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Linda O. Johnston Featured Author of the Month

July 14, 2022 by in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as , , , , ,

Linda O. Johnston enjoys writing, romance, puzzles, and dogs.

A former lawyer, Linda is now a full-time writer and has published 57 books so far, including mysteries and romantic novels. She has written several cozy mystery series including the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries and Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink, and the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries and Pet Rescue Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. She also writes romances for Harlequin, including Harlequin Romantic Suspense. Writing as Lark O. Jensen, her latest release is Bear Witness from Crooked Lane Books. No matter what name she uses, nearly all Linda’s current stories involve dogs!

In addition to blogging for A Slice of Orange on the 6th of every month, Linda blogs at Killer HobbiesKiller Characters, and Writerspace. Linda was interviewed by Jann Ryan, you can read all about it in Linda O. Johnston—Mysteries, Romantic Suspense and So Much More!

Linda enjoys hearing from readers. Visit her website at www.LindaOJohnston.com or friend her on Facebook.


A Few of Linda’s Many Books

UNDERCOVER COWBOY DEFENDER

Buy now!
UNDERCOVER COWBOY DEFENDER

SHIELDING COLTON’S WITNESS

Buy now!
SHIELDING COLTON’S WITNESS

HOUNDS ABOUND

Buy now!
HOUNDS ABOUND

THE MORE THE TERRIER

Buy now!
THE MORE THE TERRIER

BEAGLEMANIA

Buy now!
BEAGLEMANIA

GUARDIAN K-9 ON CALL

Buy now!
GUARDIAN K-9 ON CALL

BEAR WITNESS

Buy now!
BEAR WITNESS
UNDERCOVERING COLTON’S FAMILY SECRETS

HER UNDERCOVER REFUGE

Buy now!
HER UNDERCOVER REFUGE
COLTON FIRST RESPONDER (The Coltons of Mustang Valley)

THE SOLDIER’S K-9 MISSION

Buy now!
THE SOLDIER’S K-9 MISSION
COLTON 911: CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE

FOR A GOOD PAWS

Buy now!
FOR A GOOD PAWS

VISIONARY WOLF (Alpha Force)

Buy now!
VISIONARY WOLF (Alpha Force)

TRAINED TO PROTECT

Buy now!
TRAINED TO PROTECT

PROTECTOR WOLF

Buy now!
PROTECTOR WOLF

BAD TO THE BONE

Buy now!
BAD TO THE BONE

COVERT ALLIANCE

Buy now!
COVERT ALLIANCE

TO CATCH A TREAT

Buy now!
TO CATCH A TREAT

PICK AND CHEWS

Buy now!
PICK AND CHEWS

UNLUCKY CHARMS

Buy now!
UNLUCKY CHARMS

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Linda O. Johnston Featured Author of the Month

July 7, 2022 by in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as , , , , ,

Linda O. Johnston enjoys writing, romance, puzzles, and dogs.

A former lawyer, Linda is now a full-time writer and has published 57 books so far, including mysteries and romantic novels. She has written several cozy mystery series including the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries and Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink, and the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries and Pet Rescue Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. She also writes romances for Harlequin, including Harlequin Romantic Suspense. Writing as Lark O. Jensen, her latest release is Bear Witness from Crooked Lane Books. No matter what name she uses, nearly all Linda’s current stories involve dogs!

In addition to blogging for A Slice of Orange on the 6th of every month, Linda blogs at Killer HobbiesKiller Characters, and Writerspace. Linda was interviewed by Jann Ryan, you can read all about it in Linda O. Johnston—Mysteries, Romantic Suspense and So Much More!

Linda enjoys hearing from readers. Visit her website at www.LindaOJohnston.com or friend her on Facebook.


A Few of Linda’s Many Books

UNDERCOVER COWBOY DEFENDER

Buy now!
UNDERCOVER COWBOY DEFENDER

SHIELDING COLTON’S WITNESS

Buy now!
SHIELDING COLTON’S WITNESS

HOUNDS ABOUND

Buy now!
HOUNDS ABOUND

THE MORE THE TERRIER

Buy now!
THE MORE THE TERRIER

BEAGLEMANIA

Buy now!
BEAGLEMANIA

GUARDIAN K-9 ON CALL

Buy now!
GUARDIAN K-9 ON CALL

BEAR WITNESS

Buy now!
BEAR WITNESS
UNDERCOVERING COLTON’S FAMILY SECRETS

HER UNDERCOVER REFUGE

Buy now!
HER UNDERCOVER REFUGE
COLTON FIRST RESPONDER (The Coltons of Mustang Valley)

THE SOLDIER’S K-9 MISSION

Buy now!
THE SOLDIER’S K-9 MISSION
COLTON 911: CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE

FOR A GOOD PAWS

Buy now!
FOR A GOOD PAWS

VISIONARY WOLF (Alpha Force)

Buy now!
VISIONARY WOLF (Alpha Force)

TRAINED TO PROTECT

Buy now!
TRAINED TO PROTECT

PROTECTOR WOLF

Buy now!
PROTECTOR WOLF

BAD TO THE BONE

Buy now!
BAD TO THE BONE

COVERT ALLIANCE

Buy now!
COVERT ALLIANCE

TO CATCH A TREAT

Buy now!
TO CATCH A TREAT

PICK AND CHEWS

Buy now!
PICK AND CHEWS

UNLUCKY CHARMS

Buy now!
UNLUCKY CHARMS

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Kathleen Kaska—Mystery Author!!

July 2, 2022 by in category Jann says . . . tagged as ,

Kathleen Kaska is the awarding-winning author of the Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series set in the 1950s and the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series. Her first two Lockhart mysteries, Murder at the Arlington and Murder at the Luther, were selected as bonus books for the Pulpwood Queen Book Group, the country’s largest book group. She also writes mystery trivia, including The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book. Her Holmes short story, “The Adventure at Old Basingstoke,” appears in Sherlock Holmes of Baking Street. She is the founder of The Dogs in the Nighttime, the Sherlock Holmes Society of Anacortes, Washington, a scion of The Baker Street Irregulars.

Kathleen is a writing coach. She helps new writers get started, hone their skills, and coaches them on their publishing journey. She also edits and evaluates manuscripts and book proposals.

Jann: Where did you get your ideas for the Sydney Lockhart and Kate Caraway series?

 Kathleen: My husband and I often spend Thanksgiving week at the historic Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  On one of those trips, I met Sydney Lockhart while unpacking.  She walked out of the bathroom and told me she was not happy because there was a dead man in her bathtub.  Then she told me her story.  All I had to do was write it down.  By the end of that week, I had the skeletal structure for the series.

I started writing the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series because I wanted to write a series with a social cause—a cause I was passionate about.  I strongly believe in and support animal rights.  At that time I came up with the idea, I was living in Austin, where I volunteered as a rehabber for Wild Life Rescue, an organization that raised and cared for injured and orphaned wildlife.  I used that experience as the premise for my books.

Jann: Your award-winning Sydney Lockhart mystery series is set in the 1950s.  How much research did you do before beginning the series?

Kathleen: I grew up in the 1950s, so I have a strong sense of what that decade was like, but I needed to familiarize myself with the fashion, music, lingo, and social norms.  So I read several books set in the fifties and watched movies and old TV shows.

Since each book is set in an actual historic hotel, I need to get a feel for the location, which means spending time there and delving into the hotel’s history. I interview the concierge or general manager, who can usually dig up juice tidbits for me. Then I visit the local newspaper office and the library to read back issues to find out what was doing on in the early 1950s.

The Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the setting for the first Sydney Lockhart mystery, has a history display that dates back to the hotel’s conception in 1875.  The Luther Hotel in Palacios, Texas (second book), owned by the same family since the 1930s, has an entire room of scrapbooks, photos, and other memorabilia, like letters from Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson, who stayed there often.  The town of Palacios also has a museum, which was a great source of wealth.  Research for Murder at the Galvez was easy because I spend a lot of time in Galveston, Texas.  My husband was born on the island, so I picked his brain about what he remembered about life in the 1950s.

Jann: Tell us about Sydney Lockhart, your main character.

Kathleen: Sydney Jean Lockhart is a twenty-nine-year-old reporter from Houston, Texas.  She grew up in the Bayou City and move to Austin to attend the University of Texas.  As a young college student during World War II, Sydney began admiring the young, brave women who became the backbone of the country’s workforce.  A Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) poster hung in her dorm room, and when she wasn’t elbow-deep in science-education classes, Sydney attended women’s rights rallies.  She vowed to stay single and independent, having turned down her first marriage proposal at age eighteen.  Having two wacky parents as marital role models also kept Sydney away from the altar.  After graduation, Sydney landed a job as a travel writer for the Austin American.  She discovered she was much better at solving crimes and eventually hooked up with ex-police detective Ralph Dixon.  They joined forces and opened their own detective agency.

Jann: On June 26th, Murder at the Menger made its debut.  What challenges have you set for Sydney?

Kathleen: Since the first book, Sydney has grown and changed a lot in a short time.  In Murder at the Menger, she’s questioning some of the personal and professional decisions she’s made.  She begins to doubt herself and doubt Dixon’s loyalty.  And for this case, Sydney starts out working alone in an unfamiliar city, San Antonio.  To make matters worse, she is attacked and left for dead.  She survived the incident, but her head injury resulted in amnesia causing her to remember only snatches of the case she was working on and why she was in San Antonio.  But her life back in Austin is a complete blur, and she doesn’t know who she can trust. I also made her a murder suspect.

Jann: How many books do you have planned for this series?

Kathleen: I’ll keep writing Sydney mysteries as long as I enjoy it and people enjoy reading them.  I have a list of hotels I plan to use.  Murder at the Pontchartrain is the next one up.  It takes place at the Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans, one of my favorite cities.  It will be released early in 2023.

Jann: Later this summer, the third Kate Caraway animal rights mystery, Eagle Crossing, will be available.  What trouble will she be riding into?

Kathleen: Kate Caraway and her husband, Jack Ryder, are on Lopez Island in Washington State, visiting an old friend who owns a wildlife rescue facility called Eagle Crossing.  They hope to relax and recuperate after the previous machinations Kate was involved in in A Two Horse Town.  But, of course, that doesn’t happen.  Before Kate can unwind, trouble begins.  A family gathering and celebration turns tragic.  Soon three people are murdered, and an attempt is made on her life.

Jann: The first book in the series, Run Dog Run, made the Chanticleer International Book shortlist for best mystery.  That had to be exciting.  What are your plans for this series?

Kathleen: The subplot in the Kata Caraway series deals with Kate’s desire to return to Kenya, where she has an Elephant research camp.  However, because of her involvement with poachers, she was forced to leave the country at the beginning of Run Dog Run.  It might be time in book four to send her back to Africa.

Jann: What do you want readers to come away with after these two series?

Kathleen: In reading the Sydney Lockhart series, I want readers to sit back, laugh, and enjoy the ride.  After reading my Kate Caraway series, I hope folks will consider supporting a social cause, whether it’s saving whales, rescuing dogs, or improving the environment.

Jann: Do you find yourself returning to certain themes in your stories?  What?  Why?

Kathleen: The theme for both series is strong women standing up for their beliefs. I love reading about woman going above and beyond the norm and accomplishing great undertakings and overcoming unbelievable obstacles.

Jann: What’s the best writing advice you ever received?  What’s the worst?

 Kathleen: The best: finish your manuscript, polish it, and then look for a publisher or agent.  In other words, do not put the cart before the horse.  And always, read, read, read.

