C.A. Milson's Blog, page 212
August 10, 2015
Release Day – The Forgotten Ones
About the Book
Title: Forgotten Ones
Author: Brian McGilloway
Genre: Mystery
From the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of LITTLE GIRL LOST comes a brand-new thriller featuring Lucy Black – a twisting, gripping story of secrets and lies, perfect for fans of LOUISE PENNY and TANA FRENCH.
The body of an elderly man is hauled out of the rushing water of the River Foyle, cold dead. Detective Lucy Black is called in to investigate when it becomes evident that this was not a suicide: the man’s body was embalmed before it ever entered the water.
Confounded and exhausted, Lucy heads home to review the case in quiet; but there will be no rest for her tonight. She’s barely in the front door when a neighbor knocks because his wife’s sister has been attacked and they need her help.
As a string of strange crimes is unspooled throughout the city, Lucy is pulled in countless different directions… until she realizes there may be something dark and dangerous connecting everything.
Soulful and suspenseful, featuring one of the most appealing characters in suspense fiction, THE FORGOTTEN ONES is a novel to take your breath away.
Author Bio
Brian McGilloway was born in Derry, Northern Ireland. After studying English at Queen’s University, Belfast, he took up a teaching position in St Columb’s College in Derry, where he was Head of English. His first novel, Borderlands, published by Macmillan New Writing, was shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger 2007 and was hailed by The Times as “one of (2007’s) most impressive debuts.” The second novel in the series, Gallows Lane, was shortlisted for the 2009 Irish Book Awards/Ireland AM Crime Novel of the Year. The third Devlin, Bleed a River Deep, was selected by Publishers Weekly as one of their Best Books of 2010. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling Lucy Black series, all to be published by Witness. Brian lives near the Irish borderlands with his wife and their four children.
Links
http://www.brianmcgilloway.com/
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Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: Brian McGilloway, Enchanted book promotions, The Forgotten Ones
August 9, 2015
Book Tour – Spy Trade
Title: Spy Trade
Author: Matthew Dunn
Publisher: Witness Impulse
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Format: Kindle/Paperback
When a mission goes awry in Syria, senior CIA officer Bob Oakland is captured by aspiring members of ISIS, who demand the release of one of their own, Arzam Saud, in U.S. captivity. When their hands are tied by Washington’s refusal to negotiate, the CIA turns to MI6 officer Will Cochrane to find out what’s really going on. The threats are escalating quickly, and in order to save the CIA officer, Cochrane must uncover why Saud is truly so important . . .
ORDER INFORMATION
Spy Trade is available for order at
HarperCollins
Amazon
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Add to your Goodreads Shelf.
About The Author
Matthew Dunn spent 5 years in the British Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6, as a field operative. His role required him to recruit and run agents, coordinate and participate in special operations, and to operate in deep-cover roles throughout the world in order to collect secret intelligence to support the Westâ™s ongoing fight against hostile and unpredictable regimes, state-sponsored terrorism, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. His missions required him to travel extensively and typically he operated in highly hostile environments where, if compromised and captured, he would have been executed.
Matthew was trained in all aspects of intelligence collection and direct action including agent running and debriefing, deep-cover deployments, small-arms, explosives, military unarmed combat, surveillance, anti-surveillance, counter-surveillance, advanced driving, infiltration and exfiltration techniques, and covert communications. His skills were widely deployed by him in the field. Matthew typically worked alone but he also had significant experience of working with highly-specialized units of the British SAS and SBS as well as joint-operations with MI5, GCHQ, and strategic allies.
Matthew was security cleared to the very highest level in Britain. Because of the nature of his work in MI6, Matthew is bound by a life-long pledge of secrecy regarding his methods of work, agents, missions and overall knowledge of the British Intelligence community and its allies. He remains in close contact with MI6 and will never breach its trust in him.
Medals are never awarded to modern MI6 officers, but Matthew was the recipient of a very rare personal commendation from the Secretary of State For Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs for work he did on one mission which was deemed so significant that it directly influenced the successful conclusion of a major international incident.
During his time in MI6, Matthew conducted approximately seventy missions. All of them were successful.
He is the author of the contemporary Spycatcher series of espionage novels.
For More Information
Visit Matthew’s website.
Connect with Matthew:
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Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @MatthewHDunn, Matthew Dunn, Pump Up Your Book, PUYB, Spy Trade
August 6, 2015
Book Tour – The Creative Journal for the Inspirationally Challenged
Blurb:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that any writer, in possession of a beautiful idea, will have a bad day and need to mainline caffeine. Ok well, maybe not, but as writers ourselves we know that everyone has good and bad days. The most important thing is that you keep writing.
About The Authors
Monica Corwin
Monica Corwin is an outspoken writer who attempts to make romance accessible to everyone no matter their preferences. As a new Northern Ohioian Monica enjoys snow drifts, three seasons of weather, and disliking Michigan. When not writing Monica spends time with her daughter and her ever growing collection of tomes about King Arthur.
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Decadent Kane
Decadent Kane, author of the trouble with elves series, writes paranormal romance with heat. She lives in Wyoming with a full house: 3 dogs, 1 cat, 1 guinea pig, 1 rat, 2 kids, and 1 fiance.
An elfess in human form, Decadent enjoys dipping her fingers into the human realm where she took pen to paper and began the tales of the trouble with elves. Her obsessions include reading, Dean Winchester, and honey.
She will devour your soul with glimpses of the feral ridden drow elves, with their dark skin and soul consuming. She’ll sneak morsels of naughty thoughts to you via goblins, and seduce you into stepping inside the elven realm where females disappear when lust takes over among other elfish troubles.
