Suspense Magazine July 2012/Vol

Suspense, Mystery, Horror and Thriller Fiction JULY 2012 Anthony FrAnze Gives us PArt ii on ‘the rules’ oF Fiction On LOcatiOn HOmicide ScHOOL Summer Reading with James Rollins maRk Billingham Paul levine Jon land vicki PetteRsson allison leotta and More! C r e di t s John Raab From the Editor President & Chairman Shannon Raab This is the month when I decided to look into Creative Director your mind and try to understand what you’re thinking.... Romaine Reeves When you hear the tornado sirens, you run CFO underground. When a hurricane approaches, Starr Gardinier Reina you run for higher ground. When you hit writer’s Executive Editor block, do you eat a Snickers bar because it is satisfying? Writer’s block is something that every Terri Ann Armstrong author has to overcome, but most every author has Executive Editor a different way of breaking down the wall that is J.S. Chancellor sitting in front of them. The only thing you can do Associate Editor is try to limit the amount of time the block stays with you. Jim Thomsen First you need to understand what writer’s block is. Unlike some problems, this Copy Editor can’t be helped with a vaccine or pill; it is something you need to fight through. If you Contributors outline everything before you write, you can still get writer’s block. When you are writing Donald Allen Kirch anything, you first sit and have an idea of how the story will flow, how the characters will Mark P. Sadler interact with each other, and how they will progress throughout the book. You begin Susan Santangelo writing and then something unexpected happens—your story starts to change before DJ Weaver CK Webb your eyes. Kiki Howell At first it is a little change, maybe in dialogue between characters, or you change Kaye George a couple of characteristics of your characters. Then all of a sudden you change roads Weldon Burge Ashley Wintters and start walking down another path, because your characters are pulling you in that Scott Pearson direction and you are the victim of character peer pressure. The problem is that path has D.P. Lyle M.D. the writer’s block wall, about halfway down, that you couldn’t see until you turned that Claudia Mosley Christopher Nadeau corner by the big oak tree. You have a couple of options: do you retrace your steps and Kathleen Heady find the part where your story took the detour, or do you have to sit back and think how Stephen Brayton to break down the wall? Brian Blocker Andrew MacRae There is no wrong answer here. It is a personal choice on how you decide to tackle Lisa McCourt Hollar this problem. Don’t think that you are alone, since this “disease” happens to every writer. Val Conrad I wish there was an easy answer, other than to just remember to listen to your characters Laura Alden and be careful with the progression of the story. Most every author I interview will also Melissa Dalton Elliott Capon tell you that there are one or two characters in their book that jump off the page, more J.M. LeDuc than they thought possible. That can put you in a good position, but also a difficult one. Holly Price While I’m not an outline person, I like to throw the story out there first and see which Kari Wainwright David Ingram direction it is going, editing it once I’m finished. If you Bill Craig stick to your game plan and know that every story should Jodi Hanson have a solid opening and solid ending, all you have to do Amy Lignor Susan May is weave your way through the middle to complete that J.S. McCormick fantastic story you had in your mind. Kestrel T. Andersen Enjoy what you do and don’t let writer’s block get Lynne Levandowski Cassandra McNeil you frustrated. Look at it as an opportunity to create Jenny Hilborne something entertaining and you might surprise yourself Tanya Contois just how creative you can be. Customer Service and Subscriptions: John Raab For 24/7 service, please use our website, CEO/Publisher www.suspensemagazine.com or write to: Suspense Magazine SUSPENSE MAGAZINE at 26500 Agoura Road, #102-474 Model : http://fr.depositphotos.com/4596153/stock-photo-Scary-monster-clown.html Calabasas, CA 91302 Forest : http://fr.depositphotos.com/10217309/stock-photo-Light-in-a-dark-forest-creating-a-frame.html Suspense Magazine does not share our Dagger : http://fr.depositphotos.com/4006525/stock-photo-Dagger.html magazine subscriber list to third-party Gypsy : http://fr.depositphotos.com/8271551/stock-photo-Gypsy-Horse-Drawn-Caravan..html companies. “Reviews within this magazine are the opinions of the individual reviewers and are provided solely to provide readers