Featured Author: Lynn Cahoon

About the book:

The tourist town of South Cove, California, is a lovely place to spend the holidays. But this year, shop owner Jill Gardner discovers there’s no place like home for homicide. . .

As owner of Coffee, Books, and More, Jill Gardner looks forward to the hustle and bustle of holiday shoppers. But when the mayor ropes her into being liaison for a new work program, 'tis the season to be wary. Local businesses are afraid the interns will be delinquents, punks, or worse. For Jill, nothing’s worse than Ted Hendricks--the jerk who runs the program. After a few run-ins, Jill’s ready to kill the guy. That, however, turns out to be unnecessary when she finds Ted in his car--dead as a doornail. Officer Greg assumes it’s a suicide. Jill thinks it’s murder. And if the holidays weren’t stressful enough, a spoiled blonde wants to sue the city for breaking her heel. Jill has to act fast to solve this mess--before the other shoe drops. . .

Interview with Lynn Cahoon

What’s the story behind the title If the Shoe Kills?
It’s a Cinderella reference. The new store in town is a glass shop and has a glass slipper on the sign. I love the idea of Cinderella getting all feisty and taking care of business.

If the Shoe Kills is the third in the Tourist Trap Mysteries. Tell us about your series. Is this book a standalone, or do readers need to read the series in order?
The Tourist Trap Mysteries follow my amateur sleuth, Jill Gardner, and her adventures in South Cove, a small tourist town on the central California coastline. I love building this town as the stories build and learning more about the friends and enemies surrounding Jill. Each book can be read as a stand-alone. My publisher released three books in the series this year, and I’m contracted for three more next year.   

Do you have another job outside of writing?
I do have a day job. I’m in administration for a large St. Louis leasing company. So if you need to know how to tag or plate your car in Georgia or parts of Canada, I’m your girl.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?
I adore Aunt Jackie. She says what’s on her mind, no matter who’s around to hear. And she’s living her life, even with the challenges she runs into during the story. Sometimes I wish I was more like her.

One of your characters has just found out you’re about to kill him off. He decides to beat you to the punch. How would he kill you?
Oh, this is a great question. For the WIP, (Tourist Trap #5) the victim would chose something up close and personal, like a blade, since I was totally messing with their livelihood and life. I don’t think this person would take kindly to the threat.

With what five real people would you most like to be stuck in a bookstore?
Stephen King (Nuff said.)
Rachel Ray (And hope we have access to a fully stocked kitchen.)
Laura Bradford (My BFF)
Robyn Carr (I’d love to pick her brain on writing.)
Bob Mayer (So he could help me career plan.)

What song would you pick to go with your book?
If the Shoe Kills is a holiday book, happening just before Thanksgiving, so I should pick "Over the River," but I believe the feel is more with the Christmas carol, "Oh Holy Night." Mostly due to the re-birth of one of the characters. The hymn reminds me of hope and the chance of a new day for a new choice.

Who are your favorite authors?
Stephen King, Harlan Coben (Can I add him to the bookstore group too?), Robyn Carr (LOVE her Thunder Point series.) I’m developing a reader crush on Joe Hill too which is a dilemma on loving both a father and a son. Oh, and Jim Butcher.


What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)?
Currently I’m listening to Harlan’s Stay Close. In paper, I’ve got several started including Jim Butcher’s Storm Front, Elizabeth Lynn Casey’s Remnants of Murder, and Lori Wilde’s The First Love Cookie Club. And a few more I’ve got opened and started somewhere around the house.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?
On my desktop in my office, first thing in the morning. But that doesn’t happen as often as I’d like, so now I write anywhere I can and anytime. Except I’m an early to bed kind of girl, so my brain is mush after 9.

What’s your favorite memory?
Watching the light wheel change the color of the silver Christmas tree in the first house I remember. I began to story-tell at a young age, hanging out in the hall closet where there was an entry to the crawl space below. I believed it was a portal to another world. 

What do you love about where you live?

I live in a historic river town on the Mississippi. I love living near the water and cross two rivers to get to my day job. I love the history that surrounds me every day, but I’m particularly fond of the road filled with antique shops where I love to wander.


