Annette Drake's Blog, page 11
March 22, 2016
Between Good and Evil
Today, I welcome R. Michael Phillips to talk about his novel, Between Good and Evil. I really enjoyed this interview, and I hope you do too. Welcome, Michael!
Why do you write fiction?
Fiction is, and always has been, a great escape from the demands and sometimes drudgery of our everyday lives. Before there were movies, or TV, or Smartphones, there were books. Books filled with stories of faraway lands, colorful characters, or worlds far beyond our own. The authors of these books allowed an individual to experience other cultures or different periods in time. They brought romance into some lives and mystery into others. They introduced us to Pip and Mrs. Havisham, Holmes and Watson, Mr. Darcy, Scarlett O’Hara, and so many more leading to current favorites like Harry Potter, Jesse Stone, and Katniss Everdeen. Characters so real we feel we’ve known them forever.
So, why do I write fiction? Having the ability to create a character, develop a story around them, and then present them to readers is one of the most creatively rewarding things you can do. Over the course of writing the new Auburn Notch series I’ve developed a few new characters that I hope readers will come to love or hate as I do. I’m just finishing the second book in the series, so I’ve gotten to know these characters pretty well. My reward for doing this is hearing what my readers think of them.
Please tell us about your book. What ideas or images inspired this novel?
Between Good And Evil is the first book in my new Auburn Notch Mysteries. The book introduces Sheriff Promise Flynn, an overly impulsive Metro Detective whose disregard for procedure finally resulted in her being shot and left for dead during an investigation. To repair her bruised ego and splintered confidence she abandons the callous dark alleys of Chicago to patrol the quiet, birch-lined streets of Auburn Notch. What she wasn’t expecting were her troubles following her there.
Promise is a combination of the personalities of two people I met years ago. My recollection of them was so strong that when it came time to develop a main character for the new series I drew from those memories. With a little creative license I added something extra to her background, darkening the past enough to add a mysterious note to an otherwise outwardly carefree appearance. We all have skeletons in our closets; it’s when they choose to rattle their bones that make our lives interesting.
As for the town of Auburn Notch? I spent many years in New Hampshire, skiing, hiking, and just enjoying the scenery and the hospitality of the wonderful New Englanders. I still look forward to every trip back there. There is genuineness to the towns I spent time in and the people who make up those towns. It was an easy choice for a setting when I was putting together the series. I believe location is so important to any story that it should be treated like a character. The setting has to make sense of the events.
Do you have an ideal reader in mind when you write? If so, please describe that reader.
I’ve read mysteries all my life, so the progression to writing them seemed to just happen. The readers I hope will enjoy my books are readers quite like myself — people who enjoy whodunits with quirky characters, surprising plot twists, and Aha! moments peppered in throughout the book. They enjoy a good puzzle and get to the answer right along with the main character. The Auburn Notch Mysteries are a little darker than my Ernie Bisquets Mysteries; they’re English cozies. The new series has a bit more suspense to it, something I hope my readers will enjoy as much as I do writing it.
Please describe your writing routine.
I have, since I first opened my laptop and typed the first words of my first book some 10 years ago, devote all day Saturday to writing. Whether it’s one paragraph, one chapter, or research for certain technical aspects of the book, I devote 8-10 hours every Saturday to writing. This is not to say I don’t throw together notes and plot ideas during the week, because I do. I’m constantly jotting down ideas, dropping them off on my desk all week long. But when Saturday comes, I hit the keys hard and stay at it all day. My family is very supportive, which I appreciate immensely. I think the key to writing is establishing a routine and sticking to it. I talk to other writers all the time who write just about every day. They all tell me the same thing — they get distracted and don’t get as much done as they hoped. Treat writing like a job; set hours and be there on time.
What advice do you give writers just starting their careers?
There are many stumbling blocks along the way when writing your first book, too many to really mention but none that you can’t overcome. Along with those you should remember, there are no magic formulas. If you follow a few basic steps it will take the pain out of writing that first novel. First, get the story out of your head and into a basic book form. This is your first draft. It will be short, terrible, and an editor’s nightmare, but it will at least be a story. Second, go back to the beginning and start fleshing out your characters, cleaning up the plot, and correcting grammar. Done correctly, this should significantly increase your word count along with polishing your book. Third, hire an editor to check the entire book. This can be done relatively inexpensively, and should be looked at as an investment in your work. This is important, so don’t skip this step. If you want to be taken as a serious writer, a polished manuscript will speak volumes. From here you start the query process and the next book. A good query is just as important as the book itself. It is the first impression an agent/publisher will have of you and your work. Make it count. I highly suggest a query-writing seminar. There are a lot of good ones out there. While the query process is going on, get the next book started. Don’t be surprised if the second book is hands-down better than the first, it happens more than you think.
