Guest Post - S.L. Scott

Today, Lily's Reviews is hosting S.L. Scott on a stop here as part of her blog tour for Naturally, Charlie.

I once had this dream where Jeff Probst released a lion with no teeth from its cage. It ran straight for me. I turned and ran towards this really hot…

Oh wait, you meant for me to talk about my dreams as in accomplishing lifelong dreams. Oops.  Sorry about that. I’ll save that other little story for Facebook since that dream gets a little steamy.

Naturally, Charlie being published is absolutely a lifelong dream come true. Too dramatic? I don’t mean it to be, but it’s the truth. When I was little, I would write little stories and color the pictures inside, fold the papers in half, add a construction paper cover to it and staple the seam to hold it all together. I have a book of Christmas carols with that kid-centric cover on it from when I was twelve, but we can’t seem to find any of the little stories I wrote.

Really though, my point is, I’ve always wanted to be an author. I was in my own head, but finally having a real book out is like winning the jackpot. Even though I don’t really know what that feels like, I can imagine it’s like publishing your first book. And that feels amazing.

I feel so fortunate that my first book is a story with characters I love. I really do miss spending time with them and sharing their experiences. I miss being inside their heads and their hearts and them being inside of mine. But the reward I get from holding a copy of their story—my story—,in my hands is like a proud parent. *Whispers* I’ve actually snuggled the book to my chest.

It’s good to have goals. It’s great to achieve them and mark them off of your bucket list. It’s even better if that dream is your passion. I’m a writer. I write all of the time. Some of what I write I keep and some I don’t, but I can’t not write. It makes my hand itchy and I become impatient. My characters force me to release them beyond the confines of my mind. It feels magical to have an idea that evolves into something that you treasure and want to spend time doing. Writing is not an escape but a way of life for me.

Writing is my calling. I write because I love to and now to see that begin a new career for me is rewarding on a much bigger level. From penning stories in crayon as a child to being a published author, this opportunity means the world to me and even more that I get to share that passion with others.

I hope when reading this story the readers will feel the emotion I poured into the book and enjoy the journey as much as I did creating it. By pursuing my dreams (and not the Probst one), I find myself very much like the two Charlies in this story. This is my new beginning and I’m creating my own destiny and happy ending.

Thank you for hosting me today.

Naturally, Charlie is released on November 1st.

About Naturally, Charlie:  Twenty-five year old Charlotte “Charlie” Barrow is caught between her old life and the one she is beginning to build when she crosses paths with a handsome stranger on the subway. Not looking for romance, she closes her heart off to the possibilities of love. With a knack for mishaps, Charlie maintains her sense of humor while befriending the kind stranger who seems to be there at all the right times.

New York freelance writer, Charlie Adams, is forging his own path beyond the expectations of the society circles of his childhood. Rejecting family money, and fast-lane friends, he is snubbed by his family as he follows his own compass to a life more extraordinary.

Through a coincidence of events, they come to rely on each other for comfort. This is the tale of two Charlies learning to trust again while fighting their fates to create their own destiny.

About S.L. Scott: S.L. Scott is a former high-tech account manager with a journalism degree pursuing her passion for telling stories. She spends her days escaping into her characters and letting them lead her on their adventures.

Live music shows, harvesting jalapenos and eating homemade guacamole are her obsessions she calls hobbies.

Scott lives in the beautiful Texas hill country of Austin with her husband, two young sons, two Papillons and a bowl full of Sea Monkeys.

Naturally, Charlie is Scott's debut novel.

Q&A with CJ Lyons

With Kill Zone becoming available today for purchase (and me being fortunate enough to have received a copy for review), Ms. Lyons was nice enough to answer a few questions about the book, and a couple more besides.

Welcome Ms. Lyons to Lily's Reviews!

Lily: What inspired the storyline for Kill Zone?

CJ: Kill Zone is one of those "ripped from the headlines" stories. First, I stumbled across some first-hand accounts about the drug trade in Afghanistan and how things have changed (and not changed) with the Taliban leaving power.

Then I was reading accounts of Mexican drug cartel violence including the use of children as assassins and the extreme violence against innocent civilians. And finally, I saw an AP report about cartel activity here in the US.

The pediatrician in me was horrified…but the thriller author in me thought: Wow…wouldn't that be the nightmare scenario, combining the world's largest opium producers with the ruthlessness and organization of the drug cartels? And what if it happened here, in the US, in one of the country's most liveable cities, Pittsburgh?

Lily: What kind of research went into the book and what was the most surprising and/or interesting thing you came across?

CJ: I interviewed federal and local law enforcement officers, got to go shooting with a SWAT Lieutenant (who even let me fire his own personal sniper rifle!), and had a blast practicing tactical entries, but by far the most chilling research was viewing a covert DEA video depicting a cartel body disposal team in action. I won't give away too much (I describe it in Kill Zone for those not squeamish), but I will say it involves vultures. Hundreds of them. I still have nightmares.

Lily: Who or what inspired the character of Lucy Guardino?

CJ: I was tired of reading thrillers featuring female FBI agents who were driven by angst, fleeing demons, fighting addiction, stalked by serial killers, or with dark, forbidden secrets, etc–all things that would never allow them to do their job effectively in the real world.

