'Alaska. Why it speaks to me'. Yolanda Renee reveals a dark secret that has plagued her for years.

My guest today needs no introduction. Welcome Yolanda Renee and sincere congratulations on publishing the third in your murder series with Curiosity Quills Press. 

I warn you this is not your run-of-the-mill book tour post. Today Yolanda shares a dark secret which has haunted her for many years. No doubt it has had a deep impact on her writing. Take it away, my good friend and WEP partner...

Murder & Obsession Blog Tour

March 16, 2016         Denise Covey            Why Alaska

March 21, 2016         MichaelDi Gesu       Guest Post  

                               

March 25, 2016         StuartWest              Couples Counseling

March 28, 2016         AlexJ. Cavanaugh   It's All About Snark

      

March 30, 2016         Robyn Campbell        Character Interview

April 1 - 30                A to Z Challenge       Murder & Obsession

Why Alaska Speaks to Me

          Why is a fair question. Most all my work reflects the influence Alaska has had on me. Is it just the 'write what you know' tool or an obsession? I'm betting it's a little of both.

         

                 

           If you've ever seen any picture of Alaska, you can get a sense of the magnificence, but until you visit the state – there's no way to describe what such beauty does to your soul. I fell in love in a matter of minutes – the drive from the airport was enough for me to feel as though I'd come home. A feeling I'd never felt anywhere else, but I also realized that part of it was the distance from family and other worries that allowed me to breathe easy for the first time in years.

Alaska was a magnificent opportunity and one I grasped with both hands. I embraced each new adventure and found happiness, something I'd never known before to any degree. But in less than a year, I'd lost my soul...
Raped by my boss, a man I'd trusted, turned my new world upside down. And even though I completely suppressed the memory for over 10 years, I was changed. 
Drastically. 
Completely. 
Permanently.

          So why do I write about Murder occurring in such a lovely place? Because the ugliest things happen in the most beautiful places. Serial killers haunt all lands and Alaska is no exception. In 1984, Robert (Bob the Baker) Hanson was sentenced to 461 years for the rape and murder of four women. He confessed to the rape of 30 and the killing of 21. Most of the women were prostitutes. Hanson then flew them out into the bush (wilderness) where he let them go so he could hunt them down. He killed them with a high-powered rifle and left them to the animals. Unbelievable!

I lived in Anchorage during his reign. I walked past the area he trolled, 4th Avenue, on my way to work for Calista, a native corporation where I worked as an accountant. Such things leave an impression, and, I'm certain, come out in my writing. Life experiences, places, people I've met all influence my stories but I've chosen to write murder mysteries, romance, and horror because I find the genre closely fits with my own search for answers to some of life's most horrid questions.

In The Snowman, a WIP, I mention the Hanson killings, but in Murder & Obsession, my latest release, the antagonist has different goals -- he's in love with a woman he can't have, and determined that if he can't have her, no one else will.  

Here is an excerpt that speaks to his intent: This is a nightmare that haunts Steven as he flees incarceration and searches for answers.

A scenic trail, bright sunshine, and clear skies. Steven and Sarah followed the river south.

“You do realize we’ll take the same trail back,” Steven informed her after they’d stopped yet again to take photographs.

“I know, but not until after lunch. The light will be different then.”

“The middle of winter and you want to eat lunch in the cold.”

“I want to do more than eat lunch. This is a honeymoon, isn’t it? You brought a tent and sleeping bag for a reason.”

Steven laughed. His angel loved getting naked in the snow. Only half a mile later, Sarah stopped again to snap a few pictures of the valley laid out before them, and Steven had to admit, the day was perfect. No, he thought, she’s perfect. He gazed at his wife with admiration.

The red laser light of a rifle sight bounced off the white of her fur collar, and the fracture of a gunshot registered just as Sarah dropped to the ground.

Steven was instantly at her side, his gaze on the area where the blast originated.

The shooter stepped out from his hiding place, pocketed his gun, and declared, “If I can’t have her, neither will you. See how you enjoy life without Sarah by your side.”

*****

You Can Buy Murder & Obsession Here

Read the First Chapter Here

At one time adventure called to me and I answered. I learned to sleep under the midnight sun of Alaska, survive in below zero temperatures, and hike the Mountain Ranges. I've traveled from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, and the memories are some of my most valued. The wonders, mysteries, and incredible beauty that is Alaska has never left me and thus now influence my writing.

Despite my adventurous spirit, I achieved my educational goals, married, and I have two wonderful sons. Writing is now my focus, my newest adventure!

