Karen DeLabar

Well friends, it’s that time of year again. It’s time to say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012. Out with the old, in with the new. Goodbye. Sayonara. Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out. Mama’s got a new year coming and she needs to make room, because this is the year its gonna happen. What’s going to happen, I haven’t the slightest of clues, but if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen in 2012, right?

After all, isn’t that what all the celebrating is about? Saying goodbye to the old and ringing in the new year with a bang? You know what it is also time for? Resolutions. But this isn’t going to be your everyday “New Year’s resolution” post because of this one question,

What if 2011 wasn’t all that bad?

2011 was the start of self-discovery for me and it was largely due to social networking. glares at Twitter (I say “start” because I have a lot of things to figure out still.) And although these new discoveries lead to some tough times, I feel that they also put me on the path to a happier Karen. So, instead of listing things I’m going to change in the new year, I’m going to list three things that I’m not changing… ever! So there.

I couldn’t say it better myself, Calvin. Let’s get started, shall we? ahem (more…)

Hello friends! Welcome to the pub for another chat with one of our fellow authors. This time, thriller novelist, Jeff Davis is joining me. We just got cozy with our drink of choice, Irish whiskey and are about to dive into Jeff’s book, Preying Angels. So, grab yourself a tumbler of whiskey and settle in.

KD: Where did the idea for Preying Angels come from?

JD: Preying Angels came from several things. I was active in the ‘CB’ channels on CompuServe before the internet became affordable and available to everyone. I later got into the public chat servers out there. I saw a lot of “carelessness” when it came to people giving out information. At the same time, I assisted as a civilian consultant with some criminal investigations that were instigated in chat rooms. Each of those events helped me build the story that eventually became Preying Angels. (more…)

When the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange and the Federal Reserve Building were impossibly hacked, FBI Agent Gabrielle Sinclair knows who did it but there is only one problem, she thought the man responsible was long dead. In her desperation to find answers, Gabby dives into the technical world to find the one person who can stop the threat, Michael Thomas, a computer extraordinaire  who can manipulate computers into doing anything he wishes. From Michael’s home in Mississippi, they uncover the steps Lucifer took to take down the buildings, but they can’t find the one thing to tie everything together, the why. While they are working on uncovering the truth, several teen girls go missing in the area surrounding Michael’s home and Gabby is called in to help search their computers. What seems to be two totally unconnected coincidences turns out to be a race to find and stop the serial killer and the man behind him, Lucifer.

 

The internet is a scary place and Davis uses it for his playground in creating a cyber thriller that has me thinking twice about using social media to meet new people. Although Michael and Gabby are the heroes of the story I found myself intrigued with Lucifer and his puppet MansonsTwin. (more…)

Happy holidays, everyone!

Christmas is this weekend and I wanted to do something a little different for my blog. So, with the help of my family I put together this little 3 minute video to share with all my new friends!

I’ve met a lot of inspiring and talented people this year who have picked me up when I’ve been down so this video is for you!

Enjoy!

PS: Yes, I’m aware I said “Hot chocolate spiked peppermint schnapps,” that’s how I drink it, schnapps with a dash of hot chocolate. Yummy. 😉

From my family to yours, happy holidays and best wishes

for a happy, healthy and blessed new year!

 

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Good afternoon, friends! I have a very special friend joining me in the bar today! Mr. Charlie Cole has bellied up to the bar to talk about his debut novel, [amazon-product text=”Headhunters” type=”text”]B006CVIAJE[/amazon-product]. But I have to say the best part of this interview, besides the company of good friends, is the dark stout with its frothy head peaking just above the rim of the 20-ounce tulip pint glass… sigh Sorry, I get a little dreamy when it comes to my Guinness. That’s right, ladies and gents, one of the reasons I like Charlie so much is because he understands that when it comes to beer, Guinness is second to none. So, pull up a bar stool, grab a pint and enjoy the conversation!

 

KD: Where did the inspiration for Headhunters come from?

CC: I’ve been a professional headhunter recruiting talent for big companies for the past 15 years. That part was easy. That’s the day job. But before that I was a licensed private investigator and it always interested me how those lines could blur. I mean in both jobs I was paid to find information that wasn’t readily available. As a headhunter, I collected competitive intelligence on other companies. (more…)

In Charlie Cole’s [amazon-product text=”Headhunters” type=”text”]B006CVIAJE[/amazon-product], Simon Parks is one of the best headhunters at Blackthorn, an antiterrorist cell operating outside the confines of the US government. But after losing his wife in a tragic car accident Simon relocates his family in hopes of leaving behind the spy game and focusing his attention on his two children. Only what Simon doesn’t realize is that no matter how far away he runs he is forever tied to his past; a past that doesn’t want to let him go.

