Congratulations to the First Place Winners of the 2026 National Excellence in Story Telling (NEST) contest sponsored by Central Region Oklahoma Writers (CROW)…
Please help me welcome today’s guest, Linda Griffith…
Is the romance Molly seeks in the gold country or did she leave it behind?
When her fiancé died, Eileen said, “Then I’m free,” words that her younger sister Molly didn’t understand and never forgot. In 1850s Ohio, a girl doesn’t have that many options, and marrying Andrew MacLeith may be the best she can hope for. He promises to cherish her, but they have to live with his parents, and he can’t even protect her from his mother’s sharp tongue. After a quarrel, Molly impulsively joins his gambler brother Hugh on a journey to the Pike’s Peak gold region. Perhaps the romance and freedom she longs for lie elsewhere. Or were they right under her nose all along?
Excerpt:
“When I get to Pike’s Peak,” he assured me, “I’ll send back more money than this to Ma and Pa and anybody I owe money to. But not to Andrew. He wouldn’t know how to spend it. You would, though, wouldn’t you, Molly?” he teased.
“Yes,” I said wistfully. My prospects were even more dismal than before. If he ran off to Kansas, he wouldn’t return for a long time, if he ever did. I was on the verge of tears again.
“Hey now, cheer up. Aren’t you glad of my good fortune?”
“Yes,” I said, although I wasn’t. I was envious.
“Do you mean to say it’s serious between you and Andrew?” he asked, frowning.
“I hate living here,” I burst out, as I had to Andrew. Complaining to his brother was wrong, but I was too unhappy to contain myself.
Hugh was briefly taken aback before he said, with his usual charming insouciance, “Come to Pike’s Peak with me, then.”
I didn’t think he meant it, and I was only half serious when I said, “I wish I could.” Decamping to Kansas would be an adventure and an escape, and it would teach Andrew a thing or two.
“Why can’t you?” he asked, making it sound almost logical “If you don’t like it here, what’s keeping you? Pike’s Peak is the future, the new Eldorado. Don’t you want a piece of it?”
“I couldn’t dig for gold,” I said. “And I don’t have any money.”
“I do,” he said. He fanned out his winnings. “Come on, Molly. It will be fun.”
Linda Griffin knew she wanted to be a “book maker” as soon as she learned to read and wrote her first story at six. Her passion for the printed word also led her to a career with the San Diego Public Library. She retired to spend more time on her writing and has had work published in numerous literary journals. Cherry Creek is her eleventh book published by The Wild Rose Press. In addition to the three R’s—reading, writing, and research—she enjoys travel, movies, and Scrabble.
Please help me welcome today’s guest, Lyndi Alexander…
I have always believed that love is the greatest gift any of us can give another person. Another being. Anyone. We certainly don’t share enough of it.
SIXSHOOTER celebrates the love between Valeni Pascual, a mercenary ship’s pilot and Nik, an alien who can manifest as either a male or female human.
Because love is not limiting, their love expands to include Garrett Rawls, a cowboy from old Earth who managed to travel through a wormhole in space to reach the Sisrian planetary system where Valeni is from. Each of them loves the others, male or female, and they are free to express that love. Indeed, that is what holds them together through assorted political intrigue and dangerous times helping the captain from the HORIZON CROSSOVER series.
Along with Valeni’s brother Luca and Nik’s alien colleague Zie, the crews of Valeni’s Tiburon and Garrett’s Sixshooter move into new territory through an unknown wormhole in SPECTRUM. Here, their love is not the problem but the nature of their physical beings. First they encounter a planet that values animal beings over humans, which makes the human members of the crews uncomfortable. But when they move on in the new universe to find somewhere they could fit in better, the human-based world is even worse for Nik and Zie as non-humans. The only thing that will keep them together and rescue those in trouble is the love they hold for one another.
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?
Lyndi Alexander always dreamed of faraway worlds and interesting alien contacts. She lives as a post-modern hippie in Asheville, North Carolina, a single mother of her last child of seven, a daughter on the autism spectrum, ruled by nine sassy cats, finding that every day feels a lot like first contact with a new species.
