The characters in the "Just Call Me Angel" series

S.R. Claridge

Lucia Maratinzano may not be the main character in the Just Call Me Angel series, but she is, by far, one of the most comical.  Sister to the Cappo Di Tuti Capi, Lucia ran from the Mafia lifestyle at a young age, changing her name to Olga.  Years later she became the beloved Aunt Olga, guardian to the main character in the series, Angel.  Now, in her mid-seventies, Aunt Olga is meddlesome, feisty and her taste in men hasn’t aged with the rest of her.  She likes them young and hot and isn’t afraid to verbalize what she’d like to do with them.  She eavesdrops and tries to play matchmaker, but the most dangerous thing about Aunt Olga is her Taser. She’s Tasered her brother one time, and doesn’t hide the fact that she’d like to do it again.  She calls her brother, Giovanni, an “old coot.” She’s a hot-headed, Italian woman who makes a mean manicotti and the best homemade Cannoli in all of Chicago.

I developed the character of Aunt Olga to provide comic relief in what can otherwise become an intense Mafia world.  In developing her, two people instantly came to mind.  First, my great aunt named Olga Rudanovich.  I used to call her “Aunt Olgs” when I was little.  I don’t remember a lot about her, other than she waddled a bit when she walked and she always gave me Strudel.  The second woman was a friend of my mother’s named Jan Neely.  I used to call her “Granny Janny,” and was she a hoot!  She always had advice to give, a witty phrase and a big smile.  These women combined became Angel’s Aunt Olga in the Just Call Me Angel series.

BIO

My name is Susan Claridge and I write under the name, S.R.Claridge. I'm a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a niece, an in-law and friend; but no matter what hat I wear, I’m always the same simply, complicated woman beneath. I love autumn,
moonlight and Grey Goose Vodka martinis with bleu cheese olives. I believe Friday nights were made for Mexican food and margaritas and Sunday mornings warrant an extra-spicy Bloody Mary. I love Jesus and know that any good in me comes from God. I believe in the power of prayer, in the freedom of forgiveness and that people can change. I have a terrible temper and a tender heart, and somehow they balance. At times I may appear teetering on the edge, but I'd rather walk dangerously where there's a view than let life pass me by. Relationships intrigue me and so does the loyalty of Mafia families, which is why I chose these topics for my novels.

BOOKS

No Easy Way  (debut novel; nominated for The Molly Award from the HODRW 2010) 

Tetterbaum’s Truth (book 1 in the Just Call Me Angel series) 

Traitors Among Us (book 2 in the Just Call Me Angel series) 

Russian Uprising (book 3 in the Just Call Me Angel series) 

Death Trap (book 4 in the Just Call Me Angel series) 

Petals of Blood (short story; Pushcart Prize Nomination 2013)

UPCOMING RELEASE

House of Lies (political/cult suspense, to be released October 2012)

LINKS

Website:  www.AuthorSRClaridge.com

Blog:  www.FeelingTheFiction.blogspot.com

Twitter:  www.Twitter.com/SRClaridgeWrite

Facebook:  www.Facebook.com/AuthorSRClaridge

"I’d like to encourage readers to enter my giveaway contest. I will be giving away an ebook copy of TETTERBAUM'S TRUTH, book one in the Just Call Me Angel series; or if you've already read Tetterbaum's Truth, you may select another novel of your choice and receive that e-copy instead.  Leave a comment below and you're automatically entered. Include your email address in your comment so I can get in touch with you should your name be selected at random. The winner will be announced on my blog (http://www.FeelingTheFiction.blogspot.com ) on December 11, 2012. Good luck!"

 

Masterpiece of Murder

Evelyn Cullet

My protagonist for MASTERPIECE OF MURDER, Charlotte Ross, travels to Bariloche, Argentina determined to talk her errant fiancé into coming home with her, In creating Charlotte, I infused her with some of my own characteristics. We're both afraid to fly and have motion sickness, and we're both determined to get what we want. But instead of coming from a large city, I have her coming from a small Mid-western town, like the kind I would have loved to grow up in.

While her heart is in the right place, she's a bit naive where love is concerned, and even though her fiancé left town without telling her, she still feels a fierce loyalty to him. I've observed that loves makes people do crazy things, and the character of Charlotte was no exception. I've done a few crazy things in the name of love myself, but I don't think I'd have the guts to jump on a plane to Argentina to go after a man, no matter how much I was in love with him. Of course, the fun of writing is making our characters do things we wouldn't think of doing.  

