DEFENDING THE PEN
It’s all about murder . . . romance – writing it!
I post flash fiction, book announcements, interviews, and the things I love.
Careful . . . you may end up the victim . . .
of fun!
The editor of my first book,
Murder, Madness & Love, suggested I give my heroine, Sarah, a peculiar
habit. Something that would stand out and make her memorable as she navigated
the emotions and stress of being stalked by a murderer.
I chose the song "You Are My
Sunshine." A song I recalled from a tearjerker of a movie that made an
impression on me when I was a child. The relationship of the father and
daughter is what hit home for me. Anyway, it was one of those tugs on your
heartstring movies. So, I chose the song for my character to use as something
she would recall and absent-mindedly sing when highly stressed. Sometimes not
even aware that she was. I thought it was a good choice. I thought it was an
interesting reaction for Sarah to have when troubled.
Then later, she'd share that her
father taught it to her to sing to her mother before they'd both leave for the
long work separations that took them away from her. Meant to keep Sarah and her
mother from crying. As an adult, it becomes her calming tool too.
I thought it was obscure and
unique.
But it wasn't. Did you know it's
one of the state songs of Louisiana? It's also the most commercially programmed
number in American popular music. And it's been recorded by dozens, and I mean,
dozens of artists. Google it, you'll see. No obscure little song this!
Just a little tidbit I thought you
might find interesting. I hope you have! Thanks for visiting.
Steven Quaid and his colleagues in the
Anchorage Police Department’s investigative unit are dealing with another
serial killer. The media has called him Killer Clean, due to his routine of
vicious rapes and murders, followed by using bleach to erase all traces of
himself. A new FBI director has been assigned to the area, and he asked a
psychologist/author named Alice Foxx to be a consultant on the case. At the
same time, Steven was dealing with PTSD, as a result of a previous case.
Frightening nightmares and assaults were negatively affecting his marriage to
Sarah who also needed to care for their baby Tiama. A Passion for Murder: A
Detective Quaid Mystery Book 6, penned by Yolanda Renee, is a thrilling,
edge-of-your-seat read.
One of the most unique aspects of this story
is the information about the effects on rape victims, as well as specific facts
about the incidence of rape in Alaska. Likewise, the psychological effects of
earlier traumas on present traumatic events are portrayed well; how these
affect love relationships is also interesting. How these facts are interwoven
into the plot is inventive and flows smoothly. Like all good mysteries, vague
clues are interspersed throughout the chapters; a mystery lover may have to
speculate who the serial killer could be. Character development is well-formed,
and every reader will be able to easily imagine the personality of each
character. Author Yolanda Renee has ended this series of mystery books with a
well-crafted story in A Passion for Murder. A captivating read from the first page
to the last!
Murder, Just Because is a work of mystery
fiction in the detective/sleuth subgenre and was penned by author Yolanda
Renée. The work is written for adult readers due to the usage of explicit
language and some graphic scenes of violence and sexual situations. Subtitled
‘A Detective Quaid Mystery: The Return of The Snowman,” in this story we find
ourselves once again with Steven Quaid after his successful capture of Stowy
Jenkins, AKA the Snowman. Ten years later, Jenkins has escaped from prison and
is hell-bent on punishing Quaid by picking off the people he cares about, one
by one. As time ticks on and Jenkins gets closer to Quaid’s wife, Sarah, the
detective must risk everything to put the Snowman to rest once and for all.
After several daring adventures in the world of
serial killers and psychopaths, author Yolanda Renée manages to ramp up the
stakes even higher in this non-stop thrill ride of terrifying situations and
masterful deductions. Steven Quaid makes for a superb central figure with his
sharp wits and well-honed instincts, but it was actually Sarah that impressed
me most in terms of character development and her role in the plot. It’s
wonderful to see an inclusive detective tale where other characters get to be
resourceful and useful in their own right, and the effect gives an even more
realistic and thrilling tone to the plot. Overall, I would highly recommend
Murder, Just Because to readers seeking a thrilling cat and mouse action novel
that bears all the hallmarks of a suspenseful and well-penned mystery too.
Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers'
Favorite
The Snowman by Yolanda Renee is a prequel to
the Detective Quaid Mysteries. Stowy Jenkins goes by another name. The Alaskans
call him the Snowman and he is an artist. His medium of choice? Blood. A medium
he is obsessed with, an obsession that leads to multiple murders. Detective
Steven Quaid is a rookie and he draws the short straw to go after the Snowman.
The two are drawn together is some twisted way, a relationship that proves
deadly, and it is anyone’s guess who will come out of it intact. What starts
out as a murder investigation turns into a deadly game of cat and mouse and
Detective Quaid works to stop any more bloody and gruesome murders. The Snowman
doesn’t want to stop and taunts Quaid into a deadly finale.
The Snowman: The Prequel to the Detective
Quaid Mysteries by Yolanda Renee answered many questions. I have read all of
the Quaid mystery stories and this one filled in a lot of the gaps about his
early years. However, it can be read on its own, although I would highly
recommend reading it as part of the series. Excellent story, really
well-written and truly gripping. Ms. Renee certainly knows how to describe a
scene to the extent that you believe it to be real. Compared to the rest of the
series, this is a very dark book, somewhat gruesome, but a fantastic read. The
development of the plot and the characters were second to none, and I would
recommend this to anyone who likes a macabre, bloody thriller – this one meets
all the criteria!
The
wilderness of Alaska is the setting for the third mystery novel in the
Detective Quaid Mysteries, Murder & Obsession by Yolanda Renée. An
Anchorage detective, Steven Quaid, renovates his wilderness cabin into a
honeymoon retreat, preparing to bring his new bride, Sarah, there for a quiet
honeymoon. After his work was complete, he set off on a hunting expedition.
Upon his return, it appeared a murder had occurred in the cabin, and Sarah was
missing. Being the primary suspect, Steven flees and the adventure begins. Not
only does Steven have to fight the weather, wild bears, injuries, hunger and
thirst, he is on a quest to find his beloved. Steven finds aid through the
support of his uncle, and eventually his friends on the police force.
Murder & Obsession by Yolanda
Renée offers many thrilling and suspense-filled moments. The reader becomes
part of the breathtaking adventure, never quite sure which characters are on
the side of honesty and justice, and which ones are corrupt and vicious. Ms.
Renée presents a cast of many characters, some with dubious motivations and
others with unwavering integrity. But, it is not always clear in which category
some of these characters belong – making for an intriguing story. The romance
of Steven and Sarah has not been a smooth road, and there are references to
earlier times. It seems that reading the books in this series in order may be
advisable, so that the history of their relationship is known. The many twists
and turns in this novel create an enjoyable and entertaining read.
Reviewed By Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers’ Favorite
Memories
of Murder by Yolanda Renée is book 2 of the Detective Quaid Mysteries. Sarah is
still having nightmares, only this time they are more real. Steven needs it to
stop before it takes Sarah down. Caught up on another case, this time trying to
prove himself, he shuts Sarah out but doesn’t like it when she takes up an
offer to go on an art tour. Sarah is receiving roses but thinks they come from
Steven – he knows better. Lucifer is out there, looking for his Lilith, but she
is safe for now so he turns his attention to Sarah. She paints her nightmares,
foretelling what it is to come, but will anyone believe her or will they
continue to treat her as a disturbed and fragile woman? While the bodies
continue to mount up, Lucifer is closing in on his real target – who will stop
him, Steven or Sarah?
Memories of Murder (Detective Quaid
Mysteries Book 2) is another example of how fine a writer Yolanda Renée is. I
thoroughly enjoyed book 1 and could only hope that the second was as good – I
certainly wasn’t disappointed. The mystery from book 1 continued in a similar
vein with plenty going on to keep a reader’s attention. The old characters were
developed a lot more and new ones introduced which kept the storyline fresh. I
must say this was a deep plot this time, a little terrifying if I am honest,
and it must have taken some time to weave all the threads of the different
stories together. I hope that there will be a book three in the series although
I’m not sure where it could go this time – maybe a different story altogether.
Reviewed By Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers’ Favorite
Murder,
Madness & Love (Detective Quaid Mysteries #1) by Yolanda Renée is a tale of
murder, mystery and suspense. There’s a killer on the loose. A clever one.
