Raymond Benson’s "Blues In The Dark" is #173 in the never-ending series called INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION

Chris Rice Cooper 

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****Raymond Benson’s Blues In The Dark is #173 in the never-ending series called INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION where the Chris Rice Cooper Blog (CRC) focuses on one specific excerpt from a fiction genre and how that fiction writer wrote that specific excerpt.  All INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION links are at the end of this piece

What are the dates you began writing Blues in the Dark and when you completely finished Blues in the Dark? Blues in the Dark was written in 2017, between March and September. The publisher (Arcade Crimewise an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing) did the editorial work in early 2019, so perhaps one could say it truly wasn’t finished until then… but the work I turned in to the publisher was finished in September 2017.

Where did you do most of your writing for this fiction work?  And please describe in detail.  And can you please include a photo? I work in my home office. Location research was performed in the summer of 2017 in Los Angeles for a little over a week.

What were your writing habits while writing this work- did you drink something as you wrote, listen to music, write in pen and paper, directly on laptop; specific time of day? I work directly on the computer in Word. I always outline my books. This is 15-20 pages, a single-spaced prose treatment broken out with block paragraphs (each representing a chapter in the book) that describes the plot points necessary per chapter. 

         

          Once the outline is done, then I write a scene per day and never revise until I’m finished with the full first draft. This helps me to establish pace. Sometimes I play music, that doesn’t bother me. I usually write during the hours 10am – 5pm, but there are days when I’m still working at 10pm at night!

Please include just one excerpt and include page numbers as references.  This one excerpt can be as short or as long as you prefer.

Karissa arrived at the house on Harvard Boulevard at dusk and pulled into the garage. It had been a productive day, but still a frustrating one. She and Marcello still didn’t seem any closer to resolving what direction they should take. Part of her wanted to drop the idea of doing a film about Blair Kendrick because it seemed so fraught with problems, not to mention the threats to her career and personal life. On the other hand, she was deter­mined to forge ahead and stand up to the bullies who thought they could dictate what her company could make or not. Some intangible force was pushing her toward uncovering Blair’s story and the truth about what had happened to her and Hank Marley.

She entered her home, put her purse on the kitchen counter, and walked through to the foyer. The mail had already been dropped on the floor through the slot. Still, she had gotten into the habit of peering out the door to check the front of the house. Opening the front door, she stepped onto the porch, and her eyes caught a splash of color over by the swing.

A vase containing a bouquet of flowers sat on the seat.

“What in the world?” she said aloud.

She walked to the swing and saw a little white envelope addressed to “Blair” attached to the vase with tape. The flowers were peonies, carnations, and roses. Very pretty.

If this is from Willy, trying to get in good graces with me again . . .

Karissa took the envelope in hand and opened it. She removed the card and discovered that nothing was written on it. The front and inside were blank.

“What the—?”

The bullet struck the front of the house before she heard the retort of the gunshot in the street. It took a full second or two to realize what had just occurred. By then, another round thud­ded into the front door as she instinctively jumped backward and leaped to the floor of the stucco porch. The scream came next as she rolled.

Panicking, Karissa started to crawl to the door, but stopped when she saw that would break what cover she had. Instead, she slithered closer to the protection of the short wall that ran along the edge of the porch. Could a bullet go through the stucco? It wasn’t very thick.

She reached for her phone—but gasped when she remem­bered that she’d left her purse in the house. She was helpless.

The sound of a car revving its engine broke through her thoughts. Wheels screeched on the road and the automobile took off. Karissa raised her head above the wall and saw a black sedan speeding away. It had happened too quickly for her to get a good look at it.

Breathing heavily, she got back on her feet, gazed into the yard and street, and figured she was safe. Her heart was pound­ing in her chest like a drum. Her legs shook as she struggled to keep from collapsing.

Was it Barry Doon’s car? The BMW?

She couldn’t swear to it.

Karissa bolted for the front door and went inside, leaving the flowers on the porch. She ran back to the kitchen, found the phone in her purse, and dialed 911.

The police had come and taken her statement. A forensics team arrived a little later and pulled the two rounds out of the front of the house, bagging them as evidence. Now there were two ugly holes, one in the exterior wall and another in the door. The cops had also taken the vase of flowers and the card. Karissa assumed they’d check for fingerprints.

