Ray Stone's Blog: A blog for everyone, page 24
November 12, 2014
Day 12 Mystery Book Tour – Jane Isaac
Mystery Book Tour Day 12 #MysteryNovember The Truth Will Out by Jane Isaac
Posted on November 12, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Today’s guest on the Mystery November tour is Jane Isaac with her book The Truth Will Out.
1) Where is your home town?
I live in rural Northamptonshire, UK with my husband and daughter where I can often be found trudging over the fields with my dog, Bollo.
2) How long have you been writing?
On and off, all of my life, but I only discovered fiction writing in 2007. I completed my first crime thriller, An Unfamiliar Murder, in 2009 and have never looked back.
3) What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
I have a deep fascination with the twists and turns of police procedurals and love the thrills and excitement of psychological thrillers like Before I Go To Sleep, so I try to combine both these elements into my novels.
4) Where is “The Truth Will Out” set?
Action is divided between the UK Midlands and the Scottish Highlands.
5) Can you introduce us to Eva?
Eva is a headstrong young woman who dropped out of university and is trying to pick up the threads and make something of her life. The book opens with her witnessing an attack on her best friend, Naomi, over Skype. They share a secret which, fearing she might be next, prevents her from calling the police. Instead she calls an ambulance and flees to the Scottish Highlands where we watch her story unfold.
6) Tell us about her friend Naomi.
Naomi and Eva were childhood friends. What Eva doesn’t realise when she leaves is that Naomi was not only attacked, but also murdered. Naomi is a nice girl from a good family who got mixed up in something she shouldn’t have. Something which brought about her downfall and continues to threaten those close to her.
7) Who is running the investigation? Does she already know Eva?
Detective Inspector Helen Lavery investigates the murder of Naomi Spence. Initially she has no knowledge of Eva, although it isn’t long before they become acquainted.
8) What made Helen choose to be in the police force? Does it have a link to this case?
Helen is a widow, battling the demands of singlehandedly raising teenage sons while managing the murder squad. She followed in her late father’s footsteps to join the police force and, with the aid of the accelerated promotion scheme, moved through the ranks quickly to the role of DCI. But Helen isn’t interested in targets and management meetings. Managing murder investigations, catching the really bad guys was all she ever wanted to do; something which occasionally leads her to adopt unorthodox methods in order to track down a killer. In The Truth Will Out she pushes herself to the limit and eventually brings the threat of murder to her own door. Let me share my blurb with you:
“Everything’s going to be okay.”
“What if it’s not?” Suddenly, she turned. For a split second she halted, her head inclined.
“Naomi, what is it?”
She whisked back to face Eva. “There’s somebody in the house… “
Eva is horrified when she witnesses an attack on her best friend. She calls an ambulance and forces herself to flee Hampton, fearing for her own safety. DCI Helen Lavery leads the investigation into the murder. With no leads, no further witnesses and no sign of forced entry, the murder enquiry begins.
Slowly, the pieces of the puzzle start to come together. But as Helen inches towards solving the case, her past becomes caught up in her present.
Someone is after them both. Someone who will stop at nothing to get what they want. And as the net starts to close around them, can Helen escape her own demons as well as helping Eva to escape hers?
9) Tell us what you are working on at the moment.
I am currently preparing my latest book, a crime thriller called Before It’s Too Late, set in the very picturesque Stratford-upon-Avon, for publication next July.
10) Where can readers find out more about you?
I love to hear from readers and writers. Give me a shout at my website www.janeisaac.co.uk .
The Truth Will Out is available at Amazon UK and Amazon Com .
November 11, 2014
Missing Pieces – from the pen of Roseyn
The envelope arrived like every other.
Always on a Sunday, shoved beneath the door.
Always accompanied with three sharp, loud knocks.
Max Hogan lifted his eyelids and immediately wished he hadn’t.
The early morning sun streamed from the uncovered windows of his small apartment causing him to wince. His throat felt rough, parched as if it had lain in the open desert for days, his bronzed skin hot and damp from the already rising humidity.
Worst of all was his head.
He could swear a herd of sadistic elephants was stampeding through it.
Max blinked several times before scanning his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was his faded, green sofa. He was slumped in it, leaning against its tattered but solid armrest. In his hand was a semi-full glass of whisky. On the floor, beside some fishing magazines, two remotes and a container of half-eaten Chinese take-out, stood a bottle of Jim Beam… completely empty.
Max leant sideways, abandoning his glass on the floor. His dog tags, the only remaining memento of his military days, slid across his bare chest. He straightened up, rubbed the dark fuzz on his face and wondered why he wasn’t comfortably comatose in his bed instead.
The answer came with his next ragged breath.
It was Sunday.
He instantly stood, waited for a sudden wave of dizziness to subside, then hitched up his Garfield boxers and staggered to the door.
Approximately a metre from it lay a white, unmarked envelope.
Max grinned, sensed his rising anticipation urge him onward. He dropped to his haunches, picked up the envelope and ripped it open. He shook the contents into his palm and was immediately disappointed.
There was only one this time.
A photograph.
Unevenly trimmed like all the others.
He carried it to the sun-bathed window and lifted it to the light, carefully studying it.
The photograph was of a woman.
She was pretty in an elfin kind of way with her wild, red hair and overly large, green eyes. But it was the look in those eyes that interested Max more.
She was frightened, extremely so.
He crossed the floor to a square, plastic table. On it lay many ‘unevenly trimmed’ photographs, some connecting with each other… some not.
Like a jigsaw puzzle.
For six weeks, someone had been sending them to Max. Who or why, he didn’t know. He could’ve rung the police… perhaps should’ve.
But he had found the entire caper too fascinating.
It wasn’t difficult to slot in the new piece, just above the slim figure rigidly positioned on a short, wooden jetty.
Max bent forward. Using his finger, he trailed the woman’s line of sight to an old boatshed. He collected a nearby magnifying glass and studied the shed, finally stopping at its half-opened door.
His breath slammed still.
Was he seeing things?
He checked and rechecked from every possible angle.
Until there was no doubt.
Standing inside the shed, amongst the darkened shadows… was the unmistakeable shape of a man.
– See more at: http://www.thestorymint.com/serials/missing-pieces#serial-book-chapter
Education: What is it’s purpose
Submitted by Bruce Howat on Thursday 6 November 2014
“(There) are two contradictory reasons for schooling. One is that schools must teach the young to accept the world as it is, with all of their culture’s rules, requirements, constraints, and even prejudices. The other is that young people should be taught to be critical thinkers, so that they become men and women of independent mind, distanced from the conventional wisdom of their own time and with strength and skill enough to change what is wrong.” (Postman, 1999)
The first model is about control of the mind, body and spirit of our young. If you do not conform, we do not educate you and come up with a plethora of reasons why it is not the “systems” fault and all our teachers are excellent. The teachers are excellent because they are a product of the same system as they work in.
The second model is virtually diametrically opposed to the first one – with high risk of anarchy. Religions detest independent thought; they lack the answers to many of the questions or they rely on shallow clichés to justify their thinking. Political parties operate under the same banner – they require members to conform to the rules or else extradition from the party.
Steve Jobs is a proponent of creative thinking: “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had an synthesize new things” (Corballis, 2014)
Which raise the mute: what is the purpose of education and is it important? Critical thought/creativity is vital skills for developing a prosperous nation. The towers of these disciplines traditionally are Universities. The growth of business schools within the University system has created them into empires of conformity. The art discipline of Philosophy is dwindling and yet great philosophers have transformed the world with their thinking. I think in particular of Einstein, but there are modern thinkers who transform societies – Noam Chomsky is one obvious one.
The speed of change requires robust thinkers to challenge the ethics/morality in daily decisions.
Our young people enter the education system with enquiring, inquisitive minds, but by the time they reach secondary school, conformity is the norm. The time has arrived to challenge the system – conformity out the door and critical thinking is vital. My suspicion is the dropout rate reducing with inquisitive minds replacing wayward behaviors. Then again I might be barking mad with such thoughts.
– See more at: http://www.thestorymint.com/writers-pad/bruce-howat/titles/education-what-its-purpose#sthash.0A71s37R.dpuf
Day 11 – Mystery Book Tour – Jan Ryder
Mystery Book Tour Day 11 #MysteryNovember Blood Pool by Jan Ryder
Posted on November 11, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Today our guest on the Mystery Book Tour is Jan Ryder and her book Blood Pool
Where is your home town?
I live in the beautiful North Dorset countryside in England.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing for nine years, though much of that time was spent in learning the writing craft. Two years ago my debut novel, Blood Pool, was published.
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
I write what I most love to read – fast-moving mystery thrillers. My stories aren’t all action and thrills. I like to think there’s something in them for everyone, drama, tragedy and romance too.
Where is Blood Pool set?
The action ranges far and wide, but a fictional boatyard business on the East Devon coast in England forms the backdrop to the story.
Introduce us to Samantha Shelley, what is she like?
Sam is an attractive thirty year-old widow. She has few friends, but those she does have she trusts without question. When the story opens she’s living each day as it comes, still numbed by the death of her husband six months before. Then she finds a dead body on the beach, and events take a sinister and lethal turn. She has to find the guts and tenacity to fight back when she becomes involved in murder, mayhem and espionage.
What does she inherit on the death of her husband?
A neglected Victorian mansion on the cliff-top, a crumbling debt-ridden boatyard business, and a whole heap of trouble.
Who is the eccentric inventor?
Jonas Weal is a retired engineer and amateur inventor, nicknamed The Prof by local people because of his resemblance to Professor Albert Einstein in his later years. He’s one of Sam’s few loyal friends and has been a great support to her since the death of her husband.
Can you hint at the trail Samantha must follow to find her friend before the police and the government agents?
I can’t give too much away, but let’s just say that Sam follows clues left by the Prof that initially carry her away from her boatyard, and into great danger.
