Welcome to a
late edition of Books, Chocolate and Wine.
The computer gods were not with us this week. I’m happy to host Kim McMahill.
We had some questions for her and wanted to hear about her April release, A
Taste of Tragedy.
Tell us about
your latest release.
A Taste of Tragedy is my latest
release and the second novel in the Risky Research Series. In the first novel, A Dose of Danger, a researcher and her
team believe they had discovered a miracle weight loss pill, which makes them
the targets of a deadly group intent on controlling the multi-billion
dollar-a-year diet product industry. In A Taste
of Tragedy, a company uses and promotes a potentially deadly sweetener in
its Healthy and Delicious Foods line. The product turns the company into a
global powerhouse, but when their newest vice president uncovers evidence that
the healthy foods she’s been hired to promote may be dangerous, she is forced
to reevaluate her priorities. As questions mount and the body count rises, she
finds herself caught in the crosshairs of an organization that will stop at
nothing to hide its secrets and protect its profits.
What are you
working on now?
I’ve drafted the
basic plot for the third novel in the Risky Research series, A Foundation of Fear. In this book we
really get to know the villains on a personal level and learn that even the
most deadly assassin may have something to fear.
Are you a
plotter or a pantser and why did you choose that method?
I’m a little
of both, and the degree of each depends on the story. Shrouded In Secrets had so many complex scenarios to keep track of
that I had note cards and maps pinned to a cork board and a fairly detailed
chapter-by-chapter outline. I always keep a running chapter-by-chapter cheat
sheet at a minimum, but if the story is flowing, I just let it go and see where
I end up.
What is your
favorite movie and why?
One of my
all-time favorite movies has to be Sahara. It is based on a Clive Cussler novel
of the same name. It is an entertaining adventure where the characters are
trying to stop an ecological disaster of epic proportions, yet somehow Cussler
always weaves in a few things that make you laugh or at least smile. I’m also
quite fond of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Everyone always dreams of a
little adventure, but it takes strength to go outside your comfort zone and
grab it.
Someone just
gave you the best compliment ever. What
was it?
“I stayed up
until two in the morning, because I just couldn’t put your book down until I
finished it.” Whenever I hear that I feel like I really accomplished something
with my writing. I write to entertain and take the reader on outrageous
adventures.
Name something
that is guaranteed to make you laugh and something that will always make you
cry.
National
Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation always makes me laugh even though I watch it at
least once every holiday season. I’m an easy crier. Pretty much everything
makes me cry, which is why I read, write and watch action adventure and
suspense. If I hear a book or movie is a “feel good” story, I generally avoid
it because I know it will make me cry.
You get a
month off from your regular personal life and writing routine to travel. Where will you go?
I would take a
very long exotic cruise. I love to see new places, so I wouldn’t really care
where I go as long as it’s someplace new. I don’t have a bucket list. I am a
self-proclaimed travel junkie and anywhere I haven’t been is someplace I want
to go. I would choose a cruise so I could see a lot of different places and
only unpack once.
Tell us about
a hidden talent you have that most people don’t know about.
I can grow
tomatoes, even when nothing else grows.
No matter where I’ve lived or what variety I plant, I usually produce plenty
to eat fresh all summer, give away to friends and neighbors, and freeze enough
to get me through the entire winter. I’ve even taken up making my own homemade
spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce to use up more at any given time.
What’s your
favorite comfort food?
My husband
makes killer homemade baked macaroni and cheese. If you’ve only had mac and
cheese out of a box, you have no idea what you’re missing.
What one piece
of advice would you like to pass on to an up and coming author?
Keep your
expectations realistic. No matter how good your work may be, the competition is
tough and getting noticed takes as much work and skill as writing that great
novel.
Her dream job has turned into a nightmare…
Back Cover Copy for A Taste of Tragedy:
Morgan Hunter sacrificed everything for her career. She had yet to
encounter anything she wasn’t willing to do to succeed...until now. When she
uncovers evidence that the healthy foods she’s been hired to promote may be
dangerous, she must reevaluate her priorities. As questions mount and the body
count rises she finds herself caught in the crosshairs of an organization that
will stop at nothing to hide its secrets and protect its profits. With no one
else to trust, Morgan is forced to seek help from the man she drove away, but
whom she never stopped loving.
Reviews for A Taste of Tragedy:
“The fast paced story is hard to put down and the time and
effort put into the development of the characters kept this reader pushing on
to the end. Great job, great read. Keep them coming Ms. McMahill! “
“If you love
romantic suspense, you’ve got to read this book! I highly recommend it! I can’t
wait to read the next installment in the Risky Research series!!!”
2 of the 11 (averaging
4.6 stars) Amazon reviews
Excerpt from A Taste of Tragedy:
Jiggling the mouse,
Morgan brought her sleeping computer screen to life. A quick check of her
e-mail verified there was nothing new that couldn’t wait until Monday. She
opened her calendar for the next week and nearly groaned. Her second week on
the job, and she had the Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) coming in
for routine inspections, and a meeting with the sales and marketing team. On
top of that, her new boss and president of the company, Preston Hoyle, wanted a
report by week’s end on her observations and initial plan of attack for
increasing profits and returning the line to its highest level of sales.
“You’re here late.”
