FEATURED CHARACTER: TERRY AMBROSE'S WILSON McKENNA

ABOUT THE BOOK

Honolulu landlord Wilson McKenna can smell a scam from across the room. So when one of his tenants loses everything in a work-at-home scam involving a new perfume, he’s shocked. With his wedding just weeks away, McKenna has to make a tough decision. Does he evict a woman who’s down on her luck? Or take time out from wedding planning to help his tenant?

Turning the case over to his PI-in-training friend Chance Logan seems like the perfect solution—until Chance tells McKenna he needs a wingman for a visit to fragrance entrepreneur Skye Pilkington-Winchester. McKenna’s sure he can keep everyone happy by helping Chance this one time. But nothing is ever as easy as it seems, and soon McKenna’s up to his board shorts in hot water. His tenant’s simple fragrance scam might involve industrial espionage, Skye’s assistant is murdered, and McKenna’s bride-to-be accuses him of having cold feet.

As McKenna and Chance dig deeper, it seems so much of what they’re being told doesn’t pass the sniff test. And the only way to get his life back is to find the dead girl’s missing boyfriend, unmask a killer, and finish up in time for the wedding. Other than that, it’s just another day in paradise.

Book Details;

Title: The Scent of Waikiki

Author: Terry Ambrose

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Trouble in Paradise, book 9

Publisher: Satori (July 19, 2018)

Print Length: 330 pages

On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours

ABOUT WILSON McKENNA

 McKenna is a former skip tracer who moved to Hawaii after losing his job and the woman he loved. After several years of being miserable, he found his purpose when one of his tenants got him involved in a murder investigation. He’s been chasing killers ever since and now works with Chance Logan, who wants to become a private investigator.

INTERVIEW WITH TERRY AMBROSE'S WILSON McKENNA

McKenna, how did you first meet Terry?
We met on a lovely summer day while he was visiting Kauai. He was looking out through the slats of the blinds at all that gorgeous sunshine and got the brilliant idea to write a mystery series about a broken-down, former skip tracer. He thought we hit it off right away. Me—not so much. I mean, who wants to hang out with a guy who knows exactly how to make you miserable?

Sounds like you might like to dish about him?
So glad you asked. Terry might think he’s in control of my stories, but he doesn’t get it. What happens on the page is my business. He keeps butting in and trying to make things worse for me. Personally, I think he’s got some sort of mental thing going on that he’s only happy when I’m not.

Why do you think that your life has ended up being in a book?
Because I keep winding up chasing down bad guys and all these mystery readers would rather read about it than go out and solve their own crimes.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.
I don’t want to give away the good stuff, but my favorite scene was once my least favorite. I met this guy named Steward Johnson, and he decided to kidnap me so we could chase down a bad guy. I thought Steward was a nutcase at the time. Well, he probably is, but that’s another issue altogether. While I didn’t like careening around the streets of Honolulu, now that I look back on it, I can laugh about the whole thing. Sort of. Maybe not. You know what? I have a little planning to do. Call it a revenge trip for my writer. Anybody know a good stunt driver?

What do you like to do when someone's not reading about you?
I’m a landlord and have landlord stuff to do. Lately, it seems I have to do all of that in between books. So don’t think just because I’m not chasing some bad guy that I’m not busy. Besides, I’m getting married soon and that’s going to keep me busy for a while. I’m also thinking about starting an anti-junk mail service. For a small fee, we’ll follow the mail truck around and throw all the junk straight into a recycling bin. Nice, huh? My customers will have the ultimate in convenience and  peace of mind. They’ll never have to look at another piece of junk mail and it will all be properly recycled.

Brilliant! If you could rewrite anything in your book, what would it be?
Anything? Well, I’d make myself taller, about ten years younger, and give me some of those kung fu voodoo moves my friend Chance Logan has. Come to think of it, I might just swap places with him. He’s got money, brains, and good looks. I love it. Somebody give me a pen, I’ve got rewrites to do.

Tell the truth. What do you think of your fellow characters?
It’s kind of like real life. I like my friends and don’t like the bad guys. My friend Chance and I get along really well. He and I banter back and forth and occasionally I even let him win a couple of those. And Benni, my bride-to-be is phenomenal. Of course, I’m head-over-heels in love with her and she’d probably beat the crap out of me if I didn’t say that. So, she’s phenomenal. Loving. Caring. Is that enough, honey? Looks like we’re good.

