Blog Archives
Out of Balance
The Teetotaler’s Bar follows a woman who inherits her aunt’s fortune, her New City apartment, complete with a puppy, and the bar on the first floor, which also happens to be a murder scene. What inspired the setup of your story?
It just came to me one day out of the blue. I like to create stories using situations that don’t add up. So I was thinking, what could be more out of balance than a young girl who lives healthy and doesn’t drink but suddenly inherits a bar? She inherited plenty more besides, from a relative she hardly knew, and I was off and running with another mystery!
Jazz is a fascinating character that has an overwhelming amount of things happen all at once. What scene was the most interesting to write for that character?
I liked writing the scenes in the beginning that started to establish who Jazz is, and the ones that gave her an idea of who the estranged relative who got murdered was, too. The aunt who left her the bar is her mother’s half-sister, and she was one of those know-it-alls who runs around telling everybody else what to think, how to feel, and who to be. Ha, I based that on the worst co-worker I ever had! It raises the question, did the woman’s big mouth cause her to be murdered, or was it, perhaps, something else? And if it was something else, what?
There is a lot of time and care spent with descriptions and building the setting and tone of the story. Was this out of necessity to develop the depth of the story, or was it something that happened naturally while you were writing?
It was a little of both. I wanted to make the bar that Jazz initially is reluctant to inherit to be a whole lot nicer than she feared it would be. There’s an unsolved murder hanging over it like a cloud, but she slowly starts to like the idea of owning the place. She’s also immediately enchanted with owning the Art Deco apartment building where the bar occupies the first floor, but when she enters the stairwell, finds it’s neglected and rather grungy, so that gives something of a shadowy atmosphere to it. Yes, it’s gorgeous on the outside, but it’s certainly not perfect all the way around, and neither is the whole situation.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’ve got two more mysteries in the works at the moment! One deals with bumbling animal traffickers. The other one is set during the American homefront in World War II, where two young brothers find an abandoned baby. I think they should be available around the holidays. I’m having a wonderful time working on them both!
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When Things Fall Apart
In When Things Fall Apart by Alan Brenham, readers are introduced to Kit Hanover, a Native American police officer navigating the complex intersection of her heritage and her career. As she steps into her role in Fort Worth’s homicide division, Kit faces the challenges of her demanding job and the prejudices and skepticism from her colleagues.
The character of Kit Hanover is delicately balanced between her professional competence and the cultural dichotomy she embodies. Brenham explores the delicate position Native Americans can find themselves in when assuming roles of authority in a society where they have historically been marginalized. This tension is further emphasized through the relationship between Kit and her partner, Wade Shepard, whose hostility adds a layer of internal conflict to the narrative. While Brenham’s novel may tread familiar ground in some aspects, it offers a rich exploration of its themes and characters. Detective Hanover, as a focal point, provides a fascinating character study. Brenham’s skill in dialogue and plotting is evident, with the story gaining momentum and suspense in its later stages. The narrative of When Things Fall Apart occasionally ventures into predictable tropes, but these moments contribute to the broader tapestry of the novel. They underscore its exploration of cultural tensions and the complexities of identity, enhancing the story’s overall depth and resonance.
When Things Fall Apart by Alan Brenham is a captivating and thoughtful exploration of cultural identity and professional integrity. Through Kit Hanover’s experiences, the novel delves into the heart of societal and personal conflicts with sensitivity and nuance. Brenham’s adept storytelling, rich character development, and suspenseful plot make this novel an engaging and enlightening read.
Pages: 335 | ASIN : B0CJL85Q83
Weaving History Into My Story
The Feathered Nest follows Alexandra as she’s wrapped up in a murder mystery involving bird smuggling. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Norfolk Island itself was my initial inspiration for The Feathered Nest, and because the Green Parrot is endemic to the island, it seemed obvious to revolve the story around the parrot. Also Norfolk Island is the home of the descendants of the HMS Bounty.
Without using the names of Fletcher Christian and his fellow mutineers, and by imagining a couple of extra seamen, I was able to weave the history of the island into my story. Preceding the arrivals of the Bounty descendants, Norfolk Island was a penal settlement for Australia early days. For a small island, it possesses a huge history.
