Elena Hartwell's Blog, page 44

A Poisoned Garden: New World Magic

A Poisoned Garden, the latest novel by Kim Alexander

Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Author Pet Corner!Don’t miss any author interviews! Click the link here.A Poisoned Garden

A unicorn walks into a bar and…wait, what was I saying?

Look, between what I’m pretty sure is premature senility and wanting to barf all the time, I’m barely hanging in there. At this point, I need a break after solving xeno murders, fighting murderous fox shifters, and my best friend nearly murdering me for…reasons.

But do I get a break? No, I get an invitation to the court of the Unseelie fae, and it’s the kind of invitation you can’t refuse because it’s from the king who flip-flops between wanting to share a pizza with me and stabbing me.

The upside is that I can see my best friend Marly, the newly minted and slightly murderous Unseelie fae queen. The downside? Apparently, I have to prevent a civil war between powerful magical beings, and I don’t even get a can opener for self-defense.

Just like clockwork, I’m back to running from supernatural squids, double-dealing with triple-dealing fae who probably all want me dead, and getting tangled up with a beautiful, broken-hearted unicorn who makes me feel guilty, and I don’t know why.
After all, we’ve never met before…have we?

To purchase A Poisoned Garden, click on either of the following links: Amazon & Barnes and NobleKim Alexander — The Interview — A Poisoned Garden A Poisoned Garden is book four in the New World Magic series. What should readers know about the series if they want to start with this book?

To be honest, I would recommend they start with book one, Pure.

But if they’re the sort that likes walking into cocktail parties and just jumping into conversations, the short version is:

Ruby, a bartender in D.C., is on her way home from her shift one early morning, and stumbles across an attempted poaching—some folks are trying to saw the horn off of a unicorn. (I should stop right here and mention that in this world, xenos—in other words, fairy tale creatures—are real and you might be living next door to one of them. Some are charming and beautiful, some are very much not!)

Of course Ruby does her best to save the unicorn’s life—who wouldn’t? He turns out to be a shifter named March, who is extremely new to the human experience. As the book (and the series) progress, we meet their friends, lovers, ex-lovers, enemies, and therapists—some human, many not. A Poisoned Garden is set mostly in the fae Unseelie Kingdom (they’re not the nice ones) and Ruby is tasked with preventing a civil war.

If she had any sort of weapon, that would help.

If she had all her memories, that would help even more!

Tell us about Ruby, the protagonist of A Poisoned Garden :

Ruby grew up in Florida and was having a great time attending the University of Miami when something awful and traumatic (and xeno related) happened.

After that she withdrew from school, friends, family—she finally went to see a therapist, and when her doctor relocated to D.C., she followed. So Ruby is not a fan of the xenos and does her best to avoid them. She in general keeps her head down. Saving March, (who is a total babe, by the way) feeling responsible for him, and then protecting him from the very creatures she’s spent years avoiding goes against everything that’s made her feel safe—yet for the first time since she was attacked, she feels truly alive.

Ruby can be quite observant but often misses clues about herself. She has a dry sense of humor. I loved writing in her voice!

What is your process for world building in the New World Magic series:

I’d written an enormous epic fantasy series, and my brains needed a break. I wanted to try something shorter, fast paced, contemporary, and in the first person. I knew I wanted to write about my home town. D.C. doesn’t appear much in books that aren’t political or crime thrillers, but it’s also called The City of Trees, and I think it’s beautiful here.

Pure, book one, takes place in the neighborhoods I visit all the time. The bar Ruby works in, The Hare, is loosely based on a great bar called Wonderland. Ruby and March also have field trips to the Shenandoah’s and to Chicago (for reasons!)

But I love fantasy and I adore world building, so each book is longer and more complicated than the last. The Unseelie Kingdom is also heavily featured, and I wanted an air of decaying glamour, sometimes seductive and sometimes grotesque, a world of ritual and rules that we get to see through the eyes of the human characters.

The fae are fun to write in general because (at least in my version) they can’t lie, but they sure love bending the truth like a balloon animal. I’m forced to look at all their dialogue through that lens, which is a complicated treat. I also had the singular pleasure of having a couple of the secondary characters take me by the throat and insist on being front and center, and book three, The Great Shatter, is the result.

In addition to the New World Magic series, you also wrote the Demon Door series. Tell us about those books.

Oh man, those books are my darlings. For some reason I decided my debut series would have two worlds with two different timelines, and over forty named characters. I regret nothing! (except the conflicting timelines—that was murder to keep straight.)

The very short answer is: They’re like Dune but with more sex. The longer answer involves two worlds; one human, one not, and the magical war that closed The Door—the portal between them. The series follows one young man and one young woman who will either find each other and bring the two realms together, or close The Door forever.

There’s murder, kidnapping, betrayal, poisoning, annoying siblings, bad parenting, near-fatal hangovers, a mysterious book within the book, and at the heart of it, a lovely romance. Rhuun, my male MC, is a half-human demon prince with severe social anxiety that he self-medicates with alcohol. Lelet, my female MC, is a bored and restless heiress who just knows an adventure is out there somewhere. She’s right—he’s it.

You have interviewed a lot of authors for Sirius XM Book Radio, any favorite interviews to share with us?

There were so many! And I can’t remember who it was—I want to say JT Ellison–who introduced me to ITW. It was an incredible honor to be in the Debut Class of 2016 (that was one million years ago, I believe.)

A high point for me was the opportunity to run and moderate a panel at NYCC called How to Survive the Inevitable Zombie Apocalypse. I got Gail Ann Hurd (executive producer) and Greg Nicotero (executive producer and make up wizard) of The Walking Dead, along with Rear Admiral Ali S. Khan of the CDC, who had just put out their zombie emergency survival guide (it’s real, and it crashed the CDC website) to sit on the panel for the standing room only event. I still can’t believe I pulled it off.

By the way, the best advice was from the CDC: duct tape, and get to an island.

As far as interviews I did at XM, a few certainly stand out. I got to talk with Anne Rice, George RR Martin, Neil Gaiman, David Baldacci, (who was kind enough to blurb The Sand Prince) Katherine Neville, some cool chic named Elena Hartwell (Elena says thank you!!) and my very last interview was with Stephen King. I can’t remember anyone who wasn’t gracious and delighted to talk about their work, and I took notes! It was like a ten-year master class in how to write a book. I will always be grateful.

What are you working on now?

Book five of New World Magic. I like to have the next one well underway while the previous is being edited, so I’m not looking at a terrifyingly blank PAGE ONE. I’m about 20,000 words in and all I know is there will be KNIVES.

I think there’s one more book in this series, and the next project will probably be about time traveling crime fighters. It begins in 11th century Norman France so it looks like I’ll have to do research. I guess I’d better find out how to do research.

Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:

I can only speak for indie and self-published authors, but okay. You can’t fix a blank page. Get a team. Get the best editor you can afford. Get the best cover art you can afford. Get people you are not related to and don’t owe you money to read your work. But don’t let anyone see it until it’s done. When will it be done? Hahahahaha, sucker.

Great advice! And great interview. Best of luck with all your projects!

Author Pet Corner!Onion and Frida!

Onion is my tuxedo angel baby, 20 pounds of love. When he sits on my lap he dislocated both my hips but it’s worth it.

He’s not what you’d call a deep thinker, but makes up for it with charm and good looks. He doesn’t know any tricks because apparently drinking from the toilet doesn’t count as a trick.

Favorite things: getting a brushing, cookies.

Turn-offs: When F*&(*g Frida won’t leave him alone and also steals his cookies.

Frida came to me via magic. See, we’d lost our Norwegian Forest cat Leeloo (of blessed memory) and Onion was sad and lonely.

I had a dream in which my best friend Stevie Nicks and I were just hanging out at her house, and her Siamese cat had a litter, and she gave me one of the kittens.

(This was 100% in my dream, by the way—tragically I’ve never met her.)

Next day I put it out on the ol’ Facebook, and a friend of mine who works with an animal rescue DMed me saying they just happened to have a lil’ baby snowshoe Siamese, and I could go pick her up that week.

Frida!Onion!

So Stevie Nicks and my friend Randy brought Frida to us! This poor thing had every cootie known to man, and some that haven’t been named.

The only person I saw during the first year of the pandemic was the vet. But now she’s a little over two and is perfect in every way except that she’s a total demon.

Also my husband is in love with her and if the house catches on fire, let’s just say I’d better find my own way out.

Onion and Frida may both be found on Instagram: #OnionWhatAreYouDoing and #FridaTheDestroyer.

 

 

 

 

Kim Alexander

Kim Alexander grew up in the wilds of Long Island, NY and slowly drifted south until she reached Key West.

After spending ten rum-soaked years as a DJ in the Keys, she moved to Washington DC, where she lives with two cats, an angry fish, and her extremely patient husband who tells her she needs to write at least ten more books if she intends to retire in Thailand, so thank you for your patronage.

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

Header background by toodlingstudio on Pixabay

The post A Poisoned Garden: New World Magic appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

Her Sister’s Death: Guest Post

Her Sister’s Death, the latest mystery by K.L. Murphy

Guest Post + Book & Author Info + Giveaway!Don’t miss any book tour posts! Click the link here.Her Sister’s DeathShe wanted the truth. She should have known better.

When her sister is found dead in a Baltimore hotel room, reporter Val Ritter’s world is turned upside down. An empty pill bottle at the scene leads the police to believe the cause of death is suicide. With little more than her own conviction, Val teams up with Terry Martin, a retired detective who has his own personal interest in the case, to prove that something more sinister is possible.

In 1921, Bridget Wallace, a guest on the brink of womanhood, is getting ready to marry an eligible older man. But what seems like a comfortable match soon takes a dark turn. Does the illustrious history of the stately Franklin hotel hide another, lesser known history of death?

Genre: Mystery
Published by: CamCat Books
Publication Date: December 2022
Number of Pages: 352
ISBN: 9780744307399 (ISBN10: 0744307392)

To purchase Her Sister’s Death, click on any of the following links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | CamCat BooksGuest Post by Writer K.L. Murphy

Many writers go through a stage we all know as imposter syndrome. For whatever reason, we don’t think we’ve achieved enough or accomplished enough to call ourselves “real” writers. Ironically, these same writers who doubt themselves are the first to lift each other up. You wrote five hundred words today. Hooray! You finished the first draft. Go you! You’re published. Woohoo! But we still doubt ourselves.

After years of working at writing and building a resume that’s yielded four published books, magazine articles, short stories, conferences, and freelance work, I have just started calling myself a writer. This means that I recently answered the question “What do you do?” with “I’m a writer.” Not in my head. OUT LOUD. To someone who is not part of my family (or another writer friend). No averting my eyes or mumbling. Sounds crazy, right? Other writers/authors will recognize this mania (even those few who haven’t experienced it), but the thing is, most nonwriters wouldn’t. When someone asks you what you do, you answer with, “I’m in sales or I build houses.” I mean, it’s not like I hesitated to say I was in finance or banking when that was my day job. Go figure!

I can’t explain why Her Sister’s Death is the book that pushed me across the line (today anyway), but I know it’s true. Although it’s a book of suspense, it’s not a straightforward police procedural like my other books. It’s the first book I’ve written that features two alternating timelines that aren’t in the form of flashbacks or that don’t take place in relatively recent history. It’s the first book where the setting has a voice of its own. The story explores some tough themes, but I’d like to think it also offers hope, love, and redemption. Her Sister’s Death asks the reader to wonder about possibilities. Just a little.

Still, while I can say that writing (and the publication) of Her Sister’s Death made me more comfortable with announcing “I’m a writer,” I can’t say I’m comfortable with the other labels that sometimes go along with that. Artist. Creative. Have you seen my drawings? Have you heard me sing? I couldn’t even volunteer as the craft parent because my skills were (and still are) subpar. There is nothing artistic about me. But . . . fiction writing does take imagination and the ability to transport the reader at least for a little while.

Is that art? I don’t know. I do know that like the kind of art you hang on a wall, watch on a screen, or listen to at loud volumes, books and stories are essential. Of course, I’m aware that books are usually part of the Arts and Entertainment category, but for an author who just cleared the hurdle of writer imposter syndrome, thinking of myself as an artist is beyond a stretch. Will it ever happen? Who knows? Let’s just say, it’s a mystery.

Terrific guest post. Thank you for spending time with me and my readers!K.L. Murphy

K. L. Murphy is the author of the Detective Cancini Mystery Series: A Guilty Mind, Stay of Execution, and The Last Sin. Her short stories are featured in the anthologies Deadly Southern Charm (“Burn”) and Murder by the Glass (“EverUs”).

She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, James River Writers, and Historical Writers of America.

K. L. lives in Richmond, VA, with her husband, children, and amazing dogs. When she’s not writing, she loves to read, entertain friends, catch up on everything she ignored, and always—walk the amazing dogs.

To learn more about K.L., click on any of the following inks: KellieLarsenMurphy.com, Goodreads, BookBub – @KLMurphy, Instagram – @k.l._murphy, Twitter – @klmurphyauthor & Facebook – @klmurphyauthor

Visit all the Stops on the Tour!

11/28 Review @ Jersey Girl Book Reviews
11/29 Review @ sunny island breezes
11/29 Showcase @ Im Into Books
11/30 Review @ feliciaisbooked
11/30 Review @ Lynchburg Reads
12/01 Showcase @ BOOK REVIEWS by LINDA MOORE
12/01 Showcase @ Brooke Blogs
12/02 Review @ Reading Is My SuperpPower
12/03 Showcase @ Silvers Reviews
12/07 Review @ read_betweenthecovers
12/08 Review @ mokwip8991
12/09 Review @ Urban Book Reviews
12/12 Review @ Eat. pray. decorate
12/13 Guest post @ The Mystery of Writing
12/15 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
12/15 Review @ Review Thick And Thin
12/16 Review @ tea. and. titles bookstagram
12/20 Guest post @ The Mystery Section
12/21 Interview @ Urban Book Reviews
12/21 Showcase @ 411 ON BOOKS, AUTHORS, AND PUBLISHING NEWS
12/22 Review @ A Room Without Books is Empty
12/22 Review @ Celticladys Reviews
12/23 Review @ Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
12/23 Review @ Melissa As Blog
12/24 Review @ Paws. Read. Repeat

Elena 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.

The post Her Sister’s Death: Guest Post appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

Cowboys and Chaos and Talking Cats

Cowboys and Chaos, Magical Mystery Book Club #3

Guest Post + Book & Author Info + Rafflecopter Giveaway!Cowboys and Chaos

This is no ordinary book club! When the group chooses a book, they are whisked away from reality to find themselves totally immersed in the story. The characters, the setting, and the murder all come to life. In order to exit the book, they’ll need to solve the mystery and reach The End.

