INTERVIEW WITH CAROLYN ARNOLD -

WHAT IS THE #AOD TOUR?

Carolyn, first of all tell us about you.

I’m the best-selling author of the Madison Knight series, and the Brandon Fisher FBI series. I was born in 1976 in a rural town of Ontario, Canada. I currently live with my husband and two beagles in a city near the well-known Canadian center Toronto.

A few random things about me on a personal level:

1) I married a man who is truly my best friend. With us I believe in “meant to be”.

2) I have two beagles. Their names are Max and Chelsea, and I couldn’t imagine not having their little furry bodies around. (Suppose the same goes for my hubby. lol)

3) I love to read almost as much as I love to write.

4) I tried skiing once as an adult and decided the “bunny hill” worked just fine. With most things in life, I aim to excel and improve. With this sport, no desire at all. Risk my life speeding down a hill on little slats of wood? No thank you.

5) I was reunited with my older sister after being apart for 13 years and found a good friend.

Tell us about your upcoming release Assassination of a Dignitary. What is it about and what genre does it fall into?

Assassination of a Dignitary is a thriller.

Here is the overview:

Raymond Hunter's dark past has returned and demands one final favor. Now fifteen years later, settled as an accountant and family man, he assumed life would be calm. He thought wrong. The Italian mafia wants him back.

The directions were simple: Kill Governor Behler and be out for good.

This is an odd request since the mafia typically respects dignitaries, however, in order to protect his family he has no choice but to accept the job.

He picks the date and location—Niagara Falls, New York—two hundred and forty miles away. But by the time he returns home, he finds out the assassination attempt failed, his family has been kidnapped, and he has twenty-four hours to set things right if he wants to see them again.

With time running out, Raymond discovers the real reason they wanted Behler dead and finds out he’s placed himself and his family right in the middle of a mafia power struggle. What he doesn’t realize is that law enforcement is also closing in.

I also understand you’re doing a pre-release blog tour which you’ve aptly named the Assassination Tour. What is it all about, and where can we find out more about it or follow it?

The Assassination Blog tour is to build awareness of my upcoming thriller being released on March 14th—Assassination of a Dignitary. The purpose of the tour is also to offer unique insights into the characters, weapons, and background of the novel. It's to make readers familiar with what they can expect when they open the book.

And, let's not forget the opportunity to WIN copies of the book!

The tour’s landing page is found on my Author Blog here. Here you will find the schedule for each stop along the tour and what will be discussed. This is also where you can find the contest rules and enter for your chance to WIN a copy of Assassination of a Dignitary.

You can also follow the tour on Twitter with hashtag #AODTour.

Without going right to your site, what are some things we’ll learn through the course of the blog tour?

I've designed the tour in such a way that it's to bring focus mainly on the characters of ASSASSINATION OF A DIGNITARY, not on myself as the author.

Meet the main character Raymond Hunter and gain intimacy into his mindset. Having been a prior hit man for the Italian mafia, he shares his thoughts on 'What it's Like to Take a Life', how he got started with the mob, what his background is, what his favorite guns are, you learn about his family.

Step into the mindset of the mafia by meeting Christian Russo, the Don's son firsthand. A man who Raymond would describe as the Devil, and a man who claims he is.

Learn about the weapons of AOD. "What is a Pen Gun?" If you're thinking that's a type of zip gun (the slang term), you would be correct. But this post will give you details.

What can readers expect when they open Assassination of a Dignitary?

The Italian mafia, a reactivated former hit man, murder, gun fights, torture, kidnapping, blood. You have a family man set out in a race against time—and the mafia—to save his family.

As you may surmise from the list above, there are some violently graphic scenes. There is also some swearing.

What was your greatest challenge in writing Assassination of a Dignitary?

Well, in the brainstorming process of this book, it had started off as something completely different than where it ended up. Originally, I had pegged Raymond Hunter as a complete innocent. When I let him "talk" to me, he told me he had a dark past and that it had caught up with him.

What makes this book unique?

Assassination of a Dignitary is my first standalone thriller. It brings together two extreme worlds--that of a family man and accountant and marries it with the Italian mafia. It's the worst nightmare come to life for Raymond Hunter.

Tell us a bit more about Raymond Hunter.

Well, I'd like to save most of the spotlight for him in his upcoming interview, but I'll tell you this. After working with the mafia for three years, he wanted out and because of what he had done (save the life of the Don’s son), he was allowed a pass—at least until now. In Assassination of a Dignitary the mafia requires one final favor. You'll have to read the book to see if it actually is...

You have a couple series out now—the Madison Knight Series, and Brandon Fisher FBI Series—will this book be part of a series?

Assassination of a Dignitary will be a standalone novel.

So you mentioned a release date of March 14th. Where can readers find the book at that time?

Assassination of a Dignitary will be available through Amazon for Kindle March 14th and in print after April 1st.

You mentioned a contest. Tell us more, and how can we enter?

Well, there are 4 Gifted Kindle copies up for grabs and an autographed paperback.

The basic rule is it’s open to residents of the United States and Canada. All you have to do is submit your name and email address here to qualify.

And one last thing, where can readers connect with you online?

Website: http://carolynarnold.net/

Author Blog: http://sassy3421.blogspot.com/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Carolyn-Arnold/e/B0054S6USY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold