#elisesthoughts – Page 21 – Avonna Loves Genres

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Point Last Seen by Christina Dodd

Book Description

LIFE LAST SEEN

When you’ve already died, there should be nothing left to fear… When Adam Ramsdell pulls Elle’s half-frozen body from the surf on a lonely California beach, she has no memory of what her full name is and how she got those bruises ringing her throat.

GIRL LAST SEEN

Elle finds refuge in Adam’s home on the edge of Gothic, a remote village located between the steep lonely mountains and the raging Pacific Ocean. As flashes of her memory return, Elle faces a terrible truth—buried in her mind lurks a secret so dark it could get her killed.

POINT LAST SEEN

Everyone in Gothic seems to hide a dark past. Even Adam knows more than he will admit. Until Elle can unravel the truth, she doesn’t know who to trust, when to run and who else might be hurt when the killer who stalks her nightmares appears to finish what he started…

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Point Last Seen by Christina Dodd blends mystery, action, with a tinge of romance. With her descriptive words she takes readers to the setting of Gothic, off the Big Sur coast. This first in a new series has well developed characters and an intense plot where the setting plays a major role since everyone there has a dark past.

Readers meet Adam Ramsdell, a town recluse by his own choosing. He likes to keep to himself until one of the town’s residents needs help. One of the occupants, Madam Rune, a fortune teller, alerts him that he will find “a lost soul coming to challenge his being.” While at the ocean he finds a body wrapped in plastic. As he carries her over his shoulder Elle starts breathing. Realizing she is not dead he takes her to his place for refuge since she is badly bruised, and it appears she was strangled. Unfortunately, she cannot remember any details of what happened to her. In the meantime, she grows close to Adam and makes friends with other townspeople forcing Adam to come out of his shell. As her memory slowly comes back with the help of Adam and Madam Rune, they all realize how much danger Elle is in.

Fans of Dodd will not be disappointed. She combines into the story twists, emotions, and an edginess that will keep readers turning the pages.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Will this be a series?

Christina Dodd: This is the first book set in Gothic. The setting will be the series, not the characters.

EC: The idea for the story?

CD: I was writing a book set on a cruise line and then Covid hit. Because they were shut down, I realized I was in deep trouble. Then I had an idea about a woman rolling up on the beach unconscious. After she awakes, she cannot remember where she is from. I think this idea came to me because I was working with the ocean and the cruise lines. It was written while I was in Covid isolation.

EC: What was the role of the Gothic setting?

CD: It was a character. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay area and was captivated the first time I went up to Big Sur. This spring my husband and I drove up the coast. I thought how Big Sur seems to be immune to civilization because I wanted a place where people could disappear, and lost souls could come there.

EC: What role did the ocean play?

CD: It creates everything and is very dominant, controlling all the weather. It is so primal and creates atmosphere for the story. One of my earliest memories is standing on a beach and my great aunt said, ‘don’t ever turn your back on the ocean.’ It can be scary and glorious. There are storms, frothy and frosty waves crashing against the rocky cliffs, with different colors, and the great sea breeze. The ocean plays with fate since it brought Adam and Elle together.

EC: How would you describe Elle?

CD: Brilliant but trusted the wrong person. Briefly traumatized. A strong sense of self. She can be resilient, smug, and witty.

EC: How would you describe Adam?

CD: A loner, tragically wounded. I think this is Adam’s story. He has good instincts, very cautious and alert. Protective, stoic, and compassionate. He is grieving and feels guilty.

EC: What about the relationship?

CD: She is Adam’s salvation. Elle makes him interact with people. He ends up terribly invested in her. In the beginning, she is more open to having a relationship than him. He is afraid anyone he cares about will die.

EC: What about the bad guy Penderghast?

CD: He is a bully who enjoys seizing power. His scientific vessel that he financed was a great thing to do. But his personality of being arrogant, cruel, and self-centered overshadows that.

EC: Next book?

CD: It is set in Gothic and titled Forget What You Know, coming out in March of next year. The plot has a car pulled out of a lake with a dead body shot in the head and a precious statue in the back seat. The heroine is a flower breeder, the heir to this statue.

THANK YOU!!

***

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

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Lethal Game by John Gilstrap

Book Description

Hostage rescue expert Jonathan Grave and his fellow special-ops veteran, Boxers, are hunting in Montana when shots ring out, and they realize they’ve become the prey for assassins. In the crosshairs of unseen shooters, cut off from all communication, with the wind at a blood-freezing chill, the nightmare is just beginning. Because Jonathan and Boxers aren’t the only ones under fire.

