Ally Shields's Blog, page 16

Author Chat with EW Cooper on Mystery & Intrigue in 1928

Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
It’s time for our weekly get-together with authors to chat about all things writing and to take a peek at their featured books. This week’s guest is mystery writer E.W. Cooper, showcasing her Penelope Harris series.
 
Welcome, Elizabeth. How do you take your coffee?
 
EWC:  Coffee with cream but I prefer Café au Lait if I can get it. No sugar.
 
Ally:  No problem. On a magical blog, you can request anything…and get it! Café au Lait coming right up. While I prepare our drinks, please tell readers something about yourself. BIO:
Author of the Penelope Harris Mysteries, E.W. Cooper was ecstatic to learn her debut in the series, The Jade Tiger, was the 2020 Booklife Prize Finalist in Mystery/Thriller. A lifelong fan of classic mysteries and Grand Opera, Ms. Cooper is hard at work on the second book in the Penelope Harris Mystery series, Murder at the Met (April 2021). She lives quietly with her partner, children, three dogs, and one cat in a very noisy house in South Texas.

​Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “I paint to clear my head while I am plotting the next mystery. For example, while I was developing my protagonist Penelope Harris, I painted this - ”
  
Author Contacts:
 
Email: ewc@ewcooper.com
Website: www.ewcooper.com
Twitter: @ewc_cooper
Instagram: ew.cooper
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mysteryattheopera INTERVIEW:
 
Ally:  What or who inspired you to write your featured book?
 
EWC:  I ran out of things to read in my favorite genre – classic historical mysteries. While searching for something new, I had a dream and thought it was a good start for a mystery. I began to write that book and never looked back.
 
Ally Are you self-published or traditionally published? How did you make the decision?
 
EWC:  I am independently published. There were two important factors in my decision. The first (and most critical) was querying was interrupting my writing. This was especially true after I finished the second book in the series, Murder at the Met. Rejections, no matter how polite or impersonal, are difficult. No matter how much a writer might say they don’t take it personally, they do. I realized that I was slowly taking these rejections to heart and began viewing my writing negatively. Slowly, I began to stop writing altogether.
 
At the same time, with book 2 complete, subsequent plot ideas started coming like crazy.
When I looked at the amount of time required to find an agent, then the delay in rewriting for a publisher and how both of those things would impact the writing, I realized it could be a very long time before I wrote anything new. On top of the emotional drain of querying, I made the decision to move forward with launching my own imprint and publishing myself.
 
I haven’t written off traditional publishing quite yet. I have other books that could appeal to a publisher, and I expect that when those are polished, I will query agents. But for now, I am happy with presenting Penelope Harris to other readers like myself.
 
Ally:   Do you write with an audience in mind or to a publisher’s required theme?
 
EWC:  I did not consider a publisher’s required theme. Because the topic was interesting to me personally, it was easier to commit to serious editing and revision to make the book appeal to an audience. In terms of an audience, I follow a number of old Hollywood accounts run by young women in their mid-twenties. Their fresh discovery of the history of feminism, equality, and women in the arts during the interwar years really excited me. I wanted to write something those young women might appreciate while remaining true to the other core demographic of this type of mystery – older women.
 
Ally:  When did you first decide to pursue writing as a career? Is it your only career, or do you have a “day” job?
 
EWC:  I am an IT Manager. This may sound like night and day when compared to writing, however – when you add that I write mysteries it becomes more clear. A large part of my “day job” is investigation and problem solving. It is the part of my job I love most. This extends a positive effect to my writing. I do my writing after work or on the weekend. I can write very quickly, but if I need extra time to get something done, I sacrifice a little vacation time and get it done.
 
Ally:  What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
 
EWC:  I am very excited about the next book in the Penelope Harris Series. Murder at the Met is set for release April 8th, 2021. Book #3 in the series is well underway and shaping up nicely. I hope to have that title released in late 2021 or early 2022!
 
Ally: Which is the trivia questions did you choose to answer?
 
EWC:a.  book you're currently reading: Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnsonb.  a movie you’ll always remember: The Women (1939)c.  color of nail polish you have on: “I’m Not Really a Waitress” by OPId.  most beloved comic book character: Hera in “Lore Olympus” by Rachel Smythee.  favorite book character: Peter WimseyAlly: I’ve enjoyed our chat, Elizabeth, and wish you the best of luck with your series. Before we wind this up, please show us a little of our featured book. The Jade Tiger (Penelope Harris Mystery #1)
Genre: historical mystery
Rating: PG-13
 
NEW YORK, OCTOBER 1928. The Big Apple teems with the glitter of Bright Young Things, Prohibition, and scofflaws-the perfect place for Penelope Harris to start her life over.
 
As a former opera singer turned Shanghai nightclub owner, she's seen and done a lot, maybe too much. With any luck, she'll leave more than The Jade Tiger casino behind her-a murdered husband, a blackmailing torch singer, and Thom Lund, the ex-cop who stole her heart. But Penelope has never had that kind of luck; her past is already waiting for her in New York.
When someone murders her chiseling blackmailer at an out-of-control party and Thom is accused of the crime, Penelope must face down her darkest memories to prove his innocence. Is the murderer her cousin Charles, suckered into a hasty marriage by Penelope's blackmailer? Or is it Penelope's over-protective mother, who can't remember a thing after a blow to the head? Or was it Thom after all, ready to commit murder to save Penelope from the blackmailer's wicked plans?
Among the opulent mansions of the obscenely wealthy and the grit of a Hell's Kitchen speakeasy, Penelope and Thom must navigate double-crosses, bad liquor, bootleggers, and dark, obsessive love to find the murderer before the past reaches out to put a noose around both their necks
 
Publishers Weekly review  - "Set in 1928, Cooper's promising debut and series launch introduces aspiring opera singer Penelope Harris, who has returned home to New York City after eloping against her father's wishes with shady businessman Kinkaid … Cooper reveals intriguing secrets about her lead that make the prospect of future books welcome. Fans of Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher will enjoy Penelope's adventures."  