This time, the club chooses a mystery that takes place in a quaint western town – in the old Wild West. That sounds like great fun, until they arrive in the dusty old town in the Arizona desert, among cowboys and saloons. They discover that the outhouse isn’t the worse thing about this trip.

The good news is that Paige, Glo, Zell, Frank, and the other members of the club discover plenty of surprises here, and they have a great time visiting a piece of history. They’ll get to live through many exciting moments as they unravel this cozy mystery story.

Cowboys and Chaos: Magical Mystery Book Club
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Current Day AND the Wild West in the 1880s
Better Beginnings, Inc. (November 20, 2022)
Number of Pages: 250
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BB1HS7XL

To purchase Cowboys and Chaos, click any of the following Amazon links: US , CA , UK & AU Cowboys and Chaos Guest Post by Elizabeth Pantley

Why are Talking Cats so Popular in Mysteries?

Many cozy mysteries feature cats that communicate in various ways. Both of my cozy mystery series feature cats that talk. There’s just something very possible about this, isn’t there? Let’s talk about why cats are so suitable as a talking animal in a mystery book.

Cats are mysterious and smart.

They always seem to be watching, processing, and scheming. They are clever animals, and it’s great to be able to tap into that cleverness.

Cats do communicate.

They let you know what they’re thinking. Why not give them a voice?

Cats and the paranormal go together.

Cats have long been associated with magic and witches, so it makes sense that they’d be popular in any paranormal genre.

Cats are inquisitive and stealthy.

The natural personality of a cat is perfectly suited to a mystery story. They can silently observe from the shadows. How much better when they can then report to the sleuth what they’ve seen or heard?

Many people love cats.

It’s common for people to have a strong emotional bond with their pet cat. They are loved and cared for almost as much as a family member. Cat lovers enjoy getting to know felines in a more human way.

Most everyone talks to their cats.

Cats make a great sounding board. They always appear to be listening intently. They are marvelous companions that allow the character in a mystery to talk through their thoughts and speculations about the crime.

Given a voice, cats can be witty and funny.

Cats have a ton of confidence and always seem to feel superior to the humans around them. This leads to a somewhat snarky personality style, which is common in a cozy mystery cat.

Frank from Cowboys and Chaos is a clever talking cat.

The library cat from the Magical Mystery Book Club perfectly fits the role! Here’s a short expert:

We heard a snappy beat being tapped out by tiny nails. Zell, being enamored with drumbeats, yanked two decorative stems out of a flower arrangement and began tapping along with the beat. The door swung open and Frank, our bold and over-confident library cat, emerged. He strolled through the room as if on a runway, sauntering to the beat of Zell’s flower-stem rhythm. He ended with a twirl and a bow.

He scanned the room. “Ladies and … umm … gentleman,” he said. “Greetings, salutations, and a great, big howdy-do.”

Don’t miss any book tour posts! Click the link here.Elizabeth Pantley — Author of Cowboys and Chaos

Elizabeth Pantley says that writing her two Mystery and Magic book series is the most fun she’s ever had at work.

Fans of her work say her joy is evident through the engaging stories she tells.

Elizabeth is also the internationally bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents. Her books have been published in over twenty languages. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, a beautiful inspiration for her enchanted worlds.

To learn more about Elizabeth, click on any of the following links: Website, Newsletter Sign-up, Facebook, Instagram & BookBub

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

November 30 –  Celticlady’s Reviews  – SPOTLIGHT

November 30 –  Sapphyria’s Book Reviews  – SPOTLIGHT

December 1 –  Christy’s Cozy Corners  – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 1 –  Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book  – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 2 –  Maureen’s Musings  – SPOTLIGHT

December 2 –  Guatemala Paula Loves to Read  – REVIEW

December 3 –  Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews  – SPOTLIGHT

December 4 –  FUONLYKNEW  – SPOTLIGHT

December 4 –  Cozy Up WIth Kathy  – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 5 –  Elza Reads  – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 6 –  #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog  – SPOTLIGHT

December 7 –  Angel’s Guilty Pleasures  – SPOTLIGHT

December 7 –  Hearts & Scribbles  – SPOTLIGHT

December 8 –  Ruff Drafts  – AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 9 –  ebook addicts  – REVIEW

December 10 –  Lady Hawkeye  – SPOTLIGHT

December 10 –  Socrates Book Reviews  – REVIEW

December 11 –  I’m Into Books  – SPOTLIGHT

December 12 –  The Mystery of Writing  – AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 13 –  Ascroft, eh?  – AUTHOR GUEST POST

Elena 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.

The post Cowboys and Chaos and Talking Cats appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

Fatal Hunt: A New Thriller

Fatal Hunt, the debut thriller from Michelle Godard-Richer

Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Author Pet Corner!Don’t miss any debut author posts! Click the link here.Fatal Hunt

After being widowed and surviving the wrath of a serial killer, Jessica believes her misfortunes are over. She’s reunited with her first love, Jon, and together, with her son Bryce, and a baby on the way, they’re living their happily ever after on their ranch in Montana. That is until secrets, lies, and a formidable foe from Jon’s past emerge to shake the foundation of their relationship, forcing them to flee for their lives.

A decade earlier, Jon worked undercover for the FBI. He infiltrated Hugh Jones’ Kansas City Mob, and almost destroyed his empire. Unaware of the breech in his own defenses, Hugh, obsessed with revenge, unleashes every weapon in his arsenal, targeting those Jon loves the most.

“Fatal Hunt is a spine-tingling romantic thriller I devoured. There are three things I look for in a romantic thriller: a believable plot, engaging characters, and amped-up suspense. This book nails these three elements. The plot is believable and deals with criminal activity ripped from the headlines. The characters are engrossing, and I connected with Jessica right away. Jon has some serious deception going on and it drove the plot. The bad guys are downright evil and I hated them with every page I read. The secondary characters filled out the cast nicely and added an additional level of tension to the story. The suspense was first-rate and Michelle Godard-Richer layered on the suspense through classic methods which kicked up my adrenaline. As I read each chapter, I became so invested in the story and the characters, I couldn’t help but whip through the pages. My heart raced and I couldn’t stop reading. Michelle Godard-Richer has penned a superb romantic thriller and I can’t wait to read more from her. If you’re a fan of this genre, pick up Fatal Hunt. Highly recommend!” —Goodreads review

To purchase Fatal Hunt, click on the following link for multiple outlets: Books2ReadAuthor Interview with Michelle Godard-Richer Fatal Hunt focuses on both Jessica and Jon Kent. How did you approach writing two point-of-view characters for your debut?

Both of my main characters had a lot of baggage and they each had their own story to tell, so I actually found it easier to swap perspectives to get into both of their heads.

I also dived into the head of my villain, Hugh Jones.

Fatal Hunt is set on a ranch in Montana. Tell us about the location(s) in the book:

Montana is home for Jon. His family has owned a ranch in Lewistown for generations, and although Jon ventured off to leave small-town living behind, he realized he belonged in Montana.

Jessica also has family ties to the area, so it’s the perfect home for them

Fatal Hunt has a mob angle. What kind of research did you do for your debut?

My husband loves anything mafia related, so after years of watching Hollywood’s depiction of the mob along with documentaries, I had a pretty good grasp on what would be believable.

