Mike Martin's Blog, page 4

New Audiobook from Sgt. Windflower Mysteries: Darkest Before the Dawn

There’s a new Audiobook available from Sgt. Windflower Mysteries. Darkest Before the Dawn is again narrated by the great Frank Kearney and continues the strong tradition of audiobooks in the series available from Amazon all over the world. Sit back and relax to his soothing tones as he takes you back to Grand Bank and the beautiful province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Darkest Before the Dawn won the Bony Blithe Award for Best Light Mystery of the Year in 2019. “Ghosts, mysterious deaths, and a new, perplexing character confront Sgt. Windflower, Tizzard and the other police officers in Grand Bank as they unearth secrets that have been lying hidden in the sleepy hamlet for decades. A fast-moving mystery, Darkest Before the Dawn is also a story of love, loss and learning how to grow old gracefully; a tale of family, community and looking after each other, of not giving up hope, just before the dawn.”

Promo codes are available for all reviewers in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Message for more information.

Darkest Before the Dawn is available on Audible and iTunes all over the world.

https://www.audible.ca/pd/Darkest-Before-the-Dawn-Audiobook/B0CSLNN7C4?qid=1705669680&sr=1-1&ref_pageloadid=not_applicable&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=b278ed0a-c3b2-4491-808c-7cb2190a487c&pf_rd_r=885ER7Y6X0EH6SYSNE6P&pageLoadId=UVB63u7wQ7vCutPV&creativeId=0d6f6720-f41c-457e-a42b-8c8dceb62f2c

Other audiobook titles available from Sgt. Windflower Mysteries include:

The Walker on the Cape

The Body on the T

Beneath the Surface

A Twist of Fortune

A Long Ways from Home

A Tangled Web

All Sgt. Windflower Audiobooks are available on Audible and iTunes

https://www.audible.ca/search?keywords=Sgt.+windflower+mystery&k=Sgt.+windflower+mystery&crid=35a8cc62ba814767b0ffbfbe421c72b8&sprefix=sgt.+windflower+mystery%2Cna-audible-ca%2C128&i=na-audible-ca&url=search-alias%3Dna-audible-ca&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

You can follow Sgt. Windflower Mysteries on Facebook and Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore

@mike54martin

Happy New Year from Sgt. Windflower Mysteries

Happy New Year from Sgt. Windflower Mysteries

Two New Windflower Mysteries in 2024. Plus, an audiobook version of Darkest Before the Dawn and maybe a few surprises.

May 2024 be filled with health, happiness and success in all your endeavours!! Thank you for all of your support, love and encouragement. Thank you for being part of the Windflower family.

We are very excited to tell you that there will be two new Sgt. Windflower Mysteries in 2024. Better Safe Than Sorry will be coming to you in May from Ottawa Press and Publishing and Book 15 in November.

Better Safe Than Sorry

Winston Windflower is sort of enjoying his retirement from the RCMP in Grand Bank, Newfoundland, happily spending time with his young family. Corporal Eddie Tizzard is running the Marystown detachment and struggling with the demands of the role while his own family grows. When a new kind of drug threatens the community, a body — the wrong body — is found dead in a hearse, and then another drug-connected mysterious death occurs, Tizzard knows he is dealing with serious new problems in their quiet, close-knit community.

Windflower finds himself inexorably — and not unhappily — drawn back into the action, first in an unofficial role to help snare the dealers and then back to active duty in a community that badly needs his steady hand and good judgement. Better Safe Than Sorry is another page-turning combination of down-home Newfoundland charm, the warmth of family life, and a story of small-town cops fighting to keep their community safe.

Darkest Before the Dawn Audiobook

We are also pleased to announce that Darkest Before the Dawn will soon be released as an audiobook. It joins 6 other Windflower Mysteries that have now been done as audiobooks, with more to come. Narrated again by the great Frank Kearney, this audiobook is must-have for any audiobook collection.

