Tag: #marccameron

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Dead Line by Marc Cameron

Book Description

In the White Mountain Wilderness of Interior Alaska, twenty-four-year-old protected witness Sam Lujan is lonely for his old life. So much so, the young Apache not only breaks the cardinal rule of the Witness Protection Program—by revealing his whereabouts to his mother, he invites her to join him to see the Northern Lights. It’s her lifelong dream. No worries. It’ll be safe.

When Deputy U.S. Marshals Arliss Cutter and Lola Teariki discover Sam has gone missing, they’re asked to make a quick trip into the remote wild to make sure the witness is indeed protected. But there’s no such thing as a quick trip. Not when they’re plunging headlong into the frozen unknown at fifty-eight degrees below zero. And not when they aren’t the only ones searching. Valeria Kot, the vengeful daughter of the criminal Sam testified against, has been waiting and watching for years for just the opportunity to strike back. She’s found it—and has dispatched a sadistic hit squad to make sure Sam pays in the most savage way possible.

Once Arliss and Lola reach the trailhead it doesn’t take long for them to realize they’re dealing with more than a witness who’s broken protocol. Tracks in the snow and tell-tale signs signal an armed team—one that’s already a step ahead of them. For Arliss and Lola, and a desperate mother and son on the run, the death-defying, frigid temperatures are the least of their worries.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Dead Line by Marc Cameron, a former US Marshal, is very realistic.  This is no surprise considering he draws upon his past experiences to create riveting storylines.

This story has Deputy U.S. Marshals Arliss Cutter and Lola Teariki chasing multiple killers. Royce Decker, a former member of the St. Louis Metro PD, is on the run in Alaska for hiring a hit man to kill his pregnant wife. Also, there is Butch Pritchard, a killer-for-hire, who ruthlessly killed the woman and her unborn baby. While this is going on, a mob hit squad is heading into their area to take out a snitch in witness protection.

Besides pursuing these killers, Cutter and Teariki must contend with the Alaskan weather. Readers feel the wind chill factor with Cameron’s vivid descriptions along with the frigid coldness that has the temperature falling to minus seventy-two degrees.

Along with these plotlines, readers get more of Cutter’s backstory. He is now trying to come to terms with his estranged mother, Ursula, who left him with his grandfather when he was five years old. She has now suddenly appeared and has hit him with a new revelation. There is also the continuing saga of how Mim, Cutter’s late brother’s wife, and he are trying to forge a relationship.  Then there is the relationship between Cutter and his partner Lola who he looks upon as a daughter, yet realizes she is too impulsive and may need to take a step back before she reacts.

All of this makes for a wonderful story that has personal relationships which humanize the characters.  But not to be forgotten is the intense action that will have readers quickly turning the pages.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: The idea for the story?

Marc Cameron: About 25 years ago I was on a training mission with the tactical tracking unit. It is like a real SWAT team that we operate in the woods. This happened right after I moved to Alaska.

EC: Did you get the ideas for weather playing a role in the story from your experiences?

MC: Yes. When I was working there it was winter. There was a case where the Marshals drove through Fairbanks, and the sign said 58 degrees below.  As we drove North it got colder. Having spent 4 days in a cabin and deployed from it in snow machines, we learned about wind chill.  Plus, the scene when I had Lola fall through the ice was realistic. I have been out on the lake ice. There is a time when people should not go out because of the cracking underneath their feet.  There were times I had to chase people across the ice and thought ‘this is pretty dangerous.’

EC:  Did you ever fall through the ice?

MC: I have never fallen through the ice.  But I did jump through a hole in the ice to know what it is like and to learn how to get out. Falling through the ice in a river is dangerous because of the current.  The key to falling through the ice on a lake is for people to relax and swim their way out, kicking their feet up, to come out of the water like a seal. It is doable if someone does not panic.

EC: Did you ever track human traffickers, one of the plot lines in this story?

MC: I have dealt with lots of human trafficking. When I first moved to Alaska in 1991 there was a bunch of exotic dancers who were pimped out and trafficked by the Russian mob.  I take bits of pieces of cases I worked on.

