Category: Guest Post

Posted in Blog Tour, Cozy Mystery, Guest Post

Guest Post and Blog Tour for Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco by Richie Narvaez

Posted on by Debbie

Going Back in Time to 1979: Researching the Disco Era

by Richie Narvaez

 I never thought I would write a historical mystery or a YA mystery. But the process of writing Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco (Pinãta Books, 2020) involved a fair bit of time travel. And a lot of in-seat dancing. I decided to set this book in 1979 because I was going to write about a 14-year-old protagonist. And the last time I had been 14 was in 1979.

But that meant a little sentimental journeying. I got out the old high school yearbook and found pages and pages of character suggestions. For the book, I scrambled names and personalities, I made an old friend the school principal, I made an old rival look like an idiot. This is what writing is all about! This was great!

But the thing that helped me most get back to that long-ago era and get into the right mood was music.

For most of the ’70s, I listened to the likes of John Denver, Harry Chapin, Janis Ian, and a lot of American Standards — because that’s what Pop liked and Pop had command of the radio. But as my sister and brother got older, they would bring home these disco albums to play (on our wonky record player in our rickety entertainment unit). At first, I balked at John Revolta and his three-piece suit and the chipmunk sound of the Bee-Gees. Jeez louise!

But then there was this song called “Supernature” by Cerrone. With its bizarre lyrics (telling a story similar to a dozen Animals Gone Wild movies from the ’70s) and insistent beat, it was like a 10-minute B-grade horror movie you could dance to. This appealed to my nerdy, sci fi- and horror-loving pre-adolescent mind. Then there was “Devil’s Gun,” by C. J. & Company, which had a neon green demon/alien on the cover. Hello, you’ve got my attention.

So, I learned to like disco quite a bit. But, really, I was too young to love it the way my sister and brother did. I never learned to do the Hustle, never went to Studio 54. Musical genres like Modern Rock and Freestyle were more a part of my formative years.

As I sat down to plan the book, I realized I hadn’t thought about disco in a long time. There was quite a bit of social history to uncover. Disco may have been maligned for its sameness and mindlessness, but there were clearly undertones of homophobia and prejudice in the malice directed toward it.

As to the music itself, I dove right in — by listening to music the way you do nowadays. I went to YouTube. Now, I don’t usually listen to music when I scribble, but my neighbor upstairs had been proving particularly lead-footed, so on went the headphones.

First I focused on what was popular, and I found I still wasn’t crazy about the Bee Gees. But then I rediscovered Donna Summer! That plaintive, sultry voice is mesmerizing. From there I listened to MFSB, Tavares, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the Hues Corporation, France Joli, Earth, Wind, & Fire, and more. I even discovered I had a favorite disco song: “Native New Yorker,” by Odyssey, a melancholy slow-disco meditation on Big Apple dreaming.

There was so much to listen to. Every day, I’d go through playlists and find singers and bands I wanted to learn more about. You know the idea of a wikihole? It’s an Internet-age rabbit hole of discovery after discovery. I went down that path willfully, gleefully, rocking in my chair, if not rocking dancing shoes.

I think Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco came out all the better for it. I was able to get into the mood of the era. I was able to hear what my teen detective protagonist was hearing and imagine her reactions. And if I could do that, then I could take my readers’ hands and invite them on to the dance floor with me.

Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco
by Richie Narvaez

About Holly Hernandez and
the Death of Disco

Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco
Young Adult Cozy Mystery
Grade Level: 10 – 12
1st in Series
Publisher: Pinata Books (May 31, 2020)
Paperback: 248 pages
ISBN-10: 1558859020
ISBN-13: 978-1558859029
Digital Publisher: Arte Público Press (June 22, 2020)
Print Length: 255 pages
ASIN: B08BQRZLTC

Holly Hernandez, voted “Miss Bright of ’79” and valedictorian at her previous school, is excited to start fresh at Flatbush Technical High School, one of the most competitive public schools in New York City. She’ll be one of thousands; anonymous. But her dreams of a normal school life disappear when her mother, a homicide detective, has to investigate the murder of Mr. Friedman, the social studies teacher.

One of her classmates, Xander Herrera, quickly becomes the primary suspect. The tall, awkward boy is socially inept, but Holly doesn’t think he’s a murderer. She is intent on exonerating him—but he wants nothing to do with her. To Xander, Holly is the overly enthusiastic student who always sits in the front row and answers all the teachers’ questions—correctly. He hates perky people!

Eventually cleared of the crime, Xander is determined to find the killer before Holly. As they race to solve the case, their separate investigations lead to a slew of suspects, including another teacher seen arguing with Friedman and a mysterious person named Steve who met with him several times before his death. Could it have been a disgruntled student? Ultimately, a trophy for a disco-dancing contest leads the intrepid young detectives to the Mission Venus nightclub and a murderer intent on killing again!

About Richie Narvaez

Richie Narvaez is author of the award-winning collection Roachkiller and Other Stories and the gentrification thriller Hipster Death Rattle. His latest novel is the historical YA mystery Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco.

Author Links

Website – https://www.richienarvaez.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/RichieNarvaezAuthor/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/richie_narvaez
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/rnz1000/
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4530759.Richie_Narvaez

Purchase Links – Amazon – Bookshop – IndieBound – B&N

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 15 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

October 15 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

October 16 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

October 16 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

October 17 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT

October 17 – MJB Reviewers -SPOTLIGHT

October 18 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – GUEST POST

October 19 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 19 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

October 20 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW

October 20 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 21 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 21 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – SPOTLIGHT

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Posted in Blog Tour, Characters, Guest Post

Guest Post and Blog Tour for Hiding Cracked Glass by James J. Cudney

Posted on by Debbie

How do you Keep Track of Characters in Your Series?

What a great question! When Shalini and I decided to make this an open opportunity for bloggers to ask any questions they wanted, I knew it would be fun. Big thanks to Debbie for asking about character tracking… it’s definitely not easy. In my Braxton Campus Mysteries, of which there are 6 current books and 1 in draft mode, there are 137 characters. If you ask me any questions about them, I will know the answer off the top of my head. I am actually really good at keeping these details in my brain. I sometimes forget how to walk, pour a glass of water, or open a door knob, but I don’t forget my characters. Mostly, they feel so real to me, I picture them as though they are alive. Hopefully I’m not caught talking to them when wandering the street; that would be embarrassing.

In the combo of Watching Glass Shatter and Hiding Cracked Glass, there are ~50 characters. This series has been more complicated to keep track of because I wrote the first book in 2016/7 and outlined the second book at the end of 2019… with 2 1/2 years’ hiatus between. While I noodled ideas around in my head, I actually had to go back to my original outline to determine the key points I wanted to focus on in the sequel. I began with circles for each main character. Since these two books actually alternate chapters by character, everything had to be lined up. I did the exact same thing style-wise for the sequel, and each main character needed 2 or 3 supporting characters to pull off the story and the threat of ‘who wrote the letter and wants to hurt someone in the Glass family?’

In the Braxton Campus Mysteries, I keep an Excel spreadsheet and a Word document for tracking the details. Excel has names, parents, key relationships, ages, descriptions, whether they are a murderer, victim, suspect, or something else. I actually go a bit more detailed in terms of balancing the suspects, victims, and murderers so that it’s generally split across genders, ages, ethnicities, etc. I’ve intentionally tried to bring in at least two non-traditional characters so that I can help move books and the genre toward a more diverse cast. I also try not to stereotype nor make this too obvious. Names and descriptions must be strong but not overpowering so it appears fake.

In the Word documents, I cut/paste all detailed descriptions and a summary of the person’s role in each book. I need to know that I don’t mess something up… I’ll confess two things though… two changes I actually made between the first and second book. I swapped the birth order of Kellan’s siblings while writing the second book. The first was with beta readers and during launch week, when I went back and updated the final format. The other is to change the details on Kellan’s grandfather’s death (before the books started) because I wanted to leave a bit of mystery around it. There might be a plot in the future that focuses on what happened to Nana D’s late husband!

When I draft the outline for each new book, I start out with ‘where did all the major characters end up’ in the last book. I’m famous for my cliffhangers, so I also have to focus on closing those loose ends. It’s a lot of work, and I have to think about journeys in between books; everything needs to be documented in my main tracking sheet, especially birthdays and facts that sometimes mean very little but could be problematic if I say Kellan’s brother graduated from college in a year that wouldn’t line up to his proper age… or I said a certain skin tone that is different between books — that shows the writer isn’t thinking about consistency, which is important to me. Mistakes happen, totally understandable… but it’s critical to think of both short and long term before committing to a character action or description.

Quite honestly, in the last Braxton book, I backed myself into a corner with the ending… and now, although I have the plot worked out and who will die… I am thinking about how I could change it without causing any disconnects. Why did this happen, you ask? Because us writers can be highly creative, and sometimes a new brainstorm pops up and you can’t help but want to find a way to incorporate it. So… the big question is:

At the end of Hiding Cracked Glass, did I leave room for a third book in a trilogy? Or will it end at just the two? And just like all my Braxton books… yep… you guessed it… I’m ending this guest post with the cliffhanger. I might’ve left room for a third Perceptions of Glass book… and you’ll just have to wait to find out in the coming years!!!

At the end of Hiding Cracked Glass, did I leave room for a third book in a trilogy? Or will it end at just the two? And just like all my Braxton books… yep… you guessed it… I’m ending this guest post with the cliffhanger. I might’ve left room for a third Perceptions of Glass book… and you’ll just have to wait to find out in the coming years!!!

Thanks for sharing that wonderful guest post, James. Here are the details for your blog tour, author bio, and social media links.

ABOUT THE BOOK

An ominous blackmail letter appears at an inopportune moment. The recipient’s name is accidentally blurred out upon arrival. Which member of the Glass family is the ruthless missive meant for?

In the powerful sequel to Watching Glass Shatter, Olivia is the first to read the nasty threat and assumes it’s meant for her. When the mysterious letter falls into the wrong hands and is read aloud, it throws the entire Glass family into an inescapable trajectory of self-question. Across the span of eight hours, Olivia and her sons contemplate whether to confess their hidden secrets or find a way to bury them forever. Some failed to learn an important lesson last time. Will they determine how to save themselves before it’s too late?

Each chapter’s focus alternates between the various family members and introduces several new and familiar faces with a vested interest in the outcome. As each hour ticks by, the remaining siblings and their mother gradually reveal what’s happened to them in the preceding months, and when the blackmailer makes an appearance at Olivia’s birthday party, the truth brilliantly comes to light.

Although everyone seemed to embrace the healing process at the end of Watching Glass Shatter, there were hidden cracks in the Glass family that couldn’t be mended. Their lives are about to shatter into pieces once again, but this time, the stakes are even higher. Someone wants to teach them a permanent lesson and refuses to stop until success is achieved.  

HIDING CRACKED GLASS BY JAMES J. CUDNEY

Series Name: Perceptions of Glass

Book #1 Name: Watching Glass Shatter

Book #2 Name: Hiding Cracked Glass (cover reveal for this one)

Publication for Book #2:

Next Chapter, October 8th, 2020

Amazon Link:

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54399989-hiding-cracked-glass

About The Author

James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College, an historic but small liberal arts school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a degree in English literature and minors in Education, Business and Spanish. After college, I accepted a technical writing position for a telecommunications company during Y2K and spent the last ~20 years building a career in technology & business operations in the retail, sports, media and entertainment industries. Throughout those years, I wrote some short stories, poems and various beginnings to the “Great American Novel,” but I was so focused on my career in technology and business that writing became a hobby. In 2016, I refocused some of my energies toward reinvigorating a second career in reading, writing and publishing.

Websites & Blog

Website: https://jamesjcudney.com/

Blog: https://thisismytruthnow.com

Amazon: http://bit.ly/JJCIVBooks

Next Chapter Pub: https://www.nextchapter.pub/authors/james-j-cudney

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/james-j-cudney

Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamescudney4

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesJCudneyIVAuthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BraxtonCampusMysteries/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThisIsMyTruthNow/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jamescudney4/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamescudney4/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jamescudney4

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescudney4

Posted in Blog Tour, Guest Post

Guest Post Interview and Blog Tour for the Dana Mulder Suspense Series by N. Gray

Posted on by Debbie

Why I Can’t Stop Reading

Guest Post by N. Gray

What inspired you to write this book?

I write in 3 genres; Urban fantasy, Horror and Thriller. I’d started a series in each except for Thriller and after researching I got the idea to write four books.

What can we expect from you in the future?

More in each genre. I like to alternate between the three genres to keep me from getting bored

Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?

Not yet. I’m currently working on those.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Deadly Pattern?

Dana Mulder was an analyst for the FBI but after her encounter with Travis, she became a Private Investigator where she didn’t need danger pay. She’s clever but also afraid after her attack even though she comes across as brave. But as much as she knows she shouldn’t be doing some things; she always gets herself into trouble.

How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?

I’m a panster and I write on the edge of my seat, so I come up with my characters on the go. I have a broad outline of what I want but the detail happens when I sit behind my pc and type.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

How Dana grows and becomes the woman she was always meant to be.

Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?

Dana is one for justice and serving the law, but every once in a while, she bends her rules to get the bad guy behind bars.

Travis on the other hand takes justice into his own hands and kills people he thinks are bad, and not necessarily are.

How did you come up with the title of your first novel?

I was looking for something analytical because Dana was an analyst, and Travis kills in patterns—to him, even though it’s not as clear to others.

Who designed your book covers?

My hubby. I can do it to a point. Then he takes over and makes them better.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

No, I love my books and they’re all professionally edited.

Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

That it’s hard to write thrillers. The novella was relatively quick, but the three books took time. Thriller stories progress slowly which is hard for me to write—I have a short attention span and if I get bored I’m afraid my readers will too–so I prefer to write fast-paced stories.

If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Ooh, tough one, I hadn’t considered anyone yet. Perhaps Mila Kunis, she looks small and fragile but when pushed she will fight back.

Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

My thriller series are quick reads yet are satisfying and a thrilling ride.

How did you come up with name of this book?

I guess I came up with the plot and title at the same time. I can’t explain it, they just come to me.

What is your favorite part of this book and why?

When we learn more about Travis –I think I’ve created a likeable killer.

If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?

I would spend it with Travis and ask him questions about his childhood and what really happened. (hint, you learn more about him in the 3rd book)

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

My imagination, but it’s also a combination of research into serial killers.

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?

They hijack the story; I never know where it’s going to go until I sit down and write it.

Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.

Dana is in all of us, we don’t like bad things happening to those we love and are always up for the challenge. And, we love solving mysteries, putting one bad guy away after the other.

Have you written any other books that are not published?

Yes, I’ve written a few that I need to go back and edit and perhaps publish once I’m done with the thriller series.

If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?

For Dana’s books, a rose scented candle. For Travis’s novella, sandalwood.

What did you edit out of this book?

For the first book (Deadly Pattern) nothing, I made a few tweaks here and there but it’s the original story. Now the second book (Devil Mountain) is a different story, I rewrote about twenty-thousand words; I didn’t like where the story was going and didn’t think the readers would appreciate it. I love the way it turned out now. And at the time of writing this, I’m about eighty percent through Chasing Evil, and it’s getting pretty exciting.

Is there a writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?

Stephen King and Patricia Cornwell. I’ve read almost all of their books. I enjoy their writing style and how they keep coming up with new stories.

Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?’-type tidbits about the author, the book or the writing process of the book.

I’m ambidextrous. As I write one book, I’m always thinking of the next book to write. I’m a shy introvert (unless you’ve known me for like fifteen years, only then do I come out of my shell). I love hearing that readers have enjoyed my books—it really makes me glad.

Deadly
Pattern
The
Dana Mulder Suspense Series Book 1
by
N Gray
Genre:
Thriller, Suspense

Deadly Patterns
reveal disturbing truths. 

My name is Dana, I’m
a private investigator and hired to find a missing woman.
Thinking it would be a straightforward case like all my others,
instead, I’m thrust into a web of kidnappings, deceit, and murder.

The investigation
leads me to a prominent doctor who abducts his patients after their
surgery, but all the evidence is circumstantial. With the help of my
detective brother and his partner, we discover more bodies and link
cold cases where we establish a similar MO.

During the
investigation, the man who left me for dead is back and wants more.

Can I solve the
mystery before we find another body, and before I become the target
of a savage maniac intent on making me his?

A fast-paced
suspense thriller with unforgettable characters and spine-chilling
suspense, DEADLY PATTERN is book #1 in a gripping new series
that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

**Only
.99 cents!!**

Goodreads
* Amazon

 

Devil
Mountain

The
Dana Mulder Suspense Series Book 2

 

Devil Mountain
reveals hidden secrets, suspicion, and murder.

I’m asked to
assist in the search for Johnny’s sister only to discover
she’s dead and her two daughters are missing. To make matters
worse, I unearth the remains of someone connected to the
man hunting me down.

Can I solve the
murder before Travis strikes again, or will he finally get what he
wants?

A fast-paced
suspense thriller with unforgettable characters and spine-chilling
suspense, DEVIL MOUNTAIN is book #2 in a gripping new series
that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

**Only
.99 cents!!**

Goodreads
* Amazon

Chasing
Evil

The
Dana Mulder Suspense Series Book 3

 

Travis is bent on
keeping me as his trophy, but the tables have turned and I’m hunting
him.

Travis is still
after me. His cat and mouse game will never end until one of us is
dead. All I know is it’s time to take my life back.

Which of us will
survive?

A fast-paced
suspense thriller with unforgettable characters and spine-chilling
suspense, CHASING EVIL is book #3 in a gripping new series
that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

**Only
.99 cents!!**

Goodreads
* Amazon

**Get
the Prequel, Night Crawler, in the Notorious Minds box set for only
.99cents!!**

Goodreads
* Books2Read

 

N Gray is a South
African author living in Cape Town. During the day, she is a
spreadsheet wizard, creating dashboards, and tables with trending
analysis in search of any anomalies. (Yes, she still has a day
job). At night, she types on her curved keyboard creating
fictional characters that some may love, and others you want to kill
yourself. And for fun, she goes to the beach with her daughter
and hubby, or take the fur babies for a walk.

She writes in
multiple genres; her first three books are collections of short
stories ranging from light horror to paranormal and a thriller.

In 2019, she
released her first full-length novel, Ulysses Exposed, centering
around Blaire Thorne, an assassin with amnesia who hunts and kills
the monsters in Sterling Meadow.

In 2020, she
joined other USA Today Bestselling authors to produce the
Notorious Minds Boxset. Her contribution, Nightcrawler, is
exclusive to this boxset and is the prequel to her Dana Mulder
thriller series.

Website
* Facebook * Twitter
* Instagram *
Bookbub * Amazon
* Goodreads

 

Follow
the tour HERE
for special content and a giveaway!

$20 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Posted in Cozy Mystery, Guest Post

Guest Post and Blog Tour for Pharaoh’s Forgery, A Karina Cardinal Mystery by Ellen Butler

Posted on by Debbie

Inspiration for a Vacation Mystery

Who likes to go on vacation? Raise your hand. Yeah, me too.

Raise your hand if you had a vacation canceled due to the pandemic. Yeah, me too. This year was supposed to be the year hubs and I were set to go to Ireland for our 20th Anniversary. Thanks to COVID, we will not be going on that adventure.

Once the pandemic took hold and travel came to a grinding halt, I was pleased that I had the forethought to place the fourth Karina Cardinal mystery, Pharaoh’s Forgery, in sunny Cancun, Mexico. Readers looking to take a vacation through books can head out to the beach with Karina. Granted her trip is a little less vacationy and a little more thriller, but she does get some fun in the sun.

