Elena Hartwell's Blog, page 20
August 6, 2024
A Cold, Cold World Launches Today!
A Cold, Cold World by Elena Taylor
I’m thrilled to launch book two in the Sheriff Bet Rivers MysteriesA Cold, Cold World!Read more posts on publishing. Click the link here!A Cold, Cold World
A female sheriff tries to fill her late father’s boots and be the sheriff her small Washington State mountain town needs as a deadly snow storm engulfs the town, in this dark, twisty mystery.
“Riveting” Library Journal Starred Review
The world felt pure. Nature made the location pristine again, hiding the scene from prying eyes. As if no one had died there at all.
In the months since Bet Rivers solved her first murder investigation and secured the sheriff’s seat in Collier, she’s remained determined to keep her town safe. With a massive snowstorm looming, it’s more important than ever that she stays vigilant.
When Bet gets a call that a family of tourists has stumbled across a teen injured in a snowmobile accident on a mountain ridge, she braves the storm to investigate. However, once she arrives at the scene of the accident it’s clear to Bet that the teen is not injured; he’s dead. And has been for some time . . .
Investigating a possible homicide is hard enough, but with the worst snowstorm the valley has seen in years threatening the safety of her town, not to mention the integrity of her crime scenes – as they seem to be mounting up as well – Bet has to move fast to uncover the complicated truth and prove that she’s worthy of keeping her father’s badge.
To purchase A Cold, Cold World, click any of the following links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBoundMy Thoughts on Writing A Cold, Cold WorldAll We Buried, the first in the Sheriff Bet Rivers series, launched in April of 2020. That feels like a lifetime ago. Nothing like having a book come out in the early months of a pandemic lockdown to make an author appreciate how things used to be.
As I canceled live event after live event, my heart sunk further and further into a very cold, cold place. My career was going down the tubes while the world went up in flames. With libraries and bookstores closed, hardback books sat in warehouses, destined for the remainder tables. It was a dark time for me as an author.
But we learned to pivot and work online, and my Eddie Shoes Mysteries found a new publisher and came back out with those fabulous new covers and rewrites from the originals that make me incredibly happy.
Still, things were hard on me and Sheriff Rivers, and I feared her story had come to an end.
But during that difficult time, I wrote A Cold, Cold World. And I loved it and desperately hoped that it would find a home.
My wonderful agent never gave up on me or Bet, and found us a place with Severn House. And what an amazing publishing house it has been! From the fantastic editors to that gorgeous cover design, I’ve loved working with everyone there. It has truly been the best experience of my publishing life.
So thank you, dear readers, for reaching out over the last four years asking about Bet’s next adventure. Your support helped me keep working, keep writing, and keep the faith. I hope you enjoy riding into the storm with Bet.
Elena—Moran Prairie 08/06/24
Praise for A Cold, Cold World“An exciting combination of multiple mysteries and a thrilling fight to survive nature’s wrath.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Readers who appreciate the strong woman police chief in Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder books or the vivid landscapes of Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire mysteries will appreciate Taylor’s riveting crime novel.” ―Library Journal Starred Review
“Smart, action-packed suspense. Taylor perfectly captures the tension and determination of a small town sheriff facing down an isolating blizzard while racing against the clock to solve a murder and save a missing child. Sheriff Bet Rivers will be your new favorite character.” ―Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“A Cold, Cold World delivers in spades. Sheriff Elizabeth “Bet” Rivers struggles to protect the people of Collier, Washington, a tiny mountain town, from a monster blizzard – and a potential murderer on the loose. A sleeping bag soaked with blood, a missing father-daughter, an arrow found at the site of a fatal snowmobile accident . . . the threats and threads tangle into a complex mystery, the investigation of which is hampered by power outages and several feet of suffocating snow. Tense and divinely atmospheric, this is the perfect book to curl up with on a cold winter’s day – or any day you long for a chilling, thrilling read. It was worth the wait,” —J.L. Delozier, author of the multi-award-winning mystery The Photo Thief
Watch the trailer here!Elena Taylor (and host of this blog!)
Elena Taylor spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, and educator before turning her storytelling skills to fiction. Her first series, the Eddie Shoes Mysteries, written under the name Elena Hartwell, introduced a quirky mother/daughter crime fighting duo.
With the Sheriff Bet Rivers Mysteries, Elena returns to her dramatic roots and brings readers much more serious and atmospheric novels. Located in her beloved Washington State, Elena uses her connection to the environment to produce tense and suspenseful investigations for a lone sheriff in an isolated community.
Elena is also a senior editor with Allegory Editing, a developmental editing house, where she works one-on-one with writers to shape and polish manuscripts, short stories, and plays. If you’d like to work with Elena, visit www.allegoryediting.com.
Her favorite place to be is at Paradise, the property she and her hubby own south of Spokane, Washington. They live with their horses, dogs, and cats. Elena holds a B.A. from the University of San Diego, a M.Ed. from the University of Washington, Tacoma, and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.
To learn more about me, click on any of the following links: ElenaTaylorAuthor.com, Instagram, Facebook & ElenaHartwell.comAuthor Pet Corner!
07/29 Interview @ Literary Gold
07/29 Showcase @ Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense
07/30 Review @ Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting
07/31 Showcase @ Books, Ramblings, and Tea
08/01 Interview @ Novel Nerd Blog
08/01 Showcase @ Silvers Reviews
08/02 Guest post @ Why Not? Because I Said So Book Reviews
08/02 Books to the Ceiling Podcast
08/03 Review @ Reading is my Superpower
08/03 Review @ Why Not? Because I Said So Book Reviews
08/04 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
08/07 Review @ Cassidys Bookshelves
08/08 Guest post @ Cozy Home Delight Book Reviews
08/08 Review @ Avonna Loves Genres
08/08 Review @ Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
08/09 Review @ dianas_books_cars_coffee
08/10 Review @ FullyBookedInKentucky
08/11 Review @ Paws. Read. Repeat
08/12 Showcase @ Celticladys Reviews
08/13 Showcase @ Binge Reading Books
08/14 Review @ Wall-to-wall Books
08/16 Review @ Melissa As Blog
08/18 Review @ The AR Critique
08/23 Review @ Teatime and Books
The post A Cold, Cold World Launches Today! appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.
August 3, 2024
Killer Weed: Legal Thriller
Killer Weed, the legal thriller by Manning Wolfe
Spotlight + Book and Author Info + A Giveaway!Don’t miss any blog tour posts! Click the link here for more.Killer Weed
Merit Bridges Legal ThrillersGET READY FOR A LEGAL SHOWDOWN, LIKE NO OTHER, IN MANNING WOLFE’S GRIPPING THRILLER, KILLER WEED!Austin attorney, Merit Bridges, steps up to defend a client whose twin sons are targeted in a fiery attack on a lucrative medical marijuana field. Once again, Merit is thrust into a dangerous game of deception with a corporate giant pulling strings. With their ruthless hired gun, Raiden Prince, eliminating obstacles with chilling precision, Merit finds herself in a high stakes battle for justice.
As Merit thwarts the ambitions of the dangerous corporation, Prince turns his sights on her. With his mastery of disguise, he lurks in the shadows. But Merit, her clients, and her trusted team aren’t going down without a fight.
Can Merit navigate a labyrinth of legal issues, protect her client, and survive Raiden Prince?
Prepare for a twisty confrontation that no one can see coming.
From award winning author Manning Wolfe comes the fifth installment in the electrifying Merit Bridges Legal Thrillers. Can be read in any order.
DIVE IN TODAY! Killer Weed will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Book Details:Genre: Legal Thriller
Published by: Starpath Books
Publication Date: July 25, 2024
Series: Merit Bridges Legal Thriller, Book Five
MANNING WOLFE, an award-winning author and attorney residing in Austin, Texas, writes cinematic-style, smart, fast-paced thrillers and crime fiction. Manning was recently featured on Oxygen TV’s: Accident, Suicide, or Murder.