​Buy links:  
​
​Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Jade-Tiger-W-Cooper-ebook/dp/B08FXRK8TY
B&N:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-jade-tiger-e-w-cooper/1137484283
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-jade-tiger
Also available at other bookstores Available for pre-order soon -

Murder at the Met, book #2 (April 2021):

November 1928, New York City. There are two things Penelope Harris would rather do than get involved with another murder—sing opera and flirt with Thom Lund. When two tickets ensure Penelope and Thom get some precious time together at the Metropolitan opera, neither believes another murder will interrupt their romantic evening. 

Author Donna Kaye Dedicated FINDING HOPE to the Military

Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
Welcome to the Coffee Chat, your weekly opportunity to meet an author new to you or to renew an old acquaintance. This week’s guest is Donna Kaye, who writes romantic suspense.
 
Thanks for braving Iowa's cold weather, Donna! What may I get you to drink?
 
DK:  Although I love the smell of coffee, I don’t like the taste. I think I’ve tried about every combination: milk and sugar, black, with Irish whiskey or with chocolate shavings in it.
I drink both hot and cold tea, one of my favorites is apple cinnamon herbal tea.
 
Ally:  Hot apple cinnamon herbal tea it is. While I get our drinks, please tell readers something of your background. Bio:
 
Accountant by day, author by night Donna Kaye has a passion for storytelling. Donna credits her love of reading to her fourth-grade teacher Mrs. Wrich. A prolific reader, her eclectic taste in reading means her bookshelves are filled with everything from sweet romance to erotica.
When not at the keyboard or reading, you can find her with loved ones on a road trip, at the movies, at a playhouse enjoying a live theater production, or at a restaurant enjoying great food with family or friends. The tales she spins are filled with love, laughter and the occasional dead body.
 
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio:  “I’m a craft person. I can knit, crochet, do needlepoint and embroidery. I have to admit I don’t have the patience for cross-stitch. I also sew and do ceramics. I’ve even done an oil painting.”
 
Donna Kaye contact links:
 
https://www.amazon.com/author/donnakaye
https://www.facebook.com/Author-Donna-Kaye-105682060822909
https://twitter.com/donnakayewriter
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-kaye
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20581323.Donna_Kaye
INTERVIEW:
 
Ally:  What or who inspired you to write your featured book?
 
DK:  Finding Hope is my second book in the Aspen Gold Series and was a dedication to our nation’s military men and women. Many members of my family have served in peacetime and times of war. My family has served in World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, Desert Storm and the latest generation have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
 
Ally: What is the hardest part of writing?
 
DK:  For me the hardest part of writing is making time. I work a full time plus job with a minimum of forty-five to fifty hours a week most of the time and sixty to sixty-five hours during income tax season. I have to schedule time to write and put my rear in the chair whether I feel like it or not. Consequently, I do multiple drafts to fix problems from days I’m writing just to make a word count, not because I’m inspired by the scene I’m working on.
 
Ally:  Do you write with an audience in mind or to a publisher’s required theme?
 
DK:  Since I write romantic suspense, I always have the reader in mind. If I feel a scene or plot are too predictable, then the reader probably will too. Coming up with new twists and turns in a plot are difficult. The same with characters. You don’t want even your supporting characters to be two dimensional or flat. As a writer I need to create a backstory for secondary characters so I know how they will react to events in the story. Besides you never know when a supporting cast member may become a hero or heroine in a new book.
 
Ally:  Are you a plotter, a pantser* or a little of both?
(*one who writes by the “seat of their pants” without an outline)
 
DK:  I start my books as a pantser, once I get the rough draft done, I become a plotter. I have to go back and outline my story to make sure I don’t miss any plot points and that I have more than one suspect.
 
Ally:  Tell us about your reading habits. Current favorites?
 
DK:  I’ll admit I’m an avid reader when I have the time. If I’m in full out writing mode, then I tend to not read. Especially not in my genre. My favorite genre is romantic suspense, but I read most romances, although I’m not a big fan of paranormal. I have read paranormal but the plot has to be exceptional for me to read a series in that genre.
 
Ally:  How many drafts (revision passes) do you do on a typical book?
 
DK:  I usually do my rough draft, then I do probably three passes of revisions before I feel my story is ready for my copy editor. Then I do the revisions from my copy editor.
 
Ally:  What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
 
DK:  I’m currently writing my third book for the Aspen Gold Series with an anticipated release date of October 2021. The hero is Quincy Howard from my first book Second Chances and the heroine is Paige Rassmussen from my second book Finding Hope.
 
Ally:  Which of the trivia questions did you choose to answer?
 
DK:memorable book you’ve read:  Wild Ride by Julie Ann Walker was a great read. The hero Ozzie Sykes surprised me, and that’s hard to do anymore.an item on your bucket list:  I want to tour Australia and New Zealand. Not just for two weeks, but more like two months.favorite comfort food:  Homemade chicken noodle soup.favorite book character:  Blade Lombard from Blade’s Lady by Fiona Brand. His multi-faceted personality and personal moral code were compelling.favorite quote:  “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” — Antoine de Saint-ExupéryAlly: It was a pleasure to meet you, Donna. Good luck with your career. Before we finish, please show us your featured book, Finding Hope. Finding Hope (Aspen Gold)
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: PG-16
 
Her life will never be the same.
Injured in Afghanistan, Samantha Kincaid is struggling physically and emotionally. She's come to Spencer to create a new life, but can't escape the nightmares and panic attacks that follow her.
 
Is the peace he's found too good to be true?
After a couple years of being unsettled following his stint in the Army, Ren Garrett found a place to belong. Now his past has reared its unforgiving head. Accused of taking the daughter he can't claim, he must exonerate himself by finding her.
 
Book Buy Links:
 
Amazon ebook:
https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Hope-Aspen-Gold-Book-ebook/dp/B08F4MSHQG/
 
Amazon print book:
https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Hope-Aspen-Gold-Book/dp/1734615001/
 
Universal book link from books to read:  https://books2read.com/FindingHope

Character Interview with Rachel Blackstone from GG Collins' Anasazi Mystery series

Good Morning, Booklovers!

Welcome to the Coffee Chat. We're doing something a little different this week. Author G.G. Collins brought Rachel Blackstone, the main character of her paranormal mystery series, to be interviewed. In order for Rachel to speak freely, GG has stepped into the kitchen for a few minutes, so let's get right to it.

​Welcome, Rachel! Tell us about your character. Who is Rachel Blackstone?

RB:  ​​Rachel’s career as the Reluctant Medium began a few years ago in her living room. You see, she didn’t believe her father’s death was an accident. Having learned about the Hopi ritual to return the dead, she tried it. This is where things went off the rails for Rachel. The wrong person returned; an evil spirit. Since then, she has been called upon to solve mysteries of the eerie sort. That’s not always easy because she already has a fulltime job as a reporter for a Santa Fe magazine. But she has learned some new skills: vision quests, dragon flying and time travel. She’s still reluctant, but rising to each challenge.

​Ally: Is there a defining moment in your background that made you who you are today? 
 
RB:  It has to be when I blew the ancient ritual to return the dead. An evil spirit appeared in my living room instead of my father. His appearance sent me down the wormhole I’m in now. It’s not all bad; there is great satisfaction in solving mysteries and saving lives. Because of this, I have a relationship with the Hopi shaman and numerous others from the spirit world.
 
Ally:  Are you happy with the setting? Did you want a bigger house or a ranch in Wyoming?
 
RB:  Who wouldn’t love Santa Fe: abundant sunshine, great food, mountains and the many mysteries of a timeless place? The history of the Native Americans infuses contemporary times. If one can look past the ample arts scene, the upscale homes and the influx of visitors to the City Different, there are stories that encompass the nearby Los Alamos Labs, dormant supervolcano—or is it?—and the blood red mountains.
 
Ally:  Do you like the profession your author chose? Is there a career that would have been better?
 
RB:  I love being a reporter. I’ve been asking questions since I was old enough to talk and ask why the sky is blue. My father was a journalist for several publications during his career including the Albuquerque Journal. He was working on an investigative piece when he mysteriously died in what the police called an accidental death when his car veered off the ski basin road. With my training, I continued to investigate on my own. 
 
Ally:  Do you have siblings? Are you close to them?
 
RB:  My brother Chris has been distant since our father died. In book one he’s the mayor of Santa Fe. Unfortunately, he’s also a womanizer and tends to get involved with shady types and the latest sure thing that never is. In Reluctant Medium, he finds himself in really hot water as a result of his impulses for fast money and women.
 
Ally:  Who is your favorite supporting character?
 
RB:  That would be my best friend Chloe Valdez. She’s been married, well, I forget how many times, but she kept the Valdez last name because it helps sell real estate in New Mexico. Something she does very well. And, just to be clear, while I’m not sold on this psychic stuff, she’s enamored by it. Chloe caters our every adventure and never wears sensible shoes. But she is the friend we all want: there when needed, resourceful and ready when you need a hug.
 
Ally:  Any hobbies or pets?
 
RB:  Chile Pod, my tortie cat, came on the scene in book one. Never much of a cat person, actor Logan Masters, who graced my life at the time, brought me around. Since, I’ve discovered how helpful a psychic cat can be. Chile Pod, named for the southwestern fruit we love to eat, lives a charmed life while Auntie Chloe spoils her with unaffordable treats—on my budget. I am forever explaining to Chile Pod why she is served a lower-class cat food at home. Sigh.
 
Ally:  Did the author kill off any for your friends? How did you feel about it?
 
RB:  Yes, in my first adventure, she did kill off a friend. What I didn’t know was that it didn’t end the relationship. He continues to help me as I carry on this journey of solving metaphysical mysteries.
 
Ally:  Were you happy with your wardrobe?
 
RB:  Most definitely, I value comfort over fashion any time, just ask Chloe who dresses in exotic textiles and wears heels on most every occasion. I prefer shoes I can run in! She knows I’m a style failure, but would like to add a few accoutrements such as a cell phone. So far, I’m resisting this technological product of intrusion.
 
Ally:  Did your author listen to you when you tried to redirect her/him?
 
RB:  Sometimes I surprise her as she’s working on a scene. I’m that whisper in her ear, saying, how about we do this? For instance, when Chloe went inside her pantry, she didn’t know there was something mystifying behind the wall. I told her, there is a secret here. What is it? Is there a hidden door? Explore.
 
Ally: Name three of your favorite things that readers may not know.
 
RB: 1) I’m a confirmed junk food addict, I’m up for a green chile cheese burrito any time. 2) I also love margaritas at The Shed, but not the “healthy” pomegranate drinks Chloe prefers—and 3) the next assignment.
 
Ally: Thank you for chatting with me, Rachel. It was nice to get to know you. I’d like to invite GG to join us now, talk about her background, and tell us about the plot of your featured book, Anasazi Medium. About the Author:

G G Collins loves the southwestern US where many of her stories are located. She can be found hiking through ruins of the ancient ones and enjoying New Mexican cuisine. When not traipsing about, she makes up stories with great friendships, quirky characters and, oh yeah, dead bodies. In real life she shares her time with a man, several neurotic—and psychic—cats and the ongoing struggle to grow a garden.
 
She also write the Taylor Browning Cozy Mystery series and Teen/YA books. 
 
Author Contacts:

Via Goodreads. Friend me first. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6427518.G_G_Collins 
Website and blog: https://paralleluniverseatlarge.wordpress.com/
 Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/g-g-collins
Twitter: @WriterGGCollins


Anasazi Medium (4th book in series). 
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
 
Ancient peoples enlighten contemporary humankind in a mystery as old as time.

Rachel Blackstone is recruited by the spirit world to prevent a cataclysm: the end of the Fourth World of the Hopi. As earthquakes rumble and a supervolcano threatens to blow, it becomes imperative she discover the root of all evil.

Can she stop the greedy men intent on plundering Mother Earth and killing those who would stop them? The survival of an unaware civilization depends on Rachel getting it right. 
 
Buy link (all books): 
https://www.amazon.com/G-G-Collins/e/B008C3G3X0/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0  Stay safe, stay healthy, & come back soon!

Coffee Chat Interview with Mystery Writer Leslie Wheeler

Welcome to the first Coffee Chat of 2021!
 
Although it’s a cold and snowy day in the Midwest, this week’s guest author has made the virtual trip to be with us and bring her featured book, Shuntoll Road. I hope you’ll join me in book talk with mystery writer Leslie Wheeler.

Good to have you here, Leslie. What may I get you to drink?
 
LW:  I start off the day with a cup of chai tea with milk and Stevia sweetener. I switch to coffee for a pickup in mid to late afternoon--instant, again with milk, sweetener and sometimes a teaspoon of cocoa mixed in.
 
Ally: I assume you’ve already had your morning tea, so let’s see what we can do about that cup of coffee. Meanwhile, I hope you’ll introduce yourself to readers. 
Bio:

An award-winning author of non-fiction, Leslie Wheeler turned to mystery writing to give herself the freedom to make things up. Her two series are the Berkshire Hilltown Mysteries, which began with Rattlesnake Hill and continues with Shuntoll Road, and the Miranda Lewis Living History Mysteries, which debuted with Murder at Plimoth Plantation, recently re-released as a trade paperback by Encircle Publishing, and continues with Murder at Gettysburg and Murder at Spouters Point. Wheeler’s mystery short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies including the Best New England Crime Stories series. She divides her time between Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Berkshires, where she does her best writing in a house overlooking a pond.
 
Something that isn’t in my regular bio: “Every Sunday night I read “Dinner with Cupid,” a Boston Globe Magazine feature, where couples are matched for a blind date with dinner courtesy of the Globe. I’m always happy when the date is a success, and kind of sad when it’s not. Either I’m an incurable romantic, or I just like things to work out between people.”
 
Contact Links:
Website: https://lesliewheeler.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesliewheelerauthor
Twitter: @Leslie_Wheeler
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/728725.Leslie_Wheeler
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/leslie-wheeler
INTERVIEW:
 
Ally:  What made you decide to write your featured book?
 
LW:   I was inspired to write Shuntoll Road, the second book in my Berkshire Hilltown Mystery series, by my deep and abiding love for the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts, where I have lived for many years. The Berkshires I portray is not the one that tourists who flock there in the summer and fall know. Instead, it’s a place “of lonely towns perched high on hills, of narrow, winding back roads, where wildlife outnumbers humans, and the residents often lead hardscrabble lives.” The books are set in a town not unlike the one where I have a house. My town covers a large and diverse area, and each book deals with a distinct part of that area. In Shuntoll Road the focus is on a part of town, where long ago there were two tiny hamlets called Sodom and Gomorrah, because of the evil ways of the inhabitants.
 
Ally:  Do people you know ever show up in your books?
 
LW:   People in my real life have a way of creeping into my fiction. They include family members, friends and neighbors. I follow a “Mr. Potato Head” approach to creating characters. I’ll take a trait from one person I’ve known, and slap it on another, very different character. This helps me disguise characters, especially those presented in a negative light, so the folks they’re based on won’t recognize themselves in my books—at least not to the degree of being able to sue me.
 
Ally: What’s your writing process like? Are you a pantser or a plotter?
 
LW:   I’m more of a pantser than a plotter, though I prefer to call my process “the discovery method.” I have a general idea about how the story will begin and how it will end, but then I must discover the rest of the story while writing it. If I’m going to do an outline, it’s usually after the first hundred pages, so I can see where I need to go, based on where I’ve already been. The drawback to my method is that if a terrific character shows up toward the end, I have to backfill her into the beginning. The upside is that I’m never bored while writing, because I’m discovering the story in the same way the reader does.
 
Ally: What’s the best advice you could pass on to other writers?
 
LW:  “Don’t give up,” and “Don’t try to make your novel or short story perfect the first time around.” My first drafts are messy to be point of being embarrassing. But I always try to remind myself not to be discouraged, because I’ve done this before and I can get it right after several drafts.
 
Ally:  What are you working on now?
 
LW:   My next writing project is Wolf Bog, the third book in my Berkshire Hilltown series. I’m currently revising the first draft and it will probably need a couple more revisions before I submit it to my publisher. I’m hoping for publication some time in late 2021 or early 2022.
 
Ally:  Which of the short trivia questions did you choose?
 
LW:
favorite accessories:  green or purple beret; patterned socks with cats and other animals.the best thing a book fan has ever said to you:  “. . . we know/knew all the players in this intriguing story, and loved your ‘spin’ on the true crime we endured & that shook our tiny town! Loved the settings, and places, and all the roads you took the reader on, it put me right there with your vivid descriptions.”pets:  orange tabby named Marmaladebest place I’ve ever visited:  Iceland, because it’s such a beautiful yet strange country.one thing I’d try to take with me if forced to evacuate my home: my laptop, where my writing lives.Ally:  Thanks for spending time with us, Leslie! Good luck with your books, and please show us your featured novel before you go.
Shuntoll Road (A Berkshire Hilltop Mystery)
Genre: traditional mystery
Rating: PG-13
 
Boston library curator Kathryn Stinson returns to the Berkshires, hoping to rebuild her romance with Earl Barker, but ends up battling a New York developer, determined to turn the property she’s been renting and has grown to love, into an upscale residential development.
 
The fight pits her against Earl, offered the job of clearing the land. When a fire breaks out in the woods, the burned body of another opponent is discovered. Did he die attempting to escape a fire he set, or was the fire set to cover up his murder? Kathryn’s search for answers leads her to other questions about the developer’s connection to a friend of hers who fled New York years ago for mysterious reasons. The information she uncovers puts her in grave danger.
 
Buy links:

Amazon Kindle/paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Shuntoll-Road-Berkshire-Hilltown-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08F7YQ42H
Encircle Publishing: https://encirclepub.com/product/shuntollroad/
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shuntoll-road-leslie-wheeler/1136500170
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1524348304
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/shuntoll-road Wishing You All a Great New Year!

Do You Know the History Behind "Auld Lang Syne"?

As 2020 finally draws to an uncertain but hopeful close,
​I'm wishing each of you a happier, healthier 2021.
May it be all that you dream it will be! Have a safe and joyful holiday!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Although this may not be a "normal" Christmas for most of us, may it still be filled with peace and love. Happy Holidays! This Christmas song by the Pentatonix remains one of my very favorites!

Take a Holiday Break with a Matthew Cost Mystery

Happy Holidays, Booklovers!

​While you’re waiting for Santa or for another holiday event, kick off your shoes and pull up a chair. It’s time for another Coffee Chat interview! This week’s guest is mystery author Matthew Cost with his featured novel, Mainely Power.
 
Welcome, Matt! How do you take your coffee?
 
MC: I drink it with gourmet creamer. First cup to wake up and second at my desk writing. Then, we go from there. Bio:
 
Over the years, Cost has owned a video store, a mystery bookstore, and a gym. He has also taught history and coached just about every sport imaginable.
 
During those years, since age eight actually, the true passion has been writing. I Am Cuba: Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution (Encircle Publications, March 2020) was his first traditionally published novel.
 
Mainely Power is the first of the Mainely Mystery trilogy featuring private detective Goff Langdon. This will be followed by Mainely Fear (just released December 2020), and Mainely Money (to be released in March, 2021).
 
Cost now lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife, Harper. There are four grown children: Brittany, Pearson, Miranda, and Ryan. A chocolate Lab and a basset hound round out the mix. He now spends his days at the computer, writing.
 
Ally: Tell me something that isn’t in your regular bio: “I mention it above, but I once owned a bookstore called the Coffee Dog Bookstore, named after my chocolate Lab, the Coffee Dog. This bookstore and dog were the inspiration for my Mainely Mystery series and are both present in the books. I fictionalize all the characters and places in my hometown of Brunswick other than that, except for a brief blurb in Matt & Dave’s Video Venture, which I also owned at the time. I figured I wouldn’t sue myself.”
 
Matt Cost can be reached at:
​
Email: matthew-cost@comcast.net
Website: https://mattcost.net
Twitter: @MattCost8
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matt.cost.3/ INTERVIEW :
 
Ally:   How did you get your first book or story published?
 
MC:  My first published book was I am Cuba; Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution, with Encircle Publications. Over the years I had tried to garner an agent and get to the big five of publishing giants. I had done that with various books, and ended up self-publishing one, Joshua Chamberlain and Civil War; At Every Hazard. Finally, I decided to back down and look at some of the smaller publishing houses. Cynthia Brackett-Vincent at Encircle Publications got back to me almost immediately, having loved the draft I sent to them. They are also publishing my Mainely Mystery series, which Mainely Power is the first. They are also publishing another historical next year and a new mystery series that I am two books deep into. I could not be happier.
 
Ally:  Do you write with a theme or message in mind?
 
MC:  I enjoy creating a story around fictional characters as well as sharing significant historical events and people from our past. In my historical work, there is most definitely a theme or message. For instance, my historical, Love in a Time of Hate; New Orleans During Reconstruction, coming out next September, depicts the struggle for social, economic, and political freedom that took place immediately after the Civil War.
I also weave messages into my mystery novels though. I have three mystery novels coming out next year. The first has do with powerful lobbyists and the influence they have, the second has to do with heroin being smuggled through lobster traps in Maine, and the third deals with the resurgence of cult and cult behavior in the US.
 
Ally:   Do you know the book’s ending before you start writing? Does it ever change?
 
MC:  In writing historical fiction, I generally have a pretty good idea of the end of the book. When it ends might fluctuate somewhat, and in my most recent work, I have a fictional theme woven in that was not decided until the very end. My mysteries usually start with an idea and sometimes that idea visualizes the end, not that it always makes it to that particular end. The mystery I am currently working on that involves genetic engineering was a quarter of the way done when I realized what would happen in the end. Now, I just have to get from point A to point D. And yes, certainly, the end could change by then.
 
Ally:  What three books in your genre would you recommend to fans (after they’ve read your books, of course!).

MC:
1) The Perfect Daughter by Joseph Souza
2)  Within Plain Sight; a Detective Byron Mystery by Bruce Robert Coffin
3) In Solo Time by Richard Cass
 
Ally: What is your writing project for 2021? Anticipated release date?
 
MC:  I have a full slate of works being published over the next year. The second Mainely Mystery book with Goff Langdon, Mainely Fear, was just released December 4, 2020. The third in the series, Mainely Money, comes out March 6, 2021. The first book in the new Clay Wolfe series, Wolfe Trap, comes out in June of 2021, and the second, The Reckoning, is slated for December of 2021. In between, I have a historical, Love in a Time of Hate; New Orleans During Reconstruction, coming out in September of 2021. I am currently working on the third in the Clay Wolfe Series.
 
Ally: Which of the short trivia questions did you choose to answer?
 
MC:an author (living or dead) you'd love to take to lunch:  Ernest HemingwayIf you were a color, what would it be?  Purplefavorite quote:  “They tell us sir, that we are weak, unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger?” Patrick Henry in “Give us Liberty or Give us Death”.the best thing a book fan has ever said to you:  “I read this book in a day and bloody loved it.”Your pets:  Chocolate Lab is Coffee Dog, basset hound is Whimzi, and Chihuahua is Peanut Ally: Thanks for visiting with us, Matt. It’s been a pleasure. Happy Holidays! But before you go, please show us your Goff Langdon mystery #1... Mainely Power (A Goff Langdon Mainely Mystery)
Genre: Traditional mystery
Rating: PG-13
 
Was Harold Dumphy killed to cover up something at the nuclear power plant he was the head of security at?
 
This is what the widow asks Goff Langdon, private detective, to find out.
 
Langdon is a laid back, slacker detective, happy with his work, friends, and way of life in the town of Brunswick, Maine. To compliment his income in small town Maine's scarce private detective market, Langdon also owns and operates a mystery bookstore named after his trusted companion, Coffee Dog.
 
Does Langdon stand a chance against corrupt cops, crooked politicians, greedy millionaires, radical environmentalists, and a deadly assassin named Shakespeare?
 
With the help of Bart, the bear of a cop, Jimmy 4 by Four the hippie lawyer, the immigrants Jewell and Richam, and his desire and employee, Chabal—he sets out to do just that. And then he is framed for not one, but two murders, and events become very complicated.
 
Follow Langdon and his band of friends as they attempt to untangle the web of intrigue and return Brunswick to 'the way life should be'. 
  
Buy Links:
 
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mainely-Power-Goff-Langdon-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08FMXQFNV/
Encircle Publications: http://encirclepub.com/product/mainely-power/


​Mainely Fear, book #2 in the Goff Langdon trilogy is available now!
https://www.amazon.com/Mainely-Fear-Goff-Langdon-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08KY6KJG2 Have a Wonderful Holiday!

Guest Author Interview: Cozy Up with a Mystery by Judy Alter

​Good Morning, Booklovers!

Are you ready for the holidays? Put your feet up and grab a cup of your favorite beverage while we chat with this week’s guest author, Judy Alter, who writes cozy mysteries.
Welcome, Judy. What may I get you to drink?

JA:  I am not a coffee drinker. I start my day with a cup of hot tea, decaffeinated per doctor’s orders and flavored with a bit of honey. After that I switch to ice water, except on very cold days I may have an afternoon cuppa
​.
Ally:  While I prepare a nice, hot cuppa tea, please introduce yourself to readers. Bio:
​
After an established career writing historical fiction for adults and young adults, about women of the nineteenth-century American West, Judy Alter turned her attention to contemporary cozy mysteries. Most of her Kelly O’Connell Mysteries and Blue Plate Café Mysteries were published by Turquoise Morning Press and available from Amazon. When her publisher went out of business, she became an indie publisher and never looked back.
 
Judy is an active member of Sisters in Crime, Guppies, Women Writing the West, and the Texas Institute of Letters. When she is not writing, Judy is busy with seven grandchildren. Born in Chicago, she has made her home in Fort Worth, Texas for over fifty years. Judy is also a proud Scot, a member of Clan MacBean. One trip to the Highlands convinced her that is where her heart is, and she longs to write a novel set in Scotland that would take a second trip for research.
 
Her western fiction and nonfiction has been recognized with awards from the Western Writers of America, the Texas Institute of Letters, and the National Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame. She has been honored with the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement by WWA and inducted into the WWA Hall of Fame and the Texas Literary Hall of Fame at the Fort Worth Public Library. Some of her western books are available Kindle and a variety of other ebook platforms.
 
Something about yourself not included in your regular bio: “I am the proud parent of four and grandmother of seven. My four children are all adopted, and I raised them mostly as a single parent. We are a large, rowdy, noisy crew when we get together. Hate that quarantine and the pandemic has ruled out our get-togethers for the time being.”
​
Contact links:
 
Website: http://www.judyalter.com
Blogs: http://www.judys-stew.blogspot.com; http://www.gourmetonahotplate.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=judy%20alter&epa=SEARCH_BOX; https://www.facebook.com/Judy-Alter-Author-366948676705857/?ref=br_rs
Twitter: @judyalter
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5446.Judy_Alter
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/judy-alter INTERVIEW :

Ally: What inspired you to write your featured book?
 
JA: Saving Irene grew out of my increasing interest in cooking and food writing. I have been known to say that in my next life I’ll be a chef so the book may reflect that, though Irene developed in ways I hadn’t expected and became a diva. I hope I’m not that. The other thread in the book is Chicago. As I grow older, I turn more to my childhood background. Saving Irene is set in Chicago’s historic Hyde Park neighborhood where I grew up.
 
Ally: Do people you know ever show up in your novels?
 
JA:  People I knew in my teen years show up in Saving Irene. Friends from that period of my life have written me that they recognized this one or that. But the book is an exception. There are few people from my real life in most of my fiction.
 
Ally: Which of your own books is your personal favorite?
 
JA:  The Gilded Cage, a fictional biography of Bertha Honoré (Cissy) Palmer, wife of hotelier Potter Palmer (The Palmer House) and one of the first women to combine great wealth with philanthropy. The novel is almost a history of Chicago from 1847 through the Great Fire, the Haymarket Riot, and the Columbian Exposition. I think writing that book is what renewed my interest in Chicago.
 
Ally: What’s the very best compliment you’ve received from a book reader.
 
JA:   A fan once said to me, “I saw Kelly going into the Neighborhood Grill.” Kelly O’Connell, fictional heroine of my Kelly O’Connell mystery series, had become so real to her that she thought she saw her going into one of Kelly’s favorite neighborhood restaurants. Another fan said my characters are just like the people you meet in the grocery. I thought both were great compliments.
 
Ally: What writing project  is on your current To Do list?
 
JA:   Next on my desk is a sequel to Saving Irene. I have the title, Irene in Danger, and the first line “Irene Foxglove was flying across the ocean to ruin my wedding.” Plot ideas are bouncing around in my mind, and it time to get serious at the computer.
 
Ally:  Which of the trivia questions did you choose to answer?
 
JA:
a. A writer - living or dead - you wish you could take to lunch:   Mystery author Susan Wittig Albertb. Your pets:  My dog, Sophie, a doodle dog—half miniature poodle, half border collie.c. Your hobbies:  Cooking.d. The best place you ever visited:  Edinburgh, Scotlande. What you’d do if you could write any more:  I’d cook.Ally:  Thanks for visiting with us on this cold, snowy morning, Judy. Happy holidays, and good luck with your books. Before you go, please show us Saving Irene.

Saving Irene (A Culinary Mystery)
Genre: Cozy mystery

Irene Foxglove wishes she were a French chef. Henrietta James, her assistant, know she is nothing more than a small-time TV chef on a local Chicago channel.

And yet when Irene is threatened, Henny tries desperately to save her, wishing always that “Madame” would tell her the truth--about her marriage, her spoiled daughter, her days in France, the man who threatens her.

Henny’s best friend, the gay guy who lives next door, teases her, encourages her—and maybe loves her from afar.

Murder, kidnapping, and some French gossip complicate this mystery, set in Chicago and redolent with the aroma of fine food.

Buy links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GXB8KP6
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1531206726
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/saving-irene-judy-alter/1137615165;jsessionid=25CDBD588337575DFC7FD06A31F73A63.prodny_store01-atgap04?ean=2940164502515
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/saving-irene
​
All books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Alter/e/B001H6NMU6 Stay Safe, and Have a Happy Holiday Season!

Kate Fellowes: From Childhood Reader to Published Author

​
​Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
Join me for book talk with cozy mystery author Kate Fellowes on this week’s Coffee Chat!
 
Welcome, Kate! How do you take your coffee?
 
KF:  With just a bit of soy creamer, preferably vanilla or hazelnut
 
Ally:  No problem. While I get our drinks ready, please tell readers a little about your background. Bio:

​Kate Fellowes has published six mysteries, most recently A Menacing Brew.  Her short stories have appeared in many publications, from Woman's World to Crimestalker Casebook.  Working in a public library, every day is a busman's holiday for her. She blogs at https://katefellowes.wordpress.com/

Something unusual/unique that isn’t in your regular bio: “I love to roller skate, a skill I learned at the rink near my house when I was in college.  (The rink has been closed now, due to the pandemic, and I really miss it!)”

Other Author Contacts:

Twitter: @katefellowes
Facebook: Kate Fellowes, Author ​ INTERVIEW:
  
Ally: How did you get your first book or story published?
 
KF:  The first thing I ever published was a poem about Santa Claus that appeared in our local paper when I was junior high.  When I decided to write a novel, I read—a lot—in the field, even making a template to follow: when do we meet our protagonist?  How many sentences describe her?  How long are the chapters?  Etc., etc.  Then, I came up with a story, wrote three chapters and submitted them.  When the publisher requested the full manuscript, I learned the value of discipline and got busy writing the rest of the book that became Secrets of Echo Moon.  It appeared under my real name, Jill Giencke.
 
Ally: When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? What influenced that decision?
 
KF:  When I was in grade school, I knew I wanted to be a writer. Maybe because Mom made sure we had regular visits to the library and read to us every night.  I wrote my first “book” on construction paper stapled together, with an inspired crayon drawing of the author on the back cover.
 
Ally:  Do the people in your real life show up in your writing? In what way?
 
KF:  You’ve heard the phrase: careful, or you’ll end up in my novel.  It’s true.  I have poached personality traits and physical ones, merging them into entirely new characters.  I also combine places I’ve been and visited to create fictional settings.
 
Ally:   Do you know the book’s ending before you start writing? How specific is it? Does it ever change?
           
KF:  Before I begin, I know who committed the crime and why.  I really should try to outline the whole story, like I did that first time, so I can move easily from one plot point to another, but I usually only manage to outline the first fifty pages before I get so excited about the idea, I jump in.  By the time I’ve actually written those fifty pages, I can see the next fifty, and so on, all the way to the end.
 
Ally:  Do you write on a desktop, laptop or on paper?
 
KF:  I write every first draft in longhand. Then, when I type it, I make my first revisions.
 
Ally:  What is your next writing project?
 
KF:  I’m working on the second book in my Kirkwood Clues series, (working title: Deadly Harbor), planning a 2021 release.
 
Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you pick to answer?
 
KF:ebook or print?  Make mine print, please!favorite quote:  E.L. Doctorow — 'Writing is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.'pie or cake? Cake for me, especially chocolate!best place you’ve ever visited:  My husband and I visited England on our honeymoon. It was the most wonderful trip imaginable. A dream come true, with my dreamboat.favorite holiday song:  This changes every year, it seems.  For 2020, I’m leaning toward “Marshmallow World” by Dean Martin.Ally: A pleasure to meet you, Kate. Good luck with your series, and have a great holiday season! Before you go, please show us your featured book. A Menacing Brew (A Kirkwood Clues Mystery)
Genre: Cozy Mystery

With the summer off, Amy is at loose ends. Since her husband is busy with work and her son is at college, she reluctantly agrees to accompany her mom, Barbara, on a trip to visit an old college chum, Carl, who became a journalist. Amy knows their long drive will be filled with too many of her mom’s stories about her personal Summer of Love, but she never expects they’ll find Carl dead in his basement practically the minute they arrive. Things go from bad to worse when Barbara becomes the prime suspect in the crime, since she’ll inherit the dead man’s estate.

To clear Barbara’s name, she and Amy delve into Carl’s most recent assignment and discover a link to Kirkwood’s biggest employer, family-owned Stutger Brewery. More than one skeleton lurks in the Stutger closet. But are these old secrets still worth killing over? Or was Carl’s death motivated by an incident with more recent roots?

One thing’s for sure—Barbara and Amy are making few friends among locals with all their questions. As the brewery’s centennial celebration fast approaches, it’s time for Barbara and Amy to bring things to a head and unmask killers, past and present.

​Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Menacing-Brew-Kate-Fellowes-ebook/dp/B0864THDXQ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=menacing+brew&qid=1591125765&sr=8-1

http://prairierosepublications.com/books-view/a-menacing-brew/

Start Next Year with a Thriller by Author Robert McCaw

Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
‘Tis the season to be jolly, and what better way to hit the right mood than welcoming another author to the Coffee Chat? Join me in saying hello to Robert McCaw, author of mystery/thriller, Death of a Messenger.
 
So nice to meet you, Robert. How do you take your coffee?
 
RMcC:  Black, ground and brewed in a DeLonghi machine. I am fond of saying I like it black and bitter. I’ve always liked it black, and the Army taught me to take it bitter.
 
Ally:  I can’t say I prefer it bitter, but my magic pot can make it any way you like. While I pour, please tell readers something of your background. Bio:
 
Robert McCaw grew up in a military family, traveling the world. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, served as a US Army Lieutenant, and earned his law degree from the University of Virginia. He was a partner in a major international law firm in Washington, DC, and New York City, representing major Wall Street clients in complex civil and criminal cases. Having lived on the Big Island of Hawaii, McCaw imbues his writing of the Islands with his more than a 20-year love affair with this Pacific paradise. He now lives in New York City and La Jolla, California, with his wife, Calli.
 
Something unusual about you that isn’t in your regular bio: “During my training at the US Army Airborne School, my main parachute failed to open on my third jump. I came down safely on my reserve parachute, but it was a memorable experience.” (Ally comment: Wow! I bet!)
 
Website:
www.robertbmccaw.com
 
Social media:
https://www.facebook.com/Robert-B-McCaw-923924024346405/timeline/
https://twitter.com/RobertBMcCaw INTERVIEW:
 
Ally:  Where do you do most of your writing - desktop, laptop or on paper? Does it make a difference whether it’s a first or last draft?
 
