Horror Month Presents: Rhonda Hopkins Day 2

20/9/2013

Okay, first things first. the winners of the karen Perkins ebooks and paperback are as follows. San DK wins the signed paperback for his creepy story about Hangmans HIll, and the two ebooks go to Wulf Francu Godgluck and Rhonda Hopkins (tonights author). Congratulations, send me a PM with your address and email address and preffered format.

Back to Rhonda. I've got excerpts, interviews and compettions for you. Signed paperbacks and ebooks galore, so don't forget about last nights competition as well as tonights, and please remember to share it loud and proud so that others can be in with a chance of getting to know the author and winning some of her books.

Just so you know, she's having an awesome giveaway/opportunity over on her blog at the moment, so seriously go check this out! Ever wanted to be in a book? Well, this is your chance.

http://rhondahopkins.com/blog

Okay, let's get to know a little bit more about her and her books.

Predator Blurb

With one young girl dead and three more missing, Fort Worth detectives Greg Matthews and Caleb Simmons are fighting against the clock to catch a predator. One of the missing girls is a pawn in a nasty custody case assigned to family court investigator, Tori Matthews. Could the cases be related? Teaming up with her brother and his partner, they’ll stop at nothing to find the missing girls before another child is lost forever

Predator Excerpt

Excerpt from PREDATOR

A Courting Justice Novella

Chapter One

Detective Greg Matthews looked over the scene. Looked anywhere but at the girl’s body lying at the bottom of the small hill. He noted the yellow tape, the officers guarding the perimeter, the onlookers, and his partner, Caleb Simmons, talking with the medical examiner. The grass moved slightly in the light breeze. It was just enough to move the hot air around, but not enough to offer any relief from the Texas summer heat. It was sweltering and barely 11am.

Greg walked over to the crime scene photographer. “Make sure you get some close up pictures of the crowd behind the tape.”

“Will do, Detective.” The man continued snapping photos.

Unable to put it off any longer, Greg forced down the bile that threatened to erupt and moved toward the lifeless child. He’d never get use to seeing dead children.

Dr. Marc Chennault looked up at his approach and nodded. “I was telling Detective Simmons that this is just a dump site. The girl didn’t fall as originally reported. She’s been placed here. There are scrapes on her arms and legs. She probably did fall, but inside somewhere. There’s no dirt in the wounds and her clothes aren’t covered in it. Plus as you can see, the body’s been staged.”

Greg nodded.

The girl’s clothing had been straightened, her hair brushed and one hand rested on top of the other on her small chest.

“Christ. Do you know how she died?” She looked no older than ten or eleven; her eyes closed as if sleeping.

“Probably a broken neck. And, I’d say she’s been dead since between 5 and 10pm. I’ll know more once I do the autopsy.” Chennault wiped sweat from his brow and motioned for his techs to start getting the girl ready for transport.

The detectives watched until her hands were bagged and she was carefully placed in a black body bag. The scene was silent except for the noise from people moving about collecting evidence and traffic in the background. No one spoke except in hushed whispers when they had to. A murdered child had that effect.

Caleb rubbed his face. “God I hate kid cases.” He started walking back up the hill and Greg followed. “I got a call from Johnson on the way here. He heard about the body and said he’s working three missing child cases, all blonde and blue-eyed females.” He flipped a few pages back in his small notebook. “Tonya Jeffries, a ten-year-old. Missing since yesterday after school. She usually walks home since it’s just two blocks, but she never made it. Amanda Clark, age twelve. She was reported as a runaway last night around 6:30pm after an argument with her father. And ten-year-old Bethany Brooks who has been missing just over three weeks.”

“One family is about to be devastated.” Greg paused at the door to the sedan and looked back at the child being loaded into the white coroner’s van.

Sounds good right?! Well, it's out sometime in October so be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf! http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17610629-predator?from_search=true

Illusion Of Safety Blurb

Desperate times call for desperate measures…
After witnessing an ex-cop brutally murder his estranged wife, Tori Matthews, a family court investigator, escapes the couples’ home with their seven-year-old daughter. In fear for the child’s life, as well as her own, she struggles to keep them both safe.
A killer on the hunt…
James Baxter blames Tori for the break-up of his marriage and the loss of his child. He vows that nothing will stop him from getting his daughter back and exacting his revenge.
A race against time…
Both detectives with the Forth Worth P.D., Tori’s brother and his best friend, Caleb Simmons, want to find Baxter before it’s too late. While the search mounts, Tori and Caleb realize they have more than just friendship between them.
Can they and their new relationship survive the roller coaster race to save an innocent child and stop a determined killer?

