Kindred Spirits - Author Interview - Marilyn Meredith

Today’s interview at The Real Hollywood’s Book Chat is with Marilyn Meredith, author of the mystery novel, Kindred Spirits. Yesterday, Marilyn provided us with a chance to read her book with chapter one excerpt. If you missed reading it I highly recommend reading it, but be sure to click back here and read some of the funny antics in Marilyn’s hobby of collecting celebrity autographs.

While Marilyn is on her virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion a special promotion is being offered to all authors and commenters. Leave a comment and win A FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. The winner(s) will be announced on our main blog at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.wordpress.com on October 30!

About The Book
Trouble in Deputy Crabtree’s marriage is soon forgotten when the body of a murder victim is found in the wake of a forest fire. Sent to Crescent City in search of information introduces Tempe to the victim’s Tolowa relatives and friends–along with two stalkers and Big Foot.

Upon her return home, a pig’s heart on Tempe’s front porch serves as a warning. Detective Morrison becomes an unusual ally, and the victim’s spirit visits Tempe in the night. She and husband Hutch set off for Santa Barbara in an effort to flush out the murderer and once again she finds her own life threatened.

About The Author
Marilyn Meredith is the author of award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series as well as over twenty published novels. The latest is, Kindred Spirits, from Mundania Press. Under the name of F. M. Meredith she writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, the latest, Smell of Death, from Tigress Press.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, EPIC and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She was an instructor for Writer’s Digest School for ten years, served as an instructor at the Maui Writer’s Retreat and many other writer’s conferences. She makes her home in Springville, much like Bear Creek where Deputy Tempe Crabtree lives. Visit her at www.fictionforyou.com.







Hi, Marilyn Meredith,

Welcome to The Real Hollywood Blog,

MM Thank you for having me, this should be interesting.

RH: If your book were sold for movie rights which actor/actress would you want to play the main character?

MM: Since Deputy Tempe Crabtree is Native American, the actress would have to be Native American. Katreri Walker would be my first choice as she is close to the right age and looks enough like my descriptions of Tempe. A second choice would be Irene Bedara. She might be a bit too young, though. There aren’t a lot of Indian actresses to choose from. If there were a Tule River Indian who was an actress, she would be my first choice—but I don’t know of any. I do know some women of Native American heritage who would fit the part, but unfortunately they aren’t actresses.

RH: Who would you want to play the supporting characters?

MM: Tempe’s husband is auburn haired and I don’t know of any actor who would fit. Judge Reinhold would have been perfect—and still might. Her son, Blair, is blond and in his twenties—probably any young man of this description would fit. Adam Beach could easily play the part of Nick Two John.

RH: If your book was already sold for movie rights tell how it felt to be approached by Hollywood and what the journey has been like.

MM: I’ve not been fortunate enough to have that experience—darn.

RH: Who is your favorite actor and/or actress?

MM: I love movies. My husband and I got to the movies often and watch DVD’s at home. I have lots of actors and actresses that I enjoy. I especially like those who are able to really change with the part and not just play themselves in every movie. When I was a kid, I collected movie star autographs. Once I chased an actor’s car (Van Johnson) on foot and caught him at a stop light and got his autograph.

RH: Is there a movie you could watch over and over again?

MM: The one movie I did watch over and over was Gone With the Wind—and I’ll probably watch it again. When it first came out I was a kid and my mother and I went to see it five times. I grew up in Los Angeles, my dad worked for Paramount Studios, and our family went to the movies every Friday night, so I’ve always been a movie fan.

RH: Who is your favorite author? What books have you read by this author?

MM: One of my favorite authors is William Kent Krueger and I’ve read all of this books, but particularly like the Cork O’Conner series—and I suppose it’s because of the Native American elements in the books.

RH: What is next on the horizon for you?

I’ll be spending the next few months promoting Kindred Spirits, the latest in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. The next one will come out next fall, Dispel the Mist, and I’m working on the one that comes out after that.

RH: Where can my readers find your website?

MM: http://fictionforyou.com and I also have a blog http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/


I thank you being sharing your book with The Real Hollywood Blog and I wish you continued success on your virtual book tour.

MM: And thank you for inviting me to visit your blog, it’s been fun.