Have you been in any natural disasters?
One earthquake so far.

How did you meet your husband?
I met my current spouse in a bar. His girlfriend and my boyfriend (at the time) were on a dart league together. So while they played, we talked. I liked him from the first time we talked, but the thing he did for me was make me question my tendency to settle in relationships. I wasn’t in love with the guy I was dating, and, I wanted to be in love. So I broke it off with the first guy, and a few months later, fate brought us back together. We’re going on fifteen years together now.

If you could only keep one book, what would it be?
Illusions by Richard Bach. Or Doctor Sleep by Stephen King.

You’re published by eKinsington. How did you find them, and how long did your query process take?
I love this question because I’m the poster child for Never Give Up, Never Surrender. I’d had Kensington written on a note card for years because they accepted unagented submissions and published cozy mysteries. I sat in on a couple panels at RWA Nationals the last time it was in New York City and really liked some of the editors. I shopped Guidebook to Murder to a bunch of agents for a couple years with no bites. Then, I found the index card on my desk. I submitted and forgot about it. A few months later, I got an email from my editor asking if I’d thought about a second book in the series. I sent her a partial, and by April of 2013, I had a contract in hand.

What are you working on now?
Book #5 of The Tourist Trap series where Jill and the town sponsor a fun walk/run on The Mission Trail.

Other books by Lynn:

Guidebook to Murder
Mission to Murder

About the author:

USA Today and New York Times best-selling author, Lynn Cahoon is an Idaho native. If you’d visit the town where she grew up, you’d understand why her mysteries and romance novels focus around the depth and experience of small town life. Currently, she’s living in a small historic town on the banks of the Mississippi river where her imagination tends to wander. She lives with her husband and four fur babies.

Connect with Lynn:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon author page

Buy the book:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Featured Author: D.J. Donaldson

About the book:

Andy Broussard, the plump and proud New Orleans medical examiner, obviously loves food. Less apparent to the casual observer is his hatred of murderers. Together with his gorgeous sidekick, psychologist Kit Franklyn, the two make a powerful, although improbable, mystery solving duo.

When the beautiful Kit goes to meet an anonymous stranger—who’s been sending her roses—the man drops dead at her feet before she even could even get his name. Game on.

Andy Broussard soon learns that the man carried a lethal pathogen similar to the deadly Ebola virus. Soon, another body turns up with the same bug. Panic is imminent as the threat of pandemic is more real than ever before. The danger is even more acute, because the carrier is mobile, his identity is an absolute shocker, he knows he’s a walking weapon and… he’s on a quest to find Broussard. And Kit isn’t safe either. When she investigates her mystery suitor further, she runs afoul of a cold blooded killer, every bit as deadly as the man searching for Broussard.

Louisiana Fever is written in Donaldson’s unique style: A hard-hitting, punchy, action-packed prose that’s dripping with a folksy, decidedly southern, sense of irony. Add in Donaldson’s brilliant first hand knowledge of forensics and the sultry flavor of New Orleans, and the result is first class forensic procedural within an irresistibly delectable mystery.

What reviewers are saying:

"D.J. Donaldson is superb at spinning medical fact into gripping suspense.  With his in-depth knowledge of science and medicine, he is one of very few authors who can write with convincing authority.” -Tess Gerritsen, NY Times best-selling author of the Rizzoli & Isles novels

“CSI meets The Big Easy.”

"Quietly, this series has a carved a solid place for itself among the many New Orleans-based crime novels. Broussard makes a terrific counterpoint to the Dave Robicheaux ragin' Cajun school of mystery heroes: analytical where Robicheaux is emotional, self-indulgent where Robicheaux is Spartan, Broussard proves it's possible to savor your crawfish etouffee without being a tough guy. Thank God for that." -Bill Ott, Booklist

Interview with D.J. Donaldson

D.J., how long have you been writing, and how did you start?
Oddly, the thought that I wanted to become a novelist just popped into my head one day shortly after my fiftieth birthday.  Part of this sudden desire was a bit of boredom with my real job. I was an anatomy professor at the University of Tennessee and had accomplished all my major professional goals: course director, funded NIH grant, teaching awards, and many published papers on wound healing. So I guess I needed a new challenge. And boy did I pick a tough one. 

