This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Shannon O’Gorman will be awarding a $40 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Rose Hawthorne: The Irish Wanders follows Rose, a celebrity author in her early seventies, who dislikes the limelight but does like Hermes scarfs, round violet sunglasses, and old colonial hotels. One day, she receives a letter asking her to visit Newgrange, Ireland and discover something that has been hidden there for a thousand years.
She asks her granddaughter Samantha to accompany her, but she hadn’t expected her to continually post photos of their progress on her Instagram account. An encounter with an old love and an unexpected discovery leads Rose deeper into the past, where she finds she must make a hard decision about her future.
Read an Excerpt
At first, the music the fiddler played was lively, his fingers deftly danced across the strings, and a few couples got up to spin around the floor. Towards the end of his set, he played exquisite notes that washed over the pub, making the dust dance, and it rose in the air like magic. The cheering and conversation quieted down for his last song. It was a slow piece that most of them recognised. The fiddler hit the final note with such poignancy that it echoed throughout the pub. When the music stopped, the whole pub went quiet.They cleared their throats and blinked back tears, and then took a few last swallows from their pints.
“Nothing like a bit of Irish music to bring out the tears,” Bill admitted wiping an eye.
“It’s something so special,” Rose agreed with a small sniff.
And all around the pub, they raised their glasses to the fiddler and his music.
As people began to leave the pub, Rose realized that it was getting late and neither of them had eaten yet.
“Shall we eat something? Maybe grab some fish and chips?” Bill said, reading her mind.
“Perfect,” she replied in a low, quiet voice.
They bought some greasy fish and chips at a nearby takeaway. It was wrapped in brown paper and covered with the Dublin news.
Then, they walked the streets until they found a bench under the stars away from the shouts, laughter and the lights. Beside the river, they were alone. They unwrapped the greasy paper and ate the cod hungrily, stuffing the vinegar smeared fries quickly into their mouths.
“Do you want the last chip?” Bill had said softly, holding it up in his greasy fingers.
About the Author:
Shannon O’Gorman is a retired ESL teacher who has recently completed her second walk on the Camino de Santiago. She is currently training her dog to accompany her on a Camino one day. She lives in California with her husband and daughter when university is not in session.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Steve Zimcosky will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
A bible mysteriously disappears from a Russian businessman’s home and it is said to have a secret hidden inside that would cause embarrassment to the Russian Orthodox Church. The Polish Dragon P. I. is called in, along with his new partner, to help find the bible. The problem is the bible is not supposed to exist and there is a secret organization, sworn to protect the church, also looking for the bible. They will stop at nothing to locate it and destroy it.
Read an Excerpt
“I found out that before Father Zelenko was in charge of the church, there was another priest there who was excommunicated from the church.”
“Really? How did you find that out?”
“I managed to talk to some of the older parishioners, who told me they were surprised when he was given the boot, so to speak.”
“Did you find out why he was excommunicated?”
“Yes, it appears he began to question some of the things going on with the church and some outside group called…”
“The International Bureau of Archangels.” Tom blurted into the phone.
“How did you know that?”
“I have had two calls from some mystery person who wanted me to check out Father Zelenko and who just last night left me a message to check out this group.”
“Well, I’m not having much luck finding anything about the Bureau, but most of the local churches and any others I’ve contacted claim to not know anything about this group. They say they never heard of them.”
About the Author: Steve Zimcosky is a multi-award winning and international selling author. He is the creator of the Polish Dragon P. I. series and was born in the Slavic Village area of Cleveland, Ohio where many of his stories take place. He has wanted to be an author since elementary school while reading books like White Fang and Call of the Wild by Jack London. He spends his retirement time writing short stories on a variety of subjects he hopes his readers will enjoy. Some of his favorite authors include Stephen King, James Clavell, Thomas B. Dewey and Vivien Chien.
Being Grateful for Everything, Especially the Crappy Stuff
It’s Thanksgiving and everyone is thinking of things to be grateful for – food, friends, and the freedom to stuff ourselves silly and then watch football. (Did you like that alliteration? Wasn’t even trying!)
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great to be appreciative of all the good things in life, large and small. I also think for writers it’s important to be grateful for those times we’ve faced challenges, because how else do we create interesting, complex characters if we haven’t experienced both good and bad things in our lives?
Those mean girls in high school who made fun of your hair? Thank them for helping you understand that behind every bully is a scared person who isn’t necessarily evil, maybe even redeemable. The antagonist in your next book will be vivid because of it.
The friends who abandoned you in your time of need or grief? Knowing for sure that everyone is flawed and struggles with what to do in awkward situations can provide fuel for your next novel.
