Ray Stone's Blog: A blog for everyone, page 22
November 28, 2014
Nearly at journey’s end. Day 28 – Juliet Greenwood
Mystery Book Tour Day 28 #MysteryNovember Eden’s Garden by Juliet Greenwood
Posted on November 28, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Welcome to today’s guest on the mystery November book tour, Juliet Greenwood and her book Eden’s Garden.
Where is your home town?
I live in a traditional quarryman’s cottage on the edges of a village in Snowdonia in North Wales, halfway between Conwy Castle and the romantic island of Anglesey. I lived and worked in London for several years, so I certainly appreciate the peace and quiet! It’s a very traditional village with one or two outrageous characters, and many an intriguing story to tell…
How long have you been writing?
All my life! I was first inspired by Rosemary Sutcliffe and wrote my first rip-roaring historical (set in Saxon times) at the age of ten, and never looked back. It’s taken me a long time to be actually published and begin to be the writer I want to be. It’s been a long learning curve, and I still feel I’m at the beginning, but I feel that it’s vital to the making of a long-term career as a writer.
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
I love cosies (I’m squeamish) and historical mysteries. I love Miss Marple, who is still my comfort reading, Sara Waters and Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody murder mysteries set in Victorian Egypt starting with ‘The Crocodile on the Sandbank’ – may Amelia wield her trusty umbrella against cads and rascalians forever! Some of my favourite classics are Wilkie Collins and Dickens’ ‘Bleak House’ – Inspector Bucket is still my favourite detective.
Tell us where and when Eden’s Garden is set.
The story of Eden’s Garden moves between Cornwall and Wales, with a touch of London in between. It’s a timeshift, with two parallel stories taking place in contemporary and Victorian times.
Can you introduce us to Carys?
Carys is the heroine of the modern story. When we first meet her, she is in her thirties and at a crossroads in her life. She returns to her home village to look after her mother as she recovers from a fall, and finds herself becoming a historical sleuth to solve a mystery from the past. The story she uncovers challenges her own choices, and changes her future forever.
What is Plas Eden, who did she know there?
Plas Eden is a rambling old house on the outskirts of a village in southern Snowdonia. It is the ancestral home of the Meredith family and holds many memories, not least a collection of mysterious statues in its overgrown grounds that set Carys off on her journey of discovery into the past. As a child, Carys had been drawn into Plas Eden and the lives of the Merediths after a family tragedy. As she returns, she meets up again with her teenage sweetheart, David Meredith, who is trying to save the estate. But Plas Eden is haunted by past secrets, ones that threaten to destroy everything Carys and David hold dear….
Now tell us about Ann, please
Ann is the heroine of the Victorian strand of the mystery. We first meet her on Westminster Bridge, a young woman wracked with grief and guilt, who is has lost everything and feels she has nothing to live for. At the last minute, instead of throwing herself in the river, she makes her way to the nearby Meredith Charity Hospital, where her story becomes intertwined with that of Plas Eden and the Meredith family.
What is Carys looking for as she follows Ann’s trail?
Carys and David travel to Cornwall to try and uncover the story behind the mysterious statues, hoping to find a way of saving Plas Eden. As they begin to uncover the past, they are drawn into an increasingly terrifying story of love and betrayal, of redemption and the enduring power of female friendship.
Tell us what you are working on at the moment.
I’m writing my next historical mystery, this time set in Devon and London in the years between ‘Eden’s Garden’ and ‘We That are Left’, just before the First World War. It has a rambling old house, greed, betrayal and love – and maybe even a brick-wielding suffragette or two….
Where can readers find out more about you?
‘Eden’s Garden’, Honno Press, 2012
Finalist for ‘The People’s Book Prize’, May 2014
Amazon Kindle #5 June 2014
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edens-Garden-Juliet-Greenwood/dp/1906784353
‘We That Are Left’, Honno Press, 2014
The Welsh Books Council’s Book of the Month, March 2014
The National Museum of Wales Book of the Month, March 2014
Waterstones Wales Book of the Month March, 2014
Amazon Kindle #4 May 2014
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/That-Are-Left-Juliet-Greenwood/dp/190678499X
Website: http://www.julietgreenwood.co.uk/
Blog: http://julietgreenwoodauthor.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliet.greenwood
Twitter: https://twitter.com/julietgreenwood
Plus a Goodreads Giveaway https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13438190-eden-s-garden
And a chance to win a signed copy here http://julietgreenwoodauthor.wordpress.com/2014/11/09/two-chances-to-win-a-signed-copy-of-edens-garden/
November 27, 2014
Day 27 and back in the UK on the Mystery Book Tour
Mystery Book Tour Day 27 #MysteryNovember Pattern Of Shadows by Judith Barrow
Posted on November 27, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Welcome to Day 27 of our Mystery Book Tour. Please welcome Judith Barrow and her book Pattern Of Shadows.
Where is your home town?
I was born and brought up in a place called Saddleworth; a group of villages at the base of the Pennines. I loved walking across the moors where I watched skylarks, grouse and grey sheep. But for the last thirty-five years have been a happy immigrant in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. Lovely coastline here, where I can walk along the coastal path watching seals, seagulls and white sheep.
How long have you been writing?
Forever. But I’ve only been brave enough to let it loose on the public over the last twenty years. I suppose I didn’t want to chance finding out my writing was no good. So I used the excuses that I worked full time, had a family to bring up, was a carer for two elderly relatives, was involved with too many committees. Not forgetting making and selling my novelty cakes. See – Any excuse!
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
Sagas. I love writing family sagas. I’m always intrigued by the intricacies of relationships; the secrets, the ‘unspoken’ – to use a cliché, the ‘skeletons in the cupboard’. And it gives me scope to balance humour and gritty drama. Do love a bit of drama.
Where and when is Pattern Of Shadows set?
Pattern of Shadows was inspired by my research into a disused cotton mill in Oldham, Lancashire and its history of being the first German POW camp in Britain during WW2. As with all my books, so far, Pattern of Shadows is set between Wales and Northern England. I still speak with a strong Lancashire accent and I’ve been told my voice comes through in the book. A compliment … I think?
Please introduce us to Mary.
Mary is a civilian nurse in a hospital attached to the prisoner of war camp, and the main breadwinner of her family. She’s a strong independent woman who loves her work. But she lives within the shadows of her family’s expectations of her – a pattern that rules her life: the acceptance of the responsibility for the spoilt younger sister, the belief that she always needs to protect her eldest brother, a Conscientious Objector, now in Wormwood Scrubs, the dependence of her weak but loving mother, the presence of both her aggressive younger brother and her bullying father in the home. She’s loyal to her dysfunctional family and, on the whole, endures the weight of the demands on her. But she has almost no social life and so, when Frank Shuttleworth appears, she is flattered by his attentions and falls in love with him
.
Tell us about Frank.
Frank Shuttleworth is not what he seems to be. As a guard at the POW camp he’s been watching Mary for a while and contrives a friendship with her younger brother to be able to approach her On the face of it he is a handsome, genial bloke but underneath he is a possessive and jealous man who resents Mary’s commitment to her work and family. There is also some ambiguity about how he arrived at the camp; a young strong soldier, who was apparently injured at Dunkirk. His hatred for the German is revealed through his cruelty and is exacerbated when a German doctor arrives as a prisoner at the camp.
How would locals have felt about the POW camp?
There were mixed reactions in the town about the POW camp. After the war, many of the local people took prisoners into their homes at Christmas and for other occasions. But, apparently, during the war there were fears that the Germans would escape and murder them in their beds. The die-hard Nazis were especially feared; although many of them were eventually transported to Canada. But some locals did have compassion for the prisoners and would throw cigarettes and food over the fence to them. And, of course, after the war many POWs were unable to go home; either the area where they had lived was obliterated or was within the Russian sector or the men did not want to live under Communism. Many of them went on to marry local girls.
What is the mystery element of this book?
For me, the mystery is what Mary ever sees in Frank. But to be serious, a major crime is committed by one of the characters in the story that changes all the lives of everyone in Mary’s family. The perpetrator is only revealed to the reader at the end of the book but never to any of the other characters. That comes out in the second of the trilogy, Changing Patterns.
Tell us what you are working on at the moment.
I’m editing the third of the Pattern series, which is due out in the autumn of 2015. And I’m also writing another completely different novel which is set around a woman who is a carer for her mother who is an Alzheimer sufferer.
Where can readers find out more about you?
Here I am:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3295663.Judith_Barrow
judith.barrow.3@facebook.com
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pattern-Shadows-Judith-Barrow/dp/1906784051.
November 26, 2014
Ray Stone – Mystery Book Tour Author
Mystery Book Tour Day 26 #MysteryNovember Isia’s Secret by Ray Stone
Posted on November 26, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Todays’ guest on our Mystery November Book Tour is Ray Stone and his book Isia’s Secret.
1) Where is your home town?
I was born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex; a seaside town on the estuary of the Thames. A popular holiday resort, it was once the annual holiday destination for EastEnders from London. The town also boasts the longest pleasure pier in the world – just about a mile and a quarter with its own passenger trains running back and forth. I still visit every few years just to smell the Thames and remember my boyhood.
