#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes Jen J Danna!

Good Morning from Troy, Alabama!

Well, we're off to the Dixie Majors World Series championship game again this year and again we play Arkansas! It's been a wild ride - and a busy one. Monday, I received notification that the audio files for My Heart Weeps had been uploaded to ACX and are awaiting my approval, so I've added proofing those to my list of things to get done this week.

Love my life!

But enough about me.

Jen J Danna has been in our spotlight before, but it has been a few years so please give her a huge, warm WELCOME as she shares with us some very interesting information....

Things We Could All Learn From Hostage Negotiation

EXIT STRATEGY’s Gemma Capello is a hostage negotiator with the NYPD. Hostage Negotiators are a special breed—men and women who are not only controlled and patient, but creative, quick witted, empathetic, and flexible. Above all, they are trained that the most important thing they can do is listen. In a world where we often spend too much time talking, we could all learn something from hostage negotiators.

One of the most important tools in a negotiator’s toolbox is something called “active listening”. To connect with a hostage taker or suspect, they use a number of techniques so the person they are negotiating with understands they are heard:

• Emotional labelling—a statement of the expressed emotions: “You sound…” You seem…”

• Paraphrasing—a rewording of the suspect’s expressed thoughts or feelings.

• Mirroring—repetition of the last few words spoken to encourage more information.

• Effective pauses—pausing after important information for emphasis; alternately pause because many suspects are uncomfortable with silence and will talk to fill it.

• Minimal encouragers—phrases like “Tell me more”, “Really?”, or “Okay” tell the suspects someone is listening with interest.

• “I” messages—a counter to verbal attacks or counterproductive behaviour to bring the discussion back onto even footing: “I feel…”, “When you…”

• Open-ended questions—questions that can’t be answered by a simple “Yes” or “No” (which could then stop the discussion) and require a more in-depth response to draw out information.
Additionally, as part of active listening, negotiators are trained to listen specifically for the emotion underlying the content because sometimes a suspect’s words may say one thing, but the emotion behind the message speaks to something entirely different.

In our own lives, we’re not going to be dealing with high-stress, life-and-death situations like a hostage standoff, but there are times when we’re negotiating for something we want or need, or are in important discussions with loved ones. In these cases, active listening skills can improve our dealings and, eventually, outcomes because sometimes, what’s really needed is for us to be quiet, to listen, and to let someone else speak. And that’s how compromises can be made so both sides can claim victory.

A scientist specializing in infectious diseases, Jen J. Danna works as part of a dynamic research group at a cutting-edge Canadian university. However, her true passion lies in indulging her love of the mysterious through her writing.

With Ann Vanderlaan, she writes two series. Under Danna and Vanderlaan, they craft suspenseful crime fiction with a realistic scientific edge. Their five Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries include DEAD, WITHOUT A STONE TO TELL IT; NO ONE SEES ME ’TILL I FALL; A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH; TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER; and LAMENT THE COMMON BONES.

Under the joint pseudonym of Sara Driscoll, they write the FBI K-9s mysteries series, starring search-and-rescue team Meg Jennings and her black lab, Hawk. The series includes LONE WOLF and BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE, STORM RISING, and NO MAN’S LAND. The fifth book in the series, LEAVE NO TRACE, will release in January 2020.

Jen is also the author of the upcoming NYPD Negotiators thriller series, with the first book, EXIT STRATEGY, releasing in August 2020. The second book in the series, SHOT CALLER, will release in 2021, and the third book, LOCKDOWN, will release in 2022.

Jen lives near Toronto, Ontario with her husband, two daughters, and three rescued cats, and is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada. You can reach her through the contact page on her website or by email at jenjdanna@gmail.com.

Connect with Jen on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram

Exit Strategy can be found at  Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Bookshop.org, Hudson Booksellers, IndieBound, Indigo, Target, and Walmart.

Check out Jen's previous spotlights HERE and HERE.

Thanks for sharing such intriguing information with us, Jen! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your new release.

Hope you enjoyed the post today, friends and that you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight: Jen J Danna!

Good Morning Friends!

Well March just seems to be marching on as here we are at the 7th already!

Today it is my pleasure to welcome author Jen J Danna back to the spotlight with her book, Two Parts Bloody Murder.

A scientist specializing in infectious diseases, Jen J. Danna works as part of a dynamic research group at a cutting-edge Canadian university. However, her true passion lies in indulging her love of the mysterious through her writing. Together with her partner Ann Vanderlaan she crafts suspenseful crime fiction with a realistic scientific edge. Their four Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries include DEAD, WITHOUT A STONE TO TELL IT; NO ONE SEES ME ’TILL I FALL; A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH; and TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER.