Tell us a little about writing this book:
My favorite part of these two books—and the most challenging for me—was creating the alien Nik, and their gender-shifting ability. Nik grew up in a culture near hostile humans, and Nik’s people, naturally a warm-blooded kangaroo-like mammal, learned the skill to shift into a human appearance out of self-defense. Nik got separated from their people and came across mercenary pilot Valeni Pascual, who rescued them. Over time, Nik realized that Valeni needed companionship of two sorts—a female, sister-like fighter, who became blonde bombshell Nikki, and a male companion/lover, who became warm and sensuous Nicholas. The challenge then became how to refer to them. He? She? It?
For the first time, I understood the necessity to have a way for those who see themselves as either, or both, to refer to themselves. It was hard for this 20th century brain to accomplish, but I purposely set out to use “they” and “them” because that describes exactly the nature of the sweet and delightful Nik. Only a being in this much love could alter themselves in such ways to fit with Valeni like puzzle pieces, and then to expand their love to include Terran Garrett Rawls as well. Only one that deserved their story to be told educated me on moving into the new language of gender-speak.
Like space, love has no boundaries
Excerpt:
Indigo…violet…indigo…swirls of electric feeling as Garrett’s hand passed lightly down their leg…as Valeni moved softly by Nikki, heaving a long sigh with her release. The shooting lines of red fading as all three lay back, exhilarated but exhausted.
The afterwaves of love.
Garrett groaned and stretched out his legs, reaching all the way to the bottom of the broad mattress. The dark blue duvet slipped off the end onto the floor, but it didn’t seem to bother him. “I swear, you gals make me feel fine as frog hair split four ways.”
Valeni snickered. “What a way to go.”
Was that true? Nikki let the question wind through their coalescing thoughts. Would it be a preferable way to leave the mortal world, while engaged in the procreational act? Not if we managed to procreate. Oh, how we wish we could…
Willow Barton s life crumbles at her husband s arrest for fraud, forcing her to return to her Ohio hometown to rebuild. Running a small bookstore and helping her best friend care for her ailing father offers solace until Zachary Hayes, her best friend s brother and a charming country music star, shows up. Struggling to revive his career and reconnect with his estranged father, Zach sparks an undeniable yet unwelcome chemistry with Willow. As her estranged husband seeks forgiveness, and Zach battles his own demons, Willow must confront her painful past and decide if she s willing to risk her heart again. Caught between heartbreak and hope, can they overcome their fears and build a future together?
Violet is ready for a fresh start. Freshly divorced, with eyes wide open, she’s looking forward to starting a new life in Shady Lake, a small town in Western Washington. But Maggie, her Great Pyrenees, is intent on embarrassing her at every turn, dashing her hopes for a fresh start.
Written in the Sky by Celaine Charles
Julienne’s design deadlines have blown past, leaving her creativity running on fumes. A Fourth of July escape to Lake Kaniksu should be the reset she needs, until all her childhood traditions fizzle away. Worried her spark has sputtered out, a charming stranger literally stumbles into her at the beach, causing her to look up. Maybe the inspiration she’s seeking isn’t in the lake at all.
A Detour Worth Taking by Eliza Storm
With all the changes happening in Sasha’s life, her family’s annual backpacking trip is the one thing she is counting on to remain constant. But when her sister Sydney invites her fiancé and his friend along, suddenly every tradition is broken and Sasha is pulled into a detour she didn’t ask for.
This romantic suspense mystery is part of a series, but a stand-alone novel with limited overlapping characters and its own conclusion—no cliff-hanger.
Can they hold onto the heartbreak of the past when he’s protecting her from a killer 24/7?
After museum curator Laura Rossiter witnesses a murder, she runs for her life, finally landing in a Maine resort where she feels safe. Until bad-boy Cole Stratton rides his Harley back into her life…
Now a DARK officer, Cole has a mission—protect Laura, the golden girl he’s never forgotten, and flush out a killer. As the danger increases, so does the tension between the ex-lovers. Cole still believes she’s out of his league… and that she’s hiding secrets she intends never to reveal.
Together 24/7, they can’t deny the passion reigniting between them. But as the painful memories of their past assail them and a killer closes in, they must find a way to trust each other—before their future is extinguished forever.
