Bestselling Authors John Douglas and Mark Olshaker

John Douglas is best known to the general public for his groundbreaking work in criminal profiling. While an FBI agent he served as a SWAT Team sniper and later as a hostage negotiator. In 1977 he transferred to the Behavioral Sciences Unit where taught hostage negotiation and criminal psychology at the FBI academy. He is also credited with creating the FBI’s Criminal Profiling Program. Though now a widely embraced law enforcement tool, criminal profiling in its infancy was not warmly welcomed in the too often tradition-minded ranks of law enforcement (as a retired police chief, I know how accurate that statement is). Douglas had a hill to climb to convince police that profiling worked. His unbending dedication ultimately opened doors. The accuracy and success of profiling cemented the techniques as a standard. 

Douglas carried his work of profiling killers, describing their habits and anticipating their movements to outlining strategies for the questioning and prosecution of suspects his efforts helped capture. He aided in identifying and apprehending the Green River Killer and consulted on the JonBenet Ramsey murder. To garner insight to the minds of serial killers, he has interviewed Gacy, Bundy, Manson, Speck, and far too many more to list. 

He has written text books on profiling as well as co-authored several non-fiction books, including "Crime Classification Manual: A Standard System for Investigating and Classifying Violent Crimes." He teamed with Mark Olshaker on a number of non-fiction books such as the international bestselling “Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit." 

Mark Olshaker is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, bestselling non-fiction author and critically acclaimed novelist whose research and experience have led to expertise in key issues of public policy, crisis management, and media and public relations. Early in his career he worked for the St. Louis Dispatch and wrote for the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and numerous other recognized publications. He is an advocate for victim’s rights, and his work with the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease led him to co-author “Unnatural Causes” and “Virus Hunter.” 

Though this duo penned a few crime fiction novels (“Broken Wings”), this pair of devoted men have once again united to produce the non-fiction “LAW & DISORDER: The Legendary FBI Profiler’s Relentless Pursuit of Justice,” scheduled to be released March 2013. “Law & Disorder” is an intriguing venture in to the cases that haunt law enforcement and public alike: those cases where justice was denied because of bias, bungling, media, or other influences. Included are Douglas’s own reflections of painful lessons learned and how it feels to take a stand against the tide when you realize the wrong person has been convicted. 

“Law & Disorder” is one of those books we need to read, and then read again.

http://www.johndouglasmindhunter.com/  http://mindhuntersinc.com/author/mark-olshaker/ 

Q) Thank you both for agreeing to answer a few questions. There was a moment where each of you knew your collaboration was feasible. What did you see in the other that made you want to work with him? 

MARK) We often joke that John is a detective pretending to be a writer and I am a writer pretending to be a detective, and so we each respect what the other brings to the mix. Actually, when we became aware of each other was when I approached the FBI on behalf of “Nova,” the PBS science series, to cooperate with us in showing the real story behind such archetypal novels and films as The Silence of the Lambs. During the course of production on what became the Emmy-nominated program Mind of a Serial Killer, which I wrote and co-produced, John and I got to know each other well. Then, when he was preparing to retire from the Bureau, he asked me if I’d like to work with him on a book about his career. I said I would, the result was the best-selling MINDHUNTER: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, and we haven’t stopped since. We turn out to be a good team. We respect each other’s talents and we genuinely like each other. LAW & DISORDER is our eighth book together.  

Q) Mr. Douglas: You really did hit some brick walls when trying to convince law enforcement criminal profiling was a viable tool. What do you believe was the turning point where the average police officer said, “Wow. This works.”? 

JOHN) As soon as the unit was up and running we started getting requests, at first mainly from police chiefs and others who had participated in the FBI’s 11-week National Academy program. But it was really the Atlanta Child Murders case of 1979 to 1982 that really put us on the map. When my colleague Roy Hazelwood and I went down there at the request of the Atlanta Police Department, we found a city under siege, with sixteen unsolved murders and no end in sight. All of the child victims were black and most were boys, and the prevailing thought was a Ku Klux Klan type hate group. 

Once we examined all of the evidence and visited all of the body dumpsites, what we had to say didn’t win us any popularity contests. First: This wasn’t the work of a Klan type hate group. There was nothing symbolic or ritualistic about any of the crimes; nothing public to create the kind of terror and intimidation that these groups strive for. I mean, Klansmen don’t wear white sheets to fade into the woodwork. Second: We were just about positive the UNSUB (unknown subject) was black. The dumpsites were predominantly in black areas of the city and as soon as Roy and I visited them and saw how obviously we stood out as two white guys, we realized a white individual, much less a white group, could not have prowled these neighborhoods without being noticed. And third: While we could connect a lot of these crimes together by behavior and physical evidence, we couldn’t correlate all of them. We concluded that the two girl victims were not killed by the UNSUB or even by the same offender. A number of the other cases were individual murders that were lumped in because of the timing. 

