Guest Post: Naima Simone, And the World May Never Know…

I’m excited to introduce my first guest post, as penned by Naima Simone, author of Secrets and Sins: Gabriel.

Naima is a fellow Entangled author and Secrets and Sins: Gabriel is her first Entangled release. She has another due later this year.

When I asked Naima how long she’d been writing for, she sent me this response:

“Technically, my first book ever published was in the third grade. It was about a cucumber named Fred who went to the bookstore–complete with illustrations. My school bound it and printed it out! But I’m guessing what you’re really referring to is my first book released from a real publisher, which was Sweet Ultimatum published in 2009 with Ellora’s Cave Publishing. It’s an erotic contemporary–a reunion story–with suspense elements. It will always have a special place in my heart!”

In this post, Naima explains her love of mystery. Thanks for visiting!

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And the World May Never Know…

I believe I can attribute my love of mysteries and suspense to my grandmother.

Now some might call it nosiness, but she had a thirst for secrets, details, and knowledge. Like one time I spent the night at her house, and woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Suddenly, a gun shot rang out. I dropped to the floor, my heart in my throat. It’d come from outside, but bullets strayed! Ask Tupac! Anyway, I was splayed out on the hall floor that led to the living room. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow move. It separated from the heavier darkness in the room and inched closer and closer toward the window. After a couple of moments I realized that creeping shadow was my grandmother! Silent as a wraith, she tugged back the curtain and curved her body at an impossible angle to peer out the slit she’d made! I mean, the woman was flex-i-ble! Several seconds of shock—and admiration—passed. Seriously, I wish I could’ve bent my torso and hips like that, and I was in color guard! But then it hit me! Really?? This woman was willing to take a bullet just to see what was going on outside! Now she could’ve either been phenomenally nosey…or a super sleuth.

For the sake of this blog I’m going with sleuth.

So I’ve come by my enjoyment of mysteries and suspense naturally. When I was younger Encyclopedia Brown was my boy! He was so cool! It could’ve been because he was the first—and only—white boy I knew—and have known—named Leroy. *shrug* Possible. But honestly I think I loved him because of his deductive reasoning and how he never failed to solve a case. And no matter how I studied the clues, I always ended up having to go to the back of the book and find out who did “the deed” in Idaville! Loved me some Encyclopedia Brown! Then there was Scooby-Doo, Captain Caveman, Josie and the Pussycats. As I grew older, I enjoyed watching Columbo, Sherlock Holmes and documentaries on real mysteries such as the Loch Ness Monster. And of course, books. My favorite authors were, and still are, Linda Howard, Beverly Barton, Lisa Gardner, just to name a few. It’s something about the brilliant and often psychotic thought processes that go into committing the crime, and on the opposite side of the same coin, solving the crime. I love watching the yarn slowly unravel and the layers of clues, deceit and treachery peel back to reveal the truth. Because when it all comes down to it, the pleasure is the search for truth. No matter how terrible, twisted or painful the journey, I keep going because the answers are only hours—or pages—away.

My new release, Secrets and Sins: Gabriel, from Entangled Publishing’s Entangled Suspense line surrounds a mystery. After receiving an anonymous letter, ex-cop and private investigator Leah Bannon reopens a cold case regarding the twenty-year disappearance of her uncle, Richard Pierce. She’s met with resistance from her best friend—and the man she’s been in love with for fifteen years—Gabriel Devlin, who is just as determined to keep the secret from coming to light. But in the shadows lurks another who wants the truth uncovered…and is willing to kill to do it…

MUUUHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!!!

Okay, seriously? You didn’t see that coming? So! What about some famous mysteries? Those that still haven’t been solved? Liiiiike….

1. Where is Jimmy Hoffa buried? – With all the advancements we’ve made in technology, and the time that’s passed since he disappeared, the FBI can’t find him by satellite? Break someone? Can’t make ‘em talk? Where the hell is he??

2. What’s in KFC’s secret recipe? – I’m pretty impressed. I really would’ve thought a family member would have crumpled to monetary pressure by now and spilled the beans on this recipe. Espionage, people. Ever heard of it?

3. Who was Jack the Ripper? – I’ve just come to the conclusion the authorities and historians are not going to figure this one out. He’s been profiled, documented, analyzed, and made famous in literature and movies. And we STILL don’t know who he is. They so need Encyclopedia Brown on the case…

4. Atlantis – Did it exist, and if so what happened to make it sink into the ocean? I choose to believe it did…just because. And while I’m apt to accept Sherilyn Kenyon’s explanation of what occurred (you shoulda treated Acheron better!!), I don’t think scientists do. So what’s the deal? Earthquake? Tsunami? Rebellion about Firefly’s cancellation? The world may never know…

5. Who Shot J.R.? – I have never—I repeat—NEVER accepted J.R.’s mistress shot him. How weak was that? Almost as terrible as finding Bobby in the shower, alive and kicking! So who really shot J.R.? Again, a mystery we’ll never uncover…unless there’s a dream montage on the Dallas remake that will answer this question once and for all…

Aaaand….

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop???

‘Cause it doggone sure doesn’t take 3!!

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Thank you, Naima.

Secrets and Sins: Gabriel is available through all the usual outlets. Click through to read my review on GoodReads. 🙂