P.D. Workman's Blog, page 84

Interview with Zarina Macha

Please welcome Zarina Macha, who has written about schizophrenia and agreed to answer some questions today.

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Tell me about the stories in Every Last Psycho.

The first one is called ‘Every Last Thought’ and is about a 16-year-old schizophrenic girl (Tess) who is in love with her best friend (Ed), but he has a girlfriend. An incredibly dark and harrowing story – not for the faint-hearted! It’s written in a very choppy, abrupt way to highlight Tess’ fractured mindset. Involves drug abuse, sexual violence and self-harm, but I wasn’t writing those things for ‘shock value’, I wanted to be true to the story.

‘Psycho Girl’, the second story, is about an 18-year-old girl (Evelyn) who is, of course, a misunderstood sweetheart who just wants to be accepted for who she is (haha…not). She is determined to attend the University of Cambridge and does some shocking things to get what she wants. I had a lot of fun with that one; it’s meant to be read as a dark comedy. Evelyn is a truly vile, awful person, but I find a lot of joy in reading the internal monologues of diabolical people (Steven Stelfox, Patrick Bateman, Amy Dunne, Cersei Lannister) as it is fascinating seeing the world from their perspective. 

I wanted to publish the two stories together as a ‘novella collection’ rather than as two separate stories, but I couldn’t decide on a name, until one of my friends suggested I merge the two titles to create ‘Every Last Psycho.’ 

Amazon

How long have you been writing?

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All my life. Ever since I was a little kid, although I’m still a little kid to many I guess, being only twenty-one. Writing has always been my greatest joy and pleasure – something that comes as naturally as breathing. There are times when I get stuck, of course, or I don’t feel like it, or I’m convinced what I’ve written is utter s*** and no one in their right mind would ever read it. But we all get like that I guess. Artists are sensitive people and highly critical of our work – we forget that we need to take it less seriously sometimes and just get on with it. 

What prompted you to write in the mental illness arena?

Well you have to write what you know, she says with a dark laugh. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety for years, including panic attacks, and I had a brief but destructive drinking problem. It’s not all romantic-tortured-artist crap, it’s horrible and I wish every day I didn’t succumb to such depressing darkness. I envy those happy-go-lucky people that are never bothered by much.

But it’s not just about me, of course; mental illness is rising in the UK and worldwide (particularly in so-called developed nations where we’re expected to shut our feelings off) and it’s something that a lot of people struggle with, often those whom we least expect. Those who are naturally chatty and vibrant and friendly aren’t always as cheery as we seem, and there’s a lot to be said for people not always being what they appear to be. I definitely wanted to explore that in Psycho Girl; Evelyn seems like the quintessential perfect young woman when really she’s an abyss of cruelty and malice. 

Why young adult?

Again, write what you know. ‘Every Last Thought’, ‘Psycho Girl’, ‘Anne’ (my upcoming book), and some of the other stories I have in the works – they were all crafted or honed when I was in my mid-to-late teens. I don’t know anything about middle-aged married women or adults working a nine-to-five corporate job. That’s not my world. I do know what it feels like to be a lonely, scared teenager, and to not really understand our bittersweet world. 

Tell us about your research process.

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I spend a lot of time on the internet (seriously, I have to constantly massage my arms and fingers due to the amount I’m on my laptop) reading articles and all sorts of forums. I study people, I observe behavioral characteristics. I consume a lot of literature and movies and use them as character studies and analyze why certain people are the way they are. For me it all starts from character – the character drives the narrative. I do sometimes go to funny lengths to get stuff, like ringing up a hospital to ask where their ICU unit is and how long they would keep a patient on life support. But life is research – talking to people, reading, observing. I can find actively rifling through things a bit dire, and I’m not a ‘literary’ writer, but provided I get my basic facts straight then hopefully no one will throw dodgeballs at me. 

What is next for you?