We were convinced we were dealing with a police buff or wannabe and profiled a young black man with a slick come-on who would easily be able to lure these poor and underprivileged children. He would be enticing them with money and or the promise of something to change their lives. We conducted a number of experiments to prove our theories, which are outlined in MINDHUNTER. We were also convinced the UNSUB was closely following the media reporting on the case and we were able to use that to our advantage. 

Through his behavior, we were finally able to predict where his next body dumpsite would be, which is how Wayne B. Williams was caught. Hair and fiber evidence linked him to several of the murders. Then, when he came to trial, I offered strategic advice to the prosecution team. The big hope was that the smooth, confident Williams would take the stand in his own defense, and when he did that, I advised the very talented and incisive assistant district attorney Jack Mallard how to “get to” him and reveal to the jury what this defendant was really like. It worked. Wayne Williams was convicted of two of the murders, and remains in prison to this day. 

After that case, the requests from all over the country multiplied, we were getting foreign requests from around the world as well, and they never stopped growing during the rest of the career with the FBI. 

MARK) John won’t say this about himself, but I will. He became a legendary figure in law enforcement circles to the point where some observers started asking him if was psychic. His response was always, “No, but I wish I was.” It was simply an illustration of Sherlock Holmes coming to life. It all seemed like magic until John would explain each analysis, and then it all made perfect sense – a combination of inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning and some inspiration and imagination based on both innate talent and hard-won experience. 

For example, around the same time John was working the Atlanta Child Murders, he was called into the case of the Trailside Killer in the San Francisco Bay area, centered on Mount Tamalpais State Park overlooking the Golden Gate. The murders of a number of attractive and successful young and middle-aged women whose bodies were found in densely wooded areas was terrorizing the region and making people afraid to go out hiking. After studying the case files and crime scenes, John gave the assembled task force his profile, involving age, background, intelligence level, etc. And then he added, “The killer will have a speech impediment.” Everyone sat in stunned disbelief until he explained his reasoning. And even after that, not everyone took him seriously. 

But when police followed a trail of evidence to David Carpenter, a fifty-year-old industrial arts teacher, he did indeed have a severe stutter. In fact, John’s profile was spot-on in every respect except for age. Interestingly, one victim who survived reported that during her brutal attack, Carpenter’s stutter temporarily disappeared. 

Q) Mr. Douglas: The horror of murder in all its aspects (the crime, victims, and perpetrators) has been a part of your life for so long, I have to ask how you step away from it to maintain your sanity and embrace life. 

JOHN) It’s difficult, and you can’t always do it. I was in my thirties in December 1983 when I collapsed in a Seattle hotel room while working on the Green River Murders. I came down with severe viral encephalitis that basically shut my brain down. I was in a coma at Swedish Hospital for a week and not expected to live. They even picked out my burial spot in a Veterans Cemetery. I was handling so many cases at the same time, travelling so much, feeling this intense pressure from the Bureau and responsibility to all the victims and all the individuals who would become victims if we didn’t take some of these serial killers off the street, I had this premonition something was going to happen to me. In fact, just before I left on the Seattle trip, I took out additional life insurance. Altogether, I was out on disability five months. 

Even beyond situations like that, you realize from time to time how much you internalize what you do. I mean, you don’t come home to the dinner table and have your wife say, “How was your day?” because she knows you’d say something like, “I spent the morning studying crime scene photos from twelve prostitute killings in Rochester and I’m pretty sure the killer is coming back to masturbate over the bodies. I think that’s how we’re going to catch him.” 

Or another example, when our kids were young, I’d be with them in a park or someplace, and I’d suddenly think to myself, This looks just like the stream they pulled those children’s bodies out of down in North Carolina. 

So ultimately, I think, you just have to embrace life and realize there is more good than evil in the world. You have to maintain that perspective, you have to maintain a sense of humor, and you have to try to reassure the gift of every day. 

One thing that has been very meaningful for Mark and me is the relationships we’ve developed with a number of families of murder victims. The FBI doesn’t encourage getting emotionally involved with cases, but in my line of work, you’d have to be pretty insensitive not to. We’ve shared weddings and birthdays and other happy events as well as funerals and memorials. Some of these people have become like family to both of us and our wives. I think they appreciate our understanding that while their lives will never be the same after their horrible losses, that they will never stop grieving and there will never be “closure” – a word most victims hate, by the way – that they are more than just the tragedies that befall them.  

Q) Mr. Olshaker: You keep returning to crime, but your expertise also lies in health. What sparked your interest in virus and disease to become actively involved to a level of national recognition and respect? 

