Marla A. White
![]() Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to talk about my brand new release, In the Crosshairs: the Body on Leffis Key. Someone is killing people with a crossbow, but what connects the murders is a mystery, and only a birder and the aide to a dead Senator can find the answers Intro Almost all of the murders in In the Crosshairs: the Body on Leffis Key are committed by a crossbow. A crossbow consists of a short bow fixed transversely on a stock, with a groove to guide the feathered missile, usually called a bolt, a sear to hold the string in the cocked position, and a trigger to release it. The crossbow may have been invented in China as early as the sixth century, but quickly spread to Europe. Capable of piercing chain mail at a distance of up to a thousand feet, it was the most popular weapon of the Middle Ages. Originally made of wood, by the tenth century the great Italian artisans of Genoa used wrought iron or steel. Today crossbow hunting is a popular sport, but also, being silent, it is favored by snipers or for ambushes. And murderers. The hero of In the Crosshairs is a crossbow enthusiast, and when one of his collection turns up at the scene of a crime, he is the obvious suspect. Blurb Palmer Lind, recovering from the sudden death of her husband, embarks on a bird-watching trek to the Gulf Coast of Florida. One hot day on Leffis Key she comes upon—not the life bird she was hoping for—but a floating corpse. The handsome beach bum who appears on the scene at the same time seems to have even more secrets than the dead man. His story begins to unravel as the pair search for answers to a growing pile of dead bodies. Spies, radical environmentalists, and wealthy businessmen circle around each other in a complex dance. Which one is lying? What do a seemingly random group of individuals have in common, other than being targeted by a crossbow? In the Crosshairs: The Body on Leffis Key The Wild Rose Press, May 27, 2024 Mystery, Suspense 89,710 words; 392 pp. Excerpt: Arrested! When the expert had left, Thrasher reclaimed his desk. “Okay, Hawk. We’ve already ascertained that you are a crack shot with a crossbow. Know anything about antique armaments?” Something about the detective’s body language signaled to Palmer that he already knew the answer. Carson must have sensed the same thing, for he nodded. “I am a collector.” “Not only that, but you reported a robbery the day after Senator Wren was found dead.” Carson straightened, his expression wary. “So?” “Among other items, an antique crossbow and a set of bronze bolts were stolen from your apartment. Unfortunately, you could not provide paperwork for the crossbow, hindering the investigation.” “I gave the police the serial number, but the sales receipt is back at my house in Illinois. I keep all my important papers there, since I only rent a loft in DC.” “Lucky for you they accepted your explanation. Were any of the other things recovered?” “No. Well, they found my watch in a garbage can a block away.” His lip curled. “I guess they couldn’t be bothered with a Timex.” Thrasher turned a page in his file. “I had them check for any crimes committed with an uncommon weapon in the last two months. Turns out criminals are just as set in their ways as other folks. Unwilling to try out some newfangled toy, they all stuck with their illegal Smith and Wessons. So.” He closed the file and locked his eyes on Carson. “I’ve been exploring a new hypothesis. That you were never robbed.” Palmer gasped. “You mean, that I brought the crossbow with me to Florida and used it to kill Tipsy Swallow?” Carson’s voice was taut and low. Thrasher shrugged. “Let’s say he traced you here. You discovered he was on your trail and waited for your opportunity. I’ve been reading up on crossbows. They’re not good for close quarters—not like, say, a blunderbuss. You could hit a target from some distance.” “They have a range of up to a thousand feet,” said Carson wearily. “Right.” Thrasher beamed at him. “So you shot him—likely from your bass boat. Then you motored to one of the Sisters, extracted the arrow—excuse me, bolt—dragged the jon boat into the brush, and went your merry way.” “Why didn’t I simply leave him to drift? That way there wouldn’t be any clues that I’d been in the vicinity.” “According to the autopsy, the metal filings in Swallow’s heart indicated the bolt had been ripped from the body, which means you must have had contact with your victim after he was dead. I asked myself, why would you do that? Why not split before you were caught?” “Because the bolt could be traced back to me.” “Bingo.” “Okay, how did I manage two boats?” “Tied a line to his bow and towed him.” Thrasher sat back with a self-satisfied air. Carson leaned forward. “When I got out of my boat to retrieve the bolt, why didn’t I leave the crossbow behind? Why lug it along?” “Hmm. Maybe you wanted to be sure he was dead?” He peered at Carson, who sat rigid in his chair, his face a mask. “Have I left anything out?” Carson exhaled. “Motive?” “That’s the easy part. Swallow worked for Wilfred Vogel. Vogel is a key supporter of Senator Wren. Vogel is not pleased that you’ve killed his golden boy. He sends Swallow to bring you back to face justice.” Carson’s eyes were troubled. “It doesn’t make sense.” “Does to me.” “I mean, aside from the fact that I didn’t kill either Wren or Swallow, why would Vogel be upset that Wren died? The senator was sponsoring a bill that Vogel adamantly opposes. I’d say the timing of Atticus’s demise worked in his favor.” “Only for that particular bill. As I understand it, Wren and Vogel agreed on ninety-nine percent of the issues. Vogel is one of the richest men in the world. He’s used to getting his own way. Your disposing of a fellow traveler and source of his power over Congress would stick in his craw. He wouldn’t think twice about taking the law into his own