So glad you asked darling, hehe. My next book ‘Anne’ is a coming-of-age YA novel that will be out June 3rdand is currently available for pre-order. It deals with some heavy themes; domestic violence, mental illness, bullying, lesbian teen romance, grief, trauma. But I took great care to make the character of Anne someone who comes out strong and resilient despite her pain. Protagonists don’t have to be likeable – Evelyn certainly isn’t, and Tess is a bit annoying – but they do have to be real and relatable. Anne is likeable, of course, but her story really is about growing and overcoming hardships and reaching out to the ones you love. It’s a very moving story if I do say so myself. Is available to pre-order now.

Preorder

How can readers find you?

By typing my name into Amazon? Haha. Links to my website and social media are below:

WEBSITETWITTERINSTAGRAMFIVERR

Observing World Schizophrenia Day

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Why World Schizophrenia Day?



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What exactly is schizophrenia and why a special day of observance? Here is an excerpt from NDTV:

“World Schizophrenia Day … is observed on May 24. Schizophrenia is a mental condition which affects normal functioning of the brain. The condition interferes with a person’s ability to feel, act and think. Some schizophrenic patients recover completely and find an improvement in their symptoms. But others continue to suffer from schizophrenia for a prolonged period of time, wherein the distressing symptoms can last for years.

A common myth surrounding schizophrenia is that people suffering from it have split personality. However, this is completely untrue. Schizophrenia patients have 1 personality just like everyone else. Common symptoms of schizophrenia include confused thinking, delusions and hallucinations. Schizophrenia is often considered as a grave condition. There is a lot of stigma associated with schizophrenia.

The aim of World Schizophrenia Day is to fight these stigmas and make people more aware of the mental disorder.”

While mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety are becoming less stigmatized and more a part of our conversation, others like schizophrenia are still highly stigmatized. People associate schizophrenia with violent behavior, homelessness, or institutionalization. Schizophrenia can be disabling, but there are also functional schizophrenics who are able to live normal, productive lives, and treatment can alleviate or in some circumstances completely eliminate symptoms.

Schizophrenia often strikes in teenagers or young adults and can be triggered by drugs such as LSD or marijuana. In places where marijuana has been legalized, like in Canada, it is more important than ever to make sure young people are made aware that it can cause permanent psychological problems.

Resources

The infographic at the right by Global Medical Education has a lot of great information. The language does get a bit technical in a few places, but go ahead and click it to see the big picture.

Have a look at these other articles:

7 things you didn’t know about schizophrenia (I apologize in advance for the negative graphics in this one.)Living with schizophreniaHelping someone with schizophrenia



Author Interview With Zarina Macha



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Zarina Macha, an author who has written about schizophrenia and I are doing a blog swap. You can jump over to her interview with me on her website today , and my interview with her will be posted on May 27.

Looking Over Your Shoulder

Looking Over Your Shoulder, the first book that I published features a main character with late onset schizophrenia. Abe is stable at the beginning of the book, working in a job he enjoys, and married with three children. However, the stress of being a suspect in a jewel heist at his workplace, he quickly destabilizes, and no one will believe his suspicions.

Abe experiences a lot of issues common to people with schizophrenia, but has a good support network, and his family and friends do everything they can to get him back on track. But Abe’s claims are not all paranoia and someone really is out to get him.

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Things were going well for Abe.  Despite all of his past struggles with mental illness, he was happily married, had three wonderful children, a nice home, and a fantastic consulting business that satisfied his creativity and brought in a good income.

But you can never get too comfortable.  When Abe becomes a prime suspect in a jewel heist – one of the largest successful jewel heists in history – his schizophrenia becomes unmanageable and everything begins to spiral out of control.  Abe’s own investigation into the heist has the jewel thieves hot on his tail… but are they really, or is he just losing the battle against his inner demons?

Read sample

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$4.99

[Abe is] a likeable star, at least in my opinion. He has playful banters with his children, and the schizophrenia part of his character was done very well. I would say that is the strongest suit of Workman’s book: Abe’s schizophrenia. There was no part of the book where it felt ridiculous or unbelievable. Kudos to the author!