EC:  What about tracking law enforcement criminals, the other plot line?

MC: There is a whole new set of dangers to be aware of when trying to find a fugitive that is former law enforcement or former military  Online there is so much out there we now assume people have a lot of skills.

EC: How would you describe Alriss’s mom, Ursula?

MC: She has secrets, can be fearless, and he has a lot of her personality.  She left her sons when they were young and now Arliss has found out he has a stepsister.  She is imperfect. When she was younger Ursula realized she was not going to be a good mother for her sons. Now she is trying. She was never evil.

EC: What about the Mim/Cutter relationship?

MC: Readers will see where it is going by the end of this book.  Over the course of the next couple of books there will be some struggles, trying to figure out how to move forward.  It was clear at the end of the last book, Bad River, that they were moving forward. It will be a journey for them. 

EC: What about the next book?

MC: The next book is titled Back Track, out this time next year. There will be more of a progression in the Mim/Cutter relationship. Half of the next story will go back to 1977 when Grumpy is in his 40’s, moving from Texas to Florida.  This is the year Arliss is born. Part of the book will happen in 1977, and part will be in present day, landing in Arliss’s lap. It is sort of a Cold Case of Grumpys.

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: Cold Snap by Marc Cameron

Book Description

After an early spring thaw on the Alaskan coast, Anchorage police discover a gruesome new piece of evidence in their search for a serial killer: a dismembered human foot.

In Kincaid Park, a man is arrested for attacking a female jogger. Investigators believe they have finally captured the sadistic serial killer. But one deputy is sure they have the wrong man.

In the remote northern town of Deadhorse, Alaska, Deputy US Marshal Arliss Cutter escorts three handcuffed prisoners onto a small bush plane on route to Anchorage. The men have been charged with racketeering, drug trafficking, and kidnapping. But Cutter doesn’t expect any trouble from them. It’s a routine mission and a nonstop flight—or so he thinks. When the plane makes an unexpected landing in the middle of nowhere, all hell breaks loose. The prisoners murder a pilot and guard. The plane is torched and blown up. And the last few survivors are forced to flee into the wilderness. But their nightmare’s just beginning. Back in Anchorage, deputy Lola Teariki has traced the dismembered foot to a missing girl—and the serial psychopath who slaughtered her.

It’s one of the prisoners on Cutter’s flight. . . .

Now it’s a deadly game of survival. With no means of communication, few supplies, and ravenous grizzly bears and wolves lurking in the shadows, Cutter has to battle the unforgiving elements while the cold-blooded killer wants his head on a stick. Here in Alaska, nature can be cruel—but this time, human nature is crueler. . . .

Drawing on his experiences as a deputy US marshal in Alaska, Cold Snap rings terrifyingly true.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Cold Snap by Marc Cameron is another riveting novel featuring his main character, Deputy US Marshal Arliss Cutter. The author worked in law enforcement as a US Marshal, so he keeps the plot realistic.  In this installment, there are gruesome murders, family issues that need resolving, and transporting lethal criminals as they battle the Alaskan elements.

Lola Tuakarie, part of a Fugitive Task Force, and Arliss are investigating a serial killer after women’s body parts are washed ashore.  Cutter is called away on a prisoner transport leaving Lola to work the serial killer case with the Anchorage police.  On the transport plane heading to Fairbanks are four very dangerous prisoners. Unfortunately, the pilot takes a detour, unknown to Arliss, where things go from bad to worse.  Now it becomes a matter of surviving the elements and the prisoners. 

Cameron puts the reader in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness. They feel the wind at their face, and the bitter cold from the downpour of snow.  Animals also become a factor with wolves and an 800-pound grizzly bear trying to get their next meal. There is no means of communication, few supplies, and prisoners who want nothing more than to kill Cutter.  He must use all his skills to protect himself and others found in the wilderness.

There is also a sub-plot regarding how Arliss’ brother, Ethan, died.  Was it an accident or murder?

