Nancy Jardine Author: WHOM EVIL TOUCHES by D.E.ROYCE

It's Welcome Wednesday again and today I'm absolutely delighted to welcome a gifted new author friend whom I met, via Facebook, some months ago. During the last months, I've learned that D.E. Royce doesn't only write beautifully, she also paints fabulous pieces to add to her impressive gallery. More about that later! Today she's here to interview about her writing...

D.E. has recently launched her debut novel onto the market. Whom Evil Touches is a gripping read. I had the pleasure of sampling this novel prior to its launch and really enjoyed the complicated plot and the large cast of colourful charcters who interact in it. Look forward to her answers but don't forget to pop across to my features blog HERE where you'll find my review of the novel and some excerpts from Whom Evil Touches.

About little about the author first…

D.E. Royce was born and raised around the bay area of Quincy, Massachusetts. After graduating from nursing school she married, raised two children, and devoted her time to family and learning the art of landscape and still life painting. After earning a BA in Communications she began writing short stories and spent the remainder of her nursing career as a clinical liaison and composing health care related documents.

“I was one of those children who loved to draw and write. For most of my life, I’ve held some type of tool in my hands related to creativity, including cooking utensils, gardening tools, pencils, paper, books and paint brushes. Living around Quincy Bay and the marshlands is inspiring and I’ve spent many happy hours sketching and landscape painting there. In fact, it was the marshlands that provided the inspiration for Whom Evil Touches.”

Ms. Royce continues to live in Massachusetts, exhibits her paintings in several galleries and is working on her second novel.

And now for those questions...

Have you always wanted to be an author?

No, but I’ve always enjoyed playing with words. As a child I spent hours writing short poems. As an adult, with a nursing license and BA in Communications I do a lot of job related public speaking, so I learned that words need to pack a punch to be effective.

Was there any particular prompt which made you write your first novel?

Yes. I was doing some landscape painting alongside a marsh. Suddenly the police showed up and began searching the area. I learned that they were looking for a woman’s body!

I think that might trigger a few different responses, D.E. ! What's the genre/ subgenre of your debut novel?

Whom Evil Touches is a murder mystery wrapped in a bit of romance.

Can you tell us a little about it?

Whom Evil Touches is about murder and deceit, love lost – love found, and redemption.

Will Kennedy’s life is pretty miserable; he’s been trapped in a loveless marriage with Judy for years. When bits and pieces of her body begin turning up, investigators arrest him. As the secrets of Judy’s twisted life begin to emerge, a series of revelations bring with them a K-9 handler and his detection dog to shed light on who murdered Judy - and why. And for Will it will bring a long lost flame to his side and just maybe free his spirit once and for all.

There are a number of strong characters in your story. If asked who the main protagonist is, who would it be?

Although Will spends most of the story in a jail cell, I believe that by weaving his past struggles and present difficulties throughout the story, his character remains front and center. In fact, I expanded on several scenes and added meaningful dialogue to ensure his star quality!

Do the names for characters just pop into your head as soon as you start a book?

Choosing names for characters is fun, fun, fun! I try to match names with personality types, occupation, or character flaws. For instance, in Whom Evil Touches, I gave the bank president the last name of Locke – to denote security. The murdered Judy’s name was derived from the name Judas, a name most associated with deceit.

I like to make my names meaningful as well and I get a kick out of choosing them, too. Did your novel entail a lot of research?

Thanks for asking Nancy. Whom Evil Touches involved several months of research that I really enjoyed doing because I learned so much. It all began with wanting to learn more about marshlands. From the comfort of my easy chair, I was immersed in the Atlantic Ocean which rose over 350 feet after the Laurentide Glacier melted, or found myself shivering on the deck of a rum-runner’s boat and headed for France! Most of the historical information is in the prologue, and weaves a thematic thread throughout the story. The second phase of research involved leaning about K-9/bomb sniffing dogs. I spent hours speaking with their handlers and watching demonstrations. It was very interesting. A sniper who I interviewed put an assault weapon in my hands, it was chilling!

That sounds very up front and personal research, D.E.- different from my usual kind. What are the greatest challenges your characters face?

Facing reality and finding a way to move forward during and after life changing events.

What about settings? Do you tend to write about places you’ve been to…or just ones you would like to visit?

I write about places that I understand and where the culture is familiar.

Do you have plans for writing a sequel or for anything else at present?

I am on chapter four of a new murder mystery with a character - a dysfunctional psychiatrist - who may develop into a good sequel character.

What goals do you see yourself facing during the second half of 2014?

Hmmm…I need to learn how to market through social media, finish my second novel, and build relationships with my readers and other generous spirits such as yourself.

Thank you Nancy, and best wishes to you.

Best wishes to you too and good luck with the promotional marketing, which is often a minefield to negotiate- in my opinion.

Blurb:

Murder. Deceit. Lies.
Judy Lydon Kennedy led two lives. One her husband Will knew about, the other protected by her constant gamesmanship and smoldering anger. But when the police discover bits and pieces of her body, it's her husband the detectives finger as the prime suspect until they begin to dig deeper into her hidden life.
It turns out that Judy had a very special relationship with a fellow employee at the bank - a female who just happened to dump her shortly before Judy's disappearance and grisly return. Now the investigators must sort through those connected with Judy: a misguided, pathological liar who was in love with her, the bi-sexual lover at the bank, and the blackmailed bank president who had every reason to shut Judy up for good.
As the secrets of Judy's twisted life begin to emerge, a series of revelations bring with them a K-9 handler and his detection dog to shed light on who murdered Judy - and why. And for Will, it will bring a long lost flame to his side - and just maybe free his spirit once and for all.

A sensitive and thought provoking, first rate murder mystery filled with surprising twists and inventive turns. Whom Evil Touches is a top-notch page turner of whodunit that will keep you guessing until the final, shocking, revelation.

You'll catch D.E. Royce at her WEBSITE

Buy from Amazon

You'll also enjoy some of her fantastic still life artwork at her Finearts site.