April 2014
On Sale: April 8, 2014
Featuring: Nichelle Clarke
280 pages ISBN: 1940976030 EAN: 9781940976037 Kindle: B00JH2RAFA Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List
The question I get most often when folks see that like the heroine in my
mysteries, I was once a reporter, is "are the stories Nichelle covers in the
books based on real life?"
Yes and no.
I covered murders, fires, child abuse, a serial rapist, and tragedies of every
shape and color in the seven years I spent as a full-time journalist before I
left the newsroom for full-time motherhood.
So far, the books have seen the more fun stories: an abandoned casket, a Houdini
catburglar, cowboys and church ladies nearly coming to blows in a girly bar
parking lot.
Playing in Nichelle's world is a blast. It has everything I miss, minus the
80-hour weeks away from my family. Bonus: fiction forensics labs can work faster
and have bigger budgets, and Nichelle isn't nearly as afraid of fictional jail
as I was of the real thing. Fictional bereaved people are at least a little
easier to interview, too.
My favorite writing moments are those when shiny ideas pop out of nowhere and
braid themselves into a plot. I only love them a little less when they come at 2
a.m.
One night last week I woke with a fantastic idea for an opening scene: setting,
characters, emotion. It's a writer's dream. Maybe it came from mine—I
can't remember. But by the time I had it all grown up into a mystery plot and
safely typed into the notepad on my iPhone, I was wide awake. At 7:30 I finished
the book I picked up "to put me back to sleep" and got my children up and ready
for school. And then drank all the coffee in Richmond.
In a lot of ways, this author thing isn't so different from reporting: I get to
deal with people, the hours are often unpredictable, and mass quantities of
caffeine are required. The family time and the readers are the two things that
make fiction better than fact for me.
Here's a peek at the brand new title in my Headlines in High Heels
mysteries: I hope y'all have as much fun with Nichelle as I do.
Generally, the number of blocks on a calendar that I don't work are rarer than
comfortable shoes at a runway show. But four hours into a double shot of
Claritin and DayQuil on a sunny April afternoon, I still felt like I'd been hit
by a truck, and had only man- aged to finish one story.
"I think pollen season has won the afternoon, kiddo," my editor said, eyeballing
me from the doorway of my cubicle. I tried to lift my head to reply, but dropped
it back to my desk with a dull thunk.
"I'm fine," I said into the blotter.
"Go home, Nichelle." Bob patted my shoulder. Happy to oblige.
Settled on my overstuffed navy sofa with my toy Pomeranian snuggled in my lap
and the TV remote in hand, I managed three sips of my honey-lemon tea before my
Blackberry erupted into Second Star to the Right.
The dog sat up and growled. I patted her and dropped the remote, reaching for
the phone. Parker.
"I really am sick," I said by way of hello when I picked up. Just in case he
couldn't tell—a shoebox full of clothespins clamped on my nose wouldn't
have lent my voice any more of a ridiculous twang.
"You'll thank me in a minute," he said. "I have a story for you. An exclusive,
if you can drag yourself back out of bed."
"Drugs or gambling?" I asked, tilting my head to hold the phone against my
shoulder while I reached for a notebook and pen. Parker was the star sports
columnist at the Richmond Telegraph, and I figured if he was tipping the crime
reporter (that'd be me) to a story, it meant an athlete had been busted for one
of those things.
"Suicide," he said.
"Aw, hell." I blew out a short breath and dissolved into a coughing fit. "Sorry.
Stupid pollen. I hate writing about suicides. Of all the depressing stories I
do, those are the ones that get to me the most."
"I need you to do this," he said. "Personal favor. It—" His voice broke,
and he paused. "It won't stay quiet forever."
His pleading note left no room for excuses—or allergies. Parker was a good
friend. I could suck it up to help him out. Plus, sad subject aside, I couldn't
hang up without getting the scoop. Story of my life.
I sighed, pen poised. "Spill it."
"Tony Okerson," he said.
"The football player?" Holy Manolos. "How do you figure
that's going to stay quiet for three seconds? That guy is a living legend."
"Tony Okerson, Junior," Parker said, and I pinched my eyes shut. A kid. Crap,
crap, crap. I noted the name and listened as he went on.
When a superstar athlete's son turns up dead in a tiny town on the Virginia
coast, crime reporter Nichelle Clarke gets the inside scoop. But she quickly
spies a gaping hole her inner Lois Lane cannot ignore.
Determined to unravel the mystery, Nichelle fights off paparazzi cameras and an
unexpected rival. She uncovers an illegal moonshine operation, a string of
copycat suicides, and a slew of closets stacked with more skeletons than
slingbacks. Chasing a killer who's a breath from getting away with murder,
Nichelle realizes too late the culprit has her number—and it might be up.
About the author
LynDee Walker's
award-winning journalistic work has appeared in newspapers and magazines across
the nation. After nearly a decade covering crime, courts, and local politics,
she left full-time reporting for motherhood with a side of freelancing and
fiction writing. LynDee's debut novel, Front Page Fatality, is an Amazon and
Barnes & Noble #1 bestseller, and a 2013 Agatha Award nominee for Best First
Novel.
