GUEST POST BY MIKE MARTIN




ABOUT THE BOOK

Life is good for Sgt. Windflower in Grand Bank, Newfoundland. But something’s missing from the Mountie’s life. Actually, a lot of things go missing, including a little girl and supplies from the new factory. It’s Windflower’s job to unravel the tangled web of murder, deceit and an accidental kidnapping that threatens to engulf this sleepy little town and destroy those closest to him. But there’s always good food, good friends and the love of a great woman to make everything better in the end.



Book Details:
A Tangled Web


Cozy Mystery


6th in Series


Booklocker.com, Inc. (October 1, 2017)


Paperback: 338 pages


ISBN-13: 978-1634926508


E-Book ASIN: B0768R7VTR

GUEST POST BY MIKE MARTIN

Mike, what do you wish you could tell your younger self?

Wow. What a great question Amy has posed for me today. The first thing I thought was that the older you get, the more advice you have to offer. That would make me an expert. The second thing I thought was to simply say that almost everything my mother gave me for advice turned out to be accurate. So, listen to your mother, no matter how old you are.

But I think what Amy really meant was what advice would I, as a writer, give to my younger self. That’s still a great question. Having written six books in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series I have a lot of advice to give, at least to myself. Some of that advice would be to do some things completely different, but other things I would not just not change, I might do more of.

To start with I wish I’d stayed in school and finished my university degree. But I was too impatient and wanted to see the world for myself, not have someone else tell me about it. So, I did. I found great jobs and careers and went everywhere from Australia to Africa to the Arctic Circle. But I could have gained even more from that experience if I had hung around school a few more years. Plus, I wouldn’t have to be researching all this history of Newfoundland that I do for my books. Because I would already know it.

What I would do over again is to read a lot as a young person. I had three older sisters, two of them teachers, and they would drag me along with them to the library. There I discovered the magic and mystery of books and the fact that I could escape into other worlds any time I wanted. Stephen King once said that the best way to be a good writer is to be a great reader. I agree.

But I think that looking back I wish that I had been brave enough to become a full-time writer as soon as possible. That is the way to really grow as a writer. I have been writing, part-time and as part of many of the jobs in my career, but I only allowed myself the privilege of becoming a mostly full-time writer in the last dozen years or so. Part of it was the fact that I had become kind of used to eating and living reasonably well, and could not see how to continue that if I gave up my other work. But when I finally bit the bullet and declared myself a writer, things started to get better, and more paid writing assignments started to show up.

That was a few years ago now since I made that decision, and I’m very happy I did. I don’t make nearly enough from fiction writing to pay the bills. But my freelance writing and other paid projects keep me going. More importantly, I am happier than I ever have been in my life. When I think back on it, that was all my mother was trying to help me achieve.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a longtime freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the author of Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine.

The Walker on the Cape was his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. Other books in the series include The Body on the T, Beneath the Surface, A Twist of Fortune, and A Long Ways from Home.
A Long Ways from Home was shortlisted for the 2017 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award as the best light mystery of the year. A Tangled Web is the newest book in the series.

Connect with Mike:
Website  |  Facebook  |   Twitter

Buy the book:
Amazon

Mike has generously offered to give one ebook copy of A Tangled Web to one lucky reader. A winner will be chosen randomly from comments left below through December 7.

FEATURED AUTHOR: EARL JAVORSKY

ABOUT THE BOOK

Private investigator Charlie Miner, freshly revived from his own murder, gets a call from Homicide Detective Dave Putnam. Self-styled “psychic to the stars” Tamara Gale has given crucial information about three murders, and the brass thinks it makes the Department look bad. Dave wants Charlie to help figure out the angle, since he has first-hand experience with the inexplicable. Trouble is, Charlie, just weeks after his full-death experience, once again has severe cognitive problems and may get them both killed.

Earl Javorsky’s Down To No Good is wildly original, wildly energetic, wildly funny – it’s just straight up wild, and I mean that in the best possible way.
 – Lou Berney, Edgar Award-winning author of The Long and Faraway Gone.

It's a shame you missed Down Solo:
“Earl Javorsky’s bold and unusual Down Solo blends the mysterious and the supernatural boldly and successfully. The novel is strong and haunting, a wonderful debut.”
 – T. Jefferson Parker, New York Times bestselling author of Full Measure and The Famous and the Dead

“Awesome”
– James Frey, New York Times bestselling author

“Don’t miss Earl Javorsky’s Down Solo. It’s kick-ass, man. Excellent writing. This guy is the real deal.” 
– Dan Fante, author of the memoir Fante and the novel Point Doom

“Javorksy’s writing reminded me of the Carl Hiaasen novels I’d read sprawled out on the deck on one sunny Florida vacation. Perfect entertainment, with the right amount of action to keep me alert (and to keep me from snoozing myself into a sunburned state). But there’s also a deeper layer in Down Solo, which left me thinking past the final page.”
 – Bibliosmiles

“Javorsky’s dark and gritty prose is leavened with just enough humor to make Down Solo a compelling story that will take readers to the outer limits of noir.”
  – San Diego City Beat

Book Details:
Genre: Mystery

Published by: The Story Plant

Publication Date: October 31, 2017

Number of Pages: 224

ISBN: 1611882532
(ISBN13: 9781611882537)

Series: This is the sequel to Down Solo

LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT INTERVIEW WITH EARL JAVORSKY

Things you need in order to write:
Not much.
Things that hamper your writing:
Most everything
.

Things you love about writing:
When it crystallizes into something I’d like to read if someone else had written it.
Things you hate about writing:
When I create—I do this—a Rubik’s Cube of a structural puzzle for myself and am unable to proceed because nothing makes sense.

Things you love about where you live:
Everything—San Diego is terrific.
Things that make you want to move:
My kids—when they’re getting high, we want to move to Uruguay.


Things you never want to run out of:
Minutes.
Things you wish you’d never bought:
My first gram of coke
.

Words that describe you:
Easy going, funny, thoughtful.
Words that describe you but you wish they didn’t:
Old.

Favorite foods:
Salads, coffee ice cream, red peppers, grilled cheese sandwiches.
Things that make you want to throw up:
Milk.

Favorite song:
Van Morrison’s "Astral Weeks."
Music that make your ears bleed:
Most Pop.

Favorite smell:
Bergamot .

Something that makes you hold your nose:
Kombucha.

Something you wish you could do:
Dunk a damn basketball.
Something you wish you’d never learned to do:
Play bridge.

Something you like to do:
Play basketball, surf.

Something you wish you’d never done:
Everything I’ve done has led me to here, right now. I like here, now. That said, I wish I’d spent less time in the sun.

People you consider as heroes:
Leonard Cohen, Charlie Miner, Arnie Lefkovich
.
People with a big L on their foreheads:
Orange-faced politicians with weird hair

.

Last best thing you ate:
Yesterday’s salad lunch
.
Last thing you regret eating:
Something in Mazatlan—wish I knew.

Things you always put in your books:
Someone’s getting loaded
.
Things you never put in your books:
What color the curtains are.

Things to say to an author:
I hope the authors you love most love your work.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book:
I have an idea for a novel. Really! But I need someone else to write it.

Favorite places you’ve been:
Rome, Hanalei, Vancouver Island
.
Places you never want to go to again:
Disney World.

Favorite authors:
Kem Nunn, Michael Gruber, Elmore Leonard, James Lee Burke, Iain Pears, Graham Greene, John Le Carre, JG Ballard.

Books you would ban:
The Fountainhead.

People you’d like to invite to dinner:
Ray McKinnon, creator of Rectify
.
People you’d cancel dinner on:
Anyone who wants to talk about The Fountainhead, plus orange-faced politicians with weird hair
.

Favorite things to do:
Play basketball, hang out with my wife, surf, read.

Things you’d run through a fire wearing gasoline pants to get out of doing:
Gardening, weddings, dinner with more than three people.

Things that make you happy:
My kids
.
Things that drive you crazy:
My kids.

Best thing you’ve ever done:
Married Linda Iredale.

Biggest mistake:
Every mistake has led me here. I like here, now, this.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daniel Earl Javorsky was born in Berlin and immigrated to the US. He has been, among other things, a delivery boy, musician, product rep in the chemical entertainment industry, university music teacher, software salesman, copy editor, proofreader, and author of two previous novels, Down Solo, Trust Me, and Down to No Good.

He is the black sheep of a family of high artistic achievers.

