September 20, 7 PM EST
Join us Monday, September 20, 2021 at 7 pm EST (5 pm Mountain Time) for an online author reading and discussion, with our own Lisa Black as MC! But her scheduling goof is your windfall, since we will have five amazing authors: Margaret Mizushima, Allen Eskens, Vera Kurian, Karen Cleveland and Hank Phillippi Ryan.
Come eat, drink, & ask questions! Authors will share insider stories, writerly tips, and dish the latest on their new books.
Following a brief introduction each of our guests will talk about their work, and then read for about three minutes followed by Q&A.
Bonus! This month’s Rogue Reads will feature a giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a copy of Allen Eskens’ The Stolen Hours. Just register for the event to be entered.
The first 100 who sign up to be in the virtual room will have the chance to ask questions live. Once registered you will be sent a link to use to log in. Everyone else can catch the event by clicking on Facebook Live, where you can ask questions via comments. The Rogues will be monitoring the chat throughout the evening, so come prepared.
As a special treat, each of our guests has paired a favorite snack with their favorite drink providing a recipe for an enjoyable evening. Drinking will commence at the start of the show!
Margaret Mizushima grew up on cattle ranches in Texas and Colorado, married a veterinarian, and raised two daughters and a host of various animals, and opened her own office for speech therapy and rehabilitation.
Striking Range, September 7
In her newest Timber Creek K-9 mystery, Striking Range, Deputy Mattie Cobb’s unofficial partner, veterinarian Cole Walker is stranded on a snowy mountain with a person Mattie believes has masterminded several murders including that of her father.
Mattie powers through her investigations with energy bars and black coffee, but between cases she likes green chili with pork made by her foster mom—find the recipe below.
Allen Eskens holds degrees in both journalism and law, and practiced criminal law for over 25 years. He and his wife live in Minnesota. His books are not a series, but revolve around a small town where different character arcs have them appearing in some books but not all.
The Stolen Hours, September 7
In his most recent, The Stolen Hours, a new prosecutor has to battle her own bad memories while working the case of a woman who was brutally attacked and nearly drowned. Lila quickly finds a prime suspect, but that suspect comes very, very well prepared.
Lila’s favorite drink is a virgin pina colada (a non-alcoholic drink because she is in recovery), paired with crab meat sticks. See the recipe below!
Karen Cleveland is a Harvard educated former CIA counterterrorism expert, focusing on Pakistan and Syria, whose first book was an international bestseller. She now lives in North Carolina with her husband and three children.
You Can Run, August 31
Her third book, You Can Run, describes how CIA analyst Jill Bailey is forced to compromise her work to ransom her son, then team up with a journalist to ferret out those responsible.
Jill’s drink of choice is a Frappuccino—either one from the Starbucks inside Langley or a copycat one she makes at home in her blender (crushed ice, strong coffee, milk, and chocolate syrup). She has a sweet tooth, so she’d have chocolate chip cookies to go with it!
Her Perfect Life, September 14
In her new book, Her Perfect Life, the character sounds almost autobiographical—an incredibly successful, beloved TV reporter. But no one knows that Lily Atwood’s success is due to a secret source, a source that is suddenly delving much too close to home.
Lily’s favorite snack is cheese sticks and a handful of almonds, paired with a glass of Cabernet.
Dr. Vera Kurian’s debut novel Never Saw Me Coming almost instantly found a publisher with foreign and film rights snapped up as well. Vera is a Washington, DC psychologist who studies social relations. She loves horror movies, existentialism, and puppies.
Never Saw Me Coming, September 7
In Never Saw Me Coming, a group of college students who happen to be psychopaths agree to let doctors study them in exchange for free tuition—but Chloe and two other students have more than research in mind.
Chloe’s favorite snack: frozen Snickers. Her drink? Maybe 5 shots of cheap vodka followed by an appletini—she is a college student after all—but for a more palatable fall drink, see the recipe below!
Next month tune in on October 18th when we will talk with Lisa Unger, Lee Goldberg and Lee and Andrew Child.
Recipes
Mama T’s Green Chili with Pork
- 4 lbs. pork roast, shoulder or butt
- 1 large can peeled chili peppers
- 1 small can adobo
- 1 diced bell pepper
- 1 large chopped onion
- 2 large cans diced tomatoes
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 t. ground cumin
- 1 t. salt
- ¼ t. black pepper
- ½ t. red pepper flakes
- 1 T. chili powder
Slow cook for four hours. Shred pork. Serve with tortillas and enjoy.
Lila’s virgin pina colada:
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened frozen pineapple chunks
- 1/4 cup ice
- 3/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar, optional
- Fresh pineapple wedges, garnish
- Maraschino cherries, garnish
Vera’s apple cocktail:
Crush one slice of fresh jalapeno at the bottom of a flat-bottomed glass. Add 2 oz fresh pressed apple cider and 2 oz vodka. For extra spice add a splash of jalapeno simple syrup (boil down sugar water with 2 muddled peppers). Add 2 fresh cranberries for garnish.
Our MC:
Lisa Black is the New York Times bestselling author of 15 suspense novels, including works that have been translated into six languages, optioned for film, and shortlisted for the inaugural Sue Grafton Memorial Award. She is also a Latent Print Examiner and a certified Crime Scene Analyst, beginning her forensics career at the Coroner’s office in Cleveland Ohio and then the police department in Cape Coral, Florida. She has spoken to readers and writers at numerous conferences and will be a Guest of Honor at 2021 Killer Nashville.
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