* Manning’s legal thriller series features Austin attorney Merit Bridges, including Dollar Signs, Music Notes, Green Fees, and Chinese Wall.
* Manning’s new Proxy Legal Thriller Series features Houston attorney Quinton Bell and includes: Dead By Proxy, Hunted By Proxy, and Alive By Proxy.
* Manning is co-author of Killer Set: Drop the Mic, and twelve additional Bullet Book Speed Reads.
As a graduate of Rice University and the University of Texas School of Law, Manning’s experience has given her a voyeur’s peek into some shady characters’ lives and a front-row seat to watch the good people who stand against them.
To learn more about Manning, click any of the following links: ManningWolfe.com, Goodreads, BookBub – @ManningWolfe, Instagram – @manningwolfe, TikTok – @manningwolfe, Pinterest – @manningwolfe, Twitter/X – @ManningWolfe & Facebook – @manning.wolfeVisit all the Stops on the Tour!
07/31 Showcase @ Literary Gold
08/01 Showcase @ Celticladys Reviews
08/02 Showcase @ Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
08/03 Showcase @ The Mystery of Writing
08/05 Showcase @ Books, Ramblings, and Tea
08/06 Review @ fuonlyknew
08/07 Showcase @ Binge Reading Books
08/12 Review @ Because I said so
08/13 Review @ Paws. Read. Repeat
08/14 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
08/15 Review @ Novels Alive
08/17 Showcase @ Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense
The post Killer Weed: Legal Thriller appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.
July 26, 2024
Joyce Woollcott: Award-Nominated Mystery Author
Joyce Woollcott on audiobooks and award nominations
Author interview + Book & Author info + Author Pet Corner!Read my interview with Joyce for her debut. Click the link here.A Nice Place to Die by Joyce Woollcott
When a young woman is found murdered near Belfast, Detective Sergeant Ryan McBride makes a heart-wrenching discovery at the scene, a discovery he chooses to hide even though it could cost him the investigation––and his career.
As he seeks the killer, his suspects die one by one, leading him finally to a dangerous family secret and a murderer who will stop at nothing to keep it.
Praise for A Nice Place to Die“This was an engrossing novel, essentially a police procedural but it also contained elements of domestic thriller and had a little romance thrown in for good measure.”
To purchase A Nice Place to Die, click on any of the following links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble & IndieBoundBlood Relations by Joyce Woollcott
Retired Chief Inspector Patrick Mullan is found brutally murdered in his bed. Detective Sergeant Ryan McBride is called to his desolate country home to investigate.
In his inquiry, he discovers a man whose career was overshadowed by violence and corruption. Is the killer someone from Mullan’s past, or his present? And who hated the man enough to kill him twice?
Set in Belfast and the richly atmospheric countryside around it, Ryan once again faces a complex investigation with wit and intelligence.
Praise for Blood Relations“Make sure you have time available to read Joyce Woollcott’s latest book, Blood Relations, because once you start reading you will not want to put it down. There is the perfect mix of a compelling plot, excellent characterization, and the right sprinkling of wit and humour. Highly recommended.”
—Maureen Jennings, author of Murdoch Mysteries.
To purchase Blood Relations, click any of the following links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble & IndieBoundAuthor Interview with Joyce Woollcott Blood Relations, the second in your DS Ryan McBride Novels, recently came out in audiobook. Tell us about the series.It’s been a very exciting time, first of all with the initial contract offer for my books, the subsequent signing, and then the sale of the audiobooks to Tantor Audio.
My editor read the manuscript for my first novel, A Nice Place to Die when I sent the first three chapters in to a conference for a grant application. She liked it a lot and asked to read the entire book.
Covid intervened but three years later she was able to read the whole thing and offered me a contact with Level Best Books.
Do you like to listen to books on audio? What was the audiobook process like for you?
Alan SmythGood questions. Because the publisher held the rights they negotiated with Tantor and I had no say in the process. Needless to say, I was panicking once I got over the initial excitement of the prospect.
My hero, Detective Ryan Sergeant McBride is alive for me, and I felt strongly that the voice should have a Northern Irish accent and be male. I worried especially that I would get an American reader or someone from Dublin or the south — one of those charming Irish brogues. And don’t get me wrong, I love that accent, and so to millions of people worldwide, but not for my brooding Belfast detective, oh no! So, I was thrilled to learn that Tantor, in their infinite wisdom, had chosen a dashing Irish actor to read the books.
Alan Smyth, my narrator, is based out of L.A. but was born and raised in Dundalk, just south of the border. He assured me he’d spent many a great Saturday night up in Belfast — had the accent nailed! And when I heard the audio I was thrilled. He has narrated both my books now.
I mostly listen to audio on car journeys, they really help the time fly. I hear they are helpful when you cycle and when you go out running too, but that involves, well, exercise, so no.
I hear they are great when cleaning house – so that’s a no from Elena!You recently received nominations for both a Silver Falchion and a Claymore award through Killer Nashville. Tell us about those awards, and the book & manuscript that you were nominated for:This is my second Silver Falchion Award nod, both books in the series now have been nominated at Killer Nashville and I am honored to be part of it.
Last year I was a Silver Falchion Finalist for A Nice Place to Die, Book one in the series. This year my latest Book two, Blood Relations was nominated as a Top Pick.
I think as writers we always worry that our work is not good enough, and any validation, (especially if it’s not just from your husband or best friend) means a lot. Writing is such a subjective profession, so any recognition by your peers is greatly appreciated.
Blood Relations brings a new investigation to Ryan and Billy. An inquiry complicated by the fact that the victim was a retired Police Chief Inspector with a complicated past. The detectives have to figure out if the murder was committed by old criminal associates, villains he put away, or an aggrieved family member.
The Claymore Award nomination was especially exciting, my unpublished manuscript, A Desolate Grave, is a new departure for me, written in first person, it too is set in Northern Ireland, but hasn’t been read or critiqued yet. To be nominated for this book is really thrilling for me.
You are Canadian, work with a US publisher, and your series is set in Belfast. How do you navigate the locations and language complications with all three of those cultures part of your writing life?
Glens of Antrim, N. IrelandI was born in Belfast and moved to Canada in my twenties. That was a while ago, (ahem) and even though I’ve been home for holidays, it all came to a screeching halt during Covid, and that’s when I started to write these books. A lot of on-line research helped with process. My books are set in 2016 and many things and places have changed since I’ve been home. Of course, some things stay the same, like the people and the rain. Although everyone tells me it’s getting warmer now. Typical. I leave and it warms up.
As to the language I do have some small issues when I use local phrases and words. I try to be sparing with colloquialisms. This is an ongoing problem for writers when books are set in countries other than the US. Hopefully the reader will either work it out, or look it up. I always try to use local phrases and words in some sort of context.
What can we find you doing when you aren’t reading and writing crime fiction?
I always seem to be writing! Although I love to read mysteries and I also enjoy travelling. I used to paint and I really must get back to that…
What are you working on now?
My latest manuscript is called A Desolate Grave, although that title might change. Here’s the synopsis… (subject to change as well.)
After his wife is killed with a bullet meant for him, Detective Inspector Connor Adair retires early, and flees to his holiday cottage on Killennis Island, off Northern Ireland’s Antrim coast. He desperately needs to come to terms with the role he played in his wife’s death.
What he wants is peace and quiet to work on his paintings, and time to think.
Instead, he gets Anna, an attractive, enigmatic woman renter nearby, and a new case.
Three years earlier two teenage girls went missing from the island, he’s asked to find them.
Then Anna disappears.
Great description!Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:That’s easy. Don’t submit your work until you are convinced it’s as good as it can be.
Just. Don’t. Do. It.
Take classes, read widely and especially in your genre, join critique groups and writer groups. And when you are ready, save yourself some heartache and research the agents you submit to. Make sure you target the right ones for your book.
Fabulous advice. Congratulations on your continued success.Author Pet Corner!
Molly!MOLLY. Maltese female.
Our little dog is nine years old. We inherited her when she was two.
