Mystery/Suspense
Date Published: 5/12/2018
Black Opal Books
Elisha Crimson thought her wedding day would be the happiest
of her life. But losing her fiancé to two thugs in a dark sedan wasn’t part of
the plan. She, along with the rest of the wedding party, can do nothing to stop
the abrupt abduction, so she pursues at the first opportunity, navigating the
West Virginia interstate in a white wedding dress behind the wheel of a pickup
truck. But will she catch the sedan in time to save her one true love?
Ronnie Washington had known his past would catch up with him, eventually, but he hadn’t expected it to happen on his wedding day. He hates enclosed spaces, and now he’s bouncing around in the trunk of a car after being abducted from the ceremony. His only hope is to talk his way out, but the thugs don’t seem inclined to listen. He knows Elisha will come after him, but, even if she catches them, what can she possibly do against men like these?
Can these two unlikely heroes save the day, and the wedding, or is their life together over before it even starts?
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Ronnie Washington had known his past would catch up with him, eventually, but he hadn’t expected it to happen on his wedding day. He hates enclosed spaces, and now he’s bouncing around in the trunk of a car after being abducted from the ceremony. His only hope is to talk his way out, but the thugs don’t seem inclined to listen. He knows Elisha will come after him, but, even if she catches them, what can she possibly do against men like these?
Can these two unlikely heroes save the day, and the wedding, or is their life together over before it even starts?
Interview with Robert Downs
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in The Bridal Chase?
Elisha Crimson thought her wedding
day would be the happiest of her life. But losing her fiancé to two thugs in a
dark sedan wasn’t part of the plan. She, along with the rest of the wedding
party, can do nothing to stop the abrupt abduction, so she pursues at the first
opportunity, navigating the West Virginia interstate in a white wedding dress
behind the wheel of a pickup truck. But will she catch the sedan in time to
save her one true love?
Ronnie Washington had known his past would catch up with him, eventually, but he hadn’t expected it to happen on his wedding day. He hates enclosed spaces, and now he’s bouncing around in the trunk of a car after being abducted from the ceremony. His only hope is to talk his way out, but the thugs don’t seem inclined to listen. He knows Elisha will come after him, but, even if she catches them, what can she possibly do against men like these?
Ronnie Washington had known his past would catch up with him, eventually, but he hadn’t expected it to happen on his wedding day. He hates enclosed spaces, and now he’s bouncing around in the trunk of a car after being abducted from the ceremony. His only hope is to talk his way out, but the thugs don’t seem inclined to listen. He knows Elisha will come after him, but, even if she catches them, what can she possibly do against men like these?
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have
planned for the future?
Absolutely. I am a bit of a
planner, and I’ve been writing somewhat extensively for the past eighteen years
or so. I also like to think I am reasonably productive, and I’m rather good at
motivating myself. What all that means is that I am probably working about
three years ahead, as I have contracts for six more books with my publisher
Black Opal Books, assuming we continue at the current pace of about two books a
year.
My next book Simultaneous Meltdown is my fourth standalone thriller. It
involves three American terrorists who set out to implode Boston through chaos
and terror one major landmark at a time, beginning with the Boston Public
Library, The Hancock, and The Pru. Even though I originally set out to write a
straight thriller, it became a novel about loss and those who are left behind
as much as the explosions that fill its pages.
How long would
you say it takes you to write a book?
It’s
hard to say, as it varies as greatly as the length of my books. I’ve written
everything from novellas to novels, and I’m always working well ahead, based on
my ability to plan. I write multiple drafts before I have a publishable
manuscript, and in between drafts, I am working on other projects. But if I had
to venture a guess, I would say my shortest project took me about three or four
months of actual writing time, while the first manuscript I ever wrote is still
being reworked, and it’s gone through so many drafts I’ve lost count. I don’t
have a set timeframe or a set number of drafts, and I’m always writing on spec
(this means I don’t have a contract lined up ahead of time so there is no
actual deadline), but I do like to finish what I’ve started, so I’ve been known
to push myself forward through the writing process at a pace that seems to work
well for me and my publisher.
What is your
favorite childhood book?
I
don’t know if I have a favorite childhood book. But I do know my mom’s favorite
book that she read to me was It Could
Always Be Worse. Since she’s one of the smartest people I know, and since
I’m convinced one of the main reasons I’m writing is that she took the time to
read to me every single day before I was old enough to read on my own, I’ll
stick with her answer.
If you could
spend the day with one of the characters from The Bridal Chase who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this
particular character, where you would go and what you would do.
Elisha
Crimson. Hands down. Final answer. She’s strong and tough, and she doesn’t take
crap from anyone. When life gets tough, she gets even tougher. She gets knocked
down multiple times over the course of The
Bridal Chase, and she bounces back each and every time. I like to think I
handle tough situations in the same manner as she. If I don’t do it as well,
then I have some work to do. As far as where we would go and what we would do,
I like adventures, and I am open to suggestions.
What was the
hardest scene from The Bridal Chase
to write?
The
entire novella was a challenge for me. It’s bounces back and forth between
Elisha’s perspective and Ronnie’s, but I embrace challenges, as they lead to
opportunities. This was the first book I’d ever set in West Virginia (my home
state), and it was also the first time I explored nonlinear storytelling, which
was a lot of fun for me.
What made you
want to become a writer?
Aside
from my parents instilling a love of reading in me, by taking the time to read
to me each day, I would say Finding
Forrester had the biggest impact on me. Even though I wrote poetry, or what
I like to refer to as really bad song lyrics, in little notebooks, I never
really thought about writing anything longer than that. But Finding Forrester taught me to write for
myself, and I decided to go big or go home by writing a manuscript. That first
one didn’t ultimately work, and neither did the next four or five after it, but
it instilled in me a love of writing, and I kept going until I had one that did
work.
I
suppose it’s not all that surprising that a movie ended up having as big of an
impact on my writing as reading did, because I love movies and books almost
equally, and in my mind, they both go together. Readers have commented that
they can see my books visually, and I’m sure this relates back to my love of
movies.
Just for fun
a) Favorite song: I don’t think I can pick just one, so I’ll go with “Catch
My Breath” by Kelly Clarkson and “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon.
b) Favorite book: It’s impossible for me to pick just one, so I’ll go with Killing Floor by Lee Child and The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson.
c) Favorite
movie: I’ll continue with my theme of two,
even though I could add even more, and say We
Are Marshall and The Girl Next Door.
d) Favorite tv
show: Two is more fun than one, so I’ll go
with Breaking Bad and Monk.
e) Favorite Food: I could have been Italian in another life, because spaghetti
and lasagna are absolutely fantastic.
f) Favorite
drink: I like to keep it simple, so I’ll
say water.
g) Favorite
website: In keeping with two, I will say
Facebook and Goodreads.
Thanks so much
for visiting with us today!
About the Author
Robert Downs aspired to be a writer before he realized how
difficult the writing process was. Fortunately, he'd already fallen in love
with the craft, otherwise his tales might never have seen print. Originally
from West Virginia, he has lived in Virginia, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and
now resides in California. When he’s not writing, Downs can be found reading,
reviewing, traveling, or smiling. To find out more about his latest projects,
or to reach out to him on the Internet, visit the author’s website: www.RobertDowns.net.
THE BRIDAL CHASE is his seventh book and second novella.
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Giveaway:
$10 Amazon Gift Card
$10 Amazon Gift Card
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