Tell us about Avenging Angel:

When my editor, Alicia Dean, who is also an author, put out a call for a few authors to join the group of 13 participating in the third collection of Friday the 13th stories, I jumped on the opportunity.

I’m a lifelong fan of horror, so writing my own horror story was a blast. Avenging Angel is also a thriller with a breakneck pace, a serial killer, and a vigilante.

What are you working on now?

I have two different thrillers on the go. One is a standalone sci-fi thriller, and the other is the third and final book in the Fatal Series.

Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:

Connect with other experienced writers and never give up. Rejection is the name of the game, but if you keep at it, someday someone will say ‘yes’.

Great Advice! Thank you for visiting with us and congratulations on your debut!Author Pet Corner!Maiya and Millie!Bella, Hadley, and Stan Lee!

Michelle has four dogs and one cat.

Her Maremma dog Maiya inspired the name for the main character in Avenging Angel, snuggles with Millie who also appears in Avenging Angel as a cat.

Bella makes her literary debut in Back in Time with jelly Beans, a travel romance launching in 2023. Hadly and Stan Lee are both rescue dogs, and yes! Stan Lee is named after the famed comic book creator.

One day the boys will have their own stories too.

 

 

Michelle Godard-Richer

Growing up as an only child in a small town, with only her imagination for company, she dreamed of becoming an author. Her father laughed and said something like: okay, but you might be broke.

She shrugged and kept clacking on the keyboard of her home PC, delighted when her words appeared on the small monitor, a staple of early 90s technology.

In high school, when it was time to decide on a future career, she chose to pursue an Honours Degree in Criminology at the University of Ottawa, but at the back of her mind, the dream of writing for a living persisted.

Fast forward fifteen years, and as a happily married woman and proud mother to two children, four dogs, and a cat, her dream came true.

To learn more about Michelle, click on any of the following links: Website, Facebook & TwitterElena 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.

Header image by kinkate on Pixabay.

The post Fatal Hunt: A New Thriller appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

Landslide: New Spy Thriller by Adam Sikes

Landslide: A Mason Hackett Espionage Thriller

Author Guest Post + Book & Author Info + Book Giveaway!Don’t miss any book tour posts! Click the link here.LandslideInternational Arms—Private Military Companies—Corruption at Every Turn

U.S. Marine veteran Mason Hackett moved to London to start his life over, and he’s done his best to convince himself that what happened fifteen years ago doesn’t matter—the people he killed, the men he lost, the lives he ruined. But when Mason sees the face of a dead friend flash on a television screen and then receives a mysterious email referencing a CIA operation gone bad, he can no longer ignore his inner demons.

Driven by loyalty and a need to uncover the truth, Mason launches on a perilous journey from the Czech Republic to Romania toward the war-torn separatist region in eastern Ukraine to honor a fifteen-year-old promise. The answers he seeks—the fate of a friend and his connection to the underworld of international arms dealers and defense corporations—throw Mason into the cauldron of a covert war where no one can be trusted.

Genre: Spy Thriller
Published by: Oceanview Publishing
Publication Date: September 2022
Number of Pages: 368
ISBN: 9781608095049 (ISBN10: 1608095045)
Series: A Mason Hackett Espionage Thriller, #1

To purchase Landslide, click any of the following links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Oceanview PublishingThe Mystery of Writing — Guest Post by Adam Sikes

 

Developing characters proves to be the mystery of writing for me. But although it is the most challenging element of storytelling, I find it to be the most enjoyable.

I continually ask myself, how do I craft a character whom readers will want to keep reading about? How can I craft a character whom readers will like, even if the person is bad? Or, perhaps a better way to phrase it, how can I craft a character whom readers want to follow through 300+ pages?

When a book comes to an end, I strive for readers to want more, to want to know what will happen to the characters after they read the final word on the last page. If I can achieve that, I feel like I’ve told a worthwhile story.

Admittedly, the characters I created in my early writings were not very engaging and, in some cases, were just plain blah. They were stiff, odd, forced—and I mean none of this in a good or endearing way. Consequently, no matter how good I thought the plot was—twists, turns, excitement, intensity—the narrative lacked the depth to make audiences care about what they were reading.

I had to change if I expected anyone to want to read my work.

I credit one of my early editors for pushing me to write better, and he encouraged me to make the characters real with full lives. The character wasn’t just part of the story that I was writing at this moment in time and that would be encapsulated between the first and last chapter—he or she needed an entire life and breadth of experiences to guide them. And I had to make them feel—my words had to make these characters undergo sadness, joy, anger, rage, desire, pain, confusion, love, loss …

Although the plot in a thriller is critical—readers expect suspense, excitement, shocks—I realized I wanted my characters to be the ones to help readers feel those sensations. I wanted the reader to experience the same emotions the characters were going through. And to do that, I had to let audiences get to know them.

A technique I found to do this, in addition to simply describing something about a character, is to reference the past or another experience the character has had, but not fully explain it. In a way, I refer to it in passing to illustrate something has occurred, but withhold from the reader what the nugget is about until later in the story or not at all. I think this gives audiences the sense that they are entering characters’ lives that are already ongoing—you’re joining them in their lives, not watching them simply materialize on page one. Plus, there are questions and unknowns, just like we have in real life. When do ever know everything about someone? We have secrets and we are unpredictable.

So, by referencing the past or an experience, I hope to create intrigue as well as intimacy around a character that is layered.

Furthermore, I try to illustrate what a character does that is visible to those around him versus what he or she might be thinking. I like motivations and desires and perspectives that conflict or are at odds, which then feed into our behaviors. Since when do people make sense? Since when do we always act rationally or consistently? We make mistakes, we behave out of character, we get confused … and so must protagonists, antagonists, and everyone else who makes up a story.

For me, then, the mystery in writing is as much about the character behind the whodunit as the mystery itself.

Adam Sikes — Author of Landslide

Adam Sikes is a novelist and freelance writer. He is a graduate of Georgetown University with a degree in International Politics and a Masters in History.

Prior to taking up the pen, he served in the US Marine Corps with combat tours in the Balkans, Iraq, and elsewhere in the Middle East. Following the Marines, Adam joined the CIA and conducted operations in Central Asia, East Africa, and Europe.

He is the author of the international thriller Landslide and is the co-author of Open Skies: My Life as Afghanistan’s First Female Pilot. He lives in Southern California.

To learn more about Adam, click on any of the following links: www.AdamSikes.com, Goodreads, BookBub – @sikesar, Instagram – @Adam_R_Sikes & Twitter – @Adam_R_Sikes

Visit all the Stops on the Landslide Book Tour!

11/14 Review @ Novels Alive
11/15 Showcase @ Im All About Books
11/16 Showcase @ Books, Ramblings, and Tea
11/17 Interview @ Mythical Books
11/18 Showcase @ The Reading Frenzy
11/19 Review @ Urban Book Reviews
11/21 Guest post @ The Book Divas Reads
11/22 Showcase @ The Mystery Section
11/25 Interview @ Urban Book Reviews
11/27 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
11/29 Showcase @ Celticladys Reviews
12/07 Podcast @ Blog Talk Radio
12/07 Review @ Just Reviews
12/09 Guest post @ The Mystery of Writing

Elena 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.

