Elena Hartwell's Blog, page 49

Edge of Dusk: New Romantic Suspense

Edge of Dusk, new romantic suspense by Colleen Coble

Guest Post + Book & Author Info + Giveaway!Don’t miss any blog tour posts! Click the link here.Edge of Dusk by Colleen CobleEven though secrets lie off the coast of Rock Harbor, the truth will set Annie Pederson free—if it doesn’t kill her first.

Nine-year-old Annie Pederson’s life changed the night her sister was kidnapped. The two had been outside playing on a dock, and Annie never forgave herself for her role in her sister’s disappearance. Twenty-four years later and now a law enforcement ranger, Annie is still searching for answers as she grieves a new loss: the death of her husband and parents in a boating accident.

But Annie and her eight-year-old daughter, Kylie, aren’t the only people in the town of Rock Harbor whose lives have been marred by tragedy. While managing the property around the Tremolo Resort and Marina she inherited, Annie discovers a dead body floating in the cold Superior surf and begins to work with the sheriff’s office to tie the death to a series of other mysterious reports in the area.

At the same time, her first love, Jon Dustan, returns after nine years away, reigniting the town’s memory of a cold case he’d been suspiciously linked to before he left to pursue his orthopedic residency. For the sake of her investigation and her heart, Annie tries to stay away. But avoiding Jon becomes impossible once Annie realizes she is being targeted by someone desperate to keep secrets from the past hidden.

In this new series, bestselling romantic-suspense author Colleen Coble returns to one of her most beloved towns, where familiar faces—and unsolved cases—await.To purchase Edge of Dusk, click on any of the following links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook.com | Goodreads

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Published by: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: July 12th 2022
Number of Pages: 352
ISBN: 078525370X (ISBN13: 9780785253709)
Series: Annie Pederson #1

Guest PostHow Finding Your People Transforms Your Writing Career by Colleen Coble

When I first started writing, I had no idea how important finding my core fellow writers would impact my life. I had written Where Leads the Heart without having even met another writer. It was a lonely time, and I felt like a weirdo. I didn’t even tell anyone but my family what I was doing because it felt presumptuous. What did I—a farm girl in Indiana—think I had to offer?

Then I went to my first writer’s conference where I met other people who had characters springing full born into their heads. It was only a few months before Barbour bought my first book, and while I didn’t find any of my lifelong friends at that conference, I realized there was a whole subset of people out there like me. I wasn’t weird—I was a writer.

After Barbour bought my first novel, I discovered one of their authors lived an hour from me, and we began to correspond via email at first. When I met Denise Hunter, I found a critique partner who has been with me to this day. Neither of us would dream of writing without getting input from each other. But she is more than a crit partner—she is a sister-of-the heart. Soon after meeting Denise, I met Kristin Billerbeck, and we would go on to edit one another as well. Diann Hunt soon joined our little blogging group, and we were a tightly-knit support group. Losing Diann to ovarian cancer was a blow we didn’t expect, and we still mourn her loss.

I joined the board of American Christian Fiction Writers and my circle of friends expanded even more. I mentored several including Robin Caroll and Cara Putman who went on to be published and became dear friends along the way. I began holding and attending brainstorming sessions that transformed my writing and made close friends along the way like Deborah Raney, Rachel Hauck, Carol Cox, Lynette Eason, Rick Acker, and Carrie Stuart Parks.

I learned more about writing processes and how to craft a novel from interaction with these close friends. Together we figured out how to support one another on social media and in interactions with readers. Most of all, we learned we are not alone on the journey. Our lives became richer as we walked through valleys and mountain peaks together.

While the journey isn’t over, I know I can pick up the phone and have instant encouragement from others who have walked with me. That’s priceless!

How did you find your closest circle of friends?

Colleen Coble — Author of Edge of Dusk

Colleen Coble is a USA TODAY bestselling author best known for her coastal romantic suspense novels, including The Inn at Ocean’s Edge, Twilight at Blueberry Barrens, and the Lavender Tides, Sunset Cove, Hope Beach, and Rock Harbor series.

To connect with Colleen, click any of the following links: colleencoble.com, Instagram – @ColleenCoble, Twitter – @ColleenCoble & Facebook – @ColleenCobleBooks

Visit all the Stops on the Tour!

07/11 Review @ Lynchburg Reads
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Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell

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

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator 2020

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery 2020

 

 

The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook. Out July 19.

Header image by skitterphoto on Pixabay.

The post Edge of Dusk: New Romantic Suspense appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

Segment of One: Debut Thriller

Segment of One — debut thriller by Michael Grigsby.

Author Interview + Book & Author InfoDon’t Miss Any ITW Debut Author Program Interviews! Click the link here.Segment of One

Marketing analyst Nick Vanderoff, newly retired from his successful career in business, lost his wife last year to cancer. Now he just wants to rest, relax, and repair family relationships.

To accomplish this, he’s been spending time with his math-genius granddaughter, Holly, and his estranged daughter. But a serial killer is on the loose in Dallas, and traditional forensics have produced nothing.

Nick has consulted for the police department before, but not on anything like this. Can he trust the algorithms that worked so well in the corporate world to flush out a madman? The answer becomes personal when Nick’s projections thwart the killer’s plans, and he realizes the police are closing in on him.

The sniper attacks escalate, and the killer turns toward Nick and his family. Will Nick be able to use his marketing skills to target a lethal segment of one to reveal himself?

To purchase Segment of One, click on any of the following links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble & IndieBoundInterview with Michael Grigsby — Author of Segment of OneSegment of One, your debut novel, uses marketing analytics to solve crimes. How did you arrive at that concept for a thriller?

Marketing analytics is all about predicting consumer responses: who will buy, when will they buy, where will they buy, etc. With the right data, much of that could be used in criminal forensics: who will commit a crime, when will it be, where will be, etc.?

Segment of One creates a scenario where the police cannot find a serial killer and, in desperation, recruit different techniques to forecast where and when the killer may strike next. Those techniques start to work and tighten the net around the killer.

Tell us about Nick Vanderoff:

Nick just retired from a corporate career in marketing analytics. His wife of 30 years died a year ago of cancer and he just wants to relax and try to mend the fences with his daughter and granddaughter. His career took him away from family ties and he wants to make up for that.

He is an analytic guy and not in touch with his own feelings, and he is surprised to learn that THAT is what he has to do to connect with others. Including the bad guy. So, Nick takes a bit of a journey, kicking and screaming, but he makes the trip.

Segment of One takes place in Dallas. How does that environment impact events?

Dallas is a big city and I had a serial killer that had been at large for years that the police could not find nor stop. I needed a big canvas for the story to play out. And I lived there at the time and would use specific places to add reality.

I think you may have the only granddaughter/grandfather crime fighting duo in crime fiction history. What prompted that aspect of the book?

