Straight Chatting from the Library: Sentinels of Night by Anita Dickason

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READ THE GUEST BLOG

Why do I write the kinds of books I do?

I write crime thrillers/suspense with a touch of paranormal and light romance. The difficulty with genres is that a book just never seems to fit in one niche. I know mine doesn’t. Still, whatever niche you want to apply, how did it come about? Why not science fiction or historical romance, or any of dozens of other topics. The best answer is that I write about what I know and what I would like to read.

Growing up, I was an avid reader. My era was Nancy Drew, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, and Perry Mason. Anyone see a trend here? It was all about mysteries, investigations, and sleuths. That influence has continued into my adult and now retirement years. I still love a great mystery, but have added crime thrillers and suspense novels.

Still, just reading wasn’t enough to make the transition to the type of books I write, until you consider my background. I am a retired cop. I have a total of twenty-seven years of law enforcement experience, twenty-two years with the Dallas Police Department. During those years I acquired an extensive knowledge about crime and police procedures.

It’s not much of a stretch to see why I would write about crime. It’s what I know. But, where did the paranormal come from and how about that romance? Being a woman, it is not surprising that I would like the spark that a light romance adds to a plot. It can create tension, controversy, all types of emotions that adds depth to the characters.

As for the paranormal, I have always enjoyed characters who had an extra edge to overcome danger and adversity. Add in my infatuation with Native American myths and Irish and Scottish folklore, and you get the backdrop for my characters.

In Sentinels of the Night, the paranormal element came from a Native American myth about owls. They are the guardians of the night and the messengers of death. Dying was crossing the owl’s bridge. In each of my novels, I have tapped into a myth or legend for an unusual twist.

One other element can also be added into the mix; my personal experiences. In the opening scene of Sentinels of the Night, FBI Agent Cat Morgan is chasing a serial killer in a railroad yard in the middle of the night. This incident happened, except I was chasing a man who had stolen a vehicle, and had bailed out and was on the run. I can still remember looking under cars and hopping over tracks. The book also has several other incidents that are based on events that happened when I was a cop.

All in all, it is easy to see the influences that have affected my choice of plots and characters.

Thank you for hosting my book.
Anita Dickason

READ THE BLURB

FBI Tracker Cat Morgan has an unusual talent, one she has successfully concealed, even from her fellow agents. That is—until she finds a body with a strange symbol carved on the forehead during a stop in Clinton, Mississippi and crosses paths with the town’s rugged police chief, Kevin Hunter. Despite his instant attraction to the sexy agent, Kevin is suspicious of her presence at the crime scene and isn’t buying her dubious explanations. He wants her out of the investigation and out of his town.

The discovery of another mutilated body with the same symbol sends Cat back to Clinton, and this time she isn’t leaving. To stop the killer, Cat must find a way to overcome Kevin’s distrust and will face an impossible impasse—truth or lies. But will either one matter, when the killer fixates on her for his next sacrifice?

READ AN EXCERPT

The air reeked with the stink of marijuana. Blackened matches, remains of joints, empty plastic bags, and beer cans littered the kitchen table and floor. He pushed the burnt stubs around to find one large enough to light. What was left crumbled to ashes. Damn, the weed’s gone.

At least, he still had beer and grabbed one from the refrigerator, cracked the lid, then chugged half the can. Even though the cold liquid eased the raspy pain in his throat, he needed something stronger than beer.

Old prescription bottles filled the drawer under the bathroom sink. He shoved the containers around until he spotted one labeled Vicodin. Yeah, there were still a couple left. His hand trembled as he shook one out and popped it in his mouth. Head tilted back to swallow, his eyes drifted to the mirror over the sink.

The sight caused him to gag, and the pill caught in the back of his throat. Another face overshadowed his image. The gleam of eyes, dark with hatred, stared at him. A tremor of panic made him look over his shoulder. No one was there. JD leaned toward the mirror. The swish of a bat, then a scream echoed in his head. Images flickered, the knife, a face, blood splatters flying in the air, and a voice laughed. Terrified, the can slipped from his hand. Clanking, it rolled around the sink.

He rubbed his hand across the mirror trying to wipe away the image as he shouted, “No, no, you can’t be here, you’re dead.”

MEET THE AUTHOR

Anita Dickason is a retired police officer with twenty-seven years of experience, twenty-two with the Dallas Police Department. She served in patrol, undercover narcotics, accident investigation and was on a sniper on the Dallas SWAT team.

Anita is the recipient of the prestigious Law Enforcement Professional Achievement Award from the State of Texas House of Representatives. Other awards include Officer of the Year—Texas Women in Law Enforcement, Officer of the Year—International Association of Women in Police, Runner-up Officer of the Year—Dallas Police Department, Officer of the Month—Dallas Police Department and multiple Police Commendations, Certificates of Merit and Citizen/Business commendations from the Dallas Police Department and the Dallas community.

Anita was a certified instructor with Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Her instructor certifications include Defensive Tactics, Batons, Spontaneous Knife Defense, Field Sobriety Procedures, Drug Recognition Expert program, and Accident Investigation.

She is a Past President of Texas Women in Law Enforcement, and Past Treasurer for the International Association of Women in Police.

Her first book, JFK Assassination Eyewitness: Rush to Conspiracy, is non-fiction and details the reconstruction of a 1966 vehicle accident near Midlothian, Texas that killed a key witness to the Kennedy assassination. The project opened the door to a new career, Author and Publisher. She owns Mystic Circle Books & Designs, LLC and provides manuscript and design services, helping other authors turn their manuscripts into a published book.

Her fictional works are suspense/thrillers and her plots are drawn from her extensive law enforcement knowledge and experience. Characters with unexpected skills, that extra edge for overcoming danger and adversity, have always intrigued her. Her infatuation with ancient myths and legends of Native American Indians, and Scottish and Irish folklore adds a touch of paranormal for the backdrop of her characters.

The experience of writing led to developing a knowledge of self-publishing and graphic design and a new business endeavor: Mystic Circle Books & Designs, LLC. It is a tossup of what Anita enjoys more, working on her books or helping another author publish their works. She has found an unexpected enjoyment in designing book covers, bookmarks, bookplates, etc. Email her for an autographed custom bookplate -- anita@anitadickason.com

Book Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m00v2W4K4o
Website: http://www.anitadickason.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anita_dickason
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnitaDauthor

NOTE: The book will be on sale for $0.99 at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

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