A Visit with Lonnie Cruse, Book News, & Excerpts

This month has been one of the most thrilling in my writing career. Not only was In Flames released on January 1st, but that same day I received a contract offer for both Relic and BoneSong! Now, in the dozen days since, I've also been offered a contract for one of my Melody Knight titles, Of Dragons, and a contract for a short story for All Romance eBooks, Cut and Polish. The only one with a release date so far is Cut and Polish, which will go live March 14th.

I'll wait for all the contracts to arrive before I post the details here. Still...

Yay!

Author Friend: A Few Words from Lonnie Cruse, author of Fifty-Seven Heaven

"I began writing Fifty-Seven Heaven after hubby bought a '57 Chevy to restore and joined a car club. I wondered what would happen if a club member found a dead body in the trunk of a pristine, trophy winning car. Knowing how car club members feel about their babies, writing the book was great fun. I love my character Kitty because she's who I'd like to be when I grow up. Never mind that she's younger. She gets to do a lot of things I'd like to do, and a few I've
already done.

The setting for the first book which just came out in December is Metropolis, IL, the small town where I live. It's a fun place to live and write about. The next book, which is finished but not yet contracted
for, is set at a car show in Pigeon Forge, TN. I love that area and enjoyed spending time there again, even if only inside my head, writing the book. I'd had the idea for a long time, and even took pictures to inspire me on a visit. I'm writing the third book now, set in Metropolis again, where a new character is wreaking havoc on my lead characters, driving them to consider murdering her. Muwhahaha!

For more information, please check out my website:
http://www.lonniecruse.com/ and you'll find links to my blogs and websites where I hang out. http://www.lonniecruse.blogspot.com/ and
http://www.poesdeadlydaughters.com/)"

Thanks for this, Lonnie! Lonnie's one of my fellow Five Star authors.

***

Tempter (I may want to stick this in a book some time): CT scans are being used to study ancient tumours in dinosaur bones. Palaeontologists and med students are working together to gain a better understanding of tumour origins and growth patterns. Amazing!

Save Your World Stuff: If you're looking to give world-saving a "personal touch", why not your bone marrow to someone who needs it? Check to see whether you're compatible with a simple blood test. More info is available at The American Bone Marrow Donor Registry.

Now, an excerpt from one of mine - ErRatic, methinks. Enjoy!

Emma glanced blearily at the clock. Three a.m., and Studley obviously needed to go out. He was whimpering, deep in his throat, and his cold nose kept nudging her arm.

Damn dog! She reached out and gave the silky coat a pat. Zombie-like, she stumbled across the room, to the front door, and unfastened the lock. “Out!” she commanded, punctuating it with a squeaky yawn.

When she opened her eyes again, the man was standing on the grass, just off the porch.

It was a very small porch.

She slammed the door and locked it, then raced through the house. She kept picturing Him running, trying to beat her to the back door.

It’s locked. It’s got to be locked.

It was, but she didn’t feel any better. No one had any business standing there, on her property, at three in the morning. He was up to no good.

She ran for the kitchen and picked up a knife in one hand and the phone in the other. The knife shook in her frozen fingers. Not a good thing. He’ll use it on me.

He damn well better not try. Her shadowy reflection in the window glass was that of a madwoman, brandishing a blade. Her staccato movements glinted across the toaster face, and she jumped, slashing the air.

Hysteria burbled up, like an unwanted belch, before sense clunked in with a nearly audible jolt. Window. Nightlight. He’ll see me. Frantic, she dropped onto the floor, and punched in a fumbling “911”.

If he saw me, I hope he saw the knife, too.

She shouted into the phone, “There was—!”, realized she was shouting, and quickly hissed, “There was a man!”

Why the hell hadn’t Studley barked?! The damned dog had practically dumped her in the killer’s lap!

The Police Operator was offering instructions now, and Emma listened to them blankly. She’d just recalled something very pertinent to her case.

“N-Never mind,” she said, replacing the receiver with shaking hands.

A dream. It had to be a dream.

But it wasn’t and she knew it. It was what she’d tell them, though, when they asked.

She sat there, huddled, too scared to challenge the near-dark. Her eyes were already scrunched closed, but now she drew up her knees and buried her face in her arms.

Shielded. Safer.

Not really.

She couldn’t afford to move now, even if it meant lighting the house. She was too afraid of what she might see.

She nestled her head deeper, to block her ears.

Too afraid of what she might hear.

She hummed a little whimper, deep in her throat the way Studley had. Just enough noise to challenge any other whimpers in the room.

When they came with the squad car to check out her call, she’d have to get up—but not till then. Then, it’d be okay—maybe even safe.

Why hadn’t Studley barked? That one was easy—now that she’d remembered.

About Studley.

He’d been dead—for almost a week.

From ErRatic

Cheers,

NDMelody