Character Interview with Xandra Carrick, author of 'Latent Image'

We’re thrilled to be talking to Xandra Carrick from Joshua Graham’s LATENT IMAGE.  It is a pleasure to have her with us today at Pimp That Character!

Thank you for your interview, Xandra. How old are you and what do you do for a living?

A lady never tells her age, you shouldn’t ask that. (Laughs) Seriously, I don’t mind. I’m about to turn 30, though sometimes I feel like 17 going on 50.

Can you tell us about one of your most distinguishable features?

Most people can’t tell by my last name (Carrick), and by my face, but I’m half Vietnamese. I’ve been told though, that it’s my eyes that are the most distinguished. They don’t seem unusual, but someone once put it like this: “It’s the way you look at me…like you can see into my soul. Comforting and unsettling at the same time.

What would I love the most about you?

I’m loyal, I’ve got a reasonably good sense of humor (shut up, Wade), and I can probably make you cry when I play the cello. Okay, the truth is, I have no idea what you’d love about me. That’s just a list my mom gave me when I was a teenager.

What would I hate the most about you?

I’m strong-willed. Some might call it stubborn. I call it persistent.

Where do you go when you are angry?

Anywhere I can be away from, or within (verbal) striking distance of the cause of my ire. Just depends on the situation.

What makes you laugh out loud?

Donald Trump. Then I get annoyed.

What is in your refrigerator right now?

I plead the 5^th.

What is your most treasured possession?

My dad’s vintage Graflex camera. He used it as an embedded photojournalist in the Vietnam War and gave it to me. It changed my life. Literally.

What is your greatest fear?

Not being able to protect my loved ones. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, the circumstances just can’t be stopped. Nothing frightens me more than losing that sense of security. I’m working through this now, and feel hopeful that I’ll find the strength to overcome this.

Do you think the author portrayed you accurately?

Josh has a pretty good handle on who I am. But he doesn’t know everything. Not yet, anyway. I think he’s trying to be objective, but there are still things about me that I don’t know myself. He’s a trustworthy guy, though. I think we’ll discover more over time.

If you could change one physical thing about yourself, what would that be?

I’m going to skip over the whole body image thing. I’m pretty fit as it is, but I’d really like to be physically stronger. Someone once tried to kill me, did you know? He forced me under water and tried to strangle me. He was so powerful, I couldn’t even move under his grip. I have never felt so helpless and powerless than I did at that moment. Thank God, I managed to fight back and escape. But I never want to be a victim again. I need to be strong enough to defend myself against anyone.

Are you a loner or do you prefer to surround yourself with friends?

Definitely a loner. Don’t get me wrong. I have some good friends with whom I spend time regularly. I’m just not the party/crowd type. Give me hours of good quality conversation, watching movies, or just being quiet together any day.

Someone is secretly in love with you.  Who is it and how do you feel about that?

(Taking an emotional pause)….

I’m not ready for a relationship right now. I’ve always seen myself as a one-man woman, never interested in the dating scene, etc. You know that song by Nat King Cole? When I fall in love, it will be forever…or I’ll never fall in love? Well, a couple of years ago, I met that man. His name was Kyle. While trying to help me stop a dangerous assassin, he was killed.

I had never given my heart to anyone the way I had to Kyle. We had plans to leave all the drama and grow old together.

No, I’m just not ready. Maybe one day, but whoever he may be, he won’t be Kyle.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

My Dad. He can be harsh, inflexible, and super critical at times, but he’s my hero. He’s given everything to protect me and Mom (rest her soul) from harm—and there was plenty he shielded us from—and we never knew about it. But he’s also an amazing photographer, and a kind man whose character and courage I can only hope to match one day.

What is your most treasured possession?

Besides that Graflex camera, I would say it’s my cello, a 1735 Domenicus Montagnana. An anonymous benefactor purchased it for me and left instructions for me to come pick it up at the Morel’s. I guess I’m meant to keep playing, despite trying to give it up several times in my life.

If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?