2) How long have you been writing?
I started writing when I was eleven. From the age of seven I read to my father each night as he ate dinner. I would read short items from the newspaper. One night he asked me to go and fetch any book I liked from his room. I started reading a book and by the time I was two chapters in I became inspired to start telling stories and writing. The book was Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. I later won a writing competition at school and in my teens started writing poetry. I later went on to win an internet national poetry competition, had a full page article published in my local press with a by line and collaborated with a composer to produce and record five Blues numbers. I have been writing for 57 years.
3) What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
Thrillers top my list, particularly political mystery thrillers and some modern gritty British crime thrillers. My favourite authors are John le Carre, Vince Flynn and Daniel de Silva. There are many more.
4) Where is Isia’s Secret set?
The story originates on Cyprus during the 70’s when Greek s and Turks were involved in bloody battles over a period of twenty years, fighting for sovereignty over the island. The plot switches to modern day after the intro prologue. It follows a political correspondent assigned to write a story about a Greek billionaire who has a lot of dark secrets and skeletons in his family’s past. He will murder to keep them hidden. One of them relates to a young girl named Isia and an illegitimate son. This leads Enda to uncover political manoeuvrings by the billionaire within Brussels EU and a dangerous plot to start a civil war on Cyprus. The plot thickens as our reluctant hero races to expose the plot, following leads from London to Cyprus and on to Istanbul, Nice and across the Mediterranean in a cruise ship. The story ends in a spectacular attack on the ship and a couple of unexpected and surprising twists.
5) Can you introduce us to Enda Osin?
Enda is a political columnist for a large London newspaper. He is a flawed man with an extraordinary sense of integrity who expects everyone else to live by traditional ethics. His Irish personality and workingman’s attitude make for outstanding news articles that constantly offend the corrupted hearts and minds of the men at the top of the British government. Enda is a bachelor with one dark secret from his childhood and a guilty conscience he lives with. Love is something he has a lot to learn about, especially after meeting his new assistant, Jessica Du Rosse. Half his age, a beautiful West Indian raised by parents within the diplomatic corps, she is soon putting him in his place as he falls in love with her. As the story reaches a climax, Enda faces his demons and overcomes his greatest fear.
6) Who is Paul Hrisacopolis?
Paul Hrisacopolis, powerful and popular with the Greek public, is a man who is used to getting his own way. He has attracted notoriety for his fight for Cypriot sovereignty, funding the EOKA terrorist organisation during the sixties and seventies during which time he lost his son in the fight. He is paranoid about anything that could stand in the way of his bid for a powerful position in Brussels and the subsequent successful conclusion to his secret political dream. Under threat he is not averse to silencing those who would expose his dark secrets and a family history that would ruin him and bring disgrace to his family name. So wrapped up in his own ambition, he is blind to death threats coming at him, one seeking profit, another seeking political victory, and another seeking revenge.
7) What is Paul’s dream for Cyprus?
Paul seeks sovereignty for Cyprus by causing civil unrest through his powerful position on the Agricultural and Fisheries committee, awarding trade agreements to Greek companies only. With escalating unrest within the Turkish community it would not take long before violence erupted. His plan is to influence an EU decision to use UN troops to stop the violence. With help from an unscrupulous Turk in his pay the violence would escalate into civil war and the UN would have no option but to evict the Turks. Greece, unlike the Turks, already EU members, would be in a position to request sovereignty.
8) What are the artifacts that Enda travels with are they stolen or lost items being returned home?
The Elgin marbles were originally obtained by Lord Elgin with permission while Greece was part of the Ottoman empire. Disputed to this day, the Greeks claim the marbles were never given and they should be returned. When they arrived in Britain, Lord Elgin had the marbles stored and later sold them to the British Museum. The marbles were part of a massive shipment sent back to England and after Elgin’s team of workers had finished they had ruined many parts of the Parthenon. Priceless artefacts lay on the ground for years. The British Museum and the government continue to claim they received the marbles legally.
9) Tell us what you are working on at the moment.
I am currently working on the third in the trilogy of Enda Osin Mystery books. Glassfrogs & Chameleons takes place in Venezuela and sees Enda Osin involved in oil and secret military deals with the Russians. I like to use some current political situation as part of my plot and mixed with fiction to create believability. I like reality – not James Bond.
10) Where can readers find out more about you?
I have a blog site at www.raystoneauthor.co.uk
Facebook www.fb.com/raystoneauthorpage
Xeeme http://xeeme.com/TwistedWire
Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=196895002&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile
Buying Links
http://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B00FCRGON8?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00FCRGON8?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/353047
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Isia-s-Secret?store=allproducts&keyword=Isia%27s+Secret
Ray’s first book a thriller titled Trojan Towers is currently FREE on Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/341881
Ray also has 10 AUDIO copies of Isia’s Secret, 5 copies for US readers, 5 copies for UK readers. E-mail Ray to request a copy (once they’re gone, they’re gone)
ray@raystoneauthor.com
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November 25, 2014
Day 25 – Lily Bishop – Mystery Book Tour
Mystery Book Tour Day 25 #MysteryNovember No Strings Attached by Lily Bishop
Posted on November 25, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Welcome to Day 25 of the November Mystery Book Tour, today our guest is Lily Bishop with her romantic mystery No Strings Attached.
Where is your home town?
I grew up in Maysville, Georgia, a small town of about a thousand people. Maysville is located an hour Northeast of Atlanta, Georgia.
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing since I can remember stringing sentences together. I received my first typewriter in middle school and my first word processor in my sophomore year of college, way back in 1987. I haven’t looked back. I published No Strings Attached in 2013, and I think I started that one in 2009.
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
I love romantic suspense.
Where is No Strings Attached set?
No Strings begins in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the characters spend time in Miami, Atlanta, and a private island in the Bahamas.
Tell us about Laura.
Laura Todd is an administrative assistant who has been going to night school to obtain a graduate degree in marketing. Unfortunately, marketing jobs are hard to come by, and she hasn’t been able to find a job in her field. Her boss has promised to promote her to a consulting position, but he dangles it just out of reach.
How does she meet Fox?
She gets the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas to a conference and she meets him in the casino.
Tell us about Laura’s sister’s talent and where it leads.
Laura’s sister Lindsey is a mathematical genius and she has certain methods that she uses to win at blackjack. Laura is trying out Lindsey’s techniques when she meets Fox at the blackjack table.
Which tropical location does the mystery take them all to?
They all travel to Calliope, a private island in the Bahamas. I created the island as a ritzy resort fashioned after a castle. Think Atlantis, but more remote and elite.
Tell us about the second book in the series.
The second book is titled Under His Protection and it focuses on Fox’s brother Lee, who we meet in the first book. Lee has been out of the Marines for a few years, and he wants to start his own security company. In the second book, he has started a company called Security Solutions, and he receives a contract to protect the daughter of a state senator. Elizabeth Crowne has received multiple death threats, as she is preparing to declare her candidacy for attorney general for the state of Georgia.
Where can readers find out more about you?
I blog at http://LilyBishop.com.
Buy links: New lower kindle price on Amazon until December 1st – go check the links.
No Strings Attached – Amazon UK
I reviewed this book here on the blog, follow the link to the review http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-3j0
November 24, 2014
Day 24 and the Mystery Tour Authors are still coming
Mystery Book Tour Day 24 #MysteryNovember Blond Cargo by John Lansing
Posted on November 24, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Welcome to Day 24 of the Mystery Book Tour, today our guest is John Lansing and his book Blond Cargo
Where is your home town?
I grew up in Baldwin, Long Island. It’s about 45 minutes outside of New York City. It was a pure, middle class, suburban existence. I moved to Los Angeles in the late 70’s and now reside in Marina del Rey.
How Long have you been writing?
I spent fifteen years writing for network television. I’ve been writing novels for the past four years.
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
Crime/Thrillers I think says it best.
Where is your book set?
I set my Jack Bertolino series in Marina del Rey. I find it helps me to write what I know. What I can touch and feel. Streets I walk down, roads I drive on and restaurants I eat in. I think the reader appreciates getting an honest feel for the geography where the action takes place.
Can you introduce us to Jack Bertolino?
Jack Bertolino is a retired NYPD Inspector. Exemplary record. He spent 25-years as an undercover narcotics detective who worked his way up the political ladder. He ran a group of narco rangers who were responsible for putting multi-ton quantities of cocaine on the table, millions of dollars of laundered cash, and shutting down major cartel kingpins. If it wasn’t for a violent fall off a steel girder doing cleanup at ground zero post 9/11 he’d still be carrying a badge.
After three unsuccessful operations and months of painful rehab, he promised never to go under the knife again. Jack found himself standing at the crossroads. Shooting pains ran down his six-foot-three frame on a daily basis. He was damaged goods, recovering from a contentious divorce, and self-medicating his chronic back pain with a daily Vicodin, Excedrin cocktail. He decided to leave his hometown of Staten Island, and move west to find some peace.
What’s that old saw? Men make plans and God laughs. Well, twenty-five years of taking down drug dealers, money launderers and killers came back to haunt him, and shook up his newfound state of calm in Marina del Rey, California.
