Lauren Carr-Blast from the Past

Lauren is such a great writer that I had to have her on my blog again when she started her blog tour for her new release; Blast from The Past.
Here she tells us about some of her favorite things from this latest novel in the Mac Faraday Mysteries.

Do you have a Favorite Character in Blast from the Past & Why?

For all of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, readers have loved Gnarly, Mac’s German Shepherd. Gnarly was dishonorably discharged from the United States Army. Let’s just say, he has issues. He is incredibly intelligent and has a mind of his own. He’s also a hopeless kleptomaniac.

However, while writing Blast from the Past, Archie Monday jumped out at me to become my favorite character in this book. In the previous books in the series, I purposely gave Archie a hint (only a hint) of mystery because I knew there was a secret to her past that would be revealed. This is the book where her secret comes out.

Readers discover that Archie Monday witnessed a horrible murder while she was a graduate student at the University of Maryland. In the prologue, readers learn that Kendra Douglas (whose name is changed to Archie Monday) was a hopeless romantic, who fantasized about the Mickey Forsythe, the fictional detective created by Robin Spencer, Mac Faraday’s birth mother. She had become friends with Robin Spencer while working as her teaching assistant when the famous author taught a special course at the university.

In a blast, Kendra’s life changes. She witnesses the brutal murder of a university professor. Shivering in the bushes, she thinks, “What would Mickey Forsythe do?”

Ten years later, Kendra Douglas is now the sophisticated, lovely Archie Monday, who has been placed by the Witness Protection Program to work as the late Robin Spencer’s assistant. When two paid assassins try to ambush her, Archie takes them out single-handedly with her pink handgun.

One of my favorite scenes in Blast from the Past (besides the scene where Archie takes down the gunmen with her pink handgun) is where she explains to Mac Faraday the transformation that she had gone through since that night that she witnessed mobster Tommy Cruze killing a professor who he had thought was sleeping with his wife:

Archie stood up. “I’m not locking myself in this mansion and closing the blinds and never leaving again. If I do, then he wins. We’re not going to let them scare us out of living our lives.” She pointed at the shepherd on the bed. “I’m taking Gnarly to see Misty tomorrow, and then we’re going to lunch at the Spencer Inn.”

Yet, while Archie is capable of taking care of herself, she is still a soft feminine woman with a very gentle side. After the attempted hit on her life, she breaks down when she is forced to reveal her secret to Mac. She loves gardening, fine wine, gourmet food, and the color of rose. (Police chief David O’Callaghan calls it pink, which infuriates her.) She wears designer suits and expensive perfume, and insists on taking Gnarly to only the hottest dog groomer in town. She enjoys the finer things in life that her mentor Robin Spencer had introduced to her.

Simply, Archie Monday is who I want to be when I grow up.

Thank you Lauren for your time and let me just say this...for me, the best line in the book was: “a girl who prefers guns to diamonds.” Because it shows us just what us girls can do.

We Rock!

So there you have it. Lauren Carr's newest novel will intrigue you and make you fall in love with the good guy. Be sure to pick up your copy today.

When will I see you?

Last night I had the opportunity to attend a meet and greet held at Howard University book store, THE HUB.

Tamika Newhouse, CEO of Delphine Publications and two of her authors were in attendance and we learned about how she splits her time being an author and also being the owner of a publishing company.

Sadly, there were only six other people there. Most authors think that they do not need to go out to meet and greets. But I ask you this, if you don't get out there and meet new people, how do you think you are going to find fans?
The one thing I can say is that for me, meet and greets are the perfect opportunity to network with other authors and to share ideas.
Where do you think I get some of the ideas that I have?
Why do you think I started going to conferences?
Why do you think I spend as much time as I do on Facebook and LinkedIn and Twitter; well it's becaues I am going to meet and greets and learning from the best.
Tamika is the owner of a small press. However I have also gone to meet and greets with agents from New York, California and Florida. Again, why do I go? Because I know to be good at what I do, I need to learn from the best. So tell me again, why you don't go to meet and greets. Hopefully the next time one is in DC, Maryland or Virginia; I'll see you there.

Conferences, my new best friend

When Chocolate and flowers aren't enough...



February 1-3, 2013. That is one of the best weekends I have had this month. Oh, did you think I was going to say this year? See, every year I travel with another author, Austin S. Camacho to Rosemont, IL to the LOVE IS MURDER conference. Every year I look forward to seeing Hanley Kanar and Luisa Buehler and the rest of the gang that put on the conference. When chocolate and flowers aren't enough...that is the slogan. Pretty cool, don't you think?

Although the conference is always on the Super Bowl weekend, it is always over by noon and I am back at our friend Cyndi's home in Ohio by 5pm, plenty of time to get those Super Bowl snacks ready to watch the commericals. You didn't think I really cared about the game, espeically since Dallas wasn't in it, now did you?

This year was no different. Well in a way it was. I convinced another author, Deliah Lawrence to travel to Rosemont, IL to the conference and she did and she and I and Austin had a wonderful time. We had the time of our lives! We met Lee Goldberg, sat and had lunch with Shane Gericke.

We sat on panels and discussed everything from having the perfect pitch for an agent to writing in the post 50 Shades aftermath. How did you miss all of that? Well if you don't attend conferences, that is how you miss it.

Now next year, we plan to be there again, are we going to see you there? If not, I will sit and have dinner with Heather Graham and Shane Gericke...while you sit at home and get ready for the Super Bowl.

Never to young for shoes

In my world, where shoes rule everything around me, I am still amazed that things shock me as they do.