Way to keep things light!  I can’t decide whether or not knowing that I would die tomorrow would be a good thing. I suppose I’d spend every moment with the people I love, being good to them, reflecting on all we have shared, what we have appreciated. I would want to make sure that they are well taken care of, and that I don’t leave any burdens for them. But most of all, knowing the pain of saying goodbye and surviving people you care about, I would want to comfort and show them love.

About the Author

JOSHUA GRAHAM is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Beyond Justice, Terminus, and Darkroom, the winner of the International Book Award, Forward National Literature Award, USA Book News Best Books Award, and host of Thriller Radio. His award-winning novel DARKROOM hit 3 bestseller lists on Amazon the night of its release.

CBS NEWS described DARKROOM as a book with "action, political intrigue and well-rounded characters...a novel that thriller fans will devour."

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY described BEYOND JUSTICE as: "A riveting legal thriller...breaking new ground with a vengeance...demonically entertaining and surprisingly inspiring."

Suspense Magazine listed BEYOND JUSTICE in its BEST OF 2010, alongside titles by Scott Turrow, Ted Dekker, Steven James and Brad Thor.

Many of Graham's readers blame him for sleepless nights, arriving to work late, neglected dishes and family members, and not allowing them to put the book down.

Josh grew up in Brooklyn, NY where he lived for the better part of 30 years. He holds a Bachelor and Master's Degree and went on to earn his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. During his time in Maryland, he taught as a professor at Shepherd College (WV), Western Maryland College, and Columbia Union College (MD).

Today he lives with his beautiful wife and children on the West Coast.

Sign up for exclusive updates, interviews, and to be entered for giveaways by subscribing to Josh's newsletter: www.joshua-graham.com/GIA

For More Information

• Visit Joshua Graham’s websites at www.joshua-graham.com or www.joshgraham.net.
• Connect with Joshua on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Book:

Title: Latent Image: A Xandra Carrick Thriller
Author: Joshua Graham
Publisher: Redhaven Books
Pages: 437
Genre: Thriller

For fans of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Sandra Brown, David Baldacci, Brad Thor, and Nora Roberts.

New York Times bestselling author Joshua Graham returns with a new thriller, Latent Image: A Xandra Carrick Thriller.

At the height of President Jennifer Bradley’s inaugural parade, a bomb detonates, followed by shots from a sniper’s rifle. She survives despite the numerous casualties including the Chief White House photographer. The authorities apprehend the only surviving suspect, but before they can interrogate him, he dies mysteriously while recovering in the hospital.

In an effort to hunt down those responsible and prevent future assassination attempts, Special Agent Wade Masterson of the Secret Service recruits photojournalist Xandra Carrick for a dual-role position as the President’s Photographer and clandestine assistant operative.

Xandra’s uncanny gift of second-sight through the lens of a camera thrusts her straight into the center of a deadly terrorist plot that runs far deeper than anyone in the intelligence community ever imagined.

But she may already be too late.

In a tale of vengeance, honor and sacrifice, Xandra must draw upon all she has to stop an insidious plot which threatens to bring the country to its knees with a biological weapon that will decimate the nation’s population.

For More Information

• Latent Image is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Book Excerpt:

WASHINGTON, DC

January 23

2:28PM EST

IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF THE SNIPER’S SCOPE the target shifted in and out of view. The motorcade drifted down Pennsylvania Avenue, Secret Service agents flanking its side, while Vice President Phillip Marsden and his wife Gwen waved to the cheering crowd on either side of the street behind the cold 16-gauge steel tubing of the barricades.

Neither of them was the target.

The sniper swung his scope back to the west, where the glare of the sun blinded him momentarily. He grunted, blinked and reestablished his view. The cold January wind bit at his bare fingers as he felt the trigger and anticipated the diversionary strike his partner would unleash half a block away.

Tuning out the trumpet strains of marching bands, the steady drum beats, and the crowd’s applause, he initiated a silent countdown just as Jennifer Bradley, the nation’s newly re-elected president strode past the designated spot.

…four…three…two…one…