Review of The Library by Author Carmen DeSousa

                                                                       
                                                                     

When I was asked to review the book, The Library by Carmen DeSousa, I jumped at the chance. I’m an admirer of Carmen’s work and I was not disappointed with her newest story, which featured Detective Mark Waters.

                                                                 

 

I love reading stories that has smart and sexy detectives, a good mystery with loads of 'who did what', and last but not least; ghosts. The Library gives you all three elements in a fast moving tale of greed, secrets and revenge. Can the dead seek retribution from the grave? Buy the book and find out. In fact you’ll find yourself wanting to read The Pit Stop and The Depot, too. I'm so happy to have Carmen DeSousa as a guest on my blog.

 

Marie Gilbert: What was your inspiration for The Library? Are the plots based on true events?

Carmen DeSousa: Though fictional, my idea for The Depot stemmed from a ghost who supposedly haunts a 1930s tavern I used to work at in Rockledge, FL called Ashley’s Café.

                                                                

Since I’d always been interested in the supernatural, I decided to look up the woman’s death. At the time of her death, it was on record as one of the most heinous murders in Florida’s history. The murderer had gone through great lengths to conceal the woman’s identity, including smashing out all her teeth, cutting off her fingers, and burning her body. According to witnesses, the woman had been dating someone of wealth. And to my surprise, when I looked forward, past a few days in the microfilm, the story had all but disappeared. Weeks later, nothing! Think about that! One of the most shocking crimes in Florida’s history in 1935 and the newspapers dropped the story.

 

Yeah…things that make you say, “Hmmm….”

 

So there you have it. While my story is fictional, there is a ghost story. I believe the ghost of Ethel Allen will haunt that restaurant until someone uncovers the truth about her murder. My book, of course, is just a fictional story, using a real life murder as a base. But who knows…maybe it was inspired. :)

 

Marie Gilbert: I liked The Pit Stop, The Depot and The Library, but which detective is your favorite to write about, Mark or Gino?

                                                                     

Carmen DeSousa: Without a doubt, Mark Waters. From the moment my avid-reading friends and I met him in The Pit Stop, we wanted more from him. He was just a bit surly, had an interesting past, and he’s single. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have made Gino a married man. Single detectives who struggle with relationships are always much more interesting to write.

Marie Gilbert: Since I do ghost investigations, I’m interested in knowing if you’ll be writing more stories that includes ghosts or maybe demons?

Carmen DeSousa: Probably…I left that up to readers at the end of the story, though. To be honest, I did not intend to write a story after The Pit Stop; it was just an exercise on my blog where I wrote five-hundred words at a time with my audience. You, of course, know about that since you were one of my main contributors. But when it became so popular, I decided to write a series of one-hour reads, but then something else happened. Readers demanded a follow-up novel to The Depot. And since I listen to readers, I wrote it. This isn’t the first time either. My novel When Noonday Ends came about when emails and Facebook messages started flooding in, demanding that one of the characters in Land of the Noonday Sun got a chance at a happily ever after.

 

So, at the end of The Library, I left it up to my readers. If they want more of these stories, I’ll write more. After all, I love my publisher, but readers are my real boss. :)

 

Marie Gilbert: Can you tell the readers what’s in the works for you now?

 

Carmen DeSousa: I actually have three lines going.

                                                            

The Pit Stop, The Depot, and now The Library are part of a detective series with a ghostly edge, which as we discussed, I’ll continue if that’s what my readers want, but right now, I don’t have one in the works.

                                                               

My first five novels are The Southern Suspense series: She Belongs to Me, Split Decisions, Land of the Noonday Sun, and When Noonday Ends. I have two more scheduled in this series; the next will be available summer 2014.

                                                               

  

But right now, my focus is the Creatus Series, romantic-suspense novels with a paranormal edge. I published book one, Creatus, September 2013, and Creatus Rogue will be available next month…if all goes as planned. Of course, rarely does anything goes as planned in this business. Right?


You can find Carmen DeSousa's works on these sites:

 

Creatus 2013

She Belongs to me December 2011

Land of the Noonday Sun May 2012

Entangled Dreams September 2012

When Noonday Ends December 2012

Split Decisions June 2013


Radio interview with Carmen DeSousa and Minnie Lahongrais


Thank you so much for joining me today, Carmen, and for all my readers; check out Carmen's Website.
http://www.carmendesousa.com/

Part twelve of Lilith's Escape

The next morning, Edward began to search for the missing man. He had a name, an old photo and the last known address for Lawrence Levi. This investigation would take him to a rundown section of London. After flagging down a taxi, Edward climbed inside.

                                      

“Are you sure you want to go there?” the driver asked.

“Yes, why do you ask?”

“There was another shooting last night, possibly gang related. Several people were killed…didn’t you hear on the news?” the driver asked and quickly glanced in the mirror to catch his customer’s reaction.

                                           

“No, I’ve been distracted with other matters, but there’s always trouble in that section,” Edward replied. He wasn’t concerned, he was armed.