MARK) First of all, I come from a medical family. My late father was a pediatrician and then a psychiatrist who did a stint a St. Elizabeth’s mental hospital and taught part-time at the George Washington University Medical School for fifty years. Both of my brothers are doctors; one in emergency medicine and one in radiology. The radiologist’s wife is a gastroenterologist with a specialty in liver transplantation. So that all might have given me some background. But what I think made me so interested in the subject is that crime and disease have a lot in common. They are two great evils that plague the human race and both are wrapped in mystery. Shortly after the publication of MINDHUNTER, while John and I were getting ready to tackle JOURNEY INTO DARKNESS, I collaborated with Dr. C.J. Peters, a legendary epidemiologist with the Army and later Chief of Special Pathogens for CDC, on VIRUS HUNTER, chronicling his exploits against mysterious and deadly diseases around the world. And I realized that what C.J. and John do are not too dissimilar from each other. Not to overdramatize it, but they are both detectives engaged in single combat against death and injury and pain, or as the docs call it, morbidity and mortality. These men are both specialists – when you have a case that you haven’t seen the likes of before, that is baffling and potentially deadly, these are the guys you want to call in. 

I guess I love the mystery, I love the high drama,  I love the intensity, I love the heroism and I am awed and humbled by the stakes. In both criminal justice and public health, you see the human condition at its extremes; writ large, if you will. Of the three venues in which I have spent most of my career – documentary films, novels and nonfiction books – these are the two subjects I’ve covered in all three; not once but again and again. 

Q) Mr. Olshaker: Your film work has covered history, architecture, science, medicine and drama. On the outside, Mark Olshaker appears to be a complicated, resourceful, driven man. How do you hope your family views him? 

MARK) I suppose what I really hope is that they think of me as someone who is endlessly curious about just about everything. And I’ve been very fortunate in my career as a writer that I have been able to spend so much of my time “living other people’s lives” vicariously. I’m amazed and extremely grateful everyone time a fascinating man or woman lets me “tag along” on his or her career so I can get it right when I write about it. I am a huge fan of both theater and architecture, and have been privileged to be able to write about and produce films with some of the modern greats in each field. And as for history, I think that has to be the central discipline for any writer. 

Addressing your three highly complimentary adjectives: I guess I am driven and I hope I’m resourceful. But as to “complicated,” once you get to know me, I think I’m fairly simple and straightforward. 

Q) Lastly, do either of you have any parting comments for fans or those not familiar with your work? 

JOHN) In some ways, LAW & DISORDER is a departure for us. Our previous books, from MINDHUNTER through THE ANATOMY OF MOTIVE, all had as a general theme the idea of catching the bad guys and delivering justice to victims and their families. THE CASES THAT HAUNT US was kind of a transition, in that we were taking cold murder cases from Jack the Ripper to JonBenet Ramsey and trying, after you clear away all the myth and hype, to figure out what actually happened and didn’t happen. 

When I was in the Bureau and headed up the Investigative Support Group at Quantico, we were overwhelmed by case consultation requests and could only work for the police/prosecution side. Except for rare exceptions like David Vasquez in Virginia, we were not in the exoneration business. But when I retired and started getting consulting requests from both sides, I came to realize that profiling and the kind of behavior-based criminal investigative analysis we had developed was just as applicable in determining who had not committed a given crime as it was in determining who the actual perpetrator might have been. This caused me not only to agree to work for the defense in certain cases, but also to reflect on and re-evaluate a number of cases throughout my career. It’s difficult ever to admit you might have been wrong in a certain case, but if you have gained the insight and perspective to understand why you might have been wrong, that can be a very useful and enlightening experience. Why investigations and prosecutions go bad and what can be done differently is one of the main themes of LAW & DISORDER. It is really a cautionary tale of what happens when theory supersedes evidence and prejudice deposes rationalism. 

MARK) John is referring to a case early in his career, that of the so-called Chicago “Lipstick Killer” William Heirens, whom John interviewed in prison for his serial killer study. Revisiting that case made us both realize that an investigator can only be as good as the evidence and case materials he is presented with. And we’re not saying it’s easy. In the book we present two murder cases, neither of which John worked, in which the convicted defendant went to his execution proclaiming his innocence and declaring that the state was killing a man who had done nothing wrong. Later scientific evidence proved that one of them was, indeed, guilty. In the other case, all of the forensic scientific evidence and data pointed to his innocence. 

On the other hand, the book portrays two major cases John did work – the JonBenet Ramsey murder in Colorado, where he was instrumental in keeping two innocent parents from being charged, and the “West Memphis Three” in Arkansas, where he helped get three innocent men out of prison – one off death row. We also did a complete forensic analysis of the murder of Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy, for which her flat mate Amanda Knox and Amanda’s new boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, were charged, convicted and served harsh prison time. Like the Ramsey case, John was none too popular when he started stating publicly that Amanda and Raffaele were innocent and that their trial had been an egregious miscarriage of justice. And like all of the other cases in the book, these are fascinating, character-driven stories. But the tragedy in each one that compounds the tragedy and horror of the original murders, is that good, evidence-based investigation could have prevented all of those miscarriages justice. 

What we found in each case we examined – and believe me, each one of these is representative of so many others – what each case has in common is that the crime itself fit into a pre-existing attitude or belief system and that ends up directing both the investigation and the media coverage. This attitude or belief system might be held by the police, the prosecutors, the community, the media or practically anyone associated with the case. But if it is not combatted, if objectivity and rationality don’t intervene, the results can be disastrous and justice is buried along with the victims. 