Back in Fisherman’s Cove, Virginia, Jonathan’s Security Solutions team is fighting for their lives too. A vicious onslaught is clearing the way for a much bigger game by eliminating anyone in the way. If Jonathan and Boxers can make it out of the wilderness alive, the real war will begin.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Lethal Game by John Gilstrap will remind readers of another thriller writer. Gilstrap has a lot in common with Vince Flynn besides a fantastic, formidable character named Irene. They both have great suspenseful plots with plenty of action, emotion, and gun fights, as well as very well-developed characters who make up the team. This is Part I and Part II will delve into the books that introduced the characters.

This plot turns the usual story on its head with the hunters becoming the hunted and the team needing to rescue themselves. The crew of Gail Bonneville, Venice Alexander, Jonathan Grave, Brian Van Muelebroecke (Boxers), and Irene Rivers, must find out who is sending assassins. Usually, the team of covert hostage rescuers finds the kidnapped victim with the bad guys having their demise. But in this case Jonathan and Boxers, while hunting in Montana, are the targets. That attack is coordinated with attacks home in Fisherman’s Cove, Virginia where Gail and Venice are also fired upon. The enemy is unknown but it’s clear they want revenge and will go to great lengths to destroy everyone on the team. The four, while investigating, know they must transition from defense to offense and take the fight right to the enemy. Readers are able to get into the minds of the characters, feeling as if they are being spoken to themselves.

In this series, readers should not expect innocents to escape the violence. Elderly characters and children are put in harm’s way and do not escape with their lives. The bad guys are cartel members and just as in real life Gilstrap shows the intensity of violence where they have feelings of anger, disgust, and contempt.

This plot is fast-paced, engrossing, and intriguing. If this book is someone’s first introduction into the series, they will realize what they have been missing and want to read the earlier novels. It is written as a stand-alone so no one will have any trouble keeping up.

***

Author Interview

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

John Gilstrap: This is the 14^th book in the series with the same characters, and it will not end anytime soon. The idea for the series came from a non-fiction book I wrote, Six Minutes to Freedom back in 2006. I had extraordinary access and did a lot of research about the Special Forces Delta Force group. I then decided to write a fictional book with a group that does the hostage rescue domestically. I stay in the Western Hemisphere for the team, with the cartels as the bad guys.

EC: Can you tell us a little something about the non-fiction book?

JG: Kurt Muse in the late 1980s did a clandestine radio campaign urging the people of Panama to rise for freedom. He was subsequently arrested, imprisoned, and rescued by the elite Delta Force. After the US invaded Panama, they rescued him from the prison where Manuel Noriega held him as a political prisoner.

EC: Did your professional experience help you to write the series?

JG: For fifteen years I was a firefighter and EMT. We had a very good sense of camaraderie and mission. We wanted to make sure the mission was accomplished quickly, efficiently, safely, with as many lives saved. This focus was built into me, which I gave my characters. I want to show in the books how violence is real and happens with blistering speed that has devastating consequences, which is why there are civilian collateral damage.

EC: Are you a hunter considering there are details about hunting?

JG: I am recently a hunter, having moved to West Virginia. I hunt deers and hogs. The look and feel for hunting is from personal experience.

EC: How did you get the idea for this story?

JQ: It occurred to me on a hunting trip. I was in a shed waiting for a hog to come by. I sat for a long time and just was thinking. I realized how vulnerable I was if someone wanted to hunt me while I was hunting an animal. This was the beginning of the plot where someone was hunting for Jonathan and the team, with the rest of the book solving the question, who and why were they hunting the group? In the previous book, Stealth Attack, I opened the door for why they were being hunted.

EC: How would you describe the team?

JG: Gail is the adult in the room. Boxer is the violent one. Jonathan is the thinker. Venice is the computer hacker with many skills. They share a very strong ethical and moral standard that centers around justice. Good and bad for them is not defined as legal and illegal. They have a passion for the mission. They are all gutsy, loyal, intelligent, feisty, adrenaline junkies, and risk-takers.

EC: You have a quote in the book which explains their thinking and mission. Please explain.

