The Sound of Red Returning by Sue Duffy

Talented concert pianist Liesl Bower has made a comfortable life for herself, putting her tragic past behind her including the suspicion that fifteen years ago she has colluded with her mentor and friend to betray her country to the Russians. As she performs an intimate concert in the White House, it is not the president's presence that intimidates her but another face in the audience, one she had hoped never to see again. That night Liesl's life erupts into one of fear and danger as American and Russian agents fight to discover a secret Liesl didn't know she had.

With agents pressing her for revelations, Liesl returns to her beloved Charleston home and into the lives of a grandfather and grandson whose faith and fortitude challenge Liesl's prejudice and self-protection. As a new Cold War edges closer, Liesl must choose the extent to which she is willing to sacrifice for her country, and for love.

Sue Duffy has written a gem of a suspense novel with a whisper of romance, set amidst political intrigue and international espionage. With likeable protagonists wrestling with complex relationships, Sue creates great pacing and suspense as Liesl and her small entourage seek to find the key that the CIA and Russian spys are racing to discover. Joining forces with unemployed journalist Cade O'Brien and his feisty grandfather Ian, gives Liesl opportunity to wrestle with her damaged faith and this aspect of the novel is woven in smoothly. Ian is a great character, an old school patriot whose presence injects plenty of humour and heart into the tale. Russian, American and Israeli involvement leads the reader through numerous twists and turns while Liesl and Cade's attraction unfolds and a family tragedy takes a surprising turn.  While the involvement of civilians in the protection of an important American asset seemed a little unrealistic, Duffy has penned an engaging story reminiscent of Cold War spy novels and films and has given readers much to anticipate in this ongoing series.

As seen at TitleTrakk

With thanks to Litfuse for my review copy

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Character Spotlight ~ Sue Duffy's Liesl Bower & Cade O'Brien

Sue Duffy brings back a hint of the Cold War in her latest suspense, The Sound of Red Returning, available now from Kregel.

Synopsis

After losing everyone she loves, concert pianist Liesl Bower has nowhere to go but to escape into her music. Searching for the peace she usually finds in her concertos and sonatas, Liesl can't shake the feeling that she is being haunted by her past...and by someone following her. 

As she's giving a concert for the president in Washington D.C., she looks out into the audience to see a man that she'd seen before--that eerie face--she'd seen that face the night her Harvard professor was attacked, and now he's back!

Enjoy meeting Liesl & Cade

Brief physical description

Liesl Bower is an internationally acclaimed concert pianist. She’s 37, tall, slender, long amber hair and eyes to match, striking.

Cade O’Brien is a laid-off news reporter. He’s 39, taller than Liesl, lanky/athletic build, tousled brown hair, rugged good looks.

Actor/famous person

Liesl: (See book cover.) I would think Julia Roberts (on the run in a Pelican Brief mode) or Nicole Kidman would look the part and display the required intensity and spunk.

Cade: Perhaps Jake Gyllenhaal or a young Liam Neeson

Strengths and weaknesses

Liesl: fiercely independent, strong-willed, resilient, willing to admit her failures/emotionally isolated from others, self-absorbed, unforgiving

Cade: loyal, kind, gentle, protective/ used to run away from his hurts and coddle them

Quirk (if any)

The whole bunch is quirky in some way.

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Your inspiration for the character 

Liesl: As a magazine editor/writer, I once interviewed an internationally acclaimed concert pianist from Ukraine. From insights to her family’s plight, a story began to percolate.

Cade: After conceiving Liesl, I needed a counter personality to balance her head-strong ways.

Background to the story

It’s been fifteen years since famed pianist Liesl Bower saw her beloved Harvard mentor gunned down, since the CIA disclosed his double life as a Russian spy. She was interrogated and released, with no incriminating evidence against her. But now, something has happened to set Russian and CIA agents on her heels. New intelligence suggests that Liesl possesses a coded message critical to a resurgence of Soviet power.

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As global tensions mount, the Russians are in a frenzy to find the code before the Americans. Standing in their way, though, is the young pianist from the tidal creeks and secret-shrouded lanes of old Charleston. As Liesl outruns the tip of the Russian spear, she must reckon with the wounds of her past, the love of a man she never thought could be hers, and the prevailing power of God.