Speak of the devil. Morgan looked up at Preston and smiled. “I’m just wrapping up a few
things and wanted to take one last peek at next week’s schedule to make sure
Aaron didn’t add anything new since the last time I checked.”
“He’ll definitely
keep you organized, and don’t hesitate to utilize his skills. He’s a sharp
young man.”
Morgan stood,
feeling small and somewhat intimidated by the tall, handsome man towering over
her. Even with heels on, she couldn’t quite look him in his pale blue eyes and
had to tilt her chin up. He was closer than she had realized, invading her
personal space. His gaze seemed fixed on her lips, so she took a quick step
back and reached for Aaron’s resume to insert some distance without seeming too
obvious.
“I gathered that
from his resume, and I can’t help but wonder how long I’ll have him with his
education and experience. He seems a bit overqualified for the job.”
“Don’t worry about
Aaron. He isn’t going anywhere, but you should. It’s Friday night. You’re new
on the job and new in town, and you’ve put in more hours than I expect,
especially during your first week. I feel a little guilty about the lack of
assistance with your transition, but hopefully, Aaron has ensured you have
everything you need. If my in-laws weren’t in town, I’d love to take you to
dinner and show you what our fine city has to offer.”
The only way Morgan
could describe the smile that followed his last statement was “lecherous,” and
warning bells resounded in her head.
“I appreciate the
sentiment, Mr. Hoyle, but it has been a long week, and as soon as I can close
up here, I’m heading up to Sedona to our family vacation home. I plan to relax
with a glass of wine and one of the Healthy and Delicious Foods entrees I
haven’t tried yet before I tackle a year’s worth of dust and cobwebs tomorrow.”
“Now that’s
dedication, but don’t get too carried away with these products. Your figure is
just fine the way it is,” he said, letting his eyes linger too long on her
breasts. “And please, call me Preston. I’m sure we’ll be working very closely
together, including plenty of late nights, so no need to be so formal.”
Morgan didn’t know
how to respond to his last comment so returned her focus to an innocuous topic.
“According to the promotional material supplied by the advertising team, the
Healthy and Delicious Foods line isn’t just for weight loss. I must admit, I’m
very impressed with the data on GCF’s revolutionary natural sweetener, MFHG3,
derived primarily from the monk fruit and hoodia gordonii. Not only does it
sweeten foods, but the steroidal glycosides found in
the Hoodia plant are reported to curb the appetite. It sounds almost too good
to be true.”
“Yes, MFHG3 took
this company from a small local manufacturer to a national powerhouse, catering
to the thin-obsessed and health-crazed society. MFHG3 has changed the playing
field and has all the other companies scrambling to catch up, but enough
shoptalk. You need to get out of here, and if I miss my dinner reservation, my
mother-in-law will yap about it all weekend. I would like to hear more about
this place in Sedona soon. Sounds like a perfect weekend getaway from the heat,
the city, and the stress of the job. Maybe you’ll even give me a tour one of
these days.”
Not in this lifetime. She bit her lip and didn’t respond.
The smile he
flashed at Morgan as he departed her office made her shudder. He seemed
perfectly professional during the interview process. She hadn’t been alone with
him in the same room all week, but this brief exchange warned her to avoid
one-on-one time with her boss as much as possible, especially after hours in an
empty and dark building.
Morgan dropped into
her desk chair, powered down her computer, and stowed the lightweight laptop in
her briefcase along with several files she had procured from accounting.
Grasping the knob on the lower side drawer of her desk to retrieve her purse,
she was reminded of one more thing she had forgotten to do this week.
She had intended to
have Aaron submit a work order to have someone fix the drawer. Since it didn’t
completely close, she wasn’t able to lock up her purse when she was down in the
ground floor factory—not that anyone could get into her office with the
tenacious Aaron sitting just outside her door. Mostly, it was simply annoying.
The drawer shut enough that she didn’t catch a shin, so she forgot about it
until she was stowing or retrieving her purse.
“I can’t believe
this little gap is bugging me so much. I must be turning into my ex,” Morgan
huffed as she sat down on the floor and scooted under her desk with the small
flashlight from her key chain, hoping her boss didn’t return and catch her with
her skirt hiked up.
She ran her fingers
along the track and felt something at the very back. Wriggling even further
under the desk, she shined the small light in the area where she detected the
obstruction. The item was affixed with tape, but it took little effort to pry
it free.
Crawling back out
into the light, Morgan examined the small item. No larger than a paperclip, its
identity was clear. She held a tiny flash drive between her fingers.
Hmm, curious place to keep data. She pondered the matter while looking closely at her find. “Wish I
wouldn’t have already powered down my computer,” Morgan muttered as she dropped
the small device into her purse, flipped off the lights, and headed for the
elevator.
Author the Author:
Kim McMahill
grew up in Wyoming, which is where she developed her sense of adventure and
love of the outdoors. Kim started out writing non-fiction, but her passion for
exotic world travel, outrageous adventures, stories of survival, and
happily-ever-after endings soon drew her into a world of romantic suspense. Along
with writing adventure novels Kim has also published over eighty travel and
geographic articles, and contributed to a travel anthology and cookbook. Kim
currently resides in Colorado, and when not writing, she enjoys gardening,
traveling, hiking, and spending time with family.
Kim’s Social Media Links:
