"Cynde's "What's-Up-Wednesday"Guest Author Interview!"

I’d like to welcome Kathryn Casey, author of the blockbuster fiction mystery novels, “SINGULARITY” and “BLOOD LINES”, as well as several non-fiction, award-winning, true crime novels, to my blog.

C: Welcome, Kathryn. It’s an honor to have you here.


K: Thank you so much, Cynde. It’s my pleasure.


C: I know that a lot of my readers are very curious about you, so if you wouldn’t mind, I have a few questions that I’d like to ask, so that we can all get to know you a little better. Is that alright with you?


K: It sure is.



C: Great, then let’s get started:



C: When the name “Kathryn Casey” is mentioned, most people would associate you with your award-winning, true crime novels. What inspired you to finally “take the plunge” and try your hand at writing your first work of fiction, “SINGULARITY”?


K: True crime is frustrating. I interview dozens and dozens of people, a hundred or more for each book, but I rarely know what happens at the most important moment, when the crime actual occurs. You see, if I’m writing about a case, it’s probably a murder case. There are most often only two people who know the truth about that last moment: the victim and the killer. Unfortunately, the victims aren’t alive to be interviewed. And, this is shocking I know, but the killers don’t always tell the truth. So, I ultimately have a good sense of what happened and why, but I don’t conclusively know.
That can be frustrating. So at some point I thought, you know, if I wrote fiction, I’d know everything, because all the details would come out of my imagination. So, that’s what I did. I made it all up, using much of what I’ve experienced over my career as a crime writer. And it’s been very freeing, a lot of fun.


C: When you wrote “SINGULARITY” and “BLOOD LINES”, what technique did you use? In other words, did you use an outline or did you just start writing and figure it out as you went along?


K: With both the novels and the third novel in the Sarah Armstrong mystery series, THE KILLING STORM, coming out in November 2010, I had the basic concepts in my head along with some of the major plot points, but I didn’t have anything resembling an outline. I sat down at the computer, typed Chapter One, and I was on my way.


C: Your writing has been compared to that of award-winning novelist Patricia Cornwell. Do you envision yourself being able to build a multi-novel series around your “Sarah Armstrong” character that could have the same endurance as Patricia Cornwell’s “Scarpetta” character?


K: I, of course, hope this will be a long series. Sarah is a multi-dimensional character. She’s a Texas Ranger/profiler/investigator, but she’s also the single mom of Maggie, age 11 in the first book. Sarah is the daughter of Nora, a sometimes opinionated sixty three year old who bakes cakes for fancy restaurants and boards horses. They’re a family with a home, the Rocking Horse ranch. When I invented Sarah, I invented her world. Many of the reviews have remarked that the characters in this series are remarkable for their depth, that they’re changing in the first two books. There’s more development in the third book. I’m hoping there’ll be more books in the series, so I get to spend more time in Sarah’s world. But three is a good start, a very good start.


C: Have you ever considered collaborating with another author on writing a novel? If so, who would it be, and if not, why not?




K: If the right opportunity presented itself, I might, but it would have to be something I considered at the time. I have no plans to collaborate.


C: Would you please describe for us one of your typical writing days, from start to finish?


K: When I’m into the writing mode, I get up about seven, have coffee and a slice of toast with peanut butter, and then sit down at my computer. Except for bathroom and stretch breaks and lunch, I’m there for the duration of the day, until I hear the garage door open announcing that my husband is home from the office. If I get stuck, can’t figure out what to do next, I take the dog for a walk. Fresh air and a bit of relaxation can open up creative channels. It’s a great way to get moving again.


C: What do you think would be the most valuable pieces of advice that anyone could pass on to someone struggling to become a published writer?



K: To realize that along with talent, the most important trait is determination. You have to truly want to write. It’s a tough business for most of us to break into, so be patient and focused, and don’t worry if your first attempts are rejected. I once had a file filled with rejection slips for short stories I sent to magazines. My favorite was from the New Yorker. Most were standard, pre-printed rejection letters, but at the bottom of that particular one someone wrote: “Keep trying.” Wonderful advice.


C: Thanks a lot for visiting us today, Kathryn! I had a great time and I'm sure my readers enjoyed your great answers to my questions. I hope you'll come back and visit us when your new book, the next one in this series, "THE KILLING STORM" comes out in the fall, so we can see what the latest news is with you.


