E.Michael Helms's Blog: Michael's Musings
July 26, 2018
My review of Kalorama Road, by E. Denise Billups
“Do you remember what happened at 1414 Kalorama Road?”
Having recently lost her dream job as an editor at a major New York publishing house, Allison "Allie" Bertrand reads once again the mysterious email that appears on her mobile phone like clockwork the same time each month. This disturbing message has been delivered for over a year, beginning soon after the night Allie--against her better judgment--accepted an Emsworth University classmate's invitation to attend an off-campus party.
Allie hardly knows the attractive blonde, aside from sharing a couple of classes with her. But what harm could come from a night out? As it turns out, a lot. At the party Allie sips a drink while noticing most of the men in attendance are years older than the young ladies. Allie soon knows something is amiss. She feels woozy and can barely keep her balance. She wanders up a staircase, searching for a bathroom. Stumbling into a dark room, she feels herself falling, striking her head as she passes out.
Now, two years later, Allie still can recall almost nothing about what happened that night except a fleeting sense of someone--a young man she believes--carrying her downstairs, through hallways, and eventually outside. The next morning she awakens in her dorm room with no recollection of what occurred the night before. And then the ominous messages begin arriving: “What happened at 1414 Kalorama Road?”
With that foundation, author E. Denise Billups takes the reader on a wild and harrowing rollercoaster ride, building the storyline with layer upon layer of suspense, mystery, doubt, drama, and the chilling realization that someone, somehow, just might be trying to reach Allison Bertrand from beyond the grave. Using a handful of narrators, Billups keeps the reader turning pages at a fast clip. Just when you think you have things figured out, yet another sharp turn proves you wrong. You’re holding on tightly and wondering where and how this hair-raising ride will end. Billups keeps cranking up the tension with skillful storytelling reminiscent of a chilling Alfred Hitchcock movie.
So, what did happen at 1414 Kalorama Road? Read this book and find out. You won’t regret it.
(4.5 out of 5 stars due to some editing distractions.)
Having recently lost her dream job as an editor at a major New York publishing house, Allison "Allie" Bertrand reads once again the mysterious email that appears on her mobile phone like clockwork the same time each month. This disturbing message has been delivered for over a year, beginning soon after the night Allie--against her better judgment--accepted an Emsworth University classmate's invitation to attend an off-campus party.
Allie hardly knows the attractive blonde, aside from sharing a couple of classes with her. But what harm could come from a night out? As it turns out, a lot. At the party Allie sips a drink while noticing most of the men in attendance are years older than the young ladies. Allie soon knows something is amiss. She feels woozy and can barely keep her balance. She wanders up a staircase, searching for a bathroom. Stumbling into a dark room, she feels herself falling, striking her head as she passes out.
Now, two years later, Allie still can recall almost nothing about what happened that night except a fleeting sense of someone--a young man she believes--carrying her downstairs, through hallways, and eventually outside. The next morning she awakens in her dorm room with no recollection of what occurred the night before. And then the ominous messages begin arriving: “What happened at 1414 Kalorama Road?”
With that foundation, author E. Denise Billups takes the reader on a wild and harrowing rollercoaster ride, building the storyline with layer upon layer of suspense, mystery, doubt, drama, and the chilling realization that someone, somehow, just might be trying to reach Allison Bertrand from beyond the grave. Using a handful of narrators, Billups keeps the reader turning pages at a fast clip. Just when you think you have things figured out, yet another sharp turn proves you wrong. You’re holding on tightly and wondering where and how this hair-raising ride will end. Billups keeps cranking up the tension with skillful storytelling reminiscent of a chilling Alfred Hitchcock movie.
So, what did happen at 1414 Kalorama Road? Read this book and find out. You won’t regret it.
(4.5 out of 5 stars due to some editing distractions.)
May 1, 2017
GIVEAWAY! The Private War of Corporal Henson
#Giveaway at #Goodreads
I'm giving away four (4) autographed copies of THE PRIVATE WAR OF CORPORAL HENSON, my post-Vietnam War novel about combat veterans struggling with PTSD.
Here's the URL to enter: http://bit.ly/2pocUM6
This giveaway runs from May 1 through May 14. Please enter, and I'd sure appreciate it if you'd help spread the word to your contacts.
Wishing you all GOOD LUCK and good reading!
--Michael
I'm giving away four (4) autographed copies of THE PRIVATE WAR OF CORPORAL HENSON, my post-Vietnam War novel about combat veterans struggling with PTSD.
Here's the URL to enter: http://bit.ly/2pocUM6
This giveaway runs from May 1 through May 14. Please enter, and I'd sure appreciate it if you'd help spread the word to your contacts.
Wishing you all GOOD LUCK and good reading!
--Michael
March 2, 2017
BIG DEADLY SPIRITS GIVEAWAY!
Dianne Bylo of Tome Tender Reviews is hosting a giveaway for my newest Mac McClellan Mystery, DEADLY SPIRITS. This giveaway runs from March 2 through March 16.