I wondered, how does a novice like me learn to write fiction? Taking a few writing courses is an obvious answer. But I had the vague feeling that there were a lot of unpublished writers teaching those courses, and I worried that all I’d learn was how to fail. I’m not saying this was the best way, but I decided to just teach myself. I bought ten bestselling novels and tried to figure out what made each of them work. What tricks were the authors using to hold my attention? What made these books so popular? In a sense then, perhaps I didn’t teach myself. Maybe Steven King, Robin Cook, Pat Conroy, Michael Palmer, Larry McMurtry, and James Michener did. In any event, eight years later, I sold my first book.  So, it took me about as long to become a published novelist as it did to train for medical research and teaching.

What’s the story behind the title Louisiana Fever?
Louisiana Fever is the fifth book in a series set in New Orleans and adjacent parts of Louisiana. To help brand the series, my editor decided that each title should relate in some way to the locale. You’d think it wouldn’t be hard to do that, but I usually sit for hours playing with words and rearranging them in what I hope are creative ways. No matter what title I eventually settle on for a book, I have this nagging suspicion that even if I really like the one I pick, there was a much better one I might have used. I just couldn’t find it. I keep thinking about Margaret Mitchell, who originally called her only novel, Tomorrow is Another Day. That’s not a bad title. But it’s not in the same league as the title it was eventually given: Gone with the Wind. 

Of all my New Orleans books, I’m the most satisfied with the title for Louisiana Fever. Although the title doesn’t specifically mention New Orleans, it lets readers know a lot about the locale. It also strongly suggests that the story involves some kind of contagious disease. The fever part of the title actually refers to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, a bleeding disease similar to Ebola. Most writers would be thrilled to have written a book that could be related to unfolding world events. Normally, I’d be among them. But in this case, I’d much prefer that there was no reason for Ebola to be in the news every day. I hope this threat is contained soon.

Tell us about your series. Is this book a standalone or do readers need to read the series in order?
As I mentioned above Louisiana Fever is the fifth book in a series. Even though there were four books that came before Fever, (Cajun Nights, Blood on the Bayou, No Mardi Gras for the Dead, and New Orleans Requiem) it’s not necessary to read them in order. Many readers have said that the books work perfectly well as stand-alones.

Are any of your characters inspired by real people?
Practically from the moment I decided to try my hand at fiction, I wanted to write about a medical examiner. There's just something appealing about being able to put a killer in the slammer using things like the stomach contents of the victim or teeth impressions left in a bite mark. Contrary to what the publisher's blurb said on a couple of my books, I'm not a forensic pathologist. To gear up for the first book in the series, I spent a couple of weeks hanging around the county forensic center where Dr. Jim Bell taught me the ropes.  Unfortunately, Jim died unexpectedly after falling into a diabetic coma a few months before the first book was published. Though he was an avid reader, he never got to see a word of the book he helped me with. In many ways, Jim lives on as Broussard. Broussard's brilliant mind, his weight problem, his appreciation of fine food and antiques, his love for Louis L'Amour novels... that was Jim Bell.

What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)?
Years ago I remember hearing the writer, Elizabeth Daniels Squire (now deceased), talk about how throughout her life she had an extremely poor memory. It was so bad she often prayed to be delivered from that affliction. One day on vacation somewhere in Italy, she visited a shrine in a tiny cave where the ceiling was so low tourists had to enter on hands and knees. There, she prayed again for God to fix her faulty memory. Then, forgetting where she was, she tried to stand up and knocked herself out. Realizing now that she should just accept her problem and learn to live with it, she created Peaches Dann, a sleuth with a terrible memory. I’m now reading one of those books...on a Kindle.  I love how you can change the font size on a Kindle.

What do you love about where you live?
Compared to the price of housing in many other parts of the country, homes in Memphis are a bargain. I watch those real estate shows from other cities and am astounded at what people there have pay for homes I couldn’t stand to live in. 


Have you been in any natural disasters?
My wife and I lived through Hurricane Betsy in New Orleans. It wasn’t as bad as Katrina, but it did peel the bricks off our apartment building and blow out the hall windows so the stairwells became gushing waterfalls.

