#elisesthoughts – Page 21 – Avonna Loves Genres

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Maze by Nelson Demille

Book Description

#1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille returns with a blistering thriller featuring his most popular series character, former NYPD homicide detective John Corey, called out of retirement to investigate a string of grisly murders much too close to home.

In his dazzling #1 bestseller, Plum Island, Nelson DeMille introduced readers to NYPD Homicide Detective John Corey, who we first meet sitting on the back porch of his uncle’s waterfront estate on Long Island, convalescing from wounds incurred in the line of duty. A visit from the local Chief of Police results in the legendary Detective Corey becoming involved in the investigation of the murders of a married couple who were scientists at the top-secret biological research facility on Plum Island.

Fast forward through six more bestselling John Corey novels and The Maze opens with Corey on the same porch, but now in forced retirement from his last job as a Federal Agent with the Diplomatic Surveillance Group. Corey is restless and looking for action, so when his former lover, Detective Beth Penrose, appears with a job offer, Corey has to once again make some decisions about his career—and about reuniting with Beth Penrose.

Inspired by, and based on the actual and still unsolved Gilgo Beach murders, The Maze takes the reader on a dangerous hunt for an apparent serial killer who has murdered nine—and maybe more—prostitutes and hidden their bodies in the thick undergrowth on a lonely stretch of beach.

As Corey digs deeper into this case, which has made national news, he comes to suspect that the failure of the local police to solve this sensational case may not be a result of their inexperience and incompetence—it may be something else. Something more sinister.

The Maze features John Corey’s politically incorrect humor, matched by his brilliant and unorthodox investigative skills along with the surprising and shocking plot twists that are the trademark of the #1 New York Times bestselling author, Nelson DeMille.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Maze by Nelson DeMille brings back the wonderful hero John Corey. It’s been too long between DeMille books. But the good news is that this story is typical John Corey with plenty of action and non-political correctness. It also has John hooking up with Detective Beth Penrose both figuratively and literally as a partner. It was a pleasure interviewing Nelson DeMille.

Now once again, Corey is in Long Island, since his forced retirement from his last job as a Federal Agent with the Diplomatic Surveillance Group. Corey is restless and looking for action, so when his former girlfriend, Detective Beth Penrose, appears with a job offer, Corey decides to become a confidential informant for her, by investigating a private investigation firm, Security Solutions. They are suspicious that corruptness at the highest levels has been covering up the murders of nine prostitutes, a reporter, and a former police detective. With Beth’s help John goes undercover to unravel the maze of crimes from corruptness to bribery to murder.

As with all Nelson DeMille books readers get a fantastic murder plot filled with action. But they also get the bonus of great banter between the characters that is not politically correct. When not laughing at John’s jokes readers will be spell-bound with all the twists and turns.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Did you get any push back on writing John’s humor and statements?

Nelson DeMille: The Maze is my last John Corey book because of the politically correct crowd at the publishing house. There was some pushback on the John Corey character. They wanted me to make changes, which I would not make except for a few. Even though I moved publishers and had another editor who seems to be better with the John Corey character, there was still push back. I am not going to go through this again, a lot of nonsense. In fact, a book club of sixteen ladies, read the book and had no problem with John Corey. They are not easily offended. This is my audience and what they wanted to read.

EC: You always play on words?

ND: You are referring to these examples, Is Amy Lang a “receptionist in distress? Or a deceptionist out to entrap me?” And the other, “E and E meant escape and evasion, not encounter and engage.” The latter is from my Army days. Some guys in training tried to take down the guys who were after them. The former quote is having Amy as a wild card.

EC: Has Beth changed over the years since the first book, Plum Island, came out in 1997?

ND: Yes, Beth has changed. In the first book she was a goody-two-shoes, doing everything by the book. Now she is more like John, breaking and bending some rules. She, like John, wants to get at the truth and wants justice. Beth is pushing the envelope to get that, something she would not have done in Plum Island. She is more ruthless, goes rogue, and has lost faith in the system because the higher-ups are corrupt and somehow involved.

EC: Has John changed since Plum Island?

ND: Ninety percent of what I wrote about him is there. He is still a bullshit artist, a smart aleck, who likes to buck the system and authority. He does really follow rules and regulations. He has good instincts and is a danger junkie. He is not ready to go out to pasture. He seeks to become relevant again. If I ever wrote another John Corey, he would end up working for a private security firm to keep an American diplomat or businessperson in another country safe.

EC: What about the relationship between Beth and John?

ND: Emotionally they are lovers who are realizing they were made for each other. In many of my books, I enjoy superimposing a romance with the action. Maybe in my next life I will be a romance writer. Beth is more comfortable in her own skin in this book, more willing to stand up to John. I had her in a more powerful position than John, a Detective Sergeant, second in command at the Suffolk Homicide Police. The roles have reversed since the first book.

EC: The plot is based on the real Gilgo Beach murders?

ND: About ten bodies were dumped on the beach in Long Island., not far from the Hamptons. This happened eleven years ago. The grisly murders, all sex workers, believed to be the work of a serial killer or killers. It has captivated the public, stumped local police, and frustrated victims’ family members still waiting for an arrest. The Suffolk County Police have not even come up with a person of interest. They are stymied. It is a very active case with the Police Chief refusing to cooperate with the FBI. There have been a couple of documentaries about it. I fictionalized it and made it the Fire Island murders with a lot of the elements of the Gilgo Beach murders. I wanted to show how throughout America there is corruption at the highest level, and illuminate the society that it originated in. What I tried to do in the book is highlight how there is something wrong with the culture and society through the investigation of the murder.

EC: The real-life police chief is somehow involved?

ND: Then-Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke was busted for the 2012 assault of a handcuffed suspect who swiped a bag of sex toys and porn from Burke’s trunk. The sordid incident was covered up by then District Attorney, but the chief eventually went to jail. The murders have not been resolved, and there are questions if the DA and Burke are involved personally.

EC: What about your bad guy, Steve Landowski?

ND: He is a control freak, a liar, cunning, and arrogant. He volunteered to be working for the Vice-Squad while working as a cop. Steve is a rough guy who lives by his wit. He enjoys the power to corrupt the people around him. He sexually harassed women, which shows how he does not think much of women.

EC: The role of the Maze?

ND: It was a figurative way to explain the case with multilayers of interlocking crimes and suspects. I put in this book quote, “a maze of twists and turns…crimes that ranged from simple prostitution to the corruption of public officials and law enforcement people to murder.” I also physically had a maze of hedges for the final scene of a shoot-out. All Corey books have one. It reminded me of the scene in the movie “The Shining.” The maze can be a creepy place. I know because I have been in one.

EC: What about your next books?

ND: The next book, Blood Lines, I am writing with my son. It will be out October of next year. It has the same main characters as the first book, The Deserter. Two members of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) will be back: Scott Brodie, a former infantry soldier in Iraq, now a top CID investigator is teamed with Maggie Taylor a former Civil Affairs E-5 in Afghanistan, who is working for CID. While Brodie is wise-cracking, arrogant, and someone who has trouble following orders, Taylor is a by the books person who tries to rein in Brodie. The plot has the murder of a CID in Berlin. My third book in this contract might be my last book, October 2024, titled The Explorer’s Club. It is a combination of “Indiana Jones,” “James Bond,” and “Around the World In Eighty Days” where the hero is trying to find an American woman possibly kidnapped.

THANK YOU!!

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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: A Cowboy in Amish Country and The Amish Matchmaking Dilemma by Patricia Johns

Book Descriptions and Elise’s Thoughts

A Cowboy in Amish Country is a heartfelt story that explores the Amish and English values. Unlike most Amish books, this story had an Amish woman, Sue Schmidt, deciding to leave the Amish fold. She feels stifled by the culture and even though she is pregnant, to be a single mom, she does not want to give up the life she loves of herding and working on a ranch. Unfortunately for the English rancher, Wilder Westhouse, that has hired her, Sue’s family lives next door. This story is a great read where readers will take the journey with Sue.

The Amish Matchmaking Dilemma has a progressive Amish woman, Naomi Peachy wanting to share her culture with the English. But she needs the help of the bishop to agree and seeks the help of her childhood friend, Mose Klassen, who is now an Amish scholar. He is initially against any connection with the English, afraid that the Amish culture will be influenced. In addition, Naomi has become his speaking tutor to try to help him find a wife and overcome his stutter. Sparks fly between the two and they soon recognize each other’s worth.

Patricia Johns’ knows how to tug at reader’s hearts with her great characters and plotline. Both stories are uplifting, inspirational, and after reading them people will look forward to the next books.

Author Interview

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

Patricia Johns: I’m often asked where I get my ideas from, and honestly, I don’t really know! I walk around with story ideas rattling around in my head all the time. I normally start with a certain kind of story I’d like to write, and it builds from there. Sometimes it starts with a character I want to write about, and other times it’s as simple as wanting to write a marriage or convenience, or a Beauty and Beast sort of story. Whatever tickles my fancy at the time.

But with that said, for both books, the inspiration began with the characters.

For A Cowboy in Amish Country, I wanted to write the story of Sue Schmidt, Wollie Schmit’s scandalous little sister who no one forgot after she ran away. What happened to her? And what about her happily ever after? And that is how the story grew.

For The Amish Matchmaking Dilemma, Naomi Peachy is a character from the last book of another series (Redemption’s Amish Legacies, Love Inspired books), and I pitched the story to my editor who suggested that we use her story to start a new spinoff miniseries. This new miniseries is called Amish Country Matches, and it follows six Amish women who the community matchmaker is determined to find matches for.

EC: Why did you have one of the characters stutter?

PJ: I knew Naomi would need a man who’d match her strength. I decided upon Mose’s stutter because my son has a stutter, although not as debilitating as Mose’s. I see how hard my son works to overcome it, and the different strategies he comes up with for school presentations. So that got me to thinking about how much goes on inside of a man that he never says out loud, and how we women long to hear all of it. A story was born.

EC: How much is true about the Amish-including Ordnung?

PJ: I do a lot of research for my Amish stories. The Ordnung is a real collection of rules for a community. Each community has their own Ordnung, and it changes very slowly. Each Amish community is a little bit different. They might have slightly different clothing requirements, or different expectations when it comes to technology. Some communities have no issues with cell phones. Some don’t even have running water! Each community is unique, which is very useful for an author. I create fictional Amish communities that would be much like many real communities, but are still fictional, so I have some flexibility.

EC: Is it a rare case where someone does not return to the Amish-why did you do it?

PJ: In A Cowboy in Amish Country, my heroine ends up staying outside the Amish way of life and marrying her Englisher cowboy. I hope that doesn’t ruin anything for future readers! But if you know romance novels, then you know that Sue and Wilder would end up together. I decided to have Sue marry Wilder and live a life “on the fence,” so to speak, between two cultures, because I think that is something many of us do! I married a man born in Africa, and our relationship and our life is a unique blend of both cultures. As a lot of us grow up, we find our own paths, and the church, or the way of life our parents raised us doesn’t always fit in our adult years. I wanted to show that struggle for Sue. She was raised Amish and she loves the heritage her family gave her, but it doesn’t fit anymore. She loves riding herd and working with cattle. Her skills just don’t fit into the Amish expectations. But how does she make peace with that? How do you keep a family close when you’ve dashed their hopes for you? That was the complicated knot I wanted to work through in this novel.

EC: How would you describe Sue?

PJ: Sue is true to herself. I think that is the core of her. She knows what she wants, and what she’s good at, and she isn’t willing to lie to anyone, including herself. She was born and raised Amish, that will always be an integral part of her, but she doesn’t fit into the Amish life. Being an Amish wife would crush her spirit. She thinks she might be willing to live in those confines for the sake of her baby, but even then, she can’t pretend she’s anything but the complicated woman she is. I loved her honesty. She’s just so determined to live her life authentically that pretending to be anything she isn’t impossible. She’s pregnant, and she won’t apologize for that! She’s willing to accept her life as it comes and do the best she can.

EC: Could you identify with Sue?

PJ: Personally, I really identified with Sue, since I grew up in a conservative church that no longer fits me in my adult years, either. And yet, I love everything my parents gave me in my upbringing. I hope other readers connect with her, too, and see themselves in her.

EC: Do you think she was caught between two worlds: Amish and English-going home or having her freedoms?

PJ: Yes. Her Amish background offered her an “easy” solution. If she just cooperated and went home, she could be a stay-at-home mom for her little one. No worries about paying rent or figuring out a childcare solution. But that came with all the strings attached, and she doesn’t believe that the Amish way of life is the only way to live anymore. The big issue is that her Amish family won’t accept halfway. Sue has found a way to use her own skills as a ranch hand. It’s in no way shocking for Englishers. But for her Amish family; Pure scandal! If she goes home, she must be Amish, 100%. They believe women should stay in the home, cooking, cleaning, preserving food, sewing, and doing hand crafts, which she refuses. She’ll never be part of the family in the same way, either. Either way, she’s losing something very important to her.

EC: What about her “English life”?

PJ: Her “English” life is what fits her most comfortably. She loves working with cattle and riding herd. She loves using her skills and that feeling of freedom on horseback. She can’t have that in the Amish world—that’s men’s work. But with Englisher freedom comes a lot more complications. She’s going to be a single mother—and there is nothing easy about that! What’s best for her? What’s best for her baby? What’s even possible? She’s stuck.

EC: Why the comparison with Annie Oakley?

PJ: Annie Oakley was an adventurous woman who became a sharpshooter in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows in the 1800’s. She didn’t stick with women’s roles of her day, either. She used her skills and created this fabulous life for herself that defied all of society’s expectations. Sue is a lot like her.

EC: What is the theme?

PJ: For me, the theme was balancing your upbringing with your present self. Who did you used to be? Who were you raised to be? And who are you authentically now?

EC: Describe Wilder:

PJ: Wilder inherited the ranch along with his brother Conrad a few years earlier. For Wilder, this is a fresh start. He stopped drinking, and he’s proving to himself and everyone around him that he can be better than he was. But the land they inherited is smack in the middle of Amish country. Wilder is an outsider, but he sees something in the Amish life that really appeals to him. They’re stable, reliable, and steady people. That’s very attractive to a recovering alcoholic. He’s worked hard to be accepted by his neighbors, but if he follows his heart with Sue, they’ll block him out. He’ll have betrayed his Amish neighbors in a personal way, and what can a new rancher do without the help of neighbors? Wilder uses his work as therapy, so when he hires Sue to help him on the ranch, she’s being welcomed into the most personal part of his life. The ranch is everything to Wilder!

EC: Describe the relationship?

PJ: Wilder and Sue have an immediate connection. They’re both lost souls—they’re both trying to figure out who they are. For Wilder, he’s heard stories of Sue for years, and she’s like the stuff of local legend. When he meets her in the flesh, he’s a little bit in love with her already. For Sue, Wilder is strong, handsome, capable, and calm. He’s everything she needs right now, but she knows that she’s a liability for him. They can’t help how they feel about each other, but if they give in to their feelings and stay together, they both lose a lot!

EC: Role of Wollie, Sue’s brother?

