Murder In The Children’s Section is an adventure into the minds of two fantastic MURDER novelists, Alex Kava and Erica Spindler.
I received a phone call from my hubby, which is not unusual, but this time he had some really great news. Alex Kava and Erica Spindler are here in Pensacola being interviewed at the WSRE PBS station at Pensacola State College. I jumped in the shower, grabbed a couple books from my shelf and ran right out to buy their latest releases. Thus, the bad hair day. LOL I love both authors, so there was no way I was going to miss this.
Erica Spindler, Alex Kava and Me by Sherry Fundin
Both authors were friendly and in no hurry. They were willing to answer all our questions and sign, not just their new releases, but the additional books we brought in for autographs. Of course, we all wanted photos with them. ^_^ They complimented each other very well.
Erica Spindler and Me by Sherry Fundin
Erica Spindler talked about her writing regimen. She gets up early and goes to her local coffee shop to write for a couple of hours. She finds it less distracting, even with all the activity going on around her. Could it be because of the bats that have moved into her home? She waits til the pressure is on and a deadline looms, then takes off, just her and her dog. She spends the time writing and walking. She prefers writing over research. Erica used to write romance, then felt a need to add suspense. Now she can’t imagine writing a book without a murder in it. She feels she has found what she was meant to do in life – writing suspense novels. She talked about how green Pensacola is compared to the New Orleans area, due to the loss of the trees since Hurricane Katrina. She wasn’t sure if she had written thirty or thirty one books and has one in the works.
Alex Kava and Me by Sherry Fundin
Alex Kava’s favorite part of writing is the research. She does marathon writing sessions with her dogs at her side. In Stranded, she made Creed like herself, surrounded by the dogs that they love. She divides her time between Nebraska and Pensacola. She loves to write about places and settings she is familiar with. Alex talked at length about the FBI’s Highway Serial Killings Initiative and Cadaver dogs. She also talked about the research she did into the trucker culture and how her and Erica would be stopping at rest areas while on tour, looking for a Lot Lizard, a truck stop prostitute. She talked about how the Black River State Forest is an excellent dumping ground for bodies a murderer wouldn’t want found. The critters and weather would eat up the body quick, not like the refrigeration of the cold north. I couldn’t help but laugh. She has written thirteen books and has one in the works.
Neither author can imagine writing a book without a murder in it. By the time they tour and promote a new release, they are already writing another novel. Both like to stand when they talk, pacers, making it easy for all of us to see them.
Be sure and check out their websites to see if they will be touring in your area!
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I know Alex’s books are always quick and easy reads. The words flow smoothly off the pages making them perfect summer reads. No question in my mind about picking up my copy of her new release – Stranded. I am familiar with a lot of the settings and that makes it even more readable. I’ve stopped at many rest areas and truck stops and never really thought much about it – day or night. Now I will be keeping my eyes open. I want to see a Lot Lizard too.
The big question now is which book do I read first!
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Stranded by Alex Kava
4.01 rating details
Pick up your Amazon copy HERE.
New York Times bestselling author Alex Kava returns with another action-packed thriller featuring special agent Maggie O’Dell, who is on the hunt for a “truck stop” serial killer.
Tired travelers and weary truckers have stopped at rest areas on the nation’s highways for decades to refuel, grab a bite, and maybe get some shut-eye, but one man’s rest stop is another’s hunting ground. For decades the defenseless, the weary, and the stranded have disappeared along the highways and byways, vanishing without a trace, but these seemingly unconnected incidents are no coincidence, and a madman stalks the freeways.
When FBI special agent Maggie O’Dell and her partner, Tully, discover the remains of a young woman in a highway ditch, the one clue left behind is a map that will send Maggie and Tully on a frantic hunt crisscrossing the country to stop a madman before he kills again.
As the body count rises and Maggie races against the clock to unmask the monster who’s terrorizing the nation’s highways, she turns to a former foe for help since he seems to know just what the killer’s next move will be. As she gets closer to finding the killer, it becomes eerily clear that Maggie is the ultimate target.
Turn the tables on Alex Kava and stalk her by following the links below:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter
Grab your copy from Amazon by clicking on the cover.
Erica’s books seem to be more about feelings and emotion, delving into the psychological aspect of the story, making them a little heavier. Her new book, Justice for Sara is a perfect example. The writing also flows smoothly and I would not have to think twice about picking up a book with her name on it.
Justice For Sara
by Erica Spindler
4.41 · rating details
Pick up your Amazon copy HERE.
When seventeen-year-old Katherine McCall awakened one morning to find her beloved sister, Sara, brutally murdered, her whole life changed in the blink of an eye. Kat was named the prime suspect and, on a string of circumstantial evidence, charged and tried. While the jury found her innocent, not everyone else agreed, and her only choice was to go into hiding. But she carried a dark secret with her, one that made her worry she might actually have had something to do with Sara’s death . . .
Now, years later, Kat is still haunted by her sister’s unsolved murder and continues to receive chilling anonymous letters, but she has tried to move on with her life. Until, on the tenth anniversary of Sara’s death, she receives a letter that makes the past impossible to ignore: “What about justice for Sara?” What about justice for Sara? And for herself? Kat realizes that going back to Liberty, Louisiana, might be the only way to move forward and find some peace. And there’s a killer out there who was never caught.
But the town she’s come back to is hardly different from the one she left. The secrets and suspicions still run deep. Kat has an ally in Detective Luke Tanner, son of the former Liberty police chief, but he may be her only one. With plenty of enemies, no one to trust and a killer determined to keep a dark secret buried, Kat must decide if justice is worth fighting—and dying—for.
To keep up on Erica Spindler’s latest, follow the links below:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter
Grab your copy from Amazon by clicking on the cover.
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Both of them a terrific writers. I’ve read several of their books. Erika lives near New Orleans and I’ve talked to her at a couple of conferences. She’s a great speaker and very accessible. to other authors.
Cool. I thought they were both very nice. I second all you said. It was awesome meeting them and it was very interesting hearing them speak. They were very open and shared many things with us. I have read numerous books of their too. I have a couple at home and have checked out some from the library too. Glad to hear from you Susan!
Great pictures, Sherry! That’s so cool that you were able to meet these authors and speak with them. I love when authors are people friendly.
Bad hair day? Your hair looks fine.
Thanks Taylor. They are both laid back, friendly and even a little funny. lol More than once they had us laughing as they told us about themselves. They will be touring together throughout the year and I think that is really cool too. A traveling duo. lol Have a great weekend!
You lucky girl. I have so many books by both of these authors. Would have loved to have been there with you!
You lucky smashing Sherry!
It happened exactly like I said. Superbrain called and said, “Can you be at the station in a half an hour. Yeah, right. I’d been working outside in 95 degree weather. It wasn’t gonna happen. They were having a talk and signing at 6pm, so I ran for it. lol They had been in Fairhope before that. You can check their links for their tour schedule.
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