Cool Book of the Week: Spellbound

Spellbound: Spellbringers Book One


by Tricia Drammeh

Why is Spellbound cool?

Would your grandmother like this book?

I think she would have liked it. She loved to read anything with romance. 


What is your elevator pitch?
When the Alexander family moves to the small, southern town of Oaktree, secrets and magic collide, and life for Rachel and Alisa will never be the same.


How did you come up with the plot?

I came up with the characters before the plot evolved. I love paranormal romance and fantasy, so I wanted to write a book that had all the elements I enjoy in a book, but also one my kids could read.

How is this book different from other books in this genre?
Spellbound features a cast of multicultural characters, which is a rarity in young adult fantasy. A wide range of teens and young adults will be able to relate to the characters.

Why is your book cool?
My book is cool because it appeals to a variety of readers. There’s romance, magic, adventure, and drama. It’s also cool because it’s the first in a series, but readers won’t have to wait to read the following books. Firebound (book two) is already available and Unbound (book three) is being released on December 5th. How cool is that?



Very cool!

Why Reviewers think Spellbound is cool:

"Ms Drammeh has begun a truly spellbinding series about magic, danger and the empowering force of love. Her characters are well drawn and believable, thanks to her wonderful prose and use of dialogue. I can hardly wait for the next book.

The wonderful Spellbringers series will appeal to lovers of magical fantasy for new adults and even older people who are young at heart." -Juliet B. Madison

"With realistic issues and language, Tricia lifts the veil on a secret world that surrounds us. I cannot wait until the next one comes out to see how the claiming words will protect, bind and enhance these two girls lives." -Michel Prince

"This book is phenomenal and I would recommend it to just about any one. Amazing job, Tricia!" -Maegan Provan

About the book:

The Demon Re’Vel stalks his prey in the forest of dreams, slowly gaining control over the mind of his victim. Rachel doesn’t realize the Demon is real. In fact, she doesn’t believe in magic, Demons, Hunters, or any of the other things the Alexanders have warned her about. She resists their protection, but can’t resist her overwhelming feelings for Jace. 

Alisa has been drawn to Jace since the day she saved him from a Hunter attack. A mere human in a world of Spellbringers, Alisa has been embraced by the Alexander family as a hero, but not everyone is willing to accept her. Jace’s intimidating older brother, Bryce, keeps his emotions and his secrets hidden. When Bryce confides in Alisa, it puts her relationship with Jace and the entire Alexander family at risk. 

Danger, secrets, and betrayal collide, and when the Demon makes his claim, the small, southern town of Oaktree becomes a battleground for Rachel’s life.



About the author:

Tricia Drammeh is a wife and mother of four children who lives in New Hampshire. Her published works include the Spellbringers series, Better than Perfect, The Seance, and The Fifth Circle. She is currently working on her eighth novel. When Tricia isn't writing, she can be found devouring books, chasing cats, or consuming vast amounts of coffee.

Connect with Tricia:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Website  |  Goodreads

Cool Book of the Week: Secrets of Hallstead House

Secrets of Hallstead House

by Amy Reade

Would your grandmother like this book?
My grandmother would love this book. It’s more sweet than spicy, and it’s been compared to books by Phyllis Whitney, Victoria Holt, and Daphne Du Maurier. My grandmother loved Phyllis Whitney, and in fact, it was at my grandparents’ home on the St. Lawrence River where I first discovered Phyllis Whitney’s books. I was there for the day because I was sick and couldn’t go to school and I was looking for something to read. 

P.S. My grandmother would love anything I write just because I wrote it. Isn’t that what grandmothers do?

What is your elevator pitch?
Macy Stoddard moves to the Thousand Islands following a family tragedy in New York, but finds that she is unwelcome and despised for reasons she doesn’t understand. She is forced to make a choice between going back to New York and helping an elderly woman uncover the secrets that haunt her.  

