Spotlight & Giveaway: Someone Missing from Malapais Mountain by Kris Bock

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Kris Bock to HJ!

Hi Kris and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Someone Missing from Malapais Mountain!

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

Someone Missing from Malapais Mountain is the fourth book in the Accidental Detective mystery series. Kate returned home to Arizona after a bomb tore up her leg and disrupted her career as a war correspondent. Previous books saw Kate reinventing her life and solving murders with the help of her sister, Jen, their father, and an assortment of senior sidekicks and young computer geeks.

In book 3, Kate helped a younger journalist, Gabriella, who has now been covering a political corruption story. Kate learns that someone ran Gabriella’s car off the road, possibly to keep her from revealing what she learned. Gabriella’s editor asks Kate to take over the story and find the hit-and-run driver. Kate and Jen have the help, if you can call it that, of their usual friends. That group now includes a giant dog described as “part mastiff and part Sasquatch,” which you can see on the cover.
 

Please share your favorite lines or quote(s) from this book:

It’s hard to pick a favorite, but this demonstrates Kate’s sense of humor:

The doorbell rang. I stroked Harlequin, my parents’ black and white cat, who liked to snuggle me whenever I had the heating pad on my leg. “Sorry, can’t disturb the cat.”

Jen heaved a theatrical sigh and headed for the door. We weren’t expecting anyone, so it was probably a delivery—or else Clarence, with a report on some odd crime he thought we should investigate to keep him entertained. Since I’d been home, I’d helped get three murderers arrested. Bored retired men remained the biggest danger in my life, followed by my restless sister.

What inspired this book?

I like to hike in the deserts of New Mexico and Arizona. This plot allowed me to get Kate and Jen out of the city and into the rugged wilderness, where everything wants to bite or stab you. Malapais means badlands, and Arizona’s Malapais Mountain is near the Superstition Wilderness outside of Phoenix.

I was also inspired by the wonderful book Silent to the Bone, by E. L. Konigsburg. In it, a boy has to trace what really happened to his friend who refuses to speak. I thought it would be interesting to have Kate try to solve a mystery where a key witness was unable to communicate in the typical ways. I gave Gabriella injuries that meant she couldn’t write or speak. She can only answer questions with blinking. That means Kate can’t simply say, “Tell me what happened.” She has to figure out what she needs to ask and how to turn it into a yes or no question.

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

With the first book, I was surprised at how many people thought it was really funny. Kate exhibits my sense of humor, which tends to be more dry and subtle, so I didn’t expect the “laugh out loud” reaction that I got. Since this is the fourth book in the series, I know the characters pretty well.

What was your favorite scene to write?

The book takes Kate and Jen into the wilderness for a missing person. Clarence, who is eighty years old and uses a cane, insists on coming along. They’re also convinced to take Whiskers, the enthusiastic giant dog. I had a lot of fun with this scene:

“Let’s take a break before we go downhill,” I called. My throat was dry from sucking in the desert air.
“Okay.” Clarence took a couple more steps, enough to look down the other side of the pass. “Hey!” He swung around and took a couple of fast steps toward us.
He wobbled, planted his cane, and seemed to bounce off a bush.
He went down.
Jen and I gasped and ran toward him. That gave Whiskers the idea that we were all going to jump into a big pile and roll around on the ground. I hauled back on his leash before he could leap on Clarence in a fit of playfulness and further injure him. Whiskers whined in disappointment, but I shortened the leash and held it tight.
Jen crouched beside Clarence as he groaned and rolled over.
“Oh my gosh.” Jen’s eyes were huge. “Are you okay?”
Clarence got to his hands and knees, so he was able to move—that was the good news. The bad news was he’d fallen onto a cactus and had a chunk of cholla sticking to the back pocket of his jeans.
“I think I broke something,” Clarence moaned.
“Oh no!” Jen said. “What?”
“My pride. They do say pride cometh before the fall.” He reached back with one hand.
“Don’t,” I said. “You don’t want to get cactus spines in your hand too.”
“So that’s what it is. I thought it was my arachnoiditis acting up.” He gave a weak chuckle. “I never knew a spider to have fangs like this.”
I had to admire his attempt to maintain a sense of humor in the face of what must be a fair amount of pain.

