David here, it’s Saturday, and if I can figure out this blogging thing, I’m going to ask Dan a few questions about his new book. I’m also going to have a glass of John Howell’s Bourbon. Huh? What’s that? Oh, I guess I have to try to figure out Linda G. Hill’s prompt for the day. OK, let’s see if Curley can get us started. What? Oh, I have to tell you what the prompt is—sheesh.
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “a repeated story.” Include in your post a story you’ve repeated again and again or a story you’ve heard again and again. Or write about the phenomenon itself. Have fun!
Linda G. Hill
If we were having some bourbon, I’d want to know a few things about this new book.
“Welcome Dan.”
“Thanks David. I’m glad to be here.”
“Normally, when we have a guest, the first question we ask is what that guest is drinking. Can I assume you’d like a cold glass of Modelo?”
“Good assumption.”
“Curley, a beer for my young friend and a John Howell’s Special for me.”
“Coming right up, David. Congrats on the new book, Dan.”
“Thanks Curley.”
“Alright, Dan. Let’s get down to business. I’m glad to see you finally got Bridge to Nowhere out the door. I thought it was supposed to be released in early June.”
“It was, David, but some things got in the way.”
“That bench you’re building?”
“That, and another book I’m working on.”
“Shouldn’t you finish one project before starting a new one?”
“Ideally, but people tell me that when you’re moved to write, you should write. Bridge to Nowhere was almost done, but I got caught up in this other bit.”
“Well, I’m not here to talk about your next book. What’s it about, though? No, scratch that. Forget I asked. Will it be a sequel to this book?”
“No. No sequels. The Rascal Todd Mysteries will all be books that stand alone.”
“But if they all star Rascal Todd, they’re all kind of related…right?”
“Yes and no.”
“Dan, you always say that, and I always point out that those two answers are mutually exclusive.”
“I just meant that they might not all ‘star’ Rascal Todd.”
“What…No, never mind. Still, they must be related.”
“Yes, but people can read them in whatever order they like. They can read one, two or all of them, assuming there are more.”
“Or none of them, I suppose.”
“Always the optimist, aren’t you David?”
“Is there any benefit to reading more than one? Aside from the entertainment value.”
“There might be some Easter Eggs.”
“Easter eggs? Like chocolate?”
“No, David, although my readers all seem to like chocolate. Easter eggs are little surprises for people who have read other of my books. In fact, in this latest book, there’s an Easter egg for fans of this bar.”
“Something you’ve mentioned here?”
“Yes, in fact, something that has been mentioned here, more than once.”
“Will I recognize it?”
“If you read the book, yes, I’m sure you will.”
“If I do, and if I report back, do I win anything?”
“I’ll give you a piece of chocolate.”
“But you obviously have some characters that we know from your other books.”
“True, Rachael, her boss, Bernie and her boyfriend, Terry, are all in this book.”
“What about Zach and Billy?”
“Nope. None of the Amstead family members are involved.”
“The blurb mentions crimes—anybody we know?”
“Not from any of my books, but a character from a short story I wrote a few years ago makes an appearance.”
“Which story?”
“I can’t say.”
“Dan, this is an interview. You can’t say, ‘I can’t say.’”
“Why not? I don’t want to add any spoilers. I can say that when I wrote the story, more than one person said I should develop it into a book.”
“People need to be more careful with what they say to you. Also, from reading the blurb, I get the impression there’s more than one crime. That seems odd for a mystery, Dan.”
“Not for a Rascal Todd Mystery, David.”
“Well, given that this is the only Rascal Todd Mystery, that would make sense. See my point, Dan?”
“Yes, but I’ve also been told to write the story I want to write, so we’re good.”
“Okay. I’ve never liked being pedantic, anyway. With the crew you have lined up, and from the cover, I assume the crime, or crimes, take, or I should say, took place in Pittsburgh. Correct?”
“Yes. The book is set in the Greater Pittsburgh area., in the summer of two-thousand fifteen.”
“You know, we have plenty of crime in Hartford, just sayin’.”
“Pittsburgh is a much more interesting city, David.”
“So, does Rachael solve this crime, as in all by herself, Dan?”
“She has help.”
“From the police? The FBI?”
“Yes, and from her cat.”
“Bonkers? Bonkers helps Rachael solve a murder?”
“Not directly, but he plays a role in the story.”
“I’m glad to hear that. He was my favorite character in your previous book.”
“So much for my developing the human characters.”
“Dan, you’re the guy who put Bonkers in the story. He’s a cat. What did you expect would happen? Have you ever had a cat that didn’t demand the attention be focused on him?”
“You make a good point.”
“A little off-topic, but not really, is Teagan’s Christmas in July blog hop still running?”
“Yes, it is, David. In fact, I’m sharing a short story on Wednesday as part of that blog hop.”
“That’s great, Dan. Not where I was heading, though. Not everything is about you.”
“Oh. I thought, you know, interview. Anyway, where were, or where are you heading?”
“Well, I was thinking that since we’re celebrating Christmas in July, and you just released a new book, and people give gifts at Christmas, that…”
“You’d like a copy of my book.”
“It would be a nice gesture.”
“Kindle or paperback?”
“I don’t own a Kindle thingie.”
“You don’t need one, David. You can download a Kindle app for your laptop, your tablet or your phone.”
“I have a Macbook. Will that be a problem?”
“No problem at all.”
“Are you going to stage a book launch for this book?”
“Not in the traditional form.”
“Why not?”
“Timing. I wanted to put this book out there, because there’s another book in the works, but I overshot the runway by about six weeks.”
“As often is the case with you, Dan, you’ve given me an elaborate answer but no information.”
“I don’t have time to stage a book launch right now.”
“You could have just said that. But why not? I mean what else is going on?”
“I have this story coming out on Wednesday—that I like a lot—and I’m taking a week-long break in two weeks.”
“You said, ‘Not in the traditional form.’ Precisely what non-traditional form do you have in mind?”
“Well, if anyone wants to help spread the word about this book, they can mention that in the comments, or shoot me an email, and I’ll work something out with them.”
“For now, next week, next month?”
“Whenever they have a blank spot in their schedule.”
“Speaking of blank spots, I’m hungry. I’m going to order us a pizza, Dan. You want another beer?”
“Of course.”
Pittsburgh reporter Rachael Todd has a hard deadline — and it’s personal. Her friend is a murder suspect. He knew the victim. He has a strong motive and a weak alibi. Rachael’s certain he is being framed, and she’ll have to live up to her nickname “Rascal” to clear him. Rascal sees a connection to an earlier crime. The clock is ticking as she digs through multiple layers of legal and bureaucratic misdeeds, crimes, and evidence that the police ignored.
Is a crime solved when the criminals are identified, or only after they are brought to justice? This is a mystery born from that question. The story includes many twists and turns, even after the crime is solved. It features characters, including the bad guys, that grow in ways that might surprise you, and well-researched circumstances that will take you from delight to frustration while moving you close to the edge of your seat—sound interesting? If it does, this book is for you.
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