Please Welcome Author LIBBY HELLMANN!

[becke_davis]

Please welcome back award-winning author LIBBY HELLMANN!

She's been a guest here before and she wrote a Valentine guest blog last year.

[becke_davis]

About Libby Fischer Hellmann

Crime fiction author Libby Fischer Hellmann claims she's "writing her way around the genre." With ten novels and twenty short stories published, she has written thrillers, suspense mysteries, historicals, PI novels, amateur sleuth, police procedurals, and even a cozy mystery. At the core of all her stories, however, is a crime or the possibility of one—the more political, the better.

She is a transplant from Washington, D.C., where, she says, "When you're sitting around the dinner table gossiping about the neighbors, you're talking politics." Armed with a Masters Degree in Film Production from New York University, and a BA in history from the University of Pennsylvania, she started her career in broadcast news. She began as an assistant film editor at NBC News in New York, but moved back to DC where she worked with Robin McNeil and Jim Lehrer at N-PACT, the public affairs production arm of PBS. When Watergate broke, she was re-trained as an assistant director and helped produce PBS's night-time broadcasts of the hearings.  

In 1978, Hellmann moved to Chicago to work at Burson-Marsteller, the large public relations firm, staying until 1985 when she founded Fischer Hellmann Communications. Currently, when not writing, she conducts speaker training programs in platform speaking, presentation skills, media training, and crisis communications. Additionally, Libby also writes and produces videos.

Her first novel, AN EYE FOR MURDER, which features Ellie Foreman, a video producer and single mother, was released in 2002. Publishers Weekly called it a "masterful blend of politics, history, and suspense," and it was nominated for several awards. That was followed by three more entries in the Ellie Foreman series, which Libby describes as a cross between "Desperate Housewives" and "24."

A few years later, Libby introduced her second series featuring hard-boiled Chicago PI Georgia Davis, which the Chicago Tribune described as "a new no-nonsense detective... tough and smart enough to give even the legendary V.I. Warshawski a run for her money."  There are three books in that series so far: EASY INNOCENCE (2008) and DOUBLEBACK (2009), which was selected as a Great Lakes Booksellers' Association "2009 Great Read," and TOXICITY (2011), a police procedural ebook thriller that became the prequel to the Georgia Davis series.

Her 8th novel, SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE (2010), was a standalone thriller that goes back, in part, to the late Sixties in Chicago. Publishers Weekly describes it as "top-rate" and says, "A jazzy fusion of past and present, Hellmann's insightful, politically charged whodunit explores a fascinating period in American history." It was short-listed for ForeWord Magazine's Book of 2010 in the suspense/thriller category.

Her most recent novel, A BITTER VEIL, will be released in April, 2012. A stand-alone literary thriller and love story, it's set in revolutionary Iran during the late '70s.

Libby has also edited a highly acclaimed crime fiction anthology, CHICAGO BLUES (2007). In May, 2010, she published a collection of her own short stories called NICE GIRL DOES NOIR. In 2005-2006 she was the National President of Sisters in Crime, a 3,400 plus member organization committed to strengthening the voice of female mystery writers.

Libby blogs at "SAY THE WORD And You'll Be Free," and also at "The Outfit Collective."

[becke_davis]

Writing Workshops

Want to learn the craft of writing crime fiction?
Want to polish your manuscript?
Want to spend the day with a pro?

"Anatomy of a Crime Novel: The Craft of Crime Fiction" 
Conducted by Libby Fischer Hellmann

They say that writing a publishable novel is 5% inspiration and 95% perspiration. In this hands-on intensive session, you'll sweat it out by exploring the elements of craft that make a crime fiction novel impossible to put down.

Whether you write cozies or hard-boiled, PI or amateur sleuth, you'll learn how the effective use of plot, narrative, voice, setting, character, dialogue, and suspense can take your work to the next level.

The workshop will focus on the practical as opposed to the theoretical, so be prepared for plenty of exercises and discussion.

Included in the price is a critique of 20 pages from your manuscript, provided it's submitted 30 days after the workshop. Libby will mark up the mss. using "track changes" and will talk on the phone with you about her comments.

What attendees have said:
"Excellent. Well-organized. Great exercises!"
"Good insights. Helpful hands-on. Right on target!"