What was the most difficult scene to write?

The hardest scenes are always the beginning, because you have to figure out where to start, and the end, because you have to wrap up everything in a satisfying way. Since I don’t want to share the ending here, here’s a bit of the beginning:

“Coward.” My sister spat the word at me.
I glared back from where I reclined on the sofa. “Oh, please. How many killers have I faced down just in the last few months?”
Jen gave a sniff. “And yet you draw the line at stand-up comedy.”
I shifted the heating pad against my left leg, the one that had been torn up in a bombing six months before. I considered a comment about how standing up was still not my strong suit, but if that hadn’t worked to get me out of stand-up paddleboarding, it wasn’t going to work with stand-up comedy. In any case, it wasn’t the standing that worried me about stand-up comedy.
“You’re never going to get through fifty new things in a year at this rate,” Jen said.
“You know numbers are arbitrary and time is imaginary. Age is a mindset and all that.”
Jen rolled her eyes. “And we’re both trying to find new meaning in life. That’s why I’m doing the challenge with you, even though I’m only forty-eight.”
She’d decided we should try fifty new things during the year I turned fifty. Pointing out that I had never agreed to the challenge wouldn’t make a difference to Jen. She’d spent the last thirty years raising teenagers and commanding parent and community groups. I’d only traveled the world as a journalist. Turns out interviewing warlords and covering natural disasters had not built up the mental strength I needed to survive a battle of wills with my sister. I missed the days when being older meant I was bigger than she was, and I could simply hold her down to get my way.
“Open mic night can’t be that hard,” Jen said. “Clarence and Arnold do it.”
Clarence and Arnold were friends of my father, senior men who seemed to live for bad jokes and causing trouble.
“You’re not exactly supporting your case,” I said.

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

I write for children and adults, fiction and nonfiction. I’ve written romance (the Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series, set at a cat café, and the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series, about a Texas ranching family that wins the lottery). I’ve written mysteries such as this series and romantic suspense, which is similar but each couple gets a happy ending in their book, whereas Kate is still barely getting started on a romance. My novels for children (written as ​Chris Eboch) include historical fiction and contemporary adventures with ghosts. So it’s a little hard to say what my writing style is.

However, my writing tends to be pretty fast-paced, with plenty of plot action. I’ve also gotten comments that I write characters of all ages well, making children and seniors into realistic people rather than caricatures. So I’d say my books have a lot of differences on the surface but probably the same writing style.

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

My main goal is entertainment. One of the best things a book can do is relax you and help you forget about life’s stresses! So I’d be perfectly happy if people simply enjoy the book. If people want a bit more, this series contains themes about figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life, however long that is. It’s never too late to start over, and trying new things can be good for the spirit even if you decide they’re not for you.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

I’m finishing the fifth and last book in the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series. The first two books are out with number three coming April 13. The first four books follow four brothers. I’m having fun with book 5 because it features their mother. Older women finding romance – what’s not to love?

The Accidental Detective book 5 comes out September 15, and we have at least one more planned. I’ll start writing that one next.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: An ebook copy of Someone Missing from Malapais Mountain + 3 Tule ebooks

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Excerpt from Someone Missing from Malapais Mountain:

“Coward.” My sister spat the word at me.
I glared back from where I reclined on the sofa. “Oh, please. How many killers have I faced down just in the last few months?”
Jen gave a sniff. “And yet you draw the line at stand-up comedy.”
I shifted the heating pad against my left leg, the one that had been torn up in a bombing six months before. I considered a comment about how standing up was still not my strong suit, but if that hadn’t worked to get me out of stand-up paddleboarding, it wasn’t going to work with stand-up comedy. In any case, it wasn’t the standing that worried me about stand-up comedy.
“You’re never going to get through fifty new things in a year at this rate,” Jen said.
“You know numbers are arbitrary and time is imaginary. Age is a mindset and all that.”
Jen rolled her eyes. “And we’re both trying to find new meaning in life. That’s why I’m doing the challenge with you, even though I’m only forty-eight.”
She’d decided we should try fifty new things during the year I turned fifty. Pointing out that I had never agreed to the challenge wouldn’t make a difference to Jen. She’d spent the last thirty years raising teenagers and commanding parent and community groups. I’d only traveled the world as a journalist. Turns out interviewing warlords and covering natural disasters had not built up the mental strength I needed to survive a battle of wills with my sister. I missed the days when being older meant I was bigger than she was, and I could simply hold her down to get my way.
“Open mic night can’t be that hard,” Jen said. “Clarence and Arnold do it.”
Clarence and Arnold were friends of my father, senior men who seemed to live for bad jokes and causing trouble.
“You’re not exactly supporting your case,” I said. “They could use a few more boundaries. Anyway, I’m a writer, not a speaker. The idea of watching amateurs at an open mic makes me cringe. Why would I want to do it myself and make other people cringe?”
“You’re supposed to be pushing your boundaries,” Jen said. “That’s the whole point of the fifty at fifty challenge.”
Pushing boundaries sounded good in theory. Not so long ago, I didn’t think I had boundaries. But my injuries had forcefully reminded me that I was aging, in a way the mere number “fifty” could not. Now I sometimes found myself wanting to pull back, take it easy, play it safe.
Maybe I did need to push boundaries. That didn’t mean I could let Jen have her way without a fight. If I gave in too easily, who knew what outrageous thing she’d have me doing next? No, the way to deal with Jen was to resist strongly at first, slowly giving in to a compromise so she’d think she’d won, and I . . . Well, I’d know I lost, but not as big a loss as it might be otherwise.
Dad came downstairs and paused in the foyer, looking at us in the living room. “I’m going out for a bit.”
“Are you visiting Mom?” I asked. “Maybe I’ll join you.” Anything to get away from my annoying sister, or at least distract her. If she came along, she could boss around Mom and the staff at Sunshine Haven for a change.
Dad’s gaze flicked between us. Finally, he said, “I have some errands to run first. I can pick you up later if you want to visit your mother.”
“Anything I can do?” I asked.
Now that Dad and I were roommates, I tried to do my fair share of grocery shopping, cooking, and chores. I wasn’t paying rent, since the house was paid off and I was underemployed. I’d finally had to retire from my job with the Associated Press, since I couldn’t go back to the field full-time. Now I was merely a freelancer, writing articles on spec—and occasionally investigating crimes, but I had yet to get paid for that.
“No, no, it’s fine.” Dad smiled vaguely and left.
“I hope he’s not developing memory problems too,” Jen said. “Has he been acting odd lately?”
“He seemed distracted, that’s all.” I did not want to have another parent with dementia. It was bad enough dealing with my own aging, without admitting that my parents were nearing the ends of their lives. Dad was only in his seventies. He could live another twenty years or more—if nothing went wrong.
I mentally reviewed the last few days. “He got a phone call yesterday. He was pretty quiet after that. I hope it wasn’t bad news about Mom. Surely he would’ve told us.”
“Maybe.” Jen offered me a saccharine smile. “It’s not like anyone in this family would ever keep secrets.”
“Hey, when I first got back, you were being fairly obnoxious. Now you know as much as I do about our investigations. Probably more.”
She slumped back and blew out a breath. “Yeah. I just wish we could go public. I could get us so much work! But getting a PI license takes forever.”
Jen had decided we should go into business together as private investigators. She’d been working on the business side of things. In Arizona, getting a PI license required working for three years full-time for another PI or for a government agency, but if anyone could find a way to skirt those rules, it was Jen. She’d already tried to talk Todd, the local mayor and my almost-boyfriend, into hiring me for the city. Unfortunately, our little town within the greater Phoenix area really didn’t need an investigator on staff.
Todd was facing a challenging reelection after the recent scandals. He hadn’t been responsible for the scandals, but the mayor looked bad if he didn’t realize city employees were falsifying work orders and faking overtime.
Hmm, given the amount of corruption we’d uncovered, maybe Todd did need a PI. However, it might look like nepotism if he hired his almost-girlfriend.
The doorbell rang.
I stroked Harlequin, my parents’ black-and-white cat, who liked to snuggle with me whenever I had the heating pad on my leg. “Sorry, can’t disturb the cat.”
Jen heaved a theatrical sigh and headed for the door. We weren’t expecting anyone, so it was probably a delivery—or else Clarence, with a report on some odd crime he thought we should investigate to keep him entertained. Since I’d been home, I’d helped get three murderers arrested. Bored retired men remained the biggest danger in my life, followed by my restless sister.
I heard a woman’s voice from outside. “Kate Tessler?”
Jen stepped back and gestured toward me.
