#HiddenLight
“Enthralling political drama.” — literary fiction review
The lost chapter of THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY
My "Simplify" theme for 2019 led to some housekeeping and that in turn led to the discovery of a lost chapter of THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY. Backstory The novel was originally an 800 page (Not. Kidding.) all written from the point of view of the...
Itzel’s story, or how she came to be in a thriller
Many of the pivotal moments in my life have happened over a good meal. One time, however, the meal wasn’t even cooked. There was a thriving expatriate community in Mexico City when we lived there. Soon after arriving, I met Delia from South Carolina. Her...
Swimming lessons, or how he got into a thriller
I’ve always liked to be in the water, but by no stretch of the imagination can I call myself a strong swimmer. I didn’t take swimming lessons until I was in 5th grade, when I learned to do a passable crawl and a backstroke that always sent me into the next...
El Cid: A literary hero’s literary hero
Everybody has heard of Don Quixote. The image of the fictional tilter-at-windmills is everywhere in Mexico, which has long adopted Spanish literature and legends as its own. But when I went looking for the literary hero for my fictional Mexican hero in THE...
The Great Madonna Mistake
It took me five years to realize the mistake. The Madonna mistake. In THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY, Luz de Maria is a maid in Mexico City who returns home to the small town of Soledad de Doblado after losing her job. There she sees a news report that...
Romantic Suspense Who’s Who: Brilliant Academic Meets Iraq War Vet
AWAKENING MACBETH was recently reviewed by Kirkus Reviews and there was so much emphasis placed on the characters that it read like a Who's Who guide to romantic suspense. The book's premise of an academic falling for an Iraq War vet ("Both Brodie and Joe are...
Travelling in Dreams with AWAKENING MACBETH
AWAKENING MACBETH, is full of secrets. My family secrets become my character's secrets. Their secrets become a frightening truth. "A page turning paranormal romance"-- KIRKUS REVIEWS. Cue the trailer! https://youtu.be/i0JwaqVbEqI Family secrets My grandmother used to...
Romance’s Newest Hero is a Wounded Warrior
Two weeks ago, I posted this picture on my Facebook page. (You can thank me again later, dearest reader Karen) The wounded warrior in the picture is Brian Taylor "BT" Urruela, taken by photographer Michael Stokes, and he serves as visual inspiration for the character...
NEW RELEASE! Romantic Thriller with a #Paranormal Twist
AWAKENING MACBETH is out now for kindle readers, with the paperback coming 10 January! It's a romantic suspense thriller with a paranormal twist set in Charlottesville, Virginia and Edinburgh, Scotland. Related: Read the first chapter of AWAKENING MACBETH here All...
How to write a political thriller
One of the most often-asked questions for a mystery and thriller author is "Where does your inspiration come from?" Political thriller THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY had quite the auspicious beginning . . . Fateful dinner party We were invited to a dinner party at...
From Panama to Mexico and back again
Every thriller needs the big climax, right? But suspense needs to be built with action scenes that intrigue us. The mystery setting Remember how in THE KEY TO REBECCA, there's the big climax in the desert as the spy, Wolff, tries to get the radio he's left with the...
Matching Books with Museums in Mexico City
There you are, strolling through amazing exhibits and you know something’s missing. Like the backstory. Wish you'd known more before going? But there wasn't time. Besides, research before going to a museum sounds too much like work. So prep with a little fiction!...
