Mystery of the Month: Deadly Odds

Two worlds collide in this ‘edge of your seat’ thriller.

Nathaniel Collier, an Atlanta, Georgia, bounty hunter, finds himself in perilous danger as he hunts down the notorious “Mad Dog Consuelos’.  As Collier draws near, Consuelos strikes again leaving behind a bloody path of violence.  Collier along with Mad Dog’s ex-lover and daughter take the brunt of the assault. However, after weeks in the hospital, Collier and the seven-year-old daughter manage to survive.

Meanwhile, Reid Langley, an officer with Atlanta PD, decides to leave the violent city behind and take a cushy job as Sheriff in the small town of Hayden, Wyoming.  All appears to go as uneventful as planned until a serial killer shows up to wreak havoc on the safe haven Reid is determined to protect.  Just when he thinks he has all that he can handle, he finds himself harboring his old friend, a nurse, and an innocent young girl.

The race is on as this group of characters embark on a race against time to locate a serial killer and to track down the elusive Consuelos before he can take his revenge.

www.amazon.com www.barnesandnoble.com www.booksamillion.com

Kim Carter, mother of three adult children, lives in Atlanta with her husband and three retired greyhounds.  A graduate of Saint Leo University, she is now a full time writer. She dedicates her times to her family, numerous greyhound rescues, and writing suspense novels.  

Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of "Deadly Odds."

My Writing Process Blog Tour

Patricia Gligor

I'd like to thank author, Evelyn Cullet, for inviting me to participate in the "My Writing Process Blog Tour." She's asked me to answer four questions and here are my responses.

What am I working on?

My current WIP (work in progress) is the fourth book in my Malone Mystery series. Unlike the first three books, Mixed Messages, Unfinished Business and Desperate Deeds, which are set in Cincinnati, this book will take place on Fripp Island, SC. My main character, Ann Kern, and her two children, Danielle and Davey, will take a much needed vacation to visit Ann’s sister, Marnie. But, since mystery seems to follow Ann everywhere, this trip might not offer the peace and quiet Ann’s hoping for.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

One reviewer referred to my books as “uniquely different.” While I strive to create an intriguing plot, my series is most definitely character driven. Psychology has always fascinated me. Why do people say and do what they say and do? I want my readers to know and understand the motivation behind each character’s words and actions. I’ve come to love and understand my characters and I hope my readers will too.

Why do I write what I do?

Some of the best advice on writing I’ve ever gotten was to “write in the genre you love to read.” I took that advice and, like most writers, I hope to entertain my readers and to offer them escape from their everyday world. 
But I have another reason for writing what I do; I have a message to deliver. There’s something I feel compelled to share and I choose to do that through my books because I know that fiction can often make a point in a way that non-fiction can’t. If the writer incorporates it into their story rather than belaboring the point. 
You see, David, Ann Kern’s husband, is an alcoholic and his ongoing struggle with alcoholism is a sub-plot in my series. I’ve known some wonderful people who happen to be alcoholics and I believe it’s important for everyone to learn more about alcoholism and to know that there is help available for alcoholics and for the people who love them.

How does my writing process work?

This question put a smile on my face (and made me giggle) because, although I love the motto “Keep it simple” and I try to live that way even in our complicated world, my writing process is anything but simple. I am a plotter! Make that a Plotter with a capital P! 
I have an idea, I jot it down on a scrap of paper, I develop it over the course of time and, eventually, all those scraps of paper turn into a basic outline for the book. From there, I create a chapter-by-chapter outline which highlights what absolutely MUST take place in each chapter. 
Once I’m satisfied with the outline, I begin to write. I try to stay true to the outline but, often, other ideas come to mind and/or my characters refuse to cooperate. So, the outline isn’t “written in stone.” It’s more of a guideline to keep the story moving forward and to make sure I've "covered all the bases." The interesting thing is that, try as I might (I’d love to be a pantster), I can’t write more than a page without my outline.

I've invited these authors to participate in the blog tour and they have graciously accepted. Please be sure to visit their blogs on June 2nd.

 

Anne K. Albert

Anne K. Albert has taught high school art, sold display advertising for a weekly newspaper, and worked for a national brand water company, but now writes full time. When not at the keyboard, the award winning author enjoys traveling and house and petsitting with her high school sweetheart husband (22 countries to date), visiting friends and family, and of course, reading on "Threegio" her cherished and much beloved Kindle.

