Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for RED LINE by Blake Rudman on this Black Tide Book Tour.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Baltimore Police Detective Mitch Wilson wants a nice day out with his wife and son. Instead, they are all caught up in a catastrophic terrorist attack that has repercussions across the USA and triggers events that could alter the course of civilization.
Having lost everything, Mitch sets out to seek justice – and revenge and stumbles upon a global conspiracy.
On the other side of the world, renowned linguistic professor, Yasaman Karami, flees her native Iran for the freedom of the west; she holds one of the keys to defeating the terrorist organization.
Yasaman and Mitch’s worlds collide as, alongside federal agents and allies, they race against the clock to hunt down the terrorist masterminds and prevent worldwide catastrophe.
RED LINE by Blake Rudman is a chilling noir crime thriller based on a twisted and yet believable scheme that could change the governments and economics of the world as we know it. This thriller starts with the two disparate main characters, one in Baltimore and one in Tehran who come together to stop a worldwide catastrophe.
Baltimore Police Detective Mitch Wilson is enjoying the day by taking his wife and young son to the latest animated hit movie. He drops them off at the theater and goes to park the car when a suspicious man catches his attention. He realizes the man is headed for the theater and before Mitch can stop him, he detonates a suicide vest killing everyone. This is happening all over the U.S. where the new film is showing. Mitch is determined to exact revenge and uses information he has discovered to bribe his way onto the FBI team investigating the terror attack called the “Red Line”.
Yasaman Karami is an archeological linguist professor in Tehran, Iran. Her research has led her and her mentor to discover the origins of language. Her mentor is kidnapped for the knowledge they posses and now they are after Yasaman. She is running for her life and ends up being helped across the border and into the hands of the FBI team with Mitch when another Red Line attack hits Europe.
It is a fast paced and action filled race to discover who is responsible for the Red Line attacks and stop the global attack to come.
This is a scary and at the same time thought-provoking thriller. It has a noir feel to the writing style, two main characters that could not be more different and yet come together to make a believable team, and fast-paced action. I do wish Mitch and Yasamin had come together sooner in the story, but there was a lot to set up for the intricate plot and while there was action to keep me involved in the story until they did come together, when they did, I could not turn the pages fast enough. The idea of terrorists, who are not the type of terrorists we normally think of, and the use of super-charged subliminal messaging were just realistic enough to have me seriously cheering on the good guys. I liked the romantic elements and found they were well written for a thriller and not stereotypical.
I recommend this noir crime thriller with romantic elements for a exciting ‘save the world’ read and I will be looking forward to reading more books by this author.
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About the Author
Blake Rudman enjoyed a former, successful career in executive management, building his own companies from the ground up.
Success or not, Blake’s heart has always been in the written word, and the myriad ideas he spent much of his spare time jotting down in notebooks, Post-Its, and scraps of paper whenever the inspiration hit him.
Now a breakout author of five noir thriller novels – all to be published in 2023 – Blake’s destiny of becoming a writer of some renown is well under way.
When he’s not working diligently on his next novel, Blake spends quality time with his family and tropical fish.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for DEAD WEST by Linda L. Richards on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links, and a Kingsumo giveaway. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Still struggling towards the light, this time the assignment is to save, not kill.
Taking lives has taken its toll. Her moral justifications have faltered. Do any of the the people she has killed — some of them heinous, but all of them human — deserve to die?
Her next target is Cameron Walker, a rancher in Arizona. When she arrives at his remote desert estate to carry out her orders, she discovers that he is a kind and beautiful man. After a lengthy tour of the ranch, not only has she not killed him, she’s wondering who might want him dead.
She procrastinates long enough that a vibe grows between them. At the same time, she learns that he’s passionate about wild horses and has been fighting a losing political battle to save the mustangs that live on protected land near his property. He’s even received death threats from those who oppose him.
She finds herself trying to protect the man she was sent to kill, following a trail that leads from the desert, to the Phoenix cognoscenti, to the highest offices in Washington, DC. Along the way she encounters kidnappers and killers, horse thieves and even human traffickers. Hopefully she can figure out who ordered the hit before they hire someone else to execute the assignment.