Her name was originally Precious 3 (long story) but my husband decided he could not deal with that on any level so Molly she became.
She is the absolute boss of us.
Joyce Woollcott
Joyce Woollcott is a Canadian author born in Belfast, N. Ireland. She is a graduate of the Humber School for Writers in Toronto.
She has won the RWA Daphne du Maurier Award for Mainstream Mystery and Suspense, has been long-listed in the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence in 2019 and 2020 and short-listed in 2021.
She was a Silver Falchion Award finalist at Killer Nashville in 2023 and again in 2024 and a Killer Nashville Claymore Award finalist in 2024.
To learn more about Joyce, click any of the following links: Website, X, Facebook & Instagram
The post Joyce Woollcott: Award-Nominated Mystery Author appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.
July 24, 2024
Served Cold: New Thriller by James L’Etoile
Served Cold, a Detective Nathan Parker thriller by James L’Etoile
Guest Post + Excerpt + Book & Author Info![image error]
Don’t miss any blog tour post! Click the link here.
Served Cold by James L’Etoile
Detective Nathan Parker
When a cargo trailer packed with dead undocumented migrants is found abandoned at a freeway rest stop, Detective Nathan Parker soon discovers the dead wore identical clothing, were the same age, and weren’t destined for the fields. Parker uncovers a diabolical connection between the migrants and a high-tech computer firm handling sensitive government information—information that could jeopardize the lives of thousands if it got into the wrong hands.
Hands like the gang assassin who killed Parker’s partner, who surfaces drawing them together for a final showdown.
Parker promised his partner revenge as he bled out in Parker’s arms—revenge is a dish best served cold.
Book Details:
Genre: Thriller, Procedural
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: July 16, 2024
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: Coming Soon
Series: Detective Nathan Parker Novels, Book 3 | Each is a stand-alone novel
To purchase your copy of Served Cold, click any of the following links: Amazon | Goodreads
Guest Post from James L’Etoile, author of Served Cold
What’s in a Series?
Thanks for the chance to guest post here on The Mystery of Writing. I’ll be talking about writing a series as opposed to a single standalone novel. It’s a strange business, publishing. I did what most authors do when the publisher likes the manuscript, offers a contract, and then asks if it could be a series. I said, “Sure. I can do that.” Then after the glow wore off, it was more of a panicked, “How Am I going to do that?”
The Detective Nathan Parker series started with Dead Drop. A novel I wrote as a standalone. One of the things I enjoy most when I create a new story are the characters. These are those voices I hear in my head that haunt my waking moments while I’m putting a book together. In this series, some of these characters have been with me now for a few years. They’re getting loud and a little rowdy. They’ve settled in and made themselves comfortable to the point of moving furniture around in my brain. This particular band of characters has started to put down some roots.
Writing a series takes a different set of mental gymnastics. Believe me, that’s the only part of me that engages in all that physical flipping and twisting. I much prefer the twists on the page. A standalone novel requires introducing a new protagonist, a character who will drive the narrative in the story you’re trying to tell. Every author approaches it from a different angle, but for me, the characters I’m going to be spending some time with must be well established before I start drafting that dreaded first page. I’ll know who they are, what they want and what’s holding them back from getting it. Is it fear? Are they lazy? Or is someone preventing them from getting what they are searching for? I’ve got to get in their head before they can appear on the page.
A standalone is tidy. It’s all encapsulated in a single story. The character arcs and plotlines hopefully come to a satisfying conclusion. Tie a bow on it and it’s done.
A series though, hits a little different. At the end of a book, there’s resolution to that story for sure, but because these are such familiar voices, there’s still more meat on the bone. You can introduce a subplot to unravel in a series where you won’t have space to explore it in a single book. Maybe, if your devious, there’s some aspect of the character to reveal that you’ve been holding back. We’re talking a character arc than spans multiple books to support a series arc where you plan to have the character go, grow and develop. And that’s the case with the Detective Nathan Parker series that started with Dead Drop. By the time I finished writing the book, I knew there was more to explore. The answer to the publisher was pretty easy and exciting because I got to go back to these familiar characters and play with new storylines.
In that first book we learn about his survivor’s guilt in the aftermath of his partner’s murder. He’s obsessed over getting justice and revenge on Esteban Castaneda, the man who killed his partner. It clouds his judgement and it nearly costs him his life.
Billie Carson is introduced in Dead Drop as well and she’s turned out to be more of a blast to write than I first anticipated. Billie discovers the bodies hidden in the desert within the opening pages and the reader gets to know a little about her very unusual backstory. Quirky is one way to put it. She’s a loner who chooses to live off the radar, getting by on the junk and recyclables she can find along the desert highways. There’s a reason she lives off the grid—she’s a former coyote who smuggled undocumented people over the border and went into witness protection for testimony against the cartel.
Now in book number three in this series, Served Cold, we have some of these storylines coming to conclusion and new questions emerging. Parker faces off with his partner’s killer and the revenge he had long sought won’t come without a cost. We also learn a dark secret from Billie’s past that threatens the partnership she’s developed with Parker.
Writing a series give me the chance to play with familiar characters and dive deeper into their background, fears, and foibles than I could within a single standalone story. I know these characters and by now, they know me. Readers ask about them. A woman stopped me once and pointed her finger at me, telling me, “You better not hurt Billie.” It’s a sign that something’s clicking along like it’s supposed to in the story mill. People connect with those characters, become invested, and want to know more about them.
I’m happy to report the publisher just contracted for three more books in the Nathan Parker series. Sure. I can do that…
And I speak for mystery readers everywhere, James, we are thrilled you will be coming back with more books in this series!
James L’Etoile uses his twenty-nine years behind bars as an influence in his award-winning novels, short stories, and screenplays. He is a former associate warden in a maximum-security prison, a hostage negotiator, and director of California’s state parole system. His novels have been shortlisted or awarded the Lefty, Anthony, Silver Falchion, and the Public Safety Writers Award. Served Cold is his most recent novel. Look for River of Lies, coming in 2025. He is a Director at Large for Mystery Writers of America and host of the Authors on the Air. You can find out more at www.jamesletoile.com
Read an excerpt of Served Cold:
Chapter 1
State Trooper Chris Yarrow took his patrol assignment on the graveyard shift on Interstate 10 as a kick to the crotch. The desolate stretch of asphalt from Quartzite to Tonopah was as straight a preacher’s spine and as exciting as a Sunday sermon.
Six months. He was given six months on this worthless chunk of highway as punishment. His sergeant warned if he didn’t adjust his attitude and become a team player, Yarrow would be on the outside looking in. Halfway through a shift cruising down the empty westbound lanes of I-10 Yarrow hadn’t pulled over a single speeding motorist. Not because he didn’t want to. There was no one out on this God-forsaken patch of asphalt. Not so much as a headlight in the distance.
He backed off the accelerator at the exit for the Devil’s Well rest stop. Yarrow cruised through the freeway rest stop to ensure the truckers who pulled off for the night didn’t have paid female company from Buckeye. Last week Yarrow turned a van full of young women away as they drove up, much to the disappointment of the lonely truck drivers.
Four eighteen-wheelers parked in diagonal slots. Yarrow’s eye went to a cargo container strapped on a flatbed trailer. The tractor and driver were nowhere to be found.
Yarrow stopped behind the trailer and shown his spotlight on the boxy cargo container. No company markings or brand names adorned the side. The trooper pulled his computer console over preparing to run the trailer’s plates. His light found the empty place where the registration should have been.
Yarrow stepped from his SUV and approached the trailer mounted cargo box, casting his flashlight under and around the steel frame.
“If it ain’t officer buzzkill,” a voice sounded from a truck window to the left.
Yarrow swung his light to the truck cab and recognized the driver as one of the frustrated truckers after the ladies of the night were turned away. His faded and frayed Dodger’s ball cap, more grey than blue, was tucked on his head over a ring of red curls.
“You happen to see who left this trailer?”
“It was here when I pulled in,” he checked his watch, “about four hours ago.”
Yarrow strode to the front of the container, shone his flashlight at the end of the brown steel container. “Something leaking.”
The trucker stepped from his cab hitched his pants up and joined Yarrow.
“Looks like the A/C unit bit the big one.”
Yarrow avoided stepping in the puddle of refrigerant. “I’m gonna have to call the DOT crew out and get this cleaned up before it runs off in the desert.”
“God forbid a coyote gets an upset tummy. Tree huggers like them woke DOT weenies is what makes everything we do more expensive.”
“Why would a driver take the plates and leave his load,” Yarrow asked.
The driver shrugged. “If he saw his A/C was busted, he knew his load got spoiled in this heat. If he’s not a company driver, he could drop and run. Especially if he already got paid for the trip.”
Yarrow circled around the trailer to the rear. The heavy steel hasp was secured with a heavy gauge padlock and a foil seal on the door.
“A customs inspection sticker,” the driver said, pointing at the foil.
“This came over the border? All this way and the driver just drops it?”
The trucker leaned in, an ear close to the container. “Hear that?”
“What?”
“Listen.”
Yarrow leaned closer to the container. “I don’t hear anything.”
Another voice from behind startled Yarrow. “What ya got going on, Buck?”
Buck, the driver in his Dodger’s hat, glanced at the other trucker, “Might be an abandoned load.”
“Saw a guy in a white Kenworth tractor with no trailer burning outta here about five o’clock. Coulda been running into Phoenix to get a mechanic for his A/C.”
“Phoenix? We’re in the westbound lanes.”
“Like I said, the guy was in a hurry, he crossed the center median and headed back east, toward Phoenix.”
“I think he’s hauling bees,” Buck said, straightening his ball cap. “I don’t like bees. I keep me an epi-pen in my glove box.”
The other driver drew close and put an ear against the metal cargo box. “I hear them. I heard about bee rustlers stealing hives. Think deputy Do-Right here broke the case?”
“Would you guys back away. Quit touching the lock, Buck.”
Buck turned the lock loose and put his hands up in surrender.
“It might be evidence.”
“How you gonna know unless you look inside,” Buck said.
Yarrow pondered his options. If he called it in to his supervisor and it turned out to be dead grandma’s patio furniture from Sun City, Yarrow was done. The thin foil customs seal hinted at something more. Smuggled drugs maybe. If Yarrow could break a major drug trafficking case he’d earn his way out of this nighttime purgatory of an assignment.
Sensing Yarrow’s leaning, Buck said, “I got a pair of cutters in my truck.”
Buck trotted over to his rig and opened a tool box and withdrew a pair of heavy bolt cutters with two-foot-long handles.
Yarrow held them, surprised at the weight and forced the lock off the cargo door. He handed the bolt cutters back to Buck. When Yarrow slid the bolt a metallic clang echoed from within.
“You don’t mind, I’ma gonna take a step back. I don’t need no bee stings.”
The buzzing sound increased and Yarrow began to second guess his decision to open the container. He pulled the heavy door aside and a swarm of insects flew from the crack.
Buck screamed and waved his arms against the winged attackers. “I need my epi-pen!”
Yarrow ducked behind the door as the insects flew from their prison. When they lessened, he leaned around and clicked his flashlight inside. He dropped the light on the blacktop and staggered back. The smell was overpowering.
No stolen beehives and no cache of smuggled heroin or fentanyl were waiting for Yarrow. Inside the darkened cargo container, dozens of dead men lay in a heap on the steel floor.
***
Excerpt from Served Cold by James L’Etoile. Copyright 2024 by James L’Etoile. Reproduced with permission from James L’Etoile. All rights reserved.
James L’Etoile — Author of Served Cold
James L’Etoile uses his twenty-nine years behind bars as an influence in his award-winning novels, short stories, and screenplays. He is a former associate warden in a maximum-security prison, a hostage negotiator, and director of California’s state parole system.
His novels have been shortlisted or awarded the Lefty, Anthony, Silver Falchion, and the Public Safety Writers Award. Face of Greed is his most recent novel. Look for Served Cold and River of Lies, coming in 2024.
Learn more about James by clicking any of the following links:
www.jamesletoile.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @crimewriter
Instagram – @authorjamesletoile
Threads – @authorjamesletoile
Twitter/X – @JamesLEtoile
Facebook – @AuthorJamesLetoile
Visit all the Stops on Served Cold Tour!
07/09 Review @ Colloquium
07/15 Showcase @ Celticladys Reviews
07/16 Showcase @ Cozy Home Delight Book Reviews
07/17 Showcase @ 411 ON BOOKS, AUTHORS, AND PUBLISHING NEWS
07/19 Review @ Because I said so
07/20 Review @ Catreader18
07/22 Review @ dianas_books_cars_coffee
07/22 Showcase @ Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense
07/23 Review @ Country Mamas With Kids
07/24 Guest post @ The Mystery of Writing
07/24 Review @ Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
07/25 Showcase @ Books, Ramblings, and Tea
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July 23, 2024
The Recruiter by Gregg Podolski
The Recruiter by Gregg Podolski
Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Author Pet Corner!Don’t miss any debut author interviews, click the link here for more.The Recruiter
An action-packed debut from Gregg Podolski, The Recruiter is a thrilling and unique adventure through the European underworld.
When bad guys need good help, they call Rick Carter.
He’s a criminal recruiter, searching for contract killers, cyber hackers, gun smugglers, and any other assorted villains-for-hire a European crime boss might need. But, when the family he left behind in New Jersey is caught up in a client’s plot to monopolize the black market, Rick has to save them from two of his own top candidates: deadly assassins known only as Ghost and The Persian.
Fixing his own mess will require a set of skills he doesn’t have–not a problem, as finding qualified help is where he excels. But stepping into action, becoming the hero his family needs, that’s new territory. For a man who’s spent the last ten years being the best at helping the worst, this may be his last chance to do something right.
To purchase The Recruiter, click any of the following links: Blackstone, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, Indigo Chapters.Interview with Gregg Podolski, Author of The RecruiterThe Recruiter features Rick Carter. What would you like readers to know about him?Rick is a recruiter for the criminal underworld.
If you need a hitman, a hacker, somebody to run guns or launder money, Rick’s the guy you hire to find those people. He’s also really bad at being an action hero despite being the hero in an action thriller, which is probably my favorite thing about him.
The Recruiter is set in Europe, but in the seedy, underbelly aspects that tourists never see. Tell us about how the environment impacts your debut.
The first half of The Recruiter is set in Europe mainly because when I started writing, Rick mentioned that he was in Belgium. I’ve never been there, but Google can be a wonderful tour guide, so I just ran with it.
Like all cities, Brussels has a seedy underbelly, but when it comes to the details of that underbelly, I honestly made most of it up. Fiction is so much easier than nonfiction sometimes.
The Recruiter combines action and humor, how did you go about working humor into such a deadly plot?
By making Rick the same kind of smartass that I am in real life.
When I read a book or watch a movie, I do it to be entertained. And while dark, gritty, serious stories can also be entertaining, I tend to have more fun with something that also makes me laugh. Especially when it’s interwoven with a story that could be deadly serious.
I’d love to pull back the curtain on the mechanics of how I mixed the two, but it’s just the way I think.
Your day job is as a headhunter for a recruitment firm, but not for criminals or the dark web. How did your real-life experiences translate to your crime fiction?
There were originally a lot more insider details of how recruiters operate in the first draft, but I realized pretty quickly that most of it was boring.
I liked the idea of a guy who used to work for a traditional recruitment firm–like I do now–pivot to using those skills to find bad people for other bad people, but I didn’t want to get lost in the weeds with it. There are still a few nuggets in there that my fellow headhunters will–hopefully–smile and nod at, though.
What do you love best about New Jersey?
The attitude. Jerseyans have a very low tolerance for B.S., and there’s something to be said for always knowing where you stand with most of the people you meet.
Also, our pizza is better than yours. And yes, that includes you, NYC.
