The Girl Who Knew Death by Norm Harris

            Navy lawyer and former First Daughter Faydra (Fay) Green is no longer quite so haunted by the dark events of her recent past and is hoping for some well-deserved rest. But her world is once again turned upside down when a shocking secret about her adopted daughter, Katrinka (Kat), is revealed. But before Fay can help Kat make any decisions about her future, Kat is captured and thrown into an Egyptian prison. She manages to escape but must flee to safety across Europe, trying to stay one step ahead of several mysterious pursuers.

Soon, Fay and Kat discover they are being chased by more than ordinary forces – Azrael, the Angel of Death, has taken a puzzling interest in their situation and a dangerous demon appears to be stalking Kat’s every move. It will take all of Fay’s strength and ingenuity to meet these, and other, challenges looming ahead of her, while Kat must ask herself what she truly wants out of life.

Wild Women Authors features author Norm Harris and The Girl Who Knew Death, his latest release via the Fast Track option out of The Wild Rose Press. First up is Fay Green.

Welcome, Fay. First, tell us a bit about The Girl Who Knew Death.

While in Moscow on a government assignment, I met my daughter, Kat. It turned out she had a sad yet inspiring story to tell. Let me tell you. It turned out to be that and more. As revealed in The Girl Who Knew Death, our story chronicles one of the most exciting and bizarre adventures you will ever hear about in your life! 

What made you choose to practice with the Navy for a career?

My dad, before he went into politics, was a Navy aviator. I grew up in the Navy. Like my him, I wanted to be a diplomat, but more an embassy type. I learned two languages. Italian and French. While in college, I met a law student. It sounded interesting, so I went in that direction. The Navy had lawyers in the JAG Corps. It was a marriage made in heaven, as they say.

 

Knowing what you know now, if you had it to do over again, would you stick with being a Navy lawyer or do something different?

I would do something else. If someone had told me I would be risking my life almost daily, I would have opted for a nurse. Or something safe.

What is your biggest fear? Right now, my biggest fear is death itself. I try hard every day to not get killed by someone or something. 

Who is your favorite fictional character? I have three. James Bond, Jack Ryan, and Natasha Romanova. 

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? I now live by the mantra my daughter Kat, a former espionage agent, taught me: “Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or be killed. Every morning, a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle, or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you’d better be running.”  I travel at eight miles a minute, most of the time high on caffeine. 

Thanks for spending time with us, Fay. Now we’d like to chat with Norm.

Which writer or character[s], from either books or movies, [or both] have had a major impact on your writing?  Ian Fleming—James Bond; Nelson DeMille—Kate Mayfield. Both books. In movies, Katniss Everdeen and Eowyn. 

Concerning research, where did you start for this novel? Did that lead you down different paths, thereby changing the original concept? I drew from my world travels for scenes and settings. The time I spent in Cairo, Paris, Moscow, and the South China Sea helped describe the settings, and the characters were from three stories before. This one was easy to create. 

Tell us a bit about your publisher. How did you hear about them; what influenced you to submit to them, the submission process, and the turn-around time from date of query to date of release?  A big question. The first three books have been self-published. Last summer, I signed up for a writer’s conference that invites agents and publishers every year. I signed up to pitch to two publishers. Both liked my book Deception Pass. The publisher is Wild Rose Press, Inc. When I told them about the other three books, they asked me if they could see all of them. Several weeks later, they offered me contracts for the series. Because the four books were ready to go, I did not have to go through the normal process. I did work with the art department to create new covers. When I signed the contracts in November, the first of the four books were published and offered for sale worldwide in both e-book and paperback. Arid Sea was published in February, Deception Pass in March, and The Girl Who Knew Death in May. 

What are you reading right now? I am reading my fifth book in the Spider Green series Rain and Wind and Fire. You know the song, They Call the Wind Mariah? The song inspires the book. As Sympathy for the Devil did for Deception Pass and Brandy for Fruit of the Poisonous Tree.

What’s next for you? As I said, I am trying to find the time to put Rain and Wind and Fire together. 

 

To purchase The Girl Who Knew Death, go to:

https://www.amazon.com/Norman-A.-Harris/e/B002BOH4R0?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/norm-harris 

 

Social media contacts:

https://www.facebook.com/norm.harris.3386