JOHN) And so we end LAW & DISORDER with an enumeration of the factors that lead to bad verdicts and our prescription for how the criminal justice system should be improved to prevent or lessen the chances of this kind of thing happening in the future. We hope all of our readers – those who work in the system as well as members of the general public – will pay attention and join in the public debate.

DA Kentner is an award-winning author www.kevad.net

 

 

 

Playwright and Author Colette Freedman

Colette Freedman is an internationally renowned playwright who also co-authored the edgy thriller novel “The Thirteen Hallows” with bestselling author Michael Scott. She also co-authored the humorous novella “Tennis Dates,” the tale of a woman’s adventures in Internet dating. Colette’s plays have earned her the distinction of being named “One of 50 to Watch” by the Dramatist’s Guild. “Sister Cities,” a black comedy surrounding four sisters who have reunited following the alleged death (I love the “alleged” part) of their mother, received international acclaim and resulted in the film rights being purchased. Movie buffs should keep an eye out for this one. 

In spite of her success and growing fan base as a playwright, Colette couldn’t deny her passion to write novels as well. Currently, she is in the process of novelizing “Sister Cities.” But her love of writing drove her to pen “The Affair,” released Jan 29^th. 

“The Affair” is an outstanding story about three people caught in the events of a disintegrating marriage. Told in three segments, from the viewpoints/perspectives of the wife, husband, and mistress, the reader learns and understands the motivations, hopes, and misguided beliefs that send these people on a journey to find their version of happiness. Interestingly, there is no “bad guy,” just three people we all could know or be, who eventually find themselves confronting each other in a turn of events that causes them to examine not just who they are, but who they aspire to be as individuals and as partners. 

In “The Affair,” Colette’s skills as a storyteller and writer truly shine. The writing is impeccable, the characters believable, the plot intriguing, and the ending…. Well, you’ll just have to find that part out for yourself. Trust me, it isn’t what you expect.

http://colettefreedman.com/ 

Q) I guess my obvious question should be (I apologize for not knowing); is “The Affair” the book version of your play Affari di Cuore (Affairs of the Heart, if I’ve translated that correctly), and if so, what alterations did you have to make to bring this fascinating story to print? If not, did the play serve to inspire this book and how? 

A) The two projects are sisters as it were. They explore the same landscape but the two formats – novel and play – allow me to address the material in different ways. I actually wrote the play before I wrote the novel. Plays come easily to me. I was an actress for many years and developed my skills as a playwright long before I could genuinely call myself a novelist. I got to know the characters three dimensionally, workshopping the play several times in front of audiences, before committing them to the page. The play and the novel are very similar with the biggest difference being the setting. In the play, I went for a style ala Brian Friel’s Molly Sweeney. Each character spends most of the play in their stylized section of the stage delivering monologues to the audience. Occasionally, they cross into each other’s playing areas to create a scene and, during the big denouement, all three are together. What the play does not have is a sense of place. Affairs are universal and, even in the early stages, we knew that this play would work across the world. In the novel however, Boston plays a big role in the story. I set the novel in my favorite city, so I had fun personifying the cold, the energy, the rich history of this city as the backdrop to the story. The city becomes the “stage” against which the characters move and act. 

Q) There’s a huge difference between writing a play and writing a novel. How do you make the mental shift from creating living characters to print characters a reader must see with their mind and not their eyes? 

A) For me, it begins with the characters. If I can “see” them, I can write about them. One of the reasons I love writing plays is because I love actors. I love what they bring to their characters, sometimes above and beyond what I, as the writer, have imagined for them. During the rehearsal process of a play it is a give and take as I work with an actor to create the most authentic and engaging character possible. In a novel, it’s just me. I try to leave enough for the reader to fill in, using their imaginations to fill in the blanks the way actors do in the theatre. But I see everything as a play, so even in writing the novel of The Affair, Stephanie, Robert and Kathy were lifelike characters for me. I knew how tall they were, what they weighed, what they ate for breakfast, what their quirks were, so I just did my best to put that on the page. 

Q) You’re working on the book version of “Sister Cities.” Do you have plans to share your other plays with readers? 

A) I do. I think most stories work in all mediums and when you find a story you love, why not explore all of its incarnations? With Sister Cities, I’ve written the play and the film, now I’m working on the book. With The Affair, I’ve written the book and the play, now I’m working on the film. One of my more successful short plays Ellipses... I am turning into a web series. My short plays Bridesmaid #3 and First to the Egg were both made into a short films. I think the possibilities for stories are endless and if there is room to explore them in different mediums, I want to do that, because each medium enhances, alters or challenges the material. 

Q) You learned “release day” isn’t always flowing champagne, tuxedoes and gowns, in a room filled with excitement that so many of us imagine the life of authors to be. You celebrated at home with two hard boiled eggs and coffee, and then went to work writing. So, I’m curious, considering your success as a playwright. Was the release of your novel as personally fulfilling as you expected? 

