BLAST, BLITZ, PROMOS, REVEALS, & TOURS . . . : Libby Fischer Hellmann

Showing posts with label Libby Fischer Hellmann. Show all posts

Monday, June 17, 2019

SPOTLIGHT Audio - MYSTERY SUSPENSE - TOXICITY (The Georgia Davis P.I. Series, #3) by Libby Fischer Hellmann Narrators: Beth Richmond, Derek Shetterly

TOXICITY

The Georgia Davis P.I. Series, #3

by Libby Fischer Hellmann
Narrators: Beth Richmond, Derek ShetterlyLength: 8 hours 42 minutes
Released: September 20th 2016
Publisher: The Red Herrings Press
Genre: Suspense; Mystery

Top 10 Books I read last year (Mostly On Audio)- Libby Fischer Hellmann

Beneath A Scarlet Sky – Mark Sullivan
- I started this book early last year and put it down because I found it so boring. But after hearing so many people rave about it, I figured I should give it another try. I’m glad I did because the story really picked up until I couldn’t put it down. Based on a true story, Sullivan tells us about Pino Lella and his incredible courage, resilience, and creativity during World War Two in Italy. I should say that I’m a huge WW2 reader anyway, but I didn’t know much about the war in Italy. I now do. The interaction of the Nazis, the Catholic clergy was fascinating but the core of the book, which details Pino’s assignment as the driver for one of the Third Reich’s most powerful commanders, and his mission to spy on the same, is even more fascinating. There’s a beautiful love story as well. All in all, a fabulous read.
How It Happened – Michael Koryta
- Michael Koryta is a writer who just can’t write a bad book, no matter how hard he tries. ☺ In How It Happened, Maine FBI investigator Rob Barrett, a specialist in analyzing confessions from criminals, believes Kim Crepeaux’s confession about her part in a double murder of the daughter of a wealthy local family and her boyfriend. But when the bodies of the murdered victims show up 200 miles away from where Kim said they’d be, Barrett is reassigned. But Barrett and the victim’s father can’t let it go, and the result is a spellbinding, unputdownable read. Koryta is a master writer.
Becoming – Michelle Obama
- There’s probably nothing I can say that readers don’t already know, because they’ve already read it. I listened to the audiobook, which Michelle herself narrated. She did a wonderful job, although I thought it was too slow, so I listened at a faster speed. But reading about the former First Lady’s life was like being let into a special club, and I loved every detail, especially after she met Barack. I thought the years in the White House were not as richly detailed as her earlier life, but maybe that was intentional. I’d love to meet her in person someday.
The Sympathizer—Viet Thanh Nguyen
- I went to Vietnam and Cambodia earlier this year and wanted to read something written by a Vietnamese before I went. A highly lyrical story, I must confess it was quite slow at first. It did pick up, but slowed down again near the end. Still, the prose was so dense and packed with meaning that I had to read slowly in order to catch everything. A fictional memoir, if that makes sense, The Sympathizer tells the story of a young Vietnamese man who has lived in Southern California and gone to college there. He is sent back to Vietnam to be a translator for a South Vietnamese General during the last years of the War and afterwards back to the States. He is a spy.. a double agent, reporting both to the North Vietnamese as well as the South Vietnam. It’s a tough read because he doesn’t spare the brutality or cruelty of a war gone bad, or the self-deceptions we all carry about evil, love, and meaning.
Black Swan Rising—Lisa Brachman
- If you want to learn about the inner workings of a political campaign, local TV news, and social media, all wrapped up in a riveting thriller that’s impossible to put down, you will love Black Swan Rising. I did. But this novel is more than just a great story. With smooth, unflinching prose and three-dimensional characters who are as flawed as they are noble, Lisa Brachman deftly juggles Idealism, rage, despair, and cynicism as they hurtle forward and ultimately converge. Simply put, Black Swan Rising is a must-read for everyone who cares about what’s happening in our country.
The Litigators – John Grisham
