Cathy Spencer's Blog, page 2

E-book 50% off Holiday Sale

Need some post-Christmas entertainment? My e-books are 50% off in the Smashword's sale, but only until January 1st!

Take care of yourselves, and happy 2021.

July Smashwords Sale on All My Books!

I'm taking advantage of Smashwords' July sale to put all of my books on sale. Plus, Framed for Murder, the award-winning first book in the Anna Nolan mystery series, is free! Like a little romance? Check out The Affairs of Harriet Walters, Spinster and The Dating Do-Over . They're all listed on my Smashwords profile page. Enjoy some fun summer reading that's also easy on the pocket book. Take care, and have a good summer!

COVID-19 Book Sale Until April 20, 2020!

With COVID-19 resulting in the closing of libraries and bookstores, I thought now would be a terrific time to offer a sale on my novels. You'll be able to read them for 60% or 30% off until April 20th through Smashwords. The discount will be applied automatically to your shopping cart at checkout.

Of course, Framed for Murder, the first book in the Anna Nolan series, continues to be offered for free.

Please take care of yourselves.
Cheers!
Cathy

Robert B. Parker's Tales of Obsessive Love

I just finished rereading Robert B. Parker's novel, Potshot. In case you're not familiar with Mr. Parker's novels, he wrote 3 different series featuring private investigators Spenser (no first name) and Sunny Randall, and small-town police chief Jesse Stone.

The wise-cracking Spenser was his first creation, and my personal favourite. He's a maverick, with overtones of an old-time frontier sheriff and private eye Sam Spade - guys who go it alone, more concerned with upholding their own sense of justice than the letter of the law. They have their own code of conduct and are true to themselves.

Spenser has given his heart - passionately, totally and forever - to psychologist Susan Silverman, and she to him. Neither of them love blindly. Spenser knows Susan's strengths and faults, including the little peccadilloes he must overlook, but every time he sets eyes on Susan, he still thinks "Wow."  Also, Susan has to live with the fear of Spenser being murdered one day, and it isn't easy for her.

But the unusual thing is, that for all of their love, Spenser and Susan know they can't marry each other. They can't even live together. They experimented with it once, but decided to maintain separate residences. Their unconventional relationship works for them, and they're wise enough to leave it alone.

Female P.I. Sunny Randall's love life is a variation of this theme, albeit a slightly darker one. She was once married to the love of her life, Richie, and although they're divorced now, that doesn't mean that she can let go of him, or he of her. Sunny and Richie love each other, so even if he marries again or she has a relationship with a guy with real potential, they can't stop seeing each other. In Sunny's case, marriage to Ritchie doesn't work because it somehow diminishes and smothers her. She's seeing psychologist Susan Silverman (surprise!) about it, but so far, Sunny hasn't worked it out.

Parker takes the obsessive love theme another step further with police chief Jesse Stone. Jesse used to be a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, but he developed a drinking problem after his divorce from Jennifer, and is asked to resign from the LAPD. Jesse's even drunk when he shows up for an interview for the chief of police job with the town of Paradise, but he's hired anyway. He's seeing a psychologist to understand his problems. Of course, Jesse's greatest problem is that his wife won't stop calling him whenever she needs him, and he can't stop helping her. Jennifer is the most unlikeable of the significant others in these series, a beautiful but self-absorbed, weak woman who sleeps around to promote her career. She uses Jesse as her safety-net. He knows it, but he can't stop himself.

So, getting back to Potshot. (Spoiler alert: The story ending is revealed here.) Mary Lou Buckman hires Spenser to find out who killed her husband. Mary Lou is a pretty, desirable young woman who moved with her husband from Los Angeles to Potshot, Montana to open a tourist horse-back riding business into the nearby Saw Tooth Mountains. She thinks that a gang of extortionists who plague the small town are responsible for her husband's death, but since she can't get the local sheriff to act on her beliefs, she comes to Spenser for help.

Mary Lou is not only good-looking, but strong, earnest, and still capable of blushing at sexual innuendo. But all is not as it seems. Turns out that Mary Lou is a key player in a real-estate swindle. She's sleeping with the mob boss funding the swindle, and either killed her husband herself, or arranged for one of 2 lovestruck men who followed her to Potshot to kill him.

One of them is Sheriff Dean Walker. His affair with Mary Lou ended his marriage. His morality is a little shaky, but he saves Spenser from being killed and is pretty good at trading quips, so he's still likeable. Plus, we feel sorry for him because Mary Lou is lying to him.

In the end, even when he finds out that the woman he's maybe killed for has been "making love" with the mobster and is using him, Dean can't help himself from saving Mary Lou from Spenser and retribution. And we like Dean a little more because he doesn't use his gun to do it. He's willing to be shot to save the woman he loves, no matter how bad she is.

Sigh. Whether we're on the highest plane with Spenser and Susan, or rolling in the mud with Mary Lou and Dean, romantic, even obsessive love is a motivating force in Parker's stories. The crazy romantic.

If you want some insight into Parker's own relationship with his wife, Joan H. Parker - to whom all of his books are dedicated - have a look at her New York Times obituary, as well as Parker's, who pre-deceased his wife by 3 years.


 Robert and Joan Parker

50% off my Mystery Series and Romances!

I'm participating in Smashwords "Read an EBook Week," which starts today. Framed for Murder," the award-winning 1st novel in the Anna Nolan mystery series, is FREE, the rest of my novels are 50% off, and the short story collections are free! The sale only lasts until March 9th, so check it out!https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi...

Mystery Novels 50% Off Sale!

Get the first Anna Nolan mystery, Framed for Murder , free, and books 2 and 3,  Town Haunts  and Tidings of Murder and Woe , for 50% off
during the Smashwords July sale!

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...


https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...


https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

50% Off Sale!

Get The Dating Do-Over at half price for only $.99 during the huge Smashwords July sale!
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

Elementary school teacher Viv Nowak has a sympathetic heart and abominable taste in men. She expects an engagement ring when her live-in lover of six years lands a terrific job in a new city. Instead, she gets dumped . . . on Valentine’s Day! Her friends insist on a dating do-over to fix her life, but no one expects the choice she makes when Viv finally knows what her heart wants.

"The Big Sick" and "Lab Girl"

I haven't blogged for awhile, but I wanted to share a book and a movie that I've recently enjoyed. When you find something good, you want to share.

The first is The big sick (that's how it was capitalized on the DVD cover), subtitle An Awkward True Story. I was under the false impression that it was a Netflix television series, so I sat down to watch one episode with breakfast this morning. After an hour, I discovered it was a movie, and I watched the whole thing instead of cleaning my house. It's the true-life story of taxi driver, part-time stand-up comic Kumail Nanjiani, who falls in love with a "white girl" even though his family is from Pakistan. This is a big deal because he lies to all of his loved ones about it - his family, who invites a parade of eligible young Pakistani women to their weekly family dinners in hope of arranging a marriage for Kumail - and to Emily, the young woman he's falling in love with. I've seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding and am familiar with the "I can't fall in love with you because you're not the same ethnic background as I am" stories, but hey, it's still true. The twist to the story is that Emily finds out he hasn't told his family about her, breaks up with Kumail, and then becomes deathly ill and is put into a medically-induced coma. Kumail meets her parents for the first time at the hospital, and they're not feeling very friendly toward him. The characters are realistic, touching, and funny, the romance is bumpy, and we're given a peek into the difficult journey of becoming a successful stand-up comic. There's great casting in the movie, including the quirky pairing of Holly Hunter and Ray Romano as Emily's parents. Just so you know, there's a liberal sprinkling of the "f" word in the dialogue, so if that still offends you, skip it. Otherwise, I recommend you check out The big sick.

My second find, also from the library, is Lab Girl. I haven't read anything like it before. It's written by American geochemist and geobiologist Hope Jahren, who grew up around her father's university science lab. The story is a combination of how she becomes a university scientist, a wife, and a mom, the difficulty of finding funding for non-commercial scientific research in the States (I'm sure this translates to many countries), and the science of how plants grow, particularly trees. Do you like trees? Do you know anything about them? Well, they're fascinating, and you'll learn something while being entertained. It's also the story of Hope's struggle with mental illness. Ever been pregnant? Did you have morning sickness, swollen ankles, back ache? What would it be like if you had to go off your meds until the third trimester because the medication could hurt the baby? Let me tell you, your pregnancy problems fade in comparison. I really liked Hope and the people who populate her story, and couldn't help reading sections aloud to my patient husband, who enjoyed Hope's turn of phrase. The lady writes well. So, if you enjoy The Big Bang Theory and Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project, I think you'll like Lab Girl.

Bye for now!

Reduced and Free Books with Smashwords Sale!

Read an Ebook Week at Smashwords
Smashwords is having a Read an Ebook Week promotion from Sunday, March 5 to Saturday, March 11, 2017.  For one week only, thousands of Smashwords authors and publishers will provide readers deep discounts on ebooks with coupon code levels for 25%-off, 50%-off, 75%-off and FREE.

You'll be able to purchase Framed for Murder, book one in the award-winning mystery series, for free.

Plus, you'll find deep discounts on my historical romance,The Affairs of Harriet Walters, Spinster  (75% off for just $1), and my modern romance, The Dating Do-Over (50% off for just $.99).

Follow the links to great reading at terrific prices!
Framed for Murder , Book One in the Anna Nolan Mystery SeriesThe Affairs of Harriet Walters, Spinster  The Dating Do-Over

Love a Holiday Mystery?

Part of the award-winning Anna Nolan mystery series, Tidings of Murder and Woe is a page-turner with plenty of plot twists, dashes of humour and romance, and even a little Christmas baking.

Christmas can be murder on families, especially when your mother is Julia Moreland, the CEO of a big oil company. Julia has a secret she’s about to announce to the press, but someone is sending her threatening notes to keep her mouth shut.

Not only is Julia contributing a handsome scholarship to Anna’s department at Chinook University, but her stepson is dating Magdalena, Anna’s boss. Anna has already outwitted death twice this year, and her nerves can’t take much more. Besides, all she wants for Christmas is to spend time with the two men in her life. But when her boss turns to her for help, Anna can’t resist, and soon the two of them are up to their necks in danger.

E-book from Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, and others.
Paperback from CreateSpace and Amazon.


Read a sample chapter:


“I hope you haven’t got any plans for lunch.”Anna looked up from her desk to see her boss, Dr. Magdalena Lewis, standing in the office doorway. Magdalena was the chair of the Kinesiology Department at Calgary’s Chinook University. The regal blond looked perfectly turned out, as usual, in a red-and-black wool jacket and black pencil skirt.“Why? What’s up?”“Julia Moreland wants to vet the candidates for the Robert Moreland Scholarship over lunch at her house. With you.”Anna’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding. Why would she want to see me instead of you? I’m just the administrative assistant.”“She mentioned that she wants to meet, and I quote, ‘the assistant who sounds so capable over the phone.’ More likely, however, she’s read about the two murder investigations in Crane this past year and wants to meet the woman who almost died in both of them. Julia would think that was fun.” Anna noted a touch of sarcasm in Magdalena’s voice.“Are you sure you don’t want to go?” Anna asked. “I’m in the middle of the verification report for the spring course schedule, and Scheduling wants it by the end of the week. Besides, I’m hardly dressed to have lunch with the CEO of Westmore Resources.” Magdalena perused Anna’s green-and-white striped t-shirt, black corduroy trousers, and black flats. “You’ll do. If the sponsor of a $5,000 scholarship wants to meet you, you go. Besides, her cook is excellent. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the meal. Last year’s meeting only took an hour and a half, by the way, so you should have no difficulty in returning in time for the department meeting at three.” The toe of one of Magdalena’s red crocodile pumps started to tap impatiently on the floor, and Anna took the hint.“No problem. I’ll have lunch with Mrs. Moreland and see you at the meeting at three.”“Excellent.” Magdalena retreated to her office across the hall while Anna sighed and returned to her spreadsheet.Two hours later, Anna was waiting in the foyer of Julia Moreland’s mansion on an acreage just south of Calgary. She had carefully wiped the snow from her boots on the outdoor mat, but was conscious of a puddle spreading on the pristine grey-and-white marble floor beneath her. She looked up as she heard the sound of heels coming toward her down the hall. A young woman with flawless coffee-coloured skin, prominent cheekbones, and designer pink-and-silver eyeglasses appeared. She smiled coolly as she offered Anna her hand.“Ms. Nolan? I’m Latona Taylor, Julia Moreland’s personal assistant. A pleasure to meet you.”Anna returned the smile as she shook the young woman’s hand. “How do you do?” “Very well, thank you. Julia is waiting for you in the dining room. Please follow me.”As Anna hurried after Latona, she admired the hall’s graceful columned arches and the colourful glass sculptures suspended from the ceiling. “Such a lovely house,” she said. “I bet you enjoy working here. It sure beats the university.”“Yes, it is beautiful,” Latona replied over her shoulder. She paused outside an open doorway. “The dining room is right through there. Enjoy your lunch.”Anna nodded her thanks and walked into the room. She hesitated before a gleaming mahogany table with eight chairs sitting on an Indian carpet of soft blues and greys. There were two place settings at the far end of the table, next to a crackling fire in an open, marble hearth.  She recognized Julia Moreland sitting at one of the places. Julia, wearing a pair of black-framed reading glasses, was studying some paperwork. She looked up seconds after Anna’s arrival, however, and removed her glasses.“Anna, thanks for joining me on such short notice.” Julia’s smile was warm and welcoming as she patted the chair beside her. “Come and sit next to me.” Anna studied her hostess while hastening across the room. Julia wore her silvery hair short and spiky, and her blue silk tunic matched her sparkling eyes. Anna knew that Julia had to be at least sixty, but the effects of aging were difficult to detect on her heart-shaped face. “I’m delighted to be here, Mrs. Moreland. I saw the newspaper spread on your home in the Calgary Record last summer. I’d have paid money for a tour.”Julia laughed. “Really? Well there’s no charge today, plus we’re throwing in a free lunch. And please call me Julia.” She offered her right hand with its glowing, square-cut emerald ring. Julia’s clasp was firm. Anna liked that in a woman. She placed her tote on the floor and slid into a chair at the second place setting.A middle-aged woman dressed in a sleeveless black tunic and slacks entered the room carrying two bowls. She marched up to the table and placed the bowls carefully on the gilded charger plates before Julia and Anna.“What have you got for us today, Nicolette?” Julia asked.“Sweet potato and red pepper soup.” Nicolette waited next to the table with her hands clasped over her stomach.Julia turned to Anna. “You’ll like this. It’s creamy with a touch of heat.” She watched as Anna carried a spoonful to her lips and sipped.“You’re right. It’s delicious,” Anna said. The cook nodded and left the room.“I hope you don’t mind looking at the scholarship applications while we eat?” Julia asked. “Magdalena asked me to choose the winner before the end of exams. That’s a week from tomorrow, correct?”“That’s right.”“I have some pressing business to take care of over the next few days, so why don’t you help me make the decision right now?” Anna nodded. “I’d be happy to.” Putting down her spoon, she ducked to retrieve the files from her tote before laying them on the table next to Julia’s bowl. “The scholarship committee has already screened the applicants based on academic achievement and financial need,” Anna said. “These applications are from the top six students.”Julia nodded, fixed her glasses on her nose, and opened the top file. Her hand absent-mindedly ferried soup to her mouth as she flipped through the pages. Anna was just swallowing her last mouthful when Julia looked up.“This group is an improvement over last year’s candidates.” Julia pointed at the pile. “At least this bunch can spell.”Anna’s mouth curled into a smile while Julia pulled out two files and set the others aside.“If it were up to Robert, he would choose the boy who plays hockey.” She tapped the top application with her finger. “Robert loved to play hockey when he was a boy. It was because of your department’s sports research, and because Chinook University was Robert’s alma mater, that he decided to endow the scholarship for the Kinesiology Department in the first place.”Julia laid the file on the table and held up the second. “But this young woman’s average is two points higher, and I’m impressed that she wants do a master’s degree on bone loss resulting from spinal injury. I have a friend who broke her back in a motorcycle accident twenty years ago and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since. It would be lovely to think that something could be done to rehabilitate patients like my friend someday.” Julia laid the second file on the table. “Who do you think I should choose?” While she waited for Anna’s answer, Nicolette returned to the room. She set two plates of what looked like a meat and bean stew with a side of corn before the women and removed their soup dishes. Anna waited until Nicolette had left the room before responding.“I’m afraid I’m out of my depth when it comes to academic evaluation. Maybe you should call Magdalena for her opinion?”Julia shook her head. “If I do, I’ll just get a lot of hot air about test percentiles and academic aspirations. I want to know who these kids are. I bet you’ve seen them around your office, though.” “Sure. The kids are in and out all the time, dropping off assignments, picking up essays, and making appointments to see Magdalena.” Julia nodded encouragingly, and Anna shrugged. “Okay, here’s what I think. When Jessica, the girl who wants to study spinal cord rehabilitation, comes into my office, she always helps herself to my stapler and pens without asking. I know that it’s a small thing, but it’s rude, you know? Nick, on the other hand — the hockey player studying sports kinesiology — always apologizes whenever he hands in a late assignment. Not that he’s habitually late, you understand, but a couple of the professors set an exact deadline, like 3:00 p.m., on the day their assignments are due. If the kids are even a few minutes late, I’m supposed to stamp their papers with tomorrow’s date. Then they get docked five percent of their grade.” Julia nodded. “So if Nick’s a few minutes late, I laugh and tell him that he should apologize to his prof, not to me, and then I stamp his assignment with today’s date.” Julia smiled. “I understand. Nick’s polite, and Jessica’s presumptuous.”“Exactly.”“Done!” Julia slapped the two files back onto the pile. “Good manners triumph over academic achievement. Nick gets the scholarship.” She picked up her fork. “Now, let’s enjoy Nicolette’s pork and duck cassoulet. It’s a real stick-to-your-ribs kind of dish, and perfect for today’s cold weather.”Anna sniffed the delicious, garlicky aroma steaming up from her plate and tasted the food. It was so good that she closed her eyes as she chewed.“To change the topic, I hear that you were the top suspect in your ex-husband’s murder case last spring,” Julia said.Anna’s eyes sprang open. “Excuse me?” “So, I’m curious. What’s it like to be the focus of a murder investigation?”Anna groaned inwardly. She should have known that Magdalena would be right; she always was. After being intimately involved with two murder investigations in less than a year, Anna still felt shell-shocked. After all, the last murder had just happened five weeks ago, right before Halloween. She was sputtering, trying to think of a way to change the subject, when Julia’s assistant hurried into the room waving an envelope. Anna took one look at Latona’s tense face and knew that something was gravely wrong.Julia looked up. “Yes?”“It’s another one,” the young woman said, halting beside the table and handing the envelope to Julia. Anna peeked at it sideways and saw “Julia Moreland” spelled out in black block letters cut from a newspaper or a magazine.Julia grimaced. She picked up her butter knife and slit the envelope open. Gingerly removing a single sheet of folded paper, she flicked it open and studied the contents. Anna was unable to read the message, but saw that it was spelled out in the same cut-out letters. “What should we do?” Latona asked. “Do you want to call the police this time?”“What?” Julia returned her attention to her assistant.  