving contest.

EC: Was Wellington, Lindsey’s dog based on a real dog?

DH: Yes, I love dogs so there are a lot of dogs in my story. Wellington is Lindsey’s dog. He is a Newfoundland because I had a dog of that breed. He is the perfect dog for a lighthouse because they are big water dogs. He has freedom and space now. He also loves to fish.

EC: How would you describe Lindsey?

DH: She has a financial background. She is practical, wants to make people happy, is pretty, and caring. She is from New York City and has moved to a Michigan small town. She has her mother’s looks and her father’s brain. She is not a social media person, more private.

EC: How would you describe her boyfriend, Rory?

DH: He is an ex-Navy SEAL who is a conglomerate of some of my friends. He is a woodsy outdoorsman. The whole state shuts down in November during deer season. I wanted to put this cultural piece of Michigan into Rory’s character. He is very protective, kind, funny, intense, and a good diver. Together they are an item and are attracted to each other. She sees him as intriguing. They respect each other a lot.

EC: The next book?

DH: The next book in the series continues the holiday theme. It is titled Murder at the Blarney Bash, a St. Patrick’s Day book, but coming out in January. The plot has a new Irish import store being opened by Rory’s uncle and cousin. There will be a Leprechaun in the story.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Would You Rather and The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley

Book Descriptions and Elise’s Thoughts

Allison Ashley’s two books, Would You Rather and The Roommate Pact show how friends can be supportive and love each other in different ways. These books show that as love grows so does the intimacy as well as finding a soul mate.

Would You Rather has the heroine, Mia, given an opportunity to pursue her education and find her dream job. The problem is that she needs her job because she needs health insurance. She has a kidney disease and is awaiting a transplant. Noah, a friend since the age of seven suggests they get married, in name only so she can study full-time and go on his insurance. Although it takes some convincing, she agrees. What will happen with this marriage of convenience and will the relationship grow into something more.

The other book in the series The Roommate Pact is also a friend to lovers’ story but with more humor, great banter, and a fabulous plot. Graham, the hero, and Claire, the heroine, agree that if they are still single by the time, they’re forty, they’ll take the proverbial plunge together and get married. But after a few glasses of wine, Claire changes the rules to being hookup buddies now. The attraction was there, the tension between them was there and their first kiss turned passionate quickly. But life got in the way. Graham was seriously injured in a rock-climbing accident. He needs ER Nurse Claire’s help to heal. She’ll do whatever it takes to nurse her good friend back to health, even if it means moving into Graham’s bed and putting up with his little dog, who hates her. There are many emotional moments as Graham struggles with his recovery and Claire is struggling with her past. Will the tragedies interfere with the relationship that is forming between the two?

Both books are heartwarming sweet stories, with readers laughing and crying along with the characters.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Are these a series?

Allison Ashley: I am a science nerd with an artsy reading and music side to me. I am kind of an anomaly. For now, the series will be just with these two books. They are stand-alone but in the same world. I enjoy writing friends to lovers’ stories. The first book has Mia and Noah as lifelong friends, while in the second book Claire and Graham are just friends.

EC: Would you write a book with the roommate Reagan?

AA: I am somebody who writes with the characters coming alive for me and they just pop out. Reagan is a little young for me to write. I am not sure I can write a twenty-five-year old’s story. I want to write as I know, and I am turning forty so I am not sure I can use the younger generations terminology.

EC: In the first book, Would You Rather how did you get the idea for the story?

AA: I wanted to write a story that included marriages of convenience. Being in the medical field I have seen where some are unable to afford a certain medicine. They either have insurance restrictions or do not even have insurance. This prompted me to think what if they married because they needed health insurance. I loosely based Mia’s condition on someone that was treated for a kidney condition at the Cancer Center I worked at. It is relatively pricey for a chronic kidney condition. I wanted to write a story with these issues.

EC: How did you come up with the scenes where Noah and Mia played practical jokes on each other?

AA: It came from several different places. I wanted to portray their deep friendship and the comfort level where they can be just silly. I remembered my first year as an oncology resident where I shared this tiny office with five co-residents. We were stressed and worked long hours. We would mess with each other’s desks. One time I literally turned everything on my neighbor’s desk upside down. This spurred the idea. I also goggled some of the ideas put into the story. I also put them questioning each other, ‘would you rather.’ They bring these questions up to deflate a situation and a way to tip toe or test their feelings regarding a relationship.

