Stripped Bare by Shannon Baker

◊ STRIPPED BARE by Shannon Baker

◊ Series: A Kate Fox Mystery, Book 1

◊ Hardcover: 288 pages

◊ Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

◊ Publisher: Forge Books (September 6, 2016)

◊ Language: English

◊ ISBN-10: 0765385449

◊ ISBN-13: 978-0765385444

SYNOPSIS:

Stripped Bare by Shannon Baker is "A must read" (Alex Kava, New York Times bestselling author) that stars a female Longmire in the atmospheric Nebraska Sandhills.

          Kate Fox is living the dream. She’s married to Grand County Sheriff Ted Conner, the heir to her beloved Nebraska Sandhills cattle ranch, where they live with Kate’s orphaned teenage niece, Carly. With the support of the well-connected Fox Clan, which includes Kate’s eight boisterous and interfering siblings, Ted’s reelection as Grand County Sheriff is virtually assured. That leaves Kate to the solitude and satisfaction of Frog Creek, her own slice of heaven.

          One night Kate answers a shattering phone call from Roxy at the Bar J. Carly’s granddad Eldon, owner of the ranch, is dead and Ted has been shot and may never walk again. Kate vows to find the killer. She soon discovers Ted responded so quickly to the scene because he was already at the Bar J . . . in Roxy’s bed. And to add to her woes, Carly has gone missing.

          Kate finds out that Eldon was considering selling his ranch to an obscenely rich environmentalist. Some in town hate the idea of an outsider buying up land, others are desperate to sell . . . and some might kill to get their way. As she becomes the victim of several “accidents,” Kate knows she must find the killer before it’s too late. . ..

Author Shannon Baker makes it easy to relate to the torrent of emotions her protagonist, Kate Fox, feels in STRIPPED BARE.

Through vivid descriptions, the author shares Kate’s happiness and heartache. Her rich details place you alongside Kate as she struggles with issues of ranch life, deals with her eclectic family, and processes her husband’s deception.

The Nebraska Sandhills landscape is as much a character in this book as is Kate. The beauty, but sometimes the harsh reality, of the countryside comes alive throughout the story. Readers get a feel for the way of life on a working ranch and all that it demands.

The story is filled with mystery and suspense as it moves at a fast pace. Numerous surprises along the way will keep you guessing as it what happens next and who is really the bad guy (or gal).

The characters are well-developed, realistic and very likable. The family bond among the Fox family, along with Kate’s attitude, makes this a feel-good story with a murder mystery twist. The protagonist is someone you’ll enjoy pulling for as she tackles life’s issues with her style of grit and tenacity.

STRIPPED BARE will leave you wanting more of Kate and her antics. This is an edgy thriller with a feisty protagonist who takes a stand for what she believes in.

Stripped Bare by Shannon Baker, A Kate Fox Mystery (Book #1), Forge Books, @2016, ISBN: 978-0765385444, Hardcover, 288 Pages

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. You may recall Shannon joined us recently here at Thoughts in Progress to talk about her book. If you didn’t get a chance to visit with her that day, be sure to check it out now. What are your thoughts on a woman being sheriff or filled in as the sheriff?

Shannon Baker and a New Mystery Series

I’m thrilled to tell you about a new series – The Kate Fox Mystery Series – by author Shannon Baker that has been called Longmire meets The Good Wife, featuring a female sheriff in rural Nebraska.

STRIPPED BARE, the first installment in the new series was released this week by Forge. Shannon is joining us today to talk about her new series.

Just when everything seems about perfect, someone leaves the barn door open and all hell breaks loose. Kate Fox thought she had it all until a shattering phone calls hits like a January blizzard. A local rancher is murdered and her husband, the sheriff, is shot. When her husband is suspected of the murder, Kate vows to find the killer.

STRIPPED BARE is available through Amazon.

Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Shannon, who has graciously answered some questions about her new book. Welcome, Shannon.

Thank you, Mason, for hosting me on Thoughts in Progress. You’ve been such a supporter of my writing career and I really appreciate that!

What made you want to write STRIPPED BARE?

Shannon:

I’ve been thinking about writing a Nebraska Sandhills book for a long time. I lived there for 20 years, always an outsider, and left because my husband had an affair and didn’t seem inclined to give it up. The Sandhills is a unique place, in many ways still the old west. But I didn’t want to go back there while I felt bitter (and I felt bitter as scorched coffee). Time really does heal, and finally the clouds lifted high enough I could write about it with humor. For instance, I can have Kate have a cheating husband and not kill him, and actually give him some admirable qualities.