- What a breath of fresh air this was! Funny, breezy, altogether unpredictable, John Grisham has restored my faith that he is one of the best crime writers in the country. A tale—actually a romp—through Chicago’s legal community, the story focuses on David Zinc, a young burned-out attorney, who walks away from his fast-track career at a blue-stocking firm, goes on a serious bender, and finds himself literally at the doorstep of our boutique firm. Once David sobers up and comes to grips with the fact that he’s suddenly unemployed, any job—even one with a two man firm on the verge of collapse—looks okay to him. The novel is filled with cynical characters who steal your heart anyway, the search for a get-rich-quick class action scheme, and the inevitable redemption of the principle players. I highly recommend The Litigators.. a wonderful beach read.
The Silent Patient—Alex Michaelides
- Confession: I listened to The Silent Patient just a few months ago in 2019, not last year, but I have to include it because it is an unputdownable story. It’s theoretically Michaelides’ first novel, but if you read his bio, you’ll see he’s been a successful screenwriter for years. Whatever his background, the story is fresh, original, and full of suspense. Alicia Berenson, a successful female painter is accused of shooting her husband 5 times in the face. Afterwards, she goes mute and does not talk to anyone. She’s put in a psychiatric unit where criminal psychologist Theo Faber decides to find out why she shot her husband. Eventually he seems to have some success, but it falls apart. Theo gets more involved in the case – I can’t tell you any more without spoilers. What I can tell you is that this is a novel that basically takes place in a hospital unit. There isn’t much action except talking. Yet, the author creates uncertainty and suspense SO well that I couldn’t put it down. You must read this thriller.
Under My Skin: Lisa Unger
- Lisa Unger is one of my never miss authors, and Under My Skin is a haunting addition to her oeuvre. It's been a year since Poppy's husband, Jack, was brutally murdered during his morning run through Manhattan's Riverside Park. In the immediate aftermath, Poppy spiraled into an oblivion of grief, disappearing for several days only to turn up ragged and confused wearing a tight red dress she didn't recognize. What happened to Poppy during those lost days? And more importantly, what happened to Jack? She tries to move on, and gets caught up in a test of reality vs dreams as the stress mounts. This is a story to be patient with – the first third of the book doesn’t make a lot of sense; but as you get deeper into it, you realize how well Unger plotted the story. Unreliable narrators are all the rage these days, and you’ll get one in Poppy. But how does that connect to the murder of her husband? If at all? A terrific read.
The Alice Network— Kate Quinn
The Lilac Girls— Martha Hall Kelly
- Just when I think I’ve read every possible permutation of a story set during World War One and Two, two new novels captured my imagination. I read both the above novels pretty much sequentially –you’d think they might have blended together in my mind. But they didn’t, and I’m delighted to highly recommend them both. The Alice Network is set in 1947, and it brings together two women: Collegiate drop-out Charlie St. Clair, who is pregnant; and Eve Sinclair, who spied on the Germans for the English during World War One. She becomes a member of the Alice Network (a real group of women, btw) who spied on the Germans. The plot moves back and forth between the two women and the thirty years separating their stories. The stories don’t converge as much as they parallel each other in a believable way. Love and sex are included.
- The Lilac Girls, Kelly’s debut novel btw, weaves together three women’s stories during WW2: New York socialite Caroline Ferraday who has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline’s world is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939—and then sets its sights on France. An ocean away, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. For the ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. Once hired, though, she finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power. The three women’s stories intersect in a story of intrigue, love, betrayal, and ambition. An excellent read.