[becke_davis]

Photo Gallery

Libby signs a book at her launch party at the Book Stall in Winnetka, IL

Libby at her book launch party
at the Book Stall

At Libby's book launch party at the Book Stall

At the Tucson Festival of Books

More from the Book Stall

At the Tucson Festival of Books with Joel Fox and Pascal Marco

At the Glendale Library (Glendale, AZ): Cara Black, Libby, Rhys Bowen

Libby with fellow Lovey Award Winner David J. Walker at Love is Murder, 2012

Libby with gun

 

The Outfit Bowling Team

The Worst Bowler Trophy
at Bouchercon 

Libby at Bouchercon 

[becke_davis]

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Crime Fiction Author Libby Fischer Hellmann

http://www.quickiebookreviews.com/2012/04/crime-fiction-author-libby-fischer.html

With A Little Help From My Friend

One of the most common questions crime fiction authors are asked is whether we outline our stories or write “without a net”, i.e. not knowing what’s going to happen next.

My answer is “Yes.”

I’ve done it both ways, but I lean toward the “without a net” camp. That’s not to say I haven’t outlined. The first two novels I wrote were carefully outlined, down to each chapter. The problem was they read that way. I ended up writing the outline instead of the story. The outline was in charge of what, where, when, and how my characters behaved, rather than the characters themselves. There was no room for them to change their minds or try something different; consequently, in the end some of their actions didn’t make sense. Those books were never published, btw, and they should never be.

Then a very wise editor encouraged me to write without a net. We had a long conversation about how I needed to trust my characters, that if they were truly fleshed out, they wouldn’t let me down. My first reaction was: “Are you nuts? I created them. They do what I tell them to.”

“Actually, they don’t,” she replied in a serious voice. “Try it.”

Imagine my surprise when I discovered she was right. It took me a while to get over my panic and actually sit down without a plan for what was going to happen, but eventually it started to percolate. Characters did things I never planned. Say things I didn’t expect.  Some even said they weren’t involved in the crime, and why was I trying to implicate them. At times, the process was so baffling that I felt like Shirley MacLaine, channeling spirits from the other side. I was even more puzzled when I’d introduce a character or write a scene without knowing why I was doing it or why it was important.  Part of my brain would ask myself what in the world this had to do with my story? The other part of my brain said not to worry. Sure enough, about 150 pages later, the answer would come. My subconscious had been working on it all that time. It was almost spooky.

Eventually I adopted what I call a “modified netless style.” I would start out knowing the crime and the victim. I also thought I had an idea who the perpetrator was, and I would have in mind two or three “tent-pole” scenes, where important information is revealed, that I’d write toward. 

The risk of this style of writing is that you start to like the perpetrator, or you find so many redeeming qualities that you decide he or she couldn’t have done it. Then what? How do you resolve the story?

That’s what happened in A BITTER VEIL. Although it’s written on the large canvas of Revolutionary Iran, in some ways VEIL is really a locked room mystery. There are only 4 or 5 characters who could have committed the crime, and in the process of writing the book, I toggled between each one. At first I thought the villain was Character A, but then I started to like A. So I turned to character B. Then B did a noble thing. So I switched to C, but they couldn’t have done it because...

You get the picture. This went on through the entire first draft. In fact, when I got to the place where I had to reveal the culprit… I didn’t have one! I’d written myself into a corner.

I panicked. I’d written an entire book without a villain. At that point the only thing I could think to do was call my friend and fellow author Cara Black, who, for the one or two people in the world that don’t know, writes the award-winning Amy Leduc Investigation mysteries set in Paris.

“Cara!” I cried when I got her on the phone. “I’m at the end and I don’t know who did it!”

“First of all,” she said, “Calm down. Take a xanax.”

“But – but…”

 “We’ll figure it out.”

“How?”

Here’s how: We spent ninety minutes on the phone, going over each major character: their behavior, their possible motivations, their conflicts. How they related to the victim, each other, and the revolution. Slowly, the villain began to emerge. Yes, I did have to go back and rewrite a few things, but not as much as I thought. The most surprising part was what I call the “inevitability factor.” In making revisions, I realized that, of course the killer was this character. It couldn’t have been anyone else.

So, will I continue writing without a net? Absolutely. I loved that the villain was as much of a surprise to me as I hope it will be for you. I’m not sure about Cara, though. The conversation was more valuable than therapy (at least for me) and she had to be just as exhausted as I was afterwards. She’ll probably charge me a fee next time. I don’t mind. It was worth it.

