Shirley Raye Redmond is the author of several sweet romance novels
and dozens of children’s books. Many of her titles have won national and
regional awards. She is a member of numerous writing organizations including
American Christian Fiction Writer, Romance Writers of America, Women Writing
the West, and SCBWI. She lives in New Mexico, has been married 41 years to her
college sweetheart. They have two adult children, two adorable grandsons and
one sassy Scottish terrier.
Welcome back to my blog, Shirley. Please tell
us about your new book, Viper’s Nest.
Caring for her 9-year-old daughter, Pippi is Widow Wren Bergschneider's main priority. But she becomes frightened and mystified when she receives
an anonymous note hinting that her husband’s traffic death the year before might
not have been an accident after all. When an
unidentified shooter makes Wren and her boss, history professor Allan Partner,
his targets after they emerge from the basement of a 175-year-old insane asylum
slated for demolition, their lives take an unexpected—and dangerous—turn.
Where did you get your inspiration for this
story?
I actually had a private tour of the Jacksonville Insane
Asylum many years ago. Mary Todd Lincoln was a patient there briefly following
the death of President Lincoln. Built in the mid 1840s, the asylum was the
product of humanitarian Dorothea Dix’s impassioned plea to the Illinois
Legislature. Miss Dix was a stalwart advocate for mentally ill individuals
mistreated by society. Some were locked away in
cellars and attics. Others were put on display in county jails. No medical aid
or social services were available at the time for those declared insane.
Everyone was lumped into the same category—whether one was a cruel psychopathic
killer or a melancholy young mother suffering from postpartum depression. Dorothea Dix changed that.
What kind of research did you do for this
book?
Originally, I wrote about my tour of the asylum for a Writer’s Digest nonfiction contest. My
submission won an Honorable Mention. People who read the piece urged me to “do
something else” with all the historical information I’d collected. After toying with the idea of for quite a
while, I decided to write a suspense novel, using the abandoned asylum as the
backdrop of the story. Besides the tour, I did a lot of research on Dorothea
Dix and Nazi medical experiments during World War II.
Please tell us about one of the main
characters in this story and what you like about him or her.
I am fond of Wren Bergschneider, the heroine of the story.
She’s not one of those fearless women who dash headlong into danger. Being a
good mother is her first priority, and that priority influences every decision
she makes. Since her husband is dead, Wren realizes that if she’s too careless,
her young daughter Pippi could end up an orphan. That’s her biggest fear. It
makes her particularly vulnerable, and I think that adds to the suspense of the
novel.
Where can my readers
find you online?
I love to connect with readers through my website at www.shirleyrayeredmond.com and on
facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shirley-Raye-Redmond-Author/533496973399344
Thank you, Shirley,
for this interview. I hope my followers will take a look at your website and
check out your book. It sounds very intriguing.
6 comments:
This looks like a really great book I would love to win a copy Thanks so much for the chance iamabho (at) gmail.com
Shirley, your book sounds outstanding. And how great to go to
the hospital and be able to do first hand research. I love a
good mystery! May the Lord continue to use your writing.
I am not a fearless mother either. This is a good book for me! Mysteries are so fun to read. Thanks for a nice interview! I enjoyed reading it.
I am intrigued with the subject of this mystery. Thank you for the chance to win a copy.
would love to win.
Congratulations to JoAnn Arnold. You are the winner of this intriguing book. I know you'll enjoy it.
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