SETTING A STORY
I'm small town.
I was raised in a rural community with
an official population of about three hundred residents. Like most
small town kids, I wanted nothing more than to leave for bigger and
better things after graduating from high school. Higher education
provided me with the opportunity to live in the city, and my first
job as a postgraduate was located well within a metropolitan area.
Although I enjoyed the convenience of
city living (Pizza delivery! Art museums! Cell phone service!), I
longed for the peace and community of a small town. I missed the
rolling farmland and grazing cows. I missed the parks and lakes and
hiking trails. And I hated feeling like a rat in a race every time I
commuted to work in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
I eventually found my roots again in a
rural community. The view outside my kitchen window is one of green
mountains and a hayfield. My chickens peck at the grass in my
backyard. I often see deer and wild turkey on the land behind my
house.
Most crime novels, especially
hard-boiled detective stories, tend to be set in large cities. The
grit and criminal population of these environments enhance the dark
nature of these books, providing a backdrop of dirt and despair and
violence. But when I determined the setting for Phobia, it
seemed natural to choose a small town. I'm intimately familiar with
the characteristics of a little community. A visit to the local park
often results in seeing a former elementary teacher or classmate.
Residents live and die in the same house. Nicknames like “Skeeter,”
or “Snuff,” or “Butch” get assigned in childhood, continue
through adulthood, and eventually appear in the obituary. These
subtle nuances of small town living create a colorful and serene
backdrop for the gruesome murders in Phobia. I hope this
contrast of peace and chaos—mirrored in the internal struggle of my
main character, Artemis Herne—brings a fresh element of interest to
the novel.
I initially worried that a rural
setting would limit future books in the series. Small communities
usually lack the criminal interest of gangs, hitmen, and a large
underground network of nefarious activity. But they do have their
own seedy underbelly. Sadly, we have our share of child abusers,
pedophiles, drug addicts, burglars, and domestic violence. I suspect
I will have plenty of material to continue the Artemis Herne series
for quite a while.
Title: Phobia
Author: C.A. Shives
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
EVERYONE HAS A SECRET
FEAR...
Ex-cop Artemis Herne thought he left the grit and crime of the city in the past when he moved to a small town in Pennsylvania. But the discovery of a woman's dead body, bound and covered with snakes, sends panic through his community and ignites his investigative instincts.
As the serial killer continues to target his prey, Herne must confront his own haunted past to uncover the pattern in the deaths. He soon discovers that every victim suffers from a phobia. And every murder transforms the victim's worst fear into reality.
Tormented by his personal demons, he is forced to face his own fears as he hunts for a murderer who uses terror for a weapon.
Ex-cop Artemis Herne thought he left the grit and crime of the city in the past when he moved to a small town in Pennsylvania. But the discovery of a woman's dead body, bound and covered with snakes, sends panic through his community and ignites his investigative instincts.
As the serial killer continues to target his prey, Herne must confront his own haunted past to uncover the pattern in the deaths. He soon discovers that every victim suffers from a phobia. And every murder transforms the victim's worst fear into reality.
Tormented by his personal demons, he is forced to face his own fears as he hunts for a murderer who uses terror for a weapon.
Book Excerpt
EXCERPT 1
They stared at each other as memories
flooded Herne’s mind like a scattering of photographs faded by
sunlight. On summer break their freshmen year of college, they shared
a bottle of illicit whiskey in Tucker’s basement. Best buddies
having a little fun on a typical Saturday night. Walking a street in
Hurricane, on their way to meet Tucker’s girlfriend—who would
later become his wife—they saw the unmistakable glow of flames a
few blocks away. The old brick bakery was on fire. They ran to it,
knowing that the building was really a shelter for battered women.
Once there they found a thin, long-haired man in the parking lot,
holding a lit Molotov cocktail while screaming the name of his wife.
Two more unlit homemade frags sat on the asphalt.
When the man saw them, he threw the
bomb against the building and charged at Herne.
Herne pounded at the man’s face
until his fist pulverized bone into tiny shards. Through a red haze
of fury, Herne only saw the face of his sister—his sweet, young
sister—beaten to death in her teenage years by a jealous boyfriend.
Tucker pulled him away into the night
as sirens sounded in the distance. The man spent years in
reconstructive surgery, and he never looked anything less than a
monster. The brain damage he suffered made it impossible for him to
identify his attackers.
C.A. Shives is the author of PHOBIA, a
suspense novel based in a small Pennsylvania town.
When not reading, writing, editing, or publishing, C.A. enjoys watching a good action movie. The author also spends time target shooting on the range and raising backyard chickens.
C.A. loves cheesy poofs, Bruce Willis movies, and wine (often simultaneously). The author is also a fan of Professional Competitive Eating.
A second book in the Artemis Herne series is scheduled for a winter 2012 release. C.A.’s upcoming novel weaves a dark tale of horrific vigilante justice tainted by the bitter taste of revenge.
When not reading, writing, editing, or publishing, C.A. enjoys watching a good action movie. The author also spends time target shooting on the range and raising backyard chickens.
C.A. loves cheesy poofs, Bruce Willis movies, and wine (often simultaneously). The author is also a fan of Professional Competitive Eating.
A second book in the Artemis Herne series is scheduled for a winter 2012 release. C.A.’s upcoming novel weaves a dark tale of horrific vigilante justice tainted by the bitter taste of revenge.
Important Links
Website:
www.cashives.com
Twitter: @CA_Shives
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/C.A.Shives
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Phobia-ebook/dp/B007XVP39W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335619232&sr=8-1
Twitter: @CA_Shives
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/C.A.Shives
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Phobia-ebook/dp/B007XVP39W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335619232&sr=8-1
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