All in all, this novel is a fun read and I enjoyed it very much.

– L. Benitez

More books about mental illness

Check out other blog posts featuring fiction about mental illness:

Young adult fiction about psychosisYoung adult fiction about depression
Fiction about Personality DisordersAddiction fiction

The Savant of Chelsea

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The Savant of Chelsea by USA Today Bestselling Author Suzanne Jenkins

After the death of her mother, New York surgeon Alexandra travels to New Orleans to face the secrets and tragedies of her youth. A mystery is solved leading on a journey to madness.

The Savant of Chelsea is part of the Do No Harm collection, which is now available for preorder!

Do No Harm

Fire & Ice

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Fire and Ice… they are two of the most powerful elements known to man. 

From the tiniest of sparks to a blazing inferno, fire is an intense energy that can consume anything in its path. 

Ice is it’s unrelenting and frigid counterpart that can startle your senses and make you shiver. 

When put together, you’ll find a force that is stronger than anything you’ll ever encounter. 

If you love the paranormal and can’t get enough of romance, then this set is exactly what you need in your library. 

With mythical creatures, vampires, shapeshifters, and supernatural of all kinds, you’re sure to find something that will awaken your senses and set your soul on fire as you tremble with delight. 

Pre-order your copy today!

Including stories from: 
USA Today and International Bestselling Author, Nicole Morgan
USA Today Bestselling, and Award-Winning Author, Natalie Ann
USA Today Bestselling, and Award-Winning Author, Suzanne Jenkins
Two-time EPIC award winner, and Amazon Bestselling Author, Lesli Richardson
Award winning and Amazon Bestselling Author, Nikki Landis
International Bestselling Author, Laurie Treacy
International Bestselling Author, Donna Mercer
Author Candace Sams
Bestselling Author, Krista Ames
Bestselling Author, Deelylah Mullin
Author Ashlee Nicole Bye
Author Tricia Schneider
Author Trevann Rogers
Author Trinity Hanrahan 
Author Alicia Street
Author Marianne Petit
International Bestselling & Award Winning-Author, K.L. Bone
Author Jessi Ripley
Author Jeffrey Bardwell
USA Today Bestselling, Jocelyn Dex

B & N iBooks

Excerpt from The Fallen

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The newest book in the Auntie Clem’s Bakery mystery series is now out! If you haven’t yet picked up your copy of Apple-achian Treasure yet, grab it now! And check out my post for other new releases!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.

I am reading The Fallen, one of David Baldacci’s Amos Decker Series. I’ve posted about this series before; I think this is the third of them that I have read (though obviously, I am not reading them in order.)

Amos Decker is a great neurodivergent character with an eidetic memory, a tragic past, and a partner who tries to help him navigate through the social and political nuances of investigations. He is looking into a number of deaths that may be related to the opioid crisis or may be related to a long-hidden treasure. We’ll see, I haven’t finished it yet.

Going after these types of criminals was what Decker had done for almost his entire adult life. 
He took another sip of beer.
I catch killers. It’s really the only thing I’m good at.

The Fallen, David Baldacci

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Something sinister is going on in Baronville. The rust belt town has seen four bizarre murders in the space of two weeks. Cryptic clues left at the scenes–obscure bible verses, odd symbols–have the police stumped.

Amos Decker and his FBI colleague Alex Jamison are in Baronville visiting Alex’s sister and her family. It’s a bleak place: a former mill and mining town with a crumbling economy and rampant opioid addiction. Decker has only been there a few hours when he stumbles on a horrific double murder scene.

Then the next killing hits sickeningly close to home. And with the lives of people he cares about suddenly hanging in the balance, Decker begins to realize that the recent string of deaths may be only one small piece of a much larger scheme–with consequences that will reach far beyond Baronville.

Decker, with his singular talents, may be the only one who can crack this bizarre case. Only this time–when one mistake could cost him everything–Decker finds that his previously infallible memory may not be so trustworthy after all…

Apple-achian Treasure and a stack of new releases

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Ready to discover a new treasure this week? Erin is hunting for gold, and you can too.

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Apple-achian Treasure, Book #8 in the Auntie Clem’s Bakery series is now live! Pick up Erin’s and Vic’s new adventure and some other new releases.

Apple-achian Treasure

Erin is back on her feet again with the opening of Auntie Clem’s Bakery version 2.0. But her new partner is not the easiest person in the world to get along with and there are a lot of bumps in the road.

Reading about a secret treasure in Clementine’s papers, Erin decides to distract herself by putting back on her detective hat and she and her friends try their hands at solving the clues. Pretty soon, everyone knows that they are treasure hunting and things get interesting.

The race is on, but is the prize worth the price they will end up paying?

Read sample

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More New Releases

I have hunted down a few more new releases for your reading pleasure. It’s a long weekend here, so you might need a couple more!

Staging is Murder

Laura Bishop just nabbed her first decorating commission–staging for sale a 19th-century mansion that hasn’t been updated for decades. But when a body falls from a laundry chute and lands at Laura’s feet, replacing flowered wallpaper becomes the least of her duties.

To clear her young assistant of the murder and save her fledgling business, Laura’s determined to find the killer. Turns out it’s not as easy as renovating a manor home, especially with two handsome men complicating her mission: the police detective assigned to the case and the real estate agent trying to save the manse from foreclosure.

Worse still, the meddling of a horoscope-guided friend, a determined grandmother, and the local funeral director could get them all killed before Laura props the first pillow.

Buy now



Sentinnel’s Rise

A woman who lost it all. The demon horde who took it. A brooding Watcher who must convince her to fight. Her choice decides humanity’s fate.

Sara, a homemaker and ex-Federal agent, watches in horror as civilization’s strongest and most capable governments fall to a series of rogue attacks. An unknown enemy has destroyed the world’s major cities using bombs laced with a devastating biological agent. The worst part? Her husband and daughter both die, upending Sara’s quiet life in rural Wyoming. Millions lose their lives, leaving Sara with only two options: Fight the enemy soldiers that will surely come for the survivors or hide and hope they pass her by.

The Council of Light discovers the evil mastermind behind the attack on the world’s largest cities, and it isn’t human. Their timeless battle against the Overlords and their demonic army has finally reached a breaking point. Darian, the Council’s Watcher, must now convince his Sentinel to take her place among the warriors fated to defeat the demons, a destiny she knows nothing about.

Will Sara have the courage to accept her destiny and save humanity, or will the demons finally take over the world? 

Embrace the latest harrowing fight that started with the Light in the Darkness Series. While reading the first series isn’t mandatory, it’s certainly recommended so you can meet the characters and battle the Overlords with them from the beginning.

Buy now



Sweet Obsession

This is book 16 in the Sweet Cove Mystery series by USA TODAY Bestselling Author J. A. Whiting.
Angie has opened her second bake shop located in the Sweet Cove Museum and business is booming. The Roseland family has enjoyed a quiet summer since the police haven’t needed to call them in to help investigate any crimes, until now. 

In the nearby town of Solana Village, a woman finds a package on her porch and when she picks it up, the box explodes. The same day, another package bomb is delivered and Police Chief Martin shows up at the bake shop to ask Angie and her family for help. 

Buy now



A Berry Perplexing Puzzle

When Kylie’s friend Jack is accused of murder, she must go the distance to uncover the real killer…

Meanwhile Kylie’s nemesis, Detective Gregson, appears to be joining forces with her BFF Zoey – but to what end?

Zoey refuses to tell Kylie about Gregson’s secret, leaving her to figure it out on her own.

Meanwhile, the odds seem to be stacked against Kylie’s friend Jack. He had every reason to want the horrible Gary dead – but then again, so did quite a few other people. Will Kylie figure out the truth before it’s too late for Jack?