What are you working on now?
The Candidate, the sequel to The Recruiter, is in the hands of my editor at Blackstone right now, waiting for the green light. Assuming that happens, I already have the story beats for Book 3 mapped out and just need to get typing.
Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:
Write the kind of story you want to read. If other people want to read it too, that’s when you get published. If you only try to write for other people, then all you’ll produce is dollar-store versions of stuff they already like. And the dollar-store version of anything is usually crap.
Author Pet Corner!
Gregg is a Jersey boy, born and bred. He still lives in the Garden State with his wife, their two kids, cranky cat, and a psychotic rescue mutt named CJ. (Short for Crazy Janey. Points if you know the Springsteen reference).
He loves Philly sports, the Jersey Shore, and is one of the last people on the planet who still buys CDs. (Seriously, he has over a thousand. It’s becoming a problem).
Learn more about Greg by following him on his website.
Elena Hartwell/Elena Taylor
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July 22, 2024
Gone Crazy: A Rory Naysmith Mystery
Gone Crazy, a Rory Naysmith mystery by Terry Korth Fischer [image error]
Excerpt + Book & Author Info + Giveaway!
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Gone Crazy
A RORY NAYSMITH MYSTERY
A formal declaration of love scares the bejesus out of small-town Detective Rory Naysmith. As Valentine’s Day approaches, he evaluates his relationship with bookkeeper Esther Mullins, and decides to take her on a romantic date that ends with a poet’s murder.
Assigned to the case, Rory pushes his private life aside. Things gets tricky after Esther is appointed Executrix for the estate—then rumors start that place a priceless item among the poet’s many possessions.
The race is on to unearth the treasure and solve the murder, but it leaves Rory wondering if Esther will live long enough to become his Valentine—or end up as the murderer’s next victim.
Book Details:
Genre: Traditional Mystery, Cozy Crime
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: July 22, 2024
Number of Pages: 251
ISBN: 9781509255986 (ISBN10: 1509255982)
Series: A Rory Naysmith Mystery, Book 3
To purchase Gone Crazy, click any of the following links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads
Read an excerpt of Gone Crazy:
After a full hour devoted to hob-knobbing, everyone finally headed to the presentation room and the ceremony began. The Guild members sat at the front tables. A particularly distinguished looking gentleman stood at the podium. Rory held Esther’s chair as she took her seat. “What is it that you are so anxious to tell me?” she asked.
“In a moment,” he said, “Do you have the program?”
Esther pulled the pamphlet from her bag and handed it to him. “What are you looking for?”
“A woman in a tuxedo.” He opened the program and scanned the contents. It contained a short bio for each featured poet, including an author photograph. Phoebe Sheehan, retired librarian, Winterset Community College graduate, would read two selections from her chapbook. Her photograph was more glamor shot than portrait—and dated because her locks were more brunette than white.
Perry Benson, Winterset Library Poet-in-Residence, would present two works from his collection titled, Midwest Muddle. His picture revealed both arms tattooed from forearm to wrist, giving him the appearance of a shouting Prisoner-in-Residence at a state penal institution.
And last but not least, Lillie Anderson, comparative literature professor, Winterset Community College, reading from her published work, Wildfire Lies. Professor Anderson’s author shot confirmed she was the tuxedoed assailant—but not why she’d threaten Phoebe.
He turned to Esther. “I overheard Lillie Anderson and Phoebe Sheehan in the bar. Anderson accused Sheehan of plagiarism and following in her father’s footsteps, whatever that means. She said that if Phoebe didn’t admit her fraud, she, Professor Anderson, was willing and able to expose her.” Esther’s face clouded as he continued. “It sounded more like a disagreement about Phoebe being considered for tonight’s award than to the actual plagiarism. I’m guessing it wasn’t Lillie’s poetry in question.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. And Professor Anderson manhandled Phoebe Sheehan.”
“What does that mean?”
“Grabbed her by the arms and retained her against her will. You know, manhandled.”
“To be politically correct you should use the term strong armed.”
Rory opened his mouth but decided it was better to remain silent.
The waiter appeared, lit the candle on the table centerpiece, then took their orders for wine. When he stepped away, Rory said, “I’ve always heard the academic world can be vicious but didn’t believe it. Plus, this Lillie Anderson is dressed like a man.”
“How does a man dress?” Esther asked.
Rory cleared his throat and studied the program.
“There’s Phoebe now,” said Esther gesturing to the white-headed woman making her way up front to join the dignitaries by the stage. She stumbled, then reached out to a nearby table to steady herself. “It looks like she’s drunk.”
“She wasn’t an hour ago,” he said, “but a couple stiff ones…”
“She’s having a hard time finding her way.” Esther stood, hesitating and placing a hand on his shoulder. “I think I’ll see if she’s okay. It might just be nerves.”
Rory let her hand slip away. Patrons milled around in a confused manner, taking time to find their assigned seats, and seemingly reluctant to end conversations they’d started in the bar. He watched Esther thread her way through the tables and make her way to Phoebe. With an arm the poet’s shoulder, Esther helped her take a seat by the temporary stage and sat next to her, their heads bent in conversation. He wondered at the exchange. Soon she returned.
“Well, is she drunk?”
“No. But she isn’t feeling well. She says she started to feel ill this afternoon.”
“Presentation jitters then?”
The man at the podium tapped the microphone and a loud thump exploded from the overhead speakers. “Looks like we might be starting,” Rory said.
Esther fingered her pearls. “I think it’s more than being nervous or simple stage fright. Phoebe looks pale and if she complained that she felt nauseous…after all, she was in the bar trying to get a soda to settle her stomach. Which she didn’t manage to do. You were there along with the crowd, it was chaos. I think I’ll order her a hot tea.”
Esther waved at a waiter as he passed. Failing to get the waiter’s attention, she stood. “They’ll be a minute getting started. I’ll just pop into the bar, order the tea, and be right back.” Before Rory could object, she was gone.
The guests slowly took their seats. The man at the podium thumped again. “Testing. Testing. Can everyone hear me?” The guests at the tables quieted. Those roaming made for their seats.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Winterset Literary Guild Awards banquet. I’m George Martin, Guild President.” There was some modest clapping, and more chair scraping. “We have a lovely evening planned for you. Our State Poet, Adeline Yost will open, followed by three Winterset distinguished poets: Phoebe Sheehan, Lillie Anderson, and Perry Benson. From these talented poets, one will end the evening as the first Winterset Poet Laureate.” Gentle applause followed. “But first, let me introduce the literary board members.” He motioned for the front row to stand, and one-by-one introduced them, followed by more clapping. Rory hoped Esther would hurry. He didn’t want her to miss the presentation.
George Martin introduced Adeline Yost who, along with him, had a seat by the podium on the stage. Still no Esther. The overhead lights dimmed, and Adeline read a poem about open space and shooting stars that ended in glowing horizons. Rory was impressed with her melodic voice but thought poetry ought to rhyme. Less along the lines of “By the shores of Gitche Gumee, By the shining Big-Sea-Water”, and more “high-diddle diddle, the cat in the fiddle.”
Where was Esther? Should he check on her?
Yost finished and introduced Lillie Anderson. The professor mounted the stage with encouragement from the crowd, then confidently crossed the stage to join Adeline at the podium where she accepted the accolades with grace. Her tuxedo clad figure was a stark contrast to Adeline’s simple long skirt and flowing tunic top. In Rory’s mind the long coarse hair falling past Lillie’s shoulders was ubiquitous in academia, her suit a blatant statement against the role women played in a male dominated world. He recalled the menace in her voice as she accosted Phoebe Sheehan in the bar. Professor Anderson would make a formidable enemy.
As the spotlight highlighted the poet, Adeline Yost explained the structure for the piece Lillie had selected to read. “From her chapbook, Wildfire Lies, Professor Anderson will read a villanelle.”
Villanelle? It sounded as menacing as her accusations in the bar. Rory listened but continued to be more concerned by Esther’s absence.