More about Between Good and Evil:
Years after the Willis Asylum closed, the secrets of its past lingered in its decaying halls as a reminder to the good people of Auburn Notch. When Evil closes a door, he opens a window. Sheriff Promise Flynn was new to the town, and she was about to find out some windows should never be opened.
Promise Flynn is an overly impulsive Metro Detective whose disregard for procedure finally resulted in her being shot and left for dead during an investigation. To repair her bruised ego and splintered confidence she abandons the callous dark alleys of Chicago to patrol the quiet, birch-lined streets of Auburn Notch—a favorite vacation spot of her youth. For two years everything was idyllic, until the body of a young girl found in the abandoned asylum outside of town awakens the insecurities she thought her new life would insulate her from.
As the new Sheriff she begins her investigation refusing to accept the similarities between the young woman’s death and her own case, oblivious to being unexpectedly recognized and penciled in at the top of a clever murderer’s To-Do list. Her internal struggle intensifies when a discredited crime reporter from the past suspiciously arrives in town to resurrect his threadbare reputation, along with an FBI agent chasing down a lead in a cold case. Both men quickly become entangled in Flynn’s investigation and her attempts to finally put her past to rest.
Flynn reluctantly accepts the murder of the young girl might be the work of the two men responsible for her hasty departure from Chicago, but Agent MacGregor insists the evidence points to a man he’s been chasing. As the rising current of her past threatens to pull her under, Flynn finds herself unprepared for option three.
Grab your copy here: Amazon
Michael Phillips is a classically trained artist turned mystery writer. By combining his creative talents with a passion for mysteries he conceived his first series—The Ernie Bisquets Mysteries. It introduced Ernie Bisquets, a retired London pickpocket who decided he was going to assist the London police with their most difficult cases, whether they want his help or not. Michael has completed three books in the series, and has plans for at least five additional books.
Michael travels a bit, especially to Great Britain, but also has a fondness for New England. He spent many winters in the shadow of the White Mountains, skiing and enjoying the beautiful countryside. Those fond memories are the backdrop now for the new Auburn Notch Mysteries being published by Sunbury Press. The main character is Sheriff Promise Flynn—an ex-metro detective who left a dark past and her big-city detective shield behind and moved to a small New England town. What follows is anything but therapeutic.
When not painting or writing Michael is an avid antique collector, filling his current home — an 1894 Queen Ann Victorian he is restoring with his wife and son — with an assortment of antiques from around the world. Michael also enjoys cooking, working in the garden, and playing in the yard with their two rescues, Beau and Pup.
How to connect with Michael:
Website:
http://www.rmichaelphillips.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/R-Michael-Ph...
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/rmpbook
A Fifer’s Blog:
http://rmichael-fifer.blogspot.com
March 16, 2016
Death by Sunken Treasure
Author Kait Carson is visiting my blog today to talk about her newest book, Death by Sunken Treasure. Welcome, Kait!
Florida, where the rules are different.
Both of my mystery series are based in Florida. The Catherine Swope series is set in the greater Miami area. The Hayden Kent series is based in the fabulous Florida Keys.
Florida is a state of contrasts and a state of mind. Glance at a map of the United States. Down there, deep in the Southeast, is the Florida peninsula. Now keep following the coastline. Dribbling from the end of the peninsula is a series of buff-colored bumps connected by a skinny road and a number of bridges. At the very end of the trail, Key West. Some say that when you run out of places to go, you end up in Key West. That was probably true at one time, heaven knows the place has (and has had) far more than its fair share of eccentrics.
Take the lone road north from Key West and you’ll soon come to Miami. A thriving metropolis, the financial center of the tropical south where life and business is conducted with a Latin accent. Eccentrics who don’t get all the way to Key West roost in Miami. It’s a place of reinvention. No one delves too deeply into the past. A fall from grace elsewhere can be a leg up in this last bastion of free enterprise and the American dream.
Leave the tri-County area of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach and you’ve left the tropics. The East Coast continues through largely sleepy beach towns until you arrive in Jacksonville, the insurance capital of Florida. Venture through the center of the state (avoiding the mouseland of Disney) and you’ll find the Deep South. Central Florida is a place of cattle ranches and orange groves. Accents here bring with them the soft drawl of the South and the taste of sweet tea. Follow the west coast to the big bend (try to skip Tampa – another big city in the State) and you’ll meet more cracker than conch. Yes, it’s a state of contrasts.
