Guest post: a character
interview with Jane Barnaby, the 20th century heroine of Finders Keepers
interview with Jane Barnaby, the 20th century heroine of Finders Keepers
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An only child.
Sorry, that was mean. I actually do love my brother. As a child…a Jedi, I guess? Or a starship pilot, maybe. Yes, we went to see “Star Wars” a dozen times
when it came out, why do you ask?
when it came out, why do you ask?
What are you passionate about these days?
The peoples of the Copper Age in Europe.
Well, my advisor is passionate about that, anyway, and it’s hard not to
get caught up when he really gets going.
Seriously, it actually is really interesting.
The peoples of the Copper Age in Europe.
Well, my advisor is passionate about that, anyway, and it’s hard not to
get caught up when he really gets going.
Seriously, it actually is really interesting.
What are your favorite TV shows?
Star Trek: the Next Generation. Who
doesn’t love Captain Picard? And
Jeopardy. I can usually beat my brother,
because he doesn’t bother to keep up with – well, anything outside of his
engineering classes.
Who should play you in a film?
I don’t remember her name, but the actress who plays the younger sister in
“Mystic Pizza.” The one who ends up
getting seduced by the guy she’s babysitting for. Not that I’m into older guys, but she’s
around my age and she kind of looks like me, so there you go.
I don’t remember her name, but the actress who plays the younger sister in
“Mystic Pizza.” The one who ends up
getting seduced by the guy she’s babysitting for. Not that I’m into older guys, but she’s
around my age and she kind of looks like me, so there you go.
What would we find under your bed?
Oh, God, I’m afraid to look and
find out. Probably dust bunnies the size
of a Rottweiler.
find out. Probably dust bunnies the size
of a Rottweiler.
Tell us about your favorite restaurant.
It’s called Forbidden
City. It’s a Chinese restaurant in
Manhattan, and aside from the food being great, I’m friends with one of the
assistant chefs. She’s so nice. I’ve been trying to set her up with my
father, if he’d ever get a clue.
City. It’s a Chinese restaurant in
Manhattan, and aside from the food being great, I’m friends with one of the
assistant chefs. She’s so nice. I’ve been trying to set her up with my
father, if he’d ever get a clue.
Morning Person? Or Night Person? How do you know?
Night person, totally. My father
says I operate on “college time,” sleep as late as possible, stay up until I
pass out. I can’t really argue with him.
Night person, totally. My father
says I operate on “college time,” sleep as late as possible, stay up until I
pass out. I can’t really argue with him.
What was the scariest moment of your life?
When I saw my father’s face,
the day he came to pick me up at school after my Mom’s car accident. I got called down to the principal’s office,
and Daddy was waiting for me, and as soon as I saw his face, I knew something
horrible had happened. I can’t even
describe it – it was like every negative feeling was showing there, all mixed
together – fear and nausea and anger and a broken heart. And the worst thing was, I could see how he
was trying not to show that, to be brave so I wouldn’t get upset, but he
couldn’t.
the day he came to pick me up at school after my Mom’s car accident. I got called down to the principal’s office,
and Daddy was waiting for me, and as soon as I saw his face, I knew something
horrible had happened. I can’t even
describe it – it was like every negative feeling was showing there, all mixed
together – fear and nausea and anger and a broken heart. And the worst thing was, I could see how he
was trying not to show that, to be brave so I wouldn’t get upset, but he
couldn’t.
That’s something I can’t ever
forget.
forget.
1,400 miles. 3 countries. 2 men
she can’t trust. What could go wrong?
she can’t trust. What could go wrong?
It should have been a simple job. All archaeology student
Jane Barnaby had to do was pick up a box her professor needed and deliver it to
him at his dig site, along with his new car. Yes, his office was in
Oxfordshire, and his dig site was in Spain, a trip of 1,400 miles across three
countries and two bodies of water. Still, it should have been simple.
Jane Barnaby had to do was pick up a box her professor needed and deliver it to
him at his dig site, along with his new car. Yes, his office was in
Oxfordshire, and his dig site was in Spain, a trip of 1,400 miles across three
countries and two bodies of water. Still, it should have been simple.
And it was, until Jane discovered she picked up
the wrong box by mistake. Not the one with boring pottery samples, but instead
the one with priceless ancient Egyptian artifacts. The one that a team of
international art thieves is after.
Now she’s chasing – and being chased by – the
thieves. And she’s picked up a pair of passengers who claim they can help her
outwit them, get her professor’s pottery back and return the artifacts to their
rightful owner. If only she could figure out which one of them is working with
the thieves and which one she can trust in this high-stakes game of finders
keepers.
Buy Link for Finders Keepers http://amzn.to/1SvMIHM
Excerpt Finder Keepers
Jane stood
there, in the middle of the impromptu dance floor that the nearly-empty
restaurant had become, frozen in place.
She stared out the window while Alex stared at her, nearly identical
expressions of shock on both their faces.
there, in the middle of the impromptu dance floor that the nearly-empty
restaurant had become, frozen in place.
She stared out the window while Alex stared at her, nearly identical
expressions of shock on both their faces.
He still
held her hand, his other arm around her waist.
Without really thinking about what she was doing, she pulled away,
turned towards the door.
held her hand, his other arm around her waist.
Without really thinking about what she was doing, she pulled away,
turned towards the door.
“Jane?”
