J.C. Martin's Blog, page 3

Book Review: CHIMERA by David Wellington

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Chimera

Afghanistan veteran Jim Chapel has been enlisted in a new war.

This time it’s in his own backyard … and even more deadly.

A small band of fugitives escapes from a secret upstate New York military facility, leaving a trail of bodies in its wake. Each fugitive has a target — an innocent civilian — and will not stop until that target has been eliminated.

Wounded Special Forces veteran Jim Chapel has been stuck behind a desk rather than out in the field, but medical technology has finally caught up with his ambitions. Coupled with his unstoppable determination, it will take him back to where he thrives: the thick of the action.

Drafted into a new war, this time in our homeland, Chapel is tasked with hunting a group of escapees from a top secret military compound — all extremely deadly, genetically modified killers — and unraveling the mystery behind their existence. Aided by an enigmatic woman named Angel and a courageous, beautiful veterinarian, Chapel begins a cross-country hunt to stop the murders. But are the killers really rogues, or are they part of a sinister conspiracy that reaches into the highest levels?

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Review

Chimera is such an apt title for this book. The best way to describe the story is that, like the mythical creature the novel is named after, it is a hybrid: technothriller meets sci-fi meets mystery meets adventure meets political thriller. Wellington has taken the best aspects of these different genres and put them together into an explosive whole.

I was hooked and intrigued from the very first page, when mysterious forces release a group of men from some sort of detention camp in the middle of the Catskills. Who are these men? Why were they imprisoned there? Who helped them escape? And eyes that are all black (not a spoiler, as it is mentioned within the first few pages)? Whoa! What’s going on here?

Jim Chapel is one of the most original, most loveable main characters I have read in a long time. Still getting to grips with the war wounds he suffered in the line of duty, he is a soldier through an through. Nevertheless, while he would follow orders unquestioningly, and would sacrifice himself for his country, he continues to conduct himself within a strict code of ethics. This human empathy and all round niceness, in spite of his physical flaws, is what makes Chapel such a likeable hero. It was also interesting to see how the adversaries he meets in the course of the story underestimates his because of his apparent handicap.

With the help of a red-headed veterinarian, and a disembodied voice he calls Angel, a computer whiz he communicates with only by phone, Chapel has to not only hunt down the escaped men, but to uncover the agenda behind their release, a conspiracy that resonates right up the chain of command within certain government circles.

Wellington weaves a taut, fast-paced tale that keeps you guessing at what’s coming round every corner, just as he sends you hurtling towards said corners. And while I managed to guess at one major plot outcome, it may only be because being female, I am more sensitive towards the issue (can’t say more than that without spoilers).

The one (small) down point about Chimera, is how it overly depicts one of the big no-nos: gratuitous sex or violence (which you’ll have to read the book to find out). In fact, I have tried skipping over a couple of chapters of the stuff, and losing them does not detract at all from the story.

All in all, reading Chimera is like being strapped to a roller coaster packed full of dynamite, with broken tracks ahead. You’d better hang on for the ride!

4 ½ stars!

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Source: J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer

Book Shout-Out: AN ACCIDENT OF BIRTH by Tony Benson

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Writer buddy Tony Benson is celebrating the release of his debut novel, An Accident of Birth. Read on to find out more about it — I know I’m intrigued!

An Accident of Birth


Twenty-year-old Francesca was born with a rare gift – fertility. In a polluted society, the government imprisons and forces her to breed children for the infertile masses. She has waited four long years for her boyfriend Dominic to rescue her. Now desperate, he hires a black market rescuer.Baron Drake is a fertile who has escaped the government’s clutches and thrives on exploiting others. Deciding he wants Francesca for himself, he turns on the charm to gain Francesca’s favour.What follows is a fierce struggle between the sensitive, caring Dominic and the ruthless Baron Drake to free her and win her love. And the baron will stop at nothing – not even mass murder – to expand his criminal empire.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Tony Benson

From school days to today writing has been a passion for me. I’ve written diaries, journals, technical documentation, short stories and novels.

I was born in Slough, but we moved when I was tiny and I was brought up in Ryarsh, a little village in Kent, England. Living in the country was a whole different thing in those days before home computers, mobile phones and supermarkets.

I went on to have a successful career in engineering spanning three decades. Eventually I decided corporate life wasn’t for me and went solo, creating a business from my long time hobby of making stringed instruments, complementing this with my technical authoring services, creating written content for specialist applications. Now I focus on the writing.