JG: You are referring to this one, “While Feebs and local Swat teams were consumed by cumbersome procedures designed to cover their asses and rights of the bad guys, Jonathan and his team did what had to be done and left with the hostages that they rescued.” I have many good friends that are on hostage rescue teams and Swat teams. In the US when someone is kidnapped their primary mission is not to rescue the hostage. Their mission is to make sure the bad guy does not legally get away. But of course, they want the hostages rescued. The regulations require that warrants are issued before they can crash a door or listen in. If they violate those rights, then the case gets thrown out in court. Jonathan and his team does not have that burden. I also put this quote in the book, which was told to me by a friend, “A hostage situation is a homicide in slow motion.”

EC: How would you describe Irene?

JG: When the team utilizes FBI Director Irene Rivers it must be off the record. They operate in the place of justice, not in the place of legality. Her name came from my mothers-in-law first name. She was first introduced in 1998 in my second book, At All Costs. She is a single mom and used to be a badass field agent. In the story, Soft Targets is where Jonathan meets Irene after her children were kidnapped. She is much more politically aware and savvy than the rest of the team.

EC: In your book world there are no term limits for the US President?

JG: President Tony Darmond is very corrupt without any moral standing. He has been President for fifteen years because I do not advance time. Irene must work behind the scenes to make sure nothing goes back to Darmond. Her and Jonathan’s team realize politicians do not want to solve problems. I think these books are very timely because of Fentanyl coming across the border plus how the Cartels are involved with the human trafficking trade.

EC: Why compare the team to Batman?

JG: My son who is now 36 has always been fascinated with everything Batman. I brought Batman in because it is an Easter Egg for me and the family. Every book has a reference to Batman. The team and Batman are similar in that they are the strangers who sets things straight, wants justice, and works outside the lines.

EC: Your next books?

JG: My next book is not a Grave book. It is titled White Smoke, the third book of a trilogy coming out next March. It features Victoria Emerson, a former Congresswoman. She is the leader of a society after a nuclear holocaust that is trying to put the world back together.

The book I am writing now, the next Grave book, will probably take place in Venezuela but will also bring in some Russian activity. It is called Harm’s Way where missionaries are kidnapped. It comes out in June of next year.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Hidden One by Linda Castillo

Book Description

The discovery of an Amish bishop’s remains leads chief of police Kate Burkholder to unearth a chilling secret in The Hidden One, a new thriller from bestselling author Linda Castillo.

Over a decade ago, beloved Amish bishop Ananias Stoltzfus disappeared without a trace. When skeletal remains showing evidence of foul play are unearthed, his disappearance becomes even more sinister.

The town’s elders arrive in Painters Mill to ask chief of police Kate Burkholder for help, but she quickly realizes she has a personal connection to the crime. The handsome Amish man who stands accused of the murder, Jonas Bowman, was Kate’s first love. Forced to confront a painful episode from her past, Kate travels to Pennsylvania’s Kishacoquillas Valley, where the Amish culture differs dramatically from the traditions she knows. Though Bishop Stoltzfus was highly respected, she soon hears about a dark side to this complex man. What was he hiding that resulted in his own brutal death?

Someone doesn’t want Kate asking questions. But even after being accosted and threatened in the dead of night, she refuses to back down. Is she too close to the case―and to Jonas―to see clearly? There’s a killer in the Valley who will stop at nothing to keep the past buried. Will they get to Kate before she can expose the truth? Or will the bishop’s secrets remain hidden forever?

***

Elise’s Thoughts

The Hidden One by Linda Castillo proves why she is one of the best mystery writers. She has done it again with a riveting plot and exceptional characters. In this novel, the main character, police chief Kate Burkholder, is taken out of her element and acting as a private investigator because she has no jurisdiction in the state where the murder took place.

This story allows readers to understand Kate’s earlier life, as she works out feelings from her past. Kate is approached by the Amish elders of Kish Valley Pennsylvania, asking her for assistance. They believe the local police have arrested the wrong person, Jonas Bowman, for murder. His old muzzleloader was found next to the body and worse, he confessed to it being his gun. With a lot of circumstantial evidence, including the fact that Jonas accosted the dead bishop, Ananias Stoltzfus, the police arrest him. Normally Kate would shrug it off, but she has a past relationship with Jonas. He was her childhood friend, someone she confided in, and her first love.

Hoping that being a Chief of Police will give her an in with local law enforcement, she finds just the opposite. The local police do not want her interfering, refuse to answer any questions, and want her to return to Painter’s Mill Ohio. But she knows Jonas and feels deep in her heart that he would never kill anyone. As the investigation progresses the persons of interest increase since the bishop had a very dark past and was cruel. Because there are also people who do not want her looking into the case, she is attacked multiple times. But the attacks make Kate even more determined to uncover the bishop’s secrets and the killer. As usual, the Kate Burkholder novels have compelling mysteries set in an Amish community. The story was engrossing and gripping with the bonus of finding out more of Kate’s childhood.

