Elena Hartwell's Blog, page 36

At The Ready: Cover Reveal

At The Ready, a romantic suspense novel by Sharon Michalove

Cover Reveal +Excerpt + Book & Author Info + Giveaway!
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At The Ready

Micki Press agrees to a date with JL Martin when her long-term, seemingly stable relationship with an artist implodes. Now her unfaithful former lover is stalking her, and JL, who is the CEO of WatchDog, Inc. has more than one reason to feel protective.

Micki isn’t ready for a new commitment, especially since she’s trying to get promoted at one of the top corporate law firms in Chicago. But her social activist proposal to create a pro bono division in the firm doesn’t go over well with the conservative partners.

JL has his own complications with a mother who wants him move back to Vancouver and marry someone French-Canadian, Catholic, and young enough to produce grandchildren. Micki won’t tick any of those boxes. And JL wants to get his deadbeat uncle out of his mother’s house and persuade her to move to Chicago.

Are JL and Micki ready to negotiate the twists and turns or will the challenges make them sing the Chicago blues?

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Published by: Coffee and Eclairs Books

Publication Date: August 2023

ISBN: 978-1-7369187-6-0

Series: Global Security Unlimited, 3

To purchase At The Ready, click on any of the following links: Amazon | Book Bub | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

At The Ready

Chicago, February 2014

Chapter 1

One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.—Benjamin Disraeli

Micki

Today’s the day. Best suit. Flawless hair and makeup. Every inch the polished senior associate. No four-inch heels, though. Frederick Lanscombe, managing partner, is a little sensitive about his height and this meeting is the crucial first step in the campaign to be the next partner at  Miller, Lanscombe, Baker, Francis, Masters, and Hargrove.

The door to the small conference room is wide open, Fred at the head of table, eating a donut. My mentor, Rebecca Masters smiles and gives me a small thumbs up. Tyler Miller nods to acknowledge I’m there. More than there. After a hundred years, this firm is still a boys’ club but I plan to crack  into top echelon and become just the second woman to make partner.

I fly through the door and end up on hands and knees when Hayden Forbes-Cartwright barrels into me. When I look up, Fred’s donut is poised at his open mouth. Rebecca’s hand is over her mouth. And Tyler laughs. “Great entrance, Micki.” The censure I hear pricks my balloon of confidence.

A snigger erupts from Hayden as his big hand reaches down to pull me up. “So sorry, Micki. Couldn’t put the brakes on in time.”

Upright, balanced a little precariously on my toothpick heels, my glare has the heat of the Milky Way. Not that Hayden pays any attention. His bogus concern is yet one more layer of deceit. Still, points to him. I’m the klutz and he’s the chivalric hero.“Have a seat, Micki, Hayden.” Fred gives each of us a once over. Dressing well is one of the unspoken rules. Hayden’s navy blue pinstripe is comparable to my silver gray jacket and matching pencil skirt—points even on wardrobe. My phone is in my lap and I pull up my spreadsheet. I’ve kept score since the first time we met. The advantage has seesawed back and forth, but we’re competing for the pinnacle in the stakes race, so I’ll have to up my game.

Hayden and I were adversaries from the get-go. We started here, on the same day eight years ago. Me half an hour early. Hayden fifteen minutes late strolling in with his uncle. All my muscles clenched when he looked me over with his the trademark devil-may-care smile.

“I know you received the memo. With Sonny Philips’ retirement, the firm will promote one associate to partner this year. As the two seniors, you will be the leading candidates.” 

Hayden stops fiddling with his Chicago Yacht Club tie. “Does that mean other associates might be considered?”

“Technically, yes, but in reality you two are the only ones qualified right now. The partners will evaluate you on several criteria besides the competencies you’ve shown in your time here.”

He pauses.

Hayden rushes into the short silence. “Does every partner get a vote?”

“You know they do,” Tyler chides his nephew impatiently.

“And are some votes weighted more heavily than others? Like seniority?”

“No.” Rebecca’s response is explosive. “Please go on, Fred.”

When I glance toward Hayden, he shows no embarrassment, not even a slight flush. We all learn to put on a neutral face. I permit myself a very small smile. Minus five to Hayden.

Fred looks at the sheet in front of him, then from Tyler to Rebecca. They nod. “The criteria include enthusiasm, treatment of others, the opinion of your mentor, maintaining personal control, commitment, successful building and protection of your reputation and that of the firm, consistent hard work, always available, constant improvement, and most important— being perceived as trustworthy.”

Hayden’s eyes dart like tiny silverfish, his tell when he’s scheming. on how to get the edge. While I put in the long hours and never turn down a request, Hayden skates by, taking credit for the work of junior associates. Boasting about staying late when he disappears in the middle of the day. When your uncle’s name is on the door, you have an extra pass. Tyler Miller will definitely push for Hayden to be the next partner.

Fred is still talking and I wrench my attention back to his droning monotone. “Besides the formal evaluation, the other piece will be assisting Rebecca with a high-profile  insider trading case. It’s more than usually sensitive because our client is a candidate for a Senate seat. He says he’s been set up. Not necessarily a strong or provable defense. You’ll be combing emails, social media, accounts, and documents to see what evidence you find.”

Bucket of nightcrawlers? Come on, Micki, try to show some enthusiasm. Can’t jump up and down.

“What a great opportunity for us to show what we’re made of.” Hayden’s wide smile and crackling delivery is phony as a carney barker’s come on.

Our managing partner nods his head approvingly. Hayden is his favored candidate too. Fred and Tyler have some kind of mutual admiration society and Hayden benefits.

Yeah, he’s a suck up.

My turn. Say something but avoid the gush. “This is a amazing challenge. I really appreciate the chance to work on a case so important to the future and reputation of the firm and, potentially beyond, Fred.”

Rebecca produces a small smile, so I hope I’ve hit the right note. 

As we walk out, she stops me. “Micki, I have a lunch appointment, but let’s have a drink after work.” She looks around but doesn’t see anyone in lurking mode. “We haven’t had a good chat for a while.”

“Great, Rebecca. Just come by my office when you’re ready to leave.”

Then I cancel my date for the evening. Work comes first, always.

*****

The Gage is lively at five thirty. After-work drinks have replaced the three-martini lunch, unless you’re Hayden Forbes-Cartwright. He indulges in both.

Rebecca manages to get us a quiet table in a corner near the tile fireplace. We won’t have to shout and have less likelihood of being overheard.

After the drinks are ordered, she pulls out a legal pad. “Thought we could go over some strategies for the work. My thought is that you’ll work on the emails, social media, anything online and whatever documents we can upload. That way, while you’re traveling, you’ll have plenty of material to access.”

“That would be great. I’ve been anxious about being away at such a crucial point in my career.”

The pencil between Rebecca’s fingers moves up and down like a seesaw. “Thanks to technology. Years ago we were tied to the office, the library. I’m glad you can go to the awards ceremony. Kind of like the Oscars for authors.”

“Yeah. Still five working days away…” 

“Our new legal research assistant is already busy organizing everything as documentation comes in.”

A Paris Rose is put in front of Rebecca, who pushes her legal pad to the side, but not before a few drops splash onto the paper, leaving a light pink trail.  My Jabberwock is in a coupe. She takes a sip just as the cheese board is deposited in the middle of the table along with a basket of fried pickles. Cheese is a magnet for me. My grabby fingers snatch some almost before the server gets the platter on the table.

“Simon Greenberg is an attorney with Talcott, Maier, and current Republican candidate for Senate from Illinois. The SEC received a tip claiming he made use of private information to trade stocks from several companies he represents. After an investigation, the Commission decided on civil charges. Unfortunately, because his candidacy has made him a public figure, criminal charges are pending as well. Maybe some questions about election finance too.”

“Wait. Shouldn’t Hayden be here?” Not that I want him, but if we’re a team, he deserves the same explanations.

“Hayden has already been briefed.”

Be professional. In control. Pretend it doesn’t matter.

“Oh. I see.” But I don’t. Not at all.