If anyone wants to learn more about Kathryn Casey and the other books that she has written, please feel free to visit her amazing website by clicking here.




Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde


Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!






Be on the lookout next for:

• A book review of "Cynthia's Attic: The Missing Locket" written by Mary Cunningham.


• A book review of "Cynthia's Attic: The Magic Medallion" written by Mary Cunningham.


• A book review of "Cynthia's Attic: Curse of the Bayou" written by Mary Cunningham.


• A book review of "Cynthia's Attic: The Magician's Castle" written by Mary Cunningham.


• An interview with Mary Cunningham, who wrote the delightful "CYNTHIA'S ATTIC SERIES"

"Cynde's "Terrific-Tuesday" Book Review!"

I've been looking forward to posting this review of "BLOOD LINES", Kathryn Casey's second fiction novel, and the sequel to her blockbuster fiction debut entitled "SINGULARITY". In fact, I enjoyed this book so much that I read it twice before I even started to write the review, and I can tell you that I don't normally do that. So here goes:

The Synopsis:

"Readers loved Sarah Armstrong, the feisty and vulnerable profiler in Kathryn Casey's mystery, "Singularity". She's back in this second book in the series with her hands full with two cases at once: A persistent and potentially lethal stalker pursues pop mega-star Cassidy Collins, and a high-energy Houston businesswoman is found dead in her house.

Though the businesswoman's death is being called a suicide, when Sarah is shown photographs of the scene, something seems off. It looks too perfect, almost staged, and Billie Cox apparently had every reason to live. The victim's sister is convinced Billie was murdered and urges Sarah to take a closer look. During her investigation, Sarah uncovers a multimillion-dollar scam and traces a trail of greed to Billie's murderer.

Meanwhile, teenage idol Cassidy receives threatening e-mails and text messages and hears creepy whispers over her headset at performances. Cassie's next performance is at a Houston rodeo, for which her handlers request extra security. Sarah once again teams up with FBI agent David Garrity, and together they plot to outwit and capture the stalker, but at the concert the unthinkable happens. . ."




My Review:

It's always harder to begin a sequel than it is to begin a fresh series, in my opinion, because you have to be careful not to give away what happened in the prior novel, in case the reader hasn't read it, yet you also need to give enough background with the new novel to recap so that the two will flow together smoothly...and I believe that Kathryn has done that beautifully with "BLOOD LINES".

As you may recall, Sarah, her daughter, Maggie, and her mother, had a horrendous time in "SINGULARITY". They were all in danger and it was a hair-raising adventure for all of them. Sarah was also dating and embarking on what could be the beginning of a serious relationship with FBI profiler David Garrity and we had no idea where that would be going.

So when we start out with the opening of this story, Sarah has been on extended leave, and has been working from home, mostly half days. For some unknown reason, her relationship with David Garrity has totally cooled, but we don't know why, nor does she.

Her boss wants her to come back full-time, but she needs to make sure that Maggie and her mom are ready for that. And as usual, she will be working more than one case at a time, both of which are very high profile and will be time-consuming and difficult to solve (which makes it fun for us!) It looks as if everyone (well, almost everyone) is doing well, and they want to move on, because Sarah's mom is dating, (how cool is that!) and Maggie thinks her mom should go back to work full-time. The only thing we don't know is: what happened with David?

Now on to the cases that Sarah has to solve:

First there is Cassidy Collins, the pop super-star teenaged singer, who started out poor, living in a trailer and tried to run away from those meager beginnings. Now she has a stalker who feels that she must feel too good for him, and he wants to teach her a lesson, but what's the lesson?

Next, there is the rich businesswoman whose sister insists that she did not committ suicide, and she claims that her sister is trying to provide clues to her murder from beyond the grave by contacting her! Will the clues really lead to the killer and is she really contacting her sister from the afterlife?

And don't you want to know why David Garritty just up and stopped calling on Sarah when things were going so well?



My Rating:

I thought that this book was excellent! I enjoyed the action, the story line, the seamless way in which she incorporated the previous novel's information into the beginning, and it sure was a fun and exciting ride!

Kathryn Casey is without a doubt a master of fiction as well as non-fiction. She is just an excellent story-teller...period. So, go out and buy this book, fast. If you don't, you'll be missing out on a great story. I can't wait until the next one, entitled "THE KILLING STORM" comes out in the fall of this year.