EC: How would you describe Noah?

AA: Serious, someone who does not like change, compulsive, thinker, calm, gentle, observant, discipline, and a protractor. He is also thoughtful, kind, quiet, introspective, and adventurous. He was greatly affected by his brother’s death. He is the embodiment of the saying, ‘still waters run deep.’ He is very stoic who does not let his emotions show. These features intensified after his brother died.

EC: How would you describe Mia?

AA: Sweet, genuine, charming, mischievous, and feels guilty that her illness has affected those she loves. Through her I was able to show how certain drug companies have support programs, but there are other things that are not covered. She is a little bit of a dichotomy. She always makes new friends everywhere she goes but then she also has introspective times.

EC: The role of her kidney disease?

AA: She has a chronic life-long condition, something that is impacting her. She had to learn to allow those close to her to take care of her. She tried to avoid that because of the hardship it presented. She had to work through the feelings since she did not want to disrupt people’s lives or be a burden on them. I put this quote, “The thing we fear most has the greatest reward.” Having the kidney disease, brought about a traumatic incident regarding her parents. She was shocked. She used it to push her parents away because she feels guilty for what they did on her behalf.

EC: What about the relationship?

AA: Around Mia he seems to allow his emotions to be freer. They tease each other a lot but will do anything for each other. They can be jealous and intimate. They have an intense relationship. They went from a friendship to an intimate relationship, going from 0 to 60 quickly, a whole new level. Mia would not let herself think about her feelings, while Noah acknowledged his first. They knew everything about each other.

EC: In the second book, The Roommate Pact, the dog, Gertrude the dog, was a common thread for the main characters?

AA: She can be cute, cuddly, and sweet but has another side toward the heroine, Claire. She can be possessive of the hero, Graham, and domineering. She is a complete daddy’s girl and does not like to share with anyone else.

EC: How would you describe Claire?

AA: Opinionated, hare-working, strong willed, outspoken, direct, loyal, compassionate, and independent.

EC: How would you describe Graham?

AA: As the story goes on, he has a big arc. In the beginning he is a playboy who avoids commitment, superficial, outgoing, and adventurous. Then he becomes very kind and caring. He always put up a front while growing up. When he could not speak because of an accident he found the ability to show Claire his true person.

EC: What about the relationship?

AA: They had a physical attraction, competitive, irritated each other, and enjoyed a lot of the same interests. Their personalities are very similar, which causes them to rub each other the wrong way sometimes. The accident of her father affected the relationship. She has a fear of something happening because Graham is a first responder. This part is personal, because it is something I know very well, since my husband is a first responder. Claire watched her mother live in fear over worrying that something could happen to Claire’s dad.

EC: Next book?

AA: I am working on a book that has a science side, and a love triangle. A girl had a stem cell transplant and is attracted to the boyfriend of the girl who saved her life. Another book I am thinking of writing is an opposite attracts book about a woman who works at the medical examiner’s office, based on my neighbor. My agent is negotiating with different publishers.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Havoc by Ronie Kendig

Book Description

A soldier, a Malinois, and a stuntwoman walk onto a TV set . . .

Former Special Forces operator Sergeant Crew Gatlin takes everything in stride, even the career-ending incident that separated him from the Army, half a leg, and his beloved working dog, Havoc K027. Putting his life back together and lying low, he takes a job with A Breed Apart and is unexpectedly reunited with Havoc. It’s too good to be true—and the proof is in their first assignment: to work as a K-9 team for a television drama in Los Angeles. Miffed at being relegated to TV fodder, he’s willing to pay the price when he sees the stuntwoman.

Being a stunt double allows Vienna Foxcroft to fulfill her acting dream—with a side of MMA—and stay out of the limelight. The same one that plagued her childhood and put her through a nightmare scenario. Now, her tight-knit stunt team are the only ones she trusts. Then in walks Mr. Mountain-of-Muscle and his tough-as-nails dog, and Vienna has a bad feeling her life is about to turn upside down.

Ticked as they head overseas for a location shoot in Turkey, Crew guts it up—after all, he has Havoc again. Okay, and yeah—Vienna is going, too. When an attack sends the cast fleeing into the streets of Turkey, Vienna must face the demons of her past or be devoured by them. And Crew and Havoc are tested like never before.