The dog next door who howls all night long? Pretty sure Arthur Conan Doyle must have had a neighbor like that as inspiration for “The Hound of the Baskervilles”.
An old boss of mine would say that life is like a quilt – without the dark patches to contrast with the light it would be pretty boring. The same is true of any book or character – without the lows there would be no highs. Or as Edgar Allan Poe put it, “Never to suffer would never to have been blessed.” Granted, that might not have worked out so well for him, but you get the idea.
Most people have heard the quote from German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche – “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” I’d alter it a little – that which does not kill us, will give us richer, deeper, more interesting characters to write about.”
Challenges are one thing, but if you are feeling a little too in touch with your inner-Poe, talk to someone. According to the website everyday HEALTH writers have depression or manic-depression more often than non-writers, so be aware of the difference between sadness and depression and get the help you need.
~*~
Blurb:
After injuring herself on the job as a Los Angeles cop, Mel O’Rourke leaves the force battered both physically and mentally. Looking for a fresh start, she moves to a quiet mountain town and opens the Babbling Brook Inn. Excited for her new life, Mel decides to participate in the town’s holiday cookie contest, but her newfound joy goes up in smoke when one of her guests turns up dead in her lobby.
Mel is tempted to attribute the death to natural causes but when another guest dies, her cop instincts kick in. The local Sheriff tells her to stand down, but Mel can’t let it go. With everything on the line, she has to push through her fears to catch the killer before more bodies drop, perhaps even her own.
Excerpt :
“Keep him in our freezer?”
It took Mel over twenty minutes to get through to the sheriff’s department. After telling the dispatcher what happened, that was the best advice he had to offer. No one was available to come out for a non-emergency until late tomorrow morning at the earliest. She thanked the dispatcher and returned to the Great Room to mentally measure the body. It surprised her when Jackson, apparently over his squeamishness, tagged along behind her.
The Babbling Brook only served breakfast, and when they replaced all the old appliances with gleaming new ones, thanks to her brother Liam being a contractor, Vinnie had insisted they’d be serving fresh food and wouldn’t need the big chest freezer that used to be in the laundry room. Instead, they bought a smaller upright one for the kitchen. Unless someone held the door to this smaller unit closed until Mr. Hubbard froze into an upright human popsicle, it wouldn’t do.
She scrubbed her hand across her eyes and heaved a sigh. “I don’t suppose we could just put him outside? Surely it’s cold enough?”
As she feared, Jackson shook his head. “Unless you’ve got a way to keep him in a high place, bears, coyotes or even dogs might get to him. What about a garage or tool shed?”
She gnawed at her thumbnail. “Nope, not yet anyway. Liam was going to get around to it this summer.”
“Liam?” Jackson’s attempt to act casual sounded strained. “Is he your husband?”
“Ewww, no. He’s my pain in the ass younger brother.”
For the moment, Mel pushed aside how oddly relieved Jackson appeared with her answer. There’s a dead guy under a sheet in her Great Room, and her marital status was what he’s worried about?
“I’ve got room in the freezer at my café, Ms. O’Rourke,” Jackson offered.
“You’d do that?”
He smiled, his dimples working their charm. “It’s a small town. Neighbors help each other out.”
“Yeah but keep a DB in with your food?” She shuddered. “That can’t be good for your ‘A’ rating.”
Mel was only partly joking. A thing like that would cause a stir for the health department in LA.
“Hey, if it’s good enough for a luxury cruise ship, it’s good enough for The Hungry Puppy.” He hurried to explain. “This one time on the Queen Mary they had to…never mind. I’m kidding, I have a spare chest freezer on my service porch. My dad likes to go hunting, and on the off chance that he actually shoots anything, we keep an extra one for storage. I have to turn it on, but in this weather I’m sure your Mr. Hubbard will be fine until it gets running.”
She put her hand out, surprised at how rough his hands were when he took it in reply. “Please, if you’re going to store dead bodies for me, call me Mel.”
“Jackson Thibodeaux. When I’m not blocking your drive, I run The Hungry Puppy Café.”
Marla White started her illustrious career as a storyteller at the age of four by drawing on the TV screen to help Winky Dink get out of mortal danger, earning her a firm spanking. Deterred by the negative feedback, she studied to be a park ranger instead until she realized it was really a TV show about park rangers she liked, not the actual outdoors. She enjoys a career in television as well as teaching story workshops at UCLA Extension.
