Saturday, October 18, 2008

Kim Lenox, Avenger

Please help me welcome Kim Lenox to Killer Fiction. Kim is not only a fabulous writer, she's a good friend. Take it away, Kim!

Crime Scene Christie

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I’m a news junkie -- I always have been. Even as a child, I remember watching the evening news, and taking local and world events very seriously. I was always particularly affected by stories where innocents were victimized. Where a real life villain had been cruel, and hurt someone. I’d lie in bed at night, and think about the state of the world, and feel so helpless. Other times, I’d just get mad. That’s where my Avenger fantasies began. In my child’s mind, I wore a cool black leather outfit and a mask. Okay, so I looked an awful lot like Catwoman from the old Batman television show. In stealth and shadow, I’d stalk those dictators and murderers and thieves, and through a combination of surprise, cool martial arts moves and gleaming, whirling weaponry … I’d soon have them at my feet, begging for mercy. My Avenger fantasies lasted for a couple of years … but I got older, and didn’t have them so much anymore.

After college, I worked at a law firm for several years, but eventually took a job with a nationally renowned accident reconstruction firm. Accident reconstruction is similar to what you see on the television series, CSI, but the cases center around vehicular accidents. The engineers I work for determine how the accident happened, how the drivers and vehicles reacted, and through mathematical computations and computer modeling, they make an opinion as to who was at fault. In any given file there are very specific observations about vehicle condition, as well as documentation and photographs of accident damage. There are measurements, diagrams and photographs of the accident scene, and any skid marks, gouge marks or other accident related evidence. The more personal aspects of the accidents are revealed through witness statements, depositions and medical reports -- and sometimes, unfortunately, through autopsy reports and photographs. I’ve always enjoyed CSI and NCIS and other shows like that, but those shows are fiction. The people in my office, depicted in those reports and photographs were real. I rarely ever looked at those photographs. Not because they were too gory, or too disturbing, but because in my mind, Death (with a capital D) was that deceased person’s most private, most humble state and I, as a stranger, had no business intruding.

Fast forward a few years, and I found myself working on a book proposal. I thought it would be interesting to write a dark Victorian paranormal romance, and entwine real life events with my fictional story. My hero is an immortal hunter, tasked with tracking down and eliminating the most evil and deteriorated of mortal souls. Who better to hunt than the infamous murderer, Jack the Ripper? Cool idea, right? So I started doing some research, because at the time, all I really knew about Jack was that he’d murdered some prostitutes, and he did it with a knife. Or some kind of blade? Gosh, who knew? I didn’t. So I got my hands on some books … and the books included witness statements, autopsy reports and, yes, photographs of the victims. Instantly, those “prostitutes” became women to me -- their names were Mary Ann, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary Jane. They were daughters, sisters, wives and mothers. Jack likely had even more victims. None deserved what happened to them. Suddenly, Jack the Ripper wasn’t “cool” anymore, especially because he was never caught. Despite all the suspects and theories and ideas and evidence – which likely include letters written to taunt the authorities -- no one knows who he was. The idea that he got away with his crimes didn’t sit well with me. That instinct from childhood awakened in me again. I wanted justice for those women.

That’s how I became Kim Lenox: Avenger. No, I don’t creep in shadow or use cool martial arts moves or wield weaponry -- but my immortal Shadow Hunters do. If you’re interested in seeing Jack the Ripper “get his”, check out a copy of my debut release, NIGHT FALLS DARKLY. You can also learn more about the book, and read an excerpt on my website: www.kimlenox.com

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post, Kim!

And I love that picture of CatWoman.

Faye

Christie Craig said...

Kim,

I knew you always kind of scared me girl, now I know why. I can see you doing the whole martial art thingy and taking people out.

Thanks for guest blogging with us today.

CC

Anonymous said...

Kim, your books sounds really cool!

Anonymous said...

Hey, I want a cool costume, too! Hey, Kim, can't wait to read the book!

Unknown said...

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/9552/peel1.jpg

This is the REAL Kim...:)

Suzan Harden said...

I can't wait to read it, Kim!

Gemma Halliday said...

Thanks for coming to play with us, Kim! And what a cool premise for a book! I will totally have to check that one out.

~Gemma

Kimberly Frost said...

You turned a great premise into a great novel. NIGHT FALLS DARKLY was wonderful. Well done, you!

I can't wait for the sequel, SO STILL THE NIGHT!

Kim Lenox said...

Thanks everyone, for coming to read my post!

Kim ** twitching her cat ears **

Estella said...

Your book sounds like an exciting read!

Anonymous said...

Hey, I don't see a down side to a visit from the Shadow Guard, as long as I haven't been tooo bad lately. Archer would definitely be a good excuse to leave the window unlatched. (grin) Hmm, I must remember to behave myself ...

Jessa Slade said...

Most writers cite the benefits of working in their pajamas, but a catsuit is waaaay cooler, I'm thinking.

Anonymous said...

Kim, I would LOVE to see Jack get his comeuppance from a sexy Shadow Guard! Way more fun than watching the evening news nowadays, which has gotten scarier than I can handle!

Ciara Gold said...

I can't wait to get my hands on this book, Kim. And you have a fascinating background. I actually got to go on a few cases with DH and watch him in action. And I got to use my geometry skills and help set up a reverse projection. Those were the eary days when they still used stop action photography to create the video recreation of the accident. Too fun. Great post and I can so see you in leather and cute kitty ears. LOL