Jen lives near Toronto, Ontario, with her husband and two daughters. You can find out more about Jen by visiting her website or connecting with her on Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest or Twitter!

Prohibition was a time of clandestine excess—short skirts, drinking, dancing . . . and death. But a murder committed so many years ago still has the power to reverberate decades later with deadly consequences. It’s a double surprise for Trooper Leigh Abbott as she investigates a cold case and discovers two murder victims in a historic nineteenth-century building. Together with forensic anthropologist Matt Lowell and medical examiner Dr. Edward Rowe, she uncovers the secrets of a long-forgotten, Prohibition-era speakeasy in the same building. But when the two victims are discovered to be relatives—their deaths separated by over eighty years—the case deepens, and suddenly the speakeasy is revealed as ground zero for a cascade of crimes through the decades. When a murder committed nearly forty years ago comes under fresh scrutiny, the team realizes that an innocent man was wrongly imprisoned and the real murderer is still at large. Now they must solve three murders spanning over eighty years if they hope to set a wronged man free.

EXCERPT

“Whoa!” Brad Riley’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he stepped into the dimly lit bar. 

“This is amazing!” Riley was the squad rookie, and the one trooper in the unit Leigh was on truly good terms with. He’d heard the stories about Leigh from the other guys, but had decided on his own that she wasn’t a bad cop. He’d even volunteered to help with her casework in the past. He was young and green, but they’d all been that at some point, and Leigh genuinely liked him.

Leigh grinned at his enthusiasm. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”

“The body is down here?” Riley swung the sledgehammer off his shoulder, carefully lowering it to the ground.

“Maybe. We’re about to find out for sure. Through here.” She led the way into the back, waiting patiently as Riley dragged his heels a bit, looking at everything as he came through.

“Do you want to do the honors?” she asked Rowe.

He stepped back, one hand raised, the other still weighed down with the crowbar he carried. “No, ma’am. This is the most fun I’ve had on a case in years, but this is your show. You do the honors.”

Leigh accepted the sledgehammer from Riley, swinging it up to rest on her shoulder. “I’m thinking dead center to have the least amount of support from the surrounding structure. Agreed?”

“Yes. Not that you’ll have much luck aiming with that, but try for the mortar joins. The mortar will give way before the brick.”

Leigh got a good grip on the sledgehammer and then swung it with all her strength at the wall. It hit with a resounding crash, the reverberations shooting up both arms and straight into her shoulders. She let the sledgehammer fall heavily to the floor, narrowly missing her toes, before examining the wall. The bricks were all still in place, but mortar crumbled to the floor. Heaving the sledgehammer up to her shoulder again, she prepared for the second strike.

It took three blows to knock the first brick free and two more to make a hole big enough to see through. Leigh set the sledgehammer down against the wall, panting. “That . . . should do it.” 

Stepping up to the shoulder-height hole, she pulled a loose brick free and tossed it onto the plank floor at her feet. She angled the light into the hole, crouched down to peer in, and froze.

The hidden space was approximately two feet deep and ran the length of the eight foot wall. She had to crane her neck to follow the narrow beam of light down to the floor. But after all the time spent with Matt and his students, there was no mistaking the pale flash of bones lying inside.

A tomb was hidden on the other side of this wall. But had the victim been alive or dead when he was bricked in so long ago?

Wordlessly, she stepped back and handed the flashlight to Rowe. He gave her a quick, searching glance, but then moved in to see for himself. He peered through the gap, squinting in the dim light and then spending a long moment taking in the remains. Finally, he pulled back and handed the flashlight to Riley before stepping out of the way.

Leigh met his solemn gaze. “Better call Lowell back ASAP,” he said. “Looks like we’re going to need him again.”

Well if you like murder mysteries, you might want to check this one out!

Two Parts Bloody Murder can be purchased at Amazon in Print and for Kindle; Amazon CA Print, Kindle; Amazon UK Print, Kindle and at B&N.

I sure hope you enjoyed this week's Saturday Spotlight!
Be sure and come back weekly for Tuesday Treasure, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight. Oh and watch for upcoming Egg-cerpt Exchanges!

Until later....take care, God Bless and remember....Our thoughts create our life so choose your thoughts wisely.

Something to think about.....
"Inspirational with an Edge" ™

Saturday Spotlight: Jen J Danna & A Flame in the Wind of Death

Well Hello Again!