“The villanelle,” Yost explained, “is a most difficult poetic form. Many artists avoid them, as it can be quite intimidating. The form has nineteen lines, adheres to a particular structure, and offers a rhyme scheme.”
Good. A rhyming poem. Right up my alley.
Adeline continued, “Five three-line stanzas, followed by a four-line stanza. You will notice the first and third lines are repeated three more times throughout the poem at dictated locations. Composing a villanelle is no easy feat. It is so difficult to write that I, myself, have only done so, once. And, I have no intention to attempt a second.” There was mild laughter. She paused for effect, then announced, “Professor Lillie Anderson, reading The Plains Echo.”
Adeline stepped from the spotlight, allowing Anderson to step to the microphone. She looked out over the room and waited for a silence to settle over the audience. When all was quiet, she took reading glasses from where they were tucked into her cummerbund, put them on, situated her printed page on the podium, and began.
Rory wasn’t impressed, but what did he know? Anderson had a stage presence and a flair for the dramatic. And Adeline Yost had set the tone by announcing the piece’s excellence. It was as Anderson raised her voice in the required repeated first stanza line that he saw Esther step into the room. Moving deftly through the tables with a large mug between her hands, she threaded her way to the front tables where Phoebe sat and drew the audience’s attention as she advanced. So intent was Esther in keeping the sloshing contents within the mug that she didn’t notice the disturbance she created.
Her advance, however, didn’t escape Anderson’s notice. The professor’s reading glasses slid down her nose and she glared over the rims. Clearly flustered, she said to George Martin. “Mr. President, are you going to allow this interruption? Must I ignore this blatant attempt by Phoebe Sheehan to undermine my poetry reading?”
Red-faced, Mr. Martin stood and stammered, “I a…assure you. Th…this is not the conduct expected from our members.” His focus on Phoebe, he demanded, “Miss Sheehan, are you quite finished?”
Phoebe, taking a gulp from the mug, froze. From Rory’s position at the back, he watched her rise. Once on her feet, she swayed and put a hand on Esther’s shoulder, and steadied herself. Esther took the mug from her hand.
“George…” Phoebe croaked, drifting to the left before righting herself. “George…” She fell forward and collapsed into a heap before the stage.
The audience gasped. A black clad waiter appeared from nowhere and rushed to the crumpled poet. He bent over her for a moment then announced, “Call an ambulance.”
George Martin took over the microphone. “Is there a doctor in the house?”
Wide-eyed, Esther met Rory’s gaze.
The detective nodded. Then reached for the light switch and flipped on the overhead lights.
*** Excerpt from Gone Crazy by Terry Korth Fischer. Copyright 2024 by Terry Korth Fischer. Reproduced with permission from Terry Korth Fischer. All rights reserved.
Terry Korth Fischer — Author of Gone Crazy
Terry Korth Fischer is the author of the Rory Naysmith Mysteries, a cozy-crime series featuring a seasoned city detective relocated to small-town Nebraska.
Transplanted from the Midwest, Terry lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and two guard cats.
When not writing, she loves reading and basking in sunshine, yet, her heart often wanders to the country’s heartland, where she spent a memorable—ordinary but charmed—childhood.
Catch Up With Terry Korth Fischer: TerryKorthFischer.com Goodreads BookBub – @terrykorthfischer Twitter/X – @TerryIsWriting Facebook – @TerryIsWriting
Visit all the Stops on the Tour!
Books, Ramblings, and Tea
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Reading Authors
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July 20, 2024
VM Burns: A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death
VM Burns launches her latest Cozy! A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death
A Cup of Four, A Pinch of Death by VM Burns
On the shores of Lake Michigan, influencer Maddy Montgomery has turned the bakery she inherited from her great aunt Octavia into a destination. There’s just one thing she won’t post: the body in the freezer . . .
Thanks to Maddy’s social media savvy, Baby Cakes Bakery is becoming a huge success—so much so that she’s attracted the attention of her former nemesis, the fiancé-stealing Brandy Denton. When Brandy blows into New Bison like an ill wind and disrupts a vlog Maddy’s filming, their argument goes viral. After Brandy’s body is found in the freezer at Baby Cakes, Maddy instantly goes from viral sensation to murder suspect.
As Maddy is still reeling from the murder, a stranger shows up in the bakery claiming to have been a friend of Octavia. He believes Maddy is in danger. When a second body washes up on the lake shore, it seems clear someone’s out to kill to keep a secret—and it may have to do with her great aunt.
Maddy rallies her aunt’s friends, the Baker Street Irregulars; Sheriff April Johnson; and her veterinarian boyfriend Michael—not to mention her English mastiff Baby—to do some digging and root out whoever’s behind the killings . . .
Book DetailsA Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death (A Baker Street Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Michigan
Publisher : Kensington Cozies (July 23, 2024)
Paperback : 288 pages
ISBN-10 : 1496738241
ISBN-13 : 978-1496738240
Digital ASIN : B0CLZ49T1M
Audiobook ASIN B0D2LQDDW1
NEW BISON, WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE
Hi, My name is Madison Montgomery, but everyone calls me Maddy. After my fiancé was a no-show to our live-streamed wedding, I was looking for a place to hide and New Bison, Michigan, fit the bill. It wasn’t a place I’d dreamed of visiting. In fact, I hadn’t heard of it until I inherited a house, a bakery, and a 250 lb English mastiff from my Great Aunt Octavia. New Bison seemed as good a place as any to hide and regroup.
Coming from the bright lights of L.A., I found life in a small town to be challenging. Los Angeles is a big city with tons to see and do. There’s an international airport, sporting events, museums, concerts, fantastic shopping, and a rich and diverse population—not to mention Hollywood. However, my favorite thing about living in Los Angeles was the weather. The climate is mild to hot and dry. New Bison is a different matter. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, New Bison is a small, sleepy resort town located 70 miles from Chicago. There’s no airport, no professional sports teams (not that I’m into sports), and the shopping is nothing to write home about. And the weather in the winter is brutal.
However, life in a small town has its positives, too. My house is right on the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan, which has the most amazing sunsets. The cost of living is significantly less than in L.A., which makes having a house on the water a viable option. There are also quaint shops and bakeries like mine—Baby Cakes Bakery. When I want to do serious shopping, I can drive or take the train to Chicago, and thankfully my shopper at McMullins will ship items she thinks I’d like. There’s green everywhere along with fruit and amazing vineyards. Rarely is there a traffic jam in New Bison, unless you find yourself stuck behind a tractor on one of the winding back roads. I’ve also met some amazing people, including my boyfriend, Michael Portman.
When I first came to New Bison, I never dreamed I’d want to stay. However, there’s a fresh authenticity in this quaint small town that has allowed me to be myself with no pressure to live up to an image or persona. Sure there have been a few murders, but apart from that, New Bison is a great place to live.
VM (Valerie) Burns
Valerie (V. M.) Burns is an Agatha and Edgar Award-nominated author.
She is the author of the Mystery Bookshop, Dog Club, RJ Franklin, and Baker Street Mystery series.
As Kallie E. Benjamin, Valerie writes the Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery series.
She is an adjunct professor in the Writing Popular Fiction Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA, and a mentor in the Pocket MFA program.
Born and raised in northwestern Indiana, Valerie now lives in Northern Georgia with her two poodles. Connect with Valerie at vmburns.com.
To learn more about Valerie, click any of the following links: Bookbub, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram.Visit all the Stops on the Tour!
July 18 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
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July 27 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
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July 18, 2024
Audio Book Release by JL Lycette
Audio book of The Committee Will Kill You Now by JL Lycette
Spotlight + Book & Author Info
The gripping new book from the author of
The Algorithm Will See You Now. Based on the true-life rationing of kidney dialysis in 1960s America, a medical intern in 1992 Seattle tries to leave his painful past behind, only to uncover a shocking truth of thirty years prior and the lasting, generational harm of hidden secrets…
After a co-intern dies by suicide, a grieving Noah Meier commits an accidental error. In a desperate move to save his patient’s life, he covertly seeks help from audacious surgical resident Marah Maddox, igniting a bond between them.
