Sunday, November 4, 2018

If you won the lottery . . .


Lottery jackpots are soaring - some to over a billion dollars.

There's a show on HGTV, My Lottery Dream Home, hosted by David Bromstad. I like watching it to see the various reactions of lottery winners. Some, even though they've won over a million dollars, are still conservative in the house they choose to buy. Others go all out; the bigger and the more extravagant, the better.

It reminds me of a story I heard years ago. A young man in Ohio won an exorbitant amount of money in the lottery. He bought a huge house, several very expensive cars, etc. and, within a year, the money was all gone. It made me sad because I couldn't help thinking how much good he could've done with the money. There are so many worthwhile charities, so many homeless people . . . . Not to mention family members and close friends who could use a financial boost. But, as I said, he was young.

That wouldn't be me though. First of all, I'm old enough to know better and, secondly, I know the value of a dollar. Not to mention millions. It would give me great pleasure to help out the people I care about and knowing that I had financial freedom . . . well, what a great feeling that would be. I wouldn't make any major changes in my life although I would definitely want to do some traveling because there are so many places in the world I'd love to visit.

What would you do with the money if you won? And, if you're a writer, would you still write? (I ask that question because someone recently asked me. My reply was a definite "yes.") So, how about you?



Sunday, October 28, 2018

A Halloween Mystery



A serial killer on the west side of Cincinnati is attacking women in their homes, terrifying the residents of the normally peaceful, family-oriented neighborhood where Ann Malone Kern and her family live.

But Ann pushes those fears to the back of her mind as she struggles to deal with several personal issues. Her primary concern is her marriage which, like her neighborhood, is in jeopardy.

When a series of bizarre and frightening events take place and Ann receives both threatening notes and love poems, she feels like she's living in a world of mixed messages.

On Halloween night, a man forces his way into her apartment. Will Ann be the Westwood Strangler's next victim?
 Excerpt:
  Ann went directly to her grandmother’s grave and stooped down to clear away the debris that covered the inscription on the tombstone. She heard a noise behind her that sounded like light footsteps making their way through the dried leaves and twigs. She glanced over her shoulder, expecting to see one of the neighborhood kids. She knew that they often cut through the woods, taking a shortcut from the street that ran behind them. But there was no one there.
It’s probably just your imagination,” she said out loud but, when the sun went behind a cloud, she shivered. Then, she heard the noise again. She stood up quickly, nervously surveying the surrounding area. All of a sudden, a black cat sprang from the woods, startling her, and darted past her. She was so relieved that she laughed out loud.
As she turned back toward her grandmother’s grave, she noticed a mound of freshly dug earth a few feet away. Curious, she went over and looked down. Her eyes opened wide and her hands flew to her mouth to stifle a scream. There, printed in bold black paint on a large rock were the words, “FUTURE HOME OF ANN KERN.”

https://tinyurl.com/y73ueljt

Happy Halloween!










Sunday, October 21, 2018

Update

I'm happy to report that the new editions of my five Malone mysteries are now available in eBook format! If you enjoy Holiday-themed mysteries, here's the link:


A serial killer on the west side of Cincinnati is attacking women in their homes, terrifying the residents of the normally peaceful, family-oriented neighborhood where Ann Malone Kern and her family live.

But Ann pushes those fears to the back of her mind as she struggles to deal with several personal issues. Her primary concern is her marriage which, like her neighborhood, is in jeopardy.

When a series of bizarre and frightening events take place and Ann receives both threatening notes and love poems, she feels like she's living in a world of mixed messages.

On Halloween night, a man forces his way into her apartment. Will Ann be the Westwood Strangler's next victim?


The Westwood Strangler is dead. Or so everyone believes.

Ann 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 and Ann worries that her sister and her new boyfriend won't be able to make the drive from South Carolina.

After three 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 shatters. 




As Ann starts her new business as an interior decorator, the temperatures have risen, tulips and daffodils are in bloom and there's a feeling of endless possibilities in the air. She has no idea that her her world is about to be turned upside down.

The day before Easter, Ann wakes up to discover that her young son is gone. Frantic, she searches the house and the yard but there's no sign of Davey. 

Desperate, she and her husband, David, call the police but their ongoing search continues to turn up no leads. It appears the little boy has disappeared into thin air.

Another child, Kelly Kramer, has been missing since December. Where are the children? And what, if anything, can Ann do to get her son back?


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 vacation in South Carolina for a long time and all she wants to do now is bask in the sun, resting and relaxing.

But Ann's peaceful vacation is disrupted when she goes for a solitary walk on the beach the day after the Fourth of July and something shiny catches her eye. 
She's horrified when she discovers the body of a young woman with a gold locket twisted around her neck. And, she knows who the locket belongs to.

Ann feels an obligation to discover the identity of the killer and to see them brought to justice but, in the process, she places her own life in jeopardy.






Valentine's day is just around the corner and someone is stalking Marnie.

As an attorney, Marnie Malone has made enemies through the years and she's received her share of verbal threats. But no one has ever acted on them - until her last week at Cliburn & Reeves. However, in spite of the threatening phone calls, black rose on her desk and other ominous messages, Marnie refuses to be intimidated.

But when it becomes apparent that the stalker knows where she lives, Marnie becomes nervous and apprehensive. Sam is out of town on business and she's alone in the big, old farmhouse with strange noises in the attic, creaking floorboards and someone watching her from the woods.

The list of men who have grudges against her grows longer each day. Is the stalker someone from the past or one of the men on her list? And, how far will he go?





Sunday, October 14, 2018

New Covers for the Malone Mysteries

In my post last week, I talked about my "journey" to self-publish the second editions of my Malone mysteries. The journey is far from over but, very soon, all five books will be available on amazon in eBook format. Unfortunately, due to some technical issues, the paperback versions are going to take a bit longer.
This week, I'm excited to share the new covers for my books with you.

 

 

 
I hope you'll visit my amazon author page and, if you haven't already done so, I hope you'll consider reading my series.