I live in Kent with my wife Margo and two cats. An Accident Of Birth is my first published novel.

Contact: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Source: J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer

You Say Brain Waste, I Say Use Good Taste by Gwen Gardner

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You Say Brain Waste, I Say Use Good Taste
by Gwen Gardner

Debates have gone on for quite some time about TV and what it does to your mind:

Subliminal messages.

Government control.

Aliens working to dumb down the species in preparation for the invasion.

Whatever your thoughts, I’d like to point out that some shows invoke wonderful inspiration. Take my character Indigo Eady of Givin’ Up the Ghost and A Guilty Ghost Surprised. She’s a teen Ghost Whisperer. And, well, being a teen, some things differ, of course. Like the whole short circuiting that tends to happen with Indigo’s Psychometry. You don’t want to be on the receiving end when THAT happens lol! Just ask Badger.

Or…

Better yet, check out Givin’Up the Ghost and A Guilty Ghost Surprised to read what debacles run rampant.

Angela Brown, my Partner in ParanormYA, is releasing her Neverlove sequel, They All Fall Down, a novella filled with romance (okay, there’s a bit of steamy hotness going on) and action.

And make sure to get in on the giveaway as well.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About A Guilty Ghost Surprised:
Indigo Eady and gang are back with a  feather and a Chance setting off another twisting-turning investigation to bring a cold case, and loved ones, closure at last.

AGGS buy links: Amazon

and Barnes

& Noble


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About They All Fall Down:
Free of their duties as Cleanser and Harvestor, Abby and Basil try to move on with their lives. But some secrets remain. And what is done in the dark won’t be good when it comes to light.

TAFD buy links: Amazon

and Barnes

& Noble

About Partners in ParanormYA:
Gwen Gardner and Angela Brown – YA paranormal authors embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. Share with us as we take the Indie journey to bring our works to the world. Buckle up! There’ll be mystery, mayhem, action and emotional roller coasters … oh, and a few things that go bump in the night.

Hauntings are scary but we love interaction:

Angela’s author FB page | Gwen’s author FB page
Tweet Angela | Tweet Gwen
Angela’s blog | Gwen’s blog

Source: J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer

Book Shout-Out: THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW TOMORROW by Jennifer M. Eaton

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The First Day of the New Tomorrow

Maya dreams of perfect skin, beautiful hair, good grades, and Eric Brighton — the boy she’s been crushing on since elementary school. But no matter how hard she tries, these things elude her.

Until now.

In the space of a day, her acne clears, her hair thickens, and Eric finally takes notice. As everything she wishes comes true, happiness is finally in reach — until a man posing as a college recruiter informs her that her newfound abilities come with a price. She will be expected to use them to stop a catastrophe.

Frightened of playing superhero, but thrilled that everything she desires becomes reality, Maya tests the limits of her power — until someone gets hurt.

Now terrified of her own thoughts, Maya will need to choose between having everything she wants, or returning to normalcy.  With Eric’s heart and the fate of her town resting on her decision, Maya makes the hardest choice of her life.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Muse It Up Publishing

Excerpt
“I have a bad feeling you don’t want to talk about college.”

His lips straightened to a thin line. “No. I’ve never even been to college

myself.”

Maya’s unease became a bat and struck her into panic mode. She jumped up from the chair, her heart racing. “Who are you? What do you want?”

Edgar shrugged. “I’m your guide, Maya. Your mentor, so to speak.”

“Mentor for what?”

“We have a lot to talk about. Would you please sit?”

She backed up until her rear slammed against the door. She fumbled for the handle and pulled it open. A rush of hot air hit her as she turned to the sting of hundreds of tiny pebbles thrashing her face. Maya raised her hands to protect her eyes and peered through her fingertips into the blinding rays of a low-hanging sun.

The cascading sunbeams warmed her cheeks and illuminated the outline of a figure that looked a lot like the Sphinx in Egypt. She gasped and choked on air riddled with blowing sand.

Edgar laughed behind her. “Let me guess. You were thinking that you’d rather be anywhere but here, and somewhere deep in the back of your mind, you always wanted to see the Great Pyramids.”

He appeared beside her, and she allowed him to close the door. Sweat poured from Maya’s brow as the room instantly cooled.

“Do you want to be back at school?”

She nodded, terror constricting her from any other movement.

Edgar turned the handle and pushed. The secretary looked up from her computer, narrowing her eyes. He smiled, waved, and closed the door again.

Numbness crept from Maya’s toes and up her legs. Had she gone mad?