A) Unlike the theatre, where you get flowers opening night and are showered with adulations and well wishes, novel releases are less about instant gratification than being in it for the long haul. While the release day itself was fairly underwhelming, the days after it have been quite wonderful. A day doesn’t go by when I don’t get an email, text, Facebook post or tweet that someone has read and loved the book. It’s quite wonderful because everyone reads the book on a different schedule, so it’s kind of like a never ending stream of well wishes. I sincerely hope it continues as people pick up and discover my book. 

Q) “The Affair” will leave readers wanting more from you. Yes, the book is that good. What’s on the horizon? 

A) On the immediate horizon is the sequel to The Affair which takes place ten minutes after The Affair ends. We become deeper embroiled in the lives of the three characters and there are a few surprises which, hopefully, you won’t see coming. 

Q) Any parting comments for fans and potential readers? 

A) I think I have two comments. Readers become writers. I was a reader long before I decided I was going to try it for myself. Perseverance, hard work and not listening to the nay-sayers have paid off. But here’s the thing: it will take me a year to write a book. It take a reader a few hours or days to finish it. Readers are always looking for more books to read. And someone had to write them. And that could be you. 

If you read and enjoy the book, spread the word. I’m discovering more and more that the success of a book, especially one written by someone whose name isn’t Stephen King, J.K. Rowling or Danielle Steel, is about word of mouth. For all potential readers, I encourage you to spread the word, not only about The Affair, but about any book you like. Readers are a really wonderful community and always ravenous for a good read.

DA Kentner is an award-winning author www.kevad.net

 

 

Medieval Romance Author Heather Grothaus

Though Heather Grothaus’s daily life revolves around her family, home, garden, and trying to find ways to utilize the daily supply of eggs her chickens lay (if you have some fun recipes, send them to her), her imagination swirls in the age of half-clothed, sword-wielding warriors roaming the Highlands and the women whose hearts they would die to win. 

Where Heather’s fantasies become reality is not only in her writing, but the recreational enjoyment that doubles as research. When she writes about a warrior’s swagger under the weight of chainmail, a man’s muscles twitching as he hefts a steel broadsword above his head, the cut of cloth, the smell of sweat, hay and horses, she is writing from experience. Heather and her husband enjoy the world of renaissance fairs. Yes, Heather dresses in costume, the majority of which she has made herself. 

Heather’s published author career began with “The Warrior,” the story of a man fighting to regain his stolen lands while having to face the realization that true love can only be found in the half-sister of his bartered wife. Six more books followed. In the course of writing about the masculine and courageous heroes, Heather conjured the three Foxe sisters who decided they wanted their own set of stories centered around their life in Fallstowe Castle and a magical stone circle. 

“Never Kiss a Stranger” introduces Lady Alys to a midnight stranger of mysterious intent and intrigue. In “Never Seduce a Scoundrel,” Lady Cecily is charged with caring for Lord Bellecott during his stay at Fallstowe. But it is his past that provides the danger not just to their future, but their lives. Now it is Sybilla’s turn.  “Never Love a Lord” casts Lady Sybilla in the thankless role of defender of the keep as the king first sends a representative, Julian Griffin, to lay claim to Fallstowe Castle. The attraction between the two is instantaneous, as is their resolve to play out their believed destinies and divided loyalties. 

Heather provides superb tales of romance, betrayal, and daring set in a period of history that has enthralled readers’ imaginations and libidos for decades.

http://www.heathergrothaus.com/ 

Q) What made you decide to go from Renaissance Fair visitor to active participant? 

A) I attended my first fair in "street clothes," and it felt kind of like taking a shower in a hat--just out of place. The prices of ready-made costumes were completely beyond of my budget at the time, so I looked around at craft stores and was happily surprised at the selection of patterns. From that point, I never looked back. 

Q) You’re a former journalist who enjoys reading nonfiction books. So, why write fiction instead of nonfiction? 

A) Mostly because embellishment is generally frowned upon in journalism. With fiction, I can devour a book of history and then take out whatever tickles my imagination to create a unique, breathtaking tale. For instance, in my latest novel, NEVER LOVE A LORD, there is a thread of historical fact running through the plot line of Sybilla's alleged treason. Oh, and the bad guys always get it in my books. Sometimes they really get it, and that's satisfying. 

Q) I’m intrigued with renaissance fairs providing your stories that added touch of realism. Was that by design, or did the two interests meld on their own? 

A) I have loved the time of knights, ladies, and castles since I was a very young girl, and so Ren fairs let me play grown-up pretend in my favorite time period. I've never attended a fair and not uncovered some idea or detail for a story. 

Q) You have mentioned in the past your love of magic, religion and ghosts. Will we see more of that in your work? 

A) Absolutely. I believe life itself is supernatural--the awesome powers of love and hate, questions about where we go when we die, and what that journey might look like, the miracle of new life. Even though my stories are set hundreds of years ago, the characters in them deal with many situations and emotions that we can relate to today. 

