Tell
Me Lies
Camden
Point Mystery Book 1
by
Gail Chianese
Genre:
Paranormal Romantic Mystery
You'd
think with a guardian who's a ghost, she'd see everything coming. But
nope, that's not how it works. That's not how any of this
works.
Private
investigator Lexie Smith has a mostly perfect--okay, satisfying life.
A successful, if not super lucrative business with her best friend. A
wonderful, loving companion named Bear--sure, he's a little furry and
he drools, but nobody's perfect. A house on the beach and a
wisecracking supernatural "intern" named Vinnie, who knows
everything there is to know about crime and her nonexistent love
life. Things are good, even if the cases are somewhat tame, until a
dangerous assignment forces her to turn to the last man she can
trust: Rafe Barandas, local police detective and the man who broke
her heart years before.
After
a decade in New York, Rafe has returned to his small hometown, burned
out on big-city politics and crime. He's looking forward to the quiet
life, until he's thrown together with Lexie (and, unknown to him, her
phantom familiar) to solve what starts out as a simple B&E but
quickly escalates. Leaving Lexie the first time was a huge mistake.
Now that he's got another chance, he's determined not to blow it, so
long as the job doesn't get in the way.
As
Lexie and Rafe get closer to solving one case, old hurts come back to
haunt them and a new threat emerges. Can they put past lies and
mistrust behind them long enough to thwart a cunning foe who seems to
know every step they take and will stop at nothing, even murder? Or
will one of them pay the ultimate price before they take their second
shot at love?
"Gail
Chianese explodes onto the paranormal romantic mystery scene with a
slow-burn, second-chance romance that readers of the genre are sure
to love!"
--Elicia
Hyder, bestselling author of The
Soul Summoner series
"In Tell
Me Lies,
the characters are fresh, the plot is complex, and the readers will
definitely savor the piquantly sweet sex scenes. But it's the
side-splittingly hilarious banter that is the frothy icing on this
multi-layered whodunit." --Josie Brown, author The
Housewife Assassin's Handbook series
Excerpt 1:
Lexie woke with a start, her heart galloping, sweat running across her forehead and down between her breasts. She’d been dreaming. Something about pirates and sunken ships. Cannons firings.
She dropped back onto her pillow as a cool breeze washed over her.
Did I leave a window open?
“Lexie, get up,” Vinnie’s voice whispered through the night air.
A growl rose from Bear lying across the bottom of her bed. She started to tell him it was okay when the rattle of a doorknob stopped her. Footsteps thumped on the wooden deck outside her bedroom window. A creak from the window tore through the quiet house.
Reaching for her cell phone, ready to hit 911, Lexie scooted across the mattress and tiptoed to the edge of the window. Gently she pulled the curtain back an inch to give her a view of the deck.
Her breath stuttered.
Her heart stopped pumping.
A form in black stood at the French doors, shoving something between them.
Hitting send on the phone, Lexie identified herself to Rose, the town’s night dispatcher, explained what was going on, and promised she’d stay inside until help arrived. Like she could do anything else. Pains wracked her chest from lack of oxygen, and with legs no longer sturdy, she melted down the side of the wall, hugging her knees to her. Rose’s voice babbled away in the background, the words merely jumbled noise. A loud bang against the French doors had her jumping out of her skin.
“Lexie, get your billy club.” Vinnie popped in next to her.
She crawled across the floor to pull the antique police club out from under her bed. Kat had given it to her as a joke one year on her birthday. “Did you get a look at their face?”
“No, they’re covered head-to-toe, but I’d bet my left nu…hand, it’s the same guy from the Irwin’s place.”
The intruder gave up on the doors and moved to the living room window. Lexie knew he couldn’t get in without breaking the glass, which wouldn’t be easy as they were hurricane rated, and all of the doors and windows had strong security latches. Bear growled louder as the footsteps grew heavier and closer. He must be making his way from room to room.
Lexie pulled Bear back with her to the hallway. Breaking free, he ran to the window jumping up and barking. Heavy curtains prevented her midnight guest from seeing in, but a few times Bear knocked the material out of the way, giving Lexie a glimpse. Whoever was out there wasn’t afraid of her dog. Bear was a sixty-five-pound Akita and while she knew he was more like Scooby than Cujo, a perfect stranger wouldn’t.
