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