Stony Point author's book signing is guaranteed to kick butt By KEVIN CANFIELD THE JOURNAL NEWS May 4, 2007

Up-and-coming writers have to be creative when it comes to finding an audience. And so it is that Laura Marie Henion, the author of a new mystery novel titled "Cop's Daughter: Victoria," will be holding an unusual event this weekend. Saturday at Stony Point Karate & Sports Center, Henion will sign copies of her book as the facility's staff presents a free self-defense seminar. "I think I always focus on what can benefit people, and especially what can benefit women," said Henion, who lives in Stony Point with her husband and three children. "With the 'Cops Daughter' series I have these strong heroines who are professional, well-educated, well-trained, so I wanted to do something that would go along with the characters in the story. "I figured a free self-defense training demonstration" would fit the bill, she added. The event takes place at the karate center (146 South Liberty Drive, the upper level of the Rand Colonial Plaza) at 2 p.m. "Cop's Daughter: Victoria" (Whiskey Creek Press) is a thriller that focuses on Victoria Mardullo, a suburban woman who's thrust into a crisis after her father is murdered and the man she loves is shipped to Iraq. "I try to write fast-paced novels that appeal to moms like me, who don't always have the hours to read a 400-page novel, but want the whole plot and also that 'ah!' factor at the end where all their questions are answered," she said. The novel is part of a series Henion is writing about the daughters of policemen. This is something she knows a lot about: Her father is Vernon J. Geberth, a longtime officer who worked as the head of the Bronx Homicide Task Force. "I come from a strong law enforcement family background, so I have the technical information" about criminal investigations," she said. "But I also understand the feeling that homicide detectives go through when they have to investigate these horrific acts but still have to go home to their families." Henion recently signed a contract to write a novel called "Lillian's Love," which will be put out by Nova Scotia-based Lachesis Publishing. With that book still to come as well as more "Cop's Daughter" novels to write, Henion has some work to do. And she's fine with that. "I've been known to wake up at four in the morning and get a lot of work done then," she said. For more information about Henion's books, go to www.lauramariehenion.com.