Experience the high-octane thrill ride that is the first book in the A Breed Apart: Legacy series.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Havoc by Ronie Kendig allows readers to get a three for one: a great plot, great characters, and a heroic dog named Havoc. This book is very appropriate since the 9/11 remembrance just passed.

The story opens when former Special Forces operator Sergeant Crew Gatlin had his career ended after his leg was blown up from an IED. Returning to the States he was separated from his working dog Havoc K027. Putting his life back together and lying low, he takes a job with A Breed Apart and is unexpectedly reunited with Havoc. Their first assignment is to work as a K-9 team for a television drama in Los Angeles. Miffed at being relegated to TV fodder, he’s willing to pay the price when he becomes infatuated with the stuntwoman.

Being a stunt double allows Vienna Foxcroft to fulfill her acting dream—with a side of MMA—and stay out of the limelight. Now, her tight-knit stunt team are the only ones she trusts after being assaulted by a former beau. Crew and Vienna form an instant attraction but are in denial until they are pushed together after a terrorist attack on location in Turkey. Havoc, Crew, and Vienna will have their wits and physical abilities tested like never before. This story has it all: banter, romance, action-packed pacing, and readers will not want to put it down.

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Author Interview

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

Ronie Kendig: From the first series that I wrote over a decade ago. They both are called “A Breed Apart” but the new one is called “A Breed Apart Legacy.” Each book will have individual characters. The common thread is a ranch in Texas called the Breed Apart Ranch with former military dogs and handlers.

EC: Why the Shakespeare quote at the beginning of the book?

RK: I always look for a quote that fits the story, and that one did, obviously because of the dog’s name—Havoc.

EC: Can you describe Havoc?

RK: Havoc is a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois who was a military working dog, qualified in patrol and explosives detection.

EC: What about those puppies that have washed out-did you adopt one?

RK: I have two dogs, an English crème Golden Retriever named after Fort Benning. I also had a military working dog that had washed out when she was a year old. I think she was too sweet, and she had stomach issues. We call her “Drama” because she moans like a person but her real name is Aandromeda. She puts us through the paces. She is very intense because of her pre-training. She has no fears.

EC: How did you get information about the scene in the beginning regarding Afghanistan?

RK: I’ve been writing paramilitary suspense for over a decade, so it’s mostly experience and consuming a lot of reads/listens related to our military. And anyone who’s watched the news knows how the U.S. military pulled out of Afghanistan. Takes just a few moments of looking at organizations or individuals who are trying to help to learn the hard truths about that rapid-withdrawal fallout.

EC: What do you want readers to know about “A Breed Apart?”

RK: First, that it’s called A Breed Apart: Legacy, the second/spinoff series to my original A Breed Apart series. Second, that each book focuses on a different MWD and handlers facing tough circumstances, and third, that all subsequent books were written by authors I mentored and advised throughout the entire process.

EC: How would you describe Crew?

RK: He is funny, confident, audacious, witty, tenacious, disciplined, intense, direct, and protective. I think the cover and the book copy perfectly portray him. He’s been dealt a tough hand in life, but as a Special Forces operator, he’s learned to roll with the punches and get back up when something knocks you down.

EC: Why write books on military handlers?

RK: I wrote the first series more than ten years ago. Back then there were not a lot of stories. In Trinity a military working dog frees his handler while in captivity. Back then working military dogs was a fresh concept.

EC: How would you describe Vienna?

RK: She is surly, tough, fierce, defensive, determined, thoughtful, and an inner warrior. Vienna is one who isn’t going to wait for someone to defend her. She did that once and it turned out terrible for her. But she also isn’t so obsessed with being a strong woman that she won’t accept help when she needs it.

EC: What is the role of her being a stunt person?

RK: It had not been done much. I wanted someone to be an equal to Crew. But also, the characters are not high on feminism and low on masculinity. I made sure there was a balance.

EC: How would you describe their relationship?

RK: They push each other’s buttons, are competitive, consider each a puzzlement, was not looking for a relationship, both visibly affected by their past relationships, both realize they help each other belong, have fun, and are passionate. Crew and Vienna are both strong personalities who bring their own force and baggage to the table. They know how to work together when it’s needed. They’re perfect complements to each other’s lives and fill gaps that neither of them knew existed. She swore off guys after a terrible incident a few years ago, and Crew was happily focused on regaining his career after losing a leg and getting back to work as an K9 handler and Special Forces operator.