The post Landslide: New Spy Thriller by Adam Sikes appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

The Kind to Kill: Shana Merchant

The Kind to Kill — Shana Merchant #4

Book Review + Book & Author InfoDon’t miss any of my book reviews. Click the link here.The Kind to Kill

A missing tourist spells trouble for Senior Investigator Shana Merchant in this page-turning twisty mystery set in an atmospheric island community with a small-town vibe.

Former NYPD detective Shana Merchant is a skilled Senior Investigator keeping New York’s beautiful Thousands Islands community safe. She’s a loving partner. A strong woman. A survivor.

She’s also bound by blood to a serial killer. And after months of concealing the truth from the world as she hunted Blake Bram down, her secret is finally out.

Shana just wants to get on with her life and win back her community’s trust. But as Alexandria Bay fills up with tourists in advance of the annual festival known as Pirate Days, a visitor goes missing, and the case threatens to destroy not just the celebrations, but what remains of Shana’s reputation.

Shana’s not to blame for the killer in her family, but people are starting to whisper that she attracts trouble. That A-Bay was safer before she arrived. And as the investigation deepens, Shana starts to fear that they may be right.

Because while Bram is gone, he is far from forgotten.

The Shana Merchant novels are a brilliant blend of chilling psychological thriller and gripping police procedural, set against the beautiful backdrop of the Thousand Islands. A perfect pick for fans of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley and Louise Penny.

To purchase The Kind to Kill, click on any of the following links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble & IndieBoundMy Thoughts on The Kind to Kill

I’m a big fan of Tessa Wegert. She writes a smart, resourceful detective who is also very human and complex. Shana Merchant is the kind of character that readers will return to for as long as Wegert keeps writing her.

After surviving a kidnapping by her serial killer cousin, and starting a romance with fellow detective Tim Wellington, Shana Merchant’s life should be back on track, but as with all good series, Wegert throws her protagonist a whole new round of obstacles.

Her community doesn’t trust her, and two new people arrive in town determined to make her life hell. Unable to get out from under the shadow of Blake Bram, Shana now has to face fallout from the crimes he committed. His actions may not be her fault, but she is the person a percentage of the public holds responsible. And if that wasn’t enough, the current investigation has eerie parallels to events in Shana’s past.

Set in the Thousand Islands area near the US/Canadian border, Wegert uses the environment to great effect. Shana may be getting used to navigating the waters, but the extensive system provides a lot of places for people to go missing —  and  a lot of places to hide a body.

New characters make their debuts and old characters that we love remain. For those who haven’t read the first three, The Kind to Kill can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend starting at the beginning and reading all four, mystery readers will not be disappointed.

As good as the first three books are, The Kind to Kill may be the best yet in this killer series.

Tessa Wegert

Tessa Wegert is the author of the popular Shana Merchant novels, which include Death in the Family, The Dead Season, Dead Wind, and The Kind to Kill. A former freelance journalist and digital media strategist, Tessa’s work has appeared in Forbes, The Huffington Post, Adweek, and The Economist.

She grew up in Quebec and now lives with her husband and children in Connecticut, where she studies martial arts and is co-president of Sisters in Crime CT.

Prior to writing novels, Tessa was the first place winner in the Crime category of the Eighth Annual Writer’s Digest Magazine Popular Fiction Awards for her short story Moms’ Night Out.

In addition to her work with Sisters in Crime Connecticut, she is a member of International Thriller Writers (ITW), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), Sisters in Crime New England, and Sisters in Crime New York, and is co-director of ITW PitchFest.

To learn more about Tessa, click on any of the following links: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & BookBubElena 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.

Header photo from Pixabay

The post The Kind to Kill: Shana Merchant appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

Murder on the Widow’s Walk: New Cozy

Murder on the Widow’s Walk, the latest cozy by Christine Knapp

Spotlight!Don’t miss any new books! Click the link here.Murder on the Widow’s Walk

Keep Calm and Call the Midwife…

Maeve O’Reilly Kensington is still shaking off last year’s shocking events in the quiet New England coastal town of Langford, where she is a modern-day nurse midwife. Her husband Will’s catering company, A Thyme for All Seasons, is back on an even keel, and they are now actively pursuing fertility treatment and adoption in the hopes of becoming parents.

Meg, Maeve’s older sister and Langford’s premier real estate agent, introduces her to Montgomery Livingstone, a Manhattan business tycoon commonly known as the Takeover King. Livingstone is anxious to move his base of operations and his home to Langford, but some community members have grave misgivings about whether his presence will be a boon for the town.

Misgivings that come to fruition when Monty is pushed off a Widow’s Walk and falls to his death! Suddenly Maeve and Meg are again thrust into a murder investigation as they attempt to help a seemingly innocent young woman accused of the crime. But it turns out there are many secrets to be uncovered, and once again, Maeve, Meg, and their savvy Boston Irish mother must band together to solve the murder. Maeve races against the clock to bring the killer to justice while caring for her patients and pursuing her goal of motherhood.

To purchase Murder on the Widow’s Walk, click on any of the following links: Amazon & Barnes and NobleChristine Knapp — Author of Murder on the Widow’s Walk

Christine Knapp practiced as a nurse-midwife for many years.

A writer of texts and journal articles, she is now thrilled to combine her love of midwifery and mysteries as a debut author.

Christine currently narrates books for the visually impaired. A dog lover, she lives near Boston.

To learn more about Christine, click on her name or photo or any of the following links: Facebook, Instagram & TwitterElena 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.

Header image by Bessie on Pixabay

The post Murder on the Widow’s Walk: New Cozy appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

What Meets the Eye: Debut Mystery

What Meets the Eye, debut mystery by Alex Kenna

Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Author Pet Corner!Don’t miss any debut author interviews! Click the link here.What Meets the Eye

From debut author Alex Kenna comes a pulse-pounding tapestry of secrets, retribution, and greed for fans of Jeffrey Archer.

Kate Myles was a promising Los Angeles police detective, until an accident and opioid addiction blew up her family and destroyed her career. Struggling to rebuild her life, Kate decides to try her hand at private detective work—but she gets much more than she bargained for when she takes on the case of a celebrated painter found dead in a downtown loft.

When Margot Starling’s body was found, the cause of death was assumed to be suicide. Despite her beauty, talent, and fame, she struggled with a host of demons. But as Kate digs deeper, she learns that Margot had a growing list of powerful enemies—among them a shady art dealer who had been selling forged works by Margot. Kate soon uncovers a dirty trail that leads straight into the heart of the city’s deadly underworld.

Margot died for her art—and if Kate doesn’t tread lightly, she could be the next to get brushed out.

To purchase What Meets the Eye, click on any of the following links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble & IndieBoundAuthor Interview — What Meets the EyeWhat Meets the Eye is set in Los Angeles, where you now live. LA is an iconic location for mysteries. What drew you to setting your debut there, and how does the city impact the characters?

Like you said, I live in Los Angeles, and I spent seven years as a state prosecutor here, so I gained some familiarity with how crime works in this city.  It’s also one of the two most important contemporary art hubs in the US, which was important for my story.

Los Angeles is a place of extremes, which always makes for a compelling background.  You have obscene wealth and dire poverty.  It can be a paradise or a dystopia depending on your circumstances.  It also gives you a lot of flexibility as a writer because whatever vibe you need for your story, there’s a place in LA or the surrounding counties that can match it.  And whatever insane or hairbrained plot idea you come up with, someone in LA is probably living it.

What would you like readers to know about Kate Myles?