Entire series: Dark Mission, Dark Cover, Dark Rules, Dark Vision, Dark Justice
Please help me welcome today’s guest, Randy Overbeck…
TALK ABOUT FAKE NEWS
“Fake news,” has become a common refrain of President Trump and other politicians lately. Sometimes what is tagged in the media as fake news is a story or misinformation planted by Russia or another of our adversaries or even a bot. Often, what politicians are referring to as “fake news” today is a news story with a slant or opinion they believe is wrong, though seldom is the news completely fake or made up.
The same could not be said of “reporting” in the time of our founding fathers.
In 1776, people got their news from gossip in the taverns and shops (think of it like their social media with a much smaller footprint). As you could probably guess, what was eventually “reported” ended up bearing little resemblance to the original message, like the old post office game.
Beyond that, locals in New York or Boston or Philadelphia obtained their “news” from periodical publications like broadsheets or early newspapers. Many of these papers have been lost to history but a number have survived to give us an accurate look into what passed for news. Rather than simply reporting an event—think the Boston Massacre or the Battle of Bunker Hill—with a particular slant reflecting either British or patriot sympathies, these publications often simply invented the story. This news article may or may not have any relationship to the truth. Then, the publisher would add some sensational headline.
LAWLESS RIOTERS SACK BOSTON
This was true of papers supporting either side, loyalist or rebel. Lost battles would be recorded as great victories, votes reported as usurping authority, blatant cruelties by soldiers upon locals touted as necessary military action, an orderly retreat became a victorious rout.
Like today, these sensational stories served to inflame the reader, whip up a certain sentiment, create a frenzy against “British trampling liberty” or “Savage rebellion against our kind sovereign”—pretty much the same as the algorithm on social media platforms. Whatever it took to sell more papers. In 1776, there was not even an interest in coming close to the truth, unless it fit their purpose.
A few actual headlines I think will illustrate.
ROYAL NAVY CRUSHES REBELLION
Actual: British ships won a battle with smugglers. This had little effect on the “rebellion.”
BRITISH FLEET MENACES HARBOR, LIVES IN PERIL
Actual: The British began enforcing a blockade of Boston harbor.
CONFUSION AND COWARDICE:
BRITISH FORCES HARRASSED AT CONCORD
Actual: Outnumbered patriots fought British in the Battle of Concord.
Many of these ludicrous headlines and stories were aimed at Washington.
WASHINGTON’S GUERILLA TACTICS
UNDERMINE CIVIL ORDER
Actual: The strategy developed by Washington of short hit-and-run strikes was proving very successful, with British troops always wondering when the next attack might hit them.
Some interesting examples of colonial “fake news” came from an influential loyalist paper published by James Rivington called the Royal Gazette. Thanks to work by historians, we have quite a few issues of this “newspaper” in archives. My favorites from this collection revolve around George Washington, a frequent target of the publisher.
WRETCHED USURPER WASHINGTON PROCLAIMED KING
TYRANT IN PHILADELPHIA:
WASHINGTON WEARS A FOREIGN CROWN.
Actual: The stories accompanying these headlines, and others like it, held no “news,” only lies and fabrications intended to get readers in an uproar, loyalists in defiance, rebels in disbelief. However, they were successful in their primary goal—selling papers.
I found what I researched about the Royal Gazette paper so interesting that I decided to include it in my new novel, ABIGAIL TRENCH, using the actual articles and headlines. My new historical thriller tells the story of the lone female operative of Washington’s secret spy ring that helped to win the Revolutionary War. ABIAGIL TRENCH launches this month (6/9/26) published and distributed by Diversion Books and Simon & Schuster. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence than reading the captivating story of one of the unsung heroes of the fight for independence. Interested? You can check it out here. https://www.authorrandyoverbeck.com/books/abigail-trench
Blurb
A vivid, propulsive Revolutionary-era thriller with the spy-craft verve of the streaming hit TURN: Washington’s Spies and the electricity of 1776’s New York that Hamilton lovers will recognize, this story is inspired by the lone female operative in Washington’s spy ring.
In occupied New York, a schoolteacher with everything to lose turns information into a weapon, threading between Redcoats and rebels as plots against Washington gather steam.