Stumbling, she allowed him to guide her back to her chair.

Edgar eased her down. “Are you ready to talk to me now?”

She shook away her fright. “How’d you do that?”

“I didn’t do anything. You did.”

“Me? That’s crazy.”

“Not really. Any of our kind can move from place to place. Anywhere we can imagine.”

“Our kind?”

He reached across the desk and grabbed a pitcher of water that Maya didn’t remember seeing a moment ago. Goosebumps riddled her skin as he poured a glass and handed it to her. She reached for the cup, wishing it was something more soothing like cocoa with marshmallows, and jumped when her hand grasped a hot mug. The porcelain slipped through her fingers, and the drink spilled across the papers on the Vice Principal’s desk.

“Holy crap! Seston’s gonna have a fit!”

Edgar grabbed her hands. “Calm down, Maya.” A rushing wave of serenity

rolled over her. He raised his left brow. “Better?”

She nodded, and her gaze dropped to the neat stacks of clean, dry papers on the desk—and a full mug of hot cocoa set directly in front of her seat.

“What the frig is going on?”

Her desire to freak out struggled against the calm creeping through her body.

Edgar’s gaze locked on her, consumed her. She fought against the presence invading her mind until his strength overwhelmed her. Her resolve snapped, and against her better judgment, she allowed the tenseness to ease from her muscles.

Edgar smiled. “Enjoy that little splash of relaxation. It’s probably the last time I’ll be able to do that for you.”

“What do you mean? What’s going on?”

“I’ll try to explain as it was explained to me. You are adopted, are you not?”

Maya shifted in her chair. Her hands grew cold. “Yes.”

“We all were. Atrusians, for the most part, don’t raise their own young. Too

many complications.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You are special, Maya. You have gifts no other child here has. You can make pretty much anything happen, just by wanting it.”

Her stomach plummeted. That morning, she’d wished she didn’t have to wear glasses, and her eyes instantly focused. She wanted eggs, and they suddenly appeared.

It had to be coincidence. Stuff like that just wasn’t possible. “You’re crazy.”

“Am I?”

A bird cawed over her head, and Maya jumped from her seat. Water rose and fell gently around her and all the way to the horizon on every side. She, Edgar, the desk, and two chairs stood alone amongst the rolling waves of the ocean.

She snapped her jaw shut and turned to him. “I didn’t do this. I wasn’t thinking about the water!”

“No. This one I did. I’ve always enjoyed the sounds of the ocean.”

“Well, I don’t. Take me back!”

He smiled. “If you want to go home, just desire it strongly.”

Maya grit her teeth. She could feel Edgar wiggling his fingers inside her brain, pulling against her need to negate everything he said—forcing her to feel confident, to understand. Her disbelief washed away as she closed her eyes.

The gentle sounds of the lapping water disappeared, and she found herself back in the Vice Principal’s office. Maya’s inner fear once again struggled with Edgar’s calm until he overpowered her once more, and serenity and understanding wiped away her unease.

Maya’s eyes fixed on a stain mottling the carpet at her feet. She wished it gone, and it slowly faded away. The rational side of her brain laughed, still unable to process what she’d seen.
About the Author

Jennifer M. Eaton

Jennifer M. Eaton is a contemporary blender of Science Fiction, Dystopian, and Romance.  Her work ranges from the sweet contemporary romances of Paper Wishes, to the dystopian society of Last Winter Red and Optimal Red, with a dusting of young adult paranormal just for fun in The First Day of the New Tomorrow.

While not off visiting other worlds, Jennifer calls the East Coast of the USA home, where she lives with her wonderfully supportive husband, three energetic boys, and a pepped up poodle.

Full time team leader, full time mom, and full time novelist… what more can you ask for?  Writing help did you say?  Well, sure!  Jennifer hosts an informational blog aimed at helping all writers be the best they can be. Stop on by and chat. She loves to hear from fans!

