Spider Green Series by Norm Harris

 Please welcome Norm Harris author of Spider Green Series

Norm Harris will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Spider Green Series

by Norm Harris

 

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GENRE: Mystery/Thriller Legal Military

 

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INTERVIEW:

 What or who inspired you to start writing? My son, K-K, did not like to read my thinking was that if I wrote something, he might read it. He was perhaps in the 7th grade at the time. I wrote Fruit of the Poisonous Tree, a military legal thriller, to a reading level for that age range. I do not know if he read the book or not. He did go on to become a high school honor student, so he did have to read at some point. K-K graduated from college with a double major. He graduated from law school with a Master's of Jurisprudence degree and published a law journal. A best-seller titled Drones: Proposed Standards of Liability, available through the Santa Clara High Tech Law Journal. I want to think my first book started it all.

 

 How did you come up with your idea for your novel? Fruit of the Poisonous Tree developed from the song Brandy. I live in that harbor town where a girl works laying whiskey down... The second part of this story is based on the motion picture An Officer and a Gentleman. The third and fourth parts are I served in the military for six years, which allows me to know how the military systems and protocols work. And I live in that harbor town. If you care to listen and see where I live, here is a link to the song which inspired the story for book one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1P-q_R-cw8  

All of my book's underlying themes are inspired by songs. The Girl Who Knew Death from the Rolling Stones Sympathy for the Devil. In this story princess, Katrinka has to find Mazikim, the demon. She uses the song's lyrics as clues as to how to find the demon.

 

What expertise did you bring to your writing? My background is heavy military, and I have traveled worldwide many times. I meet people everywhere and learn about their cultures. But because I have spent time in those cities, I can accurately write about them, for example, in The Girl Who Knew Death, Cairo, Paris, and Moscow. All places I have visited several times. I work into the stories of what I saw and experienced.

 

What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio? I became concerned about diversity and inclusion years before our society came to embrace it. All of my books bring honor, equality, and respect to all people of all ethnicities and cultures. 

 

 As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans? I will continue the Spider Green Mystery Thriller Series for as many books as possible. Until my mind quits on me.

 

 If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why? Many of the characters in the series have a piece of me in them. Be they male or female. Several reviewers have noted that my strong suit is dialogue. That is because the characters are me talking to me. 

 

 Can you give us a sneak peek into this book? How about we go-to book four since four is not yet published. The release date is May 11, I understand. 

In this scene, our protagonist, Faydra, talks to Azrael, the angel of death. "Tower" is the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

 

     Fay bit her lower lip. Tears welled in her eyes, but she remained silent.

     Azrael continued speaking. "You know Lady K agreed, and I still think it is best for all. Anyway, while I rubbed the lotion on your back, I was surprised to learn your sickness was much more advanced than I had realized. Your time had come. But Sasha came and asked us to join him for a tour of the Tower. You wanted to decline. You were very sick and wanted to go to your room, where you would have died that night in your sleep," Azrael revealed. "Because you are who you are, you did not want to disappoint your friend, so you fought through it. Your determination and devotion to your friends touched me deeply. So, by the time we got to the Tower, you were done. I asked if you were ready to go to the next level. Most would have said yes. But you fought me, as you had many times before. You knew in your heart what I meant because you then knew who I really was. Your commitment to continue the fight, even though you knew it was a losing battle, was the confirmation I needed from you to take the sickness, rather than you."

 

When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step? This was not an issue for me. I wrote the book and submitted it immediately after editing and proofreading. The second book was different. I sat on the finished manuscript of Arid Sea for five years before turning it over to editing, formatting, and proofreading. Once complete, I submitted it. 

 

What is the best and worst advice you have ever received? (regarding writing or publishing) The best advice was to write for women because they read more than men and buy more books. The worst advice I received was to write books for women. To compensate, I made use of women editors. They would tell me things about women that I did not know. They would then change the scenes to better present women from a women's point of view and not from my clueless perception. 

 

Do you outline your books or just start writing? No preplanning; I just dive in and go for it. 

 

Who is your favorite character in the book? Can you tell us why? I like both Faydra and her sister JP. They play off of each other very well. I also like Faydra's daughter Katrinka and her pal Azrael. They are all unique in their own way. I did ask the editor of The Girl Who Knew Death this same question. She was fascinated with both Katrinka and her mentor Irishka. 

 

Are your plotting bunnies, angels or demons? Only in book four are their angels and demons. Azrael is the angel of death in this story, while Mazikim is, of course, lucifer's punisher. No bunnies but our protagonist, Spider Green, has a cat that she talks to and tries to constantly pawn Barnicle Bill off on someone.

 

Anything else you might want to add? If anyone decides to buy one of the four books, they are stand-alone stores. Still, there are references to events and characters from previous books in the later books. The order is Fruit of the Poisonous Tree, Arid Sea, Deception Pass, and The Girl Who Knew Death. 

BLURBS:

 

FRUIT OF THE POISONOUS TREE (Book One): 

 

A female lawyer must prove a war hero’s innocence. Navy SEALs hijack a Russian warship to stop a North Korean missile crisis.

 

“A great read with a stunning finish.” - Advocate, Narayan. “Picturing Justice,” published by the Faculty of Law, University of San Francisco.