Curious neighbors had come out of their houses to investigate why police cars were congregated in front of the mansion. Nothing to see here, folks, move along . . . ! She was embarrassed and mortified that she would be the subject of gossip and mis­trust in the neighborhood. Whatever goodwill she had hoped to establish with her neighbors after moving in was now dashed.

A plainclothes officer who introduced himself as Detective Madison interviewed her after he arrived on the scene a couple of hours after the incident. He seemed weary and disinterested, as if a drive-by shooting was nothing new. Karissa told him her suspicions.

“Let me get this straight,” he said. “You think this was done by an executive at Ultimate Pictures in an attempt at stopping you from making a movie?”

“I know it sounds incredible, but, yeah, that’s what I think.”

He looked at his notes. “And you think the shooter’s name is . . . Barry Doon?”

“That’s right.”

“You sure about that?”

“No, I’m not sure at all. I didn’t see him. I just know that he’s verbally threatened me and my business partner, and we’ve caught him stalking us.”

“He said he was going to kill you?”

She shook her head. “No, he didn’t say that exactly. He just—”

“How did he threaten you?”

Karissa was tired and annoyed with the man’s line of question­ing. “It was more like intimidation. He told me not to continue my research.”

“Or else what?”

“Or else . . . he didn’t say. It was an implied threat.”

The man looked skeptical. “Uh huh.” He wrote something down and reread his notes. “These flowers that were delivered, you don’t know who sent them?”

“No.”

“Ex-boyfriend? Ex-husband?”

“Like I told the other officers, I’m in the process of a divorce. My ex-husband is an actor, Willy Puma.”

“Willy Puma? The guy from Meat Grinder?”

“That’s him.”

“Huh. I like those movies.” He wrote it down. “You think he might have done this?”

“Honestly? No.”

“Well, we’ll see if he has an alibi. You have his contact information?”

She gave him Willy’s address and phone number. “Look, Detective, those flowers were placed on the swing so I would be forced to walk over and stand in a spot that made me a target. Whoever had the gun was waiting for me to do that.”

“Good thing he missed,” the man said.

Duh. Karissa wanted to shake him.

The detective eyed the distance between the bullet holes and where she had been standing. “If you ask me, whoever it was is a lousy shot. Or he intentionally missed you.”

It was nearly eleven o’clock when Detective Madison finally gave her his card, gathered his things, and departed, saying, “If you have any more trouble, don’t hesitate to call.”

Oh, thanks, that’s very helpful.

When she was alone in the house, Karissa texted Marcello and asked him to call her if he was still up. It seemed he wasn’t.

She was starving but was too exhausted and wired to do any­thing elaborate for a late dinner. Instead, she had a bowl of cereal and four glasses of wine.

It was pathetic.

When she was finished, Karissa sat in Blair Kendrick’s easy chair near the grand piano in the parlor. Photos of the movie star were all around. The actress in them stared at her, all smiles and bright eyes.

Halfway drunk, she asked aloud, “Is it worth my life to make a movie about you? Why should I? What happened to you and Hank Marley? What happened in that studio office when Eldon Hirsch was killed? Did you really have a baby? Who the fuck were you?”

Karissa wondered if the now-familiar ghosts lingering in the expansive ballroom of the old house would answer her questions, but the room around her remained silent.

Why is this excerpt so emotional for you as a writer to write?  And can you describe your own emotional experience of writing this specific excerpt? Not sure how to answer that except that it’s a scene that hopefully increases the threat to the protagonist (Karissa) in the context of her goals in the story. Balancing the physical action with her own inner thoughts, as well as what’s realistic for the story, is always a tightrope act.

Were there any deletions from this excerpt that you can share with us? And can you please include a photo of your marked-up rough drafts of this excerpt. Hmm, no, I really don’t want to dig out drafts and supply that. I feel that working drafts, especially with an editor’s markups, is personal to an author and just between the author and the editor. Thanks for asking, though!

Anything you would like to add? A new novella will be published in September or October 2020 entitled Hotel Destiny—A Ghost Noir.

Raymond Benson is the author of approximately 40 published books, the most recent being BLUES IN THE DARK (Oct. 2019), IN THE HUSH OF THE NIGHT (May 2018), and THE SECRETS ON CHICORY LANE (October 2017).

     Among his several original suspense novels, he is the author of the acclaimed “Black Stiletto” saga that began with THE BLACK STILETTO in 2011 and continued with THE BLACK STILETTO: BLACK & WHITE (2012), THE BLACK STILETTO: STARS & STRIPES (2013), THE BLACK STILETTO: SECRETS & LIES (2014), and THE BLACK STILETTO: ENDINGS & BEGINNINGS (also 2014).

