Monday, October 30, 2017

Karen Ranney

Karen Ranney wanted to be a writer from the time she was five years old and filled her Big Chief tablet with stories. People in stories did amazing things and she was too shy to do anything amazing. Years spent in Japan, Paris, and Italy, however, not only fueled her imagination but proved she wasn't that shy after all.

Now a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, she prefers to keep her adventures between the covers of her books.

Ranney's new novel is The Texan Duke.

Recently I asked the author about what she was reading. Her reply:
Unfortunately, I’ve been immersed in a lot of books on grief lately since I lost my beloved Sheltie, Flash, a few months ago to hemangiosarcoma. One of the best books I’ve read on the subject was: The Loss of a Pet - A Guide to Coping with the Grieving Process When a Pet Dies by Wallace Sife, Ph.D.

I’ve learned a great deal about the bonds we form with our pets from Dr. Sife. The process of grieving for a pet is as complicated and multi-faceted as the grief we feel for humans. My life is different without my constant companion by my side. He was a great writer’s dog, always keeping me company at my desk and then fussing at me to get some exercise. (And toss him some kibble.)

In other reading, I’ve been fascinated with I Will Find You - Solving Killer Cases from My Life Fighting Crime by Lieutenant Joe Kenda. I enjoy his television series (and his voice) and really like his writing voice in this book. It’s almost like reading a behind the scenes of the series because he explains why certain episodes ended the way they did and what was not included.

I’ve just started Caroline Graham’s Inspector Barnaby series, the books that are the basis of the Midsomer Murders series on BBC. It’s one of my favorite series so I’m looking forward to reading all the books.

For research, I’ve recently read The Story of Cawnpore by Mowbray Thompson and Anne de Courcy’s The Fishing Fleet - Husband Hunting in the Raj.
Visit Karen Ranney's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Texan Duke.

--Marshal Zeringue