In the final hour, on a world stage, Liesl must deliver a message of her own. 

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Character Spotlight ~ L.K. Malone's Hadlay Mivana

L K Malone returns with a YA allegorical/fantasy novel, available from Kregel.

Synopsis

In the mythical city of N'de lives thirteen-year-old Hadlay and her people, the Ramash. Scorned and abused by the unloving and absent Emperor, the Ramash are poor people, placed second to the ruling class of the Oresed. 

Young but bold, Hadlay rages against the injustice in her city. When she is chosen for the honor of serving the Prince in the Tower, she hopes to find a way to right the wrong . . . but soon discovers that things are worse than she believed.

Brief physical description

Hadlay Mivana is thirteen summers old. She is small for her age and she has sky-blue eyes, freckles, and an unruly mop of curly blonde hair, which she usually keeps tightly braided. And she doesn't mind getting dirty, so she usually is!

Strengths and weaknesses 

Hadlay is very courageous. Unfortunately, she is not always wise. The combination is not usually a good thing.

Quirk (if any)

Hadlay is a magnet for mishaps.

Your inspiration for the character

When I was working out the basic premise of the story, I knew I wanted to set it in a city based on Babel/Babylon, with that city's mythology and culture, and a little Book of Enoch thrown into the mix. I wanted the central character to be a complete misfit, and the minute I thought that, Hadlay just started to fall together. Whatever you might expect to see in a hero from ancient Mesopotamia, Hadlay is just the opposite. She's a complete anomaly, physically, mentally, and socially.

Background to the story

Hadlay's people, the Ramash, were conquered many ages ago by the Oresed, led by the mysterious Emperor Shungallu and his fearsome giant warriors called Nafal. In the emperor's extended absence, the city Turris has been governed by malicious, magical rulers who terrorize the populace and oppress the Ramash in the emperor's name. When the emperor and his son return to Turris, promising equality and justice, the changes aren't all for the better. 

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Getting to know Shannon Van Roekel

Shannon Van Roekel has brought her missions experience to her latest novel, Desert Fire. How she finds time to write as a homeschooling mother of five is beyond me :) Maybe there is insight below!

Enjoy getting to know Shannon:~

If you could have chosen your own name, what would it be?

Brook. My mom always told me that Shannon was the name of a river in Ireland and my middle name, Lea, means a meadow. She told me my name means “a refreshing brook flowing through a meadow”. So I would choose Brook. Same thing, just more to the point.

Your first pet's name?

9 Miles Long.(It was a kitten born under our mobile home up North in BC. So I thought it would be clever to name the cat after how long the mobile was. Except I was too young to get the concept--obviously!)

Your best friend's name in primary (elementary) school?

Patsy.

We used to pretend we were princesses who lived in her apple tree and feasted at whim on yummy green apples!

Did you have a special toy that went everywhere with you when you were young?

There was a very small, pinky-grey, well worn teddy I loved as a small child. One day on a long road trip I dropped him out the car window. My father stopped the car and went to look for him but could not find him.

If you could meet a famous person, who would it be?

CS Lewis

Or if it has to be someone current, John Piper.

If you were stranded on a desert island what one object would you want with you? (Besides your Bible of course)

A big fat journal and a pen (oops! That's two)

What's your favourite ice cream flavour?

Caramel pecan.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A bride. This never changed, my mother tells me, until I was 12.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Fiji or Tahiti

Your favourite lollies (candy)?

Sour keys

Besides God, who has influenced you the most?

CS Lewis

What's your favourite book?

The Bible. Then The Narnia series.

What part of your daily routine do you enjoy most?

Reading out loud to my two teenage homeschooling boys.

Where's the most interesting place you have been?

Florence, Italy. So much art and history. I love David.

What's your favourite movie?

Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant

Scrapbooking, drawing or cooking?

Cooking!

Lost, The Mentalist, 24 or Castle?

I have never seen an episode of any of them.

What's your most fervent prayer?

The Lord's Prayer

What's the bravest thing you've ever done?

Besides raising five kids, I'd have to say back-packing through Europe for 3 months when I was 17.

What gift have you received that you will always treasure?

A ruby ring from my husband

What is your favourite Bible verse (or "one" of your favourites) and what does it mean to you?

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.”