Beware the sprites.
Follow the wisps.
But never look a drow elf king in the eyes…
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Author Interview
Thanks for joining me today. Please tell our followers about you.
Well, I enjoy spending time with my daughter, reading, writing, and repairing old typewriters. I mainly write paranormal romance and this book is my way of giving back to the writers of the world.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Just the promise of beautiful moments. Even simple things. Just a new experience.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
Benedict Cumberbatch (for obvious reasons) or Edgar Allan Poe if I can pick a dead person. They would both be so clever and fun to chat with.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
I just wanted to create something to help those suffering from a lack of inspiration.
Tell us your writing process
I don’t really have one. I start on typewriter then type that in my computer and finish it when I do. I don’t really have a process per se.
What tips can you give other authors who are looking to get the word out about their book?
Facebook or blog tours are a great way. Bookbub deals are also a good way if you want to spend some money.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
When I was in high school English. I’ve always enjoyed writing.
What are you working on next?
Working on rewriting a old novella called, King Takes Queen, out in September.
Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
I sing rather well.
Who are your favorite authors?
That is too hard. Off the top of my head: Jack Kerouac, Anne Bishop, Megan Hart, Maggie Stiefvater, Karen Harbaugh.
What do you like to do with your free time?
Just read, write, fix old typewriters. Also spend time with my toddler.
Any final thoughts?
Thanks for having me!!
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @DecadentKane, @Monica_Corwin, Bookbub, Decadent Kane, Monica Corwin, The Creative Journal for the Inspirationally Challenged, writing tips
Book Tour – The Drowning God
Title: The Drowning God
Author: James Kendley
Publisher: Harper Voyager Impulse
Genre: Supernatural Thriller
Format: Kindle/Paperback
The Drowning God, a paranormal thriller by James Kendley, is one of 30 projects selected out of 4,563 submissions for Harper Voyager’s new digital-first expansion — release date July 28, 2015!
Detective Tohru Takuda faces his own tragic past to uncover modern Japan’s darkest secret–The Drowning God.
Few villagers are happy when Takuda comes home to investigate a foiled abduction, and local police enlist powerful forces to shut him out. Takuda sacrifices his career and family honor to solve the string of disappearances in the dark and backward valley of his youth, but more than a job is at stake. Behind the conspiracy lurks the Kappa, a monstrous living relic of Japan’s pagan prehistory. Protected long ago by a horrible pact with local farmers and now by coldly calculated corporate interests, the Kappa drains the valley’s lifeblood, one villager at a time.
Takuda and his wife, Yumi, are among the few who have escaped the valley, but no one gets away unscarred. When Takuda digs into the valley’s mysteries, Yumi’s heart breaks all over again. She wants justice for her murdered son, but she needs an end to grief. Even if Takuda survives the Kappa, the ordeal may end his marriage.
With Yumi’s tortured blessing, Takuda dedicates his life to ending the Drowning God’s centuries-long reign of terror. He can’t do it alone. A laconic junior officer and a disarmingly cheerful Buddhist priest convince Takuda to let them join in the final battle, where failure means death–or worse. The journey of these three unlikely warriors from uneasy alliance to efficient team turns THE DROWNING GOD’s mystery into an adventure in friendship, sacrifice and courage.
ORDER INFORMATION
The Drowning God is available for order at:
HarperCollins
Amazon
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GooglePlay
Kobo
Add your Goodreads.
About The Author
James Kendley has written and edited professionally for more than 30 years, first as a newspaper reporter and editor, then as a copy editor and translator in Japan (where he taught for eight years at private colleges and universities), and currently as an educational publishing content wrangler living in northern Virginia. He has a taste for the macabre, and he hopes you do, too!
For More Information
Visit James’ website.
Connect with James:
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Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: James Kendley, Pump Up Your Book, PUYB, The Drowning God
August 5, 2015
Book Tour – Unholy Bargain
About The Book
Title: Unholy Bargain
Author: Travis Holt
Genre: Supernatural Thriller
An assassin is at work—one of the best in the trade. His body turned to dust long ago, but his spirit roams the Earth freely, undetectable to the five senses. He stalks his victims waiting for just the right opportunity. Then, in quick succession, he possesses a human host and strikes down his quarry. For a century and a half he has served this way.
Deputy Sheriff Nate Barrington is riding the crest of a new relationship. Kaitlyn Spencer is beautiful, altruistic, enlightened—everything he’s not. She teaches classes in New Age philosophy at her growing school. Nate doesn’t share her spirituality, but the physical passion hasn’t subsided enough for him to care.
Nate’s nirvana quickly unravels when Kaitlyn’s life is threatened on two separate occasions. With no apparent motive or any evidence suggesting collusion, the police are stumped. Even more troubling to Nate, Kaitlyn is eventually convinced she is the target of unseen forces.
A hardheaded pragmatist, Nate isn’t prone to believe that spirits can possess people. As far as he’s concerned, Kaitlyn’s claims of perpetrators possessed by a spirit assassin are on par with comic book stories and have nothing to do with reality, and her esoteric, New Age mumbo jumbo begins to drive a wedge into their relationship. And why Kaitlyn? What secret is she hiding?
Even with the sheriff’s resources at Nate’s disposal, the odds for Kaitlyn’s survival are not in her favor. The true enemy is virtually invisible, and Nate’s conventional police tactics have no effect on the spirit world. Strikes come from anytime, anywhere, and from random, unwittingly manipulated people. Behind it all is a deal the assassin had made with the devil: send Kaitlyn Spencer to an early grave in exchange for a fresh start. For that, the assassin will stop at nothing to uphold his end of an Unholy Bargain.
