Laura Freeman's Blog, page 2

Murder Under Blue Skies by Willard Scott

Murder Under Blue Skies by Willard Scott with Bill Grider, cozy mystery 1998

Those who know Willard Scott will recognize him in the lead character of Stanley Waters who retires from television morning program and opens Blue Skies Bed and Breakfast in his hometown in Virginia a few years after his wife’s death.

The story opens with a big celebration for the opening of the inn with cloggers, blue grass music, plenty of food and television camera crews. Just as everything appears to be heading for a great success, Belinda Grimsby does a nose dive into the salsa and dies.

Marilyn Tunney is chief of police, a widow, and dated Stanley when they were in high school. She’s interested in a relationship but it takes shy Stanley some time to realize he’s the target of her affections. It’s charming, sweet, and gives hope to middle-age romantics everywhere.

Belinda wasn’t the most popular person in town. She liked to argue and dated a lot of men but never married any of them. This is normal in a cozy. The victim is often someone no one liked and that provides for plenty of suspects who were attending the celebration of the new B&B.

Marilyn encourages Stanley to ask questions, and he pushes a lot of buttons with suspects. Like any amateur sleuth, he’s in over his head and stirs up trouble for himself. It’s a fun read and captures the small town, quaint inn, and sentiment of a cozy. It even includes three cats.

#cozy #mystery #WillardScott

Tears of the Giraffe

Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith 2000

I didn’t think I’d like a book set in Africa, but I did a book report about the bushmen of the Kalahari in high school and this is set in Botswana, which contains the desert. The author shares the customs and values of the people in a modern setting. I encourage readers to expand your reading locations.

For those who think all Africans live in huts, this will clarify your viewpoint. The man, Matekoni, is a mechanic and has his own house with an unscrupulous maid. The woman, Ramotswe, is a detective and has her own home, van, and assistant, Makutsi. Her aging van brought the couple together as he tries to keep it running.

Ramotswe had a bad marriage but has agreed to marry Matekoni in this second book in a series. They decide to live in her home, and his maid realizes she will be out of a cozy job. This subplot is joined by Matekoni taking in two orphan children without consulting Ramotswe. Surprise! During all of this the main plot revolves around Ramotswe finding out what happened to an American woman’s son, who disappeared ten years ago.

Makutsi works on her first case involving an unfaithful wife, but the resolution will surprise the reader. One key to writing a novel is to add an element of surprise or a twist to an old plot line.

The story is universal as good people are contrasted against bad people. Will the good people uncover the truth and overcome the schemes of the bad people? It has a satisfying ending that leaves the reader wanting to know these characters more and that Africa isn’t so different from any other place in the world.

#Africa #mystery #detective

Tangling a Web of Deceit review

My latest novel, “Tangling a Web of Deceit” was reviewed by Barbara McIntyre of the Akron Beacon Journal March 3, 2024.

My books can be purchased in print and digital from any book dealer and Amazon at http://goo.gl/B7lKMs

book talk

‘Web of Deceit’ untangled in Ohio detective novel

Barbara McIntyre

Special to USA TODAY NETWORK – Ohio

Cuyahoga Falls resident Laura Freeman’s 2014 Civil War-era ‘Impending Love and War,’ set in the fictional Darrow Falls but easily recognizable by its classic architecture and abolition-minded residents, was followed by five sequels, and then in 2023 by a contemporary detective story. Her latest, ‘Tangling a Web of Deceit,’ is also set in Darrow Falls.

Emily Stevenson is running on a canal towpath when she stops to clean her shoe and sees what appears to be a human hand in the water. She dials 911 and the county medical examiner’s office.

Emily has just finished a degree in criminal justice and an internship with the medical examiner, where she hopes to land a full-time job as a forensic investigator, and Officer Travis O’Toole is one of several candidates for a promotion to detective, so they both have incentive to work on the case. They also have hormones in overdrive.

After an initial confrontation, Emily and Travis team up, exchanging clues and saucy dialogue. She’s working nights at the hospital, backing up the computer system. Her co-worker, Doreen, relieves Emily for the third shift. Doreen talks constantly about her stormy marriage and her philandering husband Roger.

The dead woman, Christina, is dressed in skimpy clothes and the detective assumes that she was a prostitute. When her husband Ken is questioned, it’s clear that he’s hiding something.

The ‘web of deceit’ of the title grows increasingly tangled as Emily and Travis learn about the sordid lives of the two couples. Emily goes undercover to a beauty salon and a sleazy motel, and her new relationship with Travis gets steamier. It isn’t explicit, but it’s definitely R-rated.

‘Tangling a Web of Deceit’ (286 pages, softcover) costs $17.99 from online retailers.

New Release today

My new book “Tangling a Web of Deceit” is released Feb. 5, 2024. I hope you’ll read the romantic mystery novel available in print or digital at https://goo.gl/B7lKMs

After stepping in dog doo, Emily Stevenson finds a body in the canal. The dead woman turns out to be the mistress of her co-worker’s spouse. She’s determined to keep her friend from taking back her cheating husband but becomes tangled in a web of deceit and danger.

Officer Travis O’Toole wants to become a detective but not only is Emily a charming distraction, she and her friends keep interfering with the case. He tries to keep her out of trouble only to realize she’s a better partner than adversary.

Excerpt:

Emily extended her hand. “Emily Stevenson. I found the body.”

“What body?” Detective Crane looked up and down the canal. “I don’t see anything. I hope you’re not wasting my time.”

Emily showed him her phone display. “I don’t think she swam or walked away.”

Travis cringed. Crane ate officers for breakfast, and Emily was making witty remarks. At least he couldn’t fire her. His own employment was questionable.

Crane raised his voice, which was already loud. “How do you know it was a woman?”

She pointed at the photograph. “Looks like red nail polish on the fingers. But it could be a man who likes to look pretty.”

Crane reddened and pointed to the same spot where Travis had been casting the pole.” Try over there.” He stepped away from Emily who resumed her seat on the police blanket.

She was naïve and courting trouble. An experienced person would have realized Crane did not appreciate jokes while on the job. 

Travis repeated the toss and drag motion to the rhythm of Crane’s voice as he bragged about his latest drug bust. He had the gang surrounded when a female voice interrupted his story.

“Officer O’Toole, Travis!” Emily stood and pointed at the canal. “Look!”

He had snagged something that bobbed to the surface. A hand with bright red nail polish broke the surface as if to wave.

Crane jabbed the air with his forefinger and rushed to the edge of the canal waters. “Whoa! What have you got there?” 

Book ideas come from different areas, but this one came from a part-time job I had when my children were young, and I needed flexible hours.

Like my main character, Emily, I worked as a computer operator in the basement of a hospital and backed up information and ran reports just like her. By giving her a job I was familiar with, I could describe the work environment, routine, and job duties accurately without researching them. I think it added authenticity to the story.

But experience isn’t enough. My other crime novel “Raining Tears” required research like police procedures and court hearings. I attended a Citizen Police Academy and attended trials as a news reporter. I also took a forensic class at the local university. Take advantage of every opportunity offered. You never know what information may come in handy in a current or future book.

I did a lot of research for my historical romance novels in the Impending Love series. I purchased books or visited the library to learn all I could about the time period. I also attended reenactments and interviewed the soldiers, wives, and civilians portraying characters. While there, I took photos of the battles, uniforms, and clothing of the civilians. It helped a lot with dresses and describing what a character wore. You should write what you love because you’re going to have to learn a lot about the subject.

The Impending Love series consists of six historical romance novels set from 1860 to 1866 with the theme that war is not a solution. A different Beecher sister is featured in each story. I chose the Beecher name because it is in my family tree and Beechers were abolitionists. In my genealogy research I used other family names for characters. The Herbruck brothers were my great uncles who fought in World War I, but I placed them in the Civil War where they served in the 29th Ohio Regiment.

I like to have messages in my stories. In the Impending Love series, instead of glamorizing war, I make it more realistic with the loss of family and friends.

In the Christmas supernatural novellas “Tackling Molasses Crinkles” Nick and Crystal represent victims of gun violence against children.

“Raining Tears” looks at how the death of one person impacts the lives of others.

In “Tangling a Web of Deceit” the victim’s desperation shows how a woman feels when she’s in an abusive relationship.