Sarah Palmer has earned herself the name of 'the black widow' after her husband
died in a car accident. She flees to Anchorage in the hopes of making a new
life for herself, but people are dying. Women who look like Sarah. Each one
dies on the 14th of the month, a date that is well known to Sarah. Detective
Quaid is in charge of the investigation and he has already made up his mind
that Sarah is guilty. But he has to do his job and, together with a security
firm, he does his best to protect Sarah while trying to find the culprit. He can’t
work out if Sarah is genuinely innocent or if she is a mastermind at
manipulation, but the bodies are piling up and Sarah’s nightmares are getting
worse. Steven Quaid can’t take the chance that he has the guilty party – in
case he doesn’t.
Murder, Madness & Love
(Detective Quaid Mysteries #1) by Yolanda Renée is pure genius. I fell into
this story right from the very first page and I genuinely could not put the
book down until it was done. Yolanda Renée has woven a tale of sheer suspense,
a story that is wound tight and runs like clockwork. The characters are
extremely well developed and the details of their lives and their backgrounds
seep out throughout the story. By the end of the book, you know those
characters as if they were people you met with on a daily basis. The plot is
ingenious. I thought I'd guessed who it was but, no, the story went off in a
completely different direction and I don’t believe anyone will be able to guess
the ending of this one. Excellent story, I'm really looking forward to the next
one.
Another heinous crime occurs in Alaska, and with no time to heal from the last brutal case of The Snowman, and Stowy Jenkins, Detective Quaid returns to his job. PTSD, a former lover, and an odious villain test his mettle and his sanity.
Excerpt:
After she had her son taken care of, she tried to wake her
husband. Sarah shook him gently. "Steven. Come to bed with me. You'll be
more comfortable. I promise."
Startled, Steven jerked awake, grabbed her by the throat, his
chair slamming shut with a loud thud as he stood. Forcing Sarah backward, he
banged her head against the wall. The harsh growl from his throat sounded
animalistic. His face contorted with the resolve to destroy his enemy.
Frightened and caught off guard Sarah tried to scream.
Instead, she could barely croak his name. "Steven." Failing, she made
a fist and struck him. "Get off me." She tried to yell.
Her wallop caught his attention. He loosened his grip as it
took him a second to realize what he was doing. The newly hired Nanny rushed
into the room. She stopped cold, unsure of what was happening.
The first person to comment with the answer to all 5 questions
correctly, will win an Ebook copy of A Passion for Murder! All answers can be
found in the first 5 books of the series.
1.What name was given to Sarah's Washington State
home?
2.Steven proposed to Sarah three times, name one
location.
3.Who killed the sniper that was determined to
take Sarah out?
The sand held hints of the
lives lost, strands of wire, coins, and jewels buried deep. Treasure hunters
with metal detectors crisscrossed the beach. Devoid of its former glory. Only the
palms stood tall. The resort was gone, and its entire population too.
A breezy summer morning
determined to be a blistering sweltering day had turned apocalyptic. A rogue
wave forty stories high hit the coast. And, in the blink of an eye, everything
disappeared. Mom and Dad had planned their retirement for years but barely had
the chance to enjoy the fruits of their labor before nature heartlessly
rebelled.
Thank you for reading my short flash submission for WEP's Great Wave Challenge.
I hope you'll follow the links below to read more entries from a group of talented artists who've interpreted this monumental work of art in more magical and brilliant ways.
Nevaeh stared into the
abyss. Between the sheer marble and
granite walls, lava flowed with the blinding brilliance of the sun. Pops of
flame exploded in whirlpools of unfathomable appetite. The heat kissed her obsidian
skin with desire.
She stared at the magma, a
death that assured no resurrection. Was this a choice she could make? Death or
an eternity in Hell with a mad man?
*****
Recuperating from her recent
escape attempt, Nevaeh curled up on the furs in front of a fire. Voices outside
her prison hut alerted her to visitors. Without looking, she knew Ohin had
entered the room. The atmosphere felt heavy, airless. She sat up but still
faced the fire.
"Feeling better?" Ohin
asked with faux concern.
Despite forehand knowledge, Nevaeh's
heart jumped in her chest. Her body stiffened at the sound of his caustic voice. The warmth radiating from the
fire turned to waves of ice that girdled her bones and captured her heart in a glacial chill.
"Adom will never know that
I was behind your kidnapping. Be careful, or you'll be the cause of his
death." Ohin warned as he stepped closer and knelt beside her.