As a woman who has always worked in a male dominated field (Emergency Medicine), I wanted to create a main character I could relate to. Someone facing the same kind of struggles balancing work and family and who was “real.”

I thought, why not go as real as it gets? How about a Pittsburgh soccer mom, who has a loving and supportive family? No angst, no dark past, no addictions or demons…Just the very real need to do her job the best she can while also giving her family as much love and attention as possible.

Of course, I can’t go too easy on her, so I give her the worst possible job, tracking pedophiles and sex offenders. The fact that she happens to be good at it only makes her life more complicated because she fights a constant battle of protecting her family from her work.

Lily: How much fact is in the fiction?

CJ: Like all my books, Kill Zone is as close to reality as I can make it while still being entertaining…but for the first time ever I actually had to decrease the level of violence by about 90% compared to reality. How often do you hear a thriller writer say that!   (LR: Yikes!)

But there was no way my readers would be entertained by what really is happening in areas caught up in this cartel violence…so instead I tried to make the violence feel both realistic and personal, giving it context and emotional meaning to the characters instead of just gratuitous blood on the page. It was a very fine line to walk, but I think I achieved that.

Lily: What is next for Lucy and her family?

CJ: A long break, lol! They've been through hell and back in the past few months! But I know readers won't let Lucy rest for long, so I'm already planning a cross-over novel with her and my popular Hart and Drake characters that I hope to have out in 2013.

Lily:  I look forward to reading that in when it comes out.  What started you on the road to writing?

CJ: I've been a writer and storyteller all my life. As a kid it led to a lot of time outs!

I first turned to writing thrillers after one of my fellow pediatric interns was murdered. Before Jeff's death I had written science fiction and fantasy, but that escapism wasn't helping me cope with the trauma after he was killed. So I turned to crime fiction where I could explore justice and good and evil and the shades of gray in between.

Lily: Is there anything else you would like for readers to know?

CJ: In honor of Jeff's memory and in appreciation for my readers--who are all heroes to me--I've established a charity program called Buy a Book, Make a Difference.

Proceeds from book sales will go to worthy charities including funding scholarships for police officers to attend forensic training so they can better protect and serve our communities.

You can learn more at http://cjlyons.net/buy-a-book-make-a-difference/ Towards the bottom there's a link to the scholarship page where police officers can apply. We funded four this year and hope to provide at least ten more next year. If you know of a law enforcement organization that we can help, please check it out.

Lily:  Thank you for stopping by and answering a few questions.  As always, a pleasure and I look forward to reading the next book.

CJ Lyons is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, a trained Pediatric Emergency Medicine, and has assisted police and prosecutors with cases involving child abuse, rape, homicide and Munchausen by Proxy. She has worked in numerous trauma centers, on the Navajo reservation, as a crisis counselor, victim advocate, as well as a flight physician for Life Flight and Stat Medevac.

To learn more about her and her books, please visit: http://cjlyons.net

Also, Ms. Lyons has graciously made Snake Skin available in electronic format to commenters on this entry.  Please leave your first name and initial of last name, an e-mail address where you may be contacted, and whether you would prefer Mobi or Epub format.  Thank you.

Kill Zone by CJ Lyons

Book Blurb (from Amazon.com): Lucy's back! In a story ripped from the headlines, the violence is the worst she's ever seen, the stakes are higher than ever...and things get personal.

It's a vicious, horrific crime: The brutal killing of a teenaged girl. When Pittsburgh detectives call FBI Supervisory Special Agent Lucy Guardino to the scene, their focus is on who and why?

Was it the girl's Afghan father striving to regain his honor after she became too Westernized? Her Jewish boyfriend? Someone from Afghanistan settling an old grudge? Or one of the many drug cartels the father helped the DEA bring down seeking revenge?

Former Marine Sergeant Andre Stone has been home a month, but he has yet to leave the safe haven of his grandmother's house -- other than to go to his appointments at the VA's burn clinic. Andre's disfiguring physical scars are the least of his worries. The emotional wounds of seeing his men massacred in a DEA raid gone horribly wrong have left him a walking dead man, numb to anything.

All he can think of is revenge. On Rashid Raziq, the man behind the raid. When Andre is offered the chance at vengeance, the only question left is:  How far will he go to get it?

The answers seem clear when Pittsburgh becomes engulfed in flames as a violent narcoterrorist turns the city into a kill zone...But in the dark of night, surrounded by men intent on destroying the truth, Lucy and Andre learn that secrets hide in shadows.

Review:  When I first read via Ms. Lyons' newsletter that a new Lucy Guardino book was coming out, I was quite excited. The titles may be off-putting to some readers, but they make perfect sense in context of the stories and the stories are excellent.

What I really love about this story (about all of her books really) is that it's of the edge reading. There is violence, yes, but it isn't gratuitous violence. There is, from my viewpoint, just the right amount to make the story realistic -- if there was either more or less something would be lost.  There is mystery, action, and jurisdictional squabbling.

The characters also make the story. They are ordinary people you might know.  They think, they are tempted, they must choose their paths, and their choices are ones that the reader could -- conceivably IF in the circumstances with that personality -- choose for themselves.

Looking forward to the next installment in the series!

Review for Snake Skin (Book 1) can be found by clicking here.

(Cross-posted to Amazon.com, Librarything, Goodreads, B&N)