RMcC:  Over time, I’ve used paper, a desktop computer, and a laptop. Now I write exclusively on a laptop whether I’m planning a new novel or making the last pre-production edits to a manuscript. A laptop is both portable and convenient enabling me to work anywhere—home, library, airplane, or hotel room. As long as I have an Internet connection, I can also create instant backups on the Dropbox cloud, so even if my computer should die, I won’t lose work. A laptop with Internet access also facilitates research and fact-checking and makes it easy to preserve research, including cellphone pictures I take and email to myself to assist in describing some settings.
 
I typically begin my novels on Scrivener software because it allows for easy reorganization, and then later transition to Word as the manuscript comes together. The search function, spelling, and grammar functions of Word, combined with Grammarly, provide powerful proofreading capabilities.
 
Ally:  Everyone seems to be on social media or talking about it. Do you have a favorite?
 
RMcC:  Besides providing me opportunities to advertise my work and connect with those who read my novels, I’m not a huge fan of social media.  In many ways, the social media platforms seem to trivialize life and often serve as a conduit for spreading misinformation.
 
People also think of social media as “free,” but nothing could be farther from the truth.  These platforms are commercial enterprises whose users pay handsomely by relinquishing rights to their personal data, as well as subjecting themselves to targeted commercial and political messaging.  While some platforms offer various opt-out provisions, many have not lived up to their advertised promises to protect the data they obtain from their users.
 
Ally:  What’s the best writing/marketing advice you can pass on to other writers?
 
RMcC:  I have three pieces of advice.
 
My first advice to fiction writers is always to write what you know. Own your material. In the most general terms, that means choosing settings you’ve visited, picking characters shaped by experiences similar to yours, and dealing with plots and themes with which you have a personal connection. I am not suggesting that your writing be biographical, but unless you are writing fantasy or science fiction, your story will have greater appeal if it’s authentic and believable. I find that the further I venture from my own experiences, the harder it is to depict the details in the setting, dialog, action, and characters’ mindsets that make for a gripping story.
 
Second, swallow your pride of authorship and find a good editor. Most writers I know (including me) get too close to their own words to see the gaps, inconsistencies, and other flaws in their work. A good editor sees these anomalies and does not tell you what to write but offers a new and different perspective on what you have written, hopefully enabling you to improve. My wife Calli reads all my books, typically more than once, and her input is invaluable. My characters are more compelling, my scenes more realistic, and leaps of logic closed because of her insights. And I also encourage and welcome suggestions from my agent and my publisher.
 
Lastly, follow your instincts and don’t try to jump on the latest trend. It takes most authors well more than a year to go from a completed manuscript to a published book. What’s trendy today is unlikely to be au courant tomorrow. You have a greater chance of setting the trend than getting ahead by following what’s hot today.
 
Ally:  What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
 
RMcC:  There’s little good to say about the Coronavirus pandemic, but the isolation it’s imposed has created more time for writing. Thus, I have three projects in reasonably advanced stages. First, Oceanview Publishing has contracted to republish the third book in my Hawaiian Mystery series. That book, Death of a Messenger, with some updates and changes, will be published in January 2021. Its advanced readers’ copies will soon be available to reviewers.
 
Second, Oceanview Publishing has also agreed to publish the fourth book in the series, Treachery Times Two, in January 2022. I’m now working on final changes to that manuscript.
 
Lastly, I have another somewhat different novel in the works, but it’s too soon to say more about that.
 
Ally: We’ll look forward to  all of them. Now it’s time for trivia. Which of the questions did you choose?
 
RMcC: memorable book you’ve read – Endurance by Alfred Lansing, the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s incredible journey to rescue the crew of his ill-fated ship crushed in the Antarctic ice.last time you rode a train (not subway) – My wife and I took the train with my son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren from Amsterdam, where they live, to Utrecht in the Netherlands.pie or cake? What kind? – Definitely cherry pie. My son and daughter-in-law send me one every year for my birthday, which falls on the day before Christmas.best place you’ve ever visited – I wouldn’t describe it as the best place, but the most fascinating place I’ve been was South Georgia Island, a British Overseas Territory, in the Antarctic zone. Home to tens of thousands of King and Macaroni penguins, fur seals, elephant seals, albatross, and other unique birds, it played a significant role in Sir Ernest Shackleton’s successful efforts to save the crew of his ill-fated Antarctic adventure on the S.S. Endurance.If you couldn’t write anymore, what would you want to do? – I’d love to be an astronomer, especially at this moment in history, when we have incredible tools like the W. M. Keck telescopes atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii and LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, to tease out the secrets of our universe. Ally:  It’s been a pleasure, Robert. Thank you for your service to our country, good luck with your writing career, and Happy Birthday later this month! Before you leave us today, please show us your featured book (to be released by Oceanview next month). Death of a Messenger (Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery Book 3)
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Release date: January 5, 2021
Rating: G
 
Journey deep into the exotic locales of Hawaii’s Big Island to discover its language, culture—and crime

On Hawaii Island, an anonymous 911 caller reports a body at Pohakuloa, the Army’s live-fire training area. Hilo Chief Detective Koa Kane, a cop with his own secret criminal past, finds a mutilated corpse—bearing all the hallmarks of ancient ritual sacrifice.

He encounters a host of obstacles as he pursues the murderer—an incompetent local medical examiner, hostility from both haoles (Westerners) and sovereignty advocates, and a myriad of lies. Koa races to discover whether the victim stumbled upon a gang of high-tech archaeological thieves, or learned a secret so shocking it cost him his life and put others in mortal danger.

Will Hilo’s most respected detective stop this sadistic fiend—or will the Pohakuloa killer strike again, with even deadlier consequences?

Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and James Lee Burke

While all of the novels in the Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:

Off the Grid
Fire and Vengeance
Death of a Messenger
Treachery Times Two (coming January 2022)
 
Pre-order/purchase links: 
​
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1608094030/
BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-of-a-messenger-robert-mccaw/1136876259?ean=9781608094035
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/books/death-of-a-messenger-volume-3/9781608094035 Have a Great and Safe Holiday Season!