He is mostly known for being the third–and first American–writer to be commissioned by the James Bond literary copyright holders between 1996-2002 to take over writing the 007 novels. 

     In total, he penned and published worldwide six original 007 novels, three film novelizations, and three short stories. An anthology of his 007 work, THE UNION TRILOGY, was published in the fall of 2008, and a second anthology, CHOICE OF WEAPONS, appeared summer 2010. His book THE JAMES BOND BEDSIDE COMPANION, an encyclopedic work on the 007 phenomenon, was first published in 1984 and was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award by Mystery Writers of America for Best Biographical/Critical Work.

     Using the pseudonym “David Michaels,” Raymond is also the author of the NY Times best-selling books TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL and its sequel TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL—OPERATION BARRACUDA.
Raymond’s original suspense novels include EVIL HOURS, FACE BLIND, SWEETIE’S DIAMONDS (which won the Readers’ Choice Award for Best Thriller of 2006 at the Love is Murder Conference for Authors, Readers and Publishers), TORMENT, and ARTIFACT OF EVIL.

A HARD DAY’S DEATH, a “rock ‘n’ roll thrillers,” was published in 2008, and its sequel, DARK SIDE OF THE MORGUE, published in March 2009 and nominated for a Shamus Award for Best Paperback Original P.I. Novel.

Also published in 2008 was the novelization of the popular videogame, METAL GEAR SOLID; its sequel, METAL GEAR SOLID 2—SONS OF LIBERTY, was published in the fall of 2009.
With John Milius, Raymond penned HOMEFRONT: THE VOICE OF FREEDOM (2011). HITMAN: DAMNATION was published in 2012. DYING LIGHT–NIGHTMARE ROW, the tie-in prequel to Techland’s videogame “Dying Light,” was published in Polish in 2015 and in English in 2016.

In the late 1980s and first half of the 90s, Raymond worked as a computer game designer for various companies. For his work in this field he is the recipient of the Newsweek Editors’ Choice Award, the Parents Choice Award for Excellence, and two Digital Hollywood Awards.

Raymond also spent over a decade in New York City, directing numerous stage productions off-off-Broadway and composing music for many other shows. Raymond has taught courses in film genres and history at New York’s New School for Social Research, Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and currently presents Film Studies lectures with Daily Herald movie critic Dann Gire. Raymond was honored in Naoshima, Japan, with the erection of a museum dedicated to one of his novels, and he was also an Ambassador for Japan’s Kagawa Prefecture between 2006-2018.

An accomplished pianist, Raymond regularly performs solo at various local venues. Based in the Chicago area, Raymond is an active member of International Thriller Writers Inc., Mystery Writers of America, the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers, a full member of ASCAP, and served on the Board of Directors of The Ian Fleming Foundation for sixteen years.

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRaymondBenson

https://www.facebook.com/raymondbenson1

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Literary Fiction w/ suspense, concern with animals & land management

Monarchs of the Northeast Kingdom

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/09/76-inside-emotion-of-fictions-monarchs.html

077 09 09 019 Joe William Taylor’s

Literary Mystery

The Theoretics of Love

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/09/77-inside-emotion-of-fiction-theoretics.html

078 09 15 2019 Linda Hughes’s

Romantic Suspense

Secret of the Island

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/09/78-inside-emotion-of-fiction-secrets-of.html

079 09 19 2019 Max Elliot Anderson’s

Middle Grade Adventure/Mystery

Snake Island

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/09/79-inside-emotion-of-fiction-snake.html

080 09 22 2019 Danny Adams’s

Science Fiction

Dayworld: A Hole In Wednesday

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/09/80-inside-emotion-of-fiction-dayworld.html

081 09 24 2019 Arianna Dagnino’s

Social/Historical/Adventure

The Afrikaner

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/09/81-inside-emotion-of-fiction-afrikaner.html

082 09 29 2019 Lawrence Verigin’s

Thriller/Suspense

Seed of Control

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/09/82-inside-emotion-of-fiction-seed-of.html

083  10 05 2019 Emma Khoury’s

Fantasy

The Sword And Shield

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/83-inside-emotion-of-fiction-sword-and.html

#084 10 07 2019 Steve McManus’s

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

SEVEN DEVILS

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/84-inside-emotion-of-fiction-seven.html