Yikes! I know you'd like to forget that. What’s your favorite memory?
The phone call I got from my first agent telling me that an editor at St. Martins Press wanted to talk to me about my first novel. (I have a feeling I’d better not let my wife see this.)

I'd say go with that feeling! What is the most daring thing you've done?
Marry a 17-year-old girl when I was 20. It worked out okay though because 53 years later, we’re still married.  


What is the stupidest thing you've done?
I can’t bear to think about it let alone tell anyone else what happened. (It’s also my most embarrassing moment.)

Well, at least you didn't say it was marrying a 17-year-old girl when you were 20! 
What makes you nervous?
I get very nervous during intense thunderstorms. My wife and I live in a house that’s 110 years old. When we bought it many years ago, it was in a terrible state and there were lots of leaks in the roof. The house is now fully restored and has been for at least a decade. Yet I still dream about that leaking roof and always imagine the worst when it rains so hard we can’t see two feet beyond the front door. (And it seems like those are the only kinds of rains we get in Memphis.)

What makes you happy?
A five star review on Amazon.

How did you meet your wife? Was it love at first sight?
I still remember the first time I saw her. She was a gorgeous young blonde wearing white short shorts and a white blouse. She picked up a little girl who was eating licorice and the girl smeared it all over that white blouse. There was not one sign of irritation in my future wife’s face. She loved that little girl just as much before the ruined blouse as after. I knew then that this was a young woman with a good heart. 

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
“The outcome of successful planning always looks like luck to saps." -Dashielle Hammet in The Dain Curse

What would you like people to say about you after you die?
“Oh wait...there he is standing over there. I’ll be damned.”

Other books by D.J. Donaldson

New Orleans Requiem 
Sleeping with the Crawfish
Bad Karma in the Big Easy http://amzn.to/1skKQ7v

About the author:

D.J. (Don) Donaldson is a retired medical school professor. Born and raised in Ohio, he obtained a Ph.D. in human anatomy at Tulane, then spent his entire academic career at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. In addition to being the author of several dozen scientific articles on wound healing, he has written seven forensic mysteries and five medical thrillers.

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 

Featured Author: Joanna Campbell Slan

About the book:

Cara Mia Delgatto’s cup runneth over with worries. Her ex-husband is refusing to pay their son’s college tuition, her evil sister is pulling mean pranks, and her old boyfriend has broken her heart. And that’s just the personal stuff. She’s also concerned about keeping the cash register ringing at The Treasure Chest, her retail store specializing in upcycled, recycled, and repurposed décor items with a coastal theme. The media event that Cara plans turns nasty when reporter Kathy Simmons threatens to share unsavory details from the shopkeeper’s past. Things get really dicey when Kathy mysteriously disappears. Cara’s other problems seem trivial in comparison to…a murder investigation!

Interview with Joanna Campbell Slan

Joanna, how long have you been writing, and how did you start?
I started as a kid, by stapling sheets of scrap paper together and telling everyone, “This is my book.” Honestly, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t write. I started winning awards in junior high, and I majored in journalism in college.

How did you come up with the title of your book?
Since I write more than one series, I keep collecting title ideas. The Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series revolves around a “trash to treasure” type of store. Therefore, I want all the titles to reflect that theme. It’s amazing how many euphemisms we have for stuff we toss away! I also try to match the title to the plot in some unexpected way. In this particular book, the title (Kicked to the Curb) mimics the plight of several characters. They are all “kicked to the curb,” that is, abandoned by our society.

Do you have another job outside of writing?
I’m a wife and mother. I edit articles for my son’s website. Other than that, I write full-time.

How would you describe your book in five words? 
Thought-provoking, timely, mystery, heart-warming, crafty.

How did you create the plot for Kicked to the Curb?
I always start with what’s happening in my character’s lives. Their problems become the wire armature that the plot is built on. I had been following the news about the forensic investigation into the burials at the Dozier School for Boys, and I knew I wanted that to be part of the book. From there, it was like working a puzzle. Getting all the pieces to fix was challenging, but satisfying! At one point, I didn’t know how the mystery was going to be solved. Ugh. That was a bleak moment. Luckily, I came up with a clue...