Contact: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Source: J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer

Book Shout-Out: LILY STEPS OUT by Rita Plush

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Lily Steps Out


Empty nest, retired husband … after thirty-three years of making beds and cooking dinners, Lily Gold has had it. She has a brain. Why isn’t she using it? Much to the mocking disbelief of her now retired husband and grown son, Lily “steps out” of the comfortable life she knows and decides to look for a job. It isn’t so easy to find one, but once she does it’s a perfect fit. Antiques! Right up her alley. Lily works and loves it, but Leon doesn’t like not having her at his beck and call. When he discovers she wants to open her own antique center, he runs to the bank and empties their joint savings account. This is marriage? This is war! Follow Lily as she turns the status quo into quid pro quo and gives her husband a run for the money.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Penumbra Publishing

About the Author

Rita Plush

Rita Plush’s writing practice includes fiction and non-fiction. Her short stories appeared in many literary journals including The Alaska Quarterly Review, The Iconoclast, The MacGuffin and Passager, before they were included in the collection, Alterations (Penumbra 2013). She is the author of the novel, Lily Steps Out (Penumbra 2012).  Rita, and the publication of Lily Steps Out was the feature article,“published and proud,” in Newsday’s Act II section in July, 2012, and “Rita Steps Out,” was featured in the Times Ledger, August, 2012. She is at work on a second novel that follows some of the characters in “Lily.”

Contact: Website

Source: J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer

TIED: Interview with Laney McMann

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To celebrate the release of TIED, a Young Adult Paranormal, author Laney McMann is here in the hot seat today.

***Read on to find out how you could win a signed paperback copy of TIED!***

About the Author

Laney McMann

With a passion for the supernatural and all things magical, Laney McMann developed a voracious appetite for reading fantasy at a young age. A vivid imagination helped set the stage for creating her own worlds and placed her onto the writing path.

By the time she reached her teens, she’d accumulated notebooks full of poems, which led to short stories and finally novels. Young adult dark fantasy, paranormal romance, and mythology are among her favorite genres.

A former classical dancer and chef, she grew up in sultry Florida where she still resides with her family.

Contact: Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

—

Where do you get your story ideas?

My story ideas come to me. They really do. I don’t think I see things the way a lot of other people do. I can do something as simple as drive under a bridge and it sparks an idea. Maybe the way the sun reflected off the concrete in an odd way and shaded the corner of the bridge in darkness, and I’ll wonder, “What’s living under there?” Weird stuff like that. ;P

My friends look at me like I’m crazy a lot.

Describe your style of writing in three words.

Direct. Dark. Imaginative.

Have you ever developed a crush on one of your characters? Who was it and why?

I think if you’re not falling for at least one of your characters, especially if your writing has any kind of romantic element, you’re doing something wrong. Emotions have to come into play, so if you’re not feeling it as you’re writing it — neither are your readers. It’ll be obvious who that one character is as you read TIED.

What are the biggest perks about being a writer? What are the biggest drawbacks?

Perks: I get to use my imagination everyday. Create worlds and live in them for a while.

Drawbacks: Writing is very solitary, and with a hundred ideas roaming around in your head, it can be really challenging some days.

What are your secret fears as a writer? How do you stop them from taking over?

The obvious ones. That no one will like your work. No one will ‘get it.’

How do I stop them from taking over? I don’t know, really. I just remind myself — often — that I’m writing for me. I want readers to love my stories, and what I have to say — I think all writers want that, but I also think we need to stay true to ourselves in our stories.

What is the one most important advice you would offer all aspiring writers?

Write. Everyone hears that, and it’s true. Write, write, write. For me, it was the storyline of TIED that finally pushed me past the point of hobby and into taking my writing very seriously. So, I think it’s different for everyone. Decide what you really want to do with your stories, and then do it.

QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS

Plotter or pantser? Pantser. And it get’s me into trouble. ;P

Neat freak or messy Jessie? I’m a mess.

Chocolate: dark, milk or white? Dark

Favourite food? Sushi

Favourite ice-cream flavour? Mint Chocolate Chip

Favourite dog breed? Lab

Greatest phobia? Heights.

—

Thank you Laney for that lovely interview! Now here’s a bit more information about TIED:

Tied

Normal people don’t believe their nightmares stalk them. They don’t fall in love with boys who don’t exist, either.

Seventeen-year-old Layla Labelle, though, is far from normal. Her delusions walk the earth. Her hallucinations hunt her, and her skin heats to a burn every time her anger flares.

Or is that all in her head?

Layla doesn’t know what to believe any more because if none of that’s true, Max MacLarnon must be an illusion, and her heart must still be broken.

No matter how much she wants to believe Max is real, doing so would mean everything else is, too. How, then, is that possible?

The answers lie in an age-old legend the supernatural aren’t prepared to reveal, and with a curse that could tear Layla and Max apart forever — if it doesn’t kill them both first.

In TIED, book one in the Fire Born trilogy, learning the truth will mean fighting an arsenal of demons, and being with Max will put Layla on a path toward her own destruction.