#085 10 08 2019 Sheila Lowe’s

Mystery/Psychological/Suspense with Scientific Bent

PROOF OF LIVE

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/085-inside-emotion-of-fiction-proof-of.html

#086 10 10 2019 Jess Neal Woods’s

Historical Fiction

THE PROCESS OF FRAYING

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/86-inside-emotion-of-fiction-process-of.html

#087 10 11 2019 Karen Odden’s

Historical Suspense

A TRACE OF DECEIT

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/87-inside-emotion-of-fiction-trace-of.html

#88 10 14 2019 Kate Maruyama’s

Love, Loss & Supernatural

“HARROWGATE”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/88-inside-emotion-of-fiction-harrowgate.html

#89 10 17 2019 Sherry Harris’s

Mystery

“LET’S FAKE A DEAL”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/89-inside-emotion-of-fiction-lets-fake.html

#90 10 18 2019 Linda Mooney’s

Science Fiction Apocalyptic/ Post Apocalyptic

“THE TRUNK”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/90-inside-emotion-of-fiction-trunk-by.html

#91 10 19 2019 Jayne Martin’s

Flash Fiction Short Story Collection

“TENDER CUTS”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/91-inside-emotion-of-fiction-tender.html

#92 10 22 2019 Janice Cole Hopkins’s

Inspirational Romance

“IT ALL STARTED AT THE MASQUERADE”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/92-inside-emotion-of-fiction-it-all.html

#93 10 29 2019 Kristi Petersen Schoonover’s

Short Story Collection

“THE SHADOWS BEHIND”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/93-inside-emotion-of-fiction-shadows.html

#94 11 01 2019 David Henry Sterry’s

Fiction: Sexual Violence

“THE TENDERLOIN WARS”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/94-inside-emotion-of-fiction-tenderloin.html

#95 11 03 2019 Jay Requard’s

Dark Fantasy/Horror

“DEATH & DUST: THE PALE SAND ADVENTURES”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/95-inside-emotion-of-fiction-death-dust.html

#96 11 04 2019 Caroline Leavitt’s

Fiction

“WITH OR WITHOUT YOU”

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/96-inside-emotion-of-fiction-with-or.html

#97 11 06 2019 Kelsey Clifton’s

Science Fiction

“A DAY OUT OF TIME”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/97-inside-emotion-of-fiction-day-out-of.html

#098 11 13 2019 John F Allen’s

Urban Fantasy Tale

“The God Killers’
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/98-inside-emotion-of-fiction-god.html

#99 11 16 2019 Damian McNicholl’s

Historical Novel

“The Moment of Truth”

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/99-inside-emotion-of-fiction-moment-of.html

#100 11 19 2019 Stacia Levy’s

Mystery/Suspense Novel

“Girl Crush”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/100-inside-emotion-of-fiction-girl.html

#101 11 24 2019 Charlotte Morgan’s

Fiction Novel

“Protecting Elvis”

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/101-inside-emotion-of-fiction.html

#102 11 26 2019 T. L. Moore’s

Children’s Christian Fiction

“Ed On My Shoulder:  Maria & The Candy Trail”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/102-inside-emotion-of-fiction-ed-on-my.html

#103 11 27 2019 Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg’s

Coming of Age Literary Novel

The Nine

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/103-inside-emotion-of-fiction-nine-by.html

#104 11 29 2019 Charlotte Blackwell’s

Adult Paranormal

“MYSTIC EMBRACE”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/104-inside-emotion-of-fiction-mystic.html

#105 12 07 2019 Mike Burrell’s

Satire Novel

“THE LAND OF GRACE”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/12/105-inside-emotion-of-fiction-land-of.html

#106 12 09 2019 Phil McCarron’s

Screenplay

“Escapement”

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/12/106-inside-emotion-of-fiction.html

#107 12 11 2019 Wendy H. Jones’s

Crime Fiction/Police Procedural Novel

“KILLER’S COUNTDOWN”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/12/107-inside-emotion-of-fiction-killers.html

#108 12 13 2019 Sandra Arnold’s

Historical Literary Fiction

“The Ash, the Well and the Blue Bell”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/12/1

8-inside-emotion-of-fiction-ash-well.html

#109 12 16 2019 Amalia Carosella’s

Historical/Contemporary/Duel Timeline/ Women’s

Fiction

“DAUGHTER OF A THOUSAND YEARS”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/12/109-inside-emotion-of-fiction-daughter_17.html