LynDee adores her family, her readers, and enchiladas. She works out tricky plot
points while walking off the enchiladas. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, where
she is either playing with her children or working on her next novel—but
probably not cleaning her house. You can find her online at www.lyndeewalker.com or Facebook or @LynDeeWalker
Leave a comment below telling me about the wackiest news story you can
remember, and you'll be entered to win a goody bag that includes an ebook of the
first Headlines in High
Heels mystery, FRONT
PAGE FATALITY, as well as a signed copy of the mystery novella anthology HEARTACHE MOTEL.
the wackiest news story wow that is hard i guess the one where the ducks came up over the road and there was a flock of them and they could not get them off the road (Denise Smith 12:18pm April 14, 2014)
I am a news junkie and I cant think of a wacky one right now. I was watching the news and they reported a building collapse in Sprague where I lived. I ran outside and sure enough it was on my street only 2 blocks away and I hadn't even heard it. No one was hurt luckily but the buildings were destroyed. (Denise Austin 1:23pm April 14, 2014)
I enjoyed the excerpt, sounds like an interesting story. (Julie Duffy 3:26pm April 14, 2014)
Wow, the wackiest news story. HHHMMM.. let's see... there is the one about the kids who tried to rob their parents diner using a spoon or the one that the person robbed a convenience store and left his wallet with his id inside or then there is the one that hit a police car and left his drivers license at the scene. Hard to choose one. (Tina Ullrich 5:38pm April 14, 2014)
The one about the girl that went to the change machine at the car wash with a $20 bill attached to a string...she wanted to get the change for the $20 plus, yank her $20 bill back by pulling on the string. The string broke, it took her $20 and it failed to give her any change at all! So the following day, she complained to the manager at the car wash that his machine wasn't working last night, and didn't give her back any change and ripped her off. He found the $20 bill with the string taped to it, figured out what she had done and had her arrested (with her trying to say that wasn't her $20 bill)!!! This happened in my hometown. Then, there's the one where the two guys tried to buy lottery tickets at the counter. One walked off, grabbed two half gallons of milk and walked out the door with them, yelling back to his friend, "Come on Jim, we have to get going or we'll be late." They tracked them down right away a couple blocks away where JIM lived. Nothing like using his real first name (very intelligent)! (Linda Luinstra 5:51pm April 14, 2014)
OK, I took this directly from an AP release:
Two Minnesota burglary suspects are arrested after police say one of them accidentally called 911 and left the line open as the pair discussed the crime.
Maplewood Police Chief Paul Schnell says the dispatcher got a call and hang-up, then another call that stayed open.
Isn't it true that fact is often much stranger than fiction? (Sandy Fielder 7:13pm April 14, 2014)
Aw, thanks, Julie Duffy! I hope you enjoy it. Pretty sure if you hurry, you can still snap up the first in the series for kindle for just 99 cents, too!
Tina, Linda, and Sandy: Wow. Those are a special kind of stupid, aren't they? Not-so-bright criminals always make fun news copy.
And Sandy, truth is DEFINITELY stranger. I'm having that issue with the book I'm writing now, because much of it is based on interviews, and my hubby insists no one will ever believe it's possible that it COULD happen. I may have to dial back the crazy to create believable fiction. ;)
Thanks for stopping by, and good luck, y'all! (LynDee Walker 9:02pm April 14, 2014)
it seems every day there are wacky stories!!! can't pick one... (Barbara Studer 10:23pm April 14, 2014)
Recently some entitled teen sued her parents for tuition. As a side note she ended up with a full ride scholarship... (Glenda Martillotti 11:05pm April 14, 2014)
Wackest - hum - let me see - A young boy got in his Mother's car while she was napping. He strapped in his little sister in car seat and drove 5 miles to his grandparents house. Almost got there before got stuck in snow. (True Story) (Jane Squires 11:31pm April 14, 2014)
I'm not sure if it's news or not but I love the video about the twins talking in twin speak. They were so cute (Debbie Rudder 12:33pm April 15, 2014)
I can't think of a wacky news story and yet I know I have one. (Kai Wong 1:47am April 15, 2014)
The police were called to a department store robbery. The silent alarm had gone off that night. Instead of searching all over fruitlessly. One officer - being funny - called out: "Shave and a hair cut.." The robber called out: "TWO BITS!!!" Busted. (Mary Preston 5:56am April 15, 2014)
while I have not read any of your books they look very interesting. I love to read new books. Thanks for contests and Happy Easter. (Gloria Vigil 7:56am April 15, 2014)
There are so many of them, but a few of them that come to mind quickly are the snake that was in the sewer system in some city and ended up coming up into someone's toilet and biting the "sitter" in the butt.
And there are always stories about women who go to the doctor or hospitals with stomach pains and thinking they have a stomach flu or stomach bug and they are ready to delivery a baby that they say they never knew they were pregnant with.
And on the news last night was a story about the guy who was running around a Georgia neighborhood totally naked wearing just a cowboy hat and trying to steal a motorcycle at one house, and at another he went in and made himself something to eat, had a beer and watched the baseball game before leaving again. They have no idea why he was naked and only wearing a cowboy hat either. That is weird.
And an old one which is from CT where I am from was always being talked about when I was young is that one of the local drive in movie theatres was haunted. Even after the drive in closed there were things that happened to reinforce the fact that it was haunted since so many people had seen these visions and that they could be documented by many so the authorities knew "something" was happening but refused to say it was actually "haunted".
Gee whiz! I watch the news daily and enjoy the whacky stories, but right now, I'm as blank as a sheet of paper. Happy Easter! (Anna Speed 12:08pm April 15, 2014)
Sounds like a great story! (Richard Proctor 1:35pm April 15, 2014)
I love stories set in small towns! (Maria Proctor 2:53pm April 15, 2014)
I cannot wait to read this book (Susan Atkins 5:39pm April 15, 2014)
Sounds like a great book!! (Stepfanie Webb 7:42pm April 15, 2014)
As for wacky news, anything on fark.com labeled with the FLORIDA tag. :-)
Sounds like a great book! (Abby Thorne 9:42pm April 15, 2014)
Well, I can't really think of anything at the moment! The book sounds awesome and I'd love to read it. Thanks for the giveaway. (Martha Lawson 9:01pm April 16, 2014)
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