As a quick aside—pharaohs come from Egypt, however over the past century their treasures have been scattered throughout the world ending up in museums and private collections. With that in mind, I decided to place Karina’s adventure at a pyramid a little closer to her home, El Castillo at Chichén Itzá. This provides the reader a look at one ancient civilization while blending in a story line with anther.

Before I sat down to write this mystery, I pulled out photo albums, journals, and letters to take a trip down memory lane.

The first time I visited Mexico was during high school when I participated in an exchange program organized by my Spanish teacher. It was the first year the program happened, and, along with four other students, we flew to the capital city of the Yucatán Peninsula called Mérida. We experienced the culture by staying with a Mexican family, visited Mexico’s historic ruins like Chichén Itzá and Uxmal, and took some classes at the local Universidad. One of my favorite memories was the day we spent on the beach. The girls were offered a ride by some opportunistic fellows who wanted to take us out on their speed boat. We were willing and started to swim out to their shiny yellow boat. However, our mother-hen Spanish teacher was having none of it. She shooed them off with her pointer finger and some sharp Spanish. We shrugged and took it in stride. In retrospect, we probably scared the daylights out of her, though we didn’t mean too. I can’t imagine being in charge of four naïve teenage girls in bikinis up for an escapade.

I have loads of wonderful memories of that trip, but one of the best things to come from the program was the lasting friendships. One of the hosts had a son about our age, and one night he held a party for us. I gained three new pen pals at that party, and eventually two of them came to visit me in Washington, D.C. But, once we went off to college the friendships petered off, the way things do. However, thanks to social media we reconnected about twenty years later. Less than a month after I joined Facebook, one of my pen pals located me, and now I’m back in touch with all three. We’ve talked about families, jobs, and major life upheaval. I’ve been back to Mexico half a dozen times since my first time. They’ve all been sunny, warm, and wonderful. However, nothing compares to the first time, where I was first introduced to the Mexican culture, and gained friendships that lasted over thirty years.

Pharaoh’s Forgery: Karina Goes on Vacation
(Karina Cardinal Mystery)
by Ellen Butler

About Pharaoh’s Forgery


Pharaoh’s Forgery: Karina Goes on Vacation (Karina Cardinal Mystery)
Cozy Mystery / Women’s Adventure Fiction
4th in Series
Publisher: Power to the Pen (September 16, 2020)
Print Length: 212 pages
ASIN: B087HD8LF6

Margaritas, mayhem, and murder. Too bad her only defense is a cocktail umbrella.

After some of Karina Cardinal’s recent adventures—her lover Mike Finnegan would call them scrapes, jams, or pickles—she’s more than ready to blow this D.C. pop stand for a short girls’ trip to Mexico. Until Jillian’s roller skate wreck blows their plan out of the water. With Jilly injured and Mike working, her fellow lobbyist Rodrigo volunteers to share some sun, sand, and margaritas in Cancun. It’s tough to relax, though, knowing what’s in her suitcase. A package she promised to hand off to Mrs. Thundermuffin in Mexico.

Mrs. T’s evasive maneuvers around Karina’s questions wave more red flags than a bullfighter, leaving Karina no choice but to take a peek. Okay, so it’s not a kilo of something illegal. It’s an Egyptian death mask that turns out to be a magnet for crooks, conmen, kidnappers, and outright killers.

When the situation explodes into chaos, Karina and Rodrigo are lucky to have friends in the right place—at their backs. But they’re in one hell of a jam. And they could be going home in something tackier than a souvenir t-shirt—more like a body bag.

About Ellen Butler

Ellen Butler is the international bestselling author of the Karina Cardinal mystery series and award-winning historical suspense, The Brass Compass. Fans who enjoy the suspense of Melinda Leigh and the humor of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum will fall in love with Butler’s Karina Cardinal. Her experiences working on Capitol Hill and at a medical association in Washington, D.C. inspired the mystery-action series. The Brass Compass has won multiple awards for historical fiction and is compared to such bestselling novels as Kristen Hannah’s The Nightingale. Butler is a member of Sister’s in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Office of Strategic Services Society. She is an admitted chocoholic and confesses to a penchant for shoe shopping. Ellen lives with her family in the suburbs of Washington, DC.

You can find Ellen at:

Website ~ www.EllenButler.net

Facebook ~ www.facebook.com/EllenButlerBooks

Twitter ~ @EButlerBooks

Instagram~@ebutlerbooks

Goodreads ~ www.goodreads.com/EllenButlerBooks

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

September 21 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

September 21 – Baroness’ Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

September 22 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 22 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

September 23 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW

September 23 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT

September 23 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 24 – Mysteries with Character – REVIEW

September 24 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

September 25 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

September 25 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

September 26 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

September 26 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

September 27 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

September 27 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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Posted in Guest Post

Guest Post for Murder in Devil’s Cove, A Book Magic Mystery by Melissa Bourbon

Posted on by Debbie

It’s my pleasure to feature Melissa Bourbon’s guest post, blog tour, and giveaway for her first Book Magic Mystery, Murder on Devil’s Cove.

Guest Post

I’m always excited to have a new book out, and even more excited when I’m launching a new series. With Murder in Devil’s Cove, though, I feel as giddy as I did when my very first book came out back in 2008.

I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, trying to figure out why this book and series is making me feel this way. When it comes right down to it, there are 8 reasons (possibly more, but these are the 8 that came to mind):

  1. I love the Outer Banks and the North Carolina coast. It’s so beautiful. To set a book there has been so fun!
  2. My family and I are huge Tolkien fans. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are all-time favorites. When it came to naming my heroine/sleuth for the Book Magic mysteries, I immediately came up with Pippin. It’s my nod to Tolkien, and it fits her. Pippin’s father in the series is also a huge Tolkien fan, hence naming his children Pippin and Grey (after Gandalf).
  3. The entire concept of bibliomancy is so intriguing and fun. Pippin uses it to help her solve crimes. It’s so interpretive, and coming up with passages to guide her was challenging and took me back to my English major days of analyzing text.
  4. This is a collaborative book series, and that has also made writing this a blast. I’m talking more about this on another blog tour stop, so follow along!
  5. Devil’s Cove has all the great things I love in a small town. There’s The Open Door, which is the bookshop, Devil’s Brew, the coffee shop/café, a taco shop, a clock shop, and so much more. There’s even a shop devoted just to Olive Oil! Oh my gosh, do I love strong olive oil.
  6. My heroine’s potential love interest, Jamie McAdams, is a brainiac, and I love this about him. He’s got two daughters, co-owns the bookshop with his grandad, has a PhD, and is a blast to write.
  7. Pippin and Grey are twins who are spreading their wings and separating from one another. Pippin is a reluctant reader—crazy since she’s this bibliomancer.
  8. There’s a dog! Not just a dog, a precious Vizsla who has a secret of her own. I won’t spoil it here.