For a writer, Florida quickly becomes a character in the story. The state has so much of its own energy it won’t be ignored. Hayden Kent in both Death by Blue Water and Death by Sunken Treasure knows that life can change in an instant in the Keys. Living in an area with one road in and out, that is subject to blinding rainstorms, hurricanes, floods, and the ever-present threat of waterspouts, tornadoes, and lately, earthquakes, keeps you humble. Life is always at the mercy of the weather. God had a sense of humor when he made the Keys. 
Like the gorgeous Angel Trumpet plant that grows everywhere in the tropics, it is beautiful, but deadly.
Hayden is doubly aware of the danger. She’s a SCUBA diver, often visiting underwater wrecks and dive sites in excess of one hundred feet below the surface. It’s a dangerous place for the uninitiated. And it’s where Hayden has found not only bodies, but almost her own death. Only Hayden’s training and skill at the sport have saved her. As she says in Death by Sunken Treasure, “If the sea wants you, then no amount of skill will matter.” She will tell you that it’s underwater that she feels most alive and she returns to the underwater environment again and again. Even though she knows, underwater, no one can hear you scream.
Readers, do you feel drawn to a book that uses the setting as an integral part of the story? Writers, do you use setting as a character?
More about Death by Sunken Treasure:
When Hayden Kent’s mentor and friend discovers her son Mike’s dead body, dressed in full scuba attire, washed up on Pigeon Key, she needs Hayden. Her paralegal and dive skills may help unravel the tragedy of Mike’s last days. He’d recently discovered a sunken Spanish galleon and rumors that he hit the mother lode ran through the Keys like wildfire.
Hayden’s dive on the treasure site uncovers gold, and clues that Mike’s death was something far more sinister than an accident. When two different wills, both signed the day Mike died, are delivered to the courthouse, the suspect list grows, as do the threats against her. The danger escalates as she tries to save herself, discover the motive, and find the killer.
About Kait:
Kait Carson spent a lifetime living and working in the tropical paradise of south Florida. She opted for a day job as a paralegal, practicing in the world of high-end estates and probate litigation. Legal pads give way to a keyboard in the evening and Kait spins tales of murder and mayhem set in the steamy Florida heat. Like her protagonist, Hayden Kent, Kait is an accomplished SCUBA diver. She lives with her husband, six rescue cats and three tropical birds at an airpark in Florida. Not too far from the water.
How to connect with Kait:
Website: www.kaitcarson.com
Facebook: facebook.com/kaitcarsonauthor
Twitter – @kaitcarson
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Grab your copy of Death by Sunken Treasure here:
Amazon
For those who want to read series in order, here’s where to grab a copy of the first installment, Death by Blue Water:
Amazon
March 11, 2016
Those Who Walk in Darkness
Authors Joyce and Jim Lavene are revisiting my blog today to talk about their newest release, Those Who Walk in Darkness. Welcome back!
Why do you write cozy mysteries?
I like to write about criminals getting their comeuppance and not thinking about all the gore that goes into other type of mysteries.
Please tell us about your book. What ideas or images inspired this novel?
My daughters worked at Pinkerton and brought home a video of how the company began. Then Joyce and I thought what if and it took off from there.
Do you have an ideal reader in mind when you write? If so, please describe that reader.
I guess any author would like a reader to enjoy what they write and want to read all of their books.
Please describe your writing routine.
I start out at six writing for an hour. Eat breakfast then take the grandkids to school. When I get back I make a latte, then write until noon. After that it’s basically revision time and promo work.
What advice do you give new writers just starting out?
Know what you want to write and be persistent about it. Never give up on your dream. If you want it bad enough, you will achieve it.
More about Those Who Walk in Darkness:
Three years ago, Julia Jackson was a well to do young woman from Boston whose fiancé, Jonathon, was killed right before her eyes. Obsessed with finding the killer, a man whose face she saw only in a flash as he walked up and shot Jonathon, she leaves her family and her life behind. She starts a new life as ‘Jacks’ Jackson—a cigar smoking, dead eye, female Pinkerton agent…pretending to be a man.
Now Allan Pinkerton needs Jacks to find the man who kidnapped the wife and son of a railroad official, David Boyd. Their only clues are the severed finger from the man’s wife, complete with wedding ring, and a map of the Qualla boundary, the Cherokee reservation in North Carolina.
Jacks doesn’t like the way the whole thing sounds from the beginning. David Boyd isn’t important enough to target for a kidnapping. And why travel so far with two hostages?
But Pinkerton tells her that he believes the man responsible for the kidnapping worked with Jonathon’s murderer in a train robbery five years ago. Jacks agrees to go after the kidnapper with hopes of catching him before he can reach his home grounds.
Pinkerton insists that Jacks bring three men with her—Boyd, her new partner, and a Cherokee guide named Running Wolf, who’s always watching her, like he’s trying to figure it out.
