Five women. Five sublime authors of crime fiction. One stunning book.
Excerpt From Over the Edge
A Jocelyn Rush Story
Lisa Regan
Molly
Five Years Ago
My feet pound along the packed-earth Wissahickon Creek trail. Sweat drips from the
nape of my neck, down the length of my spine, and into the back of my shorts. It beads on my
nose, falling as I run, and turns my hair, pulled tightly into a ponytail, slick and heavy on the
back of my neck.
I’ve been running along this path four times a week for six months, and once every few
times out, I manage to overtake him on the trail. I tried not to notice him, but all that lean muscle
called out to me. I knew he saw me too. Then one day, as I ran past him, I turned and met his
eyes. Blue fire. He smiled. I smiled back. I ran ahead. He followed.
From then on, it’s been a game we play.
This section of the creek trail is called Forbidden Drive. The irony isn’t lost on me the
day something finally happens. The morning is fresh and dewy, sunlight slipping through the
canopy of trees overhead, dappling everything around me. I see his back. Today he is shirtless,
and every muscle in his back and shoulders ripple, glistening with sweat. I run up beside him,
closer this time. When I turn to catch his eye, there is something there that wasn’t before. An
acknowledgment. I see you, those fiery blue eyes seem to say. I know what you want. I run
ahead.
Far ahead but not so far that he loses sight of me. I veer off the trail at a break in the trees, my
feet crushing the brush beneath them. I hear a snapping twig behind me, and I know he’s there.
I stop when I reach a kind of clearing. It’s big enough, private enough. I put my hands
against a tree trunk, leaning over, my breath coming fast and hard from the slightly uphill run
through uneven terrain. He doesn’t talk. Hands grip my hips, digging into the flesh. Hot breath
slides down the nape of my neck. It doesn’t take long. We’re not wearing much to begin with,
and our bodies are already shiny and wet with sweat. Once we’ve both shuddered with
satisfaction, we part ways, wordless.
It happens a few more times after that. No words. No names. Then the winter sets in, and
I turn to the treadmill for my daily jog. Sometimes at night, lying in bed, I close my eyes and
remember how he felt, the way his blue eyes caught me in their snare. I remember the way my
body reacted to the things he did. The risks I took.
I’m glad it’s over. It was only a dream. A kinky fantasy. Fleeting. Gone forever.
I think I won’t ever see him again.
Q&A with Amy Vansant
What is something unique/quirky about you?
I’m incapable of writing anything without adding humor. I’ll come up with the most thrilling, scary story
in my head and by the time I’m done writing it, it’s full of jokes.
Tell us something really interesting that’s happened to you!
I was a freelance writer in high school and college and sent an article to Surfer Magazine about
colleges near waves and they bought it. A week later their East Coast Editor quit and I think I
was the only east coast writer they knew. Next thing I knew, I was East Coast Editor of Surfer
Magazine for five years. Just goes to show you to keep trying — you never know what will fall in
your lap!
Where were you born/grew up at?
Sea Isle City, NJ – a beach town south of Atlantic City and north of Cape May.
What kind of world ruler would you be?
Oh, probably a terrible one. I’m not much of a disciplinarian.
What are you passionate about these days?
My writing. (was that too predictable an answer?)
What do you do to unwind and relax?
Vodka/soda, whiskey/water, wine.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I was very little I wrote Winnie-the-Pooh complete with original drawings. I didn’t know much
about copyright infringement then. But it shows I’ve been writing since I could.
Do you have a favorite movie?
The Philadelphia Story with Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart. The dialog is amazing.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
All of them… I write like a movie. But hey, I’ll accept a Netflix series. I really want to turn my Pineapple
Port mysteries into a series and have Kathy Bates play Darla. That series has a ton of great roles for older
actresses. (No offense Kathy, but you’re not a Spring chicken anymore! ).
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Oscar Wilde.
What inspired you to write this book?
Getting to be a part of this amazing collection of ladies.
Who wouldn’t want to be in a collection with
these authors?
What can we expect from you in the future?
I finish about five books a year. Right now, I’m alternating between my Pineapple Port Mysteries and the
Kilty Series featured in this collection.
How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
My husband and I do a lot of puns and wordplay and somehow, we started talking about Highlanders. (I
think my mother’s obsession with Outlander.) At some point he said “Kilty as Charged” and I thought,
“that would make a good book title.” Next thing you know, I’ve started a whole new series about a
Highlander who’s been whisked to the present and the Hollywood “fixer” he meets and falls in love with
while they solve crimes and fix problems for the studio.
I wanted to do it the reverse of the classic “woman goes back in time and meets sexy Highlander” because
watching Outlander, I couldn’t stand how no one was taking showers. I couldn’t help but think in real life
she’d die of a urinary tract infection in about a week. All that lust and they all had to stink to high heaven.
So I had my lead guy, Brochan, not only come to the future, but almost immediately become obsessed
with showering and shower products, which still cracks me up.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I love how my characters tell me what’s happening. I just write it down.
Who designed your book covers?
Novak Illustration. Steven is an awesome person and talented designer.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
With every book I try to have equal parts humor, thrills and mystery. The comedic thriller is a special
breed of book I don’t think gets enough attention, even though they have a large audience. I’m not talking
parody, I mean thrilling stories that have humor. Janet Evanovich, The Thin Man, Ocean’s Eleven, Baby
Driver, Pulp Fiction, Die Hard — Even Deadpool — these are all thrilling movies that can be serious
(even deadly serious) but also have a good amount of humor. If you like stories like that, you should like
my books.
If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
What the… ? Maybe like Rum and Coke… something sweet and fun but with a bite.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
I don’t plan ahead much at all. It all comes as I go. I’ve been told I’m a “pantser” as opposed to a
“planner.”
Do you see writing as a career?
Yes. Though I’m not sure my bank account does quite yet. I also started AuthorsXP.com, a site for
authors to try and help others market. There are a lot of predators out there trying to take our money and I
wanted to have a safe spot we could all work together to grow.
If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?
Either the Picture of Dorian Gray or The Great Gatsby.
Pen or type writer or computer?
What’s a pen?
What is your writing Kryptonite?
My husband. We work at home together and he’s always up to something he wants me to join in with…
which is adorable but makes it REALLY hard to get anything done. Picture a six-foot-two eight year
old…
