BooksChatter: ℚ Devil Eye: Penny Larkin Paranormal Thriller [2]

Today we have the pleasure of talking to Rebecca Jean Downey, author of the Penny Larkin series, with a particular focus on her second novel, Devil Eye (4 March, 2014, Tate Publishing & Enterprises).

In Devil Eye, Penny Larkin is hired by the US Marshals Service to track down low level gun trafficker Juan Rico and finds herself part of the weapons cargo on its way to Mexico. This second instalment has been described as:

"A haunting thriller about the U.S.-Mexico Border!"

"Devil Eye is a very well-written novel, and it kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last.
I enjoyed the adventure, and look forward to enjoying many more from this exciting author. She has kept it rated general audience so it can be enjoyed by all ages. The book is entertaining, descriptive, exciting, and suspenseful, along with being well edited and a joy to read. I gave it a very well deserved “A” on my tight grading scale and recommend it to one and all. Pick it up and try it, you will not put it down." William Phenn for Blog Critics"

Hello Rebecca and many thanks for joining us here at BooksChatter at short notice.

What was the inspiration for your latest book, Devil Eye?

"Devil Eye was inspired by Fast & Furious, the authorized movement of guns into Mexico by the U.S. government, and the subsequent death of Border Patrol Agent, Brian Terry, by one of those guns, used by drug cartels against him.

One of the centers of Fast & Furious occurred in Columbus, New Mexico, a mile north of the U.S.-Mexico border, where the Police Chief, the Mayor and a Village Trustee were recently tried and imprisoned."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"Protagonist, Penny Larkin, and I are a bit psychic, but both of us hate to admit it."

Can you tell us what sets the Penny Larkin series apart from the rest and makes it unique?

"Protagonist, Penny Larkin, works with law enforcement using controlled remote viewing to find lost children, track down fugitives and solve cold cases.

Remote viewing is a psychic technique created by the CIA in the 1970s so that the U.S. Army could spy on the Soviet Union and Middle Eastern dictators. It was declassified in the 1990s at the end of the Cold War, and now professionals who participated in the program are teaching it to others.

As a remote viewer myself, I began writing thrillers to introduce readers to this ‘third eye’ way of looking at life, a skill that most of us have, if only we would employ it.

Also, the action of the Penny Larkin thrillers takes place on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border and explores headlines that readers in the rest of the United States do not hear about during the normal course of their day."

Both premises sound fascinating to me, for the very reasons you mentioned. I am mostly aware of the remote viewing technique due to the 2009 Hollywood adaptation of "The Men Who Stare at Goats" by Jon Ronson. Although I am a sceptic by nature, this concept of remote viewing does actually entice me to read this series and I have in fact just downloaded your first novel, The Middle Eye, which you are currently offering for FREE for a limited time - I love books that push me to expand my knowledge!
Returning to the Devil Eye, and the Penny Larkin series, were your characters named after something or someone in particular?

"The late El Paso County Sheriff Leo Samaniego was the inspiration behind Sheriff Leo Tellez in both The Middle Eye and Devil Eye and he also plays a central role in the third book, Unbridled Eye, which is due to be released in late 2015. During his 20 years of service to El Paso County, he was considered one of the top sheriff’s in the nation. I was honored to know him.

Penny Larkin’s name represents a female’s sense of self-worth which is sometimes quite small at the beginning of her life. As a woman grows in wisdom and insight, her life takes flight on the wings of a lark—the lark represents ‘spiritual daybreak’ and is the subject of renowned writers such as Chaucer, Shakespeare and Blake, and is found on the canvases of Renaissance painters who sometimes depicted a lark as a spiritual quest."

Who would you recommend this series to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"Almost 75% of my readers are women of all ages, although when men do read one of my books, they usually read both of them, and I get very positive reviews.

As in most thrillers, there is some violence, or a threat of harm coming to the protagonist, but I am a happy endings kind of author, and I always assure my readers that everything works out for the best."

On a more general subject, what do you like to read and write about? Do you tend to just stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

" I love reading mysteries but was shocked that my first efforts at writing turned into thrillers—a more fast-paced, action style. But I have the notes in process about a cowboy lawyer, which is pretty compelling to me as a detective series."

We certainly look forward to that.
Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process?

"Since I am employed at a major university, I write during my lunch hour in the library. It seems to work for me, although sometimes it is slow and tough."

And finally, what is in store next? Can you give us any hints on future developments?

"My third in the series of Penny Larkin thrillers, Unbridled Eye, is an exposé of the world of American horse racing. I believe readers will be shocked over what is taking place at our racetracks. Penny is hired to find out who is burning down horse barns in New Mexico, and of course, she can’t help getting singed by the flames of intrigue."

Thank you again for joining us, and providing us with so much insight - that was absolutely brilliant. I look forward to reading your novels and wish you all the best with the current tour and your new novel, Unbridled Eye, later this year.