FEATURED AUTHOR: CLEA SIMON

ABOUT THE BOOK

Did a down on his luck former student steal a priceless book? Grad student and cat lover Dulcie Schwartz thinks not, and she sets out to prove it.

It is spring break, and Dulcie Schwartz has stayed behind in almost-deserted Cambridge, Massachusetts to concentrate on her thesis. But when a former student turned vagrant, Jeremy Mumbles, is found injured, with a valuable missing book clutched in his arms, Dulcie can't seem to let it go. What was he doing with the book? And why has it turned up after all these years?

With Jeremy now the prime suspect for a series of break-ins in the area, Dulcie is determined to clear the unfortunate former scholar's name. But when she finds a connection between the book he was carrying and her own research into an anonymous Gothic author, the search for clues takes on a new intensity and a new menace.

KUDOS FOR CODE GREY

I particularly enjoyed the Gothic excerpts, the story behind the silver cat printer’s mark, and especially Dulcie’s relationships with her beloved Mr. Grey and current feline Esme. ~Melissa’s Mochas, Mysteries and Meows

Code Grey relates fascinating details not only about academic and literary life but also about history of other importance. ~Laura’s Interests

Ms. Simon writes a great story, with very interesting characters. ~Book Babble

The story is a good, engrossing mystery with interesting characters. You can’t help but keep turning the pages to see what Dulcie does next. ~Socrates’ Book Reviews…

INTERVIEW WITH CLEA SIMON

Clea, how did you get started writing and when did you become an “author?”
I have written for as long as I can remember! I made up stories for my stuffed animals and for the animals in the yard and in the little stream nearby, and once I could write I made little “books” for my family and friends. But I never really thought I could be an author, so I became a journalist. That seemed like a real job! It wasn’t until I’d written three nonfiction books – a logical outgrowth of being a journalist – that I began to write my stories again.

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
When the characters take over! There comes a point where the people (or animals) you’ve created start to act in ways that are logical for them – even if this isn’t what I’d planned. I love that.

How long is your to-be-read list?
You’re kidding, right? It’s huge. As is the pile next to my bed!

What books do you currently have published?
I have three nonfiction books and 18 mysteries. The 19th has just been edited, and I’ve just submitted the manuscript for what I hope will be the 20th!

Can you share some of your marketing strategies with us?
I wish I had a good strategy. I try to meet readers when and how I can (Hi! I’m waving madly at you now). It’s hard because I spend so much of my time writing.

How often do you tweet?
Several times a day, usually. Sometimes stuff about writing or books, sometimes just funny stuff I’ve heard or seen around.

How do you feel about Facebook?
Now that I work at home alone, it’s my watercooler!

What five things would you never want to live without?
Not including the people or animals I love, I am guessing? Things . . .  hmmm . . . Books, garlic, wine, chocolate, and my glasses! I’m blind as a bat without my glasses!

Who would you want to narrate a film about your life?
Morgan Freeman! He has the best voice. Plus, I think it would be a funny juxtaposition – his voice and my life.

If you had a swear jar, would it be full?
Most definitely. But I hope it would be inventively full!

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
An introvert. I suspect most writers are. But I am often pleasantly surprised – if I make the effort to actually talk to people, I find it quite invigorating. Still, I have only recently learned that if I go to a mystery/fan convention like Malice Domestic or Left Coast Crime, I should NOT hide in my room!


Do you spend more on clothes or food?
Food! I’m a foodie, and I love love love to cook.

What's your favorite treat for movie night?
Korean takeout and then peanut-butter/chocolate frozen yogurt for dessert!


What is the most daring thing you've done?
Quit my steady copy editing job at the biggest daily newspaper in town. It was the kind of steady job that people keep for life, but I wanted to see if I could make it on my writing . . . that was 16 years ago, and I’m still here!

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
“Bash it out now, tart it up later.” The musician Nick Lowe said that but I find it very useful for writing. It’s kind of like, you have to get a first draft out before you can do any fine tuning.

What’s the worst thing someone has said about your writing? How did you deal with it?
Oh, I’ve gotten some pretty nasty reviews!! Basically I curse a lot, and sometimes I cry, and then I move on.


What is your favorite movie?
Too many to count! I love “Impromptu” (woman author heroine!) and “Jackie Brown” and “Desperately Seeking Susan” – all great heroines – and “Moonstruck” and and and . . .

Do you have a favorite book?
Ditto – too many! Hilary Mantel’s A Place of Greater Safety is a regular re-read though.

How about a favorite book that was turned into a movie? Did the movie stink?
Well, I absolutely adore JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and I like the movies very much. But I do have issues with the movies – for Tolkien geeks out there, the depiction of the Ents. Am I right? I got to ask Stephen Colbert (of The Colbert Report) this question, because he’s also a LOTR geek, and he went on about how Faramir was depicted – which I totally agree with! But I still re-watch those movies constantly. (True story: my husband has not read LOTR but enjoys the movies with me. But he likes to tell people about how we can never just watch them, how I’m always stopping them to say, “Well, in the books this is different . . . ” And the first few times, he’d say, “That’s what it is like in the book?” And I would say, “Well, actually, it’s in the appendix . . . ” He enjoys my geekitude.)

