Sandra Nachlinger's Blog, page 65

Deadly Pleasures - Sex and the City Meets James Patterson*

Today we’re welcoming author Mary Firmin to our blog. We’ve both read and enjoyed her mystery,  Deadly Pleasures, and now we have a few questions. Mary has kindly agreed to satisfy our curiosity (plus give away a copy of her book!)  
S&S: What made you decide to write a murder mystery?  Mary: I love to read murder mysteries about serial killers, and I really enjoyed creating a puzzle. Most people who read the book do not figure out until nearly the end who is actually the Bondage Murderer. Of course, there are a few who do. I originally heard a true story about four men who hired a woman to be available for them sexually, and I was going to weave the murder mystery around them.  But then I thought how much more interesting and forbidden it would be if four women did the same thing.
S&S: Tell us a little bit about your characters, especially Megan Riley and Matt Donovan. Which character was the most fun to write?  Mary: Megan was the most fun to write. I think Megan is a lot like me, but I’m sure there is a little bit of me in all my characters. Matt Donovan is a character that came to me whole. When he first arrived on the Ecstasea to question the girls, I saw him in my mind’s eye and then just described him. He is a good man and it shows through in the story. He still gets shocked at grisly murder scenes; he has a great deal of love for his daughter. He is an all around good guy and was the easiest to write about.
S&S: You did a great job with the settings – the yacht club, Catalina Island, etc. Why did you feature those particular places in Deadly Pleasures?    Mary: I lived in Santa Monica for many years and sold real estate in all the areas of the book. Malibu, Venice Beach, Marina del Rey.  In fact I walked Venice Beach every day. My husband and I owned a power boat and were long-time members of a Southern California yacht club.  We spent a lot of time cruising up and down the coastline and spent many days and weeks on Catalina Island.  We both loved the ocean.
"... never let me tie him up."
S&S: The BDSM clubs included in your book must have been an “unusual” thing to research. How did you come up with your ideas for that part of your story? Mary: I am not a member of the BDSM community nor do I subscribe to the lifestyle.  But I did decide to create a serial killer with a serious sexual problem. At the time a friend of ours, who is a psychologist, told me how to research the BDSM lifestyle and recommended Psychopathia Sexualis as a book describing the clinical approach. My husband and I visited loads of porno shops and viewed the apparatuses so I could describe them in my book.  We had lots of fun doing the research, but he would never let me tie him up.  And I wouldn’t let him either, so we were a bust when it came to the bondage scene.  My husband passed away before the book was on the market, and that makes me very sad because he never saw the book in print.
S&S: What part of the book was the most difficult to write?  Mary: The most difficult part to write was the first crime scene with Sherrie Weston. I have a daughter and it was hard to think about the terrible things that the killer did to Sherrie and the other women.  I know from reading tons of non-fiction and true crime, that there are a lot of bad people out there and that’s why we worry so much about our children.
"... some of them have Deadly Secrets."
S&S: Are you currently working on another novel? If so, could you give us a few hints about it? Mary: Yes, I am planning a Deadly Trilogy. The second book is Deadly Secrets. It is about a murder, or two or three, in a golfing community in the desert. Megan is there to sell a house for Kathleen, who ended up marrying the boytoy.  As usual she jumps right into the middle of it, and when Matt comes to visit she is knee deep in the drama.  The relationship between Matt and Megan is having some difficulties so their romance continues to be a part of the story.  Most people in the desert migrate from other areas and many go there to retire, but some of them have Deadly Secrets. 

Here’s the synopsis of Deadly Pleasures:    Megan Riley has bigger things to worry about than the fact that her neighbor has just been found dead.
    Her engagement has just ended, and she is once again on a quest to find Mr. Right—or at least Mr. Right Now. Tired of emotional ties and ready for a new adventure, Megan and her three best friends make a fateful decision. They hire hunky stripper Michael Harrington as their timeshare boytoy—unaware he is the prime suspect in a series of gruesome murders. Suddenly, they find themselves involved in a complicated murder investigation led by a handsome detective who is focused only on finding the twisted serial killer before he strikes again. But who will be the next to die? Megan, the hardworking real estate agent; newly divorced Kathleen; Alex, married to a wealthy businessman; or Rachel, the spurned wife of a hot Hollywood screenwriter?
   Following her own investigation, Megan takes a wild ride through L.A.'s bondage parlors, hidden sex clubs, and the extravagant lifestyles of the rich and famous; soon she discovers that her quest for adventure has abruptly transformed into a dangerous game of life and death.

