VOICE FROM THE ASHES
by Cindy Davis

Press Release

The chillingly detailed plot involves the May 18, 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, which coincides in place and time with the horrific murder of beloved Emma Armstrong in a small Washington state town.

"One day, Mount St. Helens was in the news. I wondered if it were possible for someone to hide a murder in such a scene. Then I wondered what sort of person might do such a thing. Once settled on the who and where, I chose the fictitious name Cassell Springs and located it fourteen miles north and slightly west of the mountain. That's the beauty of fiction," says author Cindy Davis.

The book is published by Hilliard & Harris Publishers of, Boonsboro, MD., and will be available at fine booksellers nationwide.

"Voice From The Ashes," is Davis' fourth book and most widely anticipated. Her previous books: Final Masquerade and middle readers Dessert Bandit, Shadow Bandits and Circus Bandits received strong support regionally and nationally. Dessert Bandits received Best Seller status with its publisher November 2003. Davis is also the publisher of Characters~ Kids Short Story Outlet a quarterly publication that targets kids from 8-17 years.

Biography

Cindy Davis is originally from the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts. In 1989, she and her family moved to the four season state of New Hampshire, amid the mountains, lakes and year-round views. She's always enjoyed writing—even began her first novel at the age of 9. The book took place in Egypt and was titled "The Pyramid". The experts say "Write what you know" and that's probably why she never finished the story—until then, she'd never been further from home than Rhode Island!

When her second husband, Bob, encouraged her to go back to school, she enrolled in a Journalism & Short Story course. Just prior to graduation, Cindy went to work for a small local magazine, learning the trade from the ground up: typesetting, layouts, formatting, along with her best loves—interviewing and writing. She wrote stories about local history, people and events, and went on to have a monthly column describing local walking tours that have since been compiled into two books.

After six years, Cindy left the company and began free-lancing; publishing 150+ articles, and four novels over the next three years. She wrote a column for the local newspaper, a tongue-in-cheek piece about living with children in the 90s, soon to be published under the title Are We There Yet?—a title she says she had way before the movie.

In 1999, Cindy began a quarterly fiction magazine called PEEKS & valleys. In 2000, PEEKS' spinoff "Characters~Kids Short Story Outlet" was born. In 2003, she teamed up with fantasy author John Richters, to pen a Young Adult fantasy trilogy titled Desert Magic. She also edits for three publishing houses and has a free-lance critiquing service. She's energetic and upbeat, and prides herself on never having missed a deadline.

In her spare time, Cindy raises exotic finches, gardens, does needlework, reads, and hikes with her pair of miniature dachshunds.

Interview with Cindy Davis

Q--What was your inspiration for writing Voice from the Ashes?
A--I had this female character in my head. She even had a name, Lucy Baines. She kept waking me up at night insisting she had a story to tell. She made me very angry sometimes.

Q--Why did you select Mount St. Helens as the setting?
A--One day, Mount St. Helens was in the news. I wondered if it were possible for someone to hide a murder in such a scene. Then I wondered who might do such a thing. I considered Lucy, but she wasn't being set as a criminal. Nor did she want to die. Once I'd settled on the where and the who, I needed a place. I chose the fictitious name Cassell Springs and located it fourteen miles north and slightly west of the mountain. That's the beauty of fiction.

Q--Do you have plans to explore either Lucy or Ian further?
A--I've been thinking about it. I think they both have more story to tell, especially since I left a potential relationship between them hanging at the end of the book. If there's another story, it may not be a murder mystery though.

Q--Are all your novels set in small towns?
A--Yes, so far. I grew up in, and reside in a small town. I love the ambiance and the cameraderie of these settings. But there's also a conflict and familiarity that's bred here--great for a fiction writer.

Q--Who's your favorite author?
A--I am an avid reader and I read different authors to get different experiences. I love Ruth Rendell's character studies, John Grisham's plot twists, Tess Gerritsen's nail-biting suspense and Clive Cussler's vivid settings.

Q--Who was your favorite supporting character in Voice from the Ashes?
A--I definitely had the most fun with Lee Holcomb, ex-judge turned town manager. Like Ian, he was supposed to be someone for Lucy to play off, but he developed into a whole other plot line.

Q--What was the most intriguing aspect of writing Voice?
A--Ian's journey during the eruption. He faced a multitude of emotions in that four day period.


Q--So, how do you determine who'll be the murderer?
A--I try and out with a particular culprit in mind. That way I can mold the clues and red herrings around him or her. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. In the original draft of Voice, there was a whole different antagonist. During the rewrite, he became too unlikely because he was so obvious. Also, with Lucy's part being downplayed, the culprit had to change.


Q--Do you have a 'real' job?
A--I'm living the dream life as a full time writer/editor and publisher. Besides writing mysteries, I've edited/published my own fiction magazine (Characters~Kids' Short Story Outlet) since 2002. I sold its parent magazine PEEKS & valleys in 2003 because I was short on time. I also ghostwrite, right now I'm working on a woman's memoir. I edit novels for three small publishing houses.

Q--How do you feel about Lucy now that you've finished writing the book?
A--When I finished working with her as the main character, I felt it was a good story, but something just didn't feel right. I had no idea what it was. During the rewrite, one of the other characters, Ian Merryweather, a cop wannabe, continually pushed himself to the forefront. I kept telling him to mind his own business. Finally, when I'd gone about a third of the way through the rewrite, I realized Ian was right. My examination of him as a person ended up developing Lucy much further.

Q--Are you working on anything else?
A--I've recently completed two novels. Lethal Dose of Love takes place in another small town--Sackets Harbor, New York. It begins with a woman watching her son, whom she'd given up at birth, grow into a con-man and blackmailer. In a desperate attempt to save her townspeople, she decides to kill him.
The second is A Little Murder where the ill-mannered owner of a fishing charter boat is stabbed to death in the middle of Lake Winnepesaukee, New Hampshire, and his wife's the only suspect.
I'm currently working on a sort of sequel to A Little Murder. In The Bearded Lady, Angie and Val, partners in a catering business, match wits against an unscrupulous iris breeder.