Do you sweat the small stuff?
Not in life, mostly (you should see my office!). But when I’m revising a manuscript, I do. I’ll have lists of when my characters last ate and what day it is – I don’t want to have an endless day or to have a character eat dinner twice – or not at all.

If you had to choose a cliche about life, what would it be?
Live fast, die young, leave a beautiful corpse  . . . OOPS! TOO LATE! I guess in reality it is: Life is short. Eat dessert first!


How long is your to-do list?
Huge.


What are you working on now?
I am waiting for the edits on my sixth Pru Marlowe pet noir (When Bunnies Go Bad) and beginning to think about the next Dulcie Schwartz mystery!

Lightning round:
Cake or frosting? Frosting!
Laptop or desktop? Desktop!
Chevy Chase or Bill Murray? Bill!
Emailing or texting? Email!
Indoors or outdoors? Mmmmm . . . Outdoors?
Tea: sweet or unsweet? Sweet!
Plane, train, or automobile? Train! I love train rides. But what I really like are boat rides. May I choose boat?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Clea Simon is the author of 18 mysteries in the Theda Krakow, DulcieSchwartz, and Pru Marlowe pet noir series. The latter two are ongoing and include her most recent books, Code Grey (Severn House) and Kittens Can Kill (Poisoned Pen Press). A former journalist and nonfiction author, she lives in Somerville, Mass., with her husband, the writer Jon Garelick, and their cat Musetta. She can be reached at CleaSimon.com.

Connect with Clea:
Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads 

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WEEEE! NEW GPJ RELEASE

ABOUT THE BOOK

This is not your average Southern town. With a hint of mystery and a lot of laughs, you'll catch a glimpse of everyday life in Goose Pimple Junction in this short story compilation. Short & Tall Tales occurs chronologically between Murder & Mayhem, book 1, and Heroes & Hooligans, book 2, in the Goose Pimple Junction mystery series. Tales is a fun escape that will answer readers' burning questions about the residents of this quirky, small town.

How did Johnny Butterfield become police chief?
How did Tess and Jack get engaged?
How did Ima Jean come to live with Louetta?
How do you celebrate an Apple Day?

These questions and more are answered in Short & Tall Tales in Goose Pimple Junction. Five short stories, one novella, and three recipes will give you more of the unique charm of Goose Pimple Junction, make you laugh, and have your mouth watering. If you want a feel-good read, you've come to the right place. Grab some sweet tea and escape to Goose Pimple Junction.

EXCERPT FROM SHORT & TALL TALES IN GOOSE PIMPLE JUNCTION

He may be good-looking, but good-looking won't put food on the table.  
~Willa Jean Coomer


Downtown Goose Pimple Junction was bustling the next morning when Johnny parked his car and walked a block to the diner. The yellow tickets that were stuck under windshield wipers on some of the cars vaguely registered with him because Ima Jean’s abduction was on his mind, and he didn’t have room to think of much else. Periodically, he thought about Martha Maye and how pretty she looked when she’d brought him fried chicken, home fries, macaroni salad, and a slice of apple pie. But he forced his mind back to Ima Jean and how he was going to go about finding her.

The diner was crowded but went deadly silent when he walked in. Everyone stopped talking, and all heads turned his way. He met a few people’s eyes, nodded a hello, mumbled “Morning,” and sat down at the counter next to a man who looked older than Moses.

“You’re mighty brave to bring yourself in here today, Chief. I myself don’t hold no ill will, but then again, I ain’t got a car, so it’s no skin off my nose.”

“Come again—” Johnny started to say, but Willa Jean interrupted him.

“What can I getcha, Chief?” She put an emphasis on “Chief” but the word was dripping with disdain.

Johnny wondered if it was his imagination or was she glaring slightly at him? He put a hand to the back of his neck as he craned his head around, finding several other people giving him the same expression. Curious.

“Coffee, a fried egg, and cheese grits, please.” He flashed her his best grin, but she didn’t seem to notice.

She turned on her heel without another word, calling to Slick, “A deadeye and mystery in the alley, Slick.”

Johnny noticed the old man cackling to himself and wondered what was so funny. He seemed to be a regular. Surely he was used to diner lingo. Moses turned to the man next to him and mumbled something that sounded like, “I haven't had this much fun since the pigs ate my brother.”

Willa Jean came back with a cup and saucer and a pot of coffee. As she poured the brown liquid into the cup, a good amount spilled into the saucer. She looked up at Johnny and deadpanned, “Oops,” but she walked away, making no attempt to clean it up.

