L. Salt's Blog, page 6

[Guest Post]: Character Development Techniques by Daniel V. Meier, Jr., the author of Guidance to Death

My today’s guest is Daniel V. Meier Jr. His murder mystery Guidance to Death (Book One in the Frank Adams series) was released in May by BQB Publishing. Daniel is talking about his techniques of characters’ creation and development.

Character Development Techniques

Characterization can be tricky. The author does not want to ‘tell’ the reader what the character looks like, they wants to let the reader get to know him.  Following are a few techniques that makes it easier.

1. Spy

A great way to know your characters more intimately is to see how they behave when they think no one is watching. The easiest way to do that is simply to spy on them.

Watch your protagonist through a window or plant a hidden camera—whatever works for you. You’ll see his private moments as he goes unsuspectingly about his business at home. 

What are his morning and bedtime rituals?What are his secret snacking habits? Late night?
In the car?What does she try to get away with when no one
is looking?What websites lure him away from his workday?

2. Zoom In

Follow your character anywhere he goes—cafés, parks, the office, the gym—and fire up your X-ray. What just arrested her attention, repulsed her, alarmed her, made her smile? What is she fiddling with in her purse? Pills? Pepper spray? 

3.  Follow the money

You can tell a lot about a person from his choice of products. Are his cleaners additive-free, organic and compostable, or rubber-glove and gas-mask-requiring germ-annihilators? Does he buy only the brand that’s on sale, regardless of whether it’s what he really wants? Does he own 14 kinds of cologne, or one signature scent?

4. Gossiping

Catch your character’s friends, co-workers and family at a party, in the break room, or at a reunion and get them talking. You might develop entirely new perspectives on your character’s relationships, choices, issues and untapped potential—including things your character doesn’t even know herself.

Who can she trust? Who happily trash talks her at the drop of a hat.

Ask what your character:

is like when he’s madwas like when she was youngeris good atis bad atneeds to do to fix his lifetakes too seriouslydoesn’t take seriously enoughhas going for herhas working against him.

5. Eavesdropping

When we’re at a loss for putting words in our characters’ mouths, that’s often when it’s time to stop thinking and start listening. 

If your character does her heavy communicating in a private space, you’ll just have to put a bug under the kitchen table or behind the therapist’s fish tank. Now you can get into that privileged territory of secret plans, sordid pasts and private pain. Instead of thinking up a backstory for your character, listen in as she divulges her childhood trauma to her psychologist. Or write what you hear as she whispers her most fragile longings to her secret lover, or unloads her guilt onto a priest. 

And above all, make it fun.

About the Book

Frank Adams Series, Book One

Genre: Murder Mystery, Thriller

Date Published: 16th May 2023

Publisher: BQB Publishing

It was cold and rainy, with low visibility. A perfect morning for sabotage. The company jet carrying a Senior VP mysteriously crashes shortly after taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says it was an accident. The victim’s wife says it was murder. Frank Adams, an independent aviation accident investigator has been hired to find out. Mounting evidence and an additional murder convince Adams that there was indeed foul play. 

As what seemed to be disparate events become increasingly linked, Frank reveals a crime of international dimensions. Accustomed to working independently, Frank is forced to call on the help of an old girlfriend as well as a retired DC cop. But unraveling the truth could cost him his life as well as the lives of his friends.

About the Author

A retired Aviation Safety Inspector for the FAA, Daniel V. Meier, Jr. has always had a passion for writing. During his college years, he studied History at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington (UNCW) and American Literature at The University of Maryland Graduate School.  In 1980 he published an Action/Thriller, Mendosa’s Treasure, with Leisure Books under the pen name of Vince Daniels.
He worked briefly for the Washington Business Journal as a journalist and has been a contributing writer/editor for several aviation magazines. Guidance to Death is a return to a favorite genre of his, Action/Thriller with the added intrigue of Murder/Mystery.
Other books by Dan are Blood Before Dawn, the sequel to the award-winning novel, The Dung Beetles of Liberia. Bloodroot, also an Historical novel is about the Jamestown settlement in the early 1600’s and No Birds Sing Here, is a work of Satirical Literary Fiction.
Dan and his wife live in Owings, Maryland, about twenty miles south of Annapolis and when he’s not writing, they spend their summers sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.

Contact Links

Website: https://danielmeierauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielmeierauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorMeier

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/53590968-daniel-meier-jr

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dvmeierjr/

Purchase Links

Barnes and Noble: 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/guidance-to-death-daniel-v-meier-jr/1142524888?ean=9798886330021

Kobo: 

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=GUIDANCE+TO+DEATH

Giveaway

$5 Amazon Gift Card and an eBook Copy

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/408264011732

[Book Review]: Cursed City by Lina Ravenhill (Book 2 in the Aforetime series)

About the Book

Genre: YA Fantasy, Romance

Date of Publication: 4th May 2023

Sometimes love is just not enough….

After the brutal fight to save Gora, Anna finds herself surrounded by all the people she cares about, and it seems like she found her happy ever after.
But the darkness comes for Hadeon.

Now she must endure new challenges to keep Hadeon from falling into his worst nightmare. Anna must find a way to conquer the forces that threaten to destroy everything she has come to love. She must face her fears and prove that she is strong enough to battle them head on.

Will Anna be able to save Hadeon?
Or will they both succumb to the curse of the vampire city?

The Aforetime is a dark fantasy romance for fans of Serpent & Dove, Kingdom of the Wicked, and Shadow and Bone. This book is for anyone who loves medieval sorcery, vampire romance, witches and wizards, and monsters, and dragons.

About the Author

Lina Ravenhill lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Ben. Lina writes messy, funny, and action-filled paranormal romance, fantasy, and suspense. Vampire romance, dragon quests, and witches are simply more fun to write than the plain, normal stuff.

Lina’s first title, Aforetime, is a long-time project, that turned out to be both a pleasure to write and a huge pain to put together.
Lina loves music, especially classic rock, and Lana Del Rey, of course. She enjoys watching a good movie and rereads at least one Jane Austen novel a year.

Media Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linaravenhill/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22624299.Lina_Ravenhill

My Review

4,5* stars

Cursed City is a short and sweet young adult fantasy, set in the magical kingdom of Gora where humans, vampires, witches, and other mystical creatures live in peace and harmony.

Anna, a forest witch and a lady of the castle, prepares to marry Hadeon, a half-vampire who embraced human ways of living. She’s madly in love, but still hesitant about their differences.

When the couple gets kidnapped by Hadeon’s father, a brutal vampire and shape shifter, and taken to Rotestadt, the vampires’ stronghold, hidden deep into the mountains, Anna needs to fight not only for her love but also for her life.

The book is full of adventures, magic, and romance. The author has done a great job, creating a whole new world. I really enjoyed the old tropes (vampires vs humans, witchcraft vs white magic, etc) being taken to a new level. The plot is fast-paced with many twists and turns.

At first, I was a bit unsure about the book. Young adult and high fantasy are outside the genres I normally read, but Cursed City surprised me with its intriguing plot and lush world-building, inspired by medieval culture. The book can be read as a standalone and as a part of the series. I didn’t read Book 1 (Aforetime), but I didn’t have any problems with following the plot.  

I highly recommend this book to everybody who loves a mix of fantasy, adventure, and romance. 

Purchase Link:

[Guest Post]: How I got Inspiration to write my first book by Frank Hood, the author of Sub Tales. Stories that Seldom Surface

My today’s guest is Frank Hood who, together with his brother Charles, has co-written the whole series about his life and service aboard a nuclear submarine.

This topic resonates with my new release, a sci-fi thriller Dive Beyond Eternity, with the plot focused on World War II U-boats and modern days nuclear submarines.

How I got Inspiration to write my first book

by Frank Hood

When I was commissioned as a US Naval Officer, and volunteered to serve on a nuclear submarine, I had to sign a 95 year Non-Disclosure Agreement. I was 21 at the time.
I served on the USS Seahorse (SSN 669) and did many things I still cannot talk about today.
My youngest brother, Charles, used to always ask me, “Tell me some stories about your time on the ‘Horse”, but I always had to reply, “Still can’t do that”.

He persisted, and finally he asked, “Are there no non-classified stories you can share?”. I thought for a minute and said, “Yes, I can share funny stories about the day-to-day life aboard a state-of-the-art, brand new, hard charging nuclear fast attack submarine – but who cares, these all happened many years ago. No one knew what we did, and no one cares.” He said, “I care, your kids care, your grandkids will care. If you don’t tell these stories, who will? Your unique slice of history will fade, and no one will ever know the difficulty of your training, the tremendous psychological and emotional pressure you were under, and what a group of 100 men, locked in a small steel tube designed to sink, did to relieve that stress”.

I finally relented and started dictating my memories of the many non-classified funny moments that I experienced. These notes became the first book in our series of now 7 books, each with all true stories of the US Submarine Force.

“Poopie Suits & Cowboy Boots – Tales From A Submarine Officer From The Height Of The Cold War” became a classic among the submarine community.
It is ranked among the Top 100 Books of the Cold War Biography genre by Amazon.
It is ranked in the Top 100 Submarine Books of All Time by The Book Authority.
From its sales, we have donated $50,000 to the United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. Scholarship Fund.

When other submariners read it, they wrote back to us and said, “Wait until you hear MY story.” They also provided many leads into fantastic historical stories that are not well known – but now have surfaced. Daring rescues at sea, fight for survival in combat, dangerous unanticipated events that put the boat and the crew in danger of being lost, and a lot more.

So my youngest brother’s persistence has lead to a growing volume of now recovered stories, that will document the bravery, ingenuity, sacrifice, and shenanigans of men, and now women, who are even now, silently on the Front Lines of Freedom.

About the Book

 Poopie Suits Series, Book 7

Genre: History – US Submarine Force

Date Published: 12th September 2019

Exhilarating true stories from the history of the US Submarine Force. Life threatening sudden emergencies, fearless rescues, famous skippers, innovative ingenuity while at sea, a unique baseball game at the North Pole, a man with an indomitable will to survive in World War II, and a lot more. 

Organized by themes, you can read any story alone. An Audio Version has been narrated by a professional narrator who rode 6 subs himself.  The nuance, color, and sense of being there clearly comes out in this audio book. Since its inception, this book has been our Best Seller of our 7 books with true stories of the US Sub Force.  It has 329 Global Reviews on Amazon, 88% 4 or 5 Star. If you want to learn something about submarines, read or hear true stories of men in extremis, and want to know about the men who volunteered to ride them…This book/audio version is for you.

This book is highly acclaimed by both submarine veterans and civilians for his readability, accuracy, and the content.

Ranked in Top 10 by Amazon of books of Cold War Genre.

Ranked in Top 10 in Best Submarine Books of All Time by the Book Authority

The audio book is convenient for those who drive a lot, have vision impairment, or just want to sit back and listen while they do other chores. 

This book is a winner!

About the Guest Author

Charles Hood is the principal author, aided by his submarine veteran brother Frank. Charles is a physician who started helping Frank write his story (Poopie Suits and Cowboy Boots) and then became so enamored of all things submarine, he has dedicated 7 years of his life to collecting, editing, and publishing these fabulous stories so that they are not lost to time.  These stories of the bravery, the mettle, the endurance of the men (and families) who volunteer to serve aboard a submarine will make you go “Wow”.

Contact Links

Website: www.subtales.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/2hoodssubbook

Purchase Link

[Author’s Interview]: My interview with Chat Interviews YouTube channel

I’m talking to two wonderful bloggers Terry Greenhills and Steve Evans about my new and upcoming releases.

Steve Evans and I really enjoyed this chat with Valeriya Salt – a multi-genre author who studied history and earned her Master’s degree in Art Expertise at St. Petersburg University of Culture and Arts. Born in Belarus, she’d lived for many years in different corners of Eastern Europe before settling down in the north of England. Her short stories, essays, and reviews have appeared in anthologies and magazines and won a Honourable Mention in the Writers of the Future Contest (2022). Her novella Aurora Island was published in April 2023 by Alien Buddha Press. Her sci-fi thriller novel Dive Beyond Eternity will be released in July 2023 by Northodox Press.

[Book Review]: Out of Human Sight by Sophie Parkes

About the Book

Genre: Historical Murder Mystery

Publication Date: 26th January 2023

Publisher: Northodox Press

The bloody, battered, and unrecognisable bodies of an innkeeper and his son are found in their remote village. As gore-seekers travel from across the country to witness the sight, mill-worker Millie Bradbury, her family, and her discovery have become notorious, and the focus of unwanted national attention.

But then popular local man, Johnny Barkwell, long the apple of Millie’s eye, offers her a life beyond the borders of her girlhood. The promise of marriage, stability, security, and the chance for a new start in the shadow of tragedy.

This new beginning isn’t what Millie would’ve chosen. But as a young wife with few choices, she must comply, and so Millie finds herself on a coffin ship, heading to The Canadas.

Out of Human Sight is a story of grief, family, and longing for home. The journey of a woman seeking a better life, through desperation, resilience, and a will to survive.

About the Author

A graduate of the University of Manchester and the Manchester Writing School, Manchester Metropolitan University, Sophie Parkes is currently studying for a PhD in creative writing and folklore at Sheffield Hallam University, for which she won a Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship.
In 2017, Sophie won the Arvon Award at the Northern Writers’ Awards for her collection of short stories based on or influenced by English folk song.
Her passion for music has seen her write the official biography of one of her all-time musical heroes, Eliza Carthy, the title of which was later given to an album as well as her big band.
Sophie also helped put the incredible story of endurance athlete, Blind Dave Heeley, down onto paper. From Light to Dark is available now, with a portion of the story influencing short film, Seven Days, made by Pixel Revolution Films.

Media Links:

Website: https://www.sophieparkes.co.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophparkes

My Review

4* stars

Out of Human Sight is a historical murder mystery like no others. Set in 1832 in a tiny mill village of Saddleworth, which sits on vast heather fields of rural Derbyshire, and based on the real events, it tells a story of a nineteen-year-old mill worker Millie Bradbury.

The novel starts with the aftermath of the gruesome murder which shakes the small community to its core and puts Saddleworth on the front pages of all newspapers. Millie finds the bloody bodies of her grandfather and uncle in the inn they ran together.

Millie and her family—her Mam, her older sister, and her younger brother—hardly can cope with the shock and unwanted attention from everybody from nosey neighbours to the press, but a new shock is about to hit Millie hard. Johnny Barkwell, a popular local man proposing her marriage… and a new, better life in the distant, cold “Canadas”.

Millie doesn’t want to leave, not without knowing the truth about her relatives’ murder. Besides, she’s too close to her family, to Saddleworth, and ultimately, to England. But what waits for her at home where the only opportunity for a working-class woman is back-breaking work from dusk till dawn at a wool mill? Millie hesitates, but her love for Johnny, her wish to prove herself as a good wife makes her go on a dangerous, ten-week-long trip to Quebec.

The long journey shows Johnny’s true colours: an abuser, a drunkard, a gambler, a selfish man, full of himself. Her new, “prosperous” life in “the Canadas” that Johnny promises her proves to be even harder than in England.

When Millie learns the bitter truth about the murder of her relatives, she has no other option, but to escape.

The book is not a typical murder mystery as it reveals the murderers about halfway through the story. The police investigation doesn’t play a major role in it either. This novel is focused on Millie, her family, and their struggles. The struggles of working-class people in a capitalist society where human life is cheaper than wool, where women are doomed to live and work their whole life in terrible conditions for a miserable pay just to survive and feed their families.

Thoroughly researched, Out of Human Sight is a beautifully written tale about English society during the rise of capitalism, about womanhood, family, fortitude, hope, and belonging to a place and community.

I gave this book 4* stars because of its pace. I’d love to see the events unveiled quicker at the beginning of the novel, but also, I want to know more at the very end of it. I want to see more of a new, changed Millie, returning to her old home which has changed too.

Purchase Links:

Publisher’s site:

Paperback: https://www.northodox.co.uk/product-page/out-of-human-sight-paperback

Ebook: https://www.northodox.co.uk/product-page/out-of-human-sight-ebook

Waterstones:

https://www.waterstones.com/book/out-of-human-sight/sophie-parkes/9781915179135

[Pre-order]: Dive Beyond Eternity is available for pre-order now

I’m happy to announce that DIVE BEYOND ETERNITY, my fast-paced, dark, reality-bending, nautical sci-fi/thriller novel, is available for pre-order now.

About the Book

Genre: Sci-fi, Dark thriller

Publication Date: 20th July 2023

Publisher: Northodox Press

Historian Zara Rose is hired to investigate the discovery of an undamaged German U-boat in the North Sea. There she discovers Die Fledermaus, a Nazi superweapon powered by an unstable black matter, capable of transporting its passengers through time.

After accidentally triggering the device, Zara travels to the past where she meets the mysterious Der Meister, a physicist who created the weapon. When a colleague vanishes with the device, Zara and her fellow historian Stefan Krause help a shadowy agency apprehend the thief.

In the wrong hand’s the device could rewrite history or kill countless millions. Can Zara find Die Fledermaus before Der Meister’s visions of a renewed Third Reich can be brought to its terrible fruition?

Pre-order Links:

Northodox Press:

Paperback: https://www.northodox.co.uk/product-page/dive-beyond-eternity-paperback-pre-order

Ebook: https://www.northodox.co.uk/product-page/dive-beyond-eternity-ebook-pre-order

Amazon

Waterstones

https://www.waterstones.com/book/dive-beyond-eternity/valeriya-salt/9781915179210

[Book Review]: Mi Abuela, Queen of Nightmares, a stage play by Christine Stoddard

About the Book

Genre: Stage play, Magical realism

Publication Date: 28th March 2023

Publisher: Alien Buddha Press

In June of 2022, Mi Abuela, Queen of Nightmares, written and directed by Christine Stoddard, was performed at the Gene Frankel Theatre. One of the play’s many aspects that interested me was its rhythm: its beat, its direction…poetically magical with ritualistic movements.

Slowly, the hand of the grandmother brushes across her shirt as if underwater, allowing the story to soak into the makeup of who we are in the audience. To me, the story represented old-world pride, and traditions that have silenced the sexual abuse of women for centuries—something that has occurred far too commonly in and out of the family.

When the rituals and darkness pulled back, and the play started to expose itself even more, the truth of generational sexual abuse, and the morality of Victorian heterosexuality, came forth and were fought against. I could feel the shift of time through generational occurrences, meeting us in the now, where we are able to be transparent: to identify and stop the repetitive slap of abuse. This was communicated at the end of the play when the characters break out in rebellion, as if the actors were silently saying “stop the wheel,” “me too”…shedding off their dark clothes and dancing to loud, liberating music.–Gail Thacker, Art & Theatre

About the Author

Christine Stoddard makes books, films, plays, performances, paintings, and other imaginings, including Quail Bell Press & Productions, known for Quail Bell Magazine, the Badass Lady-Folk show, Forget Fairytales comics, and the comedy act Art Bitch. ​She tells stories with words, images, objects, her body, and other people and places.  Her work is about personal narratives, humor, identity, power, archives, nature, truth-making, memories, and play.

​Come explore her world and find some magic along the way.

Media Links

Website: http://www.worldofchristinestoddard.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7344988.Christine_Stoddard

Twitter: @artistcstoddard

My Review:

5* stars

Mi Abuela, Queen of Nightmares, a stage play by Christine Stoddard (the genre I don’t read and review often) takes a reader on an emotional journey through three generations of women from El Salvador who came to America, seeking a better life. Maya, a fifteen-year-old rebellious teenager, who never knew her father, learns from her Mami about Abuela, her grandmother, an ancestral figure from Mami’s memories. Mami is deeply connected to her El Salvadoran heritage. This connection she tries to pass to Maya in form of songs, memories, and photos of Abuela, but Maya is not impressed. Trying to break free from the circle of poverty, fear, and abuse, Maya repeats Abuela’s fate – being physically and sexually abused by an American man. And so the circle starts again. Is Maya powerful enough to break it?

The play is full of magic, surrealism, and beautiful descriptions of El Salvadoran culture. It reminds me of the best examples of magical realism in South American literature. Christine Stoddard is undoubtedly a master of prose. I would love to watch the play on the stage.

Purchase Links

[Book Review]: For Strangers Only by Paul D Coombs

About the Book

Genre: Collection of short stories

Publication Date: 16th April 2023

Publisher: Alien Buddha Press

A startling, darkly moving andbeautifully crafted, short fiction collection in which Paul D Coombs shines his perceptive light on the black depths of human experience and behaviour. His stories brave the truth and challenge us to confront the consequences, creating a unique and immersive reading experience.

These tales are masterful examples of dark and atmospheric storytelling containing richly imagined worlds and memorable characters. For Strangers Only will leave readers spellbound and longing for more, and mark the arrival of a spectacular new talent.

“From the wicked mind of Paul D Coombs comes fifteen beautifully tragic tales that deftly weave through the realms of the Gothic, strange, and dark. Walk through darkness and desolation alongside an author that will take your hand and break your heart in the most splendid of ways. Coombs will have you peering into the depths of the human soul until you’re swallowed whole and emerge on the other side with a richer perspective.”

– Sara Crocoll Smith, award-winning editor of the Love Letters to Poe anthologies

About the Author

Paul D Coombs is the author of several works of dark fiction usually mired in tragedy, and sometimes imbibed with a little hope. Many of these tales have been published in anthologies, magazines, zines and podcasts. Paul lives on a rock, floating in space where he inhabits a small clutch of islands known as the United Kingdom. Born in Cardiff, Wales, he lives in the splendid and sepulchral North West of England and is an admirer of castles, a champion of the underdog, and an eternal fan of The Cure.

Media Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Coombsy101010

Website: http://www.pauldcoombs.com

My Review

5* stars

For Strangers Only by Paul D Coombs, a collection of multi-genre short stories where every reader finds something for themselves. The stories vary from horror and sci-fi, to dystopia, magical realism, and dark literary fiction. The author’s voice is descriptive and lyrical which gives the narration a dreamy, meditative, literary feel. Paul D Coombs writes about love, loss, life, death, but he also touches current topics like technologies, climate change, and the war in Ukraine.

My favourite stories are

I am the Dust, a beautiful tale of love, loss, and finding strength to fight death and sorrow.

 Paul’s Eyes, a cleverly-plotted sci-fi, written from an AI’s point of view.

 The Darkness Waited for Her, a literary dystopia where the author is musing about climate change and what can happen to our planet, if we won’t stop it.

Easy Cure, a lyrical tale about the war in Ukraine. Through death, destruction, and pain, the main character navigates his way to the loved one. The author doesn’t call names, but shows the horrors of war through the eyes of people affected by it.

 A Catastrophe for Me and the Sea, a story about a mental trauma which seems like only the sea can cure. The description of the sea in this piece made me emotional, touching the very depth of my soul, the soul of the person who spent most of her life near the sea and missed it so much. 

