Glad to Meet You!
Hi! I’m Marie Jessica Goodrich, the female protagonist in Karen Randau’s new book, Into the Fog. My dad gave me the nickname MJ when I was a kid, and it stuck. I’m excited Karen let me out of her active imagination and gave me a staring role in the first book in her Peach Blossom Romantic Suspense Series. Karen tells me each book in the series will feature the love story of a different couple and the dangers they face together as they lean on their faith and each other.
Where I Live and Work
My parents grew up together in the little farming community of Peach Blossom, Oklahoma—not far from Tahlequah, which is the home of the Cherokee Nation, and that tidbit plays a role in Into the Fog. Mom and Dad moved to Phoenix when my dad finished his MBA and got a job with a major corporation where he worked until the day he died five years ago. Then my mom, a former hippie who loves art and music, returned to her Oklahoma roots and bought a peach orchard. When her memory started failing, my sisters and I agreed that I was in the best position to move and help her manage Peach Blossom Orchard.
Serving My Country
Why not move to Oklahoma, I thought. My sisters have husbands and children, and after an attack in Afghanistan left me unable to bear children, who will want to settle down with me? (You see how that might get complicated since Into the Fog is a romantic suspense novel?) The tragedy in Afghanistan happened on my last day serving with the Army Rangers. I was about to say goodbye to a friend in the nearby village when BAM, a bomb exploded and caught me off guard.
As you might imagine, I was too out of it to get a look at the stranger who pulled me off the rubble, but his scent has haunted me ever since. I figure the memory of that scent launches the flashbacks that plague me. I learn a lot more about that as the story progresses—Karen calls it my character arc.
People often ask why a petite woman like me would join the military, much less the special forces. I guess you could say I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps. He served with the Army Rangers also—back before women were allowed to join. My job was to interview women and children to keep track of terrorists and weapons. After I got out, I finished my MBA like Dad did, and I worked in a Phoenix bank until I pulled up my roots to join Mom in Oklahoma.
About Into the Fog
So far, I only have one friend in Peach Blossom, and man oh man is she a mystery! We run at the crack of dawn every day, and Into the Fog starts this one morning when we part ways at a wall of fog. I hear an accident and my friend pleading. When I rush to help, hands push me off a bridge. She’s gone when I come to my senses. I can’t fail another friend like the one who died in that bombing in Afghanistan, so I’m driven to find her.
What Readers Say
“Challenges, danger, and kidnapping pair up with twists that will leave you breathless. Unputdownable!” ~Roxx
“The characters are well developed with just the right amount of clean romance to keep you wanting for the characters more with each page.” ~Carlyle
“One of Randau’s strengths is her use of unique ingredients to whip up an exciting yet inspirational read.” ~Robyn
Into the Fog is available in both paperback and e-book versions on Amazon, and it’s free to read on Kindle Unlimited. I hope to see you between the pages of Karen Randau’s newest book!