When the hospital is suspiciously quick to sweep everything under the rug, Noah turns to his late father’s journal for guidance and makes a chilling discovery, all while trying to stay out of the crosshairs of abusive Dr. Rankel, keen to make an example of Noah. Worse, Rankel clearly has it out for Marah as the only woman in her program.
As the hospital’s patriarchal power structures, and the truth about his father’s past, threaten Noah and Marah’s burgeoning relationship, Noah will have to choose: shoulder his father’s devastating legacy or create his own daring future.
The latest sensational pause-resister from physician-author JL Lycette, The Committee Will Kill You Now is a riveting historical suspense about the inner workings of the medical world and the personal struggles of those within it.
A thrilling near-historical drama that exposes the dark side of the medical establishment and a must-listen for anyone interested in medicine, ethics, and the human struggle for justice.
To purchase the Audio Book, click the link here: AmazonTo purchase the ebook or paperback, click any of the following links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble & IndieBoundPraise for the book & Audio Book of The Committee Will Kill You Now“…skillfully written, incisive, and unafraid to confront ethical issues head-on. A thought-provoking work about young doctors, modern medicine, and ethical quagmires.” —Kirkus Reviews
“I was wholly transported in time, space, and situation by Dr. Lycette’s writing, unable to put the book away till I got to the very end… A must-read for everyone in healthcare and for the patients we deeply care for.” —Amna Shabbir, MD, physician, life coach and writer
“Lycette’s brilliant storytelling shines a light on the grim underbelly of the medical world…For anyone who has ever braved the halls of medical residency, this novel will make you feel profoundly seen.” —Gabe Charbonneau, MD, Family Physician & Co-Founder of Medicine Forward
“JL Lycette has done it again–and then some! … Her second novel is essential, timely, important, and an absolute page turner. JL Lycette is THE physician author we need in 21st century healthcare.” —Avital O’Glasser MD, Author and Editor of An Evolution of Empowerment: Voices of Women In Medicine and Their Allies, and Editor, Women In Medicine Blog
“With characters that resonate with authenticity and situations that pulse with tension, THE COMMITTEE WILL KILL YOU NOW is not just a story about medicine, but a reflection on the very essence of humanity, ethics, and the fragile balance of life. A must-read for those who seek a window into the world of medicine, painted with hues of hope, despair, and redemption.” —Rajeev Kurapati MD, MBA, award winning author of Physician: How Science Transformed the Art of Medicine
“In a page turning prequel to The Algorithm Will See You Now, the author uncovers the dark side of medical training and the troubling results that occur when the physicians assume they know what is best for their patients.” —Joan Naidorf DO, author Changing How we Think About Difficult Patients: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals (American Association for Physician Leadership)
“JL Lycette has done it again. The Committee Will Kill You Now is a gripping, disturbing, and challenging look into the life and death problems facing residents and physicians. Even though it takes place in the 1990s, these haunting problems continue even now to face medical students, residents, attending physicians, and administrators alike.” —Stephen J. Rockower, MD, FAAOS, Past President of MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, and Host of MedCast
“JL Lycette’s latest book, The Committee Will Kill You Now, weaves fiction and non-fiction into a fast-paced narrative about the inter-generational consequences of moral and ethical dilemmas faced in medicine… a testament to the current-day discussions around access to care, physician burnout, and what we, as a society, want from our medical experience.” —Charity Hix, MD, Physician Burnout and Career Wellness Coach for Introverts in Healthcare
“As a physician and a fellow crime writer, this story was so close to my heart and I went through every emotion…A tense riveting read that kept me glued to my chair and which stayed with me way after the last page. A superlative suspense from one of the best writers I have read in a while!” —Suja Sukumar, author of When Mimi Went Missing
JL Lycette — Author of the Audio Book — The Committee Will Kill You Now
JL / Jennifer Lycette is a novelist, award-winning essayist, rural physician, wife, and mom. She has a degree in biochemistry from the University of San Francisco and attained her medical degree at the University of Washington.
Mid-career, she discovered narrative medicine in her path back from physician burnout and has been writing ever since.
To learn more about JL, click any of the following links: Website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Goodreads & Medium
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July 17, 2024
Girls Who Burn: A YA Thriller by MK Pagano
Girls Who Burn, a YA Thriller by debut author MK Pagano
Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Author Pet Corner!Girls Who Burn
Jessica Goodman meets Jesse Q. Sutanto in this twisty enemies-to-lovers thriller, full of secrets, privilege, and murder.
Eighteen-year-old Addie Blackwood regrets nothing more than one horrible, mistake-filled night last summer. Hours after she hurled the worst words she could think of at her sister, Fiona was found dead at the bottom of a ravine. The police ruled her death an accident, but Addie’s never bought it. Her ballet-prodigy sister didn’t slip and fall; she was pushed. And Addie’s number one suspect: Thatcher Montgomery, the rich kid down the street who always had a thing for Fiona.
But when Thatcher is found dead in the same ravine, Addie must admit she was wrong. And now her only ally (and alibi) in catching the real killer is none other than her childhood rival, Seth Montgomery—Thatcher’s cousin and the boy she’s always loved to hate. Arguing with Seth is easy; working with him without thinking of that night last summer, near impossible.
As Addie and Seth dodge corrupt police and his even more corrupt family, their investigation pulls them closer than ever before. But as they approach the explosive and murderous truth, their growing bond may not be enough to keep Addie safe—in fact, it may turn her into the next victim.
To purchase Girls Who Burn at any of your favorite outlets, click the following link: Penguin TeenInterview with MK Pagano, Author of Girls Who BurnGirls Who Burn, is a YA thriller about Addie Blackwood. What would you like readers to know about Addie?Addie is a girl who blames herself for her sister Fiona’s death—but Addie didn’t kill Fiona. She’s hellbent on finding out who did and bringing them to justice, but at the same time, the anger she feels over her sister’s death is often directed at herself, for the mistakes she’s made in the past, and continues to make now.
She needs to find out what happened to her sister, but she also needs to learn how to forgive herself and believe she’s worthy of love again.
Girls Who Burn is set in New Jersey. Tell us about the environment of Bier’s End and how it impacts the plot.
I’m from New Jersey, though actually from a shore town, not a woodsy town. But I wanted to write a woodsy book, so I made up the town of Bier’s End and set it near the place in North Jersey where I’ve been going camping since I was little.
Originally, the book had a lot more lore around Bier’s End—there was the creepy Bier family who founded the town centuries ago and the first draft had a potentially speculative element red herring around them, but I ended up needing to cut that as it distracted from the main plot. But I hope I still got across that this is an old town, where the proximity to the woods makes it easy for things to get lost.
But it also made the childhoods of the kids who grew up in this town just a tiny bit more magical.
Girls Who Burn is fast-paced and tense. Tell us about your process for writing this book, and how you managed to create such a dynamic voice for your debut novel.
This book went through many, many drafts before its final iteration. I had another novel before this one that died on submission, and afterwards my first agent and I parted ways. So I had to query again with this book, which meant I spent I long time drafting it, getting feedback from critique partners, editing, rinse repeat, before sending it into the query trenches.
Querying seems to have gotten harder as the years have gone on, so I knew it had to be absolutely stellar to stand out. It took a long time to get it into shape, but my work paid off; I signed with two incredible agents, only had to revise it minimally afterwards, and my book sold to Penguin Random House in only two weeks.
In terms of getting the voice down, I think it all comes down to Addie.
I knew it was going to be first person because I wanted the reader to be right there along with her as she goes through this harrowing time. Creating a compelling backstory for her was essential; in Addie’s case, her mother abandoned the family when she was young, and she’s had issues believing herself lovable ever since. That comes through in everything she says and does, and it’s only through her relationships with the people around her that she’ll come to realize that despite her flaws, she has worth.