You can find Yolanda at:

Blog: Defending the Pen

Facebook

Twitter 

Pinterest

Amazon
Thank you, Denise, for hosting me and allowing me to discuss my favorite place and its influence on my life and my writing.

A tweet to share, thank you! 
I would so appreciate it!

Murder & Obsession is now available. Please share my celebration - wine or chocolate - your choice! Salute!http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Obsession-Detective-Quaid-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B01CRYKNH6/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

It would thrill Yolanda if you had a conversation with her here on my blog...Here are some prompts...

• Do you read murder mysteries?
• Do you ever wonder why authors choose to write about murder?
• Do you have any specific question/s for Yolanda. She'd be happy to respond.

Yolanda Renee's new book is coming soon!! Murder & Obsession, third in the 'Murder' series. And I'm over at Misha Gericke's!

I'm actually not at home today...I'm over at MIsha Gericke's talking about settings...in novels generally and in my novella, Under the Tuscan Moon. Both Misha and I would love you to pop over after you read my post here...Thank you!

Today I have a special guest who needs no introduction, but just in case there's someone who hasn't met Yolanda yet...I'm helping her introduce her new cover to the blogging world. 

COVER REVEAL

 MURDER & OBSESSION

Flames burn between a hardboiled cop and a gifted artist, but soon extinguish as another man’s obsession ignites into an inferno of desire, driving him to destroy the object of his madness.

To be released March 10, 2016

As wedding bells echo like the ring of toasting champagne glasses in the ice carved mountains of Anchorage Alaska, detective Steven Quaid rehabs his grandfather’s cabin into a honeymoon cottage for his new bride.

When he returns from a hunting trip, Steven’s faced with five police officers, who “Want to talk.” Plagued by two unsolved murders, the Department is searching for answers.

The conversation comes to a deafening halt as the team finds a bloody crime scene in the bridal suite. "Where's her body?" is a question Steven cannot fathom. 

Steven’s jaw clenches and his heart races. Images of Sarah streak through his mind.

The silence breaks as an explosion of accusations vibrate through every fiber of his being.

Steven bolts…

Although running is never the smart thing to do, Steven’s not thinking clearly and his escape into the wilderness of the Brooks Range proves almost fatal.

This Steven Quaid mystery is both personal and heartbreaking.

*****

   Yolanda Renee

At one time Alaska called to me and I answered. I learned to sleep under the midnight sun, survive in below zero temperatures, and hike the Mountain Ranges. I've traveled from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, and the memories are some of my most valued. The wonders, mysteries, and incredible beauty that is Alaska has never left me and thus now influence my writing.

Despite my adventurous spirit, I achieved my educational goals, married, and I have two wonderful sons. Writing is now my focus, my newest adventure!

You can find Yolanda at:

Blog: Defending the Pen

Facebook

Twitter 

Pinterest

 Amazon

The first and second in the series have been proudly dressed in new covers too!

Murder, Madness & Love

After a gritty detective becomes involved with a beautiful widow suspected of murder, rumor and obsession obstruct his quest for justice.

Memories of Murder

World damnation is a psychotic man’s goal, but two obstacles stand in his way, greed and a dedicated detective. 

Thanks for reading!

Do you like the new covers? 

And don't forget...only days away from Romantic February...on February 1, posts go live for the Lost & Found blogfest (sign up in my sidebar)...and the linky goes up for WEP's Valentine's blogfest. I hope you can join us for both!

And please pop over to Misha's now if you have a few moments!

The Cephalopod Coffeehouse #bookreview -- The Quality of Silence by @Rosamundlupton.

Hello book lovers!

Time for Armchair Squid'sThe Cephalopod Coffeehouse again! I've read so many books this month but Lupton's is my favourite, no question. It's the third book of hers I've read and loved. First was Sister, then Afterwards, then this thrilling and chilling story of a mother and her daughter who can only communicate through sign language, yet take off on a crazy trip across the very north of Alaska to the Arctic Circle.

Click here to read more book reviews

On 24th November Yasmin and her deaf daughter Ruby arrive in Alaska. Through the madness of circumstances, within hours they are driving...alone... across a frozen wilderness. Here, nothing grows, no one lives and even the tears on your face freeze.

The reader is taken along on a wild ride in the cab of a huge truck with Yasmin at the wheel. Luckily, her talent in physics helps her work out the science of keeping this monster truck on track in the impossible conditions. But the extreme conditions, especially the perpetual darkness, add to the tension and terror as they go in pursuit of Ruby's father and Yasmin's husband who police believe has been burned to death along with the whole population of an Iniut village near the Arctic Circle. But there are other mysterious forces at work, related to the fracking that has been taking place in this previously pristine landscape. Could this disaster be related to the greed of big business? So, Yasmin and Ruby embark on a surreal adventure to find Yasmin's husband and Ruby's father. Against every well-meaning (and often threatening) word of caution, they steal a truck and drive north into a hideous,yet inspiring adventure in search of answers.