***

Author Interview

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

Linda Castillo: I wanted readers to get to know more of Kate and her personality. To do this, I wrote the crime as a cold case. I did some dark research for this book regarding the backstory of the villain, Ananias Stalzfus. I loved the idea how Kate figured it out. Back in 2019 my good librarian friend, Denise, at the Dover library and I had lunch along with an Amish man named Mark. He told me about the Kishacoquillas (Kish) Valley in central Pennsylvania and how the Amish there were “weird.” I was very intrigued since what Amish dude says that about another Amish.

EC: What is so different about the Kish Valley Amish?

LC: It is an extremely diverse Amish population including the strict Swartzenruber Amish, with grey buggies. Another sect, the Byler Amish, had lemon yellow buggies. The other type of Amish there is the Nebraska Amish. I had a scene in the book where Kate sees a buggy in the driveway that was colorful.

EC: In your books you depict the Amish as having some traits as other people?

LC: I wrote in this book, “The Amish are decent, hard-working people. They are good neighbors and good friends. All of that said, the Amish are not perfect. They’re human and they suffer with all the same failings as the rest of us. They lose their temper. They make mistakes. They behave badly. They break the rules. Sometimes they break the law.” I wanted to show that a culture should not be lumped into a box and pigeon-holed.

EC: How did you get such detail about the action scenes where Kate is put through the ringer?

LC: I had her beaten up, a car rammed her off the road, she was thrown into a raging river, and had hay bales thrown on her. My husband and I have three horses. We load hay bales all the time. This is where I thought about the hay scene. I love writing action and danger scenes. This is where my imagination comes into play.

EC: How would you describe the bad bishop, Stalzfus?

LC: He was a very wily individual. I did a lot of research on the medal that Kate discovered. This was a big clue on how he was responsible for the deaths of many, many people. He enjoys the power of running people’s lives, and if they do not follow his orders he ruins them through the Bann, excommunication, and silencing them. He is very strict, has tunnel vision, and he is stubborn. Stalzfus enjoys being a bully, is vindictive, violent, and cruel. He also does not want attention drawn from the outside world. He was a totalitarian person with complete control.

EC: How would you describe Jonas?

LC: He is a very typical Amish man. He is charismatic, charming, persuasive, and a family man.

EC: The relationship between Kate and Jonas?

LC: They shared a teenage tragedy. They knew each other when she was twelve. As she became a teenager when she was fifteen, he was nineteen. He was an adult, and she was underage. He did not know about the trauma that happened to Kate when she was fourteen. Without the trauma she might have stayed and married him, living the Amish life, and having children. They had a sad nostalgia for each other, but they were not going to give in to any past attraction. When she looks at Jonas’ wife there is one point in the story where Kate thinks what might have been me. There was no jealousy and friction between Kate and Jonas’ wife.

EC: Jonas understood Kate?

LC: He always came to her defense. Even though he did not agree with her he knew she was going to walk a hard road because she stood up for herself and got into fights. Even though he is a pacifist, part of him admired her actions. He accepted who she was, knowing she was unlike most Amish girls who were described as meek. Kate was never meek. He treated her as an equal. He knew Kate was a force to be reckoned with. Kate sensed he understood her and that she was going to be true to herself. He accepted her even after she left the Amish.

EC: The disaster Kate went through molded her personality?

LC: She became a non-conformist and is not a pacifist. She was able to overcome any bitterness toward the Amish. She can move beyond it to where she has a healthy respect for the Amish now. This is where her head is. She is not a quitter, hard-headed, and a sore loser.

EC: Why have Kate play hockey and baseball as a young teenager?

LC: I love those scenes. I was a tomboy as a child. It is a great feeling to hit a homerun with an aluminum Louisville slugger bat. You hear that “tank” and say, “yeah a homerun.” By playing these sports I think there were some hints that Kate would not have stayed Amish even if she did not have the trauma at fourteen. I really enjoy writing the scene with Kate and the baseball diamond.

EC: Any movie or TV series?

LC: Entertainment One bought an option. They have two years to pursue making a feature film or a series.

EC: The next book?