Illusion Of Safety Excerpt

Excerpt from ILLUSION OF SAFETY

Courting Justice, Book One

Dead eyes stared accusingly through the glass. But, Susan Baxter would never be able to utter those accusations aloud. She lay on the hardwood floor, crimson blood spreading beneath her head. Tori couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. Horror flooded through her as she gazed through the window. She couldn’t take her eyes from the woman she had failed to help. A tug at her hand brought her attention back to the little girl. “I’m cold. Can we go in now?”

“Shhh…Rebecca. We have to be very quiet.” She drew the child to her, both of them flat against the brick of the house. Tori looked inside, hopeful one of the police officers would let her know things were under control. Under control? Who was she kidding? A small chunk of her client‘s forehead had been blown away. How could things be under control? She gagged. Nausea filled her; threatened to erupt. Shit, shit shit. There’s no time for this. Pull yourself together Tori. She took several shuddering breaths until she thought she could keep down her morning coffee. She scanned the interior again and gasped when her vision focused on the entryway. One officer lay on his back just inside the front hallway, his head near the door. She hadn’t even gotten his name when they responded to the home. The other was a friend. Officer Paul Ramos sagged against the wall like a limp rag doll, his legs in front of him and his chin slumped against his chest. Blue uniform shirts were covered in blood. Neither moved. Tori looked for a sign. Any sign that would let her know they were still alive, but saw none.

“Rebecca!” a voice bellowed from inside the home.

The child gasped and clung even tighter to Tori’s hand, “Daddy?” Tori heard the fear laced in that one whispered word. She placed her fingers gently over the girl’s mouth and shook her head, just long enough to remind her not to say anything.

Footsteps pounded up the stairs. This was her best, maybe only, chance to get them out of the backyard and away from the house. She fought the panic swirling inside her; crouched beside the little girl, taking her face lightly in her trembling hands. “Rebecca, we have to go now. I want you to do exactly what I tell you and don’t make any noise, okay?”

“We can’t go without mommy. Daddy’ll hurt her again.” Rebecca pulled away from Tori and ran for the sliding patio door.

Tori raced for the child. God, please help me. She can’t see her mother like that. She’s already seen so much horror in her seven short years. Seizing her around the waist, Tori turned Rebecca around to face her as she knelt.

Bending close to the girl‘s ear, she spoke softly. “Becca. I know you’re scared. I am too. But, we have to go now. It’s the only way we can get help for your mommy. And, we have to be really quiet. Okay?”

The girl nodded, her blue eyes filled with confusion. But, she held on to Tori’s hand and followed her. They slipped alongside the brick of the house to the fence. Tori wanted to run, to flee from the gruesomeness of the scene she had witnessed and from the madman still inside. She forced herself to move with caution. She unlatched the gate and opened it just wide enough for the two of them to slip through. The wind whipped the wooden panel from her hand. Dammit! Tori grabbed for it, catching hold before it could bang against the home. She took the precious seconds to secure the gate even though the fear clutched at her throat and threatened to take every breath from her. She wanted to snatch Rebecca in her arms and make a wild run for safety.

Upstairs, James Baxter called out repeatedly for Rebecca; the noise of furniture being upended in his search for her carried in the passageway between the Baxters’ and the neighbors. The child whimpered beside her.

“Matthews, you bitch! I know you’re here somewhere. You left your fucking file on the table. Where’s my daughter?” Glass shattered against a wall.

Rebecca and Tori cut through the two neighboring yards, rounded the corner and ran to the midnight blue Explorer. The keys were already out of her pocket by the time they reached it. Tori started to hit the remote to unlock the doors, but was afraid even the slightest noise would draw the monster’s attention. Somehow the key managed to find the lock on the first try even though her hands were shaking like an addict in need of a fix. Tori practically threw Rebecca into the SUV and jumped in after her, easing the door closed. As soon as the engine roared to life, she turned the vehicle around and headed away from the nightmare at the Baxter home. Her trembling hands grasped the cell phone, almost dropping it before she finished punching in the three numbers.

