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Wednesday, July 18, 2007

The Winning Entry

On Monday, I announced the winner of the Got Character? contest. Julia Johnson submitted an intriguing character by the name of Toby Jo Cartwright. I figured I'd take a little time tonight to tell you a little bit about the character and why I thought this was the best of the bunch.

The character of Toby Jo Cartwright owns a car dealership and car repair service station called Trustie's Cars and Repairs. As submitted by Ms. Johnson, TobyJo is a great mechanic and graduated at the top of her class in the vocational school. Despite being steered into high society activities by her wealthy family, she managed to break free and start doing her own thing. Much like Rona Shively, she doesn't take any crap from anyone.

To watch TobyJo at work, no one would know that she had been in and won several beauty pageants by the age of sixteen. She is six feet tall and model thin with stawberry blonde hair which she had symbolically chopped off so that it was easier to keep tucked into her work hat. She has crystal green eyes, a soft, smooth voice and and a girlish giggle that gives her femininity away. She has a sense of confidence that helps her succeed in a business that is generally dominated by men. Although she can hold her own as a mechanic, she still knows how to turn on the charm when she's walking customers through her showroom and trying to sell them cars. She's earned the respect of her employees by being fair, honest and forthwright.

I think this character will be a good fit for the Rona Shively books and I look forward to adding her into the mix. I plan on having Rona shop for a new vehicle as she travels back to Nevada in the fourth book. I'm not sure yet whether or not this will be the first time she has met Toby, but I'm sure that they will get along great.

Thanks to Julia for this wonderful character idea. It was clear that she enjoyed writing this description as much as I enjoyed reading it.

Until next time...

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A Little Bit of Mystery: Short Mysteries to Confuse and Amuse

Where I've Been...

Listen to my interview on the Jeffery S. Miller show.

Listen to my interview on Calling All Authors.

Listen to my interview on the Let's Just Talk w/Kathryn Raaker.

Listen to my interview on Radio Free Baxter.

Where I'll Be...

After a short break in the summer, I'll be at the following locations:

8/11/09 Allen Park Public Library, Allen Park, MI 6:30 p.m.

Looking for something entertaining for your library or bookstore patrons? Looking for a fun way to spend a couple of hours? Do you love mysteries? Then you need to schedule a Tea & Mystery event for your library or bookstore! The fee is minimal and the presentation is fun and informative! Attendees will be given the chance to win great prizes and share their thoughts about the mystery genre and their favorite mystery writers!

E-mail me today at lonestoryteller@yahoo.com for details on how to set up your Tea & Mystery event!

Books by Rebecca Benston

Reviews for Rebecca Benston

“You'll find yourself looking forward to more stories from the files of Rona Shively.”

Michelle Shealy, Reviewer for MyShelf.com

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“Rebecca Benston has written a detective with plenty of suspense…I hope there will be a sequel…”

Annick, Reviewer for Euro-Reviews

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“The story is good, the plotting great. Rebecca Benston draws you into the story from the first page. Read the book.”

Lucille P. Robinson, An Alternative Read

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“Rebecca Benston’s twists, turns, and descriptions are utterly engaging.”

Tracy, Fallen Angel Reviews

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“In The Wash is like a 1930’s film noir detective story that had a modern, edgy twist and a female lead.”

Janet Davies, Once Upon a Romance Reviews

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“Under Lock and Key is an enjoyable, fun book! Rona Shively is a delightful character. I loved her off-beat, quirky personality and her outstanding sense of humor.”

Connie Harris, MyShelf.com

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“Talented author Rebecca Benston shows the reader just how complicated life can get suddenly and how people you thought you knew, aren't who you thought they were.”

Anne K. Edwards, Mysteryfiction.net