Tell us about Kate Fox, the star of your new series:

Shannon:

Kate Fox, the star of Stripped Bare, is someone I’d really like to hang out with. While she’s got some problems to deal with, a cheating husband for one (I don’t know where I get my ideas) she’s got a healthy sense of herself. She’s confident, even though she’s not sure about her future, and she’s not afraid to take action. She’s a combination of a team player—she’s in the middle of eight brothers and sisters—but craves her independence. And she’s got a sense of humor, which saves her.

It took me nearly a decade since I left the Nebraska Sandhills to be able to laugh about it all. If I’d written Kate any earlier, she’d be laced with bitterness. I’m not a big country music fan, but I always think about the Rascal Flatts song Bless the Broken Road. I thought it was a love song but now I think it’s a faith song. Anyway, I like the chorus and the idea that our experiences, good and bad, bring us to the people we are now. And when the time is ripe, bring us the characters that tell us their stories.

Since STRIPPED BARE is set in the Nebraska Sandhills, which was your home for a while. Did setting your novel in a familiar landscape mean that you didn’t have to do much research?

Shannon:

Luckily, I have dear friends there who can fill me in on details I’ve forgotten or tip me about crazy goings on since I left. But I’m not in law enforcement so all that is research. The county sheriff where I lived is a great friend of mine and he’s on speed dial, so that helps. But here’s something that shocked me about Nebraska. Turns out, you don’t have to have any qualifications to be elected county sheriff. None. Zip. After election, you have 12 months to complete and pass an 8-week training at the police academy and until you do, you can’t perform anything you aren’t certified to do. Not even a traffic stop. So the state patrol and adjoining county sheriffs take care of official business in your county. Sounds like a criminal free-for-all, to me.

What inspired you to become a writer?

Shannon:

I wasn’t one of those people who always knew I wanted to be a writer. I’ve been a reader my whole life, though. My fondest childhood memories are afternoon naps with my mother after my older brother and sister were in school. She’d read a chapter of Winne-the-Pooh and we’d go to sleep. I should have paid attention to the good grades I earned in anything that required writing or that I always told myself stories.

It wasn’t until I lived on an isolated ranch, raising kids, and pretty much having someone else plan my time, that I found release in writing. Then I was hooked. It took a long time and much learning and effort from those first words to writing a viable book. But what else was I going to do? I hate needlepoint.

What is the hardest/easiest part of writing a mystery novel?

Shannon:

For me, the hardest part of writing a good mystery is keeping the reader guessing the whole way through. There are a ton of seasoned, savvy mystery readers and fooling them is tricky. Sometimes, you just can’t. They’re smart enough to catch the red herrings and McGuffins and see through all the ploys. So you have to write great enough characters, action, and setting to keep them entertained, even if you can’t mislead them.

I like writing, what my husband calls, kitchen scenes. These are where the characters interact and have “relationships.” Often, they’re hanging out in a kitchen or bar and not much is happening except conversation and conflict. Thankfully, my helpful husband alerts me to those “boring” spots… mostly by the sound of his snoring. 

What do readers have to look forward to your upcoming novel, STRIPPED BARE?

Shannon:

Stripped Bare is set in a part of the country most people aren’t familiar with—I know that because the population density is .95 per square mile. I lived in the Nebraska Sandhills for 20 years and have a real love/hate relationship with it, like you would an ex-spouse, which I also happen to have out there. 

Kate Fox is, what Kirkus calls, a “ballsy heroine.” (I love that!) She doesn’t go looking for trouble but if someone is threatened, she doesn’t back down. She’s smack in the middle of a bushelful of interfering brothers and sisters who all think they know how she ought to manage her life.

Because I think life can be pretty funny, I tried to add humor, as well as conflict and, of course, crime and murder.

Shannon, thanks so much for visiting with us today and sharing this background on STIPPED BARE. The tidbit about who can run for sheriff in Nebraska is surprising.

Now for those who aren’t familiar with Shannon, here’s a bit of background on her.

Author Shannon Baker

Shannon Baker writes the Kate Fox mystery series (Tor/Forge). Stripped Bare, the first in the series, features a sheriff in rural Nebraska and has been called Longmire meets The Good Wife.

Shannon also writes the Nora Abbott Mystery Series (Midnight Ink), which features Hopi Indians. Shannon was voted Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ 2104 Writer of the Year.

For more information on Shannon and her writing, visit her website.

Thanks for stopping by today during Shannon’s visit. Do you like reading mysteries set in small towns? What are your thoughts on a female sheriff?

Author Shannon Baker…Canyonlands National Park: Fact v Fiction {+ Giveaway}

(Note: The winner of this giveaway is Stephanie Faris. Congratulations Stephanie and thanks to all that have visited.)

It’s a pleasure to welcome author Shannon Baker to Thoughts in Progress today to talk about her current release, TATTERED LEGACY, which I reviewed Tuesday.

