Gotcha!

by Fern Michaels

  I spent weeks and weeks developing the characters for the Sisterhood. Each one had to be just perfect for their continuing role that was to play out in what I thought at the time was going to be a series of seven books. Seven books, seven dedicated characters, and seven cases to bring to justice, vigilante style. Developing believable characters turned out to be harder to create than I thought. I called a meeting where we did a lot of snapping and snarling at one another. In the end I made my seven main characters composites of the five of us, with a few traits thrown in from other unsuspecting friends. For instance, Kathryn Lucas was patterned after Beverly. In the writing, I would find myself calling Beverly and asking if she would do this or that, or did she have a better idea. Her response was always the same: “Yes, I’d do that, and you nailed it.” In case you’re wondering who Myra and Annie are, that would be me, but you all probably already figured that out according to your many e-mails.

  Isabelle Flanders resembles Stephanie. She (Isabelle) has visions, as does Stephanie. Actually, Stephanie scares me sometimes with the things she sees.

  Nikki was patterned after my daughter Cynthia. Cynthia was not part of my little group because she said we were all nuts. She always showed up for dessert, however. Oh, my, did she come in for a lot of ribbing when the first book came out. Both Nikki and Cynthia are smart, savvy, and know how to stay focused.

  Alexis turned out to be an extension of Diane. She’s creative, and can make anything work given time. Always the voice of reason.

  Yoko had me stumped for a while. I couldn’t find a live person that had any of the traits I’d given Yoko, who I think grew and grew into the character she ultimately became. Finally one day when I was about to give up, I met my creation at my grandson’s “Mother/Grandmother” day at his school. While we waited for the program to start, one of the other grandmothers and I talked. She told me what it was like growing up in China and how hard she had to work, how she learned martial arts, showed me the callouses on the bottoms of her feet and her hands. I don’t know where I got the nerve, but I asked her if she’d ever killed anyone and she said, “many times.” She did clarify that by saying she did it only in her quest for freedom. I thought about inviting her to the Barbed Wire to meet my friends, but I squelched that thought real quick. Yoko was born that day.

  Cosmo Cricket was created from scratch, as was lawyer Lizzie Fox, or as the gals called her, The Silver Fox. Lizzie was also a pure creation. Beautiful, smart, sexy, witty, and she controls the courtroom, not the judge or the prosecution. And at heart she is a true vigilante. If I ever come back in another life, I want to be Lizzie Fox or my old dog Fred. Such a choice.

  Introducing and creating the male characters proved a little more difficult. Mainly because they were introduced one at a time and over many books. Again, they turned out to be composites of our kids, our brothers, and just people we interact with on a daily basis. Take Harry Wong for instance, who is one of my personal favorite characters. My grandson went for martial arts instruction years ago and his Master was a real character, as was his assistant. Months and months of picking Master Choo’s brain finally brought the comment, “Are you writing a book?” Well, yeah, I am. You okay with that? Like Harry, Master Choo is a man of few words. All he said was, “Okay, make me look good.” I think I did that. Readers have written me tons of letters saying they love Harry. No more than I do. Jack Emery is almost one hundred percent my UPS delivery guy. Someday I’m going to tell him, but not yet.

  Ted Robinson and Joseph Espinosa are products of my imagination and made up of whole cloth.

  I cloned Maggie Spitzer from an American waitress at a Japanese restaurant I go to. Like Mr. Choo, I picked her brain over time. She also told me to make her look good.

  With the character situation down pat it was time to move on to plots. I needed seven plots to fit each of the seven characters. Armed with the thought, and what we felt was the knowledge, that the woman hasn’t been born who didn’t want to get even with someone for something or other, I went at it. We kicked it around for WEEKS with each of us asking friends and acquaintances who they would like to get even with and what they would like to see as a satisfying punishment. I think it’s safe to say that between us we spoke to over a thousand women. Right here and now I want to say that considering my age, I thought I had seen and heard it all, and there was nothing out there that could surprise me. Ha! Was I ever wrong, as were my friends. I will also admit a few times I turned a little green at what some of those women we spoke to wanted done. Bet you’ll never guess who had the best punishment ever for one of the characters. Renata, my day lady who has been with me for twenty-eight years, that’s who. Who knew? I ran with it. Several years later it was a best seller. Renata bought fourteen copies to give out to her friends. That’s in addition to the dozen I gave her.