-Habukkuk 3:17-19

To me this is the great antidote to life and all its ups and downs. If you make the Lord, Himself, your greatest joy, then no matter how bad it gets (or how good) you will be secure in Him.

Could you ask each of your children to share one thing they love about you?

Brandt (22 yrs)-“Your heart of compassion for those who are spiritually needy.”

Holly (20 yrs)- “You're romantic.”

Danielle (19 yrs)- "I love the way we dance together in the kitchen to rock music"

Kieran (16 yrs)-“For loving me for so long.”

Zachary (15 yrs)- “You love everybody.”

Desert Fire

Desert Fire shines a spotlight on the genocide that continues to occur in the Sudan ~ what prompted you to write about this tragedy?

A relative of mine is a field researcher in Sudan and was sending out long e-letters to everyone he knew trying to raise awareness about what was happening in Darfur. The media was not touching it at that time, so when I decided I wanted to write a book I thought it would be neat if I could write a story interesting for its own sake, but that would keep people reading through the information and harsh reality of Darfur, and, hopefully, move them to compassion and prayer for the people there.

Please describe each of your characters with one word

Julia- activist

Joel- worldly

Dave- Teddy-bear

Kelly- loving

Fred Keegan- forgiven

Peter Kuanen- comforted

Steve O'Hara- joyful

Aunt Rose- prayer-warrior

Your book highlights the reluctance of the West to get involved in Darfur ~ do you think that has changed at all?

Not at all. In fact, since the Obama administration has been in power the sanctions and restrictions on Sudan have softened, if anything.

What was your favourite scene to write?

The scene where Joel visits Aunt Rose for the first time and finds her working in her dahlia garden.

I loved writing about Steve O'Hara's joy and confidence in the goodness of God.

What do you hope readers take away from this story?

Prayer is a powerful way to bring God's light to a situation and God's light always dispels the darkness.

What is in your writing pipeline? A sneak peek, please?

The based on truth sequel to “Desert Fire” takes Julia to Asia where she discovers Christian Asians who have been enduring genocide by their government for 60 years. Amazingly, in the midst of this battle zone, she discovers ancient prophecies and fulfillments embedded in this culture and contemporary heroes of our faith who embody the courage and boldness of Joseph, Daniel and Paul.

Of course, Joel is a main player in this story, but a life-altering situation has conspired to keep them from finding true love with each other…whether they can overcome it or not is for you to find out when you read it!


Thanks so much, Shannon, for sharing. I'm looking forward to Julia's trip to Asia :)

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of Desert Fire

Visit Shannon's website and blog

Buy Shannon's book at Amazon or Koorong

Hero's Tribute by Graham Garrison

Synopsis:~

Michael Gavin was a local hero, admired for his skill as a quarterback, his service in the military, and his work in the community. Stricken with cancer and on his death bed, Michael takes a leap of faith and entrusts his legacy to Wes Watkins, a reporter he’d never met, by asking him to deliver his eulogy.

Wes accepts this unconventional offer, hoping to at least get a good story out of the situation. A good story will draw the attention of big-city newspapers and get him out of his small-town sports beat. But as Wes digs deeper into Michael’s background, everything changes. Secrets come to light, and soon Wes sees the hometown hero as he really is. As Wes tries to find the words to describe Michael, he is also forced to examine his own life and decide what will define him.

My take:~

Poignant and inspiring, Graham Garrison's debut novel, Hero's Tribute is a must read. Hometown football legend and military hero, Michael Gavin's golden image is not a true reflection of his life and he is determined that his small town remembers him for the man he was, not the man they thought him to be. Journalist Wes Watkins has his own internal battle scars and his journey to discover the man behind the image reveals more than he bargained for. This is not a story of a man with a deep, dark past seeking redemption but a slow revelation of his motivations, inner struggles and disappointments and the overarching power of grace and love. This story will appeal to men and women alike, with plenty of football and military detail alongside the heartbreaking emotion of losing a loved one and the sacrifices ordinary people are willing to make to save a life.

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Author Alert ~ Graham Garrison

I've been told that debut author Graham Garrison is a writer to watch! Having paged through his first novel, Hero's Tribute, I am certainly intrigued and looking forward to delving into the story.

Melissa Willis, writing for The Christian Manifesto had this to say about the story ~ "What set it apart from many books in the Christian fiction genre is its honesty."

