Sunday, July 6, 2014

Mystery of the Month: Hunter's Moon



The wealthiest family in the Canaan Valley has several problems, which its members handle using discretion—or maybe secrecy is a better word.  But when one of their members is murdered, their secrets are revealed as sisters Andrea and Kathleen help Sheriff Ward Sterling investigate the murder.

The sisters feel it’s especially important to figure out who the murderer is, since their friend, Deputy Willard Hill, is the prime suspect. They know Willard couldn’t possibly be guilty, but finding out who is turns out to be difficult. Several people will profit from the death, and there are a few more who had reasons to dislike the deceased.

In spite of a serious threat from the murderer, Andrea and Kathleen persist, hunting for hidden diaries, reviewing security camera records, and interviewing members of the family.  Their friend Willard is scheduled to marry one of the daughters of this wealthy family, but the wedding has been postponed until the murder is solved. The sisters want Willard to be cleared so the wedding can proceed as planned. More important, they must solve the case before the killer silences them.

Buy link:
http://amzn.com/B00CQMF6B8


Helen Haught Fanick grew up in West Virginia and now lives in Texas, and both states provide settings for her novels. Her interests are wide-ranging, and her work includes cozy mysteries, suspense novels, a World War II espionage novel, and short stories, all available through Amazon for Kindle. The novels are also available in paperback.
A short story impressed Helen’s fifth grade teacher, and she’s been writing ever since. She has won several local and state awards and two national awards in the Writer’s Digest Competition. Moon Signs was a quarter-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. She’s a graduate of The University of Texas at San Antonio and lives in San Antonio with her husband.
 

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Three things to make you happy



I've heard it said that it takes three things to make a person happy: someone to love, something to do and something to look forward to. Makes perfect sense to me.

Of course, someone to love doesn't necessarily mean you have to be in a "relationship." It can be your spouse or significant other but it can also be your child, a close friend, a family member or a combination of any or all of them.

Although I'm divorced and not currently in a romantic relationship, I am blessed with so many wonderful people in my life, good friends and family, and I love them all.

Something to do can mean a job you enjoy, a cause you're committed to, a hobby or a passion. The important element is that it be something that gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning and that it gives you a feeling of satisfaction and makes you feel you've been productive at the end of the day.

For me, that something is writing. Each morning, I look forward to some phase of my writing process. I'm either plotting, researching, writing, editing and/or promoting my Malone Mystery series. Writing is my passion and it's been my life-long dream to become a published author.

And now we've come to something to look forward to. That can be almost anything you're eagerly anticipating. A vacation, a visit from a friend, a promotion at work, anything.

Throughout the year, I try to schedule outings with friends, book signings and other events so that I almost always have something to look forward to. But, the highlight of the year is my annual vacation. I usually travel to the ocean but this year I'm doing something different. I just made my reservation for a trip to West Virginia in the Fall and I'm looking forward to a train ride through picturesque mountains, to meeting new people and, since a change of scenery tends to spark my imagination, to coming up with some ideas for future books.

I've shared the three things in my life that combine to make me happy and now I'd love to hear from you. If you leave a comment with your three things, you'll be automatically entered to win a signed paper copy of my most recent Malone Mystery, Desperate Deeds.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Mystery of the Month: Awkward Moments



What might happen if you tried to bury the body of a small bird, only to find a body already buried in the hole you’ve dug?  And what might happen if another body ended up in the same hole?

Join Chris, Pamela and Mikey Cross while they try to figure out why someone would be murdered during their vacation, on private property, during the middle of the night. Watch for Chris’s cranky brother to show up unexpectedly, searching for lost gold and running people off of his property.
The Cross family is at it again, just like the amateur sleuths they swear they never meant to be.

Buy link:


Marja McGraw has past experience in both criminal and civil law enforcement, and she occasionally calls on this experience when writing her mysteries. She’s lived in California, Nevada, Oregon, Alaska and Arizona. She writes two series: the Sandi Webster Mysteries (female P.I.), and the Bogey Man Mysteries (amateur P.I. husband and wife team), both of which take place in Los Angeles. 

With her love of dogs, she’s included two yellow Labrador retrievers and a half Golden retriever/half wolf in her stories.
Her hobby is photography, and she says that writing as a job is the most fun she’s ever had. She and her husband now live in Arizona, where life is good.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

A Whole New World




I love to read and I read every single day. Well, actually, I read every night before I go to sleep. For years, I practically lived at the library where I got the majority of the books I read. I was totally in the dark when it came to small press authors whose books are usually not in my library unless they happen to be local writers.
Once I discovered the novels by small press authors, it felt like a whole new world of reading had opened up for me. Because it had. I still read novels by my favorite Big Name authors (I'll always love the library!) and I read books that are self-published too but I find that most of the books I buy and read these days are published by small presses.
About a year and a half ago, I started a list on Shelfari of the mystery/suspense novels published by small presses that I had read and enjoyed and I’ve been adding to the list ever since. There are now over eighty books by more than forty different authors on the list.
I hope you'll join me in promoting small press authors by buying, reading and reviewing their books. I promise you that you’re sure to find several books on the list you’ll love. Oh, and while you're there, please click on the site's "Recommend" button. Thanks and Happy Reading!

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Getting to know Tricia Miles

Today, we're getting to know Tricia Miles, the main character in Lorna Barrett's Booktown Mystery series.
  
  
Tricia, where did you grow up and where do you live now? 
I grew up in Stamford, CT and now live in Stoneham, NH. After college, I lived in Manhattan for about 15 years.  I like the slower pace of a small town.

What’s your occupation and how did you come to choose it?
I’m a bookseller who specializes in vintage mysteries, although that isn’t all I sell. I sell used books and some new, along with magazines, coffee mugs, etc. I wish I could just sell vintage mysteries, but they are harder and harder to come by and I have two employees, so need that income stream.

Tell us about one of your most memorable “adventures.” What drew you into the mystery?
I never planned to become an “amateur sleuth.” Somehow, it just happened when my neighbor was killed and the local Sheriff decided I was the most likely suspect, and all because we had a disagreement and I found her body later that day. Honestly, I’ve read far too many mysteries to know that crime doesn’t pay, and why would I want to put myself on the suspect list? Unfortunately, I seem to have acquired the nickname “village jinx” because I’ve found several bodies.

Are you married or involved in a serious relationship? Tell us about that.
I’m between relationships right now, not that my ex-husband and ex-lover seem to realize it. I’m happy where I am right now, but everyone around me seems to think I need romantic entanglement. When the time is right, I hope to find that special someone.

What are your plans for the future?
My sister thinks I need to diversify. She has several businesses and thrives on living a rather chaotic life. Me?  Not so much. I intend to keep selling books—and trying to stay out of trouble.

 
The immensely popular Booktown Mystery series is what put Lorna Barrett’s name on the New York Times Bestseller list, but it’s her talent -- whether writing as Lorna, or L.L. Bartlett, or Lorraine Bartlett -- that keeps her there. This multi-published, Agatha-nominated author pens the exciting Jeff Resnick Mysteries as well as the acclaimed Victoria Square Mystery series and the Tales of Telenia saga, and has many short stories and novellas to her name(s). Check out the descriptions and links to all her works, and sign up for her emailed newsletter here: http://www.LornaBarrett.com/
BOOK CLUBBED, to be released on July 1st, is the 8th Booktown Mystery.  RT Book Reviews said:  "The charm of this series is in the entrepreneurial spirit of the protagonist and her sister who run their own business while dealing with relationship issues and solving mysteries. The strength in this entertaining and suspenseful mystery lies with the colorful secondary characters and the strong plotting."



Kindle Worldwide:  http://authl.it/B00G3L13KQ




Books A Million:  http://tinyurl.com/l449zvt

Chapters/Indigo:  http://tinyurl.com/mkaln3h