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Saturday, June 30, 2012
Blog Tour: "Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00" by CR Hiatt (Interview/Excerpt)
Author CR Hiatt has stopped by today on Book Lovin Mamas where we got to interview her for her
Blog Tour of "Gone at Zero Hunder 00:00".
Sydney Marie McSwain – a tomboy who yearned for a father.
Cody Beck – a wannabe filmmaker, wisenheimer and flirt.
Jaden White – the star who led the high school hockey team to two championships, and was now on the A-list for NHL scouts.
Sydney Marie McSwain loves her mom, Anna – a private investigator in the coastal city where they live – but they had a major issue between them. Anna refused to give Sydney the identity of her father. On the day of her high school graduation, they were battling it out, once again. An hour later, Sydney, Cody and Jaden were at the local café, and watched as Anna was gunned down, and it was broadcasted on live TV.
Faced with immediate responsibility, Sydney and Cody agreed to take over the agency, only they changed the name to McSwain & Beck. At the same time, Sydney convinced Sutter Beach Detective, Ace Carter, to help her track down her father.
Out of the blue, a model walked in and hired them to follow her step-brother. While Cody was busy editing a trailer to solicit new clients, Sydney settled into her lemon-yellow pickup to do surveillance, and wound up staking out a secret club called The Devil’s Door whose suspicious members wore the tattoo of a devil.
That same night, Sydney received a call from one of her mom’s former clients, only the client was gunned down at the location where they agreed to meet. The mysterious discovery of a DVD revealed the possibility that teenagers were being abducted, only nobody reported them missing.
On the hunt for the victims, McSwain & Beck were chased by men in ski masks, nearly gunned down by members of a cartel called the outlaws, Sydney’s precious pickup was broken into; then the step-brother they were hired to follow, was found dead and Sydney was the number one suspect.
If things weren’t bad enough already, they had to figure out how to crash a red-carpet Mardi Gras bash being held on a private cruise ship, before it sailed off into the sunset, where they just might meet the devil, himself.
Now, the clock was ticking…
And time was running out…
How was she ever going to find her father, now?
“Their lives were in the hands of two 18 year-olds…”
Author Bio:
CR HIATT is a
writer of screenplays and an author of YA action-mystery novels. The daughter
of a military veteran, CR grew up in a small town where she became an
All-American athlete. CR knew early on that she wasn't cut out for the nine to
five type of job - her tendency to day dream about adventures often got in the
way. But, being the daughter of a Navy Veteran she also knew one had to do what
was necessary to be secure, so she disciplined herself to push those dreams
aside and settled on working in the entertainment legal field. When those
dreams invaded her world once again, CR finally gave in and set out to write
her own adventures. What the heck, right. If you can't live 'em, you might as
well write about them.
The journey
started after CR interviewed big city detectives about their lives on the job;
then talked with some of their victims. That resulted in her first YA series:
McSwain & Beck. The novels are works of fiction, only based on real life
events, but you can't help but wonder while reading the books which parts are
true.
When CR isn't
writing, she enjoys renovating houses, spending time outdoors, catching up on
her favorite books and TV shows (dedicated fan of NCIS, Justified, Southland,
Blue Bloods, Person of Interest, and Big Bang Theory) and most importantly,
spending time at the campfires with her family and friends.
Interview:
1. Tell us 5 things that readers may not know about you.
--1. When I was
ten-years-old, a water snake was dropped down the back of my shirt. Needless to
say, I freaked. To this day, I am still petrified of snakes.
--2. NCIS is my
favorite show.
--3. I love
playing pranks on friends.
--4. I am
probably the only woman alive who hasn’t read Fifty Shades of Gray.
--5. I am a
sucker for a good Christmas movie, and watch them over and over again.
2. What inspired you to write "Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00"?
Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00 was developed from real-life
crimes I heard about when interviewing big city detectives and police officers,
only I added fictional plot details, developed new characters and villains, and
created fictional locations.
3. What was your writing
routine like while writing the book?
I am a creature
of habit when it comes to my writing. Each day started with a healthy breakfast
and thirty-minutes of exercise which helps me to stay focused. I don’t have an
office (by desire) I have a portable laptop desk that can be moved to any
location I choose to sit for the day.
