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themominars · 7 years

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Caroline Fardig - An Eye For An Eye

Caroline Fardig is the USA Today bestselling author of the Java Jive Mysteries series, the Lizzie Hart Mysteries series, and Ellie Matthews series. She has worked as a schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent, funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom before realizing that she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, Fardigstill lives in that same town with an understanding husband, two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.

Interview with Caroline Fardig Q: I've read some procedurals, classic dicks, and crime mysteries, so I'm not unfamiliar with the genre(s). However, I've never read a book starting from the perspective of the first victim. What lead you to do that?

A: When I wrote the first book in the series, BITTER PAST, I actually had 4 chapters leading up to the murder, which originally happened off-page. But when my agent and I were discussing that book, he said it didn't start with enough of a bang. There was too much lead-up before anything really happened. So, I hacked those chapters and started (literally) with a bang--the victim in the first book was shot. It ended up being a great formula to draw the reader into the action and feel something for the victim, so I kept on with it. Every Ellie Matthews novel will start that way.

Q: One of my favorite authors does a ton of real world research for her books. Shooting the guns, doing interviews, suiting up with a SWAT team.... I know you do too. Can you describe what research you do and why you do it?

A: In the past couple of years, I've taken 3 college-level classes in Criminal Justice--two forensics classes and one criminal investigations class--to prepare for writing this series. There are so many books and movies and TV series that get the procedural stuff "wrong," I was determined to write something that showed the real way it's done--of course within the realm of fiction to keep things interesting. In the forensics classes, we did a lot of labs, which ended up being hands-on training provided by real criminalists who work at the Indiana State Police lab. My teacher is one of the firearms examiners, and she had her coworkers come in to teach lessons and labs in their field of expertise. They would bring actual supplies from their lab so we could have a true experience at evidence examination. We also got to tour the lab itself, which was incredibly exciting for me. My teacher and her coworkers have been so great about answering my many "what if" questions about forensics, even long after the classes were over. It's been an amazing experience.

Q: Your main character in this book is an aunt while you are a mom. I've noticed that a lot of authors, either intentionally or not, often infuse their characters and stories with elements from their own life. Can you tell me how Ellie and Rachel are or are not like yourself?

A: Well, they have a sweet Golden Retriever just like me. But on the serious side, Ellie's sarcasm comes straight from me. We both get into trouble for our witty yet cutting observations that maybe shouldn't always be shared with others. Ellie and Rachel's life and experiences are the polar opposite of mine, though, except for the teaching part. Although I don't use it, my degree is in education.

Q: Are there any real world inspirations for your characters?

A: Always! Every time someone says or does something that strikes me as interesting or unusual, I'm immediately on my phone, sending myself an email outlining the situation or turn of phrase so I can use it in the future. And we all know people who deserve to be caricatures in stories--but I'm not naming any names...

Q: Since this interview is for the Mominars I should probably ask some "mom" questions. How did you get started as a writer? With your diverse background what inspired you to try writing?

A: I honestly started getting fed up with how books I read would end. I would always rewrite the ending in my head, and I finally figured...why not do it on paper? I guess that was my muse giving me a nudge to write my own books. And my...ahem...diverse work background certainly plays a part in my writing. Through the many different career paths I've taken, I've managed to meet all sorts of people and have varied experiences. Q: Do you find being a parent presents challenges that other authors may not be faced with?

A: Absolutely! I try to get all my writing done when my kids are at school. But sometimes I have to keep working once they're home. It's easier now that my kids are older and entertain themselves, but it's not always easy to write something meaningful with the TV blaring in the background. My husband also works out of our home, so that can be challenging as well--we're always managing to interrupt each other at inopportune times. Q: Let's play 'High/Low'. What's the best part of being an author? What's the worst?

A: There are a lot of highs for me. I love it when readers connect with a book and let me know. I love it when I get good news about my career (new contracts, making bestseller lists, being nominated for awards). I love to talk about my writing with other people and meet with other authors. As for lows, it's pretty much the opposite of the highs--bad reviews, publishers saying no, low sales figures. It's quite a rollercoaster ride! Q: High/Low: parenthood?

A: I love watching my kids do what they enjoy and excelling at it. I love it when they're proud of themselves. I love it when they display kindness toward others. As for lows, again the opposite--getting upset over a bad performance or worrying over a bad grade, getting into arguments with their friends. And the worst--me realizing the times when I've not been a good role model and they're copying my bad behavior. Q: No one else may care, but I took a brief look at your FB and your husband had an interesting theme to your Christmas gifts. Care to explain that? A: HA! For years, he has always managed to get me a Christmas gift that either makes me laugh until I cry or embarrasses the heck out of me and I have to take it in another room to unwrap by myself. This time, he went full out and got me 12 of those crazy gifts, one for each day leading up to Christmas. He got me a foul-mouthed cookbook, a talking toilet paper roll, a farting butt bank, a book of cat poems called "I Could Pee on This," and a set of pens with some really weird sayings on them, to name a few. He made up for his nonsense on Christmas day, though, and got me a custom made electric guitar. Q: Is there anything you wish people would ask about?