Shannon joins us to tell how TATTERED LEGACY came about and share a conversation between her and Laura Kamala, who is concerned about the Canyonlands National Park. Welcome, Shannon. 

On a sunny, early summer day, I stopped in Moab on my way from Flagstaff to Boulder. I’d just finished my stint at the Grand Canyon Trust and was excited about starting a new business venture in Colorado. I was meeting my good friend Laura Kamala for lunch at my halfway mark. I had also finished book 2 of the Nora Abbott series, BROKEN TRUST, and was casting about for a new plot for the third book. 

Laura was equally pumped about the project consuming her life. A Grand Canyon Trust pal, Director of Utah Programs, Laura was, and is, passionate about protecting Canyonlands National Park borderlands from overuse and devastating oil and gas drilling. 

I’d never seen Laura so animated as she spoke of her film project aimed at creating a documentary to showcase the park and convince the American public and the President to expand the boundaries via a new national monument. She’d been scouting for film sites, gathering interviews from prominent environmentalists, doing time-lapse photography, and even a helicopter shoot. 

As the conversation continued I got an idea. “Who would hate this project so much they’d want to kill you?”

Laura didn’t miss a beat. She’s a big reader and had read TAINTED MOUNTAIN and a draft of BROKEN TRUST. “Let me think….” And we were off.

Stories can progress much like a child’s game of telephone. They start off with one clear idea and by the time the book is finished, it’s become something else entirely. So I thought it would be fun for readers to reconnect with Laura about her real life film project, what she’d expected from Nora’s story about it, and her impressions of the end product. 

Shannon: When we brainstormed about the film project and murder, we mostly discussed details about Canyonlands and why it needed protecting. We talked about the process of making the film. I went home and played a what-if game to create the character of Lisa, Nora’s best friend who is the producer of the film and the one murdered. I purposely wanted to make her different from you. You're a deep, quiet, mountain lake, powerful in your serenity. Where I see Lisa as this flash flood of wild activity. At some point, Lisa became a real person to me and told me about herself and she turned out to be totally different from you, even down to her being a lesbian. When you read the book, knowing the starting point was your film, did you identify with Lisa?

Laura: Thank you, Shannon, for the opportunity to have this conversation. I certainly identified with Lisa’s enthusiasm for protecting a beloved landscape, not so much the part about being a murder victim, I’m laughing. 

Shannon: You aren’t a native of Utah. How did you happen to put down roots here? 

Laura: I’ve lived in southeast Utah for 38 years, after a book fell off the shelf at the Rutgers University library in New Jersey hitting me in the leg and setting me on a path; it was Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire.

Shannon: I was really nervous handing you the manuscript after I’d finished it. I worried that you’d be expecting a more thorough treatment of the dire threats to Canyonlands and that you might be disappointed when everything in TATTERED LEGACY didn’t put Moab and its people in the best light. We’re still friends, so I must not have torqued you off too badly. Did I get it wrong? Were you disappointed? 

Laura: You’ve written a wonderful story inspired by some real life events and it’s fiction. You’re good at making stuff up; I wouldn’t describe events as inaccurate when they feed the story line. Are there inaccuracies in fiction?

Shannon: When we talked about the book and during the process when I’d ask questions, what were your hopes and expectations for addressing the Canyonlands issue in TATTERED LEGACY?

Laura: Honestly, Shannon, I didn’t have a personal agenda about the Canyonlands story for TATTERED LEGACY. I was delighted that you would be spreading awareness about the need to protect the Greater Canyonlands region. I’ve read all of your books and I knew I’d be in for an adventure with this one. You entertain by creatively surprising the reader in your stories, your quirky characters make me laugh and there are plenty of wildly dramatic interludes for adrenaline junkies like me.

Shannon: In TATTERED LEGACY, Lisa, the film’s producer, is murdered, but Nora does her best to make sure the film is finished. What ultimately happened with your project?

Laura: When it was almost completed, the film was killed by my former employer. Someone hated the project so much, they wanted to kill it! Thankfully, this was not a murder mystery story come to life. I learned the hard way that I should be making an independent film instead of working in partnership with a non-profit organization. We fell out over irreconcilable differences and politics; the story I was compelled to convey did not match their agenda.

Shannon: Your goal (and Nora’s in the book) is to bring awareness to the public about the need to expand the borders of Canyonlands. What is your response when people say (as characters in TATTERED LEGACY argue) that Utah already has enough protected land and if you took more land out of production it would hurt the hard-working people of Utah?

Laura: There is no other place on earth like southern Utah. Destroying this spectacular landscape with dirty energy production to primarily benefit multi-national corporations makes no sense at all, and ultimately fails to benefit local economies.

Shannon: What else would you like readers to know about Canyonlands and/or Moab and the area? 