Author Bio
Travis Hallden Holt is a former U.S. Navy surface warfare officer and veteran of the Persian Gulf War. He’s worked the past twenty-two years in the corrections side of law enforcement, first in the prison system, then in the streets as a probation officer. He spent three years supervising felons in a south Atlanta neighborhood ranked the ninth most dangerous neighborhood in America, where one in every twelve residents becomes a victim of crime each year.
For years, his interests were in weaponry (both small arms and large scale), warfare tactics, hand-to-hand combat, criminal justice and unsolved crimes. But life has a way of molding perspectives, and Travis came to realize the physical world known to the five senses didn’t have all the answers. It scratched the surface at best. Accordingly, Travis’s interests shifted to supernatural phenomenon, spirituality, the mysteries of life, the invisible world beyond our five senses and the forces that lie therein. He’s still a peace officer, but one who has mingled with psychics, mystics, mediums, energy healers, shamans, gurus, artists and denizens of the “underground.”
Travis is the author of Unholy Bargain, a supernatural thriller published by Blood Moon Publishing. He resides in Atlanta, GA.
Links
http://www.travishalldenholt.com/
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Double Dragon Publishing
Paperback
Book Excerpt
Back when Nate was a freshly scrubbed rookie, his grandmother had been victim to one of the most brutal and senseless murders in Florida history. The perpetrator was a baby-faced, fifteen-year-old boy who had lived in her aging yet quiet neighborhood.
By all appearances, he looked the most unlikely of killers, like a boy who should be bagging groceries or stumbling through school hallways hunched over by an overstuffed book bag. But that is not what made the case unique. The boy had no priors. No run-ins with Nate’s grandmother, or anyone in his family for that matter. He wasn’t on drugs or in a gang. There was no motive for the boy to snarl at her, let alone murder her, yet forty-eight times he had plunged a knife into her chest.
The case wasn’t tried. The boy and his attorney had negotiated a plea. Before the boy made his one-way trip to the “big house,” an assistant state’s attorney had mentioned to Nate in passing that during a pre-trial hearing the little shit had the gall to claim he had been possessed by an evil spirit during the commission of the crime. The ASA said it was probably a scare tactic for a run at an insanity plea if the State had insisted pursuing the death penalty. It may have worked. The State decided to forego the psychological evaluations, expert testimonies, the media—the whole damn circus—and most of all the expense of a lengthy trial. Premeditation wasn’t easy to prove beyond reasonable doubt anyway, even if evidence was stacked in the State’s favor.
Nate had dreamed of watching the kid fry in the electric chair, the same chair that sent Ted Bundy to his grave. Not only had the son-of-a-bitch robbed him of his grandmother, he had ripped from Nate and his family their last vestige of real justice.
It was late afternoon, and the daily thunderstorms had rolled in and bellowed their oration to the Earth. The breeze grew into swirling winds, and Spanish moss danced like frantic marionettes beside waving palm fronds. Nate drove east on the Bee Line Expressway, slowing to a crawl when choked by airport and commuter traffic. His scalp and face stung like day-old sunburn, and below his skin, at the core of his skull, a dull ache had synched to his heartbeat.
Nate called the warden in charge of the state prison in Orange County. A secretary answered. “I’m sorry, sir, but he’s busy right now. Can I take a message?”
“No,” Nate said. “No message. Tell him it’s Sergeant Nate Barrington and it’s urgent.”
“He’s in a meeting. If you’ll just leave your number I—”
“Interrupt his meeting. Trust me; it’ll be worse if you don’t.”
“Can you at least tell me what this is about?”
“No, it’s personal.”
She sighed, started to say something, then exhaled deeply. “All right.”
A minute passed. Two minutes.
“This had better be important,” said a voice, gruff and annoyed.
“I need to interview one of your inmates.”
“Christ! This isn’t a good time. I’m in the middle of things.”
“Your convenience isn’t my concern.”
“Some other time.”
“I’ll be there in thirty minutes.” Nate disconnected the call before the warden could respond.
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: Book Excerpt, Enchanted book promotions, Travis Holt, Unholy Bargain
August 4, 2015
Book Tour – The Toy Taker by Luke Delaney
Title: The Toy Taker
Author: Luke Delaney
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Format: Kindle/Paperback
Outside the house, it’s cold and dark.
Inside, where it’s warm, children are sleeping.
D.I. Sean Corrigan might have a tiny new office at Scotland Yard and a huge new beat—all of London—but the job is the same. His team has a knack for catching the sickest criminals on either side of the Thames, thanks in large part to Corrigan’s uncanny ability to place himself inside the mind of a predator.
But he just can’t get a read on this new case. Four-year-old George Bridgeman went to sleep in his bedroom in a leafy London suburb . . . and wasn’t there in the morning. No tripped alarms. No broken windows. No sign of forced entry or struggle.
As his investigation zeroes in on a suspect, Corrigan’s gut tells him it doesn’t add up. Then another child is taken. Now someone’s toying with Corrigan. And the game is about to turn deadly.
ORDER INFORMATION
The Toy Taker is available for order at
HarperCollins
Amazon
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Kobo
GooglePlay
About The Author
Luke Delaney joined the Metropolitan Police Service in the late 1980s and his first posting was to an inner city area of South East London notorious for high levels of crime and extreme violence. He later joined CID where he investigated murders ranging from those committed by fledgling serial killers to gangland assassinations…
For More Information
Visit Luke’s website.