A: I guess my music--most people who know me know that I'm a musician, but not everyone knows I've got 2 recorded songs under my belt. I wrote them for my Java Jive series, as the heroine is a struggling musician/songwriter, and recorded them with the help of a friend at a local recording studio. They're on iTunes, etc. if you want to check them out!

Q: Ok, I'll bite. Let's talk about your music. You said you wrote your songs for your Java Jive series, but do you think it will be something you pursue further? Another thing on your "ahem" diverse resume?

A: I’d love to write and record music all day, but that would mean putting my day job (writing) on the back burner. I have a lot of music in my life anyway, as I’m the lead singer/guitarist/arranger for our praise band at church. Writing brass parts isn’t quite as fun as writing love songs, but it uses the same part of my brain. And I perform at open mic nights every time I go to Nashville, which is a couple of times a year. As for my other former jobs, I don’t think I’m ready to dive back into the mortuary world anytime soon… Q: Speaking of diverse interests, as people who happen to be parents and do something to earn a living, we (people) often have interests too. What are some of yours?

A: Well, music. I’m lucky to be able to share that with my family—my husband plays piano for our praise band, my son plays trumpet, and my daughter sings with me. Aside from that, I love to cook, especially baking with my daughter. My son and I bingewatch sitcoms together and make Starbucks runs. My husband and I watch and even attend Pacers basketball games together as often as we can. As a family, we love to travel. Q: One of my interests is genealogy and I happen to think your last name is interesting. Do you know where it comes from?

A: Yeah, real interesting. You would not believe the number of people who mistakenly thing there are actually people out there named “Farting.” Seriously? Anyway, I think it’s Scandinavian originally. Q: Classic author question: What two pieces of advice would you give to aspiring authors?

A: I’d say the best thing you can do is surround yourself with people who are willing and able to help you get to where you want to be. I’ve got a great support system of family, friends, fellow authors, and industry professionals who help me polish my work, get my name out there, and offer great advice. Secondly, do your research. Keep up with what’s hot in the industry. Study the writing and marketing styles of other authors and learn what readers respond to best. Make sure what you’re writing has an audience. There’s nothing more soul-crushing than pouring months of your life into a manuscript and having someone tell you that no one is going to want to read it.

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contentsharing0 · 7 years

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Las Vegas police: Security responded to door alarm, drew fire from killer

(CNN)An open door a few rooms away from the Las Vegas suite of the man who was gunning down concertgoers at a music festival set off an alarm that prompted a response from a security guard, Clark County Undersheriff Kevin C. McMahill said Friday.

Authorities believe that the guard drew the attention of mass murderer Stephen Paddock away from the chaos below and toward the hallway outside his room.

The guard, Jesus Campos, was shot in the leg while checking on the alarm and according to a police-reported timeline, Paddock never fired on the crowd below again.

The alarm from a room “a number of doors down” from Paddock’s likely was a coincidence, McMahill told CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.” The door was not forced open, had been open for a while, and Paddock didn’t have the keys to that room. McMahill said that door either had been left open or didn’t shut completely.

Paddock took his own life, authorities have said, after killing 58 people and causing injury to about 500 more.

McMahill spoke to CNN after telling reporters at a news conference that investigators looking into Sunday’s massacre have found no known nexus to terror or connections to ISIS.

They have no credible information as to Paddock’s motive, despite more than 1,000 leads and tips, McMahill said at the news conference.

McMahill said authorities are confident there was not another shooter in Stephen Paddock’s room, but are still trying to determine whether anyone else knew of Paddock’s plans.

Other developments from the media briefing and McMahill’s interview with CNN:

— Authorities do not believe another person used Stephen Paddock’s room key at the Mandalay Bay hotel

— McMahill called Campos a “true hero.”

— Investigators have reviewed “voluminous amounts of video” from many different locations including Mandalay Bay and have not seen any other person they think at this point is another suspect.

— Asked about video on which Paddock might have discussed motive, McMahill said: “I am not aware that we have recovered any such video.”

— McMahill said police don’t know what the killer was going to do with 50 pounds of explosives that were found in his car.

— Paddock brought the guns and ammunition he had in his hotel suite over the course of several days, the undersheriff told CNN.

— The FBI said it was going to put up billboards around Las Vegas seeking witnesses and people who might have interacted with the gunman.

— Paddock’s girlfriend, Marilou Danley, continues to cooperate with investigators, her lawyer and McMahill each said Friday. Attorney Matthew Lombard said Danley wouldn’t be making any more public statements in the near future.

Source: Shooter tried to buy tracer rounds

Paddock tried to buy tracer ammunition at a gun show in the Phoenix area in recent weeks, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation tells CNN.

Paddock bought other ammunition at the show, but he couldn’t obtain the tracer ammunition — bullets with a pyrotechnic charge that, when the round is fired, leaves an illuminated trace of its path — because the vendor didn’t have any to sell, the official said.

Paddock did not use tracer bullets when he fired into the crowd at the Route 91 Harvest Festival from his suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, hundreds of yards away.

