The Next Big Thing Blog Hop: AVENGERS OF BLOOD

Charles Dougherty

Last week, fellow writer Charles Dougherty (@clrdougherty on Twitter) invited me to participate in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. 

If you haven't met Charles, stop by his blog. And if you haven't read his books, give them a try. I've read DECEPTION IN SAVANNAH and enjoyed it - it's a great mystery with quirky characters (even a raccoon with a personality) and it'll have you laughing out loud!

You'll find links to six other fabulous authors at the bottom of this post. Follow the links on February 7, 2013 to learn more about their works.


 

1) What is the working title of your book?

AVENGERS OF BLOOD. It's the second book in the Cass Elliot crime series.


(AVENGERS OF BLOOD is now live on Amazon! Get it here.)

 
2) Where did the idea for the book come from?

The idea for AVENGERS OF BLOOD came to me after I read about James Byrd Jr.'s murder in Jasper, Texas back in 1998. His death was atrocious, but even more than his killing, it was his family's reaction that caught my attention. They chose to forgive his killers, even asking that the two who received the death penalty have their sentences changed to life without parole.

AVENGERS OF BLOOD isn't a book about James Byrd Jr. or his family. Instead, it asks what would happen if someone chose vengeance instead of forgiveness. If you want to read more about how the novel came to be, read this post.


3) What genre is your book?

It's a crime thriller.


4) What actors would you choose to play the characters in a movie rendition?

Oooh, this is a hard one. Each of my characters is fully formed in my head, but finding the right person to fit that image is tough! I picture Cass Elliot as a Kate Mara or Jennifer Lawrence kind of gal. 

Kate Mara

I can see Matthew McConaughey as Mitch Stone, although he might have to put on a little weight. Just a smidge. He's an East Texas boy, so he's got the accent down and he could probably pull together Mitch's swagger and vulnerability. 

My editor recommended Harrison Ford for Sheriff Bill Hoffner - yup, that would definitely work. 

Harrison Ford

5) What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

A horrific triple murder, a crime without punishment, and memories that will not be silenced.

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Self-published.


7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

About 90 days for the first draft and another 45 for editing.


8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Probably Karin Slaughter's Grant County series. They're gritty crime thrillers with a strong, flawed female lead.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

This story has been nagging at me for years, but the plot is a bit complicated and I wasn't sure I could pull it off. It involves two sets of individuals who are seeking vengeance from the same people, but for different reasons. Things get nasty when their paths cross. When I finished THE DEVIL OF LIGHT, I talked the plot for AVENGERS OF BLOOD over with my husband, and he encouraged me to try writing it.


10) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?

If you've read THE DEVIL OF LIGHT, you know that the book ends without full resolution: some of the bad guys get away, a character's life hangs in the balance, and Cass Elliot's future as a Forney County Detective is uncertain. Some of those loose ends are tied up in AVENGERS OF BLOOD, and others continue to weave through the series storyline (yup, Hitch and the old man still linger...).

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And now to introduce six great authors - in no particular order. Remember to check out their Next Big Thing posts on February 7, 2013:

Wendy Potocki (@WPotocki) - horror author, her most recent is the second book in the Adduné series - The House of Cards

Douglas Wickard (@DouglasWickard) - author of the Sami Saxton thriller series 

Joseph Souza (@josephsouza3) - author of The Living Dead Trilogy 

Teri Heyer (@TeriHeyer) - poet and author of contemporary and paranormal romance, her most recent is Bayou Blues and Other Sorrows

Ron Dahle (@chrningcauldron) - author of The Churning Cauldron paramilitary novels

David Perlmutter (@davepperlmutter) - author of true story Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Cover Reveal: AVENGERS OF BLOOD

The cover for AVENGERS OF BLOOD, the second book in the Cass Elliot crime series, has just been finalized and I am tickled with it:

The story revolves around two sets of individuals who are seeking vengeance from the same people, but for different reasons. Things get nasty when their paths cross in Forney County.

If you've read THE DEVIL OF LIGHT, you know that the book ends without full resolution: some of the bad guys get away, a character's life hangs in the balance, and Cass Elliot's future as a Forney County Detective is uncertain. Some of those loose ends are tied up in AVENGERS OF BLOOD, and others continue to weave through the series storyline.

As my editor said, the cover captures the essence of the book perfectly. Look for AVENGERS OF BLOOD in February 2013, and let me know what you think.