PJ: Wollie is complicated character, because he represents everything most conservative in the Amish culture, but he’s also Sue’s brother. She feels no obligation to act in the “feminine” way her brother expects. They grew up together. They looked out for each other. But when Sue left, she left Wollie behind and he felt personally betrayed. And yet, they’re still siblings. They fight, argue, and truly love each other. He will always be passionately Amish. And Sue will always be his little sister, even if she won’t toe the line, he wants her to. Her brother is very protective of her, and in the end, Wollie is the one who helps Wilder to embrace some of the Amish culture and become more a part of their family.

EC: In The Amish Matchmaking Dilemma describe Mose:

PJ: Mose is a cautious man. He grew up with a debilitating stutter, and he found his outlet through writing. But talking? That’s the hard part. It’s held him back romantically. Women couldn’t see what was going on inside of him, and he couldn’t tell them very well, either. But Mose longs for love and marriage, and he decides to get the help of a matchmaker from another community. He thinks that careful planning can make up for lost time.

EC: Describe Naomi:

PJ: Naomi is energetic, free-spirited, happy, impulsive, a chatterbox. She’s fun-loving, and she truly enjoys connecting with people. That’s why she’s passionate about building bridges between the Amish and the Englishers. How can we help others if we keep them at arm’s length, she argues?

EC: Describe the relationship:

PJ: Naomi and Mose were friends as children. Naomi was the fun one, and Mose just cooperated. It was all Noami needed, really, and she dragged Mose along with her on her adventures. Mose was smitten from childhood onward. But he knows that she’s far too progressive for him, and she can talk right over him with no effort at all. He doesn’t think a relationship with Naomi would work, even if he could convince her that he was worth her heart.

EC: Amish versus English?

PJ: In this book, Naomi is eager to welcome Englishers into their midst so that the Amish can share the beauty of their culture and their faith. How can you be a witness to people when you won’t have a real, honest, personal relationship with them? But the Amish only stay unique and different if they keep outside influences away, and that’s the problem. If they keep to themselves, there is safety and uniformity. If they open their doors and tear down the fences, how can they maintain their unique lifestyle? How can they protect their children from outside influences? But we Englishers wish we could get an inside view of their world. We long to belong with them, don’t we? It’s why we read books with Amish characters and delve into the Amish world through fiction.

EC: Next book?

PJ: My next book that’s coming out in March 2023 is called Her Amish Country Valentine. This is the first book in a brand-new miniseries called The Butternut Amish B&B. This miniseries is about an Amish bed-and-breakfast owner and Amish matchmaker named Belinda Wickey who connects with her Englisher guests as they stay with her and get a view into her Amish world. Belinda is unique in that she pulls her guests right into the middle of her life and gives them a truly inside view into her Amish community. The first book has a workaholic marketing whiz who is staying with her Amish great-aunt Belinda for her sister’s Valentine’s Day wedding. When she lies to her sister and says that she has a date to the wedding, the carpenter working on her aunt’s kitchen cabinets volunteers to be her date as long as it isn’t a lie! He needs them to spend some time together before the big day.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Suspect by Scott Turow

Book Description

For as long as Lucia Gomez has been the police chief in the city of Highland Isle, near Kindle County, she has known that any woman in law enforcement must walk a precarious line between authority and camaraderie to gain respect. She has maintained a spotless reputation—until now. Three male police officers have accused her of soliciting sex in exchange for promotions to higher ranks. With few people left who she can trust, Chief Gomez turns to an old friend, Rik Dudek, to act as her attorney in the federal grand jury investigation, insisting to Rik that the accusations against her are part of an ugly smear campaign designed to destroy her career and empower her enemies—both outside the police force and within..

Clarice “Pinky” Granum spent most of her youth experimenting with an impressive array of drugs and failing out of various professions, including the police academy. Pinky knows that in the eyes of most people, she’s nothing but a screwup—but she doesn’t trust most people’s opinions anyway. Moreover, she finally has a respectable-enough job as a licensed P.I. working for Rik on his roster of mostly minor cases, like workman’s comp, DUIs and bar fights. Rik’s shabby office and even shabbier cases are a far cry from the kinds of high-profile criminal matters Pinky became familiar with in the law office of her grandfather, Sandy Stern. But Rik and Pinky feel that Chief Gomez’s case, which has attracted national attention, is their chance to break into the legal big leagues.

Guided by her gut instinct and razor-sharp investigative skills, Pinky dives headfirst into a twisted scandal that will draw her into the deepest recesses of the city’s criminal networks, as well as the human mind. But she will need every scrap of tenacity and courage to unravel the dark secrets those closest to her are determined to keep hidden.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Suspect by best-selling author Scott Turow turns the victim-harasser relationship on its head. This legal thriller exposes the vulnerability of the legal system where someone with an agenda can use it to their advantage.

The story has Lucy Gomez, the police chief of Highland Isle being accused by three male officers of soliciting sex in exchange for promotions. Unfortunately, it seems that any woman in law enforcement must gain respect by walking a fine line between camaraderie and respect. Now accused, she hires Rik Dudek as her defense attorney in the federal grand jury investigation. She insists that the accusations against her are part of an ugly smear campaign to destroy her career and reputation. Working alongside Rik is Clarice “Pinky” Granum, a licensed PI. Both she and Rik must sort through all the lies, secrets, and claims to find what is true and what is not.