Purchase Link

[Book Review]: Flyover Country by Geoffrey Marshall

About the Book

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Novella

Date Published: 2nd April 2023

Publisher: Alien Buddha Press

Flyover Country tells the story of Jody, a EMT and transwoman, who is moving coast to coast. When a flood leaves her stranded in Antioch, a town the size of a cow paddy, she helps the sheriff with a few rescues and drinks loads of bad coffee.

Along the way there’s violence and compassion, life and death as Jody and the townsfolk navigate the strange chemistry of the moment. Will they find a balance or will she have a breakdown first? Most importantly, will she ever get out of Antioch alive?

About the Author

Geoffrey Marshall is a writer in Aurora, Canada. His education never really took to be honest but he did manage to acquire a BA in English Literature from Carleton University

Media Links: https://twitter.com/g_k_marshall

My Review

4,5* stars

Flyover Country is a short and hart-warming novella by Geoffrey Marshal. It tells a story of Jody, a trans-woman travelling across the country in search for better job and better life. When the flood strikes Antioch, a tiny outback town Jody was driving through, she realises she has no choice but to stay there for some time. The small local community needs any help it can get, especially when the members learn that Jody is a qualified nurse. With the water rising every hour, a hail storm on its way, and a couple of residence die under mysterious circumstances, Jody team ups with Jimmy, a local sheriff, to help the investigation.

Written from the point of view of Jody, Jimmy, and other characters, the novella is full unexpected twists and turns but also lyrical tales of love, loss, self-sacrifice, and feeling of belonging.

Read the first 10 pages for free here:

https://alienbuddhapress.wordpress.com/2023/04/19/spotlight-flyover-country-by-geoffrey-marshall/

Purchase Link:

[Book Spotlight]: The Low Road by Jo A. Hiestand

Genre: Mystery

Date Published: 19th September 2022

The McLaren Mysteries

Former police detective Michael McLaren arrives in Scotland, ready to immerse himself in the fun of the Highland Games and to enjoy a holiday with Melanie. But the old saying of plans oft going awry rears its ugly head: Simon Shaw, a member of McLaren’s folk group, dies. Murdered a year to the day following his uncle’s death.

McLaren is determined to find out who killed Simon. Needing justice for his friend is only half of his incentive. He also needs to appease his guilt for suggesting the group sing there in the first place.

As McLaren becomes immersed in the investigation, he wonders if the two deaths are linked, or have to do with the family or their clan. Perhaps Simon’s former wife killed him, bent on revenge more powerful than mere divorce. Or was the killing tied to an old hunt for diamonds? After all, diamonds aren’t only a girl’s best friend. Sometimes they birth greed and murder. And entrap the innocent.

About the Author

Jo A. Hiestand grew up on regular doses of music, books, and Girl Scout camping. She gravitated toward writing in her post-high school years and finally did something sensible about it, graduating from Webster University with a BA degree in English and departmental honors. She writes a British mystery series (the McLaren Mysteries)—of which three books have garnered the prestigious N.N. Light’s Book Heaven ‘Best Mystery Novel’ three years straight. She also writes a Missouri-based cozy mystery series (The Cookies & Kilts Mysteries, of which “A Trifling Murder” is the second book) that is grounded in places associated with her camping haunts. The camping is a thing of the past, for the most part, but the music stayed with her in the form of playing guitar and harpsichord, and singing in a folk group. Jo carves jack o’ lanterns badly and sings loudly. She loves barbecue sauce and ice cream (separately, not together), kilts (especially if men wear them), clouds and stormy skies, and the music of G.F. Handel. You can usually find her pulling mystery plots out of scenery—whether from photographs or the real thing.

Purchase Links

Hard Cover – https://shorturl.at/myFGS

Trade Paper – https://amzn.to/3r1RHH7

Ebook

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BjnsQx

B&N: https://bit.ly/3BOnGAo

iTunes: https://apple.co/3RRnYMB

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3eRpcJc