NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS

A group blog featuring an international array of killer mystery, suspense, and romantic suspense writers. With premises and story lines different from your run-of-the-mill whodunits, we tend to write outside the box. We blog several times a week on all topics relating to romantic suspense and mystery, our writing, and our readers. We welcome all comments and often have guest bloggers. All our authors can be contacted separately, too, using their own social media links.

We find our genre delightfully, dangerously, and deliciously exciting - join us here, if you do too!

NOTE: the blog is currently dormant but please enjoy the posts we're keeping online.


Julie Moffet . Cathy Perkins . Jean Harrington . Daryl Anderson . Nico Rosso . Maureen A Miller . Sandy Parks . Lisa Q Mathews . Sharon Calvin . Lynne Connolly . Janis Patterson . Vanessa Keir . Tonya Kappes . Julie Rowe . Joni M Fisher . Leslie Langtry

Monday, May 16, 2011

WHAT'S IN A SHOE?

Any fashionista will tell you that the right shoe, be it stiletto, open-toed sandal or riding boot, will make your outfit. Apparently, what you wear on your feet tells the world a lot about you. Me, I’m a loafers and sandals kinda gal. Anything higher than an inch, and I get dizzy. I’d like to think that this tells the world I’m practical, no nonsense and ready to move quickly if I have to.

After all, you never know when I may have to chase a bad guy.

What about you? Do you stride confidently down Montreal streets in your three-inch heels like a true femme de ville? Or are you ready to move fast in your running shoes? Do you wear comfy shoes to get from Point A to Point B and then switch into your killer pumps?

And what does it mean when you lose your shoes?

Kate Williams, Mendenhall’s new chief of police, is a woman with both work-boot-clad feet planted firmly on the ground. She took the job hoping it would be a change from the crazy pace of the big city. Instead, she finds internal rivalries threatening to tear apart a deeply divided police station. So when a crazy old man walks into her station with a kid’s high top sneaker and a bizarre story about a kidnapped boy, she is tempted to ignore him. She doesn’t have time for flights of fancy.

But then it turns out a boy really is missing, and Kate has to find a way of turning her deeply dysfunctional detachment into a working police force to find him before it’s too late.

In honour of Release Day for The Shoeless Kid, I’m having a CONTEST. Tell me about the kinds of shoes you wear, or don’t wear. Be honest—we’re all friends here! I’ll draw a winner from among the commenters on Friday, May 20. And be sure to check out Endless Night by Maureen Miller, my Release Mate at Carina Press.

Endless Night and The Shoeless Kid are available from Carina Press and most other online outlets.

You can read the first chapter of The Shoeless Kid here.

Marcelle
http://www.marcelledube.com/


THE SHOELESS KID

The shoe appeared on her desk, gently deposited on top of the pile of occurrence reports from the last week.

It was a kid’s high-top—left foot—and it was red and grubby, but not worn.

Kate automatically picked it up, more to keep it from dirtying her paperwork than out of curiosity. It was damp. On the inside of the tongue, in red marker, was written “Josh H.” She flipped the shoe over to look at the underside. A size four. It would fit a…what? A four- or five-year-old?

Bobby MacAllister’s age.

She slowly looked up. Marco Trepalli, youngest and newest member of the Mendenhall police force—and too handsome for his own good—smiled down at her. The morning sun gilded his tanned cheek and added a twinkle to his eye. Kate stifled a sigh. Marco had the makings of a good cop, if he ever learned to get over himself.


SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook
Twitter

18 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm either sitting at my desk or walking in the hills with the dogs so I opt for comfort every time. No heels for me. Having said that, when I go shopping I see gorgeous shoes with spikes for heels and immediately see myself gliding along a red carpet in them. I have a couple of pairs in my wardrobe that I've never worn and am never likely to. :)

Happy Release Day! I've been looking forward to downloading The Shoeless Kid since I saw the amazing cover.

Maureen A. Miller said...

I used to drive my mother crazy because I would never wear shoes as a kid. We would be halfway to having dinner out, and she'd look in the back seat and see that I had no shoes on. I had about a hundred sets of $2 flip flops she had to buy in emergencies. :)

Congratulations on your release, Marcelle. It downloaded to my Kindle first thing this morning. I can't wait!

Rita said...

Happy Release Day to you and many more!
Most days I'm bare foot. Have oudles of sandals that you can see in almost every room in the house. I can take a little pain if necessary. Have to say these days I much prefer comfort.

Toni Anderson said...