Hero's Tribute is available now from Kregel. Check out the synopsis below:~




Much admired for his athletic ability, military service, and community work, local hero Michael Gavin is dying from cancer. When he asks a sports reporter he's never met to deliver his eulogy, Wes Watkins accepts. But as he researches Michael's life, a different legend emerges. How will Wes describe Michael? And how will he define himself?



I will be reviewing the book in February, 2010 during a blog tour ~ can't wait!

Author Alert Info

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Rick Acker ~ What's Cooking?

Rick Acker

Here's one of my favorite summer recipes:

Grilled Ham Steaks and Pineapple Rings


Ingredients

• 2 1 lb. ham steaks
• 1 pineapple, cored and sliced
  
• 1/4 cup melted margarine or butter, mixed with 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning salt (sauce for the ham)
  
• 2 tablespoons melted butter, mixed with 2 tablespoons rum, 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (sauce for the pineapple rings)

Directions


Ham: Put the steaks on the grill at medium heat and brush the ham sauce on top. Flip the steaks after about five minutes and brush sauce on the other side. If you haven't cooked ham steaks on your grill before, keep a close eye on them because they're easy to burn.

Pineapple: Add the rings to the grill the first time you flip the ham steaks. Brush them with the pineapple sauce. Flip them after 2-3 minutes and brush sauce onto the other side.

Total time to prepare


About twenty-five minutes, and that includes getting everything out of the pantry and fridge.

On a semi-related note, I've had a lot more respect for ham since the incident recounted on Brandilyn Collins' blog: http://forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com/2009/08/demon-pig.html

Rick ~ thanks for your summer recipe - we Aussies will enjoy it while you are shivering in the Northern Hemisphere!

Rick's Books

Dead Man's Rule ~ Blood Brothers ~ When the Devil Whistles (Abingdon, 2010)

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All things Acker @ Relz Reviewz

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Desert Fire by Shannon Van Roekel

Synopsis:~

On assignment in Darfur, Sudan, journalist Julia Keegan hopes to open the eyes of average Americans to the atrocities taking place there-and to distance herself from the shadow cast by her father. Even as she steels herself to face the horrors of genocide, Julia isn't prepared to face her own past. In the United States, Fred Keegan, a convicted murderer dying of cancer, asks young lawyer Joel Maartens to deliver a letter to his estranged daughter, Julia. When Joel and Julia meet in Sudan, they find their lives suddenly redefined by the injustice and violence around them, and both are forced to face truths they would rather leave concealed.

My take:~

The cover of Desert Fire caught my eye immediately and the prologue reinforced my view that this book would be a challenging yet rewarding read and I was not disappointed.

Desert Fire exposes the horror that many Sudanese are living today at the hands of their oppressors, through the eyes of American journalist, Julia Keegan. Desperate to escape her own inner turmoil when lawyer Joel Maartens brings her news of the father she has been trying to forget, Julia determines to bring awareness to the genocide the world wants to ignore.

Shannon Van Roekel confronts issues of suffering and evil, sacrifice and unbearable injustice with sensitivity and complexity. She shows a willingness to ask hard questions without resorting to pat answers. Readers who seek more than an entertaining escape will find this book thought provoking and challenging on matters of faith and forgiveness and convicting as the tragedy that is Darfur continues unabated.

With thanks to Kregel for my review copy

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Buy Shannon's book at Amazon or Koorong

Coming in October, 2009 from Kregel

Enjoy a look at two interesting novels releasing in October this year from Kregel. Desert Fire sounds particularly intriguing!


Desert Fire by Shannon VanRoekel

On assignment in Darfur, Sudan, journalist Julia Keegan hopes to open the eyes of average Americans to the atrocities taking place there—and to distance herself from the shadow cast by her father. Even as she steels herself to face the horrors of genocide, Julia isn’t prepared to face her own past.

In the United States, Fred Keegan, a convicted murderer dying of cancer, asks young lawyer Joel Maartens to deliver a letter to his estranged daughter, Julia. When Joel and Julia meet in Sudan, they find their lives suddenly redefined by the injustice and violence around them, and both are forced to face truths they would rather leave concealed.