Alexandra Archer is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind her character’s development?
In the first book of the series, and all are standalone with a new murder mystery in each, Alexandra had just finished a season in Melbourne’s society. However, she tired of endless lunches, dinner parties and other functions, and wanted to work in her family’s antique business. Set in the 1920s, Alexandra is nevertheless a modern woman.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
In The Feathered Nest, Alexandra is made the expedition’s official photographer as they head off to Norfolk Island. I wanted to explore women’s roles in the late 1920s and I did this through fashion innovations and roles in society. Alexandra is always looking at new fashions that offer freedom of movement and style. She has clothes designed for her trip that include culottes and men’s style of boots for walking through the rainforest. I also wanted to highlight bird smuggling, which still happens today with exotic birds such as parrots. I also mention whaling, which in the 1920s was still practised on Norfolk Island. Alexandra is at first appalled until it’s explained to her that whaling was only undertaken by seamen in small boats with a harpoon. No whaling on a huge commercial scale that we know today was carried out on Norfolk Island.
What can readers expect in book 5 of your The Thornton Mysteries series?
Book 5 is set at Thornton Park where a conference is being held. Experts from around the world are going to speak about their myths and philosophies concerning immortality. No one, least of all Alexandra, expects it to become a deadly search for the secrets to eternal life. Alexandra is pregnant. Caught up in a miasma of myths and dark tales, she comes to believe that for her baby to live, she must die.
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The Thorntons mount an expedition to Norfolk Island, a small island in the South Pacific, to study the green parrot and set up research programmes to help protect it and other endangered birds. As a birthday surprise, Alexandra’s father tells her she is to be their official photographer. He also gives her a black pearl brooch that Alexandra’s great-grandfather had bought off a merchant in Hong Kong in the 1850s. The pearls are Tahitian black pearls.
Before they depart Melbourne, they learn that Norfolk Island has had its first murder. It sends ripples of unease through Alexandra. She hoped she could escape murder on this small island paradise.
Alexandra is astonished to learn that the main inhabitants of Norfolk Island are descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives. Once on the island, she wonders if this is why her Tahitian black pearl brooch causes such interest.
A chain of events is set in motion, commencing with a threat on the life of one of their expedition members, followed by intrigue surrounding bird smuggling and a lost illustration of the green parrot. Then two of their team are murdered.
Alexandra is determined to find the answers and nearly loses her life in the process.
The Feathered Nest
Alexandra Thornton goes on an expedition with her family to Norfolk Island to research the island’s birds with a particular focus on the green parrot. Little does she know what she has walked into, a web of a puzzling mystery that has to be unraveled before it threatens her.
The Feathered Nest by Ellen Read gives readers a captivating look into the mystery of Norfolk Island and its inhabitants. The story gains momentum as an intriguing chain of events unfold which endangers members of the expedition. As the story progresses readers get to unveil the motive behind the multitudes of murders.
Ellen Read is the quintessential historical mystery romance author who effortlessly blends elements of novelistic fiction with curious bits of history. The author creates characters with surprising depth and realistic emotions, which reminds me of how Agatha Christie creates her characters. Moreover, Ellen has strategically placed humor, wit, and alluring intimacy to mitigate the simmering tension of the reader. Readers will find themselves yearning to turn the page to decipher the fate of the characters. By the end of the novel, all the dilemmas that pique the reader are seamlessly resolved.
The Feathered Nest by Ellen Read is a cozy mystery novel that has a similar atmosphere as one of a period drama. With its descriptive prose, it delivers outstanding soulfulness with unmatched intricacy. Holistically, this mystery thriller prescribes hints throughout but is better comprehended as all the elements gradually fit into place. Overall, this book would appeal to readers that seek a compelling mystery with a touch of tender romance.
Pages: 374 | ASIN: B09T3T1CJQ
Judgement With No Empathy
The Gray Line follows a woman that has dealt with many obstacles and is forced to challenge her belief of what is right and wrong. What were some sources that informed this novels development?
