(WiHM) Author Jordyn Redwood, Part Two

For those of you who tuned in earlier last year when I posted Jordyn's interview for PROOF, I have reposted it as Part One. Today is Part Two, and about the sequel called POISON, and a deeper look at poision.

The Duality of Toxins, by Jordyn Redwood

I like book titles with double meaning. My first published book was titled, Proof. There were two types of proof the heroine needed. Proof to convict her assailant of his horrific crimes and proof of God in her life.

Poison, the second book in the Bloodline Trilogy, is releasing this month and in this instance—there is an actual nefarious agent (not giving away too much) and a side meaning as well.
What poisons your life? Is it a bad relationship? Is it believing a lie? Is it an actual toxin like dirking too much liquor, using illegal drugs or prescription drugs in ways they weren’t intended?

Writing suspense, particularly with a heavy medical edge, I think requires something unusual to be found. I’m a research hound. I love to learn about new things. And for Poison, I read a lot on different types of toxins. 

Aren’t toxins interesting? How minute substances can make a person ill or end up killing? This is the stuff suspense novels are made from and the lure for every author—finding that one poison—undetectable, fast-acting, easily transmittable or ingested without the victim knowing.

I remember as a youngster hearing the story of how a long-dead great uncle had passed. According to my grandfather, he’d served in the military during WWI and had died as the result of complications from mustard gas exposure.

So lately, in thinking about toxins, I began to wonder what exactly mustard gas was and how did it kill.

Interestingly, I discovered that term “gas” can mean more than just a vaporous substance and can be any chemical substance.

Lethal Gases: Lead to disablement or death.

Harassing agents: Disrupt enemy soldiers.

Accidental Gases: Gases encountered during war that are not related to a chemical agent like excessive gases from gunpowder during a fight.

Mustard gas falls into the first group—lethal gases. Tear gas, for instance, would fall into the second category.

But how does mustard gas kill?

Mustard gas is also called sulfur mustard and its name is derived from its foggy yellow appearance and mustard like smell. It’s a blistering agent/alkylating agent and comes in many forms: vapor, liquid or solid. When a person comes into contact with the agent, it damages the skin and mucous membranes inside. The chemical liquefies tissue.

Since it freezes at a high temperature, it’s not very effective when it’s cold. It doesn’t spread easily and would fall to the ground before soldiers could be exposed. This property also made it a good weapon because it could stay low on the ground for weeks depending on the temperature and expose unsuspecting troops going into the area. Another factor that made it a good weapon—people adjusted to the smell quickly.

Mustard gas was used first by the Germans in 1917 and was born out of the trench warfare era where new military strategies had to be devised to get men out of their bunkers. The agent was fitted onto artillery shells which were then shot to toward the enemy lines without the accompanying explosion which I’m sure seemed strange to the soldiers at the time.

Hey, why didn’t that thing blow up? What exactly is that yellow fog?

Unfortunately, mustard gas doesn’t often kill expediently. The first symptom was generally red blisters to the skin that developed within 2-24 hours. If the gas was inhaled, these blisters would slowly develop and seal off the airway.

Other symptoms:

Eyes: Irritation, redness, burning, inflammation and even blindness

Skin: Itchy redness that is replaced with yellow blisters
Respiratory system: Runny or bloody nose, sneezing, hoarse throat, shortness of breath, coughing, sinus pain.

Digestive system: abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting
It was possible for the body to heal if there was a short, brief encounter. Longer, more frequent exposures proved to be more deadly.

By the end of WWI, chemical agents inured 1 million soldiers and civilians and killed 100,000 people.

Likely, mustard gas wouldn’t be considered favorable to use in chemical warfare these days because of its prolonged activity.

This LINK goes to a very powerful article on mustard gas and its effects and was used heavily in the writing of this piece—the italicized areas are from the article. It is definitely worth the read.

What about you? What interesting things have you researched that have ended up in a novel?


CHECK OUT THE TRAILER!

PROOF, by Jordyn Redwood

 

Back again, a dear freind graces my blog today. She is not only a medical expert, not only a blogging genius, but she is an awesome author as well. Jordyn Redwood is here to talk about her new novel, PROOF.

INTERVIEW:

I love having you on my blog, Jordyn. So tell me, what is your book about?

Dale, first, thanks so much for hosting me here today! It’s a pleasure being here with you and your readers.