She refolded the message and slid it back into the envelope. “This is getting to be a nuisance. I think we may have to involve the police this time.” She tossed the envelope onto the table and glanced at Anna.“Will you excuse me?” Julia rose from her chair while Anna gaped up at her. “I hate to cut our lunch short, especially when you were about to tell me about your ex-husband’s murder, but I have some urgent business to attend to.” Anna half-rose, but Julia waved her back down.“No, please don’t let me interrupt your lunch. Nicolette will be angry if at least one of us doesn’t enjoy her food. I only wish . . .” Julia paused to think. “I don’t suppose you’re free tomorrow night?”Anna was startled. “What’s tomorrow? Thursday?” Julia nodded. “November 29th.” “No, I don’t have any plans,” Anna said warily.“Good. Do you think you might like to come to my Christmas party?”“What, here?”“No, at the Vandesand Hotel in Calgary.”“Wow!” Anna felt tempted. The Vandesand was a private hotel with notoriously-expensive rates. She had always wanted to have lunch there — maybe even peek into a guest room — but had never splurged on their gourmet menu.Julia half-smiled. “Yes, it’s a very nice hotel, especially the ballroom. The party’s my annual bash for the oil company bigwigs, plus some friends and family. I’d love for you to come. We could continue our conversation about your ex-husband’s murder there.”Anna frowned. Not only did she not want to discuss the murder with Julia, but she knew she’d feel uncomfortable at the party. “I’d feel out of place. I wouldn’t know a soul.”“That won’t be a problem. Latona can arrange for you to sit at Warren and Magdalena’s table.” Anna stared at her. Did Julia mean her Magdalena? “Didn’t you know that my stepson is dating your boss?”Anna shook her head.“I’m not surprised. Magdalena is practically a clam when it comes to discussing her private life. She and Warren have been seeing each other for months. So, can I count on you? We usually have a good time. It’s one of the perks of being the second-richest oil company in Canada.”Anna hesitated. She had read about the glamorous Moreland Christmas parties in the Calgary Record, but had never imagined attending one. “I just happen to have a new dress,” she murmured, weakening. Oh, what the heck. She’d never get the chance to attend an extravaganza like this again. “Thanks, I’d love to come.”“Great. The party starts at seven. I can’t wait to see Magdalena’s face when you show up at her table.” Julia glanced at Latona, and her smile faded. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Anna. Business before pleasure, I’m afraid.” She nodded at her assistant, and the two women exited the room.Anna picked up her fork and thoughtfully ate another mouthful of cassoulet. It really was delicious. Too bad that Julia’s meal had been interrupted. Latona certainly had seemed upset about the note, whatever it said. Anna’s eyes strayed to the envelope next to the files. Julia had neglected to take it with her. Maybe it wasn’t such a big deal after all.Anna looked back at her plate and tried the sweet corn flecked with red pepper. Hmm, was that a hint of maple syrup she tasted?Her eyes strayed to the envelope again. She nudged it until she could read the letters the right-side up. The only reason someone composed a message with cut-out letters was to avoid having his or her handwriting identified. That indicated criminal intent.Anna knew that curiosity was her downfall. It had gotten her into trouble plenty of times. Just this once, she should mind her own business. She drummed her fingers on the table. Still, what harm would a peek do? No one would ever know. She snatched up the envelope, took out the sheet, and read the message. It said: “Holding the press conference on Monday could be hazardous to your continued existence.”Shoot! Anna refolded the note, shoved it back into the envelope, and dropped it hastily onto the table. Who was sending Julia death threats? And what was this about a press conference on Monday? Fumbling for her napkin, she wiped her mouth, bent to retrieve her bag, and stuffed the files into it. Time to go. She didn’t want to be anywhere near this kind of trouble again. No sir! Julia was rich and she had three sons, or two sons and a stepson. She could have all the help she needed. She was probably calling the chief of police right this minute, as a matter of fact. Damn, now she wished she hadn’t accepted the Christmas party invitation. It would be best to stay away from Julia and her friends. But Anna couldn’t risk Magdalena’s wrath by not turning up for the party and possibly jeopardizing the scholarship.Springing from her chair, Anna was making a beeline for the door when Nicolette returned with two plates of fruit tart.“Where are you going? Where’s Julia?” the cook demanded.Pausing, Anna said, “Julia got called away unexpectedly on business. I’m so sorry to rush out on you like this, but I’ve got to get back to work. The cassoulet was delicious, by the way, and the soup was to die for. I mean, it was really terrific.” Anna coloured and clutched her bag to her chest. The threat of death was making her as jumpy as a cat. Nicolette frowned. “Are you all right?”“Sure. So, I guess I’ll see you at the Christmas party tomorrow night. Should be fun, eh?” Without waiting for a response, Anna bolted from the room, leaving Nicolette shaking her head and staring down at the dessert.