As you can see, there are a lot of reasons why I adore this book, and can’t wait to continue writing the series. I hope you’ll give it a read. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Happy reading,

Melissa

About Murder In Devil’s Cove


Murder in Devil’s Cove: (A Book Magic Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Lake House Press (September 22, 2020)
Number of Pages: Approx 300
Digital ASIN: B088J48JY8

Two best-selling authors, one magical universe.

In the Book Magic Mystery Series, best-selling authors Melissa Bourbon and Wendy Lyn Watson bring you the story of cousins Pippin Lane Hawthorne and Cora Lane. The cousins live on opposite coasts (Pippin in Devil’s Cove, North Carolina, and Cora in Laurel Point, Oregon), but they share the family gift of bibliomancy: the ability to foresee the future and unravel the past with the help of the books we love. Join Pippin and Cora as they use their otherworldly power to solve mysteries in their respective worlds.

Every book tells two stories—one written on the pages with pen and ink, and one woven into the paper, a story of the soul. The Lane women have the gift of bibliomancy. They can read both.

But Cassie Lane doesn’t see this as a gift. For her, it is a curse because the book magic comes with a price–the Lane women die young and the men are lost to the sea. As soon as she’s able, she leaves Laurel Point, Oregon, running from her past and her fate, ending up in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. There she meets Leo Hawthorne and lives a perfect life with him in an old Sea Captain’s house.

Perfect, that is, until an old book foretells the future, and the curse that has plagued the Lane women comes true for Cassie.

Twenty years later, Cassie and Leo’s children, twins Pippin and Grey, are back in Devil’s Cove. Long forgotten secrets surface and an old crime comes to light. Now Pippin must learn how to be a bibliomancer if she is to discover the truth about her father and continue his effort to stop the curse.

About Melissa Bourbon

Melissa Bourbon is the national bestselling author of nineteen mystery books, including the brand new collaborative Book Magic mysteries, the Lola Cruz Mysteries, A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series, and the Bread Shop Mysteries, written as Winnie Archer. She is a former middle school English teacher who gave up the classroom in order to live in her imagination full time. Melissa, a California native who has lived in Texas and Colorado, now calls the southeast home. She hikes, practices yoga, cooks, and is slowly but surely discovering all the great restaurants in the Carolinas. Since four of her five amazing kids are living their lives, scattered throughout the country, her dogs, Bean, the pug, Dobby, the chug, and Jasper, a cattle dog/lab keep her company while she writes. Melissa lives in North Carolina with her educator husband, Carlos, and their youngest son. She is beyond fortunate to be living the life of her dreams.

Author Links

Website – https://melissabourbon.com/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/melissabourbonbooks/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookWarriors

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MelissaBourbonWinnieArcherBooks

Purchase Link – Amazon

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

September 21 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

September 22 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

September 23 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 24 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

September 24 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

September 24 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

September 25 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

September 26 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 27 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 28 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – GUEST POST

September 29 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

September 30 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 30 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 1 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

October 1 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW

October 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 3 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW

October 4 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

October 4 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

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Posted in Guest Post

Guest Post about Online Marketing by Hayley Zelda

Posted on by Debbie


How To Do Online Marketing For Your Book

While many authors have spent years studying how to improve the craft of writing, few study the very important craft of marketing. I put together this post to share some tips on book marketing for authors looking to market their book online. Let’s face it, unless you’re J.K. Rowling or Stephen King, you’re not going to land a major publishing deal and have an army of sales people promoting your book for you. This means that it’s going to be up to you to find ways to get people to read your book. There are all sorts of tools and tactics available for self-published authors, but I’ve listed some of my favorite tools below for creating interest in your book. Keep in mind, you don’t have to use all of these tools, just pick and choose from them as you see fit.

1. Try working with influencers

If you want to sell more books, you’ve got to get the attention of influencers in your genre.  These influencers could be authors, bloggers, podcasters, Twitter personalities, etc. Try to work with influencers who have a lot of followers and get your book in front of as many people as possible. You can try contacting influencers on social media or sending them an email.

What works best for you will depend on the influencer. Some of them may not even want your book, but they could be willing to mention your book on their blog, podcast, or twitter account. Most of the time you’ll have to give them a free copy of your book in exchange for mentioning it.

If you have an ebook, then you can create your own landing page for your book and send people to it when they pre-order the book.  For instance, you can use Amazon’s product page creator, give the URL to your influencers, and they can send people there to order the book when it’s released.

2. Create a podcast, Youtube channel, or blog

If you want to make a living off of your writing, then one of the best things that you can do is to create a following of people who like your work and will buy your future books. The easiest way to do this is to create a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel where you can regularly post new content that will interest your target market. The more popular you get, the more people you can reach and the more people will buy your book.

3. Focus on creating quality content

What kind of content works best for building an online audience? I’d have to say that educational content is the best kind of content. People who are interested in buying and reading your book are probably the same people who want to improve themselves and increase their knowledge about a subject. If you’re an author, then you know all about writing. Try to create content that is both entertaining and educational. This is a great way to get your book in front of the right people who are likely to buy it. If you don’t have an audience on your site to share content to, look at other writing sites or blogs to contribute to. Start by targeting smaller blogs and sites to contribute to like Wired For Youth and then climb up the ladder to larger ones.

4. Use Amazon’s free services to promote your book

Authors can list their books on Amazon for free and they’ll even display a custom cover for your book if you have one. They’ll also put your book in front of people who are searching for books in your genre and people who click the “also bought” buttons.  Amazon will also give you the ability to drive free traffic to your book’s landing page.  This will help you build a list of people interested in your book and they’ll be notified when your book is released.

There are also other free services that Amazon offers to authors such as the Amazon Author Central account and KDP Select. I encourage you to take advantage of everything that Amazon has to offer to you to promote your book.

5. Create a website for your book

If you have a personal brand, then you can build an audience with a blog that you own.  You can also build a website for your book or both. You can use your site to drive traffic to Amazon and it can also help you create a following of people who like your writing and want to hear about your future releases. It’s a lot of work, but it’s very rewarding.

6. Test Facebook Ads

If you have an existing audience on Facebook, then you can use Facebook ads to promote your book to that audience. You can create an audience of people who like your Facebook page and target them with ads on Facebook. It won’t cost very much to do and you can test how your ads are performing to see which ones are bringing you the most sales. You can learn more about Facebook Ads for authors here.

7. Leverage your email list

People who follow you online are your biggest fans. You can tell them about your new book when it’s released and ask them to pre-order it or leave a review.  You can also use your email list to promote your book to your fans and it won’t cost you anything. You can also try using an autoresponder service like Aweber to send emails to your list. 