The only reason he wouldn’t be afraid of the dog, was if he was armed or knew him. The window frame creaked and groaned as he worked it trying to pry it loose.
“Could you see if he had a gun, Vin?”
She’d crawled back across the room and stood with her back to the wall next to the window out of sight.
“I’ll go check. If you knock him out with that thing, we can catch our man and solve the case.” Vinnie nodded to the rubber-covered stick in her hands and disappeared.
If only it were that easy.
She hated sitting and waiting, but she wasn’t going to be that girl—the one who ran into the basement, or in this case outside to face the armed burglar. You didn’t take a stick to a gunfight. He was at the back of the house. If she could grab her keys, she could make it to the car before he got around to the front. But what if he’d disabled her car? She’d be toast.
And she couldn’t leave Bear alone to get hurt.
Then she heard it, the slow slide of her bedroom window as the frame glided across the tracks. Bear went ballistic jumping, barking and growling as he tried to get to the intruder. Lexie held her breath. It was now or never. She couldn’t let him in the house. She swung the nightstick like she was the last batter and the bases were loaded.
A noise came from the other side of the deck. He turned in the opposite direction right as she let loose. Her visitor swore, stumbling on the deck as he grabbed his shoulder.
She missed her target—his head.
Distant sirens pierced the night air. Lexie released her breath as relief washed through her. Just as she started to relax the intruder turned back, his eyes met hers, black as the night and filled with hate. Lexie’s heart jumped in her throat, cutting off all airflow. She had no idea how long she stood there, five second, five minutes, or five hours and then he was gone.
Bear ran to the living room, whining, then back to Lexie in the hall, licked her face and ran back to the outer-rooms. He no longer barked. The intruder was gone, but he was somewhere out there in the night, and Bear wanted a piece of him.
Flashing lights peeked through the edges of the curtain, the pounding of her heart drowning out the noise of the sirens. The pounding grew louder, seeming to vibrate through the house. A familiar voice penetrated the fog of her brain.
“Open the damn door or I’m breaking it in!”
She whipped the door open causing Rafe to nearly fall on her.
Wrapping his strong arms around her, his strength and warmth filled her, chasing away the dark that had enveloped her. Whispering soothing words, he held on until the shakes subsided.
Excerpt 2:
Tearing her eyes away, Lexie glanced at her watch, eleven forty-five. “Detective Barandas, so nice of you to finally grace me with your oh-so charming self. No more ladies in distress to help?” Lexie casually closed out the programs on her computer, scooted her chair back, and crossed her legs while resting her hands in her lap. She couldn’t help ribbing him. The talk at the local hair salon, just a few doors down, was non-stop Rafe Barandas and his never-ending good deeds.
Leaning back against Kat's desk, Rafe crossed his feet at the ankles, mimicking Lexie's casual demeanor. “Where's your Siamese twin? Didn't think you two were ever separated.”
“Oh, you know on occasions we go our own ways." She caught the sarcasm leaking out with her words and changed topics. "Did you catch our bad guys yet?”
He crossed his arms and settled in. “Working on it. At this time, you two are the only witnesses. Wanted to check in with you and see if there is anything new you might want to share with me. See if anything came to mind after you left, anything in those pictures you took.”
“I take it you haven’t checked your messages this morning?” Lexie picked up the envelope and handed over the set of pictures she’d made especially for him.
Rafe went through the short stack, studiously examining each print. Confidence rolled off him in waves. As a teen he’d had an air of self-assurance that reached out and called to all the females within a twenty-mile radius, as an adult it was an overpowering pull, demanding you to look, to notice, to appreciate.
She ran her index finger around the rim of her diet soda can, looking at him from the corner of her eye as if not looking at him full on could lessen the pull. “Find anything last night that will help determine the identity of those two men?”
“Nope and these aren’t much help either, but thanks for sharing. You seem pretty confident both are men. Why?”
He was testing her, but the twinkle in his eyes gave him away. She would let it slide. For now.
“The way they ran, their stances when they stopped, and unless the shorter one is a woman in her seventh month of pregnancy, that’s one heck of a beer-belly.”
He tapped the deck of pictures against his muscular thigh. “Good observation. Notice anything else? Either of them say anything, any unusual patterns in their walk, tattoos?”