I thought it an odd and unique take on the buddy story.  Neither a grandfather nor a granddaughter had any business tracking down serial killers. And then the bad guy turns ON THEM!  That scenario seemed unusual and fun to me.

You have worked in marketing analytics for over twenty years. What does a day in the life of a marketing analytics guy look like?

I was an analytic consultant and thus constantly in front of clients, typically from the C-Suite, trying to explain and sell to them analysis. How to improve their pricing, their products, their distribution and their communications.

Very boring, but I meant a lot of interesting and frightening people.

What are you working on now?

I have two just-completed novels, also analytic thrillers. One is called INDEPENDENT VARIABLES and the other is called FORECASTING ERROR.

Both have strong female protagonists, are meant to be fast and fun, with a light dose of analytics.

Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:

That’s an easy one: never quit, never give up. Keep on writing! We learn by doing, just like anything else. Read, read, read. Write, write, write. Take classes and talk to other writers, talk to readers, go to conferences and keep on writing. Write every day and never quit, never give up, keep on writing.

Great advice!Michael Grigsby

Michael Grigsby has worked in the corporate world of marketing analytics for over 20 years.

He has a PhD in marketing science (and no, that is NOT an oxymoron). He’s published two non-fiction books, Marketing Analytics and Advanced Customer Analytics. Marketing Analytics has also been translated into Chinese and Polish (yes, Polish.)

He used those texts in teaching  graduate school classes.

To learn more about Michael, click on any of the following links: Website, Twitter, Facebook & LinkedInElena Taylor/Elena Hartwell

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

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator 2020

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery 2020

 

 

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

Header image by xresch on Pixabay

The post Segment of One: Debut Thriller appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

None Without Sin: New Mystery Release

None Without Sin, the latest release by Michael Bradley

Guest Post + Book & Author Info + Giveaway!Don’t miss any book tour posts! Click the link here.None Without SinBe sure your sin won’t find you out.

When a Delaware real estate mogul is murdered, newspaper journalist Brian Wilder wants the scoop on the killing, including the meaning behind the mysterious loaf of bread left with the corpse. Reverend Candice Miller, called to minister to the grieving family, quickly realizes that the killer has adopted the symbolism of sin eating, a Victorian-era religious ritual, as a calling card. Is it the work of a religious fanatic set to punish people for their missteps, or something even more sinister?

As more victims fall, Brian and Candice follow a trail of deceit and blackmail, hoping to discover the identity of the killer—and praying that their own sins won’t catch the killer’s attention.

“Loaded with twists, Bradley’s vibrant and gripping thriller will make readers eager for more.”
—August Norman, author of Sins of the Mother

To purchase None Without Sin, click any of the following links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | CamCat Books

Genre: Mystery
Published by: CamCat Books
Publication Date: July 12, 2022
Number of Pages: 400
ISBN: 0744305950 (ISBN13: 9780744305951)

Guest Post by Michael Bradley — Author of None Without SinWhy Do I Write?

English poet Lord Byron once confessed, “If I don’t write to empty my mind, I go mad.” Why writers write has always been one of those deep philosophical questions that results in a million unique, and sometimes disturbing answers. From a writer’s perspective, it is a question that isn’t always easy to answer. It is easier to say why we write what we do than it is to say why we write at all.

For some writers, the act of writing alone is an intimate, soul-exposing ritual, during which the writer pours every emotion, triumph, hardship, and heartbreak that they’ve ever experienced onto the page. Stephen King once described the best kind of writing as being “intimate,” and said that all writing, in the end, was about “enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.” But, for other writers, the act can be merely a means to an end, getting from point A in a story to point B.

The world is full of writers from every possible genre. Romance. Science fiction. Mystery, Erotica. Biography. Thrillers. Humor. Social Science. Young Adult. Children. The list goes on and on. Everyone has a reason for putting words on a page. The late Terry Pratchett once said that “writing is the most fun you can have by yourself.” I’m not sure that I want to know what other things he’d tried by himself before coming to that conclusion.

Why do I write? Why do I agonize over every word, and spend hours writing and rewriting just to find the right sentence? Why do I lament over each writing session as if I had just lost a child? Why do I subject myself to the often-frustrating task of placing words and phrases together to form a cohesive story? For me, writing has become a compulsion. I’m compelled to write by a physical, mental, and emotional desire to put words on paper (or, on the computer screen). The act has become as much of a need for me as eating and breathing. And, just as the lack of nourishment and oxygen has negative consequences on me, so does an absence of writing.

For me, I have words inside that must come out. They don’t always flow out like I would prefer, but ultimately, they get there. I have ideas that I want to express, and images that I want to convey. That may explain why my first career was in radio broadcasting. It gave me an opportunity to use my words to expound on those thoughts, ideas, and images. And now that I am out of broadcasting, I’ve turned to writing to fill the void. As F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “You don’t write because you want to say something; you write because you have something to say.”

Michael Bradley

Michael Bradley is an award-winning author from Delaware. He spent eight years as a radio DJ “on the air” before realizing he needed a real job and turned to IT.

Never one to waste an experience, he used his familiarity with life on the radio for many of his suspense novels.

His third novel, Dead Air (2020), won the Foreword INDIES Award as well as the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award.

To learn more about Michael, click on any of the following links: www.MBradleyOnline.com, Goodreads, BookBub – @mjbradley88, Instagram – @mjbradley88, Twitter – @mjbradley88 & Facebook – @mjbradley88

Visit all the Stops on the Tour!

07/01 Review @ Savings in Seconds
07/02 Guest post @ The Book Divas Reads
07/04 Review @ Paws. Read. Repeat
07/05 Interview @ I Read What You Write
07/06 Interview @ Quiet Fury Books
07/07 Showcase @ Books, Ramblings, and Tea
07/09 Review @ tea. and. titles bookstagram
07/10 Review @ Pat Fayo Reviews
07/11 Showcase @ The Bookwyrm
07/12 Review @ sunny island breezes
07/13 Showcase @ Celticladys Reviews
07/14 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
07/15 Review @ Novels Alive
07/16 Review @ The World As I See It
07/18 Review @ Booksies Blog
07/19 Review @ Nesies Place
07/20 Showcase @ The Authors Harbor
07/25 Guest post @ Novels Alive
07/27 Guest post @ The Mystery of Writing
07/28 Review @ mokwip8991
07/29 Review @ Elaine Sapp (FB)
07/30 Review @ Celticladys Reviews
08/04 Interview podcast @ Blog Talk Radio
08/04 Review @ Just Reviews

Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell

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

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator 2020

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery 2020

 

 

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

 

The post None Without Sin: New Mystery Release appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

Shielding Her Son: West Investigations

[image error]Shielding Her Son, the latest release by K.D. Richards

Character Interview + Book & Author Info + Rafflecopter Giveaway!Don’t miss any book tour posts! Click the link here.Shielding Her Son by K.D. Richards

She thought she’d escaped her past…

Has it caught up with her?

Erika Powell has lived in hiding for years to protect her son from his wealthy, tyrannical grandfather. Wary of strangers, she’s suspicious of James West, who’s renting a neighboring cabin, despite their sizzling chemistry. But when attempts are made on Erika’s life, James fears he may have endangered her—because the undercover PI’s investigation of Erika may have led someone dangerous right to her.

From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

Discover more action-packed stories in the West Investigations series. All books are stand-alone with uplifting endings but were published in the following order:

Book 1: Pursuit of the Truth
Book 2: Missing at Christmas
Book 3: Christmas Data Breach
Book 4: Shielding Her Son

To purchase Shielding Her Son, click on any of the following links: Harlequin, Amazon, Kobo  & B&N 

Shielding Her Son (West Investigations)
Romantic Suspense
4th in Series
Harlequin Intrigue (July 26, 2022)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1335582088
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1335582089
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09N1PY2PH

Shielding Her Son — Character Interview Hi Erika and James — great to have both of you on my blog today to talk about your current adventure, Shielding Her Son, the fourth book in the West Investigation series.Erika, you have been in hiding with your son to protect him from his grandfather. Tell us how that dire situation came about:

I was young when I married my first husband. He was not a nice man and our marriage wasn’t a happy one, in  part because of my controlling father-in-law who never thought I was good enough for his son.

After my husband’s death, I found out I was pregnant right around the time my father-in-law cut me off. I had no money and nowhere to live but I knew that if my husband family found out I was pregnant they’d find a way to take my son and raise him to be just as vain and violent as my husband was.

So I did what any mother would do. I protected my son.

James, you met Erika while renting a cabin near her, what can you share with readers about why you happened to be there?

After leaving the military, I went to work for my family’s business West Security and Investigation.

West was hired to find Erika Overholt and confirm her identity. Unfortunately, our investigation put Erika and her son, Marcus, in danger.

I know there is chemistry between you two, how long did it take for you both to admit that to yourselves?

Erika: Chemistry? What chemistry. LOL.

James: I knew the moment I saw her I was in trouble.

Erika, tell us about the location where your story takes place.

Carling Lake is the most beautiful town in the world. It’s a community surrounded by nature – the Carling Lake Mountains and Carling Lake itself. And the people, everyone in town is like family.

We support each other and look out for each other. It’s a wonderful place to raise a child.

James, tell us more about your background:

James: As I mentioned, I left the military not long ago. I’ve been spending some time trying to figure out my next step.

Erika: He’s a brilliant artist. His hyper realistic drawings are amazing and several galleries have expressed interest in showing his work.

I’ll bet you both know things about your author that readers don’t know, care to share anything fun about her or her writing process?

Erika: It can be somewhat chaotic.

James: We didn’t always make it easy on K.D.

Erika: K.D. likes to keep to a schedule, writing every morning and often in the afternoon as well. Evenings are for the business side of writing and getting organized for the next day.

What’s up next for your author?

We are happy that she’ll be hanging around Carling Lake for a while. The fifth book in the series, Darkwater Disappearance, will be out in December 2022.

Great to have you both visit! Looking forward to catching up with your author for her next book!KD Richards — Author of Shielding Her Son

K.D. Richards was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs just outside of Washington, D.C.

A writer since a young age, after college Kia earned a law degree and worked as an attorney and legal instructor for fifteen years but never stopped writing fiction.

She currently splits her time between Toronto and Maryland with her husband and two sons.

To learn more about K.D. click on any of the following links: Website, Facebook, Instagram & GoodReads 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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July 25 –  The Mystery of Writing  – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

July 25 –  My Reading Journeys  – REVIEW  

July 25 –  fundinmental  – SPOTLIGHT

July 26 –  Read Your Writes Book Reviews  – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 26 –  My Journey Back  – SPOTLIGHT  

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July 30 –  Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book  – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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July 31 –  #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog  – SPOTLIGHT

July 31 –  Ruff Drafts  – SPOTLIGHT

Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell

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

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator 2020

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery 2020

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

The post Shielding Her Son: West Investigations appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

Writing Craft: Story Structure

Writing Craft and launching The Foundation of Plot

I’m thrilled to launch the first in my series of short guidebooks on the craft of writing, The Foundation of Plot.

For fifty-four weeks in a row, I taught workshops on writing via Zoom as a way to deal with lockdown. I wanted to give back to the writing community, which I have been a part of for a lot of years. It was a delight to hang out with writers for an hour and a half every Wednesday morning, and while I no longer do the weekly events, I still enjoy getting together online with writers.

Writing Craft Workshops coming up! Click the link here.

During that process I was often asked when I would write a book about the writing craft. Not only was I interested in doing that, but it was clear there was a hunger for more craft books.

I tried a variety of outlines, but could never land on the right combination of all the many, many topics I wanted to cover.

Then it hit me, rather than one giant book on craft, I wanted to mimic the workshops I’d been teaching — and loving — all year long. Short, concise, focused guides for specific issues that, as a developmental editor, I see over and over in works-in-progress.

I started with story structure because it is literally the foundation for any project, whether fiction, narrative nonfiction, or memoir. Without structure, any story will sag. But every story can be fixed! Story structure can be sorted out and strengthened at any time during the writing process.

Writing The Foundation of Plot was a delight. I hope readers enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

I’d love to hear how your work in progress is going! Send me a note and check in. We’re all in this together.

To purchase The Foundation of Plot, click on any of the following links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and IndieBoundWant to learn more about the writer’s process? Click the link here to check out author other author interviews.Author Pet Corner!Polar and Wyatt!Cocoa hanging on to her brother Coal Train!

I love all the animals. I have the greatest dogs, horses, and cats in the world. At least they are the greatest to me!

Polar is our English cream golden retriever, and Wyatt is his little mini-me and best bud. He’s a Shichon and super fierce, except when he’s not, then he has his big brother to protect him.

Then we have Cocoa and Coal Train, our tiny black panthers.

Last but not least, Jasper, my Fabio in a Paint costume, and Radar, my Paint that aint, a solid chestnut with a hilarious sense of humor. They make every day a wonder.

Jasper and Radar!Elena Hartwell also writes as Elena TaylorCREDIT MARK PERLSTEIN

Elena Taylor spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, and educator before turning her storytelling skills to fiction. Her first series, the Eddie Shoes Mysteries, written under the name Elena Hartwell, introduced a quirky mother/daughter crime fighting duo.

With All We Buried, Elena returns to her dramatic roots and brings readers a much more serious and atmospheric novel. Located in her beloved Washington State, Elena uses her connection to the environment to produce a forbidding story of small town secrets and things that won’t stay buried.

Elena is also a senior editor with Allegory Editing, a developmental editing house, where she works one-on-one with writers to shape and polish manuscripts, short stories, and plays. If you’d like to work with Elena, visit www.allegoryediting.com.

When she’s not writing or coaching writing, her favorite place to be is at the farm with her horses, Jasper and Radar, or at her home, on the middle fork of the Snoqualmie River in North Bend, Washington, with her husband, their dogs Polar and Wyatt, and their cats Coal Train and Cocoa. Elena holds a B.A. from the University of San Diego, a M.Ed. from the University of Washington, Tacoma, and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.

To learn more about Elena, click on any of the following links: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and TwitterElena Taylor/Elena Hartwell

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

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator 2020

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery 2020

 

 

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

Header photo by Lubos Houska on Pixabay.

The post Writing Craft: Story Structure appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

The Child Riddler: A Thriller

The Child Riddler by debut author Angela Greenman

Author Interview + Book & Author info + Author Pet Corner!Don’t miss any ITW Debut Author interviews! Click the link here.The Child Riddler

Despite the angry scars she carries from her childhood training, Zoe Lorel has reached a good place in her life. She has her dream job as an elite operative in an international spy agency and she’s found her one true love. Her world is mostly perfect–until she is sent to abduct a nine-year-old girl.

The girl is the only one who knows the riddle that holds the code to unleash the most lethal weapon on earth–the first ever “invisibility” nanoweapon, a cloaking spider bot. But Zoe’s agency isn’t the only one after the child. And when enemies reveal the invisibility weapon’s existence to underground arms dealers, every government and terrorist organization in the world want to find that little girl.

Zoe races to save not only the child she has grown to care about, but also herself. The agency prescribed pills–the ones that transform her into the icy killer she must become to survive–are beginning to threaten her engagement to the one person who brings her happiness. Can she protect the young girl and still protect the one thing she cares more about than anything else?

To purchase The Child Riddler, click on any of the following links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target & IndieBoundInterview with Angela Greenman, Author of The Child RiddlerThe Child Riddler features an elite operative of an international spy agency. What kind of research did you do to create Zoe Lorel?

Fortunately, my professional career supplied me with a wealth of information. I had a top-secret clearance and have worked within several governmental organizations. First the city in Chicago, then federal at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and following that internationally with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

While in public affairs at the NRC, I attended nuclear engineering courses and participated in technical meetings, and it was there I acquired an understanding and interest in the future of technology. As an expert and trainer for the IAEA, I collaborated with high-level individuals from many different countries and gained an understanding of the intricacies of diplomacy and the subtleties in relationships. I especially grew to appreciate that it is the diversity of people and cultures that makes life fascinating.

I strive to absorb my experiences and to engage fully with the people that cross my path. I tend to do things one-thousand percent and while sometimes that’s not always the best approach, for me it’s been a great way to learn. Part is drive and part a questioning attitude. I ask a lot of questions. I like to learn why people make the choices they do, why they have the attitude they do, why something happened.

I feel that having a questioning and inquisitive mind means that you know there are other paths than just the one you are on at that moment. My desire to know other options saved me personally from the negative repercussions of a horrific childhood (homelessness, violence) and it helped me break through the glass ceiling professionally. You don’t have to believe what you are seeing is the only view, or that staying in the place where you are now is your only choice. Most likely there are other lenses to select from that might reveal different scenes or routes.

The questioning way of thinking I believe is also an espionage mindset. Operatives/spies are aware that what they are presented with is not the only way it could be, and that they should always be looking for the hidden doors. They understand that people will act differently in other environments.

It was all these factors that helped me craft Zoe Lorel’s technothriller universe.

What intrigues you about nanotechnology?

That something so powerful can be in something so small. That it can be so small it’s virtually invisible—and what is invisible is terrifying.

Tell us about your path to publication with The Child Riddler?

It took me about a decade to get published. Since I was traveling for my international work and also had to do a great deal of preparatory research for the international projects, I didn’t have the opportunity to write on a consistent basis. I frequently went months without writing. So, my work schedule stretched out my writing process by years. Plus, I didn’t have a mindset as to a specific story I wanted to tell. I knew I wanted to write a story about a badass female James Bond, but that was as far as it went. Therefore, it took two completed novels before The Child Riddler story came together.

Those two novels were how I learned and practiced the craft of writing. I made a point to hire editors from the start. I respect editors immensely. Editors are my writing teachers. Fortunately, I was smart enough to know that while I could write press releases, speeches and papers, writing fiction and structuring novels are a whole different ball game.

I queried one of the novels and while I received rejections, I did get some good personal feedback from agents which helped me keep going. I also attended writer conferences and pitched the novel in person to agents and again, amongst the rejections, there was good feedback. I always believed in Zoe Lorel’s story and never gave up. As I mentioned, I overcame a terrible childhood so I knew that successfully achieving a goal takes hard work. My strong belief is anything can be done; no obstacle is immoveable.

Your day job is pretty amazing, how has your role as an internationally recognized communication professional impacted you as a fiction writer?

The pandemic ended my international career since there was no travel. While travel is starting to resume, I think since I’m published now, it’s the right time to turn the page to the next chapter of being a full-time writer.

But to answer your question, my career had a major impact. I traveled to twenty-one countries and experienced first-hand the effect of global political changes and turmoil.

Hungary and other Central and Eastern European countries were undergoing the dramatic change from communism to democracy during part of my tenure with the IAEA. This monumental political shift resulted in a significant need for training in communicating with the media and public, which I was fortunate to be able to assist with through IAEA expert missions and workshops. It was a marvelous opportunity for me as I learned to appreciate the richness of other cultures and had the opportunity to meet and work with many remarkable people.

One of the greatest satisfactions as an author, I think, is sharing. I get to share my life’s exciting adventures with readers. Zoe, as a globe-trotting operative travels to some of the fascinating countries I’ve visited in my career.

But it was more than just traveling to other countries. From the start of my career some thirty years ago in Chicago at the Commission on Human Relations, I worked closely with diverse people, often on a large scale—public meetings, special events, press conferences. And IAEA missions to countries—such as Pakistan, Bulgaria, Russia, Germany, South Africa, Ukraine, France, China, Japan—provided me insights into country histories and cultural complexities.

I learned from my career that the earth is populated by multi-dimensional people who come from a variety of cultures and live under diverse political systems.

As I see it, while fiction may be a story created from someone’s imagination, it probably has happened or will—because we live the stories every day. Our lives are comedies and dramas. Our actions are often mysterious. Our days can be suspenseful.

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

Reading, boating, refereeing my two Burmese cats’ competition for lap time, and dancing to work out power mixes while on the treadmill.

What are you working on now?

A sequel to The Child Riddler. I don’t want to tell you more as it’s still early enough in the process for me to change plot elements.

Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:

Take in moments with all your senses, so you can enhance your writing with full sensory descriptions. When you step outside, breathe in the humid air. As you walk up to the restaurant look down and gaze at the pink petals of the wildflower plantings. Raise your hand and touch the cool brick wall as you enter. Inside, sit quietly for a second and listen to the varying cadences of the voices surrounding you. When you sip your French onion soup, fully taste the soft sweetness of the caramelized onions by letting them sit your tongue for a few seconds. Lose yourself in your craft. It’s wonderful.

Great Advice!Author Pet Corner!Princess!Lea!

I have two Burmese cats: Princess and Lea (and yes, I realized later the naming was a subconscious tie to one of my favorite movies Star Wars!).

The fur children are affectionate, playful and follow me around.

They are “puppy kitties.”

Angela Greenman

Angela Greenman is an internationally recognized communications professional.

She has been an expert and lecturer with the International Atomic Energy Agency for over a decade, a spokesperson for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and a press officer for the Chicago Commission on Human Relations, the City’s civil rights department.

She has traveled the world (21 countries and counting), sailed the turquoise Caribbean waters, explored Canada’s beautiful wilderness and lakes, and now her imagination is devising plots for future novels that will feature more of the exciting places she has been.

To learn more about Angela, click on her name, photo, or any of the following links: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn & TikTok

 

 

Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell

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

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator 2020

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery 2020

 

 

The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook. Out July 19.

Header photo from Pixabay.

The post The Child Riddler: A Thriller appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

Intrepid Spirit: Action, History & Supernatural

Intrepid Spirit by debut author David Tunno.

Author Interview + Book & Author InfoDon’t miss any ITW Debut Author Interviews, click the link here.Intrepid Spirit by David Tunno

Past and present cross swords in Intrepid Spirit, an action adventure naval thriller that weaves history, romance and the supernatural in a modern-day high-seas adventure.

Troubled navy hero, Moses Redding, commands USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides,” in a battle to foil a jihadist plot by the descendants of her historic foes, the Barbary Coast pirates.

“Intrepid Spirit is a swashbuckling tale on the high seas that will put saltwater in your veins as the crew of the Constitution battle international terrorists using only their wits and the canvas sails and black powder guns of the historic warship.” —Dirk Cussler, Bestselling Author

To purchase Intrepid Spirit, click any of the following links: Amazon and Barnes & NobleDavid Tunno — Author of Intrepid Spirit — Interview

Intrepid Spirit follows Lt. Moses Redding after he incites an international incident on the eve of Mideast peace talks. What caused him to incite that incident? What was his goal?

He was confronted with a situation involving a boat full of Iranian refugees attempting to flee across the Gulf from Iran. They were pursued by an Iranian navy vessel. Redding was in command of a US Navy vessel and wanted to intercede on behalf of the refugees, but was stopped by the US Navy, who heard the radio transmissions from the Iranians that they were pursuing terrorists.

The few seconds that delayed Redding from attacking allowed the Iranians to destroy the refugee vessel and all on board. Redding the disobeyed the order and destroyed the Iranians, resulting in a major international incident on the eve of the peace talks and leading to his being pushed into a command that would, supposedly, keep him out of trouble.

The delay in his actions haunts him thereafter and hints at what might happen to him later in the story.

What should readers know about Moses Redding and Dr. Miriam Hannah:

One is from Venus, the other from Mars.

He is the alpha male and a man of action, but with a reputation in the navy as a lone wolf and a problem. He lacks social graces, and sees life in fairly simple terms, right v. wrong, but is the guy you want to be standing next to in a fight.

She is the whole package, beauty and brains, who can hold her own in an argument in many languages. She’s an east coast intellectual, who grew up in the bubble of that culture, and the top aide to the vice president, point person on the peace talks.

Without knowing the full story of the incident, Redding’s actions in the gulf put him at odds with her from day one. There is a mutual attraction, but that doesn’t stop the battle of sexes conflict between them that produces a lot of comedy, but also some touching moments as the romance slowly develops.

What drew you to writing about a world-wide jihad for your debut novel?

Intrepid Spirit is the novelization of one of my screenplays.

The story was inspired by the events of 9/11, combined with my knowledge of the history of USS Constitution, built to fight the Barbary Coast pirates. Given that history, and 9/11, and the many conflicts in that region over the last two centuries, the premise of the story is that, in effect, the Barbary Coast wars never really ended.

The fact of the ship being still a US commissioned warship, the oldest in the world, and one known to be haunted, helped make the story come alive, pitting old against new and history repeating itself in an against-all-odds tale. The “fact” of the ship being haunted made making her a character in the story that much easier.

Tell us about the research you did for Intrepid Spirit ?

The research was extensive. Including, but not limited to the following:

History of the ship, how she is laid out, her rigging, her stats and the way the big guns are operated and stories related to her being haunted.History of the mid-east region, of the US in that region and of the Muslim religion, including the meaning of passages in Quran from Muslim scholars themselves.Investigation of Islamic terrorist groups worldwide.Distances and sailing times between geographic points in the story for the sake of timing.The US military presence in the mid-east region.Astrological events in a particular range of years for purposes of one special component of the story.You are a retired trial consultant, including for some very high-profile cases, such as OJ Simpson and Rodney King. Tell us about some of the highlights of your career:

The media is always more interested in high-profile criminal cases, so those are the ones that stand out. I worked on the Rodney King federal trial and was a TV commentator on the Simpson, Unabomber and Michael Jackson cases. But almost all of my cases were civil trials, some of the very large in terms of dollar value, patent cases predominantly.

Immediately following the Simpson case, I started writing a book on the American jury system and continued doing research and collecting references over a period of 16 years. Fixing the Engine of Justice: Diagnosis and Repair of Our Jury System was the result. That was published in 2012 and I’ve been collecting additional references since then for a second edition, which I hope to get around to completing someday soon.

Trial consulting is a stressful occupation. You work for lawyers in the stressful environment of high-stakes litigation. But it is rewarding in that it is both challenging intellectually and creatively. Authors would appreciate that a trial consultant is looking for the hook in a story, something to build a winning theme around and they help write a story that takes very complicated information and makes it understandable and memorable to a lay jury. It’s a job that combines science and art, left and right brain thinking.

What are you working on now?

I’ve just completed the recording of the audiobook edition of Intrepid Spirit and will be submitting it to a publisher/distributor. From there, it’s on to marketing of the book and figuring out which book to write next.

Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:

Now that I have both self-published (jury book) and traditionally published with Intrepid Spirit, my first advice to writers is to put a lot of thought into what they want for themselves and their book.

Having spent a lot of time over a 16-year period writing my jury book, a self-published, due to my losing patience with finding a publisher. Intrepid Spirit taught me how long it can take to get traditionally published when you are a debut author. But my experience with self-publishing made me determined to be traditionally published. I knew my story was worth it, to start with, but I view self-publishing as something anyone can do. They will all take your money and give you a book. For me, that means it’s not much of an accomplishment. Doing something well that’s really hard to do is an accomplishment.

So, figure out what you really want at the end of the process. If you want to traditionally publish, be very patient with the length of time and the amount of research and rejection you will face. Also, don’t start that process until your book is very well edited. That means many rounds of professional editing in addition to the editing you do yourself.

Professional editing doesn’t mean a friend or relative. It means thousands of dollars of work from multiple professionals, not just one. There isn’t one editor who has all the talents needed to get a book ready from a draft to publication.

Getting recognition from contests is very helpful. There are a lot of them out there. Waiting for those results is very time consuming, but that’s part of the need for patience with the entire process.

I would also advise debut authors, or others who have only been self-published to skip the step of trying to find an agent. There are many traditional publishers out there that don’t require them. They are mostly smaller, but that’s more likely to be the publisher you will end up with anyway. You can waste a lot of time trying to find an agent.

David Tunno — Author of Intrepid Spirit

David Tunno is a WGA affiliated screenwriter. Intrepid Spirit is based on one of his screenplays. Recently retired from a 30-year ­­­­­­­­­­­career as a prominent US trial consultant, during which he was frequent media commentator on such high-profile trials as O.J. Simpson, Rodney King, Michael Jackson and the Unabomber. For the Simpson case, he was a guest commentator on KABC TV in Los Angeles and was also a guest on CBS’s “Good Morning America” program.

He has appeared on MSNBC and Court TV and was solicited for comments by The New York Times and the Canadian Broadcast Corp. Visit www.tunno.com for more about his career and Fixing the Engine of Justice: Diagnosis and Repair of Our Jury System, his non-fiction book on problems with US jury system and his proposed solutions. Lawyers & Judges Publishing published his training manual for expert witnesses, a condensation of which was published by the American Bar Association where he was also a lecturer, as he was with many bar associations across the US and UCLA’s Anderson School of Business.

He holds a B.A. in theater and was a professional actor with stage, film and TV experience and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild. He also holds an M.A. in Communications with radio, film and television production experience. He was a radio news director and broadcaster and a newspaper columnist.

A sailor with blue water and yacht racing experience, he is also a pilot of a WWII era biplane and hot air balloons.

To learn more about David, click on his name or photo.Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell

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

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator 2020

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery 2020

 

 

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

 

 

The post Intrepid Spirit: Action, History & Supernatural appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

See You Next Tuesday: Crime Thriller

See You Next Tuesday by Ken Harris

Guest Post + Book & Author Info + Giveaway!See You Next TuesdayFrom the Case Files of Steve Rockfish

PI Steve Rockfish’s father loses part of his retirement savings in an online romance scam while partner Jawnie McGee handles the firm’s newest client who spins a tale of alleged spousal infidelity. Rockfish ignores his current case load and becomes fixated on tracking down those responsible for the fraud. Restitution is coming in the form of cash or broken bones. At the same time, Jawnie’s surveillance of the cheating spouse reveals more acts of kindness than sex leading to a client who doesn’t want to believe the good news.

Unbeknownst to the partners, each investigative path leads the partners to the Church of the Universal Nurturing II where the fraud is on a cryptocurrency level. Their new SunCoin is marketed as the only post-rapture currency accepted inside the pearly gates. After all, who wants to show up to the after party with out-turned pockets and not get past Heaven’s paywall?

Church elders court Rockfish and his new-found Hollywood wealth with an old-fashioned honey pot. The danger level ratchets up as Rockfish counters by sending the firm’s two new confidential informants undercover only to find the church’s endgame grift is larger and deadlier than anyone expected.

To purchase See You Next Tuesday, click any of the following links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Genre: Crime Fiction, Crime Thriller
Published by: Black Rose Writing
Publication Date: July 14th 2022
Number of Pages: 546
ISBN: 1684339898 (ISBN13: 9781684339891)
Series: Case Files of Steve Rockfish, #2

Guest Post by Ken Harris, author of See You Next TuesdayYour Book is a Movie! Who’s in your dream cast?

The idea of any book in the “From the Case Files of Steve Rockfish” series being made into a movie, or even an episodic series on a streaming service has been with me from the start. Heck, by the end of the first book, The Pine Barrens Stratagem, the characters themselves are the stars of their own docudrama series on the fictional Elon Musk streaming service, NikolaTV. Coming up with the dream cast for See You Next Tuesday didn’t require serious contemplation on my part as I’ve pictured these individuals in my head since I began typing out the prologue back in May 2021. Without further ado…

Bill Mosley as Steve Rockfish

Bill Mosley, the star of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and Rob Zombie’s Firefly Trilogy, is the only choice to play Steve Rockfish. Steve’s a bit Otis Driftwood, part James Rockford and Bill Mosley has the look and the acting chops to play the sarcastic, no-nonsense private detective. Heck, Bill, if you’re reading this, have your people call mine. We’ll do lunch.

Esperanza Spaulding as Jawnie McGee

Esperanza Spaulding is a Grammy Award winning bassist, singer and songwriter. I don’t know if she can act a lick, but she is Jawnie’s doppelganger with every stoke of the keyboard. Picturing her standing next to Bill Mosely as they play the polar opposite personalities but well-oiled partners is exactly what Netflix or Hulu needs to bring in an avalanche of new subscribers.

Laura Dern as Lynn Hurricane-Tesla

Since this is who would play these characters in a perfect world, I think a younger Laura Dern, somewhere between when she filmed Smoother and the first Jurassic Park movie would fit perfectly in the role of Jawnie’s first confidential informant. Laura Dern’s long storied acting resume shows she could handle the range of emotions and growth that this character undergoes throughout the novel.

Jason Mantzoukas as Raffi Perez

When you name a character Raffi, there is really only person who can bring justice to the role. Jason Mantzoukas played Rafi (only one f) in the fantasy football comedy The League. If you’ve seen that show, then you know exactly what to expect when Steve Rockfish’s life-long friend from high school, Raffi Perez, arrives on the scene and offers to help. Every one of my early readers asked me, and probably knew the answer already, if I had Rafi in mind when I created Raffi. YouTube “Best of Rafi The League” if you don’t believe me.

Lily Rabe as Lilith Highchurch

Lily Rabe’s role in American Horror Story season 2, as Sister Mary Eunice McKee, served as a jumping off point for the character of Lilith Highchurch. Need a dominant woman character who’s leading a wannabe cult? An apathetic antagonist who doesn’t sweat removing people from every dollar in their bank accounts? I immediately thought of how she brought the role of Sister Mary Eunice McKee to life.

Tommy Flanagan as Earl Porbeagle

When you need a mean biker type to play the part of an antagonist, Tommy Flanagan role as Chibs on Sons of Anarchy would be my pick to fill Earl Porbeagle’s shoes and then some. The character of Earl, as Lilith’s co-scammer and common law husband, is part cult bouncer and the idea man behind trying to drain every last cent from their rubes, err I mean parishioners.

Now if I can find someone with some pull in the industry to love this series as much as my readers and I do. With eight thousand streaming services and the need for 24/7 content, you’d think someone would reach out and give me that golden ticket. I can’t hold my hand out forever.

Best of luck with the series, Ken! Hope Hollywood comes calling.Ken Harris, Author of See You Next Tuesday

Ken Harris retired from the FBI, after thirty-two years, as a cybersecurity executive. With over three decades writing intelligence products for senior Government officials, Ken provides unique perspectives on the conventional fast-paced crime thriller.

He is the author of the “From the Case Files of Steve Rockfish” series. He spends days with his wife Nicolita, and two Labradors, Shady and Chalupa Batman. Evenings are spent playing Walkabout Mini Golf and cheering on Philadelphia sports. Ken firmly believes Pink Floyd, Irish whiskey and a Montecristo cigar are the only muses necessary. He is a native of New Jersey and currently resides in Northern Virginia.

The Pine Barrens Stratagem published on January, 27, 2022. The sequel, See You Next Tuesday published July 14th and the third in the trilogy A Bad Bout of the Yips is coming March 9, 2023.

To learn more about Ken, click any of the following links: www.KenHarrisFiction.com, Goodreads, BookBub – @08025writes, Instagram – @kenharrisfiction, Twitter – @08025writes, Facebook – @kah623 & Twitch – @KenHarrisFictionDon’t miss any book tour posts! Click the link here.

Visit all the Stops on the Tour!

07/13 Audio review @ The Reading Frenzy
07/13 Showcase @ 411 ON BOOKS, AUTHORS, AND PUBLISHING NEWS
07/14 Guest post @ The Mystery of Writing
07/14 Review @ Paws. Read. Repeat
07/15 Showcase @ FUONLYKNEW
07/15 Showcase @ Novels Alive
07/16 Guest post @ The Book Divas Reads
07/17 Showcase @ Books Blog
07/22 Mysteries to Die For: Toe Tags
07/23 Review @ Beyond the books
07/27 Showcase @ Celticladys Reviews
07/29 Interview @ I Read What You Write
07/31 Review @ Melissa As Blog
08/01 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
08/03 Review @ Nesies Place
08/04 Audio Review @ Wall-to-wall Books
08/05 Review @ Novels Alive

Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell

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

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator 2020

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery 2020

 

 

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

The post See You Next Tuesday: Crime Thriller appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

A Bride’s Guide To Marriage and Murder

A Bride’s Guide To Marriage and Murder[image error]

Character Guest Post + Book & Author Info + Rafflecopter Giveaway!A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder

Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, returns in Dianne Freeman’s charming, lighthearted mystery series set in Victorian England, and finds her wedding day overshadowed by murder . . .

On the eve of her marriage to George Hazelton, Frances has a great deal more on her mind than flowers and seating arrangements. The Connors and the Bainbridges, two families of American robber barons, have taken up residence in London, and their bitter rivalry is spilling over into the highest social circles. At the request of her brother, Alonzo, who is quite taken with Miss Madeline Connor, Frances has invited the Connor family to her wedding. Meanwhile, Frances’s mother has invited Mr. Bainbridge, and Frances fears the wedding may end up being newspaper-worthy for all the wrong reasons.

On the day itself, Frances is relieved to note that Madeline’s father is not among the guests assembled at the church. The reason for his absence, however, turns out to be most unfortunate: Mr. Connor is found murdered in his home. More shocking still, Alonzo is caught at the scene, holding the murder weapon.

Powerful and ruthless, Connor appears to have amassed a wealth of enemies alongside his fortune. Frances and George agree to put their wedding trip on hold to try and clear Alonzo’s name. But there are secrets to sift through, not just in the Bainbridge and Connor families, but also in their own. And with a killer determined to evade discovery at any cost—even if it means taking another life—Frances’s first days as a newlywed will be perilous indeed . . .

To purchase A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder, click any of the following links: Amazon – B & N, Bookshop.org & IndieBound.org

A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder (A Countess of Harleigh Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – Victorian England
Kensington (June 28, 2022)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496731611
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496731616
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09HRC11G9

A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder — Character Guest PostFrances Wynn on her fiancé George Hazelton and fate

Do you ever wonder about fate? It’s been on my mind quite a bit lately. My name is Frances Wynn and my title is Countess of Harleigh. I’m about to be married on February 20th, 1900 to George Hazelton, a man who has been on the periphery of my life for many years now. He’s the reason I’ve been thinking about things that, perhaps, were meant to be.

A little over ten years ago, when I was Frances Price and my title was American heiress, my mother brought me to London to marry a member of the aristocracy. American heiress wasn’t really my title, but it was my most significant attribute, at least to London society. I was presented to the Queen and attended my first London ball, where I met the Prince of Wales. Once he put it about that he found me “delightful,” my popularity soared.

I met so many eligible bachelors that I can’t remember them all. But I do recall meeting George—tall, handsome, young, and good-humored. Unfortunately, he was the third son of an earl and had no hope of inheriting a title. I was sure my mother wouldn’t approve of him. What I found out, quite after the fact, was that she had already chosen a husband for me and sent other potential suitors, including George, on their way.

Her choice was Reginald (Reggie) Wynn, the heir to the Earl of Harleigh. The family were dealing with financial difficulties and therefore eager to accept my dowry. Accepting me was another matter altogether. I was largely ignored. After a brief honeymoon, Reggie dropped me off at the old manor in the country while he returned to London and his bachelor ways. I joined him there every spring for the social season, and in the fall, we’d host shooting parties at the manor. We did manage to have a child and he was a doting father when he was around, but generally, we lived apart.

Fortunately, I maintained a friendship with George’s sister, Fiona. In fact, she is my best friend. She brought George with her to one of our shooting parties when her husband was unavailable. Reggie died that weekend under very scandalous circumstances. At least, they would have been scandalous if George hadn’t helped me to put things right, shall we say. I don’t know why I turned to him, but some instinct told me he was trustworthy.

Imagine my surprise when, a year later, I found that I’d just taken a lease on a town house next door to his. Was it fate? I don’t know, but when I suspected one of my sister’s suitors was a murderer, who gave me the confidence to investigate and indeed, helped me? George. When a friend was found murdered in her own home, then later found to be in the possession of a collection of salacious gossip about nearly everyone in town, including me, who was there to help me flush out the killer? George. Who is the best partner a woman could want and the man I can’t wait to marry? Of course, it’s George.

So, tell me, is it fate?

Dianne Freeman

Dianne Freeman is the acclaimed author of the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series. She is an Agatha Award and Lefty Award winner, as well as a finalist for the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award from Mystery Writers of America.

After thirty years of working in corporate accounting and finance, she now writes full-time. Born and raised in Michigan, she and her husband split their time between Michigan and Arizona. Visit her at www.DiFreeman.com.

To learn more about Dianne, click on any of the following links: GoodReads, Website, Facebook, Twitter, InstagramDon’t miss any book tour posts! Click the link here.

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July 5 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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July 7 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

July 7 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW

July 8 – I Read What You Write – GUEST POST

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July 8 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 9 – Just Another Teen Reading Books – REVIEW

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July 13 – The Mystery of Writing – CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 13 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – REVIEW

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July 14 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT  

July 14 – Mysteries with Character – REVIEW

July 14 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT

Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell

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

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator 2020

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery 2020

The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook. Out July 19.

 

The post A Bride’s Guide To Marriage and Murder appeared first on The Mystery of Writing.

Death and the Conjuror: Mystery and Magic

Death and the Conjuror, a debut filled with magic and mystery.

Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Author Pet Corner!Don’t miss Tom’s guest post on my blog with his Partners in Crime Book Tour! Click the link here.Death and the ConjurorA magician-turned-sleuth in pre-war London solves three impossible crimes

In 1930s London, celebrity psychiatrist Anselm Rees is discovered dead in his locked study, and there seems to be no way that a killer could have escaped unseen. There are no clues, no witnesses, and no evidence of the murder weapon. Stumped by the confounding scene, the Scotland Yard detective on the case calls on retired stage magician-turned-part-time sleuth Joseph Spector. For who better to make sense of the impossible than one who traffics in illusions?

Spector has a knack for explaining the inexplicable, but even he finds that there is more to this mystery than meets the eye. As he and the Inspector interview the colorful cast of suspects among the psychiatrist’s patients and household, they uncover no shortage of dark secrets―or motives for murder. When the investigation dovetails into that of an apparently-impossible theft, the detectives consider the possibility that the two transgressions are related. And when a second murder occurs, this time in an impenetrable elevator, they realize that the crime wave will become even more deadly unless they can catch the culprit soon.

A tribute to the classic golden-age whodunnit, when crime fiction was a battle of wits between writer and reader, Death and the Conjuror joins its macabre atmosphere, period detail, and vividly-drawn characters with a meticulously-constructed fair play puzzle. Its baffling plot will enthrall readers of mystery icons such as Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr, modern masters like Anthony Horowitz and Elly Griffiths, or anyone who appreciates a good mystery.

To purchase Death and the Conjuror, click on any of the following links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | The Mysterious BookshopThe Interview with Tom Mead — Author of Death and the ConjurorDeath and the Conjuror is a locked room mystery. Tell readers what that means and why that intrigued you for your debut novel.

Well, the locked-room mystery is a subgenre of the classic fair-play puzzle mystery.

It’s perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, and all those other legends from the first half of the twentieth century. It’s a kind of umbrella term which covers all manner of impossible crimes—that is, crimes where there appears to be no way the criminal could actually have committed them.

The classic example is the murder victim found in a room which is locked or sealed on the inside—the question is not only whodunit but also howdunit? It’s a real challenge for the writer, but a fun one; I love devising problems and then coming up with a logical solution where everything is explained.

One of my favourite books in the genre is The Hollow Man (also published as The Three Coffins) by John Dickson Carr. Carr is a hero of mine, and a constant inspiration—I’m in awe of his ingenuity, imagination, and his knack for creating a spooky, macabre atmosphere.

Death and the Conjuror is set in the 1930s. What do you love about that time period? What research did you do to capture London between the world wars?

It seemed natural to write about the 1930s because that was the height of the golden age of detective fiction.

I thought it was fitting to set my novel—which pays conscious tribute to the genre—right in the middle of its most productive period. So I suppose you could say that the London I’m writing about is seen through the lens of the golden age.

Classic mysteries are fascinating social documents, crammed with insights about class, domestic life, culture, police procedure … you name it!

In terms of research, I came up with the idea for the novel first, then wrote it out in draft, before going on a lengthy research binge where I listed all my questions about whether a specific trick would work or whether a certain scenario would have been feasible in the ’30s. I managed to find most of my answers in books, online archives and old newspapers. The research itself was a pleasure; I always love it when I get the chance to play detective in real life!

How does magic play a role in your debut novel?

My detective character, Joseph Spector, is a retired music hall magician with a knack for solving apparently insoluble problems.

I love writing about him because it gives me the chance to include all kinds of unusual little tricks and sleights-of-hand. But on a broader level, I think there’s an important correlation between mystery writing and illusion. In both instances the “performer” has to ensure the audience is looking in the wrong direction, so they don’t spot how the trick is worked.

This is particularly relevant to locked-room mysteries, where working out how a crime was committed is a key part of the puzzle.

In addition to novels, you also write short stories. How does your process differ between the two?

Again, I think of it in terms of magic tricks. If a novel is like a full-scale magic show, then a short story is like a game of three-card monte.

It might not have all the bells and whistles, but it’s equally challenging in its own way.

In some ways it’s more challenging because you have fewer words to play with, so it’s not as easy to plant clues and guide the reader up the garden path. But the process itself is actually pretty similar—in my case, I might begin a short story with a single puzzle, image, idea or character, whereas I will begin a novel with a few disparate elements that I gradually weave together.

What can we find you doing when you aren’t writing and reading mysteries?

I’m a huge fan of live theatre—everything from experimental drama to musicals. Death and the Conjuror features a fictional West End theatre called the Pomegranate, which gave me the opportunity to delve into the history of London’s famous theatre district. I had great fun basing certain characters on real-life historical figures, and hopefully eagle-eyed readers will be able to work out who’s who.

What are you working on now?

I recently finished the second Spector book, a sequel to Death and the Conjuror called The Murder Wheel.

There’s plenty more magic and mystery for my detective to tackle in the streets of 1930s London!

I’ve also recently finished co-authoring a locked-room mystery for young adults with my friend Michael Dahl, which we’re hoping will be the start of a new series.

Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:

The most important thing is to finish what you start.

No one is going to buy a half-finished novel. You may not get it right first time, but it’s best to tell your story from beginning to end and worry about the rest later. That’s what editing is for.

Author Pet Corner!Chloe!

This is Chloe. It seems fitting for a mystery writer to have a master thief as a pet. She steals anything she can get her paws round—edible and otherwise.

Her most audacious theft was a peach from a fruit bowl; I found it later that day, half-eaten.

She’s also my muse, and a budding author herself—by which I mean she tends to wander across the keyboard when I’m in the middle of typing a sentenfdg;jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj

Tom Mead

Tom Mead is a UK crime fiction author specialising in locked-room mysteries. He is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association, International Thriller Writers, and the Society of Authors.

He is a prolific author of short fiction, and recently his story “Heatwave” was included in THE BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR 2021, edited by Lee Child. DEATH AND THE CONJUROR is his first novel.

To learn more about Tom, click on any of the following links: TomMeadAuthor.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Twitter – @TomMeadAuthor & Facebook – @tommeadauthor

Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell

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

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator 2020

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery 2020

 

 

The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!). Out July 19.

Header photo by The Digital Artist on Pixabay.

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