LC: The likely title will be An Evil Heart, coming out this time next year. Kate is now back at Painter’s Mill in Ohio. There is an unusual murder and Kate is trying to figure out what happened. There are some good twists.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview #2 with Elise Cooper: Critical Alliance by Elizabeth Goddard

Book Description

Mackenzie Hanson’s special set of skills opened the door to a successful career as a professor of cybersecurity at a Michigan university, allowing her to put her criminal past behind her. But when a long-ago partner in crime delivers a cryptic message about her father’s tech company being under cyberattack, she heads for Montana to secure exposed assets, close security breaches, and hopefully save lives.

Diplomatic Security Services special agent Alex Knight is back home in Montana to decompress from a mission gone wrong. But even as he’s trying to relax, he’s drawn into another mystery, complete with suspicious deaths, lethal threats, and whispers of espionage that all have one thing in common–a beautiful cybersecurity expert with a dark past.

When the situation turns deadly, Alex and Mackenzie will have to work together to find the answers they need–before someone silences Mackenzie for good.

USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard weaves a tangled web of nail-biting suspense and heart-stopping romance in this fast-paced conclusion to her Rocky Mountain Courage series.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Critical Alliance by Elizabeth Goddard explores the impact of cyber criminals, a thrilling battle of wits between two hackers. A bonus for every series of Goddard is that readers can know what is happening with characters from previous books. In this series it is Jack and Terra from Present Danger, as well as Erin and Nathan from Deadly Target.

The plot begins with MacKenzie Hanson on an amusement park ride where she spots a former partner in cybercrime. He gives her a message about her father’s Montana company being targeted. Realizing she must now face her past she decides to return to Montana and visit her estranged family.

As a teenager MacKenzie and her partners hacked into wealthy companies in Robin Hood fashion, stealing from the rich to give to charities. But when one of the partners used their skills for nefarious reasons, she and one other partner blew the whistle. She was able to put her criminal past behind her to become a successful college professor.

Also back in Montana is Diplomatic Security Services (DDS) special agent Alex Knight to decompress from a mission gone wrong. He and MacKenzie also had a past when he took her on a tour of the DDS offices. They end up meeting on a trail path after he notices a drone is following her. When a shooter attacks them, they barely escape unharmed. She recruits Alex for protection while figuring out who’s trying to hurt her family. With suspicious deaths, lethal threats, and possible espionage, Alex and Mackenzie work together to find the dangerous hacker and their use of technology.

The plot has escalating tension. Family issues, putting one’s past to rest, and renewing relationships also add to this action-filled story.

***

Author Interview

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

Elizabeth Goddard: This is the last book in the series. I wanted to do a criminal cyber security story because I have a computer science background. I am a technical person although I did speak to a cyber security expert. I talked with them about every single aspect of the story to make sure I got it correct. I had in the story drones, artificial intelligence, and cyber weapons.

EC: What about the Montana setting?

EG: I love to write action adventure within beautiful settings, set in the mountains or a rocky beach. I thought it would be fun to have the story set in the mountains of Montana. Tech companies really are moving to Montana so their employees can have more fresh air and productivity.

EC: I thought of the “Jungle Cruise” ride when I read the waterfall scene. Did you base it on that?

EG: No, but I do remember now, the line in the “Jungle Cruise” movie. How they said ‘here is the backside of water’ after going around the waterfall. I had the scene in earlier books, Targeted for Murder and Deception. I love waterfalls so I put it in this book. I think they are amazing with the caves behind them. When writing about the mountains I need to put in a waterfall somewhere within the story.

EC: The scene in the amusement park?

EG: The ride, Octopus was a horrible experience for me. I think the Carnival experience is kind of creepy. All the noise and smells.

EC: How would you describe MacKenzie?

EG: Athletic, vulnerable, stubborn, determined, and brilliant. She was a troubled person who has found her way. She was a cybercriminal and now as a professor she can share her knowledge to do something good with her life.

EC: What is penetration testing, something MacKenzie teaches?

EG: A cyber security company is hired to go into a system to see if they can hack into it to find the vulnerabilities. Can they penetrate the system?

EC: What about the relationship with her sister Nora?

EG: Very challenged. There is a lot of emotional drama. But now they want to put the past behind them. They both feel betrayed and hurt by each other. Now they must work together to find the murderer.

EC: How would you describe Alex?

EG: He is a diplomatic security agent, a true professional. Being from Montana, means he has some cowboy in him. He is kind, thoughtful, caring, strong, and protective.