This legal thriller has intense courtroom scenes and shows the process of how an investigation is conducted. Although more of a plot driven story than a character driven story readers will turn the pages to find the outcome.

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Author Interview

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

Scott Turow: Pinky was a character in the last novel and jumped off the page there. Years ago, when I was a prosecutor, I conducted two police investigations of a police beating. After I left the US Attorney’s office I was hired as a Special Prosecutor to investigate a suburban police department of Chicago where officers were stealing recovered evidence. I have seen how the disciplinary hearings work and used my experience to write scenes.

EC: Why did you make the police chief accused of sexual harassment a female?

ST: I can remember a whippet little thrill when I thought of it. It seemed to me it would turn a lot of things on their head. I thought it was provocative and interesting. The law does not look different when the gender roles are reversed. Pinky says that she does not understand how a female chief can force guys six inches taller than her. The defense attorney and Pinky’s boss replies there would be no question if the sides were reversed. There is still an imbalance of power.

EC: To me, it does not matter the size of someone but their position of power in a company?

ST: She was the Chief who made overtures. It was not right. At no point does anyone tell her it was a good idea. The Chief does not think it was especially wrong. I do not think people would be as quick to accept that if she was a he. There is hypocrisy because she was supposed to think about it. She should not walk away from it. It was wrong. People will see what they are inclined to see. There is no universe on what she did is not a crime.

EC: How would you describe “The Ritz?”

ST: I have never written anyone like him before who is bad to the bone. He is Nietzshe-like. He is such an inscrutable human being. His gratification comes from proving he is the smartest guy in the room. He has feelings for his ex-wife but has no moral compass and enjoys the power over everybody. This is another demonstration of how smart he is. Lucy found a way to exert power over him, which really angers him.

EC: How would you describe the Chief, Lucy?

ST: She thought of herself as one of the guys, on an equal footing. As a female officer she had to put up with all the jokes and had to be thin-skinned. She is smart, defiant, kind, and a liar. I admire her but she is a mixed character. A reformer of a corrupt department who at times plays the system. People in the city of Chicago come into office and then get worn down by the corruption. This is Lucy. Her instincts after twelve years are less defined than they once were.

EC: How would you describe Pinky and will you write a series?

ST: I have no commitment to write another Pinky novel. She is brass, instinctive, never follows the rules, has her own internal sense of right and wrong. She believes that the ends justify the means. Pinky is coming to terms with the fact that she is different than anyone else, including not looking for a partner. The pandemic was a great time for her because she does not like to deal with people. She is successful at her job.

EC: What was the relationship between the Chief and Pinky?

ST: Pinky hero-worshipped her and wanted her approval. She wanted the Chief to be of a certain ideal and she was not. Pinky is shocked that the Chief cares what Pinky thinks of her, but she is very honest with her.

EC: How about Rik?

ST: He is the most uncompromised character of the book. He is a good lawyer and dedicated to his client. He does not sell himself out. He is a good boss. As a younger person he fell on hard times. He is a good guy. He knows that clients have done wrong, do not tell the truth, and are trying to hide it. They undermine their lawyers with their process.

EC: Chapter titles as sentences of first paragraph?

ST: This is the first book in which I did it. If you go through my books readers will not find it. It felt right here, to move the reader from where they were in the last chapter to where they are going in this chapter.

EC: Any movies/TV shows on the horizon?

ST: David Kelley who has optioned the book before this, for TV, sees it as a series. Suspect was also optioned by him. Apple TV Plus is remaking Presumed Innocent, in which David Kelley is involved with J.J. Abrams. This is green lighted and is in production now. They were very faithful to who my characters were. Even though I was the architect of that universe, Kelley had the characters doing things I never expected. The writer is always the last to know. There will be changes. It will be eight episodes and the shooting starts in January. I would guess that it will go on the air in 2023.

EC: How about your next book?

ST: I am working on it. It will be out probably two years from now. I want to get further down the road before I talk about it. This is my own little playground and I do not want to allow anyone else in until it is more fixed.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Please Join Us by Catherine McKenzie

Elise’s Thoughts and Book Description

Please Join Us by Catherine McKenzie delves into secret organizations, hidden agendas, and how someone can take back control over their life.

At thirty-nine, Nicole Mueller’s life is on the rocks. Her once brilliant law career is falling apart. She and her husband, Dan, are soon to be forced out of the apartment they love. After a warning from her firm’s senior partners, she receives an invitation from an exclusive women’s networking group, Panthera Leo. Membership is anonymous, but every member is a successful professional. It sounds like the perfect solution to help Nicole revive her career. So, despite Dan’s concerns that the group might be a cult, Nicole signs up for their retreat in Colorado.

Once there, she meets the other women who will make up her Pride. A CEO, an actress, a finance whiz, a congresswoman: Nicole can’t believe her luck. The founders of Panthera Leo are equally as impressive. They explain the group’s core philosophy: they’re a girl’s club in a boy’s club world.

Nicole is all in. And when she gets home, she soon sees dividends. Her new network quickly provides her with clients that help her relaunch her career, and a great new apartment too. The favors she must provide in return seem benign. But then she’s called to the congresswoman’s apartment late at night where she’s pressed into helping her cover up a crime. And suddenly, Dan’s concerns that something more sinister is at play seem all too relevant. Nicole questions if joining Panthera Leo was the biggest mistake of her life and wonders how to extricate herself from the group.