The book gets its title from Ruby's disability along with the deep silence of the frozen north.

Night will last for another 54 days.

They are looking for Ruby's father.

Travelling deeper into a silent land.

They still cannot find him.

And someone is watching them in the dark.

Thanks for visiting/reading.

• Have your read any of Rosamund Lupton's thrilling books?

I was going to post for Mesothelioma Awareness Day on September 24th but missed it. If you haven't already, check out Hilary Melton-Butcher's excellent post on this dreadful asbestos-related disease.

If you want to continue the thrills, sign up for WEP's Halloween challenge. Linky open in 2 days!

 

From the couch - with Yolanda Renee, Dial M for Murder.

Hello everyone!

Time for another guest to recline on the couch and share with us their thoughts and musings. Today's guest needs little introduction. Yolanda writes murder series for Curiosity Quills Press--the thrilling Detective Steve Quaid stories enjoyed by many.

Let's get this interview going, Yolanda! By now you should have finished smelling the roses!

As a mystery writer, you must have a very vivid imagination. What is your most frightening childhood memory…

         I remember being afraid to go to sleep at night for fear someone would cut my head off. I was 10 when I read in the paper that three young men had been decapitated in a car accident and for some reason being beheaded, became a phobia. I would sleep with my blanket up to my neck, certain if they couldn't see the neck, they couldn't remove my head. Who were they? I have no idea. I was a kid.

Do you have a favourite movie about murder?

         The original 1954 Alfred Hitchcock movie Dial M for Murder, with Ray Milland and Grace Kelly. There was an excellent remake in 1998 with Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow called A Perfect Murder. I enjoyed the remake as much as the original!

I love both of those films too. Now do you have a favourite song about murder?

         Delilah by Tom Jones is a favourite. The antagonist kills her with a knife after she spends the night with another man. Did you know there are nine songs written about murder?

I would have thought there were more, actually. Now how about books? What's your favourite book about murder?

         The Murders in the Rue Morgue, a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in 1841, and recognized as the first modern detective story. I found the story quite frightening at the age of twelve. This was my first introduction to murder mysteries.

Have you ever thought about how you would commit the perfect murder?

         Guns are too loud and nosy, knifes are too messy, poison is so cliché. I would find a way to make the death appear as an accident. Maybe place baby oil in the shower. Baby oil is a great way to moisten the skin, but can make a bathtub a very dangerous place.

Remind me never to take a shower at your place! How did you choose this genre?

         It was always my favourite genre. I wanted to write a mystery with several suspects and the reason for the murder had to be unique. I think I achieved that with my first book. Murder, Madness & Love is the very first book I ever wrote. They say don't count on getting your first book published, but don't believe everything you hear.

That's encouraging. Plenty of writers will be pleased to hear that. What is your latest project/s?

         I just recently finished the third book in my murder trilogy.

Due to hit the shelves in March of 2016 – Murder & Obsession –

Tagline: Flames burn between a hard-boiled cop and a gifted artist but soon extinguish as another man’s obsession ignites into a towering inferno of desire, driving him to destroy the object of his madness…Sarah.

I also have a book of short stories and flash fiction coming out in June titled When Zombies Attack. I enjoy the horror genre too; Stephen King has always been a favourite author. I admire his imagination.

In August, I should have a prequel to the murder trilogy ready for publication. The Snowman is a short story about Steven Quaid's first case as detective.

Moving from fiction to real life, have you ever known anyone who was murdered?

         Yes, my sister's ex-husband was stabbed once in the heart outside a bar. He died instantly. I originally had one of my victims die the same way, but an editor claimed it wasn't possible. Even though she was wrong, I changed the story.

Have you ever met a murderer?

         I've read that during our lifetime most all of us will have been in the same vicinity as murderer, at least 36 times. Crazy fact isn't it? I do think I met a man who could have been. I've never had a similar reaction to an individual as I did this man. He scared the crap out of me and my reaction bothered me greatly. I had an instantaneous dislike and couldn't figure out why, but I knew I did not want to get to know or be in the same room with him. He was a very unassuming looking man, but there was just something about him that had all my warning bells going off.

Will you create a new detective or stay with Steven Quaid?

         Steven keeps popping up in my head regarding the next mystery I'm formulating. So, I think he'll be around for at least one other book.

