Marilyn's Musings

I am happy to say that I finished writing my first book, Ghosts of Guatemala , a spy thriller that follows a cold-blooded assassin on a kill mission in Antigua for the CIA. It’s the first in a trilogy and readers have been giving me really great reviews! Have you always wanted to be a writer? Pretty much. I’ve wanted to be a lot of things, but I had gotten compliments on my writing when I was younger which helped fuel my desire, and I’ve also just had a burning love for stories and imaginary worlds for the better part of my life. I’ve been working at writing fiction since I was twelve. Every time I heard a good story or read a bad book, it only wanted me to write something of my own. How did this book get started? Years ago my dad took me on a road trip to Chicago. Amidst our father-son shenanigans, he proposed I write a stage play for him. I thought he was joking. Turns out he wasn’t. Once he confirmed he’d finance the whole project (he’s a retired teacher wh...

I loved, loved this book! I wasn't sure I would when I began reading,  I'm not sure why, except I haven't been a big fan of English mysteries, but this one grabbed me right from the beginning. Yes, it's a thriller and is told from the points-of-view from many of the characters including a stalker, the main character, Nora Tierney, her love interest and detective, Declan Barnes, the murder victim who restore art, the villain and others--but it all works. The author does a great job of letting the reader know the feelings of each character and what drives them. When Nora realizes she may have someone shadowing her every move--the reader knows exactly how she's reacting. There are plenty of twists and turns, many surprising, and couple that are downright shocking. If you want to read a true page-turner, pick up Golden Hour by M.K. Graff. --Marilyn Meredith

The road of an author is often filled with various hazards. As happens more often than readers have any idea about, for one reason or another, an author has to find a new publisher, or got about some other means to have a book republished. I don't know any details about what happened here, but what I do know is Nancy Boyarsky wrote a fascinating story in The Swap . Here is the review I wrote when I read it:  My review of  Swap . I received a copy of the book from the publisher and definitely enjoyed it. It is the story of a house swap, with as much excitement as any thriller.  Nicole, the heroine, is a rather naive young woman who after moving into the house in London suspects her husband of straying and gets caught up in a twisted path of murder, starting with a car bomb that might have been meant for her.  From that time on she becomes suspicious of many, finds herself in peril many times, doesn't know whom to trust and often misinterprets what is hap...

(from Simon & Schuster.) Mary Higgins Clark has always been a favorite of mine. I haven’t read all of her books, but many of them. Though she’s now called a thriller writer, I’ve often thought of her books as in a genre of its own—women in jeopardy. I was pleased to read Ms. Clark’s latest and enjoyed it thoroughly. As usual, she’s plucked a nugget from the news to center the story around. In this case it’s a man who has fleeced many out of their lifesavings through his investment company, Parker Bennett. Wanted by the FBI, he’s been missing since his empty sailboat was found in the Caribbean. The main female character is Lane Harmon, a young widow with a five-year-old daughter, who is the primary assistant to a famous interior designer. When Lane is called onto help with the redecorating the home of Parker Bennett’s wife, Lane finds herself in a complicated web of intrigue which includes being wooed by Parker Bennett’s son, Eric, who is suspected of being a pa...

I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book from the publisher. To be honest, I'd never read a book by Harlan Coben, though I have seen him at various mystery cons. At any one time, I'm usually reading 3 books--often it is a bookd that I received from a publisher or publicist wanting a review. Sometimes I enjoy reading the book, with others, not so much. Once I got started on this one, I couldn't stop. After the first few pages, I just had to know what was going to happen next. The story centers on Adam Price, a rather ordinary man who has a happy marriage and two young sons and life is good. Or at least it was until a stranger tells Adam a secret about his wife. At first Adam doesn't believe it, then after some research he realizes the secret is true, but not the reason behind it. When Adam's wife disappears, leaving only a cryptic message, he begins investigating with a fervor. The reader is let in on the fact that other people have l...

Being a fan of Kurt Kamm’s writing, I was delighted to have the opportunity to read his latest. You can always count on his books to be accurate when it comes to anything that has to do with public safety and the fire department. In this latest offering, Kamm takes on one of the biggest threats to Southern California, a terrorist attack on Southern California’s water supply. If you aren’t familiar with the major source of Southern California’s water, you need to read this book. Kamm has all the facts, and when you read how vulnerable the water supply is, you’ll realize how realistic and scary this book is. This is Kamm’s best offering to date. Having grown up in Los Angeles, I know the area and one of the chilling scenes is how difficult it can be for emergency vehicles to get through traffic when there is a bad situation going on. The chilling history of the Sylmar Tunnel Disaster of 1971 is skillfully woven into this most compelling thriller. Kamm has done it again...

    I hope so because I picked the cover photo for my new medical thriller Ignore the Pain.   How did I have the audacity to pick the photo? I’ll avoid obvious answers and just say I’m no expert, but I’ve looked at lots of covers and have opinions.   A good cover is like a good title. It suggests the topic of the book and is catchy. I like bright primary colors for thrillers and adventure books, pastels for romances, and dark moody colors for horror and mystery novels because the colors convey a message.   Those of you who are sophisticated in your choice of covers have probably concluded that I’m very traditional. Now look at the cover of my new medical thriller.   Ignore the Pain is set partially in Bolivia, and the heroine Sara Almquist is an epidemiologist serving as a public health consultant there. But this is a public health assignment gone awry. At one point Sara is chased across the roof of Iglesia de San Francisco in La Paz, B...

             The main character in Blunt Impact has my old job: a forensic scientist in the Trace Evidence Department of the coroner’s office in Cleveland, Ohio. Theresa MacLean is quite comfortable with infrared spectroscopy, gunshot residue and dead bodies, but with this case she has to deal with something outside her comfort zone: a recent bereaved, 11 year old semi-street-urchin nicknamed Ghost.  Ghost’s mother was a lively young construction worker thrown from the 23 rd floor of a controversial new jail as Ghost watched. Now Ghost will stop at nothing to find the truth and Theresa will stop at nothing to keep the child safe.  This book caused a true rift between myself and my former editor and sounded my death knell as a HarperCollins author. I originally wrote Ghost’s life history as much more bleak, and her mother something in the “Precious” mode. As a comfy suburban dweller I found the little gir...

   One of the things I’m constantly asked from people who have read my novel, Blue Coyote Motel , is how did I get the idea for the book?    After writing Blue Coyote and my soon to be released book, Tea Party Teddy , I’m convinced there is no formula. Coyote happened in a strange way. I had always wanted to write a novel, but like so many people, I didn’t think I had the credentials for it. I hadn’t attended numerous fiction workshops or seminars; I hadn’t spent weeks at writing retreats, etc. My husband gave me Stephen King’s book , On Writing , which freed me from all the things which had held me back. King kind of says, like the Nike logo, “Just Do It!” But what to write?    We were at a wedding in October in the old section of Palm Springs, California, at a boutique hotel which had recently been renovated. It was 106 outside and the air-conditioner was silently wonderful. I remember turning to my husband and saying, “Wouldn’t i...