A petite woman, probably my age, give or take a few years, stepped into the foyer. Her gaze landed on me and she marched forward. “April Tran, editor in chief of the Sun.” Her chin-length black hair swung forward as she leaned over to hold out her hand.
I shook the offered hand. “Pleased to meet you. What can I do for you?” I tried to keep my demeanor professional. It would be the only professional thing about me. I wore baggy shorts and an ancient Def Leppard T-shirt with a coffee stain down the front, and my short, silver hair stuck up all over. I hadn’t bothered to shower that morning, since I wasn’t expecting to see anyone important.
April Tran couldn’t have weighed more than a hundred pounds, but she dropped down on the other end of the sofa hard enough to bounce the cushions and make Harlequin grumble.
“I need your help.” She frowned at the cat and the heating pad. “I hope you can help me.”
“If you explain what you need, I’ll let you know,” I said.
Jen quietly took her seat across the coffee table and picked up the notebook and pen she always kept within reach.
“Gabriella told me about you,” April said.
Gabriella Dempsey was a reporter with the Sun. I’d done her a favor a few weeks before by giving her info about cyberbullying at a local high school. Well, technically, I’d distracted her from the bigger scandal involving Todd’s political opponent and a shady developer who’d committed murder. But the cyberbullying story tied into that, and since the bigger story broke, Gabriella had been covering it as well.
“I’ve been following her reports,” I said. “She’s doing well.”
“She’ll have my job one day,” April said without heat. “At least, if she lives long enough.”
I stared. “Is that a general comment, or are you worried about her safety?”
“She was in a car accident last night,” April said. “Gabriella is in the hospital.”
“Oh no. Is she—” I wouldn’t ask if Gabriella was all right, given what April had already said. “What are her injuries?”
“Broken arm, cracked ribs, burns. She’s conscious, but between the breathing tube and the burns on her hands, she can’t really communicate.” April gulped a couple of times. “She can’t talk or write.”
I felt light-headed. My damaged leg was bad enough. Losing the ability to speak and write was devastating, especially for a reporter.
I made myself breathe. “Do they think she’ll recover?”
April gave a shrug and half shake of her head that suggested uncertainty.
“Is that what you meant by if she lives long enough?” I asked.
“Not exactly.” April’s hands made fists on her thighs. “The accident wasn’t an accident. Someone ran her car off the road.”
Jen gasped. “Intentionally?”
“We don’t know for sure. Gabriella was driving on a winding road east of the city, toward Malapais Mountain. Her car went into a gully. In a way, she’s lucky the engine caught fire. The flames attracted the attention of the next people to drive by, and they got her out. Otherwise . . .” April’s chin trembled, and she pressed her lips together.
Jen and I exchanged glances, eyes wide at the horror of being trapped in a burning car. If no one had spotted the wreck, it could have been days before someone found her—her remains, at that point.
“That sounds terrible,” I said. “I’m still not clear on why you came to me.”
April’s chin firmed. “Gabriella was working on the political corruption story. I think someone tried to get rid of her because of it. She told me you gave her that lead. We’re always short-staffed, as you can probably imagine. With Gabriella in the hospital—and I haven’t been able to reach Andres, he’s not answering his phone or returning messages—anyway, I need someone to take over for Gabriella.”
“You want me to cover the political story?”
I’d have to think about that. Technically, I should recuse myself from following that story, since I had a personal relationship with someone involved. On the other hand, I already knew most of the details, I had access to some of the people involved, and April needed experienced help. Plus, I could use a paycheck, even the minimal pay I’d probably get freelancing for a smallish local paper.
“Yes, and I want you to find out whether one of those horrible men ran Gabriella off the road,” April said.
That was an entirely different challenge.
“If Gabriella can’t communicate, how do you know another car was involved?” Jen asked.
“Oh, didn’t I say? The left rear panel of Gabriella’s car had silver paint on it. Her car was totaled, but the police found that much evidence.”
“That suggests someone bumped her,” I said. “It could still have been an accident—a hit-and-run by someone trying to pass, rather than attempted murder.”
“Either way, it’s criminal,” April said. “I want them caught. I can’t let someone get away with hurting one of my reporters, especially if it was an attack. I mentioned the possibility to the police, but they’re not taking me seriously. I don’t have anyone else to spare, no one with enough experience. That’s why I need you.”
More likely, she didn’t want to put more of her own people in danger. I’d take that as a compliment to my experience rather than a comment on my expendability.
“I have a guy on the political beat, but he’s asthmatic and diabetic . . .” April glanced at the heating pad against my leg. My return to Arizona after the bombing injury had been covered in the news, since I was a minor local celebrity, so no doubt she knew all about it. Would she rethink her offer, since I was hardly at peak physical ability either?
April looked up. “More to the point, he’s lazy and prefers to do his interviews by phone or over drinks. I don’t have anyone used to being on the front lines. I want you to take over Gabriella’s story and include an investigation into her accident—the attempt on her life.”
I should consider the ramifications carefully. I’d be going up against men who were rich, powerful, and ruthless. At least one man was already dead at their hands. If they’d tried to get rid of Gabriella, it suggested she’d found more evidence against them. They wouldn’t want me on the same trail. It was definitely a situation that called for caution.
“I’d love to help,” I said.
Jen leaned forward. “Let’s talk about our rates.”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