Rebecca takes a huge swallow of the pink liquid. “Not by me. After our meeting, Tyler and Fred took Hayden to lunch and briefed him there.” 

How does she know? Or is this an assumption? My heated protest escapes before I can rein it in. “But it’s your case.” 

She waves the comment away. “He was so full of himself when he got back. Swanned into my office. ‘Simon Greenberg, huh. I wondered after the rumors flying around. Good for us.’ Then he laughed and walked out.” Her scowl could freeze the Chicago River. “I was sure Tyler at least would make sure he’s up to speed and I wanted to get you in the loop right away. I wouldn’t be surprised if Fred and Tyler didn’t give Hayden some instruction on how to handle things and he will take advantage of the time you are away in April.”

My cocktail beckons and I chug it down, sputtering slightly. “Should I cancel the trip?”

She ignores that. “You’ll meet the client tomorrow, so make a strong impression. You’ll have plenty of work to do while you’re out of the office. Get your laptop set up with VPN. It will be your lifeline to the firm. Video meetings will help too. Make sure you can report on progress every day. A strong impression while you’re in Paris will give you a leg up.” 

We see the waiter in the distance and Rebeccas catches his attention. Once we have refills, she takes a sip, then leans forward. “Show you’re dedicated to the firm and the case and that you can work without supervision. I’ll try to schedule the meetings first thing in the morning to mitigate the seven-hour time difference.”

“And the other complications?”

“Hayden is one, as I’m sure you’ve guessed. More in terms of your selection as partner. That will be decided long before the case is finished. But he’ll push for every plum he can pluck. The other is that because of the election cycle, Greenberg is pushing to get this cleared up or buried quickly. News of the pending charges will hit the papers tomorrow.”

Why haven’t they leaked already? 

Rebecca must be a mind reader. “The papers are planning front-page splashes with stories, commentary, and reactions on at least two inside pages.”

I can picture the Tribune. Huge headline and photos on their broadsheet front page. Stories about the investigation, the campaign, lots of background on the candidate, a piece where the rest of the field comments. Then an editorial on the op-ed pages. Maybe a political cartoon. The Sun-Times tabloid format will be just as comprehensive in a more compact form.“Collusion?”

“Cooperation.” Her forehead wrinkles, brows touching. The corners of her mouth turn  down.

“Keeping him from making incendiary comments is going to be a job in itself. We want as little coverage as possible while we work on clearing him—if we can. The damage to his reputation is a gift to the other contenders. He’s been the front runner, the poster boy for the party.”

In two swallows, the Jabberwock has disappeared. I order another, then cram more cheese into my mouth.

“Hey, guys. Didn’t get the memo.” Hayden pushes into the tufted leather booth and reaches for a pickle, almost knocking me to the floor. “Uncle Tyler thought you might be here, Rebecca. Said it’s your usual watering hole.”

“A casual afterwork drink.” Rebecca’s voice is flat.

Hayden reaches over and taps her legal pad. “Sure you aren’t strategizing?” The twinkle in his eye shows malice, not amusement. “By the way, I met Laney this afternoon. She’s a cutie.”

“Laney?” The name is unfamiliar.

With a leer, he says, “Our legal researcher. Fresh out of her paralegal program.”

The server comes by with my third drink.

“Are you running a tab?”

Rebecca nods.

“Two Satan’s Whiskers. Need to play catch up with these two.” His smirk makes my skin crawl.

“How appropriate.” 

He snickers. My snarky comment bounces off his crocodile hide.

Before the drinks guy can take off, I hold up a hand. “I’d like to order something to go.”

Pad out, he looks a bit like a bird, head to the side.

“Shrimp cocktail with no sauce, and the Apple Salad. Just put the shrimp on top of the salad with the dressing on the side.”

“You got it.”

Hayden puffs out his chest like a pouter pigeon. “Me, I have a date as soon as I finish these truly spectacular drinks.”

“Drinks named just for you.”

 He grins. “You know it. Scary but seductive. And I have some seducing on tap.”

Probably with our new researcher. I push the sour feelings back. “Have fun.”

“Oh, I intend to.”

Rebecca’s warning look doesn’t make any impression either.  She grabs her coat off the empty seat. “Off to have dinner with my hubby. He’s cooking tonight.”

I trudge to the office, takeout container in hand, ready for a little research of my own. 

*** Excerpt from At the Ready by Sharon Michalove. Copyright 2023 by Sharon Michalove. Reproduced with permission from Sharon Michalove. All rights reserved.

 

Sharon Michalove, author of At The Ready

 

Sharon Michalove writes romantic suspense and traditional mystery as well as being a published historian.

After growing up in suburban Chicago, she spent most of her life in a medium-sized university town, working as an academic professional as well as teaching history.

She was married to a composer and frequently uses her knowledge of music, history, and food to enrich her novels.

A hockey fan, Sharon moved back to Chicago in 2017 so she could go to Blackhawks games and spend quality time at Eataly Chicago.  

To learn more about Sharon, click on any of the following links: Website, Goodreads, Bookbub, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

 

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Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell

Amazon #1 bestseller

All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio.

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery

 
 
 
 
The Foundation of Plot , a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook.

 

Header image by David Mark from Pixabay 

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Eddie Shoes Returns: New Releases

This looks nothing like Eddie Shoes, but it’s a fun graphic.

The Eddie Shoes mysteries return. My fun and quirky private eye series will soon be returning to bookstores and online outlets near you.

Relaunch!

The Eddie Shoes series originally launched in 2016. Since that time, the rights came back to me, and I am thrilled to announce that I have signed a contract with Open Road Media to re-release all three books.

Revisiting my first novels has been a blast. I love my characters, and I do believe that I continue to have the only mother/daughter crime fighting duo in the mystery genre.

Eddie Shoes and Chava Schultz

Eddie Shoes is six feet tall, half Jewish, half Latina. She’s smart and capable, and isn’t afraid to take a few chances, but she tends to stay within the law. In the first book, One Dead, Two to Go, she’s joined on her first homicide investigation by her mother, Chava.

Chava Schultz is a card-counting poker player recently kicked out of Vegas who never met a line she didn’t want to cross. This is not a match made in heaven.

But it is a funny combination, with Chava as the wild card and Eddie playing the straight (wo)man.

Eddie Shoes — Private Eye

I have always been a fan of private eyes, especially female sleuths. I started reading Nancy Drew as a kid before graduating to Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone, who skyrocketed the female private eye into the mainstream.

One of my favorite author memories was just before my first book came out. I got the chance to meet Sue Grafton and tell her how much her work meant to me.

She was gracious and lovely and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to tell her that I had my very own private eye series coming out soon, and I owed much of that success to her.

Me and Sue Grafton

From Kellye Garrett to Janet Evanovich, authors of female private eyes combine the puzzle of a good mystery with the dynamics of an empathetic character and their complicated lives and relationships.

I can’t wait to introduce readers old and new to the updated Eddie Shoes mysteries.

Lots of fun things coming up! I’ll be doing a cover reveal, launch dates, and giveaways. Make sure you’re signed up for my newsletter to get all the news (and chances to win!).

To sign up, you can click the newsletter icon in the top right corner of this website, shoot me an email at elenahartwell@gmail.com and I’ll add you, or click the link here.

Can’t wait for the Eddie Shoes series to come available? Don’t forget to check out All We Buried, written under Elena Taylor, or The Foundation of Plot, the first in my Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) series of short guidebooks on writing. The second guidebook, The Construction of Character is coming out soon!

Don’t forget to follow me on social media! Instagram, Facebook & Twitter

You can also catch up on all my blog posts, guest posts, author interviews, and reviews. Click the link here.

Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell Amazon #1 bestseller

All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio.

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery

 

 

The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook.

 

Detective graphic by Nubrix on Pixabay

Header image by CJ on Pixabay

 

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The Night It Ended: Debut Suspense

The Night It Ended: Debut Novel from Katie Garner

Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Author Pet Corner!Don’t miss any debut author interviews. Click the link here.The Night It Ended

Intertwining the narrative with the transcript of an anonymous interview, this stunning suspense debut from Katie Garner will take you on a twisting path where nothing—and no one—is what it seems.