She closed her eyes, brought the full memory of last night back, and let it play through her mind. “Both of them were dressed in head-to-toe black, complete with ski masks and gloves. The shorter one said something like ‘come on’ when the taller guy stopped and turned towards us. I think he heard us, but didn’t see where we were hiding. I couldn’t catch much of the voice, it was more an impression of what he said.”
A tic next to Rafe’s eye, along with the clenched fists crossed in front of his chest, gave his emotions away.
“Are you sure they didn’t see you? We don’t know what we’re dealing with here, and you could be in danger if they think you could ID them.”
His concern touched her in a way she hadn’t expected. Sure it was his job to worry about the citizens of Camden Point, to keep them safe, but she’d swear she saw another emotion flash across his eyes. Something deeper.
Excerpt 3:
A low wolf whistle pierced the quiet night air of the Buon Appetito parking lot. Lexie whirled around and came face-to-face with Rafe. She closed the car door and leaned back against it. Really, she wasn’t in the mood. She just wanted to get home and enjoy her pizza that was now filling her car with the wonderful smell of melted cheese and garlic.
“Who's the lucky guy?” he asked, skimming her from head to toe, only lingering for a second or five too long at her exposed legs and neckline.
“No one. Dinner at the club with my parents.”
The corners of his mouth raised, he leaned forward, placing his face next to her ear. Inhaled.
“Either you're wearing a mouth-watering perfume or you just picked up pizza. Club food not to your standards these days?”
“It was a tough call, liver and onions or authentic Italian food on my way home.”
A memory of shared pizza and sunsets on the beach flashed through her mind. She let the emotions of the long-ago night fill her with warmth before shoving them back in the box.
“Any progress on the case?” she asked.
“Made some calls, so far, all's quiet on the black market.”
“Small town police work must seem pretty boring after working in New York City. Why’d you come back? As I recall you couldn’t beat feet fast enough to get out of here. You left, what, the day after graduation?”
“I got tired of politics, and in the city you don’t get home baked cookies for rescuing cats from a tree. What about you, princess? I heard you were rapidly climbing the corporate ladder of some big investigation firm in Hartford. Couldn’t reach the top fast enough?”
“Like you, I’m not much of a politician, besides I’d always wanted my own place. Live by my rules, my choices.”
He stood with his thumb hooked into the front pocket of his worn jeans. Eyes as black as the night bore into her core as if they could ferret out all her secrets. He always was too perceptive.
“What's bugging you, Lexie? You've got storm clouds filling those sky-blue eyes of yours. Something happen with your parents tonight or is it the case?”
Too many things about tonight bugged her—Benjamin’s odd behavior, Alan’s strange phone call, not to mention the way she felt when she was around Rafe.
She looked away, shook her head, pulling her emotions in before turning back to face him. “It's nothing. Just a little tired. Think I'll head home and save the pizza for breakfast.”
Rafe stepped forward, filling her personal space with the spicy, warm scents of mandarin, musk, sandalwood, and amber. Woodsy. Intoxicating. Pure sex. His hand slid up her neck into her hair, cupping the base of her head. Holding her in place. His eyes searched hers. For what she wasn't sure. Her breath caught deep inside. The headache, which had been brewing all night, faded away, replaced by the beating drum in her chest. Rafe's look lowered to her mouth. A wisp of a kiss assaulted her senses.
“Sleep well, Lex.”
Excerpt 4:
It was a perfect spring evening for spying. The moon hid behind the clouds. The majority of the oceanfront homes on this stretch of the beach were still vacant for the season and their target? Well, he was finally cooperating.
It was a private investigator’s dream. Or it should have been, except Lexie Smith hated everything about this case.
“Have you gotten the picture of the lying-cheating-rat-bastard yet?” Kat Jones asked for the tenth time.
“No. Now hush, before we get caught.” Lexie shifted her butt to sit firmly on the tree branch and glanced towards the neighbor’s house on the left. They had come home early. Just her freaking luck. Hopefully the cool breeze blowing off the water would keep them inside.
Lexie turned back to their assignment. Her firm, LexaKat P.I., had been hired to prove Mr. Salvatore Figerello, the aforementioned lying-cheating-rat-bastard, was engaged in an adulterous affair. Over the course of the last week, Mr. Figerello, the LCRB, had not cooperated in proving his wife correct, until tonight when he’d brought home his administrative assistant.
