DESCENT: "My stomach knotted..."

Welcome to Kristina Stanley, author of the brand new thriller DECENT. 

Let's find out if  doing the final edit on a novel is as terrifying as murder on the slopes...

Welcome to Magic of the Muses, Kristina.

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DESCENT was launched on July 25, 2015.  After years of writing, taking courses, trying to get a publisher, going through the editing process, asking for reviews on advanced reader copies and getting feedback, the most stressful part of the whole process was the final proofread.
 

Imajin Books  sent me the galley proof with the instructions to scour the manuscript for any error, any typo. My eyes chose that moment to see everything and panic hit. This would be the final time I got to make changes, ever, to DESCENT. My stomach knotted, my throat tightened.

I read a printed copy. I read a copy on the computer. I had the computer read a copy back to me, so I could listen to the words. And I corrected a few typos. Surely, I’d found everything. But had I?

The moment to hit send arrived, sweat dripped down my spine and I thought I might faint. My fingers trembled and slowly, ever so slowly I pressed the return key.

Zip! Just like that it was gone. A strange feeling of awe overcame me.

So what is DESCENT about?

When Kalin Thompson is promoted to Director of Security at Stone Mountain Resort, she soon becomes entangled in the high-profile murder investigation of an up-and-coming Olympic-caliber skier. There are more suspects with motives than there are gates on the super-G course, and danger mounts with every turn.

Kalin’s boss orders her to investigate. Her boyfriend wants her to stay safe and let the cops do their job. Torn between loyalty to friends and professional duty, Kalin must look within her isolated community to unearth the killer’s identity.

What does an author do when a novel is off to the publisher?

Well, on to the next novel of course. BLAZE, the second in the Stone Mountain Mystery Series, is scheduled for publication by Imajin Books later this year.  BLAZE is a mystery and arson is the crime, but this time it looks like Kalin Thompson is the target. Moments before writing this blog, I sent my final changes to the editor. I still have to go through the proofreading process on BLAZE but maybe the second time will be easier.

The third in the series, AVALANCHE, has Kalin Thompson searching for a thief, struggling to prove her brother is innocent of a major theft. Unfortunately for Kalin, her brother disappears hours after the theft and is the prime suspect.

REQUEST FOR READER ASSISTANCE: I’m writing the fourth in the Stone Mountain Mystery series. A business partner of Kalin’s is murdered while driving his ATV on a mountain trail. He’s forced into a frothing river… My problem with the fourth novel is I have to stop calling it “the fourth.” I need a title. If you have any suggestions for a title that fits with DESCENT, BLAZE and AVALANCHE, please leave a comment below.

Kristina’s Bio:

Kristina Stanley is the author of the StoneMountain Mystery Series. Her books have garnered the attention of prestigious crime writing organizations in Canada and England. Crime Writers of Canada nominated DESCENT for the Unhanged Arthur award. The Crime Writers’ Association nominated BLAZE for the Debut Dagger. She is published in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

Before writing her series, Kristina was the director of security, human resources and guest services at a resort in the depths of the British Columbia mountains. The job and lifestyle captured her heart, and she decided to write mysteries about life in an isolated resort. While writing the first four novels, she spent five years living aboard a sailboat in the US and the Bahamas.

Find out more about her at www.KristinaStanley.com.

You can purchase DESCENT on Amazon.ca or on Amazon.com

Connect with me on Twitter @StanleyKMS or on Facebook.  I’d love to hear from you.

 

Thank you, Eileen, for hosting me.

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You're very welcome, Kristina. Congratulations on your new release and good luck with that series!

"DESCENT: My stomach knotted..." has been brought to you by DISPASSIONATE LIES

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