Tell us what you are working on at the moment.
A fast-moving mystery thriller about a worldly businesswoman trapped in a deadly conspiracy. The action spans the European continent from Paris, France to the eastern shores of the Ionian Sea – a story of tragedy, vengeance and love.
Where can readers find out more about you?
You’ll find me on Twitter at @jeryder5author and my website www.janryder.com
Buy links for Blood Pool:
Your local Amazon Kindle Store outside the USA
For readers in the USA – Blood Pool is published in the USA as Consider Her Dead (American English).
Buy links for Consider Her Dead:
November 10, 2014
Day 10 – Mystery Book Tour – Margaret Langstaff
Mystery Book Tour Day 10 #MysteryNovember Marlin, Darlin’ by Margaret Langstaff
Posted on November 10, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Today’s guest on the Mystery November Book Tour is Margaret Langstaff with her book Marlin, Darlin’
Where is your home town?
You ask about my current home town. Well, I have lived on a lovely small farm just west of Gainesville, FL since 2002. Lots of wonderfully crazy animals, both domestic and wild. Six rescue dogs, horses and chickens and wild turkeys, deer, raccoons, red tail hawks, you name it. We have a high old time here. I love it. Every day has its surprises. One morning I had a lost Emu show up at my front door! My dogs went bonkers—it made an electrical jazzy noise—but that’s nothing, don’t get me started. Snakes on my front doorstep, bugs the size of drones. Florida in many areas is still really wild and my little farm is a perfect example.
How long have you been writing?
Though I’d ghost-written many books for public figures and celebrities already, Marlin, Darlin’ is the first novel I wrote under my own name. It’s got a lot of “me” in it, much disguised personal history and experiences (as crazy and whacko as they are!). Writing it was quite a release for me and it still remains my most popular book. It is the first title in the “Garnet Sullivan Live from Florida” mystery series. (The second—just two so far—is The Devil, the Diva and the Deep Blue Sea).
When it came out it was named #3 on the top ten mysteries for the month by Goodreads. Made my heart sing! Blew me away! My first novel! No way!
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
My favorite sub-genres of mystery are the wild rollicking funny Florida mysteries such as those written by Carl Hiassen, mysteries that turn on the natural whacko behavior of many Floridians, behavior that is sometimes bizarre, wrong-headed and hysterical, but nevertheless contains its own inner logic and is true to the time and place. But I also am a fan of “cozies” and I think Marlin, Darlin’ contains blended elements of both.
Where is Marlin, Darlin’ set?
Punta Bella, the setting for my mysteries, is fictional (but an accurate depiction) small town Florida, and as strange as they may be, people there are good neighbors, kind and courteous. It’s very similar to my original home town and where I grew up, an island bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Indian River Lagoon on the other. A beautiful place off the beaten path. And true to say, I didn’t have to “stretch” the truth much about anything in these mysteries to write them!
But anyway, as I said, Marlin, Darlin’ is set in the fictional tiny “boondock” (backwater, rural) town of Punta Bella on the east coast of Florida. This is the area in which I grew up, and the mystery is saturated with much local color and ambience and bears the marks of the many wild experiences I had personally during that time. My childhood there was an idyll, full of blue skies and sunshine, not a care in the world other than deciding what we wanted to do next for fun. Florida had not been overrun by developers at that point; it was pristine and lushly wonderful and beautiful, unspoiled. I and my friends went barefoot everywhere, lived in our bathing suits and were in the water—ocean or river—most of the time, fishing, swimming, boating, camping out on islands just off the mainland and generally carousing around in an innocent way. Most of our parents were busy professionals and were very indulgent with us.
Introduce us to Garnet Sullivan.
Marlin, Darlin’ features as its heroine one Garnet Sullivan, someone who bears a faint resemblance to me as I was as a very young woman just out of college and casting about for her life’s “mission,” somewhat too serious in her desire to right all wrongs and “save the world.” She is a feisty nosey red head, poking her nose into everybody’s business, annoyingly offering opinions where none had been solicited, and a true blue die-hard dog lover. In her zeal, she is just as wild and crazy as I was at that point in my life, actually perhaps more so (wink).
She is a perpetually cash strapped freelance reporter for a local small town newspaper and, to make ends meet, teaches adult ed dullards at the local community college for a pittance.
So Garnet is typically busier than a one-armed wall paper hanger what with her duties at the newspaper, racing back and forth to classes, grading hopeless student papers, trying to keep Chester on the straight and narrow and, of course, “saving the world!” It’s a heavy burden and her customary state is “frazzled” and outraged at some real or imagined moral lapse or petty crime. The poor thing is always just a few inches away from a nervous breakdown, what with all she has taken on.
It is a bit ridiculous (something currently lost on her), for Punta Bella is, after all, not the center of the universe, and its short-comings and the minor transgressions of its citizens are not likely to spell the end of Western Civilization.
What mystery does she set out to solve?