Finding the truth seems impossible when her own dark past has her seeing lies everywhere she looks…

From the outside, criminal psychiatrist Dr. Madeline Pine’s life appears picture-perfect—she has a beautiful family, a successful mental health practice and a growing reputation as an expert in female violence. But when she’s called to help investigate a mysterious death at a boarding school for troubled girls, Madeline hesitates. She’s been through tragic cases before, and the one she was entangled in last year nearly destroyed her…

Yet she can’t turn away when she hears about Charley Ridley. After the girl was found shoeless and in pajamas at the bottom of an icy ravine on campus, the police ruled it a tragic accident. But the private investigator hired by her mother has his doubts. If it were Madeline’s daughter who died, she’d want to know why.

Arriving at the secluded campus in upstate New York, Madeline’s met by an unhelpful skeleton staff and the four other students still on campus during winter break. Each seems to hold a piece of the puzzle. And everyone has secrets—Madeline included. But who would kill to protect them?

To purchase The Night It Ended, click on the following link: HarperCollins.Interview with Katie Garner, author of The Night It EndedTell us about Dr. Madeline Pine, protagonist in The Night It Ended:

Dr. Madeline Pine is a woman with a lot going on—her relationships with her husband and daughter are a bit complicated, and right in the beginning we learn she’s taken some time away from her career as a criminal psychiatrist after working on a difficult case the year before. She is relentless when it comes to solving Charley’s case and wants nothing more than to help. I can’t say much more because…Spoilers! 

The Night it Ended, takes place in upstate New York. Tell us about the environment in the book:

I knew I wanted the setting for my next book to be in an isolated place, and was fortunate that the location found me. I had an itch to do some urban exploration and stumbled upon an abandoned mansion in the Catskills. My husband and I went to visit and the moment I saw it I knew I had to (fictionally) turn the mansion into a school. I always loved when the setting feels like one of the characters, and that’s what I’d hoped to achieve. 

What should readers know about Charley Ridley, victim in The Night It Ended:

Charley was a difficult character to write simply because she’s deceased before the book ever begins, so everything we learn about who Charley was has to be gleaned from the other characters. Opinions on Charley differ from person to person, but I wanted to write her as somewhat of a lost girl trying to find her little corner in the world who places her heart in the hands of the wrong people.

You have a degree in Art History, what drew you to that discipline? Does it impact your writing?

I started at a community college and was undecided until I took my first Art History course. I fell in love with the professor and found that, for some reason, Art History was the only class where I absorbed everything, which I later learned meant I’m a visual learner. After that, I knew I wanted to teach Art History, just like my professor, so I transferred schools and majored in Art Education. Having this background definitely helped me craft the school and its students. In a way The Night It Ended marries the two together—writing is a creative art form and the setting is a high school, which is the age I specialized in.

Tell us about your road to publication:

Long but necessary. The Night It Ended is actually my 6th completed novel. When I began writing about ten years ago, all I knew was I had a story that I needed to get out of me. I then became obsessed with making it shine and fell in love with editing—even though I had no clue what I was doing. With each book I learned more and more about the craft and the publishing world and the steps needed to be published. The Night It Ended had a bumpy road, as well, but the best agent in the world took a chance on it and had the patience to edit (and edit and edit) the book with me until it was ready. 

What are you working on now?

Right now Book #2 is with my amazing editor and until I get my second round edits back, I’m compiling a massive amount of notes while brainstorming Book #3, which I hope will be my best yet.

Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:

I know it’s cliche, but don’t ever give up. This goes for most things in life—if you want something, don’t let your dream go. Even when life gets in the way and you feel like you have no time to work or hit a wall or have no ideas, whatever it is—just write something. It can be a diary you scribble in. It can be a journal you keep for your baby or child. You never know when that idea will come.

Also, I know it’s easy to say, but don’t let rejection get the better of you. I’ve been rejected…probably a thousand times. I internalize rejection, but I knew giving up would be something I’d later regret. For me, rejection hurts less than regret. 

Author Pet CornerHenry Littlesticks!

 

Our dog is named Henry Littlesticks and he’s a 5 year old Shih-poo.

We found him in the newspaper and rescued him from living in a crate under the stairs when he was 4 months old.

Henry loves licking people to death and staring very intensely at you when you’re eating dinner.

 

Katie Garner, author of The Night It Ended

Katie Garner was born in New York and grew up in New Jersey. She has a degree in Art History from Ramapo College and is certified to teach high school Art.

She hoards paperbacks, coffee mugs, and dog toys and can be seen holding at least one of those things most of the time.  

Katie lives in a New Jersey river town with her husband, baby boy, and shih-poo where she writes books about women and their dark, secret selves. The Night It Ended is her debut novel.

 

To learn more about Katie Garner, click on any of the following links: Website, Instagram, Twitter.Elena Taylor/Elena HartwellAmazon #1 bestseller

All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio.

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery

 

 

The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook.

 

Header image by Flo 222 on Pixabay

The post The Night It Ended: Debut Suspense appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

The Water Tower: Debut Thriller

The Water Tower, the debut crime thriller by Amy Young

Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Author Pet Corner!Don’t miss any debut author interviews. Click the link here.The Water Tower

Josie Ashbury was a successful Hollywood actress with a booming career—until an on-set breakdown sends her back to her small Ohio hometown to recover. Taking a job teaching at her old high school, Josie is beginning to put the pieces of her life back together when one of her students dies under suspicious circumstances. The police close the case quickly, without any real answers.

Josie is determined to find the truth behind the girl’s death.

At the same time, Josie is battling demons of her own. As she faces debilitating insomnia that leaves her with gaps in her memory, she dives into the tangled secrets surrounding the investigation. When she finally unravels the web, she discovers that the truth lies much closer to home than she could have ever imagined.

 

To purchase The Water Tower, click on the following link: Books2ReadInterview with Amy Young, author of The Water Tower The Water Tower takes place in a small Ohio town. Tell us about that location and why you chose it for your debut novel: 

I chose a small Ohio town for a few reasons. First, I’m from a small Ohio town, and Lakeview is loosely based on that suburb.

Second, I’ve read a lot of books that take place in larger cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC, or smaller towns outside of those cities, and I thought, why not Cleveland? I’ve read a few books that take place in Ohio, but I’ve never read one that directly involved the Cleveland area (though I’m certain they’re out there). 

What should readers know about Josie Ashbury, protagonist of The Water Tower ? 

Josie is a successful actress who left Los Angeles to return to her hometown after a public breakdown. An important thing to know about Josie is that she didn’t get swept up in the Hollywood hullabaloo. I think that when a person achieves a crazy level of success (in any profession, but especially one that comes with fame), it’s easier for them to start to believe their own hype than it is to maintain a sense of humility. After all, if everyone around you is constantly saying “you’re amazing, you’re amazing, you’re amazing, you can do no wrong,” that gets ingrained.

Josie knew early on that she would be happy if she could even make a living as an actor in Hollywood, since there was so much competition; her overwhelming success came as somewhat of a shock. 

Like your protagonist, you lived in LA for a decade, and worked in the entertainment industry. How much do your own experiences find their way into The Water Tower ? 

I think since the story takes place in Ohio, my experiences growing up there makes their way into the story more than my experiences in LA. But I do know what it’s like to spend long, crazy days on set – you often have a 6:00 a.m. call time, so you’re up at 4:00, maybe earlier depending on which studio you’re traveling to, and it’s not uncommon for filming to go for 16 hours. It’s not an easy task day after day. Plus, just in general, there’s a huge amount of pressure to look your best all the time.

There are gorgeous people everywhere, but in Los Angeles, there are so many people and they have tons of money to commit to beauty treatments. But I digress. I am toying with the idea of having Josie head back to LA to film a movie for one of the next books, and if I do, I’ll definitely be pulling from my Hollywood experience. 