How did you come up with the plot?
When I was thinking about the plot, all the action in my head just naturally occurred in the Thousand Islands, near where I grew up. I knew the novel would be set there, and I knew I wanted to write a story about family secrets and betrayal and that my main character would be a woman. The details just grew and blossomed at that point.


How is this book different from other books in this genre?
Secrets of Hallstead House is categorized as romantic suspense, but I think it also has a gothic feel to it. Not in the sense that there is anything supernatural going on (no magicians, no vampires), but in the sense that the setting is very important to the story. The house and the island where the story takes place are almost characters in their own right. I’m so pleased when a reader tells me that I’ve inspired them to visit the Thousand Islands through the atmosphere that I’ve described in the book.   


Why is your book cool?
My book is cool because it appeals to readers who like romantic suspense that is more suspense than romance. It’s cool because I wrote something that I’m not embarrassed to let my kids or my parents or my own grandmother read! It’s cool because the story is a nice introduction to the Thousand Islands. And it’s cool because it’s been compared with some of the greats of romantic suspense and Gothic literature!

About the book:

Macy Stoddard is a young nurse from Manhattan who loses both parents in a drunk driving accident. She takes a job as a private nurse to Alex Hallstead in the Thousand Islands of upstate New York in an attempt to get a fresh start, a fresh perspective.

But soon she realizes that not everyone on the island welcomes her. The boat captain is aloof and suspicious of Macy, the sour and domineering housekeeper and her simpering husband obviously resent her presence, and Alex’s handsome nephew seems to delight in tormenting Macy for reasons known only to him.

Macy learns of Alex’s tragic past and of the fears that continue to haunt her. And when Macy learns about her own connection to the island, one she never dreamed of, she has to choose between her own sanity and helping Alex discover the truth behind the mysteries on Hallstead Island.

Why reviewers think Secrets of Hallstead House is cool:

"I was unable to put down Amy Reade's debut novel "Secrets of Hallstead House." The descriptions in the novel transported me to the Thousand Islands and I could actually feel the chill in the early fall air. I also enjoyed learning the history of the Thousand Islands and the trips made to Boldt Castle and the other islands. The romance between Macy and Pete was beautifully written. Amy Reade's second novel cannot come soon enough for this reader."

"This story has twists and turns so you don't know what will happen until the very end. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I especially like the true historic stories woven through the book. I thought I knew about this area of the St. Lawrence River, but I was mistaken."

"I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery, and those who like to be drawn into the setting as they read. I believe this is Amy M. Reade’s first book and I will definitely be looking for more books by this author."

About the author:

Amy M. Reade grew up in upstate New York, just a few miles from the St. Lawrence River and the Thousand Islands region. After graduating from college and law school and practicing law in Manhattan, she moved to southern New Jersey, where she lives near the ocean with her family and three pets, two of whom treat her more like staff than owner. Her second novel, The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor, is set in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and will be released in April, 2015. She is currently working on her third novel, set on the Big Island of Hawaii. 




Connect with Amy:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter 

Buy the book:
Amazon | Google | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Apple 

Cool Book of the Week: It's Murder, My Son

It's Murder, My Son

by Lauren Carr

Would your grandmother like this book?
I would hope she would. All of my books have been endorsed by Clean Indie Reads, because they are devoid of graphic violence, explicit sex, and foul language (except for a hell and a damn here and there).

My mother, who will turn eighty this year, generally loves my books. I say generally, because she hates Gnarly, the naughty German shepherd that Mac inherited from his birth mother. My mother and I share the love of a good mystery. She loves the puzzle of the mystery in this book and my whole series.

What is your elevator pitch for the Mac Faraday Mysteries?
Mac Faraday is an underpaid homicide detective. His wife leaves him and takes everything. On the day his divorce becomes final, he inherits two hundred and seventy million dollars and an estate on Deep Creek Lake. Since he hates golf, he solves murder mysteries.

How did you come up with the plot?
It was a couple of things that came together at approximately the same time. I was inspired for the mystery, a woman killed by a supposed stalker who no one believes exists, by an episode of an old Unsolved Mysteries. There was a real murder case in Canada of a woman who claimed she was being stalked, but the police believed she had made it up, while her family claimed the stalker, who was never identified, was real.

