After a bit of a hiatus, The Story behind the Story is back. This week, we’re featuring Catherine Finger and her new book, Capsized by Death. It’s the first time Catherine is a guest, and I’m so glad to welcome her. Before we get into what inspired her to write the book, here’s a little bit about it.

“From the first dangerous accident to the fabulous wedding on the glorious island of Maui, Catherine Finger weaves a delightful tale. A deadly mystery with an exciting conclusion—this is a novel you won’t want to miss!” Anne Greene, author of Shadow of Danger; the Holly Garden Mysteries; and the Women of Courageseries.

“Finger is a masterful storyteller and has the ability to intertwine both spirituality and social injustices into her characters’ lives. She made me turn each page quicker and quicker with both suspense and delight. A real joy to read!” Dani Halverson, avid reader, reviewer and blogger

Catherine, welcome. What was the inspiration behind this book?

In writing my Jo Oliver Thriller series, I find myself driven by passion. The genesis of the series—Cleansed By Death—was fueled by a passion to create a story about strong women embedded in a male-dominated profession, facing difficulties they could only solve through faith and community. I was vacuuming when I was hit by the idea of pitting two strong women against each other and seeing which one would win, the theme of book 2, Shattered by Death. Information gleaned during an FBI writers workshop on techniques for tracking criminals, superimposed over the mitten map of Wisconsin formed the bones for Anchored By Death, the third book in the series.

My latest novel, Capsized By Death, contains all of my favorite elements. The astute series reader will note that the foundation for the killer’s appearance in this book was introduced years ago in Cleansed By Death. But he first appeared to me during one of my many solo writing vacations on an island.

At the end of a fairytale day spent kayaking, snorkeling and listening to the sound of whales singing under water in Maui, the gorgeous male host of my day trip stood silhouetted in the setting sun. This man was beautiful in every way, and had the sort of personality that describes the essence of attractive—he pulled you into his beautiful ocean world. At that moment, I knew I had found my perfect killer for my next book! It became my goal to create a killer who was beautiful on the outside and evil on the inside. I used the New Testament book of Jude as my guide for the internal workings of my killer and thus the skeletal framework for Jude, my killer in Capsized By Death—book 4 of the Jo Oliver Thriller series—was born.

Sounds fascinating. Thanks for sharing!

Catherine Finger loves to dream, write, and tell stories. Retired from a wonderful career in public education, she celebrates the ability to choose how to spend her time in a new way during the second half of life. So far, she chooses to write books, ride horses, serve others, and generally find her way into and out of trouble both on the road and at home.  She lives in the Midwest with a warm and wonderful combination of family and friends.

Capsized by Death, the fourth novel in her Jo Oliver Thriller series, will be released by Elk Lake Publishing in December, 2019. Anchored by Death, the third novel in her Jo Oliver Thriller series, received the Bronze Medal for the 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards, was a finalist for the National Indie Excellence Awards, and  Her second Jo Oliver Thriller, Shattered by Death, was a finalist in the International Book Awards and the National Indie Excellence Awards. Catherine and her novels have been featured on radio stations, blogs, and in numerous articles—all posted at www.CatherineFinger.com.

Catherine loves to interact with her readers at www.CatherineFinger.com Follow her on Facebook at Catherine Finger, Author, and on Twitter at CatherineFinger@BeJoOliver.

Catherine is giving away a print copy of the book (US addresses only). Follow the directions below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks so much for joining us this week!