Would you consider doing a female detective?

         I've been mulling it over for some time. And if I write a fourth Steven Quaid mystery, then yes. I'd like a new series with a female detective.

Available Now:

             Murder, Madness & Love - After a gritty detective becomes involved with a beautiful widow suspected of murder, rumour and obsession obstruct his quest for justice.

             Memories of Murder - World damnation is a psychotic man’s goal, but two obstacles stand in his way, greed and a dedicated detective.

Coming Soon:

Murder & Obsession - Flames burn between a hardboiled cop and a gifted artist but soon extinguish as another man’s obsession ignites into a towering inferno of desire, driving him to destroy the object of his madness…Sarah.

Blurb:

 Love is never easy, but for Detective Steve Quaid and his fiancée, Sarah, their road to happiness is laden with minefields.

 Steven’s countless hours reconverting his grandfather’s cabin into the perfect honeymoon retreat for Sarah soon becomes a bloody crime scene detailing her death. Accused, Steven escapes into the Alaskan mountains, biding his time to find the truth…

 Who killed his beloved?

 A seasoned woodsman, he outsmarts even the cleverest of trackers. All but one…

 Mauled by a grizzly, a half-dead Steven barely escapes.

 But will he live to bring the true murderer to Justice?

Bio:

Although she grew up in Pennsylvania, Yolanda Renee has an adventurous spirit that has taken her to Alaska where she hiked the Brooks Range, travelled from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, and learned to sleep under the midnight sun. The time she spent in Alaska greatly influenced her writing. Her favourite genres – mysteries, with a touch of romance and horror - describe the murder trilogy she's just completed.

Yolanda's bucket list includes drumming lessons, driving a race car and owning her very own fire-breathing dragon!

After all, anything is possible!

 You connect with Yolanda Renée here:

Murder Blog ~ Twitter ~ Defending the Pen ~ Pinterest ~ Amazon ~ Facebook

Cafe Writer presents:
The best iced coffee in the world
@Baked Poetry Cafe
Peregian Beach
Queensland. 

• Thanks for coming by and learning more about Yolanda.
• Do you like murder mysteries? Have you read any of Yolanda's?
• Yolanda maintains a blog, as well as many other social media platforms. Here is a link to a great post by Anne R Allen's latest advice to author-bloggers. Remember, you will be googled!

Yolanda Renee - Alaska as setting, with photos. Writing what you know...

Hello friends!

I've seen questions raised on facebook and in the blogosphere about guest posts, book tours, book launches, cover reveals. I understand, but with limited opportunity, how do authors let us know a new book has been launched? So I'm happy to do my bit, promoting authors who have written a book that has appealed to me. I try to make it interesting for my blog readers.

Many of you know and love Yolanda Renée. She has been recently published by Curiosity Quills Press. I've read her first book, Murder, Madness and Love and am sailing through her second, Memories of Murder. These stories are chilling and thrilling, set in exotic (to me) places such as Idaho, Seattle and Alaska. 

I've asked Yolanda to give me a first-person eyewitness account of her Alaskan experiences. You know what they say--write about what you know, so Yolanda decided to research an Alaskan setting the hard way...and the results? In her own words...read on...

Alaska - Love at First Sight - and One More Mountain to Climb

 

Yolanda in 1976, about to embark on her Alaskan adventure.

A two-week vacation in Alaska turned into a four year adventure. I arrived in the land of the last frontier – I fell in love, immediately, yes, love at first sight! I originally thought an Alaskan setting would be unique, and when I first started writing Murder, Madness & Love, it was. Imagine -- there was no reality television, no Ice Road Truckers, no Sarah Palin, and no Selling Alaska. In fact, when I started writing my book I think most people still saw Alaska as nothing more than an iceberg!

Atigun Pass

I loved the endless hours of bright sunshine. Was dumbstruck by the views of some of the tallest mountains I'd ever seen. Being from the east coast of the United States, what folks referred to as mountains are really rolling hills in comparison. Millions of evergreens, tall birch trees, and wildlife everywhere you turned greeted me. There is such a sense of adventure in this place.

The spirit of the people I met was the most amazing, as no one was a stranger. I saw most of us like the misfit toys in the Rudolf Christmas tale, on our own private iceberg that no one wanted to be rescued from. I even felt safe hitchhiking, although it wasn't something I did alone. I was part of the University crowd – a clique of intellectuals (but only because I dated one) and in a safe environment. I was on my very first adventure, and felt truly independent. I was in charge of my destiny.

