A TYPICAL WRITING DAY
What is a typical writing day like for you?
Most days, whether I’m getting ready to start a book or already writing one, are about research. I always strive for accuracy in my portrayals of the characters, places, and events. In Death by the River, my medical background helped tremendously with the telling of Beau Devereaux’s descent into madness. Nursing also taught me to research my butt off. And that, too, has carried over to my writing. I often find myself stopping in the middle of a story to check a fact or description of a place to make sure it is accurate. I live in New Orleans, one of the most written about cities in the world, but checking websites and looking at pictures or webcams of Bourbon Street does not give you the subtle nuances that make up a city. You must immerse yourself in all the senses. The sights, sounds, tastes, and experiences of the people who live there. I do not mean you have to travel, but do your homework on a city or setting. To engage the reader, they need to feel they are there. Also, when I am writing, I never stick to an outline. I let the story take me where it wants to go, which is where the characters want to go. I don’t get bogged down in storyboards or have anything on my walls outlining a tale. The most I ever have is sticky notes taped to one of the two laptops I use when I write. When I am deep in a story, I try to remain focused for most of the day and night on it. I want to hurry and get down the first parts coming to me. Putting it all together and smoothing out the kinks can wait until editing. The story is what is important first. So, my days are either consumed with editing, writing a book, or researching aspects of it. And many times, I will find while I’m working on one novel, another pops into my head. I am always deep into my stories. The rest of a typical day includes feeding and taking care of the menagerie of animals I have rescued, some of who watch (not always quietly) while I write.
Some truths are better kept secret.
Some secrets are better off dead.
Along the banks of the Bogue Falaya River, sits the abandoned St. Francis Seminary. Beneath a canopy of oaks, blocked from prying eyes, the teens of St. Benedict High gather here on Fridays. The rest of the week belongs to school and family—but weekends belong to the river.
And the river belongs to Beau Devereaux.
The only child of a powerful family, Beau can do no wrong. Handsome. Charming. Intelligent. The star quarterback of the football team. The “prince” of St. Benedict is the ultimate catch.
He is also a psychopath.
A dirty family secret buried for years, Beau’s evil grows unchecked. In the shadows of the ruined St. Francis Abbey, he commits unspeakable acts on his victims and ensures their silence with threats and intimidation. Senior year, Beau sets his sights on his girlfriend’s headstrong twin sister, Leslie, who hates him. Everything he wants but cannot have, she will be his ultimate prize.
As the victim toll mounts, it becomes crystal clear that someone has to stop Beau Devereaux.
And that someone will pay with their life.
WARNING: Readers of Death by the River will encounter situations of violence and sexual abuse which could be upsetting.
Praise for DEATH BY THE RIVER
“… a thrilling psychological work … Catching the current vogue of teen psycho and revenge tales like Bates Motel and 13 Reasons Why … a horrifically brilliant book … Beau Devereaux could have easily been a clichéd psycho, but the plot constructed around him and his development during the novel really shone as a masterpiece of character creation … much in the style of Dexter or Hannibal.” ―K.C. Finn, Multi-Award-Winning Author
“Rare is the story that simmers and rises to a boil so naturally and constantly that the reader manages to be repeatedly shocked … a full-speed rollercoaster that doesn’t slow down until the final page. Employing an evocative setting, powerfully defined characters, and taking along hard look at the darker side of human desire, this novel will catch your breath and hold it until the very end. RECOMMENDED” ―Michael Radon, US Review
“While the authors have written a chilling story here, there’s more to Death by the River than thrills. It’s actually a fascinating study into the effects of good and bad parenting on children. Do it badly and parents, children and society as a whole pay the consequences. This book is not just an exciting read; it’s a sobering one.” ―Viga Boland, Retired high school English teacher and Author of No Tears for my Father: Viga’s true story of incest
“While the story follows compelling characters, it also plunges readers into an intriguing setting. It is ironical that the horrors are taking place along the river that runs so close to a seminary, an establishment that should evoke a powerful sense of God and reverence for life. The characters are sophisticated and readers will learn to honestly hate the villain of the story — he is well imagined and developed with skill. In a subtle way, the authors allow his crooked mind to reveal itself. Like most serial killers, he is a charmer and an intelligent young man, but beneath the cool surface is a cauldron of simmering evil. Weis and Astor have written a riveting crime tale with strong psychological underpinnings. Death by the River is ingeniously plotted, written in gorgeous prose, and featuring a strong conflict that propels the narrative forward. The suspense intensifies as the story moves on, with the reader always feeling as though something awful could happen at any moment, and this feeling grows in intensity until the explosive climax. A real thriller!” ―Romuald Dzemo, Readers’ Favorite