Mac Faraday’s backstory, the underpaid detective who inherits a fortune, was inspired by an incident that happened to a friend of mine. She had had a baby as a teenager and had put her up for adoption. Then, when my friend was in her forties, married with grown children, her daughter found her and they have become good friends.

The mystery writer in my thought, suppose, after having this child who had been put up for adoption, the mother went on to become a world famous mystery author (the American version of Agatha Christie). Her great fictional detective is based on her fantasy of how her own son would grow up to be.

Meanwhile, the child (a son) grows up to become a brilliant (though underpaid) homicide detective.

The mother hunts her son down to identify him, and upon her death leaves him her fortune.
From this point on, the son’s life mirrors that of his mother’s famous mystery novels.

How is this book different from other books in this genre?
A reviewer described my books (both the Mac Faraday Mysteries and the Loves in Crime Mysteries) as “gritty cozies.” Another reviewer has noted that they have a touch of crime drama, but still have the cozy charm.

Mac Faraday is a retired police detective, but as the series goes on, he starts working with his half-brother, Police Chief David O’Callaghan, on murder cases. That makes him a professional police detective, which kicks him out of the cozy genre that says the detective has to be an amateur. Also, some of the murders do happen on-stage.

My books fit right square in the middle of two genres: Cozy and Police Procedurals.

Why is your book cool?
Gnarly, of course! In addition to the millions of bucks and the five-star Spencer Inn, Mac Faraday inherited Gnarly, his mother’s German shepherd who, readers discover, was the only dog dishonorably discharged from the United States Army and they refuse to talk about him. Readers will eventually find out why Gnarly was dishonorably discharged.

Based on my Australian shepherd Ziggy, who is an elder dog now, Gnarly is extremely intelligent. In the book, a dog trainer puts him in the genius category, and she explains, he needs to work, otherwise, he gets bored and gets into trouble.

Gnarly is more than comic relief in the Mac Faraday mysteries. He is the grounding rod for Mac.

Mac Faraday is in the perfect position to get a little full of himself. He has all this money. He is un-official royalty in Spencer, Maryland, the small town founded by his ancestors. He has a beautiful woman who is madly in love with him. He lives in a mansion.

But Gnarly, who is really just letting Mac stay at the mansion, sees through all that and knocks him down to size once in a while. Anyone who owns a pet will know what I am talking about.

I now have a real live Gnarly, a German shepherd who can, like the fictional Gnarly, open doors. We had to change some door knobs in our house because Gnarly was coming and going at will. The dog breeder told me that it is actually in his blood line. While I’m impressed, my husband is not.

Why reviewers think It's Murder, My Son is cool:

“An exciting mystery with plenty of intriguing and enigmatic characters, It's Murder, My Son is not a read that should be missed for mystery fans.” -Midwest Book Reviews

“A Mystery Lover Must-Read in my opinion!” -Glenda Bixler, Book Reader’s Heaven

“In It's Murder, My Son, Lauren Carr has provided a complex plot with a diversity of characters that blend so well with the mystery.” -Connie Gregory, Connie’s Reviews

I give It's Murder, My Son (Mac Faraday Mysteries) five stars...I'd award more if I could.--Laurel-Rain Snow, Laurel-Rain Snow's Creative Moments

The story takes hold immediately. There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. The writing style is easy and draws the reader in effortlessly. I am looking forward to the next book!--Ariel Heart, Mystery and My Musings Review

I couldn't put this book down! Lauren Carr develops the characters and weaves the details of the murder investigation into a complex storyline that keeps the reader relentlessly turning pages. She is skilled at teasing you into reading more. I finished the last page still wanting to read more! -Kelly Carpenter, Kelly's Lucky You

No disrespect to Mac Faraday, Archie Monday, David O'Callaghan, Travis Turner or any of the multitude of good, bad and ugly characters populating Lauren Carr's It's Murder, My Son; but to me the most interesting character in the book is a lovable, mischievous, sneaky German shepherd named Gnarly. -David M. Kinchen, Huntington News

About the book:

What started out as the worst day of Mac Faraday’s life would end up being a new beginning. After a messy divorce hearing, the last person that Mac wanted to see was another lawyer. Yet, this lawyer wore the expression of a child bursting to tell his secret, which would reveal Mac as heir to undreamed of fortunes, and lead him to the birthplace of America’s Queen of Mystery and an investigation that will unfold like one of her famous mystery novels.