A prequel to Libby Fischer Hellman's Georgia Davis PI series.

There's an inventive killer at large in Chicago in this dark thriller and police procedural from best-selling crime writer Libby Fischer Hellmann.

When three bodies turn up in rapid succession, all in landfills or waste disposal dumpsters, rookie cop Georgia Davis is drawn into the investigation. Teaming up with her detective boyfriend Matt and his friend, Detective Sergeant John Stone, Georgia must work out who's responsible for the killings, but there's little evidence to go on. The case also tests the strength of Georgia's relationship with Matt - complicating the situation is the daughter of a real estate mogul, who also happens to have her eye on Matt.

Who's behind these gruesome killings in this normally quiet neighborhood? Why are children developing cancer? And will Georgia's relationship withstand the demands of this particularly complex investigation?

Find out in ToxiCity.

Libby Fischer Hellmann left a career in broadcast news in Washington, DC and moved to Chicago over 35 years ago, where she, naturally, began to write gritty crime fiction. Fifteen novels and twenty-five short stories later, she claims they’ll take her out of the Windy City feet first. She has been nominated for many awards in the mystery and crime writing community and has even won a few. She has been a finalist twice for the Anthony and four times for Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year. She has also been nominated for the Agatha, the Shamus, the Daphne, and has won the IPPY and the Readers Choice Award multiple times. Her novels include the now five-volume Ellie Foreman series, which she describes as a cross between “Desperate Housewives” and “24;” the hard-boiled 5-volume Georgia Davis PI series, and four stand-alone historical thrillers set during Revolutionary Iran, Cuba, the Sixties, and WW2. Her short stories have been published in a dozen anthologies, the Saturday Evening Post, and Ed Gorman’s “25 Criminally Good Short Stories” collection. Her books have been translated into Spanish, German, Italian, and Chinese. All her books are available in print, ebook, and audiobook. Libby also hosts Second Sunday Crime, a monthly podcast where she interviews bestselling and emerging crime authors. In 2006 she was the National President of Sisters in Crime, a 3500 member organization committed to the advancement of female crime fiction authors.

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Narrator Beth Richmond has recorded more than 100 audiobooks in the last decade from her studio on the Mendocino coast. Among her favorites are those from Georgia Davis series. “It is a privilege and pleasure to return repeatedly to such a vividly drawn character and world. Ms. Hellman’s books live inside me now, as if they were memories from my own life. What fun!”

Derek’s love for performance began onstage in the 3rd grade as the star of “Captain Hook”. Hooked, he was, and stage acting carried him through high school and into college. In 1988 he earned a BA in Radio/Television from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, with a minor in Theater. For the next 15 years, Derek worked in radio as an on-air talent. But his main interest was in creative production; writing scripts became a forte, and performing the characters, a passion. In 2003, Derek took a leap of faith to devote his career to self-employment in voiceover work. He has never looked back, and continues as a full-time professional voiceover talent, based in Oregon. In addition to audio books, Derek’s voice is on countless corporate narrations, eLearning modules, radio and television commercials and several documentaries. He has met his calling, is in his element behind the mic, and so grateful to be doing what he loves every day. When he’s not narrating, or walking his faithful terrier “Max”, he’s probably on a mountain bike or planning his next travel adventure.

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Books 4 & 5 in the Georgia Davis P.I. Series are available for review from the ADOPT-AN-AUDIOBOOK PROGRAM.

Giveaway: $100 Amazon Gift Card

The Georgia Davis P.I. Series Giveaway: $100 Amazon Gift Card

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Sunday, June 9, 2019

SPOTLIGHT Audio - MYSTERY SUSPENSE - DOUBLE BACK (The Georgia Davis P.I. Series, #2) by Libby Fischer Hellmann Narrator: Eva Kaminsky

DOUBLE BACK

The Georgia Davis P.I. Series, #2

by Libby Fischer HellmannNarrator: Eva Kaminsky

Length: 11 hours 3 minutes
Released: May 25th 2016
Publisher: The Red Herrings Press

Genre: Suspense; Mystery

Little Molly Messenger is kidnapped on a sunny June morning. Three days later she's returned, apparently unharmed. Molly's mother, Chris, is so grateful to have her daughter back that she's willing to overlook the odd circumstances.

A few days later, the brakes go out on Chris's car.

An accident? Maybe. Except that it turns out that Chris, the IT manager at a large Chicago bank, may have misappropriated three million dollars. Not convinced that his daughter is safe, Molly's father hires Private Investigator Georgia Davis to follow the money and investigate Chris's death.

Doubleback, the sequel to the acclaimed Easy Innocence, reunites PI Georgia Davis with video producer Ellie Foreman. The two women track leads from Northern Wisconsin to an Arizona border town, where illegal immigrants, smuggled drugs, and an independent contractor called Delton Security come into play. Georgia and Ellie go to great lengths to find the truth, and Georgia discovers that you can cross a line, but sometimes you have to double back.

Little Molly Messenger was kidnapped and then returned safely. A week later her mother died in a fatal car accident. Georgia is asked to look into both situations, and one of her tactics to get the little girl to talk is to give Molly a bath.

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Eva Kaminsky is a New York born and NYC based actor and narrator. A 2014 Audie nominee, she has recorded over 200 audiobooks in many different genres ranging from Mystery to Young Adult. Eva can also often be heard on various national TV and radio commercials for products such as Intel, Neulasta, Tide, and Dunkin’ Donuts. Recent recurring and guest appearances on television include Chicago Med, Billions, Manifest, Younger, Madam Secretary, Madoff, Blindspot, and The Blacklist, and on the larger screen she can be seen in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Dark Tower and the upcoming Human Capital. She has spent over 20 years working in the theatre, both on and Off Broadway, and extensively in regional theatres all over the country and is currently in the Year 2 New York Company of Harry Potter & the Cursed Child. More at www.evakaminsky.com.