From page one, Cole immerses his readers into a fast paced thriller where he orchestrates the twists and turns of a thriller suspense with fluid ease and expertise. Cole’s tone and voice in the story is one of a seasoned writer and belies the fact that this is his debut novel. (more…)

I love Christmas. You should just know that before you get further into this post. If it’s about Christmas, I am there… with bells on. When the 12 Blogs of Christmas idea popped up I just knew I had to be a part of it and showcasing the movies of the holiday was an obvious choice for me. If there’s a holiday movie out there, either about the holidays or taking place during, chances are I’ve seen it ad nausuem.

But when it comes to picking my favorite I can’t pick just one! Thankfully my tribe mates picked some of the best movies out there and thanks to Marie Patchen and her 12 Cartoon Classics post, there is even more holiday movie goodness for us to feast on.

Before I get into our 12 recommendations I need to give a shout out to three very special Christmas movies that didn’t make the list but are must-sees for my Christmas holiday to be complete. (more…)

Hello friends!! Well, its been sometime but the bar is officially back up and running!  Today I’m super excited to be hanging out with Brina Courtney, author of the YA novel, Reveal. Why am I super excited, you ask? Not only is Brina a talented writer and friend but my knowledge of Brina goes way beyond the Twitteverse. It just so happens that I graduated high school with her sister AND I can remember playing over at their house when we were little. 🙂 I’m so lucky. So, grab a nice hot cup of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and join us as we catch up.

KD:  I’m cruising the ebook aisles and I come across your book. In four sentences or less tell me why I should pick up this book. (Offering me money, fame or a tall, dark and handsome stranger will not sway my judgement but would be a wonderful side benefit.) 😉

BC: This is a story based on something or someone you’ve never even heard of. Read it to find out why a girl with a missing father can communicate with ghosts. Learn who set fire to an orphanage, maliciously burning the children inside. Enter the world of cryptids and never go back. (more…)

Bone Wires written by Michael Shean is described as a “dark, brooding, cyberpunk noir” and is currently a running serial released every Thursday on Curiosity Quills. When the government ran the police force, the position of Homicide Detective warranted respect and recognition. However, in a time when private companies own the force the once honored position has become nothing more than a dead end job likened to janitorial service.

Detective Daniel Gray, of Homicide Solutions, knows that to get ahead in the company he has to be more business man than cop and that means doing whatever makes the company, Civic Protection, look the best. However, when someone from the company is found with his back splayed open like a fish with his spine removed Gray realizes that what’s best for the company may not be what’s best for the case.

I am thoroughly enjoying this serial; the characters, a main focus of mine, are strong, accessible and complex. I like the intricacies of the different perspectives of police work between Gray and his sometime partner Brutus Carter. Gray is a cop driven to work his way up the police corporate ladder and Carter, a cop who was once on the Seattle Police Department before the corporate take over, cares more about the case than the business side of things. (more…)

During NaNo I noticed a lot of people posting snippets of their writing and thought, “Hey! I should do that!” But then again, I also thought, “Hey! I should probably be working on my NaNo novel instead of talking on Twitter, or watching TV, or doing the dishes, or breathing.”

Needless to say I did not finish NaNo this year, something that irks me to no end. (It’s not so much that I didn’t finish a project, it’s that I couldn’t complete the challenge. There is a difference in my mind.)

However, there is one thing I can do to placate my need to meet challenges I enforce on myself. I can post a completely unedited scene from my work. Eep! After not looking at it for a couple of weeks I cringe at some of the parts but you know what… who cares? I did it and I’m challenging myself to show you guys something that is rough, a bit rambly, and well, not polished; far from it, in fact.

What some of you may not understand is that very few people see an unpolished version of myself. Even if I post weird or crazy pictures of myself or tell embarrassing and funny stories I scrutinize over them. I try and guess how they will be perceived and interpreted. So enjoy this rare look at my work. I’m feeling oddly free and careless today. It doesn’t happen often. 🙂

 

 

Flower Shop Scene…

Betty’s Flower Shop was located on the corner of Turner and MacIntosh and just a block away from Tony’s office, which meant that Lena frequented the establishment often. Even though the thought of buying flowers for Tony’s mistresses made her squirm, especially since he rarely ordered any for his wife, Lena loved going into the shop. (more…)