hands.” Carson muttered something about watching too many Godfather flicks. Palmer put a placating hand on his arm. “What are you going to do, Captain?” Thrasher opened his door. “Officer?” Sergeant Jaeger came in. The captain faced Carson. “Carson Hawk, I’m arresting you for the murder of Tipsy Swallow. Ollie, read him his rights.” Palmer slumped in her chair. Her mind was in turmoil. She wanted to shout, to howl that Carson was innocent, that this was all a misunderstanding, that Thrasher was an idiot. Her mouth opened and shut again. She watched the policeman take Carson away, unable to move. About the Author: Librarian, anthropologist, research assistant, Congressional aide, speechwriter, nonprofit director—M. S. Spencer has lived or traveled in five of the seven continents and holds degrees in Anthropology, Middle East Studies, and Library Science. She has published seventeen mystery or romantic suspense novels. She has two children, an exuberant granddaughter, and currently divides her time between the Gulf Coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine. Contacts:
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If you could choose any profession other than your current one, what would it be, and why?
Why on Earth would I choose to be something other than a wealthy socialite? What is your guilty pleasure or secret hobby that you wouldn't readily admit to others? Once in a while, I get obsessed with putting together jigsaw puzzles. It’s like an addiction, I’ll won’t leave it even to go riding. What is your favorite book, and how does it resonate with you personally? Whatever the current hockey romance book I’m reading, and it resonates with me because it’s all about gorgeous people having amazing sex. Sometimes I learn new things too! Share a quirky habit or superstition that you have. If you tell anyone I will hurt you, but I like to sing in the shower. If you could time travel, which era or historical event would you visit? To the mid 1950’s and the beginning of rock and roll. Could you imagine how exciting it must have been to see Elvis perform live on stage? If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be, and what would you want to ask or discuss with them? She’s not exactly fictional, but I didn’t know that when I saw the movie “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” and immediately wanted to be her. Then I read about the real woman and found she was so much more. Her work with women’s rights, her charity work, I’d want to talk to her about anything except the Titanic. I’m sure if the poor woman never talked about that horrible night again it would be too soon. If you were granted one wish, with no restrictions, what would you wish for, and why? Off the top of my head, it would be that everyone’s life be as fabulous as mine but that would make me sound way too philanthropic, so I guess peace on Earth? Did Justin already say that? In my last blog post, you got to meet Emily and read her answers to a few questions. This week, meet Justin and Dennis, images courtesy of an AI program that made some hilarious mistakes but in the end, more or less nailed what my characters looked like. Justin is on the left, Dennis is the redhead on the right. Enjoy! JUSTIN If you could choose any profession other than your current one, what would it be, and why? After my one disastrous ride it wouldn’t be cowboy, that’s for sure! I think a psychologist, I love figuring out what makes people tick. What is your guilty pleasure or secret hobby that you wouldn't readily admit to others? As long as it’s just between us, I’m a Dungeons and Dragons nerd. What is your favorite book and how does it resonate with you personally? “Thank You and Okay” by David Chadwick. I dabble in being Zen and, like the author, spent some time in a monastery in Japan. His stories, both hilarious and touching, really hit home for me. Share a quirky habit or superstition that you have. I have one of those desktop Zen gardens with the sand and the rocks that I tend to rake over and over again when I’m thinking, If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be, and what would you want to ask or discuss with them? I’m a big Lord of The Rings fan, hence I got who Em’s cat Samwise is named after, but of all the characters I’d want to talk to Faramir the most. That guy had the biggest heart despite having a messed-up father. If you were granted one wish, with no restrictions, what would you wish for, and why? I’m guessing peace on earth and an end to world hunger would sound overly noble, so probably for Emily to stay safe. That job of hers is crazy, not to mention her “classic” truck. DENNIS If you could choose any profession other than your current one, what would it be, and why? Fireman. In my family, you were either a cop or a smoke eater. What is your guilty pleasure or secret hobby that you wouldn't readily admit to others? Who has time for a hobby? Although a guilty pleasure is messing with Jay’s rock garden on his desk. Sometimes I hide his rake just for s*#ts and giggles. What is your favorite book, and how does it resonate with you personally? Does a comic book count? Share a quirky habit or superstition that you have. I’m Irish, I have a boatload of superstitions. If you don’t pick up a coin when you see it, you’ll have bad luck, fairies are real, if you knock over a chair while standing up its bad luck – there’s a laundry list. If you could time travel, which era or historical event would you visit? I would go back to the year before my wife left me and try harder to make her love me again. Or, if that fails, leave her first. If you were granted one wish, with no restrictions, what would you wish for, and why? What did Justin say? He’s filthy rich so I’m guessing world peace b.s. I’d ask to be able to drink all the beer I want and never get a gut. Come back next week to learn about Lottie!