Appropriately, she found out on April Fool’s Day she’d sold her first book, “The Starlight Mint Surprise Murder” to Wild Rose Press.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ernesto Patino will be awarding a $30 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Hired to investigate the murder of an 84-year-old widow, P.I. Joe Coopersmith hits one dead end after another in his search for leads. With few clues and no suspects, he nearly gives up, until he uncovers a connection to a bizarre plot to kill the descendants of Irish soldiers who fought for Mexico during the Mexican-American War. Known as San Patricios, they belonged to the St. Patrick’s Battalion, an elite Mexican unit composed mostly of Irish immigrants. When a well-preserved diary of an Irish soldier turns up, Coopersmith knows he’s on the right track. He digs deeper into the plot, soon learning the identity of the man behind it and his warped motive for the cold-blooded murder of the elderly widow.
Read an Excerpt
Excerpt from the diary of Kevin O’Leary.
September 13, 1847
I am writing this from the home of Father Bernardo, who is not only my protector but my only source of information about what is happening throughout the city. This morning the last of the condemned San Patricios were hanged within view of Chapultepec Castle. Father Bernardo witnessed the event, which he described as barbaric beyond belief. With nooses around their necks, they waited over 3 hours before they were hanged. May they rest in peace and may Mary, our Mother, watch over them for eternity.
As I deserted after the battle of Monterrey, I know the Americans will show me no mercy. But I thank God that David McElroy and John Brooke were spared the noose because of their youth. They were with me when we slipped away from the Americans as they celebrated their victory.
About the Author:Ernesto Patino has been a musician, soldier, schoolteacher, FBI agent and private investigator. He is a multi-genre author whose books range from Mysteries and Thrillers to Romance and Children’s books. His published works include In the Shadow of a Stranger, Web of Secrets, The Last of the Good Guys and One Last Dance. He lives in Southern Arizona with his wife Pamela with whom he shares a passion for ethnic cuisines, classical music and foreign films.
This is a fantastic, genre-bending series that weaves together the best mystery, visionary, and speculative fiction elements. With characters that span across books and time, The Rewired Series explores what plagues humanity and the impact each person can have while leaving you with the promise of a better tomorrow. Alexander Mukte wraps all of these themes inside edge-of-your-seat, engaging mysteries with larger-than-life characters you’ll want to revisit again and again.
Blurb: The Recruiter
A fast-paced and thought-provoking mystery that will keep you on your toes until the very end. The Recruiter is an entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable start to the series, full of intriguing twists and turns.
Leslie may be an idealist, but she’s no fool. She trusts her boss, Ori, implicitly. He has vision, principles, and a way with people. When a bomb is detonated at work, she finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of events. All of a sudden, their lives are on the line, and every choice matters.
Is Ori who she thinks he is? Why would anyone want to hurt him? And how do they get out of this mess? Leslie doesn’t have it all figured out, but what becomes clear is that there’s a lot the world doesn’t know about Ori Clayborn.
Jessica is driven to make a difference by uncovering the truth. Investigative reporting is her life. One day she gets a unique assignment that leads her back to her hometown and into Ori’s orbit. What will she find, and what’s her role in this?
The Recruiter is a captivating, imaginative story that draws you in deeper and deeper, page-by-page. Alexander Mukte creates a universe that pulls you in and doesn’t let you go.
Blurb – Deeply Rooted Dreams:
This bold and compelling sequel is an evocative page-turner on the journey to a better future.
Since her encounter with Ori years ago, Jessica, an investigative journalist, has continued her mission to print the truth that the world needs to hear. Her pursuit has led her to meet with a source, Zach Carver, a leading mind at Singularity Group. The meeting goes awry, and Jessica awakens to find that she has a gap in time and memory and that Zach is now missing.
What happened? Who is responsible? And how can she help Zach? It is imperative that Jessica find out, and to her surprise, Ori has reappeared to help her do just that.
Malik, an intelligent and inventive young man, is determined to find a way to overcome the virus that has impacted the world. When he crosses paths with powerful people at Confidence Biotech, the leading treatment and contact tracing company, they take an unusual interest in him. Then, all of a sudden, they paint Malik as public enemy number one, forcing him to go on the run.
What do they want from him, and does this mean that he is close to discovering something they couldn’t?
Deeply Rooted Dreams is the second installment of The Rewired Series, unveiling more of the universal trial that Ori alluded to in The Recruiter. Alexander Mukte’s second novel creates an even more intricate world, striking an engaging balance of mystery and wonder.
Excerpt From “The Recruiter”:
Chapter 6
Leslie’s ears were ringing as she began to regain her senses. She saw Ori kneeling over her. His lips were moving, but she was having trouble making out his words. Slowly she realized he was asking, “Are you ok?” She nodded feebly, and he extended his hand to pull her up to sitting.
Panic rose in her chest. She must have blacked out. She started looking around, trying to piece together what happened and if everyone was ok. Past Ori she saw fire and smoke coming from a car. And a few feet away from him, she saw Roger sitting and holding his head. She realized there was a pounding in her own head as well.