He reached out to touch her
cheek. "Tell me why? I look just like Adom. We are twins. Why not
me?"
Nevaeh pulled away in
disgust. "I did not fall for Adom's looks. I fell for his heart. Something
you do not possess."
Ohin growled like an animal,
stood, and pounded his staff on the mud floor. "I am rich, powerful, more
so than Adom. You will see, my Queen, power is more important than heart!"
"I prefer an eternity
in Hell to a minute with you. I will never be your wife. Force me and meet your
death!" Her words held power, but her petite frame and lack of weapons
instilled no fear.
Ohin stepped back but waved
off her threat. "At one time, you had a choice, my lady. Be mine or cross
the Atlantic in chains. But now I make the choice for you."
"Your threats do not
frighten me. Adom is no fool. He will uncover you're evil. Instead of
destroying the slave traders, you are their chief caboceer. You are a traitor
to your own people."
Ohin laughed. "You're
so wrong, Nevaeh. I am a King, and I will have you." As he spoke, a
stranger joined them. "Meet, Dr. Zheng. He has a way to make even the dead
live. And he's brought proof."
The sound of a clattering
chain intensified the cold and tightened her gut into a knot. Was he planning
to chain her to her prison? Nevaeh jumped to her feet. She moved closer to the
fire but gauged her chance for escape. Her illness caused her to sway, but she
fought the weakness.
"Don't test me, Nevaeh.
You'll marry me. You'll even love me. If you doubt that, believe this."
Nothing in life had prepared
her for the vision before her. Screams formed in the deepest part of her, but
she held them inside as one hand covered her mouth and the other clenched. She
wanted to close her eyes but could not. An abomination of nature lumbered
toward her, and she had nowhere to go but Ohin's arms. Death was preferable.
The man she knew as Goren,
her kidnapper, the same man she had witnessed being fed to wild dogs, slowly
moved into the light. His death was a truth she could not doubt because she'd seen the horror. Yet he stood before her, held
on a chain by two large men.
He barely had clothes or skin but moved forward on his own two feet. The
skin that remained hung loose where the ravenous beasts had ripped him open with their
teeth. Muscle hung in purple shreds, and broken bones protruded in ugly bloody
angles. The smell of death wafted off him like a putrid fog. A dead man lived.
Ohin's next statement pierced
Nevaeh like a spear through the heart.
"I will have you—even
in death. You will be mine always. Adom is busy with the war. He'll understand
your choice and move on. He has an entire kingdom of princesses to choose from."
The proof of his words
stood, decomposing before her. Goren's eyes held her gaze, golden brown, rimmed
in red, and clouded by tears. His eyes pleaded with her because his mouth and
his throat were missing. The horrendously
deformed, half-consumed body understood, knew his condition. Goren was fully
aware of his own miscreation.
Nevaeh saw the horror of her
future.
Ohin smiled. "The
doctor is a genius."
Ohin had underestimated Nevaeh's
strength and the loyalty of his undead pet. Goren turned his anger toward his
master and attacked Ohin.
In the melee, Nevaeh bolted.
She made it through the mountain tunnel and once again stood above the Gulf of
Fire. Her pursuer not long behind. Ohin held the scars of Goren's attack, but Dr.
Zheng held the head of Goren.
Goren still had life in his
eyes. Even dismemberment was no cure for the doctor's faux life.
Nevaeh made her choice.
Ohin approached and
bellowed, "There's nowhere to go, my Queen. Accept your fate."
Nevaeh, unafraid, faced him.
Ohin's minions, her people,
stood behind him. She saw fear in their eyes as they watched and waited for her
surrender.
"Hear me, my people—revolt
against this evil. Your numbers alone will defeat him. Death may be your fate,
but there is honor in death when evil also dies. You have a choice!"
Her heels teetered on the
edge of the precipice.
"Come Nevaeh, I've no
more patience."
She smiled. "My destiny.
My choice. FREEDOM!"
Nevaeh felt the arms of
angels catch her as the fires of Hell opened to swallow her.
Ohin screamed as Nevaeh
disappeared into the abyss. The crowd behind him, hearing her words, seeing her
sacrifice, pushed forward to the edge.
The volcano bellowed its
acceptance of the evil surrendered, and an entire nation celebrated freedom.
