Hey, lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Sallie
Moppert and her new book, “Good Cop Bad Cop”!
For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click
on the banner above or any of the images in this post.
Be sure to make it to the
end of this post to enter to win a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card or ONE
of THREE fantastic prize packs that include exciting items like a pen,
key chain, and magnet!! That’s right –
there will be FOUR lucky winners!!!!
Also, come back daily to interact with Sallie and to increase your
chances of winning!
Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous
giveaway!
Please note that the prize
pack giveaway items are only available to US and CA residents. However, ALL residents are eligible for the
gift card prize. Sorry INTL – please
check out other giveaways on this blog.
Good Cop Bad Cop
by Sallie Moppert
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GENRE: Mystery
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BLURB:
When
his mother is beaten to death by his alcoholic stepfather, fourteen-year-old
Samuel Marlowe is rescued from seeking revenge against him by a chance meeting
with Officer Edwin Hill. The veteran policeman takes Sam under his wing and
even becomes the boy’s foster father.
Sam
becomes a cop and works alongside his beloved mentor until Edwin is killed in a
shooting. Hailed as a hero for his actions in the case, Sam feels like anything
but. He begins a dark descent away from the stand-up policeman he once was,
turning to drugs and alcohol to numb his pain and his PTSD.
The
police captain assigns Sam a partner hoping to salvage what is left of him by
forcing him to become a good role model for the young recruit. Needless to say,
Sam is not pleased with the arrangement, protesting it up until the moment
Junior Detective Dahlia Bennett enters his life.
Will
he try to shake her loose? Does her by-the-book ideals and strong moral code
rub off on him? Will his relaxed attitude and views on true justice start to
influence her? What will ultimately lead
to the two becoming a solid team? When Dahlia declares she wants to reopen some
cases believing that the wrong person was sent to prison, Sam tells her
straight out that in doing so, she would be putting her life at risk. As Dahlia
persists, Sam is faced with the ultimate decision: let Dahlia reopen the cases
and discover his crimes, or kill her to keep her from learning the truth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT TWO:
From Big Fish:
“Detectives,
this is Agent Shawn Martell and Agent Florence Calvert from the FBI,” the
captain introduced the man and woman seated in the visitor's chairs in front of
his desk respectively. “And, agents, this is Samuel Marlowe and Dahlia Bennett,
my finest detectives, as you requested.”
Sam
and Dahlia exchanged handshakes with Shawn and Florence. Shawn Martell was a
similar height to Sam, falling a tad under the six-foot mark. Auburn colored
hair, caramel brown eyes, and an overall aesthetically pleasing appearance,
Shawn looked as though he could easily portray the ‘hunky agent’ role on an FBI
television drama, Dahlia considered. Christ, I’m even starting to think like
Sam.
Florence
could hold her own against her partner, with a long and slender frame, sleek
black hair that hung down to the middle of her back and celeste blue eyes. She
was taller than the average woman, nearly measuring up to Shawn, save for an
inch or two. If her partner fit the hunk role, Florence appeared to be apt for
the “woman in charge” role in the drama.
We're
obviously not here to sightsee,” Shawn began to say.
“We're
investigating a human trafficking ring,” Florence said. “And would like the
assistance of the local authorities.”
“You
know, Flor and I,” Shawn thumbed toward his partner. “Would stand out like a
sore thumb in a small town like this.”
“Seeing
some FBI agents could cause the potential perps to run like hell,” Sam said,
understanding what the agents were getting at. “But two local cops poking
around would be far more discreet.”
“Exactly,”
Shawn said. “Could we get your assistance?”
“Absolutely,”
Sam and Dahlia replied in unison.
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GUEST POST:
Falling in Love with the Main Characters:
Greetings
from a fellow fabulous brunette! I am honored to be here and am looking forward
to sharing some fun tips with everyone that I hope can help out some of my
fellow writers regarding characters and character development.
*******
“…Edwin lay in a pool of blood resulting
from several bullet wounds to the chest.
Sam grabbed Edwin’s jacket from the back of the chair and used it to
help apply pressure to his wounds. He
checked the gray-haired man’s pulse and was relived to feel he still had one.
‘Edwin, hey,’ Sam said. ‘It’s Sam, hey, come on, Ed, wake up.’
There was another pop of gunfire
overhead.
‘S-S-Sam?’ Edwin’s voice was weak and hoarse.
Sam repeatedly blinked, trying to keep
the tears at bay.
‘I’m here, Edwin,’ he said, one hand
applying pressure to Edwin’s wounds, the other grabbing hold of the ex-cop’s
hand. ‘I’m here. We’re going to get you out of here-‘
Edwin shook his head in a skow, robotic
movement.
‘Get the shooter,’ he said. ‘Leave me here.’
‘I can’t leave you, Edwin.’
Edwin gripped Sam’s arm.
‘Leave me, Sam,’ he repeated. ‘Do your job!’
‘Edwin-‘
‘Fucking go, Sam! Don’t let any kids die for me! Do your job!
That’s an order!
*******
What
is it about books and stories that keep us so enraptured? One thing that I find
that will almost always snag my interest is my emotional connection to the
characters. As writers, it is our job to create characters that readers have an
emotional response to-whether they love the character or hate the character. If
a character evokes a response from the reader, then that character is a pretty
darn good one.
I
started writing fan-fiction because there were some characters in a television
show that I watched religiously that I got really attached to; certain episodes
would inspire me to write a story in response to the ending, a scene that I
would have enjoyed if it took place in the episode, or some piece of dialogue
that I wanted the characters to expand on. I’ve also done it for a few video
games, too.