Ori touched her shoulder, and she realized he was saying something else to her. She tried to focus. “We’ve got to get you and Roger inside where it’s safe,” Ori was saying.
“Isn’t that your car?” Leslie asked.
“Don’t worry about it; everything is ok. We need to get inside where it’s safe,” Ori said.
“What about Ms. Hetty?” Leslie asked.
“She’s okay; she was inside the building,” Ori said. “Are you ok to stand up?”
Leslie noticed that Roger made his way over to her and extended his hand to help her up. Leslie took both of their hands, and the two men helped her to her feet.
Jordan appeared as well as a flood of other employees. Ori yelled, “Everyone, stay in the building, away from the windows. Jordan, call the police.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Alexander had an active imagination his whole life, but it wasn’t until the birth of his son that he began putting the stories in his mind on paper. He wanted to be an example of someone pursuing his passion, dreaming big, and taking chances.
Alexander loves people, their stories, and their backgrounds as well as what shapes them, how they think, and what they dream about. He has a passion for learning and is known by most as an intensely curious person who eagerly soaks up anything and everything he can. He dreamt of a career that allowed him to learn new things every day. In writing, he has found a life that allows him to do just that.
After graduating with a degree in business, Alexander volunteered in the U.S. Peace Corps where he aided in creating sustainable small business ventures in Central America. Before taking this leap of faith, Alexander did Business Development and Consulting for large domestic and international companies. These experiences weave themselves into the characters, places and stories he creates.
An avid traveler, Alexander enjoys exploring new places with his family. He was raised in Southeastern Arizona, and now calls Georgia home, along with his wife and two sons.
The Recruiter is Alexander’s first novel, though perhaps the 39th in his mind. We hope you enjoy it, and Deeply Rooted Dreams, as much as we have.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.
M.K. Scott will be awarding a $40 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
The future of Cupid’s Catering Company hangs in the balance. With a rival bakery, owned by the queen of all mean, rich girls, Della is at a distinct disadvantage.
Della hinges her financial future on winning the local truffle contest. As if there wasn’t enough on her mind, additional problems arise, including missing cats, jewel thieves, and her desperate attempt to find the incredibly kind man who’d lent her hand when she had tire trouble.
Can she solve all these problems and find time to whip up a cookbook at the same time?
Read an Excerpt
Donning rubber gloves, Della tackled the dirty dishes, indulging in an impromptu trip down memory lane. Even though it was more than a decade ago, every now and then, the memories of not quite fitting in no matter what she did came back. Her school broke down into cliques with the predominant ones being jocks, popular kids, and the hipsters, plus everyone else that didn’t merit a label. As for the jocks, their name said it all while the popular kids were a little harder to define. Sure, it was easy to know who they were, but what made them popular was difficult to pinpoint. Most came from powerful, affluent families that usually had a member on the school board. This often translated into starring roles in the school play or being on the first string in athletics.
Thanks to a cyber security assembly in middle school at which her father presented the other students knew her father as that cop. It resulted in Della getting the side-eye now and then, especially if other students happened to be talking about underage parties. Every party that was busted somehow got laid on Della’s doorstep. Never mind the fact her detective father didn’t take noise complaints associated with teen parties. They assumed she told. Not sure how they came to that conclusion, when she’d never been invited. Not once did the partiers ever consider that deafening music, the abundance of cars, and raucous behavior might have resulted in irate neighbors calling the police.
Some kids might have let it go, but not Lacey. Just her name had Della gritting her teeth. Small town life had its share of mean girls who aged into entitled, mean women. Lacey had to be the queen of them all. For most, being beautiful, wealthy, and the topic of most conversations would be enough. Even with everyone treating the woman like royalty, Della could tolerate it if her royal meanness stayed far, far away.
That was why a woman’s condescending tone reaching into the kitchen and might as well pinched Della. “Oh, how quaint!”
Her head jerked up, and the pan slipped from her fingers. A shiver raced up her spine. No, it couldn’t be. Better check it to be sure. There had to more than one snotty female in town. Her athletic shoes allowed her to creep across the kitchen floor without making a sound. Whoever was out there would say something else, dispelling the possibility it was Lacey. Why would Lacey even visit her modest bakery?
About the Author: M. K. Scott is the husband and wife writing team behind The Painted Lady Inn Mysteries and The Talking Dog Detective Agency. Morgan K Wyatt is the general wordsmith, while her husband, Scott, is the grammar hammer and physics specialist. He uses his engineering skills to explain how fast a body falls when pushed over a cliff and various other felonious activities. The Internet and experts in the field provide forensic information, while the recipes and B and B details require a more hands-on approach. Morgan’s daughter, who manages a hotel, provides guest horror stories to fuel the plot lines. The couple’s dog, Chance, is the inspiration behind Jasper, Donna’s dog. Overall, both are fun series to create and read.