After rogue Redcoats assault her and strip her family’s Long Island farm, Abigail Trench fights to survive in New York City—tutoring in a high-ranking British officer’s Water Street household by day, navigating taverns, informants, and soldiers by night. Through Abigail’s keen eyes—and a counter-narrative following a principled British major—the novel renders the moral gray zones of occupation with gritty intimacy. As rumors swirl of a strike at General Washington, Abigail’s vantage inside upper-crust parlors and rough waterfront rooms makes her an ideal courier—and a target.
This historical thriller delivers high tension, textured world-building, and a captivating heroine who put it all on the line for freedom.
About the Author
Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, bestselling author, popular podcaster and speaker in much demand. After serving children for almost four decades as teacher, college prof and school leader, he used those experiences and skills to craft captivating mysteries, thrillers and historical suspense. His novels have earned more than a dozen national awards including Thriller of the Year, Best Book Award, the Gold Award and Mystery of the Year and have garnered hundreds of five-star reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and BookBub.
His newest novel, ABIGAIL TRENCH, is a historical suspense about the Revolutionary War, released June, 2026 by Diversion Books and distributed by Simon and Schuster.
Dr. Overbeck is also the host of the popular podcast, Great Stories about Great Storytellers, whichreveals the little known backstories of famous authors, directors and poets and ranks among the top 50% of all podcasts in the US. When he is not writing or podcasting, he is in much demand as a speaker, sharing informative and entertaining programs to more than 300 groups all over the country.
Award-winning mystery author CB Wilson is excited to announce the release of The Water Diamond, the second book in her popular Gem Hunters Mystery series.
When a legendary Art Deco bracelet vanishes during a gala at Phoenix’s historic Wrigley Mansion, diamond recovery specialist Taylor “Hunter” Hunter is called in to investigate. Her search leads to Catalina Island, where a century-old mystery, hidden clues, and a trail of secrets point to a treasure someone is willing to kill to protect.
Joining Hunter is fan-favorite Glimmer the Diamond Dog, a long-haired dachshund with an extraordinary talent for finding lost diamonds. Together, they follow clues through Avalon, the iconic Catalina Casino, and some of the island’s most beloved landmarks.
Described as “National Treasure meets Stephanie Plum on Catalina Island,”The Water Diamond combines treasure hunting, mystery, adventure, and a touch of humor in a fast-paced clean mystery.
Wilson, a GIA-trained gemologist and winner of the 2025 CIBA First Place Mystery & Mayhem Award for Puppied to Death, brings her expertise in gemstones and storytelling to every page.
To celebrate the release, Wilson has partnered with the Catalina Island Humane Society, donating a portion of book sales to support animal welfare efforts on the island.
The Water Diamond is available now in paperback and eBook through major online retailers. For more information, visit https://cbwilsonauthor.com
After devoting eleven years of marriage to Ben, her high school sweetheart, and stepping off the corporate ladder to raise their three children, Denise is ready to seize the reins of the career she always dreamed of. But as soon as she commits to step back into the professional world, Ben drops a bombshell that disrupts everything.
Suddenly, this once rock-solid couple finds themselves in a battle over ambition, identity, and whose turn it is to shine. As personal choices draw them further and further apart, they must confront their widening rift—a threat to the love they thought was unshakeable.
Can they rediscover the passion they once shared, or will their divergent paths pull them apart for good?
In Gilded Age New York, marriages are arranged to benefit the rich. Rose Marie Johnson expects her beau, an acceptable suitor and member of the Four Hundred, to propose marriage. When he chooses to wed another, her mother schemes to force Rosa into wedlock with a wealthy man twice her age.
With his true identity concealed, Miquel Vicario arrives in New York with dreams of achieving fame as a concert pianist and composer. The young Marqués wants to succeed before he is expected to return to Madrid, Spain by his next birthday to resume his royal duties.
Passion ignites when the two meet, but the ladies’ man isn’t looking for a wife, and the heiress must decide whether to accept an arranged marriage or run away.
Melody is fostering her niece while her sister, Captain Opal Erickson, is deployed to Kuwait. A chance meeting at work with Clayton, a construction manager, awakens feelings of the love and romance. Everything is perfect until Opal reveals a family truth and swears Melody to secrecy.