Connect with Earl:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads

Buy the book:
Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway


FEATURED AUTHOR: AMY KORMAN

ABOUT THE BOOK

It’s December 15th, time to mix up the holiday cocktails in tranquil Bryn Mawr, PA. Then a Samsonite full of gold goes missing, Bootsie’s not-so-bright brother Chip is kidnapped, and shady lawyer Scooter Simmons is offering investors shares in a fake golf resort. For antiques dealer Kristin Clark and her friends, this Christmas is murder….

LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT INTERVIEW WITH AMY KORMAN

Things you need in order to write:
A floppy-eared basset hound, coffee, and preferably some chirpy birds flying by my open window.
Things that hamper your writing:
The dishwasher, the dryer, gotta ignore these while you’re writing, which is surprisingly hard to do!

Hardest thing about being a writer:
Actually planting yourself at a desk at 6 a.m.
Easiest thing about being a writer:
It’s pure escapism if it’s going well, and that’s so fun!

Favorite song:
Summertime by Kenny Chesney. Instantly conjures the sunshine!
Music that make your ears bleed:
I can’t think of any except the tunes they play at the dentist?

Favorite beverage:
Has anyone else tried the California red Zinfandel wine by Rancho Zabaco? Even the name is cool.
Something that gives you a pickle face:
All the Agatha Christie characters love to drink tea—I wish I liked it too.

Last best thing you ate:
Shout-out to a tiny restaurant near us in the Philly suburbs called Po Le which makes the best pastas and is run by a wonderful family. I order the shrimp and cappellini.
Last thing you regret eating:
This year’s Halloween Oreos were amazing! Maybe I DON’T regret eating them . . . 

Things you’d walk a mile for:
My dog. Then again, he’s a basset hound, and a mile is kind of far for him. He likes a leisurely stroll in the sunshine, then some Milkbones and a nap.
Things that make you want to run screaming from the room:
Clowns!

Things you always put in your books:
I love a salty older lady and a brusque elderly man who like to say what they think, and Honey Potts and Jimmy Best in Killer Wasps fit that description. I’m also fond of a bossy character who somehow always wins, like Eula Morris in Killer Holiday. Eula’s bossy and controlling, and the main characters all loathe her, but she ends up hitting the Powerball jackpot and going on a round-the-world cruise!
Things you never put in your books:
So far, no one’s been murdered in a Killer Wasps mystery. They’ve been shot, kidnapped, and had paintings, jewelry and a suitcase full of gold bars stolen, but no deaths as of 2017.

Favorite genre:
Mysteries, preferably British and on the lighter side, but I also love Sue Grafton’s grittier Kinsey Milhone books. And anything by Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and P.G. Wodehouse.
Books you would ban:
My chemistry textbook from high school is not one I’d like to dive into again.

Things that make you happy:
Dogs, country music, my family, summer, a bike ride, palm trees, friends, and unexpected road trips.
Things that drive you crazy:
The Real Housewives and Don’t Be Tardy on Bravo. I can’t stop watching!

The last thing you did for the first time:
I learned how to assemble a bike. With a lot of assistance.
Something you’ll never do again:
Unlike some of Kristin’s friends, who like to do detective work under the cover of darkness and with a few drinks inside them, I can’t remember the last time I was out past 1 am. But never say never!

EXCERPT FROM KILLER HOLIDAY

Chapter One

Bootsie McElvoy burst through the front door of The Striped Awning, a bag of ice in her right hand and the biggest bottle of Maker’s Mark bourbon I’ve ever seen in her left. She dug into her L.L. Bean tote for a bottle of red wine, a shaker of nutmeg, and a bag of fun-size candy canes, all of which she deposited next to a display of 1940s barware near the front of my antiques store.

“Kristin, it’s December fifteenth, which means it’s time for you to start offering shoppers a specialty cocktail the minute they set foot inside your store,” Bootsie told me. “I’m going to mix up a batch of the Delaney family Christmas drink, the Bourbon Blitzen, which never fails to produce a White Christmas vibe. One sip and you’ll feel like you’re singing and dancing with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye at a snowy Vermont inn. This should double your sales totals for the month.”

“Thanks!” I said gratefully, since Bootsie’s family’s boozy drinks are known throughout our village of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, for their potency and tendency to produce unwise purchases.

“The drinks sound good, but you’re also going to need about four thousand more of these pinecones, triple the greenery, and eight hundred additional strands of lights,” Joe Delafield informed me; he’d arrived twenty minutes earlier to help me decorate my store for the Christmas rush.