KINDRED SPIRITS VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR '08 officially begin on October 1 and will end on October 30. You can visit Marilyn's blog stops at www.virtualbooktoursforauthors.wordpress.com in October to find out more about her new book!

Mystery Novel Kindred Spirits Chapter one excerpt

Continuing our Halloween Theme this month is an excerpt of Chapter One from the mystery novel, Kindred Spirits written by Marilyn Meredith. Join us tomorrow as The Real Hollywood features the Marilyn Meredith interview and see which Hollywood actor or actress she would pick to play the leading role in her novel. Leave a comment and WIN A GIFT CERTIFICATE

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced on our main blog at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.wordpress.com on October 30!

Kindred Spirits

Trouble in Deputy Crabtree’s marriage is soon forgotten when the body of a murder victim is found in the wake of a forest fire. Sent to Crescent City in search of information introduces Tempe to the victim’s Tolowa relatives and friends–and two stalkers. Upon her return home, a pig’s heart on Tempe’s front porch serves as a warning. Detective Morrison becomes an unusual ally, and the victim’s spirit visits Tempe in the night. She and husband Hutch set off for Santa Barbara in an effort to flush out the murderer and once again finds her own life threatened.



Chapter One


Before Deputy Tempe Crabtree could see evidence of the forest fire, she could smell it.
Smoke was heavy in the air and got thicker as she drove up the highway into the mountains. Monday was one of her days off, but when something happened in her jurisdiction she was often the first responder. Her instructions from the sheriff’s sub-station in Dennison were to make sure everyone who lived in the path of the fire started in the higher elevations of Bear Creek canyon had obeyed evacuation orders.
As resident deputy of the large but sparsely populated area around the mountain community of Bear Creek, Tempe’s job usually consisted of making traffic stops, arresting drunk drivers, solving problems among neighbors, and looking for lost children or cattle. Along with the highway patrol, Tempe was the law in the community located in the southern Sierra where the foothills turned into mountains.
The last estimate Tempe had heard about the fast moving fire in rugged country was that it covered more than 1100 acres. She was stopped at the staging area by a highway patrolman she knew by sight though couldn’t remember his name.
Though his uniform still had sharp creases, large circles of dampness crept from his underarms. Opaque sunglasses covered his eyes. He put both hands on the open window of her Blazer as he bent down to speak to her. “Where’re you headed, Deputy?”
“My orders are to check out some of the houses in the path of the fire. Make sure everyone’s out.”
“Be careful you don’t put yourself in danger. It’s one fast-moving fire. It’s in a rough area where they haven’t been able to get in any personnel yet. They’re doing lots of water drops. All the roads are closed from here on up.”
“Thanks for the warning. I know some of the folks who might not have received the word yet.”
Tempe drove by the private airstrip that had been taken over as the fire command post. Men and equipment, fire engines, water tenders and bulldozers were being dispatched from there as well as truckloads of hand crews.
Leaving her window down, Tempe drove around the traffic cones that temporarily blocked access to the road. She planned to stop at the Donaldsons’, but they were loading horses into a trailer, obviously on their way out.
The higher she drove on the winding road, the darker the sky, the thicker the smoke, the harder it was to breathe. Ashes showered on her white Blazer. She passed fire trucks and men heading upward to fight the fire. In her heart she was thankful her son, Blair, was already back on the coast for his last year in college or he’d be on the fire lines. Fighting fire had been his first love since the age of sixteen when he began hanging around Bear Creek’s fire station.
Tempe stopped at several homes hidden down winding trails or perched on hilltops, surrounded by pine and cedar trees and underbrush. Most homes were deserted with signs of hurried evacuation.
Loaded pick-up trucks drove down the hill, some pulling horse or cattle trailers, not getting out any too soon from the looks of the black sky and the large amount of falling ash.
She had one more place she wanted to check. A beautiful home and separate studio built of sugar pine stood atop a knoll surrounded by Chaparral, and a thick pine forest. Tempe had been there once on a domestic abuse call. The owner, a well-known artist, Vanessa Ainsworth, now lived alone since her boy-friend had been served with a restraining order. If Vanessa wasn’t gone already, Tempe hoped to help her collect her animals and paintings and carry some of them out for her.
When Tempe made the last turn before Vanessa’s she was halted by a horrifying sight.