  Now it was time to actually sit down and write the book. And I wrote it on spec. That means without a contract in the hopes of selling it. Writing fiction (that means I make up stuff) is like having a free Go Past Go card. You can write pretty much whatever you want, burn down a building, maim or kill a character, you can create love, hate, payback. You can create fictional places that over time actually become real to you the writer, and also to the reader. For example, Pinewood, where the vigilantes hang out, is a fictional farm in McLean, Virginia. You can make people rich or poor. I can say Countess Anna de Silva is one of the richest women in the world simply because I say so between the pages of a book. I can give a character a scorched earth personality if I want, or I can make them sweet as honey. It’s great fun. But it’s how you tie it all together as a whole that makes the story work.

  Finally the day came when I was ready to type the first page of Weekend Warriors. I wish I could say something meaningful, like it was a dark and stormy night, or it was a beach day with marshmallow clouds and blue skies. The truth is, all I remember was it was a Monday morning, and I know this because I always start a project, no matter what it is, on Mondays. It took me a year to write the book. I had one setback. My husband passed away in May of that year. I didn’t write for a while, but in the end it was the writing that got me back on track. I wrote and wrote and wrote. Then I rewrote, at least a dozen different drafts that I printed out and passed around to my friends for them to critique, and critique they did. When we were all satisfied that it was as good as it was going to get, I packaged it up and sent it to my publisher. We all went to the post office to mail it. I remember it cost $7.67 to mail it. Somewhere I still have the receipt, because I wanted that memory for some reason.

  I took the gang to a place called the Barbed Wire where we ordered steaks and beer by the pitcher. I had to call my son to come and drive us home. My friends and I finally had our long overdue sleepover. And a hangover the next morning.

  The next two weeks were two of the worst weeks of my life. All I did was answer the phone, calls from the gang asking if I’d heard anything. The answer was always the same, “No!”

  Finally the call came. I was trying to unclog the garbage disposal and almost didn’t answer it, but caught it on the sixth ring. It was my editor at the time who has since retired, telling me that Walter and she would be coming to Charleston the following week to discuss my submission. Walter was Walter Zacharius, the founder and owner of Kensington Publishing. Walter was my boss, and my friend. I want to say right here and now that I absolutely adored that man. He saw me through some bad times, the death of my husband, and then the death of my youngest daughter a few years later. Just talking to him made things right somehow. In my heart of hearts I knew I would have to abide by whatever his decision was because I respected his opinion. I’m sad to say he has since passed away and I miss him terribly.

  I never did fix the garbage disposal. I had to call a plumber.

  I called the girls. We went to the Barbed Wired again. We ate but passed on the beer this time around and got home under our own power. Talk about beating a dead horse. Why was Walter coming here? To tell me no w
ay, no how would the book fly? To tell me he loved it and wanted to sign me up for all seven books? We were all a nervous wreck. The days crawled by. And then the day of the meeting finally arrived. I was early because I was about to crawl out of my skin.

  Flash forward forty minutes, after the amenities, and Walter said, “It won’t work. It’s too over the top, too out of the box.”

  “It will work. Give it a chance. Can’t you trust me when I tell you it will work? If you get behind it . . .”

  We argued back and forth till I was about ready to cry. Then I looked at my editor who up to this point hadn’t said a word. She winked at me. WINKED?

  Walter the businessman, and not my friend at the moment, said, “Tone it down.”

  “NO! If I take out what you’re referring to, it’s not the same book. It will work.”

  “Tell me why it will work.”

  Ahhhh, I thought I had him right there. “Because, Walter, the woman hasn’t been born yet who doesn’t have someone she wants to get even with. That’s why. The more daring, the more over the top, the more reason it will work. I know I’m right. I did my homework, I talked to hundreds of women. It will work. Just so you know, Walter, I’m not giving up.”

  “Okay. We’ll do it.” Well damn! Just like that, we’ll do it! I was over the moon.

