“All right, Naomi, what is so important that you needed me to come over here? Don’t you know I have things to do tonight? Places I should already be at? People who are…Hold on, why are you wearing lingerie?” I asked my younger cousin as it finally hit me that she’d answered the door wearing a set of lacy black and pink lingerie. And, if the lingerie wasn’t off-putting enough, the two-handed death-grip that she had on a hot pink handgun was downright alarming. “What is going on? What’s the gun for? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Carrie,” Naomi said as she retreated backwards into her foyer and urgently gestured for me to follow. “But this scumbag I shot isn’t. I really need your help.”

“Please tell me you’re joking,” I said as I took a step backwards and almost fell off Naomi’s front porch. “Is he dead?”

A couple minutes earlier, when Naomi called and sweet-talked me into coming over to her house, she hadn’t mentioned that she’d shot anyone and needed my help in disposing of a body. All she’d told me was that she needed a little help with something around her house. Ever since Naomi moved into the house across the street from me about two years ago, she’d developed the bad habit of calling me every time she needed help with something – from hanging a picture on the wall to fixing the hot water heater. Even though I had been in the middle of getting ready to head out for the night, I jogged across the street to her house to see if there was anything I could do to help with her latest problem.

 “He’s not dead yet,” Naomi said

“Well, that’s a plus.” Crap! Crap! Crap! I stepped into Naomi’s foyer and kicked the front door shut behind me. “Where is this shot-up scumbag?”

Excerpt from Criminal Chokehold by Randee Green

It’s always exciting for me to feature Authors I admire. This week I sit down with Randee Green as we discuss her latest novel, Criminal Chokehold.

Where did you get the idea for your latest book?

RG –  I am a huge fan of professional wrestling, I passed along that passion to my main character. Since wrestling is so important to Carrie – and the rest of the Shatner family – I decided it would be a fun idea to have a wrestler as the victim in one of the Carrie Shatner novels.

What kind of research did you do for this book?

RG – Even though I am a huge wrestling fan, I still had to do some research into the sport. To do that, I talked to one of my friends who wrestles on the independent circuit. He passed along a lot of valuable information and stories. I also took archery lessons. Since the murder weapon is a bow and arrow, I figured it would be beneficial to know how to use one.

What is your favorite part of your writing process, and why?

RG – I love all parts of the writing process – from the plotting all the way up through the final revisions. That’s not to say that the entire writing process can’t be a big pain in the butt. But if I had to choose a favorite part of the process, it would be the revision stage. By that point, I have a complete novel and that means that hardest part is over with. Then it’s just taking coal and transforming it into a diamond.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

RG – Just write the damn thing.

More about Randee Green:

Randee Green’s passion for reading began in grade school with LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature, as well as a master’s and an MFA in Creative Writing. When not writing, she’s usually reading, indulging in her passion for Texas country music, traveling, or hanging out with her favorite feline friend, Mr. Snookums G. Cat.

Website: www.randeegreen.com
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