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I just finished reading Caroline Mitchell’s heart-stopping, page-turning paranormal crime thriller, Don’t Turn Around.

Forget turning around. This bestseller has me a bit afraid to turn off the lights , or sleep alone, or look under my bed. Thanks Caroline!

Besides being a bit freaked out, it was a fantastic book full of some very unexpected twists and turns, and a whole lot of paranormal activity throw-in.

As a writer, when I finish a good book, I wonder about the author’s thought process behind the story. Lucky for me and you, I’m friends with Caroline. I get to ask her. The following is a quick interview with my UK buddy from across the pond:

Q: So, Caroline, my first question is…what was the seed for Don’t Turn Around. What got the whole ball rolling?

A: I had just finished writing my true story, Paranormal Intruder, that is my account of paranormal activity in my home. After I finished, I was keen to get back into writing, and infused my own experiences of the police and paranormal to come up with the DC Jennifer Knight series.

Q: Where did you do most of your writing and how long did it take you to write the book?

A: It took me around nine months to write it, and as I work full time I just wrote wherever and whenever I could. I’ve now got a swanky writing room, but a lot of my writing is done on my daily commute to work (I’m writing this on the train right now). It makes for an amusing journey when you’re plotting a murder and someone is looking over your shoulder!

Q: As you’ve mentioned, in real life, you are a mom and a full-time police officer on the coast of Essex, just outside of London. How does work and motherhood influence your story telling?

A: I am fiercely protective of my children and you can see that in my true story, because I don’t go into a lot of detail about them. I changed their names to protect them and wouldn’t feature their pictures in any media, although I was asked to, many times. In Don’t Turn Around, I used the bonds of motherhood to describe Jennifer’s relationship with her nephew Joshua. Although she is his aunt, she loves him like a son, and like me, would do whatever it takes to protect him.

Q: I know that feeling well. Real life can play such a big role in a writer’s storytelling. That said, what is your personal favorite part of the writing process?

A: Oh I love it all. It’s really turned my life around. I guess if I had to pick one thing it would be the early days, when you’re in that lovely free writing creative stage. (As opposed to the structuring, “What-was-I-thinking-this-is-never-going-to-work” stage.)

Q: I’ve heard that from other writer’s too. In the beginning it’s all about letting your imagination run wild. Then editing is all about reigning things in and giving them structure. Speaking of structure…you mentioned Don’t Turn Around is the first your DC Jennifer Knight series. Do you already know the final ending for the series??? Can you give us a hint?

A: Although I’m signed to produce three books, I’m keeping the ending open in case I write more, and have a book four in my head. Having said that, I’m also working on a straight crime novel featuring a DS Ruby Preston that I’m very excited about. I just need more hours in the day to write it.

A: You are a busy bee Miss Caroline. I guess we’ll have to wait for you to finish writing your books before we find out the ending. Can’t blame me for trying? OK, one last question before I let you get back to your train commute. If you could hang out with just one of your characters for the day, who would it be and why?

A: Great question! Believe it or not, I’d like to hang out with Frank. I find him such a fascinating character and I’m sure we’d have some very interesting chats – as long as I could persuade him not to kill me!

Holly: That might be a tough sell, Caroline. Frank seems pretty disturbed and untrustworthy. Maybe you know something I don’t. Thank you so much for your time today. This was fun!

Caroline: Thanks Holly, I really enjoyed it. Best of luck with your forthcoming book.

To learn more about Caroline and her fabulous books, you can check out her website here. Don’t Turn Around is available via Amazon by clicking here.

Stay tuned for an update on the Vegas house in next week’s blog. It has painted walls now…and cabinets, and an enclosed backyard. It’s getting real!

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Bam! It’s Jessica Therrien’s cover reveal. My writing bestie just revamped the covers of the first two books in her Children of the Gods series, and for the first time, is revealing the cover for the third and final book in her trilogy. I know I am totally biased, but…. aren’t they stunning?!!

Jessica and I met at a writer’s conference four years ago. She was reading pages from her manuscript to a group of writers at a Read & Critique session. Her voice was timid, but her words were not. Jess’ writing gave me the shivers and I knew she had created something special. I told her so and when a publishing house asked her to sign with them a few hours later, we were both ecstatic.

I admired her work, she believed in mine, we made plans to exchange chapters online to edit for one another, and fell quickly into a priceless friendship. She is a sounding board, and my brain-storming buddy, and a brilliant writer. When she released her first book in her series, the first time around, it became an instant Barnes & Noble bestseller. Now we are timing the release of our latest books together so we can walk this journey together.