8. Get your book into brick and mortar stores

If you have a physical book and you’re selling it locally, then the best way to sell more of your books is to get it on a shelf in a bookstore or to ask them to order it for you.  Contact the local bookstores to see if you can set up a book signing at their store.

9. Setup a book trailer

People tend to consume video content more than anything else on the web. Make a book trailer that tells people about the plot of your book or what inspired you to write the book. You can get a couple of friends to star in it or you can make one yourself.  Use Youtube to promote your book to people who like watching book trailers.

10. Leverage multimedia fiction

If you have a book, then you can leverage it by including multimedia content. You can create a web app, graphic novel, board game, mobile app, etc. to create more interest in your book. For instance, you could create a web app that is based on the themes of your book and your audience can play with it for free.  You could even include an ad for your book in the app. You can also try a multimedia fiction site like Commaful.

11. Create promotional products for your book

Promotional products such as t-shirts, mugs, posters, etc. are an easy way to promote your book to people who have a habit of collecting these kinds of things.  You can offer the items as prizes on a giveaway, get them printed with your book cover, or you can sell them on your website or Amazon. 

I hope that you’ve found some useful information in this post about how to market your book online.  It takes a lot of work, but it’s worth the effort when you land your first big client and make a nice chunk of change for your efforts. If you want to sell more books, then you’ll have to get the attention of your target audience and the best way to do that is to get your book in front of people online.

About the Author

Hayley Zelda is a writer and marketer at heart. She’s written on all the major writing platforms and worked with a number of self-published authors on marketing books to the YA audience.

 

Posted in Blog Tour, Guest Post

Guest Post and Blog Tour for Tea and Treachery, A Tea by the Sea Mystery by Vicki Delaney

Posted on by Debbie

Cozy Mysteries: Life, but Larger.

By Vicki Delany for Great Escapes Blog Tour

I have written (so far) almost forty books. I’ve written historical fiction (The Klondike Gold Rush books) modern Gothic thrillers (More than Sorrow) psychological suspense (Burden of Memory), police procedurals (the constable Molly Smith series) books for adult literacy (White Sand Blues).

But I’ve left all that behind and now I’m writing cozies. I have four cozy series on the go right now – the new Tea by the Sea series, the Year Round Christmas series, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series and the Lighthouse Library series by Eva Gates. And I’m loving writing cozies.

The latest book is Tea and Treachery, the first in the Tea by the Sea series (July 28, 2020 from Kensington). They’re about a woman who moves to Cape Cod to open an traditional afternoon tea room adjacent to her grandmother’s B&B.  Lots of baking ensues, as does murder and mayhem.

Sounds a bit silly? Sure it does. And it’s supposed to be. It’s nothing but fun, and what’s wrong with that?

I’ve come to realize that cozy mysteries are about real people living real lives (except for that pesky murder bit), although writ large. Everything is exaggerated. The nosy neighbour is nosier, the ditzy friend is ditzier, the mean girl is meaner. And the handsome man is, well, handsomer.  Even better if there are two of them.

After putting in my time writing police procedurals and psychological thrillers, I’m having a lot of fun writing cozies.  Keep it light, keep it funny, and have a good time with it.

Cozy mysteries are not trying to make an important statement about the human condition, or hoping to change the world. A cozy mystery tells a story that attempts to be entertaining, that’s about people much like us (or like us if we were prettier, or smarter, or younger!) and our friends and family.

Cozy mysteries are very much ‘puzzle mysteries’: a game of wits between the author and the reader as to whether or not the astute reader can solve the crime before the amateur detective does (i.e. before the author reveals it). Clues must be laid down in such a way that the reader has a chance of reaching the conclusion on their own.

Cozies don’t have a sense of tragedy. People do not live tragic lives and they don’t fear tragic happenings. Someone is murdered, and that’s never funny, but they are generally not much liked by the community or strangers to it. Their death needs to be solved so that the perfect, orderly community can go back to the way it was – perfect and orderly.  The characters live in an essentially good world that needs to be put back to rights. No human trafficking rings, child prostitutes, mob hit men, Alt-right thugs, or Russian assassins here.

So pull up a pull up a comfortable arm chair or get out your deck chair. Light a fire in the fireplace, or slap on that sunscreen, pour yourself a mug of hot tea or something icy and simply enjoy the adventures of Lily, Bernie, and Rose at Tea by the Sea.

Tea & Treachery (Tea by the Sea Mysteries)
by Vicki Delany

About Tea & Treachery


Tea & Treachery (Tea by the Sea Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Kensington (July 28, 2020)
Hardcover: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1496725069
ISBN-13: 978-1496725066
Digital ASIN: B07ZPKGT3R

In this charming new cozy mystery series from nationally bestselling author, Vicki Delany, a New York City expat-turned-Cape Cod tea shop owner must solve the murder of a local real estate developer to help her feisty grandmother out of a jam . . .

As the proud proprietor and head pastry chef of Tea by the Sea, a traditional English tearoom on the picturesque bluffs of Cape Cod, Roberts has her hands full, often literally. But nothing keeps her busier than steering her sassy grandmother, Rose, away from trouble. Rose operates the grand old Victorian B & B adjacent to Lily’s tea shop . . . for now. An aggressive real estate developer, Jack Ford, is pushing hard to rezone nearby land, with an eye toward building a sprawling golf resort, which would drive Rose and Lily out of business.

Tempers are already steaming, but things really get sticky when Ford is found dead at the foot of Rose’s property and the police think she had something to do with his dramatic demise. Lily can’t let her grandmother get burned by a false murder charge. So she starts her own investigation and discovers Ford’s been brewing bad blood all over town, from his jilted lover to his trophy wife to his shady business partners. Now, it’s down to Lily to stir up some clues, sift through the suspects, and uncover the real killer before Rose is left holding the tea bag.

About Vicki Delany

Made with Repix (http://repix.it)

Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than thirty-five books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the Tea by the Sea mysteries for Kensington, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series for Crooked Lane Books, the Year Round Christmas mysteries for Penguin Random House, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates) for Crooked Lane.

Vicki is a past president of the Crime Writers of Canada and co-founder and organizer of the Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival. She is the 2019 recipient of the Derrick Murdoch award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. Vicki lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.

Author Links

Website – www.vickidelany.com

Facebook – www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor;

Twitter: @vickidelany and@evagatesauthor

Instagram: vickidelany

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

July 27 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 27 – This Is My Truth Now – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 27 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard – REVIEW, GUEST POST

July 28 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

July 28 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

July 28 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

July 29 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

July 29 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

July 29 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, GUEST POST

July 30 – Mysteries with Character – REVIEW

July 30 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

July 30 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT

July 31 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 31 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 31 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

August 1 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 1 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, GUEST POST

August 2 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

August 2 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW

August 3 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW

August 3 – The Book Diva’s Reads – GUEST POST,

August 3 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 4 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW

August 4 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

August 4 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 5 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

August 5 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST

August 5 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

August 6 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

August 6 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW

August 7 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

August 7 – Thoughts in Progress – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 8 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

August 9 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

August 9 – Author Elena Taylor’s blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

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Posted in Guest Post

Guest Post by Rodney Laws about How To Take Advantage of Your Time During Lockdown

Posted on by Debbie

Some Of The Things That Lockdown Has Given Us More Time To Do

by Rodney Laws

Image credit: PxHere

It’s easy to get lost in the despair and uncertainty of a world besieged by a pandemic. Enough weeks have passed since the first stay-at-home orders were issued that it can no longer be dismissed as a blip. Instead, we must view it as the new state of normalcy, expecting the lifting of restrictions to be glacial and accepting that social conduct may never revert to type.

In these conditions, though, we must focus on the positives — and there are positives to be found if you’re willing to consider them. It’s easy to see why you might be reluctant to do so with so many people dying or seeing their livelihoods ruined, but there’s no sense in adding to the misery by dwelling on the negatives. Life must be embraced.

And while lockdown measures have left social lives in tatters and left people feeling isolated emotionally as well as physically, getting to stay at home has been beneficial for some: and it can be beneficial for others if they’re willing to try. In this article, I’m going to talk about some of the best things that lockdown has given us more time to do:

Work on our writing

So many of us aspire to be decent writers, and many more just want to tell some basic stories that reflect their lives (either directly or indirectly), yet more often than not we leave it as a possibility: something to try one day. Eventually, we tell ourselves, our schedules will clear, obstacles will disappear, and we’ll be ready to put in the time and effort needed.

Some don’t actually believe that, of course — they just like the idea of writing far more than they do the reality of it, but they’re unwilling to admit it to themselves so they come up with excuses. But some really do expect to spend their twilight years learning to be decent writers. If they’re proactive, though, they needn’t wait that long.

What better time to start writing than now? You have creative inspiration aplenty from the complex circumstances. Relationships are being strained or strengthened, lives are changing, and you can focus in a way you ordinarily couldn’t. With your new-found surplus of free time, why not start writing about your experiences during this lockdown?

Attack our reading lists

Great writers must first be voracious readers, naturally, but it can be hard for even the most dedicated readers to keep up with recommendations while they’re busy dealing with other things. Is there a particular novel you’ve been putting off because you want to give it your full attention? A long-running series you’d like to get through in relatively-quick succession?

If you want to buy paperback or hardback books, you don’t need to go to stores: you can order them online and have them delivered. Alternatively, you can use an ereader like an Amazon Kindle and simply download the titles you want. It’s quick and convenient, so if you wince every time you think about your reading list, take this chance to make a dent in it.

Make smart long-term decisions

If short-term thinking is all you could previously handle during the working week, you’re not alone. When your calendar is packed with events, you need to keep your eyes on the road just ahead of you, and that makes it much harder to make any decisions about what’s over the horizon — decisions that can be hugely important.

Now that you have some time stuck at home, you can make smart long-term plans. You can think about where you want to be in five years, and what skills you want to develop. You can also put effort into tasks that will benefit you over time: tasks like planting fruit seeds in your garden or investing your savings.

You can also audit your finances to look for room for improvement. What are you paying for subscription services? Cancel anything you’re not using. Even your mortgage (if you have one) can be reconsidered: have a mortgage broker find you some quotes, and if you find something that better suits your current financial situation then you can go for it. It might not be fun to put time into these things, but it will make a difference in the end.

Reconnect with old friends

I talked about how relationships have been strained or strengthened, and that was always going to happen. Some people living together have found solace in company, while others have seen their differences drive them to distraction — and those kept apart by lockdown have either become closer because of it or started to feel their connections weaken.

What of old relationships, though? Do you ever think about the friends you’ve lost touch with throughout your life? Some due to petty squabbles, others due to paths simply diverging. A situation like this can produce a lot of nostalgic rumination, thinking back on all the mistakes you’ve ever made and what you’d do given a chance to set them right.

This is that chance. Right now you can be quite confident that almost anyone you care to contact will have some free time to talk to you, and you’ll have shared experiences to talk about without needing to delve into your history together. So why not give that old friend a call, or reach out to them online? You might find some pleasant closure, or you might find yourself resuming that old friendship as though it never ended. People change, and this is a great time to see what that means.

Lockdown has been tough for so many people, and we still don’t know when life will move significantly towards its former state, but we shouldn’t be too fixated on what might change. Instead, we should seek to make the most of the opportunities afforded us by the lockdown measures. It’s the best way to grow and thrive in tough circumstances.

Rodney Laws
Editor at Ecommerce Platforms
https://ecommerceplatforms.io
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Posted in Guest Post

Guest Post by Elizabeth Logan, Author of Mousse and Murder, An Alaskan Diner Mystery

Posted on by Debbie

It Takes a Village, by Camille Minichino, aka Elizabeth Logan

From my earliest days, I chose jobs like teaching and lab work that put me with considerably large groups of people. I’d never been a loner, the way writers were. Or so I thought. A mistaken notion, of course.

I’d been a physicist for a long time. No one does physics alone, not since Galileo, anyway. Who can accommodate a collider, a giant circular tunnel 17 miles long in her loft or garage?

Physicists gather around huge equipment in giant laboratories all over the world these days, working as a team. My graduate school mates and I spent long hours together in the same building every day, sharing data, power supplies, and monster-mentor stories. We became close friends and knew each others’ families as well as our own for a few years. Decades later, we still get together for reunions.

For the same decades, I’d wanted to be a published writer—something with more popular potential than my technical papers on the scattering properties of a titanium dioxide crystal or my first book, on nuclear waste management. But I couldn’t imagine sitting alone in a room with pen and paper, or keyboard and monitor, pouring out my thoughts and plots, with no human contact.

Imagine my delight when I discovered that writing—mystery writing especially—was a community endeavor. I discovered not only professional organizations and critique groups, but book clubs, conferences, Internet lists and groups, and blogging colleagues. Who knew?

Because of those groups and meetings, even sheltered in place at the moment, there’s a writer/reader community zooming or skyping all over the world.

Sure, there’s a lot of me-and-my-chair for many hours, but I always know I can call or email any number of colleagues if I want to brainstorm a plot point, or discuss a new character I’m developing. With each book, my acknowledgments list gets longer.

Also, like physics, writing requires research. Most of it is people-oriented, which has turned out to be quite a bonus. In the course of writing themes and subplots for more than twenty-five books, I’ve interviewed an embalmer, a veterinarian, a medevac helicopter pilot, an ice climber, a hotel administrator, an elevator maintenance man, and countless experts in police procedure, forensics, and—uh, ways to kill people.