I hope you enjoy A BITTER VEIL. 

[becke_davis]

Libby blogs here:

http://www.theoutfitcollective.blogspot.com/

[becke_davis]

Where to find Libby:

https://twitter.com/#!/libbyfh

https://www.facebook.com/authorLibbyFischerHellmann

http://topsuspensegroup.com/authors/libby_fischer_hellmann.php

Appearances

April 16
Online guest appearance at B&N Mystery Book Club with Becke Davis (all week) :-)

April 17
Live Video Chat
Libby will be talking about A Bitter Veil, the state of publishing, and anything else that's on your mind during a 45-minute video chat online! This is a brand new service that allows up to 500 people to interact together. And it is so easy to use that even her 92 year old mother will be there. All you do is go to this website. That's it! You'll be able to ask questions, watch a slide presentation (don't worry—it's short) and even chat among yourselves. So please kick back and join her online. You can RSVP here to get a same day reminder.
6 PM Eastern Time

April 18
Radio interview on WBSM
New Bedford, MA
4:30 PM Eastern Time 
Listen live on their website

May 5
Centuries and Sleuths
Forest Park, IL
With Clare O'Donohue
2-4 PM

May 6
The Hidden Shamrock
2723 Halstead
Chicago, IL

May 15
Bartlett Public Library
Bartlett, IL
Writing workshop: How to Build Suspense
7 PM

June 9-10
Printers Row Lit Fest
Details to come

June 23
Glen Ellyn Book Festival
Glen Ellyn, IL
Featured Author
Details to come

[becke_davis]

News from Libby

Live Video Chat: Tuesday, April 17 6 PM (Eastern)

On Tuesday, April 17, at 6 PM (Eastern time so plan accordingly), Libby will be talking about A Bitter Veil, the state of publishing, and anything else that's on your mind during a 45-minute video chat online! This is a brand new service that allows up to 500 people to interact together. And it is so easy to use that even her 92 year old mother will be there. All you do is go to this website. That's it! You'll be able to ask questions, watch a slide presentation (don't worry—it's short) and even chat among yourselves. So please kick back and join her online. You can RSVP here to get a same day reminder.

Listen to an interview with Libby from WGN Radio!

Libby appeared on Sunday Papers with Rick Kogan on April 15 to discuss A Bitter Veil.Listen to the interview here!

A Shot to Die For is now available on audio!

Find it on Audible, iTunes and Amazon!

BookReporter.com review of A Bitter Veil

"Readers will be drawn in through the well-researched inside look at Iran in the late 1970s and gain perspective on what the people in that time and place endured. A Bitter Veil is so thought-provoking that it especially would be a great title for book clubs to discuss."
—Amy Alessio [Read full review]

"Everybody Wins" contest starts Monday, April 16

Want the chance to win a Kindle Fire? Doesn't everyone? The day before the video chat, Libby will be launching a contest in which the grand prize is a Fire.

To enter, all you need to do is like her Facebook Page, read A Bitter Veil, post an honest review within 30 days on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or B&N, and send her a link to the review. On Friday, May 18, one grand prize winner will be chosen at random. As an incentive, the ebook will be free at Amazon for one day during the contest month. Keep an eye on Libby's Facebook page where she'll announce which day it will be free. (Hint: It will be sooner rather than later).

But the best part is that even if you don't win a Fire, you still win— everyone who enters will get a free copy of any one of Libby's previously published short stories. Your choice. You can find a description of them here. Btw, all of the rules will also be on her Facebook Page in April.

Crimespree Magazine review of A Bitter Veil

"Hellmann crafts a tragically beautiful story around a message that is both subtle and vibrant. The author does an amazing job of delivering her point but never by sacrificing the quality of her storytelling. Instead, the message drives the psychological and emotional conflict painting a bleak and heart-wrenching tale that will stick with the reader long after they finish the book."
—Bryan VanMeter

Publishers Weekly review of A Bitter Veil

"The Iranian revolution provides the backdrop for this meticulously researched, fast-paced stand-alone... Anna Schroder, an English major at the University of Chicago, meets Nouri Samedi, an engineering student at the University of Illinois's Chicago campus. After Anna and Nouri fall in love and decide to marry, they travel to Iran just as the shah's regime is falling apart. By the the time the shah flees the country, Anna is teaching English through an American advocacy group. Within months, as the political upheaval continues and America is vilified as the Great Satan, tragedy strikes and Anna becomes a pariah to Nouri's family and friends. Worse yet, she becomes ensnared in a murder investigation and finds she has no one to trust and nowhere to hide. A significant departure from the author's Chicago-based Ellie Foreman and Georgia Davis mystery series, this political thriller will please established fans and newcomers alike."

