I'd like to welcome Sherry Knowlton today. She writes in one of my favorites genres, mystery and suspense with a bit of romance.
Thanks, Susan,
for inviting me onto your blog today.
My Alexa
Williams series is mystery/suspense with a nice dollop of romance. My stories are set in the present day but are
somewhat unique in that they contain a parallel historical story that intersects with the
contemporary mystery at some point in the book.
So, it’s particularly important that each story contains a few key
elements that help ground it in the correct era.
In the
newest book, Dead of Winter, I looked
to drone technology to provide that sense of early 21st century
setting. The heroine, Alexa, and her
friends discover a disturbing image on the video footage they’ve just filmed
with their drone. That discovery leads
Alexa into big trouble. In contrast, the parallel story is set in pre-Civil war
days and follows a young slave in his escape from a Virginia plantation. The
most cutting edge technology in that story is a horse and wagon.
Of course,
there are many things an author can use to ground a story in an era or a
region. For example, I used style of dress, slang and music to help bring the
hippie era to life in Dead of Summer. Speech
patterns and entirely different set of slang helped me set the stage for the
Depression era subplot in my first book, Dead
of Autumn.
In some
ways, I find it easier to capture bygone eras by emphasizing a few of that
time’s most distinctive characteristics than I do to depict the current day.
Perhaps it’s because we are so immersed in our everyday environments that we
must be especially keen observers to predict the items that will make future
readers think, “Oh, this book is set in the early 21st century.”
But, my
books also use issues that are ripped from today’s headlines as the background
or key components of the plot. So, those
issues provide much of the contemporary flavor.
I guess you’ll need to read of one the books to discover whether I’ve
been successful in nailing the proper sense of time and place. Dead of Winter
is the newest with a release date of February 19th.
Dead of Winter
“With
riveting suspense and vivid details, Dead of Winter by Sherry Knowlton
brings the towns and forests of Southcentral Pennsylvania to vivid life as
cultures and beliefs clash in a searing tale of murder, love, and communal fear.
From flying drones to police investigations and legal wrangling, Dead of
Winter will keep you guessing and glued raptly to your reading
chair.”
-
Gayle Lynds, New York Times
best-selling author of
The Assassins
A lighthearted trip to test a
new drone turns deadly for attorney Alexa Williams
and two close friends when they find a stranger’s bullet-riddled body in a remote field in
rural Pennsylvania. Next to the dead man is a note that declares: Allahu Akbar.
When a second man is executed near Harpers Ferry, Alexa’s old flame, Reese, becomes a suspect, leading her to question just how much he changed while working in Africa. Fear of Islamic terrorism spreads like wildfire through Alexa’s small town after a third murder. After police arrest the oldest son of her Syrian refugee clients, the family becomes the focus of mounting anti-Muslim rage, and a dangerous militia group turns its sights on Alexa.
and two close friends when they find a stranger’s bullet-riddled body in a remote field in
rural Pennsylvania. Next to the dead man is a note that declares: Allahu Akbar.
When a second man is executed near Harpers Ferry, Alexa’s old flame, Reese, becomes a suspect, leading her to question just how much he changed while working in Africa. Fear of Islamic terrorism spreads like wildfire through Alexa’s small town after a third murder. After police arrest the oldest son of her Syrian refugee clients, the family becomes the focus of mounting anti-Muslim rage, and a dangerous militia group turns its sights on Alexa.
One dark night in the dead of
winter, Alexa discovers who is behind the murders and must race to stop an
attack that could kill hundreds. If she fails, she could lose everyone she
loves.
Buy links:
·
Available at most online retailers and
bookstores.
About Sherry: Sherry Knowlton is the author of the Alexa Williams
series of suspense novels: Dead of
Autumn, Dead of Summer, Dead of
Spring and the most recent release, Dead
of Winter. Passionate
Connect with Sherry at:
https://www.pinterest.com/knowlton0706/ (Pinterest)
Do you think drones can help solve crimes or perhaps discover crimes? Is that title hitting right in the cold spot for this time of year?
Thanks, Sherry, for visiting today.