Kate has been pushed to the brink and clawed herself back through force of will.  She was badly injured in an accident, which led to an opioid addiction.  She lost her job and her family and then had to pick up the pieces of her life to maintain a veneer of normalcy for her daughter.

She’s lost her sense of identity, and she’s not an introspective person, which makes that a particularly hard place to be.  But despite the mess, disorganization, and self-hatred, she has a really strong core.  I think that was what interested me about her.  She has to heal herself and rebuild herself from scratch.

It’s a journey that continues in the sequel.

Describe your publishing journey for What Meets the Eye?

A lot of rejection in the beginning.  It took me a while to write a compelling query – I’m a lawyer, and I was basically sending dry, lawyer-type cover letter to agents who were looking for something very different.  Then I started reading other, successful query letters and interviews with publishing professionals about what they like to see in a pitch.

I completely rewrote my submission materials but was still getting rejections.  It was frustrating, because I believed in the book, but I was pretty close to giving up. Then I decided to submit directly to a publisher.  They requested a full manuscript and eventually I got an offer.

Working with Crooked Lane has been great.  My editor, Sara J. Henry, was instrumental in polishing this book.  She immediately zeroed in on a million little inconsistencies that I was too close to the material to catch.  She really pushed me to go deeper when I had read my manuscript so many times that the words were starting to blur together.  Judging from Twitter, all of her authors feel pretty much the same way about her.

In addition to your career as a lawyer and now an author, you are an amateur painter. Tell us about your painting and artistic life, how did that interest become part of What Meets the Eye?

Growing up in Washington DC, I was very close to my French grandmother, who was an amateur artist.  DC has the Smithsonian, which is an incredible resource for art fans, and she would take me to the museum all the time.  She also has a very French tendency to critique everything.  Her highest compliment is “ce n’est pas totalement nul,” which basically translates to “it’s not nothing.”  Being around her and my mother, another art nerd, got me thinking and analyzing art at a young age.

I studied painting and art history in undergrad.  Then after I graduated, I worked in a gallery until the Great Recession hit.  I always thought a gallery would make a good setting for a book.  There are a lot of dysfunctional personalities and dishonest sales practices.  After leaving that job, I wrote art reviews and ran an art-criticism blog called After Image, which helped me keep up with the contemporary art scene.

I still paint on the side when I have time, which lately hasn’t happened much because I have toddler, but it’s something that I can dive in and out of depending on what’s happening in my life.

For this book, I knew I wanted to focus on the dark side of the art world – the sexism, the unethical practices, the perverse market incentives.  But I also wanted to create a character who embodied the pure joy and energy of creating visual art, which is Margot Starling.  She’s not the most traditionally “likeable,” but in some ways, she’s the character I relate to the most.

You are from Washington DC, but now live in Southern California. What has been the biggest adjustment for you moving from East Coast to West?

The driving.  I hate it with a fiery passion.  On the East Coast, I always took public transportation, so I really didn’t drive until I came out here and had to relearn—as the scratches on my car can attest.

The traffic and long distances between places can make LA a very lonely place.  In DC, I could hop on the subway and meet a friend for a quick drink at a bar.  Here, every social event requires planning.

Also, people are snobbish about different things.  On the East Coast, people are judgey about jobs and school credentials. Here’s it’s more about how much money you make and how good you look in expensive leggings.

But for all the downsides, LA is endlessly fascinating.  And there just aren’t a ton of places where you have world class art, beaches, deserts, and mountain hiking within a day’s drive.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a sequel to What Meets the Eye.  It still follows Kate, but it’s a very different book.  She’s working on a case in a small mountain town, so the setting is completely different.  It is also darker, and more character driven than What Meets the Eye, which is very plot-intensive.  For the next book, I had to look inward a lot more.

Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:

My writing break-through came when I stopped preciously polishing the same three chapters.  I started to think about writing like I was taught to think about painting.

Build the structure.

That is, get your first draft done and then work up the whole book together.  If you change one part, you have to think about how it affects everything else.  If you get too obsessive early on, or fall in love with one small portion, the book could turn out lopsided and confusing.

And on the business side of things:  don’t be discouraged by your first rejection.  Or your first 100 rejections.  I see a lot of twitter posts from people who are ecstatic because they got a partial request from an agent, or crushed after a rejection, and it always hurts my heart because I’ve been there.

You have to think of it more like speed dating.  It’s a numbers game.  And if it does turn out that your first book isn’t the one that’s meant to be—it doesn’t mean you’re not a brilliant writer.  Take a break, do something really fun or relaxing, and then get back to the grind.

Great advice!Author Pet Corner!Beautiful Zelda!Alex Kenna — Author of What Meets the Eye

Alex Kenna is a lawyer, writer, and amateur painter based in Los Angeles.

Before law school, Alex studied painting and art history.  She also worked as a freelance culture writer and sold art in a gallery.

Originally from Washington DC, Alex lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and giant schnauzer, Zelda.

When she’s not writing Alex can be found exploring Southern California, toddler-wrangling, and playing string instruments badly. Alex’s debut novel, What Meets The Eye, was released December 6, 2022.

To learn more about Alex, click on her name, photo, or the following links: Twitter & FacebookElena 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.

Header photo by Ylanite on Pixabay

The post What Meets the Eye: Debut Mystery appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

Secrets of the Gold: New Thriller

Secrets of the Gold, the latest mystery/thriller by Baer Charlton

Spotlight + Excerpt + Book & Author info + GiveawayDon’t miss any blog tour posts! Click the link here.Secrets of the Gold

Concealed in his jacket are ingots of gold; he just doesn’t remember why.

A young girl running from an abusive foster home kidnaps the older biker with a mystery for a past.

Leaving the mining town in Colorado and crossing state lines, anything can happen.

What neither is looking for or expecting is friendship.

But in the cold of the desert night, life lessons can go both ways—even if they are not about a million dollars in gold.

Growing up is hard enough, even without the shooting.

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Coming of Age, Female Sleuth
Published by: Mordant Media
Publication Date: March 2022
Number of Pages: 374
ISBN: 1949316203 (ISBN-13 9781949316209)

To purchase Secrets of the Gold, click any of the following links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Books2ReadExcerpt from Secrets of the GoldEight Years Before

Someone unexpected at the front door is exciting—for a nine-year-old girl. But time and experience change people.

“I’ll get it,” she squealed.

The sound of cheap sneakers slapped on the cheap flooring. Military housing, even off-base, has never changed. Expensive big toys were always more exciting for congressional representatives than looking after the troops and their families.

“Check the peephole before you open the door.”

The polished brass belt buckles dully reflected the peeling white of the door. The dark blue of the uniforms wasn’t what she was used to seeing around the base, but she had seen them occasionally.

Pulling on the door, she yelled over her shoulder. “It’s a couple of marines like Daddy.”

The enormous crash at the back of the small apartment ricocheted off the rigid walls and out the open door. It hit the two lieutenants hard. 

One with their mouth half open. 

The man looked at his female companion as she hurried into the apartment. The man reached for the girl’s arm.

“Mom?”

* * *

The California sun did nothing to brighten the day. The two lieutenants in dress blues stood a short distance away. The casket sat draped with flowers, but only two adults and a young girl filled the fourteen chairs.