Just how far will Layla go to protect the one she loves?

The answer may never be far enough … away.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Giveaway!

Laney is giving away a signed copy of TIED to one lucky reader. All you have to do to be in the running is to fill in the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YmFhMGJjZGZkZmJkZTZmZTQxNTg1MDA2MzUwOTBiOjE=/

Source: J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer

Series: To Be or Not To Be (and when to stop being…) by Jade Kerrion

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SERIES: To Be or Not To Be (and when to stop being…)

If Amazon (the company) were a river and all the books in its vast online repository were drops of water, you wouldn’t be able to skim a pebble across its surface without hitting a book that is a part of a series.

Series are popular–they work in movies, on TV, and in books — and for good reason. No one ever likes saying goodbye to the people they’ve fallen in love with. We like to see our heroes and heroines overcome adversity, and then do it again, and again.

Novel series come in at least three different flavors.

1. Standalone books within a series with a rotating focus on various protagonists. Each novel within the series focuses on, and resolves, one major storyline, but the protagonist (usually a side character in one of the other novels) will claim the spotlight for one book within the series instead of all of them. Romance novels tend to lean this way (after all, happily ever after usually happens only once per couple.) Nora Roberts has written many trilogies of families and friends, with each book focusing on a particular person finding his or her happy ending. Sherrilyn Kenyon does this with her (apparently unending) Dark Hunter series as well.

2. Standalone books within a series focus on one or two key protagonists. Each novel within the series tackles one major problem and resolves the problem by the end of the book. Many detective and mystery novels adopt this flavor. As a teenager, I enjoyed Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. These days, I read P.L. Blair’s Portals series that features human detective, Kat Morales, and her elven partner, Tevis.

3. Non-standalone books within a series focus on one or two key protagonists, and story is typically best enjoyed in order from the first novel to the last. Fantasy and science fiction novels, with their sweeping storylines and their tendency to put entire worlds and civilizations at risk of extinction (hey, high stakes, right?) tend to lean in this direction. Each book should resolve a major crisis, but some threads are clearly left trailing as feeders into the next book. Some of my favorite authors fall into this category, including David Eddings who wrote the Belgariad and Mallorean series, and Neil Gaiman, author of the Sandman.

Just about all of my favorite authors are series writers. In hindsight, it’s no surprise that I would, as an author, lean toward writing a series. My Double Helix series is a series of four novels. When I finished writing the fourth book, I finally tackled the issue I’d been avoiding since November 2010, when I first started writing Double Helix series.

When do you stop?

Sometimes, the answer is easy: “when you save the world.”

But what if the answer isn’t as obvious? What if the world careens from crisis to crisis (sounds like our world, doesn’t it?) What if the world always needs saving?

I wrote the Double Helix series as a blend between a type 3 series (non-standalone) and a type 2 series (standalone.) The fourth book, Perfection Challenged, was actually the transition book between a non-standalone and standalone series. In theory, I could have gone on forever, coming up with yet another crisis for Danyael Sabre, the alpha empath, to handle. Challenges would always abound in a society transformed by the Genetic Revolution. Danyael would likely encounter most of them, but did he have to be the protagonist?

Let’s segue briefly into another series — Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Legacy series. Occasionally a storyline or plot transcends each book and unifies the series. In Kushiel’s Legacy, it is the rocky path to love and happiness between the heroine, Phedre, and her protector, Joscelin. That storyline is the single thread that runs through the series, and for the series to end, the thread needs to be neatly knotted by the final book.

My readers love Danyael. It was hard to make the decision to move him to the sidelines, yet in practice, I knew that Danyael’s story was done, and for one primary reason. His story had come a full circle. He dealt with different challenges and antagonists over each of the four books, but the storyline that unified the series — his apparently unrequited love for the assassin Zara Itani — reached its conclusion in the fourth book. It was my gift to Danyael, the ending he deserved.

“But,” dismayed readers howl, “you haven’t yet done this, or that, or another. You haven’t finished telling all the stories…”

I’ve moved the spotlight off Danyael, but that doesn’t mean he won’t appear in a smaller role in another novel. Spin-offs are popular among series writers. Some side characters in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series show up as focal characters in her Dream Hunter series.

And so it will be for my Double Helix series. I’ve already written a young adult spin-off. I have others planned, including a standalone series of romantic thrillers featuring mercenaries from Zara’s agency, a novel about Xin, the Machiavellian clone of Fu Hao, a 1,200 BC general, priestess, and queen (busy woman indeed…), and a novel about Galahad, the genetically engineered perfect human being. Inevitably though, those novels and series will someday end.