Soon after she moves to her new lakefront home in Spencer, Maryland, multi-millionaire Katrina Singleton learns that life in an exclusive community is not all good. For some unknown reason, a strange man calling himself “Pay Back” begins stalking her. When Katrina is found strangled all evidence points to her terrorist, who is nowhere to be found.

Three months later the file on her murder is still open with only vague speculations from the local police department when Mac Faraday, sole heir to his unknown birth mother’s home and fortune, moves into the estate next door. Little does he know as he drives up to Spencer Manor that he is driving into a closed gate community that is hiding more suspicious deaths than his DC workload as a homicide detective. With the help of his late mother’s journal, this retired cop puts all his detective skills to work to pick up where the local investigators have left off to follow the clues to Katrina’s killer.

About the author:

Lauren Carr is the best-selling author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. A Wedding and a Killing is the eight installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series.

In addition to her series set on Deep Creek Lake, Lauren Carr has also written the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, which features prosecutor Joshua Thornton with homicide detective Cameron Gates, who were introduced in Shades of Murder, the third book in the Mac Faraday Mysteries. They also make an appearance in The Lady Who Cried Murder.

Lauren launched the Lovers in Crime (first introduced in Shades of Murder) mystery series in September 2012 with Dead on Ice. Real Murder is the second installment in this series.

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs (including a real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Joshua Thornton Mysteries:
Fans of the Lovers in Crime Mysteries may wish to read these two books which feature Joshua Thornton years before meeting Detective Cameron Gates. Also in these mysteries, readers will meet Joshua Thornton's five children before they have flown the nest.
1) A Small Case of Murder
2) A Reunion to Die For

Mac Faraday Mysteries:
3) It's Murder, My Son
4) Old Loves Die Hard
5) Shades of Murder (introduces the Lovers in Crime: Joshua Thornton & Cameron Gates)
7) Blast from the Past
8) The Murders at Astaire Castle
9) The Lady Who Cried Murder (The Lovers in Crime make a guest appearance in this Mac Faraday Mystery)
10) Twelve to Murder
12) A Wedding and a Killing (September 2014)

Three Days to Forever, the ninth book in the series, will be released in January 2015.

Connect with Lauren:
Acorn Books | Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter
Gnarly’s Facebook Page | Lovers in Crime Facebook Page | Acorn Book Services Facebook Page

Lauren Carr’s Author Page on Amazon

I'm starting a new feature on A Blue Million Books, called...Cool Book of the Week. Every Saturday there will be a new cool book on the block. Today's cool book is by Ellen Mansoor Collier's Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play, the first book in the Jazz Age Mystery trilogy. What's so cool about it? Read on...

FLAPPERS, FLASKS AND FOUL PLAY

Would your grandmother like this book?

Yes, my grandmother was a feisty flapper who attended college and taught school before she married my grandfather. She was outspoken, independent and a rebel in her own right. One of my favorite photos shows her leaning against a 1930s car looking very chic in a wonderful period dress and hat. I display one of her slinky black satin gowns on my closet door—it’s the cat’s meow! 


What is your elevator pitch for this book?

Young society reporter Jasmine Cross feels caught between two clashing cultures in 1920s Galveston: the seedy underworld of booze and bars and the snooty social circles she covers in the Galveston Gazette.


How did you come up with the plot?

We took a “Mobsters Tour” in Chicago, and I was fascinated to learn that Galveston had its own rival gangs and Al Capone-clones, namely the Beach Gang and Downtown Gang. 


