February News

I'm thrilled to announce that my publisher, Post Mortem Press, will release "Marnie Malone," the fifth Malone mystery, in early March! (I'll update this post when I know the exact date.) Update: Marnie Malone will be released on March 14th! Here's the link to pre-order the Kindle version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WP28GGF

When my first Malone mystery, "Mixed Messages," was accepted for publication, I was ecstatic! Finally, after many, many years, my "baby" was going to be "born." And, when I held a copy in my hands for the first time, I remember cradling it to my chest, as if it were a real baby. With each new book, my excitement returns.

Although Ann Malone Kern is the main character in the first four books, her sister, Marnie, plays an important part in Ann's life and in two of the books. At some point, I realized that Marnie deserved to have a leading role in a book. So, that's how "Marnie Malone" came about. Here's a preview:

Someone is stalking Marnie.

It’s Marnie’s last week at the law firm of Cliburn & Reeves and she feels like she’s riding an emotional roller coaster. Up when she wins the divorce and custody battle for Callie Jackson against her abusive husband, Jed. And plummeting down when one witness after another decides not to testify against Mark Hall, an attorney at another Charleston firm and an “alleged” serial rapist.

Marnie receives one threat after another and she constantly feels the need to look over her shoulder, convinced that someone is stalking her. With Sam out of town on business, she’s alone in the big, old farmhouse and strange things are happening. Noises in the attic, creaking floorboards and someone watching her from the woods.

As she tries to determine the identity of the stalker, the list of men who have grudges against her grows longer each day. In her line of work she’s made enemies. Is the stalker someone from the past or one of the men on her list? And, how far will he go?

 

New Release: Mistaken Identity

I'm thrilled to announce that my fourth Malone mystery, Mistaken Identity, will be released on Tuesday, June 23rd.

Ann's idyllic vacation on Fripp Island takes an unexpected turn when she discovers the body of a young woman on the beach.

 

 

Ann feels like she’s in Paradise as she digs her toes into the soft, white sand and gazes out at the ocean. She’s looked forward to this trip to South Carolina for a long time and all she wants to do is bask in the sun, resting and relaxing.

She and her two young children are enjoying their time on Fripp Island with Ann’s sister, Marnie, and Marnie’s elderly friend and former neighbor, Clara Brunner, a long time resident with a vast knowledge of the island and the people who live there. At the fourth of July fireworks, Clara introduces them to newlyweds Jenny and Mark Hall and their families.

But Ann’s plans for a peaceful vacation are shattered the next morning. When she goes for a solitary walk on the beach, she discovers the body of a young woman with the chain of a gold locket twisted around her neck and she immediately recognizes the locket as the one Jenny Hall was wearing the night before.

Shocked and saddened, Ann is determined to try to find the killer and to see them brought to justice. She convinces Marnie and Clara to join her in conducting an investigation but, in the process, she places her own life in jeopardy.

Link to buy:

http://tinyurl.com/ntujm7s

Patricia Gligor (that's me) is a Cincinnati native. She enjoys reading mystery/suspense novels, touring and photographing old houses and traveling. She has worked as an administrative assistant, the sole proprietor of a resume writing service and the manager of a sporting goods department but her passion has always been writing fiction.

Ms. Gligor writes the Malone Mystery series. The first three books, Mixed Messages, Unfinished Business, and Desperate Deeds take place in Cincinnati but in Mistaken Identity, the fourth book, her characters are vacationing on Fripp Island in South Carolina.

 

Write What You Know

One of the things writers learn early on is to write about what they know. Toward that end, the setting for my first three Malone mysteries is the west side of Cincinnati, Ohio, my hometown. But, in my fourth book, Mistaken Identity, I decided that it was time for my characters (and me) to step outside of their comfort zone and travel to Fripp Island, South Carolina, an island I visited on vacation one year.

Even though I write fiction, I want my books to be as accurate as possible. So, whenever I travel, I pick up brochures, maps and any literature I can get my hands on – and I save it – because I never know when I’ll use it in another book. As we all know, places change constantly. Streets are renamed, buildings are torn down, etc. and, even though lots of information can be found at the library and online, having information on hand for the time period I’m writing about is worth its weight in gold. For example, one of the times I visited Charleston was in 2009, which is within the time frame for my series. Fortunately, I had gotten a street map, brought it home and kept it. Believe me when I tell you that that map is going to come in handy in a future book. 

When I write, I use settings I'm familiar with because I need to have a "feel" for a place in order to write about it. So, in Mistaken Identity, which will be published by Post Mortem Press in just a few months, I also used Charleston, Beaufort and Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, other places I’ve been. I do a good bit of research for my books too but, to me, nothing beats “hands on” experience. And I take lots of pictures wherever I go. (Go to “Places” under “Pages” on the right side of my blog to see several photos of locations that will appear in Mistaken Identity.)