FEATURED AUTHOR: CARLA DAMRON

 

 

ABOUT THE BOOK 

Social worker Georgia Thayer can balance her own mental illness with the demands of an impossible job. Mostly. But when her sister vanishes in the dead of night, her desperate quest to find Peyton takes her into the tentacles of a human trafficking network—where she encounters a young victim called “Kitten.”
 
Kitten is determined to escape. She won’t be trapped like the others. She won’t sell her soul like Lillian, victim-turned-madam, feeding the dark appetites of international business moguls and government leaders. But the Estate won’t let her out of its lethal grip, and her attempts at freedom threaten her very life.
 
Aided by Kitten and, at times, by the voices in her head, Georgia maneuvers to bring down the kingpin of Estate and expose its dark secrets, but her efforts place her—and the few people she allows to get close—in grave danger.
 

Book Details 

Title: The Orchid Tattoo       

Author: Carla Damron        

Genre: crime fiction 

Publisher: Koehler Books (September 30, 2022)

Print length: 326 pages

 

LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT WITH CARLA DAMRON

A few of your favorite things: CHOCOLATE, autumn, when my husband says “let’s eat out.”
Things you need to throw out: clothes from 1995, that broken pottery plate that I loved but can’t be repaired, the light-up velvet painting of a riverboat from my in-laws’ house, even though it’s pretty cool.

Things you need in order to write: coffee in my favorite mug. The annoying cat contained in another room so he can’t “help” me. 

Things that hamper your writing: negative self-talk, social media (especially those cute panda bear videos people post).

Things you love about writing: I love words. Their shape and texture. The magic of it: scribbles on a page turn into fleshed-out scenes that take place in the reader’s mind.

Things you hate about writing: sometimes I dread the blank page. The drudgery of middles. The business end of the writing life—querying and getting rejected and querying more and wondering if I should take up knitting.

Easiest thing about being a writer: seriously, it couldn’t be easier. All you need is a pen and paper.

Hardest thing about being a writer: once you have that pen and paper, you need to open your soul and let it bleed.

Things you love about where you live: three wonderful seasons! 

Things that make you want to move: in summer, we live in lava.

Things you never want to run out of: coffee, Fresca, and patience.

Things you wish you’d never bought: those stupid grown-up shoes that, when I wear them, prove I’ll never actually be a grown-up.

Words that describe you: empathic, passionate, witty, fun.

Words that describe you but you wish they didn’t: stubborn, self-righteous at times, disorganized.

Favorite foods: hot latte, fried shrimp, rice (the Southerner in me ADORES rice).

Things that make you want to throw up: Feta cheese, mustard, Peeps. I REALLY hate Peeps. 

Favorite music: all things Bonnie Raitt. Also love Ellis Paul, James Taylor, Elton John (yeah, I’m old). 

Music that make your ears bleed: sorry Greek friends, but I’m pretty sure that the music they play at Greek festivals can summon demons.

Favorite beverage: I’m not addicted to Fresca. I can quit anytime. 

Something that gives you a pickle face: Moxie (a carbonated beverage from Maine, where my hub’s family lives).

Favorite smell: fireplace in autumn. Steaks on the grill.

Something that makes you hold your nose: over-applied aftershave.

Something you’re really good at: I’m very conceited about my typing speed. 

Something you’re really bad at: keeping my opinions to myself. Surely everyone wants to hear them, right?

Something you wish you could do: crochet
.
Something you wish you’d never learned to do: pull weeds.

Something you like to do: go kayaking.

Something you wish you’d never done: agreed to take minutes. WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Last best thing you ate: dark chocolate caramel with sea salt. Yum. 

Last thing you regret eating: a soggyish flatbread disaster.

Things you’d walk a mile for: to talk sense into a legislator.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: legislators who won’t listen.

Things you always put in your books: social justice issues.

Things you never put in your books: one-dimensional characters.

Things to say to an author: I bought your book!

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I think you should have changed the ending so that this happens” (then proceeds to tell me what would have been a better ending).

Favorite places you’ve been: Alaska, Switzerland, Maine.

Places you never want to go to again: any crowded airport when lot of flights are cancelled.

Favorite things to do: hug on my animals. 

Things you’d run through a fire wearing gasoline pants to get out of doing: bathe a cat.

Things that make you happy: people who are generous and help others. 

Things that drive you crazy: people who have the resources to help those who need it and don’t.

Proudest moment: winning the WFWA Star Award for Best Novel. 

Most embarrassing moment: there are so many. Recently, I tripped over a bag when I was about to testify at the Statehouse.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: went rappelling.

Something you chickened out from doing: taking a hike through a park in Alaska (we saw a sign that said a grizzly bear had been spotted!)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carla Damron, a native of South Carolina, is the author of The Orchid Tattoo, crime fiction about human trafficking. She is also a social worker and advocate whose last novel, The Stone Necklace (about grief and addiction) won the 2017 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award for Best Novel. This novel was also selected to be the One Community Read for Columbia SC.  Damron authored the Caleb Knowles mystery novels (Keeping Silent, Spider Blue, and Death in Zooville) and has published numerous short stories, essays, and op-eds. She holds an MSW and an MFA and finds her careers of social worker and writer to be intricately intertwined; all of her novels explore social issues like addiction, homelessness, mental illness, and human trafficking. In her spare time, Damron volunteers with the League of Women Voters, Sisters in Crime, Palmetto Chapter (President), her church, and Mutual Aid Midlands.


