Thursday Author Interview with 'Touching Death' Becky Johnson

Books are Becky Johnson's passion and always have been. She used to get in trouble in school for reading during class!

Becky has Master's degrees in social work and history, and for her day job she is a social worker. In her writing she tries to answer a question that is important to both social work and history: Why? She always wants to know why people do the things they do or feel the way they feel.

When not reading or writing she enjoys yoga, photography, cooking, and makes a pretty mean chili!

Her latest book is the mystery/suspense, Touching Death.

For More Information

• Visit Becky Johnson’s blog.
• Connect with Becky on Facebook and Goodreads.

About the Book:

Rachel Angeletti knows things. She always has. With one touch she sees secrets, emotions, lies. Her gift helps her to be the best museum curator in Chicago. It also makes her personal relationships difficult.

Her life is complicated enough when a run in with her ex and an unanticipated vision sends her reeling. One touch and she sees death. One touch and she is thrown into the midst of killer’s dark fantasy. Now Rachel is in a fight for her life against a killer she knows too little about.

With danger stalking her around every turn Rachel is in a thrilling race against the clock. Can she catch a killer before he catches her?

Touching Death will take you on a riveting, page-turning, journey into the mind of a killer and the heart of a survivor.

For More Information

• Touching Death is available at Amazon.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

 

Thanks for this interview, Becky.  Can we begin by having you tell us about yourself from a writer’s standpoint? 

Thanks for having me. When I was a kid I read books like other kids played Mystery Date. Constantly. Voraciously. I have so many stories in my head! Writing was just the natural progression. It feels like what I was always meant to do.

When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation and/or fun? 

Read. LOL. Obviously I love books. I also love movies, cooking, photography, and yoga. I also have the absolute best group of friends.

Congratulations on your new book! Can you give us the very first page of your book so that we can get a glimpse inside?

 1

I was eleven the first time I saw someone die.

It was hot. The kind of hot where your shirt sticks to your back and every breath feels thick and heavy. The waistband of my plaid, pleated school uniform was itchy. It was always itchy, but in Chicago in early September with the temperature in the nineties, I could barely stand it.

“Look,” my best friend April gave my arm a sharp and eager tug, “I can’t believe he’s talking to her.”

I looked across the museum where she was pointing. Jonathan Adams. With his dark hair and blue eyes he was the cutest guy in our class. He was talking to Carol, the prettiest girl in our class and our sworn enemy. April had such an intense crush on Jonathan. She had already named their children and when we played the name game she always wanted to get him.

While April plotted revenge on her arch nemesis, I looked across the Ancients room in The Chicago Museum of Anthropology and Archeology to where Billy Masters stood by a glass display case. His hair was unruly and stuck up in odd peaks from his forehead in complete disregard of the rules. His white, button-down shirt hung out over his waistband. Technically, he was wearing the school tie; he just wore it tied around his belt loop, a bright red flag of rebellion. I never wanted to admit it, but when I daydreamed and played the name game, I was always looking for Billy Masters.

Would you say it’s been a rocky road for you in regards to getting your book written and published or pretty much smooth sailing?  Can you tell us about your journey? 

It was a bit of a crash course. I had no idea what I was getting into! I had to learn so much about editing, cover design, publishing, and promoting. I’m still learning, but those first few months were tough.

If you had to summarize your book in one sentence, what would that be? 

When Rachel Angeletti picked up a knife in the store room of her museum the last thing she expected was to witness a murder let alone end up in the crosshairs of a killer.

What makes your book stand out from the rest? 

The characters. I really, really love these characters. They are all so real to me.

If your book was put in the holiday section of the store, what holiday would that be and why? 

That’s easy New Year’s. Touching Death opens with a New Year’s gala.

Would you consider turning your book into a series or has that already been done?  

Touching Death is the first in a series. I have at least three other books planned. There is a lot more for Rachel to do!

What’s next for you? 

I’m currently writing a standalone thriller titled The Taking. Next up will be the next Rachel Angeletti novel which is tentatively titled Just a Touch.