The girl’s hazel eyes appeared washed out—more watery-blue than green. The swell of her lower lip slowly sucked in and then released over and over. The blink had nothing to do with what the chaplain was saying. It had nothing to do with her world. The black dress didn’t fit her, but at least it covered the scrapes and scars on her knees. The long sleeves performed the same service for her arms. The rusty blonde hair, chopped at the center of her neck, was the only acknowledgment of her being less than delicate.

The deep low rumble of the officer’s voice left his Minnesota lips motionless. The sound carried only to his partner. “What now?”

The woman shrugged slightly. 

“Any relatives at all?”

The woman turned her head slightly. “There’s an older uncle. He’ll be available, possibly in ten to fifteen—if he behaves this time.”

The man frowned and looked out from the side of his eye. They had worked together long enough for the silent shorthand.

“Aggravated homicide with extenuating circumstances.”

His eyes didn’t move. He was waiting for the boot to drop.

“Beat his wife and then cut off her breasts and legs to let her bleed out.” Her eyes moved to lock on his. “He caught her in bed with his best friend.”

The man’s frown furrowed deep. “And his friend? What did he do to him?”

The woman’s eyes snapped to a distant tableau—seven marines with seven rifles for a different burial. “You mean her. His best friend since high school. He beat her to death with the waffle iron.”

They both came to attention and saluted the three-shot salute of the honor guard from across the cemetery. The other funeral was well attended, even though it was unusual for military internment with honors to be held in a civilian cemetery. The passing thought was that the funeral was for a much-loved senior member of a large family. 

“Did they cross-check the weapon of choice for a match…?”

If the dead were not theirs or family, they were fair game for lighthearted banter.

“The prints matched. The iron was still hot when he struck.”

The last rifle volley faded away as three riflemen gave their squad leader a cartridge. The two officers watched as the squad leader marched over to the casket and began folding the flag with the rest of the honor guards. The three shells folded into the flag forever. Some thought the seven riflemen firing three volleys was a twenty-one gun salute. But the tradition didn’t come from salutes of Man-O-War dreadnaughts but to let an opposing army know they had cleared the field of battle of their dead. The three spent shells also had a simpler meaning than many thought—the flag was from a military funeral. Nothing more. They presented the folded flag to the soldier’s spouse or parent. 

The two officers couldn’t tell the woman’s age through the black veil. The man nodded his chin toward the small girl, who looked frightened by the whole proceeding. After that, they resumed standing at ease.

The female lieutenant spoke softly. “Child Services is picking her up this afternoon.”

“None of the family friends could take her? Keep her in the same school or with people she knows?”

The woman rolled her eyes shut and opened them again as she faced the man. “You grew up a navy brat. How many new schools did you go to before you got out of high school?”

“Fifteen or sixteen.” He looked back at the woman. “Dad was on the fast track. We lived on sixteen bases in seven different countries. He wanted dragons on both arms.”

She nodded. “Yeah. A double shellback. I’ve seen a few. The tattoos become muddy, ugly, and smeared by the time you’re eighty. But by then, who cares?”

Baer Charlton — Author of Secrets of the Gold

Baer Charlton, is an Amazon Best-Selling author, and a Social-Anthropologist. His many interests have led him worldwide in search of the unique.

As an internationally recognized Photo Journalist, he has tracked mountain gorillas, been a podium for a Barbary Ape, communicated in sign language with an Orangutan named Boolon, kissed a kangaroo, and had many other wild experiences in between. Or he was just monkeying around.

His love for sailing has led him to file assignments from various countries, as well as from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean aboard a five-mast sailing ship. Baer has spoken on five continents, plus lecturing at sea.

His copyrighted logo is “WR1T3R”. Within every person, there is a story. But inside that story, even a more memorable story. Those are the stories he likes to tell.

There is no more complex and incredible story than those coming from the human experience. Whether it is a Marine finding his way home as a civilian or a girl who’s just trying to grow up, Mr. Charlton’s stories are all driven by the characters you come to think of as friends.

To learn more about Baer, click on any of the following links: www.BaerCharlton.com, Goodreads, BookBub – @BaerCharlton, Twitter – @baer_charlton & Facebook – @WR1T3R

Visit all the Stops on the Tour!

11/07 Review @ Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
11/10 Review @ Paws. Read. Repeat
11/12 Review @ Urban Book Reviews
11/13 Guest post @ The Book Divas Reads
11/14 Interview @ Melissa As Blog
11/14 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
11/15 Review @ sunny island breezes
11/16 Review @ Novels Alive
11/17 Review @ Melissa As Blog
11/18 Review @ elaine_sapp65
11/19 Showcase @ Brooke Blogs
11/20 Guest post @ Mythical Books
11/22 Review @ mokwip8991
11/29 Interview @ Hott Books
12/01 Showcase @ The Mystery of Writing

Elena 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.

The post Secrets of the Gold: New Thriller appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

Ghost Agents: Retribution

Ghost Agents: Retribution, the latest release by Nita DeBorde[image error]

Character Guest Post + Book & Author Info + Rafflecopter GiveawayGhost Agents: Retribution

If you enjoy paranormal cozies you are in for a treat. Nita DeBorde’s Ghost Agents series are a unique take on the genre.
~The Book’s the Thing

The Bureau for Historical Preservation is under attack.

The sinister, secret organization known as The Syndicate has finally stepped out of the shadows and made their presence known with a dramatic demonstration. In the aftermath of these shocking events, Claire Abelard and her fellow agents travel to the Bureau’s international headquarters in Paris, France in hopes of launching a coordinated response to the attack.

But something isn’t right with Claire. The acumens she has relied on her whole life have gone haywire, endangering not only the mission but also everything she holds dear. As the scope of the Syndicate’s plan unfolds, Claire must use every resource at her disposal to try to stop them… but will it be enough?

Find out in this thrilling, final chapter of the award-winning Ghost Agents Trilogy.

Ghost Agents: Retribution (The Ghost Agents Trilogy) [image error]
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
3rd in Trilogy
Setting – Paris (primarily)
‎Mabelonia Press (October 22, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 235 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1958045063
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1958045060
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BDTT9S6D

To purchase Ghost Agents: Retribution, click the following link: Amazon Character Guest Post — Ghost Agents: RetributionAn agent recruit ride-along

(Part 2 – La Conciergerie)

“Alright, Hugo,” Claire Abelard said, stopping on the sidewalk outside the massive stone building and turning toward the young Bureau recruit accompanying her. “Before we go inside, I want to give you a heads up about a few things.”

“More La Toussaint revelry?” Hugo asked.

“Not exactly,” Claire said with a shake of her head. She pointed to the building in front of them. “This is the Conciergerie, the last remaining section of what used to be a royal palace here on the banks of the Seine River. During the French Revolution, the major trials of the revolutionary court took place here, the most notable being those of Marie-Antoinette and her husband King Louis XVI. They were both held prisoner in cells here for the last months of their lives.” She paused. “Given its history, it’s no surprise that the projections tethered here are… well, let’s just say you won’t be encountering any parties here tonight or any other night.”

“Are any of the projections famous?” Hugo wanted to know.

Claire smiled. “I would say so. In fact, this prison is home to the queen herself.”

Hugo’s brows rose. “Will I be able to meet her?”

Claire weighed her response. “You’ll probably get to see her, but I can’t promise how much interaction you’ll have. While she’s always gracious and polite with Bureau agents, she’s not extremely eager to interact with most sensitives.”

“So, she is a rogue, then?”