I patterned Charlotte's naïveté after the Kathleen Turner character in ROMANCING THE STONE, but instead of making her a romance novelist, I made her best friend a mystery novelist and an amateur sleuth, so when Charlotte discovers she's the only suspect in a murder case, having known an amateur sleuth had its advantages, which helps in her search for the real killer.

Back in her home town, Charlotte is employed as an administrative assistant at a small business concern. That part of her is similar to me, too. I've worked in company offices most of my life, both at the corporate and at the small business levels. I was also an administrative assistant, or secretary as we used to call it, so I pretty much pulled my knowledge from there.

Charlotte loves to paint still life and landscapes. Everyone needs a hobby, even characters in a novel. It makes them more rounded individuals. I once loved to paint too. I had the ambition and the drive, but unfortunately not the talent, so I created her the same way. After all, our characters are often extensions of ourselves and no one is good at everything they do. The traits I created in Charlotte reflect that. So she's somewhat like me, only a lot gutsier.

 

MASTERPIECE OF MURDER is a fast-paced romantic suspense novel that has a broken-hearted art student, Charlotte Ross, so intent on locating her errant fiancé that she submits someone else’s painting as her own in order to gain access to a Master art class being held in Bariloche, Argentina—the place her lost love was last seen. When the painting gets her accepted into the class given by a world-famous artist and womanizer, being a novice makes keeping up with the others nearly impossible as she struggles to fake her way though, while trying to win back the man she loves. But her fiancé has his own reasons for being in Bariloche that complicate Charlotte’s life and threaten her very existence as she stumbles into a downward spiral of deception, art forgery, and murder. After accidently finding the murder victim. circumstantial evidence begins to mount up against her and the local police suspect she is the killer. Now she must use the skills she learned from her mystery writer friend, along with the help of her fellow art students, to discover who is really behind the murder. Not an easy task with a military police officer dogging her every step.

MASTERPIECE OF MURDER is available in print and ebook from the publisher at: http://www.wings-press.com/ and from Amazon at: http://tinyurl.com/9jjl5xc

Also available as an ebook for the Nook from Barnes & Noble at: http://tinyurl.com/9uyqj5r

We would love to hear from you, so please leave a comment and you'll automatically be entered in my book giveaway. You could win a signed print copy of Masterpiece of Murder. One lucky winner will be picked at random and announced on my blog, http://evelyncullet.com/blog/ on December 11th. Don't forget to leave your email address so I'll know how to contact you.

Evelyn Cullet has been an aspiring author since high school when she wrote short stories, but she didn't begin her first novel until college, later in life. Afterward, she continued to take writing classes and work on her novels while employed by a major soft drink company. Now, after early retirement, she finally has the chance to write full-time. Evelyn enjoys playing the piano, being an organic gardener, and an amateur Lapidary. She and her husband live in a suburb of Chicago.

The Importance of Romance and Suspense

Originally, this post was scheduled for another author's blog but, due to her husband's illness, she had to drop out of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour. This post replaces the post she was scheduled to write for today. My prayers and best wishes go to Charmaine Gordon and her husband for his speedy recovery.

In the following excerpt from Unfinished Business, the second novel in my Malone mystery series, Olivia and Bernie have been estranged for over sixty years and, until recently, Bernie didn’t even know that they had a son. Happily, they’ve finally found each other again and romance is in the air.

He grasped her left hand and placed the diamond solitaire on her ring finger. The ring fit perfectly. With his fingertips, he gently brushed a strand of her hair away from her face, leaned in toward her and kissed her. “Now I am officially the happiest man in the whole world,” he told her. He leaned back against the sofa and sighed contentedly. “What would you say to a honeymoon in Dresden, Germany?”

Olivia’s hand flew to her heart. “You’re kidding? I’ve always dreamed of going there, ever since I was a little girl and Papa told me all those stories about where my ancestors came from. When he talked about his visits when he was a boy, his descriptions of Dresden were so vivid that he made them come alive for me. I could almost see the picturesque town in a valley on the left bank of the Elbe River, the Ore Mountains, looming in the distance to the north of the city, and the majestic Dresden Castle. How did you know? How could you possibly know?”     

“A little bird told me,” he replied, grinning.

“Was that little bird named Lawrence?”

He nodded. “So when do you want to get married?” he asked.

“As soon as possible,” she replied. “I think we’ve waited long enough, don’t you?”

“All good things are worth waiting for,” he told her. “And you and Lawrence are the best that’s ever happened to me.”

