Mike Befeler's Blog, page 12

Last Gasp Motel has been published

My mystery novel,The Last Gasp Motel, has been published by Encircle Publications and isnow available. This is the second book in the Omnipodge Trilogy, following OldDetectives Home.

Print Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Gasp-Motel-Omnipodge-Mystery/dp/1645994724

Print Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/last-gasp-motel-mike-befeler/1143611938?ean=9781645994725

e-book Amazon: Amazon.com: Last Gasp Motel (AnOmnipodge Mystery Book 2) eBook : Befeler, Mike: Kindle Store

bookshop.org Last Gasp Motel: An OmnipodgeMystery a book by Mike Befeler (bookshop.org)

Mikebef@aol.com

When retired maintenance man Frank Sinatra finds DarellWillows’s body in the swimming pool of the Last Gasp Motel in Omnipodge,California, Frank must deal with the responding police officer makingwisecracks about his name while trying to figure out what happened.

Detective Duke Lambertarrives and quizzes Frank. Frank agrees to help the detective, whom he hasworked with before. Suspects include the residents of the Last Gasp and the sonand daughter-in-law of the unpopular victim.

The aging residents are aquirky lot including chain-smoking manager Hedda Robinson; kleptomaniac CarolynBryant; “Accident” Al Utley, who causes traffic accidents and then collectsmoney from the other drivers; dog-poop vigilante Pat Pope known as “Mr. Poop”;good Samaritan Mira Neighbors; potassium-obsessed, banana-chomping BannyZamora; flower petal–scattering Gladys Terry; womanizer Caruthers Quinter;authority-avoiding Varenka; and conspiracy-theory nut Ethel Ogden.

Copies of Last Gasp Motel

Copiesof my new book, Last Gasp Motel, have arrived. It officially goes on sale nextweek. This second book in the Omnipodge Trilogy follows Old Detectives Home.Retired maintenance man Frank Sinatra finds a body in the swimming pool of theLast Gasp Motel in Omnipodge, California, and must deal with wisecracks abouthis name. Each of the residents have reasons to want the victim dead. Frankmust solve the case before the city demolishes the place he calls home andreplaces it with a shopping mall—the race is on to find the killer and save theLast Gasp Motel!

 

Grandma and Grandpa Camp

Last weekwas our 7-year-old grandsons first week of summer vacation. He spent the dayswith us, and we did a lot of fun activities during the week including miniaturegolf, four new parks/playgrounds one afternoon, a trip to the beach to collectshells, a visit to the library to check out his first books, splashing in awading pool in our neighborhood park, swimming in our community swimming pooland practicing riding his bike. This week he is attending a day camp program throughhis elementary school.

Last Gasp Motel

My mystery novel, The LastGasp Motel, will be published on July 12, 2023, by Encircle Publications.This is the second book in the Omnipodge Trilogy, following Old DetectivesHome.

The Last Gasp Motel is now available for pre-orders:

Print Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Gasp-Motel-Omnipodge-Mystery/dp/1645994724

Print Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/last-gasp-motel-mike-befeler/1143611938?ean=9781645994725

e-book Amazon: Amazon.com: Last Gasp Motel (An Omnipodge Mystery Book 2)eBook : Befeler, Mike: Kindle Store

bookshop.org Last Gasp Motel: An Omnipodge Mystery a book by Mike Befeler(bookshop.org)

Detective Duke Lambertarrives and quizzes Frank. Frank agrees to help the detective, whom he has workedwith before. Suspects include the residents of the Last Gasp and the son anddaughter-in-law of the unpopular victim.

The aging residents are aquirky lot including chain-smoking manager Hedda Robinson; kleptomaniac CarolynBryant; “Accident” Al Utley, who causes traffic accidents and then collectsmoney from the other drivers; dog-poop vigilante Pat Pope known as “Mr. Poop”;good Samaritan Mira Neighbors; potassium-obsessed, banana-chomping BannyZamora; flower pedal–scattering Gladys Terry; womanizer Caruthers Quinter;authority-avoiding Varenka; and conspiracy-theory nut Ethel Ogden.

