My first impression of Arlene Kay was at a Sisters in Crime conference. I was aware of a group of people huddled together. They would erupt with laughter, then fall silent, in obvious rapture listening to a powerhouse of a woman at their center. Enter Arlene Kay into my life. I've since been fortunate enough to share events with Arlene. Whether it's at Boston Book Festival, New England Library Association or other author events, time spent with Arlene is always fun.
She's smart and sexy and writes smart and sexy books.
What do I enjoy most about her?
She doesn't take herself too seriously.
Strong Women Can Laugh at Themselves
By Arlene Kay
One of my hallmarks for a strong, self-confident woman is
one who appreciates the absurdities of life and some of the truly STUPID things
she
herself has done.
herself has done.
That made me recall one of my less stellar performances
some years ago in Dallas. I had an unfortunate run of luck with my Corvette
(Lord, I loved that car), and decided that a brand new sports car was a smart
move. Forget what Pope Francis says about FIATS, I purchased a Fiat X-19, a
beautiful little red number dubbed “baby Porsche” and proudly sailed around
Texas in it—-until it hit 12,000 miles which coincidentally meant the end of
warranty. That piece of excrement was towed more than driven until one day
while motoring to work, I looked in the mirror and saw that rear engine on
fire! Actual flames spurting from the back!
Naturally I panicked fearing an imminent explosion. I was relieved to
see a gas station ahead and turned in.
The attendant waved his arms in what I
assumed was a welcome gesture but I was so wrong. Actually he was
He ran toward me, florid of face, with fire extinguisher in
hand, and sprayed that foam all over my smoldering heap of Italian engineering.
Later, everyone who heard this tale said virtually the same
thing: “That’s the dumbest move you’ve ever made!”
Come to think of it, they were right and the final irony—my
Fiat X-19 survived to break down yet again.
BIO:
Former Treasury executive Arlene Kay is
known for snarky, sensual suspense and intriguing mysteries that bedevil and
delight readers. Published novels include: INTRUSION; DIE LAUGHING; THE ABACUS
PRIZE;(Mainly Murder Press), the Boston Uncommons Series: SWANN DIVE; MANTRAP;
GILT TRIP; SWANN SONGS; (Belle Bridge Books), and coming in 2017, the Leather
and Lace Series featuring QUAGMIRE. She
holds graduate degrees in Political Science & Constitutional Law. Despite attaining many of her goals, she still finds joy in every day blunders, particularly her own.
BACK COVER SUMMARIES AND LINKS:
Cecilia Swann had it all—brains, looks and a staggering
fortune. When she plunges off a Boston high rise, the cops called it suicide
but best pal Eja Kane knew better: CeCe had a morbid fear of anything higher
than a step-ladder. With childhood nemesis Deming Swann, Eja forges an uneasy alliance
to avenge her friend and unmask a ruthless murderer.
Dario Peters had a doting grandma and a ton of enemies. His
sudden death on a Cape Cod cycling trail was a convenient accident that
satisfied the locals but inflamed his influential family. When all else fails,
trust the Swann sleuths to tackle this tangled web of larceny, murder and
adultery amid the bucolic beauty of Cape Cod where all is definitely not what
it seems.
Bride-to-be Eja Kane gets more than she bargained for when she and Annika Swann join a local Dojo. The corpse of a scheming hussy falls at their feet unleashing a financial scandal that engulfs a sexy Sifu, jealous wife, and one of Deming’s biggest clients. Boston society is rocked to its core, forcing the Swann sleuths to learn the true value of precious metal.
For new bride Eja Kane-Swann, revenge is both sweet and
deadly when Gabriel Mann the ex-spouse who kicked her to the curb begs for her
help. Expect murder, misdirection and a pinch of glamour as that dazzling duo,
Eja and Deming explore complex motives, political correctness and academic
angst in the rarified air of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