Q) I want to point out to readers that you hold your family first. As your author fame increases, how will you ensure you don’t lose that time with your loved ones? 

A) I write in the afternoons, because that's the time of day when Daddy is home, school is over, the house is as clean as it's getting, everyone's been loved on and played with, and I have some idea of what's for dinner. All of those things have to be in order before I write a word because everything flows from my family. They are the reason I can craft a highly character-driven, emotional story, so each book is actually a happy by-product of protecting and nurturing our time together. 

Q) Any parting comments for fans and potential new readers? 

A) I love hearing from readers! Visit me at HeatherGrothaus.com for news of current and upcoming releases.

DA Kentner is an award-winning author www.kevad.net

 

 

Imagination Heals and "Pacha’s Pajamas"

On Feb 22nd, A Forever Recovery and BALANCE Edutainment are bringing together music, sports, and entertainment celebrities such as Jim Brown, Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush, Cathy Rigby, and Leeza Gibbons at the Beverly Hilton to celebrate the launch of the Children’s Hospitals Program “Imagination Heals.” 

Imagination Heals centers on providing inspiration and positive reinforcement at a critical time in a child’s life. This includes but is not limited to music and stories that can reduce depression/anxiety, offer relief from chronic pain, and outpatient visits and inpatient care. To that end, Imagination Heals is donating 10,000 CD’s of “Pacha’s Pajamas,” the story of a young girl whose magical pajamas transport her to a global festival organized for and by plants and animals. The humorous and entertaining musical instills positive messages about the importance of following our dreams, our connection with the natural world and the power of creative expression. 

Every dream come true contains a heart. In this case the dream’s heartbeat belongs to entertainer, author and ecologist Aaron Ableman, aka ANatural, and his multitalented team of entertainers, musicians, a former VP at Atari, marketing specialists, and conservation enthusiasts. “Pacha’s Pajamas” is the culmination of Ableman’s love of helping children, and the beginning of a concerted effort to aid in bringing relief and hope to hospitalized children. Inspired by his mother, a healthcare nurse, Aaron has become a regular at hospitals where he performs for kids who need and deserve a smile.

http://www.perwickstrom.com/ http://balanceedutainment.com/ 

Q) Mr. Wickstrom, you overcame addiction and have devoted your life to helping others find the same freedom. Imagination Heals focuses on children and their battle with health obstacles. What inspired this expansion of your interests? 

A) Shining a light on the efforts of ‘Imagination Heals’ to bring hope and joy to the lives of ill and challenged children throughout the U.S. is the motivation behind this [program]. 

Q) Aaron, through your voluntary efforts at hospitals you obviously display a concern for children. What transformed that concern to “Pacha’s Pajamas” and Imagination Heals? 

A) I grew up around music, storytelling, and the service of others. My mother’s a nurse and my father a farmer/author. Imagination especially music gave me a voice and a way to connect with people. Music and stories were as much a part of my transition from child to adult as growing out of my PJ’s. “Pacha’s Pajamas” provided an entirely new level of connecting with children through the book, the CD, and live performances of the story as well. 

Q) Fifty-five people including celebrities like Mos Def contributed to the CD version of “Pacha’s

Pajamas.” How on earth did you pull that together? 

A) Grace of God, and people who believe as I do that children are the future! I reached out anywhere and everywhere to my entertainment networks and some of my favorite artists responded “YES!” 

Q) What do you think Balance Edutainment, the name under which you and your team work, brings to the table? 

A) Children are uplifted by music and stories. Thanks to people like Per Wickstrom, Jim Brown, Mos Def, and so many others, not the least of whom is our CEO and Executive Producer Dave Room, Balance Edutainment is able to bring top level entertainment to children in the form of books, CDs, web shows, viral videos and live musical productions. Though Imagination Heals is being launched in ten major cities, we hope to see the program expand to any and all places where children could use a little inspiration. That’s our goal. First, last, and everything in between, it’s about the kids. 

Q) What was it about Imagination Heals and “Pacha’s Pajamas” that took you from moral support to active involvement? 

A) The world needs each of us to participate, with whatever gifts we can share. My gift is as a storyteller, a musician and a voice for the planet at this critical time. This work allows me to serve in a big BIG way! 

Q) Aaron, any parting comments for our readers? 

A) Never give up on your dreams and the most powerful nation on earth is the Imagination!

DA Kentner is an award-winning author www.kevad.net

 

 

Author Kat/Jeanette Murray

Kat and Jeanette Murray are the same person writing for different publishers. Wife, mother, and servant to a Goldendoodle, Kat’s entry into serious writing began when her Marine husband had been deployed overseas and the base library ran out of romance novels she hadn’t read. Kat’s solution to the problem on her limited budget? Write her own. True story. So, before we leave this subject, if you, dear readers, live near a military base, call their library and see if they could use some of those books that won’t fit on your shelves, and if they can, see if your neighbors have a box or two to donate as well. 