Conversation had started again in the diner, but it was in hushed tones, not the loud chatter that Johnny had heard when he first came in. Once again, he looked around the restaurant and noticed furtive glances coming at him. A few words and bits of sentences wafted his way: “a lot of gall, arrogant, outsider, amateur, dumb as a fencepost . . . ” He considered asking the gentleman next to him if this was normal townsfolk behavior, but Willa Jean came back and set a plate in front of him. His gaze went from the plate to her eyes, which seemed to hold a challenge.

“Um . . . ma’am . . . this looks right tasty, but it also looks like poached eggs and hash.”

Willa put all her weight on her right leg and propped her hand on her hip. “Least your eyes work.”

“Well, see . . . I could be mistaken, but I thought I ordered fried eggs and grits.”

“You’re mistaken.” She flung a towel over her shoulder and walked away.

Johnny looked at Moses and said, “I’m late to the party. Wanna tell me what’s going on?”

“Oooh, law,” the man drawled. “That was almost as ugly as Uncle Moody’s divorce.” He swiveled off his stool, saying, “’Scuse me. I have to see a man about a horse,” and he made his way to the restrooms.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
(that's me!)

Amy Metz is the author of the Goose Pimple Junction mystery series: Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction is book 1 and Heroes & Hooligans in Goose Pimple Junction is book t in the series.

Amy is a former first grade teacher and the mother of two sons. When not actively engaged in writing, enjoying her family, or surfing Facebook or Pinterest, Amy can usually be found with a mixing spoon, camera, or book in one hand and a glass of sweet tea in the other. Amy lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

Connect with Amy:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads

FEATURED AUTHOR: MAXINE NUNES

ABOUT THE BOOK

During a brutal L.A. heatwave, four people are murdered in the Hollywood Hills, and Nikki Easton's best friend Darla Ward has disappeared. The police think she might be one of the victims.
 
In her relentless search for the truth, Nikki discovers the hidden side of her friend's life, laying bare secrets buried before Darla was born, and uncovering widening layers of corruption that reach far beyond Hollywood to the highest levels of government.

"Maxine Nunes crafts an outstanding tale of friendship, murder, love, and betrayal in her impressive debut, Dazzled... Nunes' writing is top-notch from start to finish, and the increasingly suspenseful plot comes together with meticulous precision." --ForeWord Reviews

INTERVIEW WITH MAXINE NUNES

Maxine, how long have you been a writer?
I’ve written or edited for a living my entire life, starting with my first job out of college at Random House. It was an amazing place to be. I read manuscripts and wrote jacket copy and rubbed shoulders with the authors I’d always idolized. But after that — like Nikki Easton, the heroine of Dazzled — I traveled around a lot and was very, very lucky because I kept stumbling into writing jobs. But the most fun I ever had — and the best training ground for fiction — was writing quickie potboiler romances. I was in my twenties, and I wrote ten of them — one a month to pay the rent.

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
Rewriting, once I have the first draft. I put a lot of work into plotting — it’s the armature everything else is built on — but that’s the tough part for me. Then, once I have the structure — and I know that the work I put in on a chapter is crucial to the whole — I can start to do what I love. Making scenes come alive, creating resonant settings, honing the language. I’ve had so many people praise the plot surprises in Dazzled, but for me the biggest surprises often come from the unexpected interplay of words and images.

How long is your to-be-read list?
Hah! Endless. When it comes to reading purely for pleasure, I’m totally impulsive. Mood of the moment. I’ve been on a Scandinavian mystery jag recently and just finished all the Martin Beck novels, which still seem very modern even though they were written back in the sixties. I’ve also been rereading a bunch of books by Tom Wolfe, because when it comes to both style and nailing the single detail that says everything, he’s pretty phenomenal. So that’s all for fun.

But I also belong to a reading group that likes to take on the tough books, the ones you might not get through on your own. We were not afraid of Virginia Woolf, we read are all seven volumes of Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, wrestled with Gravity’s Rainbow (which, on my own, I would have put down after the first chapter], and a lot more. The people in this group are pit bulls when it comes to tackling the hard stuff.

If you could only watch one television station for a year, what would it be?
A couple of years ago it would have been HBO. Now I’d have to say Showtime, because they’ve got Ray Donovan and Homeland. But I’d probably cheat and sneak over to Lifetime when I get a jones for Project Runway.

How do you feel about Facebook?
At the moment, I’m monumentally bored with it.

For what would you like to be remembered?
The epic novel I haven’t written yet about New York in 1968.

If you had a swear jar, would it be full?
OMG, I’d be a billionaire!

What's the biggest lie you ever told?
“I don’t care.” It’s almost never true.

What is the most daring thing you've done?
Fighting to free my ex-husband from prison in a foreign dictatorship. That was quite an experience. And I plan to use it for a Nikki Easton mystery!

You absolutely should! 
Where is your favorite library, and what do you love about it?
The main branch of the New York Public Library. New York is my hometown, it’s the antithesis of Los Angeles, and the library somehow embodies that. You can feel all the gorgeous complexity of the city and its history when you sit in the reading room — those amazing windows, the intricately carved wood that frames the ceiling murals. And the most amazing thing: hundreds of New Yorkers, and they’re all quiet! 