To add to all the chaos in her life, Kylie’s kinda-sorta boyfriend Joel drops a bombshell, and Kylie is forced to make a difficult decision…

Buy now



The Planetsider Trilogy

On a fallen world with a dark history, Ethan and the other rangers protect the fragile remains of civilization from savage roamers, twisted by a sickness known as the Maddening. He longs to know what caused the apocalypse, but when mysterious soldiers crash to the planet’s surface in search of a planetsider and offering the truths he desires, Ethan must abandon his home and take sides in a deadly war that has raged for generations. Who will he choose to save and can he himself be saved?

The Planetsider Trilogy is a gripping, post-apocalyptic military thriller and a journey of discovery, as Ethan uncovers the dark past of his planet and becomes embroiled in a war that threatens the fate of two civilizations, and the existence of life itself, planetside.

Buy now



Lunatic’s Game

Does the universe hold us responsible for what we order from late-night TV after downing half a bottle of vodka?

Apparently so.

Stuck in a dead-end job in a dead-end town, Bobbie Drex is even stuck in a dead man’s shoes—until a fateful gunshot sends her life bulleting from mundane to insane in no time flat.

Apparitions. Weird phone calls. Red eyes following her.

If that weren’t crazy enough, a weird, wisecracking stranger washes up on her doorstep. Hell bent on a bizarre mission, he sends Bobbie’s life plummeting even further off the rails. 

She’d yearned for a new career. But chasing monsters? Really?

When the tables are turned and a creature sets its sights on Bobbie, she’s forced to figure out who the real lunatic is – the stranger or herself. 

The Lunatic’s Game has begun….

Buy now



A Sip Before Dying

The Oak Valley Vineyard has been in Emmy Oak’s family for generations. So when the small Sonoma winery is suddenly in financial trouble and in danger of being gobbled up by the corporate giants, Emmy moves home to try to save her legacy with her modern culinary know-how. First step–she throws a party showcasing her latest vintage and signature tasty treats to a group of wine country’s most elite enthusiasts. Only when one of her VIP guests sips a glass of poisoned wine and dies in her cellar, Emmy’s name is on everyone lips for all the wrong reasons.

The victim was the young, boy-toy husband of one of Silicon Valley’s most successful female CEOs… and his playboy ways and suspicious spending habits have almost no one mourning his death. Enter Detective Christopher Grant, recent SFPD transplant, who is assigned to the case and immediately homes in on Oak Valley. But Emmy is determined to clear her winery’s name–even if Grant’s dark eyes, sexy smile, and mysterious past threaten to distract her. After calling in the big guns to help her–a.k.a. her jewelry designer best friend and copious amounts of cookie dough ice cream–Emmy finds herself digging through a slew of suspects to uncover crimes, grudges, and secret affairs that could put a soap opera to shame. 

Buy now



The Burning Issue of the Day

January 1910. A journalist has been killed in a suspicious blaze. Everything points to a group of suffragettes, but the apparent culprit insists she is innocent.

When Lady Hardcastle receives a letter from a suffragette requesting her urgent help, the retired spy turned sleuth knows only she stands between an accused young woman and the gallows. Evidence at the scene makes Lizzie Worrel’s innocence difficult to believe, and with the police treating it as an open-and-shut case of arson, Lady Hardcastle faces a barrage of resistance as she tries to dig out the truth.

With her trusted maid and confidante, the formidable Flo, Lady Hardcastle sets off in pursuit of the truth as time runs out for the accused suffragette. Was she set up? And if so, is the real culprit a traitor to the cause—or part of a darker conspiracy?

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Silencing Salter

Detective Luca investigates the death of a high-profile businessman, and it doesn’t surprise him the man has enemies. Powerful people make powerful enemies, after all.         

But Luca isn’t prepared for the sheer number of people the victim pissed off – nor just how influential they are. 

The deeper he digs, the uglier the truth grows. Luca uncovers a dark, disturbing side to the murdered man, and discovers hints of a deviancy along with membership in a secret society.

