Thursday, January 19, 2012

Aloha to Michael Draper and SPLATTERED BLOOD


On this day in 1887, the US Senate approved the Navy's lease of Pearl Harbor from the Kingdom of Hawaii.   123 years later, Pearl Harbor is the premiere home port, No Ka Oi, as the gateway to the Pacific. 

What does today's trivia have to do with today's guest?   One never knows what is at the end of a chosen path.  Today's guest is Michael Draper, Air Force veteran, Amazon reviewer, and debut mystery author recommended to me by Mary Gramlich, the Reading Reviewer.  From his bio,

Michael A. Draper holds a master's degree in teaching from Saint Michael's College in Vermont. He spent four years in the Air Force, achieving the rank of captain. Currently in the field of life insurance and retirement planning, Mr. Draper found a great deal of inspiration for this novel while working with law enforcement personnel.

Vermont's Green Mountain National Forest
sierraclub.org

Kim:  Aloha, Michael!  You live in New England.  What is your favorite sight, sound, and smell? 

Michael:  My favorite thing is the fall foliage. I attended college in upper Vermont where I'd see the Green Mountains outside my window or while going around the campus.   The beautiful afternoon colors as the sun hit the mountains, and the snow topped mountains themselves were a memory I've cherished and to see the colors change so beautifully in Connecticut has been a joy.

Connecticut Foliage
leafpeepers.com

Kim:  What prompted you to write reviews on Amazon? What are your favorite genres? What trends have you noticed?

Michael:  I've been a mystery fan and book collector for years and I would read reviews by others. Eventually, I thought I had something to add to those reviews so began posting them myself.   The trend in writing has been all of the paranormal books out there today. In the old days, it was mostly Stephen King and Dean Koontz with this genre but today, it is the choice of so many young readers. It's good to see that something has brought so many younger readers back to books.


Kim:  Who or what has influenced your writing?

Michael:  My influence as an author has been James Lee Burke. One of the very few writers who has received an Edgar Award for mystery novels.


Kim:  Tell us about your debut novel, SPLATTERED BLOOD? How much of your own experience in life insurance and retirement planning is in this book? 

Michael:  Very little of my own experience is in "Splattered Blood." However, I've been a financial advisor to many law enforcement personnel through the years and I would hear so many wonderful stories about the things they encountered in their jobs, I incorporated a fictionalized part of some of those stories here.

It was fun to think of a financial advisor having an adventure of finding a killer but he was accompanied by a Rambo type character who took care of most of the rough stuff.


Kim:  What's next for Mike Draper? 

Michael:   I'm semi retired as a financial planner and half way through a second novel with the same characters.

I found a picture of the NY Highlanders ...
... but they played baseball, not basketball.

Mahalo, Michael for your military service and your visit today!  I am giving away a print copy of SPLATTERED BLOOD to one randomly selected commenter:

THE CHIEF OF INTERNAL SECURITY for New England's professional basketball team, the Highlanders, is found dead in his office, with a suicide note and conflicting evidence of foul play. Refusing to believe he would have had reason to kill himself, and frustrated with the slowness of the police force's progress on the case, Johnny's widow, Roseanne, and best friend, Randy, launch a renegade investigation of their own. Aided by Roseanne's brother Graham, a fiercely protective loose cannon, they dig up evidence that Johnny, just previous to the date of his death, was running his own undercover investigation into the drug overdose of a star player for the Highlanders. The amateur detectives find themselves mixed up with a ruthless gang of mobsters, many of whom are responsible for the drug trade-and a string of violent murders - from Washington, D.C. to Boston. When their quest takes a gruesome and deadly turn, the three wonder if they're in over their heads. A gritty tale in the vein of Dennis Lehane and Robert B. Parker, Splattered Blood keeps readers guessing,with suspense and retribution on every page.


To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about mysteries -what do you look for in a good mystery?

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, January 21, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 22.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Check out Mary's review (and giveaway) of SPLATTERED BLOOD at this link.

Highlanders? Did I read Highlanders?
You know I have to post a picture of Highlanders!
42nd Royal Highland Regiment Signalling Unit, c. 1898





Posted by at 11:56 PM

16 comments:

  1. When I read a mystery -- I'm looking for good storyline.

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  2. This was an amazing book that I could not put down.

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  3. I love a touch a mystery or more in my books. I like to be surprised with twists and turns int he plot. I like to be left with the heart racing.

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  4. I love reading mysteries. I want the characters to be interesting and I want the book to one I can't put down. I want the ending to be something I didn't see coming.

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  5. No matter what genre of book I am reading, as long as the story is good and keeps me entertained that's all that matters.

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  6. I too want that surprise ending but above all it has to make sense. There have been times when I've felt the author has cheated. The last one I remember is they had a tape of the killer's voice and at the very end it was, surprise, although it was a man's voice on the tape, all of a sudden you find out it's a woman who hadn't even been in the story - ugh. There was a time Stephen King was my favorite author. I still like him but there are lots of other good ones out there now too.

    catslady

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  7. Interesting interview. I look for good character development, an interesting mystery, good plot pacing, hints that don't make solving the mystery too easy or too hard, and an ending that makes sense.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  8. I enjoy a good mystery with a strong story line, believable characters that I either like or hate immediately, suspense, some twists and turns and an ending that I don't see coming. I've recently started to read more mysteries and I am really pleased with the books I've read in that genre. Like many, I grew up reading Nancy Drew and then enjoyed Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, and Sherlock Holmes. Splattered Blood sounds like a very interesting story.

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  9. I want a book I can't put down and cannot figure out the bad guy before the end.

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  10. Good characters make a good mystery!

    Chrissy

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  11. I just left a message The Reading Reviewer that I am going to order this the book looks great and I love an interesting mystery especially knowing it is turning into a series.

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  12. I love finding new authors and great books and this looks like both, thanks for the recommendation.

    DJ in Denver

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  13. I look for an interesting story.

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  14. I want to be surprised when I read a mystery. Not frightened though. I like to try & solve the crime or dilemma before it is revealed.

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  15. King and Koontz ... oh, the good old times! But seriously, I'm a big Dean Koontz fan and always quite critical of other authors in the same genre. Then again, it's always wonderful to find great storytellers whose narrative grips you the way a mystery should!

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  16. like a good mystery . and like a good thriller, but i like to know which 1 is a book before i get it

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