Suspense author Regina Buttner is chatting with me about her new domestic suspense, Down a Bad Road.
Regina is touring with WOW! Women on Writing. Feel free to check out tour details below and visit her other stops!
Bio:
Regina is a registered nurse-turned-writer who was raised in beautiful upstate New York, where she spent many happy years exploring the small towns and scenic hiking trails of the Adirondack mountain region, in which her new novel is set. She recently traded the snowy northern winters for the tropical breezes of coastal Florida, where her favorite pastimes are kayaking among the mangroves, strolling the gorgeous beaches, and teaching tricks to her crafty little corgi, Pekoe.
Welcome, Regina. Please tell us about your current release.
Down a Bad Road is the story of a small-town love triangle that takes a bizarre turn when a jilted woman’s obsession spirals into a deadly plot for revenge.
Longtime bachelor Ron Burley has a rule against messing around with married women in his rural upstate New York town, but sassy, lovely Lavender has convinced him to break it. Their steamy affair sets someone off, but it isn’t Lavender’s clueless husband—it’s Marta, Burley’s clingy childhood friend and ex-lover.
Marta knows Burley is on the verge of going broke, so she secretly tries to lure him with a lucrative job offer and some enticing fringe benefits. Although he’s sorely tempted, Burley’s
afraid to trust Marta due to the sketchy circumstances surrounding their bitter breakup years ago; but this might be his only chance to get back at her for what she did.
Suspicious of her boyfriend’s romantic history, Lavender visits a psychic for a tarot card reading in a creepy cabin in the Adirondack woods. Watch your back, the psychic warns her. Burley and Marta aren’t the innocent people they’re pretending to be. Someone’s out for revenge, and this love triangle could turn deadly.
What inspired you to write this book?
I’m fascinated by the hidden longings that can sometimes torment a person throughout the course of their life, so I wanted to write a story about a woman’s deep-seated jealousy that careens out of control. I grew up in Syracuse, New York, and went to college in the remote upstate region that’s known locally as the North Country. I love to explore, so I spent many weekends traveling the back roads and poking around in the area’s small towns. Along the way, I encountered all sorts of interesting people who, many years later, served as inspiration for the flawed but compelling characters in my novel.
Excerpt from Down a Bad Road:
Lavender took a bottle of white wine out of the fridge, poured herself a big glass over ice, and dialed the psychic’s number. “Thanks for agreeing to do this over the phone,” she said when Penelope answered. “I was afraid to go out with that snowstorm coming.”
“Phone readings aren’t ideal, but I’ll do my best,” Penelope said. “I see you texted me some photos. Is that the new boyfriend you told me about the last time you were here?”
“Yes!” Lavender’s voice bubbled with happiness. “That’s Ron Burley. He’s actually my fiancé now, he proposed to me this morning. Got down on one knee and everything.” Holding her left hand up to catch the fading afternoon light, she admired her sparkly new engagement ring. The princess cut diamond was gorgeous. Burley must have blown the last of his savings on it, hoping to impress her with his devotion. Well, it had certainly worked.
“You’ve filed for divorce then, I take it?” Penelope said, like the prim old granny that she was.
“Of course I did. Clint and I split up months ago. Anyway, I sent you those photos because—”
“Hold on, don’t tell me anything else,” Penelope said. “I’m feeling something coming through from his image. Give me a few seconds to concentrate.”
Lavender drank more wine and tapped her periwinkle fingernails on her glass, wondering what kind of flowers to put in her wedding bouquet. Tulips would be nice, or maybe a big bunch of peonies in different shades of pink.
“Hmmm,” Penelope said after a moment.
Lavender shook herself from her flowery daydream. “What is it?”
“You told me once before that your ex-husband had a temper,” Penelope said, “but this man may be even worse.”
Lavender giggled, already buzzed from the wine. “That’s ridiculous! Burley’s the sweetest, most laidback guy you’ll ever meet. I’ve never even heard him raise his voice.”
“Just you wait,” Penelope said darkly. “He’s going to explode one of these days.”
What exciting project are you working on next?
I’m writing another suspense novel about a married couple who become so fed up with their slacker adult son that they resort to legal action and evict him from their home. The enraged son vows revenge, but the various people involved in the situation aren’t who they appear to be, and chaos ensues.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
The first inkling of my lifelong dream of becoming a writer probably surfaced when I was in the third grade at St. Ann’s grammar school in Syracuse, New York, way back in the 1970s. My obsession with horses (quite original for a little girl, right?) steered me toward Marguerite Henry’s Misty of Chincoteague book series. Her vivid and realistic stories, along with the engaging illustrations created by Wesley Dennis, provided an excellent example for me, and my writing dream took off from there.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
After working for many years as a registered nurse specializing in elder care, I decided to go all-in as an author. I now write full-time from my home near the Gulf coast, and give my writing the same focus and dedication that I previously gave to my nursing career. It’s truly a privilege to be able to dedicate myself to my craft like this, and even after two years of living in the Sunshine State, I’m still amazed that I get to look at palm trees, tropical flowers and exotic birds every time I walk outside!