To honor her sisterly pledge, Mel attempts to reject any advances from Clayton, until he guesses the truth. Torn between loyalty to Opal and love for Clayton, she pours herself into work, making a mess of everything. When the dust settles, Mel is left wondering if she’ll be able to put the pieces of her life back together.
Please help me welcome today’s guest, Karen Hulene Bartell…
Today is RELEASE DAY for INDIGO, and I’m so excited! Indigo is a fictional story based on true events. Basically, it’s what actually happened to a friend (and me) amplified by my imagination 😉
My parents moved often, so I’m from a little bit of everywhere. But I did live in Northern Wisconsin for a few years, and I chose that setting for Indigo. Now I live in the Piney Woods of Texas with my husband and *mews*–three rescued cats and a rescued CATahoula Leopard dog, who played a large role in the creation of Indigo.
I’d never written a story about cryptids before. (Fox Tale contained a shapeshifter, but that fact wasn’t as central to the story as were the characters themselves.) I got the idea for Indigo while walking my dog past a cemetery, where several odd occurrences happened. The title Indigo rhymes with windigo (the creature), and it happens to be the name of the nearest street. The story line for Indigo was born when a neighbor shared her experiences in another cemetery. Since this was my first writing attempt involving mythical creatures, the hardest part was making the legendary sound possible.
After encountering a Northwoods hunk, unscrupulous realtors, bloodthirsty prowlers, and a dysfunctional family, of which one member–according to windigo legends–never left, is Raluca at risk of losing her heart, her inheritance, or her mind?
Blurb:
Reeling after her fiancé dumps her, Raluca Olson inherits a rustic cabin from an unknown relative. Eerie incidents and rumors of a mythical windigo alarm her, but she’s determined to learn the truth about her dysfunctional family before she flips the property.
Despite unscrupulous realtors, bloodthirsty prowlers, and a devious ex, her life improves with a rescued puppy, and passion ignites when she meets Dylan McCoombs, but…
What does a demonic half-beast share with a psychosis and porphyria? Are monsters born or formed? Nature or nurture? Is a windigo spirit genetic? More importantly, does she carry the gene?
Excerpt:
A strong gust of wind wailed through the oak tree. The rusty sign over the cemetery’s entrance squeaked as it rocked back and forth. Then a series of quick knocks sounded–like rapping at a door.
“What was that?” I stopped so fast, my feet slid on the pebbles.
“Ghosts?” Bree gave a mischievous snort.
A swaying pine bough above a shelter caught my attention. “That or pinecones dropping on a metal roof.”
Close by was an imposing grave with an ornate headstone: Jacques Marchand 1803-1849. Large stone blocks marked the fenced-in plot’s four corners, and seven surrounding tombstones bore the same surname. “Wild guess…Marchand is a big name here?”
Heather nodded. “One of the area’s founding families…a few descendants still live nearby.” Pointing at the wide swathes of burned rubber on the asphalt, she lowered her voice. “Supposedly, a certain family member never left…”
“What do you mean?”
“Some say a ghost appears along this road at dusk. Others describe it as a hellhound. The driver swerves to avoid it, and the ghost / hound vanishes.”
“Some say…” I dipped my chin to mask my skepticism. “Urban legends?”
“Un-uh.” Shaking her head, Bree grinned. “Olivia made those marks. She’s my bestie, and no ghost or dog was involved–just a squirrel with a death wish–but that…” Bree pointed to a stone chair. “That’s the devil’s chair, and it’s legit.”
“Chair? You mean throne.” I gaped at the elaborate carving. “But since it faces the headstone, it’s probably for the family to sit and reflect.”
Heather agreed with a nod. “A mourning chair.”
“Maybe originally.” Bree shrugged. “But now, it’s where kids test their courage…especially at midnight.”
Her mother pursed her lips. “It’s there to pay your respects, not be an invitation to an initiation.”
“It’s legend tripping.” An impish gleam lit Bree’s eyes.
“Don’t get any ideas about nighttime dares, young lady.”
“Oh, mother…” What began as a disgusted groan blossomed into a delighted squeal as a four-by-four truck rumbled into view. Waving her arms, Bree flagged it to a stop. “Dylan!”