Quoting one of my favorite characters, Death from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series: “It always ends. That’s what gives it value.”

“The best of the four booksÉthe perfect ending to an amazing series.”

Perfection Challenged, the thrilling conclusion to the multiple award-winning, bestselling DOUBLE HELIX series, is finally here. Grab your copy today.

If you’ve never picked up the DOUBLE HELIX series, keep reading for a special offer on the six-time award-winning novel, Perfection Unleashed.

PERFECTION CHALLENGED

An alpha empath, Danyael Sabre has survived abominations and super soldiers, terrorists and assassins, but he cannot survive his failing body. He wants only to live out his final days in peace, but life and the woman he loves, the assassin Zara Itani, have other plans for him.

Galahad, the perfect human being created by Pioneer Labs, is branded an international threat, and Danyael is appointed his jury, judge, and executioner. Danyael alone believes that Galahad can be the salvation that the world needs, but is the empath blinded by the fact that Galahad shares his genes, and the hope that there is something of him in Galahad?

In a desperate race against time and his own dying body, Danyael struggles to find fragments of good in the perfect human being, and comes to the wrenching realization that his greatest battle will be a battle for the heart of the man who hates him.

E-books available at Amazon / Amazon UK / Apple iTunes / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Smashwords

Paperbacks available at Amazon / Amazon UK

PERFECTION UNLEASHED

“Higher octane than Heroes. More heart than X-Men.”

Recipient of six literary awards, including First place in Science Fiction, Reader Views Literary Awards 2012 and Gold medal winner, Science Fiction, Readers Favorites 2013.

FOR A LIMITED TIME, E-BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR JUST $0.99 (Discounted from $2.99)

E-books available at Amazon / Amazon UK / J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer

Book Shout-Out: DEVIL IN THE HOLE by Charles Salzberg

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Devil in the Hole
by Charles Salzberg
on Tour September 1 – October 31, 2013

Book Details:

Genre: Literary psychological crime fiction

Published by: Five Star/Cengage

Publication Date: July 19, 2013

Number of Pages: 253

ISBN: 978-1-4328-2696-3

Purchase Links:

Synopsis:

Devil in the Hole is based on a true crime that occurred over 40 years ago in New Jersey, wherein a man murdered his entire family, wife, three children, mother and the family dog, and disappeared. My novel uses that event and takes off from there, following the murderer on his escape route. Using the voices of people he meets along the way, and people who are affected by his crime, the reader starts to build a portrait of the man and why he did what he did, in addition to following those who are searching for him.

Publishers Weekly Reviews 5-17-2013

This title publishes JULY 2013

“In this smartly constructed crime novel, Salzberg uses multiple viewpoints to portray an unlikely killer who methodically slaughters his family . . . an intriguing collage of impressions and personal perspectives for the reader to ponder.”

****************************************

Devil in the Hole by Charles Salzberg. Five Star, $25.95 (254p) ISBN 978-1-4328-2696-3

In this smartly constructed crime novel, Salzberg (Swann Dives In) uses multiple viewpoints to portray an unlikely killer who methodically slaughters his family. When James Kirkland, a neighbor, notices something odd going on at the Sedgewick, Conn., home of the Hartmans, he calls the police. Inside the Georgian-style mansion, police find the neatly executed bodies of Adele Hartman, her three teenage children, and her mother-in-law. John Hartman, Adele’s husband, is missing. Salzberg adroitly creates the voices of Hartman as he tries to establish a new life for himself; Charles Floyd, a senior police investigator who becomes obsessed with finding Hartman; and Kirkland, whose discovery changes his life. A slew of other characters who knew Hartman or who encounter him as he moves around provide snippets of information. The result is not a finished portrait but an intriguing collage of impressions and personal perspectives for the reader to ponder. Agent, Alex Glass, Trident Media Group. (July)

Reviewed on 05/17/2013 | Details & Permalink (July)

Read an excerpt:
Chapter One

James KirklandI knew something was out of whack, only I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Just something, you know. And it wasn’t only that I hadn’t seen any of them for some time. I mean, they’d been living there for what, three, three and a half years, and I don’t think I ever had more than a two- or three-minute conversation with any of them. And God knows, it wasn’t as if I didn’t try.