Luca is treading on dangerous ground. Every clue he uncovers increases the size of the target on his back.

Bringing a murderer to justice is what Luca does. He just hopes this time, he can live long enough to do it.       

Buy now



The Moor

When a ten-year-old girl turns up on DCI Ryan’s doorstep to tell him she’s witnessed a murder, he has no idea he’s about to step into his most spellbinding case yet. The circus has rolled into Newcastle upon Tyne, bringing with it a troupe of daring acrobats, magicians, jugglers—and one of them is a killer.

Ryan and his team must break through their closed ranks to uncover a secret which has lain buried for eight years, before the killer strikes again – this time, to silence the only living witness…

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.

Buy now



Cookies with a Side of Danger

Some cases hit close to the bone. 

For amateur sleuth, Sabrina Carlson, this is one of them. 

In Sabrina’s mind, missing-person’s investigations are always the hardest. 

Mostly because they remind her of losing her sister years before.

If fighting off flashbacks of her sister’s death isn’t bad enough, this current case is one of the most difficult of Sabrina’s career. 

After all, Claire Blakely didn’t just disappear without a trace. 

She also didn’t have any enemies. 

Buy now



Rewind

Valentine’s Day, 1993. After years of being single, Noah is finally ready to date again. Unfortunately, things don’t end too well. After spending their first night together, he wakes up covered in blood—next to his very dead date. Already convinced Noah has an abnormal attraction to murder, Detective Wellesley believes it has tipped over to actually killing someone. That leaves Noah and his friends having to prove his innocence. Meanwhile, Marc and Louis have gone on The Drinking Man’s Diet…let the hangovers ensue.

Buy now



Death by Chocolate Cupcake

Scarlet Baker is thrilled for the chance to host her own baking show The Cupcake Whisperer for a local TV channel in Atlanta. She expected baked goods, but she wasn’t prepared for hunky co-host Finn Fine.

Before the cupcakes are even frosted, a crew member is murdered. A handsome detective arrives on the scene to investigate, but the future of the show is now in jeopardy,

Scarlet fears for her life when the killer comes after her. Now the show might not be the only thing canceled.

Buy now



A Final Word

And don’t forget that Do No Harm is available for preorder now! If you like Robin Cook, David Baldacci and Patricia Cornwell, this collection is for you! Do No Harm is a binge-readers dream – 17 medical thriller books for $0.99! Get it at your favourite e-retailer now.

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NOOK
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ITUNES
KINDLE

Prophecy of Magic

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Dangerous fates, mysterious curses, twisted fairy tales, and doomed prophecies…

Explore new worlds in Prophecy of Magic: a collection of over twenty urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels curated especially for the genre’s biggest fans!

These stories include all of your favorite mystical creatures, from gods and angels, to vampires and fae, to shifters, demons, witches, gargoyles, and more! With so much magic involved – what could possibly go wrong?

Including stories from several New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors as well as fresh new voices in fiction you’ve yet to meet!

Prophecy of Magic will captivate fans from the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina to American Gods.

Don’t miss the chance to hold magic in your hand. Get your copy today!

USA Today bestselling authors Lexi C. Foss & Heather Marie Adkins 
USA Today bestselling author M.R. Graham 
USA Today bestselling authors Alyssa Drake and Bella Emy 
Teresa Roman 
Missy De Graff & Heather D. Glidewell 
Leigh Anderson & Alice Wilde 
Tanya Dawson 
USA Today bestselling author Fionn Jameson writing with Samantha Coville 
IPPY Gold Medal Winner Nikki Landis writing with Crimson Syn 
Sidonia Rose 
Kelsie Rae 
Candace Sams and Jozie Mack 
C. L. Coffey & J. S. Lee 
Caia Daniels & April Canavan 
Joel Crofoot
Marika Ray 
Anna Edwards & Claire Marta 
Katherine Hastings 
Savannah Rose and Amelia Gates 
David Burnett 
Kira Nyte 
T.M. Caruana
Nadine Travers

BUY NOW

Fatal Limit

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Fatal Limit by USA Today Bestselling and Award-Winning Author Inge-Lise Goss

Hospital affairs turn deadly when an untraceable toxin kills a scorned lover, spurring a private eye to search for a devious killer.