Prizes include:
A $25 Amazon Gift Card (International)
6 ebooks of DEADLY SPIRITS in .mobi (Kindle), .epub, or .pdf formats (International)
2 autographed copies of DEADLY SPIRITS (U.S. only)
Please enter here:
https://t.co/vDuauqthR8
There is also a concurrent giveaway for autographed copies of DEADLY SPIRITS here at Goodreads. Please enter here:
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
Thanks, and good luck to all!
Prizes include:
A $25 Amazon Gift Card (International)
6 ebooks of DEADLY SPIRITS in .mobi (Kindle), .epub, or .pdf formats (International)
2 autographed copies of DEADLY SPIRITS (U.S. only)
Please enter here:
https://t.co/vDuauqthR8
There is also a concurrent giveaway for autographed copies of DEADLY SPIRITS here at Goodreads. Please enter here:
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
Thanks, and good luck to all!
January 15, 2017
DEADLY SPIRITS Has Launched!
DEADLY SPIRITS: A Mac McClellan Mystery (#4) has launched!
By JBronder Book Reviews on January 14, 2017
Mac McClellan has been drug to a meeting of the Palmetto Paranormal Society. By his girlfriend Kate. He feels silly walking around an attic full of cobwebs. But when the president of the society is discovered dead, at the bottom of the stairs of a broken neck, things get interesting.
Mac wonders how he could have fallen without anyone else hearing him. But then the secretary dies of a suicide and Mac knows something is happening. The more he digs the more dirt he discovers and when he becomes the target of the killer he knows that he is getting close to solving this case.
Mac is a charmer and you can tell that he goes with Kate just to amuse her. Thankfully a dead body catches his attention. There are so many levels of dirt to dig through, thankfully Mac has Kate, Henry, and Deputy Dakota to help him out.
This is a great mystery, I didn’t know the who or why of the murderer until the end. I did have a couple guesses that were completely wrong. And then there was lots of action and of course a big reveal during a hurricane. Talk about delivering the killer with a bang.
I love Mr. Helm’s mysteries. The Mac McClellan mysteries are wonderful, easy to get into, and filled with lots to keep you on the edge of your seat. Make sure to check them out.
I received Deadly Spirits from the publisher for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
By JBronder Book Reviews on January 14, 2017
Mac McClellan has been drug to a meeting of the Palmetto Paranormal Society. By his girlfriend Kate. He feels silly walking around an attic full of cobwebs. But when the president of the society is discovered dead, at the bottom of the stairs of a broken neck, things get interesting.
Mac wonders how he could have fallen without anyone else hearing him. But then the secretary dies of a suicide and Mac knows something is happening. The more he digs the more dirt he discovers and when he becomes the target of the killer he knows that he is getting close to solving this case.
Mac is a charmer and you can tell that he goes with Kate just to amuse her. Thankfully a dead body catches his attention. There are so many levels of dirt to dig through, thankfully Mac has Kate, Henry, and Deputy Dakota to help him out.
This is a great mystery, I didn’t know the who or why of the murderer until the end. I did have a couple guesses that were completely wrong. And then there was lots of action and of course a big reveal during a hurricane. Talk about delivering the killer with a bang.
I love Mr. Helm’s mysteries. The Mac McClellan mysteries are wonderful, easy to get into, and filled with lots to keep you on the edge of your seat. Make sure to check them out.
I received Deadly Spirits from the publisher for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
January 11, 2017
DEADLY SPIRITS Launches January 15!
Happy to announce that the fourth book in my Mac McClellan Mystery series, DEADLY SPIRITS will launch January 15. I think this is the best, most involved case that Mac and girlfriend Kate Bell have faced so far. Here's the synopsis from Amazon:
When PI Mac McClellan's girlfriend convinces him to join the Palmetto Paranormal Society, he becomes embroiled in a case of whooodunnit. The society president, while investigating an old hotel, is found dead at the foot of the stairwell, his neck broken. The man's secretary and current squeeze stands horrified beside his body. Authorities rule the death an accident. Mac has doubts--no one heard the man tumbling down the stairs. Then the secretary dies in an apparent suicide. Two deaths in two paranormal investigations, and not a peep out of either victim. Mac suspects there's more going on than a vengeful spirit. Book 4 in the Mac McClellan Mystery series, which began with Deadly Catch.
And here is the book's Amazon page just in case you're interested:
http://amzn.to/2i5u6Dr
Many thanks to Bitly.com for their great URL service! Happy reading!
When PI Mac McClellan's girlfriend convinces him to join the Palmetto Paranormal Society, he becomes embroiled in a case of whooodunnit. The society president, while investigating an old hotel, is found dead at the foot of the stairwell, his neck broken. The man's secretary and current squeeze stands horrified beside his body. Authorities rule the death an accident. Mac has doubts--no one heard the man tumbling down the stairs. Then the secretary dies in an apparent suicide. Two deaths in two paranormal investigations, and not a peep out of either victim. Mac suspects there's more going on than a vengeful spirit. Book 4 in the Mac McClellan Mystery series, which began with Deadly Catch.
And here is the book's Amazon page just in case you're interested:
http://amzn.to/2i5u6Dr
Many thanks to Bitly.com for their great URL service! Happy reading!