All things considered, they were pretty good neighbors. Mostly, I guess, because they kept to themselves. Which is certainly better than having neighbors who are always minding your business, or who don’t mow their lawn, or who drop in uninvited, or who throw wild parties and play loud music all night long. They weren’t like that. Just the opposite, in fact. Why, with that great big front lawn and two teenage boys you’d think they’d be out there tossing a football or a Frisbee around, or something. But no. It was so quiet sometimes it was as if no one lived there at all. Though I did hear rumors that the boys had a reputation of being hell-raisers. Maybe that’s why they kept such a tight lid on them when they were home. Because I can honestly say there wasn’t any hell-raising going on in that house that I could see. As a matter of fact, the only way you’d know the house was occupied was when you’d see the kids going to school, or him going off to work, or her and the mother going out to shop. Or at night, when the lights were on.

Which brings me back to the house itself. And those lights. It was the middle of November, a week or so before Thanksgiving, when I first noticed it. I was coming home from work and when I glanced over there I noticed the place was lit up like a Christmas tree. It’s a Georgian-style mansion, one of the nicest in the neighborhood, by the way, with something like twenty rooms, and I think the lights were on in every single one of them. But the downstairs shades were drawn tight, so all you could see was the faint outline of light around the edges of the windows, which gave it this really eerie look. Maybe they’ve got people over, was my first thought. But that would have been so out of character because in all the time they’d lived there I’d never seen anyone go in or out other than them. And anyway, it was absolutely quiet and there were no cars in the driveway or parked out on the street.

Just before I turned in, I looked out the window and noticed the house was still lit up, which was odd, since it was nearly midnight and, as a rule, they seemed to turn in kind of early over there.

The next night when I came home from work and I looked across the street the lights were still on. And that night, before I went to bed, after midnight, I looked out and the lights were still blazing.

After that, I made a kind of game of it. Under the pretense of getting some fresh air, I walked close to the house, as close as I could get without looking conspicuous, and listened to see if there were any sounds coming from inside. A couple of times, when I thought I heard something, I stopped to listen more carefully. But I never picked up anything that might indicate that someone was inside. And each night, when I came home from work, I made it a point to check out the house and make a note of how many lights were still burning and in which windows. I even began to search for silhouettes, shadows, anything I might interpret as a sign of life. And it wasn’t long before I whipped out the old binoculars to take a look, thinking maybe I could see something, anything, that would give me a hint as to what was going on. But when my wife accused me of being a peeping Tom, I put them away, at least while she was around.

There weren’t always the same number of rooms lit, but I noticed there were always fewer, never more. It was as if someone was going around that house each day turning off one light in one room, but in no discernible pattern. I began to think of that damn house during the day, while I was at work, or on the train coming home. It became a real thing with me. I even kept a notebook with a sketch of the house and notations next to each window that had a light on.

At night, I played a game. I began to think of that house as my own personal shooting gallery and, sitting on the window sill in my pajamas, while my wife was either in the bathroom or asleep, I’d choose one of the rooms and aim my imaginary rifle and pop! pop!, I’d shoot out one of the light bulbs. And, if the next night that particular room was dark, I’d get a tremendous rush of self-satisfaction that carried me through the whole next day. It was kind of like one of those video games my kids play. Pretty sick, huh?

I mentioned it to my wife—not my silly game, but the fact that those lights were going out one by one. She thought I was nuts. “Can’t you find anything better to do with your time?” she asked.

“No,” I said. “I’m entertaining myself. Leave me alone.” Then I asked whether she’d seen the Hartmans lately, because I was beginning to have this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, as if something was seriously wrong. That it wasn’t a game anymore.

“No,” she said. “I haven’t. But that’s not unusual. Besides, it’s not as if I’m looking for them. If you ask me, they’re creepy. The whole bunch of them.”

“I know. But maybe . . . maybe there’s something wrong.”

“Go to bed,” she said. So I did, lulling myself to sleep with my imaginary rifle cradled in my arms, as if it would actually afford me some protection just in case something was wrong.

A few nights later, I set the alarm for three-thirty and slipped the clock under my pillow. When the vibration woke me, I got up quietly, so as not to wake my wife, looked out the window and sure enough the same number of lights was burning in the house as the night before. I was puzzled and frustrated because I was dying to know what was going on. I even thought of making up some kind of lame excuse to ring the Hartmans’ bell. But I didn’t have the nerve.

Two weeks later, only three rooms in the house were still lit. Down from eight the week before, fourteen the week before that, the week I began to keep count. I asked my son, David, whether he’d seen the Hartman kid in school, the one in his class.