Readers will be reminded of the problems women face at work, the Me-Too movement, networking, marriage, blending private and public lives, which are all part of this thriller.

***

Author Interview

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

Catherine McKenzie: I received an email many years ago inviting me to a women’s networking group with different professions. I was told I was recommended by someone although they would not tell me who. I thought if I decided to do it everything would then be made clear to me. However, I did not keep that email. I did not go partly because my husband said it was crazy. Some of the professions are intricate to the plot.

EC: What is the theme?

CM: Feminism is a theme. There is still a long way to go with the old boys’ network. It is underground, but still there. They are less overt now. I put in this quote, “If you need anything you come to this group. To your Pride… women don’t need to fight for their dominance; they join willingly to achieve the best result for all.” This is the mantra of the book. There is a stereotype that women are competitive with each other. This is because usually there is only one woman around the board table. If another woman comes in, they are perceived as a rival. I do think men pit women against each other. Everyone is socialized to be super critical and observant of women’s behavior. I do not think women are cattier or more aggressive around other women.

EC: How would you describe Nicole?

CM: A hard worker who is super smart. Mono-focused. She has put everything into her career without many friends. She wanted to be the best for her job. After her dreams were not realized she felt very vulnerable. She can be self-centered and insensitive at times. She does like her comforts.

EC: How would you describe the husband, Dan?

CM: He goes along to get along. He is a good person. Dan is OK with being second fiddle in their relationship and allows Nicole to take control and make decisions. He was the direct opposite of Nicole. Very easy going and laid back, charming, cautious, and kind. What I did in this book and other novels is to put women in the roles occupied by men and vice-versa.

EC: What about the LEO organization?

CM: It has CULT vibes. The women in charge of it use some of the techniques of a cult to control the others. They become all the people in Nicole’s life and discourage her to go outside the group. They do the providing. They are manipulative, dominant, demand loyalty, and obedience.

EC: You were brave for bringing up Covid-19 in this story?

CM: I struggled with it. I wrote it in 2020 but knew it was coming out in 2022. I thought about my different options: do I pretend it never existed, or do I consider it over. I thought that I was not going to skip over it entirely. I did want it to exist.

EC: Any movies or TV shows on the horizon?

CM: This book has been optioned for a TV series. My book, I Never Tell was also optioned. Nothing has been announced yet.

EC: The next book?

CM: It is titled, Have You Seen Her, about a search and rescue worker in Yosemite. It will be out in June next year.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Amish Newcomer, Amish Baby Lessons, and Her Path to Redemption by Patrice Lewis

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Book Description for The Amish Newcomer

Can an Englisch city girl ever become one of the Plain People?

She needed a safe place to hide.
Instead she found a place to call home…

Television journalist Leah Porte never imagined her career would end with her witnessing a murder. Now she’s temporarily living among the Amish in witness protection. Instead of feeling alone and adrift, Leah is warmly welcomed by the close-knit community–and Amish bachelor Isaac Sommer. But caught between two very different worlds, choosing love would mean leaving her Englisch life behind forever.

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Book Description for Amish Baby Lessons

They need her. But will she risk her heart?

She’s the perfect Amish nanny…until she falls for her bachelor employer.

Tall, plain and awkward, Amish maed Jane Troyer has always been “useful.” Now she’s the temporary nanny for overwhelmed Amish bachelor Levy Struder and his baby niece. But Jane’s finding it hard to resist falling for the sweet boppli and the handsome, hardworking Levy. Can this spirited Plain Jane win a bachelor’s heart…and make their temporary arrangement permanent?

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Book Description for Her Path to Redemption

Can she find forgiveness…

and a second chance?

Returning to the Amish community she left during her rumspringa, widowed mother Eliza Struder’s determined to repair her reputation. But one woman stands between her and acceptance into the church—the mother of the man she left behind. Which means Eliza must stay away from Josiah Lapp. But they’re still drawn to each other. Is it too late for the future that once filled both their dreams?

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Elise’s Thoughts

Patrice Lewis latest has three novels centering around the Amish. Each of the last three years she has written stories that allow readers to see the conflicts involving the hero and heroine. A bonus is that people begin to understand the differences between the Amish and English worlds.

The Amish Newcomer has a TV journalist, Leah Porte, witnessing a gang murder. Put into witness protection for her own safety, she is sent to live with an Amish Family. This story centers on country life versus city life as well as living independently versus relying on family and community. Leah also grapples with her feelings for Isaac Sommer who had lived among the English until he decided to return to his Amish roots and become baptized. Would their living in a different world, with different cultures, be too much for a relationship to flourish?

Amish Baby Lessons is an ugly duckling type of story. Jane Troyer sees herself as a “plain Jane” who is awkward, although useful. Deciding to have a change of atmosphere she goes to live with her aunt and uncle in a new state. After meeting Levy Struder and his infant niece Mercy, who he is caring for, Jane decides to accept his job offer of being a nanny. Caring for Mercy brings Levy and Jane together, both realizing that they have feelings for each other. Will they overcome their own insecurities to realize how much they care for each other?

