by
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A
serial killer is playing a deadly game, and there's no rule but one--the killer
always wins, the loser always dies.
Blown Away is the story of Emily Thompson, a rookie cop who must seize back her
life to avoid certain death from a ghost of childhood past. It welds action,
romance and Baby Boomer board games into a taut psychological thriller that
keeps readers gasping for air.
Since joining the Naperville Police Department, Emily has had one burning
ambition: to work homicide. Now she's got her chance. A twisted sociopath is
turning her safe Chicago suburb into a brutal killing field, and he intends to
make her his greatest trophy. If she doesn't stop him in 72 hours--her 40th
birthday--Emily's first case will be her last.
In a city gripped by terror, and with little more to go on than her instincts,
Emily must match wits with a madman bent on chilling revenge. It's an
investigation that will lead her into a nightmare world of unimaginable crimes,
the dark secrets of her own past—and a final shocking discovery.
From the Author:
It took twelve years, three manuscripts, hundreds of agent
and publisher rejections, thousands of hours of writing, rewriting, polishing,
cursing and starting over . . . but I'm finally an "overnight success."
Blown Away, my first suspense thriller, hits the nation's
bookshelves in May. To say I'm happy is to call Buckingham Palace a nice little
shack.
It's not my first job. I spent 25 years in the newspaper business, primarily
the Chicago Sun-Times, where I was deputy editor of the financial
pages. But it's my first passion. I'd always wanted to write thrillers, and in
1994, coming off a crippling ergonomic injury at the paper, I decided to take
the plunge.
I tried religious thrillers first. No sale. Before 9-11, the thought of a
religious-fueled terror strike against the United States was deemed "too
fantastic" for readers to accept. After 9-11, the topic was too sensitive.
So I switched to police thrillers. My dad was a cop for 30 years, I was a
Chicago newspaperman, and it seemed a natural fit. Cops and robbers are utterly
fascinating, and there's tons of ways to explore them.
The New York publishing giant Kensington Books thought so, too, and
offered me a two-book package: Blown Away, which appears nationwide May
2, and Cut to the Bone, the sequel that comes out June, 2007. If
they're a hit, my little cops-and-robbers tale may become a full-blown series.
Which I'd love!
As for rejections, nah, they're not tough. They're murder. With my news
background, I'd been so sure my first book would be accepted that I'd already
planned the launch party. Then reality hit, in the form of those hideous
cream-colored letters that say, "No, thanks, not what we're looking for."
Mommy!
The trick is to stay focused, and to persevere. If you work hard
enough, and your stories and attitude are good enough, someone like Kensington
will notice. It might take 12 years--or 20, or 50--but why die
regretting you didn't have the guts to try? If it's your dream, you have
to go for it.
And yes, it does help to have a loving, supporting wife with a day
job. With health insurance!
All in all, I'm delighted. This is what I was born to do.
Hopefully, readers will agree.
About the Author
Shane
Gericke launched his three-decade writing career in high school, as a
$7.50-a-week sportswriter and photographer for the local Frankfort Herald.
He liked it so much he never looked back.
Over the years, Gericke worked as an editor and reporter for a variety of
newspapers, most prominently the Chicago Sun-Times, where he was deputy
editor of the financial pages and chairman of the Chicago Newspaper Guild . He’s
a multiple award winner for his writing and design work, and a journalism
graduate of Northern Illinois University.
His past newspapers, all in Illinois, include the Frankfort Herald,
Northern Star in DeKalb, Daily Dispatch in Moline,
Herald-News in Joliet, and
Sun-Times in Chicago.
Blown Away is his debut suspense thriller. It’s drawn superlatives
from prestigious national reviewers—“Outstanding! A keeper!” says Romantic
Times; "Shane Gericke is an expert in providing
suspense with horror, surpassing that of a Stephen King or Dean Koontz. Don't
miss this one!" says Who Dunnit Mystery Review—and the highest praise
from bestselling authors Gayle Lynds, John Lutz, Alex Kava, Pulitzer
Prize-winner Deborah Blum, and Roy Huntington, who says,
“With plenty of wisecracking cops, loudmouthed jerks,
shootouts, fast cars, a bad guy who can think and a plot that will twist your
mind, who needs more? Move over, Elmore Leonard, there’s a new sheriff in town!”
Gericke is also a writer and photographer for national magazines, a
founding member of International Thriller Writers Inc., and a member of Mystery
Writers of America, Society of Midland Authors, Sisters in Crime, and The
Newspaper Guild. He’s a sought-after speaker at national conferences, community
groups, and book clubs. He lives in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Illinois,
with his wife, Jerrle.