Tell us a book you’re an evangelist for. 
The Ugly American by Burdick and Lederer.

I think this book should be required reading in high school. After you read it, you’ll have a better understanding of how our country gets into some of the foreign policy messes we’re in. We’re not culturally literate, and that’s a huge problem.

How do you get to know your characters?
I talk to them. I observe them. I think about them. I also fill out little charts and pigeon-hole them into one of four personal styles. When all else fails, I take walks on the beach with them. That’s when they usually open up to me.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?
In this book, probably Honora McAfee. She’s new to this series, but she’s a real asset. Because she’s an older lady, she brings a different world-view to the cast of characters. I like a good mixture of folks in my books. They rub up against each other and then the sparks fly.

What would your main character, Cara Mia Delgatto, say about you?
She would say that I’m too creative and not as business-minded as I should be. She would encourage me to be more diligent about doing profit-and-loss statements. But once she finished scolding me, she’d give me a big hug and feed me biscotti and coffee.

Are you like any of your characters?
I’m a combination of several of my characters. I’m like Skye Blue in that I love turning trash into treasure. When it comes to clothes, I most enjoy wearing things with a bohemian edge to them, like she does. (I think she looks better in them than I do because she’s slimmer, but that’s why I love fiction.) I’m also like Honora McAfee, because I’m an avid miniaturist. I love, love, love making dollhouses and roomboxes.

With what five real people would you most like to be stuck in a bookstore?
Terry Gross of Fresh Air, because she’s met so many of the movers and shakers of our time; Hillary Clinton, because we met once and she impressed me, plus I’d like to know more about how she keeps her emotional balance; Neil Degrasse Tyson, because he’s fascinating and thoughtful and I’d love to ask him questions; Maureen Corrigan of Fresh Air, because she’s reviewed so many delightful books; and Diane Rehm, because she’s overcome such adversity and talked to so many fascinating people.


Do you have a routine for writing?
Yes, I get up, eat breakfast, get dressed, and start writing. Every day, all day. I break for lunch. I stop around five. Often I do my reading for research in the evening.

Where’s home for you?
Jupiter Island, Florida.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?
I love it when my house is empty, because I can sink down into my work and know I won’t be disturbed. I adore writing at my house on Jupiter Island, because it’s so quiet here. If I get stuck, I walk the beach. I alternate between sitting on my sofa and working upstairs in my office. I do that because of the strain on my back and arms. Changing locale seems to help.

Tell us one weird thing, one nice thing, and one fact about where you live.
(Weird thing) Celine Dion is my neighbor, and she almost ran over me while taking her son to soccer practice. (Nice thing) This is one of the biggest sea turtle nesting sites in the world. (Fact) Less than four hundred people live on this island year-around.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Right here. In fact, I want my ashes sprinkled over the beach after I die.

What are you working on now?
Doing edits for the next two Kiki Lowenstein books—Handmade, Holiday, Homicide (Dec. 15) and Shotgun, Wedding, Bells (Jan. 15, 2015).

Anything else?
We have a special bonus for readers who join my mailing list—two recipes, two craft tutorials, and an outtake scene from Kicked to the Curb. All readers need to do is send an email to KTTCBonus@JoannaSlan.com  They’ll automatically receive these free gifts!

From the author: 

I grew up dirt poor in a little town in Indiana. (Actually, we could afford the dirt, but that was about it.) Since I didn’t have the money to buy what I wanted, I learned to be creative with whatever I could find, including trash, junk, and stuff other people kicked to the curb. Consequently, I do my best thinking while I’m puttering around. Most of the time, my mind is a million miles away, and I’m in my own little world, making up stories. You might say that I’ve built my own “happy place” from scratch. You can read more about my adventures in crafting on my Facebook page.

Not surprisingly, I have chosen to write books about women, who are creative, passionate, and spunky. If you like Cara Mia and her friends, you’ll probably like my Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series. If you like courageous women and history, check out my series featuring Jane Eyre as an amateur sleuth. You’ll find a complete list of my works on my author page.