You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?
Don Draper on a good day.

Excellent choice. 
What's your relationship with your cell phone?
As close as you can get short of an implant.


Do you have a favorite book?
Almost every book by Philip Roth. I’m heartbroken that he’s stopped writing. The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell. I was obsessed with those books when I was in my late teens and recently reread Justine, which I found just as amazing as I did then — the lushness, the sensuality, the complexity, the language. And I love mysteries — there are so many by really great writers — it’s my favorite form of escape.

Mine too! 
How about a favorite book that was turned into a movie? Did the movie stink?
Most movie adaptations do reek, but one that really worked was The Big Sleep. Chandler’s books hit all the reading pleasure centers. And the movie is also a classic. William Faulkner wrote the screenplay (which famously has a giant plot hole in it, but the film is so good no one seems to mind), Howard Hawks directed, and Bogart and Bacall are electric.

What are you working on now?
Two books. One is a Nikki Easton mystery that takes place in Lisbon — and I hope to travel there this fall. I’m also working on that New York novel I mentioned earlier. It does have a murder, but the story is told from multiple points of view, and right now it’s a monster I’m trying to tame.

Lightning round:
Cake or frosting? Frosting! I can totally do without the cake.
Laptop or desktop? Laptop.
Chevy Chase or Bill Murray? The young Chevy Chase, the old Bill Murray.
Emailing or texting? Burned out on both, so face-to-face over a glass of wine.
Indoors or outdoors? Outdoors.
Tea: sweet or unsweet? Sweet if it’s chai, unsweet for anything else.
Plane, train, or automobile? Trains still feel like an adventure, but I live in LA, which means I live in my car.

EXCERPT FROM DAZZLED, A NIKKI EASTON MYSTERY

CHAPTER 1

What’s real? Darla used to ask me. How do you know what’s real? I never understood the question. But then I didn’t have platinum hair and cheekbones that could cut glass, and no one ever offered to buy me a Rolls if I spent one night naked in his bed. Darla was a brilliant neon sign flashing pure escape. You almost didn’t notice that those lovely green eyes didn’t blaze like the rest of her. She was both main attraction and sad observer at the carnival. Something had damaged her at a very young age. We never talked much about it, but we recognized this in each other from the start. Isn’t that what friendship is?

The week she disappeared was as extreme as she was. Triple-digit heat in late August and wavy layers of smog suffocating the city. By ten in the morning, it was brutal everywhere, and on the sidewalks in front of the homeless shelter, with the sun bouncing off the film crew trailers and the odor of unwashed bodies and general decay, it was a very special episode of hell. Beneath an archway, a tall man with a filthy blanket draped over his head rolled his eyes heavenward like a biblical prophet. Or a Star Trek castaway waiting to be beamed up.

In one of those trailers, where air conditioning brought the temperature down to the high nineties, I was being stuffed into a fitted leather jacket two sizes too small. Perspiration had already ruined my makeup and the dark circles under my eyes were starting to show through.

Heat keeping you up, hon? the makeup girl had asked. I’d nodded. Half the truth.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maxine Nunes is a New Yorker who's spent most of her life in Los Angeles. She has written and produced for television, and currently writes for several publications including the Los Angeles Times. Her satiric parody of a White House scandal won the Pen USA West International Imitation Hemingway Competition.

Connect with Maxine:


Website  | 
Facebook  | 
Goodreads 

Special paperback release price: $6.37 (will be $12.99)

Guest Post: Graeme Smith

ABOUT THE BOOK

Abraham Brown, Patch Hancock, and Indigo Templeton are three American servicemen separated from their platoon, biding their time in southern France during the Second World War when they are captured by a desperate group of Renegade Nazi soldiers. This is a meeting that will change the lives of all three men, their captors, and those of the many people they will encounter in the days, weeks and years following that fateful day.

Abraham and his two compatriots manage to escape from their bonds, into an adventure which is both violent and spiritual, causing each man to examine his inner self and become closer to his associates. The people they meet, including those who may not survive, will affect all of them profoundly, and even shape the strategies of entire countries.

GUEST POST 

by Graeme Smith

INSPIRATION FOR BOOK

The inspiration for The Awakening of Abraham Brown came through my own spiritual awakening which has been a culmination of the following things:

• During the 1970's I practiced Hatha Yoga which involves traditional physical exercises.
• This eventually changed as I became involved with the practice of Raja Yoga during the 1980's which involves meditation techniques and detachment.
• I have studied and practiced Martial Arts for the past 35 years and hold the rank of Fourth Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate.

I wanted to write a story which highlighted man's inhumanity to his fellow brothers and sisters and also the terrible destruction to nature and animals. 

The central character Afro American Abraham Brown has faced racism many times in his native America and he now finds himself thousands of miles away from home, fighting the Nazi's, the biggest racists on earth. 

I needed to highlight the futility of war and to try and point out why some humans become racists and bigots.  I also wanted the story to be balanced and to contain male and female aspects (yin and yang). 