All these sub-plots will hook the readers into the series.  The plot and characters are enthralling and allow everyone to see the hardships and danger those living in Alaska must face.

***

Author Interview

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

Marc Cameron: I wanted to show how Marshals transport prisoners all the time.  They could be out in rough country. I played a ‘what if game,’ using my professional experience. I moved prisoners in very cold conditions but never was stranded in an airplane with one.  Small bush planes had six people.  It is less about tracking down the prisoners and more about survival with those who want to kill Arliss Cutter.

EC:  Who is to blame for the prisoners and Marshal being stranded?

MC:  It is just a series of situations.  The pilot veered out of the way to check on a friend.  Jill Phillips, the Chief Deputy played a central role because Arliss worked under her.  She was the one to ramrod the situation to find him.

EC:  Besides the prisoner transport there is another sub-plot?

MC:  There is a hunt for a serial killer who is chopping females up and letting their body parts wash up on shores around Anchorage.

EC:  The influence of the grandfather?

MC:  He was in law enforcement in the Florida Marine Patrol.  Arliss’ valued weapon, the Colt Python revolver, was his.  He raised Arliss and his brother Ethan. The grandfather was a role model who calmed and steadied Arliss. This book begins with a flashback when the boys were little.  Readers get to meet him on the page for the first time.  In getting to know the grandfather people can see why Arliss turned out the way he did. He is modeled after my own grandfather. 

EC:  In what way was Arliss’ grandfather modeled after your grandfather?

MC: Mine was a cowboy and a farmer who did not smile a great deal. He was a tough guy. When I was a little boy, he was one of my best friends.  He taught me how to fire a gun, fish, and hunt. I drew some wisdom from him, especially manners. Both grandfathers were not “grumpy” but never smiled or laughed a lot.

EC:  There was a scene between Mim and her daughter Constance.  Who was the adult in that scene?

MC:  Her daughter just accused her of sleeping with her brother-in-law when her husband was alive. She was very upset.  I would leave it to the reader if they thought Mim went a little overboard in her reaction. Plus, her daughter thought she was sleeping with Arliss because she looks like him and Constance knows Arliss loved Mim his whole life. I guess I meet lots of grown-ups that act like children.

EC:  The elements of Alaska are front and center?

MC:  I did encounter bears several times. Sometimes, we have bears in our yard.  We look out the door before we walk to our car.  Every time is different. I wrote in the animals including bears and wolves plus the havoc the weather created. It would be impossible to write a realistic book about Alaska without writing about the animals and elements.  Unless someone lived in or walked in deep snow it is hard to imagine how exhausting it is. It is very easy to overexert, getting sweaty, getting cold, and having fatigue. It can be deadly. Tea is very common here to warm someone up.

EC:  Why the Kipling reference?

MC:  Kim, is my favorite novel written by Rudyard Kipling about a child that grew up in India.  He became a spy for the British.  Kim’s game is a parlor game made famous by this book. A bunch of items are put on a tray.  It is uncovered for a minute and people try to list all that was on it.  It is a memory game.  Snipers and spies play it.  Trackers can use it because it is an observation game. It teaches people to observe and memorize things systematically.  

EC:  Readers learn a lot about trackers?

MC:  They will rarely arrest someone. For example, there was a missing hunter in Alaska.  Troopers knew he was in the mountains. I was one of trackers in the area.  I was flown to where they had last seen him and asked to find his camp. I had to track backwards. I did find his camp. I told those in the helicopter he was headed in this direction.  It is not like the old days where there was one tracker, but a whole team. We did find him.  If we are tracking a fugitive, we inform the others.  The best way to explain it is that the tracker is like a tool to find the person.

EC:  What about your next book?

MC:  The Ethan investigation is convoluted and will be reoccurring. In the next book a lot of stuff comes to light. The title is Breakneck and it comes out this time next year.  A Supreme Court Justice visits Alaska and someone is trying to kill her on the wilderness Alaska train.  Arliss and Lola are guarding her and trying to protect her on that train.  Meanwhile Mim is in far North Alaska in the same area where Ethan used to work, and she is looking into his death.

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.