Talk about a cliché.
Both, she and Kat, her best friend and business partner, were armed with telephoto lenses ready to obtain proof for their client.
“She’s pretty,” Lexie said.
“Pretty young.”
“What a cute belt.”
“I think it’s supposed to be a skirt.”
“This blows,” Lexie whispered. This was not how she pictured her career. Where were the cases in which she got to hunt down the bad guys, recover stolen jewels and artwork, or reunite long lost loved ones? It was moments like these that made her question her career choice. “I’d rather be working insurance fraud. Does he really think she’s in love with him? He’s twice her age.”
“More like in love with his bank balance.” Kat scooted further out on her branch. “Move your foot so I can get a picture of the tramp while she prances in front of the window. Now, if he'd just shut up and make his move, we could get what we need and get out of here.”
“Let’s not take any more infidelity cases, okay? Watching him flush his marriage down the septic tank over a quick ego boost is depressing. Not to mention, I feel slimy.”
“Okay with me, but last I heard you liked to eat.”
Her stomach grumbled as if agreeing with Kat. “I could stand to lose a few.”
“Right. Speaking of eating, it’s still early and since you blew off your date with Benjamin Franklin Bacon the Fourth, we should go get dinner when we’re done. Maybe catch a movie?”
“I’m not dating Ben. My mom wanted me to round out the dinner party numbers.” She took a few more pictures and paused. “Isn’t Paul at home waiting for you?”
“Does Ben know that and no, Paul had a thing. So dinner?” She smiled over her shoulder at Lexie. “We could get bacon burgers.”
“Funny.”
“Seriously, how can you date a guy with the last name of Bacon? I'd be hungry all the time. I’d be like one of those dogs in the commercial—‘Bacon, bacon, baaaacon, I smell baaconnnn.’ He needs a nickname like B4, and then I won’t always be thinking of eating.”
As if that could ever happen. “Again, not dating. Now shush. We're here to do a job, not discuss my social life. Besides, if you ate more than rabbit food you wouldn’t always be hungry.”
Not wanting to have the conversation, Lexie snapped a succession of pictures of the LCRB and mistress as they moved into a tender embrace. She’d gone out with Benjamin a few times and the sizzle didn’t even fizzle. He was a nice guy that she knew her parents hoped would end up being more than her plus one at social functions, but she just didn’t see it happening. They needed to stop pushing him on her before he got the wrong idea and wound up hurt.
“Just a couple more minutes and we can wrap up this case.”
“Speaking of social lives.” Kat scooted back to look her in the eye. “You never did say what you thought about a certain former resident’s return and his position as lead detective with the police department?”
Keeping her eye on the assignment, Lexie refused Kat’s invitation to discuss the topic of Rafe Barandas. Yeah, she’d heard about his appointment with the department. Witnessed him making his way around town, saying hello to the business owners, getting to know the new people in town. Lexie had several near misses with the detective to date and she planned to keep it that way.
Getting reacquainted with her former flame, no matter how hot he’d become, was listed on her agenda under the never doing section.
Excerpt 5:
“Hey, what's going on next door?” Vinnie asked.
Both Lexie and Kat looked towards the neighbors on the left, but Vinnie shook his head and pointed in the other direction to a house she knew well. Alan and Holly Irwin were her godparents and currently being wined and dined by Lexie’s parents. The dark house held no sign of life, as expected.
Thank goodness for small favors.
All was as it should be. A few houses down, the anxious, possessive bark of a dog claiming his yard echoed through the night. The constant yapping—my yard, my yard—and the rotten assignment stole the enjoyment out of a perfectly good evening of listening to the gentle whoosh of the ocean as it rushed onto the sandy shore.
“Vin, nothing's going on next door, now move out of my way, or I'm going through you. While we have permission from the wife—who's the legal property owner—it doesn't mean I want a confrontation with the husband, especially in his current state of undress.” Lexie scooted a few more inches, hoping he’d get the point.
Kat nudged her arm. “Hey, Lex, look again. Someone is in the Irwin’s house and I don't think it's either Holly or Alan.”
Lexie turned her head and followed a thin beam of light bouncing around Alan’s study.
Great. I do not need this double-edged headache.
“Come on, let's go bust some balls,” Vinnie urged.
