Please welcome R. Scott Wallis author of The Maine Nemesis
R. Scott Wallis will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
The Maine Nemesis
byR. Scott Wallis
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GENRE: Suspense
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INTERVIEW:
1. What or who inspired you to start writing?
I think that it all started with cartoons and J.R. Ewing. As a kid, I was obsessed with all things Hanna-Barbera, and I would actually high-light my parents’ copy of the TV Guide to pick out which Saturday morning cartoons I was going to watch. I loved the world of make believe from the very beginning…and I was that kid who wanted to be inside creating something or consuming a fun story, instead of outside throwing a ball around. When I got a bit older, and I started babysitting on Friday nights, I started watching the original “Dallas” nighttime soap and have been a lifelong, diehard fan ever since (I’ve even been to the real Southfork Ranch in Texas!). And now, as an adult, I think there are elements of vintage cartoons and soapy rich oil men sprinkled in to my stories.
2. What elements are necessary components for this genre?
For me, it’s a combination of twists & turns and realistic dialogue. I hate labels, but I guess what I write is mainly suspense thrillers with strong female heroines. My two main characters are best friends since grade school and I love telling the story mainly through the dialogue between the two.
3. How did you come up with your idea for your novel?
When I first set out to write my Skyler Moore Thriller series, I knew that I wanted my main characters to be from a small southern Maine coastal town. As a kid, I spent a great deal of my summers in Kennebunkport, Portland, Ogunquit, and at a huge lake near Augusta. There’s nothing quite like endless lobster rolls, quaint old houses and farms, chilly summer evenings, and that ice-cold water. They say that you should write what you know, so for the second book, THE NEW MEXICO SCOUNDREL, also out now on Amazon, I took my cast to Santa Fe, where I lived for a spell in 2017. Like me, Skyler and friends get around.
4. What expertise did you bring to your writing?
I guess the number one thing is the fact that I’ve traveled extensively. I know Maine very well. I’ve been to most of the U.S. states. I’ve lived on the east coast and in the desert southwest. I’ve met thousands of interesting characters—from U.S. presidents to pop stars to Nobel winning economists—and it all somehow ends up in my work.
5. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?
Like my title character, I am obsessed with airplanes. My father was a commercial pilot for U.S. Airways, my uncle flew for Continental, and my mother is a private pilot. We always had our own small prop plane growing up, but I dreamed of having enough money someday to fly on spiffy private jets. I’m pretty sure I’ll never be private-jet-rich, but a guy can dream…and a guy can make sure his characters have the means!
6. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?
I finished book three last month and it’s with my editor now; THE NEVADA SABOTEUR comes out on September 27. I’m well into writing the fourth book that will take my characters on an Alaskan cruise—and, naturally, mayhem will ensue. That will be out in February 2020. I am also releasing SCOUT’S HONOR: LIFELINE, a new thriller with a male-focused lead. I’m always writing and crafting ideas for new stories and adventures and I thank my lucky stars that I get to do it fulltime.
9. Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing?
I have what I call my, Advance Team. I send out my books to about a dozen folks from various walks of life who have been kind enough to read, critique, and double-check my work. They have been invaluable and I (almost) always listen to what they have to say. I pretty much do what I want to do, but I am always open to listening to ideas and I am very open to feedback.
10. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?
My number one goal is to be walking through the airport and see my book displayed in a bookstore. Or walking past someone on the beach who is reading a copy of my book. Writing is my favorite thing in the world, but if people can’t read what I write, I’d feel like I was wasting my time. When THE MAINE NEMESIS was completed last year, I queried well over 130 literary agents. And as most writers know, getting traditionally published is not an easy task. So, I took matters into my own hands and I couldn’t be happier being an independent, because I get to call all the shots.
12. Do you outline your books or just start writing?
I have a very general idea where I want to go before I start, but I don’t map out the whole story in advance. Every single morning that I am not traveling, I get up at 5:45am—thanks to my two rescue dogs, mostly—and sit at my desk from 6:00am until 10-ish. I write as fast as I can to complete a first draft, then I’ll go back and make corrections and change things that don’t quite work. I don’t know exactly how it’ll end until I get there and so far—knock on wood—it seems to be working.
13. How do you maintain your creativity?
I consume a lot of quality television shows and movies, read tons of great books, and travel frequently. I am inspired by the people I have met, too, and base many of my quirky characters on real folks. I’ve been lucky enough to visit most major U.S. cities for work; I’ve worked at the White House for a U.S. Vice President; and, I was an event planner for one of the richest men on the planet—so I’ve seen some stuff. It all gets incorporated into my fiction. And, yes, if I ever achieve some kind of fame, I think I have a biography in me, too. (And a private jet.)
14. Who is your favorite character in the book. Can you tell us why?
Well, Skyler Moore, of course. I think Skyler is the female version of me. She’s strong, independent, sarcastic, adventurous, and loves a big glass of wine. Like me, too, she went to school to be a journalist, but stumbled into public relations instead. I’ve loved creating her and taking her on all of these adventures. And, yes, she loves airplanes.