Writing doesn’t come easy to me. I struggled with the first draft and can take a long time to put the words in a computer document. I don’t consider a story that’s in my head real until I write the words down. Then I do a lot of editing until I have the perfect phrase and words. I edit a lot! Sometimes I will work on two stories at the same time, one that is near completion and one at the beginning, so I can switch back and forth as ideas and inspiration come to me.

Follow me at https://twitter.com/laurafreeman_rp

or www.facebook.com/laura.freemna.5648

or https://authorfreeman.wordpress.com

#mystery #romance #writing #crime #medical #historical

Tangling a Web of Deceit

Tangling a Web of Deceit published Feb. 5, 2024 by The Wild Rose Press and available at Amazon https://goo.gl/B7lKMs and other book dealers.

The romance mystery novel is set in modern times in a small Ohio town.

Blurb: After stepping in dog doo, Emily Stevenson finds a body in the canal. The dead woman turns out to be the mistress of her co-worker’s spouse. She’s determined to keep her friend from taking back her cheating husband but becomes tangled in a web of deceit and danger.

Officer Travis O’Toole wants to become a detective but not only is Emily a charming distraction, she and her friends keep interfering with the case. He tries to keep her out of trouble only to realize she’s a better partner than adversary.

Excerpt:

Emily extended her hand. “Emily Stevenson. I found the body.”

“What body?” Crane looked up and down the canal. “I don’t see anything. I hope you’re not wasting my time.”

Emily showed him her phone display. “I don’t think she swam or walked away.”

Travis cringed. Crane ate officers for breakfast, and Emily was making witty remarks. At least he couldn’t fire her. His own employment was questionable.

Crane raised his voice, which was already loud. “How do you know it was a woman?”

She pointed at the photograph. “Looks like red nail polish on the fingers. But it could be a man who likes to look pretty.”

Crane reddened and pointed to the same spot where Travis had been casting the pole.” Try over there.” He stepped away from Emily who resumed her seat on the police blanket.

She was naïve and courting trouble. An experienced person would have realized Crane did not appreciate jokes while on the job. 

Travis repeated the toss and drag motion the rhythm of Crane’s voice as he bragged about his latest drug bust. He had the gang surrounded when a female voice interrupted his story.

“Officer O’Toole, Tavis!” Emily stood and pointed at the canal. “Look!”

He had snagged something that bobbed to the surface. A hand with bright red nail polish broke the surface as if to wave.

Crane jabbed the air with his forefinger and rushed to the edge of the canal waters. “Whoa! What have you got there?” 

#romance #mystery #cozy #medical #detective

Supernatural stories

Supernatural stories can contain a wide range of characters such as ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches and more. These characters appear in other genres. A talking cat can help solve a cozy mystery or a vampire can find true love in a romance.

The themes involve life and death situations and violence can be part of the story. In the Harry Potter series, Voldermort wants to rule the supernatural and mortal worlds but a boy wizard stands in his way.

In “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens a miserly Scrooge has his life changed for the better by four ghosts. In a variation of supernatural, superheroes have emerged as a popular genre. They must save the world while dealing with being feared or considered outlaws.

Young adult books often contain a supernatural element either for the hero who feels like an outsider or for the villain that must be destroyed by the teens, who are the only ones who recognize the threat. YA books can be dark with absent parents, violence, and emotional disappointments. The hero has it much worse than most real teenagers.

A supernatural story can represent a true-life problem but adds a filter for those dealing with similar threats.

“Tackling Molasses Crinkles” is a supernatural romance novella available at http://goo.gl/B7lKMs and other distributors in ebook format and in an anthology print “A Hint of Vanilla.”

This short story is set during the holidays but can be read in any season. Two strangers meet on Christmas Eve when Nick mistakes Crystal for a porch thief. Both are visiting Nana who reveals secrets from their past and the tragedy that binds them to a future.

Blurb: While delivering freshly baked cookies to her elderly neighbor, Crystal sees a shady stranger inside the house and sneaks to the back door to determine if he’s friend or foe.
Nick catches sight of a suspicious person outside and thinks it’s a porch pirate looking for Christmas packages. He drives the thief to the ground with a football tackle. Only his victim is his hostess’s neighbor, stunned by the force of the impact and furious about her broken cookies.

After this cute-meet gone wrong, can these two adversaries find common ground and discover the tragic secrets that have brought them together?

#romance #supernatural #ghosts #holidays #wrpbks

Research adds a layer to any story

New 2023 release of “Raining Tears” is a crime mystery novel available at http://goo.gl/B7lKMs and other distributors in print and ebook format. Follow me on social media.

Every book needs research whether it’s a fantasy or historical romance. It may be as simple as making sure a toy existed in the year you set your story or as complex as the workings of a sailing vessel. In a crime novel, a lot of research is needed to satisfy the gumshoe fan. Some can be done online or at the library, but your community can offer help as well.

I was invited to attend a forensic class at the local university being taught by a forensic anthropologist. In it I learned how bones help to identify the victim. I learned the features that differentiate between male and female skulls or help to narrow down the age of the person. In addition, we aged a missing person to show what they would look like now.

Take advantage of specialists who offer classes or lectures on a subject you can use in a current or future novel. Don’t skip an opportunity to learn.

I also attended a Citizen’s Police Academy, which helped a lot with how police officers and police departments handle different investigations. Many police departments will allow citizens to ride along in a patrol car if you sign a waiver, and you can ask plenty of questions to help make your story more authentic.  

Personal experiences also help to give authenticity to a story. Even hobbies will add a greater depth. Share your knowledge through your characters. Some can be quirks that help your readers remember a person in the story or it can be a trait that helps to solve a crime or attract a love interest.

Blurb: Detective Sydney Harrison thought the police shooting of an armed robber was cut and dry, but when the facts don’t add up, she finds herself in a cat-and-mouse game with a drug-addicted woman willing to sacrifice the lives of others to feel normal.

Claire’s life spiraled out of control when a grab and dash for a purse turned into a chance meeting with a stranger in a dark alley. His death wasn’t her fault, but the police are searching for her. Before running she needs to tie up loose ends even if it means another person has to die.

#murder #crime #detective #medical #drugs #wrpbks

Raining Tears

Published Jan. 30, 2023 by The Wild Rose Press and available at Amazon https://goo.gl/B7lKMs

Detective Sydney Harrison thought the police shooting of an armed robber was cut and dry, but when the facts don’t add up, she finds herself in a cat-and-mouse game with a drug-addicted woman willing to sacrifice the lives of others to feel normal.

Claire’s life spiraled out of control when a grab and dash for a purse turned into a chance meeting with a stranger in a dark alley. His death wasn’t her fault, but the police are searching for her. Before running she needs to tie up loose ends even if it means another person has to die.

Excerpt:

Claire was wasting time robbing a stranger. She needed to get out of the alley now. She waved the gun sideways to send the man on his way. “Forget it.”

He held out his wallet, waiting for her to claim it. A loud crack made her look above at the overhang of the building. The rusty gutter, filled with rainwater, broke away from its neighboring section and crashed onto Claire’s outstretched arm and hand holding the gun.

The weight of the water inside the aluminum frame was like a brick being slammed down on her forearm. She screamed and dropped the gun. A spasm shook her arm, and a sharp stabbing pain shot through the muscles up into her shoulder and down to her fingertips.

The gun lay on the wet pavement between them. The man gazed into her eyes for the briefest moment before he leapt. Claire dove onto her knees to reach her revolver, but the man snatched it in his left hand and stood over her. He pointed the barrel down at her head as she knelt on the wet pavement. 

“I think I’ll keep my money.” He still had his wallet in his right hand and gripped the gun awkwardly in his left.  

She looked up at him towering over her and debated whether to challenge his possession of her weapon. “Do you even know how to use that?”

Review:

Laura Freeman has created a riveting, fast paced story about a drug-addicted thief who leaves a trail of victims and havoc in her wake from theft to baiting the police into shooting the wrong person to a widow out for revenge to a devastated rookie cop and a flawed but persistent new Detective out to find the truth. There is also a cast of supporting characters with vibrant stories in their own right. It is surprisingly laced with hope, shows the awesome power of forgiveness, and encourages never giving up before you arrive at the truth. The writing pulls you behind the eyes of Freeman’s characters so you see what they see and understand their deepest fears and fervent hopes. This is a fantastic page-turning read that will keep you engaged to the last paragraph. I highly recommend it. Kim Janine Ligon review of Raining Tears through Netgalley

 

A villain’s backstory explains motive

A backstory can serve different purposes. It can establish a secret relationship, a reason the character acts a particular way, give information about what has happened before the beginning of the story, explain why a minor character is in an unusual situation or explain a villain’s reason for turning good. For those who have read the story, this will help explain the motive in more detail and for those who haven’t read the story, it may cause you to pick up the book.

