Darynda Jones and Charley Davidson celebrate Mother’s Day
As our last author insight into Mother’s Day, we have the fantastic Darynda Jones talking about how family and love tie into her Charley Davidson series . . .
I’m thrilled to be here today! Thank you for having me. And what a wonderful topic!
The Charley Davidson books may seem like a series about a female private investigator who was born the grim reaper. Well, they are, but they are much more than that. At the heart of the series is a very strong familial core, familial including those very close friends that we all think of as part of the family. Charley’s family, extended and otherwise, are put through the ringer with some of the things that she puts them through, but it comes with the gig. Most don’t know exactly what Charley is, but they do know, and have always known, she is special. And their respect for her supernatural role – a role that often leads to miraculous discoveries even in our world – is shown through their love and acceptance of her.
Most of the time.
There was this one time her sister Gemma heard a sound under her bed and Charley told her it was a departed rock star who was out to steal the toes of children as they slept and Gemma vowed never to speak to her again.
Besides that one little hiccup – and possibly a few dozen others over the years – their bond remains strong. That is what Charley’s world is really about. Her love of people, both alive and dead, and that bond that transcends this world and its physical ties, extending to the other side where mothers wait patiently for their children to join them. Where they look on with pride when their daughters become entrepreneurs, when their sons go back to university, when their grandchildren carry groceries in for their neighbors and give their all when they try out for the soccer team, win or lose.
Mother’s Day is about the magic of the unconditional.
Fifth Grave Past the Light is out now on Piatkus and Piatkus Entice! Sixth Grave on the Edge is out May 20th, 2014!
It’s also about cards made out of glue and construction paper and breakfast in bed, but that’s a Charley story for another time.
Charley Davidson may not look like your everyday, run-of-the-mill grim reaper, but she has vowed to reap grimness wherever she goes despite this unfortunate fact. Sadly, she gets sidetracked when the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, moves in next door. As he is the main suspect in her arson case, she has vowed to stay away from him until she can find out the truth.
However, when dead women start appearing in her apartment - lost, confused and terrified beyond reason - Charley has no choice but to ask for Reyes's help, especially when it becomes apparent that her own sister Gemma is the serial killer's next target. With his ability to observe incorporeally, surely he can find out who's responsible. And even if he can't, he is the one man alive who could protect Gemma no matter who or what came at her. But he wants something in return: Charley. All of her - body and soul. And to keep her sister safe, it is a price she might be willing to pay . . .