Abraham is accompanied by two fellow white Americans whose lives are transformed whilst being with him.

The story was also brought about through my own personal expression and thoughts which I hope will make each reader examine their own ethics and morals.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Graeme Smith was born in Exeter in 1957.

His father died when Graeme was just 18 months old.

Together with his mother, brother and sister, they were forced to downsize and move house in order to survive (there was no benefits system in the late 1950's). This had a profound effect on all of their lives.

Graeme has three children and two grandchildren.

His hobbies and interests are Kenpo Karate, metal detecting, charity fundraising, collecting knapped flints and dog walking.
He currently works for the NHS at a hospital in Exeter.

He has just written another novel entitled Agrar of the Cornish and is actively seeking an interested publisher for this book.

FEATURED AUTHOR: ELAINE FABER

ABOUT THE BOOK

When the family SUV flips and Kimberlee is rushed to the hospital, Black Cat (Thumper) and his soul-mate are left behind. Black Cat loses all memory of his former life and the identity of the lovely feline companion by his side. “Call me Angel. I’m here to take care of you.” Her words set them on a long journey toward home, and life brings them face to face with episodes of joy and sorrow.

The two cats are taken in by John and his young daughter, Cindy, facing foreclosure of the family vineyard and emu farm. In addition, someone is playing increasingly dangerous pranks that threaten Cindy’s safety. Angel makes it her mission to help their new family. John’s prayers are answered in unexpected ways, but not until Angel puts her life at risk to protect the child, and Black Cat finds there are more important things in life than knowing your real name.

INTERVIEW WITH ELAINE FABER

Elaine, how did you get started writing?
I’ve written poems and short stories since I was a child. I still have a manila folder with faded typed stories from my high school years . . . back when dinosaurs roamed and we had manual typewriters.

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
I’m probably the only author you’ll ever meet that actually enjoys the editing process. My editor/mentor makes suggestions regarding the characters thoughts and feelings or suggests changes to the scene. She’s usually right. Her suggestions are often met with much eye-rolling and anguish on my part, but after I do the work, the scene is always better.

What books do you currently have published?
Three cat mysteries: Black Cat’s Legacy, Black Cat and the Lethal Lawyer and Black Cat and the Accidental Angel.

Can you share some of your marketing strategies with us?
Handing out bookmarks whereever you find a bunch of helpless people standing in a line is often rewarding. The public loves to "meet a real author." I ask if they like cats or read mysteries, (who doesn’t like cats or mysteries?), then hand them a bookmark. They often go home and download the Kindle version. Seeking interviews, book reviews, and guest posts with enchanting websites helps.

How do you feel about Facebook?
Facebook is a place to put your name and your work in front of the public, but with care and thought before with each entry. Keep it clean, thoughtful, funny or comment on a subject consistent with your WIP. Share your author events, reviews, and awards, but don’t say “buy my book” so often as to turn anyone off.

For what would you like to be remembered?
Oh, wouldn’t it be great if folks remembered the pleasure of reading my books. Or, to remember how I helped mentor their writing, but mostly as a good mother, wife, sister, and friend.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
I live quietly and don’t actively seek attention, but putting a microphone in my hand is like lighting a fuse. I love the sound of my own voice. (Confession is good for the soul, right?) I become an extrovert with the printed word, probably even worse than when someone mistakenly hands me a microphone.

Do you spend more on clothes or food?
Definitely food. I usually buy my clothes from the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop, a high-end donation shop where the profits go to cancer research. Such good quality and great prices spoil me for shopping at other stores.

What is the most daring thing you've done?
I was a flirt and drove my 57’ Plymouth too fast. Married at 18 and a mother at 19, that was all pretty daring, but 53 years later, I still have the same husband and two great kids, so it was the right choice after all.

What is your most embarrassing moment? 
Most Embarrassing Moment award goes to . . . Elaine for spilling a whole can of paint on a friend’s carpet. Showing another friend how it accidently happened – I spilled another can of paint.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write?
Oh, goodness. It’s so much easier to write ‘funny’ than to write sad, so I don’t do much of that. Writing a few of my animal stories has made me cry. It’s terribly hard to write about the loss of things we love.

What’s the worst thing someone has said about your writing? How did you deal with it?
I attended a conference where an influential editor from a major magazine reviewed submissions from each attendee. He couldn’t say a gracious thing about anyone. He smashed the hopes and dreams of a few. His mean comments made some cry. He hurt me such that I could not look at the piece I submitted for over a year. What did I learn? When asked to give an opinion of someone’s writing, tell the truth, but always find something good and encouraging to say. Offer advice and refer them to help with their writing. None of us have the right to destroy another’s dreams with cruel and negative comments.


Who would you invite to a dinner party if you could invite anyone in the world?
What a neat conversation it would be – Agatha Christie, John Steinbeck, and Ellery Queen, though I’d be so intimidated, I’d probably choke on my salad.


