Please give a warm welcome to Linda L. Richards and her book, Exit Strategy.
Linda L. Richards is a journalist, photographer and the author of 15 books, including three series of novels featuring strong female protagonists. She is the former publisher of Self-Counsel Press and the founder and publisher of January Magazine. Linda’s 2021 novel, ENDINGS, was recently optioned by a major studio for series production.
Catch Up With Linda L. Richards:
AND NOW A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR
The Endings series began with the idea of dealing with a grief so steep, it was beyond my comprehension. Let me explain.
Several years ago, I wrote a short story. It was, for me, an exploration of what would need to happen for some normal person — say, me — to kill someone for money. What would it take? The short story — and ultimately, the first book in the series, Endings (2021) explored that question. And that was enough for a short story. But for the concept to work into a whole book, there needed to be more. And what came to me, ultimately, was that it was a story about a woman who is struggling to find her way out of spiritual darkness and into the light. She’s trying to find her way through the nightmare that her life is become. She makes bad choices, but it isn’t because she’s a bad person, but because she has lost the way to be her best self.
Okay: so full disclosure. For most of us (I hope!) struggling out of spiritual darkness will NOT involve killing people, for money or otherwise. But this is fiction, and so we explore the far reaches of the light and where the various paths available to us might lead.
In this new book, Exit Strategy, we find this same character dealing with many of the things she was trying to find her way through in Endings, but with some additional thoughts around high tech startups and some of the real challenges those young companies go through bringing their ideas and products to market. Again, of course, this is fiction. And so we push the ideas to some extreme. But at the basis of this — and all of my work, really — is exploring the humanity that connects us. No matter how all of our stories end up, there are elements around all of them — and us — that we recognize. And sometimes the distance between being — say — a soccer mom and a hired killer is not as extreme as one might think. Circumstance connects or corrects us.
The Endings series began with the idea of dealing with a grief so steep, it was beyond my comprehension. Let me explain.
Several years ago, I wrote a short story. It was, for me, an exploration of what would need to happen for some normal person — say, me — to kill someone for money. What would it take? The short story — and ultimately, the first book in the series, Endings (2021) explored that question. And that was enough for a short story. But for the concept to work into a whole book, there needed to be more. And what came to me, ultimately, was that it was a story about a woman who is struggling to find her way out of spiritual darkness and into the light. She’s trying to find her way through the nightmare that her life is become. She makes bad choices, but it isn’t because she’s a bad person, but because she has lost the way to be her best self.
Okay: so full disclosure. For most of us (I hope!) struggling out of spiritual darkness will NOT involve killing people, for money or otherwise. But this is fiction, and so we explore the far reaches of the light and where the various paths available to us might lead.
In this new book, Exit Strategy, we find this same character dealing with many of the things she was trying to find her way through in Endings, but with some additional thoughts around high tech startups and some of the real challenges those young companies go through bringing their ideas and products to market. Again, of course, this is fiction. And so we push the ideas to some extreme. But at the basis of this — and all of my work, really — is exploring the humanity that connects us. No matter how all of our stories end up, there are elements around all of them — and us — that we recognize. And sometimes the distance between being — say — a soccer mom and a hired killer is not as extreme as one might think. Circumstance connects or corrects us.
Published by: Oceanview Publishing
Publication Date: May 17th 2022
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 1608094227 (ISBN13: 9781608094226)
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
A shattered life. A killer for hire. Can she stop?
Her assignments were always to kill someone. That’s what a hitman—or hitwoman—is paid to do, and that is what she does. Then comes a surprise assignment—keep someone alive!
She is hired to protect Virginia Martin, the stunning and brilliant chief technology officer of a hot startup with an innovation that will change the world. This new job catches her at a time in her life when she’s hanging on by a thread. Despair and hopelessness—now more intense than she’d felt after the tragic loss of her family—led her to abruptly launch this career. But over time, the life of a hired killer is decimating her spirit and she keeps thinking of ending her life.
She’s confused about the “why” of her new assignment but she addresses her mission as she always does, with skill and stealth, determined to keep this young CTO alive in the midst of the twinned worlds of innovation and high finance.
Some people have to die as she discharges her responsibly to protect this superstar woman amid the crumbling worlds of money and future technical wonders.
The spirit of an assassin—and her nameless dog—permeates this struggle to help a young woman as powerful forces build to deny her.
Fans of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Dexter will love Exit Strategy.
Giveaway:
This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for ---. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.
**This is a book tour post. Freda's Voice is not responsible for the giveaway, lost, damaged or stolen prizes.
WOW! I loved hearing Ms Richards' basis for this series. It makes me want to grab both!! Thanks for sharing, Freda!
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