Darkest Before the Dawn was the 2019 winner of the Bony Blithe Award for the Best Light Mystery of the year. It features a ghost, mysterious deaths, and a new character that perplexes Windflower and his crew of Mounties in Grand Bank, Newfoundland. A fast-moving mystery, Darkest Before the Dawn is also a story of love, loss and learning how to grow old gracefully; a tale of family, community and looking after each other, of not giving up hope, just before the dawn.

You can find all Sgt. Windflower audiobooks on Audible around the world.

https://www.audible.ca/search?crid=2ea1f5def902417184388cf13edec602&i=na-audible-ca&k=Sgt.+Windflower+mYSTERIES&keywords=Sgt.+Windflower+mYSTERIES&language=en_CA&ref=nb_sb_noss&sprefix=sgt.+windflower+mysteries%2Cna-audible-ca%2C527&url=search-alias%3Dna-audible-ca

Thank you as always for your support of Sgt. Windflower Mysteries. It has been an incredible journey and we’re glad your along for the ride.

Follow Sgt. Windflower Mysteries on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore

Twitter

@mike54martin

Annual Holiday Event: Make a Donation. Get A Friend for Christmas Free

It’s time for the 11th Annual Windflower Holiday Book Event. For the last ten years I have been donating most of the profits from December book sales of Sgt. Windflower Mysteries to a worthy community cause. It’s a great way for me to give back a little to people and organizations who need so much, especially this time of year.

In the last ten years we have been able to donate over $7,500.00 to community groups who really need our support. We will be doing things a little different this year. You don’t have to buy any books to participate. In fact, we’ll give you a free book if you donate to our chosen cause which again this year is the Minwaashin Lodge in Ottawa. Minwaashin Lodge is a healing centre in Ottawa that provides a range of programs and services to First Nations, Inuit and Metis women and children who are survivors of domestic and other forms of violence, and who may also be suffering the effects of the residential school system.

The mission of Minwaashin Lodge is to provide wholistic programs and services for grandmothers, women, children and youth impacted by family violence and residential schooling. All programs and services are provided in the context of cultural beliefs and values as part of the healing journey.

Here’s how you can participate.

Make a Donation and Get a Free Book

If you make a donation, I will send you a copy of A Friend for Christmas. The new cozy Children’s Christmas story. Great for children of all ages as long as you believe in the magic of Christmas.

I am making an upfront donation of $1,000.00 to Minwaashin Lodge to get this process satrted. I know that this money will go to support First Nations, Inuit and Metis women and children to have a good meal and presents from Santa under the tree on Christmas morning. If you want to make a donation, please visit http://www.minlodge.com

Canadian donors can receive a tax receipt for their contribution.

Just send me an email at mike54martin@yahoo.ca and I’ll put A Friend for Christmas in the mail to you in time for Christmas.

Thank you for supporting the Annual Windflower Holiday Book Event and Minwaashin Lodge

Buy a Book

Of course, you can support Sgt. Windflower Mysteries by buying a book. This year the latest release is All That Glitters. Available in local bookstores in Ottawa like Perfect Books and Books on Beechwood and worldwide through Amazon.

Thank you again for supporting the Annual Windflower Holiday Book Event and Minwaashin Lodge

Follow Sgt. Windflower Mysteries

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore?ref=hl

Twitter:

@mike54martin

Cozy Crime Collective Blog: October 2023

Welcome to the Cozy Crime Collective Blog. Every month one of us, cozy and light mystery writers, will post about our writing life. Hopefully it will give you some insights into our creative process as we share a bit more about ourselves. So, here goes.

My process is pretty simple. I find a quiet place with little distraction, and I start writing. I try and write from 1,000 to 1,500 words a day, Monday to Friday. I write what some people call from the seat of my pants. I’m what they call a ‘pantser’. That really means I don’t have an outline or pre-set plan for what I’m going to write. Instead, I try and connect with what I call the ‘creative flow’. When I do, the ideas and words just flow, and I write them down as they come.

Now, it’s not quite that simple. I do need a place to start from and since I’ve written 13 books so far, I have a crew of recurring characters already formed. That starting point is usually a story I have heard or an article in the news that spikes my interest. For example, I have heard people in the Grand Bank area talk about smuggling. A lot more in olden years, especially during prohibition days. But still today. Tax- and duty-free alcohol and cigarettes are still pretty attractive to criminals. That led me to thinking about modern day smuggling and into a whole range of stories, crimes and even murders that came out of those activities.