Genre: Thriller, Noir, Suspense Published by: Oceanview Publishing Publication Date: September 2023 Number of Pages: 320 ISBN: 9781608095124 (ISBN10: 1608095126) Series: The Endings Series, Book 3
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My Mini Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
DEAD WEST (The Endings Series Book #3) by Linda L. Richards is a noir crime thriller with a twist. The protagonist is a female assassin who questions her continuation in her chosen profession when she falls in love with her intended target. While this is the third book in the series, it can be easily read as a standalone story.
I found this an interesting thriller with a noir feel and an intriguing protagonist. While I felt the need to suspend some belief as the assassin and her target fall into an instant attraction, the action takes off when he disappears, and I quit thinking about it. The information about wild horses was fascinating and I wish the plot would have stayed in that vein and not pulled in other crimes like the human trafficking crime sub plot. There are plenty of plot twists and action right up to the end that kept me guessing.
Overall, this is a fast-paced noir crime thriller with an intriguing protagonist.
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Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
I’m sitting on a beach. It’s a ridiculous proposition. Fluffy white clouds are scudding through a clear, blue sky. Surfers are running around carrying boards, often over their heads. Then they plunge into a sea that looks deadly to my non-surfing eyes. Palm trees are waving, and the air is so neutral, you don’t have to think about it. Soft, welcoming air. You just float right through.
The view is beautiful. It’s like a movie backdrop. A painting. Something skillfully manufactured to look hyper-real. Textbook paradise, that’s what I’m talking about.
I’m sitting on this beach, trying not to think about the reason I’m here. But it’s hard. Difficult. To not think about it, I mean. I’m here, in paradise, because someone has to die.
Someone will die.
I got the assignment a few days ago. I flew to this island to pull it off.
My target is a businessman who lives on this island in the South Pacific. He is the kind of self-made guy who has achieved every goal in life and would seem to have everything to live for. Only now, apparently, someone wants him dead because here I am, ready for business.
So I stake him out. You need to understand at least the basics of who someone is before you snuff them out. This is the idea that I have. I’m not going all sensitive on you or anything, that’s just how it is. In order to do the best possible job in this business, you need to understand a little about who they are. It’s not a rule or anything, it’s just how I feel.
His name is Gavin White, and I researched him a bit before I got here. He made his fortune in oil and wax, which is an odd enough combo that you perk up your ears. Only it doesn’t seem to matter: the source of the income would seem to have nothing to do with the hit. Would seem to, because there is only so much I can learn about that, really. On the surface, anyway, I can find no direct connection between Gavin White’s livelihood and the death that someone has planned for him and that I am now further planning.
I follow him and his S560 cabriolet all over the tropical island. He makes a few stops. I watch what he does, how he moves and who he interacts with. Some of it might matter. I’m not doing it for my health. I’m watching him so I can determine when I might best have advantage when I go to take him out. There are always multiple times and different places to fulfill my assignment and usually only one—or maybe two—that are virtually flawless. Sometimes not even that. So I watch.
And it’s more than an opportunity I’m looking for, though that can play a part. It’s also a matter of identifying what will make my job not only easier, but also safest from detection. And so I watch. And I wait.
As I follow him, he stops first at a bank. Does some business— I’ll never know what. After that he visits his mom. At least, I guess it is his mom. An older woman he seems affectionate with. From my rental car, I can see them through a front room window. There is a hug and then a wave. It could be a bookkeeper for all I know. But mom is what I guess.
After a while he heads to the beach. He sits on the sand, contemplative for a while. I think about taking him there; full contemplation. But it is crude and much too exposed.
More time passes before he takes off his shoes, leaves them on the beach, and walks into the surf. I leave my car and take up a spot on the sand, just plopping myself down not far from his shoes.
I watch him surreptitiously. It is obvious he did not come to the beach to swim. He is fully clothed and he hasn’t left a towel behind there with his shoes. There is none of the paraphernalia one associates with a visit to the beach, even if this were one that is intended for swimming, which it is not. Signs warn of possible impending doom for those who venture into the water.
“Strong current,” warns one sign under a fluorescent flag. “If in doubt, don’t go out.”