The mystery at the core of the novel is the peculiar inexplicable death of billionaire car dealer David Devaigne—alone—on his massive yacht in a Marlin fishing tournament.
Garnet smells blood (a great story) and the unwinding of the ensuing complicated plot has teased and delighted most readers.
BTW, Garnet’s best friend and bunkie is Ringo, her beloved Irish Setter—and gasp—he disappears unaccountably in this maelstrom of wackiness. Kidnapped by a malefactor? Maybe ….
Tell us about some of the other flamboyant characters.
The love of Garnet’s life is Chester Dare, the handsome witty county public defender, a natural match for her, quite in keeping with her self-righteous “Joan of Arc” complex. But Chester has become afflicted with a job related drinking problem due to his stress over his usual hopeless derelict clients and this causes Garnet a lot of concern and sleepless nights.
Woe is she. She has a big heart for the less fortunate, will go to the ramparts for any desperate case and is in a constant state of agitation as a result (so many desperate cases!).
The mystery at the core of the novel is the peculiar inexplicable death of billionaire car dealer David Devaigne—alone—on his massive yacht in a Marlin fishing tournament in the Atlantic.
Garnet smells blood (a great story for the paper) and the unwinding of the ensuing complicated plot has teased and delighted most readers.
BTW, Garnet’s best friend and bunkie is Ringo, her beloved ever-slobbering Irish Setter—and gasp—he disappears unaccountably one night in this maelstrom of wackiness while Garnet is in the thick of researching the murder. Kidnapped by a malefactor? Maybe …. (Confession time: I had myself a wonderful Irish setter named “Ringo” and he lives on frolicking and creating chaos in my Florida mystery books. It’s sort of my way of keeping him with me now that he’s gone.)
So many other key nutzo characters contribute to a devil of a plot (most readers have no clue until the final paragraphs of how it will end). Here are a few:
Julie Devaigne, society vamp from Miami and the gold digger wife of David Devavaigne who is trying to divorce him when he is killed in the fishing tournament;
Randy, the limp witless reporter the Miami Herald sends up to Punta Bella cover the breaking murder story and who causes more problems for Garnet than creating solutions and nearly dies of plutonium (!) poisoning;
Garnet’s crazy pathetic community college students (she teaches on the side to make ends meet), especially Jim and his ditzy girlfriend Bunny, both of whom work at Travis Fenderman’s car dealership which David Devaigne is trying to buy when he is killed;
Allison Highsmith, Garnet’s “Miss Perfect” rich society BFF who gets sucked into the chaos trying to save Ringo;
Lance, the hunky, gorgeous airhead sheriff who suddenly becomes enamored of Garnet for her admirable zeal to solve the crime and whose sudden blind devotion to her creates all kinds of difficulties;
There are so many more hapless malefactors, goofy kindly do gooders and true to (Florida) life nutcases, all colorful and off the wall, too many to mention, but it all coalesces nicely thanks to—
Professor Biederman, a dotty retired professor emeritus at the University of Florida whom Garnet seeks out for “expert” counsel and from whom she eventually gets way more than she bargained for!
I have only mentioned half of the colorful key characters in this demon of a plot.
The story romps through some of Florida’s backwaters, but what is a boondock?
Marlin, Darlin’ is set in the fictional tiny “boondock” (backwater, rural) town of Punta Bella on the east coast of Florida around the Indian River Lagoon and close to the Atlantic Ocean.
You mention dog lovers will like the book too, tell us about the dog element.
The book is authentic Floridiana, you can feel the sand in your toes and hear the waves on the beach (as many reviewers have said); it could keep you up all night and it will make you laugh (to which the reviews on Amazon also attest).
It’s a sweet love story and dog story all wrapped up in a sinister murder mystery. Check the reviews! With very little promo this book has gotten its share of fans.
I do hope you read it and enjoy it—most who have read it have found it laugh out loud funny and surprising—and if you do read it, please let me hear from you!
Hot tip: There’s a third Garnet mystery in the works … so stay tuned.
Where can readers find out more about you and your books?
More about me and my books is available on my lively blog www.margaretlangstaff.com, LinkedIn, Profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretjeanlangstaff/
Goodreads and my Amazon author page, should you be interested.
@CedarHillPress
Margaret is a former publishing exec (Random House, Doubleday), her work has appeared in the L.A. Times, L.A. Times Book Review, the New York Times, Publishers Weekly and the Baltimore Sun
She has also been a ghost writer for public figures and celebrities for many years before I penning her first novel.
I want to thank you, darling Rosie Amber, for giving me this opportunity to talk about one of my favorite books. It’s been great fun and you are a treasure and an angel to authors! I would love to hear from readers of your wonderful blog, and would be delighted to answer any questions they may have or just chat about books and the writing life!
Marlin, Darlin‘ link for Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
Tour News: ebook discounted 50% to $2.99 Limited time only
Us Readers only: signed copies of the paperback are also available for $5.00 plus $3.99 shipping from “Forever Rare Books” on Amazon (60% off regular price)
Sale on autographed copies of paperback!