Tell us about your road to publication: 

My road to publication felt long, but I think it works that way for many writers. I participated in #PITMAD on Twitter, which I don’t believe is running anymore. While I received some positive feedback and interest the first couple times I did it, ultimately the agents passed on the project.

Between PITMADs, I sent out some individual query letters; again, I got a handful of requests for partials and fulls, but ultimately the agents passed. Then in early 2021 during PITMAD, an agent from Birch Literary reached out and asked me to send her my materials. Birch was brand new at the time, so there wasn’t much information available about the company.

Cindy Bullard, my agent, scheduled a call and offered me representation, and to be honest, I considered it for a good stretch. Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad actors out there trying to take advantage of writers, and with so little information available, I wasn’t sure what to do. But I followed my gut and signed with Cindy, and I’m so happy I did. She has been wonderful, and I’m thrilled that Birch is growing every day.

When I went out on submission, Cindy felt that Level Best was the ideal place for the book. Shawn Reilly Simmons, my editor, offered a three-book deal, and The Water Tower was slated for release in late 2022. Due to some complications on both my end and their end, the release date ultimately got pushed to June 2023. Things like that can be frustrating, but my view was, I get to have a book published! How cool is that? It’s okay if everything doesn’t go as planned, as long as we get there. 

You are also a standup comedian. Tell us about that experience and how it does (or does not) impact your writing: 

You know, a lot of people ask me if my books are funny. They are not, LOL.

Though I’ve been an actor since I was 15, I didn’t start doing standup comedy until late 2019. The two kinds of writing are siloed in my brain, for whatever reason, but I think any kind of writing you do makes you a better writer. 

What are you working on now? 

Right now, I’m editing a thriller that I’ve been working on since last year. I got a great start on it with my own NaNoWriMo in March 2022, but then my dog passed away unexpectedly. The grief was breathtaking in a way I didn’t expect; I had had pets pass away before, but this time, it was different.

Creatively, I stalled for a while, and I didn’t start editing the thriller until recently. I’m working out some kinks with a DE, and I hope to have it finished by the end of the summer. 

Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers: 

I know this is going to sound lame, but just write. I’m one of those people who will do anything to talk myself out of writing; I’ll exercise, watch TV, run errands, even do chores. But when I sit down to write, I always walk away feeling amazing (even if what I wrote isn’t great). Perfection is rarely achieved on your first try, so just getting your butt into a seat and writing is the most important thing. Everything else comes later, but you can’t finish a book if you don’t start one. 

Great advice!Author Pet Corner

I have six cats that I love with my whole being. Four are foster fails, two were adopted. Pretty
much if an animal can get into my house, they have a home.

 Kiki is Moonshine’s mama. We fostered them through The Cat’s Meow animal rescue in LA, then ended up adopting them.

Oreo, my pup who passed away last year. She was only seven, but lung cancer crept up and despite all our best efforts, it was too much. This is a photo from the day we got her; she was three years old and had been dumped at a shelter by a family because “the kids got bored.” Their loss was my blessing; she was my little BFF. I miss her all the time.

Petunia. My husband found her in a chair outside of a thrift store on Sherman Way. Another foster fail.

Desmond. He’s much bigger now (17 pounds!). My husband found him in a car engine outside of work. We intended to adopt him out but, well, look at that face.

Bert “Mack” Macklin (from Parks & Recreation). He does this when he wants my attention. 

Anya. We got her from a no-kill shelter in Van Nuys in 2013. She’s very ladylike.

Amy Young author of The Water Tower

Amy Young is an author, comedian, and actor based in Cleveland.After spending a decade in Los Angeles working in the entertainment industry and writing her debut novel, The Water Tower, she returned to Ohio to be closer to family.Amy is working on her second book, a thriller, and in her free time she enjoys going to the theatre, bingeing reality TV, and spending time with her husband and many, many cats.She has a B.A. in English from Kenyon College.To learn more about Amy, click on any of the following links: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, BookBub.Elena Taylor/Elena HartwellAmazon #1 bestseller

All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio.

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery

 

 

The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook.

 

Header image by Ina Hoekstra on Pixabay

The post The Water Tower: Debut Thriller appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard

The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard: A Thriller by Kate Robards

Author Interview + Book & Author Info!Don’t miss any debut author interviews. Click the link here.The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard

A missing child, a small town’s secrets, and a desperate killer set the stage for a darkly wrought debut novel that will haunt readers long after the last page. Perfect for fans of Julia Heaberlin and Chevy Stevens.

It’s not that they’ve been all that close in the past few years, but sisters Willa and Sawyer Stannard are bonded by the ups and downs of the life they’ve lived with their mercurial single mother. When Willa is found dead in her apartment from an apparent suicide, Sawyer just knows it’s not possible. A cryptic note from the acclaimed broadcast journalist leads police to rule out foul play. Shattered by grief—and obsessed by the idea that her sister’s death was not a suicide—Sawyer plunges into a search for the truth.

When Sawyer learns that Willa was writing an explosive true crime book about the decades-old disappearance of a toddler that rocked a small town hundreds of miles away, she’s even more convinced that Willa’s death is suspicious. Believing it is somehow connected to the research Willa was doing for the book, Sawyer begins to trace her sister’s steps, deep into a community she can’t begin to understand and to a truth that could destroy her as easily as it did Willa.

As she masterfully ratchets up the suspense, Robards never loosens her grip in a debut novel sure to keep readers guessing—and talking.

To purchase The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard,  click on any of the following links: Amazon, Penguin Random House, Barnes & Noble. Interview with Kate Robards, author of The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard focuses on the relationship between two sisters, Willa and Sawyer. Sawyer doesn’t believe Willa’s death was suicide and decides to prove it. What led you to writing about a bond between sisters for your debut?

Siblings may share genes, but their personalities can be wildly different. When I began outlining this novel, I had a clear picture of the sharp-edged, smart woman I wanted Willa to be. When I started crafting Sawyer, I spent time considering how a younger sister’s personality may be different, despite sharing a history and a home. Interestingly, being raised in the same family sometimes pushes kids in opposite directions when it comes to personalities. In many ways, Sawyer is the opposite of Willa, which pushes them apart as adults. Sawyer’s not only trying to solve the mystery of her sister’s death, but she’s also trying to understand the person Willa was.

Tell us about Sawyer Stannard, protagonist of The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard :

Sawyer is not a detective; she’s a confused, grieving sister trying to make sense of her sister’s last days. She’s bounced from job to job, settling, for the moment, as a spin instructor. She’s battling her own demons, from living in the shadow of her high-achieving sister to a recurring battle with an eating disorder. Sawyer is an “every girl,” thrown into a dark, twisty web of secrets and suspicions.

What is the significance of the title, The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard ?

This is a great question, but an explanation would mean I’d spoil some twisty revelations! I’ve started to see some chatter from early readers about this, but all I will say is that you’ll have to read it to figure out the title.

The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard uses dual Point of View characters. What drew you to that convention for your first novel?

I felt that using a dual point of view allowed me to tell a more detailed, well-rounded story. While Sawyer follows in her sister Willa’s footsteps in the present, alternate chapters explain the past from Willa’s point of view. Because the story is about unraveling the truth of Willa’s death, it only made sense to let Willa speak for herself, too.

As Sawyer investigates, she finds Willa was writing an explosive true crime book about the disappearance of a toddler. Interspersed within The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard are excerpts from Willa’s book. This gives the reader insight into Willa’s research of the toddler’s abduction and draws the reader into that plotline as well. I find true crime fascinating, so I jumped at the opportunity to include this element in my debut.

Tell us about your road to publication with The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard :

Like many authors, it took a long time to find an agent and a publisher. While querying, I applied to a statewide contest for unpublished writers, and I won! One of the prizes was a professional editor, so armed with a polished manuscript and more confidence, I refocused on finding an agent. After that, it didn’t take long to find my agent, Amy Moore-Benson with Meridian Artists. Amy is an enthusiastic champion of my work, and she found a great publishing match with Crooked Lane Books.