EC: How did you get information about the boxing scene between Crew and Vienna?

RK: It’s not boxing but rather Krav Maga, and that information came from my husband who trained in Krav, and I had some minor training in it to complement my taekwondo training.

EC: Please discuss your charity the MWDTSA.

RK: It’s not my charity. It’s the Military Working Dog Team Support Association and is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports MWD dog/handler teams by sending support packages, writing letters, but they do so much more than that. I adopted a Military Working dog, Volt, and had him for a little over five years. These dogs are intense, and the bond is a lot deeper than a normal pet dog. When my retired military working dog Volt N629 seized the Rainbow Bridge after a years-long battle with cancer, MWDTSA sent me a card and a Fifty/Fifty stainless steel etched tumbler with Volt’s EOW date. That tumbler is super special to me, and I’m so grateful for the way they touched me during my grief.

EC: Next books?

RK: My next one after HAVOC’s release is LADY OF BASILIKAS, a standalone space opera, coming May 2024 from Enclave Publishing. Beyond that, you’d need a TS-1 Clearance to access that intel.

The next book in this series is titled Chaos written by Steffani Webb. All the other books are written by other authors with completely different characters. I mentored the other authors, helped them brainstorm, and go through the editing process. I made sure the books had the ‘Ronie Kendig flavor.’

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Harm’s Way by John Gilstrap

Book Description

Unstoppable Jonathan Grave uncovers a major threat to American security in the latest action-packed adventure in the long-running, bestselling black-ops series.

Twelve missionaries have been snatched in a remote area of Venezuela and are being held for ransom. The high-priority rescue mission comes as a personal plea from FBI director Irene Rivers. It also carries a Presidential demand: no international incident. Just get in and get out—with hostages who are far from cooperative, but nonetheless precious cargo.

America’s enemies hope to leverage the kidnapping into a major crisis. Fighting his way to the hostages is Jonathan’s first battle. The second is to deliver them, alive and well, to the extraction site – and let no one stand in his way.

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Elise’s Thoughts

One of the best qualities of a John Gilstrap book is his ability to draw readers into the plot and characters. Just like the early Vince Flynn books his plots are intense, his bad guys horrifically violent, and his team heroes hardly politically correct with a determination for justice to be served.

Harm’s Way by John Gilstrap takes place in Venezuela where a vicious drug cartel has kidnapped ten missionaries and are holding them for ransom. FBI Director Irene Rivers has asked the independent contractor, Jonathan Grave, and his team to rescue one hostage. But Jonathan being Jonathan, tells her he will rescue all or none. He plans on doing what he and his team always do, save hostages. The rest of the gang are back that includes Jonathan Grave (Digger), Brian Vande Boxers (Big Guy), Venice Alexander (Mother Hen) and Gail Bonneville (Gunslinger) as well as Jesse Montgomery (Torpedo), a thief and boat driver, and Davey Montgomery (Chief), a former Navy SEAL.

As with most of his books the theme always questions the commitment of Washington, especially the bureaucrats, to put the welfare of the country ahead of personal gain.

Word of warning to readers, the rescue mission is not the only plotline and this book ends with a slight cliffhanger. Anyone who has not read the Grave books should because they have drama, intrigue, and great characters.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for Harm’s Way?

John Gilstrap: It came from a real news story. There was a news item where twelve missionaries were kidnapped in South America. Each were held for different levels of ransom by the bad guys. I thought it was an interesting premise.

EC: Throughout the books, one of the team members, Gail Bonnerville aka Gunslinger has come to grips with her role?

JG: Gail can be passive-aggressive, logical, thoughtful, sarcastic, and very analytical. She is often the only adult in the room when the men team members start to act as boys. She as well as everyone has a strong moral compass. She sometimes has trouble drawing the lines that Jonathan has no trouble drawing since she was a Sherriff and is a lawyer. In Scorpion Strike she realized there was nuisance and balance versus violence and fortitude. She started accepting her role and in the current book Harm’s Way she has reached that threshold. Jonathan is very mission oriented where he wants to have the hostages returned to their family. Gail cannot close down after a mission like Jonathan does. It angers her that she cannot and also angers her that Jonathan can. She will do what she must do but afterwards might not like it, while Jonathan will do what he must do and move on.