November 9, 2014
The Verdict
Written by: Iliena Bosu
Jenna Shields had not felt this liberated in a long time. It was about eight years back, she remembered, when she sat next to her mother on the roller coaster, that she was extremely happy. She was about thirteen and it was the best day she ever had. The anticipation of joy, heightened by thrill and fear had made her cling to her mom as if she would never let her go.
Today, she was in a courtroom filled with strangers who waited expectantly for the commencement of the proceedings on Adrian Shields’ murder trial; Jenna had killed her father. The prosecutor had pleaded her guilty of manslaughter while the defense lawyer was ready with his self-defense arguments.
Silently, Jenna felt the familiar excitement in the pit of her stomach now. She looked at the empty seat next to her where her mother would have sat.
There is an anxious buzz in the courtroom.
“Please maintain order in the courtroom,” cried the judge pounding her gavel. “Ms. Shields, is there anything you would like to say before we begin?”
Nevertheless, Jenna was not listening. She was still stuck on that night.
***
Six months back, everything was normal for Jenna. Her family seemed as perfect as those magazine ads, which show the family members sporting broad smiles, as if they had not a care in the world.
One evening, Jenna was napping in her room when her phone vibrated under her pillow. She did not check to see who it was; she had a hunch that it was her mother.
“Mom must have pressed the speed dial by mistake,” Jenna thought, pushing the call button.
Before she could say anything, she heard her mother’s muffled cries for help sinking under her father’s raging voice. As she ran down, the clanging of the utensils told her to go look in the kitchen.
What she saw next appalled Jenna. Her impression of the picture perfect family came crashing down as she saw her father firmly grasping her mother by her neck, forcing her head down on the lit burner.
How was it even possible? Jenna’s mind was racing. She had never seen her parents argue on anything, let alone fight. Her mother had always happily complied with her father and they loved each other. So, why was her father choking her burnt, bruised and bleeding mother? Hers was supposed to be picture perfect family!
***
“Is there anything you want to say in your defense, Ms. Shields?” a heavy voice brought Jenna back to the present.
The room suddenly went quiet as she nodded her head.
“I killed a man,” said Jenna, looking straight in the judge’s eyes. “I did what seemed the right thing to do. I chose the best from two right choices and the better from two wrong ones.”
Day 9 of the Mystery Book Tour – Catch the bus and enjoy the ride
Mystery Book Tour Day 9 #MysteryNovember The Body on the T by Mike Martin
Posted on November 9, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Welcome to Day 9 of The November Mystery Book Tour.
Today our guest is Mike Martin and his book The Body on the T
Where is your home town?
I was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland at the very eastern tip of North America. I lived there for most of my early life and then moved to Ottawa, the capital of Canada in my 30’s and have been there ever since.
How long have you been writing?
Like many writers I am also an active reader and have always been so. I had two older sisters who were teachers so they encouraged me to read early and often. They dragged me along to the library every week and I could pick and choose my books. As a result I grew to love reading and admire writers. As soon as I could I started writing, trying very poorly, to imitate my favourites. But I kept at it in one form or another until I finally got a little better. I have now been writing professionally for about 20 years. I have been a freelance writer, a ghost writer, an editor and a publisher. I started writing fiction about 5 years ago.
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
I’m a traditional mystery kinda guy. I like the old stuff like Agatha Christie but also some of the more modern classic type detective mysteries like Donna Leon. In fact, my Windflower series draws some inspiration from Leon’s use of food and culture, although Venice is a long ways away from Windflower’s setting in small town Newfoundland. I also enjoy some thrillers and some cozy mysteries, although I tend to shy away from cats, knitting and southern comfort.
Where is your book set?
All three books in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. The Walker on the Cape, The Body on the T and now Beneath the Surface are all set in small communities on the southeast coast of Newfoundland.
Introduce the readers to Winston Windflower.
Sgt. Winston Windflower is a Cree from Northern Alberta. He is an officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and as part of a national police service he gets posted all over Canada. For the last couple of years he has been in Grand Bank, Newfoundland and although he is a complete outsider he has been welcomed warmly into the community. He even finds himself a girlfriend who just happens to own the local café where Windflower can indulge his hearty appetite.
What incidents break up the peace of this part of Newfoundland?
Crime happens everywhere. It’s just more visible or more newsworthy in big towns or cities because there’s more reporting. In Windflower’s part of the world there is also a tradition of smuggling, back to the prohibition days, and an undercurrent of illegal activities that are often visible but ignored by the general populace. And there are always the deep human emotions of envy and lust and greed and anger that bubble to the surface. Sometimes people die as a result.
Tell us about Grand Bank, what type of town is it?
Grand Bank is an historic seaside town that has been in existence since the mid 1600’s, first as an inshore fishing station used only in the summer. Over time the population increased and it became a year-round settlement, primarily for English and Scottish immigrants. Grand Bank’s great claim to fame is as the home of the famous Grand Bank schooner whose vessels were built at the port. Its’ claim to infamy is as the rum-running capital of the southeast coast of Newfoundland during the American prohibition days. Today it is a quiet, almost semi-retired community with a few locally based businesses and a seasonal tourism industry.