Tell us about Vincent Cardona
I think I’ll let Vincent Cardona explain himself. “I shoulda never moved out here. L.A. I’m a black-socks-on-the-beach kinda guy. East Coast all the way. Never fit it. But I’m a good earner and the powers that be decided they were happy with the arrangement. Everyone was happy except Angelica and me.”
Cardona is a mob boss who runs a successful high-end steakhouse in Beverly Hills. He’s a deadly man whose only soft spot is his beautiful daughter who has gone missing.
Why must Jack take a kidnapping case for Vincent?
In The Devil’s Necktie, my first novel, Jack’s son, Chris, was the victim of a brutal murder attempt. Vincent Cardona, a mob boss, and shadowy figure I introduced in that book provided information that ultimately led Jack to the killer. He also posted one of his men outside the hospital where his son was drifting between life and death. That unsolicited deed may have saved his son’s life. Jack knew there’d be payback involved, there always was with the mafia. And when Cardona’s daughter goes missing, the mobster turns in his chit.
Jack crosses the thin blue line and takes on the case to pay his debt. It’s a matter of honour.
Does Jack work alone or as part of a team to find the Mafia Princess?
Jack has assembled a team to work with him on this case. Mateo Vasquez, thirty-nine years old, tall, handsome, with striking gray eyes, long brown hair, and a thousand dollar suit. He was an ex Colombian drug cartel operative that became a prolific Confidential Informant. When Jack busted the cartel, he made Mateo an offer – spend thirty years in the big house, or come to work for the NYPD. Mateo made the right choice and Jack earned himself a loyal operative when he became a private investigator.
Cruz Feinberg. His mother was Guatemalan, his father a Brooklyn Jew who founded Bundy Lock and Key and taught his son everything that he knew. That’s where Jack first met the technical wiz. Cruz, who took after his mother’s side of the family, looked taller than his five-foot-nine frame. Dark-skinned, intelligent brown eyes, a youthful angular face, and at twenty-three, he could still pull off the spiky short black hair.
Tell us what you are working on at the moment.
I’m knee deep into the third book in the Jack Bertolino series. And in November, Chris Sulavik at Tatra Press is publishing my short story, The Test. It’s a coming of age tale, set on Long Island in 1963 that deals with race, violence, social politics, and young love.
Where can readers find out more about you and your books?
I think the best place to get a feel about what I’ve been up to is my website.
If you have the time to visit, leave me a message, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Find a copy of Blond Cargo here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
November 23, 2014
Day 23 – The Mystery Book Tour continues
Mystery Book Tour Day 23 #MysteryNovember Buffalo Soldiers by Nicholas Denman
Posted on November 23, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Please welcome today’s author to the Mystery November Book Tour. Nicholas Denman talks about his book Buffalo Soldiers.
Where is your home town?
My hometown is Buffalo, NY. My family is from there and I was born there, but my adopted hometown is Saint Petersburg, FL.
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing stories since second grade. Kids would pay me a quarter to include them as a character or to write a story they wanted to hear, complete with drawings. I used to get those little ice cream cups at lunch with the money. Interesting fact, my novels are for sale as ebooks for $.99 so I am now making about a 400% mark up. I’m not sure what the inflation rate is, but I like to think I’ve made progress.
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
I really enjoy the private detective types. Dennis Lehane is one of my favourite authors (Mystic River) and he also lives in Saint Petersburg. His Patrick Kenzie novels are excellent (Gone, Baby, Gone)
Where is Buffalo Soldiers set?
Buffalo Soldiers is set in Buffalo, NY. The reason it is called Buffalo Soldiers is because it deals with the mafia soldiers in that city. It is a different twist on the familiar term we associate with Buffalo Soldiers, which of course refers to the military regiment consisting of entirely African-American soldiers.
Tell us about Rafael Rontego
Rafael Rontego is a mafia assassin. He is a character that starts off as self-serving and closed off as anyone you might imagine. He has to be this way because of his profession. In the first book in the series, For Nothing, he starts off as a cold-blooded killer. By the time you make your way to Buffalo Soldiers, you get a different take on Rafael Rontego as you get a tiny glimpse at his buried humanity.
What qualities does Alex Vaughn bring to Sydney Price’s investigation?
In Buffalo Soldiers, Alex Vaughn is a retired cop. He used to be undercover and spent serious time within the Ciancetta organization. FBI Agent Sydney Price has been tasked with dismantling the Ciancetta crime family and hopes that she can use his considerable knowledge to tighten the noose.
Why was Ivan Nivsky in prison?
You learn why he was in prison throughout the course of the novel, but suffice it to say he is a member of organized crime and eventually you have to pay the price for living that lifestyle.