Laura: It’s an astonishing place and worth a visit once in your life. For anyone wanting information about the unfolding story of Greater Canyonlands see suwa.org/issues/greatercanyonlands/ or check out Protect Greater Canyonlands on Facebook. 

For a chance to win a copy of TATTERED LEGACY, ask me or Laura anything, or just leave a comment. (U.S. residents only).

Shannon, thanks so much for joining us today and sharing this look at how TATTERED LEGACY came to be. It seems both you and Laura have interesting stories to tell about a beautiful area of our nation.

For those who aren’t familiar with Shannon, here’s a brief bit of background.

Shannon Baker, author of the Nora Abbott Mystery series involving murder, environment and Hopi Indians, can often be found backpacking, skiing, kayaking, cycling, or just playing lizard in the desert. From the Colorado Rockies to the Nebraska Sandhills, the peaks of Flagstaff and the deserts of Tucson, landscapes play an important role in her books.  

TAINTED MOUNTAIN, the first in her Nora Abbott Mystery Series, is set in Flagstaff, AZ, where she lived for several years and worked for The Grand Canyon Trust, a hotbed of environmentalists who, usually, don’t resort to murder. She lived twenty years in the Nebraska Sandhills, where cattle outnumber people by more than 50:1. 

When Shannon moved to Boulder, CO, Nora followed her and BROKEN TRUST is set in the gorgeous Rocky Mountains. Shannon now makes her temporary home in Nebraska and believes her job description is now itinerate writer.

For more on Shannon and her writing, visit her website.

Thanks so much for stopping by today during Shannon’s visit. If you have any questions for Shannon (or Laura), just sound off in the comments. If you don’t want to enter the giveaway, just say so in your comments. Do you enjoy learning where a story idea comes from?

*This post contains affiliate links.

Tattered Legacy by Shannon Baker

Welcome to Thoughts in Progress and the early days of March. Hopefully spring is just around the corner and the weather will be warming up soon.

I’m delighted today to share my thoughts on an intriguing mystery, TATTERED LEGACY by Shannon Baker, which is being released March 8. This is the third installment in Shannon’s Nora Abbott Mystery series, but can be read on its own.
Shannon will be joining us on Friday (March 6) to talk about her book, series and writing.

Here’s a brief description of TATTERED LEGACY and then my thoughts:

        Nora Abbott risks her career at Loving Earth Trust on a film project to convince Congress to expand the Canyonlands National Park. But someone is desperate to keep the secrets of the land hidden. When her best friend and director of the film is found dead, Nora is convinced it wasn’t an accident. Nora’s Hopi kachina messenger has vanished and now it looks as though Cole Huntsman, the man she’s finally allowed herself to love, has left her, too.
        As Nora uncovers an unlikely intersection of ancient Hopi legends, a secret polygamist sect, and one of the world’s richest men, she is drawn deeper into danger. Her mother’s surprising past holds the key to the clash of cultures, but will Nora put all the pieces together in time to prevent disaster? Set in the iconic red rocks of Moab, Utah, Nora races to discover what really lies beyond the stars. 

~~~~~~

The intriguing Utah setting of author Shannon Baker’s latest release, TATTERED LEGACY, drew me in quickly. The author’s style of writing, along with a captivate tale kept me hooked until the very end.

This is a fast-pace mystery with a good mixture of action and dialogue to make the story hard to put down. The author’s eye for detail and vivid descriptions enhances the setting. The characters are likable, realistic and well-developed. The twists and turns along the way make for a tantalizing tale blended with the Hopi legends for spine-tingling excitement. 

TATTERED LEGACY is the third installment in the Nora Abbott Mystery series, but can be read on its own. This mesmerizing story will hold you spellbound as secrets are revealed and lives hang in the balance.

Tattered Legacy by Shannon Baker, Nora Abbott Mystery Book #3, Midnight Ink, @2015, ISBN: 978-0738740638, Paperback, 288 Pages 

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

To learn even more about TATTERED LEGACY, join Shannon on her blog tour by visiting the following blogs:

Sirens of Suspense March 2
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers March 4
Stiletto Gang March 5
Patricia Stoltey’s Blog March 5
Thoughts in Progress March 6
Dru’s Book Musings March 9
Get Lost in a Story March 9
Inkspot March 9
Terry Ambrose March 10
Mysteristas March 13
Killer Crafts and Crafty Killers March 14
Sisters of the Quill March 15
Femmes Fatales March 20
Jungle Red Writers  March 22

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope I’ve peaked your interest in this intriguing story and you’ll stop back by on Friday when Shannon is scheduled to visit. Have a great Tuesday!! Doesn’t the TATTERED LEGACY cover just grab your attention and make you wonder what’s going on?

*This post contains affiliate links.