* "Sex and the City Meets James Patterson" - Blueink Review

GIVEAWAY !!!
Mary is graciously giving away an eBook copy of Deadly Pleasures. All you have to do is leave a comment below. Be sure to include your email address so we can contact you if you win.

For a limited time, Deadly Pleasures is only 99¢in eBook format. Here’s the link: Deadly PleasuresIt’s also available in paperback.
Visit Mary’s website for more information about the author: Mary's Website [image error]

Teaser Tuesday - Deadly Pleasures

Tuesday again, and I'm curious to see what everyone's been reading. I finished Deadly Pleasures by Mary Firmin this past week. It's a murder mystery involving four rich yacht club women, a hunky detective, a timeshare boytoy, and L.A.'s BDSM and sex clubs. It's been described as "Sex and the City meets James Patterson." Visit us again tomorrow to read our interview with the author and enter to win her book.

My teaser is from the book's prologue:

His piggy face oozed perspiration; his eyes glittered, and his fingers, thick as sausages, plucked the cigarette from his pale, wet lips. "That's okay, baby, I just got time for a quickie."

Here's the synopsis from Mary's website: 

      Megan Riley has bigger things to worry about than the fact that her neighbor has just been found dead.       
      Her engagement has just ended, and she is once again on a quest to find Mr. Right—or at least Mr. Right Now. Tired of emotional ties and ready for a new adventure, Megan and her three best friends make a fateful decision. They hire hunky stripper Michael Harrington as their timeshare boytoy—unaware he is the prime suspect in a series of gruesome murders. Suddenly, they find themselves involved in a complicated murder investigation led by a handsome detective who is focused only on finding the twisted serial killer before he strikes again. But who will be the next to die? Megan, the hardworking real estate agent; newly divorced Kathleen; Alex, married to a wealthy businessman; or Rachel, the spurned wife of a hot Hollywood screenwriter?       
      Following her own investigation, Megan takes a wild ride through L.A.'s bondage parlors, hidden sex clubs, and the extravagant lifestyles of the rich and famous; soon she discovers that her quest for adventure has abruptly transformed into a dangerous game of life and death.



Visit MizB of Should be Reading and connect to more two-sentences excerpts here: Teaser Tuesday


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Sweet Saturday Samples - May 5

Hello, Sweet Saturday Samplers! Before we get started on another excerpt from my WIP, Elly and the Geriatrics, I'd like to give a big THANK YOU to J. Gunnar Grey for hosting this group. Your work is sincerely appreciated, Gunnar.
In my scene today, Elly has just picked up a few items at the local Shop 'N Hop for her grandmother.
            Elly stowed her purchases in the golf cart's bin, started the engine, and headed back to the trailer park. She smiled, remembering Granny’s reprimand that Sunset Acres was a manufactured-home village, not a trailer park, which was something else entirely. As if only the upper crust of Shannon Ridge society resided in the hundred-space village, rather than a bunch of middle-class retirees. Still, they did keep the place up. The rental included the use of a recreation center and swimming pool, as well as free wi-fi access. They even had a gardener. What was his name? Doug? Dave? No, Derek, of all things. Was that the guy who’d been standing underneath the tree? Granny said he was a hot tamale and suggested that Elly get to know him. She’d actually wiggled her eyebrows when she said it.             As if Elly could get to know anybody in the neighborhood. If the homeowners’ association—the Geriatric Government—caught her still living with her grandma, they’d kick her out on her ass. And then what would happen? Although Granny was doing much better, she still couldn’t get around very well. Until the doctor gave her a clean bill of health, Elly was determined to do whatever she could to help her grandmother get back on her feet—literally. So if that meant sneaking around like a criminal, hiding from the Geriatrics, and putting her own life on hold, so be it.             Elly pulled the cart into its parking spot beneath the carport cover, her mind on the day ahead. Her tasks included a start on something she’d planned from her first day with Granny—a complete reorganization of the house. She looked forward to the challenge. Last week, Elly had measured the dimensions of the trailer and each of its rooms, excited to be using what she’d learned from her interior design degree to create a more efficient layout for the small space. She just hoped Granny would agree to her changes. 




After you've stopped drooling over the fudge brownie, topped with caramel and ice cream, check out links to other Sweet Saturday Samples here: The Sweet List

And the winner is ...

We're delighted to announce that Lysette (BN100) is the winner of a free eBook copy of I.O.U. SEX.

CONGRATULATIONS!!
Our giveaway was offered on Shannan Albright's blog "Romance You Can Sink Your Fangs Into" along with an interview with the two of us. Here's the link in case anyone missed it:   Shannan's Interview  

Congratulations, Lysette. We hope you enjoy I.O.U. SEX.