How is Ivan linked to the Ciancetta family? Is this still the same after he came out of prison?
Ivan is linked to the Ciancetta family. In fact he is in good standing upon exiting prison because he kept his mouth shut and received a longer sentence because of his loyalty. In a world rife with rats and self-interested sell outs, a man like Ivan is a rare commodity.
Tell us what you are working on at the moment.
I am currently working on two novels. One is the wrap up, third novel, in the An Upstate New York Mafia Tale. That one is titled, Ashes to Ashes. At the same time I am changing course and writing a novel called The Hundred Heartbreaks of Harlan Halifax.
Where can readers find out more about you?
Readers can find me everywhere. I am on twitter @nicholasdenmon, as well as My website: www.nicholasdenmon.com Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-Upstate-York-Mafia-Tale-ebook/dp/B0050WA44KBarnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-nothing-nicholas-denmon/1101508207Buffalo Soldiers
Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/buffalo-soldiers-nicholas-denmon/1110902198
Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Buffalo-Soldiers-Upstate-York-Mafia-ebook/dp/B007X5L2ZW
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Soldiers-Upstate-York-Mafia-ebook/dp/B007X5L2ZW
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nothing-Upstate-York-Mafia-Tale-ebook/dp/B0050WA44K
For Nothing
My novels are available in paperback at most major book stores and are available online as well as ebooks.
Instagram: @Ndenmon
November 22, 2014
Day 22 and the November Mystery Book Tour is hotting up.
Mystery Book Tour Day 22 #MysteryNovember The Haunting Of Secrets by Shelley Pickens
POSTED ON NOVEMBER 22, 2014 BY ROSIE AMBER
Today on our Mystery Book Tour we have Shelley Pickens and her book The Haunting Of Secrets
Where is your home town?
I had the distinct misfortune of living in one of the most humid places on earth – Columbia, SC! But as the capital of South Carolina, it is also a beautiful, safe place to grow up and build wonderful childhood memories. Though, to this day, I still won’t eat our beloved state crop – Okra! YUCK!
How long have you been writing?
I can’t honestly remember a time when I was young that I haven’t thought about writing some poem or short story after my mind has revealed its latest creative idea. Yet, after a teacher in my master’s program demolished my writing style, I couldn’t write for a good decade. It wasn’t until I saw a television special highlighting the Journey of one of my favourite authors – J.K. Rowling – that I became inspired enough to pick up my pen once again and begin writing novels. With my best friend’s encouragement, I jumped blindly and not so bravely into the world of publishing this past July.
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
Must I just pick one? 
I love reading romance, anything YA or Paranormal and almost anything Dystopian. Though I do love a great mystery, I can’t quite get into horror books. The only exception to that is Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas series. I’m totally in love with goofy Odd!
Where is The Haunting of Secrets set?
The Haunting of Secrets takes place at a high school in rural Georgia. The setting is based off of the actual high school at which I currently work as a Spanish teacher. ¡Arrrriba!
Can you introduce us to Aimee?
Aimee is a strong willed survivor who chooses to live her life alone and away from others. She is the epitome of a Goth girl with long blonde hair dyed black, a nose ring and covered head to toe in black clothes to deter people from interacting with her. She loathes all human contact because she’s cursed. Her curse is that if she touches you, she absorbs all of your memories, all of your secrets. She has great inner strength and truly does desire friendship yet lives a lonely life for an obvious reason: she doesn’t want to absorb any more horrible memories. But after reliving the gruesome memories of a killer, Aimee now decides she must reach out for help to catch the murderer hiding amongst them.
Who or what is responsible for the school bombing?
Sorry, no spoilers!! Who or what set off the bomb in the cafeteria that fateful day isn’t revealed until the very end of the book. I guess you’ll just have to read it to find out! J
What does Aimee see on that fateful day?
Sadly, it isn’t what Aimee sees that day, but what she DOESN’T see. On that fateful day of the bombing, as Aimee and a few others are running for their lives to get out of range of the falling rubble, a fellow student grabs on to her bare arm for support. She instantly absorbs every memory that person ever had, including memories of him torturing and killing young girls. Aimee blacks out from the sheer horror of the images and awakens with no idea who had touched her. Now it’s up to her to figure out if this secret is worth the sacrifices that she will have to make to bring a killer to justice.
How does Aimee protect herself from the one who hunts her?
As you read through the novel, you see that the killer is very aware that Aimee possesses his darkest secret. For all that Aimee is strong willed and a survivor, she soon realizes that she’s no match for a seasoned killer. Having lived her life cloaked in darkness, she has never quite learned how to interact well with those that live freely basking within the light. To protect herself and the ones that she loves, she must gather all of her strength to ask others to aid her in searching for a killer among them.