Toxicity wins a Lovey Award!

Toxicity was honored with a 2011 Lovey Award for Best Suspense Novel at the Love is Murder Mystery Conference!

New short story in Writes of Spring

A new story by Libby, "Capital Partners," will appear in the anthology Writes of Spring, edited by Gary Schulz and Pat Frovarp (Nodin Press, April, 2012). Publishers Weeklywrote: "In Libby Fischer Hellmann's fine 'Capital Partners,' two women find a way to deal with troubled marriages."

Libby's blog entry picked up by Forbes.com

Libby's blog post about Kindle Direct Publishing Select, "We Are All Junkies Now," was quoted on Forbes.com! "Ebooks Encourage Authors To Stare At Their Shoes Instead Of Shoot For The Stars"

[becke_davis]

Nice Girl Does Noir 

Easy Innocence 

A Shot to Die for 

Doubleback 

Set The Night On Fire 

A Picture Of Guilt 

An Eye For Murder 

An Image of Death 

A Shot to Die For 

Toxicity 

An Eye For Murder 

Chicago Blues 

The Georgia Davis PI Series 

Top Suspense Short Story 

A Shot To Die For 

An Eye For Murder 

A Picture of Guilt 

Image of Death 

Set the Night on Fire 

Your Sweet Man -- A short story 

DOUBLEBACK 

A Woman's Touch 

Killer Fiction 

A Picture of Guilt 

Easy Innocence 

Set the Night on Fire                           

[becke_davis]

Hurray! The link is working again:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-bitter-veil-libby-fischer-hellmann/1108192041?ean=9780983193814

Anna and Nouri, both studying in Chicago, fall in love despite their very different backgrounds. Anna, who has never been close to her parents, is more than happy to return with Nouri to his native Iran, to be embraced by his wealthy family. Beginning their married life together in 1978, their world is abruptly turned upside down by the overthrow of the Shah, and the rise of the Islamic Republic.

Under the Ayatollah Khomeini and the Republican Guard, life becomes increasingly restricted and Anna must learn to exist in a transformed world, where none of the familiar Western rules apply. Random arrests and torture become the norm, women are required to wear hijab, and Anna discovers that she is no longer free to leave the country.

As events reach a fevered pitch, Anna realizes that nothing is as she thought, and no one can be trusted... not even her husband.

"Hellmann crafts a tragically beautiful story around a message that is both subtle and vibrant. The author does an amazing job of delivering her point but never by sacrificing the quality of her storytelling. Instead, the message drives the psychological and emotional conflict painting a bleak and heart-wrenching tale that will stick with the reader long after they finish the book."
—Bryan VanMeter, Crimespree Magazine

"The Iranian revolution provides the backdrop for this meticulously researched, fast-paced stand-alone... A significant departure from the author's Chicago-based Ellie Foreman and Georgia Davis mystery series, this political thriller will please established fans and newcomers alike."
—Publishers Weekly

"Readers will be drawn in through the well-researched inside look at Iran in the late 1970s and gain perspective on what the people in that time and place endured. A Bitter Veil is so thought-provoking that it especially would be a great title for book clubs to discuss."
—Amy Alessio, BookReporter.com [Read full review]

[becke_davis]

EXCERPT: A BITTER VEIL

Summer, 1980

 

A

nna was deeply asleep, which was unusual for her. She generally tossed and turned until the desperate hours of the night passed. But tonight she’d succumbed almost immediately.

The first knock seemed like part of a dream, and her brain started constructing a story around it. As she swam up to consciousness there was another knock. The sound left a residual imprint in her ears, and for an instant she tried to figure out its intent. Was it an angry thump? A frightened plea? A perfunctory tap? She checked the clock and grew immediately wary.

