Defending Wellton by Kelli Kretzschmar
Mystery – Detective
Date Published: 5/9/2013
Wellton, Arizona. Population 2,864… and falling. Something – or someone – is killing the kids in town, and the Wellton Police Department is called in to investigate the untimely deaths.
Officer Trent Buckley has lived in Wellton since the day he was born, and he’s been trying to get out of the small, dead-end town ever since. Just when he has a shot at a transfer to Tucson, a disturbing case lands in his lap, one that has him working with Yuma Sun reporter – and ex-lover – Sarah Goodwin. Trent is forced to push aside his resentment for Wellton and settle his own personal demons to focus on keeping more kids from dying in his town.
Chief John Walker has lived in Wellton for over thirty years. When kids start getting sick and dying, it takes all his courage to face his own past and solve the case. With the help of his best cop, Officer Buckley, Walker is determined to stop the deaths in his town, and keep them both alive in the process.
As the pair discovers what, or who, is behind the mysterious deaths, will two small-town cops be able to stay alive long enough to put a stop to it before any more kids have to die?
Guest Post
Thanks for stopping by Brooke Blogs to share your novel, Defending Wellton, and this guest post!
Why Book Covers Are So Important
Kelli Kretzschmar
We’ve all heard the adage “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” In its literal sense, this may be true for those people with open minds who like to give an author the benefit of the doubt even though his book cover is crap. However, I’m not one of those people, and I doubt – whether you are aware of it or not – that you are either.
Unless I have previously read the author’s work, or the book has amazing reviews, I usually will look right past a book with a crappy cover design. Why? If the artwork doesn’t capture my attention and intrigue immediately, I subconsciously assume the novel won’t either. Now, you’re saying that’s not fair, and I know. It’s not fair. But if you’re trying to appeal to me, a reader of general fiction, while millions of other fiction authors are trying to do the same thing, then you’ve got to do something amazing with your artwork.
Why are book covers so important?
1. It’s the first experience a reader will have with your book. First impressions matter! It can be the defining factor if a person even takes the time to pick up the novel and read the summary on the back. If you want your book to make a great first impression, then it had better look nice.
2. A quality book cover gives the impression of a quality piece of work that was well thought out and given proper attention. If I’m going to spend my valuable time reading your novel, I want to know that it will be worth it.
3. A well-designed book cover gives the reader a sense of story and general theme. It can be frustrating when a book’s cover has absolutely nothing to do with the story. Also, the cover needs to fit the intended genre and audience. If I am a teenaged male, I probably won’t pick up a book with two people making out on the cover. I will immediately assume it is a romance novel even if the story is a fantasy or sci-fi thriller that I might otherwise enjoy. The design has to fit the genre and audience.
Remember, people do judge books by their covers all the time! So if you’re trying to choose the right cover for your own book, make sure you spend time thinking about what exactly you’re trying to communicate to the reader through your artwork.
About the Author
Kelli Kretzschmar, author of the mystery novel Defending Wellton, researched the novel by visiting Wellton, Arizona, and interviewing several officers of the Wellton Police Department. Kretzschmar says, “I needed to actually experience the feeling of the small town in order to capture Trent’s frustration in feeling stuck there. And speaking with the Wellton Police Department proved invaluable and has given me a lot of material for a second book in the Wellton series.”
Kretzschmar resides in Rancho Santa Margarita, California with her husband and three children. Although this is her first published novel, she says there will be more to come. “Writing is an exciting hobby,” says Kretzschmar. “I have lots of characters in my mind that are ready to come to life on paper. Currently, I’m working on three more novels and expect my next to be released this winter.” When asked to describe what she enjoys most about writing, Kretzschmar states, “There’s a point I get to in the process of writing when the characters just start acting things out on their own, and I’m just there to record it all on paper.”
A full-time Marketing Manager for a high-technology company, Kretzschmar finds time to write between an active schedule of work, family life, and practicing her most recent passion, Krav Maga. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Cal State Long Beach.
Website: www.kellikretzschmar.com
Blog: http://www.kellikretzschmar.com/blog.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KelliKretzschmarAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17985348-defending-wellton