On March 24, 1946, World Chess Champion, Alexander Alekhine, is found dead in his hotel room in Estoril, Portugal. The cause of death remains mired in controversy when, three-quarters of a century later, a letter of his that could rock the art world is unearthed in a routine home renovation in upstate New York. The letter is addressed to a person of international repute and offers information about art works looted during the German occupation of Paris. When the young man in possession of the letter is brutally murdered, his mentor, art history professor Harrison Wheatley and Harrison’s sleuthing partner, art magazine editor Erika Shawn, hurl themselves into the dual mission of tracking down both the killer and the looted art. The hunt takes the couple to far flung locations, and as the stakes rise along with the murder count, it looks like the denouement will take place far from the comforts of home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:
Harrison was at a loss. “Denise, what is so disturbing to you about this?”
She opened her mouth to answer, then changed her mind. After a beat, she said, “I’ll tell you what happened next, and you will know for yourself.”
He had no choice. He nodded and waited for her to continue.
She smoothed her skirt and refolded her hands, as if this would bring order to what was to come. “The next morning after breakfast—dry rolls and tea without sugar, it was—Ben and I set out for our respective homes.” Her voice had cracked a bit, and she cleared her throat. “Ever since the incident at the cinema, Benny was keeping his distance from me. It was clear he was unsure how to act in my presence. I wanted us to go back to the way we were, so I turned around and caught up with him. ‘I’ll walk you home,’ I said. ‘I’m perfectly capable of walking by myself,’ he said. I walked with him anyway. I hardly knew what to say next, and he was of no help, giving me the cold shoulder, so we walked down the street in silence for the entire ten minutes it took us to get to number 110, the address of the Eisenberg gallery and residence. You should know that the Eisenberg’s apartment, like the Wildenstein’s, was accessible from inside the building. The apartment was not as grand as theirs, though. Three rooms, three flights up.” Madame D paused to take another of her curative deep breaths.
“I will get right to the point,” she said evenly, although Harrison saw her hands briefly unclasp to take up a patch of skirt material and clutch it between her palms. “The door to the gallery was wide open, but we didn’t need that clue to realize that something terrible had happened. We could see it through the gallery window. Ben let out a low grunt, like an animal that had just been wounded, and ran into the building. I followed after him.
“The floor was strewn with empty frames, like a heap of firewood. Not a single canvas had been left behind. I stood dumbly in the center of it as Ben tore around in circles screaming ‘Maman? Papa? Maman? Papa?’ before realizing he was going nowhere and shot out of orbit to head for the back office. I followed behind in a kind of wide-awake daze, and when I reached the room, I saw first a neat pile of paperwork on a small desk, and then, beside it on the floor, the bodies of two German officers piled together like discarded rag dolls. Ben was crammed in a corner as if pinned there by an invisible force, his mouth open, screaming without making a sound. And then, as if suddenly released, he sprang out the door, brushing by me without seeing me, running and stumbling toward the stairwell that led up to the apartment. I followed him like a sleepwalker, alert to every detail, but viewing it from another dimension of time and space.
“I was standing behind him as he pushed open the door to the apartment, and so my first view of the scene was obstructed. His was not. Both his parents were lying face-up on the hardwood floor. Each had been shot in the middle of the forehead. Except for the neat bullet holes, their faces were remarkably intact. The pools of blood, like crimson pillows beneath their heads, were proof enough that their wounds had been fatal, but Ben, dropping to his knees beside his mother’s inert form, refused to believe it, whispering and howling that she wake up. And still, not a word had passed between us. What happened next was so unearthly, even more so than the murders, that I did not truly believe it was happening until it was done.”
Madame D paused a moment before going on, and Harrison felt that if he said a word it would be considered an act of transgression. “The window in the living room,” she continued—“we were in the living room, you see—went nearly from the floor to the ceiling. The window was open and the long white curtains—cotton batiste they must have been—were fluttering in the breeze. Maybe Ben saw them as angel wings, I don’t know. Maybe he thought he could fly—remember, he believed he could become anything he wanted to be—and that the curtains were heavenly portals or something of the sort. It’s so painful not to know what he was thinking when he rose to his feet and without a word, without a cry, ran to the window and flew off. In my mind I hear myself shouting ‘Ben, no!’ just as he is about to jump, so I must have shouted, don’t you think?” She looked at Harrison, actually wanting him to answer.
Harrison felt keenly aware of what he had just been hearing, yet stunned speechless by it. Like the young Denise, he reflected.
