What do you do when a minor character is so much fun you can’t let her go? You plot a novel just for her. That story became The Arranger, a futuristic thriller involving two wildly different concepts: a software technician who devolves into a killer and a national endurance competition called the Gauntlet. This unusual story developed from several ideas that came together for me: Read more →
I came across some statistics on school bullying recently and was dismayed that this practice is accelerating. It was bad enough when I was in high school, but those incidents seem tame in comparison. Still, a single incident had a profound effect on me. I entered high school the size I am now, but during initiation week, I worried that seniors would harass me. I was prepared to stand my ground, but it never happened. I was big, smart, and confident and no one messed with me. Others weren’t so lucky. Read more →
I met Marva at a book fair and critiqued a few chapters of her fantasy novel. The writing was terrific, the story was engaging, and if I had been a YA fantasy publisher, I would have bought it. I’ve since read several of her novels, and I’m happy to recommend them. Now Marva has turned to writing mysteries, and I’m pleased to introduce her new e-book, Missing, Assumed Dead, a fast-paced engaging story. Read more →
I’ve gone back and forth for months trying to decide whether to price the e-book version of my new release, The Arranger, at $.99 or $2.99…for the launch phase. The thinking is this: At 99 cents, I’ll sell more copies, the book will go higher on the Amazon charts, and I’ll get more exposure. But I won’t make much money…unless it hits the top of the charts and stays there for a long time. But can I count on that? Read more →
This is the third post in a series about exceptional women in Eugene.
It takes a special kind of person to be so committed to a goal that it factors into nearly every single life decision. Sarah Bertram is that kind of person. The 26-year-old champion weightlifter has her eye on making the 2012 Olympic team, and she won’t let anything get in her way. Vacations are out of the question; they take too much time away from training. Read more →
This is the second post in a series featuring exceptional women in Eugene.
As a student of English literature, Kathy Flynn never imagined she would one day carry a gun and conduct a traffic stop that would almost turn deadly. “When I was young, if anybody had told me I would be a police officer, I would have wondered what they were smoking,” says Sergeant Kathy, who supervises the Eugene Police Department’s violent crimes unit. Read more →
This is the first post in a series about exceptional women in Eugene.
For most young women, planning for college is a matter of filling out paperwork. For Hoang Nguyen, a native of South Vietnam who’s now a cardiothoracic surgeon, it meant putting her life on the line, crossing a treacherous ocean in a boat with a converted motorcycle engine, and braving unimaginable hardship. Read more →
As a thank you to readers who’ve supported me and made it possible for me to write full time—and in celebration of my birthday—I’m offering all five Detective Jackson books on Kindle and Nook for $.99 for the month of July. If you own another type of reader and want to take advantage of this offer, contact me. Read more →
I’ve been talking about this thriller for a few months, but it now has a title, a cover, a description, and a first draft. It hasn’t gone out to beta readers, so I’m still nervous. But here’s a glimpse. Let me know what you think.
The Arranger
The year is 2023 and ex-detective Lara Evans is working as a freelance paramedic in a bleak new world. She responds to an emergency call and Read more →
So many great names were entered! Interestingly, I’ve already used several of the names in the story, such as the first name Jason and the last name Morton. And I liked the Melinda Becker suggestion, but I used Bekker as a major character in my last Jackson story. I almost picked Jodi Hansen because it’s a great name, but I know two lovely women named Jodie, one of whom is my editor, so I just couldn’t kill someone named Jodi. Read more →