December 19, 2016
ALPHABET LAND -- A Noir Thriller is on sale!
#AlpabetLand -- an excellent noir thriller by my good friend and fellow Mystery/Crime writer, Max Everhart (SHAMUS AWARD Finalist), is now on sale at:
http://amzn.to/2hM9nBR for $1.99 Don't miss out; it's a great read!
"Alphabet Land, decrepit neighborhood on the wrong side of the bridge in Clyde, South Carolina. A bridge separating “haves” from “have nots,” opulence from squalor, justice from injustice. Meet the Rook, product of Alphabet Land, casket-maker and “problem-solver” by trade. Call him vigilante, or Robin Hood—the Rook lives by his own code and his word is his bond. Max Everhart’s mystifying hero is determined to stop the lustful power mongers from both sides of the bridge before greed destroys all hope for the hood’s people. Hang onto your hat, because you’re in for one hell of a non-stop ride through the dark and violent streets of Alphabet Land!" —E. MICHAEL HELMS, author of the Mac McClellan Mystery series
http://amzn.to/2hM9nBR for $1.99 Don't miss out; it's a great read!
"Alphabet Land, decrepit neighborhood on the wrong side of the bridge in Clyde, South Carolina. A bridge separating “haves” from “have nots,” opulence from squalor, justice from injustice. Meet the Rook, product of Alphabet Land, casket-maker and “problem-solver” by trade. Call him vigilante, or Robin Hood—the Rook lives by his own code and his word is his bond. Max Everhart’s mystifying hero is determined to stop the lustful power mongers from both sides of the bridge before greed destroys all hope for the hood’s people. Hang onto your hat, because you’re in for one hell of a non-stop ride through the dark and violent streets of Alphabet Land!" —E. MICHAEL HELMS, author of the Mac McClellan Mystery series
November 16, 2016
"Writing What You Know" by Greg Herren
My first creative writing class in college was a disaster.
It was also the first time in my life I was given the seminal writing advice “write what you know.” (I got a C in the course, and I often tell this story in interviews; my instructor called me into his office after I turned in my first short story and told me I would never be a writer, but as an English major he would have me a C rather than the F I deserved. Over thirty novels and fifty short stories later, I find that amusing now. Back then, it was horrific.)
This is one of the standard tropes from every single creative writing class, every book on writing, and I seriously wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard it, seen it, read it, or have actually said it.
It took many years to understand what that truly meant. At the time, I thought it meant garden-district that writers couldn’t write about anything outside of their experience.
(Read the rest at: www.motivemeansopportunity.wordpress.com
It was also the first time in my life I was given the seminal writing advice “write what you know.” (I got a C in the course, and I often tell this story in interviews; my instructor called me into his office after I turned in my first short story and told me I would never be a writer, but as an English major he would have me a C rather than the F I deserved. Over thirty novels and fifty short stories later, I find that amusing now. Back then, it was horrific.)
This is one of the standard tropes from every single creative writing class, every book on writing, and I seriously wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard it, seen it, read it, or have actually said it.
It took many years to understand what that truly meant. At the time, I thought it meant garden-district that writers couldn’t write about anything outside of their experience.
(Read the rest at: www.motivemeansopportunity.wordpress.com
November 7, 2016
Free Webinar! 5 Steps to Create a Compelling & Interesting Fiction Book Blurb
Suspense/Thriller novelist Glenna Mageau presents:
Take the Mystery out of Writing Your Fiction Book Blurb!
Join me on November 10, 2016 at 3:30 p.m. (EST).
Ready to Discover the Process of Writing a Compelling & Interesting Fiction Book Blurb?
Register Today for the November 10th Masterclass!
http://www.glennamageau.com/5-steps-t...
Take the Mystery out of Writing Your Fiction Book Blurb!
Join me on November 10, 2016 at 3:30 p.m. (EST).
Ready to Discover the Process of Writing a Compelling & Interesting Fiction Book Blurb?
Register Today for the November 10th Masterclass!
http://www.glennamageau.com/5-steps-t...
August 26, 2016
BIG Giveaway for #DeadlyCatcg
Enter to win the DEADLY CATCH giveaway!
Prizes include:
$20 Amazon gift card
Autographed books
ebooks
Come on a join in the fun, and best of luck to all who enter!
https://www.goodreads.com/event/show/...
Prizes include:
$20 Amazon gift card
Autographed books
ebooks
Come on a join in the fun, and best of luck to all who enter!
https://www.goodreads.com/event/show/...
July 26, 2016
Shamus Award Winner Paul D. Marks is Interviewed at Motive Means Opportunity!
A current Shamus Award finalist picks the brain of a former Shamus Award winner! Don't miss Max Everhart's interview with Paul D. Marks at Motive Means Opportunity!
www.motivemeansopportunity.wordpress.com
www.motivemeansopportunity.wordpress.com
Michael's Musings
The giveaway for my Vietnam memoir, THE PROUD BASTARDS, ends on Halloween! If you'd like to add a signed copy to your Trick or Treat bag, then click on the book's thumbnail which will take you to the
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