Proof deals with the real life possibility of DNA testing setting a guilty criminal free. Lilly Reeves is the fifth victim of a serial rapist. Though she correctly identifies her rapist to the police, DNA testing sets him free. In her heart, she’s convinced he is the man and sets out on her own quest to prove his guilt. Through this journey, Lilly is able to take back control of her life and learns what sacrificial love is all about.


What inspired you to write it?

Good question, Dale—and not an easy one. Since I am an RN and self professed medical nerd, I gravitate toward medical mystery and intrigue. My first novel wasn’t gaining much traction amongst editor types and I was struggling to come up with another concept that would be more palatable for CBA publishers. I happened to see a Discovery Health Channel special and the book idea was born. I dabbled on it for several years before I felt led to finish it in 2009.


What other projects do you have coming up?

My current contract with Kregel is a three-book deal. Book #2 of the Bloodline Trilogy, Poison, is finished and deals with the concept of false memory syndrome. During the late 80s and 90s, there was a rash of children who accused adults of sexual assault based on therapists recalling “repressed memories” that later turned out to be false.

People went to jail based on these claims so I became fascinated with how these memories develop and if brainwashing is an actual possibility. That research turned into a devilish psychiatrist attempting to influence a patient through hypnosis. Real question is—who is the actual murderer?

Book #3 in the series, tentatively titled Peril, delves into the possibility of memory transfer between recipients and whether or not this is possible. See, I really am a medical nerd!


As an author of horror, there is nothing I find as scary as a medical thriller. So tell me, what is your favorite genre to read, or write?

I’m a definite suspense girl and this is the genre I live in—reading and writing. Now, a lot of novels fall under the suspense category (medical thrillers, paranormal, etc…) so I would include these types of books as well. Dean Koontz is an all time favorite. Recently discovered Harlan Coben, Linwood Barclay, and Karin Slaughter. As a mother of daughters age 7 and 9 I’ve been looking a lot at what’s available for them to read so I’ve been reading a lot of YA to get a feel for the genre. Currently am enjoying Amanda Hocking’s Trylle series and Gregg Olsen’s Envy. I could see myself writing in this genre as well.


One last thing, tell everyone reading more about your blog.

Redwood’s Medical Edge is a blog devoted to helping historical and contemporary authors write medically accurate fiction. When I began to think about delving into the whole blogosphere, I wanted to have something unique. There were plenty of competent people blogging about books, reading, and writing.

What I noticed was that I always seemed to be the one stepping up to answer those pesky medical questions that are hard if you’re not grounded in medicine. You can do research on the internet, sure, but those little nuances of what it’s like to work in medicine, how the actual treatment protocol translates to the bedside, how medical people really act are more difficult to get off the internet.

I field medical questions related to fiction manuscripts, write on common medical inaccuracies and blog about the more common medical maladies. So, if you’re looking for a place that discusses how to maim, injure or kill your fictional characters, Redwood’s is a good place to start.

Dale, thanks so much for having me! It’s been a true honor to be here.

Dr. Lilly Reeves is a young, accomplished ER physician with her whole life ahead of her. But that life instantly changes when she becomes the fifth victim of a serial rapist. Believing it’s the only way to recover her reputation and secure peace for herself, Lilly sets out to find--and punish--her assailant. Sporting a mysterious tattoo and unusually colored eyes, the rapist should be easy to identify. He even leaves what police would consider solid evidence. But when Lilly believes she has found him, DNA testing clears him as a suspect. How can she prove he is guilty if science says he is not?

"A rollercoaster of a story. Jordyn Redwood's Proof has everything you could want in a thriller-- believable characters, a villain who makes your skin crawl, a touch of humor, and a twisting plot- all bound by fascinating medical details. What a fabulous debut!"-Sarah Sundin, award-winning author of the Wings of Glory series.

"I love a great medical thriller and I'm glad to add another author to my list. Jordyn Redwood writes like the medical insider she is: a gripping tale laced laced with realism, sleep-robbing excitement, and something every reader loves: hope."-Harry Kraus, MD, best-selling author of The Six-Liter Club

"Debut novelist Jordyn Redwood has used her experience as an ER nad ICU nurse to craft a blend of medical thriller and police procedural with twists and turns to keep fans of either genre turning pages."-Richard L. Mabry, MD, author of Lethal Remedy and the Prescription for Trouble series

"Jordyn Redwood's debut novel is a page-turner with an ingenious premise and solid Christian values. A satisfying read."-Frank J. Edwards, Medical Director, Delphi Emergency Physicians, author of the medical thriller Final Mercy

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Jordyn's Bio:

Jordyn Redwood is a nurse by day, novelist by night. She has specialized in critical care and emergency nursing for nearly two decades. As a self professed medical nerd, she reads medical textbooks for fun. This led to the creation of Redwood's Medical Edge-- a blog devoted to helping authors write medically accurate fiction. Jordyn loves to weave medical mystery into her story lines and see how her characters navigate through the chaos she creates.