“Harry?” she urged. “Don’t you think I shouted that?”
He must choose his words carefully—no! say what you think! “Yes, I believe you did,” he said, faltering. “Probably you did.” Counterpunching in the forefront of consciousness: What? Two German officers and two Jews killed by the same person?
“In the end I know it doesn’t matter,” she said, “but I want to believe I said something.”
“How can anyone know how to react in such a situation?” he asked, as the question in his head refused to be gaveled into silence. “I hardly know how to react in this situation, and I’m a grown-up!”
She granted him a smile, but her thoughts were elsewhere: “I blame myself, you know,” she said quietly. “If I had let Ben hold my hand in the theater, or if I had pulled my hand away less forcefully, he might have rushed to me, if even for a parting embrace, and I would have held onto him until that dreadful impulse had melted into a river of tears.”
ABOUT CLAUDIA:
Claudia Riess is a Vassar graduate who’s worked in the editorial departments of The NewYorker and Holt, Rinehart and Winston. She is author of the Art History Mystery Series published by Level Best Books and includes: “Stolen Light,”* “False Light” and “Knight Light.” She is also author of “Semblance of Guilt” and “Love and Other Hazards.”
“Knight Light,” the third novel in her Art History Mystery Series, released February 23, 2021, follows the series amateur sleuths Erika Shawn, art magazine editor and Harrison Wheatley, art history professor, as they tackle the sinister world of art crime that tests both their courage- and love-under-fire.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Maggie Thom will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Her teenage sister has run away. It’s her fault. And on her watch.
Shyla thought she was doing the right thing by helping her teenage sister get a little freedom. She never expected she’d bolt on her. Desperate to keep their mom from discovering she has a missing daughter, Shyla sets out to find her wayward sister.
A fluke encounter gives Shyla a clue. Only she gets a lot more than she bargained for. She finds her sister, but she gets pulled into doing a heist. An impossible heist. And not just any heist but that of stealing her mom’s million-dollar jewelry. Ones that recently arrived, with no explanation.
Damien is a good guy running from an awful past. When his brother ends up in the hospital, Damien is determined to stop the one man who has and is destroying their lives—their father. Damien will break all of his promises, even steal, if it will end their father’s control.
Shyla and Damien find themselves thrown together, not trusting each other but not having any choice. They will have to work together if Damien is going to stop his father once and for all. And if Shyla is going to protect her family. An impossible crime that will bring them surprises they didn’t see coming.
Can they catch a thief by being a thief?
Book 1
The Twisted Deception Series
Emerald grew up in a foster family. It wasn’t an ordinary foster family. She was the first of eight girls to move in. The jewels that she was given to play with as a teenager, that she was told were baubles, are now resurfacing thirty-five years later. They are worth millions. And it appears worth stealing. Who is sending them out? And who wants them back at all costs?
“…fast-paced and kept me guessing. I like a mystery enveloped with family secrets and jewel thieves. I want more, and I want to know the secrets. I will be excited to read the second novel…” Author Christine H-Jackson
Read an Excerpt
“You’re sick. You destroyed Jordie. Or tried to, but he turned you down. Isn’t that why you hurt him, ’cause he didn’t want any more to do with you? He was getting out. But you couldn’t lose your number one thief. He’s been clean for a whole year.”
The man chuckled. “He’s mine. One day, he’s gonna slip out of this world.”
“What do you want?”
“There’s something I need you to get. Jordie couldn’t do it. You saw what happened to him. If you do like him and ignore me, you will end up in the same place. Or worse.”
Damien felt sick, but he didn’t know what he was going to do. This man had destroyed his life. As much as he wanted to turn tail and run, it was his turn to step up and protect his brother. Their father would stop at nothing, even kill Jordie. It appeared he almost had.
“Fine. What do you want to steal?”
The door to the apartment opened. Damien’s eyes widened as he met Shyla’s whose eyebrows couldn’t have shot any higher. Thankfully, her hands were full of bags of groceries and trying to balance her purse and keys. He rushed over to her, grabbing the door, and stepping between her and it.
“Smart boy,” His father was at happy with his question. Shyla was going to be another matter.
Shyla hustled past him, almost throwing the bags of groceries onto the counter. She whirled around, staring him down. He leaned against the door. He at least needed a chance to explain.
“No. I just know you. You haven’t changed at all. All you’ve ever done your entire life is steal, steal, steal, and steal. So, what is it?” He waved at Shyla with his hand while making pleading facial expressions that she give him a minute and then he’d explain.
“Something a little bit different. It’s a beautiful set of jewelry.”
About the Author:
Take the adventure beyond your fingertips.
