Welcome to Rainy Day Reviews!: Durable Goods by Patricia Hale **Author Interview**

Book #2 of the Cole and Callahan Thriller Series

Thriller

Date Published: April 15, 2018

Publisher: Intrigue Publishing

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Detective John Stark approaches the PI team of Griff Cole and Britt Callahan with a postcard he’s sure is from his estranged daughter, Kira. She’s been listed as a runaway for three years by Portland, Maine police, but John isn’t convinced that her continued absence is by choice. As Stark’s long-time friends, Cole and Callahan agree to look into the postcard marked only with the letters O.K.

The postmark leads them to Oracles of the Kingdom, a farm where women sell fresh produce in return for a fresh start with God. But nothing seems right about the town or the farm and Britt goes undercover to look for Kira. Once inside, she realizes Oracles of the Kingdom is not the refuge it appears. And when she's trafficked over the Canadian border she’s on her own, over her head and losing clarity between hero and victim.

Author Interview:

Hi Elisha. Thanks so much for interviewing me on Book Junkie today to promote my new release. Durable Goods is the second book in my Cole and Callahan PI series.

Where do you get your ideas?

Most of the time an idea comes when I’m not ravaging my brain to try and come up with something. Like when I’m in the shower or out walking in the woods with my dogs. At other times, an idea will spark from a news article and then I re-shape it to fit the story I want to tell.

What is your writing process like?

I’m an early to bed, early to rise person and I write as soon as I get up in the morning and make the coffee. I never shower or get dressed before sitting down to write as that seems to change my mind set. Once I’m dressed I focus on outside activities, so I have to stay in yoga pants and a sweatshirt to keep my creativity and focus. Weird?

What advice do you have for writers?

Stick with it even when you’re discouraged and write every day. The only thing that makes you a better writer is to write and write and write. Conferences and classes are helpful, but in the long run, it’s writing every day that makes you get better. Read writers that are better than you. And don’t let rejections get you down. Don’t take them personally. Learn from them. They are constructive criticism. After the initial disappointment let them encourage you to work harder.

What is the first book that made you cry?

I don’t remember off hand, but I’m sure it was animal related. As a child, I read every book about horses and dogs I could find. I’m an animal lover. I work at a Holistic Veterinary practice and have a German shepherd and a Beagle. I still love a good dog story. My all-time favorite is The Plague Dogs by Richard Adams.

Do you find it easier to write character and dialogue for the opposite sex?

In my Cole and Callahan PI series, I write both. I find it easier or maybe, more honest, to write for Britt because I know how she will react as a woman in any given situation. I don’t find it hard to write in Griff’s voice, but I do find myself making him react or speak in a way I would want a man to react or speak. So, maybe I tend to create my perfect man when I write in his voice, whereas Britt responds the way I would, perfect or not.

Have you ever gotten reader’s block?

No. I’m a book junkie. I’ve been reading constantly since I was a kid. I never tire of it.

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing, if at all?

I published my first book, In the Shadow of Revenge, as an ebook with Carina Press in 2013. Publishing didn’t change my process, but it did open my eyes to what publishing entails. I love sitting at my desk creating a story, but I wasn’t ready for the promotional side of being published. As an introvert, promoting myself is the most difficult part of the whole writing/publishing experience. I’m getting better at it and have a huge appreciation for those who assist along the way, but promotion will always be my Kryptonite.

What kind of research do you do and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

The type of research depends on the story. For, The Church of the Holy Child, I did a lot of research prior to writing on serial killers and the rules/laws of the Catholic church. For Durable Goods, I researched sex trafficking before beginning, but as a pantser, not a plotter, I also did a lot of research as I wrote. I wanted the story to be more about the young girls on a personal level than about the industry.

Thanks again for this opportunity with Book Junkie. I look forward to comments and questions from your readers.

Excerpt: Durable Goods

My heart went into overtime making it difficult to hear the rest of the house over the rush in my ears. But it had to be now. There was nothing I needed to take from this place. The picture of Kira was back in the closet upstairs, but I didn’t need it anymore. My phone was somewhere within the skeleton of the house, no chance of recovering that and the watch from Griff was in my shoe. I was good to go.

I opened the backdoor and slipped outside onto the porch, down the steps and across the side yard. The only light was on the front of the house illuminating the driveway. At the barn, I stopped and leaned against the outside of the far wall, listening. Nothing. I was shaking either from fear or the frigid air. Either way I had to keep moving. I slipped the watch out of my shoe and onto my wrist then headed for the trees. Two feet from the pines the backdoor slammed. I dove into the shadows tearing the skin on my forearms, brushing heavy pine boughs out of my way. I could still make out the back door. Isaac was coming down the steps. He wasn’t moving fast. He seemed to be looking for something on the ground. He stooped, picked up a bucket and went back inside.

I held onto the tree beside me until my breathing returned to normal and my heart slowed, but I couldn’t stall for long. Sooner or later Rose would be back in the kitchen asking where I was. I took off running deeper into the woods. The full moon was both a blessing and a curse. The driveway was to my right and if I stayed in a straight line, parallel to it, I’d eventually reach the road. But ducking branches and avoiding fallen trees had me unsure if I’d veered off course. I stopped again to listen. It was dead still around me and with a mix of crusty snow and brittle leaves underfoot there’d be no way anyone could sneak up. I took off again but didn’t get more than ten feet when I tripped over an exposed root and went down hard. A sharp pain shot through my forearm and I couldn’t move my wrist. Struggling to my knees, I wrapped my right hand around my left wrist holding it tight against my chest. The watch from Griff was gone. It had slipped from my shoe into the snow-covered leaves. There was no time to search for it. Back on my feet I was running again. I’d completely lost my bearings and didn’t know if I was still moving in the direction of the road or back toward the house. It was slower going having to hold my arm and the jolt of each step increased the pain.

Ahead of me, through the trees there was a light. I stopped and watched. If it moved, it meant I’d reached the road. If not, I was back at the house. It moved toward me and became two. Headlights. A car was coming. I felt delirious and forgetting the pain in my arm, ran headlong toward the road. Breaking through the trees, I stepped out and waved my good arm moving as far toward the center of the hot top as I dared. The car came to a stop in front of me and I bent forward at the waist ready to collapse. Tears of relief poured down my cheeks, the asphalt blurred as blue lights swirled around me reflecting off the wet pavement and bouncing tree to tree. The driver’s door opened and a man stepped out. As he came toward me I recognized Sheriff Stebbins.

“Well, well, well, don’t you look all banged up. Come outta them trees, huh? What’re ya runnin’ from? A bear?” He started laughing and looked me up and down. “I know where you belong and lucky for you I’m headin’ your way. Bet Isaac will be damn pleased to see who I’m bringin’ home. Don’t you think?”

He grabbed my arm and pulled me to the cruiser, opened the back door and threw me in. Once in the driver’s seat, Stebbins hit a button and all four locks clicked into place.

About the Author

Patricia Hale received her MFA degree from Goddard College. Her essays have appeared in literary magazines and the anthology, My Heart’s First Steps. Her debut novel, In the Shadow of Revenge, was published in 2013. The Church of the Holy Child (9/17) is the first book in her PI series featuring the team of Griff Cole and Britt Callahan. The second book, Durable Goods, will be released April 15, 2018. Patricia is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, NH Writers Project and Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and two dogs.