Teaser Tuesday - Table for Five

Today's Teaser Tuesday features third-grade teacher Lily Robinson in Table for Five, written by Susan Wiggs. I'm about halfway through and enjoying the story. Here's the opening:
       "Hey, Miss Robinson, want to know how to figure out your porn-star name?" asked Russell Clark, bouncing on the balls of his feet toward the school bus.
       "I think I'll make it through the day without that." Lily Robinson put a hand on the boy's shoulder to keep him from bouncing off the covered sidewalk and into the driving rain.


Here's the book's synopsis from Amazon: 
      Lily Robinson and Sean McGuire have nothing in common. She guards her independent lifestyle with a ferocity that hides a fear of love and the pain it can bring. He's always been a rolling stone, making his own way. But with the sudden deaths of a couple close to them both, the two become joined in grief and a knowledge that they must step up and care for the three orphaned children.
      With little more than hope and dedication, these five embark on a cross-country road trip filled with the ups and downs, the joys and frustrations that make up a family. Along the way, Lily and Sean and these troubled children will discover that even when you've lost everything, love still remains.


A prolific author, Susan Wiggs's books always entertain, and this one is no exception.

 Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Here's the link:Teaser Tuesday

Sweet Saturday Sample - April 28

Here’s another sample from my work-in-progress, Elly and the Geriatrics. If you haven’t read my earlier posts, you’ll need to know that Elly is staying with Granny M to help her recover from a broken ankle. But that’s against the Sunset Acres Retirement Village rules, so Elly is in disguise. 
Elly parked Granny’s golf cart near the door of the Shop ‘N Hop and grabbed a fabric tote from the orange-colored bin behind the seat. Granny had hot-glued yellow fringe around the bin’s edges and added a big glittery M on the back—M for Marge Macauley. An orange vinyl canopy covered the cart’s top. That, too, had a trim of yellow fringe dangling from its edges, inspiring Granny to call the vehicle “My Little Surrey.” To Elly, the two-person cart resembled a miniature Rose Parade float.            Elly pulled the handwritten list from the slicker’s pocket and read the items Granny M had written in looping cursive.             Two-percent milk (quart)             Tylenol             Miss Clairol #108 (reddish blond)             National Enquirer             White bread             Peanut butter At the bottom, she saw the words,   Buy yourself a treat.             Elly chuckled. The kind of treat she wanted wasn’t available at a mini-mart. If she could just have a day at a spa, complete with massage, facial, manicure, and pedicure, that luxury would keep her smiling for a month. Heck, while she was daydreaming she might as well make the masseur a drop-dead gorgeous Matthew McConaughey or George Clooney clone and set the scene on a beach in Hawaii. Why not? It sure as hell wasn’t going to happen. Really, if she just had a decent apartment back in Dallas and a start toward her career, she’d be satisfied. She straightened her shoulders and pushed aside her frustration. Jobs weren’t easy to come by right now, Granny needed her, and their arrangement suited her temporarily. The rest would come, hopefully soon. She pushed open the glass door to the store. Now where do they keep Miss Clairol?


Personally, I'd choose Matthew McConaughey. Can't resist that Texas drawl.
By the way, I was amazed at the tricked-out golf carts pictured online. Here are links to a couple of sites that include photos. Go, Granny. Go! Crazy Golf Carts More Crazy Golf Carts
Click here to read earlier posts from Elly and the Geriatrics: Post #1   /   Post #2
For links to more Sweet Saturday Samples, click here:   http://sweetsatsample.wordpress.com/
Photo sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:George_Clooney_66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise_(Mostra)_3Alt1.jpghttp://the-real-breaking-news.com/matthew-mcconaughey-has-her-request-marriage-at-christmas/[NOTE: The golf cart photo is mine.]

Interview and Giveaway

Check out Shannan Albright's interview today and discover how reading a high school diary led to writing I.O.U. SEX. 
If you leave a comment, you'll be entered to win an eBook copy of the book. Here's the link:  Interview with Sandy and Sandra


Thanks a million!