“911. What’s your emergency?” The voice was clipped, efficient.

“Officers down! Send someone to 914 Willow Lane. Hurry!” Tori fought for control as she spoke the words she knew would get help the quickest. She heard the woman give the address to someone in the background.

“Ma’am. We have someone on the way now. “I need your name and the number you’re calling from.”

“Tor…Victoria Matthews. I’m an investigator with Tarrant County Family Courts”. She provided her cell number.

“Are you still at the location?”

”No. I’m in my car. James Baxter. He…he shot two police officers and his wife. I have their daught…” Tori broke off remembering Rebecca too late. She looked over the child. She had gone still for a moment and then let out a small choking sound. There was nothing Tori could do to comfort her now. She didn’t even have a hand to spare, with one on the steering wheel and the other on the phone. Think. The immediate concern needed to be getting help to the officers in case they were still alive. Oh God. Paul, please be alive.

“Where’s James Baxter?” The disembodied voice asked.

“He was upstairs when we left. I don’t… I don’t know if he’s st…still at the house.”

Tori gave her all the information she had including the description of Baxter’s black Chevy Silverado.

After the call to the police, everything was a blur. Tori kept picturing the blood and bodies back at the house. The imagery made it difficult to think about what she should do. Tori turned to Rebecca and found her huddled on the floor, crying silently. Definitely not safe. Great Tori. Save the kid from being shot and then endanger her in your own car. Get it together. She focused on her surroundings in time to pull into a crowded Wal-Mart, parking in a space between another SUV and a minivan. Struggling to keep her own emotions tamped down, she checked on Rebecca and pulled her into the passenger seat. She wiped the child’s face with a tissue from her console.

“Is Mommy dead?" The words were the first Rebecca had uttered since she’d been thrown in the vehicle.

Tori studied the small face as she considered what to tell her. There was no doubt Susan Baxter was dead. But, Rebecca already showed signs of shock. She shook so badly, her teeth chattered and she curled up into a little ball clutching her stomach. There’s no way I’m telling her that her mother is dead. Not now. There would be time for that later. “I don’t know, sweetie. The police are checking on her. They’ll call back soon.”

Tori opened the door and had one foot outside when the girl whimpered. “Don’t leave me.”

“I’m not leaving. I’m just getting a blanket. I’ll be right back.” Tori’s knees nearly buckled as she stepped out of the Ford. Shock was catching up to her as well. The unusually cool October wind whipped her hair around and she brushed it out of her eyes. A ruby red blanket was kept in the back for emergencies and she snatched it up. Once back in the front seat, she wrapped Rebecca in the soft material, buckled the seatbelt around the bundled seven-year-old and tried not to think about how close the cloth’s color was to blood.

Damn she's good! This one is due out approx December time, so keep an eye out on her blog for more details.

Tales From The Mist Blurb

TALES FROM THE MIST will take you on a journey into the dark world of the paranormal. These twelve stories vary in their degree of horror, yet all reach across the boundaries of their genres into the chilling realms of the macabre. Witches, ghosts, shape-shifters and vampire rats are some of the creatures that reign within these pages. Authors included are: Scott Nicholson, Rhonda Hopkins, Marty Young, Cate Dean, Tamara Ward, Meredith Bond, Catie Rhodes, Greg Carrico, Mitzi Flyte, Natalie G. Owens, *lizzie starr and Stacey Joy Netzel.

Coming up at the end of the blog piece is a chance to win a signed copy of Tales from the Mist, so keep reading...

Get To Know Rhonda Hopkins

Five facts about you that people won’t know about you. Can you juggle? Ride a bike with no hands? Drink beer upside down? Something unusual… GO!

1. I live in a haunted house
2. I have a friend that's psychic. I have to repeat nursery rhymes and such to keep her out of my head. LOL The cool thing is whenever we did investigations together, I could give her info without talking. Too bad I couldn't pick up her thoughts though. Now that would have been amazing.

3. I have a cat, Samantha, that talks. She says "mama" when she's looking for me and "yeah" and "no" quite plainly. She also says "NOW!" when I don't get her food to her fast enough. LOL She'll also go around and tell each guest "Nite" .
4. I'm a klutz. I was told I'd outgrow it, but still waiting on that. I'm a talented klutz though. I can actually fall UP the stairs.

