It’s been a pretty good year for me. My eighth Joe DeMarco political thriller, House Odds, was released in July 2013, the ninth DeMarco, House Reckoning, is coming out in July 2014, and I’ve just started a new series with a female protagonist named Kay Hamilton. The first book in the new series is called Rosarito Beach. I wrote this book under the name M. A. Lawson, and it’s being released December 31, 2013.
In Rosarito Beach, Kay is working for the DEA and gets into a jam involving a Mexican drug cartel and the book has received great advance reviews from two authors I really admire: Jeffery Deaver and Lisa Scottoline. Deaver said: “Rosarito Beach grabs you by the throat ten seconds after you’ve settled into your easy chair for a read,” and Scottoline said: ”I loved this riveting thriller, which launches a new star in crime fiction, the tough-minded and tough-talking Kay Hamilton, a renegade who welcomes risk and doesn’t play well with others.” I should add that Rosarito Beach has been optioned for television, which is a first for me and very exciting.
The funny thing about Rosarito Beach is that I didn’t want to write another series. I wanted to write a few stand-alone books. I’ve really enjoyed writing the DeMarco books and I like the D.C. stage for the DeMarco series. Washington, D.C. is a target-rich environment for a writer, and the DeMarco books have been well received by the critics, nominated for awards, and one (House Blood) garnered an award for best mystery by a Northwest author.
But the problem with any series is that it limits what you can write. What I mean by that is, a series constrains the author by having a certain permanent cast of characters, and the abilities, occupations, and personalities of those character means there are certain stories you can’t write. So often times, I’ll get what I think is a good idea for a novel but it won’t fit with the general theme of the DeMarco books and I’ll have to pass on the idea.
Which is how Rosarito Beach came to be: I had an idea for a novel involving a strong female protagonist and the news at the time was filled with the savage drug violence in Mexico. Researching Rosarito Beach took me to the Mexican border region, the brig at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, and to the federal lockup in San Diego – then, to my delight, (Penguin-Blue Rider Press) loved the Kay Hamilton character and asked me to write a second book with the same character. In other words, to start a new series. Now I can only hope that readers will like Kay Hamilton as much as they’ve liked DeMarco.
There’s more information about all the DeMarco books and Rosarito Beach on my website: mikelawsonbooks.com, and I always welcome emails from readers if they have questions or comments on the books.
Last, I just want to say thanks to Dru Ann for allowing me to post on her blog. I’m very grateful that she gave me this opportunity.
More about Rosarito Beach, a Kay Hamilton mystery
Bold, brash, and beautiful, Kay Hamilton is not your average DEA agent—she’s as infuriating as she is irresistible. Having recently been transferred to San Diego after a case in Miami brought her more notoriety than medals, Kay once again finds herself embroiled in an international bust. Tito Olivera, younger brother of drug czar Caesar Olivera, is within her grasp. If she takes down Tito, Kay is positive that Caesar will follow—and when Caesar falls, so does the largest and most vicious cartel in Mexico. But when a mysterious stranger shows up on her doorstep, all of Kay’s carefully laid plans are thrown out the window. The Olivera case suddenly becomes far more personal—not to mention dangerous—and Kay must be willing to sacrifice everything to get her man.Rosarito Beach is an explosive, action-packed thriller that will have readers on the edge of their seats until the final moments of the epic conclusion.
You can read more about Kay in Rosarito Beach, the first book in the “Agent Kay Hamilton” mystery series, published by Blue Rider Press. Books are available at retail and online booksellers.
GIVEAWAY: Comment on this post by noon EST on December 28, and you will be entered for a chance to win a copy of Rosarito Beach. One winner will be chosen at random. Unless specified, U.S. entries only.
Meet the author
Mike Lawson has published eight political thrillers. The Inside Ring, House Secrets, House Divided, and House Blood were all nominated for the Barry Award. House Blood won the 2013 Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award. House Rules was a Nancy Pearl Pick and House Justice was called “a perfect political thriller” by Library Journal. His eighth novel, House Odds, released July 2013, received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly. Mike is also beginning a new series writing as M. A. Lawson, and the first book in the series, Rosarito Beach, is being released by Penguin in December 2013. Prior to turning to writing full time, Mike was a nuclear engineer employed by the Navy and he lives in the Northwest.
Thank you for writing books that I love…thrillers with lots of action, have mystery, politics and has people that are both strong and interesting. I can hardly wait for “Rosarita Beach”, the storyline sounds great.
This book sounds like a good read.
I like kick-butt heroines! She sounds like one.
Wow this book sounds like it will have me sitting on the edge of my seat and biting my fingernails! Thanks for a new series! Would love to be entered in the giveaway.
Count me in! I love riveting thrillers and this one promises to deliver!