Connect with Luke:
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Excerpt
The Toy Taker Chapter 1:
The street was quiet, empty of the noise of living people, with only the sound of a million leaves hissing in the strong breeze that intensified as it blew in over Hampstead Heath in north-west London. Smart Georgian houses lined either side of the deserted Courthope Road, all gently washed in the pale yellow of the streetlights, their warming appearance giving lie to the increasingly bitter cold that late autumn brought with it. Some of the shallow porches added their own light to the yellow, left on by security-conscious occupiers and those too exhausted to remember to switch them off before heading for bed. But these were the homes of London’s affluent, who had little to fear from the streets outside—the hugely inflated house prices ensuring the entire area was a sanctuary for the rich and privileged. Constant highly visible police patrols, private security firms, and state-of-the-art burglar alarms meant the people within slept soundly and contentedly.
His gloved fingers worked quickly and nimbly as he crouched by the front door, the small, powerful torch—the type used by spelunkers, strapped to his forehead by an elasticized band—provided him with more than enough light to see inside the locks on the door: two deadlocks, top and bottom, and a combined deadlock and latch in the center. His warm breath turned to plumes of mist that swirled in the tubular light of the torch before disappearing into the night, making way for the next calmly expelled breath. He’d already unlocked the top and bottom deadlocks easily enough—a thousand hours of practice making the task simple—but the center locks were new and more sophisticated. Still he remained totally calm as he gently and precisely worked the two miniature tools together, each of which looked similar to the type of instruments a dentist would use—the thin wrench with its slightly hooked end holding the first of the lock’s pins down as the pick silently slid quickly back and forth until eventually it aligned all the pins in the barrel of the lock and it clicked open. It was a tiny sound, but one that in the emptiness of the street made him freeze, holding his breath as he waited for any reaction in the night that surrounded him. When his lungs began to burn he exhaled the dead air, taking a second to look at his watch. It was just gone 3 a.m. The family inside would be in the deepest part of their sleep—at their least likely to react to any slight sound or change in the atmosphere.
He inserted the slim hook wrench into the last remaining lock and once more slid the pick through the lock’s barrel until within only a few seconds he felt the pins drop into their holes and allow him to turn the barrel and open the lock, the door falling open just a few millimeters. He replaced the tools in their suede case along with the other dozen or so lock-picking items, rolled it up and put it into the small plastic sports holdall he’d brought with him. He added the head-torch, then paused for a second before taking out the item that he knew was so precious to the little boy who waited inside—the one thing that would virtually guarantee the boy’s cooperation—even his happiness.
He eased the door open and stepped inside, closing it behind him and silently returning the latch to its locked position. He waited for the sounds of an intruder alarm to begin its countdown to the wailing of sirens, but there was none, just as he all but knew there wouldn’t be.
The house was warm inside, the cold of outside quickly fading in his mind as he stepped deeper into the family’s home, heading for the staircase, his way lit by the street light pouring through the windows. Their curtains had been left open and lights strategically left on in case little feet went wandering in the night. He felt safe in the house, almost like a child himself once more—no longer alone and unloved. As he walked slowly toward the stairs that would lead him to the boy, he noted the order of the things within—neat and tidy, everything in its place except for the occasional toy on the hallway floor, abandoned by the children of the house and left by parents too tired to care anymore. He breathed in the smells of the family—the food they had had for dinner mixing with the mother’s perfume and bathtime creams and soaps, air fresheners and polish.
He listened to the sounds of the house—the bubbling of a fish-tank filter coming from the children’s playroom and the ticking of electronic devices that seemed to inhabit every modern family’s home, accompanied by blinking green and red lights. All the time he thought of the parents rushing the children to their beds, too preoccupied with making it to that first glass of wine to even read them a bedtime story or stroke their hair until sleep took them. Parents who had children as a matter of course—to keep them as possessions and a sign of wealth, mere extensions of the expensive houses they lived in and exotic cars they drove. Children they would educate privately as another show of wealth and influence—bought educations that minimized the need for parental input while guaranteeing they never had to step out of their own social confines—even at the school gate.
More discarded toys lay on the occasional step as he began to climb toward the boy’s room, careful not to step on the floorboards that he already knew would creak, his gloved hands carrying the bag and the thing so precious to the boy. His footsteps were silent on the carpet as he glided past the parents’ bedroom on the first floor, the door almost wide open in case of a child in distress. He could sense only the mother in the room—no odors or sounds of a man. He left her sleeping in the semidarkness and climbed the next flight of stairs to where the children slept—George and his older sister Sophia, each in their own bedrooms. If they hadn’t been, he wouldn’t be here.
He reached the second-floor landing and stood still for a few seconds, looking above to the third floor, where he knew the guest bedrooms were, listening for any faint sounds of life, unsure whether the family had a late-arriving guest staying. He only moved forward along the hallway when he was sure the floor above held nothing but emptiness.
Pink and blue light from the children’s night-lights seeped through their partially opened doors—the blueness guiding him toward George, his grip on the special thing tightening. He was only seconds away from what he’d come for. He passed the girl’s room without looking inside and moved slowly, carefully, silently to the boy’s room, easing the door open, knowing the hinges wouldn’t make a noise. He crossed the room to the boy’s bed, which was pushed up under the window, momentarily stopping to look around at the blue wallpaper with white clouds, periodically broken up by childish paintings in the boy’s own hand; the mobile of trains with smiling faces above the boy’s head, and the seemingly dozens of teddy bears of all kinds spread across his bed and beyond. He felt both tears of joy and sadness rising from deep inside himself and swelling behind his eyes, but he knew he had to do what he’d come to do: a greater power than he or any man had guided him this far and would protect him the rest of the way.
