Yesterday morning (3/11) around 10 AM the earth shook under me. I was lying in bed, watching the news on CNN, when my two cocker spaniels, Biscuit and Simon, started to bark for apparently no reason. One second later, the earthquake struck. It didn’t last long, only a few moments, but it was enough to frighten me to death. I darted outside in time to see the water in my pool make waves. And then it was over. Wow, scary. The scariest part is how earthquakes strike without notice. It was a beautiful, sunny day, with sparkling blue skies and palm trees fluttering in a very light breeze. It was, in other words, as close as a day can get to paradise. And then, the shaking. And then, paradise again. And today is another paradise day. Till the next quake. That’s what life is in Southern California. Nothing one can do about it.

On a different note, I’d like to talk about a fabulous thriller: Cat by Veronica Bains. It was just published (March 4th, 2013) I read an advance copy (Ms Bains and I have the same publisher, Moonleaf Pubishing, LLC.) What struck me the most about this book–besides the fast pace and the multidimensional, intriguing characters–is the fact that the reader works her/his way through the story alongside the victim, a likable, young, exploited  illegal immigrant named Alicia Gomez. Not many thrillers take this approach. As a consequence, there’s a lot more in “Cat” than a cat-and-mouth game or a police procedural. Ms Bains brings in issues (illegal immigration, the exploitation of working women) that are  socially relevant, current, and important. The heroine, Alicia Gomez, is stubborn, courageous, and lovely. Her detective pals, Carlos and George, are funny and engaging. Their sarcastic, pungent humor next to the horrors of serial killings will entangle you and you won’t be able to put the book down. For sale on amazon.com, bn.com and everywhere books are sold. “Cat” also has a lovely website: http://www.catthethriller.com. Enjoy!