“Vinnie, are you crazy? What if they’re packing? You know neither of us carries a gun,” Lexie replied.
“Right. You broads stay here and I'll go check it out.”
Vinnie disappeared in a silent poof.
Lexie turned to Kat. “Did he really just call us broads?”
“Yep, he did.”
“Remind me again how we’re supposed to respect our elders, because if he was solid, I’d smack him upside his head.”
The light continued to bounce around in Alan's study. Her heart sped up. Muscles tensed. They needed to get out of there and call 911. She wasn’t stupid enough to confront—possibly armed—intruders no matter how much it would help their reputation.
“I've got a bad feeling about this, Kat, let's get out of here.”
Instead of shimmying down the tree, Kat scooted farther out on her branch, shoving budding leaves around. “Can you zoom in with your camera and get a clear picture? Maybe see who's in there? I've got branches in my way.”
She could argue, but it’d be faster to take the picture. “Fine. I'll try and you call 911 and report the. . . ” Two figures clad in head-to-toe black ran out the backdoor, startling both women. Kat sucked in her breath and bolted upright. The branch protested at the sudden shift of her weight with a crack that sounded as if the whole tree was coming down on them. The second thief, taller by a half a foot, stopped, turned with his gun pointed in their direction.
Every muscle in Lexie’s body froze.
She didn’t even dare blink. From the corner of her eye she could see Kat sitting just as still. The full moon was a good week or more away and only one outside light glowed, barely reaching the edge of the patio. As long as the intruders didn’t shine their flashlights on them, they should be safe. Otherwise, they were screwed because being perched in a tree with no weapons usually didn’t equal a fast getaway.
Excerpt 6:
Out stepped Detective Rafael Barandas. She didn't need the glow of the streetlight to know he was six-two and extremely fit, or how his dark brown eyes looked black when his blood was pumping, or how thanks to his Portuguese heritage he had a yearlong tan. All those details were burned into her brain a lifetime ago.
“That man is like fine wine.”
“Shut up, Kat.”
“Well, well, well, if it isn't the stable boy,” Vinnie piped in.
“Shut up, Vinnie,” Lexie and Kat replied.
The detective cautiously stepped out from behind the open door, as if they were a threat instead of two women.
“Well, if it isn’t Smith and Jones, forever together.”
Vinnie snorted in her ear. “Good one.”
If she could, she’d elbow him in the gut.
Rafe looked up and down the quiet street. “One of you call in a burglary?”
“Yes, sir,” Kat said.
Feet planted shoulder width apart, arms crossed in front of him, she could imagine the intimidating stance worked on many a suspect. Ignoring Kat’s answer he pointed in the direction of her car. “You’re parked illegally. Engine trouble?”
“No, sir,” Kat said.
He made his way over, stopping directly in front of Lexie, stealing the air from her lungs. The saliva in her mouth went Sahara Desert dry, her tongue stuck to the roof refusing to work. Her heart pounded a strong, fast rhythm in her ears.
“Just out for a late evening stroll and happened to see the crime going down?”
She swallowed a few times, focusing on his Adam’s apple as he spoke, refusing to look into his eyes. Oh no, she knew better, having fallen into that trap before. But, she wasn’t the same person. That was a lifetime ago, so why was she having the same old reaction to him? Stupid pheromones. And where was her voice?
“Uh, not exactly. Lex, you want to explain to Detective Barandas how we happened to be in the area?” Kat jumped in, but not exactly to save her.
Lexie shot her best friend—former best friend—a look that said a whole lot more than no. The less said the better, for more reasons than she cared to think about, but at the top of the list was the possibility of losing her client’s proof if her camera was confiscated as evidence.
“Not really.” Pulling it together, she looked him in the eyes. “Suffice it to say we were in the area on business and caught sight of someone in the Irwin’s house.”
Rafe looked at the nearby houses. She followed his gaze from the cars in the driveway to the lights on inside the homes. The look on his face, as he scratched his jaw, made her want to laugh.
“Probably best I don't ask. Your call said the burglars exited through the backdoor?”
He directed his question to her, but Kat responded. “Yes, sir, that is correct, sir.”
“Okay, can you two wait here while I check the residence? I'll take your statements after I've cleared the home.” After getting their affirmative head nods, he stalked across the street as quietly as a giant cat on the prowl for its next meal.