Multi-Award-Winning Author, Maggie Thom has written all types of stories but finally settled on her love of puzzles, mysteries, and rollercoaster rides and now writes suspense/thrillers/mysteries that keep you guessing and take you on one heck of an adventure.
She is the author of 8 suspense/thriller/mysteries. The award-winning Caspian Wine Series – Captured Lies, Deceitful Truths, and Split Seconds – and her other individual novels Tainted Waters, Deadly Ties, and Fractured Lines. And now a new series – The Twisted Deception Series – Fostered Identity, Book 1. On her website, you can find her free novel – Blurred Lines.
Her motto: Read to escape … Escape to read …
“Maggie Thom… proves her strength as a master of words, plots and finely chiseled characters… she weaves a brilliant cloth of the many colors of deceit.” Dii – TomeTender
Charlotte Stuart is with us today with Campaigning Can Be Deadly. I asked a question, and here is her honest answer:
Why did I choose to write about politics?
I confess…I chose to write about politics in Campaigning Can Be Deadly because I had a target in mind. When you’re writing a mystery, someone is going to die, and I theoretically wanted to knock off a couple of “bad guys.” What you wouldn’t dream of doing in real life, can be satisfying in fiction. Unfortunately, as is so often the case in the real world, good people became the victims. Not everyone gets what they deserve. And not everyone deserves what they get. As the plot developed and became more complex, my original vision of the story also evolved. Victims and survivors were moved around like pieces on a chess board. The only thing that remained constant was knowing the mystery would be solved by the end of the book.
Confession #2: I’m a political junkie. I read the headlines every morning, do a few deep dives on topics I find interesting, and often stew about what’s happening in the world that I think shouldn’t be happening. I try to balance that with feel-good stories, like videos about rescue animals finding homes, but there are some distressing topics that I can’t resist. For example, as someone who lives on the water in the Pacific Northwest, I care about our environment and worry about damage from oil spills and other sources of pollution. When I was brainstorming campaign issues for this mystery, I quickly landed on creating a Congressional race where big oil was supporting one candidate and an anti-oil activist student was trying to sway the election in the opposite direction.
Keep in mind that I write lighthearted mysteries that I want readers to find amusing as well as interesting. Achieving the right balance between serious themes and humor is like jumping from stone to stone when crossing a stream. Picture the stream as the serious storyline and the rocks as touchpoints for laughter. My “touchpoints” are setting and characters. My Discount Detective Agency – Vigilance You Can Afford – immediately alerts readers to the fact that this isn’t your traditional PI story. Still, what always starts as a minor investigation appropriate for a detective agency located in a shopping mall, quickly morphs into something larger, with a smattering of danger and a few laughs along the way. In addition, my characters all have their quirks and flaws, although they are also good people and, hopefully, likeable. And, yes, they are composites of friends, family and colleagues, all of whom have their own human quirks and flaws, with a little creative license thrown in for good measure. I thank them for the inspiration!
Another motivation for writing about politics was to highlight the election process. I believe it’s important for people to be involved in determining their own destinies by voting for people who will fight for the safe and healthy future we all want and deserve. And I admire the committed volunteers who devote themselves to working for causes and people they believe in. That’s what a democracy is all about.
In the final analysis, why write about politics? So I can create a world in which justice triumphs, the bad guys get what they deserve, and readers get a few laughs and closure. Oscar Wilde said “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.” If art influences how we see life, then maybe we need to read more upbeat stories with happy endings. It’s worth a try.
GENRE: Mystery, Female PI
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BLURB:
What begins as a prank ends in murder.
The campaign for the U.S. Congressional seat was referred to in the press as “Mr. Smith goes to Washington versus the carpetbagger.” The popular local candidate gets the majority of endorsements, but his opponent’s wealthy, out-of-state family is willing to do whatever it takes for him to win.
Penny-wise Investigations, a discount detective agency located in a mall, is hired to find out who is stealing the local candidate’s political signs. Two of their investigators, Cameron Chandler and Yuri Webster, not only catch the thieves in the act, they find a body next to a pile of stolen signs, proving that Campaigning Can Be Deadly.
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EXCERPT:
The hardest thing about any political campaign is how to win
without proving that you are unworthy of winning. – Adlai Stevenson
Billed by the press as “the carpetbagger versus Mr. Smith goes to Washington,” the contest between the two opposing candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives demonstrated the power of money in a campaign. With huge resources behind him, the “carpetbagger” became a household name overnight by bombarding the urban Washington State district with ads and flyers attacking his opponent. “Mr. Smith,” on the other hand, already a well-known local politician who had won most of the endorsements, tried to ignore the smear campaign from his opponent by consistently focusing on policy.