Connect with Joanna
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Buy the book:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other books by Joanna Campbell Slan:

Tear Down and Die (Book #1 in the Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series)

Killer, Paper, Cut (Book #9 in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series)

Death of a Dowager (Book #2 in the Jane Eyre Chronicles)

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Featured Author: John Gaspard

About the book:

Newly-single magician Eli Marks reluctantly attends his high school reunion against his better judgment, only to become entangled in two deadly encounters with his former classmates. The first is the fatal mugging of an old crush’s husband, followed by the suspicious deaths of the victim’s business associates.

At the same time, Eli also comes to the aid of a classmate-turned-movie-star who fears that attempting The Bullet Catch in an upcoming movie may be his last performance. As the bodies begin to pile up, Eli comes to the realization that juggling these murderous situations -- while saving his own neck -- may be the greatest trick he’s ever performed.

A great book club recommendation: A murder mystery book filled with sly wit, clever magic, and a charming amateur sleuth – see which of your group figures out whodunnit first!

Praise for The Bullet Catch:

“The Bullet Catch is a wonderfully engaging, delightfully tricky bit of mystery. Fans of magic will delight in John Gaspard’s artful use of the world of magicians, onstage and offstage. It’s a great story and great fun!” – Jim Steinmeyer, Author of Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear

“Gaspard's latest Eli Marks mystery, The Bullet Catch, has as many tricks up its sleeve as its likeable magician-hero. As the body count rises, so does the reading pleasure.” – Dennis Palumbo, Author of the Daniel Rinaldi Mystery Series and Co-Writer of My Favorite Year

“The Bullet Catch is a real winner of magical proportions. Filled with snappy, delightful dialogue and plenty of sleight-of-hand humor, Gaspard's latest mystery in the Eli Marks series does not disappoint. Head to the bookstore and get yourself a copy now!” – Jessie Chandler, Author of the Award-Winning Shay O'Hanlon Series

“The author does a fantastic job juggling the separate plots and keeping readers’ minds thoroughly engaged...The relationships between Eli and his remarried ex are interesting, to say the least, and the pure entertainment of the industry will leave all readers hoping that there will be a ‘number three’ very soon.” – Suspense Magazine

“The Bullet Catch has a quick pace and dialogue that engages the reader from the first page...Gaspard has written a great character into an original storyline...I will definitely be seeing/reading more of Eli as Gaspard expands this promising mystery series.” – Examiner.com

“Readers, get ready for your mind to expand as Eli Marks returns and uses his powers of prestidigitation, intuition and deduction to solve another mystery. If David Copperfield and Sherlock Holmes had a child, it would be Eli Marks.” – Scott Wells, The Magic Word Podcast

Interview with John Gaspard

John, your main character, Eli Marks, is a magician. Why did you come up with that profession for your main character?
I realized that I had several friends who are magicians – in fact, as a non-magician, I have a surprising number of friends who are magicians. So I’m familiar with their world and the issues that crop up in their work. And I realized that magicians – with their focus on misdirection and fooling people – would be in an ideal position to see how a criminal might be using misdirection to cover their tracks.

Why is Eli uniquely qualified to solve crimes?
On some levels, he isn’t qualified at all. In fact, he often gets things wrong. He is way too trusting and inclined to only see the best in people. However, as a magician, he is used to looking at the world a little differently and he understands how easy it is to fool people. He’s able to see the mechanics behind the trick and that helps him see the mechanics behind some crimes.

What are Eli Marks’s best qualities?
He has a sense of humor that often gets him out of tight situations. He is curious. He is very trusting.

What would you say his worst qualities are?
He has a sense of humor that often gets him into tight situations. He is curious. He is very trusting.

Very funny. Does Eli secretly pine for anyone, or is he currently involved?
It’s the classic story: In the first book, The Ambitious Card, Eli gets the girl. In this new book, he loses the girl – at least, for a while. And so the book looks not just at the struggle of how to get her back … but also at how hard it is to come to the realization that she might not be coming back at all.

What is a Bullet Catch?
The Bullet Catch is a classic trick in magic, in which the magician gives a loaded gun to an audience member, who then shoots it at the magician. If the trick is successful, the magician catches the bullet in his teeth. If not, well, that’s the end of the show.