Teaser Tuesday - Different Kind of Forever

Older woman? Younger man? That's A Different Kind of Forever. Here's a snippet of dialogue from the book. (Diane is speaking in the first line; then Michael.)
"I'm forty-five years old.""I'm twenty-six.""Exactly. Doesn't that bother you?"He shook his head. "Not at all. I like being twenty-six."
This funny, sexy book is only 99¢ right now for your Kindle. It's also available in paperback. Here's the link:  A Different Kind of Forever (At 31% on my Kindle)
Synopsis from Dee's website: Michael Carlucci, the hot, young musical genius behind the successful rock band, NinetySeven, knows that he’s found the woman for him. Diane Matthews is not just beautiful and smart, she’s got an infectious passion for everything in her life, from her three daughters to her new play. For him, the search is over. He knows they belong together.
For Diane, it’s not as simple. She’s almost twenty years older than Michael. She’s not interested in remarrying – she’s very happy with her life just the way it is, thank you very much. But she can’t deny the growing attraction between them – and it’s not just his touch that she craves. But it’s not until Michael is gone and an old love returns that she realizes just what he meant to her. He said he would love her forever. Can she trust that? Or should she find a safer route to happiness?

A Different Kind of Forever is the story about two complicated people finding – and trying to hold on – to love.


For links to other Teaser Tuesday posts, click here:Teaser Tuesday 

Teaser Tuesday - April 24

Older woman? Younger man? That's A Different Kind of Forever. Here's a snippet of dialogue from the book. (Diane is speaking in the first line; then Michael.)
"I'm forty-five years old.""I'm twenty-six.""Exactly. Doesn't that bother you?"He shook his head. "Not at all. I like being twenty-six."
This funny, sexy book is only 99¢ right now for your Kindle. It's also available in paperback. Here's the link:  A Different Kind of Forever (At 31% on my Kindle)
Synopsis from Dee's website: Michael Carlucci, the hot, young musical genius behind the successful rock band, NinetySeven, knows that he’s found the woman for him. Diane Matthews is not just beautiful and smart, she’s got an infectious passion for everything in her life, from her three daughters to her new play. For him, the search is over. He knows they belong together.
For Diane, it’s not as simple. She’s almost twenty years older than Michael. She’s not interested in remarrying – she’s very happy with her life just the way it is, thank you very much. But she can’t deny the growing attraction between them – and it’s not just his touch that she craves. But it’s not until Michael is gone and an old love returns that she realizes just what he meant to her. He said he would love her forever. Can she trust that? Or should she find a safer route to happiness?

A Different Kind of Forever is the story about two complicated people finding – and trying to hold on – to love.


For links to other Teaser Tuesday posts, click here:Teaser Tuesday 

Sweet Saturday Sample - April 21

After all the kind comments and encouragement I received following last Saturday’s post from my WIP (tentatively titled Electra and the Geriatrics), I’m moving forward with the story. Last week you met my protagonist Elly. Today’s post gives you a peek at my hero Derek.

      Derek watched the heavy gate clang shut. He’d recognized Mrs. Macauley’s distinctive ride and waved, but she must not have seen him.       Where is she headed, all by herself? Should I have stopped her?        He’d started to shout a greeting, then changed his mind.        Probably not.        Those senior citizens can be damned independent.        He chuckled.       Especially Mrs. M.  A real ball of fire ‘til she’d fractured her ankle.        He shrugged, stepped back under the oak’s branches, and leaned on his shovel.        Must be feeling better if she's running around in her golf cart.        He wondered what had happened to the granddaughter who’d been helping her. He’d seen her a couple of times at the rec center right after Mrs. M fell off that curb. Nice-looking woman. Her relation to her grandmother was obvious—red hair, lanky build, though the granddaughter was taller. But for one reason or another, they’d never met. Probably just as well.        Derek turned and resumed his work beneath the native red oak. The neighborhood’s gardening committee had decreed that the entrance to Sunset Acres Retirement Village be spruced up this spring, and their first project included putting flowers beneath the tree’s branches. As their landscaper, he wasn’t too hopeful of the plan’s success. He’d tried his damnedest to convince them that the roses and daylilies they wanted would never survive in the shade at the oak’s tangled roots, but the ladies on the committee wanted colorful blooms. He hoped a few azaleas, with impatiens and begonias in bright ceramic pots, would satisfy them. Of course, they would have to approve his choices. The whole thing would take on a drama far out of proportion to the importance of the issue. He shook his head and chuckled, imagining their heated discussion.        Good thing he could find humor in his situation. By now he’d hoped to be settled down with a wife and kids, heading up a successful landscape design company. Instead, here he was, pushing thirty and still working toward those dreams.       He put a foot to the shovel’s blade and spaded up a mound of mulch, then spread the top-dressing over the hard-packed ground. What a life. But right now, there wasn’t an alternative.
I hope you enjoyed today's excerpt. You'll find more Sweet Saturday Samples here: The Sweet List