Once I have a beginning, the middle part isn’t easy, but it becomes clearer. I write my word count every day for about three months and at the end I have something that looks like a book. I do periodic revisions, every 10,000 words or so and a final, for me, edit right after I type “The End”. Then it goes to my fabulous team of beta readers who comb through it and point out my many errors and inconsistencies. After that, over to my excellent editor, Allister, who straightens out all the wrinkles and gives me a clean final copy. That goes off to the publisher who formats it and send it back. One more quick review by me and then a final proofread by the excellent Alex Z. and we have a book that is ready to meet you and the world.

Is it hard? Sometimes. But so is breathing, sometimes. I am very proud of my work and what I have created along with my team. As one of my favourite authors, Richard Wagamese has said when people congratulated him on his books. “I claim only the discipline, dedication, sacrifice and commitment as my own. All else belongs to Creator.”

Mike Martin is the author of the Award-winning Sgt. Windflower Mystery series. His latest book, All That Glitters is an Amazon #1 Best-Selling Cozy Mystery.

Order the new Sgt. Windflower Mystery All That Glitters

All That Glitters is available

All That Glitters, the new Sgt. Windflower Mystery is now available for from Ottawa Press and Publishing and Amazon. Simply follow the links below to order your copy today.

The Reviews are in!

We have some advance reviews of All That Glitters on Goodreads. Here’s the link and some excerpts:

“We learn more and more about Winston, Sheila, Eddie Tizzard, Sanjay and all of the other characters as we go along, and he also weaves in – seamlessly – Winston’s back story, family ties, spirituality and love of family. Even after receiving bad news, Winston prevails and grows. I highly recommend this 13th book in the series, which could be read as a standalone, but you really should read the series.”

“Windflower is also the proud owner of a B&B and does most of the food preparation. This is another brilliant aspect of the book, the loving descriptions of cooking, especially at mealtimes with family–– his wife, Sheila, and their daughters Amelia Louise and Stella. He is of Cree First Nations heritage and is also a Dream Weaver from a line of master Dream Weavers. This is another distinct and entertaining aspect to the book, the dreams Windflower has and the revelations they bring to his investigations.
While Mike Martin reveals his humorous side with many light-hearted moments, this unique and complex story shows a deep respect for Canadian heritage. All in all, a terrifically entertaining read. Highly recommended.”

Here’s a teaser from All That Glitters:

Sergeant Winston Windflower is moving on to a new chapter of his life, no longer an RCMP officer but now a Community Safety Officer in his home of Grand Bank, Newfoundland.

But when a body is found in the bed and breakfast he co-owns, diamonds are found in the body’s digestive system, and then Windflower’s friend Dr. Sanjay, who was given the diamonds for safekeeping, is kidnapped, it’s clear that crime has returned once more to Grand Bank.

Windflower finds himself back in the thick of it, helping his newly promoted friend, RCMP Corporal Eddie Tizzard, track down a ruthless diamond smuggler who will stop at nothing — kidnapping, even murder — to pull off his dirty business.

This is another finely spun Windflower mystery that contrasts suspense and tension with the joys of friendship, family, and gratitude.

All That Glitters will soon be available from Amazon all over the world or directly from Ottawa Press and Publishing. Signed copies will be available after May 22 at:

Sleuth of Baker Street bookstore, Toronto

Books on Beechwood, Ottawa

Perfect Books, Ottawa

Follow Sgt. Windflower Mysteries on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore

Twitter

@mike54martin

What Makes a Cozy Mystery?

This is a great question and I am happy to start off a discussion on this with my Cozy Crime Collective friends.

Cozy Mysteries used to have one standard template. Small town amateur sleuth, usually a woman and often featuring an animal, particularly on the cover. No overt sex or graphic violence and no bad language. Good clean fun. Traditionally, they were almost always written by women, which makes sense since the overwhelming audience for this genre is women.

