Forty plus one! Somehow the months just keep rolling by. Which means it’s time for another issue, with my thoughts on writing, recent book events, an interview with a new author and of course, music. Perhaps a little change of pace is in order. Let’s go find out. Writing I’m an avid reader. Most people who are serious about their own writing are the same way. You can learn so much from other authors, both good and bad. One of the things I discovered early in my own efforts was to pay attention to the details. I was reminded of this while reading a book recently from one of the major publishers. The story takes place primarily in central Alaska. So imagine my confusion to read that Russia was east of Alaska! Not only did I reread this statement three times, I also went to the computer to doublecheck. After all, strange little details can be true, such as the fact that Windsor, Canada is actually south of Detroit. Most people assume all parts of Canada are north of the United States. That bit about Russia proved to be false. Which resulted in some hesitation to finish reading that book. A different author was using references to old music and singers to make points in his book. That part of his book I was enjoying since I’m familiar with many of those tunes. Until he mentioned Frank Sinatra singing “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head”. That was hit by Dean Martin, not Sinatra. That’s a ghastly error. It’s a fact that was easy to check. We all make mistakes. But most authors will tell you that’s where the importance of editing comes in. Whether it’s the writer, an editor or a beta reader, the expectation is that someone will catch those errors and correct them before the final manuscript is sent for publication. Getting those details correct can make a tremendous difference in your story. I want everything that takes place in my books to be accurate. That leads me to do a lot of research. Sometimes it’s just verifying a well-known fact. Other times, I learn that my preconceived notion is incorrect. I’ve caught mistakes in early drafts of my own books many times. It’s worth rereading the manuscript multiple times to get things correct. As the old proverb goes, ‘the devil is in the details.’ Website There’s a great line from one of Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” movies: “A man’s got to know his limitations”. For me, it’s technology. I tried to set up my own website a year ago but lacked both the talent and patience to improve it. Fortunately I mentioned this do Diana K. Plopa, who has designed websites for her own business and many other authors. She took my ideas and worked her tech magic to make it so much better. Events The summer months have been keeping me on the road, bouncing from one festival to another. I’m not complaining. This is a great opportunity to meet with people in many communities. It’s a time to talk about my writing while interacting with other authors and vendors. I’ve also sold a lot of books. To date I’ve covered seven different days and have at least six more to go as we move into autumn. I may also consider some others as well. If you’re in the West Michigan area, here are a few where I’ll be. August 19th. Lee Township Summer Market, Olivet September 9 & 10. Wine & Harvest Festival, Paw Paw September 30. Art Fair, Otsego October 14. Under the Harvest Moon, Dowagiac. This is how my booth usually looks. Author Interview In late July, I was one of 60 authors participating at the Sterling Heights festival. It was a great time. I was able to reconnect with some old friends and make some new contacts. One of those people I met was author Heather Ashle. We chatted for a bit between shoppers and I learned this was her first event. Her smile and enthusiasm were sure to bring people to her table. When I mentioned the spotlight on the newsletter, she readily agreed to visit. Tell something about yourself and how you became an author. I’ve always enjoyed writing, but I truly fell in love with the process of imagining stories in sixth grade. It was the first in a long line of unfinished short stories that eventually convinced me that I had better assume the role of liberal plotter—rather than seat-flying pantser—if I ever wanted to finish a story. I do better with detail-oriented, sprawling narratives, in which I can delve into backstories and motivations. After I acknowledged that, I embarked on plans for an epic fantasy series. I have Cystic Fibrosis, and in my college years, I was in rough shape. Medications have come leaps and bounds since then, and CF isn’t as much of a death sentence as it used to be (I’ve far outlived the estimation of 12 years that my parents were given when I was born). I use the time my treatments take to write and relax into a world where CF doesn’t exist. There is no better therapy for me than that. Still, I probably wouldn’t write like I do if I didn’t have that time to put my creativity to use. It’s an odd blessing, but I’m grateful for it. Do you ever imagine one of your novels being made into a movie or television series? I have an overactive imagination—as I believe most writers and artists do. I see everything I’m writing like a movie in my head, so it’s not a far cry to imagine it projected onto a larger screen. If I can’t envision whatever I’m writing, then I figure readers probably won’t be able to either, and that tells me I need to rewrite. Any favorite actors you’d cast in the lead roles? I like the idea of a cast of relative unknowns, perhaps (ideally) whose careers are sparked by their involvement in the project (dream big, right?). But I did have actors in mind as I wrote a few of my characters because their look at some point in their career was spot-on in my head. To give you an idea, Charles Dance is the spitting image of Darr Beval Senior (if a bit old for the role now), Gary Oldman has the look of Lord Twyford, and a thirty-something Rebecca De Mornay would fit Ethelinda of Alston. What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you write the chapters in sequence? After starting as a pantser, I eventually came to realize that the Virgo in me needed more structure and planning to succeed. Now, I use more outlines than ever. I outline character backgrounds and their evolving plot contributions and maintain a timeline of events to help me keep track of what happened when. As both sides of the equation—the outline and the story—evolve together over time, I necessarily and frequently reorganize my chapters throughout the process. So, I needn’t worry about writing them “in order.” It’s a joy, if a somewhat tricky one, but I adore every minute of it. Tell us a little bit about the characters in your latest book. The characters of the Realm Riders Series are… complex. I attempt to build them on the human model, which is to say, they’re driven by warring motivations that morph (or warp) with knowledge and time. But that knowledge leans on not only an evolving understanding of the realm(s) around them but also a dense web of interconnectivity. Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? I introduce—and am introduced to—characters as they pop up in my head because that’s when they’re needed, and I honor that need. Sometimes, I’ll weave an existing character into the hole to cut down on the introduction of new ones, but that isn’t always an option, and that’s when I meet someone new. Then, it’s my job to determine whether they are incidental or more relevant to the story, which often results in their assumption of a greater role than I might have imagined when first they’d popped their heads up in a scene. What is your latest book about? As An Heir of Realms is currently the only title available in the Realm Riders Series, I’ll speak to that one. The first thing you need to know is… Soul-sucking parasites are overwhelming the realms. Rhoswen of Stanburh is of age to train as a Realm Rider—a defender of the realms. Riders and their dragons work together to burn away infiltrating Narxon as they swarm in through tears in a realm’s fabric. But it’s not an easy battle: the mere touch of the smoky, dragon-like adversaries can reduce the lively winged beasts—and their Riders—to ash. Becoming a Realm Rider is Rhoswen’s dream, but she carries far more responsibility than flying a dragon. Her destiny will pit her against her uncle, Badrick, the king of her realm, who has scorned Rhoswen since before her birth. Misconceptions about the Narxon are proving as destructive as the parasites themselves. In the Exchange, the waystation between all realms, new recruit Emmelyn is fighting her own battle to save the realms. Her foe is not only the Narxon but also the insidious G’Ambit, a gambling ring with members more intent on lining their pockets than protecting the realms… or even their own lives. Emmelyn must convince the higher-ups in the Exchange that the threat is real, starting with her own boss, an avid gambler who despises her tactics. Both novice heroines must win their respective battles before war can be waged on the Narxon. But are Rhoswen and Emmelyn too far behind to stand a chance? In An Heir of Realms, book one of the Realm Riders Series, a tangled web of worlds and the memorable characters who inhabit them will leave you racing to solve the mysteries surrounding imperfect heroes and tormented villains. But the real question is: which is which? Can you share an excerpt too? Sure. The first three chapters are available online, so let’s look at a slightly deeper cut from the Exchange. Unlike Emmelyn’s last two visits, this time, the five of them were together again. From what she could tell, Vonn provided all the latest gossip, and Randy consistently disputed whatever “news” Vonn brought to the circle. Kyle liked to play devil’s advocate to both, just to stir things up. Bernadette could only struggle to act as peacekeeper. “I don’t believe that fer a second!” Randy drawled emphatically over the thumping bassline. Tonight’s music seemed akin to a bluesy version of electronic dance music, which Emmelyn had never before experienced. She couldn’t decide whether she ever wanted to again either. “Now, boys… ” Bernadette cautioned in a maternal tone. Vonn’s face was awash with glee; he loved the debate. “It’s true!” he insisted. “But there is more than politics changing around here! Rules are the driving force behind everything!” “Don’t start that again! The rules don’t change here!” Randy countered. “The Exchange ain’t a realm!” Emmelyn’s face scrunched up at the familiar assertion. “The Exchange isn’t a realm?” Had they discussed this on her first visit? Kyle shook his head. “It’s ‘realmless.’” He used two fingers from each hand to bend quotation marks around the term. Bernadette leaned in toward Emmelyn. “Most Exchangers think it’s untouchable. Narxon don’t enter heah, so no Riduhs or dragons are needed.” “It has its own set uh rules,” Randy added with a nod. “Except, unlike the realms, the rules uh the Exchange never change.” “What if we’re wrong about that? What if they do change?” Vonn protested. “Or what if we’ve never fully understood the rules here at all?” “We ain’t wrong about the rules,” Randy insisted. “The Exchange has been termed a ‘non-realm’ fer hundreds uh years.” “But what if it’s just that? A term,” Vonn replied. “They haven’t figured out the Narxon yet—what if they haven’t figured out the Exchange either?” Randy shook his head. “I don’t want to have the rules debate again!” Bernadette rolled her eyes. “That untouchable feelin’ that so many Exchangers have heah has created a….” She searched for the right word. “Disconnect,” Kyle supplied. She nodded at him and turned back to Emmelyn. “The Datists have it woise than anybody because they nevah leave. Ovuh time, they needed some kind uh diversion from the daily grind uh crunchin’ numbahs. So, they created the underground gamblin’ ring known as the G’Ambit.” “It’s a geeky portmanteau: ‘ambit,’ as in, the bounds of a place, and ‘gambit,’ like a calculated move that weighs risk against reward—a place to gamble, if you will.” Kyle accented the explanation with one of his signature eyerolls. Emmelyn was beginning to find his theatrics oddly endearing. Perhaps this punk was more than just some hanger-on that the Crew couldn’t shake. “They’re sort of synonyms for ‘realm’ and ‘gambling.’ Datists love wordplay.” Emmelyn thought she saw him mouth the word “nerds” disparagingly under his breath. “Kyle would know. He’s got a Datist goilfriend.” Bernadette added a conspiratorial wink. “She isn’t my girlfriend,” Kyle insisted. “We just date from time to time.” Emmelyn chewed her lip to avoid laughing out loud. She couldn’t envision black-clad Kyle dating a hardcore bookworm. (At least, that’s how she envisioned Datists; she had never met one in person.) Bernadette flashed Emmelyn a disbelieving glance. Kyle’s expression darkened more than his excessive guyliner, and Emmelyn’s struggle for composure continued. “What ya said before--that suggests the Exchange politics are splittin’ in two,” Randy drawled to Vonn. “But no one’d believe the Narxon could be beneficial when the realms are disappearin’! Where do ya get all this hogwash?” It amazed Emmelyn that they could hold such discussions in the Exchange. Given the almost cult-like and secretive nature of the place—not to mention the black-jacketed security guards staring everyone down—she imagined a list of topics ruled off-limits. Of course, Exchangers could barely communicate through the blaring music and near darkness, so perhaps such rules seemed superfluous. What’s the next project you’ll be working on? I have a few. I’m currently working on books two and three of the Realm Riders Series. Book two, A Transfer of Realms, is with my beta readers, and I’m diving into book three, A Runner of Realms, to verify that book two properly supports it and the rest of the series to come. I’m also embarking on the long-overdue audiobook for An Heir of Realms, hopefully using local talent, but I’m still working out the details. And finally, as if I needed another thing, I’m creating a companionate storyline for a tabletop-role-playing campaign built on the d20 platform that sends adventurers through the various realms in my series. (Think “Dungeons & Dragons”—but do it quietly please, as there are copyright issues to using that specific name.) You can learn more about Heather at her website. https://heatherashle.com/buy-now Music During a festival in Holland, one young lady commented on my last name and my books. She mentioned that it would only be natural that I was a fan of ‘love’ songs. I explained that music is essential to life and even include different artists in my newsletter, but I’m not a fan of sappy love songs. When she asked for my favorite ‘love’ songs, I rattled off a few with love in the title. She giggled, bought a copy of Chasing Favors, then wandered off. But that got me thinking. So this month, here’s a list of the top 10 songs with ‘love’ in the title. I’m sure there are many more, but these just jumped to mind. Gimme Some Lovin’: https://youtu.be/BuQ3PaFyb9A
Freeway of Love: https://youtu.be/Ip_pjb5_fgA Love Shack: https://youtu.be/9SOryJvTAGs All You Need is Love: https://youtu.be/4EGczv7iiEk Crazy Little Thing Called Love: https://youtu.be/zO6D_BAuYCI I Love Rock n Roll: https://youtu.be/wMsazR6Tnf8 Addicted to Love: https://youtu.be/XcATvu5f9vE Somebody to Love: https://youtu.be/kijpcUv-b8M Love Me Like a Rock: https://youtu.be/CjFzw8AxSBA Love the One You’re With: https://youtu.be/SY4HI_vqf0c
0 Comments
After months of anticipation, Jamie’s latest novel has arrived. That’s right, “Chasing Favors” book 5 in the series, is now available. So, what’s this one about? Glad you asked. Doing a favor for an old friend. What could possibly go wrong?? It was supposed to be one simple favor. Randy was the nice, charming guy who drew Jamie into a steamy romance, two years ago, during her vacation. Now he’s in town, nudging her curiosity with the request for some help. What could possibly go wrong? Jamie’s skills as an investigative reporter made for a smooth transition to writing mysteries. And Randy’s request seemed harmless enough. Doing a favor for a friend is really no big deal. But things are rarely as they appear when Jamie starts digging. When she uncovers the answers for Randy, she’s faced with another request for a favor. Who knew she could be so popular? Now Jamie’s spending her time, chasing after favors. While researching Randy’s situation, Jamie stumbles upon something that doesn’t seem quite right. Most people would just ignore it. Or chalk it up to a coincidence. But Jamie’s never been a believer in those. Sensing there is something more going on in the background, Jamie becomes determined to figure it out. And if she’s right, she intends on stopping the bad guys in their tracks. Here’s an excerpt: “Malone, are you telling me that my efforts to elevate your heart rate aren’t sufficient to ensuring your good health?” He chuckled and shook his head. “You know how to get my heart racing. But there are other aspects required for a full-body workout.” “Maybe you need to rethink your routine,” I teased from the doorway. He was sitting on the side of the bed about to reach for his tennis shoes. Now Malone flashed me a wicked smile. Before I could move, he lifted me off my feet. “Malone!” “Hold still. I’m going to do a set of curls with you horizontally across my arms.” He shifted his grip. One arm was beneath my knees. The other was under my shoulder blades. “Don’t drop me!” I started to reach for his neck. “Keep your arms at your sides, Jay.” He turned around now so that he was holding me over the bed. Slowly he did a curl, rolling me in his arms as if his hands were reaching for his shoulders. On the third curl, Malone dipped his head and kissed my stomach through my shirt. Then he released me, dropping me onto the mattress from shoulder height. I bounced, laughing in delight. “We’ve just created a new exercise.” He fell on the bed beside me. “What are you going to call it?” He gave it some thought. “Curling the vixen.” “I’m a vixen?” Malone nodded. “Hope that’s one you’re only going to do at home.” “Only with you, Jamie.” He gave me a kiss that got my heart racing, then slid off the bed. “I gotta run.” “Sure, leave me all hot and bothered,” I muttered. Malone grabbed his shoes and went out the door. “To be continued.” “It damn well better be.” Here are some links where you can find “Chasing Favors”
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5ZW6XQF KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/chasing-favors BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasing-favors-mark-love/1143532150 APPLE: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6449441859 Summertime and everyone is… busy! There have been a lot of writing-related activities going on. Time for my latest thoughts on writing, my work in progress, events, podcasts and more. There’s also a different take on an interview and some music to keep things going. Ready? Let’s roll! Writing When I first started seriously writing, the idea of promoting and marketing my books never crossed my mind. Sure, I pictured myself at the local bookstores, with people lined up to get a signed copy, maybe listening to me read a scene or two. But I had no idea how to make that happen. Flash forwards a few years and now, having written eight books, promoting has become second nature. I’m not claiming expert status or anything like that. But I’ve discovered several different methods to attract some interest in my novels. One of my favorites is the art festivals, where I pitch my tent, set up my display and chat with people as they are walking by. Sometimes, you get a pleasant surprise. At one of the events last month, a young couple was slowly passing my table when the woman stopped in her tracks. “Jefferson Chene! Like the intersection?” she asked. Obviously, she was a fellow Detroiter. I nodded and we got to talking about our own experiences in Motown. Turns out, she lived within a mile of the family home where I grew up in. Small world. When I explained Chene’s backstory, she immediately grabbed all three books and was eager to start reading them. Over the last year, I’ve also been doing several podcasts that are focused on authors. A link to each one is listed on the sidebar for the blog. This is a great way to reach a wider audience. Some of these podcasts have listeners around the globe. I keep looking for new and different ways to connect with more readers, outside of traditional marketing. You never can tell which method may have the greatest impact, so I keep trying. Work In Progress In less than a week, “Chasing Favors” will be released. I’ve had some great feedback from a few readers who got their hands on advanced copies, which always makes me smile. But before the book is officially available, I’m having a party. Everyone is invited! It’s a Virtual Launch Party. Diana, my very good friend who, among a multitude of other duties, hosts the Indie Reads Aloud podcast series, persuaded me to give this a shot. She will be hosting the event. What’s it going to entail? Well, from the comfort of your own home, you can dial in to the Zoom broadcast. I’ll be reading several scenes from the book and answering questions from the audience. Anyone can register. The more people who attend, the more prizes I’ll give away. The grand prize will be one autographed print copy of “Chasing Favors”. So you can be poolside, with a margarita in hand, or lounging in your pjs with a glass of wine or a cup of cocoa. Whatever works for you. Registration in advance of your attendance gets your name on the prize wheel. You never know what you might win! Meanwhile, my latest project is still demanding my attention. Whenever I have an hour or so, that story calls to me. I’ve been able to add a few new scenes and expand on others. While the progress is slower than I’d like, it reminds me of the favorite maxim from an old mentor. ‘There are times when all anyone can expect is that you do the best you can with what you have to work with, right now’. I keep that in mind. Podcast Earlier this month I was invited to speak on the Linderson Creations “Dear Writer” podcast. This series delves into more background and the journeys authors have taken to get their work published. Many thanks to Ashley and Sarah for the opportunity to speak with you. Here’s a link to that episode. https://open.spotify.com/show/2JfOo6e8YjLjXeCVA58Ek4?si=cbVJWgFqSle1xy3AM4rgUg&nd=1 Interview This month’s interview is with Leo Agonasti. Here’s a picture of what he might look like. More than once I’ve had a reader tell me how much they enjoy certain characters from my books. Since these are all people created from my imagination, I always strive to make each one unique, with their own traits and quirks. Leo Agonasti gets the spotlight in the new book. This is a result of comments I received after his appearance in both “Your Turn to Die” and “The Wayward Path”. Readers wanted to know more about this smooth operator. Inspiration has yet to strike me with a title for this one, but it’s sure to arrive at some point. Instead of a mystery, this novel is more of a thriller or a crime novel. It will be set in the early 1990s, with a few flashbacks to the early 1970s, when Leo first begins working in organized crime. Welcome, Mr. Agonasti. There’s no need for such formalities. Please, call me Leo. That sounds good. Can you tell us a little about your background? I was born and raised