What are some of the delicious foods that Windflower liked to eat?
First of all Sgt. Windflower likes to eat, a lot. That’s good, because food is almost a character in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. He likes barbequed steak, medium rare with a special spicy dry rub. He likes Newfoundland rabbit, also known as hare, braised or in a stew with pastry on top. He likes fish, lots of fish, from pan-fried scallops to baked salmon to sea trout to cod tongues. If you want to know about cod tongues, a Newfoundland delicacy, you have to read the books. And of course Windflower loves, just loves peanut butter cheesecake. He would do almost anything for it. No, he would do anything for it.
Tell us about the TV interest in your book series.
This is very exciting news!! In September I signed an option agreement with Producer Heidi Lasi for the television and film rights to the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. Heidi Lasi is an award winning film and television producer who discovered one of my books and contacted me about buying the rights. We had discussions over a month or so and finally reached an agreement. Talks are underway with potential partners, showrunners, funders, broadcasters and investors. So now we are putting together a Windflower package – a TV pilot, or at the very least a few scenes from a possible show, as well as some screenplays, to pitch to broadcasters. I will be a creative consultant to this process and I will keep you and your readers up to date on the process.
Where can readers find out more about you?
http://www.beneaththesurface.co
Twitter @mike54martin
You can follow Sgt. Windflower on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore?ref=hl
Buy links for The Body on the T
Amazon UK
Mike has a Goodreads giveaway in place to win 5 copies running until November 21st
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/113083-the-body-on-the-t
Rays Smash List
Negotiating for Success: Essential Strategies and Skills
This practical guide to personal and business negotiations goes beyond the bargaining phase to cover the entire process from your decision to negotiate through an evaluation of your negotiation performance. The book includes tools such as a negotiation planner, “decision trees” for calculating negotiation alternatives, psychological tools, and a tool for assessing your negotiation style.More
Available formats: epub pdf
Price: $9.99 USD
Buy Add to Library Give as a Gift
Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Negotiating
Nonfiction » Law » Arbitration, Negotiation, Mediation
Published: Oct. 09, 2014
George Siedel is the Williamson Family Professor of Business Administration and the Thurnau Professor of Business Law at the University of Michigan. He teaches negotiation in the MBA program at Michigan’s Ross School of Business and in seminars around the world to business leaders, entrepreneurs, attorneys, physicians, athletic directors, and judges.
Professor Siedel completed his graduate studies at the University of Michigan and Cambridge University. He has served as a visiting professor at Stanford University and Harvard University and as a Visiting Scholar at University of California, Berkeley. As a Fulbright Scholar, he held a Distinguished Chair in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Professor Siedel has received several national research awards including the Maurer Award, the Ralph Bunche Award, and the Hoeber Award. He has also received numerous teaching awards, including the 2014 Executive Program Professor of the Year Award from CIMBA, a consortium of thirty-six leading universities committed to international education.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/483669?ref=raystone
Under a Falling Star
By Jae
Falling stars are supposed to be a lucky sign, but not for Austen. The first assignment in her new job—decorating the Christmas tree in the lobby—results in a trip to the ER after Dee, the company’s COO, gets hit by the star-shaped tree topper.
There’s an instant attraction between them, but Dee is determined not to act on it, especially since Austen has no idea that Dee is her boss. More
Available formats: epub mobi pdf lrf
First 20% Sample: epub mobi (Kindle) lrf
Price: $9.99 USD
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Fiction » Gay & lesbian fiction » Lesbian
Published by Ylva Publishing
Published: Nov. 01, 2014
Words: 94,580
Language: American English
Jae grew up amidst the vineyards of southern Germany. She spent her childhood with her nose buried in a book, earning her the nickname “professor.” The writing bug bit her at the age of eleven. For the last seven years, she has been writing mostly in English.
She works as a psychologist. When she’s not writing, she likes to spend her time reading, indulging her ice cream and office supply addiction, and watching way too many crime shows.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/489594?ref=raystone
TARDIS Eruditorum: An Unofficial Critical History of Doctor Who Volume 5: Tom Baker and the Williams Years
A critical history of Doctor Who focusing on the final four years of Tom Baker’s run as the Doctor (1977-81). More
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Nonfiction » Entertainment » Television
Published: Oct. 07, 2014
Words: 129,740
Language: English
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/482921?ref=raystone
Sleuth, LLC: Bring Out Your Dead (an Avondale Story)
By Etienne
Quentin Quasar and his partner Nate stumble on a series of murders, and begin to investigate. With the aid of a friend at the sheriff’s office, they manage to catch the bad guys.