#110 12 19 2019 Laura Bickle’s

Weird Western/Contemporary Fantasy

“DARK ALCHEMY”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/12/110-inside-emotion-of-fiction-dark.html

#111 12 27 2019 Brian Pinkerton’s

Science Fiction Thriller

“THE GEMINI EXPERIMENT”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/12/111-inside-emotion-of-fiction-gemini.html

#112  12 28 2019 Sandra de Helen’s

Lesbian Thriller

“TILL DARKNESS COMES”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/12/112-inside-emotion-of-fiction-till.html

#113 12 29 2019 Jo Wilde’s

Vampire Thriller

“THE CROSSING”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/12/113-inisde-emotion-of-fiction-crossing.html

#114 12 30 2019 Sam Richard’s

Short Story Collection of Weird and Transgressive

Horror

“To Wallow In Ash and Sorrows”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/12/114-inside-emotion-of-fiction-to-wallow.html

#115 12 31 2019 Duncan B Barlow’s

Literary Fiction Novel

“A DOG BETWEEN US”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/12/inside-emotion-of-fiction-dog-between.html

#116 01 02 2020 Allison Landa’s

Young Adult Novel

“BAD HAIR”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/116-inside-emotion-of-fiction-bad-hair.html

#117 01 03 2020 Pablo Medina’s

Literary Satire Novel

“THE CUBAN COMEDY”

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/117-inside-emotion-of-fiction-cuban.html

#118 01 06 2020 William Trent Pancoast’s

Historical/Literary Novel

“THE ROAD TO MATEWAN”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/118-inside-emotion-of-fiction-road-to.html

#119 01 07 2020 Jane Bernstein’s

Contemporary Novel

“The Face Tells the Secret”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/119-inside-emotion-of-fiction-face.html

#120 01 09 2020 Terry Kroenung’s

Young Adult, Historical and Fantasy

“Brimstone And Lily”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/120-inside-emotion-of-fiction-brimstone.html

#121 01 12 2020 Melissa Yi’s

Fiction Thriller

“GRAVEYARD SHIFT”

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/121-inside-emotion-of-fiction-melissa.html

#122 01 15 2020 Marcie R. Rendon’s

Crime Thriller

“GIRL GONE MISSING”

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/122-inside-emotion-of-fiction-girl-gone.html

#123 01 16 2020 Tori Eldridge’s

Multi Genre Novel

“THE NINJA DAUGHTER”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/123-inside-emotion-of-fiction-ninja.html

#124 01 17 2020 Kristen Joy Wilks’s

Christian Romantic Comedy

“YELLOWSTONE YONDERING”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/124

inside-emotion-of-fiction.html

#125 01 20 2020 Susan C. Shea’s

Cozy Mystery

“DRESSED FOR DEATH IN BURGUNDY”

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/125-inside-emotion-of-fiction-dressed.html

#126  01 22 2020 Phong Nguyen’s

Improvisational Fiction

“ROUDABOUT”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/126-inside-emotion-of-fiction.html

#127 01 23 2020 Kate Thornton’s

Mystery Short Story In Its Entirety

“Ai Witness”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/127-inside-emotion-of-fiction-ai.html

#128 01 24 2020 Phil McCarron’s

Semi Fictional Essays

“The Great Facepalm: The Farce of 21^st Century

Normality”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/128-inside-emotion-of-fiction-great.html

#129  01 27 2020 Kenneth Weene’s

Historicized Literary Fiction

“Red And White”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/129-inside-emotion-of-fiction-red-and.html

#130 01 28 2020 Graham Storrs’s

Science Fiction Thriller

“TimeSplash”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com

/2020/01/130-inside-emotion-of-fiction.html

#131 02 08 2020 Angela Slatter’s

Short Story “Terrible As An Army With Banners”

From her Short Story Collection THE BITTERWOOD BIBLE AND OTHER RECOUNTINGS

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/02/131-inside-emotion-of-fiction-terrible.html

#132 02 11 2020 Joan Joachim’s

Romance

Just One Kiss

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/02/132-inside-emotion-of-fiction-just-one.html

#133 02 16 2020 Kelsey Clifton’s

Science Fiction

A DAY OUT OF TIME

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/02/133-inside-emotion-of-fiction-day-out.html

#134 02 17 2020 Soraya M Lane’s

Women Historical Fiction

THE GIRLS OF PEARL HARBOR

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/02/134-inside-emotion-of-fiction-girls-of.html