I'm a comfort person--dog walking, cycling, gardening--all hard to do in heels. I'd love to wear something pretty though, but need to build up the nerve to go for a pedicure first :)
I think shoes tell you a lot about a person. I can't wait to read the book(s), Marcelle (and Maureen)!

Julie Moffett said...

First of all - CONGRATS!! Love the cover, love the premise!

Second, I adore shoes. Having said that, I don't buy many. But when I do, I like sandals with bling, skinny heels and ankle boots. I'm dying to buy a pair of the new "halter shoes," where the ties wrap around your ankle. I think they look sexy! But if you were to look in my closet now, you'd see mostly pedestrian and comfort shoes -- worn either to walk the dog, the kids or the treadmill! :)

Marcelle Dubé said...

Thanks for your good wishes, everyone!

Shirley: The red carpet thing? You can bet my heels would snag in the carpet and I'd go flying.

Maureen: That's hilarious about your collection of flip flops--you were a Wild Child! And congratulations on the release of Endless Night. You can bet I'm going to read it!

Rita: I *love* sandals. It was minus 1C here this morning and I didn't care. I wore my sandals because by golly, it May 16 and it SHOULD be sandal weather!

Toni: Happy Birthday, Toni! Thanks for dropping in. I'm off to your blog now to visit. Oh, and for future reference? I *love* pedicures...

Elise Warner said...

Ballet bedroom slippers around the apartment, sneakers for shopping and walks, flats or heels depending on the restaurant. Never lost a shoe but I losts a pair of panties right outside Lord & Taylor. Happy Release Day. The Shoeless Kid sounds like an "I can't put it down book."

Betsy Horvath said...

Ah, I love shoes, but my feet do not cooperate, so I live in New Balance walking shoes. This causes me much stress as I look forward to the RWA conference.

Congratulations on your new release Marcelle! I shall be downloading it as soon as I get home :)

Marcelle Dubé said...

Julie: Ah yes, bling. I remember bling. I haven't done bling in a lo-o-o-ng time... Good luck with the halter sandals. I will expect photographs.

Elise: Wait--what? You lost a pair of panties outside a store? All right, 'fess up!

Betsy: re RWA -- I think you have the panache to carry it off!

Wynter said...

Congratulations on the release! I will admit it - most of the time I wear Birkenstocks or sneakers, although I do have a pair of comfy kitten heels for dress up!

Anne Marie Becker said...

Congratulations on the release!

I'm a barefoot kind of gal. My mom jokes it was because I was born in Hawaii, and am part island girl. :) If I have to wear shoes, it's sneakers for me.

I always wonder when I see a spare shoe lying around in the street or a parking lot or something, what's the story behind that shoe? How did it get there and why isn't anyone missing it?

Marcelle Dubé said...

Wynter: "kitten" heels? I am *so* out of the loop!

Anne Marie: Yep, barefoot is the only way to go. Unfortunately, I live in the Yukon and there are only a few precious weeks when we can wear sandals and go barefoot. Well, comfortably, at least.

Pauline Barclay said...

Congrats...The Shoeless Kid sounds my cup of tea, or should I say my pair of pumps!

Talking of footwear, I'm a sandals person, living here in the heat, it's bare feet or sandals, not fashionable or trendy, but so comfy!

Kathy Ivan said...

Congratulations on your new release, it sounds like a terrific book.

I'm definitely a barefoot kinda girl. Since I work from home, I'm without shoes most of the day. But if you go into my closet, you'll see I run to all kinds of shoes, although no spiky heels for me. Too painful!
:-)

I have flats, sandals, wedges, tennis shoes, pumps, mules, ballet slipper flats. You name it, I probably have it in my closet. But unless I'm leaving the house or have company coming over, its bare feet (or maybe socks if its cold).

Marcelle Dubé said...

Pauline: I'm with you. It's all about comfort. Now, I don't mind if the comfort looks good!

Kathy: I'd like a glimpse into your closet... :-) And I don't do spiky heels, either. It's more about survival than appearance, I say.

Stevie Carroll said...

I own almost too many pairs of Doc Martens, although my collection of Converse Hitops is starting to get as large. Definitely like the look of the story as well.

Marcelle Dubé said...

Thanks, Stevie. I like the "looks" of your collection, too.

Marcelle Dubé said...

Congratulations, Pauline -- you win the contest! Contact me at marcelle.dube@gmail.com for your free copy of The Shoeless Kid. I hope you enjoy it.

More Popular Posts