What are you working on now?

I recently finished the first draft of a new thriller. While I’m not ready to reveal details yet, I’ll share that it’s tense, gritty, chilling, and darker than I imagined when I began writing! Stay tuned!

I can’t wait to hear!Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:

I can’t say enough about the importance of perseverance. Right after I finished my manuscript, I attended an author panel at a local library and asked those writers how many queries they sent before landing their agents. Forty, fifty, eighty … it was staggering! Knowing that helped, though.

So, my advice is to keep writing, revising, and submitting – even when your queries seem to vanish into thin air, even when one agent loves the plot but not the characters and another loves the characters but not the plot. It’s all so subjective! I think that if you believe in your work, you owe it to yourself to see how far you can take it.

Kate Robards

Kate Robards holds a degree in journalism and works in communications at a nonprofit organization.

She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and children.

The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard is her first novel.

 

 

To learn more about Kate Robards, click on any of the following links: Website,  Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.Elena Taylor/Elena HartwellAmazon #1 bestseller

All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio.

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery

 

 

The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook.

The post The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

Off Kilter: A James Terra Mystery

Off Kilter: A James Terra Mystery by M. Lee Musgrave

Author Interview + Book & Author Info!Don’t miss any author interviews. Click the link here.Off Kilter: A James Terra Mystery

Their new life together seems on track: she is happily involved with LA’s higher echelon art community while he has returned to hosting his TV interviews of leading artists.

However, Nicole’s worst fears are confirmed when her ex-husband goes missing in China, as a mysterious disease is killing thousands, when she and lover James are being stalked by a series of mysterious Ninja’s. Girlfriend Merra joins in to unraveling the reasons behind the quirky attacks as the trio has no choice but to throw caution to the wind, follow their instincts and go rogue as everything goes off kilter.

In this suspense-laden second book in the James Terra Mystery trilogy, friends and lovers unite to make an engaging and heartwarming partnership that shares a kind of magic alchemy in abundance. A delicious contemporary romance thriller that does not flinch from danger.

Nicole, James and Merra are up to the task in this whip-smart, relevant, tightly-plotted amateur sleuth story with suspects galore. The interpersonal dynamic between the trio is just as engaging as the solution to the murders plus new character Merra is terrific.

Author M. Lee Musgrave has created a satisfyingly-complex whodunit full of surprising twists and he ensures the story’s momentum stems not just from the plot or its thrills but rather from its perfectly-formed characters. If you enjoy riveting twists and balancing on the edge, then this descent into L.A.’s underbelly is for you.

To purchase Off Kilter,  click on any of the following links: Black Rose Writing, Barnes & Noble, Target, ThriftBooks, Amazon. Interview with M. Lee Musgrave, author of Off Kilter Off Kilter, the second in the James Terra Mystery series, is set in the “underbelly of Los Angeles.” Tell us what that means to you:

Like all segments of society in large metropolitan areas, the contemporary art community has hidden (and sometimes, unpleasant, or sordid) aspects to it. James Terra is privy to most of them for he has an innate ability to get people to share their innermost secrets with him. His instinctual drive to use that knowledge to expose and/or correct wrongs in the underbelly of Los Angeles often gets him (and those around him) into trouble. 

What should readers know about Nicole, James, and Merra, main characters in Off Kilter ?

Nicole Volkov is an aspiring art community leader and wife of an ultra-wealthy investment manager. She is smart yet reticent to talk about having been an independent contractor for the FBI and she is James’ secret lover, but does not want to give up the financial security of her marriage.      

James Terra is an artists and TV videographer host for PBS. He lives in a beach front studio with his dog Duchamp (Duie). He suffers from a brain aneurism which he keeps secret and which keeps him from making a commitment to one woman until he meets Nicole. He wants to live up to her expectations and those of his friends, especially Cisco and Spider.

Merra Dawne is an FBI independent contractor and lover of Nicole (and as the story progresses, to James as well). She attended college and FBI training with Nicole and has many skills including martial arts and pole dancing plus significant contacts with Interpol in Paris.

Off Kilter follows Brushed Off, book one in the series. Is there anything you would like readers new to the series to know from the first book?

From the beginning of the story, it is obvious the main characters are close friends and each is well established within L.A.’s art community. However, there are two new elements that shake-up everyone: first is the arrival of Merra Dawne and second is the COVID pandemic. Both behave in irregular, inconsistent, and unpredictable ways which makes for an engaging romantic thriller story. 

Both books are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the publisher Black Rose Writing. Plus, there is short story, Quintessence, which features the same main characters. It is available only through Amazon Kindle Vella and provides an easy way to determine if my writing is a good fit for you for the first 2 or 3 episodes are free.

Tell us about your writing process:

My approach to writing is often referred to as a modified stream-of-consciousness monologue. Sort of Kafkaesque, for I do not preplan anything … no plot overview or chapter outlines. I simply picked-up where the first book, Brushed Off, ended and thought about what the main characters would be doing and started typing. I tend to write between 1000-1500 words per day and each morning I start by reading out loud what I wrote the previous day.

In addition to being a published author, you are also a professional artist. Tell us about your artwork and how that intersects with your writing life:

I have a fondness for saying that if I did not create artwork, I would not be able to write.

In fact, my desk and computer are located within a corner of my art studio. My artwork has been shown in over 20 solo and 100 group exhibitions world-wide. Plus, as a former professor of art and curator, I have organized hundreds of exhibitions at museums and galleries involving artists, collectors, critics, gallerists, and an array of related enthusiasts. My writings related to those exhibitions contributed to their success and to my ability to relate that community to others.

Those many experiences and my ongoing art activities inform my creative writing about the exciting contemporary art community I participate in, so my writing, painting, drawing, and photography intersect daily. Thus so far, this season, my art has been featured in 3 group exhibits and 1 magazine. There is a complete overview of my artist activities on my website: LeeMusgrave.com

What are you working on now?

In writing, I am currently putting the finishing touches on The Beautiful One, my third novel. It is a romantic thriller set in 1912 Cairo and Berlin surrounding the discovery of the now world famous sculpture bust of Queen Nefertiti. The book will be released in November. Plus, I am always writing short stories.

Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:

Be true to yourself, if you do not you risk making yourself ill. I also encourage you to take advantage of chance. Aspiring artists and writers have often told me how they wish they had had enough courage to act when an unexpected opportunity had presented itself.

Author Pet Corner

Pets have always been an active part of my life, especially dogs and cats.

We currently have four dogs, 3 chickens and 2 ducks.

Plus, we have an endless array of wild birds and a chipmunk that live on our property and visit with us daily.

Over the years, we have had several Malamutes and Dachshunds.

I cannot image living without an animal companion.

M. Lee Musgrave author of Off Kilter

As a former professor of art and curator for 30 years, I organized hundreds of exhibitions at museums, galleries, and municipal venues involving artists, collectors, critics, gallerists, art professionals and a vast array of related enthusiasts. My writings related to those exhibitions contributed to their success and to my ability to relate that community to others. Plus, I lived in Los Angeles for over 40 years including in Malibu Canyon and Santa Monica. Those many experiences and my ongoing personal art activities inform my creative writing about today’s exciting and engaging contemporary art community.

When it comes to other authors, I especially enjoy Raymond Chandler’s approach to story, character and location, as well as that of Dashiell Hammett, Ross Macdonald, James Ellroy, Walter Mosley, Michael Connelly and many others.

To learn more about M. Lee Musgrave, click on the following link: Website, Facebook, Instagram.Elena Taylor/Elena HartwellAmazon #1 bestseller

All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio.

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery

 

 

The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook.

 

Header image by Saddleroad on Pixabay

The post Off Kilter: A James Terra Mystery appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

Muddled Matrimonial Murder: New Cozy

Muddled Matrimonial Murder, (Cupcake Catering Mystery Series) by Kim Davis

Book & Author Info + Character Interview + Giveaway & Author Pet Corner!

