A Pinch of Poison: Guest author Jordyn Redwood

(2/22/13 2:27 PM: Congratulations to our giveaway winner: Cheri Swalwell! )

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I thought this would get your attention! 

No, of course this isn't an ingredient in any recipe you'll see here on Authors' Galley. But that my very first kitchen guest is the author of a book called POISON seemed more than intriguing. Popular medical thriller author Jordyn Redwood agreed: "That's suspense author perfection!"

Truthfully, I pulled a bit of  bait-and-switch on Jordyn, because she'd offered this post before I switched the blog venue to "mansuscripts & wooden spoons." But this fellow nurse is fast on her feet, a skill required of folks who spend long hours in scrubs, jogging the corridors of ER. So, though Jordyn readily admits she's not the cook in the family, she is the Christmas Cookie Mom. " . . . the one who deals with rolling out the sugar cookies and supervising Christmas cookie decorating which is always a melee of sprinkles, frosting mayhem and things getting colored that maybe shouldn't (like the dog's nose!)."

To prove it,  Jordyn offered this peek into her kitchen, featuring a couple of adorable Christmas elves:

I'd say that's a happy kitchen!

And now (cue the suspense music)  let's move on to some POISON, shall we? 

If you haven't read Jordyn's work, you're in for a treat--if you've read Proof  (the first book in the exciting Bloodline Trilogy) then I suspect you've been waiting impatiently for Poison.
Well, the wait is over--it has released!  And, trust me, it was worth the wait. You'll find my enthusiastic endorsement in the opening pages:

“Jordyn Redwood’s Poison delivers compelling characters, intrigue,

chills, dizzying twists that leave the reader gasping—then offers a perfect

antidote: hope.”—Candace Calvert, best-selling author of

Code Triage and Trauma Plan

To whet your appetite (yes, food pun intended), here's the back cover description:

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Five years ago, Keelyn Blake's armed, mentally ill stepfather took her family hostage in their house in rural Colorado. She and her half-sister Raven made it out alive, but others did not. Authorities blamed the father's frequent hallucinations about a being named Lucent, but in the end, even the best of the FBI's hostage negotiators failed to overcome the man's delusions and end the standoff peacefully.

Now, Lucent is back, and he's no hallucination. In fact, he is a very real person with dangerous motives. He has kidnapped Raven's daughter, and--Keelyn worries--maybe has hurt Raven as well. Though she is estranged from her sister, Keelyn feels the immediate need to find Raven and save what family she has left. But when others who were involved in that fateful day start dying, some by mysterious circumstances, Keelyn wonders if she can emerge unscathed a second time.

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And finally, just for FUN, I thought I'd put Jordyn on the spot with what may well become a classic Authors' Galley question: 

Imagine a dinner scene with three characters from your book.  WHO are they, WHERE are they eating, WHAT has each person ordered, and what conversation topic would each person want badly to AVOID?

Here's Jordyn's answer:



" WOW. Such a great question.

They are eating at Shanahan’s Steakhouse.  

Keelyn Blake: The heroine. She’ll order a salad with a regular Coke to wash it down, and a wonderful piece of salmon to go with it. Then cheesecake for dessert and a fun cookie to take home for her niece, Sophia, that she is now caring for. Keelyn will not want to talk about anything associated with her mentally ill stepfather who is now in prison. 

Lee Watson: The hero. He’ll order the 22oz Prime Cowboy Bone-In Rib Eye with Black Truffle Butter and a side of the Truffled Cheddar Mac ‘n Cheese because being on SWAT does make for a hungry man. A side salad so Keelyn won’t feel bad about eating healthy. A dark ale type beer to wash it down. Dessert—he’ll just try a few bites of Keelyn’s cheesecake. Any conversation about his life before he was a cop is off limits and preferably any topics that cover children.

Gavin Donelly: The villain (or is he?) Gavin is all about putting on airs so he’ll order a Jumbo Australian Lobster Tail (which alone goes for $78.00) and add roasted garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed wild mushrooms. For the table, he’ll buy a very expensive bottle of champagne to toast Lee and Keelyn who he never thought would sit down to have dinner with him. Dessert will be Crème Brule with fresh berries. He’ll probe Lee and Keelyn (after all—he is a psychiatrist) about their troubled families but absolutely not want to talk about his own—particularly the events that surrounded his father’s death. 

Thanks so much for having me back, Candace. I love visiting with your readers."


It was our pleasure, indeed, Jordyn! Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your kitchen--and your work.

Now, as one last treat, our guest author has graciously offered to include a signed copy of Poison in a giveaway. Simply post a comment below (including an e-mail address), and your name will be entered in a random drawing. The winner will be chosen on Friday, February 22nd and be notified by e-mail. 

Good luck to you all . . . and Bon appetit!