“I’ve got to say it, wow. He just keeps getting better looking every time I see him. Don't you think so?” Kat nudged her arm with an elbow.
Lexie pushed Kat away, and took a step back, giving herself some space to breathe.
“Let's not go there. Rafe was a long time ago. Besides, I thought you were Team Benjamin. You said he’s a nice guy.” Not that she wanted to date him either, but she had hoped mentioning him would shut the other two up. Apparently not, as snorts of laughter rang through the night.
She didn’t blame them.
Rafe and Benjamin. It was like comparing a delicious, fresh, sweet apple to dehydrated apple chips. Same genetic make-up in the beginning, but life had shaped them into totally different beings in the end.
For her, Rafe would always be sweet temptation. But just like Snow White was a goner with one bite, she knew she would be too if she tasted Rafe Barandas again.
What inspired you to write this book?
I love writing friendships in my stories, so when I started thinking about Lexie, I asked myself two questions to start:
Who does she hang around with? What does she do?
I also wanted something totally different than my other books, and I’m a huge Nancy Drew fan. So, I thought it would be fun to write about two female private investigators. But that still sounded pretty average. My next question was, “how can I shake this up and make it a little different?” Since, I love ghost stories, especially where the ghost is more life-like. Think, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Topper, Beetlejuice, The Sixth Sense. I decided that they needed a ghost in their lives. Now Vinnie isn’t your average ghost, he’s kind of a wiseguy. Actually, he was a mobster in his “former” life. But he’s a good guy now, he’s just dead and he really tries to help Lexi and Kat, but even ghosts don’t know everything.
What can we expect from you in the future?
Definitely more books set in Camden Point, my fictional town in Connecticut with more ghosts. There’s at least two more Camden Point mysteries. Kat’s book will come out in 2021, and I’m planning a third that will give Vinnie a chance to tell his tale a little more. I’ve also got two romance novellas set in Camden Point that feature a different helpful ghost.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Tell Me Lies?
Camden Point Mysteries centers around the lives, loves, and cases of LexaKat Private Investigative Services. Book one is Tell Me Lies and while it will feature both Lexie Smith and her business partner/lifelong best friend Kat Jones, it’s going to center on Lexie. She’s the more reserved of the two. Lexie’s parents are a bit controlling and aren’t not crazy about their daughter being a PI, but they mean well. She’s is very independent, loves junk food, especially pizza and already has the only man she needs in her life. He’s loving, loyal, very furry and drools a lot. But nobody’s perfect. At least, that’s what she thinks until she lands a new case, one that she’s very reluctant to take as it means working for family and with the guy who once broke her heart.
Kat Jones is a bit feisty and loves her job as a PI. While others would describe Kat as beautiful, she really doesn’t see it and besides, it’s looks are just a product of DNA. She can be a bit impulsive and hot headed, but she strives to be the good girl. Always, unless someone breaks her best friend’s heart.
Also working at LexaKat, PI Services is Vincent (Vinnie) Mattetuci. Former wiseguy and ghost. Vinnie is your stereotypical Italian mobster from the Bronx, but he’s got a heart of gold, especially when it comes to Lexie and Kat. He’s spent their whole lives looking out for them and now he’s their “intern” and “expert consultant.”
The love interest: Raphael (Rafe) Barandas. Picture your favorite tall, dark haired, tanned celebrity crush and enter it here. But Rafe is more than a pretty face. He’s a guy who fell in love with a girl (he feared) was out of his reach. The son of a fisherman, he wanted more. So, when the “opportunity” knocked and allowed him to leave the small beachside town he grew up in, he jumped at the chance. Now, a dozen years later, he’s back home, burned out on big city crime and politics. He’s looking forward to time with his family, a low-stress job (because crime in Camden Point is nothing compared to NYC, and maybe a chance to reconnect with the girl he still loves. Give him a cold one, a basket of hot wings, with the Yankees playing (he’s a bit of a rebel) and he’s a happy guy. Try to harm those he’s charged with protecting or the one he loves and he’s your worst enemy.
Where did you come up with the names in the story?