I started off
with a one sentence log line of my idea, which was then outlined by way of a
screenplay. On a cork board that sat in front of me, I put the names of my
characters, and a three line description for each. I searched through IMDB and
selected the actor I thought was best suited for the role, which I then printed
out and pinned next to the name.
Next, I planned
out my back stories, villains and the locations where my story would take
place. Then, I started typing. I treated my writing like a full-time job. I put
in no less than 8 hours a day, and allowed myself short breaks, but wouldn’t
stop until I met my goal for the day.
4. Who are some of your
favorite authors?
J.K. Rowling,
Robert Ludlum, John LeClair, Vince Flynn, Rick Riordan, Anthony Horowitz, Lee
Childs, Robert Crais, Tom Clancy, Dennis Lehane, Robert Parker, James Patterson
5. When you are not
writing, what are some of your hobbies?
I love spending
time outdoors at the beach, walking and riding along the bike path. Taking
rides on the motorcycle, looking at all the great scenery. I also like to find
old or run down houses, tear them down to the studs and rebuild them and make
them like new.
6. What are your current
projects?
I am prepping the sequel, Fireworks on the 4th, for
publication. I also have two spy novels in the works: Retribution (working
title) and I AM NOT A SPY.
Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00
by: CR Hiatt
Publishing Date: 3/30/12
Genre: YA action-mystery thriller
Sydney Marie McSwain and her pal, Cody Beck, team up to
take on a secret club called The Devil’s Door where members are branded
with the tattoo of a devil and call themselves The Privileged Ones.Sydney Marie McSwain – a tomboy who yearned for a father.
Cody Beck – a wannabe filmmaker, wisenheimer and flirt.
Jaden White – the star who led the high school hockey team to two championships, and was now on the A-list for NHL scouts.
Sydney Marie McSwain loves her mom, Anna – a private investigator in the coastal city where they live – but they had a major issue between them. Anna refused to give Sydney the identity of her father. On the day of her high school graduation, they were battling it out, once again. An hour later, Sydney, Cody and Jaden were at the local café, and watched as Anna was gunned down, and it was broadcasted on live TV.
Faced with immediate responsibility, Sydney and Cody agreed to take over the agency, only they changed the name to McSwain & Beck. At the same time, Sydney convinced Sutter Beach Detective, Ace Carter, to help her track down her father.
Out of the blue, a model walked in and hired them to follow her step-brother. While Cody was busy editing a trailer to solicit new clients, Sydney settled into her lemon-yellow pickup to do surveillance, and wound up staking out a secret club called The Devil’s Door whose suspicious members wore the tattoo of a devil.
That same night, Sydney received a call from one of her mom’s former clients, only the client was gunned down at the location where they agreed to meet. The mysterious discovery of a DVD revealed the possibility that teenagers were being abducted, only nobody reported them missing.
On the hunt for the victims, McSwain & Beck were chased by men in ski masks, nearly gunned down by members of a cartel called the outlaws, Sydney’s precious pickup was broken into; then the step-brother they were hired to follow, was found dead and Sydney was the number one suspect.
If things weren’t bad enough already, they had to figure out how to crash a red-carpet Mardi Gras bash being held on a private cruise ship, before it sailed off into the sunset, where they just might meet the devil, himself.
Now, the clock was ticking…
And time was running out…
How was she ever going to find her father, now?
“Their lives were in the hands of two 18 year-olds…”
Excerpt:
DETECTIVE CARTER crept up the hills above an exclusive mansion keeping in the shadows
to stay out of sight. One hand was firmly clasped around the 9mm Glock clipped at his hip. The
other held the end of a Pelican LED police-issued flashlight which he used to guide his way. He
followed the footprints noticeable in the mulch, size seven and ten if he had to take a guess.
Sloppy for would-be prowlers looking to rob the place, or crazed killers carrying large
weapons..at least that was the description given by the frantic woman when she phoned police
dispatch after she spotted suspicious activity in the hills while she was jogging.
SNAP!
Hearing the sound, Carter whipped out his gun and waived his flashlight over the area. He
noticed a camera perched on a tripod, peeking out through a row of bushes that was pointed
toward a window on the second floor of the mansion.