“A suspense-filled thriller steeped in equal parts atmosphere, insanity, and revenge.” ―Mary Ting, Award-Winning Author of ISAN: International Sensory Assassin Network
“Weis and Astor have created something so dark, edgy, and gritty, it will stay with you long after you close the book.” ―Julieanne Lynch, Dragon Award Finalist: Horror (2018)
“… a crime thriller that pulls readers into the twisted mind of the protagonist and holds them engaged till the exhilarating finish. The writing is flawless … Death by the River is psychologically engaging, emotionally rich, and utterly absorbing.” ―Christian Sia
Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, CRRN, ONC, PhD, is a multi award-winning author of over twenty-five novels, a screenwriter, ICU Nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable. A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured animals. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans. Weis writes paranormal, suspense, thrillers, horror, crime fiction, and romance.
Lucas Astor, Lucas Astor is from New York, has resided in Central America and the Middle East, and traveled through Europe. He lives a very private, virtually reclusive lifestyle, preferring to spend time with a close-knit group of friends than be in the spotlight. He is an author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but right next door behind a smiling face.
Weis and Astor’s first collaboration was the multi-award-winning Magnus Blackwell Series.
WEBSITE: http://www.
TWITTER: @alexandreaweis
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—Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter
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in the Middle Ages because this period fascinates me
I would live in the WWII era because that’s the era my parents and in laws we born/grew up in.
I would love to “visit” not actually permantly live in the 1920s. Such a cool era, before the depression of course.
Probably the Tudor/Elizabethan period, although knowing my luck I’d be a sickly peasant in a hovel rather than one of the ladies of Court. It was such an intense time of discovery and achievements.
I would live in the 1960’s.
I would like to live in the 1860’s. It seemed like a much more simple way of life.
I would live in today’s world because of the medical and technological advances.
I would choose 1920s in the US!
Probably the 80s or 70s, seems chill
This book sounds like an awesome read.
Actually after WWII…OR current time minus a few politicians!
I would live in teh 50’s because of all the good music and fashion
I would like to live in Regency England, because it was a very interesting time period.
The 1920s, I love the fashion
I don’t like the era we live in now simply because we are so consumed with social media. I’d like to live in the 1920’s. The fashion and glitz for both men and women seemed so exciting. The people in that era weren’t busy taking photo after photo of themselves.
Regency England but not sure how long I could stand wearing the corsets.
I’d like to visit many times from the past and future, but I think I want to live right here.
It’s a time of great opportunity, and its where my wonderful family is and I don’t want to leave them.
I’d like to live in the early 1900s when electricity and other modern conveniences became common, yet the “old” ways of life were still cherished.
Great question. Every period has so many down sides (lesser medical knowledge or treatments available, fewer opportunities for women, harsher treatment for animals) what I would really like to do is live now, only younger. I would love to be in my mid twenties with the opportunities available to young writers–so many mediums now! And to be an activist now, as a twenty something woman as opposed to a fifty something woman–how exciting and hopeful that you might live to see things turn around.
I would say the 40’s or 50″s. Things seemed much simpler back then
I enjoy living in this current day and age.
Maybe the 50s because of the fashion and music and simplicity.
The 50s because of the fashion and music and times were simpler.
I would live in the 80s and 90s.
I would like to live in the 1950’s. It seemed like a family oriented decade.
I would choose the late 1800s or early to mid 1900s because I love the elegance, fashion and wholesomeness of that time period.
I would have enjoyed living in the 1920’s.
Lots of dancing fun,
thank you
The 1990s because it was a care-free time!
Thanks for the great giveaway!
Not sure 🙂
I would just go back to the good times of the 80’s. Had so much fun!