#135 03 07 2020

Linked Fiction

BLEACHERS Fifty-Four Linked Fictions

By Joseph Mills

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/03/135-inside-emotion-of-fiction-bleachers.html

#136 03 15 2020

Science Fiction Romance

BLUE VISION

By Marie Lavender

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/03/136-inside-emotion-of-fiction-blue.html

#137 03 17 2020

Crime Fiction

12 Bullets

by O’Neil De Noux

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/03/137-inside-emotion-of-fiction-12.html

#138 03 18 2020

Flash Fiction Piece

Radical

by Kelle Grace Gaddis

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/03/138-inside-emotion-of-fiction-radical.html

#139 03 20 2020

Mystery

HERE BE MONSTERS

By Jamie Sheffield

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/03/139-inside-emotion-of-fiction-here-be.html

#140 03 21 2020

Character Driven Novel

UNBROKEN

By Jamie Lisa Forbes

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/03/140-inside-emotion-of-fiction-unbroken.html

#141 03 23 2020

Literary Murder Mystery

COLD COUNTRY

By Russell Rowland

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/03/141-inside-emotion-of-fiction-cold.html

#142 04 01 2020

Sci-Fi/Paranormal

SWEET SLEEP

By Kim Cormack

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/142-inside-emotion-of-fiction-sweet.html

#143 04 02 2020

Western Noir Short Story

“Night Rounds”

by James Reasoner

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/143-inside-emotion-of-fiction-night.html

#144 04 03 2020

Southern Fiction

LITTLE TEA

By Claire Fullerton

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/144-inside-emotion-of-fiction-little.html

#145 04 04 2020

Mainstream novel with elements of crime, mystery, and magic

THE FORGETTING FLOWER
by Karen Hugg

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/145-inside-emotion-of-fiction.html

#146 04 07 2020

Historical Fiction

MEDICIS DAUGHTER

by Sophie Perinot

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/146-inside-emotion-of-fiction-medicis.html

#147 04 08 2020

Dark Urban Fantasy with elements of Paranormal Romance

COVEN BORN

by Stephanie Reisner aka AUDREY BRICE

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/147-inside-emotion-of-fiction-coven.html

#148 04 13 2020

Mystery With A Fantasy Twist

DEATH LIVES IN THE WATER

By Shoshana Edwards

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/148-inside-emotion-of-fiction-death.html

#149 04 14 2020

Historical Fiction

ASHES

by Sharon Glogal Friedman

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/149-inside-emotion-of-fiction-ashes-by.html

#150 04 19 2020

Vampire Horror Novelette

Blood Thrasher:  The Devil’s in the Metal

by Adam Messer

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/adam

messers-blood-thrasher-devils-in.html

#151 04 25 2020

Historical Fiction

Charis in the World of Wonders

by Marly Youmans

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/marly-youmans-charis-in-world-of.html

#152 04 29 2020

Historical Fiction

The Master of Verona

by David Blixt

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/david-blixts-master-of-verona-is-152-in.html

#153 04 30 2020

General Fiction (Family)

Bread Bags & Bullies:  Surviving the 80s

by Steven Manchester

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/steven-manchesters-bread-bags-bullies.html

#154 05 01 2020

Adventure-Thriller/Horror

Into The Ashes

by Lee Murray

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/lee-murrays-into-ashes-is-154-in-never.html

#155 05 06 2020

Coming of Age/Crime Novel

All Things Left In The Wild

by James Wade

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/james-wades-all-things-left-in-wild-is.html

#156 05 10 2020

Paranormal Mystery

Southern Bound

by Stuart Jaffe

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/stuart-jaffes-southern-bound-is-156-in.html

#157 05 13 2020

Mystery/Crime Novel

Yardbird

By Mark Slade

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/mark-slades-yardbird-is-157-in-never.html

#158 05 15 2020

Horror/Crime Novel

Hotel Nowhere

By David E Adkins

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/david-e-adkinss-hotel-nowhere-is-158-in.html

#159 05 16 2020

Satire/Crime Novel

THE LYING BASTARD

by Clint Margrave

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/clint-margraves-lying-bastard-is-159-in.html

#160 05 19 2020

Southern Gothic Fiction

REVIVING THE HAWTHORN SISTERS

by Emily Carpenter

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/emily-carpenters-reviving-hawthorn.html

