Karen Vaughan - Fantastic Blog Hop

The Fantastic Blog Hop bus magically transports itself to Peterborough, Ontario, Canada where it screeches to a halt in front of Karen Vaughan's home.

What genre do you write? Would you consider writing anything else?

Generally I write light mysteries known as cozies but I would consider romance or romantic suspense.

Do you outline and plan or do you let the plot unfold?

I am one of those people known as a pantser—I just take the ball and run with it and let the characters tell me what’s happening.

What do you like most about writing?

Knowing that it’s going to entertain someone somewhere.

What do you find most difficult?

I hate editing with a passion.

What makes a good plot?

Something that has a bit of grit to it but not too heavy. An exciting plot that is believable and has a lot of suspense (makes reader wonder what will happen) Strong characters help.

What is a question you'd like to be asked and never are? Answer it.

What would I do for a Klondike Bar? No seriously. What would I do if I was in my characters shoes.---Kick ass and get the job done and worry about the consequences later.

What experiences have inspired you?

My stand up comedian experience inspired Dead Comic Standing. I am inspired by the human will to survive. My honeymoon with my daughter's dad gave me an idea for a book in the series.

How did you first become interested in writing?

I always did well at it in school but never considered a career as a writer. That part was purely accidental, I started writing to entertain myself while on sick leave.

What are your current projects?

Dead Men Don’t Swing (#4 in series) Getting Larry’d which is a romance I want to do for Tirgearr Publishing.

How important is dialogue and how do you use it?

It is very important. Dialogue tells the story in my books more than the narration does. It shows just who the characters really are.

DAYTONA DEAD

Prologue --Blood on the Grille

The moon was high and a thousand stars appeared in the Florida sky. The sunset had been glorious, a flaming orange glow with pink undertones.

Lou had taken up photography as a hobby since moving to the Daytona Beach area. Lou, a Canadian, had been lured to the area by a guy on the Dudes seeking Dudes website. Having broken up with his long time love, Richard, he had been itching to leave Toronto behind, along with a broken heart and ten years of bad memories. His marriage to Laura had died on Speaker’s Corner and it was time to leave the crap and the cold behind, in favour of a warmer climate and palm trees.  Ironically, Laura, the ex, had written him a glowing letter of reference for his work visa. He had applied via an online job search engine, and told his internet paramour he was heading to Florida to make a go of his career and a new life south of the Mason Dixon Line.

So today after putting in an eight hour shift, he went home and grabbed a shower and changed into beach shorts and a clean T-shirt sporting the slogan Just Grill Me. He had invested in a Digital SLR for taking some great landscape shots to post on Face book. He found that he loved photography and if his life as a chef sputtered, now he had a back-up plan. 

Before meeting up with his new guy, Gary, he headed off to the beach to take some shots of the area. While Daytona was not the prettiest beach in Florida, Lou found some of the scenery to be rough, yet photo-worthy.  He was leaving the beach when he spotted what looked to be a vintage 1940’s Chevy, black as the abyss. The car looked like something out of a film noir gangster flick. Either way the car was a real beauty. He set up a few shots and started shooting. He didn’t stay long as this was encroaching on a seedier part of town where hookers plied their trade and bums wandered around with liquor bottles and another night of brown bagging their hooch and begging before passing out in an alleyway.

He was on his tenth picture when a gravelly voice yelled out behind him.

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing, asshole?”

Lou jumped back at the sound and turned around to see the meanest looking S.O.B. he had set eyes on, since his father’s last drinking binge a few years earlier. 

This guy looked huge and a tad ornery, even in the moonlight. “Well boy, what’s wrong? Cat got yer tongue? If ya don’t say something soon, I may just beat it out of you."

“Just admiring your car man; it’s a classic.”

The big mean dude seemed to warm some at the compliment but reverted to his menacing stance quickly,  “Thanks. She is a beauty isn’t she? How long were you skulking around my car? You didn’t touch her did ya?”

Lou began to sweat.  This guy was getting way too intense over a car. He tried backing away but the bigger man was getting in his face about the whole deal. Finally Lou started to run and the guy backed off. Then he heard the engine start and looked behind him. The car was coming right at him! 

Holy shit!! What did this asshole want? “It’s just a freaking’ car dude; damn”; Lou was incredulous that this guy was going ape-shit over a set of wheels as nice as they were.

He ducked down an alley, around the corner and thought he was safe. Then he heard it again. He looked to his left and the son of a bitch was still coming for him. 

Lou took a deep breath, and promised himself that if he ever got out of this mess he’d start getting in better shape. ‘Dude you’re barely thirty six and you run like an old man.’ The car was catching up to him, it wasn’t stopping either. For whatever reason this shithead wanted him dead!  For the life of him, Lou could not figure out what had gone wrong. He felt the bumper hit the back of his legs sending him flying in the air. He came down with a thud on the hood of the car and his head hit the windshield before he rolled off the car, and was dragged under the front wheels of the car. The car backed up and left the body where it lay; somewhere in Lou’s pocket, a cell phone was ringing.

Bio:

Karen Vaughan lives in Peterborough Ontario with her husband Jim and a cat named Sugar. She is the mom of a 22 year old daughter and four grown step children and a 21/2 year old grandson named Ike. DEAD COMIC STANDING is her second novel. Her first novel DEAD ON ARRIVAL garnered praise from friends, family and online gamers. She also enjoys doing crafts and other hobbies. Her latest book is called OVER HER DEAD BODY is the second book to DEAD ON ARRIVAL. DAYTONA DEAD is the third in that series which is soon to be released.

OVER HER DEAD BODY PUBLISHED 2011 BY FRIESEN PRESS

Take one beautiful vindictive woman....she's 1 part bimbo and 2 parts lethal gangsta- gun moll. 

Watch her try and hold onto her 84 year old husband by having his octogenarian paramour knocked off. Sometimes greed and jealousy lead to the last resort ……MURDER! 

Laura, Gerry and Gibbons try to stop her from also killing her husband, without getting themselves knocked off in the process!

DEAD ON ARRIVAL PUBLISHED 2008 BY TRAFFORD PUBLISHING

Laura Hamilton, wakes up one morning only to find out a dead body inside her apartment. It was, after all, her ex-coworker, “Velcro” Hodges, a debt collector who was known to leech on his prey until the debt is already paid in full. But why was he dropped insider Laura’s room?

Now someone wants Laura to be dead. As the plot thickens, Laura tries to find out on who could possibly want her next to be in cold blood. Lead Detective Inspector Jeff Gibbons helps her, tracking any leads he gets, but that doesn’t seem to help solve the puzzle. 

DEAD COMIC STANDING PUBLISHED 2010 BY TRAFFORD PUBLISHING

Be careful what you joke about— it might just kill you!!!

Someone out there doesn’t think the local comics are funny. He’ll kill to prove it. Police are racing to find the killer before he claims another victim. Comedians are always trying to find that killer joke, but now they’re dying literally! Author Karen Vaughan brings you Dead Comic Standing, a comedy, action, and steamy romance.

You’ll be dying to keep on reading!