Fatal Limit is part of the Do No Harm collection, which is now available for preorder!

Do No Harm

Excerpt from The President is Missing

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I have put EDS, book #2 of Medical Kidnap Files on sale for $0.99 for Ehlers Danlos Awareness month. If you didn’t get a copy or see my article about EDS, have a look.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.

I was surprised to find The President is Missing on my virtual library shelf and not to have to put a hold on it. I’ve been interested in reading this Bill Clinton/James Patterson title since it came out. The combination of someone who has been U.S. President and one of the greatest thriller writers makes for a rich, edge-of-your-seat presidential thriller. I am enjoying it so far!

“You have made no secret, Mr. President, that you prefer dialogue over shows of force, that you’d rather talk things out with terrorists.”

James Patterson, Bill Clinton, The President is Missing

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The President Is Missing confronts a threat so huge that it jeopardizes not just Pennsylvania Avenue and Wall Street, but all of America. Uncertainty and fear grip the nation. There are whispers of cyberterror and espionage and a traitor in the Cabinet. Even the President himself becomes a suspect, and then he disappears from public view…

Set over the course of three days, The President Is Missing sheds a stunning light upon the inner workings and vulnerabilities of our nation. Filled with information that only a former Commander-in-Chief could know, this is the most authentic, terrifying novel to come along in many years.

EDS Awareness Month

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— Dr. Theodore Woodward’s advice in making a diagnosis.
Sometimes when you hear hoofbeats, it really is a zebra. — Ehler’s Danlos Society




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May is Ehlers Danlos Syndrome awareness month. While EDS is becoming better known, it is still a rare disease and a lot of people haven’t ever heard of it. And unfortunately, it is not something that a lot of doctors recognize, often believing that the symptoms are imagined, unrelated to each other, or the person is just clumsy.

But EDS can be a debilitating disease, and victims with the vascular subtype in particular susceptible to early death due to aortic tears organ rupture.

What is EDS?

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is a connective tissue disorder resulting in hypermobile joints, and stretchy or fragile skin.

A more detailed descriptionEDS Awareness Page on FacebookPictures of real people with EDS



About my EDS book



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One of my friends from school has EDS. Even though she was diagnosed with hypermobile joints in junior high and went through a number of joint collapses causing broken bones, she was not diagnosed until adulthood, when her two sons were diagnosed with EDS.

I wanted to help with spreading awareness about EDS. As I researched EDS, it occurred to me that it would make a good disease to base one of my medical kidnap books around. A child with frequent dislocations and broken bones, deep bruises, and terrible scarring could easily be mistaken for one suffering from domestic abuse. So, I started work on EDS, book #2 of the Medical Kidnap Files.

Teaser

With a long string of unbelievable stories to explain her frequent injuries, Social Services sees Katt is the stereotypical abused child. When she is admitted to hospital with yet another broken bone, they do the only logical thing to protect her, removing Katt from her mother’s custody.

But Katt and her mother know that something is wrong, and it has nothing to do with abuse, and the longer Katt stays in foster care, the worse her health gets. Can they get the answers they need before it is too late? Can they get the answers and get Katt back home?

Read sample

Kindle




$0.99 for the month of May

EDS and medical kidnap in the news

And just in case you think it could never happen…

Medical Kidnapping in Maine: Child with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome & Sister Seized

“There’s about 10 to 15 percent of the EDS population that’s been adopted. Most of them tell me I was adopted because I was supposedly abused. Now, when I sit back and look at it I think was that parent really abusing that child? I don’t think so,” said Wilson.

medicalkidnap.com

Spread the word!

Spread awareness of EDS on your social networks and let them know about my $0.99 deal.