She didn’t
hear him, took no notice of him at all until he reached out and grabbed her
wrist. She snapped at him without
turning her head. “Let go! Somebody’s breaking into my car!” His grip was no match for the adrenaline
suddenly coursing through her, and she ripped free from his grasp. Jane was out the door and halfway through the
hotel lobby before the first dissenting thought made itself heard. You’re
losing your mind. Breaking into your
car? Seriously?
hear him, took no notice of him at all until he reached out and grabbed her
wrist. She snapped at him without
turning her head. “Let go! Somebody’s breaking into my car!” His grip was no match for the adrenaline
suddenly coursing through her, and she ripped free from his grasp. Jane was out the door and halfway through the
hotel lobby before the first dissenting thought made itself heard. You’re
losing your mind. Breaking into your
car? Seriously?
She didn’t
stop running, but she did address the rebellious voice in her head. She reminded it that car theft didn’t only
happen in the Bronx. There were car
thieves everywhere, even in Paris. She
also reminded the disbelieving voice that it wasn’t her car, that its true
owner would have her head on a plate if anything happened to it.
stop running, but she did address the rebellious voice in her head. She reminded it that car theft didn’t only
happen in the Bronx. There were car
thieves everywhere, even in Paris. She
also reminded the disbelieving voice that it wasn’t her car, that its true
owner would have her head on a plate if anything happened to it.
That
probably wasn’t true. It was hard to
picture Professor Welldon calling for anybody’s head, for any reason. In four months, she’d never seen him get
angry. On the other hand, letting his
brand-new car get stolen on her watch might be the thing to do it. Better not to find out.
probably wasn’t true. It was hard to
picture Professor Welldon calling for anybody’s head, for any reason. In four months, she’d never seen him get
angry. On the other hand, letting his
brand-new car get stolen on her watch might be the thing to do it. Better not to find out.
Jane didn’t
feel the cold when she got outside, even though she’d left her coat back in the
restaurant. She barely noticed it when
she stepped into a slushy puddle and her shoe filled with icy liquid. All her senses were focused ahead, on the car,
and the man who was – what else could he possibly be doing? – trying to steal
it.
feel the cold when she got outside, even though she’d left her coat back in the
restaurant. She barely noticed it when
she stepped into a slushy puddle and her shoe filled with icy liquid. All her senses were focused ahead, on the car,
and the man who was – what else could he possibly be doing? – trying to steal
it.
She reached
her parking spot, panting, and for a fraction of a second she was relieved to
see it there: one Land Rover Discovery, Series I, in chromatic blue, five
doors. Her relief fled as soon as she
noticed what wasn’t there: a rear window.
her parking spot, panting, and for a fraction of a second she was relieved to
see it there: one Land Rover Discovery, Series I, in chromatic blue, five
doors. Her relief fled as soon as she
noticed what wasn’t there: a rear window.
That wasn’t
precisely true, she realized. The glass
that had made up the window still existed.
But it was no longer part of the car.
It was spread all around, some crunching beneath her feet, some in
chunks fallen into the back of the vehicle.
precisely true, she realized. The glass
that had made up the window still existed.
But it was no longer part of the car.
It was spread all around, some crunching beneath her feet, some in
chunks fallen into the back of the vehicle.
The empty back of the vehicle.
And then
she took a good look at the man, the one she’d spotted from the
restaurant. He wasn’t much to look at,
truth be told. Skinny, a puffy parka
that didn’t suit him at all, bad teeth.
He faced Jane, but he wasn’t looking at her. His eyes were focused beyond her, at what –
or whom – she neither knew nor cared.
What she did care about was the screwdriver clutched in his hand.
she took a good look at the man, the one she’d spotted from the
restaurant. He wasn’t much to look at,
truth be told. Skinny, a puffy parka
that didn’t suit him at all, bad teeth.
He faced Jane, but he wasn’t looking at her. His eyes were focused beyond her, at what –
or whom – she neither knew nor cared.
What she did care about was the screwdriver clutched in his hand.
Now he was
talking. Shouting, really. Pointing wildly over Jane’s shoulder, and
shouting. Jane couldn’t distinguish his
words, though. The sound of her heart
beating, the roar of the blood rushing through her veins, drowned his voice
out. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t
tell what he was saying. What could he say? The screwdriver was obviously his tool of
choice for lockpicking. Equally
obviously it hadn’t done him any good.
He’d given up almost immediately, and resorted to smashing the window. Did he have any idea that he might have
smashed her career to pieces, too?
talking. Shouting, really. Pointing wildly over Jane’s shoulder, and
shouting. Jane couldn’t distinguish his
words, though. The sound of her heart
beating, the roar of the blood rushing through her veins, drowned his voice
out. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t
tell what he was saying. What could he say? The screwdriver was obviously his tool of
choice for lockpicking. Equally
obviously it hadn’t done him any good.
He’d given up almost immediately, and resorted to smashing the window. Did he have any idea that he might have
smashed her career to pieces, too?
About the Author:
J.J. (James) Dibenedetto’s fans would swear he’s got a sixth
sense when it comes to seeing into the minds of others and often wonder if his
stories could possibly be fiction. He enjoys suspending disbelief with
suspenseful paranormal tales that are a perfect blend of reality meets fantasy.
sense when it comes to seeing into the minds of others and often wonder if his
stories could possibly be fiction. He enjoys suspending disbelief with
suspenseful paranormal tales that are a perfect blend of reality meets fantasy.
His popular Dream Series continues to delight
readers with each and every exciting installment.
Born in Yonkers, New York, he currently resides
in Arlington Virginia with his beautiful wife and a cat he is sure has taken
full advantage of its nine lives. When it comes to the cat, he often wonders,
but then again it might just be his imagination.
You can contact James at
Website: http://www.writingdreams.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JJDiBenedetto
Sounds fascinating! I can feel the icy water in her shoe.
Thanks!
Oh, this excerpt is tempting me. Thank you for the post and introduction to a fine author. Have to check this out!