The worst: if your first book isn’t a bestseller, don’t write your second.  I scoffed at that one.

Jann: How do you stay motivated?  What drives you to keep writing?

Kathleen: I write because I love to, so the motivation is always there.

Jann: What are you dying to try next?

 Kathleen: After an amazing trip to Egypt I came up with an idea about writing a historical novel set in ancient Egypt. I have the research books on my shelf, now I just need to schedule time to write it.

Jann: Where can we get your books?

Kathleen: My books are traditionally published, so they are available at most bookstores.  If they aren’t on the shelf, they can be ordered.  They are also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, my website, and my publisher’s website.

https://anamcara-press.com/product/murder-at-the-menger/

Jann: Do you have a website, blog, or Twitter where fans might read more about you and your books?

Kathleen: I do. I have a blog series called “Growing Up Catholic in a Small Texas Town, which can be found on my author website. “Five-Minute Writing Tips” can be found on my coaching website.

http://www.kathleenkaska.com

https://metaphorwritingcoach.com/

https://twitter.com/KKaskaAuthor

http://www.facebook.com/kathleenkaska

https://www.instagram.com/kathleenkaska/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-kaska-942aa511/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/178776.Kathleen_Kaska

https://www.bookbub.com/search/authors?search=Kathleen%20Kaska

https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B001K88UMQ

Jann: Do you ever run out of ideas?  If so, how did you get past that?

Kathleen: Thankfully, no.  I just seem to run out of time.

Jann: What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

Kathleen: After graduating college, instead of finding a real job, I packed two suitcases, put everything else in storage, and moved to New York City with my dog.  I had no job and no place to live.  I was too naive to believe I couldn’t do it.  It only took me one day to find an apartment and one week to find a job.  Living in New York City had always been my dream.  Growing up in a small town of 2,000 in Central Texas, I wanted desperately to experience big city life, and what better place to do it than Manhattan.  I stayed for a year and a half before returning to Austin to begin my teaching career.

Thank you, Kathleen, for taking time to share your writing life with us here at A Slice of Orange. You have created two fabulous mystery series!!

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Linda O. Johnston Featured Author

July 1, 2022 by in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as , , , , ,

Linda O. Johnston enjoys writing, romance, puzzles, and dogs.

A former lawyer, Linda is now a full-time writer and has published 57 books so far, including mysteries and romantic novels. She has written several cozy mystery series including the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries and Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink, and the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries and Pet Rescue Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. She also writes romances for Harlequin, including Harlequin Romantic Suspense. Writing as Lark O. Jensen, her latest release is Bear Witness from Crooked Lane Books. No matter what name she uses, nearly all Linda’s current stories involve dogs!

In addition to blogging for A Slice of Orange on the 6th of every month, Linda blogs at Killer HobbiesKiller Characters, and Writerspace. Linda was interviewed by Jann Ryan, you can read all about it in Linda O. Johnston—Mysteries, Romantic Suspense and So Much More!

Linda enjoys hearing from readers. Visit her website at www.LindaOJohnston.com or friend her on Facebook.


A Few of Linda’s Many Books

UNDERCOVER COWBOY DEFENDER

Buy now!
UNDERCOVER COWBOY DEFENDER

SHIELDING COLTON’S WITNESS

Buy now!
SHIELDING COLTON’S WITNESS

HOUNDS ABOUND

Buy now!
HOUNDS ABOUND

THE MORE THE TERRIER

Buy now!
THE MORE THE TERRIER

BEAGLEMANIA

Buy now!
BEAGLEMANIA

GUARDIAN K-9 ON CALL

Buy now!
GUARDIAN K-9 ON CALL

BEAR WITNESS

Buy now!
BEAR WITNESS
UNDERCOVERING COLTON’S FAMILY SECRETS

HER UNDERCOVER REFUGE

Buy now!
HER UNDERCOVER REFUGE
COLTON FIRST RESPONDER (The Coltons of Mustang Valley)