Today you are doubly blessed because you'll get 2 (yeah TWO!) Saturday Spotlights!

My guest author, Jen J Danna contacted me and well, I guess internet gremlins got ahold of her book info the first time around but she sent it to me again so without much further ado, please welcome a fellow Five Star author, Jen J Danna.....

A scientist specializing in infectious diseases, Jen J. Danna works as part of a dynamic research group at a cutting-edge Canadian university. However, her true passion lies in indulging her love of the mysterious through her writing. Together with her partner Ann Vanderlaan, she crafts suspenseful crime fiction with a realistic scientific edge. Their Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries include DEAD, WITHOUT A STONE TO TELL IT, NO ONE SEES ME ‘TILL I FALL, and A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH, with TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER coming in 2015. Her Skeleton Keys blog has been listed as one of the top forensic blogs on the web. Jen lives near Toronto, Ontario, with her husband and two daughters. You can reach her at jenjdanna@gmail.com or through her website and blog at http://www.jenjdanna.com.

Author Website and social links:
Website and blog: http://www.jenjdanna.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenjdanna
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenJDanna
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jenjdanna/

Now about Jen's book.....

Book Blurb:
At Halloween, Salem, Massachusetts is a hot spot for Witch and tourist alike. But when a murder spree begins, a cop and a scientist must team up to find the killer before a media circus unleashes, panic ensues, and more victims are killed.

Forensic anthropologist Matt Lowell and Massachusetts State Police Trooper Leigh Abbott are called in to investigate burned remains following a fire in a historic antique shop. As Matt, Leigh and their team of graduate students investigate the death, clues point to Salem’s traditional Witchcraft community. However, having dabbled in the Craft as a teenager, Leigh is skeptical that someone who has sworn an oath of good to all and harm to none would commit premeditated murder, let alone kill in such a vicious way.

A second body is found in a similar fire and the team begins to suspect that coven members are being framed. Now they must solve the murders before 100,000 tourists overrun Salem for what could be the deadliest Halloween of their lives.

Excerpt:
Matt looked up at Kiko. “We’re going to need to do a skull reconstruction.”

“I agree,” Kiko said, “but it’s going to be a challenge. Even if we can find all the pieces, the bone is going to be calcined.”

Leigh slid in beside Matt, bracing her hand on his shoulder to lean over the body. “What happened to the head? Blunt force trauma?”

The forehead and top of the cranium were missing above the startlingly white bone rimming the eye sockets, exposing the mass of charred brain tissue. Below the eye sockets, the fleshy cheeks were burned a deep, leathery black. “Could be, but I doubt it. That’s typical fire damage.”

“The infamous exploding skull,” Bree said.

Leigh glanced from Bree to Matt. “Exploding skull?”

“People think the skull fractures like that because pressure builds up as the brain boils, causing the head to explode,” Bree explained. “Somehow they seem to forget that the skull has several natural openings that allow the steam to vent.”

“There’s actually a very simple explanation,” Matt said. “Skin burns first, then the muscle and fat underneath. In areas like the forehead, there is very little fat and muscle below the skin, so the organic components in the bone start to burn quickly. When the organic components are gone, what’s left is calcined bone—the mineral scaffold which is extremely brittle and shatters easily under any pressure.”

“Like from a water stream or the roof collapsing,” Bree supplied.

Leigh leaned closer to the body. Matt reached up to steady her as her eyes locked on the torso where it disappeared under the wardrobe. “See something?” he asked.

“There’s something buried in the chest.”

Matt stretched upward, trying to peer over the side of the corpse. “I can’t see from this angle. What is it?”

“There’s a lot of damage and the upper body is curled in on itself, but it looks like a knife.” She paused. “It’s just . . .”

“What?”

Leigh remained silent for a moment, then she straightened. “Let’s wait until the body is out from under all this. We’ll see better then.”


Buy links:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Flame-Wind-Death-Jen-Danna/dp/1432828096
Amazon.ca: http://www.amazon.ca/Flame-Wind-Death-Jen-Danna/dp/1432828096/
Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flame-Wind-Death-Mystery-Series/dp/1432828096
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-flame-in-the-wind-of-death-jen-j-danna/1116603763?ean=9781432828097
Chapters.Indigo.ca: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/a-flame-in-the-wind/9781432828097-item.html?ikwsec=Home

Well Friend, hope you enjoy this additional spotlight! Stay tuned next week for more Rocking Summer Romance reads on Tuesday Treasure, Thursday Thoughts and of course another Saturday Spotlight!!

PamT