in Dearborn, just a little west of Detroit. Mine was a blue-collar family. I did well in high school. A local businessman recognized my aptitude for a few subjects and offered me a scholarship to continue my education. I graduated, worked for a few years with an investment firm, then started my own business. Isn’t this ‘local businessman’ you mention a gangster? Romeo Giacalone has family members that are involved in organized crime. He’s a businessman. Understood. Are you familiar with Detroit’s long reputation with gangsters? (Smiles) I’m a bit of a history buff. As such, I’m well aware of some of the violent times and activities that stem from the early days of the twentieth century. Detroit can be a dangerous city. But that’s not unlike many metropolitan areas throughout the country. You’re a successful businessman. Tell us a little about that. My company offers financial advice to people. But we take a little different approach from the traditional operations, where the focus is on stocks and bonds. While we do offer recommendations in those matters, we also encourage investors to consider partnering with entrepreneurs to fund their business’s growth and expansion. Sounds interesting. Is this popular? Yes, and it has been well received. My financial advisors and I do a thorough review of the entrepreneur’s business plans before we ever consider recommending the opportunity to potential investors. Tell us about your relationship with Maximo Aurelio: (laughs) Max and I grew up together. We’ve always been close. He’s an honorary uncle to my two daughters and he thoroughly spoils them rotten. Max is my best friend. Any concerns about the actions he’s been accused of? How Max spends his time is of no concern to me. And he has never been convicted of any criminal activity. How do you react to comments that you and your business may be linked to organized crime? I am a successful businessman. My company has received accolades from several community organizations that we support. Through the efforts of myself and my associates, we have helped a great many entrepreneurs achieve their goals and objectives, by pairing them with people who have the funds available to make those dreams come true. Sadly, there are some people in the world who are jealous of this enterprise and as such, make unfounded accusations. These comments are unworthy of further speculation. Thank you for your time, Leo. It has been a pleasure speaking with you. Music Sinatra! Frank Sinatra performed for sixty years. He got his start working with big bands like Tommy Dorsey and Harry James. Many consider him to be one of the iconic singers of the 20th Century. In addition to his singing career, Sinatra also did a fair amount of acting. He starred in a number of hit movies, including the original Ocean’s Eleven. Sinatra was popular on a number of television shows as well. My top five favorites: Fly Me to the Moon: https://youtu.be/ZEcqHA7dbwM One for My Baby: https://youtu.be/hkwdkUXQ1yo The Way You Look Tonight: https://youtu.be/TgrvCb778kk Come Fly with Me: https://youtu.be/SLC5AGGHLz0 Under My Skin: https://youtu.be/C1AHec7sfZ8 So much to see, so much to do! Plenty of details to share this month, now that the festival season is now in full swing. I have an update on the newest book in the Jamie series, plus an interview with author Brenda Whiteside and of course, music. There must be music. Let’s roll! Writing: At a recent art festival, my booth was set up and ready to go. This would be a long event over two days. Months ago, I asked Samantha Moran, another local author, to share the space. That would help bring her books to the attention of the people at the festival and hopefully attract new readers. One of the first readers who stopped by Friday afternoon got very excited when she learned that I had multiple novels with the same characters. Turns out she was a fan of book series. I never started out with the idea of writing a series. It was my intention to write one good book that I could be proud of, one that people would enjoy reading and then move on to something else. Well, that kind of, sort of happened. But as Mel Brooks would say, “Man plans and God laughs”. Considering I have now written 5 Jamie Richmond stories and 3 Jefferson Chene mysteries, having an ongoing series makes perfect sense. “Devious” was the first book I wrote. When it was accepted, the publisher asked me when a second book with Jamie could be expected. They liked the character so much that it would be a shame not to create another adventure for her. That got me started on “Vanishing Act”, the second Jamie tale. But in the back of my mind, I really wanted to focus on a police investigation. I already had the backstory in place for Jefferson Chene. Then a flash of inspiration hit. Why not include Chene in a minor role in the second Jamie book? I did that and it worked out just fine. Which started a pattern. Since all the books primarily take place in Metropolitan Detroit, it shouldn’t be that difficult for characters from both series to make cameo appearances. Jamie and Malone have been in two Chene mysteries. A few of Chene’s associates appear in “Chasing Favors”. As long as the ideas continue, I will write more stories for each series. But first, I need to get back to work on the crime novel. Work In Progress: It’s official. The cover art for “Chasing Favors” has been finalized. The book will be released on July 25. There are links at the bottom of this section if you’d like to preorder your own copy. But first, I’ve been persuaded to throw a party. A Virtual Launch Party. My good friend Diana, who is the driving force and host of the Indie Reads Aloud podcast series, has convinced me to give this a shot. She has even agreed to host the event. I’ll be reading several scenes from the book and answering questions from the audience. Anyone can follow the links on my website and register. The more people who attend, the more prizes I’ll give away. The grand prize will be one autographed print copy of “Chasing Favors”. Buy Links: AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5ZW6XQF KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/chasing-favors BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasing-favors-mark-love/1143532150 APPLE: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6449441859 Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/chasing-favors-a-jamie-richmond-mystery-by-mark-love Author Interview: Meeting new authors can be a lot of fun. When this happens in person, like at the art festivals, we can often share quick histories about our writing journeys, the challenges and successes we have faced. Sometimes we can share humorous interactions with shoppers. While I haven’t met Brenda Whiteside in person, we’ve connected through our individual writing and promotion efforts. So here’s a chance to learn more about Brenda. Tell something about yourself and how you became an author. I’ve always loved to write but never considered the possibility of writing for others until I took a creative writing class “just for fun.” I was hooked. I started with short stories until one of them turned into a book. Do you ever imagine one of your novels being made into a movie or television series? I have a lighthearted romantic suspense I think would make a great chick flick. The cozy mystery series I am currently working on would make a great replacement for Murder She Wrote. Any favorite actors you’d cast in the lead roles? Good question, but honestly, I haven’t gone that far in my musing. What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you write the chapters in sequence? It depends on the book. I do a loose synopsis for my romantic suspense books. I ALWAYS do a character sketch for each character before I begin. For the cozy mystery series, we do a fairly tight synopsis. I am co-writing this series with Joyce Proell, and she’s a master at synopsis writing. I think when it comes to mystery and keeping the villain secret, it takes more planning. Tell us a little bit about the characters in your latest book. I’ve had a couple of latest books lately. It’s been a busy past ten months. I’ll choose one—Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder. This is the first book in the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mysteries I co-wrote with Joyce Proell. Emma and Nic are sister amateur sleuths. They are best of friends but have different personalities. Nic has long blonde hair and is eccentric. Emma had short, auburn hair and is conservative. Nic is a travel author and parttime candle maker. Em is partially retired but advises on psychiatric/social cases and part-time mystery writer. They are totally alike in their love of all things mystery. Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? Yes to both questions! What is your latest book about? Recently widowed, Emma Banefield looks forward to a getaway birthday weekend with her free-wheeling sister, Nicole Earp, sipping chocolate martinis at the peaceful, historic Dulce Inn. When a rude stranger, a nasty food critic, and a madhouse of temperamental artists greet them, all hope for a tranquil weekend evaporates faster than dew on a hot desert morning. Overlooking the riotous atmosphere is doubly hard after Em discovers the body of a hotel guest, and a second murder affects Nic personally. Now, entrenched in a caper that pits them against a surly detective, they cozy up to a hotel staff hiding dangerous secrets to uncover clues to the killer. Using their smarts and love of all-things mystery, will the Chocolate Martini Sisters solve the crime ahead of the obstinate Chief Detective or find themselves trapped in the middle of a third murder? Can you share an excerpt too? Before the waitress could open her mouth, Shaw bit into her. “What is the sauce on this chicken supposed to be?” “You ordered the Southwest Chicken in Chipotle Cream.” “I’m quite aware of what I ordered, young woman. What’s your name?” “Karen, sir.” “Karen what?” “G-Gonzalez. Karen Gonzalez.” “Well, Ms. Gonzalez, instead of telling me something I already know, why don’t you tell me what a chipotle cream should taste like?” The young woman’s bottom lip trembled, and her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “Do you know?” Nic braced her hands on the table, ready to spring to the hounded girl’s rescue. “What a jerk.” “I don’t know how he can complain.” Her sister spoke around a mouthful. “It’s what I ordered, and the sauce is delicious.” “Em—” “Sit back and eat. No need for you to make a scene.” She swallowed and feathered fingers in the air. “We’ll have a word with the manager on how well Karen responded and leave her a good tip. That’s a better way to seek justice for her than disrupting everyone’s meals.” Two tables over, Karen’s shoulders hunched and her chin dipped before the haughty restaurant critic. “Could I get you something else, sir?” “If I’d wanted something else, I would’ve ordered it.” The veins in his temples bulged. “Get me the chef. Now!” “Yes, sir.” The server hustled out of the dining room. “I hope the head chef is the type to light fireworks rather than bend over backwards for the ass.” One glance at Em told her she didn’t feel the same. Her sister released a sigh. “This is supposed to be a quiet dinner in the ambience of a fine hotel. The start of a relaxing weekend.” “Good grief, Em. You don’t get this kind of entertainment without paying for it. This is like dinner theater.” She shoveled in a healthy bite of mushrooms and beef, giving an appreciative hum to accompany her chewing. The double doors of the kitchen flew open. Out came a stocky man dressed in a double-breasted white jacket with gold buttons, black slacks, and a burgundy ascot at his throat. If the outfit didn’t clue the restaurant patrons as to his profession, the poufy chef’s hat hanging to one side would. Like a charging bulldog, he tore a path directly to Shaw, clasped one hand in another in front of him, and nodded his head. “I’m Head Chef Grayson Payne. What seems to be the problem?” What’s the next project you’ll be working on? Actually, I’m working on two. I’m writing a children’s book with my ten-year-old granddaughter. I’m also busy putting the final edits on book two of the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mysteries. “Reading, Writing, and Murder”. You can find Brenda’s book at the links below. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BN96RS4G/ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71969141-candy-cigarettes-and-murder https://www.bookbub.com/books/candy-cigarettes-and-murder-a-chocolate-martini-sisters-mystery-book-1-by-brenda-whiteside-and-joyce-proell Music: Variety is the key to my playlists. Whether it’s on Pandora, Spotify or YouTube, my favorites jump across a number of genres. Lately the Blues Brothers keep showing up. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd created Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues as part of a sketch for Saturday Night Live. Back by a tribe of very talented musicians, that sketch spawned actual concerts and a hit movie. The band covered classic tunes in soul and rhythm and blues. Here’s my top five favorites from Jake and Elwood. Everybody Needs Somebody: https://youtu.be/EHV0zs0kVGg Soul Man: https://youtu.be/FTWH1Fdkjow Sweet Home Chicago: https://youtu.be/-_KkgPRo4wA Gimme Some Lovin’: https://youtu.be/-aqZmPInK3o Jailhouse Rock: https://youtu.be/TosN2G1mmTs It’s that time again. How is that possible? Okay, so I took a long overdue vacation and disappeared for a couple of weeks to the other side of the globe. Now it’s back to the Mitten State and just a week before summer classes begin. Here’s my updates on writing, my latest project, an interview with another great author and music. Let there be music. But enough of the pontificating. Showtime! Writing: Recently I was reminded of a comment from an old creative writing professor. According to him, back in the days of pulp magazines, writers would get paid by the word, instead of a set amount for a submission. With that in mind, many writers would add unnecessary words to describe a scene or interactions between characters. This did absolutely nothing to improve the story, but it did add to the paycheck if the work was accepted. I’m not a fan of redundancies. Repeating something over and over or just saying the same thing in a different way is a sure way to drive me crazy. More than once I’ve tossed a book aside when this occurs. This happened last week during my trip. Naturally, I’d taken a couple of books with me. While reading one book, I noticed multiple redundancies. One particular passage thoroughly disgusted me. One of the minor characters arrived on the scene and ‘bounded’ out of his taxi. He then ‘bounded’ up the stairs of the house. Was he suddenly part kangaroo? I realized that this was a pattern the author used throughout the book. Not everyone bounded but their actions and conversations became redundant, with the same words and expressions repeated. This work was by a popular author with one of the larger publishers. The best way for me to describe this writing style is wooden. There was something missing throughout the story. Either the author or the editors should have spotted this and corrected it. Simply digging out a thesaurus would have offered more options and resulted in a better manuscript. I couldn’t finish the book. We all repeat ourselves at one point or another. But as a writer, it’s my job to minimize these occurrences, unless they become vital to the way a character acts. Work In Progress: It’s fortunate for me that Leo Agonasti is a patient man. I didn’t take my computer with me on the trip, so no work got done on the manuscript. There was a notebook in my pack, where several pages are now crammed with ideas for scenes. So while I wasn’t at the keyboard recently, I was in fact working on the story. With any luck and the holiday weekend on the horizon, I’ll have some time to flesh these ideas out and add more content to the story. Meanwhile, the formatted manuscript for “Chasing Favors” was anxiously awaiting my return. Jamie, Malone and the cast of characters are getting closer to the release date in July. I may even try something new and have a launch party to celebrate the release of the book. The cover should be revealed in June. Jamie insists she’s not vain, but she does appear on the cover. Author Interview: Once upon a time, in a zip code far, far away, I participated in my first book festival. After setting up my space, I wandered about, talking to some of the other writers. That’s when I first crossed paths with Diana Kathryn Plopa. Not only does Diana write wonderful books, but she is a promoter with a passion for sharing new authors with the world. Diana hosts the Indie Reads Aloud podcast, of which I’ve been a frequent visitor. So it’s high time to introduce you all to my good friend, Diana. Tell us something about yourself and how you became an author? I’m a multi-genre author, writing coach, and book editor. As mom to one son, Zachary (now a very tall adult person), I live in the Detroit area with my husband, Dave; and two dogs, Finnigan and Charlie. I’ve loved books all my life. I remember writing my first story at about seven. It was a retelling of “The Town Musicians of Bremen” by the Brothers Grimm. Notable differences in my version were that the animals were a rebellious teenager wild animal rock band (instead of a geriatric domestic folk group), and the lead singer was a duck. I remember my first-grade teacher telling me that she thought it was very clever, and I was hooked on the idea of spending my life as a storyteller from that moment forward. Just for the record, no, I have no idea whatever became of the manuscript (although I think it may be in a box in my basement with some old journals); and yes, I may actually rewrite it and publish it one day. The story is still very vivid in my imagination. Do you ever imagine one of your novels being made into a movie or television series? I haven’t ever really thought about the visual versions of my books. I’m happiest in the world of words. I dream in subtitles instead of images (except when I have nightmares about snakes, for some reason, my brain likes to torture me with those images – ick!)… Think of a dark screen with words scrolling up as if I was reading the dream on a page, similar to the opening sequence in “Star Wars” but not nearly as dramatic. Yes, I know, I’m a bit strange. I love it when people read aloud to me. So, more than thinking about films or television, I often imagine who might narrate the audiobooks. Any favorite actors you’d cast in the lead roles? In a utopian world, where all dreams come true, and cost is not a barrier… I’d like to have Jeremy Irons read “Free Will”; and Sting (as Thomas), Stana Katic (as Gillian), and Sandra Bullock (as Paige) read “A Tryst of Fate”. I’ve heard all four read short stories aloud, and for whatever reason, I find tremendous comfort in all of their voices. What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you write the chapters in sequence? This is a fun question, especially coming from you, and considering our frequent teasing of each other on this topic. I’m a Passionate Plotter. I start with a skeleton of beginning, middle, and end. Then I narrow down the outline by adding chapter breaks, and then plot points of the individual scenes for each chapter. But after that, Drake (my Muse) takes over. I rarely write in an intelligent sequence. Drake gives me ideas when they come to him, and so I find myself jumping around a lot to fill in the holes. Then, when all the holes have content in them, I do a deep-dive self-edit from beginning to end for continuity, and then pass it along to my editor to handle all the final fixes. Tell us a little bit about the characters in your latest book. Which one? I’m working on five novels and novellas right now. 😊 The one I will finish first is a paranormal novel. This story has an interesting cast of characters who come together for a writer’s retreat. Among them is the retreat facilitator, an MSP detective, a librarian, a newspaper reporter, a photojournalist, a young widow, and an IT specialist. Oh, and of course, the spirits they have to contend with throughout the story. Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? As with plotting, I make detailed character maps before I begin to write. I usually build out physical features and psychological enneagrams for each one so I have some idea of how they will interact and respond when Drake and I drop them into various situations. But often, I find that once the writing process begins, the characters stand up and speak for themselves, often changing bits about themselves that I didn’t expect. Yes, the writing process can be mysterious, even for Plotters! 😊 I once had a main character abdicate her role as a central character, and I had to scramble to figure out who would be willing to take her place. It was a tense few days. But all ended well, and the switch made the story better. What is your latest book about? My latest book (well, it’s actually Drake’s latest book) is a second collection of short stories. The stories in “A Duck Echoes” all came from writing prompts, and are a little darker and weirder than those in “A Duck Quacks”. Drake has never been a tremendous fan of the constraints of writing in short form, but the little quacker is getting braver with each new release. 😊 Can you share an excerpt too? Here’s a little bit of Drake’s latest collection of short stories: A Duck Echoes… BUT THE TOYS ARE COOL “I’m offended.” “What?” “You heard me. I’m offended.” “Offended? By what?” “Not what, who.” “Who?” “Well, whom, actually. Yes, offended.” “By whom?” “By, well, you, specifically.” “Me? What’s so offensive about me? I’m a fairly decent fellow, you know.” “Actually, no, I don’t know. First of all, that sullen and unapproachable thing. It’s inaccurate and seriously unkind.” “Inaccurate? I thought it seemed rather on-point, myself. I mean, one can’t really go around having a bunch of chummy friends when you’re doing what I do all night.” “Wrong. Welcoming and kind; that’s closer to the truth. It’s overly dramatic that you wander around all by yourself all the time. There’s no realism in that whole ‘must-do-solitude’ thing. Everyone knows we hang out in big groups. We’re quite social, and loyal. Well, at least you got the loyalty thing right. But the rest of it – way wrong.” “Well, it’s important, you know, to instill fear, at least a little bit. Otherwise, what’s the point? Nobody’ll pay attention.” “The point? Here’s the point, you’re propagating the myth that we can’t be trusted. You’ve convinced everyone that we need to be avoided like we’re rabid or something. And this loaner thing? Do you have any idea what it’s like to convince the girls that’s not true? I mean, do you even have a girlfriend?” “Well, no… not really…I…” “I thought not. And why would you? There’s nothing soft and cuddly about you. No warmth, no sensitivity. Have you looked into my big brown eyes? There’s a lot of compassion in there. What about your eyes? Oh, that’s right, no one can see them.” “Hey, I can be warm and cuddly…” “No, I don’t think you can. Whenever I’ve seen you, you’re out there roughing up guys and ruling the roost according to some warped sense of honor and justice. What is all that? Can’t you just go out and have a good time rather than flying off the handle all the time? Oh, that’s right, I