Author’s Choice with CB Wilson

Please welcome CB to Author’s Choice.

Dear readers, here’s where you get to play along. The author will tell us two truths and one lie (ed comment –I randomized the order). At the end of the questions, we’ll reveal what really happened. Remember, we write crime fiction, so lying is in our nature . . .

Two Truths, One Lie

Truth or Lie? I am a gemologist.

Truth or Lie? I ride horses.

Truth or Lie? I am a coffee fanatic.

Eight Quick Questions

Now for some fun insight into today’s author. Here are eight forced choice questions.

1. First draft: longhand, keyboard, or dictation? Keyboard with notes in every margin in red ink, so I don’t miss anything

2. Writing snack: sweet, salty, or "I forget to eat"? Chapters 1-30 salty snack.  I love the popcorn crunch lightly salted. Chapters 31-35. Chocolate and keep it coming.

3. Character names: meticulously researched, stolen from real life, or whatever sounds right. Character names are definitely whatever sounds right. Though I do have a mug that clearly states my position. “Don’t annoy the author or she might put you in a book and kill you.”

4. Writing space: coffee shop chaos, library quiet, or home sweet home? I write best on an airplane with my headset on and water bottles at my feet (and Chocolate). I have been known to book a cross-country or international flight when I push a deadline.

5. Social media for authors: necessary evil, genuine fun, or absolutely not? UGH! I think my most “fun” social media posts were the Diamond Chronicles for the Ice Diamond. This 15-post series documented my research for the Ice Diamond.  Glimmer, the Diamond Dog, also got her chance to critique my work. Don’t you love it when a pupfluencer (Yup, a real thing, and she’s vocal) has something to say about your book?

6. Happy ending, bittersweet, or gut-punch finale? I am a sucker for a happy ending. I love it when all the details are wrapped up in a neat package with a pretty red bow.

7. Deadline approaching: calm and prepared, thriving on adrenaline, or full panic mode? Book the airplane ticket mode for sure…. (No, American Airlines hasn’t paid me for the shoutout)

8. Book launch day: celebrate big, feel quiet relief, or hide under the covers? Celebrate big! It’s party time and my chance to thank all of my supporters, readers, and friends for putting up with my head not in my Mah Jongg game or the bad Pickleball call through the process.

About the Book

Enough about you, let’s turn to three questions about your book.

Q: If your main character in this novel showed up at your door right now, what would be the first thing they'd say to you (and would it be a complaint)?

A. "How about someplace warm for my next adventure?"  I’m positive Glimmer, the Diamond Dog, would bark her agreement as well. I get her testiness, too. Hunter and Glimmer are not cold-weather fans, yet I have sent them to Quebec City in January and St. Charles, MO, to the famous Christmas Traditions celebration the weekend before Christmas.

Q: What's one thing you hope readers take away from this book?

A. An appreciation for the history and beauty of Quebec City. Did you know Canada had a diamond rush in the 1990’s? Think California gold rush kind of action. Diamonds were found, fortunes were made, and an industry was established roughly 30 years ago. Now Canada is the 3^rd largest supplier of diamonds in the world.

Q: What question did you want me to ask, and what is your answer? 

A. What inspired you to write a mystery about diamonds? I take great pleasure in sharing information and experiences. I want readers to learn something and experience something unique in every book I write. I hope my adventure to an Ice Hotel makes everyone smile and ask themselves… would I spend the night in an Ice Hotel?

The Big Reveal

Now let’s see how good a sleuth (or guesser) our readers are. Please reveal all.

The lie is: I am not a coffee fanatic. In fact, I am a tea drinker. One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to experience high tea and sample local tea varieties. 

My love affair with all things sparkly began with a BeDazzler. Yep, I blinged out every jean jacket I owned! Years later, when I moved to Carlsbad, California, and discovered the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), I knew it was a sign. I became a gemologist, turning my fascination with glittering gems into a career. Now I get to weave my knowledge, adventures, and experiences in the diamond world into my mysteries.

Horses are my other lifelong passion. I've owned several over the years and started out competing as an English Hunter/Jumper rider. After moving to Arizona, I traded my English saddle for a Western one and haven't looked back. My next adventure? Mounted shooting! Imagine galloping on horseback, firing a six-shooter at balloons. What could possibly go wrong?

I'll let you in on a little secret: Hunter is the woman I've always wanted to be. Fearless, adventurous, and always ready for a challenge. Through her, I get to live out a few of my wildest dreams—without quite so many bullets flying my way!

Here’s a blurb for and some links where you can find CB's latest:

Book Blurb for The Ice Diamond

Every diamond has a story… This one is colder than betrayal

Taylor Hunter has tracked stolen gems across the globe. She knows thieves, cons, and impossible heists. But she’s never faced a theft from a locked room carved entirely from ice.

When the priceless Ice Diamond vanishes during a glittering gala at Québec City's legendary Hôtel de Glace, Hunter expects a brilliant jewel thief. What she gets is murder, an Olympic “Ice Princess” with a dangerous secret, and clues that point disturbingly close to home.

Luckily, Hunter has Glimmer—a diamond-sniffing dachshund with a genius nose for precious gems and an unfortunate talent for finding trouble.

Together, they race through the frozen streets of Old Québec and follow a trail of clues into an icy labyrinth where someone has been hiding the truth for decades.

Recover the diamond. Catch the killer.

Easy. Except when your father is one of the world's most notorious jewel thieves, nothing is ever simple.

[Paperback]       [eBook] 

Want to know more?

For more information about CB Wilson https://www.cbwilsonauthor.com