Her Path to Redemption has Eliza Struder, Levy’s sister, coming back to the Amish community. She left during her rumspringa and had a baby, Mercy, out of wedlock with an English man whom she married. After he died, she gratefully accepted the charity of a Pastor and his wife, returning home. She quickly realizes that she still has feelings for Josiah Lapp, the man she left behind. Each are drawn to each other, but must overcome some obstacles including Josiah’s mother, if the bishop is willing to baptize Eliza, and will the community accept and forgive her.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Were these books a series?

Patrice Lewis: The first one, The Amish Newcomer, was a stand-alone book but the other two books, Amish Baby Lesson, and Her Path to Redemption, are related.

EC: Why witness protection in the first book, The Amish Newcomer?

PL: I was trying to figure out how an English woman would be a part of an Amish community, including her having to dress the part. The only thing I could come up with is witness protection. The Amish have been known to take people in for witness protection. How would the character settle in with no background about the Amish? Leah had to be taught by the family how do work without electricity, appliances, a learning curve. There is a lot of me in this book.

EC: How so?

PL: I wondered if I could do what Leah did. I also wondered if I could ever become Amish since I do not like modern electronics. A quote in this book, “In the world, but not of the world.” I did have the Isaac hero character publishing a magazine on a computer powered by solar panels. I would belong to a more modern branch order that is not so resistant to technology. People who like to withdraw from the modern world must conform to an extent to make a living, but they are selective.

EC: How would you describe Leah?

PL: A duck out of water because she never lived in a rural area. She was completely urban. The Amish work as a community, while Leah is used to being independent. She had to learn that labor, working with her hands, is not something to avoid. Labor with the Amish is a form of barter. She had to learn that domestic chores are not oppressive. Previously she was strong, competent, and career minded. Leah was part of the feminist culture who competed in a man’s world. She can be sarcastic, feisty, and blunt.

EC: How would you describe Isaac?

PL: He had a lot of baggage. He came back to the Amish and became baptized. He still has a lot of “English” about him. He is determined and confident, but feels he has a lot to prove.

EC: What about the relationship between Leah and Isaac?

PL: He was more interested in her. There is a massive barrier because he was Amish, and she was not. This stopped him from getting involved with her.

EC: In Amish Baby Lessons what gave you the idea?

PL: Originally, I had the idea of a plain Jane, an ugly duckling.

EC: How would you describe Jane?

PL: Originally, I had her very plain, sarcastic, and bitter. Her mom told her to travel to her aunt and uncle for a change of environment. I decided to tone her bitterness down because she was not a very likeable character. Hired as a nanny, working with an infant, the more her true spirit comes out: she cannot be beautiful, but can be useful. Jane was based on a librarian I knew years ago who was adored. Even though she was not pretty, everyone loved her. Looks are not everything.

EC: What about the relationship with Jane and Levy?

PL: He adores her. He feels Jane’s inside is pure gold. He must get over his guilt because he thinks he chased his sister Eliza away when raising her after their parents died. Jane respects him for trying to raise Eliza’s daughter. Jane drew out the best in him and realizes he is a good man.

EC: What is the role of the baby Mercy?

PL: She represents hope. She gives Levy a do-over chance. She brings Jane and Levy together. Backstory on the book cover. It shows a four-month-old but when the book begins Mercy is a newborn infant. They did alter the text on the back cover description.

EC: How about Eliza who is in this book and the main character in the next book, The Path to Redemption?

PL: Caring, has an unsettled life, rebellious, but has changed. Because of her turnaround she still has a fire in her but has become subdued. In the last book Eliza marvels how Levy has changed. She was at rock bottom and was given money to return home. She was determined to pay this debt back.

EC: In the last book, Her Path To Redemption, how would you describe Josiah?

PL: He was bitter toward the English world because it lured Eliza away. His mother was resentful of Eliza.

EC: The role of the dolls?

PL: I was surprised to learn that the Amish share medical costs, if necessary, but everyone is responsible to make their own living. The dolls grew into a business for Eliza where she could become financially independent.

EC: Next books?

PL: The Mysterious Amish Nanny is out in January. The heroine was originally raised Amish but after her parents were killed, she had to enter foster care in the English world. She had been a banker until everything comes crashing down. She takes this cross-county trip, and her car breaks down next to an Amish community. Another book is a story of three siblings, a three-book series, which will probably not come out until April of next year.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Girl, Forgotten for by Karin Slaughter

Book Description

A small town hides a big secret…

Who killed Emily Vaughn?

Prom Night. Longbill Beach, 1982. Emily Vaughn dresses carefully for what’s supposed to be the highlight of any high school career. But Emily has a secret. And by the end of the night, because of that secret, she will be dead.

Nearly forty years later, Andrea Oliver, newly qualified as a US Marshal, receives her first assignment: to go to Longbill Beach to protect a judge receiving death threats. But Andrea’s real focus isn’t the judge – it’s Emily Vaughn. Ever since she first heard Emily’s name a year ago, she’s been haunted by her brutal death. Nobody was ever convicted – her friends closed ranks, her family shut themselves off in their grief, the town moved on – so the killer is still out there. But now Andrea has a chance to find out what really happened…

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Elise’s Thoughts

Girl, Forgotten by Karin Slaughter is a follow-up to her 2018 thriller Pieces of Her. Earlier this year, Netflix produced a Pieces of Her mini-series. This book will take readers back to their high school days with a reminder of how cliquey a group of students can be. Par for the course, Slaughter has a riveting murder mystery and fascinating characters.