I’ve gone to conferences in cities I’d never have visited otherwise, like Omaha and Boise and Milwaukee.

And the readers! In each series I’ve tried to remember whom I’m writing for, and hope the protagonist sleuth is someone readers would like to have lunch with.

I’m on my fifth series, and I still count on my dream critique group and all my colleagues to see me through the next book.

I’m sure some writers prefer to go it alone, but I never would have made it.

The writing and reading community are smart, fun, and generous.

I’m glad I found them.

Mousse and Murder (An Alaskan Diner Mystery)
by Elizabeth Logan

About Mousse and Murder

Mousse and Murder (An Alaskan Diner Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Berkley (May 5, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 0593100441
ISBN-13: 978-0593100448
Kindle ASIN: B07WCZPZY7

A young chef might bite off more than she can chew when she returns to her Alaskan hometown to take over her parents’ diner in this charming first installment in a new cozy mystery series set in an Alaskan tourist town.

When Chef Charlie Cooke is offered the chance to leave San Francisco and return home to Elkview, Alaska, to take over her mother’s diner, she doesn’t even consider saying no. After all–her love life has recently become a Love Life Crumble, and a chance to reconnect with her roots may be just what she needs.

Determined to bring fresh life and flavors to the Bear Claw Diner, Charlie starts planning changes to the menu, which has grown stale over the years. But her plans are fried when her head cook Oliver turns up dead after a bitter and public fight over Charlie’s ideas–leaving Charlie as the only suspect in the case.

With her career, freedom, and life all on thin ice, Charlie must find out who the real killer is, before it’s too late.

About Elizabeth Logan

Camille Minichino is turning every aspect of her life into a mystery series. A retired physicist, she’s the author of 28 mystery novels in 5 series, with different pen names. Her next book is “Mousse and Murder,” May 2020, by Elizabeth Logan. She’s also written many short stories and articles. She teaches science at Golden Gate U. in San Francisco and writing workshops around the SF Bay Area. Details are at www.minichino.com.

Author Links

Website – http://www.minichino.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/camille.minichino

GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/160580.Camille_Minichino

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – IndieBound

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Guest Post and Blog Tour for Why Me?: Chimeras, Conundrums, and Dead Goldfish by Charlotte Stuart

Posted on by Debbie

Charlotte Stuart – WHY ME? CHIMERAS, CONUNDRUMS AND DEAD GOLDFISH

The Controversy Over Chimera Research

In Greek mythology the Chimera was a creature with the physical traits of several animals – usually a lion, a goat and a dragon. Today, chimera research involves inserting the genetic material of a human into an animal. Not to produce a monster, but to advance medicine and improve or save lives.

The inspiration for the serious theme of my otherwise lighthearted mystery came from an article I read on one form of chimera research that is taking place in medical research centers around the world. These scientists are implanting human genes into animals such a pigs and sheep to grow organs that can in turn be harvested for transplant. Sadly, it is estimated that 20 people die each day in the United States due to a lack of donor organs. Scientists involved in this research hope to meet the growing need for organs and, at the same time, stop illegal organ trafficking.

It should come as no surprise that many bioethicists are concerned about the far-reaching implications of chimera research. They fear we may somehow cross a line by creating interspecies chimeric animals with human cells. For example, there were protests about experiments done by a Chinese researcher who implanted human genes into the brains of rhesus monkeys to improve their cognitive function. For many, me included, that conjured up visions of the Planet of the Apes movies in which intelligent primates threatened the existence of humans. It definitely makes you worry about what happens if we humanize animals. What kind of lives can they anticipate? Can we all live in harmony? And, at what point do they attain rights similar to those of humans?

As I point out in the forward to my book, the international community is divided on what types of chimera research should be legal. From my limited knowledge of how biomedical research is conducted, it seems like it should be possible to provide safety guidelines while allowing potentially life-saving research to take place. Yet, even with good controls in place, there is always the possibility that while growing a much-needed organ, a few cells could find their way to the animal’s brain. And even if some countries impose regulations on research, enforcement on a global scale may be problematic.

Another issue that many are concerned with is the treatment of animals used in these experiments. I don’t want animals to suffer. But I’m torn between not wanting to put animals through unnecessary pain and the desire to save human lives. Obviously it would be ideal if scientists could come up with solutions without using animals as test subjects. But I also don’t have the expertise to say whether this is possible or not. And the people I know in the science field are doing their best to help people; they take no satisfaction in hurting any living creature. At the same time, I believe it is a good thing that protesters keep ethical issues in front of governments and scientists. Whatever decisions are made, there needs to be a thorough consideration of potential consequences.

When I pitched my book I referred to “pigs that play chess, sheep that talk and chimpanzees with 120 IQs.” Some thought I had made this research issue up. Unfortunately, trafficking in illegal organs, protests that sometimes turn violent, and the possibility that some scientist will create a genetically altered species are all very real. Although I admit that one goal was to bring the issue of chimera research to the attention of readers, I primarily just wanted to tell a good story. Hopefully, I succeeded in doing that. And hopefully there will be a happy ending in real life as there almost always is in a cozy mystery.

Why Me?: Chimeras, Conundrums, and Dead Goldfish
by Charlotte Stuart

About Why Me?:
Chimeras, Conundrums, and Dead Goldfish


Why Me?: Chimeras, Conundrums, and Dead Goldfish
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Taylor and Seale Publishing LLC (November 18, 2019)
Paperback: 255 pages
ISBN-10: 1950613321
ISBN-13: 978-1950613328
Digital Print Length: 194 pages
ASIN: B083JN3TK8

In ancient Greece, the chimera was a bad omen. In WHY ME?, it’s a motive for murder. Bryn Baczek, a Seattle consultant, is vacationing in Scotland, hiking alone in a downpour, surrounded by midges, when she sees a body at the bottom of a ravine. Before she can return to the scene with the mountain rescue team, the body disappears. She learns that he was a scientist and that his laptop containing his cutting-edge research has disappeared. Rumors that Bryn has the laptop make her a target.

About Charlotte Stuart

In a world filled with uncertainty and too little chocolate, Charlotte Stuart, PhD, has taught college courses in communication, gone commercial fishing in Alaska, and was the VP of HR and Training for a large credit union. Her current passion is for writing lighthearted mysteries with a pinch of adventure and a dollop of humor. She is the VP for the Puget Sound Sisters in Crime. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys watching herons, eagles, seals and other sea life from her Vashon Island home office.

Social Media Links:

Website: www.charlottestuart.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/quirkymysteries

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlotte.stuart.mysterywriter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19305587.Charlotte_Stuart

Purchase Links

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