BooksChatter: ℚ The Jade Hunters: Sinner's Grove Suspense [3]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author A.B. Michaels to talk about The Jade Hunters (7 June 2019, Red Trumpet Press, 494 pages), a Romantic Suspense, book three in the Sinner's Grove Suspense series.

"What a great story full of intrigue, mystery and relationships. This is my first book in this series and I'd like to go back and read the other two, though this is definitely able to be read as a standalone, I had no idea the stories were linked. What starts off as a story about an exhibit of one memorable woman's life, her granddaughter, Reggie, [...] quickly turns into a dangerous situation. [...]This was a hard book to put down once I got involved in the story and a couple of late nights were had." ~ Claire Louisa, Amazon Reviewer

"A great who done it suspense, romance, mystery with plenty of twists and action that left you wondering to the very end. I was captivated throughout the entire story." ~ mauireader, Amazon Reviewer

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || The Series || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to A.B. Michaels; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

To start, do you have a music playlist that you used in The Jade Hunters , or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"No music list, I’m afraid; I’m one of those strange people who cannot work with music playing. I wish I could!"

What was the inspiration for The Jade Hunters?

"For years I have edited books for Renée Newman, an expert on gems and jewelry. There’s so much fascinating material in her line of work that I knew I wanted to build a story around some aspect of it.

I had introduced a collection of gems in an earlier book, along with the character of Regina Firestone, a jewelry designer. So, the story came together that way."

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

"Funny you should ask! This book has more than its fair share of me, since I gave two of my phobias away – one to each of the main characters. The scenes in which they deal with their “quirks” came straight from my gut."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for The Jade Hunters - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"I have worked with graphic designer Tara Mayberry from Teaberry Creative for several years now. I hesitate to say how fantastic she is to work with because then she’ll get even busier!

But seriously, she is a great listener: I explained that I wanted the women to be featured on the covers, not the couple. Personally, I don’t like showcasing men because as a reader I like to imagine what the guy looks like rather than have the author tell me.

For The Jade Hunters cover, I also wanted to highlight the location (San Francisco) as well as bring in the symbolism of the tiger, which features prominently in the book.

Because it’s a series, all the book covers require the same overall design; I think Tara did a great job of tying The Jade Hunters to the other novels as well as conveying the sinister mood of the book."

Why should we read The Jade Hunters and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your series unique?

"I’m sure every author says this, but I can truthfully say The Jade Hunters is a page-turner, as are the other two books in the series. I want readers to find it difficult to put the book down, and judging by my reviews, that seems to be happening.

Aside from being well-crafted, my books are not only connected within the contemporary series (“Sinner’s Grove Suspense”) but with the historical series (“The Golden City”) as well. I love reading a series where I get to know the characters and they continue to populate the books. So, while each book is a stand-alone read, they all intersect in some way, either through character or setting."

Can you tell us something quirky about The Jade Hunters, its story and characters?

"I set the climax of the novel in a secret underground place that’s based on some actual locations I read about. It turns out there are strange places beneath the streets of many cities—abandoned subway stops, military installations, sub-basements, and so on. Imagine if people lived there—it would be the Phantom of the Opera American-style!"

Who would you recommend The Jade Hunters to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"For sure, anyone who enjoys a good, suspenseful tale with a bit of history and a romance woven into the plot would like this book.

Even though they aren’t a focus of the story, there are some intimate scenes, which some readers don’t care for; there is also rough language at times. When it comes to language and sex, however, I’m never gratuitous; if it’s in there, it’s because it’s an integral part of the story."

If you could / wished to turn The Jade Hunters and the Sinner's Grove Suspense series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"I think a female director who isn’t afraid to show masculine but vulnerable men in a positive light would be great—maybe Kathryn Bigelow (“The Hurt Locker”).

For The Jade Hunters, I’d vote for Taylor Kinney as Walker; for Reggie, hmm, she’s got to be beautiful, but someone who doesn’t focus on that—i.e., she’s not glamorous. How about Brie Larson?! I’m open to ideas …"

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I’ve always loved history (I have degrees from both UC Davis and UCLA in it), so naturally I love to write historical fiction, which requires reading a lot of non-fiction sources. However, my favorite historians are those whose work reads like fiction! (e.g., Erik Larson and Daniel James Brown).

I also enjoy writing suspenseful stories, which is where the “Sinner’s Grove Suspense” series and The Jade Hunters comes in. But these days I’m reading a lot of mysteries—they’re challenging and fun to figure out."

What is your writing process?

"I daydream a lot! And I’ve noticed that a lot of ideas come to me when I’m washing my hair in the shower or in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping—I wonder why that is??!!

Once I have what I consider a workable idea (maybe a character, historical event, or just a basic plot of “somebody does something to somebody”), then I keep refining it in my head until I have enough to put down on paper. Essentially, I tell myself the story.

That’s when I go to my first draft writing program and start plugging in scenes. I work from scene to scene and the novel grows from there."

What is in store next?

"At the beginning of The Jade Hunters, I introduce Ava, a young mother who is Reggie’s cousin. She’s about to go through a painful divorce…or is she?

I have an idea of what’s going to happen with her and who it’s going to happen with, so that will most likely be my next “Sinner’s Grove Suspense” installment. I also left a character from Book One (Sinner’s Grove) heading back to Ireland, and he may pop up again in a future book. And I have a novella in mind that speaks to the origins of the name “Sinner’s Grove.”

On top of all that, I’ve been reading a lot of mysteries for a reason: I have two great ideas for spin off mystery series, one a straight historical that will include characters from “The Golden City” series, and one contemporary that features Dr. Leo Brunt, who is introduced in The Jade Hunters. I can’t wait to write about the adventures he gets into! Ah, so many ideas, so little time!"

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"I love my two dogs, Ziggy and Teddy (they are truly my “posse”), and I love to quilt, so here’s a picture that incorporates both of them plus one of my recent creations!"

Hello Ziggy and Teddy, you gorgeous boys! Lots of head-scratches and belly-rubs to both of you from all of us at BooksChatter.

What a fantastic picture! Thank you for sharing it with us. Love that quilt!

A fortune in stolen jade, a centuries-old vendetta — Let the shell game begin.