What is your favorite movie?
Several come to mind as favorites. Gone with the Wind, The World of Suzie Wong, The Quiet Man, Bells of Saint Mary, It’s a Wonderful Life.

Do you have a favorite book?
Shogun,  Noble House, Grapes of Wrath, The Silent Meow, Captain from Castile. But, definitely, Black Cat and the Accidental Angel --right up there with my favorites.

How about a favorite book that was turned into a movie? Did the movie stink?
Captain from Castile was an awesome book, but the movie left much to be desired.

Do you sweat the small stuff?
I don’t always succeed, but try very hard to think, “Will this really matter six months from now?”

If you had to choose a cliché about life, what would it be?
Not a cliché’ but a bible verse to live by. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

If only more people heeded that advice. What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m writing a book set during World War II, Mrs. Odboddy, an eccentric older woman sees herself as a hometown warrior and a scourge of the underworld, as she believes conspiracies and spies abound and her duty is to bring them to justice. The first, Mrs. Odboddy – Home Town Patriot, will be published in spring, 2016.

Lightning round:
Cake or frosting? Cake
Laptop or desktop? Desktop
Chevy Chase or Bill Murray? Chevy Chase
Emailing or texting? Text whating?  Definitely, emailing.
Indoors or outdoors? Indoor
Tea: sweet or unsweet? Sweet
Plane, train, or automobile? Automobile

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elaine Faber is a member of Sisters in Crime, Cat Writers Association, and Inspire Christian Writers, where she serves as librarian and an editor for their annual anthology.
Elaine has published three cozy cat mysteries, most recently, Black Cat and the Accidental Angel. Her short stories are in multiple anthologies. She lives in Northern California with her husband and multiple feline companions.

Connect with Elaine:

Website     

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FEATURED AUTHOR: E JOURNEY

ABOUT THE BOOK

Frantic flight, peaceful life. Act of treason on an island country. Cauldron of warring emotions. Exotic beauty, ace with a gun. Hunk with gifts for mockery and cooking.

Nine-year-old Leilani and her family mysteriously flee the island country of Costa Mora, leaving her father. Years later, her peaceful solitary life in California ends when she rescues Justin Halverson from thugs and she learns a devastating truth about her father. As she agonizes over her father, Justin comforts her, and they’re drawn closer together.

With Justin, she returns to her birthplace to get her father quietly out. There, she reconnects with her past, but can she forgive her father and accept him for who he is? Can she finally be at peace with who she is? Welcome, Reluctant Stranger interweaves a love story into a tale of past political intrigue and Leilani’s inner journey, accepting her past.

GUEST POST
Our Inevitable Love Affair With Stories

by EJourney

We may very well be wired for stories. We have many uses for them. They can make us cry, laugh, get angry. They may change how we see things, draw us closer together, and push us to take certain actions.

There is power in stories. They can change our brains, say some social scientists who have studied brain cells and substances our bodies produce while we watch, read, or listen to stories. Researchers have shown:

People who read a lot of fiction tend to have higher levels of empathy and better social skills than those who don’t, probably because of the strengthening of the mirror neuron (brain cell for empathy).

Storytelling may have been and will continue to be essential to our evolution into compassionate beings.

But it’s not only listening to stories, reading, or watching films that’s proven of benefit to us. Writing stories, especially ours (as in a memoir), can also heal what ails us. How? Via a form known as “expressive writing.”  If you keep a journal of your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, then you have engaged in expressive writing.

Psychotherapists know this. They may include Writing Therapy (a formalized sort of expressive writing) in their arsenal of psychotherapy/counseling techniques, along with those based on art and music. Writing Therapy is effective, particularly for treating debilitating stress after traumatic events.

So, do you need to go into Writing Therapy for the act of writing to help you cope with trauma, emotional pain, grief, loss, or anything else that bothers you? Fortunately, the answer is no. Just take up pen and paper or your preferred electronic gadget and open your soul.

Here is what some authors say about what writing stories did for them:

“Writing saved me from the sin and inconvenience of violence.” Alice Walker, Pulitzer prize winner (The Color Purple)

“Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose or paint can manage to escape the madness, melancholia, the panic and fear which is inherent in a human situation.” Graham Greene, British novelist shortlisted for Nobel Prize (25 novels)

“The more I wrote, the more I became a human being . . . I was getting the poison out of my system.” Henry Miller, American literary innovator (Tropic of Cancer)

Pouring a painful experience on paper or your computer is cathartic. Even the act of reading through what you’ve written can be therapeutic. When you go back later to a journal of your experience, you’re more detached and can see it with fresh eyes. Your perspective can change and you may realize there is a lesson you can learn from it.

I started writing my thoughts and feelings in a little notebook when I was a kid, to help me cope with the loneliness of an only daughter whose three brothers didn’t want to be bothered with a sister. I think I have finally become reasonably comfortable with myself. But writing has grown into a habit I’ve become addicted to.