What impression do you make on people when they first meet you? How about after they've known you for a while?
When I first meet people, they usually think I’m a grumpy old coot. After they get to know me, they realize I’m not really that old.



Ha! Tell us about your best friend.
Chance Logan has turned into one of my good friends. On the plus side, he’s young, filthy rich, and wants to be a private investigator. He’s not without his faults, though. He’s been through a number of careers—most of which ended badly. The worst was probably when he decided he wanted to be an actor. He landed the role of leading man in an action-adventure movie, but then he got drunk one night, stole the studio’s helicopter from the set, and crashed it. Chance doesn’t like to talk about the incident for some reason, but I say let bygones be bygones. It’s not like he burned down the set . . . wait, maybe I’d better ask him about that.

What do you like best about Chance Logan?
Chance has lots of money. That makes him a great sidekick because it’s like traveling with a human ATM. In the old days, back when I was skip tracing, I had to pry information out of people in any number of ways. With Chance around, I just say, “Cash please.” Next thing you know, some guy who was reluctant to talk is singing like a lark.
Least?
The thing I like least about Chance might be his lock-picking skills. I mean, who spends two minutes working on a lock when you’re standing out in an open hallway? He needs to get it together because I’m too old to wear an orange jumpsuit. Have you ever thought about how much those things must itch on a hot summer day?

Describe where you live.
Honolulu is a typical big city in many ways. But it’s also distinctly Hawaiian because the mishmash of cultures that make up Hawaii all come together here. Of course, we have a fabulous beach, world-class shopping, and great restaurants—most of which I never bother with because we also have so many tourists. Let’s face it, those of us who live in paradise can do all the cool stuff anytime we want. The tourists only have a couple of weeks. As a result, we go about our daily lives trying to avoid the tourists who are having all the fun. Maybe we need a tourist-free day so us locals could enjoy the place once in a while.

Describe an average day in your life.
I’m a landlord so my typical day is pretty boring. The apartment complex I manage only has twenty units, so it’s not a huge job to deal with the tenants. I sometimes have to arrange for plumbers and pest exterminators and window washers. But by and large, I have time during a typical day to be inquisitive about any number of things, and that sometimes involves a murder.

What makes you stand out from any other characters in your genre?
You mean other than those loud aloha shirts we wear here in the islands? I’m funnier than most of those other amateur sleuths. And a lot of them are women. Don’t get me wrong, I’m getting ready to marry a woman. So I like women. But I’ve been known to be a tad snarky at times—okay, a lot snarky.

Will you encourage Terry to write a sequel?
Encourage? No. Demand? Now we’re talking. It’s expensive living in paradise. So if I’m going to stay here, he’s got to keep writing stories about me. On top of that, I kind of like the attention. I have fans . . . so that’s kind of fun. Imagine that—me—with fans.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Terry Ambrose is a former skip tracer who tracked down deadbeats for a living. He’s long since turned his talents to writing mysteries and thrillers. Several of his books have been award finalists and in 2014 his thriller, Con Game, won the San Diego Book Awards for Best Action-Thriller. He likes cool photography, funny mysteries, and finding the oddest things while walking on the beach. He’s currently working on the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery series.

Connect with Terry:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads 

Buy the book:
Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FEATURED AUTHOR: FRANKIE BOW

ABOUT THE BOOK

Professor Molly Barda investigates a mysterious paddling accident and realizes it isn’t just business majors who cheat to get what they want. Whether it’s moving up in the college rankings, getting a seat in the big canoe race, or just looking out for themselves, some people will do whatever it takes-including murder.




INTERVIEW WITH FRANKIE BOW

Frankie, do you write every day? 
I should, but I don’t. My ideal routine would be this: Get up and while my brain is at its freshest, set the Pomodoro timer and bang out a thousand or more words on my work-in-progress. Then go exercise, come back, and write some more. My actual routine goes something like this: Check email (my first mistake). Find blog post opportunity. As I am acting on blog post opportunity, notice that the headlines on my website sidebar are misaligned. Spend the rest of the day trying out different WordPress themes. 