 

Don’t miss any blog tour posts! Click the link here.Muddled Matrimonial Murder

With only two weeks left to finalize the nuptial ceremony and reception for her best friend, Brad, and a Thanksgiving feast to plan, Emory Martinez has enough to keep her busy. But when Emory and Brad stumble across the body of his former stalker, with a wedding gift marble muddler lying next to the body, it soon becomes apparent someone is intent on framing the groom before vows can be exchanged.

How did the victim locate Brad and how did she end up murdered at the scene of the impending nuptials? Was someone so desperate to stop the wedding that they’d resort to murder? Or was she killed for revenge? As the countdown to the wedding speeds by, it’ll take Emory and her family and friends to pull together to pick through the muddled clues to clear the groom’s name.

Includes recipes.

 

Muddled Matrimonial Murder (Cupcake Catering Mystery Series) [image error]
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – California
Cinnamon & Sugar Press (June 13, 2023)
Number of Pages: approx. 300
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C1THMWZJ

 

To purchase  Muddled Matrimonial Murder,   click on the following link: Amazon Interview with Emory Martinez, Lead Character of Muddled Matrimonial Murder Tell us about your best friend Brad, who figures prominently in your latest outing:

Brad and I met in high school and instantly became best friends. We were—and probably still are—a bit geeky. What started our bond is both of our dads had abandoned us when we were young and our teen angst gave us a deeper connection and understanding of each other.

Unfortunately, my mother didn’t care for Brad, so once he moved to San Francisco for college, she destroyed any letters he sent me. I’m embarrassed to say that I’d become infatuated with a local policeman, and didn’t try to keep in touch with Brad either. It took ten years after graduation for us to connect again, right as my marriage to that policeman imploded.

After college, Brad became a successful video game developer and moved his business back to Orange County, California to be closer to his family and reconnect with me. Brad also met a wonderful man, Detective Gabe O’Neill, and my first introduction to him was when he had to investigate a murder that happened during a Halloween party I was hosting. Things got a bit rocky between us when he arrested me. Flash forward a couple of years and Brad and Gabe are now looking forward to their nuptials… that is if we can prove they didn’t murder a stalker from Brad’s past.

When you aren’t solving crimes, you’re baking cupcakes. Tell us about your catering career:

My sister owns a catering company, Pacific Palates Catering and when my then police officer husband worked graveyard and weekend shifts, I’d help her out by making desserts and cupcakes. While I’m an accountant by trade, I’d always dreamed of being a full-time baker and opening a cupcake bakery. But then my marriage ended and I was left with a massive pile of debts, on top of losing my accounting job, and my home.

Fortunately, my mother pulled some strings and found me a job and a new place to live, cooking for and looking after octogenarian, Tillie Skyler. It was Tillie who suggested I start a cupcake catering company since I couldn’t, and still can’t, afford a storefront. Word of mouth has spread and I’m kept quite busy baking cupcakes and delivering now. What I like about it, instead of owning a bakery, is that it gives me flexibility to investigate crimes and do some snooping instead of being stuck at work, or feel guilting about making an employee work long hours while I’m chasing killers.

We’ve met you in a few other titles, what have you learned about sleuthing that you didn’t know in the beginning?

When I got involved in the first murder I came across—the victim was my ex-best friend and there were several witnesses to a brawl we’d had—I was tentative and shy about asking questions. I had doubts about my ability and intelligence to figure out who really killed her. I had a serious lack of self-confidence going on, thanks to the subtle and not-so-subtle emotional abuse my ex-husband had put me through.

I’ve found that most people like to talk, especially if you come bearing a box of cupcakes or cookies. Plus, my close group of friends and family are ready to pitch in with the investigations so I don’t have to feel like I have to go it alone. There’s a lot of comfort knowing they all have my back.

What would you like us to know about your author?

Well… I don’t know if I should dish on her too much. Who knows what she might put me through in the future! She’s kind of a lazy writer, to be honest, and needs extra motivation to get the words down. It’s humorous watching her decide drawers need cleaned out and organized on the days she’d planned on writing. Or, somehow, there are several loads of laundry that needs to be done even though it’s not laundry day. What motivates her, you might ask? Chocolate is her favorite daytime motivator, and if she’s had a truly productive day and manages to write several chapters (which can take her 8+ hours), she’ll reward herself with some champagne. She always has an excuse of why the cork needs to be popped to celebrate the smallest of achievements! And a tip for those of you who are champagne drinkers: Trader Joe’s makes a delicious half bottle of champagne that’s not terribly expensive for those motivating occasions.

What are you up to next?

My author has been craving some chocolate and is eyeing a chocolate-themed Valentine’s mystery. I can tell because of all the Pinterest recipes she’s been browsing through. Who knows what antics Tillie and I will be getting into since my author never plots anything out ahead of time. It’s always a surprise to us, as well as to her, what happens on the pages. However, I’m a bit jealous she’s been spending time with other characters recently, writing a new book that doesn’t include me, so I’m not sure when it’ll be my turn again.

What advice do you have for characters when their authors aren’t listening to them?

Haunt their dreams and interrupt their sleep!

Anything else you’d like us to know?

I appreciate the opportunity to share some insights into my author’s life! Thanks for stopping by and letting me chat with you!

Author Pet CornerMissy!Piper!

Here are  photos of Piper and Missy, both who appear on my covers. Piper is my granddaughters’ dog.

Back when I began writing the first book, Sprinkles of Suspicion, my then 11-year-old granddaughter begged for me to use Piper as the dog in the story.

My amazing cover designer, Karen Phillips, was able to use a photo of Piper.

A few years later, I adopted Missy, a mini Goldendoodle. Naturally she had to share the cover with Piper and appear on the pages.

The funny thing is, when they first appeared together on Frosted Yuletide Murder, Missy was much smaller than Piper, so the size difference is fairly accurate.

Now that Missy is two years old, she practically towers over Piper. But to make things less complicated, I decided to leave the original dog photos as is for all the covers and to keep them consistent.

 

 

Kim Davis, author of Muddled Matrimonial Murder

Kim Davis lives in Southern California with her husband.

When she’s not chasing her puppy or spending time with her granddaughters she can be found either writing stories or working on her blog, Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats.

She has published the suspense novel, A GAME OF DECEIT, the Cupcake Catering Mystery series, and the Aromatherapy Mystery series.

She also has had several children’s articles published in Cricket, Nature Friend, Skipping Stones, and the Seed of Truth magazines.

Kim Davis is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

 

To learn more about Kim, click on any of the following links: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, BookBub, Pinterest. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit all the Stops on the Tour!

June 12 – Carstairs Considers – REVIEW

June 12 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 12 – Christa Reads and Writes – SPOTLIGHT

June 13 – Jane Reads – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 13 – Indie Author Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 13 – My Reading Journeys – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 14 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

June 14 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 14 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

June 15 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 15 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW

June 15 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

June 16 – The Mystery of Writing – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

June 16 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

June 16 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

June 17 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 17 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

June 18 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

June 18 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

Elena Taylor/Elena HartwellAmazon #1 bestseller

All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio.

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery

 

 

The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook.

The post Muddled Matrimonial Murder: New Cozy appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

Death of a Soprano: New Mystery

Death of a Soprano: A Joseph Haydn Mystery by Nupur Tustin

Book & Author Info + Excerpt + a Giveaway!

 

Don’t miss any blog tour posts! Click the link here.

Death of a Soprano

When murder invades Haydn’s opera stage, scandal isn’t far behind . . .

Charged with ensuring that an imperial wedding transpires without mishap, composer Joseph Haydn has his hands full. Barely seventeen, Archduke Ferdinand Karl, the imperial bridegroom, is reluctant to marry. And the bride, Maria Beatrice, has her reservations as well.

But when an extortion note surfaces—an unpleasant reminder of the bridegroom’s shameful past—the wedding seems truly doomed. Worse still, all the evidence points to Haydn’s prima donna, Lucia Pacelli, being the blackmailer.