Hero's Tribute by Graham Garrison

Michael Gavin was a local hero, admired for his skill as a quarterback, his service in the military, and his work in the community. Stricken with cancer and on his death bed, Michael takes a leap of faith and entrusts his legacy to Wes Watkins, a reporter he’d never met, by asking him to deliver his eulogy.

Wes accepts this unconventional offer, hoping to at least get a good story out of the situation. A good story will draw the attention of big-city newspapers and get him out of his small-town sports beat. But as Wes digs deeper into Michael’s background, everything changes. Secrets come to light, and soon Wes sees the hometown hero as he really is. As Wes tries to find the words to describe Michael, he is also forced to examine his own life and decide what will define him.

Character Spotlight ~ Patti Lacy's Sally Stevens

Today the spotlight shines on............................................................Sally Stevens


Patti Lacy has written another thought provoking novel in recently released, What the Bayou Saw, tackling racism and journeying to healing and restoration. I hope you enjoy this behind the scenes look.

Thanks, Patti:~

Brief physical description:

Sally’s hair has been bleached so many times, it’s hard to call it blond, brunette, or red. She wears it in the shag style, so popular in the 1970s. College tennis and the joy of jogging kept Sally in shape for decades, but her propensity for nervous nibbling has added a few pounds (okay, twenty or thirty). Luckily, Sally carries her weight well on a five foot, eight-inch frame.

Actor/famous person who might resemble her:

A taller, less blond Sally Struthers.

Strengths and weaknesses:

Women flock to Sally and her chatty, easygoing ways. Students love her, too. Somehow Sally draws out even the most reticent folks and finds a way to politely button the lips of motormouths.

The worst thing her critics can say is that she’s too nice, too chatty, a bit spacy.

What they don’t know is that Sally’s smile masks a past buried deep in the sludge of a Louisiana bayou. For several decades, Sally has done everything necessary to keep that past hidden, including lying to anybody and everybody. The truth is, nobody really knows Sally—not her Bible study “girls,” not her precious kids, not even her loyal husband Sam. Will she have the courage to dredge up her past—and make atonement for acts of betrayal and cowardice?

Background to the story

Segregation and a chain link fence separated twelve-year-old Sally Flowers from her best friend, Ella Ward. Yet a brutal assault bound them together. Forever.

Thirty-eight years later, Sally, a middle-aged Midwestern instructor, dredges up childhood secrets long buried beneath the waters of a Louisiana bayou in order to help her student, who has also been raped. Fragments of spirituals, gospel songs, and images of a Katrina-ravaged New Orleans are woven into the story.


Thank you, Patti ~ another moving story from you, I see! Thanks for the extra insight into Sally :)


On Thursday, I will be spotlighting Robin Lee Hatcher's Guinevere Arlington & Morgan McKinley from A Vote of Confidence ~ can't wait!

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Character spotlight on Patti's Mary Freeman

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Character Spotlight ~ Patti Lacy's Mary Freeman

Today the spotlight shines on...............................................................Mary Freeman
Patti Lacy's An Irishwoman's Tale has garnered five star reviews wherever you look and assured Patti of an ever growing fan base in time for her next novel, What the Bayou Saw, releasing April, 2009. Check our Patti's behind the scenes look at Mary:~

Brief physical description

Mary is blessed—and cursed with the Irish pale skin that freckles when she even thinks of the beach. Nary an extra ounce of fat covers muscles toned from years of running and cycling. At the time Mary told her story to the drawly Southerner who’d just moved to her town, Mary hadn’t eaten dessert in a decade! Though Mary loves boutique shops and prefers tailored pants and coats for her tall, angular frame, she’s quite comfortable in old garden boots and ripped blue jeans.

Actor/famous person who might resemble her

Maureen O’Hara, only with blue eyes instead of O’Hara’s famous green ones.

Strengths and weaknesses:

Mary loves deep and passionately and has a heart for children, animals, and society’s castaways. She has a natural ability to nourish those who need to be fed, both physically and spiritually. Irish stubbornness has taken hold of this red-haired dynamo, as has the Irish temper!

Mary’s propensity for cleanliness borderlines on obsessive, though it’s pretty nice to visit such a sparkling home! One wouldn’t mind eating dinner in her sheep’s barn!

A genetic predisposition to anxiety runs through Mary’s veins. It took a trip to Ireland and the urging of her best friend to get psychiatric help.

