{Blog Tour and Guest Post} Shadowed Seats by Marguerite Ashton (@msashton_writer)

Shadowed Seats
Marguerite Ashton
(Oliana Mercer, #1)
Publication date: August 21st 2017
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult

Synopsis:
Oliana knows that every family has a secret, but she never expected hers to come from the grave.

High school senior Oliana Mercer dreams of attending the prestigious Reyersen Drama Academy and pursuing her acting career. But when tragedy strikes, Oliana discovers secrets hidden from her by her adopted parents, dimming the lights on her perfect world. As the sins of the past surface, Oliana finds herself caught up in a tug-of-war between two families while the love for her boyfriend is tested. Determined to find some form of happiness in life, Oliana becomes student director in the high school’s senior play. When her best friend, Devin Worthy, dies during dress rehearsal, Oliana is re-cast as the lead. Everyone thinks the death was a suicide, except Oliana, whose search for clues may be enough motive for the killer to murder again.

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***Guest Post***

“What got you into writing crime fiction?”

During my two-year attempt at acting, I had the pleasure of meeting actor Dan Lauria. He was a guest speaker at an actor’s workshop held by my agent at the time in Colorado.

If you are not familiar with him, he was the dad on the family show The Wonder Years, and I loved him in it. A while back, I got to see him in a 1988 movie called David. He played the role of a disturbed father, a huge difference compared to his role as the grumpy and caring dad on the show. After the movie was over, I realized how frustrated I’d become watching him play this character. It distorted my view of the guy I looked forward to seeing each week.

Once I’d gotten over that the movie was based on a true story, I told myself that Dan Lauria was doing his job as an actor. He’d honed his craft. That was one of the moments that helped me decide that acting wasn’t for me. I wanted to be behind the camera and write crime fiction. The similarities in each artist’s performance, whether it is on screen or paper, are meant to touch an audience. But to make any of it real, I had to prioritize my writing.

My first crime fiction book was Promised Lies. Book two is Her Final Watch. Writing crime fiction takes me on a whole new journey. Especially when I have to write 83,000 words. The best part for me is creating a world for my detective. Learning how she communicates her feelings for any case she is working. To develop relationships. The people that surround her at work or at the scene of a crime, is the person a friend, an enemy, a victim, or a killer?

***Author Bio***

When Marguerite Ashton was in her twenties, she took up acting but realized she preferred to work behind the camera, writing crime fiction. A few years later, she married an IT Geek and settled down with her role as wife, mom, and writer!