“We’re not exactly best buds, Dad,” he said. “He keeps to himself. He’s weird. Maybe he’s queer or something.”

“I just asked if you’d seen any of them lately.”

“Not that I can remember. But I don’t go out of my way looking for any of them. They’re a bunch of weirdoes.”

I went back up to my room and stared out the window for maybe fifteen minutes, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. I wondered if I should do something.

“Come to bed,” my wife said.

“I’m worried,” I said without taking my eyes off the Hartman house. “There’s definitely something wrong over there.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” she said. “Besides, it’s none of our business.”

“No, I can feel it. Something’s . . .”

She sighed, got out of bed and handed me the phone. “Well, rather than having to spend the rest of my life with a man who insists on staring out the window at the neighbors’ house all night like an idiot, I’d just as soon you called the police and let them put your mind at ease. At least maybe they can get them to turn out all the lights. Maybe then we can get some sleep over here.”

So, that’s how I called the cops.

Author Bio:

Charles Salzberg is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Esquire, New York magazine, Elle, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times Book Review, The New York Times, GQ and other periodicals. He is the author of over 20 non-fiction books and several novels, including Swann’s Last Song, which was nominated for a Shamus Award for Best First PI Novel, and the sequel, Swann Dives In. He also has taught been a Visiting Professor of Magazine at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, and taught writing at Sarah Lawrence College, the Writer’s Voice, and the New York Writers Workshop, where he is a Founding Member.

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Book Shout-Out: SECOND WATCH by J.A. Jance

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Second Watch
by J.A. Jance
on Tour September 10 – October 10, 2013

Book Details:

Genre: Fiction/Suspense/Mystery

Published by: William Morrow

Publication Date: 9/10/13

Number of Pages: 368

ISBN: 9780062134677

Purchase Links:

Synopsis:

With Second Watch, New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance delivers another thought-provoking novel of suspense starring Seattle investigator J. P. Beaumont.

Second Watch shows Beaumont taking some time off to get knee replacement surgery, but instead of taking his mind off work, the operation plunges him into one of the most perplexing mysteries he’s ever faced.

His past collides with his present in this complex and thrilling story that explores loss and heartbreak, duty and honor, and, most importantly, the staggering cost of war and the debts we owe those who served in the Vietnam War, and those in uniform today.

Read an excerpt:

Excerpt of Second Watch by J.A. Jance by WilliamMorrowBooks

Author Bio:

A voracious reader, J. A. Jance knew she wanted to be a writer from the moment she read her first Wizard of Oz book in second grade. Always drawn to mysteries, from Nancy Drew right through John D. McDonald’s Travis Magee series, it was only natural that when she tried her hand at writing her first book, it would be a mystery as well.

J. A. Jance went on to become the New York Times bestselling author of the J. P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, three interrelated thrillers featuring the Walker family, and Edge of Evil. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, Jance lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington, and Tucson, Arizona.

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Cover Reveal: UNNATURAL by J.A. Belfield

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Today is cover reveal day for J.A. Belfield’s UNNATURAL:

Unnatural

Unnatural. One word to sum up werewolf Kyle Larsen — his mood swings, abnormal body, and choice of female.

The first two, he blames on the vampire venom.

The third, though? No, feline shifter Brook Nicholls was all his doing — a female of whom the pack will never approve.

As part of the Coalition, an organisation with even stricter rules than the pack and a rigidly warped sense of responsibility, Brook comes with a whole lot of opposition of her own.

No wonder the two of them keep their relationship secret for as long as they can.

Now, distanced from his family by his own indiscretions, Kyle’s left to fight battles he’s unsure how to win — some of them even against his own pack.

Is one woman really so important that he’s willing to defy his Alpha for her?

If his heart has any say in the matter, the answer will be yes.

UNNATURAL will be released on April 7, 2014.

About the Author

One day, a character and scene popped into J. A. Belfield’s head, and she started controlling the little people inside her imagination as though she were the puppet master and they her toys. Questions arose: What would happen if…? How would they react if…? Who would they meet if…? Before she knew it, a singular scene had become an entire movie. The characters she controlled began to hold conversations. Their actions reflected the personalities she bestowed upon them. Within no time, they had a life, a lover, a foe, family … they had Become.

One day, she wrote down her thoughts. She’s yet to stop.

J. A. Belfield lives in Solihull, England, with her husband, two children, three cats, and a dog. She writes paranormal romance with a second love for urban fantasy.

Contact: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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