EC: Next book?

EG: It is a new series based in Alaska called “Missing in Alaska.” The first book is titled, Light of Day to be released in February 2023. A character from Critical Alliance will be the main character in this first book. There will be murders with the body count rising.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview #1 with Elise Cooper: Sho-Time by Jeff Fletcher

Book Description

Shohei Ohtani of the Los
Angeles Angels is playing baseball like no other since the legendary Babe Ruth.
Ohtani’s dominance as a two-way player, one that pitches and bats effectively,
has taken the Major League by storm. Since entering the league, he won the 2018
AL Rookie of the Year, competed in the 2021 Home Run Derby, started in the 2021
All Star Game as both a pitcher and hitter (the first player to ever do so),
won the 2021 Most Valuable Player award, and was named to Time 100’s
list of most influential people of 2021. The question on everyone’s mind is how
is this Japanese phenom doing this? And how far can he go?

As the next generation of
baseball superstars cement themselves, Ohtani, who can pitch a 100mph fastball
and was a Top 3 home run leader at the end of the season, stands out amongst
them all. Major League Baseball has found the new face of the sport.

In Sho-time, Jeff
Fletcher will examine the player’s path from his early days in Japan, his
transition to the MLB, and a start-to-finish inside look at his historic 2021
MVP season. Along the way, Fletcher will detail other players who have crossed
over from Japan to the major leagues, how Ohtani brought his phenomenal talent
to the game at a time when technology is exploding as a means toward maximizing
performance, and the role that Ohtani and his otherworldly teammate Mike Trout
are playing in helping to lead baseball into the next generation.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Sho-Time by Jeff Fletcher tells the inside story of the Los Angeles Angel’s Shohei Ohtani, a “two-way” baseball player. From the time he started playing baseball for the Angels he has become a celebrity. Shohei is a unique player, a unicorn to use baseball language, because he can pitch and hit, in the same game. Ohtani just made history as the only player to be named to the ALL-STAR team as both a pitcher and hitter two years in a row.

Jeff Fletcher uses his own experiences to explain the Shohei phenomenon. As the writer for the Orange County Register for the last eight seasons, he uses his vast knowledge of baseball and the Angels to delve into the challenges, triumphs, and journey of this baseball superstar.

The book covers Ohtani’s path through Japanese baseball including a championship with the Nippon-Ham Fighters, to his desire to play American Major League baseball. Readers get details about the recruiting war by Major League clubs, why he picked the Angels, Ohtanis’s 2018 Rookie of the Year campaign, the injury-riddled seasons, and his MVP year in 2021 with 157 strikeouts, an ERA of 3.18 ERA, 46 home runs and 10 triples. Most people believe that Ohtani is a dominant pitcher and a powerful designated hitter, a once in a lifetime player.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Why is he considered a one-of-a-kind player?

Jeff Fletcher: There has not been anybody succeeding in such a significant degree as both a hitter and pitcher since Babe Ruth, who did it more than 100 years ago. Ruth was a pitcher who realized he was a good hitter and decided not to pitch anymore. He did not intend to be a two-way player the way Shohei has. He does not match up with anyone.

EC: In the book there is this quote by Babe Ruth, “I don’t think a man can pitch in his regular turn and play every other game at some other position, to keep that pace year after year.” Do you think Ohtani will be able to do it?

JF: I do not know the answer to that. Since no one has ever done it, there is no precedent for it. He obviously has had some injury problems. Hopefully he can be productive and healthy as he had this last year and a half. Everyone should enjoy it while it lasts. What Ohtani did was harder than what Babe Ruth did. The level of competition today in the Majors is so much higher, especially with the analytics and the defensive positioning. Yet, today no one could do what Babe Ruth did, playing outfield for four days and then pitching. It has certainly helped Ohtani to be a designated hitter when he is not pitching.

EC: How would you describe Ohtani as a player and a personality?

JF: As a personality he has a good sense of humor that can be seen through his interaction with his teammates, happy, and enjoys playing baseball. As a player he has so much talent, being able to pitch and hit at such a high level, which is incredibly difficult.

EC: Is he a better pitcher or hitter?

JF: I think he is a little better pitcher because he is more consistent. If someone ranked all the pitchers and hitters in baseball, he probably is higher on the pitcher list. Shohei has had stretches as a hitter where he has struggled a month at a time. But he has never really had that as a pitcher, except for injuries.

EC: He will be a free agent in 2024, do you think he will sign a new contract with the Angels?