“Dangerous shore break,” warns another. “Waves break in shallow water. Serious injuries could occur, even in small surf.”
I don’t know if Gavin White read the signs, or noticed them, but even though he is still fully clothed, he steps into the water anyway.
First, he gets his feet wet. Not long after, he wades in up to his knees. He hesitates when the water is at mid-thigh, and he stops there. For a while, it seems to me, it is like a dance. He stands facing the horizon, directly in front of where I sit. His shoulders are squared. There is something stoic in his stance. I can’t explain it. Squared and stoic.
Waves break against him, push him back. He allows the push, then makes his way back to the spot where he had stood before.
Before long, he ventures deeper still. The dance. I watch for a while, fascinated. I wonder if there is anything I should do. But no. The dance. Two steps forward, then the waves push him back.
And now he is in deeper still, and further from shore. I see a wave engulf him completely, and I hold my breath. He doesn’t struggle, but then I see him rise, face the horizon, square his shoulders.
The waves are strong and beautiful. And they are eerily clear, those waves. Sometimes I can see right inside them. Careful glass tubes of water, I can even observe that from shore.
For a while he stands like that, facing the horizon—a lull in the action of the waves. And then he is engulfed once again. I hold my breath, but this time he doesn’t rise.
I sit there for a long time, considering. And waiting. My breathing shallow. But he doesn’t reappear. After half an hour, I text my handler. “It is done,” is all I say, just as I know she will expect.
It was not my hand, but the mission has been accomplished regardless. No one knows better than me that there are many ways to die.
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Author Bio
Linda L. Richards is the award-winning author of over a dozen books. The founder and publisher of January Magazine and a national board member of Sisters in Crime, she is best known for her strong female protagonists in the thriller genre. Richards is from Vancouver, Canada and currently makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona. Richards is an accomplished horsewoman and an avid tennis player. She enjoys yoga, hiking, cooking and playing guitar, though not at the same time.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for HUNTERS POINT: A Novel of San Francisco by Peter Kageyama on this Virtual Blog Tour.
Below you will find an author Q&A, a book description, my book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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Author Q&A
What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
I didn’t think of it as a literary pilgrimage when I did it, but a 2007 trip to visit Michigan at the invitation of a friend of mine who worked for the State of Michigan truly changed my life. My friend invited me to come see the other side of the story about Michigan, and Detroit in particular, that was not being talked about in the media. At that time, Michigan and Detroit were really struggling.
My friend took me all around the state and introduced me to a bunch of people who were doing amazing work, most of it small and very underfunded, but they did it out of a profound sense of love for their communities. This struck me because I realized that as long as there were people like these, then places like Detroit would never truly fail. Love and an emotional connection to our places was the secret ingredient that no one was talking about, or writing about. The genesis of my first book, which introduced the central thesis of all my nonfiction work, began from that trip. And that trip was my first step towards being a writer.
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
I actually did because I am fairly well established as a non-fiction writer and speaker. I have become known as the “City Love Guy” which is great because in the discrete field of urbanism and community and economic development, having an identity is fantastic. I thought perhaps that fiction might dilute or muddy that identity. Perhaps it will, but overall I’d like to believe that my books, my speaking and consulting has built up a pool of goodwill that will cross over into this new venture.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I think readers of fiction want a good story and characters they can cheer for and relate to and be scared for – and if we can offer them a few twists and turns they have not seen before, that is great. True originality is very rare, so most of us are mashing up familiar tropes, with some new angles and additions to make something that is BOTH new enough and familiar enough to keep us turning the pages.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
For me, I did not realize that I wanted to build a body of work until I finished the first novel. I had so enjoyed writing the main characters that I knew I had to continue their stories. Some stories have a definitive end and stand very much on their own. Perhaps some day I’ll write one of those, but in the meantime, I’m totally excited about the many adventures I have seen in my characters’ futures.
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
Hiring a professional line editor was a revelation. I had thought the manuscript of my first novel, Hunters Point, was fairly clean after I had gone through it, as well as my publisher, my publicist, my story editor and two passes by my wife who is incredibly meticulous. Still when the manuscript came back with hundreds of corrections, I was shocked and forever sold on hiring that outside set of professional eyes!