Las Vegas gunman’s gambling under scrutiny

The official explained that if Paddock had tracer ammunition, he could have had a more precise idea of where his shots were going in the darkness, and could have been more accurate.

Shooters wanting greater accuracy often mix tracer rounds with non-tracers — perhaps having one tracer every fifth round in a magazine, said Art Roderick, a CNN law enforcement analyst.

“It allows you to keep your weapon on not necessarily a specific target, but a specific area. … There would have been a lot higher casualty rate if he had tracer rounds,” said Roderick, a former assistant director of the US Marshals Service.

33 gun purchases, no red flags

But tracer rounds also could have allowed police to see more quickly where Paddock was firing from, CNN law enforcement analyst James Gagliano said.

Without the tracer ammunition, Paddock’s location was difficult to determine from the outside, said Gagliano, a retired FBI supervisory special agent.

“The barrel of the rifle — we could not see muzzle flashes, from the angles I’ve seen on videos, which meant that he was … pulled back inside,” Gagliano said.

A source close to the investigation told CNN on Friday that authorities think Paddock might have fired at massive jet fuel tanks at McCarran airport near the Mandalay Bay before firing on the crowd at the concert.

At least 88 of the injured still were in Las Vegas-area hospitals on Friday morning, 37 of whom were in critical condition, representatives of the facilities said.

Did Paddock want to escape?

Five days after the mass shooting, authorities still are trying to determine the motivation of the retired accountant, who had no criminal record and did not raise any flags while purchasing an arsenal of weapons.

In addition to the 23 weapons in his hotel suite, Paddock had more than 50 pounds of exploding targets and 1,600 rounds of ammunition in his car in the hotel parking lot, police said, fueling suspicion that he intended to survive the massacre.

McMahill said several times Friday that there was no evidence yet that Paddock intended to use the target material for a homemade bomb.

What we know about the Las Vegas gunman

Escape, in this case, might have meant using the equipment in the car for further assaults until he got caught, said John Sheahan, a former Las Vegas SWAT team member.

“There’s one of three ways it’s going to end for an active shooter, and they pretty much all know this. You’re either going to commit suicide; you’re going to … shoot it out with (police) and you’re going to be killed; or you’re going to continue on a preplanned rampage at locations b, c, d and e until the police finally stop you,” Sheahan said.

“He rented the room in his own name. He’s already on video coming in and out. We know who he is. He’s going to be the most wanted man in the world if he does try to leave here,” he added.

Authorities: Paddock acted alone

There was initial speculation that Paddock had outside help in perpetrating the shooting spree, but authorities now say there is nothing to suggest he had assistance.

Law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation told CNN they have seen no indication so far that Paddock had an accomplice or that anyone was aware of his attack planning.

McMahill told CNN: “We didn’t see anything that caused us to have concern that another individual would have been with him during (his time in the hotel).”

Authorities piecing together Vegas digital trail

Lombardo, the sheriff, had previously expressed skepticism that the gunman carried out his plan by himself.

“Do you think this was all accomplished on his own? You’ve got to make the assumption he had to have some help at some point,” he said.

New video shows concertgoers fleeing scene

As the investigation grinds on, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers led the funeral of LVMPD officer Charleston Hartfield Thursday, who was among those gunned down at the Route 91 Harvest Festival country music event.

His body was escorted to Palm Downtown Mortuary and Cemetery, and a memorial was held for the slain police officer at Police Memorial Park in the northwest of the city — one of several vigils in Las Vegas on Thursday evening.

Gun debate continues

In the wake of the deadly attack, the Eastside Cannary Casino Gun Show that was expected to be held in Las Vegas this weekend has been canceled, David Strow of Boyd Gaming Corporation tells CNN.

Politicians from both sides of the aisle and lobbyists are now saying the controversial devices, which sell for under $200, should be subject to additional regulation.

US President Donald Trump is open to considering legislation that would ban bump stocks but wants to hear more information on the matter before making a final determination, the White House said Wednesday.

‘Numbers’ found on note

A note with numbers written on it was found in Paddock’s room, a source close to the investigation told CNN on Friday. The New York Times reported that authorities are trying to analyze its meaning, but Lombardo, the sheriff, didn’t elaborate on whether they are significant or not.

“Lombardo said that it contained numbers that were being analyzed for their relevance, and that it was not a manifesto or suicide note,” the Times reported.

Paddock had rented rooms at other festivals

Before checking into the Mandalay Bay days before the massacre, Paddock rented a room at a Las Vegas condo complex that overlooked the September 22-24 Life is Beautiful music festival.

In addition, in August, a person named Stephen Paddock reserved a room at Chicago’s Blackstone Hotel during the city’s Lollapalooza music festival, said Wagstaff Worldwide, which represents the hotel.

But that person never checked into the hotel, which overlooked the festival, Wagstaff Worldwide spokeswoman Emmy Carragher said.

It was not immediately clear whether the Stephen Paddock who booked the room was the same Stephen Paddock behind the Las Vegas massacre.

The Chicago Tribune, citing an anonymous law enforcement source, reported that it was the shooter Stephen Paddock who booked the room at the Blackstone Hotel.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/06/us/las-vegas-shooting-investigation/index.html

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