  To be honest, I don’t remember what happened after that. I remember what happened the next day, though. Walter came to Summerville where I live and we sat on my veranda and drank mint juleps. We talked for hours until it was time for him to leave for the airport. I walked him out to the car and he hugged me and said he’d snatch me bald-headed if it didn’t work.

  Ooooh.

  But it did work. You know how I know that? Because I’m writing this and you’re reading it.

  Before I end this letter, I would like to share one more thing with you all. It is my opinion that most writers, if asked, will say there is one thing or another that lets them know what they’re working on will either work or not work. It could be a whole chapter or perhaps just a scene or a scenario, it really doesn’t matter. With me that thing is my dogs. I run everything by them. I have four dogs, two golden retrievers, Jam and Jelly (95 pounds each). Then there is Lucy Red (65 pounds) who is a rescue hound dog, and last but not least, there is Charlie, a Yorkie (12 pounds). He’s the boss. I whistle, tell them all to line up and they do it. Then I read what I wrote. If they don’t go to sleep, that means it works. If they lie down, I have to scratch what I wrote. I’m serious here; I’m not kidding. When they don’t approve, they don’t get a treat, so you can see they’re spot on. My dogs are very smart. (Every dog owner says that, just so you know.) But, Jam and Jelly can buckle up their seat belts. Jelly knows how to lock the kitchen door. Jam is the bigger of the two, she knows how to ring the doorbell, which is too high for Jelly to reach. Lucy knows how to open the refrigerator. She does that four or five times a day. I think she just does that to feel the cold air on her face. That’s her only trick. Charlie is so smart he doesn’t have to do anything. He knows to the minute when it’s time to eat. He knows to the second when it’s time to go outside. He heads for the bedroom before I can get out of my chair at 10:57. He is never off by more than a minute. So, readers, when you read one of my books, know that four of the most important creatures in my life have given their seal of approval.

  At this moment I would like to thank all you readers who bought the Sisterhood series, then wrote me to tell me how much you loved it. I want to thank my own vigilantes, my kids for encouraging me, and of course Walter, because without Walter and all his staff I wouldn’t have published Weekend Warriors, let alone been given the opportunity to write and publish twenty more books in the series.

  Thanks, Walter, and thanks to all the wonderful people at Kensington who were there for me every step of the way, believing in me and taking a chance on my ability to create the Sisterhood series and making it work.

  Warmest wishes,

  Fern Michaels

  THE SISTERHOOD . . . HAVE YOU READ EVERY ONE?

  1. Weekend Warriors

  Devastated by the death of her daughter, Myra Rutledge recruits the female vigilantes who will become the Sisterhood. Their first mission: to seek revenge on a biker gang that assaulted fellow Sister Kathryn Lucas and her disabled husband.

  2. Payback

  The Sisterhood sets out to take down a philandering senator on behalf of his wounded wife, but Myra’s adopted daughter, Nikki Quinn, must first tangle with her ex, a district attorney interfering with their plans.

  3. Vendetta

  After successfully seeking justice for others, the women of the Sisterhood plan to avenge the wrongful death of Myra’s daughter at the hands of the playboy son of an ambassador with diplomatic immunity.

  4. The Jury

  Nikki must choose whether to act against her former fiancé, Jack Emery, who is trying to shut down the Sisterhood, but her ultimate decision takes everyone by surprise.

  5. Sweet Revenge

  A conniving coworker did everything in her power to ruin Isabelle Flanders, but she now must face the Sisterhood and answer for her crimes.

  6. Lethal Justice

  Alexis Thorn spent a year behind bars for a crime she never committed, but the time has come for the Sisterhood to seek revenge on those truly responsible.

  7. Free Fall

  Things turn personal when the women of the Sisterhood set their sights on a brutish man who terrorized Yoko Akia’s mother years ago.

  8. Hide and Seek

  The Sisterhood’s last assignment almost landed them in jail, but even as fugitives with a bounty on their heads, they plan to take down a culprit who is no less than the assistant director of the FBI.

