Nichole’s Blog

Obviously, I’ve been working on this blog — reviewing the books I’ve read over the summer.  I’ve also been writing at Frightening Journeys each Monday.

Ghost Mountain is still with the publisher, and I haven’t heard anything back.  I did try to e-mail them in July to check on it, but ….  I understand that this stuff takes time, and eight months is nothing in the publishing world.  I’m still well-within that time frame so I should quit stressing about it.  Easier to say then it is to do, I’m afraid.

I’ve been working on the second in the series.  This time the crime takes place at Bear Butte.  It isn’t going as quickly as I remember Ghost Mountain going, but I’m still plugging at it.

Oh!  A quick note, also, to wish Lori Armstrong and Julie Kramer congratulations and good luck with their respective Shamus nominations.

Blessings!

Nichole

I’ve finished another author who I met at Mayhem in the Midlands.  I heard Julie Kramer discuss this book and her second (title “Missing Mark”) at the May, 2009 conference and even was able to enjoy an Irish beer in the Old Market with her one evening.

Ms. Kramer’s background as a television producer is evident in the story, where her main character (Riley Spartz) is an investigative reporter for a Minneapolis television station.  Since I also have a journalism background and have worked in a TV studio, I enjoyed the references Ms. Kramer made.  She did a great job of explaining the way a studio works.

The premise of the story is that someone is killing women named Susan on the same day each year.  There are a few missing years, but is it a coincidence?  Or have the bodies just not been discovered?  Is thre a significance to the name?  Or is the whole thing a non-pattern?  Riley is convinced there’s a seriel killer, but the cops aren’t so sure.

The mystery itself was well written and fast paced.  Riley was able to follow the Susan story, while working on others at the same time — just the way it would be done in real life.  She even had the internal problem of straddling the line between news reporter and news maker.  (Trust me, that’s a real journalistic line in the sand.)  Riley’s on-air stunt to draw the killer out was fantastic.

I will have to pick up “Missing Mark” now to see what happens in Riley’s personal life as she moves on to the next story!

Blessings!

Nichole