Her novels include:

Defending Glory, book 1 of the Piedmont Island Romantic Suspense series 

Frank, Incense and Muriel, first book of the Muriel Reeves Mystery series 

Love & Just Desserts, a delightful collection of short stories 

  http://www.anne-k-albert.com/

  Holli Castillo

Holli Castillo is a Louisiana appellate public defender and former New Orleans prosecutor. She received a JD from Loyola Law School in 1996 and a BA in Drama from UNO in 1990.
The publication of her first novel, Gumbo Justice, winner of the 2011PSWA award for Best Published Novel, was delayed when she was involved in a head-on collision with a drunk driver and incapacitated for a year. Her second novel, Jambalaya Justice, won the 2011 PSWA award for Best Unpublished Novel. The third installment, Chocolate City Justice, is scheduled for release in 2014. She is also an award-winning screenwriter.
Holli resides in the metropolitan New Orleans area with her husband, who is the model for Big Who in her series, her two daughters, three dogs, and two deaf cats, one of which is featured prominently in Jambalaya Justice.

 http://www.gumbojustice.blogspot.com/

A Mother's Love

 A mother's love can come from our own mother or, as in this excerpt from Desperate Deeds, it can come from someone who may not be our natural mother but who is always there for us.

     

          Olivia felt so helpless. It wasn’t often that she was at a loss for words but this was one of those rare times. She didn’t know what she could say to Ann to help to ease her pain. What could you say to a woman whose child was missing? That was a parent’s worst nightmare! She hoped her being there would be enough to comfort the woman she’d come to think of as her daughter. Ann’s been through so much. Why did this have to happen?

     “Ann, would you like a cup of tea? It might help you to relax.” The second the words were out of Olivia’s mouth, she realized how ridiculous they sounded. Relax? There was no way Ann would relax until she held her little boy in her arms again.

     Ann looked at her through red-rimmed eyes. “No, Liv. Thank you. I . . . . I can’t right now.”

     “Well, tell me if you change your mind or if there’s anything else I can get you.”

     “I will.”

     Olivia saw that Ann was shivering. She reached behind Ann and pulled the afghan from the back of the sofa. “Here, Ann, put this around your shoulders.”

     Ann gave her a weak smile as she wrapped the afghan around herself and pulled it up to her chin. “I love this afghan. Nana gave this to me when I was a little girl. She said it was for my hope chest. I remember I had to ask her what a ‘hope chest’ was.”

     “Well, it’s beautiful.” Olivia ran her fingers along the edge of the afghan. “It’s so soft and I love the color. Sage green, isn’t it?”

     “It is. Actually, I used this color as the inspiration for decorating the whole room.”

     Olivia smiled. “Well, you did a great job. It matches the green in your sofa perfectly. Did your grandmother make it herself?”

     “Yes. She could knit, crochet, sew and she taught me how to do all of that.”

     “She must have been a great teacher because I’ve seen some of the things you’ve made and they’re incredible. All your own curtains and bedding, the kids’ Halloween costumes. Amazing!”

     Ann nodded. “I owe all of that to Nana.”

     An idea suddenly occurred to Olivia. What if she could get Ann to keep talking about her grandmother? That might help to take her mind off of the immediate situation. “From what you’ve told me, I gather your grandmother was quite a woman. I mean, besides her sewing skills.”

     “Oh, she was! She was a strong and determined woman. I don’t know what would’ve happened to Marnie and me after our parents died if it hadn’t been for Nana. We didn’t have any other family. I guess we would’ve had to go into foster care and we might even have been separated. That would’ve been awful.”

     “Sounds like you were lucky to have her.”

     “Oh, we were. I don’t know if I ever told you this but, after my mother and father were killed in the car crash, Nana sold her house in Dayton and moved in with us. She gave up her friends, all of her church and social activities, everything, to take care of us. She made a wonderful home for Marnie and me. She always put us first. That’s the kind of person she was.” She cleared her throat. “I still miss her every day.”

     Ann began to sob. “Oh, Olivia, I didn’t think it was possible to miss anyone more than I miss Nana. But I miss my little boy more!”

      Happy Mother's Day to my Mom, my stepmother, Helen, and my ex mother-in-law, Marion!