5. I'm 6'0". And no, I didn't play basketball. See #4. LOL

Five facts about your newest book that people won’t know. Some background history on one of your characters maybe? Maybe it was going to be called something completely different to start out with? Is it the same genre it started out as?...

1. My latest released paranormal short story, THE CONSUMING, has at least one "haunting" incident taken from my personal experience within my house.

2. The story started out as just a writing exercise a few years ago. I was given the first line (which has since been changed) and the story just wrote itself in one sitting. That story got second place in a local writing contest. But when I decided to publish it, I rewrote it from scratch and I think it's much better.

3. The main character's first name was "Beth" in the original version. But when I rewrote it and added a best friend, the friend became Beth and my MC became Serena. The new name is a better fit for her.

4. While I thought I was done with the story, it doesn't seem to be done with me. Next year, I might expand it to a novella or even a novel sized book. But if I do, my plan is to do an update so that people who have already bought it will have the newer version without paying extra for it.

5. In the first version, Serena was a child prodigy, graduating high school early and racking up degrees in record time. She was a little insufferable at times, so in this version, she was given a best friend to keep her grounded and she does the same for her friend who is a model. They're so different, they balance each other out.

Five facts about your next book… Name, genre, expected date of release…

1. My soon to be released book, PREDATOR, is a suspense novella. But the series, Courting Justice, will actually be a romantic suspense series. That definitely wasn't planned, but no matter how hard I fought them, Tori and Caleb insisted on a relationship. I guess love always finds a way, right?
2. Tori is a Family Court investigator, so she's got a little of me in her. But she's definitely her own person.

3. I gave Tori the older brother I always wanted. It's fun to imagine those roles and how they interact with one another.

4. I gave Tori a cat, also named Samantha, who has a ton of personality - much like her namesake.
5. PREDATOR should be released by the end of September and then the following book in the series, ILLUSION OF SAFETY, will be out in December.

Three tips that you think might be useful for other authors… anything you want. It could be, to write a certain amount every day, only write after midnight and never get Gizmo wet (Sorry, that’s Gremlins not writers! My bad.) Maybe it’s some information that was given to you that has helped your process…

1. The best advice I ever got was to just write the first draft. Like Nora says, "you can't fix a blank page". I was stuck rewriting everything, trying to perfect what I had written without ever finishing. So just get it out there and then go back and edit. Give yourself permission to write a sucky first draft. It probably won't be as bad as you think it will be.

2. Read your work aloud. I find more errors this way. When we read silently our eyes tend to see what we think should be there rather than what actually is. There's a higher level of concentration when you read out loud. Not only do I find more errors, but it helps me determine if the pacing and sentence structure is working.

3. Remember to show a professional image. I've seen authors whine on their blogs or facebook about other writers, life not being fair to them, the writing industry, their personal lives, etc. Think about how this makes an author look. Even if I enjoy reading their works, the image they put forth diminishes my appreciation of their talent and I'm likely to look elsewhere for my next read.

This is one creepy woman right! Ha, ha, she's lovely though, and is offering up the chance for two ebooks of her newest novel-The Consuming and one signed paperback of Tales from the Mist. All she wants you to do is go like her page, and tell me what your favourite paranormal is. Leave your message her or on the horror event page-whichever works for you. https://www.facebook.com/groups/237765852965957/521097171299489/?ref=notif&notif_t=group_activity#!/RhondaHopkins.Author?fref=ts

Happy Reading

Claire ♥

2 Comments

Rhonda Hopkins link

20/9/2013 11:38:08 am

Thanks again, Claire! I appreciate all you've done for me and the other authors in the event. You're amazing. :-)

That cover for PREDATOR is a work in progress. The very talented Michael James Canales is designing it for me. I just wanted you to get a feel for what it's going to be like. I think it's MUCH better than the one I already had.

And I had to push the release date for the novella to October as I was invited to submit a short story for a charity anthology and needed to get it done. As anyone who's read my blog knows, I love the fact that most "Authors Give BacK" to their communities and even have a segment for those who do so, to tell us about it.

Thanks again, Claire! :-)

Rhonda Hopkins link

20/9/2013 11:41:00 am

Ooops! I forgot to say congrats to the winners for Karen Perkins' books! I'm so excited to get one of her ebooks and am looking forward to reading it. :-)