Background to the story


Far away from her Irish home, Mary Freeman begins to adapt to life in Midwest America, but family turmoil and her own haunting memories threaten to ruin her future. It takes a crisis in her daughter's life -- and the encouragement of Sally, a plucky Southern transplant -- to propel Mary back to the rocky cliffs of her home in County Clare, Ireland.


Thanks so much, Patti for sharing with us :) I'm looking forward to the spotlight on Sally Struthers from What the Bayou Saw, coming in April at Relz Reviewz!



Look for a special spotlight tomorrow, shining on Randy Singer's Quinn Newberg - it is fabulous! An Aussie giveaway will be on offer, too.

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Watch the book trailer

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Character Spotlight ~ Rick Acker's Sergei Spassky

Today the spotlight shines on.........................................................Sergei Spassky

Rick Acker is back with a spotlight request from me! I loved his quirky Russian detective, Sergei Spassky who features in Dead Man's Rule and Blood Brothers. I think he has Rick's sense of humour :)

Brief physical description of your character:

Sergei is about thirty. He has a lean, sinewy build and an open, boyish face topped by a flattop haircut. He wears wire-rimmed glasses that hide quick, dark eyes. Overall, he has a scholarly, slightly clueless look that can cause criminals to make the mistake of not taking him seriously. He’s not exactly handsome, but women often forget that after they’ve talked to him for half an hour.

Actor/famous person who might resemble him:

Adrian Brody, but with a flattop.

Strengths and weaknesses:

Sergei gets along with pretty much everyone. He is the sort of man who has opponents, but rarely enemies—a detective who is amiable and funny, even when he’s facing down hostile gun dealers or mob bosses. He’s also streetwise and has personal and family connections throughout the light and dark sides of Chicago’s Russian community. And for when connections aren’t enough, he is also a member of the exclusive Possible Club—the individuals who have achieved a perfect score on the handgun range FBI’s National Academy.

Sergei’s main weakness is that he doesn’t like to think about the future. That can mean anything from being unwilling to make decisions about his romantic relationships to being completely unprepared for the prospect of death when it’s suddenly staring him in the face.

Quirk:

He thinks his haircut is a trademark; his girlfriend thinks it’s an embarrassment.

Your inspiration for the character:

None whatsoever. Sergei just showed up uninvited in Dead Man’s Rule. I got about fifty pages into the story and my main character, Ben Corbin, decided to hire a detective familiar with Chicago’s Russian mafiya underworld. The next thing I knew, Sergei was in Ben’s office for an interview. I’m glad he took the job—he’s one of my favorite characters.

спасибо Rick :) Hope to be reading another book from you soon!


On Thursday, the spotlight shines on Robert Liparulo's David King from his Dreamhouse Kings series.

Bob and I have cooked up an amazing giveaway you will not want to miss ~ some great things from Bob and a few Aussie extras thrown in by me!

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of Blood Brothers

Spotlight on Blood Brother's Ben & Noelle Corbin

Interview with Rick

Visit Rick's website

Buy Rick's books from Amazon or Koorong

Character Spotlight ~ Rick Acker's Ben & Noelle Corbin

Today the spotlight shines on............................................ Ben and Noelle Corbin











Rick Acker is a man of many talents including being an author of insightful and action packed thrillers! Do yourself or a loved one a favour, and buy one or both of Rick's books for Christmas :)

Reading about his characters will intrigue you - thanks Rick:~

Ben Corbin

Brief physical description:

Ben is in his early thirties and has brown hair, blue eyes, good shoulders and a strong jaw. He’s about five feet, ten inches, which he thinks is a little too short for a trial lawyer. He has no tattoos, scars or birthmarks that I know of. He made some money in college posing for Speedo ads, but that was twenty pounds ago.

Actor/famous person who might resemble him:

Tom Cruise, but not quite as pretty.

Strengths and weaknesses:

Ben is easygoing, keeps his head even under extreme pressure, and has a quick wit. He’s a coffee lover and Chicago Bears fan (both character strengths, in my eyes at least). He is also a very good lawyer when he’s focused, organized and motivated. His biggest problem is that he’s rarely all three of those things until the last possible moment, sometimes later.