On September 2, 2015 Jessica will re-release Oppression, book 1 in her best-selling YA series Children of the Gods. Uprising, comes out October 2. Her final book in the series, Redemption, goes for sale November 2.

Congrats Jess! I couldn’t ask for a better author friend to join me on this exciting publishing adventure.

If you had to choose, which cover is your favorite? I can’t decide!

Forget the celebrities! There are so many provocative, fascinating, Real Life women running around who can inspire us. That’s why I’ve decided, every once in a while on my blog, I’m going to recognize one these fine individuals. For my very first Kick-Ass Woman Blog, I’d like to introduce you to a feisty, out-spoken, break-the-mold and be your-best-self kind of a broad – Alena.

I’ve never met Alena in person. She is a friend of a friend on Facebook. That said, I always get a kick out of her posts. Last week, I got sucked into an online conversation about what women look for in men, and what men look for in women.

The whole subject of dad bod’s came up and a couple of the woman agreed that’s what they like best.

Have you heard about this, women preferring men with middle-of-the road bodies? This got me all irritated and riled up. How sad it is for us poor women, we never hear about men wanting mom bods. WE don’t get full admiration from men or women unless we are the “ideal.”

That’s when Alena piped in with her comments about herself:

I’m a gray haired- 40 yr old, size 14…… I also have smaller tah-tahs and short hair- so by beauty standards everything I “am” is a “no”…. Guess what? Idgaf what the standard is. I’m doing me– and I’m happy as can be- and those who like my kind of “me” let me know. And I don’t hate on my beautiful sisters- skinny or big boobed- long hair- or large and in charge – hell, go-girl, just as happy for them….Empower. Close the magazines- turn off the TV + stop comparing! Vanity is the best way to suck people into their products and make millions- be smarter than that!

How do you not immediately love her?! That is the kind of attitude that changes the landscape. If we love ourselves as we are, other people’s opinions on the subject become irrelevant. Personally, I like long hair, frilly dresses, and lots of lip gloss (even if it only stays on for a total of five minutes…at best.) But that’s the whole point. It’s ok to dress and cut our hair however we like it best. This is a liberated country and we can wear a push-up bra or let them hang free, die our hair blonde, or purple, or go au-natural.

If more of us would take advantage of this freedom and truly adopt Alena’s attitude, the glossy mags would accommodate a wider range of women, our daughters would grow-up stronger and women overall would feel a whole lot better about themselves.

Thanks for your posts Alena. You are my Real Life Kick-Ass Woman!

My house is growing! It’s starting to look like a real home.

To honor this momentous event, and preserve something special under the skin, I wanted the special people who will be spending the most time here  to write their names in permanent marker on the wood of the house.

Soon it will be sealed with drywall and paint. Soon it will look like an ordinary kitchen. For me, I will always know that Josh, Alex, Lana, Jacob, Jordan, Rolando, and me, beat in the heart of the bones of this home.

It’s finally time! I get to share with you all my book cover for Kingston Court. For those of you who aren’t writers, an author’s book is like one of their children. This may sound silly, but getting to show you the cover feels a whole lot like sending out my boys’ first baby pics. I know I’m biased, but I think it’s beautiful and perfect.

What do you think???

Welcome to my new website. Graphic artist, Lisa Work, and I have put a lot of time and love into this beautiful site, along with the help of a whole lot of feedback from my generous Facebook friends. Thank you for all of your help and thanks for visiting!

hkammier.com is the first step in launching the release of my debut novel, Kingston Court. A modern twist between Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City, I wrote this book for my girlfriends and I can’t wait to share it with you ladies – and guys too, if you like gossip, mommy drama, dating, and strong women.

I will be blogging about once a week with all the latest. Just this month, my daughter-from-another-mother, Jessica Gillman, gathered up her girlfriends from the La Jolla, Jewish Community Center junior theater and acted out fun scenes from the book.  She is going to edit all their hard work and give me a copy of her directorial debut to post here on the blog. Here’s a pic of the girls who play junior versions of some of the main Kingston Court characters.

The cute boy in the front is my son Josh. He was asked to act out the part of Cameron Chase,  leading lady, Samantha Chase’s husband. From left to right, these are the characters the girls are playing: Jess, Beth, Natalie Delisse, Inna, Jamie, Samantha Chase, and a Kingston Court neighbor.

~Holly