April Henry & Lis Wiehl's Hand of Fate

It's wonderful to have fellow GCC'er April Henry back here to visit! She and Lis Wiehl have co-authored a new book, HAND OF FATE (Thomas Nelson, April 2010). April Henry grew up in a little town in Southern Oregon where the main industries were timber and pears. When she was was twelve, she sent Roald Dahl a short story she had written about a six-foot-tall frog named Herman who loved peanut butter. He not only wrote her back - he showed it to the editor of an international children’s author, who asked to publish it. Since then, April has written nearly a dozen mysteries and thrillers for adults and teens, with seven more on the way. Look for her young adult thriller - Girl, Stolen - in October 2010. Lis Wiehl is a former federal prosecutor who is now a legal analyst for FOX-TV.

A little about Hand of Fate: When the host of a popular radio talk show is murdered, the suspects almost outnumber his millions of listeners. Outspoken radio talk show host Jim Fate dies he opens a package and releases poisonous gas while his polarizing show, "The Hand of Fate," is on air. In the ensuing panic, police evacuate downtown Portland. Soon the triple threat of FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges, crime reporter Cassidy Shaw and Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce begin piecing together the madness, motive, and the mystery that lie behind Fate’s murder.

While Lis has worked with Bill O’Reilly for years (often serving as the voice of reason or his liberal foil, depending on your point of view), the character is NO WAY based on O’Reilly. This is the second in the Triple Threat mystery series, which has been optioned for TV. The first one, Face of Betrayal, was on the New York Times bestseller list for four weeks! And in April 2011, readers can look for Heart of Ice, which traces the path of a destruction left by a sociopath - and based on a real-life case Lis prosecuted.

Publishers Weekly wrote, "Exciting... readers will identify with these very real women as they try to uncover Fate's killer, and each battles a personal demon—Allison her fear of miscarriage, Nic her fear of her daughter's criminal father, and Cassidy her prescription drug addiction.”

1. Can you tell us about your new book? Outspoken radio talk show host Jim Fate is murdered when poisonous gas fills his studio. In the ensuing panic, police evacuate downtown Portland. The triple threat of FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges, crime reporter Cassidy Shaw and Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce is on the case - but far too many people would have liked to have seen Jim dead.

2. I've never been able to choose just one favorite food, but do you have a clear preference? I should be Irish - I love potatoes. Baked, boiled, hashbrowned, fried, scalloped, mashed ... you just can’t go wrong with potatoes.

3. What's your Writer Fantasy--i.e., to see your book make into a feature film, to be on the New York Times bestseller list for 40 consecutive weeks, etc.? My writer fantasy is three starred reviews.

4. What's one piece of writing advice you've found valuable on your journey to publication? Tenacity is as important as talent. I watched people I took classes with - who were far better writers - not get published simply because they got a few rejections.

5. Do your neighbors/hometown acquaintances know you're a published author or did you just choose to tell those closest to you? I’ve been published since 1999, so most people know - and I’m not shy. However, most of the people I take kung fu with don’t know that I am a writer, and when one of them finds out, they are always surprised.

Thanks, April! Best wishes to you and Lis on this thrilling new mystery.

To everyone reading, what are some of your favorite mysteries? Do you like them dark or light? Suspenseful or humorous? Graphic or cozy?