But those traditions are changing. That’s good for me since I am currently a man… hey you never know, things can change, and I have been slotted into the cozy mystery category. By Amazon and by many readers who have found that yes, Virginia, men can write good, clean, cozy-like material. All That Glitters, the latest of 13 Sgt. Windflower Mysteries, was recently ranked #1 Best-Selling Cozy Mystery. It lasted about a week at that level. Enough to make me giddy, but far from rich.

I know why cozy mystery readers like this series. It has a kind and likeable protagonist who puts his family and community first. It is also set in a small town with colourful characters and great food. And yes, it has a cat and a dog. Both rescues who end up playing their own helpful roles in assisting Windflower solve a crime or just relax. I do adhere as well to the cire principles of keeping the violence and language subdued and appropriate for the gentle cozy readers.

So, yes, I am bending some of the conventions of the cozy mystery genre. In more ways than one. But I stay within the agreed upon boundaries, mostly. The murders in Sgt. Windflower Mysteries are generally off-scene and there is little blood to startle the squeamish. There are no ‘adult’ situations but a fabulous romance that have led from courtship to marriage and now two children. And the two pets.

My biggest cozy stretch might be that Sgt. Windflower is a Mountie, an RCMP officer. But leading a detachment in a small town. And he may or not stay a police officer. Stay tuned. That small town, Grand Bank, is a real and charming location. In many ways, the community and the weather are main characters in the story. It may not be the American south, but it is a cozy town, for sure.

If it sounds like I am making a case to stay in the cozy mystery milieu, you would be correct. And these views are mine and mine alone. I’m sure my fellow Cozy Crime Collective friends will have lots more to say. So can you, in the comment box below.

Mike Martin is the author of the Award-Winning Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. The latest book All That Glitters is a #1 Best-Selling Cozy Mystery.

For more great Cozy Mystery Writers visit our Cozy Crime Collective Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/849864953391956

Why I’m Giving Books Away: The Sgt. Windflower Reading Equality Program

I have now published thirteen books in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series (plus Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries 1 +2) and each time I have chosen to give away a number of copies, absolutely free. Not only that, but I actively seek out strangers or near strangers on social media to give them away to. Now, I am not giving away all copies of my books. I am neither rich nor daft and I am not particularly altruistic, but I do believe in helping people to read my book.

And quite honestly not everyone can afford to buy a book, especially new books. Tons of people are living on a tight budget, on social assistance or on a fixed income because of disability or not being able to work anymore. It’s hard to comprehend in this world of plenty, but twenty bucks is a lot of money if you haven’t got it and one of the ‘luxuries’ that many people give up is purchasing new books. They wait until they are available from the library or get them from friends or from the second-hand bookstore. I support libraries, but why do some people have to wait?

I realize that I can’t give anybody a raise in their monthly stipend to help them with their book budget, but I can help at least a few of them enjoy my new books, fresh out of the printer’s box. I believe in an idea called Reading Equality, a radically new concept that everyone should have access to quality, new release books. That’s why I am making 25 copies of All That Glitters available to people on a low or fixed income. I am advertising this offer on Facebook and Twitter and as the time of writing there are still a few copies left.

If you want one or know of someone who could use one but can’t afford it, just message me with the mailing address and I will send a copy in the mail. And yes, I will even sign them. No questions asked. You can send me a message thru Sgt. Windflower Mysteries or Facebook.

Of course, if you have the money, I hope you will consider buying a copy for yourself. Maybe even one for somebody you know doesn’t have the cash. Pay it forward. It works for me.

And if you want to help get this book into even more hands, ask your local library to order a copy. They’re looking for your suggestions. And if they don’t have the budget, tell them to contact me and we’ll make them an offer they can’t refuse.

You can get All That Glitters from Chapters/Indigo/Coles bookstores in Ottawa and Atlantic Canada and from these fine independent bookstores:

Ottawa

Books on Beechwood (Signed copies available)

Perfect Books (Signed copies available)

Toronto

Sleuth of Baker Street (Signed copies available)

St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador

Downhome Shoppe and Gallery

All That Glitters is available in fine bookstores all over Canada and around the world on Amazon.

Amazon CA | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore/inbox/?mailbox_id=401832063230933&selected_item_id=100000399124047

Twitter

@mike54martin

Every Picture Has a Story

The picture on the cover of All That Glitters is from Newfoundland. But I have to confess that I didn’t know where it was from in Newfoundland. My excellent cover designer, Patti Moran found it online, added her magical touches and the ATG cover was born. I loved it then, and still do. But there’s a story behind this picture. And thanks to social media I just found out what that is.

I’m doing a Virtual Book Launch in Newfoundland and doing some promotion for that. (May 23… check it out. https://fb.me/e/2HzbMBdMG

And I get a Facebook message from a woman who says that this is a picture of her grandfather’s property in Newfoundland. I ask her where it is from. Turns out that this is from a small community called Change Islands. A small town of 300 people on the northeast coast of Newfoundland. 

The woman said that she was surprised but very happy to see it pop up in her FB feed and that it was close to the anniversary of her grandmother’s passing. She took that as a message or a sign of something. I just think that it’s pretty neat. That we are able to make a connection over thousands of miles and years of memories.

All That Glitters is available for Pre-Order and Will be on Sale May 19

Upcoming Events

Virtual Book Launch A.C. Hunter Library St. John’s NL

https://fb.me/e/2HzbMBdMG

Tuesday May 23 6:30 pm NL time (5 pm EST)

Pizza Party Official Book Launch In-Person Colonnade Pizza 280 Metcalfe Street Ottawa

https://fb.me/e/1h4sT8vkG

Wednesday June 7  6:30-8 pm

Books, Pizza, Cake

It’s A Party

Did we mention Free Pizza??

Library Double Book Event with Brenda Chapman NGPL

Kemptville Public Library Saturday June 17 2 pm

Readings, Author Interviews, Prizes

Here’s a teaser from All That Glitters:

Sergeant Winston Windflower is moving on to a new chapter of his life, no longer an RCMP officer but now a Community Safety Officer in his home of Grand Bank, Newfoundland.

But when a body is found in the bed and breakfast he co-owns, diamonds are found in the body’s digestive system, and then Windflower’s friend Dr. Sanjay, who was given the diamonds for safekeeping, is kidnapped, it’s clear that crime has returned once more to Grand Bank.

Windflower finds himself back in the thick of it, helping his newly promoted friend, RCMP Corporal Eddie Tizzard, track down a ruthless diamond smuggler who will stop at nothing — kidnapping, even murder — to pull off his dirty business.

This is another finely spun Windflower mystery that contrasts suspense and tension with the joys of friendship, family, and gratitude.

All That Glitters will soon be available from Amazon all over the world or directly from Ottawa Press and Publishing. Signed copies are available at:

Sleuth of Baker Street bookstore, Toronto

Books on Beechwood, Ottawa

Perfect Books, Ottawa

Follow Sgt. Windflower Mysteries on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore

Twitter

@mike54martin

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

All That Glitters is available for Pre-Order

All That Glitters is available for Pre-Order

All That Glitters, the new Sgt. Windflower Mystery is now available for Pre-Order from Ottawa Press and Publishing. And it’s on sale at $19.95. Simply follow the link below to order your copy today. Full release date May 22, 2023. E-books coming soon.

PRE-ORDER! All That Glitters by Mike Martin (Release date: May 22, 2023)

Early Reviews are Great

We have some advance reviews of All That Glitters on Goodreads. Here’s the link and some excerpts:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/136278862-all-that-glitters

“We learn more and more about Winston, Sheila, Eddie Tizzard, Sanjay and all of the other characters as we go along, and he also weaves in – seamlessly – Winston’s back story, family ties, spirituality and love of family. Even after receiving bad news, Winston prevails and grows. I highly recommend this 13th book in the series, which could be read as a standalone, but you really should read the series.”

“Windflower is also the proud owner of a B&B and does most of the food preparation. This is another brilliant aspect of the book, the loving descriptions of cooking, especially at mealtimes with family–– his wife, Sheila, and their daughters Amelia Louise and Stella. He is of Cree First Nations heritage and is also a Dream Weaver from a line of master Dream Weavers. This is another distinct and entertaining aspect to the book, the dreams Windflower has and the revelations they bring to his investigations.
While Mike Martin reveals his humorous side with many light-hearted moments, this unique and complex story shows a deep respect for Canadian heritage. All in all, a terrifically entertaining read. Highly recommended.”

Upcoming Events

All That Glitters is at the printers and will be released on May 22, 2023. To celebrate Book 13 in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series we will be holding several events.

Virtual Book Launch A.C. Hunter Library St. John’s NL

Tuesday May 23 6:30 pm NL time (5 pm EST)

Pizza Party Official Book Launch In-Person Colonnade Pizza 280 Metcalfe Street Ottawa

Wednesday June 7  6:30-8 pm

Books, Pizza, Cake

It’s A Party

Did we mention Free Pizza??

Library Double Book Event with Brenda Chapman NGPL

Kemptville Public Library Saturday June 17 2 pm

Readings, Author Interviews, Prizes

Here’s a teaser from All That Glitters:

Sergeant Winston Windflower is moving on to a new chapter of his life, no longer an RCMP officer but now a Community Safety Officer in his home of Grand Bank, Newfoundland.

But when a body is found in the bed and breakfast he co-owns, diamonds are found in the body’s digestive system, and then Windflower’s friend Dr. Sanjay, who was given the diamonds for safekeeping, is kidnapped, it’s clear that crime has returned once more to Grand Bank.

Windflower finds himself back in the thick of it, helping his newly promoted friend, RCMP Corporal Eddie Tizzard, track down a ruthless diamond smuggler who will stop at nothing — kidnapping, even murder — to pull off his dirty business.

This is another finely spun Windflower mystery that contrasts suspense and tension with the joys of friendship, family, and gratitude.

All That Glitters will soon be available from Amazon all over the world or directly from Ottawa Press and Publishing. Signed copies will be available after May 22 at:

Sleuth of Baker Street bookstore, Toronto

Books on Beechwood, Ottawa

Perfect Books, Ottawa

Follow Sgt. Windflower Mysteries on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore

Twitter

@mike54martin

New Sgt. Windflower Mystery is on the Way

New Sgt. Windflower Mystery is on the Way.

All That Glitters is at the printers and will be released on May 20, 2023. To celebrate Book 13 in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series we will be holding several events.

Virtual Book Launch A.C. Hunter Library St. John’s NL

Tuesday May 23 6:30 pm NL time (5 pm EST)

Pizza Party Official Book Launch In-Person Collonade Pizza Metcalfe Street Ottawa

Wednesday June 7  6:30-8 pm

Books, Pizza, Cake

It’s A Party

Did we mention Free Pizza??

Library Double Book Event with Brenda Chapman NGPL

Kemptville Public Library 2 pm

Readings, Author Interviews, Prizes

Here’s a teaser from All That Glitters:

Sergeant Winston Windflower is moving on to a new chapter of his life, no longer an RCMP officer but now a Community Safety Officer in his home of Grand Bank, Newfoundland.

But when a body is found in the bed and breakfast he co-owns, diamonds are found in the body’s digestive system, and then Windflower’s friend Dr. Sanjay, who was given the diamonds for safekeeping, is kidnapped, it’s clear that crime has returned once more to Grand Bank.

Windflower finds himself back in the thick of it, helping his newly promoted friend, RCMP Corporal Eddie Tizzard, track down a ruthless diamond smuggler who will stop at nothing — kidnapping, even murder — to pull off his dirty business.

This is another finely spun Windflower mystery that contrasts suspense and tension with the joys of friendship, family, and gratitude.

All That Glitters will soon be available from Amazon all over the world or directly from Ottawa Press and Publishing. Signed copies will be available after May 20 at:

Sleuth of Baker Street bookstore, Toronto

Books on Beechwood, Ottawa

Perfect Books, Ottawa

Follow Sgt. Windflower Mysteries on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore

Twitter

@mike54martin