Before Haydn can confront her, however, Lucia is fatally poisoned. And Haydn is left to wonder whether his imperial charge had a hand in her death.

Troubled by the dark secrets he might uncover, Haydn is nevertheless compelled to investigate. Will the young Archduke be found innocent? Or must Haydn lead His Imperial Highness to the gallows?

“Tustin’s intricate plotting . . . kept me in exquisite suspense. “-Words and Reviews

“If you love historical settings . . . this one is for you!”-Nellie’s Book Nook

 

Death of a Soprano: A Joseph Haydn Mystery [image error]

Historical Cozy Mystery

5th in Series

Setting – Eighteenth-century Royal Hungary, Habsburg Empire

Foiled Plots Press (May 27, 2023)

Print length ‏ : ‎ 319 pages

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C3SR4GGW

To purchase Death of a Soprano, click on any of the following links: Nupur Tustin, Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo.



Read an excerpt:

Death of a Soprano

Haydn’s youngest brother, Johann, ushers the barber-surgeon in to examine Lucia. Is there any hope for her? Unfortunately not. But there’s worse. . .

“The room, I fear, is in disarray,” Johann said apologetically, gingerly skirting around the pile of clothes.

“It is no matter, Master Johann.” Herr Hipfl had stopped before the heap of clothing and regarded the pile, amused. “I have seen far worse. The dead have no time to tidy up.”

“The dead?” Johann repeated, surprised. Was Lucia’s state that obvious? He’d been deliberately vague, not wanting to prejudice the barber-surgeon’s judgment. Who knew, the woman might still have life in her. Stranger things had happened.

Suppressing his distaste, he stooped down to gather up the clothing, clearing the barber-surgeon’s path.

Herr Hipfl stepped forward. His halo of unruly, gray-black hair fanned out from his smooth, unlined features as he turned toward Johann.

“Her chest would rise and fall, were she alive, Master Johann.” He drew closer to the body and knelt down. “I should’ve thought you’d seen enough dead bodies to know that. But I suppose”—he took Lucia’s wrist, feeling for a pulse, Johann surmised—“only a medical man would be aware of such a thing.”

The barber-surgeon let Lucia’s limp wrist drop and proceeded to delicately press upon her chest. “As I suspected. Long gone.” He raised his eyes toward Johann. “I saw her clutch at her stomach just before she fell. Had she any ailments, you know of.”

Johann shook his head. “Nothing so grave as to suggest she was on the point of death. She did complain of biliousness and a cramp in the stomach. But sister-in-law’s teas always seemed to put her right.”

The barber-surgeon nodded. “Then she must have been with child.”

“With child?” Johann’s voice rose. “How—?”

Seeing Hipfl staring at him, he subsided. He had thought Paolo, her husband, incapable of fathering a child. If Lucia was with child—Johann’s horror-struck gaze fell upon the dead woman—whose was it?

The Archduke’s? From what brother had told him earlier that evening, it was entirely possible.

*** Excerpt from Death of a Soprano by Nupar Tustin. Copyright 2023 byNupar Tustin. Reproduced with permission from Nupar Tustin. All rights reserved.

 

Nupur Tustin, author of Death of a Soprano

A former journalist, Nupur Tustin relies upon a Ph.D. in Communication and an M.A. in English to orchestrate murder.

She also writes the Celine Skye Psychic Mysteries based on the Gardner Museum theft.  

Childhood piano lessons and a 1903 Weber Upright share equal blame for her musical works.

Get Two Complimentary Mysteries At: ntustin.com Music: ntustin.musicaneo.com

To learn more about Nupur, click on any of the following links: Website, Blog, Shop, Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub.

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 7 –  Elizabeth McKenna – Author  – SPOTLIGHT

June 8 –  Christy’s Cozy Corners  – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 8 –  Literary Gold  – SPOTLIGHT

June 9 –  The Book Diva’s Reads  – SPOTLIGHT  

June 9 –  Sapphyria’s Book Reviews  – SPOTLIGHT

June 10 –  Brooke Blogs  – EXCERPT POST

June 10 –  Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book  – EXCERPT POST

June 11 –  #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee  – SPOTLIGHT

June 11 –  FUONLYKNEW  – EXCERPT POST

June 12 –  Celticlady’s Reviews  – SPOTLIGHT

June 12 –  StoreyBook Reviews  – EXCERPT POST

June 13 –  Maureen’s Musings  – SPOTLIGHT

June 14 –  Ascroft, eh?  – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 15 –  The Mystery of Writing  – EXCERPT POST

June 15 –  Cozy Up With Kathy  – EXCERPT POST

June 16 –  My Reading Journeys  – EXCERPT POST

Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell
Amazon #1 Best Seller!

All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio.

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery

 

 

The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook.

 

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Murder at Jaipur: A New Mystery

Murder at Jaipur: A Maya Mallick Mystery, by Bharti Kirchner

Guest Post — Book & Author InfoDon’t miss any author interviews! Click the link here. Murder at Jaipur : A Maya Mallick Mystery

When the world’s priciest ruby disappears from a family home in Jaipur and suspicion falls on friends and family members, P.I. Maya becomes involved in the search for the missing ruby and will have to use her investigative skills to discover why it was stolen.Loyalty and friendship between friends and family are put to the test as P.I. Maya investigates.Murder at Andaman, Bharti Kirchner’s latest mystery, brings a sharply observed eye to this engaging, atmospheric tale set in the Andaman Islands exploring friendship. And murder. (Cara Black, Best-selling author) 
 
“Kirchner’s descriptive writing soothes like warm tea. Murder at Andaman is a lovely mystery that immerses the reader in Indian culture and hides the outcome until the very end.” (Robert Dugoni, New York Times Bestselling Author)To purchase Murder at Jaipur : A Maya Mallick Mystery, click on the following link: Amazon

 

Why Write a Mystery Series?by Bharti Kirchner

With my latest novel, Murder at Jaipur: A Maya Mallick Mystery (Book 3 in the series), being released in June 2023, I am giving thoughts to all that is involved in writing and maintaining a mystery series.

A series demonstrates a level of commitment from the author, as well as her creativity in coming up with brand new crime dramas. This can result in a bult-in audience—readers who can’t wait to see what will happen with the sleuth or various side characters.

Readers have asked me about Maya Mallick’s mother (who was popular in the first of the series, Season of Sacrifice): “Why isn’t she in Book 2? When will she return?”

Other questions that also come up are: What are the main challenges of writing a series? Who does benefit most from a series? The reader or the author?

Let’s consider our readers. Are they likely to get hooked on an on-going series more than a stand-alone mystery novel? The answer in many cases is yes. Besides continuity and recurring characters, a series offers special advantages to the reader. Often the main character becomes a pal. The reader, who is now invested in her, begins to wonder: What are the stakes in this new situation? Has she grown enough from her last experience to be able to deal with it? What are the leads for her to follow? What dark forces await her?

The reader gets a mental workout and an emotional thrill by trying to answer these and other questions but considers it worthwhile.

Next, let’s consider the author’s reasons for gravitating toward a series. Although there are fine examples of stand-alone tomes that allow an author to pursue a path not taken earlier, thereby creating new readership, there are practical considerations.

With a series, you don’t have to reinvent the wheels, i.e., you can set up your sleuth, the person you know so well, with a new crime in a new locale. You can also let go of minor players who figured in the past stories but might not fit in the new environment. Regardless of what you do, you must avoid repetition.

The choice of a new location for each entry in the series means new travel for me. The last two books in the Maya Mallick series have taken place in different settings in India: Andaman Islands and the city of Jaipur. I’ve enjoyed my “research” trips, which also have allowed my readers to become vicarious tourists.

So, it appears that with a mystery series, we have a win-win situation. What could be better?

