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I'm thrilled to have a chance to introduce you to multi-genre author Lorrie Unites-Struiff. She tells her clever stories with so much humor that you just have to smile after reading her work. She'll put a spring in your step once you experience her writing.
Let me tell you more about her. Lorrie Unites-Struiff is a native of West Mifflin, twenty minutes from downtown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She writes in different genres for the pure enjoyment of entertaining readers. When she is not sitting in front of her computer, she’s often found checking out bookstores, leading her writing workshops, or having lunch with local authors.
Today Lorrie shares her inspiration for writing the paranormal romance and mystery, Gypsy Blood.
Welcome readers and authors,
Thank you for being here with me today.
Let me tell you how I got my
inspiration for Gypsy Blood.
Once upon a
time, a good friend, an author in her own right, insisted she treat me for my
birthday.
I won’t tell you
which birthday, so don’t ask.
My friend took
me to a quaint little restaurant where the food was scrumptious. Lo and behold,
they had a gypsy fortuneteller seated at a table in the corner. Of course we
indulged in both the food and having our fortunes told. The gypsy fascinated me
and most of her predictions have come true. She nailed my lifestyle and my
hopes.
It was an
interesting and fun birthday celebration.
When
I returned home, my thoughts stayed with the gypsy. Being an author, I love to
take interesting characters, mix in a few troublemakers and plot storylines for
them. This gypsy impressed me with her intelligence and her thoughtfully chosen
words, so I researched the gypsies of yore and found some very interesting
reading. Their mysticism and beliefs held me captive. I admit, I am often
carried away with research. The Romani have rich, colorful traditions, which I
included in the book.
Isn’t every
writer a research hound?
Hence,
Rita Muldova came to life, a homicide detective of pure Roma blood, her mother
a gypsy seer with great mystic powers and her uncle, a great baker and
violinist.
Following
today’s popular trend of many readers, I decided to use, and yes, add a little…
well…okay, a lot of mysticism.
What
is a story without a love interest? I gave her a handsome hunk of a FBI agent
from Voodoo City. Yum. My kind of guy.
Her best friend on the force, Della,
is a character unto herself. She has Rita’s back.
When I threw in an odd serial killer,
it turned into a heck of a wild ride. A fast paced read for all you
paranormal/romance/thriller readers out there.
Try it, I think
you’ll enjoy the ride.
Lorrie.
# # # #
EXCERPT
Detective Rita Moldova peeked around the
corner to make sure the hallway was empty. Making a quick right turn, she
slipped into the autopsy lab to have a few minutes alone with the body. She
tucked her white shirt tighter into her jeans and zipped her windbreaker to
stay warm in the chilly room. The harsh odor of formaldehyde hit her nostrils
and stung her throat.
Her heart twisted at the sight of the young,
auburn-haired woman lying on the stainless steel table. A white sheet covered
her to the navel; bruises blemished the once pretty face. Contusions marred the
pallid skin from elbow to shoulder. The gash on the front of her neck gaped,
exposing open veins and torn tissue.
Rita
flipped her thick, dark braid back over her shoulder, snapped on one latex
glove, leaned over the corpse, and peeled back an eyelid. In her bare hand, she
clasped a star-shaped crystal hanging from the gold chain around her neck, an
endowment from her maternal Roma bloodline. The crystal heated in her palm, warm
energy pulsing up her arm to her shoulder. The face captured in the victim’s
eye coalesced and stared back. Rita drew in a sharp breath. Bobby Driscoll! She had known him since
high school, and now he worked as a uniform in her precinct.
Check Lorrie's website or write her for more info and the reviews.
Gypsy Blood is now available in
e-book format at Amazon
Other links:
Thank you, Lorrie for visiting today. Love your excerpt!
Today is the final day for the Coda to Murder tour. Race on over to Gail Roughton's Flowers on the Fence where we are discussing conflict in stories (and life.) Leave a comment to win prizes. They will be awarded after 9 pm tonight (Friday, March 22) Hope to see you there!!