Tell us what you are working on at the moment.
Since the sequel is completed and contracted to be released April 2015, I am taking a break from the Secrets trilogy and am currently working on a short story novella on a romantic proposal to be included in an anthology to be released next June via Satin Romance – an imprint of Melange Books. When they first approached me about writing a romantic story as part an anthology my first question was, “So, I guess that means I can’t kill anybody, huh?”
Where can readers find out more about you?
If you are interested in my story “The Haunting of Secrets” (and I hope you are!) please visit any or all of the sites below. The coolest is my book trailer done by the video class at my high school with actors from drama! Too cool!
When I’m not writing or teaching, you can find me surfing Facebook or twitter for all the latest news, tidbits and gossip! I share all my new adventures in life and in writing on both Facebook and Twitter. I am sorry to say that I am very new at blogging but post as much as I can when I’m not running around taking my hot mess kids to either baseball or soccer.
Publisher: http://www.fireandiceya.com/
Website: www.shelleypickens.com Shelley will be running a quick answer question from her website or her Facebook to win a copy of her book in e-format (Mobi – Worldwide) or paperback (US only)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shelleypickensauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shelleypickens
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22798155-the-haunting-of-secrets
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQvKX0rb-Zg
BUYING LINKS FOR US AND UK:
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00M2E3IVK/ref=nosim?tag=bookdire-21&linkCode=sb1&camp=2378&creative=8430
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-haunting-of-secrets-shelley-r-pickens/1119986452?ean=9781612359298&offerid=239662
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/459523?ref=booksdirect
Publisher Site:http://www.fireandiceya.com/authors/shelleyrpickens/hauntingofsecrets.html
November 21, 2014
On to Day 21 – Ben Woodard
Mystery Book Tour Day 21 #MysteryNovember Steps Into Darkness By Ben Woodard
Posted on November 21, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Today’s guest on our Mystery November Tour is Ben Woodard with his YA mystery book Steps Into Darkness
Where is your home town?
I come from Lexington, Kentucky, USA
How long have you been writing?
Approximately six years
Tell us where and when Steps Into Darkness is set.
A small town in Kentucky called Shakertown because the religious group, the Shakers, once lived there. The story is set in 1923
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
Historical
What is your target reading age for this book?
Primarily boys ages 10 to 15 although girls like the story.
Introduce us to Tom Wallace.
Tom is an orphan boy who lives with his cousin, Will, in a house owned by Will’s parents. Tom is short, thin and shy, but he has a horrific secret that causes him to be moody, angry and to take incredible chances. He’s a misfit in the small Kentucky town he lives in since he loves to read, but hates to hunt and farm. He wants to escape this “backwater” as he calls it, but has no money and no where to go. Tom is curious, loves mysteries and is always ready to try something new.
Tell us about the Explosion
Cousins Tom and Will go to a dam construction site with two local girls. They are going to watch a planned explosion on the far side of the valley and have a picnic. However, right after the planned detonation, another explosion occurs on a hill above and they look up in terror to see rock and dirt barrelling toward them.
What is the element of mystery in this book?
Someone is sabotaging the building of a huge dam and the two boys snoop around causing attempts on their lives. A bewildering number of suspects keeps them on edge until they discover the real villain–and then wish they hadn’t.
Tell us what you are working on at the moment.
I’m working on the third book in the Shakertown Adventure Series called The Staircase Of Fire. I hope to have it available early next year. It is a continuation of the first two stories and in this one the reader will learn the entire story of Tom’s secret.
Where can readers find out more about you?
They can go to my website at http://www.BooksByBen.com or find me on Facebook at http://facebook.com/benswoodard.
US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EKB5YAG
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00EKB5YAG
All other countries: Amazon.com: Steps Into Darkness (A Shakertown Mystery Adventure Book 2) eBook: Ben Woodard: Kindle Store
Special Offer this book, only $0.99/ 77p November 21st and 22nd.
November 20, 2014
Day 20 – Carys Jones
Mystery Book Tour Day 20 #MysteryNovember Prime Deception by Carys Jones
Posted on November 20, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Welcome to Day 20 of the Mystery Book Tour.
Today Carys Jones joins us with her book Prime Deception.
Where is your home town?
My home town is Telford which is in Shropshire. It is in central England and pretty rural which is great for walking my beloved dog, Rollo.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing full length novels since I was twenty three. Before that I used to write short horror stories and poems but never actually finished anything…
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
I love romantic suspense. I think that love is a really powerful force which can drive people to sometimes do truly terrible things which is why romance works really well within the mystery genre.
Where is your book set?