While
different authors may have different opinions on fan-fiction (some authors
prefer not to have other writers use their characters and/or stories, at least
not for online fan-fiction communities), I view fan-fiction as a huge
compliment to the writer/creator. There was something-or someone-in my book
that inspired you, the reader, to pick up a pen or plop in front of the
keyboard and compose your own story.
How do you make a character so memorable? How do you get your
readers to connect with your characters? Here are some things to consider when
crafting characters:
~
Make your characters more believable by giving them
flaws.
Perfect
characters can sometimes be boring. There are definitely situations in which a
perfect character might fit (think ‘conflict’ with another person) but, for the
most part, they are unbelievable. No one is perfect, so why should a character
be? I can relate to someone better if I can see similarities between us.
Flat
or perfect characters can certainly be included in stories, but perhaps as a
minor character or as a way to highlight the changes in your round or flawed
character. Peter Marsden, one of Sam’s partners in my book, is an example of a
flat character. He’s a nice guy with a good work ethic and is a dedicated
policeman. Peter’s straight-shooter personality is used to show a change in
Sam’s attitude and character after the events of the previous story, Into the
Fire, which I’ll discuss more in a few paragraphs.
Instead,
I want to root for the underdog or the flawed hero/heroine. I want to hate a
villain so much, yet still be intrigued by his or her back story. If you’re a
Star Wars fan, then a good example of this would be Kylo Ren, specifically from
The Force Awakens. One of the key antagonists from The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren
is reckless, hot-headed, angsty and emotionally complex. There is a reason the
son of two beloved characters from the original trilogy turned to the Dark
Side, but what is it? You want to hate him for all of the death and trouble
he’s caused throughout the galaxy and the pinnacle of his evil actions comes in
a critical scene with Han Solo (if you haven’t seen the movie, I won’t spoil
it), where old and new fans alike all collectively held their breaths and/or
cried. As much as the fans have disdain for Kylo Ren’s actions in this
particular scene, as a writer, I find this part a goldmine. I want to hate Kylo
for what he did, yet I still find myself intrigued for what the future holds
for him. How will this decision impact his relationship with the other
characters? Will he come to regret this decision? What enabled him to be able
to do something so horrible?
I
want to know more. If I was reading the book as opposed to watching the movie,
I would be flipping page after page to find out what happens next with
insatiable interest.
~
Make me squirm alongside the character.
Stick
your character into a situation that really tests them or pushes them to the
limit. If I’m connected to that character, I’ll be right in the foxhole next to
them, wondering with bated breath how she or he will deal with the conflict.
After the story, I may still even be thinking about what I just read, pondering
how I would have dealt with the situation if I was in that character’s shoes.
Choice-based video games, such as the Far Cry series, Telltale Games (the
company behind games like The Wolf Among Us, The Walking Dead, etc.), the
Dragon Age Series and Heavy Rain, are an excellent example of this; the
player’s actions and choices throughout the game will have an impact on how the
game progresses.
My
character, Sam, is faced with a tremendous decision in the story, Into the
Fire. During an active shooting, he is forced to decide between saving the life
of someone important to him or stopping the shooter before the shooter can
claim more victims - there’s an excerpt from the scene above. Either path
results in death and Sam, a cop, has only moments to choose what to do. My goal
was to make you feel sympathetic toward Sam-how is he supposed to decide
between the two? Your heart breaks for him because this monumental decision is
made even harder because of Sam’s (and your) connection to Edwin, the man who
played a huge role in Sam’s life. Does he let his job get in the way of saving
the man who was like his father or does he save Edwin and risk the shooter
killing more people? It can make you wonder, how would I react if I was in
Sam’s position? It’s a non-win situation regardless of what he chooses, which
makes the decision that much more impactful throughout the rest of the story.
The
moment I knew that I nailed it was when I was at work and one of my coworkers
who was reading my book at the time came up to my desk and looked at me with a
frown and said “you killed Edwin!” (To be fair, Edwin’s fate was always
destined to be what it was in Into the Fire - he was originally a character in
a side project and evolved into the Edwin from GCBC when I was working on
creating Sam’s mentor and borrowed him from the other story, but I digress ^_^)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR BIO:
My Mug Shot Self-Portrait
A New
York native, Sallie has a Master’s degree in Criminal
Justice, with a Specialization in Forensic Science. A lifelong mystery fan, she
has combined her love and passion for writing with her interests in criminal
justice, law, and forensic science.
Sallie
currently resides in New York with her family and her “zoo,” which includes two
dogs, two guinea pigs, a betta fish and a leopard gecko. She works as a
freelance writer/editor and a legal assistant.
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CONNECT WITH SALLIE:
Quincy is my baby!
She is possibly a German Shepherd/Hound mix but 100% princess and just the
sweetest little puppy girl!
Dimples, my Jack-Chi
(Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua), who still acts like a little puppy and never
fails to put a smile on my face!
Website:
Email:
sallie.moppert@gmail.com
Facebook:
BookBub Book Page:
Goodreads Author Page:
Goodreads Book Page:
My handsome and very
photogenic leopard gecko boy, Stevie!
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon Kindle eBook:
Amazon Paperback:
Amazon Hardcover:
Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
Barnes and Noble Hardcover:
Kobo eBook #1:
Kobo eBook #2:
The Book Depository Paperback:
The Book Depository Hardcover:
BAM! Books-A-Million Paperback:
BAM! Books-A-Million Hardcover:
Zimbell House Publishing eBook:
Zimbell House Publishing Paperback:
Zimbell House Publishing Hardcover:
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Sallie will be awarding one commenter with a $15
Amazon/BN GC+ 3 commenters will receive a prize pack consisting of pen, key
chain, and magnet (US/Canada only) to randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during
the tour.
**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a
purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this
blog. This does not cost you anything,
it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**
This contest is sponsored
by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish
Promotions. Prizes are given away by the
sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish
Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