Bharti Kirchner — Author of Murder at Jaipur : A Maya Mallick Mystery Bharti Kirchner is the author of the forthcoming (in June 2023) Murder at Jaipur: A Maya Mallick Mystery (Book 3 in the series). An award-winner, she has published eight previous critically acclaimed novels (in various genres, such as historical, literary, and mystery) and four cookbooks, including the best-selling The Bold Vegetarian.Her most recent mystery novel is Murder at Andaman: A Maya Mallick Mystery (Book 2).Bharti’s work has been translated in German, Dutch, Spanish, and Marathi, and she has been widely read in the EU countries.Her short story “Promised Tulips,” first published in the anthology Seattle Noir, was recognized as a top noir story by Publisher’s Weekly and it reappeared in USA Noir. She is a popular teacher at writer’s conferences.To learn more about Bharti, click on her name, photo, or any of the following links: Facebook, Twitter, & WebsiteElena Taylor/Elena Hartwell

All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio.

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery

 

 

The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook. Amazon #1 bestseller

Header image by Katzbach on Pixabay

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She Started It: Debut Thriller

She Started It, a debut thriller by Sian Gilbert

Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Author Pet Corner!Don’t miss any debut author interviews. Click the link here.She Started It

For fans of Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty, She Started It is a hot, twisty summer debut thriller about a group of young women whose Caribbean bachelorette party takes a sinister turn. It’s Lord of the Flies meets And Then There Were None…but with Instagram and too much prosecco.

The party of a lifetime is nothing like what they expected…

Annabel, Esther, Tanya, and Chloe are best friends—or were, as children. Despite drifting apart in adulthood, shared secrets have kept them bonded for better or worse, even as their childhood dreams haven’t quite turned out as they’d hoped. Then one day they receive a wholly unexpected—but not entirely unwelcome—invitation from another old friend. Poppy Greer has invited them all to her extravagant bachelorette party: a first-class plane ticket to three days of white sand, cocktails, and relaxation on a luxe private island in the Bahamas.

None of them has spoken to Poppy in years. But Poppy’s Instagram pics shows that the girl they used to consider the weakest link in their group has definitely made good—and made money. Curiosity gets the better of them. Besides, who can turn down a posh all-expenses-paid vacation on a Caribbean island?

The first-class flight and the island’s accommodations are just as opulent as expected…even if the scenic island proves more remote than they’d anticipated. Quite remote, in fact, with no cell service, and no other guests. The women quickly discover they’ve underestimated Poppy, and each other. As their darkest secrets are revealed, the tropical adventure morphs into a terrifying nightmare.

Endlessly twisty, sharply observant, and deliciously catty, She Started It is sure to shock readers until the very end.

To purchase She Started It, click on any of the following links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop. Interview with Sian Gilbert, author of She Started It She Started It , is set in the Bahamas. What led you to such a fun, exotic location for your debut thriller?

I knew I wanted somewhere idyllic, somewhere people automatically associate with perfect holiday destinations and luxury. I’ve never actually been to the Bahamas myself, so it has that added have-to-go-there-one-day dream attainability factor for me! My characters being from the UK like I am, it’s incredibly expensive to travel that far, so it was an added incentive for my bridesmaids to want to go.

It also feels like the ideal setting for a thriller: somewhere glamorous, but the private island aspect gives it an isolated edge, something dark hidden under the beautiful surface.

How does Instagram play a role in to She Started It ?

Instagram is, like the setting, a gorgeous exterior. You present your very best self online, with filters to help keep you looking what society deems the most attractive. Very few people are ever actually honest. It’s all about the façade. And that’s the same with the four bridesmaids in this novel. Annabel, Chloe, Tanya and Esther seem perfect on the outside. Chloe is even an influencer, close to a million followers. Her life is dictated by Instagram posts and promotions. But behind the photographs, all four of them have secrets that could destroy their so-called flawless lives.

Poppy, the bride of She Started It, is aware of this. She uses Instagram at the start of the novel as a way to convince the other four she’s living well. Photos of wedding dresses, nice places. And they fall for it. When the invitations to her hen party arrive, they feel like they know her again, even though it’s been ten years, and it’s far easier for them to agree to attend.

Describe the friendships of Annabel, Esther, Tanya, Chloe, and Poppy:

All five women went to the same secondary school (ages 11-18) together. Poppy and Tanya were best friends, but after an incident involving a Capri-Sun, Poppy was left humiliated and Tanya started hanging out with Annabel, Chloe and Esther. Eventually, Poppy was entirely isolated, and the four began making her life a misery.

Ten years later, Poppy is a successful doctor, apparently living the life of luxury (if her Instagram is to be believed) and getting married. Annabel, Chloe, Esther and Tanya have been invited to not only the hen party on a private island in the Bahamas, but also to be her bridesmaids.

Meanwhile, adulthood has been less kind to those four. Not that they would ever admit that. Their friendship, also, is one maintained out of convenience than any real strong feeling. They aren’t stupid, but Poppy is footing the bill, and they figure it’s been such a long time that clearly bygones are bygones. Why not go?

Tell us about your road to publication with She Started It :

I was an English teacher before I was a writer. In my fifth year of teaching, my partner was given a fully-funded scholarship to earn a PhD at the University of Cambridge. This meant moving, and I had a choice. Look for a teaching job, or because we were lucky enough to be in college accommodation, take the year off and try to be a writer like I had always dreamed. It was terrifying leaving, but December 31st 2020 was my last day as a teacher, and 2021 was the beginning of…well, I was hopeful, but I’m a pessimist at heart and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen.

I wrote one book as a practice run, tried querying it, and got nowhere. I read every craft book going and joined Twitter, looking for writing communities. I learned about Pitch Wars, and was determined to have a book ready to apply for it. I had a one sentence pitch already in my mind: one private island, four bridesmaids—and a bride hellbent on revenge. Here Comes The Bride (as it was called then) was born, and I drafted it in three months. I was selected by E.A. Aymar, met the incredible Pitch Wars community, worked on my manuscript, and my life changed forever.

Helen Heller is my amazing agent, and with her I was lucky enough to announce on March 24, 2022, that She Started It was going to be published in Summer 2023.

What can we find you doing when you aren’t writing thrillers?

I’m a big history nerd, so my absolute favourite reads are history books, whether that’s by serious historians or guilty-pleasure historical fiction. Because of this, I love visiting historical places. A few weeks ago I went to Hever Castle (Anne Boleyn’s childhood home) specifically to see the Book of Hours that Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn individually owned placed together for the first time.

What are you working on now?

My second book is, at last, fully drafted (and everything they say about how awful writing a second book is is definitely true), and I’m hoping to be able to say more about it very soon. Otherwise, I’m actually in the midst of figuring out my plot for my third book, which seems crazy when the first one isn’t even out yet!

Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:

Read the craft books everyone recommends. Stephen King’s On Writing, Lisa Cron’s Story Genius, Jessica Brody’s Save The Cat, Courtney Maum’s Before and After the Book Deal. Even if you don’t think you’ll learn anything from them, even if you disagree with them. Be open to what they have to say and try their advice out. It’ll help even if you decide not to take it, because you’ve opened up your usual method and explored new ones.

Be wary of your word count. Look at what the standard is for your genre (and for your genre TODAY—not twenty years ago) and try not to go more than 10k above or below that if you can.

Join writer groups. Get eyes on your work before you query it. Critique other people’s work. It all helps.

Great Advice!Author Pet CornerToby!

This is Toby. His 21st birthday is June 5th, just over a week shy of my book coming out.

He’s been with me since writing books was nothing more than me scribbling away in notebooks and dreaming of someday.

I love him more than words could ever express, and he loudly reminds me he feels the same way very often!

Happy 21st Birthday Toby! What a gorgeous cat.Sian Gilbert, author of  She Started It

Sian Gilbert was born in Bristol, UK.

She studied history at the University of Warwick, before teaching at a comprehensive school in Birmingham for almost five years.

S he now lives in Cambridge with her partner.

 

To learn more about Sian, make sure to follow her at the following sites: Twitter, Instagram, Linktree.Elena Taylor/Elena HartwellAmazon #1 bestseller

All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio.

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery

 

 

The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook.

 

Header image by Yrolle on Pixabay

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