'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.

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!