Backlash is the latest release from author Karyn Good from The Wild Rose Press. I am happy to sponsor a stop for this fabulous book! So read on to learn some more about this fabulous author, read some teasers and a guest post! And, at the end, details on a giveaway hosted by the author herself!
About Karyn:
I grew up on a farm in the middle of Canada’s breadbasket. Under the canopy of crisp blue prairie skies I read books. Lots and lots of books. Occasionally, I picked up a pen and paper or tapped out a few meagre pages of a story on a keyboard and dreamed of becoming a writer when I grew up. One day the inevitable happened and I knew without question the time was right. What to write was never the issue – romance and the gut wrenching journey towards forever.
You can learn more about Karyn and her work at her website and blog HERE. Be sure to follow her on Twitter and “like” her on Facebook, too!
The summary…
An excerpt…
“I remember you.” His arms tightened.Her heart sighed, and the scent of him cast a spell. A trace of soap, a whiff of man, and a fragrance so familiar it made her think of bush parties, bonfires, cheap wine, and the back seat of an ’86 Firebird.She remembered every little detail.“What’s this about, Lilypad?”That he remembered that awful nickname he’d labeled her with when they were kids was a visceral punch to the gut.She wrinkled her nose. “I hated that name.”“I know. I’d have been disappointed if you hadn’t.”“Why ‘Lilypad?’”“I don’t know. I thought of it one day when a bunch of us were catching frogs.”“You’re such a sweet talker.”He hadn’t moved an inch, yet he seemed closer. “You don’t want a sweet talker. Remember?” He ran a finger down the side of her cheek. “You want someone who’s going to let you know exactly what he plans to do to you. And believe me, there won’t be anything sweet about it.”In the second needed to catch her breath, she changed her mantra to: Live in the moment. Forget Tessier and his bag of terrors. Forget everything. For the next hour. One more hour.
The Plot Inspiration for Backlash
Guest Post by Karyn Good
In Backlash the plot revolves around a 13 year-old boy who is the victim of attacks perpetrated by a wanted gang leader. My hero, Constable Chase Porter, has been tracking the villain, a wanted killer for a while now. My heroine, Lily Wheeler, is the boy’s teacher. They reluctantly join forces to help her student and catch a killer.
I didn’t want to write a story about a serial killer. Nor did I want to write one about special ops teams in war zones or hot spots around the world. There’s nothing wrong with these types of stories, in fact, I love reading them! But I wanted to write a story about a very real danger right in my own backyard. I wanted to write a story about a regular, everyday heroine who walks out the door one day and straight into her worst nightmare.
Like any city in the world I imagine, the one I live in has a gang problem. When I first started writing Backlash there were approximately 18 criminal organizations operating in my home province of Saskatchewan, Canada (population – just over one million people). It was predicted by a well-known gang expert that “in the next five to 10 years, we’re going to have more than a crisis that we’re dealing with.” The local paper was full stories chronicling the fallout of gang activity.
Lily is passionate about what she does. She’s also naïve and ready to jump in head first to help her student. So when I needed a villain to pit her against I decided on Raphael Tessier, number three man in charge of a fictional gang called the Prairie Brotherhood. His character is known as The Enforcer. Tessier is also loosely based on a real gang leader and convicted murderer. Daniel Richard Wolfe’s real life story was one of abuse, grief, and violence. He was murdered while incarcerated in a maximum security prison. His is an incredibly sad story and I gave a very small bit of that story to Tessier.
From there the story of Backlash was born. I created a hero who is a cop and has a history with the villain and my fictional resort town of Aspen Lake. I love reunion stories and I wanted that to be part of the plot. I wanted my hero and heroine to have been involved in high school. An innocent start that evolves into something deeper, more meaningful, and with realistic challenges.
These things came together to inspire me to write, Backlash, my debut romantic suspense. If you choose to read it, I hope you get as much enjoyment out of reading it as I did writing it.
The Giveaway
Karyn is hosting a giveaway on her site during this tour! A randomly chosen commenter will win a $25 Amazon gift card in celebration of the release of this fabulous book! The more you comment along the tour stops, the better the chance you have to win the gift card! A complete list of tour stops is here. This book tour is sponsored by Goddess Fish Promotions.
Thank you for hosting Karyn today.
You are very welcome! I loved the book!
Thanks for having me, Kim. And thanks for reading Backlash!
Loved it!
This story sounds really fascinating. I like reading about your background. It sounds as though you were born to write.
It was a fabulous book, a perfect blend of romance and suspense!
Thank you, Kim! Another great compliment! I tried hard to make that balance happen, so I'm happy you felt that it worked!
Thanks, MomJane! And thanks for the wonderful compliment! I've always wanted to be a writer, it just took awhile for my confidence to catch up with my dreams :D
Thanks for having Karyn here. I just finished Backlash last night and it rocks. I love the small town setting, and the characters, and the plot, and… well, just everything.
LOL! I did, too! It reminded me of my hometown in upstate NY!
Thanks, B.E.! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Aspen Lake is inspired by a real resort town and provincial park area here. A place I have many happy childhood memories of. I was also lucky enough to work there in the summer, and it's where I met my husband!
Kim, I'm also happy to hear that Aspen Lake reminds you of your hometown. That's what I wanted! For readers to relate to it on some level and feel like it was somewhat familiar.
I'm sitting here wondering why here in the US we don't hear/read more about the gang problem in Canada. I didn't realize it was a problem in Canada. What is the ethnic dynamic making up the Canadian gangs? The depiction of your character Raphael Tessier, reminds me of Stringer Bell from The Wire.
I'm not sure, Karen! But we definitely have our problems, just like anywhere I guess. The gang members are a diverse group, they come from a variety of cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Very representative of Canada!
I had never heard of The Wire, but did look it up! It sounds like a fascinating show. I would say though, that Tessier is more like Wee-Bey Brice! Even though he is the #3 man, he's definitely still a soldier. If he fails to do his job, he's no longer useful or safe to have around! That's his motivation: survival, and loyality to his 'brothers'.
As a US resident, I never knew about gangs in the Canadian prairies. In Vancouver or Toronto maybe. It sounds like a compelling (if intense) topic!
Hi Elizabeth! Yep, we have to deal with those kinds of issues, too. It was fascinating research. And very intense. Also, sad. Some many young people falling victim to a way of life that can do nothing but betray them in the end.
I live in upstate NY, close to two crossings to Canada. So, here, we get as much Canadian news as American, with the gangs on both sides of the border. Where we are, it is mostly about drugs and arms running. Border Patrol is a normal part of life around here.
Congratulations Karyn on taking a real problem and fictionalizing it but also bringing the reality to the forefront.
Good job when so many readers relate to your setting. You made it specific yet universal.
Thanks, Annette! That was one of my goals for the setting and I'm glad it worked!
We don't have a great problem with gang activity here, thank goodness. I hope for our sakes it stays on the pages of a book. The statistics you gave are terrifying.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Very true, Mary! It is a concern but it's forced us to get better at prevention and giving high-risk youth options and coping mechanisms so they don't feel that gang life is the only option they have!
DIVA…I haven't been to your blog before. It's great. I love the header and the look of it. Nice job.
Karyn…It's terrific that you were inspired by a local story. Gangs are so rampant in most areas–even in my smallish community.
Hi Catherine Lee! It's a great site! Very warm and welcoming! Let's spread the word :D
The fall-out from gang related crime is far reaching. I didn't know the half of it until I started writing Backlash. It was a real eye opener.
This sounds like a great book. I can't wait to give it a read.