Quirk (if any):

He likes his wife’s breakfast cooking. You’ll know why that’s a quirk once you read Noelle Corbin’s profile.

Your inspiration for the character:

Different parts of Ben came from different lawyers I know. His seat-of-the-pants courtroom brilliance comes from my first boss, Jim Stamos. Ben’s even keel and way with words come from my good friend, Colin West. And his disorganization and procrastination . . . well, those come from me.

Background to the story:

In Dead Man’s Rule (the first Ben Corbin book), Ben has just left a comfortable life at a big firm. He liked the work and the money there, but got tired of “redistributing wealth from the rich to the rich” as he put it. So he decided to hang out his shingle and start taking cases that made a real difference in the lives of real people. He gets that and much more when a quirky and secretive Russian named Mikhail Ivanovsky comes in with a seemingly simple case over ownership of a safe deposit box. Ben agrees to take it because Ivanovsky offers a retainer big enough to pay Ben’s office rent. Ben pays little attention to the case until one day he realizes that he is deep into a near-hopeless legal battle where the lives of millions hang in the balance.

Noelle Corbin

Brief physical description of your main character:

Noelle is petite—five feet, four inches tall—and small-boned. She has blue eyes and brown hair with natural auburn highlights. She is also visibly (and eventually hugely) pregnant during Blood Brothers. Her family was poor and she didn’t have many nice things growing up, so she compensates now by dressing to the nines for society events whenever possible. She prefers diamonds and elegant, simple silk dresses—nothing either ostentatious or cheap.

Actor/famous person who might resemble her:

She looks like Audrey Hepburn or Penelope Cruz, but with blue eyes.

Strengths and weaknesses:

Noelle has a sharp sense of humor and is at least as good at cross-examining Ben as he is at cross-examining witnesses, but she’s also loving and loyal. She’s bright, efficient and organized—traits that serve her well in managing her and Ben’s offices. She’s also ambitious to a fault. Her desire to give her unborn child all the advantages she never had has unfortunately turned her into something of a social climber. She is also an awful breakfast cook, mostly because she can’t fry anything without burning it.

Quirk:

She’s been craving salmon throughout her pregnancy and could easily eat it at least three times a day—grilled salmon steaks, salmon kebabs, salmon bisque, salmon salad, salmon ice cream. (Okay, maybe not the last one, but she’d have to think about it.)

Your inspiration for the character:

Noelle was inspired by two of the women in my life: my wife, Anette, and my younger daughter, Ingrid Noelle. Noelle looks like how I imagine a grown-up Ingrid, and she has Ingrid’s spunk and sense of humor. From Anette, Noelle got her loving heart, style, brains, salmonphilia, and cross-examination skills.

Background to the story:

Blood Brothers (the Corbins’ second book) reunites Ben, Noelle, and some of the other surviving characters from Dead Man’s Rule. Ben is no longer a poor, struggling lawyer; now he’s a rich, unmotivated lawyer. He’d much rather build a chair in his workshop or watch a Bogart-Bacall movie than go into the office. He’d kind of like to retire, but Noelle isn’t willing to let him join the shuffleboard crowd just yet. She encourages him to take on another high-profile case, which he does. Ben and Noelle find themselves caught in a brutal war between two indomitable Norwegian brothers, Gunnar and Karl Bjornsen. The brothers are fighting over a pharmaceuticals empire worth hundreds of millions of dollars—and a new wonder drug that may be worth billions. But the case involves more than bitter sibling rivalry. Signs of embezzlement, black market deals, and the grisly side effects of the Bjornsens’ new drug begin to emerge. Soon, Ben and Noelle find themselves in Norway, where the case takes a personal and violent turn.

Fabulous, Rick - thanks for the insight and kudos for creating an excellent female character in Noelle!

On Monday, my last character spotlight for the year I will be spotlighting Mary Lu Tyndall's Captain Kent Carlton and Lady Isabel Ashton ~ you are going to love the actor she has picked for her pirate captain!

I have some wonderful authors spotlighting their characters in 2009, including Robert Liparulo, Tosca Lee, Jennifer Lavent, Maureen Lang and more. Jamie Carie, MaryLu and others will be back too. So stay tuned.....

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of Blood Brothers

Interview with Rick

Visit Rick's website

Buy Rick's books at Amazon or Koorong