BLURB:
Fiercely independent, insatiably curious, and always up for an adventure, public relations hotshot Skyler Moore is a hero for our time. She's decidedly not a sleuth by trade, but mayhem often comes knocking as she and her friends visit the small towns and big cities of America.
In "The Maine Nemesis," Skyler decides to spend the summer at her seaside cottage in Wabanaki, Maine, with her best friend—celebrity chef Brenda Braxton—and they have no idea that murder will be on the menu. But women are turning up dead in the once sleepy village where nothing ever happens. With the residents up in arms and the rinky-dink police force overwhelmed, Skyler and her friends feel compelled to lend a hand to save the town they love so much. The backdrop is classic New England Americana: lobster rolls, the whole town out for the Fourth of July, and summer evenings cooled by the ocean breeze. That...and an occasional murder, a kidnapping, and a few dangerous liaisons.
Skyler's mile-a-minute adventure will keep you turning the pages to see what comes next for her and her Down East 'friends.'
In "The Maine Nemesis," Skyler decides to spend the summer at her seaside cottage in Wabanaki, Maine, with her best friend—celebrity chef Brenda Braxton—and they have no idea that murder will be on the menu. But women are turning up dead in the once sleepy village where nothing ever happens. With the residents up in arms and the rinky-dink police force overwhelmed, Skyler and her friends feel compelled to lend a hand to save the town they love so much. The backdrop is classic New England Americana: lobster rolls, the whole town out for the Fourth of July, and summer evenings cooled by the ocean breeze. That...and an occasional murder, a kidnapping, and a few dangerous liaisons.
Skyler's mile-a-minute adventure will keep you turning the pages to see what comes next for her and her Down East 'friends.'
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EXCERPT:
During one typically mild Maine summer, slightly more than a few decades ago, while the United States of America was celebrating the anniversary of its independence from England, fifth-grader Skyler Elizabeth Moore was celebrating her freedom from being the only little girl on her street. While she got along fine with most of the kids in her class, she’d not yet made a best friend—besides her beloved Raggedy Ann doll—so when Brenda Braxton, along with her brother and aunt, moved into the white clapboard house diagonally across the street, Skyler made it her mission to show the new girl around their tiny New England town in order to win her friendship.
There were only a handful of houses on the street and most of them were only used in the summer, making for a very sleepy, almost ghost town-like existence for a pre-teen girl during the school year. Skyler would stare into the houses’ dark windows as she walked to school, trying to catch a glimpse of something moving inside. A forgotten cat. A caretaker. Even a ghost. She believed in them and was certain that big old empty houses were where they lived.
When the biting winter winds that came off the ocean turned soothingly cool and the town sprung back to life after Memorial Day, Skyler would get her hopes up that a new family—with kids her age—would magically appear on the block. Specifically, a girl. So, when she finally spotted one that early July day, she wasted no time.
The moving truck was still in front of the house on the corner, and even though her mother told her to wait until the family settled in, Skyler marched herself to the open door and stepped into the front hall. She scooted to the left to avoid getting hit by a couch that two large men lifted through the doorway and then she followed them into the living room.
There she was. A girl her own age, sitting on a moving box, eating a banana.
“My mom would be very proud,” she said when she noticed Skyler. “She was always pushing fruit on me.”
“I love bananas,” Skyler lied as she moved closer. “I’m Skyler. I live across the street.”
“I’m Brenda. And I guess I live here now.”
“Welcome to Wabanaki.”
“Such a weird name for a town.”
“It’s named after an Indian tribe. American Indian, not India Indian.”
“I’ll never be able to spell it.”
“I’m good at spelling. It’s easy. W.A.B.A.N.A.K.I. Wabanaki. Almost like banana with all the A’s after the letters.”
“I guess. Did you just let yourself in?”
“I did. Is that okay with your mother?”
“I’m sure she doesn’t care. I’m glad you came in.”
“Me, too.” Skyler couldn’t stop smiling. “Me, too.”
Skyler noticed that Brenda was a little on the heavy side with a roll of fat around her middle that peeked out between her shirt and shorts, but it didn’t faze her. Brenda had a hearty, infectious laugh and positive attitude despite what Skyler would come to understand was an arduous childhood. Her homework could have been eaten by the dog, or the vacation she was looking forward to could have been cancelled at the last minute, and she’d always manage to find the silver lining. Brenda’s attitude would balance well with Skyler’s sometimes dark outlook on life.
Skyler didn’t know it at the time, but Brenda’s father went missing in action during some U.S. military action somewhere on the other side of the world and her distraught mother had been committed to a mental asylum. Her father’s sister took charge of the children and moved them from a bustling, unkempt New York City (at the time) to the more idyllic world that was sleepy Wabanaki, Maine.
For Skyler, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The girls had the rest of the summer to play outside, have sleepovers, and get to know each other before the school year would begin. And they did just that. Sometime between building a girls-only tree house and starting a weekly lemonade stand, they’d become blood-sisters, cutting their index fingers and pressing them together to form a lifetime bond. It had been Brenda’s idea. She’d seen her brother do it with his best friend, so it wasn’t totally insane.