as- sistance in determining another's thoughts on the book under discussion and shall not be interpreted as professional advice Rates: $24.00 (Electronic Subscrip- tion) per year. All foreign subscrip- or the opinion of any other than the individual reviewer. The following reviewers who may appear in this magazine are also tions must be payable in U.S. funds. individual clients of Suspense Publishing, an imprint of Suspense Magazine: Mark P. Sadler, Starr Gardinier Reina, Ashley Dawn (Wintters), DJ Weaver, CK Webb, Elliott Capon, J.M. LeDuc, and Terri Ann Armstrong.” SuspenseMagazine.com 1 CONTENTSu Sp E n se M ag a z i n E July 2012/Vol. 036 Sneak Peek Excerpt of Murder in Maui by R. Barri Flowers. 3 Unsolved: The Long Island Serial Killer by CK Webb. 7 Dinner, Wine, & Writing with Author Andrew Cotto. 9 Eye on the Prize by Gina Fava. 12 Debut Author Jane Isaac: Everyone has Secrets. 15 The Jade Pendant by Jon Land. 18 Author Allison Leotta: Follows the Letter of the Law. 24 The House at the End of the Street by Jodi Ann Hanson. 27 Characters are People Too: Author Lynda Fitzgerald. 30 Inside the Pages: Suspense Magazine Book Reviews. 33 Suspense Magazine Movie Reviews. .42 Featured Artist: Erica Petit. 43 Sneak Peek Excerpt of The Takenby Vicki Pettersson. 50 On Location: The Inside Story—Case Closed by Starr Gardinier Reina. 55 America's Favorite Suspense Authors: Part II by Anthony Franze. 61 Stranger Than Fiction: Robert the Doll by Donald Allen Kirch. 67 Contributor's Corner: Holly Price . 75 Just for Fun . 79 Special preview from author r. Barri flowerS MURDERa Leila Kahana IN Mystery MAUI By R. Barri Flowers OnE Leila Kahana had been with the Maui County Police Department for seven years, working in the Criminal Investigative Division as a detective and composite sketch artist. She’d joined the homicide squad three years ago and had seen her share of murder victims in various types of positions, ranging from fetal to awkward to dangling. But none made her olive skin flush like the present victims. A Hawaiian man and white woman, both in their thirties, were naked and locked in coitus; the woman slumped astride the man. Identified through their driver licenses as Doctors Larry Nagasaka and Elizabeth Racine, both had been shot at point blank range in the head and the woman had bullet wounds in her back. The two were literally lying in a pool of their own blood. The call had come in this Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. with a report of gunfire at the Crest Creek Condominiums, one of the new and expensive developments in the exclusive Wailea Resort. Neither victim lived at the residence that, according to records, was owned by the Medical Association of Maui. “Looks like they went out with a bang, no pun intended,” her partner, Detective Sergeant Blake Seymour, said as a police photographer took pictures of the decedents. Leila winced, hoping Seymour didn’t notice how uncomfortable she felt seeing the victims locked in the sex act. Not that she had anything against sex, other than being without for the past six months. It just seemed like some things should remain private and not exposed for everyone to see. Or at least not a bunch of gawking law enforcement personnel. But then Leila didn’t imagine the pair knew they would be murdered at the worst possible time. Or best, depending on how you looked at it. “I guess we can pretty much rule out murder-suicide,” she said, as there was no murder weapon found anywhere near the bodies. Not to mention they were shot SuspenseMagazine.com 3 multiple times and in difficult positions, making it all but “A neighbor.” She lifted a notepad. “Barbara Holliman.” impossible that either victim could have been the shooter. “We’ll need to speak with Ms. Holliman.” “I agree. Not unless one or the other was a glutton for “And anyone else in the immediate area who was home punishment and Houdini at the same time.” when the call came in,” Seymour added. “Someone must Leila wrinkled her nose. “There was no sign of forced have seen the shooter.” entry either. And it doesn’t look like anything was taken. Tasia nodded. “That’s usually the case, even if they didn’t Once you get past their messy remains and clothes scattered realize it at the time.” around, the place is immaculate. Not exactly evidence of a Leila looked up at Seymour, who was nearly a foot taller burglary.” than her five-four with most of it muscle. “You think this is Seymour flexed his latex gloved hand and lifted a shell an isolated incident?” casing, dropping it in a plastic bag.

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