Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Her Final Watch by Marguerite Ashton Interview




Title: HER FINAL WATCH
Author: Marguerite Ashton
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Pages: 296
Genre: Crime



Speaking second-hand truths can be deadly …

Detective Lily Blanchette will stop at nothing to solve a murder. Her current case involves the killing of an undercover cop working to bring down the mob for prostitution and drugs.

But Lily's usual laser-like focus on the case has been disrupted.

Two weeks earlier, she learned she was pregnant by her murderous husband whom she'd killed in self-defense. Unsure whether to keep her baby or place the child of this cruel man up for adoption, Lily keeps the pregnancy a secret from her colleagues.

Under mounting pressure to solve the case, Lily arranges a sit-down with a local mob boss only to find out her suspect is also wanted by them. But before Lily can warn her team, she and her new partner, Jeremiah, are shot at, and another body is found.

When she discovers Jeremiah has a connection with the underworld, she is pulled into a conflict that swirls around the boss's son who's hell-bent on revenge.

To add to the complexity of the situation, Lily learns that her victim might still be alive if it wasn't for opportunistic Assistant District Attorney, Ibee Walters, who has a twisted vision of justice.

As Lily gets closer to finding the killer, she unravels ugly secrets that point to Ibee and Jeremiah - placing Lily's life and her unborn child in danger.

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Detective Ariel Weeks stabbed at the small block of ice until it split into several pieces across the counter. She tossed the jagged cubes into the glass and made her client a drink.

In less than twenty-four hours, Ariel would no longer have to use the name Jasmine and keep men company to protect her cover. All she needed to do was make it through this last night and she’d be allowed to be who she was; a mom just doing her job.

After gathering evidence and recording all the data she had, it would be hard to detach. Towards the end, she’d learned things she wished weren’t true, leaving her stomach in tattered knots.

Back at home, there were two reasons Ariel would never take on another undercover assignment.

Click.

Ariel ground her teeth as the door to Cabin D opened and closed. She could feel Mikey Surace, the mob boss’s son, staring at the backless white dress she wore at his request.

The man who smiled at the sight of blood was standing behind her, breathing heavily.


When Marguerite Ashton was in her twenties, she took up acting but realized she preferred to work behind the camera, writing crime fiction. A few years later, she married an IT Geek and settled down with her role as wife, mom, and writer. Five kids later, she founded the Crime Writer’s Panel and began working with former law enforcement investigators to create; Criminal Lines Blog, an online library for crime writers who need help with their book research.

She’s a workaholic who hides in her writer’s attic, plotting out her next book and stalking Pinterest for the next avocado recipe. 

A member of Sisters in Crime, Marguerite grew up in
Colorado, but is now happily living in Wisconsin and playing as much golf as possible.

Interview:

Where are you from?
I’m from Colorado. I lived there for twenty-nine years before relocating to Wisconsin. And I’m not going back, unless it’s to visit the Rocky Mountains. It’s too green here in the midwest and I love everything about it. Except for the cold and the snow.

Tell us your latest news?

The audiobooks for Her Final Watch and Promised Lies will be released next year!

When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing in 2001. But it was more of a hobby during that time. Years later, I started jotting down more ideas, hoping one day to find an audience who enjoyed my characters and their world. It was something that I had to do.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I decided to work with a writing mentor. I no longer wanted it to be a hobby. It was important for me to do what I needed to improve my skills. One of the things I’ve learned, is that there will always be something new to add to my writer’s toolbox.

What inspired you to write your first book?

My strong desire to write was something I felt from the inside. For me, I have to write every day. Even if it’s just making notes on another book or working on my blog.

If I miss more than a day, I start to get cranky.

The one thing that keeps me writing is David Baldacci. His story helped remind me that success can come with persistence and continual improvement.


Do you have a specific writing style?

When writing my books, if an idea for another book hits me, I jot it down in one of my many notebooks. When it’s time to go over the notes, I talk it out with my husband. For the law enforcement side, I contact my cop friends to see if I can get away with the story line.

Sometimes I’ll be editing one manuscript, or working on the latest promo and the idea hits, and I write the scene. But it really helps me to let it flow, then organize it later.

How did you come up with the title?

Coming up with a title for any of my books is a process. I’ve tried to make it easier, but I haven’t had any luck.
I write down the first words that come to my mind and start crossing out the ones that doesn’t work for me. If I run out of suggestions, I go to my husband or mentor. It took me three days to come up with Her Final Watch.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

That women can be strong and vulnerable at the same time.

How much of the book is realistic?

The forensics and police procedures. I like to write my novels so that they fit with the actual time it takes to get back DNA, cell phone records and other things. And at the same time find a balance that blends reality and fiction.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Not yet. At the moment, I’m sorting out all of the thoughts bouncing around in my head.

What books have most influenced your life most?

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou
The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

David Baldacci.

What book are you reading now?

King and Maxwell by David Baldacci.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Yes. Ransom Riggs, Madeleine Roux and Scott Turow. I have their books, but haven’t been able to read them yet.

What are your current projects?

I’m currently working on the next two books in the Detective Blanchette series. The Parolee and Ten to Midnight.

Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members?

My writing mentor, Ami Hendrickson.
What would you like my readers to know?
I’d like to thank them for their time. I’m looking forward to any questions they’d like to ask.


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