As the election drew near and polls suggested the race was too close to call, the candidate who had tried so hard to remain above the fray came out with an ad aimed at discrediting his opponent for moving into the district to run for office. Immediately the press jumped on the change in tactics. They tarred both candidates with the same brush and labeled the race as one of the most negative ever run in the state. It made good headlines.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
In a world filled with uncertainty and too little chocolate, Charlotte Stuart has a passion for writing lighthearted mysteries with a pinch of adventure and a dollop of humor. Her first discount detective mystery, Survival Can Be Deadly, was a Foreward INDIES finalist. Why me? Chimeras, Conundrums and Dead Goldfish was a semi-finalist for the Chanticleer Murder and Mayhem contest before it was published. She began her career in academia with a PhD in communications. Then, she and her husband decided to build a commercial boat and go fishing for salmon in Alaska. Currently she is the VP for Puget Sound Sisters in Crime and lives and writes on Vashon Island in Washington State’s Puget Sound. She spends time each day entertained by herons, seals, eagles and other wildlife.
My new release, time travel romance, Secret Lady (Ladies in Time), is based on events that occurred to my ancestors and my husband’s Mennonite forebears during the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley. The story is fantasy, but the history is real. I grew up hearing about the war and its enormous impact on the family and I knew it would inevitably become the focus of a story or two. But the initial challenge to write this story didn’t come from the war.
My eldest daughter, Alison, told me of the uncanny connection she and her friend, Cristin, have with the creepy closet in our house. It is, in fact, the only closet. Old homes were built without them, and it’s a slightly more modern addition. Throughout her childhood, Alison was terrified of this walk-in, but duck your head space, particularly unfortunate as it occupied the far-right corner of her bedroom. The extra creepy factor is the entry to hidden parts of the house lies at the back corner of the closet. Alison learned that Cristin, as a child, had recurring dreams (nightmares) about a closet in an old boxy white farmhouse that strongly resembled ours. In her dreams, Cristin ventured up the stairs, traveled to the end of the hall, and entered the last bedroom. She feared a black antique trunk (check—we have one from my great-grandfather) in the closet at the far right of the room where a disturbing presence dwelled. It wasn’t a huge leap to conceive a heroine with similar fears.
Blurb:
Torn apart by time, reunited by flames.
At Lavender House, Evie McIntyre is haunted by the whispers from her bedroom closet. Before she can make sense of their murmurs, the house “warbles” between times and transports her to the Civil War. Past and present have blended, and Evie wishes she’d paid more attention to history. Especially since former Confederate officer, Jack Ramsey, could use a heads up.
Torn between opposing forces, Jack struggles to defend the valley and people he loves. Meeting Evie turns his already tumultuous world upside down. Will solving the mystery of the whispers return her home, and will the handsome scout be by her side?
Against the background of Sheridan’s Burning of the Shenandoah Valley, Jack and Evie fight to save their friends and themselves – or is history carved in stone?
Excerpt:
She took a steadying breath, turned the brass knob, and stepped into the room. The fragrance of lavender greeted her. Grandma G. had tucked sachets under her mattress to help her sleep and left small cloth bags in the drawers of an antique dresser. A sachet of apricot scented agrimony lay beneath her pillow.
This age-old herb was thought to induce slumber and offer protection against the dark forces. Other powerful herbs scented the room. Angelica, St. John’s Wort, and sage were in the bunch on the bedside stand beside the antique brass lamp with an ornamental white shade.
The walk-in, but duck your head, closet at the far side of the room summoned her. Boxes of Christmas decorations, a Santa, and reindeer figures stored inside the slanted nook partially hid the steps leading to the attic and the presence she swore was there. She hadn’t encountered the being in question. Yet. It wasn’t cool for a nineteen-year-old to harbor terrors of a closet, but she did.
She threw her hands up after a particularly loud summons. “What do you want from me?”
There was a rap on the downstairs door. ~
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Secret Lady is available in print and eBook from The Wild Rose Press and eBook from all major online booksellers.
Author Bio: Married to my high school sweetheart, I live on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with my people and furbabies. An avid gardener, I grow herbs and heirloom flowers and use them in my stories. The rich history of Virginia, the Native Americans, and the Scots-Irish are at the heart of my inspiration. My English/Scots-Irish ancestors were among the earliest settlers in America and the valley. I write historical romance set in the colonial frontier (The Native American Warrior Series), and the American Revolution (The Traitor’s Legacy Series). Some of my historicals include ghosts and other paranormal elements. I also write Young Adult shapeshifter/ fantasy romance (The Secret Warrior Series), and New Adult time travel/time slip romance, Somewhere in Time, and my latest ongoing series, Ladies in Time.