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Q&A with Eva Kaminsky, Narrator of Doubleback

When did you know you wanted to be an audiobook narrator?
- About 8 or 9 years ago, I was looking for a way to supplement my income while still staying in the performing arts. As most actors will tell you, working in restaurants, temping and the like can become rather soul crushing. I had been doing a fair amount of animation at the time, and a friend of mine from that world had a solid, steady career in audiobooks. I had listened to a few and loved the medium, and I also enjoyed my other work in voice over so I thought it might be a good fit. I hired another narrator to do some work with me on technique, and after a few sessions, we put together a short demo. I sent that to Audible with a referral from my friend and that’s how I got my first book (which was also a mystery!)

A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
- I do think acting training in general is very helpful. Narrating books is storytelling, but it also involves things like vocal projection, breathing work, character work, dialects and especially stamina. Many theatre actors have extensive training in these things. There are narrators who are primarily voice over artists and have never done any stage or film work, but they are few and far between and they generally have prolific voice over careers. Narrating IS acting, so I don’t think just anyone can do it – or at least, do it well.

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of narrating an audiobook?
- My favorite part of narrating is when I get to create truly multi-dimensional characters. And it’s even better when those characters go on a journey where they start in one emotional place and end somewhere new. A fully realized thru-line. I also love dialects - it’s fun to play around with sounds that are not my own.
- My least favorite part is that narrating can be very lonely and isolating! Especially when recording from home. I have to build in friend breaks to make sure I don’t become a hermit.

What about this title compelled you to audition as narrator?
- I was extremely fortunate in this case as Libby found me, I believe through some of my other work. Libby’s books are really fun to delve into as a narrator because she’s an excellent writer with deep storylines and rich, layered characters. Also, mysteries with gritty yet inspiring female leads are some of my favorite books to work on so I think it’s a great match.

Who are your “accent inspirations”?
- My favorite website for accent help is called IDEA, which is the “International Dialects of English Archive”. It’s an amazing resource that has just about every accent you can think of. It is especially helpful because it is all people who come from the actual places. In a pinch, I will also look up accents on YouTube – you’d be surprised how many people put themselves online just to have others hear what they sound like.

How did you decide how each character should sound in this title?
- I don’t really decide beforehand what someone should sound like. The exception to this is if I have a bunch of characters who are all described similarly – then I have to make a decision in advance to keep them sounding separate. But generally, the writing will dictate a character’s vocal choice. And then I see what comes out from just playing the scene. If it “feels” wrong, then it usually is, and I will try different things until it feels right.

Do you read reviews for your audiobooks?
- I don’t read any reviews anymore, for any medium I work in. I used to, but if you believe then good ones then you have to believe the bad ones, and as we all know, one negative review can stick with you for life (I can still quote a few verbatim). I always want to be learning and growing in what I do, so I’m not against critique, but I prefer it from teachers and directors. I find that so much of audiobooks is subjective – what one person hates another person loves – so I don’t think reading reviews is helpful.

What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
- I think they are apples and oranges. One isn’t “better” than the other, it’s just a different experience. I know some people who go back and forth between listening and reading on one book, and I think it’s pretty great that technology allows us to do that. I like to curl up with a book (or an iPad) before bed, but I also love taking a walk in the park and being told a story.

What’s next for you?
- I am currently in the Year 2 company of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child on Broadway, which means I have had to take a little (temporary!) break from recording. I will be in the show through March of 2020 – it’s the longest job I’ve ever had! I’m hoping to start recording again by mid summer and we’ll see what kinds of stories come my way.

Bonus question: Any funny anecdotes from inside the recording studio?
- When I’m recording from home in the summer it gets very hot in my booth since I can’t pump in A/C, so I can often be found wearing a bikini with an ice pack strapped to my back. Hey, whatever works!

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Books 4 & 5 in the Georgia Davis P.I. Series are available for review from the ADOPT-AN-AUDIOBOOK PROGRAM.