Nate learns that his mother has terminal cancer and has been moved from a women’s prison to a hospital. When they visit her they encounter and capture the leader of the cult that Nate’s mother belonged to. More
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Fiction » Gay & lesbian fiction » Gay
Fiction » Gay & lesbian fiction » Gay
Published: Oct. 11, 2014
Words: 56,960
Language: English
ISBN: 9781310895777
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/484074?ref=raystone
That Man 3 (That Man Trilogy)
From NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling Author Nelle L’Amour, the steamy and suspenseful conclusion to the THAT MAN trilogy.
Blake and his tiger, Jennifer, finally succumb to their passion, but will a secret and a dangerous force bring their love to a cruel and tragic end? More
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Fiction » Romance » Contemporary
Published: May 14, 2014
Words: 55,470
Language: English
ISBN: 9781310047381
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/438147?ref=raystone
Ebola 2014
By Leah Roberts
Rated 5.00/5 based on 1 reviews
The 2013-2014 Ebola outbreak has created a need for a complete resource that can be understood by both medical personnel and those outside of the medical field. This is a comprehensive and current summary of information available about Ebola at this time. More
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Nonfiction » Health, wellbeing, & medicine » Diseases
Published: Oct. 16, 2014
Words: 22,640
Language: English
ISBN: 9781310286490
Tags: disease virus outbreak ebola
About Leah Roberts
Leah E. Roberts graduated with a Master’s degree in Biosecurity and Disaster Preparedness (3.95 GPA) from Saint Louis University. Her undergraduate concentration is Public Health and she earned a Graduate Certificate in Infection Control from the University of South Florida. After graduation, Leah volunteered as a teaching assistant at SLU teaching classes including Medical Intelligence and Case Studies of Epidemics and Disasters. She has self published articles about chemical warfare and created a presentation for The International Healing House about chemical and biological warfare. Her interest and research of Ebola and filoviruses is ongoing and spans more than 10 years. She currently works for Jacobs ASG where her work involves writing geopolitical threat assessments and research studies of disasters among other works.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/485354?ref=raystone
November 8, 2014
Mystery Book Tour – Day 8 with Geoffrey West
Please welcome Geoffrey West to the blog for Mystery Book Tour Day 8 with his book Doppelganger.
Where is your home town?
Coulsdon, Surrey, in England.
How long have you been writing?
About 30 years now.
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
‘Man in a mess’ thrillers, the type written by Dick Francis, Raymond Chandler and Robert Goddard. The type of mystery when a man (or woman) finds themselves in a terrible position through no fault of their own, and has to either help someone out of a mess, or extract themselves from a life-threatenimg difficulty. Ideally with danger, intrigue and mystery, lots of murders and a few people to hate and many to like. The hero or heroine, for me, has to be someone likeable, with integrity.
Where is Doppelganger set?
Around Canterbury in Kent, but part of the action takes place in Paris, France, also in London and Wales.
What is a Doppelganger?
Someone who is so alike another person in appearance that they look the same, so much so that they can be mistaken for each other. As close in appearance as an identical twin, but in fact no relation.
Who is Jack Lockwood?
He is a Behavioural Investigative Adviser, that is a psychologist who helps the police with cases, by trying to analyse the mind of a wanted criminal, with a view to catching him. Jack is also a writer, who writes about true crime, and in addition worked for some years as a builder.
Tell us some of the mystery element in the book
Jack falls in love with a woman he meets by chance, and has the feeling that he’s known her before. His fanciful notions of déjà vu, and being predestined to fall in love with her are rudely cut short when he realises that the reason he recognises her is because her face is that of a woman he recognises from a book, who was convicted for murder as a child, and has since been released under a new identity. This situation is further complicated by a serial killer on the loose around Canterbury. Is the girl he is in love with the serial killer, or can he believe her assurances that her likeness to the killer (when she was a child) is coincidental? The answer is far from simple, and there are quite a few surprises along the way.
Who is the gangster that Jack is trying to write about?
This is a vicious criminal who has dangerous contacts everywhere, and Jack knows that if he is to avoid being killed to stop him writing his book about his activities, he has to be very careful indeed, and can trust no one.
Tell us the plot line for the first in the Jack Lockwood series
ROCK’N’ROLL SUICIDE starts with Jack exploring a derelict stately home, which in the 1970s was used as a recording studio for various rock bands. He has gone to the manor house to try and discover facts surrounding the deaths of Maggi O’Kane and her band. He is writing a book about the early deaths of rock musicians (Jim Morrison Kurt Cobain et al) and the story of Maggi shooting her band, then herself has become enshrined in rock legend. But he discovers old photographs that possibly prove that someone else was in the manor when the band were all killed, and proceeds to try to discover the truth as to whether she is a murderer and commited suicide, or if her reputation has been trashed to suppress facts he finds that she discovered about the death of John Lennon in New York. As he makes more and more discoveries he faces increasing danger and threats to his life.
What are you working on at the moment?