“Impending Love and Promise” is a historical romance novel available at http://goo.gl/B7lKMs and other distributors in print and digital format. Follow me at Amazon and on social media.

While on a mission to locate her orphaned cousins and take them home, Jules Beecher has a chance encounter with Clyde Cassell, who mistakes her for her older sister, Jessica. He blames Jessica for the death of his brother Buck and begins killing people Jules encounters on her trip.  

Clyde and Buck were villains throughout my Impending Love series and since this is the final book, Clyde’s story is wrapped up. Although I don’t delve deeply into mental illness, Clyde is tormented by his past and abandoning Buck during a shoot-out.

I didn’t want to make any excuses for the Cassel brothers. They were violent men who began as chasers in “Impending Love and War” and stole Confederate gold in “Impending Love and Lies.” I enjoy writing villains and their ultimate judgement. Their motives are often complex and their actions unpredictable. The reader won’t know what Clyde does until the ending.

His impact on others is devastating, and justice is served in the end.

Blurb: The Civil War is over, but a chance encounter between Jules Beecher and a man from her past turns a simple trip to find her orphaned cousins into a deadly journey. Determined to keep a promise to her father, she puts her life at risk but finds a reluctant hero in Dr. Roe Greystone. Can Jules heal the “broken doll” of the battlefield, or will the past destroy any future?  

Roe abandoned the profession of medicine, exhausted from the suffering and butchering of the Civil War. Co-owner of a sternwheeler, Roe knew Jules was trouble the moment the kindhearted innocent boarded the Jenny Lee. He is determined to protect Jules from a madman, but will this Romeo risk all to rescue his Juliet?

#historic #romance #thriller #wrpbks

A change of heart needs a reason

A backstory can serve different purposes. It can establish a secret relationship, a reason the character acts a particular way, give information about what has happened before the beginning of the story, explain why a minor character is in an unusual situation or explain a villain’s reason for turning good. For those who have read the story, this will help explain the motive in more detail and for those who haven’t read the story, it may cause you to pick up the book.

“Impending Love and Madness” is a historical romance novel available at http://goo.gl/B7lKMs  and other distributors in print and ebook format. Follow me on Amazon and social media.

The Civil War is over when Zach Ravenswood returns home and discovers his uncle, Seymour Woods, has plans to steal his inheritance and isn’t above nearly killing him. He’s hired Vance Edwards to sell all the horses on the farm so he can pocket the profits.

Vance is a man introduced in the first and second books in the series. He has caused trouble for the Beecher family several times, so it is no surprise he is behind the plot to steal from Zach.

In this story Vance returns from serving in the Confederacy to his home in Vandalia, West Virginia and finds two graves and his home in ruins. He takes the job for Seymour with plans to cheat him out of the money to restore his farm. This story has one cheat stealing from another cheat. The night before the horse auction, Vance kidnaps Cassandra Beecher, our heroine, to force the hero, Zachary Ravenswood, to go through with the sale and turn over the money to Seymour so Vance can steal it from him.

Cass realizes who Vance really is and tells him a secret that shocks him. Will it change his heart? The reader doesn’t know until the end.

Blurb: Cass Beecher hopes Sergeant Zach Ravenswood will fall in love with her on an outing to Ford’s Theater, only to have their world turned upside down with President Lincoln’s assassination. Her romantic plans continue to be thwarted by family, friends, and a mysterious stranger. Can she save the man she loves from the enemies that plot to ruin him?

Zach thought with the war over, he could turn his attention to wooing the lovely Cassandra, but a fortune teller’s dire predictions begin to come true when a fire disfigures him, a nun poisons him, his uncle steals his inheritance, and he’s shot. Is he going mad or is everything not as it appears?

#AbrahamLincoln #CivilWar #Historical #Romance #witch #poison #wrpbks