Generally when I’m trying to come up with names, I flip through an old baby name book. I also pull up a baby name website, like Top 100 Baby Name of XXXX, to see if that name was overused for the age my characters would be. Then I try to picture what that person looks like and decide if the name fits them or not.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Everything. No, honestly, I loved writing this book. I loved the friendship between Lexie and Kat. I loved Vinnie and playing around with what he could do and what he was going through. And I loved giving Lexie and Rafe a second chance at happiness.
How did you come up with the title of your first novel?
The first book I ever wrote was Dangerous Enchantments. It’s tucked away on my bookshelf where it will stay. It’s a paranormal and the title just fit the story line. Tell Me Lies was like that too, as it relates to what happened in the past and what is happening at the present.
Who designed your book covers?
Tell Me Lies’s cover was done by the fabulous Rebecca Pau at The Final Wrap. She’s so great to work with because she listens to what you want and then makes it ten times more fabulous.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
In Tell Me Lies? No. I’m really happy with how it came out. In Disarmed by Love, the last single title before this one, yes. I would have written an epilogue and if/when I get the rights back, I will add one.
Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
I learned to trust my gut and to not worry so much about the end product, to just have fun. If I write a book, I loved writing, and had fun with, readers will love it too. (At least, I hope so!)
If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
This is always such a fun question. Sometimes, when I start writing I have a clear vision of what actor/actress would play a role and other times I don’t. It’s those other times that lead to the rabbit hole known as the internet where I spend way too much time looking at pictures and playing casting director. For Lexie, I think I’d pick Odette Annable. Most might know her from her role in the Supergirl. For Kat, it would definitely be Blake Lively. Not only does she have the look, but has Kat’s feisty spirit. Just watch her and Ryan together to see what I mean. For Rafe, I could picture Diogo Morgado totally for this role. As to Vinnie, I think I’d have to go on a talent search. I sort of picture him as a slightly younger Vincent D’Onofrio or Vince Vaughn.
If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?
I know if I asked this of most people who have read the book, they would tell me Vinnie. He’s a lot of fun and you never know what’s going to come out of his mouth. I think he’d be a lot of fun to go ghost hunting with. But for me, I’d hang out with any of my four main characters. I think a beach party at Lexie’s house would be a lot of fun.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Both really. In Tell Me Lies, all of the main characters are totally from my imagination. Some of the secondary characters are based and even named on people in my life (with their permission, of course).
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
I tend to outline my stories, which help me keep a pretty tight reign, but every now and then those characters show a little free will and go skipping along their own merry way.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
It’s got it all: a great mystery, a wonderful love story, a complex plot, great banter especially between the two best friends, a wise-cracking ghost, a strong heroine, and a sexy, overprotective, yet sweet hero.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
I have completed book two in the Camden Point Mystery series, which will come out in 2021. I also write women’s fiction for a book club publisher, Annie’s Fiction, and a couple of those have not come out yet.
If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
The ocean with hints of star gazer lily.
What did you edit out of this book?
Lexie’s “hot and erotic” dream because I felt like it slowed the pace down. I also edited out a flashback scene showing Rafe’s teen betrayal for the same reason.
Is there an writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?
Honestly, there are so many. I’d love to sit down and talk mysteries with Mary Burton. Talk with her about how she gets her story ideas, balancing the mystery with the romance and just really, everything she knows.
Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?'
Fun facts: I’m part of a ghost hunting group (Connecticut Ghost Investigations) with my husband and a couple of our friends. I have stayed the night in a haunted hotel that had a bordello (now closed), and I’ve seen, what I believe, was a ghost before.
FF2: There are several friends that might recognize themselves in this book.
FF3: When I listen to 80’s rock, I type faster.
Gail
currently lives in beautiful Connecticut, but originally hails from
sunny California. She is the mom of three amazing kids, the wife of a
27 year Naval officer and the rescuer of three furbabies.
In
her spare time (what little of it there is), she likes to ghost hunt
with her hubby, geocache with her family and lock herself away with a
great book. Currently, she's attempting (keyword there) to learn to
knit. Wish her luck, she'll need it. And, she's dreaming of the day
when she can take her next trip. Where will it be? Only time will
tell. Check her out on Instagram to see her words of wisdom, her
travel destinations (past and future), what she's read, and maybe
enjoy a chuckle or two:
https://www.instagram.com/authorgailchianese/
Her
books have been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award and
EPIC eBook Awards.
$10
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Thank you for hosting my new release!
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