Guest Jordyn Redwood on Real Life Zombies

Jordyn Redwood

Dale often poses medical questions to me but one question that seemed pertinent for his writing vice was whether or not zombies are a real-life medical possibility. The truth, even for the fiction writer, has to be grounded in realism for the reader to buy in. You either have to work from reality or create a believable story world from scratch.

So, are there real life examples of something dead coming back to life? In fact, there are. There are three aspects to consider.

One: Let’s examine the compliant aspect of being a zombie. Is it possible to create a wholly compliant individual? Someone without individual will power?

The answer seems yes.

Let’s consider TTX, the neurotoxin found in the blue-ringed Octopus. If this toxin is absorbed through the skin, it’s akin to having a frontal lobotomy and may lead to a compliant individual. Your personal zombie minion. You can find out more about TTX at the Writer’s Forensic Blog hosted by D.P. Lyle: http://writersforensicsblog.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/q-and-a-what-are-the-toxic-effects-of-a-poisonous-octopus-bite/

Two: Someone that is alive is actually declared dead.

One truly frightening aspect is that sometimes lay people and even medical professionals aren’t all that great at determining whether or not a person has a pulse. This influenced changes to how the American Heart Association teaches CPR. Now, it’s encouraged to not spend more than 10 seconds trying to figure out whether or not a person has a pulse. If they’re not responding to you and you can’t find one—just start CPR. If they are conscious, they’ll let you know. If not, they likely need CPR anyway.

We’ve all heard the legends of corpses being found with nail marks in the lid. Well, how about the recent story of a South African man who was presumed dead and brought to the morgue by his family and placed in the freezer-- only to wake up about a day later amongst the truly dead and decomposing. You can find that story here: http://abcnews.go.com/International/south-african-dead-man-wakes-screaming-day-morgue/story?id=14154534.

Three: Are there real-life examples of things that are truly dead—no pulse, no breathing, no brain activity—yet, come back to life.

Let’s take the case of the wolf spider. A French researcher, Julien Petillon, decided to find out and submerged them in water for several hours—like 16. Now dead, they did come back to life. Check out more on this story and what he says about the 16 hour time frame and its significance at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30348224/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/drowned-spiders-come-back-dead/

So yes, I would say there are examples of zombie behavior in our world. The compliant individual, those presumed dead but still alive, and those that have died yet are reanimated.

What zombie-like plot can you come up with based on these real-life examples?

Medical Question: Brain Infections

By Jordyn Redwood

Jordyn's Website
We're finishing up with Dale's questions. He asks: I have a character who is overcome by huge amounts of stress, and ends up in a coma for three days. The character suffers from Viral Encephalitis which is brought on from huge amounts of stress, and I only have a little bit of info about this. I got the idea from a real life FBI profiler who went through this. But he only went into a few paragraphs of what it was like. So I was wondering if you had any info about how someone would be cared for in this condition from the time of admittance, to the time of release?


To start, let's deal with what is viral encephalitis. Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain and/or spinal cord. Viral encephalitis means the inflammation is caused by a virus. When this type of patient presents to the ER, it may be hard to differentiate between encephalitis and meningitis. The meninges are composed of three membranes that cover your brain and spinal cord. The three membranes are: the pia mater, arachnoid mater, and dura mater. Symptoms of both encephalitis and meningitis can be fever, photophobia (sensitivity to light), headache, stiff neck, pain upon moving the neck, nausea and vomiting, and seizures. There are other symptoms as well. This is the short list.

One thing that struck me about Dale's question is the stress aspect and why it made this FBI agent vulnerable. Stress weakens your immune system but wouldn't be the cause of the encephalitis. There needs to be a causative agent (like a virus or bacteria) but he was likely set up to be more vulnerable by the stress he was under.

In the ER we'll draw blood to look at what the patient's white count and inflammatory makers are. He may get a CT or MRI of the head. We absolutely will have to get a sample of spinal fluid through a lumbar puncture. Typically we have to collect a culture sample of the cerebrospinal fluid before we give any antibiotics or antiviral therapy. Depending on the patient's condition, it would be determined if they need admission onto a regular floor or the ICU.

Here's a good reference if you're interested in more information about encephalitis:
http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/encephalitis/ENC_whatis.html