She threw the covers aside, grabbed her chador, and draped it over her baby doll pajamas. Nouri was not home. After what had happened earlier she wasn’t surprised, but it meant she had to answer the door. Still, she hesitated. Whoever was there would see her sharp features, pale green eyes, and blonde eyebrows. They would know she wasn’t Iranian. They might even suspect she was from the decadent West, perhaps the Great Satan itself. And if that happened, whatever mission brought them would be tainted with that knowledge.

She carefully pushed the curtain aside and looked out. It was summer in Tehran, a hot, arid time that reminded her of the dog days of August in Chicago. She and Nouri lived on an upscale street in Shemiran with walled-off houses set back from the road. At this hour the street was quiet and dark, save for a black Mercedes parked by the gate. The engine was off, but its headlamps were still on, and two precise beams of light illuminated tree trunks and overgrown bushes.

Three uniformed men, all bearded, crowded the door. One had his hands planted on his hips. The other two stood hunched over, arms folded around machine guns. Somehow they’d been able to break through the gate. Fear pumped through her veins. Revolutionary Guards. She had no choice. She had to open the door. If she didn’t, they would break in, claiming knowledge of crimes she’d committed against Islam and the Republic. They might confiscate her books, her makeup, and Nouri’s stereo, for starters. She didn’t need that. Not now. Not with all the other troubles.

She padded out of the bedroom in her bare feet. Clasping the folds of the chador under her chin, she took the steps down, cursing inwardly at the garment’s awkwardness. How could any woman manipulate the yards of heavy black material without feeling clumsy? When she reached the first floor, she slipped into a pair of black ballet slippers she kept by the door. If the Guards saw her toenail polish, they could report her.

She held the chador with one hand and opened the door with the other. One of the men’s hands was high in the air, as if he was just about to knock again. He stepped back, looking startled.

“As-Salâmo ‘Alaikom, Sister,” he said stiffly, lowering his arm.

She gave him a curt nod.

“You are the wife of Nouri Samedi?” he asked in Farsi.

Her heart caromed around her chest. She and Nouri had argued viciously, and he’d threatened to have her arrested. Is that why they’d come? She nodded again, more uncertainly this time.

The men appraised her. Women were supposed to keep their eyes down in the presence of men, to be submissive and quiet. But men had no such limitations, especially Guards. They were free to ogle. Make demands. And if those demands were not met…she shivered, recalling the stories she had heard.

One of the other men stepped up to the door. His lips curved in a predatory smile. She tightened her grip on the chador, for once thankful it covered her body. If she was back home, she would call the police, report them as intruders. But here these intruders were the police. Or what passed as security.

“Your husband…” he said, his voice dripping with scorn. “Do you know where he is?”

She shook her head and looked at the floor. Oh god, were they going to beat her up? She knew people who claimed they were beaten during nighttime visits by the Guards.

“You are certain you do not know his whereabouts, Sister?”

She stole a look at him. His smile had disappeared, replaced now with a scowl. “You have been home all night?”

She nodded. She never went out much, certainly not alone.

His eyes narrowed in disbelief.

“What is it? Has something happened?”

“You already know.”

Always the charades. The brinkmanship. Anger roiled her gut, but she could not show it. “No.”

“Your husband is dead. His body was found in an alley nearby. He was stabbed.”

She gasped. A steel gate plunged down the center of her brain, separating her emotions from her thoughts. She wished she was wearing a burqa to hide her face as well as her body. Her jaw dropped open. Through her fingers she heard herself cry out, “No!”

Despite the Supreme Leader’s admonition to limit eye contact between the sexes, the men stared hard at her. If she were Iranian, she would cry out, collapse, even faint. But she was an American, and Americans were not demonstrative. Odd to be thinking of cultural differences at such a moment.

She drew a ragged breath. “That cannot be,” she lied. “He was with his friend Hassan tonight. Hassan is a Guard,” she added, as if that gave her legitimacy. “He said he would be home late, because—”

“We have notified his family. They are coming to identify the body.”

What game were they playing? She was Nouri’s family. But she said nothing. At least they do not call her on her lie.

The man who’d been talking suddenly shoved the door open wider and barged in.

Panic tickled Anna’s spine. “What are—where are you going?”

He and another Guard pushed past her and went into the kitchen. She started to follow them, but the third man aimed his machine gun at her. “Stop,” he barked. “Don’t move.”