forgot – you don’t really fly at all, do you? So pathetic.” “Hey! I’m out there trying to do some good in the world, and what are you doing, eh? Oh, that’s right, you’re flapping around willy-nilly, scaring people half to death, coming out of nowhere. People are just out having a good time, camping and singing by the fire, and then you show up, scaring everyone’s girlfriends. At least when I show up, I’m saving or helping someone. Who have you helped lately, huh, dude?” “I save plenty of folks, mister! Rancher Joe, for instance. If not for me, his cattle would die of dysentery, all those mosquitoes messing with their white blood cells. Those little disease buggers would be infiltrating your steak and burgers if not for me!” “There! See, I’m improving your image. People wouldn’t think you were a good idea if not for me. They see me doing heroic stuff, then they jump on Google to find out what you’re all about. I’m great PR for you.” “Improving my image! HA! Thanks to you, people think I live in dank, dark caves and come with a big ol’ heap of retribution.” “But I’ve got cool toys…You can’t top that one.” “HA! Toys! See, you can’t even do it on your own. You’re so inauthentic. You need a backpack of crazy gadgets to get the job done. Well, I don’t need your silly toys. I do it all naturally. Did you know that my crap is even good for people? That’s right, buddy, I’ve got some of the best fertilizer around. I bet you can’t say that about your crap, can you?” “Yeah, well, what about that virus thing? That’s a whole heap of violence if you ask me!” “Okay, big guy. Let’s take away all your nifty little toys, rip off your cowl, and cram you in a little cage with ten people you don’t know… Oh, and then stab you with a bunch of needles with who knows what in them? How do you think you would do then, hmmmm, Mister Caped Crusader, Dude?” ***heavy silence*** “Okay, maybe you’ve got a point. But I do have cool toys.” “Yeah, I’ll give you that. The toys are cool.” What’s the next project you’ll be working on? This summer, probably in August, I’ll release the first book in my political thriller series. I’ve never considered writing a series until I began work on this project and realized that the story was so big that I had to break it up into four books. I’m a little worried about that one because it’s a new challenge for me, but it’s a lot of fun to write. I have a western novel that I started the year before COVID that I’d like to finish. It takes place in the years of the Pony Express and focuses on the life of a young rider. My plan is to release that in September or October. I also have another children’s picture book coming out later in the year. I’ve finished that story, and my husband, who illustrated my first children’s picture book and painted the cover art for my paranormal novel, is currently working on the illustrations. And finally, my most daring experiment… I’m working on a suspense novella with just five characters, written entirely in second person narrative. I hope to have that out by the end of the year. You can find out more about Diana and all her books on the website. Just click on the link. http://www.dkpwriter.com/ Music: I like many different types of music. One group that my son Travis got me hooked on years ago was the contemporary swing revival sound from a group known as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. They’ve been on the scene since 1989. It’s impossible to listen to their music and get up and move. Here’s my top five hits. Why Me? https://youtu.be/a3Z4RWZa9WA Diga Diga Doo: https://youtu.be/ufvmD9s76X0 King of Swing: https://youtu.be/xphZkAiJve0 Mr. Pinstripe Suit: https://youtu.be/aBxfAs_skMA You, Me & the Bottle: https://youtu.be/FkmgafBRdos One of my old mentors had a favorite expression. “Sometimes you’re good, sometimes you’re lucky, and sometimes, it’s a little bit of both”. That’s always stuck with me. So maybe it’s a combination of being lucky and good that’s brought me this far with writing my stories. But one of things that’s been a pleasant surprise is doing podcasts. Over the years, I’ve done a few of these, hoping to connect with different audiences and share some of my stories. Most were interviews, where you talked about the craft of writing, gave a little synopsis of your latest book and where people could find it. Those were good, but they were lacking in anything that could really hook a reader. That’s what is so different from Diana K. Plopa’s “Indie Reads Aloud” program. Diana does a brief intro, a little background on the author, then lets us read selected scenes from our books. I first met Diana at a book festival a long time back. She’s also an author, editor, and promoter extraordinaire. We hit it off and have been friends ever since. When she decided to start the Indie Reads Aloud program, I was one of the earliest guests. The interest in her shows continues to grow. My fifth visit was released today. You can now hear me read scenes from Stealing Haven, Devious and Vanishing Act from the Jamie Richmond series, along with The Wayward Path and Why 319 from the Jefferson Chene series. You can find links to each of those programs on the right-hand column on the blog. Listening to these podcasts allows you to sample a bit of the story. Then you can decide if what you hear appeals to you. We have such a great time doing these recordings that Diana has invited me back to read the rest of the books in the catalogue. Am I that good, or that lucky? Or maybe, it’s a little bit of both. I’ll let you decide. The hits just keep on coming. As quickly as one issue is wrapped up and posted, I strive to get things started for the next one. That means coming up with a new topic, an update and lining up another author to stop by for a visit. Time, and timing, is everything. With that in mind, let’s jump into the April issue. Writing: Over the years I have worked with a number of different editors at several publishing houses. It’s been my practice to always submit the manuscript in the best possible shape. This usually happens after several rounds of revisions and utilizing a small crew of beta readers who don’t hesitate to give me honest feedback. When a friend recently asked about this process, she thought I’d be insulted that the editor wanted to make changes. “Not at all. I’m too close to the story to see obvious issues or mistakes,” I told her. “A good editor can spot them. A great editor can help guide me and the story, making it so much better.” Some editors just glance at the story, make a checkmark here or there and pass it on. Then after it’s printed, mistakes are discovered. It’s too late to fix it now. I always take the heat for anything that sneaks by. After all, it’s my work. Any mistakes are mine. This month I’m working with a new editor on the “Chasing Favors” manuscript. The latest adventures of Jamie Richmond came together well. I’m pleased with the comments and suggestions the editor has made so far. We’ve exchanged notes on the first round. A great editor can make a tremendous difference in the story. And for that, I’ll always be grateful. Work In Progress: The crime novel continues to move forward. A couple of new characters have been developed. The research has become intriguing. Since most of the story is set in 1992, I’m frequently jumping back to learn what was going on in Motown at that time. I don’t have a daily word count (never could work with that) but I do try to spend some time with this project each week. With the current semester coming to a close, I’m hoping to have a few extra hours in the next few weeks to make great strides in the story. Like many authors I know, the characters we create are real. I can envision the way they act, think and talk. Some would say writers are more comfortable with their own characters than we are with family or friends. I’m not arguing that. But there are dramatic differences between my ‘crew’. If Jamie was involved in this story, she’d be urging me to hurry up and get back to work. Leo Agonasti is more laid back. He knows in the end his story will do him justice. See how relaxed he looks! Author Interview: A few months ago at one of the author’s workshops that I facilitate for the local library, I met Samantha Moran. During the session, Sam was able to share some of her work with the group. The reaction was very positive. Sam and I started talking afterwards. Not only did I invite her to visit the blog, but Sam will be joining me at several upcoming festivals. Let’s get to know more about Samantha. Tell us something about yourself and how you became an author. Hello! I’m a proud graduate of Western Michigan University with a background in English Secondary Education. I am the mother to two amazing kids, and I’m also a Multiple Sclerosis warrior. I’ve wanted to become an author since I was twelve years old. In middle school, I attended the “Live Poets Society” weekly meeting at the Northfield Township Library in my hometown (Whitmore Lake, MI), but at some point as I grew up, I stopped believing in my dream. I didn’t start writing again until I was twenty-five after my first child was born. One day in 2017, I confessed to my husband that writing a book had always been my dream, but I felt like no one would want to read it. I had a plan for a book in my mind but wasn’t going to see it through. That night, he handed me my laptop and told me to get to work! Since then, we started our own imprint (Obsidian Inkwell Publishing, LLC) and I’ve released five works: “Stages of Grief,” Without You, Tales of Grief and Healing, Dealings in the Dark, and Bound and Betrayed. I have two more book releases coming this year, as well as a short tale. Do you ever imagine one of your novels being made into a movie or television series? If one of my books were ever to be made into a movie or television series, I would hope it was Dealings in the Dark. This is the first work in my ongoing Cursed Souls series. It’s a supernatural and occult horror with witches, demons, hellhounds, and a deal gone very wrong. This particular work lends itself to the screen because it’s short, fast-paced, and riddled with secrets and generational trauma. Any favorite actors you’d cast in the lead roles? The two main characters in Dealings in the Dark are Alexandria Hendricks and Iroth, an insufferable demon. As I wrote these characters, two actors came to mind. Ironically, and completely coincidentally, the actress I would cast for Alexandria Hendricks has a similar name. I would love to see Alexandra Daddario fulfill that role. For Iroth, I envision Jensen Ackles. He had the right swagger to create the insufferable demon’s personality. What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you write the chapters in sequence? Typically, my writing process starts with a vague idea and free flow. I find it hard to sit and outline a book from the beginning. I sometimes write a brief summary of where I want the book to go, but not always. More often, I simply sit down and start writing. I work with whatever comes out, adjusting as needed. At about the halfway point, I start outlining what remains. Doing so once my mind has already latched on to the story helps me stay on track but still gives me creative freedom. Tell us a little bit about the characters in your latest book. On February 1st, of this year I released a short work, Without You: A Novelette. Without You is a sequel to my first published work, “Stages of Grief.” In addition to the individual publication, I released Tales of Grief and Healing: A Complete Duology which contains both of these tales in one binding. My goal was to make the work more accessible for readers who needed different things. Without You: A Novelette tells the story of Owen, a character from “Stages of Grief,” who has recently lost someone close to him. In the wake of her death, he has to learn to live without this person and discover his new “normal.” This tale covers the ups and downs in the days following tragic loss. For example, it discusses the days that are so difficult that the character can barely take care of himself because of the crushing depression he feels, but it also covers the days that are surprisingly okay and how that’s somehow worse because he feels terrible about experiencing happiness without her there. I wrote this book because, though I’m only thirty years old, I have lost a significant number of people in my life. While it is fiction and does include a paranormal component (not scary), my hope is that it provides others with a safe space to process their losses and accept that their feelings are valid. We all need that. As I like to write in my inscriptions, hearts are always broken in the end, but you have to let the good things in. Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? My characters tend to pop into my mind as they are needed. I try to begin the story with two or three main characters and fill in the blanks as the plot progresses. Sometimes, the side characters become my favorite! What is your latest book about? My latest release is Without You: A Novelette. Here are the back cover details: Life after loss is so hard to find, but you have to let the good things in. Owen Josephson knows that life doesn't always end with death. He has spent his own life watching the ghosts of strangers’ pine after the lives they've lost and the loved ones they've left behind. But after a tragic loss, Owen is faced with a reality he never expected to endure. Without the one he loves most, Owen must learn how to move on with the life he has left and put her ghost behind him. Follow his journey in this heartrending tale as grief becomes hope after profound loss. Can you share an excerpt, too? Certainly! There are many different kinds of loss in life. Some are small, a favorite toy misplaced as a child or a missing ring of keys. Some are larger, more impactful and challenging, like a friend who moves away or a career ending. Then, there are the greater moments, profound in their depth, things that tear at your soul and leave you raw and empty. We try so hard to avoid these losses, even though they are inevitable. For most, the singular comfort in these endings is that they are final, absolute. Death is meant to be a permanent departure. Those who leave us cease to exist on the earthly plane. They’re not meant to be in pain. We are. It’s devastating for those of us who are left behind. It’s a person-sized hole punched into the fabric of the universe at which we stare until we can no longer make out the edges. It hurts, plain and simple, but then we somehow move on. We let go of that emptiness and continue with our lives, accepting the new job, splurging on that trip we always meant to take, moving into the new apartment, adopting a dog, or maybe making friends with the cute server at the bar. The only thing that allows this forward momentum is the acceptance that nothing will ever change. Resisting death is futile, and abandoning life is obscene. Most people don’t see what I see. I know that “dead” doesn’t mean “gone.” I know that the ones who leave us can linger for weeks, months, and sometimes decades. I see the figures that trail behind weary travelers on the subway. They sit beside us in the cafes. They stare at our computer screens at work. Death isn’t as final as everyone believes. To read the rest of the prologue from Without You: A Novelette, visit my website here. I always post the first section of my published works there for free. What’s the next project you’ll be working on? At this moment, I’m almost finished with my rewrites of The Ruin, the first manuscript I ever completed. This is the story that started it all, the one my husband insisted I write after I told him about my dreams on the beach in South Haven, MI. It’s been six years in the making, and I can’t wait to share it with the world! The Ruin is a crossover between literary fiction, urban fantasy, and Norse mythology reimagining. Blurb: For two years, twenty-one-year-old Kara Edwards has struggled to keep her mother alive after a terminal cancer diagnosis. She's working herself to the bone at a minimum-wage job and sinking deep into debt to pay for expensive treatments. Unfortunately, when the final procedure does not go according to plan, she’s run out of options. Her world teeters on the brink of collapse as she faces the reality that her mother is out of time. That is until her mother’s doctor offers Kara one more option, an expensive and illegal experimental drug called Novemion. To make matters worse, her absent father is suddenly back in town, and he’s brought an unbelievable family secret with him, one that presents Kara with the strangest of opportunities. If his stories are true, she might be able to save her mother’s life with a dangerous supernatural ability, but it would put the whole of humanity at risk. Once again, Kara is faced with an impossible choice, and each comes with a steep price. She can place her hope in the untested experimental treatment, give into the temptation of the mythical family secret and risk millions of lives, or allow the mother she idolizes to die. What will she choose, and can she live with the consequences? You can learn more about Samantha and find her works at the links below. www.samanthamoran.net "Stages of Grief: A Short Story" (http://amazon.com/dp/B0B85VQML6) Without You: A Novelette (http://amazon.com/dp/B0BQRTVG7R) Tales of Grief and Healing: A Complete Duology (http://amazon.com/dp/B0BR8CNPPT) Dealings in the Dark (http://amazon.com/dp/B0BFJNK2VX) Bound and Betrayed (http://amazon.com/dp/B0BNGC5G53) The Ruin (https://www.amazon.com/Ruin-Samantha-Moran-ebook/dp/B0BWVF17ST) Music: No newsletter can be complete with a musical guest. I enjoy variety and both my Spotify and Pandora accounts have favorite tracks in many genres. This month Norah Jones has been popping up a lot. Norah Jones established her catalog of hit songs beginning in the early 2000s. With her skills as a vocalist, pianist and songwriter, it didn’t take long before she began attracting worldwide attention. Jones has been nominated for more than 40 Grammy awards, winning 14 times. Billboard magazine named her as one of the top jazz artists of the 2000 decade. Here’s my top five favorites from Norah Jones. Don’t Know Why: https://youtu.be/tO4dxvguQDk Nearness of You: https://youtu.be/hsczuCzyUs4 Come Away with Me: https://youtu.be/lbjZPFBD6JU Shoot the Moon: https://youtu.be/TENV8IhpZ2A Chasing Pirates: https://youtu.be/uTxythHY09k Three years! Seriously? It seems like only a short while ago that I decided to switch from occasional posts to my blog and put together something more consistent. I wanted to include my take on the various components of writing, along with updates on my current projects, an interview with another author or the occasional character, and of course, music. There must be music! And to make my newsletter a little different from so many others, I opted to release it on the 19th of each month. Starting with March made perfect sense, since that combination of numbers 3 19 will always be special to me. So here we are, three years later, with issue 36. With a tip of the hat to the legendary comic, Jackie Gleason, let’s get the party started. “Away We Go!” Writing: Writing is a solitary business unless you’re collaborating with another author. So whenever I get the chance to trade samples with others, I’m eager to take it. Recently I had the opportunity to participate in not one but two writing workshops. Being surrounded with others who are seriously working on their own stories is an absolute blast. About ten people were able to read excerpts from their projects and get feedback and reactions from the group. That’s priceless. In the interest of time, we kept it to a maximum of seven minutes, so that others would have a chance to read as well. During the second workshop, I was able to chat with a couple of people who were at the first session. They both enjoyed hearing other writers share their scenes, but the more impactful part was the reactions they got. Seeing the expressions on people’s faces and hearing the comments they shared is vital to any writer. Getting that feedback can help take their efforts to the next level. One lady said that she found those interactions inspiring and she’ll channel that into her own efforts. I encouraged her to share her work with others next time. The group is not a competition, it’s about supporting each other on the writing journey. Work In Progress: The crime story featuring Leo Agonasti and his good friend Maximo Aurelio continues to develop. Other responsibilities have kept me away from the keyboard more than I like, but different scenes, interactions amongst the players and more twists keep coming to mind. For some reason three o’clock in the morning is often when inspiration strikes. Most days that’s enough to get my brain firing with different ways an idea could work into the manuscript. As soon as possible, I enter these ideas into the file and review them later in the day when I’m more alert. As a nun in elementary school once said ‘crude, but effective’. Call it what you like, but it works well for me. The Virtual Event: Last month’s virtual book festival was a tremendous hit. Many people participated, watching the antics from this crazy band of creative writers as we tried to identify the culprits. Multiple attempts by Diana, the facilitator and moderator of the group, to rein us in and keep the investigation flowing led to more hilarity and oddball questions. Diana, in her wisdom put replays of all the episodes on YouTube and created a yearbook of all the authors who shared their work and were part of this zaniness. Links are provided here. You might just discover a new favorite. There are works in every genre. https://www.pagespromotions.com/2023-virtual-festival-yearbook.html#/ https://www.pagespromotions.com/2023-event-replays.html#/ Author Interview: I’ve been fortunate to connect with many great authors from different parts of the globe. There is so much talent out there, beyond our borders. It’s my pleasure this month to introduce you to Lynn Griffin who hails from the United Kingdom. Welcome, Lynn! Tell something about yourself and how you became an author? I’ve done a wide variety of jobs, from child-care to lecturer and along the way have met really fascinating people. Some of their stories have been funny, but some have been so shocking it would make your toes curl. I wanted to hug them. My education was nothing to shout about but I could read, and I could write, and I wanted to help those who couldn’t. After all, at the very least it puts us all on a level playing field. Anyway, as said, I love writing and have been writing around the paid job for years. However, I’ve never had the confidence to submit my work until very recently. If it wasn’t for someone giving me a huge nudge with a “get it out there before you pop your clogs mate,” I don’t think it would have ever happened. When I was offered a contract by The Wild Rose Press, I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was a scam. Seriously! I double checked. Of course, it wasn’t. So, to anyone else out there thinking about submitting their work. If I can do it, then so can you. Do you ever imagine of your novels being made into a movie or television series? Absolutely. In fact, most of my readers have told me that it would make either a great movie or TV series, and the latest review on Goodreads suggests exactly that. Such a compliment! When I write, I