Connect with Carla:
Website |  Newsletter  |  Facebook  |  Twitter   |  Goodreads


Buy the book:

Amazon   |  Barnes & Noble  
 
 
 

FEATURED AUTHOR: COLETTE R. HARRELL

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

In 1859, Junie Benson was a twelve-year-old genius and enslaved. His older sister, Sari, had her own difficulties, including being auctioned to the highest bidder. She was also beautiful, flighty, and had a repetitive dream about a hazel-eyed white stranger. Everybody with the good sense God had given them knew even her dream was forbidden.

In 2022, three things troubled ex-Special Forces Lt. Colonel Zachary Trumble . . . his new job as director of security for Burstein Labs, his loveless marriage, and the green-eyed siren who won’t let him sleep in peace.

Then time’s fickle hand brewed a recipe for a miracle . . . Stir in three runaway slaves, an avalanche, one mad scientist, and an unhappy, in-love hero to create a dish for revenge best served . . . Later.

Book Details
Title: Later
Author: Colette R. Harrell
Genre: inspirational, historical, interracial, African American, fantasy
Publisher: Intentional Entertainment LLC (September 1, 2022)
Print length: 204 pages

LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT WITH COLETTE R. HARRELL

A few of your favorite things: books, cheesecake, cold nights under warm blankets.
Things you need to throw out: worry, other peoples expectations, clothes no longer in my size.

Things you need in order to write: silence and light.
Things that hamper your writing: multiple sources of noise and a ringing phone.

Things you love about writing: I love seeing my words bring characters to life.
Things you hate about writing: editing, over and over. Ugggh!

Easiest thing about being a writer: the excitement of seeing the story unfold.
Hardest thing about being a writer: marketing your baby to the world.

Things you love about where you live: my husband, my family, and my house.
Things that make you want to move: the news. Is there a hole we can all burrow into?

Things you never want to run out of: ideas for a new novel.
Things you wish you’d never bought: the car that sits in my driveway. I never go anywhere.

Words that describe you: talkative, humorous, fun, loving.
Words that describe you but you wish they didn’t: anal, fiery/passionate, stubborn.

Favorite foods: pound cake. Texas Sheet Cake. cheesecake. Oh, yeah, cake.
Things that make you want to throw up: when someone else throws up.

Favorite song: “I Hope You Dance.”
Music that make your ears bleed: heavy metal.

Favorite beverage: I don’t drink it often, Squirt soda.
Something that gives you a pickle face: fingers on a chalk board.

Favorite smell: bread baking.
Something that makes you hold your nose: someone throwing up.

Something you’re really good at: writing. (Easy one.)
Something you’re really bad at: sewing.

Something you like to do: read.
Something you wish you’d never done: took time off from college, it just took longer to finish in the long run.

People you consider as heroes: those who fight for the underdog. Those who work in service to others.
People with a big L on their foreheads: rude and inconsiderate people. It is never okay to be a jerk.

Last best thing you ate: oh my, a slice of pound cake that was so good, and I didn’t have to bake it.
Last thing you regret eating: a White Castle Hamburger. I love them but they don’t always love me.

Things you’d walk a mile for: a hug from my love ones.
Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: horrible table manners. Please can I not see or hear your food? Thank you.

Things you always put in your books: a happy ending.
Things you never put in your books: a sad ending.

Things to say to an author: I love your work. Can I please have more?
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I really hated your characters. And, you’re a writer? (While holding your finished book in hand.)

Favorite places you’ve been: Savannah. Caribbean.
Places you never want to go to again: my first trip to Jamaica was horrible. My next
trip there was wonderful. Must have been the company.

Favorite books: romance. inspirational. historical.
Books you would ban: any focused on hate.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): now we are getting so personal. Hmmm . . . Oprah. Barbara Streisand. Michelle Obama.
People you’d cancel dinner on: Why are you getting me in trouble? Let’s go easy. Hitler. OJ. Nixon.

Favorite things to do: read.
Things you’d run through a fire wearing gasoline pants to get out of doing: mopping floors.

Things that make you happy: spring days with no expectations.
Things that drive you crazy: when people do not return important phone calls.

Proudest moment: the birth of my children, graduation from graduate school, my first book.
Most embarrassing moment: when my slip fell off while walking into a building.

Best thing you’ve ever done: learning to love myself unconditionally.
Biggest mistake: wasting my time worrying.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: writing a book. It’s not for the faint-hearted.
Something you chickened out from doing: running for Homecoming Queen in high school.

The last thing you did for the first time: self-publishing this book.
Something you’ll never do again: allow myself to go against my best instincts.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Colette R. Harrell made her debut as an author with the book The Devil Made Me Do It.
As a published author, she has enjoyed meeting her readers; for her, it’s all surreal. She
holds a master’s degree and worked as a director of social services, which allowed her a
front-row seat to the conflict and struggles of everyday people.

Her days are filled as an author, playwright, story editor, wife, mother, and grandmother. She wears many titles allowing twenty-four hours a day to meet the challenges.
 
Her goal in writing is to engage readers and provide them with golden nuggets of wisdom that feed and engage. Her biggest lesson is that it takes a village to raise a dream. She loves and appreciates her village.


Connect with Colette:
Website  |   Facebook   |  Twitter

Buy the book:
Amazon   |   Barnes & Noble   |   Kobo