“It seems insane to me,” Skyler said. “But I’ll do it. If you want me to.”
“I don’t want you to do anything that would make you feel bad. And I know blood makes you scream and cry.”
“That was just that one time, Brenda, and it was only because that stupid treehouse nail went right through my leg. I’m not afraid of blood. I’m going to be a veterinarian. I’m going to have to get used to it.”
“I’m going to be a cook, I think,” Brenda said. “So, if any of your animals die, you let me know.”
“You are not cooking dead animals, Brenda!”
“What do you think steak and pork chops and hamburgers are? Dead animals.”
“But they aren’t dogs and cats. I’m going to care for puppies and kitties.”
“Veterinarians also take care of cows and pigs and horses and stuff, you know.”
“Well, maybe. But if they die—which they won’t, because I am going to go to a very good veterinarian school—I’m not letting you cook them. There will be a pet cemetery in the back behind my pet hospital.”
“That seems wrong.”
“It does, you’re right,” Skyler said thoughtfully. “Well, we’ll get your stupid brother to take the dead animals away somewhere. But, I’m serious, Brenda, the animals are not going to die. That’s why I’m going to be a veterinarian, to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“Everything dies. My dad died. My hamster died. And our first dog died when he got run over by the trash truck.”
“That’s horrible. If I was older and if I had been there, I would have saved him.”
“She was a she and her head was smooshed into the road and they had to use a bunch of shovels to clean it up.”
“That’s so gross.”
“It was.”
“And sad,” Skyler said. “I’m super sorry.”
“It’s okay. I didn’t really see that happen. Actually, I don’t think that’s what happened to her. I made it up. I think she ran away.”
“That’s sad, too.”
“Not as sad as my dad dying,” Brenda said. “At least, we think he’s dead. He never came back.”
“Maybe he’s with your dog somewhere.”
“Maybe.”
“With your mom, maybe?”
“Well, that would just make me mad.” Brenda dug her fingernail into the bottom of her sneaker.
“Why?” Skyler asked.
“Because if they’re all together somewhere else, why are my brother and me here in Wabanaki without them?”
“Oh,” Skyler said softly.
“That would mean that they don’t love us.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But that’s what it would mean. And I don’t want to believe that.”
“Don’t. It’s not true.”
Brenda became uncharacteristically quiet for a few moments making Skyler a little uncomfortable.
“Maybe we should do it now.”
Brenda brightened when she remembered the task at hand. She pulled out her brother’s Swiss Army pocketknife. “Ready?”
“I am,” Skyler said confidently, even though she was trembling. “Because we’re going to be sisters forever.”
“That’s the idea. I don’t want to have to play with just my brother for the rest of my life.”
Brenda took Skyler’s hand in hers, turned it over so that her palm was facing up, and pressed the knife into her finger without hesitation. Skyler’s eyes widened as she watched a small bubble of scarlet red blood form. She looked into Brenda’s eyes. She smiled, cut her own finger, and they pressed them together while they screamed and laughed at the same time.
“There,” Brenda said when she was able to calm herself, “blood sisters.”
“Blood sisters,” Skyler echoed. “Can we go clean these cuts now? I don’t want to get tetanus.”
“What is tetanus?”
“I don’t know, but it’s something awful and if you get it inside you, you die.”
“I don’t want to die.”
“Me either. I have a lot of animals to save.”
“And I have a lot to cook!”
The girls took off to find water, soap, and Band-Aids, and to call it a night. The sun was setting and it was getting dark, the sign that another summer adventure must come to an end. But they’d have lots more. They ensured that with blood.
And an infection.
Brenda’s cut got infected, but it wasn’t tetanus…and she didn’t die.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
R. Scott Wallis is endlessly inspired by his surroundings and adventures. And he thrives on new chapters and creating unique projects to keep himself out of trouble. Scott started his working life as an advance person and assistant to a sitting United States Vice President. Later, he served as the creative director for a leading Washington think tank. That led to working directly for one of the richest men on Earth, conceiving and executing exclusive events for his billionaire friends. Tired of working for the man, Scott became a top-rated pop-culture podcaster and celebrity interviewer, while also dabbling in both the worlds of clothing manufacturing (creating his own baby clothes brand that was sold in over 300 stores nationwide) and retail sales, with his own well-received men's clothing store.
Always willing to lend a hand or donate what he can, he's an enthusiastic philanthropist, championing causes such as childhood bullying, animal adoption, and feeding the less fortunate. A wide-eyed world traveler, Scott has been to four continents, mostly by sea. While he loves exploring Europe and the Caribbean islands, it's the vast United States that he likes best. He's been to Alaska four times, Hawaii twice, and can't wait to explore the eight states he hasn't been to yet. Technically a Connecticut Yankee, Scott grew up in historic Williamsburg, Virginia, and lived for 25 years in the Washington, D.C. area, before recently discovering that the American West is where he is most at home. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Author Website:
Amazon Link:
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:
R. Scott Wallis will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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