Much has been written on the emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing. Here’s one you can find on the web:  http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/11/5/338.full

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

E Journey is a realist who thinks she has little imagination. Credit that to her training (Ph. D., University of Illinois) and work in mental health, writing for academics and bureaucrats, and critiquing the work of others. She’s been striving ever since to think and write like normal people.



She’s a well-traveled flâneuse — a female observer-wanderer — who watches, observes, listens. And writes. A sucker for happy endings, she finds enough that depresses her about real life, but seeks no catharsis by writing about it. For her, writing is escape, entertainment. She doesn’t strive to enlighten. Not deliberately. But the bias of her old profession does carry over into her writing. So, instead of broad shoulders and heaving bosoms, she goes into protagonists' thoughts, emotions, inner conflicts, insecurities, and struggles to reach balance and grow.



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FEAUTURED AUTHOR: DIANE BURTON

ABOUT THE BOOK

Alex O’Hara finally gets a case that will give her bottom line a much needed boost. She might even be able to change her diet from ramen noodles to prime rib. All she has to do is track down a man who’s been missing for over ten years. Piece of cake . . . until an old flame arrives and a mugger roughs her up with orders to back off.

INTERVIEW WITH DIANE BURTON

Diane, how did you come up with the title, The Case of the Bygone Brother?
I wanted something that sounded like a Nancy Drew book, my favorite books as a kid. The reader knows up front this is a mystery. I plan to use an alliterative title in future books.

How would you describe your book in a tweet?
Small town—Big case PI mystery. Find lost brother and make beaucoup bucks. Avoid old flame. The Case of the Bygone Brother by Diane Burton.

Did you have any say in your cover art? What do you think of it?
I sure did have a say. Since I’m self-published and have no artistic talent, I hired a cover artist. Florence Price from The Novel Difference has done three of my covers. She is great to work with. She really listens/reads my mini-synopsis and what I want on the cover. She’s come up with great ideas, too, often better than mine. I love the cover for The Case of the Bygone Brother. You can tell it’s a cozy mystery, not a thriller or dark & dangerous.

What’s your favorite line from a book?
“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” ~Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. It evokes so many questions. Where is Manderley? What is it? A city, village, estate? Why did the narrator dream about it? Is this a repeated dream? Why? I loved the book from the first time I read it and each time after.

How do you get to know your characters?
They reveal themselves as I write. I’ll have a basic idea about them then — wham! — my fingers will type something and I’ll think “Where did that come from?” It’s such a great feeling.

Yes it is. When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?
Never. I know the main characters, of course, and some of the secondary ones. But not everyone. Some characters demand names and others are identified by their occupation: the waiter, the driver, etc. Giving the person a names makes them more important. The story evolves and the characters reveal themselves. With The Case of the Bygone Brother, I use a lot of Dutch names because West Michigan was settled by immigrants from the Netherlands. In fact, I named the title character, Harry Anslyn, after one of my ancestors, Louis Anslyn who fought in the Civil War.

With which of your characters would you most like to be stuck on a deserted island?
Nick Palzetti from Bygone Brother. He has skills! And he’s not bad to look at.

That always helps! Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.
When Nick returns after a long absence and finds Alex lying across the top of a lateral file cabinet trying to retrieve something behind it. He wise-cracks, and when he tries to help her down, she falls on top of him. Years ago, Alex had a giant-size teen crush on him. And now he’s back and finds her as klutzy as ever.

Who are your favorite authors?
Jayne Ann Krentz (aka Jayne Castle & Amanda Quick) — strong plot, intriguing characters. Linda Howard — stories with such emotion that I cry, great characters, and marvelous plot twists. Linnea Sinclair — best science fiction romance around, action/adventure in space. (BTW, I also write sci-fi romance.)

Which author would you most like to invite to dinner, and what would you fix him? Or her.
Madeline L’Engle. I’d ask her how she came up with the idea for A Wrinkle In Time and the rest of the books. I read it to my 6th grade class and to my children. Fascinating. BTW, you can come, too.

Thanks. What book are you currently reading and in what format?
I’m between books right now. I just finished Siren’s Call by Jayne Castle. Love her Rainshadow series, and this one is great. Even when books have other formats, I love reading on my Kindle. I’m supposed to be reading The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate for my book group. Since it’s in trade paperback (from the library) I haven’t started it yet. Yikes! Book group is next week. I’d better get cracking.

How do you handle criticism of your work?
Poorly. LOL I huff and whine and grouse — at my husband, never the critiquer or my freelance editor. Then I respond very politely “Thanks. I’ll consider that.”

Where’s home for you?
A Lake Michigan resort town, similar to Fair Haven (the fictional setting for The Case of the Bygone Brother) but a lot bigger. After moving many times because of my husband’s job and “power shopping” for a new house as soon as ours sold, we’d have to settle for what was available. This time we had a house built close to our grandchildren.

What three books have you read recently and would recommend?
A Killer Past by Maris Soule that features a 74-year-old heroine who literally kicks the butts of 2 gang members when they try to rob her. She has skills!

No Brakes: On the Wing by Ellen Ann Callahan. Wow. Debut book full of suspense and emotion, fast paced.