JF: It is hard to know the answer since there is no precedent how a player like this will be paid. The problem is no one can predict what his performance level will be like. Although this is true for all players, there is nothing to compare it to for him. Eventually his contract will need to have clauses and triggers, such as he gets paid x amount if he is a pitcher and a hitter or will be paid y amount if he only does one skill. I do think he will sign a contract with the Angels. They know what they have in him, a great player and someone very good for business. The only reason he would not sign is if he does not think the Angels can win.

EC: Why do you think he signed with the Angels?

JF: He did not decide to go with a team that had another Japanese player. This was and is not his primary goal. His goal is what feels comfortable to him. He did not choose the Angels because they had this great winning tradition, because they don’t. It was basically the people who talked to him convinced him it is a comfortable environment to be in and this is still the case.

EC: In your book you discuss Ohtani being managed by Mike Scioscia versus Joe Madden. Who was the better manager for him?

JF: Hindsight is 20-20 so obviously Joe Madden. He got the better performance out of Ohtani. Mike Scioscia treated Ohtani the way he pitched in Japan. He did not hit the day before or the day after he pitched and very rarely hit the same day he pitched. Also, they were under the impression Ohtani would not speak up if he were tired or needed a break. All that was true at the time. Now he says when he needs a break and when he does not, knowing himself a little better.

EC: Why was he better in 2021?

JF: He did a lot of training at Driveline in the winter before the 2021 season. This helped give him real hard data on what his energy levels were like. In that way, he would know when he needed a break.

EC: Did he ever comment that he has an advantage being a hitter and a pitcher. When he is hitting does he think like a pitcher and vice-versa?

JF: He has said he feels it is an advantage for him that he is a hitter and a pitcher. He sees the way pitchers approach him and the way hitters do it. He files all that a way. He has a nice perspective that other hitters and pitchers don’t have considering he is a two-way player.

EC: Relationship with Mike Trout?

JF: They are like other teammates. There is a scene in the book how Mike Trout called him during home run derby and said just relax. Mike Trout understood what the spotlight is like.

EC: Will he be a role model for other children who come up through the system and will there be more two-way players?

JF: I don’t think so. What he does is so difficult. A player would have to have a lot of physical talent.

EC: In your book you quoted him saying that Home Run Derby was fun, but tiring. Will he play this year?

JF: I don’t think it had any impact on his performance for the second half of the season. It makes no sense. Home Run Derby was on July 13^th, and he started his slump on August 20^th. This year, I am sure he can use the break so I do not think he will participate. Either will Mike Trout. He has never had an interest in doing it because he also wants to relax.

EC: Do you think Ohtani and Trout are striking out too much?

JF: Ohtani is striking out less than last year, while Trout is striking out more. First off everyone is striking out more than people would like to see. Strikeout numbers for the last 15 years have gone up exponentially. I think there are more strikeouts than hits, which is disturbing.

EC: Where can people get the book if they want to?

JF: Bookstores and on Amazon. It is available on Kindle and on Audio. It has been translated into Japanese. I am doing a book signing in a little bookstore in Tustin, the “RV Company” on July 17^th. People can go to my website, https://jefffletcherwrites.com/ to get the latest information.

EC: Will this book appeal to all baseball fans?

JF: Yes. People who are not Angel fans might enjoy the book more since Angel fans might know a lot of stuff. Anyone who wants to learn about Ohtani might want to read this book since he has done something that no one has done in a hundred years.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview #2 with Elise Cooper: A Hint of Mischief by Daryl Wood Gerber

Book Description

The proprietor of a fairy garden and tea shop in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Courtney Kelly has an occasional side gig as a sleuth–with a sprinkling of magical assistance. . . .

Courtney has thrown a few fairy garden parties–for kids. But if a local socialite is willing to dip into her trust fund for an old sorority sister’s fortieth birthday bash, Courtney will be there with bells on. To make the job even more appealing, a famous actress, Farrah Lawson, is flying in for the occasion, and there’s nothing like a celebrity cameo to raise a business’s profile.

Now Courtney has less than two weeks to paint a mural, hang up tinkling windchimes, plan party games, and conjure up all the details. While she works her magic, the hostess and her girlfriends head off for an indulgent spa day–which leads to a fateful facial for Farrah, followed by her mysterious death. Could the kindhearted eyebrow waxer who Farrah berated in public really be the killer, as the police suspect? Courtney thinks otherwise, and with the help of her imaginative sleuth fairy, sets out to dig up the truth behind this puzzling murder . . .