My youngest daughter will give birth to my fifth grandson in June and she is so excited. That's another story for the medical journals. She has been 'nesting' already, which for her is a huge deal. She has scoped out things she wants and has even gotten my grandson (name to be determined) into the act. She posted on FB that "my grandson saw the crib he would like to sleep in". That is so funny because he is only the size of a mango right now, but I digress.
She went window shopping this past weekend and today she showed me what she looked at. Cute little jeans and a cute little shirt from H and M and also some hats. NY Yankees blue and Pittsburgh but couldn't find the all elusive Dallas Star. Then she showed me the cutest pair of shoes. Ralph Lauren sneakers, just the cutest things I had ever seen.
Then she said, "well, your grandson HAD to have them, so I bought them". What? Uh, what? You bought him shoes already? Her response, "well, he gets it from his NINA (that would be me)
So, my new grandson will be just like my other grandchildren and have a love of shoes.
Well, they have to learn from someone and why not learn from the best, right?

New Year's Memories

Today Jade tells us about her families getaway in the middle of winter. Spending some adventure, fun-filled days in Jamaica is the way to bring in the New Year's and have some great memories. Hopefully everything is back to normal [note: the picture that she included is not cooperating, but as soon as it does; you will see just how much fun she and her family had. And yes; I was a little jealous of the bright sunshine and white beaches]  
    Just four days after Christmas, my husband, son and I waded through ravaged wrapping paper, empty boxes and left our adorned Christmas tree behind. We were on our way to Sunset Resort in Montego Bay Jamaica. There was a lot to celebrate. It was Quinn’s eighth birthday and we were ready to bring in the New Year in a country we had not yet discovered. The snow and sleet were easy to leave behind for 7 full days of all inclusive fun, white sand and crystal clear water. Before you go getting jealous, leaving frigid winter for sparkling hot summer was one of the worst decisions ever. Not because we had an awful time. It was more fun than any of us could have imagined. Even after my husband stomped on a sea urchin with his bare foot and the next day sliced the same foot open after the difficult task of walking while on rum, each day was better than the one before it. The problem set in once we exited the plane. The bite of winter clenched us before we had the opportunity to dig out our winter coats.

            The long drive back to Leesburg from BWI took forever. The three of us were silent.  Bob Marley and Beres Hammond took turns serenading us all the way home.  Flashbacks of climbing water falls, kayaking and searching for starfish took over. Pulling into the driveway was comforting but it made everything real. We ushered our luggage into the garage. Anytime I travel I refuse to bring the bags inside immediately. We didn’t need any stowaways. We dragged our cold tanned bodies up the first flight of stairs. The smell of pine had dissipated. Our once full tree now resembled the one Charlie Brown made famous. Pine needles covered the presents we left behind. 

            The week we returned was a rough one. We all had catching up to do. Quinn took it a step further and caught bronchitis. He ended up missing three more days of school and his teacher sent home a mountain of make up work. My husband’s sea urchin incident was easy to laugh off and ignore in paradise. We even joked that the needles the resort nurse could not remove were souvenirs. Back in VA we started thinking about that terrifying show “Monsters Inside Me” and decided the doctor would be the safest option. I was left to nurse the limping husband and the not so comfortable eight year old. By weeks end we were all cranky and cursing Jamaica. If it weren’t such a beautiful place and if it wasn’t such an amazing trip, Virginia in January wouldn’t be so miserable.

            It’s been a couple weeks now and things are pretty much back to normal. The pictures make us smile and conjure up pleasant flashbacks. At random times we remind each other of the adventures we experienced together as a family. The memories we have are our own. They motivate us to return at the end of this year.

New Year, New Goals

As the New Year came rushing in, I sat down and wrote out my goals for the year.

How many of us have done this? I'm not talking about goals in general; I'm talking about goals for my writing.

Not resolutions like; I'm going to write for an hour a day, more like; I'm going to write for at least five (5) hours every week.

Goals like, I'm going to spend $500 on attending conferences this year.

Goals like, I'm going to self-publish my next novel but I'm going to PAY for an editor and not give it to grandma or my friend to read.

Those are goals that every author should be making.

Realistic goals; goals that will make you succeed as an author.

My goals; well they are simple. I want to write for 5 hours each week. I want to stop work at 6pm every night and enjoy my family. I want to attend 6 conferences this year. (I'm already signed up for 4) I want to have my novel ready by November 1. (I'm almost finished)I want to be interviewed on radio. (Yep; already crossed off)

See those goals are what I will cross off, when they are completed and replace with a new one.

So tell me; What are your goals for this new year?

Looking good means writing well.

You look good, you feel good….

That was my son’s motto while he played football. He had to be one of the best dressed athletes on the field but it showed in his level of play.

I take that to heart every day. I dress the way I want to feel.

You may be asking: well what does that have to do with writing. Well, I showed you, a couple of months ago, a picture of my writing room and that is where “I feel good.”  So if I feel good, I write well.

Some authors have shared their office space photos with me and some of shared their writing space photos with me and sometimes I look and then I totally understand why ‘they aren’t inspired.”

Maybe it has to do with the hundreds of pieces of paper cluttering your desk. Or the post-it notes that are stuck on everything. Maybe it has to do with the dim light over your computer or maybe it’s because your space is cluttered and the more you sit at your desk; the more your mind wanders to “I should straighten my desk”, or “I need to throw those papers away that are on the floor.” Either way, you mind is too cluttered with cleaning and can’t focus on writing.

Is this to say that I’m always neat and tidy? Heck no! To the contrary, but what I do is; every time I sit down to write; it’s with a clean desk and everything is neat and orderly. By the time I get up; yes, I have post-it notes and paper thrown everywhere BUT I don’t leave it like that. I finish up; then I clean up. So that when I come back, my space is neat and clean and I can get right to writing.

So, the saying; you look good; you feel good; you feel good; you play good.

Holds true for me.

My desk looks good, so I write well.

Simple, right? Now, to clean up this mess before I get my lunch.