Today I have very special guest on my blog! Dr. Catherine Powers’ nine-year-old son, Joey, has stopped by to tell us all about life with his mom, the FBI forensic pathologist/special agent and main character in Dying Declaration by Solange Ritchie.
Here’s what Joey wants you to know:
Hi, my name is Joey Powers. My mom is Dr. Catherine Powers, but everyone calls her Cat. She is the best mom in the world. I am nine years old now. My favorite things in the world are swimming in our back yard pool, hanging out with my dog, Max, who is a chocolate Labrador and movies. I love the Avatar movies. I love video games too. They are awesome. I love the game Fortnight. Have you ever played it? If not, that’s your loss. While I like school, I hate math. It gives me a headache.
So, my favorite thing about my mom, you ask? She’s a great cook. Every Tuesday night at our house is Spaghetti night. Mom sometimes mixes it up with her homemade Italian meatballs, which are the best. I also love her blueberry pancakes. She has a secret ingredient for them, but I am not allowed to tell you what it is. You’ll have to guess.
Two years ago, my life changed forever. My dad was shot to death in front of me by The Burning Man. Then he kidnapped me from my driveway and threw me in the back of his SUV. I was so scared and frightened. I thought I would never see my mom or Max again. I prayed my dad was still alive. I prayed a lot those few days and nights. I prayed I would survive. I prayed The Burning Man would not kill my mom. I prayed he would not kill me. Somehow, I survived. It made me stronger. I realized I am a tough kid. What’s the word mom uses? Resilient. Yes, I am resilient.
My mom is my favorite person in the world. She’s pretty amazing. I miss her a lot when she is gone but I know she has to be gone for long periods of time for work. She catches bad guys, criminals. That’s her job. She works for the FBI. Her job takes her all over the United States. I think her job is pretty awesome. I stay with our neighbors when she is gone. They treat me like I am their grandson so I get spoiled a lot. And of course, Max is always by my side. He sleeps on my bed at night and kisses me good morning every day. I don’t even care that he has doggie breath sometimes. He’s my best friend in the world.
At school, I am a little bit of a loner. I guess when my dad died it made me even more of a loner. How can you explain how it feels like to loose your dad? How can you explain what it feels like to loose your hero? How can you explain those memories that stick in your head? The answer is you can’t. So, I stopped trying to explain it to my friends, my teachers, or anyone at school. No one would understand, not even my mom. I still carry those memories with me every day and every night. I talk to Max about them when I am alone – that’s it. No one else needs to know. If I talk about them to anyone else, I appear weak. I don’t want to be weak. I want to be strong. With my dad gone, my mom needs me to be strong. Now, I am the man of the house. That’s what mom always says.
In Dying Declaration, it starts out on vacation with my mom in Belize. We had such an amazing time. The ocean water was so clear and blue. When we went snorkeling, I had never seen so many fish before. So many different colors and sizes. They were all around me. I followed the instructions of the man at the hotel and took a bag of Cheetos into the water. I opened it just a bit so the wet Cheetos could float out, a little bit at a time. The fish went crazy for those things. It was like I was inside my own personal aquarium! I think I might want to become an oceanographer or a marine biologist because the fish were so cool. I loved Belize. I definitely want to go back soon. Mom says maybe next year in the summer we can go back there and see some more fish. Maybe, I can swim with the dolphins too. That would be so awesome. I’ve always wanted to do that.
Well, that’s it for now. I hope you enjoyed talking with me as much as I enjoyed talking with you.
About Dying Declaration
Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers is FBI Forensic pathologist and special agent with an uncanny sixth sense for bringing murders to justice.
During a vacation in Belize with her young son, Joey, Cat gets a phone call from her boss. Young prostitutes are being picked up, murdered and left for dead in the Florida Everglades. The first victim does not fit the killer’s modus operandi. She was a legal secretary working for the Fort Lauderdale based international law firm, Black and Knight.
As Cat investigates this and other deaths, they lead back to the firm’s henchmen and to its partners. With the help of another firm employee, Cat discovers a secret web of murder, illicit drugs, prostitution, sex trafficking, corruption and more. The firm’s partners intend to kill anyone who can lead the law back to them, including Cat.
As the body count grows, powerful people will make decisions that will change lives. Decisions that will destroy families. As Cat uncovers the conspiracy, only one partner, the mastermind, will become Cat’s ally. She will walk away, after seeing that the others are brought to justice.
Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Books-a-Million – Bookshop.org
Giveaway
Enter a raffflecopter for your chance to win one of five print copies of Dying Declaration from the author (US only).
About the Author
Born on the tropica island of Jamaica to a Jamaican father and a French mother, Solange Ritchie (then Solange Levy) immigrated to the United States at age eleven. Since then, she has become a dynamic force for change. Fed up with thrillers that start with a fizzle and longing to see more powerful women as lead characters, Solange decided to create her own characters. Despite the demands of a busy legal career, she accomplished her ambitious goal by rising each morning to write before work, dedicating her weekends to writing, and even spending her vacation time writing. Solange is fortunate to have traveled to over 19 countries in her lifetime.