THE SOLDIER’S K-9 MISSION

Buy now!
THE SOLDIER’S K-9 MISSION
COLTON 911: CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE

FOR A GOOD PAWS

Buy now!
FOR A GOOD PAWS

VISIONARY WOLF (Alpha Force)

Buy now!
VISIONARY WOLF (Alpha Force)

TRAINED TO PROTECT

Buy now!
TRAINED TO PROTECT

PROTECTOR WOLF

Buy now!
PROTECTOR WOLF

BAD TO THE BONE

Buy now!
BAD TO THE BONE

COVERT ALLIANCE

Buy now!
COVERT ALLIANCE

TO CATCH A TREAT

Buy now!
TO CATCH A TREAT

PICK AND CHEWS

Buy now!
PICK AND CHEWS

UNLUCKY CHARMS

Buy now!
UNLUCKY CHARMS

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Prolific Mystery Author Emily Brightwell Reveals Her Writing Process

October 2, 2021 by in category Writing tagged as , , , ,

Emily Brightwell was born in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. Her family moved to Southern California in 1959 and she grew up in Pasadena. After graduating from California State University at Fullerton, she decided to work her way around the world and took off for England. She didn’t get any further than that because she met the man who would become her husband in Leeds, Yorkshire, married in 1976 in California, and later had two children.

While working in international shipping in Long Beach, she decided to pursue her dream and become a writer—which, of course, is the best job ever. To date, Emily has written over fifty novels in three genres—romance, young Adult and of course, mystery.

Emily lives in Carson City, Nevada and is currently working on “Mrs. Jeffries Aims to Win” the 41st book in the series.

I’m excited to have multi-published author Emily Brightwell here with us today. The 40th novel in her fabulous Mrs. Jeffries Victorian London Mystery Series will make its debut on November 16th!! Mrs. Jeffries and the Midwinter Murders has Mrs. Jeffries and Inspector Gerald Witherspoon hot on the path to solve their latest murder case.

Jann: As a multi-published author, is it hard to keep the books fresh and engaging?

Emily: Keeping a long-running series fresh isn’t easy, but it’s loads of fun. I’ve written forty “Mrs. Jeffries” books and I’m currently working on number forty-one. Where does my inspiration come from? It comes from everywhere, from newspapers, books, social media, magazines, and most of all real life. I’m a news junkie and lest you think that the news of today couldn’t possibly provide any insight into how the Victorians lived, loved and murdered, you’d be dead wrong. People haven’t changed.

Whether we live in Victorian England or modern America, we’re driven by the same emotions today as we’ve always been; love, hate, envy, greed, fear, jealousy, obsession. Every emotion they had, we have. When I sit down to write, I pinpoint the underlying emotion that drives my killer and work from there. For example, take the idea of ‘greed’ as a motive for murder. There are hundreds of ways that ‘greed’ can be used in any time period—from a Victorian wife who murders her husband for his money to a tech company billionaire who wronged his original partners so he could have it all.

Jann: What is your writing process and has it changed with all the new writing programs?

Emily: My process hasn’t really changed and I don’t use any of the ‘new writing programs’.  Here’s how I do it. Once I have my motive, I then branch out to other aspects of the manuscript; characters, milieu, sub plots, red herrings, identifying internal as well as external conflicts for everyone, including the killer! As I said, it’s loads of fun and I’ve enjoyed it immensely.

