Sunday, January 15, 2012

A walk on Toronto's wild side!

Posted by: Sheryl Nantus

I've always loved Sherlock Holmes – the original books, not so much the movies. My husband is the opposite; he started off being a huge fan of the older Holmes movies with Rathbone and just within the past few years sat down and read the original books. Needless to say we both adore the new incarnation with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law where Watson is returned to his proper place as an active and competent assistant and not just a comedy relief buffoon, as so many movies portray them.

When I set out to write "Blood of the Pride" it started first and foremost as a National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) exercise – to write fifty thousand words in thirty days. I knew I wanted to write some sort of mystery but didn't want to just create another detective. I needed a character who had her own quirks and abilities that would make her unique among others, much like Holmes's deductive skills.

Thus Rebecca Desjardin was born. A woman with the skills of her shifter race, the Felis, but without the ability to Change. A misfit in two worlds, Felis and human.

A private investigator working out of her small house in Toronto, Canada, she uses her innate skills to work a variety of cases – adultery, insurance fraud, industrial theft. But suddenly a murdered Felis calls her back to her old family.

I love to write about Toronto – it's my hometown and even after living in the U.S. for a decade I can still see the streets and stores I used to frequent. I suspect a lot of them have changed or disappeared entirely but in my mind they're all still there from the hot dog carts on Bay Street grilling onions at the crack of dawn to draw in the lunch time crowd to the Silver Snail on Queen Street West, the best comic book store in the city. 

But setting a mystery in Canada presents problems that Holmes would enjoy. Personal handguns are rare and well-documented so I couldn't have Reb carry a pistol. While Canada is a lot like the United States in many ways there are the little things that distinguish one country from the other – and it was a joy to write them into the story. There's a Brown Betty for tea, Tim Horton's coffee and Timbits and a healthy love of all things Canadian, eh?

I hope you'll come along for the ride as Rebecca rediscovers the ups and downs of her extended family along with the rush of a new love as she deals with Brandon Hanover, a reporter who could provide all the answers she needs – or be her worst enemy. It may not be Holmes and Watson but I can promise you one heck of a chase scene!

"Blood of the Pride" releases on February 13th from Carina Press!

5 comments:

  1. Sheryl, is the the first of a series or a stand-alone?

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  2. Hi Keri!

    I want it to be the start of a series but it's a self-contained story - no cliffhangers here!

    Thanks for asking!

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  3. I can't wait to read Blood of the Pride. I have a soft spot for Toronto. My husband proposed to me in Hamilton where we were staying on a trip with his family to the area. We later honeymooned in Toronto in February (brrrrr...), and have been back a couple times since. A lot has changed in the 23 years we've been married:) We live in Michigan, so it's about 5 hours or so away. We took a train on our honeymoon and stayed downtown. I loved it there!

    Congrats on the release-- I'll watch for it in February! I love the cover:)

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  4. I love Toronto! Like Brenda, my husband and I honeymooned there as well (New Year's Eve showing of Phantom when it was still at the Pantages). Great town :)

    Congrats on your release!

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  5. This book sounds really good. Thanks for the post.

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