I had a surface concept of who Angel was as a person. I think when we consider people who have had a lot of severe trauma we expect them to be broken or unable to cope. Very few people believe that someone like Angel could thrive despite all of her hardships to the point of maintaining healthy relationships.
I think people often don’t take the time to ask or learn what informs certain personalities and decisions. There is often judgement with no empathy, and this appears to be growing in this country more and more. I just wanted to write about people that you, or anyone could know.
What were some obstacles you felt were important to defining Angel Lamb’s character in the story?
Adolescent and childhood traumas have happened to so many people. We hear stories about these children, but I wanted to look at what could happen after. However, Angel isn’t perfect, nor has she “put her trauma behind her.” Trauma is just that: a wound, an injury. Just like a scar on our outer self can be re-injured, as can internal damage.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
The answer is in your question… Hope. When I lost my sister, I truly didn’t know how I could go on and I realized it was an absence it hope. I think that’s what the world needs now more than ever…hope. I also wanted to show how love and empathy could go a long way into helping both yourself and others heal.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am still working on the Shadow Resistance sequel. I don’t yet have a release timeline. I’m also working on scripts to stretch my writing portfolio as well as attempt to gain the ability to do this full time.
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When violence begins to find members of the group, Angel is forced to face her painful past as well as an uncertain future. In order to survive, she will have to challenge her own black and white view of good and evil.
Does one question literary gifts from the Muse?
Patricia Crumpler Author Interview
Death and Disorder follows Vivian as she must solve a rash of suicides on a peaceful planet and uncovers an evil plot in the process. What was the inspiration for the setup to this thrilling story?
I love to read short stories from the Golden Age of Science Fiction. As I read I found situations that intrigued me. Most of the stories back then did not feature women as heroic protagonists. I was inspired by the plots of several stories. I combined the plots to form an adventure and made the lead character a woman who could be vulnerable but strong and wasn’t afraid to tackle big problems.
Vivian is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some ideas that guided her character development?
I am affiliated with several critique groups. In the comments from these groups a common thread was that my female lead characters didn’t take care of problems themselves. They allowed the man to face problems. Taking the comments to heart, I decided to write a character who could take care of her own problems and those of others as well.
I enjoyed the different species you created for your universe. How did you set about creating each species?
That was the easy part. Once I started writing the characters appeared. I’m not sure where they came from but they had their own distinct opinions and personalities. Does one question literary gifts from the Muse? My favorite person in the novel is Sook. He seems real to me.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have a detailed outline of Vivian’s next adventure. I am working on that. It should be ready for revision by year’s end.
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![Death and Disorder: A Vivian Wexler Galactic Mystery by [Patricia Crumpler]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/516ymLx3nVL.jpg)
Vivian Wexler investigates a recent rash of suicides on the planet Sorasol, so peaceful it doesn’t have a word for suicide. As she uncovers an evil alien scheme behind the puzzling deaths, Vivian gets more than she bargains for. Dodging death from an alien underworld, mafia-like aliens want control, addicting her with a mind-body enhancement substance delivered by a small slug-like creature. Their plan backfires. Now smarter and stronger, the improvements offered by the slug opens the door to solving crimes in the galaxy. In Vivian’s quest for justice, is there anyone to help her? Torn between the good she gains from the addiction, and the fact she is addicted, she has to make some life changing choices.
Award-winning author Patricia Crumpler offers a dangerous romp through the galaxy dodging death and weaving through amazingly weird elements. Irresistible and compelling.
My Emotional Turmoil
BJ Cyprian Author Interview
Shadow Resistance follows the lives of three women that quickly become entangled due a series of life changing events. What was the inspiration for the setup to this thrilling novel?
Originally, the novel started out as my personal response to the extreme shift the country saw in November 2016. As a triple minority, I felt a sense of pain, outrage, and confusion when I saw so much of the progress that was achieved virtually undone overnight. The increase in outward hatred towards people classified as “others” that accompanied this shift was also a large portion of my emotional turmoil. I will admit, the very first rough draft began more from a place of anger. However, it is true that time does soothe the mind a bit and I wanted to change my tactics. I felt like perhaps instead of anger, I should come from a place of using historical facts within a (what I hoped) was a gripping fictional plot. I feel like sometimes themes and facts in fiction are much easier received by some who have a hard time seeing the same themes in real life.
