Tell us a little about yourself, Kim, and what inspired you
to become a writer.
I grew up in Wyoming, which is probably where I
developed my sense of adventure and love of the outdoors. I started out writing
non-fiction, but my love for exotic world travel, outrageous adventures,
stories of survival, and happily-ever-after endings soon drew me into a world
of romantic suspense. Along with writing adventure novels I’ve also published
over eighty travel and geographic articles, and contributed to a travel
anthology and cookbook. I’ve recently relocated to Colorado, which I’m very
excited about. Not only am I right next door to my home state and much of my
family, I’m back in my beloved Rocky Mountains. When I’m not writing, I enjoy gardening,
traveling, hiking, and cheering on the Wyoming Cowboys and Denver Broncos
Tell us what A Taste of Tragedy is about.
A Taste of
Tragedy is the second novel in the
Risky Research Series. In the first novel, A
Dose of Danger, a researcher and her team believe they had discovered a
miracle weight loss pill, which makes them the targets of a deadly group intent
on controlling the multi-billion dollar-a-year diet product industry. In A Taste
of Tragedy, a company uses and promotes a potentially deadly sweetener in
its Healthy and Delicious Foods line. The product turns the company into a
global powerhouse, but when their newest vice president uncovers evidence that
the healthy foods she’s been hired to promote may be dangerous, she is forced
to reevaluate her priorities and seek help from the man she pushed away, but
never stopped loving.
If you were casting the movie version of A Taste of
Tragedy, who would you choose for the leading roles?
Morgan Hunter could be played by an older version of
Nina Dobrev, and I could picture Katee Sackhoff in the role of Devyn.
Tell us about a hidden talent you have that most
people don’t know about.
I can grow tomatoes, even when nothing else
grows. No matter where I’ve lived or
what variety I plant, I usually produce enough to eat fresh all summer, give
away to friends and neighbors, and freeze enough to get me through the entire
winter.
Are you an outliner or do you write by the seat of
your pants?
I’m a little of both, and the degree of each depends
on the story. Shrouded In Secrets had
so many complex scenarios to keep track of that I had note cards and maps
pinned to a cork board and a fairly detailed chapter-by-chapter outline. I
always keep a running chapter-by-chapter cheat sheet at a minimum, but if the
story is flowing, I just let it go and see where I end up.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
I’ve spent most of my adult life working for the
National Park Service. It’s given me the opportunity to live and work in some
amazing places. I can’t imagine doing anything other than writing and working
for the Park Service.
What’s your favorite season and why?
Definitely summer because I love to be warm and I like
long days with a lot of sunshine.
What’s your favorite comfort food?
My husband makes killer homemade baked macaroni and
cheese. If you’ve only had mac and cheese out of a box, you have no idea what
you’re missing.
Tell us about anyone famous you’ve met.
I guess I don’t hang out in the right circles for
meeting famous people. I have met quite a few professional tennis players at
the U.S. Open and other tournaments.
Probably the most famous writer I’ve met is Craig Johnson, author of the
Longmire series which spawned the television series of the same name. I helped
organize a writers’ conference a number of years ago in South Dakota and Craig
was our key note speaker.
What’s your favorite non-writing-related website?
I’m a travel junkie, so I have a lot of travel related
website bookmarked and I visit them all regularly and dream.
Blurb
Morgan Hunter sacrificed
everything for her career. She had yet to encounter anything she wasn’t willing
to do to succeed...until now. When she uncovers evidence that the healthy foods
she’s been hired to promote may be dangerous, she must reevaluate her priorities.
As questions mount and the body count rises, she finds herself caught in the
crosshairs of an organization that will stop at nothing to hide its secrets and
protect its profits. With no one else to trust, Morgan is forced to seek help
from the man she drove away, but whom she never stopped loving.
Excerpt
“Here, let me help you,” Morgan said as she draped Devyn’s arm around
her shoulders.
Morgan tried to relieve as much weight as she could from Devyn as she
helped her hobble to the waiting vehicle. Once Devyn was seated in the cramped
back seat, Morgan dug out her emergency supply bag. She handed Devyn a blanket
and a bottle of water. “I have a first aid kit, but I think you need something
a little more than a bandage.”
“It’s just a few scratches. I’ll live.”
Morgan could see why Nick trusted Devyn with his back. As she looked at
the battered and bruised woman, who had taken off into the desert in the middle
of the night in bare feet to prevent a criminal from getting away, she had to
admire her. Devyn had to be in extreme pain, yet not a complaint escaped her
lips.
“Make room in the back,” Nick huffed.
Morgan looked up to see Nick trudging toward her with an inert man slung
over his shoulder. She raced to the tiny back cargo area and moved a few items
around so Nick could squeeze the body in the vehicle.
“Is he dead?” Morgan whispered.
“Not quite, but we need to get him medical help A.S.A.P. The bullet
didn’t hit any vital organs, but I’m not sure how much damage he suffered from
the knock to the head”
Morgan watched as Nick set the man down in the vehicle, and then she
joined Devyn in the back seat. Turning around and kneeling, she was able to
lean over the seat and assess his injuries. She folded up a handkerchief and
placed it over the gunshot wound and applied pressure. She wasn’t sure which
was bleeding more, the bullet hole or the bump and cut to the head, but she had
to try and slow the blood loss any way she could.
“That’s all we can do for now,” Nick said. “Just keep the pressure on
the best you can.”
Morgan nodded as Nick secured the back and then got behind the wheel.
“You okay?” Nick asked as he turned to face Devyn.
“I’ve had better days, but sadly, I’ve had worse.”
Social Media
Links:
Website: http://KimMcMahill.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimmcmahill
2 comments:
Happy to have you here, Kim! Your book sounds wonderful.
Thanks so much for hosting me. You have great interview questions. I enjoyed stopping by your blog
Post a Comment