The pickup slowed as the driver lowered the passenger window. “Hello Bree, Heather.” He ducked, so the walkers could see his face, then with a slight nod, caught my gaze. “Headed into town?”
“Yeah, can you give us a ride?” Bree had already opened the cab door and claimed the front seat. “You coming, Mom?”
Heather started to speak, sighed, then turned toward me. “Want to join us for breakfast?”
“No, thanks, I’m just a coffee person.” I shook my head, not wanting to intrude. “Next time.”
“Have you met our property manager yet?” Climbing in the back, Heather addressed the driver. “Dylan, this is Raluca. She just moved into–”
“Winny Nelson’s cabin. I’ve been expecting you.” Nodding, he handed Bree a business card and motioning to pass it on. “Let me know if you need anything or have any questions.”
The girl brushed against his shoulder before handing me his card.
Dylan McCoombs…Pretending to skim his info, I surveyed the person. Thick, curly hair, square jaw, full lips, and gunmetal-blue-gray eyes. No wonder Bree’s crushing. “Will do. Thanks.”
With a wave, he signaled and pulled on the road.
Questions, huh? I scanned the card. What can you tell me about Winny Nelson?
The author of 29 published books and Indigo, Karen Hulene Bartell was born to rolling-stone parents who moved annually. Her earliest playmates were fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became her portable pals. Ghost stories kept her up at night–reading feverishly. Novels offered an imaginative escape, and she began her first novel at nine, learning the joys of creating her own HEAs. Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, she lives in the Texas Piney Woods with her husband and *mews*–three rescued cats and a rescued CATahoula Leopard dog.
Please help me welcome today’s guest, Henry James Kaye…
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Henry has produced six award-winning mysteries. Twelve Sinners, the first in the Malcolm Gee Mystery series, won Book Of The Year from the Florida Writers Association and Best Unpublished Mystery from Killer Nashville. The second in the series, Victim’s Voice, became available for purchase on May 13th. He’s also written multiple Collections, RPLA, and various anthology winners, including Most Dangerous Games. He speaks at conferences and offers classes. Henry lives in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, with his wife, Nancy, and menagerie of dogs and birds.
Where did you get the idea for Victim’s Voice?
It came to me in a dream.
Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?
I have a successful track record writing mysteries. Several award-winning novels
Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?
I love small Florida towns. I believe they have a tremendous amount of culture and color, which I try to present in my settings and characters
What is the most difficult thing about writing a book?
Dedicating the time to write and rewrite and rewrite. Having the patience to know that I won’t have a finished product for nice months (coincidence? Like Malcolm Gee says, ‘There’s no such thing as coincidence.’)
Are there any tricks, habits or superstitions you have when creating a story? It must have a happy, or semi-, happy ending and give the reader something to think about afterward.
Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and do you like it?
Retired and I love it.
What do you love that most people don’t like and wouldn’t understand why you do?
When I was young my mother was very sick and after doctor/medicine bills we didn’t have much money. Consequently, we ate things from chickens and cows that you can’t find in today’s grocery stores. I still like to eat those items to remind me of how far I’ve come, plus, I consider them comfort food.
What do you dislike that most people wouldn’t understand?
I really hate being interrupted when I’m talking. To me, it’s rude and disrespectful to assume what you have to say is more important than what I have to say. Oh, and we all know what happens when you ‘ass-u-me’.
What was your first job?
My first job out of college was as a third shift computer operator for a steel company outside of Pittsburgh, PA.
What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time?
Junk email and SPAM
What do you want readers to come away with after they read Victim’s Voice?
Just because we’re different from someone else, have differing beliefs, that doesn’t mean we can’t love one another. We don’t have to understand the difference, just be willing to accept that there is a difference and be respectful about it.
What is your favorite quote?
When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you need to do is quit digging – – – My dad
What do you want your tombstone to say?
The National Bank of Dad is now closed.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
In my early days of novel writing, I created a five-book series about a man who wins the lottery and decides to put that money to good use by helping those who can’t help themselves. I love the plots and messages, but the writing isn’t very good. I plan to revise those novels and publish them one day.
How did you come up with the title?
Valerie DeNardo, the protagonist’s real estate agent girlfriend keeps telling Malcolm that he has a God-given gift for solving murders and representing those who were once victim’s
How did your interest in writing originate?