The third Jack Lockwood novel, SHEER FEAR, which is completed, but needs odd bits and pieces and proofreading etc done to it. SHEER FEAR starts when Jack is partly responsible for the accidental death of his half brother, who was about to be arrested for the rape /murders of three women. Before he falls to his death, Jack’s brother tells him that he has been framed for these murders, because of a high level conspiracy to protect an important person from allegations of historic child abuse: it transpires that all the women victims made such allegations against Lord Kit Aylesbury, alleging that he interfered with them when they were children in the 1980s. As Jack tries to establish the facts, he finds he has made powerful enemies, and from that moment on, keeping alive gets harder and harder. However he knows that in order to survive and to avenge his brother’s death, he has no choice but to fight to find out the truth. His investigations take him to Copenhagen, Paris, Rome and Seattle, until he finally finds out the truth.
Where can readers find out more about you?
My website www.geoffreydavidwest.com. Give details of all my books, journalistic experience and editing services, plus my two blogs: http://jacklockwood.wordpress.com which hosts the Jack Lockwood Diaries, a number of short stories involving stories about Jack’s life, several of them supernatural. And my own blog: http://geoffreywestdotcom.wordpress.com/
Buying links:
ROCK’N’ROLL SUICIDE http://viewBook.at/B009XA5SQ4 (UK) and http://amzn.to/YT0rQN (US)
DOPPELGANGER http://viewBook.at/B00B6U64B2 (UK) and http://amzn.to/Zq6IU7 (US)
Doppelganger is FREE on kindle until November 11th
November 7, 2014
Diamonds & Dust – day 7
Mystery Book Tour Day 7 #MysteryNovember Diamonds & Dust by Carol Hedges
Posted on November 7, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Welcome to Day 7 of this November mystery Book Tour.
Today our guest is Carol Hedges and her book Diamonds & Dust.
Where is Your Home Town?
I live in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, it’s a mid-sized town just north of London. I can get into London by train in 20 minutes, which is handy for shopping, visiting my daughter and new granddaughter, and researching locations for my books.
How Long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing since I was at school, just bits and pieces, but I only started getting published in my 40s. I’ve had 13 books published, mainly teenage and YA. Last year, however, I decided to move on to writing adult historical fiction. Diamonds & Dust is my first adult novel.
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
I love Historical mysteries, especially those set in or written in the nineteenth century. I’m a great fan of Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins and all those great novelists of the period and the chance to pay homage to their talent was just too tempting to resist.
Where is Diamonds & Dust Set?
Diamonds & Dust is set in London in 1860 … it was an interesting period, just before all the major rail and road developments, but just far enough away from the 17th century.
Who are the two Women in your book?
The two main protagonists are Josephine King, a young girl who is rescued from a ghastly boarding school by her uncle, and Lilith Marks a prostitute turned business woman. They seem an unlikely ‘team’ but fate draws them together and makes them friends.
What is the mystery they are trying to solve?
They are trying to discover who murdered Josephine’s uncle Herbert King, who was also Lilith’s lover. There is also a mystery surrounding a beautiful diamond, left to Josephine by her uncle. Someone wants to get their hands on it…and they are not going to stop until they do…
What was your favourite part of the research for this book?
My favourite bit of research was visiting London to take pictures of all the places used as locations in the novel. It was amazing how many of the old Victorian locations still exist, almost unchanged. Sometimes you have to look ‘up’ to see the old buildings, but they are still there. I also enjoy researching online. There is a wealth of original material to be found. Wherever possible, I like to go to a direct source .. that’s where the authentic voices are.
Tell us about some of the Victorian characters in your book and their jobs.
Some of the other characters include: a small crossing sweeper called Oi, a rich spoilt society girl called Isabella Thorpe, and a trusty clerk called Trafalgar Moggs. Oh – the the two detectives, Detective Inspector Leo Stride and Detective Sergeant Jack Cully – who appear in each of the succeeding novels ..rather like Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. The books are crammed with minor characters… a bit like a Dickens novel.
What are you working on at the moment?
The second book in the series, Honour & Obey will be published on November 18th. It revolves around the ever topical hunt for a husband. In the 1860s it was even worse than now: no internet, a lot of social rules and regulations, a rigid class system and a surplus of women! The book explores the plight of 3 different women, all on the lookout for love and marriage. Who ends up with a man and who doesn’t? You will have to read the book to find out!
Where can readers find out more about you?
I love social media. I’m a real Twitter addict, so the first place to find me is by following me on Twitter: @carolJhedges I put up pictures, links to my books and blogs, links to my friends’ books and blogs and really,anything that takes my fancy. I love chatting, so drop by and say hello.
You can always visit my blog: http://carolhedges.blogspot.co.uk I blog every week, posting the latest on at 8 am (UK time) on a Saturday. Here you can read my ramblings about life, or check out a ‘Pink Sofa’ post, where a fellow writer is invited to share their books and writing experiences.
I have an Amazon page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carol-Hedges/e/B0034PUES6/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1/277-0303524-9780940 where you can get details of my other books.
Diamonds & Dust purchasing links: Amazon US: buff.ly/18SdNOV UK:buff.ly/18fkua3
also available on Nook, Smashwords …as ebook and book.
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