And just like that ... 2016 begins a new chapter in our lives!
The past 12 months were exciting ones for Scanner Publishing with the successful Kickstarter campaign and subsequent publication of Lasting Impressions. After having this story under wraps for over two decades, it has been very satisfying to receive so many positive reviews on an almost weekly basis, for which I am eternally thankful.
As you'll see below, the new year is already bringing exciting avenues for me to pursue. They include: writing the next Jennifer Malone Mystery, organizing another mystery dinner theatre event in March, as well as guesting on a new television program focusing on authors and the tales they tell.
I trust you and your family had a fantastic Christmas and holiday season together! As always, I am very grateful for your interest in my work and hope to see many of you in the weeks and months ahead!
Reporter Jennifer Malone returns!
With every new novel, I inevitably incorporate some aspect of my personal life into the storyline or a character's personality and actions. This is true of Abandoned - at least the opening few chapters.
In December 2014 I began working as a patient transporter in a metropolitan hospital, moving patients via stretchers and wheelchairs to various departments for tests (ultrasound/X-ray) or appointments, and returning them back to their rooms. During one such move, I had an interesting conversation with an elderly woman that happened almost exactly as you're about to read in Chapter One. As our time together grew into several minutes, I instinctively knew how the opening scene of Abandoned would play out.
The old adage, Write what you know, is apt in this case, as prior to getting this job I wouldn't have had a clue about hospital procedures. If I had been thinking of setting a scene or two in this environment, I most likely would have relied on my own television / movie watching experiences for inspiration, but I doubt the results would sound authentic to the reader. Just as I believe my years of working as a private investigator give P.I. Steve Cassidy's narratives an insider's type quality, this can now also be said of hospital transporter Luke's adventures!
I hope you enjoy the first few pages of this Jennifer Malone Mystery. Please let me know what you think!
Unfortunately, I was not selected to appear on CBC's The Dragon's Den this season. Pitching my idea to the show's producers was a great experience though!
New!
"I'm not much of a supernatural reader or tend to read many Steven King or Dean Koontz novels, but I did enjoy Lasting Impressions. Keep up the great work. I really enjoy your novels!"