Words have always been Solange’s passion – now so more than ever.
Solange achieved a successful writing career while doing “last minute trial,” mostly in Southern California. Dubbed “the Case Saver,” Solange handled intense legal motions that either make or break a case, especially in the areas of business, labor, and employment law. In 2014, she received the State Bar of California’s Solo and Small Firm’s Section’s highest award, the Myer J. Sankary Attorney of the Year Award. It is given to only one attorney each year in California.
When Solange was just thirty-seven years old, her first husband, John, died due to gross medical negligence at a leading Southern California hospital. This life-altering experience helped shape her into the person she is today. She began writing creatively to deal with the stress of his hospitalization and his death.
Solange’s first psychological thriller, The Burning Man, featuring FBI forensic pathologist Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers was published in 2015. Her second novel in the series, Firestorm, was released to critical acclaim, on May 15, 2018. Dying Declaration is the third novel in the Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers series. Bomb Blast is Solange’s fourth novel in the series. Solange plans at least two more books in the Dr. Catherine Powers series. A fan of things that go bump in the night, Solange has also penned a Southern Gothic novel called Fiona’s Box, which will be released shortly.
Solange lives in Southern Florida. She enjoys traveling, writing, gardening, time with her family, as well as good food and conversation. Solange is available for speaking engagements. She especially enjoys talking with book clubs. To receive her Sunday blog post, Notes from Solange, just go to her author website, www.solangeritchie.com, and leave your e-mail address. Nothing negative or political is ever posted. Her author website, www.authorsolange.com, includes a blog, reviews, recipes, events, and the latest on Solange’s adventures. Solange welcomes your comments, reviews, and suggestions, and invites you to contact her at:
- Author website: http://solangeritchie.com
- Legal website: http://solangeritchielaw.com
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/solange.ritchie
- Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/solange-ritchie-5276486
- Twitter: @solangeritchie and @solangeauthor
For reviews, interviews, recipes, and more, visit the tour page.
Cast Iron Stake Through the Heart 
On again, off again, ON AGAIN–Jolie Tucker and Mick Meiser are giving their relationship another try. Things seem to be working out for them so far, and love is on the menu all over Leavensport! An unexpected pregnancy with a surprising partner, a therapist pairs off with the chief of police, and the mayor of Leavensport falls for Jolie’s Aunt Fern!
Rebecca Grubb
But also to be honest, awards are not the reason I write. I write for a variety of reasons. It started with a diary when I was young. I recorded all my hopes, my dreams and my crushes and my first kiss. I was lucky enough that creative writing was part of the curriculum my junior year in high school. Thank you Jim Colletti. It was a class where I got my first A+ and I loved it. I might mention I wasn’t a straight-A student unless I liked a subject. Don’t tell my grandkids.
You have all heard the story: big-city girl moves to small town and lives happily ever after. That’s not the forever-after Angel Delaight found when she moved to Whistle Stop, Minnesota. First her realtor is found dead in her new house, which is also rumored to be haunted. Then homeless animals began showing up at her door, along with a bevy of townspeople who seem to know what she is doing at all times. Not to mention a secret journal turning up during renovation, revealing more secrets hidden in this small community.
My home office is my main writing environment. I just redecorated, and before it was a fairly drab space with not a lot going on in the way of girly bling. I think I’ve remedied that now, so it’s a lot cheerier for me, and I think my writing has benefitted from that. I think of the tone of most of my writing as “fun,” so a splashy office space is a must. I have Rodney White’s “Nothing to Dream” on the wall (reminding me to keep dreaming big), and other inspirational art I’ve picked up along the way. My favorite piece, though, is the full-length version of the cover art for Mug Shot by the amazingly talented Niloufer Wadia.
A fundraising party goes south in a delightful cozy mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of Southern Discomfort and the Java Jive novels
As a writer, it’s possible to have too much of a good thing as well. Writers depend upon words, but we can overuse them. Words we love. Words that weasel their way into our writing and lessen the impact. My own particular weasel words include: just, little, almost, nearly, too, about, a bit, seems, actually, like, and that. They scatter themselves so freely into my writing that I have to search for them later and weed them out. I read once that weasel words are used to make a statement seem more convincing or authoritative than it might actually be. [I used three weasel words in the previous sentence—see how insidious they are?] In reality, they accomplish the opposite.
In 2004 Don Watson published Watson’s Dictionary of Weasel Words, Contemporary Clichés, Cant & Management Jargon (don’t get me started on management jargon). A wonderful tool for writers, but if you’re thinking about purchasing a copy, be warned that Amazon is now selling the hardcover for $124. Used copies go for $50 and up. I’d check your local library.
American antique dealer Kate Hamilton’s Christmastime jaunt to a charming English village leads to an investigation of a missing ruby…and a chain of murders.
Like her protagonist, Connie Berry was raised in the antiques trade. After teaching theology for twenty-five years, she took up writing mysteries featuring high-end antiques and the legacy of the past. Connie loves history, cute animals, travel with a hint of adventure, and all things British. She lives in Ohio with her husband and adorable dog, Millie.
Cassidy's Bookshelves 