Can Jacks catch the kidnapper with her secret — and her life — intact?
Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family.
Webpage – www.joyceandjimlavene.com
Facebook – www.facebook.com/joyceandjimlavene
Amazon – http://amazon.com/author/jlavene
Twitter – https://twitter.com/AuthorJLavene
Plateful of Murder
Welcome author Carole Fowkes!
Why do you write fiction?
I write fiction because I adore letting my imagination run wild. It’s the one time I don’t have to be a responsible adult.
Please tell us about your newest release. What ideas or images inspired this story?
My latest release, Plateful of Murder, is the first book in the Terrified Detective series. It’s about a young woman, Claire DeNardo, who is afraid of many things but becomes a private investigator because she can’t find a decent job in her field of mass communications. In spite of being fearful, she finds herself drawn into solving murders. The idea for the series came about when a friend and I were discussing careers. My friend asked me how I’d feel about being a private investigator and my response was, “I’d be terrified.” Thus the series was created.
Do you have an ideal reader in mind when you write? If so, please describe that reader.
I hope my books appeal to a broad range of readers. If I had to describe an ideal reader, though, that reader would have a good sense of humor and appreciate irony. This reader would also love food, especially chocolate, because it’s what keeps Claire going.
Please describe your writing routine.
I usually start writing early in the morning and go until my stomach growls, which it does around 7 a.m. After breakfast I continue writing until late morning. By then, other aspects of my life need attention. During this time away from writing, I allow my words from the morning to “stew.” After dinner I pick up where I left off on my project and write for another couple hours. Also, I don’t plot ahead, preferring to “ad lib.”
What advice do you give to authors just starting their journey?
My advice is to keep at it. The more you write, the better you’ll get. Also, if at all possible, join a writers’ group. I’m part of one and attend every week. The advice and encouragement of other authors is of immense value and can push you through a tough scene or a rejection. That brings me to my last bit of advice. Rejections are part of the game and everyone receives them. If writing is your dream, don’t let one or 100 rejections cause you to give that dream up.
More about Plateful of Murder:
Private Detective Claire DeNardo is afraid of everything. Simple things like balloons, roller coasters, and hairpieces make her knees knock loud enough to be a band’s rhythm section. Unfortunately, the only job Claire can find is working for her Uncle Gino in his seedy detective agency. Until now, her cases have all been middle-aged men with trophy wives who needed watching. But Claire gets swept up in a murder case despite being afraid of conflict, bodily harm, and hurting anyone’s feelings. She enlists a jaded security guard, Ed, to help her. But when Ed is attacked and left comatose, Claire must stumble along by herself. Both the client who hired her and the handsome police detective want her off the case. When the wrong person is charged, it’s up to the terrified detective, to summon all the courage she can to find the true killer.
How to connect with Carole:
https://www.facebook.com/carolefowkes
https://twitter.com/CaroleFowkes
https://www.goodreads.com/carolefowkes
Grab your copy of Plateful of Murder here:
Amazon
March 1, 2016
City of Gold
Today, author Carolyn Arnold talks about her mystery novel, City of Gold.
What inspired you to write City of Gold?
A while back, I was searching for an action-adventure book to read, and I quickly noticed that most stories in the genre start off at a point long ago in history with people who never enter the story again after an initial prologue. But I wanted to read something more in the vein of Indiana Jones, that started in the present day, with action right from the start that just keeps going. Who doesn’t remember the boulder scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indy is running for his life? Now, that’s what I’m going for!
You are primarily a mystery author. Why did you decide to write an action adventure?
I’m not sure whether I actually decided or was simply inspired. It is such a mysterious place, and people can’t seem to decide whether the city is fact or legend. The child in all of us wants to believe that a place like the City of Gold exists, but the grown-up in us tends to squash that curiosity. So when mine was piqued, I wanted to try my hand at going on an adventure along with my characters.
What were some challenges you faced while writing the book?
As a mystery author who specializes in police procedurals, I found it hard to let myself go. With my regular genre, there are procedures that I need to follow. I need to know how real-life detectives and FBI agents would handle an investigation, how the forensics work, et cetera. So when it came to writing about what is, at this point, a fictional city, it was hard to open my creative mind. It almost felt like I had to literally discover the city in order to write about it. But with all the research and resources on Paititi — and some of it conflicting — I had to decide for myself what bits to incorporate into my story. I had to remind myself that I’m a storyteller, not a professor.
Tell us about the characters.
Twenty-nine-year-old Matthew Connor is the son of Toronto’s mayor, and while he’s educated in archeology, you won’t find him on excavations. His passion is hunting down treasure and legends the world has all but forgotten. While he feels the need to hide his true occupation from his father, this secret affects more than only him. Matthew’s two closest friends, Robyn and Cal, travel the globe with him and put their lives at risk to secure priceless artifacts.
What can readers expect from this book? This series?
City of Gold is not your everyday action adventure. In fact, it’s been designed for the mystery lover. For example, in City of Gold, there is a kidnapping, a ransom, and a police investigation, as well as lots of action-packed adventure and exploration itself.
More about City of Gold:
Archaeologist Matthew Connor and his friends Cal and Robyn are finally home after a dangerous retrieval expedition in India. While they succeeded in obtaining the priceless Pandu artifact they sought, it almost cost them their lives. Still, Matthew is ready for the next adventure. Yet when new intel surfaces indicating the possible location of the legendary City of Gold, Matthew is hesitant to embark on the quest.
Not only is the evidence questionable but it means looking for the lost city of Paititi far away from where other explorers have concentrated their efforts. As appealing as making the discovery would be, it’s just too risky. But when Cal’s girlfriend, Sophie, is abducted by Matthew’s old nemesis who is dead-set on acquiring the Pandu statue, Matthew may be forced into action. Saving Sophie’s life means either breaking into the Royal Ontario Museum to steal the relic or offering up something no one in his or her right mind can refuse–the City of Gold.
Now Matthew and his two closest friends must find a city and a treasure that have been lost for centuries. And they only have seven days to do it. As they race against the clock, they quickly discover that the streets they seek aren’t actually paved with gold, but with blood.
How to connect with Carolyn:
Website Twitter Facebook
And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters.
Purchase Links
Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA Amazon AU
Barnes & Noble Apple iBooks Kobo
February 24, 2016
It’s time to be honest
Yesterday, I bought a romance ebook from one of my favorite writers. It was on sale for $1.99, and years ago I read and loved her other books. I started reading it last night, and bam! The hero raped the heroine on their wedding night. Foolishly, I kept reading. And bam! He accused her of being a whore and assaulted her. I made it to maybe 15% of the book, and I was done. I couldn’t finish it. This morning I asked Amazon to return my money. I’m tempted to write to the author and ask, “What were you thinking?”
So, as a writer, this makes me question my own boundaries. Do I write rape scenes? Am I willing to have one of my characters physically or emotionally abuse another? I mean, those books sell, right? Didn’t E.L. James make more than $90 million on Fifty Shades of Grey? Give the reader what they want, right?
Nope. Not for me. I will never write a book where the hero rapes, assaults or verbally abuses the heroine. Never. I will not write scenes like the ones that tortured my eyes last night. As for Fifty Shades of Grey, I do not write erotica. I never shall. I don’t write scenes where men bully women or if I do, it’s because he is the villain. I think many women, myself included, make enough bad decisions on our own. We don’t need an “alpha male” to create obstacles for us. We can do that just fine on our own, thank you.
I made this chocolate cake last night. Yes, there is a slice or two missing. My husband and I cut into it last night while watching Downton Abbey. Speaking of honesty: would you like to know the calories and fat grams for one slice? No. Me neither. I’ll take my honesty in measured doses.
I’m going to come clean with you: after studying the genre as I write my Celebration House trilogy, it’s time to confess: I don’t write romance. I don’t. Because the definition of romance – “the core story is the developing relationship between a man and a woman*” – isn’t really what my books are about. My books are about, well, a lot of things, but my heroines’ happiness doesn’t hinge on a successful romance. It’s more of the frosting on the cake, rather than the whole dessert. It’s time to be honest: I write women’s fiction.
And there’s one more thing I’ve recently come to realize: I really enjoy writing for children. Earlier this month I attended a Romance Writers of America (RWA) conference. It was held at a hotel where I attended a children’s writing conference in 2010 and 2013. I sat in that classroom, desperately fighting to stay awake, and I remembered past conferences where I felt alive with the idea of writing books for children. This gave rise to the idea of Louisa, a little witch who is allergic to cats and afraid of flying (we share this attribute). It’s a series of chapter books meant for first and second-grade readers. Louisa feels like she’s a misfit. I get that.
Hands and arms inside the cart. Next: Sharing an “aha” moment.
*Quote from Leigh Michaels’ book On Writing Romance: How to Craft a Novel That Sells
February 22, 2016
Happy Homicides 2: A collection of cozy mysteries
Love can be deadly. As proven by these traditional mysteries, cunningly crafted by thirteen bestselling and award-winning authors. Nearly 500-pages of heart-warming, brain puzzling, and character-driven reads. Your purchase includes a free gift, a file with recipes and craft ideas sure to put you in a romantic mood any time of the year!
Author Teresa Trent answers the question:
Does It Take a Police Detective to Solve a Mystery?
Absolutely Not.
I have had the great pleasure to collaborate with eleven other authors in Happy Homicides 2: Crimes of the Heart. What amazes me is the variety of characters and stories we all bring to the table. I was fascinated with some of the jobs the various sleuths in our series do. Between all of us, we have hundreds of books published, so I couldn’t get every occupation, but here are just some of the professions our sleuths work at in our individual series.
Helpful Hints Writer
My main character, Betsy Livingston Fitzpatrick is a helpful hints writer for a local newspaper. She can solve the crime while using cold water on that nasty blood stain in the Pecan Bayou Mystery Series.
Beach Décor Store Owner
Joanna Campbell Slan writes about Cara Mia Delgatto, the owner of a store filled with recycled beach-themed decor, The Treasure Chest. I love the name Cara Mia and now I know what to do with all those old seashells!
Adjunct English Professor
Neil Plackcy writes about an adjunct English professor Steve Levitan aided by his golden retriever, Rochester. This is really a buddy series because yes, dogs can solve crimes.
Mystery Shopper
Elaine Viets comes up with a clever idea for a series that centers on mystery shopper, Josie Marcus. Haven’t you always wanted to do that? Shopping and mysteries! Two of my greatest weaknesses.
Physicist
Quick, try to remember your periodic table! It’s a mystery, right? Camille Minichino writes a series about retired physicist Gloria Lamerino who lives in an apartment above a funeral home. She must have received a pretty good deal on the rent.
Flowershop Owner
Annie Adam’s Quincy McKay has them pushing up daisies all around her! Quincy owns a flower shop and finds herself deep in the compost pile in three different mysteries.
Gardening Columnist
Nancy Jill Thames writes a series about Jillian Bradley and her cute little dog Teddy. So you would think she would spend all of her time in the garden, but this lady leads an incredibly exciting life going everywhere solving mysteries. I hope she has a timer on the sprinkler.
Tea Shop Owner
Linda Gordon Hengerer gives us a mystery in a tea shop. Do you take milk with your tea or arsenic?
Teacher/Coach
Kathi Daley creates the character of TJ Jensen, a high school teacher and coach in the alpine town of Serenity, Nevada. I love the idea of a coach solving mysteries. So why does the locker room smell that way?
Southern Belle
I’m from Texas and can tell you that, yes, this is an actual occupation around here. (Pronounced ‘round hare). Carolyn Haines writes the Sarah Booth Delaney series where her belle finds herself not only with a murder mystery to solve but living in a haunted house.
Private Eye
Randy Rawles writes about Ace Edwards, a private eye he dreamed up while on a bike ride outside of Dallas. Actually, the character’s name is Arthur Conan Edwards. Which is yet another great thing about him! Ace solves mysteries in Texas, a hotbed of crime for us mystery writers.
Lawyer
Anna Celeste Burke writes Jessica Huntington, a woman who took a beating in her marriage and dusted off the old law degree. I just love a woman who knows the judicial system and can take revenge on a cheatin’ man anytime she wants.
A Landscaper With Big Dreams
Maggie Toussant writes about a psychic landscaper Baxley Powell who gets insights through dreamwalking. One of my favorite titles of Maggie’s is “Bubba Done It”. Why have we not picked up this phrase around my house? Who left that mess in the living room? Bubba done it.
Visit Amazon.com to buy your copy. The collection is on sale for $2.99.
February 19, 2016
Amazon blocked my book. Why? I don’t know.
Last Monday, I logged onto my Amazon author’s page and much to my surprise, I learned that my book, BONE GIRL, was blocked. Amazon refused to sell it.
I immediately emailed the company and received no response. I sent a second email on Tuesday and again, I received no response. Meanwhile, BONE GIRL could not be bought in e-book form on Amazon. It was and is still available at Nook, Kobo and iBook. Smashwords, the distributor I used for my books, had no qualms with BONE GIRL.
On Wednesday, I received an email. Amazon demanded I prove I am the author of BONE GIRL. Okay. No problem. I publish the book via my own small press, Baskethound Books. I sent them an image of my business license. On Thursday, I sent them a copy of the copyright for BONE GIRL. This is the only book I have bothered to seek a copyright for, and I did it only so that I could submit it to a writing contest.
On Thursday, I made the mistake of publishing my experiences to a writer’s board called KBoards. I asked if other authors had the experience of Amazon suddenly and without warning blocking their book. The replies soon came and with them, the venom of my fellow writers. Here’s what those writers had to say: Of course Amazon blocked your book: it has the word “bone” in the title; it must be erotica. Of course Amazon blocked your book: you are copy-catting the best book of 2014: GONE GIRL. It’s obvious: just compare the movie poster to your cover. How dare you? I expressed my innocence: I’ve never read GONE GIRL. I didn’t even see the movie. My book cover features a horse; the movie poster features Ben Affleck. How similar are those? In the end, I asked that my profile be removed from KBoards.
Some writers think Amazon doesn’t help anyone but itself. I don’t know if that’s true. But, I’m foolish enough to wonder if Amazon blocked BONE GIRL with no warning and no explanation, what is to stop them from blocking A YEAR WITH GENO or any of my other books? Will I just log on one day and see that they are not for sale? Maybe.
Some authors publish their books only on Amazon, and I have chosen that route on occasion in the past. But now I’m asking: is it possible for me to publish my books without using Amazon at all? Well, maybe. For example, my readers love print books. Okay. What if I choose – and I do love that word – to publish CELEBRATION HOUSE and its two sequels only in print? I could do it via Ingram Spark. Then, if readers want a copy, they visit Barnes & Noble in person or online and buy one there. Or they could go to their local independently owned bookstore and request the book. It’s not like I’m a bestselling author. Not yet.
As for ebooks, what if I publish with Smashwords only? Readers could buy it from Kobo, iBook or Nook. It’s still available, just not on Amazon. This idea intrigues me: is there life without Amazon?
One last thing: what really bothers me about Amazon and its decision to block my book is that there’s no accountability. I queried them three times to ask why. Why did they block my book? But they do not tell me. They have no phone number. I have only the option of sending emails. It’s kind of like KBoards. The people who post there, especially the venomous ones, do not have a public profile. They like to remain anonymous. That way, they can say whatever they want and there’s no accountability. Hmm. Does that seem like cowardice? I don’t know. What do you think?
Hands and arms inside the cart: Next, still trying to learn how to manage an event venue
P.S. I forgot to say: Amazon removed the block yesterday. Why? I don’t know.
February 14, 2016
Gone By Midnight by Joyce and Jim Lavene
Today, I welcome Joyce and Jim Lavene to talk about their collection of mystery short stories, Gone by Midnight. Take it away, Jim!Why do you write fiction?
I wrote for a local newspaper, that was a format that was “Just the facts.” I’m an avid reader of fiction of many genres. The idea of just writing non-fiction was kind of boring. I wanted to write something like my favorite authors: Carole Nelson Douglas and others like her.
Please tell us about your book. What ideas or images inspired this book?
This book is a collection of short stories that my wife Joyce and I wrote over the years. Most of them are in the fantasy genre. I guess the inspiration would be some of the fantasy books we read by various authors.
Do you have an ideal reader in mind when you write? If so, please describe that reader.
I think every author has an image of an ideal reader. It would be someone who loves to read all genres like we write and can’t wait to read the next one.
Please describe your writing routine.
First thing I do when I get up is review what I’ve written the day before, adding to it to stay focused for the day. Then I take the grandkids to school. I come back and make a latte then start writing again until lunch. After lunch I edit and do promo work. That pretty much sums it up.
What advice do you give new writers just starting out?
Write what you really care about and don’t let anyone tell you that it can’t be written like you want to do it. The next thing is persistence. Keep after your goal.
More about Gone by Midnight:
Fans of Joyce and Jim Lavene will thrill at this collection of thirteen short stories. Many are set in the worlds of their national bestselling mystery series, including the Missing Pieces Mysteries, the Renaissance Faire Mysteries, the Retired Witches Mysteries, and an upcoming mystery novel!
These stories contain the elements of mystery and fantasy the Lavenes are famous for, as well as some new things their readers have never seen. Several stories feature characters interacting with ghosts, magic, and the supernatural—the healing woman in “Courtship;” the Civil War widow in “One with the Darkness;” the city girl who summons a wizard from the past in “The Magician and the Sorceress/Accountant;” and the young introvert in “Aunt Edna” who finds her calling with help from a ghostly visitor.
Poignant, charming, and captivating, Joyce and Jim Lavene bring their characteristic wit and heart to these stories and introduce each one with a passage about its origin or how it ties into the universe they’ve created. Gone by Midnight is a treasury of tales that will delight the mind and touch the heart from one of the most prolific writing duos of our time.
Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family.
How to contact them:
www.joyceandjimlavene.com
www.facebook.com/joyceandjimlavene
http://amazon.com/author/jlavene
https://twitter.com/AuthorJLavene
February 12, 2016
Janice Peacock talks about her new cozy mystery, A Bead in the Hand
Today, I welcome author Janice Peacock to talk about her cozy mystery, A Bead in the Hand.
Without further ado, here’s Janice!
Can we talk about romance?
Many readers have asked me if the main character in the Glass Bead Mystery Series, Jax O’Connell, is much like me. I must admit, we have a lot in common. We’re both glass beadmakers and jewelry designers, love cats, and live on the northwest coast of the United States—Jax is in Seattle and I live near San Francisco—oh, and we both adore espresso drinks. One way that we’re not alike is our love lives. Since it’s so close to Valentine’s Day I thought I’d write about that today.
Let’s start with me. I’ve been happily married for some twenty-odd years, and believe me when I say that some of them have been pretty odd! But, I digress. My days of juggling boyfriends are long past—that never really happened much. Okay, not really at all, I must admit.
Jax, on the other hand, having reached her mid-forties, is still unattached. This doesn’t seem to bother her, nor should it. She had been in a long term relationship with a man named Jerry who ignored her, except when she was too slow to order take-out food for dinner—that is, if he even turned up for dinner. After Jax inherited her great-aunt’s bungalow, she left Jerry and moved to Seattle. That was a challenge for her, giving up not only her partner, but her home and her livelihood, so she could live a life of creative passion with people she loved.
In Seattle, she hadn’t found anyone she wanted to date until she met a newspaper reporter named Allen Sinclair. Handsome and a bit preppy, he seemed genuinely interested in Jax. That is, until her cat, Gumdrop, launched himself into Allen’s cocktail, leaving him and everything else a sticky, sopping-wet mess. You’ll have to read High Strung, A Glass Bead Mystery, to find out what happens with Jax and Allen, and Gumdrop’s high dive. Here’s a hint posted by a reader in a 5-star Amazon review: “I… doubt I will ever look at a mojito the same again!”
In A Bead in the Hand, the second book in the Glass Bead Mystery Series, Jax is back with a new set of challenges. Other than finding a dead body, which is certainly a difficult experience, she also has a pleasant surprise. A handsome security guard named Ryan Shaw wants to protect her from harm as she tries to find a murderer in the Red Rose Hotel in Portland. But what he’d really like to do is get his hands on her and show her a really good time! Jax is attracted to this hunky guy, but also has no idea how deal with someone who is in hot pursuit of her. Adding to the complexity of the situation, a stern detective who Jax met in Seattle during a murder investigation a few months before likes to stop by Jax’s house unannounced. Jax has discovered that this serious and stiff man transforms from Clark Kent to Superman any time he removes his glasses, much to her delight.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, Jax is left wondering: Ryan or Zachary? You can find out the answer (at least for now!) in Be Still My Beading Heart, A Glass Bead Mini-Mystery. The short story, released just in time for the most romantic holiday of the year, is available free on Amazon at tinyurl.com/BeStillMyBeadingHeart
About The Author
Janice Peacock decided to write her first mystery novel after working in a glass studio full of colorful artists who didn’t always get along. They reminded her of the odd, and often humorous, characters in the murder mystery books she loved to read. Inspired by that experience, she combined her two passions and wrote High Strung: A Glass Bead Mystery, the first book in a new cozy mystery series featuring glass beadmaker Jax O’Connell.
When Janice Peacock isn’t writing about glass artists who are amateur detectives, she makes glass beads using a torch, designs one-of-a-kind jewelry, and makes sculptures using hot glass. An award-winning artist, her work has been exhibited internationally and is in the permanent collections of several museums. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, three cats, and seven chickens. She has a studio full of beads…lots and lots of beads.
How to contact Janice:
Website: http://www.janicepeacock.com/
Blog: http://blog.janicepeacock.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JanicePeacockAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/janpeac (@janpeac)
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/janpeac
Instagram: https://instagram.com/janpeac
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8389583.Janice_Peacock
More about A Bead in the Hand:
A bead bazaar turns bizarre when jewelry designer and glass beadmaker Jax O’Connell discovers a dead body beneath her sales table. Suspected of murder, Jax and her friend Tessa scramble to find the killer among the fanatic shoppers and eccentric vendors. They have their hands full dealing with a scumbag show promoter, hipsters in love, and a security guard who wants to do more than protect Jax from harm. Adding to the chaos, Jax’s quirky neighbor Val arrives unexpectedly with trouble in tow. Can Jax untangle the clues before she’s arrested for murder?
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High Strung
, the first book in the Glass Bead Mystery Series, will be 99 cents from Feb 7th through 11th and $1.99 from Feb 12th through 15th.
Be Still My Beading Heart
, A Glass Bead Mini-Mystery short story is free on Amazon and iTunes. A Bead in the Hand is available for the discounted price of $2.99 through February 15th.
B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-bead-in-the-hand-janice-peacock/1123025263?ean=9781513705613
