Review and Interview - K J. Dahlen

Today I have a new review and interview with fellow author, K.J. Dahlen and her book, Blood Memories. 

Blood Memories

By K.J. Dahlen

BIO:

K. J. Dahlen lives in a small Wisconsin town with her husband and dog. She can see the Mississippi river on one side and the bluffs where eagles fly on the other. She has two kids and two grandkids. Kim loves to people watch and she uses what she sees in her books. She loves to create intense situations for her characters and sit back and see what they do to get to get themselves out of trouble. Sometimes her characters even surprise her. Her characters come alive for her, and what starts out as just an idea becomes a story with unusual twists and turns. She loves to keep her readers guessing until the very last page.

 

First a bit about this book:

When an accident turns out to be not an accident but murder, Savannah must solve a double murder that happened over twenty years ago to find the truth. She was the only witness to her parents' murders and now their killer is after her. She puts her trust into a man her aunt has known for all these years, but evidence soon points to him being involved with the man she thinks killed her parents. Will she prove him innocent or fall prey to his intent? Her life and over two million dollars in diamonds is at stake.

My Review:

I am a fan of thriller/mysteries.  I like trying to figure out who did what and how it all fits together and why.  This book gives you all that and more.  The main character, Savannah, you can immediately connect with.  After the death of her parents, she was raised by her aunt, and on the run for most of her life.  Her world is not all roses and sunshine.  Then upon the death of her beloved aunt, her life turns upside-down once again.  She is thrust into the world of smuggling and with it, death and deception.  Who can she really trust?  Who is the bad guy?  What does Savannah need to remember in order to find the people responsible for her parents’ murders? 

This author does a great job of connecting you with the characters in this book.  Not just the main character either, but all of them. The dialogue seems genuine and flows with easy.  The suspense never stops from the moment you begin all the way to the very last sentence. 

I can’t find one thing that I didn’t like about this book.  It was fast paced, full of suspense and mystery, and just a good fun book to ready. 

I give this book 5 stars.  I loved it.

Publisher: Rogue Phoenix Press

Genre: Suspense

Length: 318KB

Rating: 5.0

Reviewed by:  Courtney Rene

Interview

For a bit of extra fun, I like to find out a bit more about the authors I review. So, here is a short interview with Author, K.J. Dahlen:

1.         Can you tell us a little about yourself?   I have 18 books out at the moment with a couple more still coming. I am a mother and grandmother and wife. I live in a small town and love it and I have a very good imagination, or so I’m told.

           

My books are all suspense, because I love putting the characters I create into intense situations and seeing how they get out of them. Sometimes what happens next even surprises me!

2.         What are you currently working on? I just finished a book I call, The Guardian’s Key, the first book in a series I have planned dealing with angels, demons, white lighters and time travelers. It’s different than my normal suspense but with some interesting twists and turns.

            I am also starting new edits on my book Phoenix Rising- which will more than likely be under a different title by the time it comes out. I have a feeling the book itself will be completely different as well. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, I kinda like the story as it is, but I’m sure the editor won’t.

3.         If you could be any character from any book, who would you want to be and why? I’m comfortable just being who I am. If I were to become a character in a book I would have to become someone else, a person someone else created and I would behave differently and I don’t think I’d like that.

4.         Do you remember the very first story you ever wrote? What was it about? The first story I wrote was a romance I called, The Ghost in the Valley. Let me be the first to tell you I absolute suck at writing romance. I finished the book and put it away for twenty years. I switched over to suspense and when I found my book again I reread it and laughed at my first attempt. Maybe if I rework it I can change it to a mystery romance, but I would have to do a lot of work!

5.         What is next for you?  The contract for one of my books, The Prophet, is up and I have plans to rewrite the book. I want to add the rest of the story. I was going to make it into a trilogy but other ideas came up and there were other stories to be written, between then and now. Also I’m looking into making a sequel to my book, The Bradbury Inn. Jillian and Seth get involved in another mystery in New Orleans. This one has to do with Jillian’s long lost family and a curse over a hundred years old.

6.         What resource has been most influential in helping you become a published writer and why? How often do you refer back to it? I love reading. I have always been a reader and the more I read the more I understand the craft. I often write the way I and everyone around me talks and thinks. While it may not always be grammatically correct, it’s the way people know now days. I usually have a ton a edits to redo in the end but that’s ok too.

7.         What is the thing you enjoy the most about writing.  I love taking an idea and creating a complete story from it. I love adding twists and turns to my story and leaving my readers to guess what’s coming next.

8.         What are you doing when you are not writing? I love reading and spending time with my family. Not necessarily in that order. My family comes first in my world, they always have and always will.

9.         Who is your favorite author? I don’t have just one favorite author I have several and I’m always on the lookout for more. I have read some very good books from my author friends and I’m sure I’ll read more in the future.

10.       What is your absolutely favorite movie of all time? I would have to say National Treasure, both movies are the best. I love the intrigue and puzzle solving that leads the characters to the treasure. If only it were real…

11.       What are your thoughts on ebooks vs. print books? I can see the allure of an ebook. It seems to be the way we are headed, but I have to say I love the feeling a print book has. You can actually hold the book in your hand while you’re curling up on the couch. There is nothing better than that in my book. Sorry but that’s how I feel…

  

Thanks for stopping over everyone.  Have a great week!

 T