Melissa Bowersock's Blog
January 29, 2024
I've found I no longer have the time to keep my blog up ...
I've found I no longer have the time to keep my blog up to date; too busy writing, editing and publishing. So I will not be adding anymore pages to my blog, but the archive will still be available. If you have any questions, you can always reach me through my webpage: www.newmoonrising.net.
In the meantime, I'm still working on my paranormal mystery series, The Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud Mystery Series. You can see all those books here. Many of my books are now also audio books, and can be found on Audible.
Just know that I appreciate all you readers and listeners, and welcome any comments or suggestions for new book ideas. I feel like the connection between me and my readers is a two-way street, so I'm always happy to hear from you. You guys rock!
October 22, 2022
Catch-Up Time
A lot's been going on over the past few months, and I've been remiss to keep you updated. Since I released Hopi Walk, Book 33 of the Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud Mystery Series, I've also finished Book 34 (Healing Walk) and Book 35 (Trojan Walk), and I'm almost done with Book 36, Betrayal Walk. Whew! Sometimes it's hard for ME to keep up with the paranormal duo!
On top of that, my new narrator, Julie John, has been working hard on the audio versions of the books. If you recall, Laura Wilson had recorded the first 11 books in the series, but when Covid hit, her time as a voice artist was severely limited by her other essential work. When I found Julie John, I hit the jackpot. Julie has done a fabulous job taking over the series, and has let her creativity loose in the way she portrays the characters. She's excellent at using different voices for the different characters, which means it's much easier for the listener to keep track of who's talking. In addition, she's also introducing subtle but very effective sound effects into the stories--not enough to interfere with the narration, but just enough to set the mood and give the audio experience an extra bit of oomph. If you like audio books, I think you'll love what Julie's done with the latest books. She's already finished 12, 13 and 14 (Fire Walk, Revenge Walk, Gangster Walk), and is currently working #15, Karma Walk.
Check out the entire series here, and of course the ebook of Ghost Walk is always only 99 cents.
February 21, 2022
New Release: Hopi Walk
Happy New Year, Friends! Hope your holidays were all good ones and that the year looks promising ahead. We've got to get out from under this Covid stuff sometime, right?
I'm happy to announce the release of book #33 of the Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud Mystery Series, Hopi Walk . This is another adventure out on the reservation, which seems to be a favorite locale for most of my readers. Here's the blurb:
Navajo police officer John Stoneburner is a tough cookie who hates to rely on anyone else, especially Sam Firecloud with his “woo-woo” abilities. So when John asks Sam to investigate the death of his own brother, Sam knows John is totally out of ideas. The investigation centers on Blue Canyon, a scenic and spiritual area of the Hopi reservation. When Sam walks the location, he not only connects with John’s brother, but also with other enraged spirits that are out for revenge, and that don’t care who they exact it from.
Sound interesting? Hopi Walk will be priced at only 99 cents through February 28, 2022. Ghost Walk , Book 1 of the series, is always only 99 cents, so if you want to start at the beginning (encouraged, but not necessary), you can dive in on the cheap.
Enjoy the new book, and stay safe!
October 21, 2021
New Release: Redemption Walk
Happy Fall to all! Hope you're all ready for the fall season (except my friends in the Southern Hemisphere!): the chill winds, the colored leaves, the hot drinks by the fireplace. Here in Southern Utah, we've already had our first snow! Didn't last long, but it was beautiful.
I'm very happy to announce the release of the latest Sam and Lacey book, Redemption Walk. This is Book #32 in the series. Here's the lowdown:
When medium Sam Firecloud and his partner, Lacey Fitzpatrick, are called in to investigate a haunting, they find out very quickly that the spirit is their client’s mother—and she is a poltergeist. The recently departed soul moves random objects around the house, seemingly without purpose. Sam knows the ghost has a story to tell, but it’s hidden deep in the past. Although the secret threatens to tear the family apart, if Sam and Lacey can’t figure out the clues and uncover the whole truth, the ghost will be bound in agony to the earth plane—forever.
To celebrate, Redemption Walk will be priced at just 99 cents until October 31st. Consider it my Halloween gift to you! What better way to celebrate Halloween than with Sam and Lacey and another anguished ghost? Oh, and by the way: hanky alert! Keep them handy. This is quite a different journey than the one in the last book, Twilight Walk.
As always, you can see the entire series here.
As we head into our second Covid winter, I sincerely hope you're all staying safe and will be able to gather with friends and family around the holidays. I've been fortunate enough to get with family a couple of times already, and it was delightful--and sorely missed. Grateful that we've been able to stave off the virus that's affected so many. Wishing the same for all of you.
July 25, 2021
Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week
The concept of self-publishing has changed dramatically over the past 40 years; I should know, because I have been involved in publishing in one form or another for that long. My first two books were traditionally published by a NY house, meaning my agent sent them the first manuscript, they read it, they liked it and they decided to take a chance on an unknown and publish it. I even got a small advance on it. When they saw my second book, they snapped that one up, too, and both books had several runs over the ensuing few years. When the publishers decided the books had run their course, they took them out of print and reassigned all rights to me to do as I wished. Well, what I wished was to keep the books viable--but how?
Enter self-publishing. Yes, there was a time when self-published meant your old weird uncle wrote down his ideas about UFOs and how they came from the center of the (hollow) earth to monitor our burgeoning nuclear capabilities, books that no traditional publisher (at that time) would touch. Back then, many of those books probably had bad spelling, bad punctuation and a dicey plot line.
In the intervening years, self-publishing has become the method of choice for many, but not because they write like your uncle. The truth is, traditional publishing has gotten very conservative, and the big houses will very seldom, if ever, take a chance on an unknown. If they're not convinced the book will be a best-seller (and who can predict that?), they will likely pass. Luckily, self-publishing has become not only an option but even a preferred method. Why self-publish? There are many reasons, but I'll tell you why I do it: (1) Total control--I control everything about my book: the title, the cover, the editing, the way it's packaged and the way it's marketed. I don't have to worry about my book fitting into the latest trend, and I don't have to worry about a page count. I write what I want to write (and read), and don't have to worry about getting approval from anyone. (2) Time--it's a fact that traditional publishers move slowly. I'd always heard that publishing was like mating elephants: It's done at a high level; it's accomplished with a great deal of roaring and screaming; and it takes two years to produce results. With self-publishing, I can release a book almost instantly, as soon as it's edited and done. Additionally, if I need to make changes, if I find one of those horrid little typos, I can fix it and upload a new version immediately. No traditional publisher has that kind of response time. (3) Royalties--it's not my goal to become a zillionaire, but neither is it my goal to be a starving artist. With self-publishing, I set the retail price for my books based on the production cost, and while I keep the price low so I'm not gouging my readers, I still make more than I ever did with traditional publishing.
All that being said, some people still regard self-publishing negatively, which is why I was very pleasantly surprised to see that some bloggers/book reviewers had banded together to create Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week. Bloggers and book reviewers are worth their weight in gold. Most of them read a crazy number of books, they have a very good idea of what makes an enjoyable read, and they share their insight with anyone willing to follow them. I was humbled and grateful to find my name on their list of worthwhile authors. Now you, dear readers, can read a long list of reviews of my books and decide if they're your cup of tea, plus I have a feeling you just might find some authors new to you that also fit the bill. I hope you'll check out all the posts during Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week, and I send out a hearty thanks to those bloggers that participated.
June 10, 2021
New Release: Twilight Walk
How's everybody doing? Excited about having the Covid restrictions starting to loosen up? I sure am. It feels good to be able to walk around without a mask, to actually see people's faces, see them smile. After so long with the masks, tho, it feels funny to go without... a little. But I'm sure we'll get used to it.I'm also excited to announce Book #31, a new adventure in the Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud Mystery Series: Twilight Walk. This one takes the paranormal investigators into places and situations they've never been before, with unexpected results. I think you'll really want to sink your teeth into it!
Here's the deal:
Paranormal investigators Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud have their lives turned upside down by a sudden medical emergency that sidelines Lacey for the foreseeable future. At the same time, however, the LAPD is stymied by what appears to be a serial murderer, and not just the ordinary garden variety. This one leaves teeth marks on the victims’ necks. Is a vampire loose in LA? Sam intends to find out, and must plunge alone into the dark underground of bloodlust culture. Can he track down the evidence by himself, and can recalcitrant Lacey follow doctor’s orders long enough to let her body heal?
To celebrate the new release, the Twilight Walk ebook will be only 99 cents through June 30, 2021.
Not familiar with Sam and Lacey? The first book, Ghost Walk, is always just 99 cents. You can see the entire series here.
And have you ever wondered what goes on in an author's brain? Where we get all our crazy ideas? Well, I'll show you mine. Here's an interview I did recently. Some of the answers might surprise you.
May 15, 2021
News and Views
Since my move to a new town in a new state last September, my writing schedule has pretty much gone to hell. Luckily I am getting my stride back, and I've been working on Book 31 of the Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud Mystery Series, Twilight Walk. Here's a preview and the cover:
Paranormal investigators Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud have their lives turned upside down by a sudden medical emergency that sidelines Lacey for the foreseeable future. At the same time, however, the LAPD is stymied by what appears to be a serial murderer, and not just the ordinary garden variety. This one leaves teeth marks on the victims’ necks. Is a vampire loose in LA? Sam intends to find out, and must plunge alone into the dark underground of bloodlust culture. Can he track down the evidence by himself, and can recalcitrant Lacey follow doctor’s orders long enough to let her body heal?
I'm not quite done with this one yet, but will be soon, and I think you'll enjoy the ride.
Meanwhile my cover designer has been redoing more of the covers of the series, and they are looking fabulous, if I say so myself. Here's a sample:
I think they look pretty nifty, don't you? It'll take a while to get them all redone, but it'll happen.
And finally, one more announcement. There's a beta program that's now allowing us to publish hardback books, and I was quick to jump on that and try it out. I've released my non-fiction, the biography of my aunt who was a prisoner-of-war, as a hardback. Now that book is available as an ebook, a paperback, a hardback and an audio book. Whew! I think we've got everyone covered there, whatever your choice of format might be.
Meanwhile, I hope everyone is staying safe and enjoying some of the newfound freedom we're seeing as we're getting this virus under control. It's been a long haul, but we're definitely seeing some progress. Together, we can beat this.
March 21, 2021
New Release: Suicide Walk
Spring has spring. and Sam and Lacey are on another difficult case in Suicide Walk. This one has a double whammy to it, a stubborn case coinciding with stubborn family issues that the pair are trying to solve.
Raising teenagers is tough. Medium Sam Firecloud and his partner, Lacey Fitzpatrick, have that brought home to them in spades when Sam’s sixteen-year-old son, Daniel, calls a sudden family meeting to make an unexpected, and unwelcome, announcement. Not only are Sam and Lacey struggling to deal with the development, they’re doing it in different ways, adding to the tension. At the same time, they are hired to investigate the death of a fifteen-year-old girl who chose to tragically end what was a privileged but tragic life. When Sam’s usual methods for dealing with a tethered soul go stunningly wrong, he and Lacey are left to wonder if they can ultimately help either of the two teens—living and dead—to find peace.
This is Book #30 of the popular series, and to celebrate this milestone, I am reducing the price of ALL ebooks in the series to just 99 cents each. If you've been waiting for a reason to grab up an armload of Sam and Lacey, or if you've read them through Kindle Unlimited only and want to own them so you can re-read them anytime you want, now is your chance. The books will be on sale through March 31, 2021, so get 'em while they're hot... eh, cold. Follow the paranormal pair on all their adventures, from California to New York, from the US to Ireland to Israel.And as always, I hope everyone is staying safe. We're making it through the tough challenges we're facing all around the globe. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
October 26, 2020
New Release--Finally!
I'll bet some of you thought I'd fallen off the planet. Over the past three or four years, I've been releasing a new book about every 6 to 8 weeks, and now all of a sudden I dropped out of sight for months. Well, I've been busy--moving. This summer in AZ was too brutally hot, so my husband and I moved to Kanab, Utah. Kanab sits at 5000 feet and is easily 10 to even 20 degrees cooler than where we were. It's a charming little town set smack amid red rock canyons, and is close to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Lots of amazing places for us to explore.
But during all that time of packing, moving, and unpacking, I left Sam and Lacey working frantically to solve serial murders in the tony community of Huntington Beach, California. Luckily the pair of paranormal investigators were up to the challenge of not only pursuing the murderer, but staying on track even as I was busy elsewhere. Now, finally, I am happy to announce the release of Book 29, Execution Walk . Here's the scoop:On a lazy morning, paranormal investigators Sam Firecloud and Lacey Fitzpatrick take some rare time off and head for the beach—Huntington Beach, to be exact. What they don’t expect is to wander onto the scene of a brutal murder committed the night before. When Sam’s initial impressions are surreptitiously recorded by TV cameras at the same time that a local psychic named Anubis makes startling claims about the murder, news journalists smell a ratings bonanza—the battle of the psychics. All Sam and Lacey want to do is stop the killer from killing again, which turns out to be more complex than they’d imagined—especially with the annoying distraction of being partnered with Anubis.
Sound interesting? I think so. It's Sam and Lacey doing what they do best. To celebrate the new release, the ebook of Execution Walk is only 99 cents through November 1, 2020. If you still haven't been introduced to the ghostbusting pair, Ghost Walk , Book 1, is always only 99 cents. And, I'm happy to report, I've started working on Book #30.
In the meantime, my wonderful narrators have been busy, as well. The first 10 books in the Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud Mystery Series are now on audio, with 11 soon to come. In addition, both books of the No Time for Travis time-travel series are now on audio. You can see all my audio books here. If any of my audio books look tantalizing to you, let me know. I have free promo codes to give away, and you can download and listen to any (or all) of those books for free! Just shoot me an email and let me know what books you'd like to have and I will send you the codes. I have codes for both US and UK available.
I hope you all have a safe and scary-fun Halloween. What could be better for Halloween than ghosts and more ghosts? After all, it is the day when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. And when those ghosts become troublesome, or in need of redemption, who you gonna call? Why, Sam and Lacey, of course!
Happy Halloween!
May 21, 2020
New Release: Stone Walk
Looking for that perfect book to read on the beach or at the park? (For my friends in the Southern Hemisphere, how about a good book to read sitting by the fire with a cup of tea?) I just might have a suggestion for you. Stone Walk, Book 28 of the Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud Mystery Series is out, just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. Here's the deal:
Who knew there was a Scottish castle hiding on a high promontory over Monterey, California? Lacey Fitzpatrick and medium Sam Firecloud certainly didn’t; not until they were called in to investigate ghostly manifestations. The Gold Rush-era castle is being restored as a museum, but the most important plans have been derailed due to the refusal of frightened workers to trespass onto the outraged spirit’s territory. When Sam and Lacey attempt to unravel the truth behind the angry ghost, they are plunged into a grisly, hidden culture of unspeakable rituals.
Sound like it might give you chills on a warm afternoon? It could. If you want to find out, the eBook is on sale for just 99 cents through May 31, 2020. And of course, Ghost Walk, Book 1, is always just 99 cents.