 

I’m also available to give presentations to bookgroups, libraries and service organizations via Zoom or in-person. Mikebef@aol.com

Useful Aids Following Joint Replacement Surgery

Following kneeand hip replacement surgeries over the last year, I have come to use some importantdevices to aid me in everyday activity. When getting dressed, there are twohelpful devices I’m using: a sock-puller-uper to get my socks on (a plasticcuff, insert in the sock, then put the foot in the cuff and use cords to pullthe sock over my foot) and a long shoehorn to get shoes on. The other essentialdevice is a grabber to reach things on the ground since it’s still hard for meto bend over. With these three devices, I’m ready to take on the world again.

Back in the Saddle Again

After myhip replacement surgery three weeks ago, I’m now ready to start driving again. Myleg is strong, and I am offs pain medication so it’s time to drive myselfagain.

Dumb Dad jokes

I continueto be a fan of dumb dad jokes. These are jokes we dads tell to our kids andgrandkids. I post some of these on Facebook, and other people share their puns withme. Here’s a recent one I received. What do you call a dinosaur with an extensivevocabulary? A thesaurus. You get the idea.

Writers Critique Group

We are nowup to five members in our writers critique group. We���re meeting through Zoomtwice a month and submitting 10-20 pages each time for review.

Successful Hip Replacement Surgery Yesterday

My hipreplacement surgery was a success yesterday. I went into the hospital early inthe morning, walked around with the assistance of a physical therapist midday andwas released from the hospital in the late afternoon. I’m moving around using awalker at home. Things have changed since the procedure of multiple days in thehospital.

Event at Palos Verdes, CA, Library

 Jeri Fonté would like to inviteSWM and Surfwriters to an

In-Person Meeting, at the Palos Verdes Library,

Saturday, June. 3, 2023 at 2 to 4PM

Open to all, bring your writer friends

   Our guest speaker will be Mike Befeler 

 

Mike Befeler will give apresentation titled, "Lessons Learned as an Author," about hisexperiences starting to write later in life. He will also discuss his latestmystery novel, "Old Detectives Home."

   Imagine a retirement home populated withresidents such as an aging Hercule Poirot and a dementia-suffering SherlockHolmes and run by staff including Art Doyle, Dash Hammett and Dot Sayers. Inthis light-hearted spoof of the mystery genre, every character is eithera namesake of a person from the mystery writing world or acharacter from a mystery novel. On anything but a dark and stormy night, a deadbody is found. The staff managers find themselves unable to control the unrulyold detectives. Mix in clues and red herrings galore as the cast of suspectsinvestigate each other. Hold on to your rockers as the top detectives of alltime reunite at Old Detectives Home to solve their most difficult whodunit—butfirst without killing each other.

Mike Befeler is the author of nineteen books including six novels in thePaul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery Series ("Retirement Homes AreMurder," "Living with Your Kids Is Murder," "Senior MomentsAre Murder," "Cruising in Your Eighties Is Murder," "CareHomes Are Murder," "Nursing Homes Are Murder"), two of whichwere finalist for The Lefty Award for best humorous mystery. He has ten otherpublished mystery novels: "Old Detectives Home," "Unstuff YourStuff," "Death of a Scam Artist," "The V V Agency,""The Back Wing," "The Front Wing," "The Mystery of theDinner Playhouse," "Murder on the Switzerland Trail,""Court Trouble and Paradise Court"; an international thriller,"The Tesla Legacy"; a non-fiction book, "The Best Chicken Thiefin All of Europe"; and a novella, "Coronavirus Daze."  He’spast-president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers ofAmerica, grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, and now lives in Lakewood,California, with his wife, Wendy.

 

His Web Site:

Mike Befeler www.mikebefeler.com