Prime Deception is primarily set in London, England.
Introduce us to Lorna Thomas.
Lorna Thomas is a spirited and ambitious young woman. She lands an intern position within Downing Street in London and so leaves her family home, and her twin sister Laurie, to pursue her dream of a career in politics.
Did she have a close relationship with her twin sister?
Lorna and Laurie were inseparable growing up but once they entered adulthood they began to slowly drift apart. However, they retained a closeness which even Lorna’s untimely death couldn’t destroy.
Where does Laurie begin her investigating? Why doesn’t she leave it to the police?
Laurie begins her investigation by following in Lorna’s footsteps and joining the intern program at Downing Street. The police have already ruled that Laurie killed herself so Lorna can’t turn to them for help as she is acting on instinct alone. Somehow, she just knows that her twin didn’t commit suicide.
Do you need a good understanding of British politics to get the most from this book?
Not at all. The political environment is merely the backdrop to the story, the main focus is on the characters and how Lorna’s death and subsequent search for the truth impacts them differently.
Tell us what you are working on at the moment.
I’m currently writing the third book in my Avalon series. The first two books, First to Fall and Second to Cry are already published through CarinaUK.
Where can readers find out more about you?
I’m very active on Twitter and love hearing from readers and bloggers!
You can follow me @tiny_dancer85
I’m also on Facebook;https://www.facebook.com/CarysJonesWriter
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/prime-deception
http://www.nook.com/gb/ebooks/prime-deception-by-carys-jones/9781472094728
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prime-deception-carys-jones/1118712160?ean=9781472094728
November 19, 2014
Day 19 – Mystery Book Tour – R.M. Clark
Mystery Book Tour Day 19 #MysteryNovember Center Point by R. M Clark
Posted on November 19, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Today our guest on the Mystery Book tour is Robert Clark and his book Center Point
Where is your home town?
I live in Swansea, Massachusetts, a quiet, little town about twenty miles southeast of Providence, Rhode Island.
How long have you been writing?
I started writing novels in 2007 when the voices in my head decided they needed to be unleashed. Since then I’ve completed ten manuscripts. The first two were adult themed, the rest have been middle grade.
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
I definitely like to venture into the past using various means such as magic boxes, shadow balls, magic trains and portals. I guess that makes it paranormal. I like to play the past against the present because it brings out the best in my characters.
Where is Center Point set?
Center Point is set in a fictional, small New England town called New Dover. It was the site of a famous battle back in Revolutionary War days. Today, it has everything a quaint New England town needs: an ivy-walled college, a keen sense of tradition and a three hundred year-old secret.
Can you introduce us to Dennis Kozma?
Dennis is a twenty-five year-old “professional student,” who would like nothing more than to take a few classes, drink with his friends, chase coeds and live without any real responsibilities or need to finish anything major in life. That all changes when he informed that his college fund has run dry and that his late father has left him a “package” on his birthday. The package contains several maps, a list of names and some Native American drawings. Dennis finds a connection between these items, the Revolutionary War battle and the accusations that his father defrauded the town years earlier. Dennis becomes more enlightened as he solves the mystery and realizes it’s time to move on from the college life.
Who is Komaket?
Komaket is an enigma. Specifically, Komaket is the subject of a Native American legend, the origin of which is hotly debated by historians. According to the legend, he was a young warrior who went on a great journey, and when he returned he helped cure the Natives and locals of a smallpox outbreak. He later departed with the promise of one day returning to fulfil a prophecy. Many in the town today believe his return will greatly affects their lives.
What secret society does Dennis discover?
The Hermillion Club members await the return of Komaket in the hope they will live additional lifetimes through a concept called jorva, a form of reincarnation. Dennis discovers the real reason behind Komaket’s return in an effort to disrupt this secret society.
What tribes of Native Americans would have lived in the New England area?
The South Coast region was inhabited by Pequot, Mohegan, Narragansett, Wampanoag tribes. These name are still quite prominent throughout the region.
Tell us what you are working on at the moment.
I just completed my tenth novel. It’s a middle grade coming-of-age story about a young magician who attempts to solve his school’s bullying issues using magic. I’m also in various stages of editing for other works. My middle grade mystery Dizzy Miss Lizzie will be re-issued in November by Writers Amuse Me Publishing.
Where can readers find out more about you?
My author website is http://www.rmclarkauthor.com.
I’m on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RMClarkauthor ,
Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/559386.R_M_Clark
and Twitter at @vandalrmc
Buy links:
Amazon:
and Amazon.co.uk
CreateSpace:
https://www.createspace.com/4336405
B&N:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/center-point-rm-clark/1117473207?ean=2940148750314
Smashwords:
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