I believe effective writing requires conflict in every scene…you’ll notice I said ‘conflict’ not confrontation. Constant arguing is just tiresome, but conflict, done properly, carries the reader through the scene and leaves them wanting more. Conflict can be argumentative, but the most effective use is to give your characters goals in opposition to one another. For example, Phyllis, Inspector Witherspoon’s housemaid, is saving her wages to open her own detective agency. When she learns that another character, Wiggins, is planning the same thing, there is immediate conflict between them. Phyllis feels someone she trusted has stolen her idea. A typical alpha male’s behavior! She now has a goal in opposition to him—mainly beating him at every turn in the search for information. Wiggins, on the other hand, feels that wanting the same thing would bring them close—as partners. When he realizes it hasn’t and that she’s working extra hard ‘best’ him, he develops his own way of dealing with the situation. It’s a double ‘goals in opposition’ as Wiggins is just a bit in love with Phyllis. Man versus woman—a cliche but it works!

Jann: Do you have any writing rituals? Schedule?

Emily: I often get asked what is the first thing I do before starting work on a new Mrs. Jeffries manuscript? I indulge in the one ritual I’ve had since the beginning. I call it “The Ritual Cleaning of the Office.” Yup, by the time one Mrs. Jeffries book is finished and I’m on to the next one, my desk is covered with notebooks, stacks of paper, piles of research books, sticky notes on every surface and usually cat hair on my chair. But once my office is cleansed, I get to work.

Jann: Do you find yourself returning to certain themes in your stories? Why?

Emily: Over the years, I’ve experimented with a number of different writing processes and I’ve finally hit upon one that works well for my personality. That’s a process I think every writer has to endure before finding what works for them. Maybe some have the gift of plotting an entire book in their head before page one but I don’t. Anyway, I digress so back to my process, which begins with me coming up with a theme. It isn’t one that you had to write in high school English. It’s something real and personal to you, the author. It can be something simple: the truth always comes to light or old sins have long memories. But it has to be something meaningful to you—a topic that illustrates what you want to tell the world. Before you say ‘but isn’t it just a story?’ Of course, it is. The main function of genre fiction is to entertain your readers, but stories also need to have a point of view about the world you’re creating. A POV that you genuinely believe in and that has some universal validity. But I’m digressing again, let’s get back to my process. After the theme, I do a character list with age, social class, physical description and a motive for wanting the victim dead. This list isn’t written in stone and frequently changes as I work through the manuscript. Then I do my favorite part; the crime-line. This is single spaced, often many pages long and follows the killer from the moment he/she decides to commit murder to the steps he/she takes to do the actual deed. It is an important part of my process and like the character list, can change as I write the book. Once those bits are completed, I dive onto page one, cross my fingers and hope readers will like it.

Jann: Have you ever suffered writer’s block?

Emily: Once I’m in the book, I try to write at least five pages a day—sometimes more, but occasionally, if I’m stuck, less. Yes, I do get stuck sometimes…I don’t know any writer that doesn’t. But I’ve never had a full-blown case of writer’s block (and hopefully never will), so I’m very grateful to be spared that misery. I know writers that have endured the dreaded block and sometimes it takes weeks, months or even years to get back to work. Writing is the best job in the world but there are some days when your characters simply won’t do what you they’re told! That’s when I go for a walk. I love being a writer and I can’t think of any other job that would give me so much joy…except maybe being a zookeeper for penguins. That looks like a great job too.

I love my characters and how they have grown and changed, how they have surprised and astounded me but one day, I want to expand a bit and do some other projects. Okay, I’ll admit to another guilty secret. I have a ‘fun book’. It’s a thriller, a romance, a science fiction saga and totally non-commercial as it doesn’t fit into any marketing or publishing niche. But I write in it every day and it helps me to keep the “Mrs. Jeffries Series” fresh. It lets me stretch as a writer and that’s a good thing (to paraphrase Martha Stewart). I’ve done romance, mystery and teen angst but there are always great ideas and stories out there waiting to be told. I’m hoping to be able to tell some of these tales for a long, long time.

Jann: Emily, thank you for spending time with us here on A Slice of Orange. Congratulations with your 40th book!! What an amazing achievement. Wishing you many more.


MRS. JEFFRIES AND THE MIDWINTER MURDERS
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