. . . Texas Ranger Noah Morgan has his life together—with a great job and the girl of his dreams. Too bad it’s all based on a lie. After a routine investigation into local scam artists uncovers a human trafficking ring, Noah fights to avoid being sucked back into the sights of the murderous family he escaped at seventeen . . .
Tell
us a bit about Broken Toys. It is a
wild ride down a twisted country road. You never know what’s going to pop up at
you. You know, I thought I had my shit together but damn, one telephone call
and the world goes to hell in a handbasket. I thought I had escaped my past. Guess
that’s what I get for ‘thoughting’ as my Grandda would say.”
What
made you choose law enforcement for a profession? “Can
you keep a secret? Sure. “I always knew it took a crook to catch a crook.
Let’s just say I’m very good at me job.”
Hey,
we read the book—several times—so we know how good you are. But knowing what
you know now, if you had it to do over again, would you stick with being a Ranger
or do something different? Are you
kidding? I love my career. It’s more of a calling. I’m giving back, helping
others, making up for… never mind. Besides, where else could I get paid to
drive like a maniac and carry a gun?
Okay,
Noah, what is your biggest fear? Being
abandoned. I know what that dark loneliness feels like. If you let it, it will
consume you—mind, body and soul.
Who
is your favorite fictional character and why? That’s an easy one. Gotta be that Virgil F’ing
Flowers. I’m trying to be polite here. I’m sure you can figure out what they
really call him. He’s my hero. Solves crimes, has a woman that loves him, and
gets to go fishing whenever he feels like it.
We
weren’t quite expecting that response as Virgie is one of our faves too. What
is the best piece of advice you ever received? Good question. I’m not sure. Maybe you learn more
listening than you do running your mouth. Must be a reason we were given two
ears and one mouth, right?
Just like in the book, you
made us laugh out loud today. Thanks. Go back to driving like a maniac while we
chat with Glenda. You be careful out there [from another fave you’re too young
to remember].
With regard to research,
where did you start for this novel? Did that lead you down different paths,
thereby changing the original concept? I
started this novel two last names ago, so yes, it has changed a ton from the original
concept. The original is sitting in a drawer covered in cobwebs. I may pull it
out some day, and I may not. I lucked out when it comes to research. Being
married to a Texas Lawman, I have a built-in technical adviser plus additional
resources. If he doesn’t know the answer, one of his colleagues will. It also
helps that he understands he married a nut. He didn’t even bat an eyelash when
I asked him to help me get into the pickup’s toolbox and then drive around
while I was in it. How else would I know if my victim would fit and what she
would experience?
Tell us a bit about your
publisher. How did you hear about them; what influenced you to submit to them? This is my first novel and I was antsy about sending
it out. I’d never done anything like this before, and I really wasn’t sure the
story was good enough. I found them while researching other publishers. Thanks
to my amazing editor, I’ve since learned it is a strong story with real characters
in it.
How is the submission
process? The process was simple and
surprisingly quick. Once I began corresponding with my editor, I knew it was the
right place for me. It just felt like home. I probably shouldn’t point out I
live in a world of quick wit and unique individuals.
What was the turn-around
time from date of query to date of release? I submitted Broken Toys to The
Wild Rose Press in late April. Broken Toys is available for pre-order now and
will release on December 16th. Not a bad turn around considering I
had to remove several POV characters.
What are you reading right
now? Tons! I am an insomniac, so I
read to fall asleep. I average a novel every two to three days. I will finish Infernal
by Linsey Hall, a great indie author, tonight and tomorrow, I plan to start a
new release, Tears of the Wolf, by another TWRP author, Sharon
Buchbinder.
What's next for you? Broken Toys launches on December 16th.
I’m really excited about that and am learning as much about marketing as I can.
In addition, I’m working on three more stories that I hope The Wild Rose Press
will fall in love with. Two are in my Broken world, and one is set in Wylder, Wyoming
in the late 1870s. I’m excited about all of them. I plan to finish the Wylder
story during NaNo.
To purchase Broken Toys, go to:
I’ll tell you what... some days I wish I had a filter to place over Noah’s mouth. Takes a crook to catch a crook. That was a private conversation. I can’t believe he just spit that out right here in front of God and everyone. That boy spends more time with his foot in his mouth than I do. And THAT’S saying something.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kat, for letting me share Broken Toys with the world.
Enjoyed the interview....sounds like a great read!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alicia!
Delete