Where do you prefer to write?
I am a coffee shop guy. Even though I put in my noise canceling headphones, there is still enough background noise and distraction. Some may be surprised that I listen to music while writing, but not just any music. I have a specially created playlist called “Writing” and all the songs on there are ones that I am always happy to hear. The key to the playlist is that I never have to skip over a song or an artist, which could break the flow of what I am doing at the moment.
The only place I find that I can write at home is on our balcony and usually at night. We live in Florida and during the day it is either too hot or too bright, or both so I find myself gravitating out there in the evenings.
What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?
The two main characters of my novel Hunters Point are directly based upon my mother and father. So for me, writing about them is a way to honor them. For my father in particular, I have found that this series of books has been and continues to be a way for me to have a conversation with him, even though he passed away over twenty years ago. As for the other folks I have based characters upon, my friends specifically, I think ‘don’t embarrass them’. For example, there are a pair of characters in Hunters Point that are directly based on two of my good friends here in St. Petersburg, where I live. They start out and you think they are bad guys and maybe even a little stupid, but they turn out to be decent, resourceful, funny and a necessary part of the story.
Some of the other characters that are actual historic figures, raise a different set of ethical questions.What are the ethics of writing about historical figures?
I think it depends on how close to bone you write the story. For example, you can be outrageous like in the book, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, which I think is fantastically creative. No one is likely to take issue or be offended because it is so far out there. But if you take a well-known figure, such as Bruce Lee as Quentin Tarantino did in the movie and novelization of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and have a controversial scene with him, you may draw some ire.
When I included Jimmy Stewart as a character in Hunters Point, I tried to base his actions on research and extrapolation of what is popularly known about the man. If you are going to include a figure that is well known, I think readers expect that character to act the way they would expect. It would be much easier and more convincing to create a new, unique character to do something that would be seen as wildly out of character for an historical figure such as Jimmy Stewart.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Because I am an urbanist at heart, someone who studies cities, it felt very important that San Francisco, the location of my debut novel, Hunters Point, feel authentic. Even though the story is set in the late 50’s, there is still something about walking the streets, seeing the actual places that you write about, that makes them feel more real. Of course the other great tool in the writer’s arsenal, is Wikipedia! I am constantly amazed how researching one question leads me down a rabbit hole that leads to a whole new and amazing set of facts. I also highly recommend Google Street View as a way to put yourself in a place that maybe you can’t readily travel to. Those images give you a sense of place that can be translated into authentic descriptions and narration.
How do you select the names of your characters?
Kats Takemoto is named after my father’s two best friends; Masa Taketoshi and Peter Matsumoto. Takemoto. I took the nickname Kats, short for Katsuhiro, because it sounds cool and also because in Daniel James Brown’s outstanding book, Facing the Mountain, he chronicles the Japanese American experience during World War II. One of the more memorable figures was named ‘Kats Miho’ a soldier with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Kats was an amazing example of bravery, loyalty and love of his country and his comrades. And like I said, ‘Kats’ sounds cool!
The character Molly Hayes is named after my mother, Molly Hazen. She too was a red-headed Irish woman from Ohio. Some of the other names that appear in the book and the coming sequel, are friends and people from my past. Sometimes it is just a name but other times, I am using real backstory and characteristics. As for what is fact and what is fiction, well I will leave that for the readers to guess.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
I don’t want to jinx myself, but I have been pretty lucky in all the books I have written, the main draft has come quickly. Six months seems to be about the time frame, give or take travel, family commitments and football season. I will say that I started in on the sequel to Hunters Point within a few weeks of completing the first book, and if I could clear the decks more thoroughly, I know my productivity would increase. But such is life.
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Book Description
The Cold War and the Beat Poets of North Beach collide in 1958 San Francisco in Peter Kageyama’s noir thriller about a Japanese American private eye investigating the mysterious goings on at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.