The plot starts out with Andrea Oliver graduating as a US Marshal. Her first assignment is to protect a judge receiving death threats, but she is also asked to secretly investigate the cold case murder of the judge’s daughter, Emily Vaughn, who died forty years ago. There are dual timelines of Emily’s past and Andrea’s present perspectives broken up by witness statements given in the original investigation. These captivating flashbacks follow Emily in the period leading up to her death as she engages in a Columbo-inspired investigation of her own.

What Slaughter does best is draw readers into the event as they sympathize with the victim. In this case, Emily had dreams and was going places after high school. But it all came to a drastic halt after she was ostracized because of what happened to her. She was also murdered because of that event and Andrea is determined to bring her justice especially since the small town moved on with Emily’s friends closing ranks, her family ignoring their grief, and no one was ever convicted.

This plot is a page-turner with many twists. As always, the pacing makes the intensity of the story ratchet up.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: What did you think of the Netflix series, Pieces of Her, based on your book?

Karin Slaughter: It is clearly different than the book. I just thought that the book is the book, and the show is the show. It was really a lot of fun to watch. We will see if they make more episodes.

EC: Is this book a continuation of your first book?

KS: They will market it when the book comes out with a sticker on the book referring to Pieces of Her. This started with a question about Andrea. In the previous book she wonders about her mom and herself. In this book she is trying to figure out how to be unlike her father, to be a good person. It is really important that she has Leonard Bible, a senior US Marshal, mentoring her. He shows her how to do things the right way.

EC: Why a US Marshal?

KS: I found writing about the US Marshals and Andy interesting. I talked with a ton of Marshals. It was fascinating to see all the cool duties they have. I wanted her to have this profession as a way to rebel against her mother, Laura. She was in witness protection and feels Andrea joined the enemy. I find it fascinating how people have one kind of life and then must have a new life. Usually someone made a deal to testify. Many times, they still must go to prison, which is what happened to Laura. I wanted to show how Andy grows up and becomes her own person. If I decide to write it as a series, having Andy as a Marshal gives me an opportunity to write about a lot of different crimes. They hunt down and keep track of pedophiles, chase after fugitives, and are responsible for security.

EC: How would you describe the relationship between Laura and Andrea?

KS: In the beginning it is a little broken. But then I think Laura does what good parents do. She accepts that Andrea will make her own choices even if she does not agree. By the end of the book, she comes around to that way of thinking. Andrea learns she can disappoint her mother and that is OK. There has been a transition from the first book to this book between the mother-daughter relationship.

EC: Do you think Andrea grew up in this book?

KS: Andrea had a lot of growing up to do. I wanted her to go through that evolution to find her strength. She blew everything up to find herself just as her mother did. There is a line by Laura, “wherever you go, there you are.” Maybe the world is not the problem, but she is the problem. She ends up as someone who is independent and a survivor.

EC: What about Judge Esther?

KS: She would tell you she is a good person who did some bad things. She only supports a certain type of woman, who must be just like her. She only gives a hand to people she approves of. She had her and her daughter Emily’s life all planned out. But after the incident, Esther only wanted Emily to disappear.

EC: Is Wexler evil?

KS: Calling him evil lets him off the hook. He is an opportunist. He tries to make his life as easy as he can that is directed toward his pleasure. Clearly a cult leader. He seems more nuanced. Like Jim Jones, Manson, and Koresh, those men in charge of a cult do it just to have sex with young girls. He is a bad guy where a lot of his actions comes from a deep hatred of women. He is a psychopath and a narcissist.

EC: Did Emily get cancelled?

KS: Everyone talks about getting canceled as if it came after the Internet. But those in high school know of someone that got canceled. Yes, because of what happened to her it put her on the outside of a group. All people wanted to do was punish her and considered her a pariah.

EC: Why did you mention dementia-like actions in the book?

KS: Esther’s husband, Franklin, did have a massive stroke. Esther kept him alive because she was under his thumb for most of her adult life and a lot of it was her wanting vengeance. There is also the fact that once she was caught in this horrible relationship she does not know how to live outside of this relationship.

EC: Why did you choose the music in the book?

KS: I grew up as a teenager in the late 1980s. I really enjoyed putting these songs in the book. I really love the Go-Gos. I thought how amazing they were considering they were the first all-female group to get to number one, playing their own music. These are all songs I liked. I am a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll.

EC: Do you have any other books or characters that are going to be made into a movie or TV series?

KS: Yes. Will Trent is picked up by ABC and will be made into a TV series. It might come out in January, thirteen episodes. After watching the pilot, it captures the spirit of my books, gripping with lots of twists and turns. Will is played by Ramon Rodriguez. The earlier books did not have Sara, so they are figuring out when to introduce her.

EC: Next book?

KS: In the summer of next year will be a Will and Sara book.

THANK YOU!!

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