see everything in film as if it is happening right before my eyes. The trouble is when I bump someone off it can get a bit scary. Any favorite actors you’d cast in the lead roles? Hmm. Oh, my goodness. Richard E Grant, or Hugh Grant, maybe for the part of Uncle Jack, British, kind eyes, and great all-rounders. (Seems like there might be a bit of a name theme going on). But I’d also like to give a chance to an upcoming young actor for the female roles. I never forget where I started, and we all have to start somewhere. What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you write the chapters in sequence? I have an idea in my head and start writing. Then I stop and use a timeline on a flipchart to make sure everything works, then once the bones are there, I start fleshing it out. The trouble is my imaginary friends are really bossy, they shout at me in the middle of the night, when I’m shopping, anywhere in fact, and it can get a tad embarrassing. I find myself telling them to be quiet, whilst they are shouting at me to hurry up and get on with it. I get strange looks. But then I am weird. Stay weird I say. Tell us a little bit about the characters in your latest book. The Twenty-One-Year Contract is set 1950s London. But the story begins much earlier. In 1939, Devilishly handsome Jack is a pilot, and an engineer and his skills much sought after across the world troubleshooting mining disasters. When Jack learns WWII is about to break out, his immediate instinct is to return to his native home in the UK to offer his skills as a Spitfire pilot. In Brighton, Jack meets Cassandra. From the moment he sets eyes on her he knows she is the one. Deeply, madly, in love, he intends to ask her to marry him. Luck is not on his side. Cassandra returns to London, before he can discover her true identity. While fighting for his country he never gives up hope of finding her. But when he arrives in London, the street she has mentioned have been bombed, and though his search for her becomes a fruitless task, he never gives up hope. Kathleen is a little wild, popular, fun, and talented. At fourteen her adoptive parents are involved in a tragic accident. Stricken with grief and guilt she takes a chance; she becomes Kate and runs away to the bright lights of London. She starts working for atelier where her talents are instantly recognized, but very soon she becomes drawn into the seedy underworld and is determined to put wrongs right. Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? There’s a mixed answer to this. My central characters are there, in my face. I know them instantly, but they have this habit of introducing me to their friends and acquaintances. I have to listen, don’t I? What is your latest book about? Fourteen-year-old Kathleen Gray— talented, a little wild, at times rebellious, but always popular—has a fun, easy life in rural Somerset, with a doting family. Suddenly, they are gone, she has only Uncle Jack. Try as he might, he cannot be father and mother to her. Kathleen takes a chance and becomes Kate Westfield, fending for herself in London, with a new life built on her hopes and dreams and new friends. She could hardly have imagined that one of those friends has a shoebox full of answers. The Twenty-One-Year Contract – sequel (also standalone) to Secrets, Shame, and a Shoebox. Can you share an excerpt? 'After a glass of water, Jack made himself a cup of tea and returned to the job in hand. This was going to be much harder than he could ever have imagined. Working deep through the night, Jack methodically sifted through volumes of paperwork until light inched its way through the curtain. Though he felt thoroughly ready for bed, he continued searching, his aim to find at least a smidgen of information about his niece. Randomly tidying up as he went, Jack noticed an encyclopedia oddly extended over one of the top shelves. He tried pushing it back into place. It was jammed. It looked awkward. Pulling it out to check the depth of the book, he found a box file hidden behind. Upon the side panel was one word, capitalized in thick bold lettering: KATHLEEN. As the hazy sunlight grew, Jack pulled the curtains to lend natural light, took the file off the shelf, sat back in Henry’s chair, and looked inside. He ran his hand through his hair, exhausted, this was going to be far harder than he could have ever expected…’ What’s the next project you’ll be working on? I have two works in progress. The one I’m focused on at the moment is a contemporary romance. I needed to write something fun and sassy and it certainly is. I am really looking forward to seeing it finished, though I know it will be a loss as I know I will miss Georgia, I love her and writing about her escapades. Here are the buy links: mybook.to/twentyone https://books2read.com/u/3JER1P https://www.amazon.co.uk/Twenty-One-Year-Contract https://www.amzn.com/1509239723 https://www.amzn.com/B09THQKFJS https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn1509239723 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Shame-Shoebox https://wildrosepress.com Music: Since my guest Lynn hails from the United Kingdom, it was the opportune moment to feature one of my favorite bands from there. The Rolling Stones have been entertaining the world for more than six decades now. Recognized by many as one of the most popular bands of the rock era, the Stones have sold more than 240 million records worldwide. There are rumors about that the band may actually tour this year, but nothing definite has been announced. Yet.’ Here are my top five favorites. Jumpin’ Jack Flash: https://youtu.be/qGd7SkdETro Satisfaction: https://youtu.be/poXvMBhjSWk Sympathy for the Devil: https://youtu.be/GgnClrx8N2k You Can’t Always Get: https://youtu.be/Ef9QnZVpVd8 Can’t You Hear Me Knocking: https://youtu.be/3fa4HUiFJ6c Every once in a while, a new release will catch my eye and I can’t wait to share it with the world. That’s the case today. I’ve been waiting months for this collection of stories to be available. The title alone was enough to capture my attention. With this list of contributing authors, I knew these stories were exactly what I was searching for. Here’s the rundown. Grave Dangers: A Thriller, Suspense, And Horror Collection Whether it be in a small town, an abandoned asylum, or a bustling city, no one is safe from the ugliest parts of human nature. A social media influencer, a college student, a detective – titles make no difference when death plays Russian Roulette. Question is, who will be next? Fifteen amazing stories sure to keep you up at night… Black Hollow by S. K. Gregory--Lore returns home after learning her twin sister has been murdered. As she tries to uncover the truth, she discovers a world she never knew existed. Protecting His Wolfe by Melissa Keir--Crime is rampant. The police’s hands are tied. But mine aren’t. Some would call me a vigilante, but I prefer savior. This town is mine, and the crime’s got to go. Red Ribbon Murders by Elena Blake and Killian Wrathmore-- The Chrysanthemum Curse by Doyle Fawcett & Spiro Griffith-- Never Take What's Not Yours Waiting in Darkness by Maegan Beaumont--She's forgotten who she is. Who she belongs to. That's he's waiting for her... in darkness. Altered Memories by Jennifer Wedmore-- Voices by Kayla Krantz--Lynn’s always heard voices, but what if she’s not the crazy one? Predatory Evil by Sheri Chapman-- Demonic creatures invade the Earth and threaten humanity And many more! Only 99 pennies! AVAILABLE on March 7th! Link: https://books2read.com/u/md6KJw Including PROTECTING HIS WOLFE (The Pigg Detective Agency: Book 1) By Melissa Keir Crime is rampant. The police’s hands are tied. But mine aren’t. Some would call me a vigilante, but I prefer savior. This town is mine, and the crime’s got to go. Innocent Betsie Wolfe stumbles upon a murder. The small-town girl had left her cozy little life for a job in the big city, never expecting to become a witness to a murder or face vicious threats. I’d hoped she would run back to her preacher father, but she’s made of sterner stuff, and I can respect that. Handsome Detective Jonah Pigg is attracted to the ingénue and settles her into his home under the protection of the three brothers who own the Pigg Detective Agency. It will take all his detective work to keep her safe, and I won’t make it easy. Passion has a way of igniting when people are under stress, and lust leads Betsie and Jonah into each other’s arms. But will the good detective be able to save her, or will she become another victim? One way or another, this town will be cleaned up. EXCERPT:
Jonah slapped his hand against the table then jumped to his feet. “Argh! Why can’t we get a break in this case?” He brushed his hand through his hair and strode around the conference table. “Ninety days and, while we have more dead criminals, we haven’t a clue about who’s doing the killing.” He perched on the edge of the table and studied the crime board. Sometimes talking through things aloud helped, but he’d done that time and time again, to no avail. He’d been back to the morgue to push Frank to find something, anything, but the killer hadn’t given them a clue. Whoever was killing the criminals—suspected criminals in the eye of the law—was cleaning up the town, but citizens shouldn’t be taking the law into their own hands. The perpetrator had become the police, judge, jury, and executioner. Numerous faces stared back at him from the board. All mug shots. Seventeen people. Sure, they’d all been convicted at some point of something. Yet, they could have gone straight. Jonah bit back a laugh. “Yeah, right. These guys haven’t turned a new leaf.” Some, like Todd Gregory, had been in and out of jail since their teens. “The only thing missing from the board are women.” He scanned the images again. Surely, Arlington had women criminals. A lady of the evening, a drug dealer, or even a murderer. He slowly stood and leaned toward the images. “The boys in blue have picked up both men and women over the last four months. Put them through the system. But no ladies have shown up here…tied to the serial killer. Hmmm.” He laced his hands behind his back and ambled around the room. February! How did that happen? Seems like just a blink ago, we were settling down for the Christmas holidays. Now we’re racing through the second month without a look in the rearview mirror. Progress is actually happening. As Dr. Amy Cuddy says ‘small steps can lead to big changes.’ I’ll run with that. Meanwhile, it’s time for my thoughts on writing, an update on my latest efforts and news about an absolutely crazy virtual event. There’s also an interview with author Chloe Holiday, and music. There’s gotta be music. Here we go! Writing: Earlier this month, I participated in a book event at the local library. They pulled out all the stops to make this special. More than 20 authors were in the house, staged in different rooms. There was a small jazz band performing, food and even prizes. Yes, food and music in a public library! Who would have believed it? Nearly 200 people visited that night, which was remarkable for a three hour session. One lady stopped by my table and after looking at all seven books, raised a quizzical eyebrow at me. “You just make this stuff up.” I gestured around the room at the other nine authors. “Everyone in here writes fiction. So in a sense, yes, we make it up. The stories come from our imagination.” She glared at me. “Just what I thought!” “But you should know, there’s a fair amount of research that goes into my work. I can’t speak for everyone here, but I’m always researching things to include in my books.” Now I had her. She picked up The Wayward Path. “What did you research in this one?” “I interviewed a woman who trains human remains dogs and used that information to open the book. I also talked with an old friend who is an expert on the Civil War. He also participates in reenactments.” She put the book down and asked about others. I explained that over the course of the books, I’ve interviewed people who work in technology, law enforcement, the medical profession, a yoga instructor and a firearms expert. There were others but she didn't want to hear it. “But you still make things up!” I agreed. She bought a copy of Devious and moved on. Research is important to my work. It’s part of weaving an intriguing, believable story. I want details that will be accurate for everything I’m writing. Sometimes I can get that information on the internet. Or I may know someone who knows someone and that leads to expert information. Many people like to share the details from their careers or hobbies. But in the end, we do make things up. How the characters interact, how the conflicts are resolved, what happens next to the main characters and the secondary ones, are all a result of the authors imagination. That’s why they call it fiction. Work In Progress: In addition to work on the next book, I contributed to a new promo system called Shepherd. This one’s a little different. Authors are encouraged to list five books that they enjoyed that could have influenced their work. Since I write the two different series, I put together favorites for cozy mysteries (that would be similar to the Jamie Richmond books) and one for contemporary mysteries. Here are the links so you can check them out. https://shepherd.com/best-books/contemporary-cozy-mysteries https://shepherd.com/best-books/contemporary-mysteries My efforts on the crime novel slowed, but the story continues to evolve. I’ve added some new scenes, fleshed out a couple more characters and added a twist here, a twist there. Progress. Slow steps but now that football season is officially over, I may be able to spend more time with Leo and the other players. Fortunately, Leo is much more patient than Jamie. Nothing specific on a title yet, but that doesn’t worry me. Inspiration is liable to hit me like a lightning bolt from Zeus. When it does, I’ll be ready. Virtual Book Festival: This event has got to be one of the funniest things I’ve ever been a part of. On any given night 20 or more authors appear on the Zoom screen. Usually two of them will read short scenes from one of their books. Later in the show, autographed copies of those books will be awarded to prize winners. After the readings, we all dive in to the ‘investigation’. It’s shifted now to a murder mystery. The interactions with the suspects and the sleuths is hilarious. There has been so much laughter in these interrogations that it’s impossible to keep a straight face. Diana, the ringleader/moderator has almost fallen from her chair at the shenanigans. You can also watch the recordings from previous sessions on YouTube by clicking on the links for each day’s featured authors. The craziness will continue until February 27th. The last day of the month will be a wrap up, revealing the final part of the whodunit and awarding the grand prizes and other goodies. So even if you can only pop in occasionally, it’s definitely a fun time. Click on the link to register and learn more about the ‘case’. https://www.pagespromotions.com/2023-mystery-game.html#/ Author Interview: A few months back, I connected with Chloe Holiday. We both have novels published with Wild Rose Press. Chloe has also been featured on the Indie Reads Aloud program and she’s currently one of the ‘suspects’ in the virtual book festival mentioned above. It was a golden opportunity to get to know more about her. Tell something about yourself and how you became an author? I spent years in a crazy busy profession, and suddenly retired because of a family member’s illness. This entailed a move to another state, and with the real estate market at the time, I was apart from my spouse while he readied the house for sale. I developed a terrible case of insomnia from worry and separation at the same time I’d suddenly gone from no time at all to lots of unscheduled hours. I read ravenously, indulging in a beloved pastime that had been “back-burner” for way too long, and to distract myself from family concerns. Some of the stories were wonderful, but some…weren’t. The more I read, I thought, “Maybe I could do this.” That’s how my first novel came about, fueled by a sleep-deprived mind. Do you ever imagine of your novels being made into a movie or television series? I suspect most people do, in their manic moments. I’m no different, but mine would take a high budget, with the flying and underwater scenes, and foreign locations. Any favorite actors you’d cast in the lead roles? No, though of course, there are many I love. It’s because by the time anything is ever made into a movie, the “it” actors are decades older. What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you write the chapters in sequence? My first novel came from a desire to write a STEM heroine in an action story, and because of a misdelivered postcard for a scientific conference in Boston. That one just sort of bubbled out—but it was two novels shoved together, not one. The experience taught me that some sort of a plan is best, so now I do a rough, skeletal outline before I jump to the fun part—writing. As I go along, more ideas come to me, so I go back and add in details and hints to previous chapters. I generally go in order, but there are times I’m on fire to write a certain pivotal scene, and for those I jump ahead to “get it out of my system" and revisit them later. Tell us a little bit about the characters in your latest book. Desire in Deutschland is about a young military policeman, newly stationed in Germany, and a Kaiserslautern girl who runs across him after a soccer game. It’s a spicy insta-lust, crossed-wires, culture shock story, and was lots of fun for me to write, since we were stationed in Germany for three years. I never did THAT in a castle ruin, though! Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? The heroes and heroines are usually first, as a “what if” idea--what if the hearing loss a woman struggles with every day is an asset during an underwater excavation? What if a commander’s apparent dislike for the hero hid something much more nefarious? Many of the side characters develop more as I write—my goal is to make them fun and memorable, too. I incorporate past experiences for that touch of authenticity, so many of my characters are military, medical, pilots, etc. Sometimes, it’s all at once. For my first published novel, Helios, I was stuck on what to write, so I drew tropes and character types out of a bowl, which got me Rich Foreign Alpha Male, Repressed Young Woman, Workplace/Travel Romance. For the All-American Boy series, each story had to have “Boy” in the title—but at first, it seemed like all the good ones were taken! I wracked my brain, and came up with A Boy & his Dog (about an ex-military bomb tech trying to reunite with his former K-9 partner) and Fly Boy (about a crop duster and a woman reluctantly teaming up to saver her family orchard). What Is You Latest Book About: One smoldering look from the sexy American draws Birgitte across the cultural divide into passion she never dreamed of... Never again. University student Birgitte Schumacher swore off men, after an American GI seduced her, then left Germany for good. But when she runs into a sexy military policeman on the streets of Kaiserslautern, he just might be her ruin. Just one beer was Lee Klein's plan. Yet when he sees the woman outside the pub, she’s all he wants. Birgitte’s irresistible pull leads him into a steamy rendezvous. He hopes for more until a conflict of interest ignites a culture clash of simmering attraction versus duty. Can you share an excerpt too? Sure! Here, Birgitte is taking Lee on a tour of the local castle ruins: What Lee needed was more time around this woman, with her sexy accent and cheerfulness. “I’m glad you were available. I was tempted to just stay in today.” Birgitte laughed, a warm chuckle. “Sometimes you have to ignore your innerer schweinehund and make yourself do something.” Lee frowned, picking apart the words. “My inner… pig dog?” “Yes, your inner pig dog. You don’t say this? It’s the thing that makes you want what you want, even if it’s a bad idea.” Lee laughed. “I’ll remember that one. German is more fun than I thought, with all those words strung together.” He watched the road curves ahead, instead of staring at her legs the way his pig dog wanted. Down, boy. Lee smiled. My innerer schweinehund is strong. Very strong. What’s the next project you’ll be working on? I generally juggle two or three at once—one first draft, one in revision, and sometimes a final polish on yet another. Right now I’m working on revisions for No Easy Match, a story about a transplant surgeon recruited to start a program in the Caribbean, and a first draft for a story about a pool shark and a college woman. Include buy links, cover art and a picture of you. Please attach the photos in jpeg to the email. You can find more about Chloe and hers books on the following links. https://www.chloeholiday.com/ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BKYF66TS Universal book link (it’s wide!): UBL: https://storyoriginapp.com/universalbooklinks/747fa55e-5ed8-11ed-80c2-3f4c5b771926 Check it out on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63163565-desire-in-deutschland It’s available in audio, too! AUDIO: Universal link: https://storyoriginapp.com/universalaudiobooklinks/417a5f70-7cc7-11ed-a724-ef92dfdad290 Direct from the author via Gumroad & BookFunnel: https://chloeholidaywriter.gumroad.com/l/ojzqg Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Desire-Deutschland-Passport-Pleasure/dp/B0BQCRL4WM/ Google: https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Chloe_Holiday_Desire_in_Deutschland?id=AQAAAEDCqEfolM KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/desire-in-deutschland Chirp: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/desire-in-deutschland-by-chloe-holiday Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/desire-in-deutschland-chloe-holiday/1142600179 BingeBooks: https://bingebooks.com/book/desire-in-deutschland Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/612918643/Desire-in-Deutschland Libro FM https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781952775178 Audiobooks.com https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/desire-in-deutschland/650585 Storytel: https://www.storytel.com/se/sv/books/3663973 Music: Variety is the spice of life. That’s especially true when it comes to music. I’m constantly rediscovering talented artists from the past who pop up on Spotify, Pandora or YouTube. Anita Baker is the latest example. This songstress has ties to Detroit, where she was known for her soulful ballads. During the height of her career, she captured 8 Grammy Awards and had 4 platinum albums. With a three octave vocal range, Baker has always wowed her audiences. After taking a break to raise her family and enjoying a brief retirement, Baker has undergone a comeback. She is also touring across the country this year. Here’s my top five favorites. Caught Up in the Rapture: https://youtu.be/Oz-b86LZ21c Sweet Love: https://youtu.be/2w6udgiojlE Same Ole Love: https://youtu.be/e1aSkJ7HNxA Giving You the Best: https://youtu.be/8lbJgOJIS_8 Body and Soul: https://youtu.be/7IwIUYSE5Tg |
New Release
Archives
April 2024
Categories
All
AudioStealing Haven
Why 319? The Wayward Path Devious Vanishing Act Your Turn To Die Chasing Favors Fleeing Beauty Dear Writer
Portage District Library Pages Promotions Summer 2020 Virtual Book Festival She Blurbs Podcast |