The Bullet Catch is not often performed these days, because it truly is a dangerous trick. In fact over the years, more than a dozen magicians have died while performing The Bullet Catch.

Yikes! Are you a closet magician?
I am not now nor have ever been a magician.

However, my goal was to learn the title trick for each book in the series. So, for the first book (The Ambitious Card) I took lessons from an exceptionally talented local magician and got pretty good at performing that trick.

When I decided that the second book would use The Bullet Catch as its basis, I quickly abandoned the idea of learning and performing every title trick.

Very prudent of you.

In addition to talking to lots of magicians, I also attend magic conventions, read books and periodicals about magicians, and go to as many live performances and lectures as I can. It seems to have paid off, as I’ve heard back from many readers (including magicians) that they are amazed that the books are not written by a working magician.

The Bullet Catch involves the world of movie making, with which I believe you’re involved in real life. Can you tell us about that part of your life?
I’ve been producing and directing low-budget feature films since my late teens, using virtually every format out there (Super-8mm Sound, Three-Quarter Inch video, 16mm, and HD video). I’ve also written several books on how to create low-budget movies.

My most recent feature, Ghost Light, is available for viewing on Vimeo for free here. 

The current feature I’m working on, The Cookie Project, consists of seven shorts that will all tie together as a feature. You can see the shorts here.

Who would you cast as Eli Marks if you were to make a film of one of his books?
Well, I don’t work with the kinds of budgets it would take to bring any of the Eli Marks books to the screen. But if Hollywood wants to tackle it, I’ve always pictured Neil Patrick Harris. Not only does he have the chops as a magician, but he would also bring the humor, sincerity, and vulnerability that Eli needs.

Which do you like better: directing or writing?
They both have their own appeal. Writing I can do anywhere, any time. Directing takes a lot more planning and scheduling, so you can’t be particularly spontaneous. And with directing, you’re at the mercy of the elements, the budget, and the vagrancies of location and timing. Writing offers a lot more control of the finished piece.

What are you working on now?
I’m well into the third book in the Eli Marks mystery series, The Miser’s Dream, in which Eli discovers a body in the movie theater next door and is pulled into the bizarre world of high-priced movie memorabilia.

About the author:

In real life, John’s not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less – that’s no small trick. He's also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget filmmaking. Ironically, they’ve made more than the films.

His blog, "Fast, Cheap Movie Thoughts,” has been named "One of the 50 Best Blogs for Moviemakers" and "One of The 100 Best Blogs For Film and Theater Students.” He’s also written for TV and the stage.

John lives in Minnesota and shares his home with his lovely wife, several dogs, a few cats and a handful of pet allergies.


Connect with John:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | Publisher

Buy the book:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

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

Haunted: Halloween Book Blast

About the book:

It doesn’t matter to Valerie Wiggins that most people believe Jason McLain killed his wife. She needs the three-time Oscar winner’s expertise in special effects if they are going to turn their local charity’s annual haunted house into a money maker. Besides, every since she first saw his picture in the tabloids, she’s been attracted to him: his piercing dark brown eyes, unruly brown hair, and unsmiling mouth. And even though he’s come to this small town in the Sierra Nevada mountains to hide, she won’t take no for an answer. Except once he says yes, he fears he’s pulled her into the darkness that continues to haunt him.

Excerpt from Haunted

“Nowadays every town and city in the United States has a haunted house at Halloween time. If you want Slaterville’s to bring people from miles around, it’s going to have to be different. More spectacular, frightening, and mysterious than any other haunted house in Northern California.”

Valerie Wiggins parked her white Ford in front of a run-down, peak-roofed mountain cabin and cursed herself for standing up and giving that speech at the last WIN meeting. The squeaking door didn’t get oiled, it got volunteered. It was now her responsibility to create a “different” haunted house, and her job to make sure it was more spectacular, frightening, and mysterious than any other haunted house around.

Just what she needed, another job.

She didn’t have the time. She didn’t have the energy.

Cut the bull, she told herself as she stared at the cabin. The truth was, she did have the time. And the energy. And she didn’t mind being in charge of the project. What she didn’t want to do was talk to the man who lived in this house.