  9. Hokus Pokus

  Beseeched by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Pearl Barnes into helping her combat a blackmail scheme, the exiled Sisterhood must find a way to sneak back into the United States undetected.

  10. Fast Track

  The Sisterhood’s mentor, Charles Martin, aids the women in tackling the corrupt president of the World Bank in one of their most dangerous—and rewarding—missions to date.

  11. Collateral Damage

  The group is torn between accepting two different missions, one of which may come with a presidential pardon and the chance to emerge from hiding.

  12. Final Justice

  A close friend of Annie Sullivan and Myra’s tasks them with finding her missing daughter, which brings them to Sin City and up against some of the most powerful people in Vegas.

  13. Under the Radar

  Myra and Charles are called away, leaving the remaining members of the Sisterhood to take down a sinister cult and rescue its exploited and pregnant teenage girls.

  14. Razor Sharp

  Attorney and valued friend of the Sisters, Lizzie Fox, has a new client being targeted by Washington power players, and the only way she can protect her is with the Sisterhood’s help.

  15. Vanishing Act

  Yoko’s husband, Harry Wong, becomes the victim of a ruthless identity-theft ring, but it will take all of the members of the group and their complete bag of tricks to set things right.

  16. Deadly Deals

  When adopted twins are snatched from their loving parents, Lizzie seeks the Sisterhood’s help in returning the children and punishing the evil “baby broker” lawyer responsible.

  17. Game Over

  The group’s dear ally, Lizzie, is up for a spot on the Supreme Court but it will take a masterful plan to protect her from the nasty approval process and being tainted by her association with the Sisterhood.

  18. Cross Roads

  Nikki and Kathryn’s private jet is hijacked, but their captors are actually Interpol agents with an exciting new assignment for the recently pardoned Sisterhood.

  19. Déjà Vu

  The Sisterhood is reunited in Las Vegas to celebrate Kathryn’s birthday, but the president of the United States has other ideas: it’s time to take down Public En
emy #1, a/k/a Hank Jellicoe.

  20. Home Free

  After years of successful missions, the president has formed a new organization allowing the Sisterhood to operate legally but secretly. More empowered than ever before, Myra, Annie, Kathryn, Alexis, Nikki, Yoko, and Isabelle once more answer the call for justice.

  21. Gotcha!

  The long-awaited return of the Sensational Sisterhood!

  They’re back!

  The Godmothers return in Fern Michaels’s

  brand-new novel:

  CLASSIFIED.

  Read on for a special excerpt.

  A Kensington trade paperback on

  sale in October 2013!

  Having tossed and turned for the past hour, Abby finally rolled over and looked at the alarm clock. It was 3:00 AM, the witching hour. Chris had fallen asleep on the sofa downstairs in the formal dining room. She didn’t have the heart to wake him. She knew by the time he walked upstairs and showered, he would be wide-awake, and it would take hours for him to get back to sleep. He’d spent fourteen hours today stripping the wood floor in the dining room—backbreaking and exhausting work. He was sitting on the sofa when Abby went to the kitchen for iced tea. When she returned, Chris was sound asleep. She covered him with a light throw and decided to go upstairs alone.

  Unable to sleep without Chris by her side, she switched the lamp on. A swatch of fabrics for the new drapes she wanted to order was lying on the night table. She picked it up, felt the different textures, examined the colors, feeling unsure. While she didn’t want something dark and heavy, she didn’t want something so light you could see through it. What she needed was something in between, yet something that stayed true to the Clay Plantation decor. Her mother had advised her and had spent many, many hours with her, going over the long history of the plantation, for she, too, had lived here for a short period of time when she was married to Garland, Chris’s father. There were old pictures of the many rooms, but they were so faded she could not even begin to guess what kind of fabric had been used to decorate them. One thing Abby knew for sure, she had to get rid of the heavy dark green velvet drapes. They reminded her of The Carol Burnett Show parody scene of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind, which she’d watched late one night on TV. Carol Burnett, playing Scarlett O’Hara, had ripped the heavy drapes from the window and worn them as her new dress, hoping to impress Rhett Butler, who had just returned from fighting in the Civil War. Abby had laughed until she cried, but the drapes had to go. They were just plain ugly.