 

Brooks Range

During my first week, I went on a wilderness hike. I carried a 35-pound pack, sported a pair of barely worn hiking boots, and all with no wilderness experience. The group my boyfriend introduced me to - two other couples - let me know that being a novice had not gained me any points. I sensed hostility, and was surprised, but these folks had a plan, and only four days to accomplish it. They were on a quest into the Alaska Range to take pictures of grizzlies in their natural habitat, and they weren't interested in a sightseer.

       

My boyfriend took pity on me and made sure my load was much lighter than what the others carried. Some of them hauled 45 to 50 pound packs. To say I struggled would be an understatement. The temperatures, in the seventies, were still a bit cool for my thin blood, but I quickly worked up a sweat walking across the Alaskan tundra.

 

The tundra in the Alaskan Range

Imagine clumps of earth dotting a bog, and your goal it to make sure you stepped on the clump, and not down into the blog. It took skill, a steady eye, a massive stride, and great balance, something difficult to achieve if you've never worn a pack on your back or heavy hiking boots on your feet. So yes, I struggled; I was 110 pounds, five foot five, and wore size six shoes.

It was no picnic. Thousands of swarming mosquitoes attacked us, like flies to a decaying body. Even though I wore a hat with a net over my entire head to keep them out of my eyes, mouth and nose, there were literally millions of the bastards, especially near the stream we wanted to follow up and into the mountains. The constant buzz and swatting of the black swarms soon got to the pros; most of them did not sport the netting I had chosen to wear.

A change of direction was required. We headed away from the stream to higher and cooler territory. We headed straight up a 1000-foot rise. It was a rocky slope that I literally had to crawl up on hands and knees, while the others simply walked to the top. I was slowing down the rest of the group. My boyfriend stayed with me, encouraged me, but I felt his disappointment. You know that inexperienced weakling in all the movies, that was me, although I wasn't a whiner. I stayed tough, well, stoic, at least.

 After two days, the two other couples abandoned me; they got up one morning and left me behind. I felt bad because my boyfriend stayed behind too; this was his adventure as much as it was mine. But while mortified that I was so inadequate, I was glad for the break. They were headed into an area with bears, and I was happy not to have to face a grizzly on top of everything else.

The hikers returned that evening, highly disappointed that they'd not seen one bear, and felt their extended hike had been a waste of time. While my boyfriend and I fished, slept in, well, mostly slept, and explored the general area, they spent the day trekking rocky slopes and not seeing a thing. Honestly, I was grimly pleased. They were a bit like bullies to someone who had never, ever hiked a mountain path, let alone a wilderness where no path existed.

Although, prior to this adventure, I was a walker, and walked over a mile to and from work every day, my walking was done on a sidewalk in tennis shoes; I was nowhere close to being ready for such a huge endeavor. These guys moved with purpose and speed, so when they didn't achieve their objective, and it wasn't my fault, I couldn't help but feel vindicated.

By the end of the adventure, they were a bit kinder, even sympathetic, I think because my boyfriend was constantly apologizing on my behalf, which only made me feel worse. The most surprising thing about the trip was that a two-day hike in, took half a day to hike out. I never did understand that, but I kept up with them and we enjoyed breakfast together at a diner on the road back to Fairbanks.

It was an amazing experience and while at times humiliating, it only made me more determined to conquer Alaska, because while difficult, it was also the most amazing thing I'd ever done! I wish I could show you pictures of that time -- my boyfriend took hundreds, but when we broke up, he kept them.

Everywhere you turn in Alaska there is an amazing view, whether the extensive mountain ranges, the Inland Passage, the Arctic Ocean, or the mighty Yukon River. From the rain forests of the southern panhandle to the mountainous interior, to the frozen almost desert like north – Alaska is an amazing experience. 

****

       

        In book 3 of the Murder trilogy, Obsession to Murder, I plan to go deeper into the beauty that is Alaska. Detective Steven Quaid's new quest will take him deep into the Brooks Range, and all the way to the Aleutian Islands.

        Murder, Madness & Love and Memories of Murder the first two books in the Murder trilogy are now available on Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and B & N and in paperback.

       

       

Thank you Denise, for allowing me the opportunity to discuss how my own adventure in Alaska, helped to inspire my choice of an Alaskan setting. But I am curious, do your readers enjoy the setting of a story as much as the characters, or do they find it fluff that takes away from the action? 

         

You can find Yolanda Renée here:

~ Defending The Pen ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~

•   Please answer Yolanda's question -- do you enjoy the setting of the story as much as the characters -- or do you skip over setting as so much 'fluff'? (Most of you know my opinion -- setting is character to me.
• Don't forget to add your name to the list for the HAUNTING blogfest next week. Yolanda is there!