She froze.

She heard murmurs from the kitchen. Then a cry of triumph.

The first man returned from the kitchen, brandishing a steak knife. She and Nouri didn’t eat much red meat, except lamb—in kababs and meatballs, but she’d brought the wooden block of knives from the States with her when she came. It reminded her of home.

“There are only five knives,” he said. “Where is the sixth?”

She stiffened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He nodded and the man with the machine gun shoved her into the kitchen.

“Six slots. Five knives. You see?”

He was right. She turned to him. “It’s been missing for a while. I don’t know where it is.” She bit her lip. A weak excuse. They could tell.

A victorious smile curled his lips, as if he knew he’d won. “Ah, but we do. We have it. It was the murder weapon. You murdered your husband. Killed him so you could escape Iran and return to America. Now you will never leave. You will die in Iran, just like your husband.”

[becke_davis]

Please welcome LIBBY HELLMANN!

[LibbyfhLH]

You always do the best introductions. I feel like QUeen for a Day.. or a Week...

[becke_davis]

---

LibbyfhLH wrote:

You always do the best introductions. I feel like QUeen for a Day.. or a Week...

---

Well, in that case I think you need a tiara!

[ReadingPatti]

LibbyfhLH, Hi and welcome. Hope you have a great visit. I like the titles of your books. They sound interesting. I must check them out.

So what do you like about writing mysteries?

Do you have a favorite author?

Again, have a great visit.

ReadingPatti

[LibbyfhLH]

Great questions, Patti. I could spend the entire week trying to answer them.

What do I like about writing mysteries?

So much. First off, I love the strucuture of a mystery. There are certain "tropes" that we learn and either consciously or subconsciously use to hang the story around. They're not dissimilar to the incident, rising action, turning point, falling action, climax rules you learned in English... but they give me a sense of comfort when I'm writing. I'm not staring a blank (or quite as blank) page when I begin a story. And even if I choose to break those rules, I still know they're there if I need them.

Another thing I love is what, for lack of a better term, I'll call the "order-disorder" theme. When a mystery or thriller begins, the world of that mystery is in order. Things are going along quite nicely. But then, in the blink of an eye, something awful happens -- usually a murder or the discovery of a body. Then the world of that mystery descends into chaos and disorder, and it's up to the sleuth, whether a professional or an amateur, or even a normal person, to restore order. That's a very powerful, satisfying need, at least to me. So I love to write about worlds that have been thrown into chaos. And I can't imagine a world in more chaos than a revolution, such as the Iranian revolution which is the basis for A BITTER VEIL.

I also love the sense of justice that prevails at the end. In most mysteries, the guilty one(s) are uncovered and justice is served. And even if it isn't, the reader knows it will eventually. (The "What goes around comes around..." theory of life). I love the closure that a mystery provides. We can all go to bed knowing the world (at least in fiction) tomorrow will be another day. 

Finally, I love the suspense that's inherent in a thriller and often in a mystery too. I just LOVE to stay up way too late at night because I just HAVE to figure out who did it and whether they'll be apprehended. So I knew when I started writing that suspense would be an important element of my work. 

I'll answer your other question next.

[LibbyfhLH]

Who is my favorite author?

How much time do you have? I read widely and I have a LOT of authors I love. I do tend toward the dark side, so the authors I name may or may not appeal to you. Probably the darkest female author I read is Mo Hayder. Her DEVIL IN NANKING is a disturbing but gorgeously written masterpiece. I also really really like Val McDermid. She's one of those authors who just can't write a bad book. I read, of course, Dennis Lehane, MIchael Connelly, THomas Perry, CJ Box, Steve Hamilton, Karin Slaughter, Philip Kerr, Ed Gorman, Lee Child....

Also William Kent Krueger, Daniel Silva (Yay... July is coming... another Gabriel Allon book on the way!)... Megan Abbott... 

Shall I go on???? 

[becke_davis]

[becke_davis]

Boy, this has been one of those mornings! Sorry I'm late - I had a few things to clear up first. Thankfully, the link to Libby's book is working again. Hurray!

Libby, tell us a little about your new book. It's something quite different for you - what inspired you to write it?

[maxcat]

Hi, Libby, your excerpt sure sounds interesting and I will definitely check out this book. Welcome to the Forum. I hope you have a great week!