He knelt next to the boy’s bed and placed the bag on the floor, his face only inches away from the child’s, their breath intertwining in the space between them and becoming one as he gently began to whisper. “George . . . sssh . . . George.” The boy stirred under his duvet, his slight four-year- old body wriggling as it fought to stay asleep. “George . . . sssh . . . open your eyes, George. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I have something for you, George. Something very precious.” The boy rolled over slowly, blinking sleep from his narrow eyes—eyes that suddenly grew large with excitement and confusion, a smile spreading across his face, his green eyes sparkling with joy as he saw what the man had brought him—reaching out for the precious gift as the man’s still gloved hand stroked his straight blond hair. “Do you want to come to a magic place with me, George? A special place with special things?” he whispered. “If you do, we need to go now and we need to be very, very quiet. Do you understand?” he asked, smiling.
“A magic place?” the boy asked, yawning and stretching in his pale blue pajamas, making the pictures of dinosaurs printed on them come to life.
“Yes,” the man assured him. “A place just for the best, nicest children to see.”
“Do we have to go now?” the boy asked.
“Yes, George,” the man told him, taking him by the hand and lifting his bag at the same time. “We have to go now. We have to go right now.”
Author Interview
Luke, Thanks for being here today. Tell us about you
I’m an ex-detective who served for 17 years in the Metropolitan Police in London before retiring early and turning my hand to writing. I’m also married with three young children who keep me very busy.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Getting the before mentioned children to school on time. I don’t really have a choice in the matter. No inspiration needed – just necessity.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
I’d like to travel back in time and spend a day with Hitler. I’d just want to know why he did what he did – did he really mean for it to go that far into unrelenting evil?
What’s the story behind your latest book?
In The Toy Taker young children from wealthy London families are going missing from their own beds in the middle of the night. There’s never any sign of break in and no apparent motive for the disappearances. DI Corrigan and his Special Investigations Unit have to find the perpetrator in hope of recovering the children alive. Secretly Corrigan expects to start finding the bodies of the missing children, fearing they’ve been taken by a paedophile, but when no bodies are discovered, he realizes he is dealing with something different, but perhaps no less disturbing.
Tell us your writing process
I don’t really have one. I spend a lot of time looking after my kids, so I squeeze writing in as and when I can.
What can you share with aspiring & upcoming authors who want to get the word out about their book?
Always doing a very detailed plan works well for me – especially testing the plot and the story’s credibility. Not planning does not work for me and I don’t recommend anyone tries to write off the cuff.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
When I was 17 I realized I wanted to write, but not be a writer. It didn’t sound very exciting back then and I doubted it would make me attractive to the opposite sex, so I joined the police instead, which is what I always really wanted to do since a young child, but I always hoped one day to write a book and now I have – five in fact.
Tell us about your main character:
Detective Inspector Sean Corrigan is my main character – a bit of a tortured soul, but a solid cop too. He was abused by his father as a child, which gave him the unique insight into the mind of serious offenders – something that he uses to help solve the terrible crimes he has to investigate. He’s not laugh a minute, but the readers seem to love him – warts and all.
What are you working on next?
I’m currently working on a 4/6 part TV script – about two teenage boys who commit a terrible murder seemingly together, but when they’re captured they each blame the other, hence we never entirely sure of their guilt. They serve over ten years in prison and are then sent to different corners of the world for their own protection, but eventually their past crime catches up with them.
Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
No. I’m more a jack of all trades.
Who are your favorite authors?
Thomas Harris and Anthony Beevor.
What do you like to do with your free time?
Play football and rugby with the kids – cook and work out, although not at the same time.
Tell us about your plans for upcoming books.
Well the fourth DI Corrigan book – The Jackdaw – is already out in the UK. It’s about a disgruntled member of the public who kidnaps wealthy bankers who he blames for the banking collapse and subsequent hardship it brought. He tries them for their greed and crimes on my version of You Tube and you the watcher get to vote guilty or not guilty – then he decides the punishment.
Where can people find you on the web?
I’m on twitter @lukedelaneyuk and I also have an official website http://www.lukedelaney.com and an official Facebook page – all easy to find on the web.
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @lukedelaneyuk, author interview, Book Excerpt, Luke Delaney, The Toy Taker
August 3, 2015
Book Tour ~ Magno Girl by Joe Canzano
Title: Magno Girl
Author: Joe Canzano
Publisher: Happy Joe Control
Pages: 320
Genre: Comic Urban Fantasy
Format: Paperback/Kindle/Nook
Price: Paperback $9.89/Kindle $2.99/Nook $2.99
When a Manhattan pizza maker is found dead in his own dough, Magno Girl enlists the aid of her biker ninja boyfriend to help solve the crime – and quickly discovers there’s more to the pie than meets the eye, including a sinister plot that spans the globe.
Magno Girl leaps into action. After all, she can fly, she can fight, and she can use her fearsome superpower, the “Gaze of the Guilt,” to bring a hardened criminal to his knees. But the road ahead is hard. The city’s other superheroes despise her, and the cops don’t want her around, and her own mom won’t stop spitting out advice about marrying a “respectable guy” and trading in her crime-fighting career for a baby carriage—but is she attracted to “respectable guys”? And is she interested in emotional commitment? And will finding real love be her biggest challenge of all?
Welcome to the world of Magno Girl, an absurd place filled with humor, action, and romance.
Magno Girl is available at Amazon.
Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
Download at iTunes
About The Author
Joe Canzano is a writer and musician. He lives in New Jersey, U.S.A., in a house with a basement where he usually stays. Occasionally he leaves the basement and visits the kitchen.
He is a graduate of Rutgers University, where he majored in English. His short stories have appeared in a half-dozen printed literary journals, as well as in the Akashic Books online series, “Mondays are Murder.”
He recently formed his own publishing company, Happy Joe Control, and published his debut novel, Magno Girl.
Visit Joe Canzano’s website.
Connect with Joe on Facebook and Twitter.
Find out more about Joe at Goodreads.
Visit Joe’s blog.
More books by Joe Canzano.
Book Excerpt:
Magno Girl stared across the windswept roof. Her lips shimmered in the moonlight like a couple of beer-soaked cherries. From the depths of Manhattan below came the clanging sound of a city that was never satisfied.
Was she thinking about me? I was desperate to know.
I took a deep breath. “Mags, when can I see you again?”
She stared at me with those vivid green eyes. Her black hair, streaked with savage shades of crimson, billowed in the hot summer breeze.
“I’ll be around,” she said. Then she looked away. “I have to warn you, Ron. I’m not very good at relationships.”
I grinned. “That’s just one more thing we have in common.”
“Also, I don’t want to do any commercials for soft drinks. That’s definitely out.”
“No problem—the soft drinks can slide. What else?”
“Well, since you asked, I’d like to fight some crime. I’ve discovered an evil plot, and my superpowers might not be enough to handle it. Things could get crazy and absurd.”
“Hey, I want to help you with that. I’m totally on board!”
She smiled. “Okay, call me tomorrow. I’ve got a job for you.”
“Count me in.”
I puffed out my chest and stepped toward her, wanting to wrap my arms around her sleek body and kiss her long and hard—but she saw it coming, and she put out her hand and stopped me. She leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.
It was something, and it was good. My whole body felt electric.
“Just tell me what you need, Mags. Anything.”
There was a spark in her eye. “Sometimes I need to be left alone. We’ll talk soon.”
She leapt from the roof, her powerful body snapping like a switchblade as she dove into the death-black valley of bricks, glass, and steel. I briefly envied her ability to fly and then took the stairs to the street. I hopped on my chopper and rode to the liquor store.
I woke up alone the next day, with the morning sky vomiting its sunshine through the grimy window of my East Village apartment. I groped around for my phone and found it under a pile of empty beer cans. I fumbled a bit and finally made the call.
“Hi, Mags. It’s me.”
“Hi, Ron. Can you meet me somewhere?”
She sounded friendly, and for a second I felt like I was floating. But as usual, there wasn’t much talk.
“Any place you want. Did you eat breakfast?”
“Yeah, but it’s noon, so I guess we can eat lunch. I’m over on St. Mark’s.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Author Interview
Joe, thanks for being my guest today. Tell us about you
I’m a writer and musician from New Jersey, USA.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
I like living. It’s the best thing there is.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
Most of my heroes are dead. The ones who aren’t are not famous. Can I pick a fictional character? I’d like to meet Wile E. Coyote. I’d like to buy him dinner.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
I wanted to write a wacky story that still had something to say.
Tell us your writing process
I don’t have much of a process. Whatever’s working that day is what I do. Bruce Lee once described his fighting style as “the way of no way,” and I can relate to that.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
Right about the time I realized the real world could never be as interesting as the ones I wanted to invent.
Tell us about your main character:
Magno Girl, aka Magnolia, is smart, tough, witty, rebellious, laconic, and stubborn. She’s a nice girl, but she’ll still kick your ass.
What are you working on next?
A romantic comedy that involves love, sex, and the supernatural.
Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
Yes, I can make myself invisible. I can also lift a fire engine above my head. I can lie better than most people.
Who are your favorite authors?
Too many to name. During the last ten years, I’d say it’s been Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, Chris Moore, Terry Pratchett, Matt Ruff, Elmore Leonard, Mark Leyner, and Mark Twain. When I was younger I was very into sci-fi – Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein.
What do you like to do with your free time?
Play guitar and write.
Tell us about your plans for upcoming books.
I plan to put out another novel before the end of the year and maybe two more next year. I also have some short stories/novelettes I might publish.
Any final thoughts?
Thanks for having me. I appreciate it.
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @happyjoecanzano, author interview, Book Excerpt, Happy Joe Control, Joe Canzano, Magno Girl, Magno Girl by Joe Canzano, Pump Up Your Book, PUYB
Book Tour – Between Heaven & Hell
Title: Between Heaven & Hell
Author: Astrid V. Tallaksen
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance
Being a fallen angel used to be easy. A quiet life with the people she loves is all Sara ever asked for. Unfortunately, the apocalypse didn’t get the message. After nearly losing everything, she’s managed to put her life back together and start living what she hoped was happily ever after with her small family. Now she wants nothing more than to hide away and pretend the end of the world is a distant rumor. Her life has already been torn apart once. Doesn’t she deserve a break?
The apocalypse finds its way back to her doorstep when a letter arrives. Is it a friendly warning, a dire threat, or a simple reminder that she can’t run away from what’s to come? Sara refuses to take heed and pays dearly for her avoidance. With her family in danger and the preservation of free will hanging in the balance, she finds herself with no other choice. Sara must follow the path forged for her, a path that may take away everything she holds dear and leave her in pieces at the end. She’s caught between Heaven and Hell, and the last person she’d ever have considered trusting might just be her greatest ally.