I devoured the Doc Savage series as a kid. It allowed me to escape into a world that I wasn’t familiar with and I learned so many cool things. I just kept it up after that.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Jeffrey Deaver includes a lot of detail to support the actions his characters take.
Your favorite…
Movie – Rocky and Star Wars series
Music – 70s, 80s,90s
TV show – Jeopardy
Food – Italian and Seafood
Sports team – Anything from Pittsburgh
Which do you prefer: Board games/card games or television? Board and card games…not much on TV
While helping his real estate agent girlfriend with a house showing, FBI Special Agent Malcolm Gee finds a decapitated head in a kitchen cabinet. Now what?
Excerpt:
Malcolm looked at the sky. “Chamber of Commerce weather. I love the Central Florida sunshine, particularly near the beach like this.”
“It’s too warm. My underarms are already damp. I don’t know how you can stand it in long pants and a sports coat.”
“Hazard of the job. You know I need the jacket to cover my firearm.”
“For God’s sake! You didn’t bring your gun, did you?”
He chose to ignore the mention of God and grinned. “Like the commercial says, ‘Never leave home without it.’ Well, I don’t leave home without my Beretta.”
She shook her head. “You’re not selling credit cards, and you’re not chasing a serial killer; you’re tagging along on a house showing. I don’t know why you need a gun. You men.” Valerie rolled her eyes.
The combination lock box on the front door rattled as Valerie spun its keys. “I hate these. It’s too easy for someone to shoulder-surf the combo and return later to clean the place out. I’ve heard horror stories about all the appliances and fixtures being stripped from a home in the middle of the night.”
The lockbox popped open with a click, revealing a single brass key. With practiced fingers, she extracted the key and unlocked the door. A gentle nudge with her foot swung it inward, and she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “You turn on every light you can find. I’ll open the blinds and set the AC.”
“Aye aye, Captain.” He threw a mock salute.
Two steps into the foyer, Valerie stopped. Malcolm halted so quickly behind her that he rose on his toes to avoid bumping into her.
She looked around. “God, what’s that smell? Did they not take the trash out?”
Malcolm sniffed and stiffened. He recognized the smell. He’d encountered it too often over his career.
Nothing good had ever come from it.
Instinctively, he grabbed her arm. “Don’t touch anything. Get in the car and drive to the corner. Stay there until I tell you to come back.”
“What’s wrong? Do you know what that smell is?”
He pulled her by the arm toward the door. “I’m going to find out. You need to leave. Don’t touch anything.”
“Ouch, let go, you’re hurting me.”
He didn’t stop pulling until she stepped onto the stoop, then shoved his car’s key fob into her palm.
“Malcolm, what’s wrong?”
He swung the door closed with his foot.
Valerie stood on the stoop and stared at the door that had just been shut in her face. She wasn’t sure what to think. Despite her protests, her boyfriend of a year had grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the house. Then he closed the door in her face.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Henry has produced six award-winning mysteries. Twelve Sinners, the first in the Malcolm Gee Mystery series, won Book Of The Year from the Florida Writers Association and Best Unpublished Mystery from Killer Nashville. The second in the series, Victim’s Voice, became available for purchase on May 13th. He’s also written multiple Collections, RPLA, and various anthology winners, including Most Dangerous Games. He speaks at conferences and offers classes. Henry lives in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, with his wife, Nancy, and menagerie of dogs and birds.