I hear you! What do you think is more important—characters or plot?
Characters. The characters will drive the plot. Let me give you a maddeningly vague example (to avoid spoilers): In The Black Thumb, Molly goes back and forth on an important decision in her personal life. If you know her and the other characters involved, you realize that neither option is a realistic possibility for her. Then there’s a turn of events, which puts the choices in a different light for the characters. At that point they follow a course of action that makes sense. If you populate a story with different characters, you’ll end up with a different story.

Very true. What books do you currently have published?
In addition to the Professor Molly Mysteries, I’ve been writing fanfic for Kindle Worlds in Jana DeLeon’s Miss Fortune world (Sinful Science, Once Upon a Murder, and Tabasco Fiasco).



What is the wallpaper on your computer’s desktop?
Ken Brown’s Let’s Chat guy.

Do you have any secret talents?
More of an “enthusiasm” than a “talent,” but I really enjoy partner dancing, especially swing, blues, and tango. I don’t know if dancing actually makes you smarter, but dancers seem to hang on to their cognitive function better than non-dancers. It’s the only sport that involves embracing someone for an extended period of time, so maybe there’s something about extended hugging that’s good for your brain.

Do you have any marketing tips you could pass on to indie authors?
This is a hard question to answer, because as soon as something looks like it’s working for someone, the rest of us come stampeding in and then whatever it is doesn’t seem to work so well anymore. I still like Goodreads giveaways. They don’t seem to translate directly into sales, but they do get you added to a lot of to-read lists.

How do you feel about Facebook?
I really like Facebook. It’s exactly the right intensity of social interaction for me: low.

Who is your favorite fictional character?
Hilary Tamar, from Sarah Caudwell’s Oxford mysteries. They were written in the 80s, but they have a very Golden Age feel to them.

What are you working on now?
I’ve started doing coloring books for grownups. A lot of people I knew personally use coloring books to relax and de-stress, and I thought I could add a little more variety to what’s out there.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Like Molly Barda, Frankie Bow teaches at a public university. Unlike her protagonist, she is blessed with delightful students, sane colleagues, and a perfectly nice office chair. She believes if life isn't fair, at least it can be entertaining. In addition to writing murder mysteries, she publishes in scholarly journals under her real name. Her experience with academic publishing has taught her to take nothing personally.

Connect with Frankie:

Website and Blog  |  
Facebook  | 
 Twitter   |  Goodreads

Buy the book:
Amazon |  Powells   |  IndieBound  |  Barnes & Noble

BOOKS BY FRANKIE BOW

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FEATURED AUTHOR: AMY M. READE

ABOUT THE BOOK

A dark presence had invaded the Jorgensens' house. On a spectacular bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, something evil is watching and waiting . . . 

Tired of the cold winters in Washington, D.C. and disturbed by her increasingly obsessive boyfriend, Kailani Kanaka savors her move back to her native Big Island of Hawaii. She also finds a new job as personal chef for the Jorgensen family. The gentle caress of the Hawaiian trade winds, the soft sigh of the swaying palm trees, and the stunning blue waters of the Pacific lull her into a sense of calm at the House of Hanging Jade—an idyll that quickly fades as it becomes apparent that dark secrets lurk within her new home. Furtive whispers in the night, a terrifying shark attack, and the discovery of a dead body leave Kailani shaken and afraid. But it's the unexpected appearance of her ex-boyfriend, tracking her every move and demanding she return to him, that has her fearing for her life . . .

 

INTERVIEW WITH AMY M. READE

Amy, do you have a writing routine?
Usually my writing routine is broken up into two parts: promotion and writing. Typically I do promotion in the morning (social media, catching up on emails, and visiting/reading/commenting on other blogs) and writing/revising/editing in the afternoon. I like to work in the evening, but by that time I’m just working on whatever’s calling my name.

Do you write every day?
I write at least six days a week, whether it’s a work-in-progress or a guest blog post or a post for my own blog.

Readers: Amy has a great blog. You should check it out! Amy, how often do you read?
I try to read every day. That’s not to say it actually happens every day, but I give it my best shot. I like to take a book or my Kindle with me wherever I go so if I’m stuck waiting for someone or something, I can spend that time productively. I would love to be able to read much more than I do, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

I hear you. What is your writing style?
I’ve been told I write like the old gothic authors: Daphne du Maurier, Phyllis Whitney, and Victoria Holt. That’s quite a compliment and an honor, as far as I’m concerned. I want to write stories that I wouldn’t mind my kids or my parents reading.