EC: You like to have Gail get injured a lot?

JG: In Damage Control she was injured very seriously and two books after that she was gone for a while as she recovered. I almost killed her off, but when I brought her back, I found the handle for her character. Then in Lethal Game, the book before Harm’s Way she had to be rescued after her house was set on fire and she was injured.

EC: The relationship between Gail and Jonathan?

JG: She considers him a crusader and is accepting of him. Just as with Jonathan she now realizes that by fighting, she can have a say in her future, going home alive. Gail realizes that Jonathan’s way of thinking is not as outlandish as she originally thought. She has come to see that the rule of law sometimes comes to slowly for true justice to happen. Because they accept each other they can now have an intimate relationship.

EC: Was President Tony Darmond based on anyone in any political party or is he an equal opportunity politician?

JG: The plot line of this book involving the President’s stepson selling access started in 2014 with the book High Treason. It is pure coincidence that the plot line is still alive. The Darmond administration has been corrupt since 2009. In the Grave books time pretty much stands still and travels very slowly. I do not write politics I write fiction. President Darmond does not have a party affiliation. People read the books and I have received angry letters about Darmond’s corruption from supporters of President Bush 43, President Obama, President Trump, and now President Biden. I get equal levels of hate mail. The Grave books do not work unless Washington is horribly corrupt.

EC: There is a quote that is anti-Washington in Harm’s Way. Please explain.

JG: You are referring to this quote, “In light of recent weaknesses and stumbles from the government of the United States, it was often too easy to lose respect in the effectiveness of American operators. The Border Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration had both been thoroughly neutered by President Darmond’s political henchmen, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has neutered itself with political infighting.” This is from a Russian who perceives the weakness of power. The Darmond administration is owned by the Cartels who can do whatever they want on the Southern Border. I believe in the fictional world, Washington’s senior elected leadership can search for Directors to do their will.

EC: Are the Russians really behind bringing drugs into this country?

JG: I do not have a firsthand knowledge but people who do, this is what they tell me. From what I heard the Russians have tried to gain a foothold in Venezuela and pre-Ukraine have provided a lot of aid. In my fiction world it just makes sense the Russians are doing it.

EC: Why Venezuela?

JG: Venezuela is in this hemisphere. Because I must get Jonathan and the gang in and out there is only so much of the world where I can do it. In my various previous books, I have used Mexico and wanted a change. Part of the reason for Venezuela, I wanted to criticize socialism, and it is the poster child for where socialism never worked in the practical world. The economic system here has collapsed so it has become a playground for bad guys.

EC: Next book-did you leave this one with a cliffhanger?

JG: Yes, although each book can survive as a stand-alone. In the next book, the Darmond Administration will have a very bad time. It will be titled Heat Seeker, a Jonathan Grave book.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Robert B. Parker’s Bad Influence by Alison Gaylin

Book Description

Boston PI Sunny Randall investigates the dark side of social media in this exciting new thriller in the bestselling series.

Sunny Randall’s newest client, Blake, seems to have it all: he is an Instagram influencer, with all the perks the lifestyle entails—a beautiful girlfriend, wealth, and adoring fans. But one of those fans has turned ugly, and Sunny is brought on board by Blake’s manager, Bethany, to protect him and to uncover who is out to kill him. In doing so, she investigates a glamorous world rife with lies and schemes…and ties to a dangerous criminal scene.

When Bethany goes missing and the threats against Blake escalate, Sunny realizes that in order to solve this case, she has to find out exactly who Blake and Bethany are, behind the Instagram filters. While digging into their pasts, she is also forced to confront her own, as old friends—and ex-husbands—reappear. With a combination of old-school crime-solving skills and modern internet savvy, Sunny will stop at nothing to catch a killer.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Robert B. Parker’s Bad Influence by Alison Gaylin brings to life his character Sunny Randall. Those who have read Gaylin in the past know she loves to have twisted endings that are very intense. This story is not any different as she takes readers on a roller coaster ride.

In this story Gaylin includes many of Sunny’s supporting characters and attempts to bring her into the modern world. Bethany Rose hires Sunny to protect one of the most popular influencer couples. She offers the services of her influencer couple, Blake James, and Alena Jade, to help Sunny’s BFF Spike gain new customers for his bar and restaurant. Bethany is willing to do it on gratis if Sunny finds out who is sending threatening messages to the couple.