“We have just the person who can help us turn our haunted house into a success,” she’d said at the meeting that night. “Living right outside of town.”

As if every woman in the room didn’t know about Jason McLain.

So now, thanks to her big mouth, she was the one appointed to talk to Slaterville’s newest and most infamous resident. His reputation alone scared most of the other women.

His reputation scared Val.

Unless you knew, you’d never guess a man who’d won three Academy Awards for special effects lived in this house. If he was as rich as the papers had said, he sure wasn’t using his money to upgrade his property. In the six months since he’d moved to Slaterville, he’d done nothing to improve the exterior of the old Dalton place. The fence was broken in several places; beneath the snow, the small patch of lawn that had existed years before was no more than weeds; the bushes around the house were overgrown and dying; and the porch sagged. All of the wood needed a fresh coat of paint.

The only changes she could see from back when the place had stood abandoned for years were the broken windows had been replaced and heavy drapes and venetian blinds kept passersby from looking inside. There were certainly no signs of life. The snow hadn’t been shoveled from the walkway, no smoke curled from the chimney, and no lights showed behind the closed drapes and blinds. There was nothing to indicate anyone lived in the cabin except the tire tracks that led to the garage near the side door.

Or perhaps away from it.

Maybe he’s not home, Val thought as she opened her car door.

                                       *****

Jason heard two raps at the side door and grumbled into the near darkness of his living room. It had to be Bud, back from the store. He’d said he was going for a six-pack of beer, but he’d probably bought more and couldn’t open the door.

Again there were two raps.

Light.

Hesitant.

Jason pushed himself up from the sofa and started toward the kitchen. Why had Bud come anyway? It wasn’t as though an invitation had been issued. The past was better forgotten, and that included friendships. Besides, in the past three years, Bud hadn’t exactly been Mr. Stand-By-Your-Side.

Jason had to admit, if only to himself, that had hurt.

He shook his head as he walked between the sink and the table, both of which were piled with dishes. Dammit all, he’d left Hollywood to find solitude, to get away from the memories. Two and a half years of being harassed by the police and media had been enough. His own doubts were enough.

If Bud expected him to be Mr. Jovial, he’d driven five hundred miles for nothing, and a few beers wouldn’t change that.

From the author:

“Write what you love and know.” That’s the advice given to writers.

I fell in love with the Rhodesian Ridgeback the first time I saw one at a dog show. I love their temperament, their intelligence, and their personalities. I’ve shown them, bred them, whelped them, cried when I sent a puppy off to a new owner, and been as proud as a motherwhen one won at a dog show.

I also love living in the country. I have childhood memories of catching pollywogs in the creek that ran by our two acres in Walnut Creek, California; being able to pick ripe peaches from the tree (also almonds, pears, English walnuts, apricots and more); and sitting in my “thinking” tree making up stories.

When I married my husband, we were living in Santa Barbara, but his father was ill and we decided to move to Michigan to be closer to him. It was supposed to be a short-term move (just a couple years, my husband said). I won’t tell you how many years we’ve now lived in Michigan, but we now have grown children and teenage granddaughters. I haven’t regretted the move. Michigan is a beautiful state, and for 27 years we lived in the rural community of Climax. What a perfect location for a romance writer, and what a neat place to plot a mystery with a lot of suspense. (Yes, there are some similarities between the real Climax and my imaginary Zenith in The Crows and As the Crow Flies, but the events and people in those books are definitely fictional.)

We’ve now moved close to Lake Michigan (so my husband is near his sailboat), and we spend our winters in Florida, not far from the Gulf Coast. Both locations feed my love of being near water (remember that creek I played in and Santa Barbara) and are ideal places to nurture my desire to write. Whether I’m writing a romance, a mystery, or a combination of the two, I’m probably going to include an animal or two and there’s a good chance the characters will live in the country, the mountains, or near water. I’ve often used Michigan and California as settings, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Florida shows up in a future book. I’m sometimes asked if the characters in my books are based on me or someone I know. My answer is: Maybe bits and pieces, but my protagonists are always braver and smarter than I am (along with younger) and the antagonists are always nastier than the people I’ve known.


Connect with Maris:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Google+

Buy the book:
Amazon