What books do you currently have published?
I have three books published as of April 26, 2016. They’re all standalones. The first is Secrets of Hallstead House, which is set in the Thousand Islands region of upstate New York. The second is The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor, which takes place on an antebellum plantation outside Charleston, South Carolina. And the third, House of the Hanging Jade, is set on the Island of Hawaii, commonly called the Big Island. Each of my books is written in a gothic style, meaning there’s a spooky atmosphere with a pervasive sense of fear and suspense. They also include romance which is definitely more sweet than spicy.


What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
That bad reviews are a part of every writer’s life and it’s best to learn from them if possible and then move on. The first time I got a bad review I called my editor in a complete panic, and he had to talk me off a ledge. He said something that stuck with me: the great thing about being a published author is that your work is out there for everyone to see. The bad thing about being a published author is that your work is out there for everyone to see. That resonates with me.

That's very true. Do you have any secret talents?
I make a pretty mean Egg Fried Rice with Ginger. One of my kids is a vegetarian, and often I make that for her for breakfast.

Is writing your dream job?
Yes! I like to say I’m a recovering attorney. I liked the research and writing aspect of the practice of law, but the rest of it really wasn’t for me. What I tell people now is that writing is the best career I could dream of and I can’t imagine doing anything else. I love every single minute of it, from brainstorming to research to writing to revising to promoting.


Do you have any marketing tips you could pass on to indie authors?
I’ll give out the same advice I got: start promoting yourself and your work on the day you decide to write a book, not on the day you decide to publish it. I went from having no online presence whatsoever to having my own website, blog, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Goodreads, and Amazon author pages in under three years. I don’t necessarily post on all those sites all the time, but I enjoy all of them, and I’ve discovered the ones which work best for me. I would encourage other writers to try out different things—keep what works, discard what doesn’t.

How often do you tweet?
I tweet a few times a day, 5 days a week. I don’t usually tweet on weekends. The majority of my tweets are retweets of others’ posts because I try to live by the 80/20 principle: 80% of your tweets should be promoting someone or something else; 20% should be promoting yourself. I also use Canva.com and different quote sites to create images to post on Twitter.

What five things would you never want to live without?
My toothbrush, chocolate, books, cheese, and my glasses. Not necessarily in that order.

What’s your favorite thing to do/favorite place to go on date night?
Though date night with my husband usually involves a trip to Home Depot, I prefer to go to an Italian restaurant about 10 minutes from our house. It’s BYOB, so we take some time deciding what wine we’d like to have with dinner, and then we enjoy the food and the music at the restaurant.

What is your superpower?
Napping. Definitely napping. Also baking.


We must be kindred spirits. What’s one of your favorite quotes?
“Do unto others as you would have done unto you.”

Where is your favorite library, and what do you love about it?
My favorite library is the Cornell University A.D. White Library, located within Uris Library. It’s like something out of a storybook: beautiful and quiet with stunning views.

What is the wallpaper on your computer’s desktop?
My wallpaper is a slideshow of all the photos on my computer. I have no idea how it got there or how to change it, which is a good thing because I like it the way it is. If I ever do want to change it, though, I’ll follow my own advice: “When you need tech help, ask the youngest child in the family. He/she will know what to do.”

Definitely true. What’s your biggest pet peeve about writing?
When apostrophes aren’t used properly.

What is your favorite movie?
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on a new series set in the United Kingdom. I’m in the revision stages of Book One (which doesn’t have an official title yet), getting it ready to send to my beta readers. And I’m gathering plot ideas and scenes for Book Two, which I’ll start writing very soon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy M. Reade grew up in northern New York. After graduating from college and law school, she practiced law in New York City before moving to southern New Jersey, where she lives now with her husband, three children, dog, two cats, and a fish. She writes full time and is the author of Secrets of Hallstead House, a novel of romantic suspense set in the Thousand Islands region of New York, and The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor, a novel in the same genre set outside Charleston, South Carolina. Her third novel, House of Hanging Jade, is set in Hawaii and was released April, 2016. She is currently working on the first book of a series set in the United Kingdom (expected release date in early 2017). She loves cooking, reading, and traveling.


Connect with Amy:

Website  |  
Blog  |   Facebook  |   
Twitter  |   Goodreads  |   Tumblr   |   Pinterest  |   Amazon 

Buy the book:
Amazon  |   Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo  |    Kensington Books