SAN FRANCISCO, 1958
World War 2 veteran, Katsuhiro, “Kats” Takemoto is a Nisei, second generation Japanese American and the private detective for those who don’t get noticed by the police or get the attention of traditional private eyes. The city is exploding with population growth and creative expression as the Beat poets and artists fill coffee shops and galleries. When a young Beat poet enlists Kats to keep his family from being pushed out of the Bayview Heights neighborhood by a shady developer, Kats learns that the conspiracy to take over the land around Hunters Point runs deep into Cold War fears and politics. Kats takes on the US government, the Navy, unscrupulous businessmen and the west coast mafia as he and his friends race to find the truth.
Award winning author Peter Kageyama’s debut novel brings the post-war San Francisco scene to life with historic characters including Jimmy Stewart, Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady, Alfred Hitchcock and Shig Murao, along with the dynamics of racial identity for Japanese Americans finding their footing again in America following the war and internment.
HUNTERS POINT: A Novel of San Francisco by Peter Kageyama is a compelling historical P.I. crime mystery that engaged me immediately. The historical research mixed with a unique San Franciscan Nisei P.I. and an intricate plot kept me reading from page one to the end in one sitting.
P.I. Katsuhiro “Kats” Takemoto is asked by a friend to help a boat building family in Bayview Heights that is being strong-armed to sellout and move. As Kats begins to investigate who is behind the threats, he discovers local government hiding future plans for the area, criminal builders and mob bosses looking for a windfall, and the U.S. government trying to manipulate everyone to cover up their need to keep the public unaware of the nuclear waste problems at the Hunters Point naval base.
Kats and a group of old and new friends work to get to the bottom of the greed, corruption, and conspiracies to find a way to help their friends in Bayview Heights and stay alive at the same time.
I loved this book! Kats is an engaging and unique main character. His friends, both famous and not, were all interesting and added depth to the story. The research done for not only Kats family history but also Hunters Point history is intertwined throughout the story without ever slowing the pace of the plot. The plot has plenty of action scenes, both the usual with fists and guns but also intelligent nonlethal action with smoke bombs, pepper bombs, and snakes. The detective work and discoveries are well paced, and the conclusion is gratifying. I am very happy this is a proposed series because I am looking forward to many more cases with P.I. Kats Takemoto.
I highly recommend this historical crime mystery!
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About the Author
Peter Kageyama is the author of For the Love of Cities: The Love Affair Between People and Their Places, the follow ups, Love Where You Live: Creating Emotionally Engaging Places, and The Emotional Infrastructure of Places. In 2021, he released For the Love of Cities REVISITED, a revised and updated version of his award-winning book.
In 2023, his debut novel based on the post-internment life of his parents was released by St. Petersburg Press.
Peter is a special advisor to America In Bloom and was a Senior Fellow with the Alliance for Innovation, a national network of city leaders. He is an internationally sought-after community development consultant and grassroots engagement strategist who speaks about bottom-up community development and the amazing people who are making change happen around the world.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review on the Virtual Author Book Tours for CITY OF DEADLY DREAMS by Elyse Douglas.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Dane Cooper, an NYC Hell’s Kitchen private detective, is hired by a Tennessee man to find his handsome, 20-year-old son named Elvis, who has been missing for several months. Though hesitant at first, Dane takes the case because he needs the money. Dane soon learns that the case centers around a beautiful, mysterious blonde, named Darcy. Against his better judgment, he falls for her, believing she might lead him to Elvis. Her dangerous secrets trouble him, and he realizes he can’t trust her.
Dane’s investigation turns deadly when he learns that Elvis has left a trail of pregnant young girls, unhappy husbands, and vengeful women. Dane becomes a target as he struggles to find Elvis and save him from the killers who are closing in. Can Dane save Elvis and himself, or will Darcy’s secrets get them all killed?
Publisher: Broadback (May 1, 2021) Category: Hard-Boiled Mystery, Private Investigator Mystery Tour dates: May 31-June 30, 2021 ISBN: B08Y86X4B3 Available in ebook, 250 pages
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My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
CITY OF DEADLY DREAMS by Elyse Douglas is a noir style private investigator mystery. The story has the atmosphere of an old style gritty P.I. mystery, but it is set in present day New York City.