#161 05 21 2020

Women’s Domestic Life Fiction

MERCY HOUSE

by Alena Dillon

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/alena-dillons-mercy-house-is-161-in.html

#162 05 26 2020

Screenplay/Film

BEAST MODE

by Drew Fortune and Spain Willingham

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/drew-fortunes-and-spain-willinghams_26.html

#163 05 31 2020

Coming of Age/ Psychological Thriller

MY SISTER & OTHER LIARS

by Ruth Dugdall

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/ruth-dugdalls-my-sister-and-other-liars.html

#164 06 01 2020

Psychological Thriller

IN HARM’S WAY

by Owen Mullen

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/06/owen-mullens-in-harms-way-is-164-in.html

#165 06 02 2020

Small Town Short Story Collection

SNAPSHOT “Old Lady”

by Eliot Parker

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/06/eliot-parkers-old-lady-from-snapshots.html

#166 06 04 2020

Noir Crime Novel

SKIN OF TATTOOS

by Christina Hoag

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/06/christina-hoags-skin-of-tattoos-is-166.html

#167 06 06 2020

Coming of Age/Historical

THE ORPHAN COLLECTOR

by Ellen Marie Wiseman

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/06/ellen-marie-wisemans-orphan-collector.html

#168 06 08 2020

World War Two Historical Fiction

THE PRISONER’S WIFE

by Maggie Brookes

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/06/maggie-brookess-prisoners-wife-is-168.html

#169 06 09 2020

Novella

(about the 1960s,

Rolling Stones in their exile,

genocide, it’s survivors, and

people from places that no longer exist.)

BLUE COAST MYSTERY:  ALMOST SOLVED

by Nick Sweeney

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/06/nick-sweeneys-blue-coast-mystery-almost.html

#170 06 11 2020

Family Life/Coming of Age Novel

THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAME HELL

by Robert Dugoni

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/06/robert-dugonis-extraordinary-life-of.html

#171 06 26 2020

Women’s Divorce Fiction

QUEEN OF THE OWLS

by Barbara Linn Probst

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/06/barbara-linn-probsts-queen-of-owls-is.html

#172 07 01 2020

Short Story “The Belindas” from the Short Story Collection LOVE WAR STORIES

By Ivelisse Rodriguez

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/ivelisse-rodriguezs-short-story.html

#173 07 04 2020

Organized Crime Thriller

BLUES IN THE DARK

by Raymond Benson

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/raymond-bensons-blues-in-dark-is-173-in.html

Guest Blog Post by Writer Stephanie Menendez "Black American Girl"

Chris Rice Cooper 

caccoop@aol.com

https://www.facebook.com/car.cooper.7

*The images in this specific piece are granted copyright privilege by:  Public Domain, CCSAL, GNU Free Documentation Licenses, Fair Use Under The United States Copyright Law, or given copyright privilege by the copyright holder which is identified beneath the individual photo.

**Some of the links will have to be copied and then posted in your search engine in order to pull up properly

Guest Blog Post by Writer Stephanie Menendez

“Black American Girl”

Until I was old enough to understand, I hated my naturally red tinted hair that casted off ember ringlets in the sun. I hated it as much as my fair black skin because others hated it. I hated my hair until age thirteen when my aunt put chemicals in my hair to straighten it and it fell out. When it grew back, it was darker and coarser. Only then did I appreciate having hair regardless of color and texture. 

     My coffee skin had too much cream to be considered to be black enough by some black people but not light enough to pass for white. The tight curl pattern of my hair did not pass the white test. Children of interracial relationships were frowned upon and treated worse in the 70’s. Though my parents are black, uneducated people did not fathom the genetic possibilities that I was and will always be black not mixed, biracial or albino just simply light-skinned.

 When I was seven-year-old, I had two friends named Maria and Angela. Maria was a white girl who lived in the trailer park. Her hair always looked like it never got washed. Her skin was so dirty at times that she compared her skin to mine. Maria and her family were outcasts. Black and white people often hissed and said negative things about them. They were often called trailer trash and pissed-poor. I shared my lunch with Maria when she didn’t bring lunch and we played together whenever I chose not to jump double-dutch. Maria missed two to three days of school every week so my time was easily split between her and Angela. Angela had the perfect brown skin. Her hair was long and straight without chemicals. Her ponytails bounced and fell as she jumped between the two ropes. Angela and I were always double-dutch partners and we were good. 

