1--What is the title of your latest release?
HOMECOMING QUEEN
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Once her high school’s homecoming queen, young Anika Raven faces the challenge of a lifetime. She must rescue her little sister from a neglectful family as the hurricane of a century barrels toward her hometown of Miranda, Texas. Time is of the essence, but the deadly storm is not her biggest problem.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
Miranda is a fictional town loosely based on my hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas. Homecoming Queen is my love song to South Texas, a fascinating region of the country with a rich and unique culture few understand.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Absolutely. Anika Raven is a fascinating protagonist with multi-layered depth and a knack for surprise. She represents an amalgamation of those who never cease to amaze me with their true humanity (good and bad) and ability to overcome incredible adversity.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Resilient, imperfect, and beautiful (in every sense of the word).
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned during my research that most major hurricanes in the United States have occurred during Republican presidential administrations. This fascinating tidbit finds a home in Chapter 2 of my book.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I build an outline with scaffolding. I write each chapter in order and edit after each chapter. When I’m totally done, I edit again. Then I edit. And edit. And edit again …
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
SweeTARTS, and my choice isn’t seasonal. We grew up together, and we’ve been dancing partners since childhood. When I near the end of a SweeTARTS roll, I make sure that I leave my favorite flavors for last. Rule of thumb: start with green and yellow, end with purple and red.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
Homebase is my home office, which we enlarged during the COVID-19 stay-at-home season. My primary workspace is an old library table surrounded by filled bookshelves, oil paintings, my children’s notes and crafts, mementos from government service, signed black and white photos of Yankees baseball greats, and a vintage music set-up with turntable, CD player, and old-school Marantz receiver. I always have several guitars (acoustic and electric) lingering nearby and begging for my attention.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Mark Helprin, author of A Soldier of the Great War, Winter’s Tale, and other masterful stories. Several years ago, having never heard of him, I randomly picked up a copy of his Memoir from Antproof Case in a Half-Price Bookstore in Texas. I had never read such good fiction, nor did I realize such writing was possible.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Yes, I am a Christian, so the Bible changed my life well beyond anything else. Less significant but notable, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry influenced me greatly. Interestingly, after that novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1986, the follow-on television mini-series (still my favorite “movie”) became a cult classic in Texas college circles. By the early 1990s, we all had “Lonesome Dove” (movie) quotes in our pledge books.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
My first book, Scavenger Hunt, took twenty years to publish. In fact, I had all but abandoned the project until I sought out a professional editor, Cortney Donelson, to polish my novel before I buried in on my bookshelf forever. After reading Scavenger Hunt, she exclaimed, “Why isn’t this published!? Give me a day or two.” The rest is history. One of the greatest days of my life and a reminder to never, never, never give up.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
First and foremost, I love spy thrillers, and the only books I reread are Robert Ludlum novels.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
“Lonesome Dove” (TV mini-series/six-hour movie), followed by “Empire Strikes Back” and “Casablanca.” Robert Duvall is my favorite actor all-time, and his role as Captain Augustus “Gus” McCrae in “Lonesome Dove” is the one of the best acting performances of all time, followed closely by Tommy Lee Jones’s performance in the same series/movie as Captain Woodrow F. Call. Brilliant.
15--What is your favorite season?
Baseball season! I like spring, fall, summer, winter (in that order). I was born in March, and I love watching spring blossom after a cold winter.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I like to celebrate with my wife and kids around me, pampering me. They promise I’ll be the center of attention for the entire week, but it usually only lasts two or three days.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Vengeance, directed by BJ Novak, is a movie released in 2022 that I’ve been recommending to friends. Like Homecoming Queen, it’s a mystery/thriller that also contains depth and humor.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Tex-Mex from South Texas. For lunch and dinner, I order the combination plate with a crunchy beef taco, cheese enchiladas, tamale, cheese tostada, guacamole, rice, beans, and homemade flour tortillas. For breakfast, I order breakfast tacos, a subject dear to my heart and addressed in Homecoming Queen. One of my main characters, Timmy, is the only one able to make the “Destroyer,” a famous breakfast taco from Corpus Christi that no longer exists (because its creator died).
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I read, write, exercise, watch sports, and spend time with family and friends.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
The current title of my third book is Mob Justice. It’s a sequel to my first novel, Scavenger Hunt, and takes place in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Sinaloa, Mexico. Certain characters from Scavenger Hunt are thrown into the dangerous and fascinating world of organized crime and—like my first two novels—anything goes.
Homecoming Queen is a thriller chronicling the plight of Anika Raven, who faces the challenge of a lifetime after returning to Miranda, Texas to rescue her little sister.
Time is of the essence as the hurricane of the century, predicted to obliterate everything in its path, barrels toward Anika’s hometown. But the deadly storm is not her biggest problem. Not long ago, she was the high school’s beloved homecoming queen, but now she finds herself on the run from the law and running out of time after family troubles force her to pursue vigilante justice. With the storm approaching and tensions in town increasing, factions brace for battle with Anika and her sister trying to survive.
Homecoming Queen was written for adults of all ages with a love for fast-paced thrillers. With a unique plot line, memorable characters, and page-turning storytelling, the book packs intriguing substance into a quick read.
Thriller [Morgan James Fiction, On Sale: August 6, 2024, Paperback, ISBN: 9781636983677 / ]
Chad Boudreaux is a Washington insider hired by the U.S. Department of Justice the night before the September 11, 2001 attacks—launching him immediately into counterterrorism work that earned him high accolades at an early age. His success in the Justice Department carried him to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where his role as Deputy Chief of Staff allowed him to work directly on significant policy, operational, and legal issues facing the Department. He currently is the chief legal officer of a publicly traded, Fortune 300 company and America’s largest military shipbuilder. Boudreaux leverages his unique, high-level experience in global security matters and his extensive legal expertise to craft breathtaking, insider stories of mystery and intrigue that are ripped from today’s headlines and are sure to shock his readers.
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