Sunny must come to terms with social media as she tries to figure out who is the stalker. The problem is she must get up to speed because she did not use any online forums. Now she uses it as a tool to research her clients. She is trying to understand how people can base their entire careers on letting strangers into their personal lives.

She can be stubborn at times and is trying to figure out where she stands emotionally.

This mystery/thriller is riveting, and the readers also can learn about the world of influencers, which makes the story even more fascinating.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Why write a Parker character?

Alison Gaylin: I have been a longtime fan of the Robert B. Parker books, although I did not read any of the Sunny books. I was offered to write twenty pages and thought this is a terrific opportunity. I had this idea regarding influencers. A month later I heard I got the job and will be writing a second book.

EC: Did you change anything regarding style?

AG: I tried to stay as loyal to Parker as I best I could. His style is different than my style with more dialogue, shorter chapters, and I have a little more internal dialogue. I did try to make it as “Parkeresque” as I could. All the supporting characters of his was like being given a toolbox to make some furniture. There is her good friend Spike, her father, her ex-husband Ritchie, his mob dad, and her dog Rosie. Parker books had more humor than I usually put but I wrote more intensity, especially at the end.

EC: Did you make any imprint on the Sunny character?

AG: It will always be a little different when a woman writes the character. It is a pleasure to be the first woman to write Sunny. I think the way women move through the world and relate to other women is different. In a lot of his books, she called in for help, but in this book during the climactic scene I had her do it on her own.

EC: How would you describe Sunny?

AG: Funny, tough, smart, strong, loyal, but vulnerable. She never let’s go of relationships. She had this dog Rosie who passed away and she got the same kind of dog and named it the same. She does not love change very much. She has been divorced from her ex-husband for years but still has feelings for him and they still maintain a relationship. Sunny is a solid person. In her profession as a private investigator, she is reckless, observant, and calm. She is in her late thirties. She is very good with a gun.

EC: Jesse Stone, another character of Parkers’ is mentioned on the page but does not appear?

AG: Sunny dated him for a while when Mike Lupica was writing this series. But in the last book, Revenge Tour, he broke them up. I decided they probably did not have a lot of contact now. He is still writing the Jesse Stone books and he has Jesse involved with someone else so I cannot write an alternative reality.

EC: What was the role of Rosie?

AG: She is a great companion for Sunny. I love dogs so Rosie will be in a lot of the stories. In this book Rosie is the go between for Sunny and her client, Blake, who she is guarding. His attitude towards Rosie showed a side to Blake readers would not otherwise see, caring and vulnerable. He was deprived of owning a dog during his childhood.

EC: Blake, Athena, and Bethany represent what?

AG: They are involved with the influencing world, and I wanted to show how things are not as they appear to be on social media and Instagram. As the book progresses there is more of a filter that will change people’s perception of them.

EC: Why influencers?

AG: I find them fascinating because I see them as a con. Everything is filtered and photoshopped. They have created a character of who they hope to be, not who they are. The goal is to be aspirational, not real. There is an element of artificiality. I thought how Sunny as a single woman in her late thirties she would have a social media imprint. But she does not, and I wondered why. Although she does find it fascinating. I think she wonders if followers have a mind of their own and maybe thinks of influencers as the modern-day commercials/advertisements. The influencers are getting paid with a lot of free products. Commercials have lost their power because people fast-forward them, so influencers have taken their place. They have a whole different level of fame.

EC: Idea for the mystery?

AG: I saw a Netflix documentary on con artists. This inspired me for the book, the different layers to the characters. The essence of the book is that these people were someone who they did not appear to be.

EC: Where are you going with the Sunny/Ritchie relationship?

AG: I put it to the test by having him move to New Jersey, six hours away. It has been on again/off again. Will absence make the heart grow fonder or will she decide to be on her own and independent? She relied a lot on his family. I put more change on her.

EC: Next books?

AG: The next Sunny book should come out this time next year. There is no title. It might involve the Energy Drink king who goes missing and Sunny is hired by his father.

For my next book, the tentative title is We Are Watching, out next summer. A normal family is targeted by a cult like group of conspiracy theorists.

THANK YOU!!

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