Links to purchase Between Heaven & Hell:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Apple iBooks
Scribd
Page Foundry
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EXCERPT
Before I even knew what I was doing, the cup was flying from my hand, the coffee trailing from it onto the floor and down my wrist; the cup shattering on the floor at Lucifer’s feet. The spirits oozed in from the corners of the room, cheering on my tirade. The rage was an avalanche, escalating into something unstoppable and deadly. Soon everything on the counter was at my mercy, swept to the floor one at a time. The coffee maker was my first victim, followed immediately by a convection oven, a block of knives, a rack of coffee cups, a vase of cut flowers. I could hear myself raging, but I didn’t know if there were words or if I was just screaming.
Dragged into the disaster I’d begun, I too, shattered into pieces on the floor, shards of glass cutting into my hands and forearms and biting through the fabric of my jeans into my knees and shins. The pain was clean though, the rage immolating any concern for my own well-being or safety. I was trembling, and the kitchen was silent, Lucifer standing still in the doorway. My heart beat an out of control staccato in my chest, the desperate fluttering wings of a trapped and wounded bird against my ribcage.
“This was you?” I asked, looking up at Lucifer who hadn’t stopped staring down at me, his face unreadable.
“No,” he said in a hushed tone, glancing around the room before continuing. “It was all you. Only you. I wouldn’t have been able to bring that much rage without quite a bit of effort, especially on another angel. It was quite a masterful performance.”
“Fuck you,” I hissed, still teetering at that precipice of rage; this time if I went over it would be a jump not a fall. He shrugged and smiled at first, but after a moment he frowned, glancing down at the floor for the first time and then my hands. What might have been amusement turned into concern and Lucifer came and knelt before me.
“You’re bleeding,” he pointed out. “Does it hurt?”
“No,” I lied. It did hurt, but I wanted it to hurt more. I pressed one hand harder into the floor, crushing the glass deeper into my palms.
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Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: Astrid V. Tallaksen, Between Heaven & Hell, Book Excerpt, Enchanted book promotions
August 2, 2015
Book Tour – NORTHWOODS WOLFMAN by Scott Burtness
Northwoods Wolfman
by Scott Burtness
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BLURB:
When Dallas is recruited by an ancient order of monster hunters, he’s more than happy to sign up. The self-proclaimed Hero of Trappersville did kill a bloodthirsty vampire, after all. As far as Dallas is concerned, monsters are monsters, and they have no place in Wisconsin.
Or do they? And does Dallas really get to choose which side he’s on?
Book Two of the Monsters in the Midwest series.
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Excerpt
Even though it was faint, he recognized the smell. Taking a few tentative steps, he caught it again. Fixing it in his mind, he continued forward, slipping through the underbrush, stepping over fallen logs, and crouching under low-hanging branches. As he moved, the scent became incrementally more pronounced. He was passing by an old, crooked ash tree when his nose pulled him to an abrupt stop. Leaning in, he smelled a handful of leaves sprouting from a low branch. Beneath their leafiness, he smelled sweat, deodorant, maybe even cheap aftershave?
“Randall? It’s Randall. Son of a bitch, that’s gotta be him.”
Dallas swung around in a slow circle as he searched for traces of the scent. It didn’t take long to find it on another branch further into the trees. Soon, it was like a neon trail had been lit up just for Dallas. Every branch and leaf Randall had brushed against was emblazoned with his scent. Unquestioning, Dallas followed his nose.
Fixated on following the smelly trail, he almost forgot his original intent. Fortunately, a voice coming from just past the next rise brought him to his senses.
“… not much. I cast around for a bit, but I don’t think we gotta worry about a wendigo. And that ‘squatch scat was a least a week old. No fresh tracks, so it’s probably up in the Michigan U.P., maybe even Canada by now. Damn things got territories bigger than John Wayne’s balls.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Scott lives in the Midwest with his wife and their boxer-pitt mix, Frank. He’s a horror, urban fantasy, and dark comedy fan, and also enjoys beer, bowling, karaoke, and rooting for the underdog. After not nearly enough consideration, he decided to write about the things he enjoys. The result was the Monsters in the Midwest series.
Book URL:
http://www.amazon.com/Northwoods-Wolfman-Monsters-Midwest-Book-ebook/dp/B00X2VB5E4
Author URLs:
www.amazon.com/author/swbauthor
www.twitter.com/SWBauthor
www.goodreads.com/swbauthor
www.facebook.com/SWBauthor
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Scott Burtness will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @SWBauthor, Book Excerpt, Goddess Fish Promotions, Monsters in the Midwest, Northwoods Wolfman, Rafflecopter giveaway, Scott Burtness
Book Tour ~ Astrid V. Tallaksen
About the Book
Title: At Death’s Door
Author: Astrid V. Tallaksen
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance
The world is a pretty straightforward place. Even for medium Sara Stone things seem pretty simple, aside from the whole talking to spirits bit. But when the spirits get too hard to handle and Sara ends up admitted to a mental hospital, the world starts to seem a lot less straightforward. First her family disappears, including her four year old son. Then she gets the sneaking suspicion that not only are the staff at the mental hospital somehow connected, but they also have no intention of ever letting her leave the hospital.
Everything changes when Sara has her first visitor in three months. Daniel is handsome, friendly, and a complete stranger. When he promises to spring her from the hospital and swears that everything she’s experienced is completely real, Sara has no choice but to believe him. But once she reaches a run-down Victorian house in the tiny Alabama town her rescuer calls home, the last thing she expects to discover is that every memory she has is a lie.