This book sounds great, would love to win it
Debbie, Jan, Mercy, Gram, Sharon, and Carletta: I just crawled out of bed here in Seattle – I’m usually up by five and writing but had a late night last night which is unusual for me. Anyway, good morning and thanks for your interest in Rosarito Beach. So far it’s been getting good reviews on places like Goodreads, got a starred review in Library Journal – so at least a few people liked the book and I’m hoping you will, too. As I’ve told a lot of people, the book has also been optioned for television which basically means that a couple producers liked it and hopefully one day a series will be made from the book. If you do read it, you can also drop me a comment at my website. Mike
Sounds like a book I’d really enjoy. I’ve added it to my book list and will be on the lookout for it. Thanks for the heads up!
Jane, thanks and the book’s available at all the usual places on line like Amazon and Barnes and Noble, but if you get the chance get one from your local independent bookseller. We gotta keep those guys in business. By the way, I’m waiting to hear back from my editor on the second Kay Hamilton book and the idea for that one came from an article I read in the NY Times about lithium reserves in Afghanistan. I know that must sound weird, but ideas come from strange places.
Sorry to say that I have not read one of Mike’s books for quite some time, but the ones that my husband and I have read were great. Looking forward to some new and exciting chapters as described in the blog comments. Our two oldest grandchildren (6 and 10) wanted gift cards from bookstores as one of their gifts and with parents and grandparents who have tons of books around, they are book lovers too, which we feel is great. Even our 2-1/2 year old loves her books, and “reads” to us so she is not far behind with collecting her own books too.
Will be heading to the bookstore soon and will be picking up Rosarito Beach. Would have loved to have been the winner of it on Goodreads, but no luck there in many many months. Unfortunately, we have only one independent book seller in our area and that is about 30 miles or more away, so it ends up with us buying our books online or at the closer Barnes and Nobel. Wish we did have more small bookstores, but we don’t.
Thank you for the chance to win a book and Happy new Year to you.
Cynthia
Cynthia, mention of your grandkids reminds me of one thing I’ve learned in the book business: Never, ever attend a book signing with an author that writes children’s books. I went to an event one time with five or six other authors, all in different genres, and one of the authors produced beautifully illustrated kiddy books. The audience was mostly middle aged women – forty or fifty of them – and they ALL had grandkids. This author just killed that day. I even bought one of her books for my nieces’s kids, my grandnephews. Anyway, hope you get a chance to read Rosarito Beach.
I have never read of his books but since I love that genre, I will probably become a fan! Thank you for the chance to win this book!
Carol, hope you do win the book.
Wow, this sounds like one that I won’t be able to put down. Thanks for the chance to win.
One of the enjoyable things about writing Rosarito Beach was the research, which included a trip to San Diego to check out the border region, the federal lock-up in downtown San Diego and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton – I had to see the brig on the base. One of things I most enjoyed was talking to a federal judge who’s also a friend and learning about warrants and such. He surprised me when he told me the Patriot Act is probably used more against drug dealers than terrorists. Anyway, as with other books I’ve written, the research was part of the fun. The only bad thing about the research trip was I was really looking forward to visiting San Diego in January where the weather’s usually great – but the week I visited it rained from the minute I got off the plane and didn’t stop raining until I got back on a plane to return home to rainy Seattle.
I like strong female characters in books that I read—this one sounds good.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Well, Sue, I really hope you like the character. And maybe I should give you a little more background on how I came to write the book. There’s a TV producer who really likes the Emma character in my DeMarco novels – Emma being a really strong female character. The producer suggested I work on a made-for-TV thriller with a female protagonist but instead I ended up writing Rosarito Beach. I’ve had people ask me: is it hard to get inside the head of a female character and the answer I give is: not really. Like most male authors, I have female characters in my books and I give the character – in my head – a personality,a background, a point of view, a set of skills – and the actions and dialogue come out of that personality. I don’t try to write in a “female voice” – I assume that all females are different – not all females are maternal – not all females are “girly” – they all have different approaches to situations based on their life experience and that experience is what dictates the character’s voice. Now, all I can do, since the book is published, is hope that female readers will like the character. (I know based on most the comments I’ve seen on Goodreads, that most readers, so far, seem to approve of the job I did with Kay)
I must add this series to my TBR list!
Thanks, Lisa, glad to hear it. And I have to thank Dru Ann again for getting the word out on the book. By the way, I’m guessing, base on the time of the above posts, most people who commented live on the east coast or in the EST zone. In case you happen to be coming out west in January, check out my website for the signing dates. In addition to the Seattle area, I’ll be in San Diego, Phoenix, and Houston.
I can’t wait to read it.
Sounds as if this series will get my adrenaline up and running.
Contest is closed.