Please help me welcome today’s guest, Patricia McAlexander…
“Researching My Ancestors for Second Wives”
(The nine members of the Kornmeyer family listed on the manifest of the Jane E. Williams, October 7, 1850)
On a January afternoon in 2018, I sat at a computer in the Heritage Room of the Athens-Clarke County Library in Athens, Georgia, excited as an image came up on Ancestry.com—the manifest listing the name, gender, age, and birthplace of each passenger arriving in New York Harbor from Rotterdam on the barque Jane E. Williams, on October 7, 1850. There I found the name of my great-great-grandfather: “Martin Kornmeyer (M) 38, Farmer, Baden.” Listed below were the names of those traveling with him:
Rosa Jackle (F) 28, Baden
Theresa Kornmeyer (F) 15, Baden
Martin Kornmeyer (M) 14, Baden
Peter Kornmeyer (M) 12, Baden
Joseph Kornmeyer (M ) 10, Baden
Gabriel Kornmeyer (M) 8, Baden
Phillip Kornmeyer (M) 6, Baden
Mathilda Kornmeyer (F) 4, Baden
The last seven names were, of course, his children. But the list raised several questions. Catholic Church records had listed the Kornmeyer family—which presumably would have been Martin, his wife Maria Ursula Uhl, and their seven children—as leaving the town of Böhringen, Baden, in 1848, on their way to the New World. But where was Martin’s wife? And who was Rosa Jackle? She was not another child—she was only ten years younger than Martin. Finally, passage across the Atlantic at that time took six to twelve weeks, so the Jane E. Williams must have left Rotterdam sometime in the late summer of 1850. What had happened to the family during the two years after they left Böhringen? And what were the stories of those children in America, especially the younger Martin Kornmeyer, my great-grandfather, and his daughter Emma, my grandmother, born there in 1877?
Left to me were only documents on Ancestry.com; a nineteenth-century painting of the Jane E. Williams that came upon Google; gravestones in a Boonville, New York, cemetery; passed-down family tales and mementos—old photographs, letters, yellowed newspaper articles; my grandmother’s two-stone topaz engagement ring. Realizing how little I knew about the lives of these ancestors, even with help from other descendants, I decided their full story could be told only as historical fiction. I would have to fill in the blanks with imagination.
So, with notes and photocopied documents at hand, I began to write Second Wives. I used mostly their real names, adhered to the timeline of actual events, and embedded into the novel family tales and mementoes. Even as the novel was in progress, I researched the historical background, traveled up the Rhine as the Kornmeyers must have on their journey from Baden to Rotterdam, and visited sites of family homes and graves in Boonville, New York, where they settled.
I’ve always felt that one of the rewards of writing is the process itself, but that was especially true with Second Wives, as those ancestors I never knew came to life for me. But even more rewarding is when I’m told they came to life for readers as well.
About:
Inspired by the author’s ancestors, this historical saga traces the lives of three generations through marriage, loss, and the possibility of renewal through a second love.
Excerpt:
Martin reached down, scooped up a handful of soil, and, opening his fist, showed it to her. “I’ve loved this land, worked this soil, all my life. It will always be a part of me. But the crops have failed too many times. The farm is mortgaged. We would lose it if we stayed longer. And you know the political situation here.” He let the soil sift through his fingers back to the ground. “I will find new land in America. It will be a better home there for Esther and our children and their children.”
Rosa recognized in his eyes, his voice, the kind of passion she’d seen in Johannes when he talked of politics, of revolution. She turned away to look out past the farmhouse and barn to the winter-barren land beyond. She thought of the ragged men in the cities, of their angry demonstrations, of what Johannes had said about America. She turned back. “Yes, I see why you have to go.” Pulling her hood back over her head, she began moving out into the wind. “And it’s time for me to go back to Stuttgart. I’ll find work there as a governess.”
“Rosa!” He reached out and took her arm. “Esther and I want you to come with us.”
Note: If you search for Second Wives on Amazon, for some reason the search bar has my name as Patricia ALEXANDER—they’ve omitted the Mc. They tell me it has to do with autocorrect and cannot be changed. Pay no attention. The book comes up anyway.
About the Author:
Originally from upstate New York, Patricia Jewell McAlexander earned degrees from the State University of New York at Albany, Columbia University, and The University of Wisconsin, Madison, all in English. It was in Madison that she met her Southerner husband, Hubert, a fellow graduate student. They made Athens, Georgia their home, raised their son there, and taught at the University of Georgia. After retiring, Patricia has had more time to garden and travel while renewing her interests in photography, history, and, most of all, writing fiction.. Since 2020 she has published four contemporary novels of romantic suspense—Stranger in the Storm, Shadows of Doubt, The Student in Classroom Six, and The Last Golden Isle. In her most recent novel, Second Wives, she combines the romance and psychological complexity of her previous works with family lore and genealogical research to create her first novel of historical fiction.
Author Alicia Dean 