How is this book different from other books in this genre?

Seems that most 1920s-30s flapper mysteries feature rich debutantes, heiresses or independently wealthy women or wives, while Jazz is a young middle-class journalist trying to make her mark in a man’s world. While my novels tend to be classified as cozy mysteries, I do include some hard-boiled elements, so I’d call them soft-boiled. I’m delighted that many men like to read my novels as well!

Why is your book cool?
I think readers are interested in learning about the Prohibition period, a very dangerous and decadent time in American history. Gangsters fought for power and control over their turf, and could be as ruthless and reckless as the drug cartels of today. I base my novels on actual crime families and events, but the plots and main characters are totally fictitious. As a journalist, I enjoyed doing the necessary research to make sure I got my facts right. In all my novels, I incorporated real Galveston locations and landmarks, and used period slang and expressions to add authenticity and atmosphere.

About the book:

Boardwalk Empire meets The Great Gatsby in this soft-boiled historical mystery, inspired by actual events. Named one of the "Best Beach Reads of 2013" on Goodreads.

Rival gangs fight over booze and bars during Prohibition in 1920s Galveston: the "Sin City of the Southwest." Jazz Cross, a 21-year-old society reporter, suspects foul play when a bank VP collapses at her half-brother Sammy's speakeasy. Was it an accident or a mob hit?

Soon handsome young Prohibition Agent James Burton raids the Oasis, threatening to shut it down if Sammy doesn't talk. Suspicious, he pursues Jazz, but despite her attraction, she refuses to rat on Sammy. As turf wars escalate between two real-life rival gangs, Sammy is accused of murder. To find the killer, Jazz must risk her life and career, exposing the dark side of Galveston's glittering society.

Check out the two sequels in Collier's Jazz Age Mystery series: Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets, and Gold Diggers, Gamblers and Guns.

About the author:

Ellen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance magazine writer and editor whose articles, essays and short stories have been published in a variety of national magazines. During college summers, she worked as a reporter (intern) for a Houston community newspaper and as a cocktail waitress, both jobs providing background experience for her Jazz Age mysteries.

A flapper at heart, she's worked as a magazine editor/writer, and in advertising and public relations (plus endured a hectic semester as a substitute teacher). She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism and served on UTmost, the college magazine, and was active in WICI (Women in Communications), acting as president her senior year.

Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play is her first novel, published in 2012, followed by the sequel, Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets, released in May 2013. Gold Diggers, Gamblers and Guns is the last novel in her Jazz Age Mystery series, published in May, 2014. She lives in Houston with her husband and Chow mutts, and visits Galveston whenever possible.
 

Connect with Ellen:
Website | Facebook | Goodreads |

Buy the book:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Why reviewers think Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play is cool:

"An elegant and hugely entertaining mystery set during Prohibition times in Galveston. Great style and a fantastic sense of authenticity....Well-written, cleverly plotted and very enjoyable."   –Christoph Fischer, Top 500 Amazon Reviewer (June 2014) Author, Time To Let Go, Sebastian, etc.

"Collier’s new series, set in 1927 Galveston, Texas, hit the spot for me, and is an entertaining bit of snappy summertime escapism. I was completely charmed by Jazz Cross, the spunky, intrepid flapper-reporter. Collier combines historical trivia with a cozy mystery beautifully, and I’m falling in love with her 1920s Galveston." 
–Audra Friend, Unabridged Chick Blog (June 2013)

"A wonderful mystery set in Prohibition-era Texas. This is fast becoming one of my favourite new series of mysteries." –Rachel Cotterill (Book Reviews Blog, U.K ), (May 2013) Author of Rebellion and Revolution

"Fantastic! FLAPPERS really brings to life Galveston’s glamorous past in a way that feels authentic and realistic. The mystery sucks you in immediately and leaves you fretting for the characters until the very end!"  –Lauren George, Reader/Reviewer, Amazon (5 Stars) (September 2012)

In honor of Cool Book Week, Flappers is $2.99 until October 18. How cool is that?