I had fun during this year's Facebook Winter Games with character interviews and creating AI images of them based on my description. The results were often hilarious, but I finally got four fairly close images of what the characters look like in my mind. Once a week I'll come back to share their images and the answers to the questions I asked each of them. Enjoy! Emily Conners
As the youngest of six kids, I’ve been living with hand-me-downs my whole life. When I was really young, my oldest sister gave me her old, broken watch. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, even if it didn’t work.
You’d think that would have turned me off to the concept of hand-me-downs, but I came to accept them as part of life. In fact, after I left home and moved to LA, I started to love them. At first, a friend with much better taste than mine gave me clothes she’d gotten tired of or grew out of. Score! My boss/mentor/friend gave me some cocktail dresses, knowing I’d never buy them. It came in really handy when I was riding as that stuff gets really expensive. Sweaters with old company logos, ski jackets that were out of style…in fact, I’m wearing a t-shirt I got from a friend who it doesn’t fit anymore.
Because I have no problems with hand-me-downs, I cheerfully accepted. And I LOVE rhubarb in anything, so how could I go wrong? Per the label, it’s made of organic rhubarb, beets, carrots, lemon, spices including cardamom and vanilla, among other things. Not being fond of beets and so-so on carrots, I was skeptical that my beloved rhubarb would still carry the day. The bottle came with a little pamphlet of recipes, but it seemed like Root as pretty much interchangeable with gin or vodka. I opted for a classic Gimlet, substituting Rhubarb (tea) for gin. The rhubarb and other veggies blended nicely with the lime and a bit of simple syrup. If a cocktail has beets in it, does that make it a health drink? I rate this 5 out of 5 yums. Trying to find a spot for this and the other orphan bottles in my liquor cabinet made me take a bit of inventory and discovered other gifted bottles. It’s like my house is the Island of Misfit Alcohol. Stay tuned while I try out the other mystery drinks!
![]() Like almost every other human being on the planet, I’m all in on the “new year, new habits” mantra, starting with actually writing a blog. I’ve talked about it for years, I’ve written three books since I started thinking about it so it’s not like I couldn’t write the words. You know what it was? I don’t think I’m that interesting! And it’s so confusing—a good length for a post is either 300, 600, or 1,200 words depending on who you ask. I spent months trying to figure out the perfect post before I finally said the heck with it. As Wayne Gretzky (probably) said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” #GoKingsGo. So bear with me while I allow myself to be imperfect and attempt to grow this blog, get guest bloggers, maybe even review books and such. Time will tell. I thought I’d start off this blogging journey writing about the things that interest me the most; small and/or quirky inns, wine, whiskey, and books. Let’s start with one of my favorite places to go for a long weekend or fall getaway… Silver Pines Lodge, Idyllwild CAI originally stayed at the Silver Pines a few years ago (in the Before Times) as part of CineStory’s* television writers’ retreat where I was a mentor. I’d been to Idyllwild before to partake in the same retreat but that was the first year I stayed at Silver Pines and I fell in love. The rooms all have names rather than numbers and each is unique into itself. All woodsy, all the time. Fireplaces in most rooms and lots of bear motifs that prove the lodge doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s not posh, there are no bathrobes or winery views, but it maxes out on the cozy coefficient. The lodge has a long history, first built in 1923 according to the lodge website. Then in the 30s it became the Rustic Tavern Restaurante and then the Rustic Theater movie house in 1944. (That extra “e” at the end of restaurant is the only pretentious thing about the place :D) There’s also a main lodge room with books and games for the whole family. There’s a fantastic koi pond right behind the main building that makes a delightful burbling sound and Strawberry Creek that, because of our drought, rarely makes a splash but is pretty all the same. Plus a totem pole. Well, it used to have a totem pole, but due to wear and tear it was replaced by a statue that's still pretty cool. Even if I wasn’t coming from smoggy LA, Idyllwild has fresh mountain air and the bluest sky I’ve ever seen.
Is there an inn, lodge, or tee-pee you love to stay at? Let me know in the comments below! *CineStory is a fantastic non-profit foundation that supports the careers of television and feature writers from all over the country and indeed the planet. If you are working on a script or even just thinking about it, visit their website for more details.
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