Because Kat began writing as an outlet for her own enjoyment, she wrote, and continues to write, the stories she enjoys reading most – contemporary romance with strong alpha heroes their ladies can’t resist no matter how hard they try. Where Kat and Jeanette’s story paths differ from the standard is Ms. Murray focuses on the relationship before love enters the picture. Her characters have needs on a level apart from the heart. As such the plots are about relationships of convenience that become strained when one of them falls in love. Heady, emotionally charged stuff. Still, Kat handles the challenge with skill and guarantees a resolve readers will find satisfying. 

“The Game of Love” was Jeanette’s debut novel about a former NFL player now coaching high school football and the pro-tennis player now teacher and coach in the same school. The “Semper Fidelis. Always Faithful.” trilogy soon followed, beginning with “The Officer Says I Do.” Each book centers on one of three Marine officer friends and the not-so-average relationships they encounter with women so wrong, and ultimately, so right for them. 

Kat’s first novel (and Jeanette’s latest release) is “Taking the Reins.” Peyton Muldoon needs a trainer for her failing horse ranch, but whisperer Redford Callahan has no interest in wasting his time with a soon to be defunct enterprise. That is, until Peyton arrives at Redford’s hotel room with a sensual offering he can’t wait to negotiate. Oh yeah. The poor man is in so much trouble. 

If you enjoy well-written contemporary romance with an edge, give Kat and Jeanette Murray a try.

http://www.kat-murray.com/ 

Q) You initially wrote to satisfy your need for romance novels. What made you decide to take your stories public? 

A) After writing and enjoying writing for myself, I just decided it was worth a shot. I was a stay at home mom, and while I liked creating the stories for my own pleasure, I figured there was nothing stopping me from sharing them and doing the research to find a publisher. I had the time, and I had the drive. 

Q) I have to ask: Is your husband home and safe and what are your future plans? Thank you both for his service by the way. 

A) He is home safe, thanks for asking. And you’re welcome, though I know both of us never really consider it service. It’s just his job, one he loves, and I love him so there it is. Future plans are always up in the air in this lifestyle. For now, we just want to continue to focus on keeping our family together whenever possible, and for us to raise our daughter and keep her happy and healthy! 

Q) You also wrote the novella “No Mistletoe Required.” Do you prefer writing the shorter stories or full length novels? 

A) I get a reward from both short stories and full length novels. Novels give me the chance to explore the relationship more, twist more turns into their lives, delve more into a back story or secondary characters. Novellas are more focused, and so they get to the heart of the matter, with a little less drama than a novel, simply because of the lack of words. Usually if I’m feeling the burnout from novels, I try a novella for the change of pace. Literally, novellas have a different pacing, and a different approach to their plots. 

Q) You are very active on Twitter, Facebook – Internet social sites. How important do you think a digital presence has become for authors? 

A) I think digital presence is as important as the author wants it to be, for lack of a better way to say that. I do believe a website is almost required, since fans want a single place where you can list all your releases and the info for them. But social media is what you make of it. If the thought of tweeting makes your teeth grind, it’s not for you. And that’s okay. If you force social media and it’s a chore, people will sense that and it won’t be effective. I only do what I enjoy doing, and I enjoy tweeting and posting on Facebook. I was in college when Facebook started, back when it was ONLY for college people. So I’ve had a Facebook account since the day it literally existed. It’s very natural for me to get on Facebook and cruise. I LOVE when readers reach out to me and ask questions on social media, or just share tidbits about their day with me. That’s why I’m on there, to chat. It’s not static, it’s meant for interactions. 

Q) “Taking the Reins” is actually the first of a planned trilogy. What came first, the characters who would live your story, or the plots? 

A) The characters come first, always. I don’t write suspense (at least not right now) and so what drives my plot, what is at the root of the “conflict” for each book is what the characters are bringing to the table. I like to write characters you could know. I want readers to believe this is happening, that they could head to a horse ranch and meet Red or buy a horse from Peyton because they’re that believable. So the conflict is from the characters themselves. 

Q) Any parting comments for fans and potential new readers? 

A) I’ve been writing for three years now and it still amazes me when someone contacts me to say they’ve read my book and they loved it. I love hearing from readers, so seriously, come on by and say hi. Write me an email from my contact page on my website, or tweet at me (@KJMurrayBooks) or leave a post on my Facebook wall. I always try to respond, and I love it.

DA Kentner is an award-winning author www.kevad.net

 

 

 

 

 

Paranormal Romance Author Lexi George

I don’t have a list of favorite romance authors. But, if I did, Lexi George would join Victoria Alexander in my top five. 

When I first encountered Lexi’s work, my aged brain instantly flashed to Carol Burnett tugging her ear in loving respect to her grandmother after just bringing an audience to side-splitting laughter. Lexi is like that. Her writing is witty, sometimes laugh out loud funny (“Being a zombie sucks. It’s hard to feel sexy when you’re bloated and starting to smell.”) and yet, warm and sensual with a promise of a happy ever after. Lexi also eviscerates demons that hide in the shadows. So, yeah, I guess that’s where any comparison between the two personalities needs to end. 