Released (Nogiku series, Book2) by S.J. Pajonas. This series is blowing me away. Post-apocalypse with hope.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Watch movies and read. I love to garden, but bad knees make it difficult. Now I “sidewalk supervise” my husband. Quilting, which I’ve neglected. I’m helping my 8-year-old granddaughter learn to sew clothes for herself and her American Girl doll, so maybe I’ll get back to quilting, too.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I’m living right where I want to be, close to family. Unfortunately, only half my family. If money was unlimited (or I sell beaucoup books LOL), we’d live half the year in Michigan and the other half in Arizona with the rest of my family.

What are you working on now?
The next Alex O’Hara novel, The Case of the Fabulous Fiancé. She gets into more trouble again. My plan is to release it in October. I need to do a little more revising on Christmas in Space, a novella to be released in late November. And I’m in the planning stage for the next Outer Rim novel, a science fiction romance. Too many stories, not enough time. LOL

EXCERPT FROM THE CASE OF THE BYGONE BROTHER

She had trouble written all over her.

Like a scene out of The Maltese Falcon, a beautiful woman begs the P.I. for help. Shades of Sam Spade, with a slight difference. The elegantly-dressed woman pounding on my plate glass window was more than twenty years older than me and, even though my name is Alex O’Hara, I’m not male. But I am a PI —O’Hara & Palzetti, Confidential Investigations since 1965. Not that I’ve been around since 1965.

As soon as I unlocked the outer door, the woman burst through, a few maple leaves stuck to her Manolo’s. Frankly, I was surprised she wore only a sweater. She must have been freezing out there. In spite of the fact that it was mid-October, the temp had dipped that afternoon to the low forties. We might even get frost.

“Ms. O’Hara, thank God you’re still here. I was so afraid—” She broke off on a sob. Taking a small, white, lace-edged handkerchief out of her Louis Vitton purse, she dabbed at her eyes.

Now I’m not one to belittle a person’s worries. However, I thought she switched a little too quickly from imperious knocking to damsel in distress.

Damsel? Not quite. I pegged her around fifty-five, give or take a few years, and well-preserved. Even in her Manolo’s, she only came up to my chin. Next to her I felt like a hulking giant. Since I’m five-ten in my socks, I look down on most women. Despite her elaborate up-do, from my angle I could see her roots. A visit to her hairdresser might be in order. But I digress.

“What can I do for you?” I tried not to sneeze from her overpowering perfume. An oriental scent. Shalimar or Opium. I never knew which was which. I tried them on at the perfume counter at Macy’s. That’s the closest I’d ever get to wearing expensive perfumes.

“I need your help.” Her breathy voice reminded me of Marilyn. As in Monroe, not Manson.

Because Pop loved old movies, I became addicted to them. Just like I did with detective novels. I cut my teeth on Nancy Drew, moved on to the likes of Daphne duMaurier and P.D. James before graduating to Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. I watched Masterpiece Mystery on PBS and every movie Alfred Hitchcock made. In my teens, I watched reruns of Remington Steele. Once, I wore a fedora like Laura’s to work. The Pops laughed so hard I never did again.

I ushered the woman into my office with its mahogany paneling and closed the door. I held out my hand. “As you’ve guessed, I’m Alex O’Hara.” I looked at her expectantly.

She laid her hand in mine. I clasped hers firmly enough to reassure but gently enough not to crush the delicate bones beneath the cold skin.

“My name is Babette Rhodes. Babette Anslyn Rhodes.”

She perched on the visitor’s chair, her back finishing-school straight and knees pressed together. I took my place behind the desk in the big leather chair that had been Pop’s. While she twisted the handkerchief, I stacked the bookkeeping papers and tucked them into the top desk drawer. Once I placed a clean legal pad in front of me, I folded my hands on top ready for her story. A story that could solve my financial problems.

“Ms. O’Hara, I must ask you to keep what I am about to tell you in absolute confidence.”

“Of course.” Hadn’t she see the word confidential on the sign on the door?

“My brother is missing. I must find him.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Diane grew up in the Detroit-area and has lived in Portage (MI), Sedalia (MO) as well as a brief stint in Chicago-land.  She’s been a Parks & Recreation supervisor, an inventory clerk for a flute store, and a long-time volunteer for Girl Scouts. Her last job was for an oil and gas exploration company where she discovered the cure for insomnia—reading oil and gas leases.  Her longest-running gig was as a teacher where she taught elementary kids for over 10 years.  She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and the Mid-Michigan and Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal chapters of RWA. She met her own hero on a blind date. It was love at first sight--for her. It took him a little longer. They currently reside in West Michigan and have two grown children and three delightful grandchildren.



Diane has been a reader all her life and loves movies, especially action adventure, mysteries, science fiction, and romantic comedy. Castle, Firefly, and NCIS are her favorite TV shows. So is it any wonder that she writes science fiction romance and romantic suspense, both with comedic elements?

Connect with Diane:
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

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