I also originally had the book in past tense, and I think shifting it to present made everything more immediate and that much more compelling.
What can we find you doing when you’re not writing or reading thrillers?
I have two small children, so you’ll nearly always find me with them. In the slivers of other time I get to myself, I like to go on walks while listening to audiobooks, read physical books, go to the beach, dabble in photography.
I’m also a Francophile—I lived in France for a little while when I was younger and go back as often as I can, though it’s been a few years now. Lately, I look at French property listings online and dream about buying my own house out there someday. In the meantime, I’m tending to my own backyard, and very much hope to get around to putting in a garden someday soon.
Your dedication reads: For everyone we’ve lost too soon. And in particular, for Cheryl: I wish you could have read this. I think you’d have liked it. Tell us about Cheryl.
Cheryl is my cousin whom I lost (to cancer, not murder) thirteen years ago. It was my first experience losing someone who wasn’t a grandparent or elderly relative and it profoundly affected me.
Cheryl was an amazing person, a mother of four, a business owner, a veterinarian who would drop everything anytime anyone in the family (and we have a very big extended family) had any kind of pet ailment. She ran the New York City Marathon just a few months before she passed away. She was also a voracious reader; we loved chatting about books. I don’t think this book could have been written the way it was without having lost her; I tapped into my grief to make Addie’s more fully realized. But at the same time, if she were still here, I know Cheryl would have loved this book, would be shouting about it to anyone who would listen.
The unfairness of Cheryl’s cancer diagnosis still makes me so angry, when I think about it, but having nowhere to direct that anger is hard. So I channeled it into this book, into Addie, who does have somewhere to direct her anger: toward the person who killed her sister. But even with how much I love this book, I’d give it all up in a second to have my cousin back.
What are you working on now?
Another YA thriller! I can’t say too much about it yet, but just know that this book also has a female protagonist who also lost something essential to her when she was young, a strong central romance, and a wonderfully creepy setting. I hope to be able to talk about it more soon.
Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:
There’s no shortcut, no secret to becoming a published author. Write a lot, read a lot, study craft, develop your processes, find your writing community (this takes time!) and don’t give up.
Great advice! And I’m so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing Cheryl with us.Author Pet Corner!
Bobo and Cleo![image error]Bobo and Cleo are two Jersey City street cats we adopted from a local foster back when we lived in Jersey City.
They are spoiled housecats who love nothing more than being pet and lounging in their favorite spots!
Author of Girls Who Burn — MK Pagano
MK Pagano writes stories about messy girls,mayhem, and murder. Her debut novel GIRLS WHO BURN comes out July 16, 2024 from Penguin Teen, and July 18, 2024 from Hachette UK.
She is represented by Barbara Poelle and Sydnie Thornton of Word One Literary.
When she’s not busy pondering the angst of fictional people, she can be found reading (from her own TBR and that of her children), dreaming of restoring an old French chateau, and wandering the weirder parts of New Jersey, where she currently resides with her family.
To learn more about MK, click on any of the following links: Instagram, X, TikTok & Facebook
Header image from Pixabay
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July 16, 2024
Cabaret Macabre: A Locked-Room Mystery
Cabaret Macabre: A Locked-Room Mystery by Tom Mead
Author Interview + Book and Author Info + Author Pet Corner!Read my author interview with Tom with his debut release! Click the link here.Cabaret Macabre
This latest puzzle mystery from the author of Death and the Conjuror and The Murder Wheel takes stage magician sleuth Joseph Spector to a grand estate in the English countryside.
Victor Silvius has spent nine years as an inmate at The Grange, a private sanatorium, for the crime of attacking judge Sir Giles Drury. Now, the judge’s wife, Lady Elspeth Drury, believes that Silvius is the one responsible for a series of threatening letters her husband has recently received. Eager to avoid the scandal that involving the local police would entail, Lady Elspeth seeks out retired stage magician Joseph Spector, whose discreet involvement in a case Sir Giles recently presided over greatly impressed her.
Meanwhile, Miss Caroline Silvius is disturbed after a recent visit to her brother Victor, convinced that he isn’t safe at The Grange. Someone is trying to kill him and she suspects the judge, who has already made Silvius’ life a living hell, may be behind it. Caroline hires Inspector George Flint of Scotland Yard to investigate.
The two cases collide at Marchbanks, the Drury family seat of over four hundred years, where a series of unnerving events interrupt the peace and quiet of the snowy countryside. A body is discovered in the middle of a frozen pond without any means of getting there and a rifle is fired through a closed window, killing a man but not breaking the glass. Only Spector and his mastery of the art of misdirection can uncover the logical explanations for these impossible crimes.
An atmospheric and puzzling traditional mystery that pays homage to the greatest writers of the genre’s Golden Age, Cabaret Macabre is the third book in Tom Mead’s Joseph Spector series, hailed by the Wall Street Journal as “a recipe for pure nostalgic pleasure.” The books can be enjoyed in any order.
To purchase your copy of Cabaret Macabre click the link here.Interview with Tom Mead, author of the Joseph Spector Locked-Room Mystery seriesCabaret Macabre features Joseph Spector, what would you like readers to know about your protagonist?Joseph Spector is a retired music hall magician — an old vaudevillian, in other words. He has a love of all things macabre, and a taste for the theatrical. He lives in London, circa the 1930s, and has a knack for solving puzzles. This makes him useful to Scotland Yard when they find themselves up against a particularly bizarre crime.
Spector has appeared in two previous mystery novels (Death and the Conjuror and The Murder Wheel), and I absolutely love writing about him.
Cabaret Macabre combines Joseph Spector, amateur sleuth, with a detective from Scotland Yard as they investigate related crimes. What was your research process like for this historical mystery?
Funnily enough, I never really thought of it as an historical mystery because I read a lot of fiction from the 1920s and ’30s, so many of the period details are ingrained in me somewhat. Things like dialogue and turns of phrase tend to come more naturally because of my own reading.
But something I did spend a very long time with was the trickery used by the killer. I wanted to make sure that each method I came up with would work, so I did everything I could to guarantee authenticity—short of trying them out for myself, anyway.
Cabaret Macabre is your third novel. How has your writing process or writer’s life changed with the release of this book?
Well, my process is just as chaotic as ever, though now it’s a slightly more organised chaos. I have a better idea of what I want to achieve and what I’m capable of, which is very helpful.
My writing life hasn’t changed at all since Death and the Conjuror was published — it’s the same balance between writing in isolation and chatting to readers at events, both of which I love.
Your first two books have garnered both critical and commercial success. Does that make you more or less confident as you sit down to write?
I’m always incredibly confident when I start, but that confidence flies out the window pretty quickly.
By the time I am finished I can barely remember my own name! Writing is an absolute joy, but I never know with any certainty quite how it’s going to turn out.
What is your favorite locked room mystery and why?
It has to be The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr. That book blew me away when I first read it, and I like to revisit it from time to time. It’s an incredibly complex and challenging mystery, which seems entirely impossible. Of course it’s not, but I defy any reader to try and explain what’s going on before Gideon Fell does!
What are you working on now?
As a matter of fact, I’ve just recently finished a draft of the fourth Spector mystery. It will need to be edited, of course, but for the moment I’m finished with it. So I have decided to take the opportunity to write something completely different. It will be another very complex mystery, but with more of an emphasis on the Gothic and — I suppose — “dark academia.” I can’t say too much right now, but I’m very excited about it!
Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:
Don’t try to write in a genre just because you think it will sell, or even because you think other people will like it. The first (and most savage) critic you have to please is yourself, and if it isn’t the kind of book you would pick up off the shelf in a bookshop then why should anybody else? It’s important to be stubborn, and stick with ideas because you really believe in them. Sometimes this just means you have to wait a little longer for everybody else to catch up, that’s all.
Great advice!Author Pet Corner!
Chloe! (And book 4!)
Here’s my cat Chloe–I love this picture, because she is actually rolling around on the manuscript of book #4!
Tom Mead — Author of Cabaret Macabre
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