“No, she’s under Bureau jurisdiction. She just prefers not to be interfered with, and for the most part we don’t push the issue.” She smiled sadly. “Given what she went through in the last years of her life, I think she’s earned the privilege of her privacy.”

Claire knocked on the massive wooden door and waited for the night guard to answer. She showed her Bureau badge and exchanged a few pleasantries with the man, then motioned for Hugo to follow her inside.

“How much do you know about Marie-Antoinette?” Claire asked as they made their way through the building’s darkened corridors.

“Just what we learned in school. I know she was Austrian and that she married at a very young age, then became queen just a few years later.”

Claire nodded. “Yes, she was fifteen when she married and nineteen when she became queen.”

“My history teacher in collège, what I think you in America call middle school, told us that Marie was not quite the villain that history has painted her to be.”

Claire nodded again. “She made mistakes, of course, but your teacher was right. History has painted her to be a villain, but things are rarely so black and white. Yes, she was an entitled aristocrat who had no idea what life was like beyond her own circle, and that led to some poor choices on her part, but I don’t believe any of her actions were done maliciously.”

Hugo touched one of the stone walls as they passed. “Why would she tether herself here instead of Versailles? This prison is so gloomy, and considering the circumstances of her time here, would she not want to distance herself from this place?”

“I couldn’t begin to tell you why she chose this,” Claire admitted.

“Maybe we could ask her tonight?” Hugo seemed energized by the possibility.

Claire stopped walking and turned to face him. “Unfortunately, that probably still wouldn’t get you the answers you want. Most projections can’t really explain why they chose their tether locations. Sometimes it’s obvious – a significant location from their life. Other times, like with Marie, it can’t be easily explained.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I certainly can’t speak for Marie, but maybe Versailles doesn’t hold the pleasant memories for her that you would expect. Tethering there might simply serve as a reminder of what she lost and how far they fell.”

Hugo nodded, considering Claire’s response. “So, probably best not to ask.”

Claire smiled sadly. “Probably.”

They resumed their journey through the darkened corridors, eventually arriving at a large wooden door at the end of one of the hallways.

“Are you ready?” Claire asked the young Bureau recruit.

Hugo took a deep breath and nodded.

Claire pushed the door open, revealing a small, sparsely decorated room. To their left, a mannequin dressed in the uniform of a French revolutionary guard stood watch behind a partition. In the center of the room sat another figure, this one clothed in black garments of mourning.

“Those mannequins look so real,” Hugo whispered.

As if in response to the comment, the figure in the center of the room turned to face them.

No matter how many times Claire encountered the energy projection of Queen Marie-Antoinette, she was always struck by the haggard state of the woman’s features. Coupled with her prematurely gray hair, her appearance projected an age well beyond the woman’s actual thirty-seven years, serving as a testament to the hardship she had endured at the end of her life.

“Votre Majestée,” Claire said with a curtsy. (Your majesty.)

The queen responded with a gracious nod of her head and extended her hand in Claire’s direction. “Ma chère, Claire. Je suis contente de vous voir.” (My dear, Claire. I’m happy to see you.)

Claire gave another curtsy. “Vous êtes trop gentille.” (You’re too kind.)

Behind Claire, Hugo stepped cautiously into the small cell but didn’t directly approach the queen’s projection.

Marie cleared her throat and sat up straighter in her chair. “It is good that you have come this evening,” she told the two Bureau agents, switching easily to English, a language she had learned after years of tourists visiting her space. “The atmosphere here at the Conciergerie is not as heavy as it usually is since tonight is La Toussaint.”

Claire nodded. “Indeed, which is why I’ve brought Hugo with me this evening. He is a new Bureau recruit, and I didn’t feel like his education would be complete if he didn’t have a chance to meet the great Queen Marie-Antoinette.”

Marie smiled and bowed her head again. “Now you are the one who is being kind.” She motioned for Hugo to approach. “Come here, young man. Let me look at you.”

Hugo cut a glance at Claire, then took a hesitant step forward. “Oui, Votre Majestée.”

The dim lighting cast shadows around the room, but this in no way hindered the projection’s ability to see. She studied Hugo with a keen eye.

“Why do you wish to become a Bureau agent?” she eventually asked him.

“To be honest,” Hugo said, “it is something of a family profession, so it is expected of me.” When the queen’s eyebrows went up, he quickly added. “But I also think it is important to preserve history.”

“A textbook answer,” Marie acknowledged, “but I feel it lacks passion and conviction, both of which are necessary if you want to be more than just a mediocre agent.”

Hugo looked at Claire, concern etched on his face. She lifted her shoulders in response. He was on his own.

The young Bureau agent swallowed hard. “I do feel passion for this work,” he tried to assure the queen. “I just fear I do not have the experience yet to know how to express my feelings adequately.”

Marie studied him again. “In your chosen line of work, you will need to understand that the projections you assist and monitor can often times be…difficult.” She nodded toward Claire. “I am sure your senior agents can attest to the fact that you will need a deep, personal commitment to your mission if you are to care for them successfully.”

Hugo nodded repeatedly. “Oui, Votre Majestée. Je vais faire de mon mieux.” (I will do my best.)

Marie smiled gently at the young man, seeming satisfied with his response. “That is all anyone can ask of any leader.”

Hugo nodded again and gave an awkward bow. “Merci, Votre Majestée.

With a warm smile, Marie turned her attention to Claire. “I believe the young man will do well.”

Claire nodded in agreement. “So do I.”

Marie took a deep breath and let it out in a heavy sigh. “I am so pleased you came to visit me this evening, Claire. You are always so kind and respectful. The same cannot be said for my usual visitors.”

Claire gave another curtsy. “Merci, Votre Majestée. We are honored that you would grant us a few moments of your time.”

Marie bowed her head graciously, then turned back around in her seat. The visit had concluded.

Claire turned toward the door and motioned with her head for Hugo to join her.

Once they were in the corridor, Hugo let out a heavy breath. “Wow, I never knew I could feel so intimidated by an energy projection.”

Claire chuckled. “She definitely has a presence.”

Hugo reached out a hand and stopped Claire. “I want you to know, I really do have passion for this work. I want to help projections. It is more than just a family business to me.”

“I know,” Claire assured him. “It’s easy to get flustered when you have the former queen of France asking you questions.”

“It definitely is.” He shook his head. “I do not think I will be ready to come back here anytime soon.”

“Well, hopefully our next stop won’t be so nerve-wracking for you.”

“You aren’t going to give me any hints?”

Claire just smiled. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

(Part 3 – Sacré-Cœur)

Nita DeBorde — Author of Ghost Agents: Retribution

Nita DeBorde is a published author and teacher from Houston, TX. Writing and teaching are her two major passions, though traveling and being dog-mom to a crazy Staffordshire-Boxer mix named Mabel are high on the list as well.

Nita has taught high school French for more than 20 years and absolutely loves her “day job” job (about 95% of the time). She loves to travel, and not surprisingly, France is her favorite destination, though her home state of Texas runs a close second.

She is also a huge history buff, which comes through in her fiction writing, and particularly in her Ghost Agents Trilogy, a collection of genre-defying, cozy paranormal mysteries with a little sci-fi and romance thrown into the mix. Ghost Agents: Retribution, the 3rd book in the Ghost Agents Trilogy, was released on October 22, 2022.

To learn more about Nita, click on any of the following links: Website , Facebook , Twitter – @DebordeNita & GoodReads Author Page 

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