When the driver realized that his passenger wasn’t at all worried about the shootings, he talked about the weather. “Strange even with all the rain we’ve been having, there’ve been reports of dust storms on several of the streets.”

                                             

“Lilith,” Edward thought to himself. It had to be her car.

When the taxi had finally reached its destination, Edward handed the driver money to wait for his return, but the driver appeared uneasy with the request. “I won’t be able to get another taxi as easily in this neighborhood,” Edward argued.

                                           

“I’ll come back in one hour,” the driver suggested.

The deal made, Edward entered the apartment building. He made his way up the three flights of stairs and each flight brought its own symphony of sounds, a baby’s cry, a couple's disagreement, and a woman crying…sounds from people who were trying to survive in a heartless world.

                                                       

When he had reached apartment 320 C, he knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked once more and this time with more force, but still no sound of movement or reply.

                                                

“What do you want?” the elderly woman asked. She stood in the open door of the apartment across from where he was standing.

“Do you know the man who lives here?” Edward replied to her question with one of his own.

“Keeps to himself, but I haven’t seen him in a week,” she replied, but when she realized that Edward had no further questions for her, she closed her door.

He picked the lock and quietly entered the apartment, making sure there were no nosey neighbors observing him. The placed had been trashed, but what troubled him more was the spot on thr rug near to the overturned sofa.

                                             

                                                       

                He knelt down and touched the dried blood. Did this blood belong to the man he was searching for? If not, whose blood was it and where was Mr. Levi? He sure as hell wasn’t looking forward to telling Lilith about this.

Part Eleven of Lilith's Escape

After he entered his apartment, he removed his jacket and took out the photo that Lilith had given to him earlier in the day. He took the photo to his desk, opened the bottom drawer and took out the almost empty bottle of rum. Flopping into the chair, too tired to go into the kitchen for a glass, he drank the rum straight from the bottle while he stared at the grainy photo.

                                                        

“What am I getting myself into?” he asked his calico cat who had jumped onto his lap. Her meows and her pawing at his arm reminded him she was past her feeding. “We’re both hungry, come on."

                                                                          

Heading into the kitchen he grabbed a can from the pantry and dumped it into her dish. After adding fresh water to her bowl, he checked the fridge for food. It was the classic bachelor fridge, stocked only with a few cold beers, two-day-old fish and chips from the deli down the street and wilted lettuce. “I’ll need to head to the market or you’ll be sharing your meals with me,” he teased Lizzie who replied with a loud meow.

                                               

He was hungry, starving actually and he also needed to be around people right now. He couldn’t get the taste of her from his mind. He wanted to see her again, hold her…but he knew it would be his undoing. “I think I’m over my head with this case,” he informed the cat which was now cleaning its face.

Grabbing his jacket, he left the apartment and headed to the tavern down the street. He needed to eat and clear his head. The sun had set and a chill replaced the warmth of the day with the night matching his dark mood. He pulled up his jacket collar and began walking against the wind, which started to clear the leaves from the sidewalk.

                                                         

But the wind also brought along a familiar scent. Turning around he searched for her, but the street was deserted except for a few elderly men talking across the street. Was it his imagination? Was she following him? He stood outside the tavern and searched the darkness, but he saw nothing to indicate she was there.

“Lilith?” he called out.

Disappointed he pulled open the tavern door, allowing the happy sounds of patrons enjoying food, drinks and maybe a game of darts to embrace him.

                                                       

She stood in the shadows, watching. When she saw he had not been followed and that he was safe, she disappeared.

 

 

  

Part Nine of Lilith's Escape

“Do you mean right now?” Edward asked as he pulled the hood from his head. He was still dressed in the metallic jumpsuit and although he was more than eager to act on her request, the hair rising on the back of his neck, warned him to run like hell.

                                                          

She had seen his hesitation and lowered her eyes. “No, not now, but I wanted you to know I trust you and when the time is right, I won’t refuse you.”

He was trying to make sense of everything he had gone through since meeting her, but he couldn’t. He had traveled back in time inside an old caddy, and got to see the young Elizabeth, a queen whom he had always admired. The woman next to him was possibly alien or God knows what, but even so, he felt compelled to help her. “Thank you, Lilith for letting me see her.”

“Let’s get out of these suits and go home,” she replied. She left the car and headed towards the trunk. He got out and followed her, watched her as she removed her suit.

“What will happen to this man, I’m supposed to find for you? Will you kill him?”

“Why would you think that?” she asked him.

“Because, I think you’re dangerous,” he replied as he struggled to get the jumpsuit off.

She turned away from him and walked to the driver’s side and climbed in. Would she drive away and leave him stranded here in the past? He hurried to join her inside the car after closing the trunk. It wasn’t until he climbed in and closed the door that he noticed her tears. At that moment she looked more childlike than dangerous.

                                                 

“I’m not bad, my only crime is that I’m strong and I love too passionately.”

“Why are you looking for this man?” he asked again, but this time his tone was gentle.

“Because I had accidentally killed him ,” she replied.

“What the hell are you?” he asked. His heart thumped wildly inside his chest.