Good Morning, Booklovers!
Welcome to the Coffee Chat. We're doing something a little different this week. Author G.G. Collins brought Rachel Blackstone, the main character of her paranormal mystery series, to be interviewed. In order for Rachel to speak freely, GG has stepped into the kitchen for a few minutes, so let's get right to it.
Welcome, Rachel! Tell us about your character. Who is Rachel Blackstone?
RB: Rachel’s career as the Reluctant Medium began a few years ago in her living room. You see, she didn’t believe her father’s death was an accident. Having learned about the Hopi ritual to return the dead, she tried it. This is where things went off the rails for Rachel. The wrong person returned; an evil spirit. Since then, she has been called upon to solve mysteries of the eerie sort. That’s not always easy because she already has a fulltime job as a reporter for a Santa Fe magazine. But she has learned some new skills: vision quests, dragon flying and time travel. She’s still reluctant, but rising to each challenge.
Ally: Is there a defining moment in your background that made you who you are today?
RB: It has to be when I blew the ancient ritual to return the dead. An evil spirit appeared in my living room instead of my father. His appearance sent me down the wormhole I’m in now. It’s not all bad; there is great satisfaction in solving mysteries and saving lives. Because of this, I have a relationship with the Hopi shaman and numerous others from the spirit world.
Ally: Are you happy with the setting? Did you want a bigger house or a ranch in Wyoming?
RB: Who wouldn’t love Santa Fe: abundant sunshine, great food, mountains and the many mysteries of a timeless place? The history of the Native Americans infuses contemporary times. If one can look past the ample arts scene, the upscale homes and the influx of visitors to the City Different, there are stories that encompass the nearby Los Alamos Labs, dormant supervolcano—or is it?—and the blood red mountains.
Ally: Do you like the profession your author chose? Is there a career that would have been better?
RB: I love being a reporter. I’ve been asking questions since I was old enough to talk and ask why the sky is blue. My father was a journalist for several publications during his career including the Albuquerque Journal. He was working on an investigative piece when he mysteriously died in what the police called an accidental death when his car veered off the ski basin road. With my training, I continued to investigate on my own.
Ally: Do you have siblings? Are you close to them?
RB: My brother Chris has been distant since our father died. In book one he’s the mayor of Santa Fe. Unfortunately, he’s also a womanizer and tends to get involved with shady types and the latest sure thing that never is. In Reluctant Medium, he finds himself in really hot water as a result of his impulses for fast money and women.
Ally: Who is your favorite supporting character?
RB: That would be my best friend Chloe Valdez. She’s been married, well, I forget how many times, but she kept the Valdez last name because it helps sell real estate in New Mexico. Something she does very well. And, just to be clear, while I’m not sold on this psychic stuff, she’s enamored by it. Chloe caters our every adventure and never wears sensible shoes. But she is the friend we all want: there when needed, resourceful and ready when you need a hug.
Ally: Any hobbies or pets?
RB: Chile Pod, my tortie cat, came on the scene in book one. Never much of a cat person, actor Logan Masters, who graced my life at the time, brought me around. Since, I’ve discovered how helpful a psychic cat can be. Chile Pod, named for the southwestern fruit we love to eat, lives a charmed life while Auntie Chloe spoils her with unaffordable treats—on my budget. I am forever explaining to Chile Pod why she is served a lower-class cat food at home. Sigh.
Ally: Did the author kill off any for your friends? How did you feel about it?
RB: Yes, in my first adventure, she did kill off a friend. What I didn’t know was that it didn’t end the relationship. He continues to help me as I carry on this journey of solving metaphysical mysteries.
Ally: Were you happy with your wardrobe?
RB: Most definitely, I value comfort over fashion any time, just ask Chloe who dresses in exotic textiles and wears heels on most every occasion. I prefer shoes I can run in! She knows I’m a style failure, but would like to add a few accoutrements such as a cell phone. So far, I’m resisting this technological product of intrusion.
Ally: Did your author listen to you when you tried to redirect her/him?
RB: Sometimes I surprise her as she’s working on a scene. I’m that whisper in her ear, saying, how about we do this? For instance, when Chloe went inside her pantry, she didn’t know there was something mystifying behind the wall. I told her, there is a secret here. What is it? Is there a hidden door? Explore.
Ally: Name three of your favorite things that readers may not know.
RB: 1) I’m a confirmed junk food addict, I’m up for a green chile cheese burrito any time. 2) I also love margaritas at The Shed, but not the “healthy” pomegranate drinks Chloe prefers—and 3) the next assignment.
Ally: Thank you for chatting with me, Rachel. It was nice to get to know you. I’d like to invite GG to join us now, talk about her background, and tell us about the plot of your featured book, Anasazi Medium.
About the Author:
G G Collins loves the southwestern US where many of her stories are located. She can be found hiking through ruins of the ancient ones and enjoying New Mexican cuisine. When not traipsing about, she makes up stories with great friendships, quirky characters and, oh yeah, dead bodies. In real life she shares her time with a man, several neurotic—and psychic—cats and the ongoing struggle to grow a garden.
She also write the Taylor Browning Cozy Mystery series and Teen/YA books.
Author Contacts:
Via Goodreads. Friend me first. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6427518.G_G_Collins
Website and blog: https://paralleluniverseatlarge.wordpress.com/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/g-g-collins
Twitter: @WriterGGCollins
G G Collins loves the southwestern US where many of her stories are located. She can be found hiking through ruins of the ancient ones and enjoying New Mexican cuisine. When not traipsing about, she makes up stories with great friendships, quirky characters and, oh yeah, dead bodies. In real life she shares her time with a man, several neurotic—and psychic—cats and the ongoing struggle to grow a garden.
She also write the Taylor Browning Cozy Mystery series and Teen/YA books.
Author Contacts:
Via Goodreads. Friend me first. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6427518.G_G_Collins
Website and blog: https://paralleluniverseatlarge.wordpress.com/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/g-g-collins
Twitter: @WriterGGCollins
Anasazi Medium (4th book in series).
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Ancient peoples enlighten contemporary humankind in a mystery as old as time.
Rachel Blackstone is recruited by the spirit world to prevent a cataclysm: the end of the Fourth World of the Hopi. As earthquakes rumble and a supervolcano threatens to blow, it becomes imperative she discover the root of all evil.
Can she stop the greedy men intent on plundering Mother Earth and killing those who would stop them? The survival of an unaware civilization depends on Rachel getting it right.
Buy link (all books):
https://www.amazon.com/G-G-Collins/e/B008C3G3X0/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
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