Book Spotlight: Doubletake by Maryann Miller and Margaret Sutton

(Blurb): Death sneaks in the back door of the peaceful town of Twin Lakes, Texas and nothing is ever the same again. Homicide detective, Barbara Hobkins, is thrust headlong into the investigation. A product of the "new direction" in law enforcement, her strength comes from a degree is psychology and an intuition that has served her well. But will that be enough when up against a sadistic killer?

Book Information:

Maryann Miller & Margaret Sutton

Publisher/ed: March 2014
Genre: Police Procedural Mystery
Versions: E-book and Paperback

ASIN: B00J4YI8DE $3.99 - $9.99






What others are saying about Doubletake

 "WOW! Talk about a double take, the ending floored me. The story drew me in and compelled me to read more and more. Miller and Sutton's ease of introduction, yet fully characterizing each new character so quickly really added to the pace of the story adding urgency to the feel. Truly a book that builds the tension and frustration of the leads within you as you read their tale. I liked the flaws and insecurities of the main characters being proportionate to their strengths, they were real in depiction and easy to visualize. A great read!" 

- 5 Stars from Valerie


"I could not wait to get to the next page...Read for almost 8 hrs...Could not put it down...Two thumbs up." 

- 5 Stars from Sherry.

Guest Post: A Team Effort By Maryann Miller

While I've written most of my books and screenplays alone, there have been times I've shared the byline with someone else, and I must say, I enjoy the collaborative process. Two creative minds are sometimes better than one, if those creative minds can put egos aside and focus on the book, the screenplay, the story.

That's what Margaret Sutton and I were able to do when we wrote, Doubletake, a police procedural mystery featuring a female homicide detective set in a fictional suburb of Dallas.

When I first met Margaret, and we decided to write a book together, all I could think of was “The Odd Couple.” Not that either of us matched the personality types of Felix and Oscar, but we certainly were as opposite as opposite could get. I was a mom, a homemaker, and a humor columnist, known as the Erma Bombeck of Plano, Texas. Margaret was a successful business woman whose writing experience included invoices, business letters, and a single sale to Ellery Queen’s Mystery magazine. How could we turn out anything even remotely appealing to fans of hard-boiled crime fiction?

 Somehow, we managed to do it.

Right off, we realized how much research we needed to do. Collectively, we knew zip about law enforcement – speeding tickets not withstanding - and we had no clue how the criminal mind works. We were lucky in that we both had connections to people in law enforcement, and those people were happy to help us get it right.  Police officers really do hate it when authors don't get it right.

After the research and brainstorming sessions, we did a broad outline of the story, and we each chose sections to write. Usually, that was determined by who came up with the original idea for that part of the plot, and I was amazed at how effortless that process turned out to be. We would then meet once a week to trade pages, adding our touch to the other’s work.

When Margaret read my first attempt to get into the killer’s mind, she just gave me a look as if to say, "Really?" My narrative was… well, how should I put this…so nice. But what did she expect from a mom? She put the pages down and said she doubted that any killer would have “Gosh, Golly, Gee” running through his mind. Maybe he’d go for something with a little harder edge. I told her I didn’t know about harder edges, so she took me out behind her barn and made me use words I’d never even heard before. She made me say them over and over until she thought I would be comfortable putting them on paper.

I never did tell her, but I didn't become comfortable putting some of those words on paper. I do write them when those kinds of words are necessary for a character, but they don't come without a bit of a stammer or a blush.

A writing partnership that is a complement of talents is a real gift. In the two years we worked on Doubletake, Margaret’s strengths bolstered my weaknesses and my strengths bolstered hers. We each brought something unique to the process, and I couldn’t look at a chapter and tell you specifically who wrote which section. I may know who started a chapter. Margaret does have a wonderful way of setting up memorable secondary characters-the introduction of the irascible Dr. Davis is uniquely hers-but beyond that, the lines blur; which is a very good thing. Even though quilts play a central part in the plot, I’d hate to think the book resembled one.

We are thrilled that Doubletake has been honored with the 2015 Best Mystery Award by the Texas Authors Association, and doubly thrilled that so many readers have enjoyed the story. 

Purchase Double Take

http://www.amazon.com/Doubletake-Maryann-Miller-ebook/dp/B00J4YI8DE/


About Maryann Miller:

Maryann Miller won her first writing award at age twelve with a short story in the Detroit News Scholastic Writing Awards Contest and continues to garner recognition for her short stories, books, and screenplays. In addition to Doubletake she has published several other novels, including the Seasons Mystery Series, which features two women homicide detectives in Dallas. You can find all her titles on her Amazon Author Page. She lives in the beautiful Piney Woods of East Texas, where she also loves to play on stage. 

Margaret Sutton has headed up several unique businesses in the Dallas area. These included the production of home decorating items and a custom-design carpet sculpting business. Sutton has placed short stories in several mystery magazines such as Ellery Queen Magazine. A resident of Texas, Sutton shares her home with a pet monkey and considers herself “Willie’s Mom".


Connect with Maryann:

You can find out more about Maryann and her books...

Website: www.maryannwrites.com

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Maryann-Miller/e/B001JP7Y1S/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maryann-Miller/176896965725974

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