 

Every now and again, a unique story comes our way, a story unlike any we may have read before. Such is “Fruit of the Poisonous Tree,” author Norm Harris’s first critically acclaimed mystery/thriller. The story’s focal point is Faydra “Spider” Green, a dedicated Navy lawyer who has lived her life in the shadows of a great and powerful man: her father, former President of the United States William Green. Green cannot heal the wound in his relationship with his daughter. His former power and influence curse Faydra and cause her to wonder if her accomplishments were her own doing.

 

Faydra is anxious and excited as she undertakes her first homicide investigation: the murder of a Navy SEAL. She reasons a successful investigation will provide her the opportunity to validate her sense of self-worth. Thanks to her remarkable deductive abilities, Faydra soon realizes the accused man, a Special Ops Marine war hero, may be innocent and the Navy is using her as a pawn in a complex cover-up.

 

“A sharp, crackling military thriller..., Norm Harris’s ‘Fruit of the Poisonous Tree’ offers a labyrinth of military cover-ups, surprise twists, and insider techno knowledge. Good, exciting, inventive read.” - Wendell Wellman, actor, producer, and screenwriter for Clint Eastwood’s “Firefox” and Producer of “Top Hat,” “Sail Away”, and “House in the Canyon.”

 

Meanwhile, a seasoned Navy Sea Captain, Egan Fletcher, a single parent, struggles to balance his Navy career with raising a son. When the Navy purposefully pairs him with Faydra in a meeting, the two Navy officers embark on an adrenaline-pumping adventure. It is a top-secret mission-impossible taking them around the world in an attempt to avert a catastrophic act of terrorism in the form of a biological war.

 

“Norm Harris’s book grabs the reader with its first sentence and holds the reader throughout with its fast-paced action. Dialogue is always the hardest to write, but Harris has captured the art and, with his writing, keeps the reader turning pages. His ability to heighten the intrigue keeps the reader on the edge of his or her seat throughout the story. Strongly recommend the book…” - CAPT David E. Meadows, US Navy, author of numerous (15) military thrillers, such as “Sixth Fleet,” “Seawolf,” and “Tomcat.”

Set against the dramatic backdrop of Washington State’s Puget Sound and the mystique of East Asia, Fadra’s story revolves around a woman who appears to be as pure as the driven snow—yet, she is driven by an insatiable need to complete any assignment, no matter how dangerous. Along the way, she transforms into a symbol of hope, perseverance, and a woman’s ability to overcome life-threatening events.

 

“This story is complex and well crafted, and you’ll immediately invest your emotions in these vivid characters. The dialogue is some of the freshest I’ve encountered in some time…. As a reader, and as a novelist myself, and now as a fan, my hat goes off to this guy. A wonderful debut.” - Larry Brooks, critically acclaimed author of psychological thrillers (including “Darkness Bound,” “Pressure Points,” “Serpents Dance,” and others), in addition to his work as a freelance writer and writing instructor.

 

The first novel, “Fruit of the Poisonous Tree,” begins the riveting Spider Green Mystery Thriller series. If you enjoy the razor-sharp dialogue, strong-willed people, twists, and high-octane action, then “Spider” Green, the intrepid female sleuth and unpretentious hero in this taut, fast-paced adventure, will appeal to you.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

Spider Green Series by Norm Harris

 

 Mystery/Thriller Legal Military

 

Fay turned and descended the ladder to the waiting boat. She dug deep into her soul to gather what courage she now carried with her to the dark and foreboding place known to all seafarers as “Davy Jones’ Locker.”

 

The frigid night air slapped her face as the small boat raced across the flat surface of the night water; sea spray soaked her face and hands. She squinted and fixed her gaze on the wall of black now standing before her. I’m going to need severe beauty salon time when I get back to civilization,she thought.

 

Shortly after, the boat arrived at the prescribed dive location. The dive team donned their facemasks and tested their gear—then, one by one, the divers rolled backward from the boat and into the water. Fay was last to leave the safety of the small boat.

 

The cold salt water stung her skin momentarily, until the thin layer of water between her skin and her wetsuit warmed to a tolerable temperature. She bobbed on the surface for a moment, then flicked on her underwater torch. Fay then slipped beneath the water’s surface and began her descent toward the bottom.

 

The wreck was ninety feet below. The Carr came to rest upright on the edge of a reef. The ship had not completely settled and was subject to shifting with each tide change. All good reasons for her to exercise extreme caution.

 

Nothing could have prepared Fay for the frightening feeling she experienced as she struggled to see and gain some sense of direction. She could tell she was sinking, but only because the luminous dial of her depth gauge so indicated. Following the eerie flickering lights of the three torches preceding her, she suppressed her fear and the feeling of claustrophobia by thinking of those people nearest to her heart.

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Norm Harris' first novel debuted on an Amazon bestseller list in 2002. It was a one-and-done, but now he's back with a plan to publish a couple of sequels to that first mystery/thriller of days gone by. Except for time spent in military service, he is a second-generation Seattleite (that's what they call those who dwell in the shadow of Mt. Rainier), with his legal beagle son, K-K, and five giant tropical fish. His upcoming release, Arid Sea, is the third book in what he hopes to be an award-winning Spider Green Mystery Story series.

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/780557.Norm_Harris

 

https://www.amazon.com/Norman-A.-Harris/e/B002BOH4R0

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09L56XS21/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09N8QWTF5/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09Q1XVRNR/

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

Norm Harris will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

RAFFLECOPTER:

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4093