     One day, we were challenged to a double-dutch tournament to prove that we were the best. Maria had been absent from school all week but returned on the day of the challenge. I told her that I could not play with her. She ran away crying and told her older sister. Her tall lanky sister from the sixth grade came and grabbed my arm while I was waiting for my turn to jump in the ropes. She spat words in my face but “nigger” was the word that turned my face red and stopped the ropes from turning. Angela’s sister was there in a flash and pushed the other older girl. I watched as the pushing escalated until Maria was accidentally knocked to the ground and screamed. I ran to her as blood dripped from her elbow.      

     I looked up and both older girls stared down at me like I was a common enemy. “It’s time for you to decide if you want to be black or white,” Angela’s sister said. I stared up at the crowd before standing slowly and backing away from Maria. I lost both friends that day as I walked to the swings and sat alone. 

     Every day, for weeks I sat alone on the swing until some boys came over and ask if I knew how to play basketball. They needed another player and they didn’t care about my skin. It didn’t matter that I was a girl as long as I could play ball. For four years, boys were my only friends. My brother and his friends became my friends. My family thought I couldn’t make friends. I never told them what happened with my friends at school and no one asked. For years into my adulthood, I avoided race-relations and tensions. I could feel it coming. I could see a potential race issue before it surfaced and if possible, left the situation or braced for the fallout.

When I was seventeen, I walked to work at a rehab facility for institutionalized teens with severe and profound mental and physical disabilities. The job paid significantly below minimum wage at three dollars an hour. Residents and staff were black, brown and white and everyone got along. I felt comfortable there but walking the three blocks to get there in a predominantly white neighborhood had challenges. I walked with my head down but always alert. There were no sidewalks but people did not want you walking on their lawns. Cars zoomed by with enough wind speed to make me sway. I took chances of running onto lawns to avoid being splashed by puddles.

     On one section of the street, a guardrail blocked cars from driving off the road into a deep ditch. I increased my walking speed to get passed it before the next car would come flying by. Then, the day came when I heard a speeding a car and yelling from the open car windows. My racial radar warned me of upcoming trouble. I ran as fast I could to get pass the guardrail and safely onto a lawn. I just made it when a red Impala sped pass, a confederate flag waving out the window, and white men yelling “pretty nigger girl.” The car stopped and drove in reverse. 
     

     Back in the 80’s people cared very little about women getting raped, even less if you were a black woman. When the car stopped and the three men jumped out of the car, there was not a second to wait. I ran through the forbidden lawns. I cut through yards that could have gotten me shot for trespassing. Just when I thought they were going to catch me at the fence I knew I couldn’t climb fast enough, an older white man yelled at them, “Leave that nigger girl alone.” The men spat tobacco before returning to their car. I was grateful to the old man and told him thank you. He responded by telling me to get off his lawn and go back to where I came from. My teeth chattered as I walked back to the street and thankfully, the men were gone. I went to work and told no one what happened. 

     Black, brown and white people didn’t care what happened to black people who were not black enough. I learned that at age seven and I experienced it throughout my young life. I had been called a half-breed by a white police officer at age twelve who asked me if my momma was a white nigger-lover while I waited at a bus stop with a young white man who thought I was worthy to have a conversation about weather and school. The young man’s face turned red. He avoided talking to me the following week as we waited for the same bus. I had not committed a crime. 

     I was waiting for a bus to take me to school when I had my first encounter with the police. As a young woman, I would never call them for help. I heard stories. Besides, being called a half-breed and your mother a nigger-lover, one would assume that the police only protected and served white people. As a black American girl, I was shaped and molded by the interaction from black and white people, civilians and one police officer. I don’t believe police officers are bad. I believe there are bad people and some bad people have become bad police officers. Not all racists are white. Some racists are black and dislike other black people because they have a different shade of black skin. 

     I don’t identify myself as an African American. I identify as Black American. I am not denouncing my African heritage or the enslavement of my ancestors. I am simply acknowledging that I don’t have any other African connection other than my skin. According to my brother’s ancestry DNA results, I have other nationalities in my breeding as well but I don’t identify as being white, Irish or Scottish. I am black in skin, culturally black and born in America. I am a Black American girl who became a Black American woman.

Stephanie Menendez has published work, Zombie Hand in Splickety Havok Magazine October 2015 edition. She is an active member in writing groups, Scribes for Praise in O’Fallon, IL and Plethora of Pens in Glen Carbon, IL.