Giveaway: $100 Amazon Gift Card

The Georgia Davis P.I. Series Giveaway: $100 Amazon Gift Card

EASY INNOCENCE

DOUBLEBACK

TOXICITY

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Sunday, June 2, 2019

SPOTLIGHT Audio - MYSTERY SUSPENSE - EASY INNOCENCE (Georgia Davis P.I., #1) by Libby Fischer Hellmann Narrator: Beth Richmond

EASY INNOCENCE

The Georgia Davis P.I. Series, #1

by Libby Fischer HellmannNarrator: Beth Richmond

Length: 11 hours 54 minutes
Released: May 25th 2016
Publisher: The Red Herrings Press
Genre: Suspense; Mystery

When pretty, smart Sara Long is found bludgeoned to death, it's easy to blame the man with the bat. But Georgia Davis - former cop and newly-minted PI - is hired to look into the incident at the behest of the accused's sister, and what she finds hints at a much different, much darker answer. It seems the privileged, preppy schoolgirls on Chicago's North Shore have learned just how much their innocence is worth to hot-under-the-collar businessmen. But while these girls can pay for Prada price tags, they don't realize that their new business venture may end up costing them more than they can afford.

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**Q&A with Libby Fischer Hellmann, Author of the Georgia Davis P.I. Series**

Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
- I have a background in film and TV, so I am the “executive” producer and director of my audiobooks. Here is my process:

- - Choose a narrator. At this point in my audiobook career, I have several narrators whose voices I love and, more importantly, love to work with. They are professionals in the business and deliver an almost finished product. I use them consistently in my two series. I have another narrator whom I use for my historical thrillers. Most are women, but I have found two wonderful and versatile male narrators. (ie different accents and inflections). They include Eva Kaminsky, Nan McNamara, Beth Richmond, Diane Pirone Gelman, Derek Shetterly, and Karyn O’Bryant.

- - However, if I was looking for a narrator, I’d use ACX. (That’s how I found all the above.) Most of all, a narrator has to be an actor. They need to throw themselves into several different roles or personas during the course of a novel, so I listen to several of their samples, to make sure they are versatile. They also need to have a solid resume, so I know they have a track record performing different genres and types of books. Finally, their fee per finished hour needs to be within or close to my budget. (It’s not cheap). Finally, they have to be familiar with sound quality (most have their own studios) so they can deliver a quality product that meets the specs of audio distributors.

- - If I’m using ACX, narrators will record a 1-2 page audition for me, which helps a lot. If not, I ask them for one. I usually choose a passage that has dialogue, so I have a sense of how they’ll differentiate the characters.

- - If I like the sample, we start talking. They need to be willing to check with me about words or expressions (I use Yiddish from time to time) they may not know how to pronounce. We also talk about tone, mood, and how I see the main characters. Most narrators appreciate this type of discussion, and I would never hire someone who does not.

- - If they seem amenable to everything, I make them an offer. Usually, I already know their price per finished hour, so I know what my cost will be. Occasionally, we might negotiate, based on the volume of work I’m giving them or the length of the audiobook.

- - Once they record chapters, they send them to me either by dropbox, Audacity (free audio software which I use a lot) or sometimes ACX. It’s up to them whether they want to record the entire story or send chapters in batches – I prefer the latter. If there are problems, or there are mis-pronounciations, we can fix them more easily if they send me, say 5 chapters at a time. Sometimes their inflection is off, and they’ll need to re-record a paragraph or so. But I ALWAYS listen to EVERY CHAPTER carefully before I approve it.

- - Once I’ve listened to everything and approved it, they send it to their sound engineer for “polishing” (Equalizing audio volume, clarity, and more). If they don’t work with an engineer, I can find one, but I’d prefer to have them use their own. That’s it. Then upload the audio to Findaway Voices or Audible, and wait for their approval. Because I work with professionals, there is rarely a problem. But when there is, I let the narrator know, and he/she fixes it.

Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
- I do. I think writing in which there is dialogue and different characters is far more compelling than a memoir or biography. (Although I did listen to Madeline Albright’s recorded voice for days and never had a problem). But drama usually captures my attention in a more visceral way than straight narrative. If I am listening to non-fiction, the narrator has to be VERY good. By that, I mean a voice that carries inherent emotion and expression without overdoing it.

Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
- Because of my background in film, I’m conscious of writing a screenplay rather than an audiobook. In fact, I tend to visualize scenes and chapters right down to an establishing shot, a pan, a dolly, and intercutting between close-ups during dialogue. So yes, I am conscious of writing something that might be “performed” or “Seen” in another medium.
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
- Some books come from a vision. Others real life. EASY INNOCENCE (the 1st Georgia Davis thriller) came to me out of fear. My daughter was starting high school, I was recently separated, and I doubted my ability to be the single mother of a teenage girl. A hazing incident at a nearby high school had just occurred -- it made the national media – half a mile from our house. No one died, but several teenagers ended up in the ER. I started to wonder what would have happened if a girl had been killed instead. That was the premise of the book. Actually, most of my stories have a connection to reality, some more than others. I wrote DOUBLEBACK during a period where the Mexican cartels were getting a lot publicity about taking over the drug trade. TOXICITY was written when there was a lot of fear over toxic waste dumps. And HIGH CRIMES (whose title speaks for itself) was written a year after the 2016 election.
How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
- Great question. When I was first starting out, I didn’t think I’d ever lose my enthusiasm or drive; when I was stuck on a novel, I’d write a short story instead, sort of as a palate cleanser, and then go back to my novel. Now, though, if I’m unenthusiastic about writing something, I don’t. The run-up to writing HIGH CRIMES is a perfect example. Before I realized that was the book I should be writing, I brainstormed two complete thrillers with my closest writing friends. One was set during the McCarthy era; the other was contemporary and had to do with concierge drug purveyors. By the time we’d finished brainstorming them, I just couldn’t write either. Why not? Because there has to be a spark in my gut that fires when I know I’ve found the right story. It’s not logical, and I can’t explain where it comes from, but it HAS to be there. As soon as I started messing around with what ultimately became HIGH CRIMES, that spark fired, and I KNEW this was the book I had to write.I do recommend reading and listening to audiobooks during fallow periods, both fiction and non-fiction. Sometimes an aside by one of the characters or a narrative passage says something that fires that spark, and you start asking yourself, “what if?”
If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the primary roles?
- It’s funny, because as time passes without a movie option, I need to keep changing actors so they aren’t too long in the tooth to play the roles. One of the first actors I thought of to play Georgia Davis was Naomi Watts. Or Charlize Theron. Now I’m thinking more along the lines of Jennifer Lawrence. Possibly Kirsten Dunst. I like Ellen Hollman, too. But my favorite would be Mila Kunis, if she would consent to be a blonde. Georgia’s half sister, Savannah, could be Dakota Fanning. Jimmy Saclarides is Zac Efron. But he could be a young George Clooney. The other characters depend on which book we’re filming.
Your crime books and audiobooks cover many different subgenres within the crime/mystery genre: amateur sleuth, PI, historical thrillers, police procedurals, and even a cozy. Why?
- I like to say I am “writing my away around the genre.” I love crime fiction in ALL its variations, because an unsolved mystery or questions about evil-doing is one of the most elemental plot drivers in literature. The answers to those questions opens the door explorations of good and evil; heroes and cowards, social and cultural institutions—in other words, human nature itself. So I enjoy trying different ways to get at those explorations. Of course, I have to do my homework and make sure the story is as accurate and faithful to the genre as I can, but that part is fun for me. The truth is that each story presents its own challenge, and I enjoy challenging myself.
How would you describe your protagonist, Georgia Davis?
- Georgia Davis is a PI and a loner. She’s cautious, distrustful, and keeps people at a distance. She has baggage. While Ellie Foreman (the protagonist of my other series) will go out to lunch with you and give you TMI about her life, Georgia won’t go out to lunch at all. As a former cop, she doesn’t want you to know too much about her. She was in love once with a former cop, but he dumped her for another woman, so she is gun-shy where relationships are concerned. It took 4 books before she met the police chief of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Jimmy Saclarides, whom she dearly loves. She is very protective of her half-sister, Vanna, and Vanna’s son Charlie, but they both can drive her nuts. She’s not used to have a family and support system.
What’s next for you?
- I just started a historical fiction novel set in Vietnam during the Vietnam war. It’s written from the perspective of two Vietnamese sisters. The story begins in 1968 but jumps ahead twenty years. I’m very excited about it – it’s the first non-mystery I’ve ever written.

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Books 4 & 5 in the Georgia Davis P.I. Series are available for review from the ADOPT-AN-AUDIOBOOK PROGRAM.

After Sara Long is murdered in the forest preserve during a hazing, PI Georgia Davis interviews a high school boy rumored to have hooked up with Sara, which could have angered the boy’s steady girlfriend enough to be considered a suspect.

Giveaway: $100 Amazon Gift Card

The Georgia Davis P.I. Series Giveaway: $100 Amazon Gift Card