This week I'm thrilled to be interviewing Kiera Devane, heroine from Perilous Shadows by Nike Chillemi. Here's a blurb about the book:
Pioneer newspaperwoman Kiera Devane is on a mission to prove a woman can do a man's job, as she hunts a young coed's killer? Ace radio broadcaster Argus Nye lost one love to a murderous fiend and his pulse races as he tries to protect Kiera from herself as much as from this killer.
Kiera was doted upon by loving parent, but they were killed when she was a girl and she was shipped off to live with a socialite aunt who had little time for her. In her aunt's house, she learned life could be cold and cruel. As a result, she grew up to be an independent and demanding professional woman.
Argus Nye, still bereft from the loss of his first love, can't understand why this female reporter is mesmerizing him. As she takes chances with her life trying to catch a killer, he's determined to protect her.
And now the interview:
Tammy: Your parents died when you
were quite young and a wealthy aunt raised you. Do you remember much about your
parents? Were your parents wealthy as well, or did you have culture shock as
well as grief when moving in with your aunt?
Kiera: I have a few memories of my
parents. I remember my father saying "grace" before meals. He was a
successful stockbroker. We lived in a
brownstone in Kips Bay, in the twenties on the east side of Manhattan and had a
housekeeper. I never thought of us as well to do, but I suppose we were. My
mother did a lot of charity work rather than attend society events. So, all
types of people came for dinner: doctors who treated the poor, nuns who worked
in settlement houses, and missionaries who taught English to new immigrants. I
was encouraged to engage in interesting conversation with guests at the table.
My aunt lived in the same neighborhood but still, moving in with her was
culture shock, as you term it. She often derided my mother for having
"wasted her time" with charity work. And she believed children should
be seen and not heard. I was given my dinner in the kitchen before the adults
ate and then hustled off to my room. My closest friend in those difficult days
was my aunt's housekeeper.
(She removes a pearl clip on earring and replaces
it.)
Of course, I always had Richard Aberdeen, my father's friend who became my
financial advisor. He took me out at least once a month for the afternoon. I so
looked forward to that. I eventually convinced him that I should live at
boarding school and he saw to it.
Tammy: Many people call you an ice
princess. Do you consider yourself cold-hearted? Is your life lonely?
Kiera: (A small smile plays at the
corner of her lips) I've been called quite a few things. When my story took the
front page away from some of my male counter parts, I assure you, "ice
princess" wasn't among the things they called me. I've never thought of
myself as cold-hearted or lonely. In fact, I never thought about it at all. I
just get on with my life. That's how we live in the 1940s. We make the best of
things.
Tammy: Working in a male-dominated
career must be difficult. What made you chose such a goal? Were there times you
wanted to give up? How did you make yourself continue?
Kiera: As I mentioned, my parents'
table was filled with interesting people. We even had an occasional actor or
ballet dancer dining with us. My aunt later said that was scandalous. I used to
keep a diary. Sometimes I'd read what I wrote to my parents and they thought I
captured their friend's personalities perfectly. They encouraged me to pursue
writing. I suppose I could have given up and lived off of my inheritance, but a
useless life simply wouldn't agree with me.
Tammy: What do you want out of life?
Kiera: What my heart longs for is a
happy home like my parents had. And I want a marriage as good and as loving as
the one they shared.
Tammy: What scares you most?
Kiera: Losing Argus. That something
terrible would happen to him and he'd be taken away from me.
Tammy: You're stranded on a desert
island. What 3 things would you want with you and why? Don't chose a
person - that's next!
Kiera: Oh, dear. I love to
accumulate pretty things that have meaning. I'm the type who brings something
useful home when I travel. Not souvenir type things, but useful items I then
make part of my life – an afghan, a gravy boat, a salt and pepper shaker. But
three indispensible things, let's see...my Bible, my entire collection of
Agatha Christie novels. I'm cheating, I know by making all those books one
thing, but that's how I am. (She tosses off a wicked grin.) And number three
would be, my family photo album.
Tammy: If you could have 2 friends
with you on the island, who would you pick?
Kiera: I don't even have to think
about it. I’d want to take along Argus, the man who overlooks all the ghosts of my
past and loves me for me, just the way I am. That's a man I could warm up to.
And Aggie, my boxer, named after Agatha Christie, who is my BFF, as you call it
today.
Get Perilous Shadows to and learn all about Kiera Devane And Argus Nye as they work together to figure out who murdered a co-ed intern. You can get all of Nike's books at:
Amazon/Kindle http://amzn.to/SdJ5Fk
About Nike Chillemi:
Like so
many other writers, Nike Chillemi started writing at a very young age. She
still has the Crayola, fully illustrated book she penned (penciled might be
more accurate) as a little girl about her then off-the-chart love of horses.
Today, you might call her a crime fictionista. Her passion is crime
fiction. She likes her bad guys really bad and her good guys smarter and
better.
She was an Inspy Awards 2010 judge in the Suspense/Thriller/Mystery category
and a judge in the 2011 and 2012 Carol Awards in the suspense, mystery, and
romantic suspense categories. She is the founding board member of the Grace
Awards and its Chairman, a reader's choice awards for excellence in Christian
fiction. She writes book reviews for
The Christian Pulse online
magazine. BURNING HEARTS is the first book in the crime wave that is sweeping
the south shore of Long Island in The Sanctuary Point series, published by
Desert Breeze. GOODBYE NOEL, the second book in the series released in
December, 2011 won the Grace Award 2011 in the Mystery/Romantic
Suspense/Thriller category. PERILOUS SHADOWS, the third in the series released
in July, 2012. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and
the Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers (Ning).
http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/
See - you want more, don't you! Get the rest on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Visit Nike on her blog to find out about future novels, and other fun crime writing stuff: Nike Chillemi~Crime Fictionista
It's my honor to be the first up on the calendar for this year's ECFL Hot Summer Reads Blog Tour. Each week, on Wednesday, one of our authors will be in the spotlight, showcasing on their blog up to 3 of their own novels. We'll let you know a bit about each book and why it's a "hot summer read." You'll have plenty of great novels for beach reading or taking on vacation - or to read while you're relaxing in your own yard. Without further ado, here are my offerings:
CELTIC CROSS - Sometimes you have to forget who you are in order to become who you should be.
Bethany Lindstrom is a history student working who goes back in time to 1353 Cornwall. How it happens, and how Deb Kinnard makes it fit with her Christian world view is fascinating. Once Beth adjusts to her new surroundings, she becomes embroiled in political intrigue of King Edward’s court. She makes new friends and finds love, something she lacked in her modern life. But does she belong in the fourteenth century or the twenty-first? The history and language in this novel are an added joy – I especially loved that no one could pronounce Bethany nor Lindstrom properly. This book is a must read for any fan of historicals or time-travel.