Daniel reveals a world filled with angels, demons, and an impending war humans know nothing about. Sara wants to ignore her role in the whole mess – all that matters is solving the mystery of where her son has gone. But the forces of Heaven, Hell, and the Heart have other plans for her. Can she find her child before the world comes crashing down?
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Author Bio
Astrid V. Tallaksen grew up with a heart for stories of creatures and places outside of this world. Her love of reading quickly became a love of writing. She spent several years creating content and helping writers to improve their craft on the online world of Althanas, a creative writing workshop in the guise of a roleplaying forum. A self-avowed nerd, Astrid loves science fiction, comic books, and eighties fantasy movies in the vein of The Princess Bride and Labyrinth. Her geekiness extends to annual volunteer work at the massive sci-fi convention known as Dragon*con every year in Atlanta, Georgia. In the odd times that she’s not immersed in geekdom or writing, Astrid loves to sing karaoke, crochet, and spend time with her family and pets.
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Links
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Links to purchase At Death’s Door:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Apple iBooks
Scribd
Page Foundry
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INTERVIEW
Astrid, thanks for being my guest today. Tell our readers about you.
Where do I begin? I’m the mom of an awesome and frustrating 11 year old boy, and happily married to my husband. I have a house full of critters – 2 dogs and 2 cats (and the 11 year old boy lol). Currently I’m back in school (someday I’ll have a degree – maybe by the time I’m 40), with a major in English Literature and a minor in Gender and Multicultural Studies. I hope it will help me in my writing and editing. I love karaoke, crocheting, and swimming.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
I guess it depends on the day really. Most days it’s my crazy kid. Some days it’s because I have an amazing idea in my head that HAS to get down on paper. If I’m really lucky it’s because I’m traveling somewhere with my husband or having a girl’s day out with my mom or a friend.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
Probably Angelina Jolie (although Tom Hiddleston would be a close second). She’s just an inspiration to me. She’s a brilliant actress, but more importantly she’s a great person who does wonderful things in the world. She’s also a fantastic mom, with a huge heart.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
The Freefall Trilogy, which I’m working on the last book of, has a core theme of Free Will. Everything boils down to a person’s ability to make personal choices, whether good or bad, and face the consequences, whatever they are. It’s been an interesting journey as I navigated my own personal beliefs about it, and then compared them to some of the world’s major religions.
Tell us your writing process
I am kind of a freeform writer. I don’t do outlines or anything like that, because it just doesn’t work for me. Instead, I let the characters take charge, and write in a very chronological manner. I do keep a notebook where I take research notes, or write down quotes that inspire me or make me think of certain characters or relationships, or little pieces of plot ideas or dialogue I’ve had pop into my head.
What tips can you give other authors who are looking to get the word out about their book?
That’s definitely been a learning process, and honestly I’m still learning. Between Heaven & Hell just came out in March, and it’s only my second book, so I haven’t quite figured out the best way to navigate promoting yet. I try to make sure I keep up with my social media so people are seeing my name, which I feel is really important. Word of mouth is important as well, and I have no problem with wrangling my friends into putting the word out there. I’ve had a book signing, which was fun but I wish more people had come. I also have business cards and a website so that I can quickly get my information to people. I send out a lot of review requests, because I think reviews are a very important part of getting people interested in your book. And finally, blog tours like this are quite fun and helpful as well.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I don’t know if there was a realization. I’ve been telling stories forever. I wrote my first (very short) book in kindergarten, and just never stopped. I didn’t realize I wanted to do it, I guess in a way I was just born this way.
Tell us about your main character:
Sara. I love Sara. She’s bold and sassy, filled with snark, but she’s not fearless by any means. She’s strong but she knows she has to lean on people sometimes because she can’t do everything herself. She has a huge heart, which can be a bit of a weakness for her. In these books she starts out in a mental hospital because she sees ghosts.
What are you working on next?
Once I finish the Freefall Trilogy, I’ve got plans for a couple more projects. The most immediate one will focus on a character named Skyler, a girl who starts out rough and is trained as an assassin. Her adventures aren’t as world-changing as Sara’s, but she’s definitely going to have some pretty crazy things going on in her world, which will be full on fantasy.
Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
I’m a decent photographer, and I’m also a pretty good singer. I used to be much better than I am now, at one point singing opera and classical pieces. Now it’s only karaoke now and then, which is kind of sad.
Who are your favorite authors?
My absolute favorite author is Madeleine L’Engle, who wrote A Wrinkle in Time among other books. I collect everything she writes, sometimes in multiple editions. She was almost like another family member for me and her words got me through some very tough times. My other favorites include Diana Gabaldon (Outlander), David Eddings (Belgariad), and Victoria Holt.
What do you like to do with your free time?
Sleep? It’s underrated if you ask me. Other things I like to do are karaoke, crochet, photography, and a bit of painting.
Tell us about your plans for upcoming books.
I will probably be doing a bit more straight up fantasy, like the assassin books that will be next, as well as some about a fallen valkyrie. Who knows what else I’ll come up with after that.
Any final thoughts?
I’m very grateful for the opportunity to share my work and my thoughts and processes and loves. I suppose I could leave you with a quote from my favorite movie, Dream for an Insomniac: “Unless it’s mad, passionate, extraordinary love, it’s a waste of your time. There are too many mediocre things in life. Love shouldn’t be one of them.”
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @astrid_writes, Astrid V. Tallaksen, At Death’s Door, author interview, Between Heaven & Hell, book promotion tips, writing tips