If you want to learn more about Kathryn Casey, visit her website here.

Also...please be sure to watch for:
my interview with the Kathryn Casey coming tomorrow!



Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde



Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Announcing The Winner of the Contest to Win A FREE Autographed (ARC) Advanced Review Copy of: BLOOD LINES by Kathryn Casey"

"Announcing the
Contest Winner"
of the FREE, AUTOGRAGHED
Advanced Review Copy (ARC) of:
"BLOOD LINES"
by Kathryn Casey

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Winner Is:
Pamela MacLean

"Congratulations,
Pam!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

~NOTE~
To win, you must have answered the following question correctly:
"What is the title to the sequel of "BLOOD LINES" by Kathyn Casey, that is scheduled for Fall 2010?"
The Correct Answer Is:
"THE KILLING
STORM"

CONTEST: "Your Chance To Win A FREE Autographed (ARC) Advanced Review Copy of: BLOOD LINES by Kathryn Casey"

~CONTEST~

For your chance to win a FREE, AUTOGRAPHED Advanced Review Copy (ARC) of:

BLOOD LINES by Kathryn Casey



To win your chance
for the FREE, AUTOGRAPHED
Advanced Review Copy (ARC),
all you need to do
is answer the following
question CORRECTLY:



"What is the title
of the sequel to
BLOOD LINES
by Kathryn Casey,
that is scheduled
for Fall 2010?"

HINT: Visit Kathryn Casey's site here!



The contest ends at midnight on Sunday, 03 January 2010. The WINNING NAME will be selected from all the correct entries received. (Please be sure to include your email address or the url for your blog with your entry, so that we can get in contact with you in the event that you are the winner.) Best Wishes to you all!

Please submit your entries here




IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

CONTEST ENDS at midnight on
Sunday, 03 January 2009.
(contest limited to U.S. participants only.)




Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde



Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Cynde's "Sunday Sensation" Book Review!"

It was not originally on my schedule of "Upcoming Events" to review the book that I'm reviewing today, but when I read an excerpt of it following "meeting" the author on Facebook, I was compelled to do so.

The book to which I am referring is, "SINGULARITY", written by Kathryn Casey.

Kathryn is a former magazine reporter, the author of five highly acclaimed true-crime books and this was her first attempt at a fiction novel. She has been featured on numerous radio interviews and has also appeared on such shows as: Oprah Winfrey, Nancy Grace, Montel Williams, A&E and Court TV. She and her husband reside in Houston, Texas with their schnauzer, "Max".



The story centers around protagonist Sarah Armstrong, a Texas Ranger profiler who is one of the few female rangers in Texas. Not only does she have to work twice as hard to prove herself, but she is also a newly-widowed, single mom to a growing eleven-year-old daughter who was having a hard time adjusting to the death of her father.

When Sarah is called in to profile a case, she is met with opposition from some of the "good ole boys". While they go off on a tangent of their own, she is in a race for time to prove that her theory is correct--all before they convict whom she thinks is an innocent women and a serial killer is allowed to run loose, killing over and over again.

Meantime, the psycopath committing the murders and then posing the bodies in grotesque ways, decides to set his sights on Sarah and all she holds dear.



The characters in this thriller are full-bodied, three-dimentional, likable, and believable. I found myself genuinely caring about some of them and downright hating a few of the others, and that's the mark of a really good book.

In some sections of this book I was literally on the edge of my seat, skipping over entire paragraphs, hoping to find answers, but I quickly dragged myself back to where I had left off so that I wouldn't miss a single word.

There were a couple spots in the story that were a tiny bit predictable, but that's what added to the charm of this book, because life is predictable, too. By contrast, right after I thought I had the thing all figured out, it took a turn, and things were not at all as they seemed.

Kathryn's writing style is very pleasant. Her eloquent use of descriptive phrases and words made me forget I was reading while I lost myself in the story, being carried away as if I were a character within it myself.



In summary, I would say that this is an excellent book and I loved it. It's an easy read, I enjoyed it and I am so glad that there will be another Sarah Armstrong mystery. I would recommend this book to anyone who also loves Patricia Cornwell books, like I do.

If you would like to learn more about Kathryn Casey, please visit her website here.



Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde



Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!