An appellate attorney by trade, Lexi grew up in an Alabama rural community where the general store supplied everything a barefoot little girl could want, including jars of pickled eggs. Her childhood home sat near the railroad tracks and Lexi admits to a continued fondness for long train whistles embracing the night. She also confesses to the church library being one of her favorite writing hideaways to escape the loving interruptions of her husband, children, and dogs. 

Lexi’s work first appeared in the anthology “So I Married a Demon Slayer.” Readers demanded more, and Lexi eagerly responded with her debut novel “Demon Hunting in Dixie,” the story of a warrior, a demon, and the girl next door. “Demon Hunting in the Deep South” followed with previous secondary characters taking center stage as the heroine and hero in what has become a thoroughly enjoyable, funny, romantic, and extremely well-written series. 

“Demon Hunting in a Dive Bar,” the third offering, is now set for release. Half demon Rebekah runs a club replete with a vegetarian flesh-eater, a musical ghost seeking a piano bar, and a demon-hunter who has ensnared Rebekah’s full attention. The fact the warrior is looking to kill Rebekah’s buddies bent on destroying the remaining demon-hunters might be a bump in the road to romance. 

If you enjoy demonic characters, ultra-sexy heroes, and romance laced with fresh humor and tightly crafted plots, definitely pick up a Lexi George book.

http://www.lexigeorge.com/ 

Q) Your southern community roots shine through in your work and add a subtle but sincere charm to the characters and settings. Is this something you plan during the writing stage or a natural flow? 

A) I'd have to say it's more of a natural flow. For years, when I attended writing conferences and craft classes, I heard the adage "write what you know." I thought, because I'm a lawyer, that it meant I had to write about the law, which held about as much appeal for me as taking a nap in an ant bed. It wasn't until I started writing the demon hunter series that I had a big 'duh' moment. You see, for me, writing what I know means small towns and the South. Although I briefly lived in NYC with my husband the first year we were married, I was born and raised in a small town and I've lived in a small town for the past 22 years. The Southern part is in my bones and inseparable as wet from water. 

Q) The obvious question: Given your experience in playhouse productions (she met her husband while performing Oliver), why paranormal and not a more traditional style of romance? 

A) I will tell you a secret: I LOVE historical romance! I cut my teeth on Georgette Heyer, but I've always loved magic, too. The first book I wrote (and never sold) was a fantasy romance with hunky warriors, wizards, demons, and trolls. So, when I set out to write a romance, the paranormal element worked for me. The thing I love about writing paranormal is the freedom it brings. Anything can (and does!) happen in Hannah, because of the magic, and I love that. It's exciting to write, and it’s natural for me because I've always loved myths and fairy tales. 

And I will tell you another secret: I write paranormal, but a bigger chicken never lived! To this day, I have never seen The Exorcist. Too big a scaredy cat. I'm like the Cowardly Lion in the wizard of Oz: "I do believe in spooks. I do, I do, I DO!!" 

Q) Your novels are standalone (books that can be read without reading any others in the series), yet, “Demon Hunting in a Dive Bar” ends with a hook leading into the next book and new characters. Sometimes readers object to cliffhangers, so, why do it? 

A) Good question! When I wrote Demon Hunting in Dixie, it was with a series in mind. I have a lot of characters and story lines whirling around in my head, and ending the book with a hook is one way to let the reader (and me!) know that the story isn't finished. There's a lot going on in Hannah, Alabama; too much to fit into one book. And I love the continuity and the recurring wacky characters. Tickles my funny bone. 

Q) I love your humor. Where do you believe your sense of humor comes from? 

A) My dad was a dear, sweet, funny man who made me laugh. If I got a sense of humor, it's from him. Also, I was a very awkward teenager. Too tall, too skinny, with gi-normous skinny feet. Think Olive Oyl without the bun. I think humor is a defense mechanism for a lot of people, including me. Laugh WITH me, instead of AT me.

Another factor is the work I do. I'm a criminal appellate lawyer for a large state agency, which means I read criminal transcripts all day long. Transcripts that describe, in great detail, the rude things people do to one another. Humor is my way of coping with the dark and uncomfortable. 

Q) You traveled the traditional publishing route, amassing many rejections along the way before finding a home with Kensington Books, instead of turning to e-publishing or self-publishing. What was behind that decision? 

A) Pure unadulterated stubbornness! I started writing more than 15 years ago and, from the start, I dreamed of walking into a bookstore and seeing my work on the shelf. With that goal in mind, I just kept plugging away. One hundred and forty-five rejections later, I made it! I got my contract with Kensington in 2010, right as ebook sales took off. 

Q) Any parting comments for fans or those yet to read your stories? 

A) I am thrilled and humbled to get the opportunity to share my stories with others. It's a dream I dreamed, but wasn't sure would ever come true. And I hope I make you laugh!

DA Kentner is an award-winning author www.kevad.net