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Rituals help to keep me centered, and some of mine are quite silly! Before I sit down to write each day, I have to brew a pot of decaf coffee (I’m a wimp, can’t tolerate caffeine!) Then I have a rousing game of fetch with Pekoe, my kooky little corgi. Last thing, I sharpen a #2 pencil, for jotting down notes as I work. That freshly-sharpened, woody scent signals my brain that it’s time to shift into writing mode. If I happen to forget a step in my ritual, my writing brain comes to a screeching halt and demands a do-over.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Ha Ha! So many things: a veterinarian, a photographer, an Olympic long-distance runner. But most of all, an author.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
If you’d like to catch a glimpse of Pekoe, my very entertaining Pembroke Welsh corgi, you can find her on Instagram at #pekoecorgi.
Links:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon
Blog Tour Calendar
May 29th @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the blog tour launch of Down a Bad Road by Regina Buttner. You’ll have the chance to read an interview with the author and win a copy of the book. https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
May 30th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog
Stop by author Anthony Avina’s blog to read his review of Down a Bad Road by Regina Buttner. http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com
May 31st HERE!
June 1st @ World of My Imagination
Stop by World of My Imagination to read Nicole’s review of Down a Bad Road. https://worldofmyimagination.com
June 4th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog
Revisit author Anthony Avina’s blog to read “How a Corgi Supercharged My Writing Life” by Regina Buttner. http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com
June 5th @ A Lit Life
Stop by A Lit Life read Stephanie’s review of Down a Bad Road. http://www.alitlife.com/
June 7th @ Sue Edwards’s blog
Visit Sue’s blog to read an interview with author Regina Buttner. https://suebe.wordpress.com/
June 8th @ Michelle Cornish’s blog
Read a guest post from Regina Buttner about cultivating writerly discipline. https://www.michellecornish.com/blog
June 9th @ Reading is My Remedy
Check out Chelsie’s Instagram where she’ll review Down a Bad Road. https://www.instagram.com/reading_is_my_remedy
June 10th @ World of My Imagination
Stop by Nicole’s blog where Regina Buttner is a guest for “Three Things on a Saturday Night.” https://worldofmyimagination.com
June 12th @ Reading is My Remedy
Stop by Chelsie’s blog to read a guest post by Regina Buttner about disguising your friends and family in your stories. https://www.readingismyremedy.wordpress.com
June 13th @ Michelle Cornish’s author blog
Join Michelle as she reviews Down a Bad Road. https://www.michellecornishauthor.com/blog
June 14th @ Create Write Now
Visit Mari’s blog to read a guest post by Regina Buttner about growing up old-school Catholic and daring to write about it! CreateWriteNow.com
June 15th @ The Knotty Needle
Join Judy for her review of Down a Bad Road. http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com
June 16th @ Mindy McGinnis’s blog
Stop by Mindy’s blog to read “A Humorous Look at NOT Dating After 50” by Regina Buttner. https://www.mindymcginnis.com/blog
June 16th @ From the TBR Pile
Join Kari as she reviews Down a Bad Road. https://fromthetbrpile.blogspot.com/
June 18th @ Lady Unemployed
Stop by Nicole’s blog to read “How Joining a Professional Writers Organization Transformed My Writing Career” by Regina Buttner. https://ladyunemployed.com
June 21st @ Life According to Jamie
Join us as Jamie reviews Down a Bad Road. http://www.lifeaccordingtojamie.com
June 22nd @ Sue Edwards’s blog
Return to Sue’s blog to read “From Nurse to Writer” by Regina Buttner. https://suebe.wordpress.com/
June 23rd @ Nikki’s Book Reviews
Read Nicole’s review of Down a Bad Road. https://nikkitsbookreviews.wordpress.com/
June 24th @ The Faerie Review
Stop by The Faerie Review to read a spotlight of Down a Bad Road. https://www.thefaeriereview.com
June 25th @ A Lit Life
Return to A Lit Life to read a guest post from Regina Buttner about how a visit to the Stillwater Hotel in Upstate New York inspired the setting for Down a Bad Road. http://www.alitlife.com/