Private Investigator Dane Cooper is hired to find Elvis. Elvis is a twenty-year old spitting image of THE Elvis and he has not been in contact with his father and mother in Tennessee for several months. Dane is hesitant to take the case, but he is offered too much money to turn the case down.
As the investigation progresses, Dane begins to believe Elvis has been a victim of foul play. He meets Elvis’ ex-high school music teacher, Darcy who is rumored to have been having an affair with her student. Darcy is a beautiful blonde and Dane falls for her even as he believes she is not telling him the whole truth about Elvis’ where abouts.
As Dane follows the trail to find Elvis, he runs into a vengeful, jealous ex-husband, a madame of a male escort service and a connected Vegas assistant casino manager with a missing underage daughter. Will Dane find and save not only Elvis, but himself before they end up dead?
This is a fast-paced mystery plot with several well placed red-herrings and plot twists. The ending is a big twist that I was not expecting. Dane is the tough, single POV investigator and all the characters are classic noir character archetypes set in the present and that makes for a unique and fun read.
I recommend this noir style P.I. mystery set in the present.
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Excerpt
“I can’t go back,” she muttered.
“Back to where, Darcy?”
“I can’t be alone in that apartment. Not now. I won’t make it through another night.”
“Do you have a friend or relative you can stay with? Maybe a therapist you can call?”
She twisted away, grimacing. “God, no. I can’t be with them—with anyone who knows me. I can’t talk to them anymore. Don’t you understand? I can’t.”
I softened my voice. “Darcy… Is there anyone at work you can…?”
“… No…Well, Carol. Carol Hemmings. Sweet Carol. Silly Carol. We went to high school together. She’s a good friend, and she’s the one who got me the bookkeeping job, but…”
“But what?”
“Carol’s married to a guy who took Rod’s side. Carol is a good friend, but she still thinks Rod and I can make it, if we’d just go to a marriage counselor or something.” Darcy lifted a weak hand and let it drop. “She’s a hopeless romantic…”
She began twisting her hands. Her face fell into agony. “I’ve just been such a fool.”
I leaned in toward her. “Darcy, all you did was fall in love. That’s all. That’s nothing to beat yourself up about.”
“Don’t you see? I’ve ruined everything. Everything I stood for and believed in.”
I searched for the right response. “Just give it time… a little time to get your balance back.”
She shook that away, gathered herself up, then gave me a strange and hopeful look. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but… can I come to New York with you?”
That jarred me. I had never even considered the possibility. I scanned her, up and down. She appeared sickened by the gravity of the moment. Seeing her moist eyes and brittle state, I was left with few options. And, no, I’m not a saint. Having her with me couldn’t hurt: she was my best hope for contacting Elvis. Her question had changed the quality of the conversation. We sat in a guarded silence. She turned to face the open window, staring out into the gray face of winter.
“Look, Darcy, you can come with me—if that’s what you really want—but maybe making contact with an old friend or close relative—going to see them and forgetting about everything for a while—might be better for you.”
She shrank, and I could see the dark remoteness return. She was silently screaming for help, and I wasn’t qualified to administer the kind of help she needed. What could I do? Leave her? Say no? Then what?
I decided not to abandon her. I decided to listen and let her unload her mountain of guilt and anger. I hoped that after a good night’s sleep, she’d change her mind. And I was sure that by morning, she would change her mind.
“Darcy, you can come to New York with me if you want. You can stay the night at the hotel with me, if you want. I have two double beds, or, you can take a separate room. That’s fine too. I’ll call the airline and get you on my flight leaving for New York in the morning.”
She looked at me, her eyes pleading. “I know I sound a little crazy. I know you’ve just met me and I hear my own crazy words, but I can’t help it. I can’t go back to that lonely apartment and I can’t be alone. I hate being alone. I’m not a person who can be alone.”
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About the Author
Elyse Douglas is the pen name for the married writing team Elyse Parmentier and Douglas Pennington. Elyse grew up near the sea, roaming the beaches, reading and writing stories and poetry, receiving a master’s degree in English Literature. She has enjoyed careers as an English teacher, an actress and a speech-language pathologist.
Douglas has worked as a graphic designer, a corporate manager and an equities trader. He attended the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and played the piano professionally for many years.