And now for an excerpt from Unfinished Business demonstrating the importance of suspense. The Westwood Strangler is presumed dead but the police have just revealed the fact that, once again, a killer is attacking women in their homes in Ann’s neighborhood. Imagine her apprehension and fear as this scene unfolds.

It was so dark in the living room that she had to inch her way to the door in order to look through the peephole and peek out into the hallway. She couldn’t see anything; it was pitch black. She turned and walked back over to the front window and looked outside. All the streetlights were out and all of the neighboring houses were dark.

This is all we need, she thought, recalling the advice that Richard Reneker, the psychologist, had given his viewers back in October. “Ladies, lock your doors, keep lights on inside and outside your home at night, and do not go anywhere alone.” Great! Light is one of the best deterrents to crime, she thought. We have a maniac on the loose and whether it’s the Westwood Strangler or a copycat, we have no lights on to help keep him away.

She turned from the window and, as she made her way slowly and cautiously through the living room, she bumped into the coffee table. “Damn!” she exclaimed. She reached down to rub her throbbing leg.

“Are you okay?” a man’s voice asked.

She jumped slightly and stood straight up. Her hand flew to her mouth to stifle a scream.

 

Links:

Blog: http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/

Patricia Gligor’s Amazon page:

http://tinyurl.com/8sd2cz4

Bio:

Patricia Gligor is a Cincinnati native. She enjoys reading mystery/suspense novels, touring and photographing old houses and traveling, especially to the ocean. Mixed Messages, the first novel in her Malone Mystery Series, was published in April 2012 by Post Mortem Press. Unfinished Business is the second novel in the series.

Blurb for Unfinished Business:

The Westwood Strangler is dead. Or so everyone believes.

Ann Kern is busy preparing for her favorite holiday. She’s especially looking forward to her sister’s annual Christmas visit. But, several things threaten to ruin her festive mood.

The National Weather Service issues a severe winter storm warning for the Cincinnati area, predicting blizzard conditions, and Ann worries that her sister and her new boyfriend won’t be able to make the drive from South Carolina.

Then, a woman is found strangled in Ann’s neighborhood and everyone, including the police, assumes it’s the work of a copycat killer. However, when two more women are murdered in their homes, the police announce their conviction that the Westwood Strangler is responsible.

When Ann hears the news, the sense of safety and security she’s worked so hard to recapture since her attack on Halloween night, shatters. If the intruder who died in her apartment wasn’t the Westwood Strangler, who is? And, who will be the next victim?

Giveaway:

At the end of the blog tour, I will be giving away one copy of Unfinished Business, the second novel in my Malone mystery series. Leave a comment and you’re automatically entered to win. Please include your email address with your comment so that, if your name is selected, I may contact you to get your mailing address. The winner will be announced on my blog: http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/ on December 11. Best of luck!

Patrenka Peterson

 

W.S. Gager

           Patrenka Peterson is an enigma to Crime Beat reporter Mitch Malone. Mitch is always after his Pulitzer Prize in each of the Mitch Malone Mystery series. In A CASE OF INFATUATION Mitch first set eyes on Patrenka and he became “infatuated.”

           In book four, A CASE OF VOLATILE DEEDS, Patrenka returns to tempt and torment Mitch. After his first brush with the siren, he is hesitant to travel the same road. In INFATUATION Mitch didn’t know much about Patrenka. She never volunteers information or says much of anything. (It was easy to write her dialogue.)

  In VOLATILE DEEDS Mitch is surprised to find Patrenka doing a little breaking and entering. He retrieves a gun in a wrestling match surprised to find her at the end when her knit cap is pulled off. After that, he finds her human side. In one scene Patrenka is at her lowest point and she explains to Mitch why she chose her occupation. She talks about her father who was a drunk and how her unique name which Mitch thinks is exotic, is a type of horse which she scoffs at. Here is an excerpt:

“That’s so…” Patrenka stopped and I could see her struggle for the right word. “Domestic.” She spit the word out with such venom. I didn’t do domestic either but wanted her in the same town   permanently. I felt the slice of the knife right through my heart. The weapon wasn’t cold steel but even worse. All my dreams for a happily ever after fell away, crushed with the weight of one word.

Patrenka noticed my mood deflating like a balloon trailing away in a dizzying path.

“Mitch you don’t understand. I don’t know normal. I’ve never had normal.” She leaned over and grabbed my hand holding me in place.

Her eyes were pleading but I didn’t know what she wanted.

“Tell me.” My voice hoarse, clogged with something in my throat that I couldn’t clear.

“I was raised by my father. Never knew my mother and was told she was a no account. My father put shoes on horses. We followed the rodeo circuit. I was named after a horse.”

I nodded. I’d looked it up. While I thought it was perfect, the notion of being named after a horse had filled her with contempt.

“I became a master at manipulating men. It was the only way I knew how to survive in a circuit where your horse and woman are equally important. Cowboys thought I was easy because I was there.” Her eyes closed tight and I could see her memories making her cringe.

            I wish I could say I planned all the detailed back story in INFATUATION, but the truth is I didn’t. Her physical description started as the Elvira goddess from Halloween beer posters and then morphed a bit when I saw a model in a magazine wearing the dress I’d pictured she was wearing in INFATUATION.

            In VOLATILE DEEDS her dressing is a bit more demur but that doesn’t stop Mitch’s imagination. Will he get the girl? I’d hate to spoil the read except to say that Patrenka is thick in the mix of explosions, undercover operations and political maneuvering. A CASE OF VOLATILE DEEDS – Coming out in February 2013.

W.S. Gager will be giving away a single copy of each of the first three books in the Mitch Malone Mystery series: A CASE OF INFATUATION, A CASE OF ACCIDENTAL INTERSECTION, and A CASE OF HOMETOWN BLUES from comments made on her blog: http://wsgager.blogspot.com or on her guest blogs from the Murder We Write Mystery Tour. 

 W.S. Gager
Author of Humorous Whodunits
A Case of Infatuation, A Case of Accidental Intersection, A Case of Hometown Blues-Now Available
A Case of Volatile Deeds - Coming Fall 2012
http://wsgager.blogspot.com/

A Case of Hometown Blues buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Case-Hometown-Blues-W-Gager/dp/1610090179/ref=la_B003U5OADU_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1351125657&sr=1-3

Website: http://wsgager.com

Blog: http://wsgager.blogspot.com

A CASE OF VOLATILE DEEDS Book Blurb:

Mitch finally scores a weekend dinner with a cute receptionist, but true to his reporter instincts an explosion in a high rise office building makes him stand up his date as he runs for an exclusive.  When he investigates, he learns his date is the only casualty in a botched robbery at a real estate office. When femme fatale Patrenka Petersen returns, Mitch learns that much of what he knows about his date and her work aren’t what they seem. His world continues to twist when the police captain asks for his help and a city hall informant is found floating in the river. Mitch must keep his head down or a cute dog with a knack for finding dead bodies will be sniffing out his corpse. 
Book Blurb:

“A Case of Hometown Blues” Synopsis

When Pulitzer-winning reporter Mitch Malone's editor presses him for a favor, Malone breaks his vow to never return to his hometown. It seemed simple enough--lead a seminar for Flatville, MI's newspaper, keep a low profile and get back to the city post haste. But memories of his parents' death swarm him, and, to avoid solitude, he stops for a beer. In the crowded bar, Mitch is dismayed to see many of his former classmates--including the still-lovely Homecoming Queen, Trudy. Once the object of his teenage crush, Trudy joins Mitch. He quickly realizes she is upset and inebriated. Always the gentleman, Mitch sees her safely home, and returns to his B&B, still trying to shake memories of his parents' sad demise. The next day, he is stunned to learn Trudy was murdered and he is the prime suspect. The locals treat the murder charge as a slam dunk, and Mitch realizes he must track down the real killer to keep his butt out of jail. As he investigates, facts he thought he knew about his family unravel, and danger ratchets up. Can Mitch discover the truth that will allow his parents to rest in peace, or will he be resting with them?

Author Bio
Award winning mystery author W.S. Gager has lived in Michigan for most of her life except when she was interviewing race car drivers or professional woman's golfers. She enjoyed the fast-paced life of a newspaper reporter until deciding to settle down and realized babies didn't adapt well to running down story details on deadline. Since then she honed her skills on other forms of writing before deciding to do what she always wanted with her life and that was to write mystery novels. Her main character is Mitch Malone who is an edgy crime-beat reporter always on the hunt for the next Pulitzer and won't let anyone stop him. Her third book, A CASE OF HOMETOWN BLUES, was a finalist in the 2012 Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. A CASE OF VOLATILE DEEDS, her fourth in the Mitch series will be out this February.

 W.S. Gager
Author of Humorous Whodunits
A Case of Infatuation, A Case of Accidental Intersection, A Case of Hometown Blues-Now Available
A Case of Volatile Deeds - Coming February 2013
http://wsgager.blogspot.com/