Dom, Rose, and Layla are intriguing and well developed characters. What were the driving ideals behind their character development?
I definitely wanted this novel to be female forward, particularly females of color. All three characters are compositions of my outer self, my inner self, and/or people who are close to me. Dom is the character that is the closest to my outer self. Many people who know me personally reach out to me after the first 2-4 chapters and say, “You’re Dom.” I would like to hope most authors use an aspect of themselves and their outlook in their main characters and that it’s not a sign of some weird narcissism on my part. Like Dom I’m an extreme introvert and an empath. Some of the stories of her past are things that actually happened in my life. (I only wish I had her computer ability and money!) While I do have some personality traits of the other two women, Rose is a combination of my wife and another good friend of mine who is an educator. Layla is inspired by my best friend in some ways.
As far as development, I wanted each woman to have their own special skill to bring to the table. I knew I wanted a sci-fi component to the story as I am a pretty big nerd, so I made Dom a tech genius. I also wanted a psychological/behavioral psychology piece. As my wife is a therapist I chose that vessel for Rose. I have known people who have had an eidetic memory in the past, which fascinated me, so I definitely wanted that as well, which I assigned to Layla. As far as their back stories and other character development, those were just as much a surprise to me as they were to the reader. I didn’t plan much of that, it just became organic to the story.
This novel expertly uses history and modern social issues throughout the book to create a thought provoking story. What were some themes you wanted to capture in your novel?
First and foremost, we are all human. When you strip away the labels, the physical, emotional, gender, sexuality differences, we are humans. We focus so much more on trying to be more important and better than others that we forget we are pretty much the same. Actions have consequences, and often those consequences can last for generations. This was what I wanted to get across in the historical component of the novel. If we refuse to acknowledge and accept how history affects the present, we are doomed to repeat it in the future. Another important theme I wanted to embrace was the concept of community. It seems that in today’s social media world, we are connected with everyone but don’t have a true real community of support. Those are probably the major themes for this novel. I touched on others like religion, sexuality, education, policing etc that I hope to go into in future installments.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Currently I’m working on two books. Of course, I have the 2nd installment of Shadow Resistance in the works. However, as I just released this novel less than 6 months ago, I don’t want to rush the production of the 2nd book. I am piecing out the main arc before I take it up in earnest. (But rest assured the cliffhanger is handled within the first few chapters.) I’m also working on another standalone mystery/thriller surrounding a grief support group. I don’t have an expected release date for either. I want to make sure they are up to the same caliber or better than my first novel, but I hope one will be ready to go by Q4 2020.
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In this intriguing, page-turning, and slyly humorous tale, readers will find themselves pulling for three unforgettable women confronted with an unusual opportunity to address age-old social, political, racial, and economic hot-button topics. Dominique “Dom” Samuels is a wealthy, reclusive computer genius living a life full of anxiety evoked by tragedy. Her acute awareness of the injustices suffered by minority communities makes a logic-based artificial intelligence program of her own creation preferable to people. Until, that is, a man appears on her doorstep with an ingenious idea that turns her isolated existence upside down.Rose Jenkins is a tough but compassionate urban school counselor with a mission to protect at-risk youth from the heartbreak of drugs and violence that took away two of her brothers. When another brother, Robert, is released from prison, healthy and free from his addiction, he opens her eyes to a mysterious group with an entirely new take on social justice. Layla Green is a police crime scene technician who finds herself at the scene of a grisly murder with no physical evidence and an unidentifiable victim. Then Layla’s eidetic memory zeroes in on one solitary clue — a video game console. When a stranger helps Layla and her partner, Rachel Vasquez, access the console’s protected files, things take a twist none of them could have predicted.Shadow Resistance leads its readers on an innovative, thought-provoking journey — and to a new take on timely social topics. Even as this book serves up its compelling story, it delivers an invitation to step into the shoes of those who may be different by remembering the humanity of others.
LITERARY TITAN 