Price of Justice
by Alan
Brenham
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
His
focus is on solving the murders—until the unthinkable happens…
Recently
widowed, Austin Police Detective Jason Scarsdale works to solve the murders of
two pedophiles, while trying to be both mother and father to his five-year-old
daughter. During his investigation, Scarsdale is forced to navigate between the
crosshairs of two police commanders out to get him. Drawn to Austin Police
Crime Analyst, Dani Mueller, who has also suffered tragedy, Scarsdale fights
both his attraction and his suspicions that something just isn’t right…
She
is hiding a secret, one that could not only cost her a job—it could end her
life…
Dani
hides a deadly past. After her daughter was brutally murdered, Dani exacted her
revenge then changed her name and fled to Austin. But if her secret ever gets
out, she knows there is no place she can hide from the murderer’s vicious
family.
Pulled
into a web of malice and deceit, Scarsdale and Dani discover the value of
breaking the rules. Then just when they thought things couldn’t get worse…they
do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt
Three:
Scarsdale trudged into the courthouse, flashing his badge so
he could bypass security. He stopped at the rear of a throng of people
maneuvering to get an elevator. He checked to see where the four elevators
were—one was stopped on floor three, another just arrived at the fifth floor
and two seemed stuck on Eight. People elbowed their way closer to the
doors—even he got jostled. A distinct odor of alcohol, mixed with cheap perfume
and a trace of marihuana, made him sneeze a couple of times.
Looking around, Scarsdale didn’t recognize anyone connected
with his dreaded hearing. He leaned against the wall and let his thoughts
drift. The events of the past five years flashed through his mind. The wedding
Marcy refused to attend. Then Charity’s funeral—the second time Marcy had seen
Shannon since she was born—gushing over her granddaughter, telling Shannon how
much she missed her. Scarsdale stopped outside the big wooden courtroom doors.
He stared at the brass door handles. What will the judge decide?
His heart hammered against his chest. Taking a couple of
deep breaths and swallowing hard, he pulled the courtroom doors open.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Interview:
1. First,
tell us about yourself - where you live, your family, and those sorts of
details.
My home is in the Austin, Texas, area with my truly
wonderful wife. I’ve worked as a law enforcement officer and criminal
investigator and am a licensed attorney with experience in criminal prosecution
and defense.
2. How long
have you been writing?
I’ve been writing fiction since 2010.
Prior to that, I wrote plenty of legal briefs, motions and police offense
reports. A number of opposing counsel and defense attorneys considered some of
those to be fiction.
3. Do you
have a favorite place to write Price of
Justice?
I do all
my writing in my home office. It has an outside view- great for creating
setting, and a quiet environment well away from distractions.
4. Why did
you decide to write Price of Justice?
I wanted
to tell a story about two people, one motivated by a work ethic and the other
by grief, and how they worked toward a common goal but from opposite ends of
the legal spectrum. It was a scenario I’d seen both as a police officer and as
an attorney.
5. Who is
your favorite character in your book and why?
It didn’t
start out this way but after the book was finished and I looked back on the
story, I’d have to say my favorite is Dani Mueller. She endured a lot of heart-ache,
grief, fear, and did a lot of soul-searching.
6. How about
your least favorite character? What
makes them less appealing to you?
My least
favorite character in Price of Justice would be the guy known as the CEO. He
was a psycho who bullied others and preyed on the innocent and helpless for
profit.
7. Do you
proofread/edit your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
I do
several revisions and edits on my own but after all the self-edits are done, I
have someone else go through it - a fresh set of eyes.
8. What do
you like to do when you’re not writing?
I’m an avid fan of certain TV shows such as
The Blacklist, The Originals, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and most recently
Bitten. I love going places and doing
fun things with my wife, like going to The Melting Pot for dinner or to the
Austin Aquarium, or a really great movie. When football is in season, I have
two teams I pay close attention to. I
also read a lot of crime and legal thriller books.
9. Do you
read much and if so who are your favorite authors?
I bought
myself a Nook and read every morning over a cup of coffee and many times in the
evening. The authors I’ve read the most are Michael McGarrity, John Sandford,
and Michael Connelly. Recently Andrea Kane, Jeffery Deaver, John Grisham, and
John Lescroart are making the list.
10. What question do you wish that someone would ask
about your book, but nobody has? Write
it out here, then answer it.
Question:
Why did you write the character of Dani Mueller in 1st person point of view?
Answer:
Since the story deals with two people after the same goal but from
different ends of the legal spectrum, I wanted to have a clear contrast between
the protagonist detective and Dani Mueller. Having Dani tell her own story
allows the reader to see things as she saw them and be in her head. As such, in
my opinion, it then creates a closer bond between the reader and the character.
Some reviewers have commented that they really enjoyed her character.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Alan Brenham
is the pseudonym of Alan Behr, an American author and attorney. He served as a
law enforcement officer before earning a law degree. He worked first as a
prosecutor then defense attorney for the next twenty-six years. His travels
took him to several European and Middle Eastern countries, Alaska and almost
every island in the Caribbean. While contracted to US military forces, he
resided in Berlin, Germany for a few years. Alan and his wife, Lillian,
currently live in the Austin, Texas area. He has authored two crime fiction
books, Price of Justice and Cornered, and is working on a third titled Rampage.
Links:
website: http://www.alanbrenham.com
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Price-Justice-Alan-Brenham/dp/1626940835
Black Opal
Books: http://www.blackopalbooks.com
Alan will be awarding a $50 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour and leave a comment for more chances to win!
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