A camera, that's a large weapon the caller complained about?
"Ready, and action!" he heard a male voice say.
"Sutter Beach Police!" Carter moved the flashlight toward the voice, then pushed his way through a set of bushes to get a look. He shook his head at what he saw.
"McSwain & Beck, I should have known." He put his gun back in the holster, and watch with an amused look on his face.
Cody was squatting down in the brush behind the camera, filming. He was painted in
camouflage to blend in with the brush, and wore an ear piece with a built-in microphone.
He spoke into the mic. "Looking for two hotshot sleuths?" He veered the lens of the camera toward a set of branches high up on a tree.
That's where I was, decked out in black Under Armour tights and a long-sleeve athletic shirt,
with a ski-mask to hide my face. I was dangling upside down like a bat by a rope I affixed to the
tree. I had my own camera zoomed in, and filming the escapades taking place inside the window
of the mansion. After I got the footage I was looking for, I yanked on the rope, pulled myself
upright and slithered back down.
Cody kept the camera on me until I hit the ground. Then, we posed in front of the camera with
my face still hidden behind the mask.
Cody said into the camera, "Have a cheating spouse? Looking for a runaway teen? Need to verify facts, gather information, or have an employee take off with your friends?"
I added, "Or maybe you just need good old-fashioned surveillance services performed? No
job is too big, or too small. Look no further, McSwain & Beck, the reluctant sleuths are here for
you..."
Cody hit stop on the camera, and we bumped fists.
"Fresh," he said in an animated tone. Nothing got Cody more excited than when he was
behind a camera filming. " I can edit out what we filmed today, then slice in some of the old footage. It'll make an awesome trailer for the site. We'll be getting clients for McSwain & Beck
in no time."
to stay out of sight. One hand was firmly clasped around the 9mm Glock clipped at his hip. The
other held the end of a Pelican LED police-issued flashlight which he used to guide his way. He
followed the footprints noticeable in the mulch, size seven and ten if he had to take a guess.
Sloppy for would-be prowlers looking to rob the place, or crazed killers carrying large
weapons..at least that was the description given by the frantic woman when she phoned police
dispatch after she spotted suspicious activity in the hills while she was jogging.
SNAP!
Hearing the sound, Carter whipped out his gun and waived his flashlight over the area. He
noticed a camera perched on a tripod, peeking out through a row of bushes that was pointed
toward a window on the second floor of the mansion.
A camera, that's a large weapon the caller complained about?
"Ready, and action!" he heard a male voice say.
"Sutter Beach Police!" Carter moved the flashlight toward the voice, then pushed his way through a set of bushes to get a look. He shook his head at what he saw.
"McSwain & Beck, I should have known." He put his gun back in the holster, and watch with an amused look on his face.
Cody was squatting down in the brush behind the camera, filming. He was painted in
camouflage to blend in with the brush, and wore an ear piece with a built-in microphone.
He spoke into the mic. "Looking for two hotshot sleuths?" He veered the lens of the camera toward a set of branches high up on a tree.
That's where I was, decked out in black Under Armour tights and a long-sleeve athletic shirt,
with a ski-mask to hide my face. I was dangling upside down like a bat by a rope I affixed to the
tree. I had my own camera zoomed in, and filming the escapades taking place inside the window
of the mansion. After I got the footage I was looking for, I yanked on the rope, pulled myself
upright and slithered back down.
Cody kept the camera on me until I hit the ground. Then, we posed in front of the camera with
my face still hidden behind the mask.
Cody said into the camera, "Have a cheating spouse? Looking for a runaway teen? Need to verify facts, gather information, or have an employee take off with your friends?"
I added, "Or maybe you just need good old-fashioned surveillance services performed? No
job is too big, or too small. Look no further, McSwain & Beck, the reluctant sleuths are here for
you..."
Cody hit stop on the camera, and we bumped fists.
"Fresh," he said in an animated tone. Nothing got Cody more excited than when he was
behind a camera filming. " I can edit out what we filmed today, then slice in some of the old footage. It'll make an awesome trailer for the site. We'll be getting clients for McSwain & Beck
in no time."
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