It’s hard to walk away from the truth when you need a cane…

Former international war correspondent Kate Tessler had to trade her illustrious journalism career for her childhood bedroom after a brush with death almost took her leg. But when the editor of a local newspaper asks for her help, Kate is drawn back into her old world. A journalist covering a sprawling story of political corruption may have uncovered explosive new evidence, but she was run off the road in a hit-and-run accident. Gabriella, Kate’s mentee, has been injured and can only communicate by blinking yes or no to questions. Meanwhile, another reporter is missing.

The editor is short-staffed, with no one experienced enough to handle something this dangerous. Kate can never give up on the search for truth, so with her trusty senior sidekicks and new PI partner—her sister, Jen—Kate takes the case. Can a fifty-year-old journalist still recovering from a war injury survive the dangers of the Arizona desert long enough to catch a killer?

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Meet the Author:

Kris Bock writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter to get a free Accidental Detective mystery story, a free cat café novella, and more.

In the Accidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. This humorous series starts with Something Shady at Sunshine Haven. Learn more at www.krisbock.com. Find The Accidental Detective Series in ebook or print on Amazon US, Amazon UK, or at Tule Publishing with links to all retailers.

Kris is also writing a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for the romantic comedy newsletter to get a short story preview, or find the books at Amazon US or All E-book retailers.
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