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Elise’s Thoughts

A Hint of Mischief by Daryl Wood Gerber is a well written cozy mystery. This is the third installment of the series. It has a murder, delightful characters, and an inviting setting that is very magical. If readers believe in fairies, instead of clapping their hands, they should read these novels. If people do not believe that fairies exist, they can read this one and let their imagination take over.

There are three mysteries to solve for the main character Courtney Kelly, the owner of the store Open Your Imagination, a gift shop in the community of Carmel-by-the-Sea, in California. She is trying to find a murderer, a thief who is robbing nearby stores, and the person leaving fairy “doors” around town.

The plot has socialite Misty Dawn recruiting a fairy garden specialist, Courtney, to host a fairy-themed 40th birthday party for her sorority sisters. When one of the sisters, Farrah Lawson turns up dead, apparently a poisoning victim, the police have questions for Twyla Waterman, who was seen in the vicinity not long before the body’s discovery, and a former cult member. Both Courtney and her fairy friend Fiona believe Twyla would not hurt a fly. Determined to prove her innocence they set out to find the real culprit along with finding the thief and the maker of the fairy doors. Since there are plenty of suspects to go around, Courtney and Fiona have their hands full.

The author throws readers a lot of curve balls to keep them guessing. Because of a wide cast of characters, both human and fairy alike, the cast of characters at the beginning of the novel is very welcome.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Daryl Wood Gerber: At the beginning of Covid I was at a cocktail party. I spoke to someone who told me they had a Fairy party for her daughter. After seeing the pictures, I thought I must do this for adults. I came up with the idea that sorority sisters at a reunion would do it to have some fun. Then, of course one of them is murdered.

EC: How did you get the idea for the murder?

DWG: Someone known as “The Poison Lady” gives talks. She was very helpful about poisons. I only used poisoning once before in another series. The plot surrounds how did the poison get into the victim. I did a lot of research on the different poisons I could use.

EC: Is it more difficult to find fairy quotes at the beginning of each chapter?

DWG: I must have quotes over 75 to 100 years for copywriting reasons. Everything I am finding is written pre-1920. I bought some fairy poem books and googled as well. Some of the poems are twenty stanzas long so I could piece them apart to maybe get four or five quotes out of them. At some point I will start writing fairy quotes. The one at the beginning of chapter 17 is made up by me. It says, “Is a fairy a demoted angel, or is an angel a fairy reunited with its Maker?” Some of them are anonymous, which we can use as well.

EC: How would you describe fairies-are they like children?

DWG: In this book they fear noises, they tease, and they sing. They are very impish, very playful, and curious. The Fairy Queen is more like an Angel.

EC: How would you describe Farrah Lawson, the victim?

DWG: She has turned forty and is a very popular actress. She is a go-getter, pompous, full of herself, and dismissive. She likes to belittle. Farrah has a dark side, can be a diva, spiteful, and is self-centered. Farrah became the mean girl.

EC: Fairy door versus fairy rings?

DWG: A fairy door is what people put at the base of trees. I put them in a lot of my gardens. Usually, people leave messages or pieces of food for the fairies so they can come and bring good wishes. A fairy ring allows humans to step from their world to the fairy world after the portal opens.

EC: There is a large community in this series?

DWG: In any cozy mystery the population grows. Each time a book is written it cannot be about the same seven people. My basics are Courtney, Fiona the Fairy, Pixie the cat, Josh, Meaghan, Brady, and Dylan the cop. It is almost unavoidable in a cozy to have a large community. In a TV mystery there are also the basics, but there are people that do not have any names. But if it were a book those people with speaking lines must have a name. The difference between TV and a book is that in a novel the people must be anchored visually. There is a world in a cozy mystery.

EC: What about the Sherlock Holmes comment?

DWG: Fairies are very intelligent and want to learn. Josh is a big fan of reading and has Fiona reading Sherlock Holmes. In the next book Fiona will be reading a lot more Shakespeare. With each book I want Fiona to get wiser and wiser, absorbing the material in books like a sponge.

EC: Next book?

DWG: It is titled Flicker Doubt, coming out this same time next year. The plot has a theater foundation tea requesting Courtney bring fairy garden stuff. One of the artists there is killed. He is very dark, gloomy, and temperamental. Meaghan’s art gallery partner is seen as a person of interest.

THANK YOU!!

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