To lure in passing foot traffic, I’d brought in armloads of holly and spruce branches from my backyard (cost: free, thankfully), spray-painted pinecones silver (the paint was only $5.28 at the hardware store), and added some cheerful-looking blinking white lights. This would probably bring tons of holiday shoppers through my front door!

Joe paused, eyeing the room with his signature critical stare. “The effect I’m going for is that a bunch of HGTV-crazed elves with subscriptions to Veranda magazine snuck in and decorated for four straight days. Gerda, we’re going to need the blinking lights to stop blinking, pronto. Pull the plug, please.”

Joe’s assistant for the day was the eponymous owner of Gerda’s Bust Your Ass Gym, which is housed inside the beauty salon across the street. Since Gerda stands a lofty six feet tall in flats (or sneakers, which is her usual footwear, since fancy shoes aren’t her style), she’d agreed to hang ornaments, bringing her signature grim attitude to the proceedings.

“Cute idea,” Bootsie observed, casting a dubious stare at my front window, which was filled with antique silver-plated candlesticks, flatware, and wineglasses. “Is that your holiday inventory?”

“Nobody going to want that stuff,” said Gerda, who moved here from her native Austria a few years back. Gerda, who’s incredibly muscular and brings in sell-out crowds at her Pilates classes, isn’t the most tactful person in the world. “People want, like, scarves and Fitbits and iPhones.”

I sighed, knowing Gerda was right. Those were the gifts on most holiday wish lists.

“Luckily, I’ve solved all your problems,” Bootsie told me. “I ran into Eddie from the Pub this morning, and he needs a place to hold some late-night poker tournaments this month, so I brokered a deal for The Striped Awning. You’ll be hosting twice-weekly games from 10 p.m. till 1 a.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays till Valentine’s Day.”

“What!” I erupted, alarmed by this idea. “First of all, that doesn’t sound legal.”

“It’s fine,” she told me, waving away my concerns. “I mean, it’s not like it will be a professional betting operation. Eddie’s limiting each night to ten players and three hours. Some cards, a few drinks, a few small wagers. What could go wrong?”

“A lot!” I said. “They’ll blow cigar smoke and drop Dorito crumbs everywhere. Not to mention get arrested for operating a casino without a license. A lot could go wrong!”

“You worry too much,” Bootsie informed me dismissively. “Plus, he’ll pay you two hundred dollars a night.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. Bootsie knew she had me—there’s no way I can refuse an extra four hundred dollars a week, even if it puts me on the wrong side of the state gaming commission.

Just then, though, the front door was thrown open by one Sophie Shields, a tiny blonde who at the moment was looking slightly wild-eyed.

“Ya won’t believe what just happened!” shrieked Sophie. “The Colketts were helping me put up curtains in my new dining room, since Joe here never finished decorating my place—and the curtains are orange silk, by the way, they’re totally Elle Decor meets a J. Lo red-carpet gown. So Tim and Tom Colkett were talking paint colors when I heard a horn honking, so I opened the front door, thinking it was the delivery boy from the Hoagie House. I figured I’d go out and pay the driver, when boom!

“A guy dressed as Santa leaned out of the driver’s seat of a black SUV that had pulled right up in my driveway and aimed a gun at me and the Colketts!” The Colketts are the town’s leading landscape designers, who’ve lately turned their talents to party planning and interior design.

“Then the guy yelled, ‘Hey, Sophie, this one’s from your ex, Barclay!’ and shot my favorite handbag!” Sophie finished. “I was reaching into it to pay for the hoagies, thank goodness, so it acted as a protective shield. Also, I think maybe this Santa guy doesn’t have great aim.”

We all stared at her for a moment.

“Are you sure, Sophie?” said Bootsie finally. “Because this sounds like BS.”

“Yeah, Sophie, maybe you been hitting the wine bottle today,” seconded Gerda. “I know the Colketts are day drinkers. Maybe you been guzzling alcohol, too.”

“It’s true!” Sophie bleated. “Just look at this Ferragamo satchel! If it hadn’t had gold hardware to block the trajectory of the bullet, me and the Colketts would have been toast!”


***

Excerpt from Killer Holiday by Amy Korman. Copyright © 2017 by Amy Korman. Reproduced with permission from Witness Impulse. All rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy Korman is a former senior editor and staff writer for Philadelphia Magazine, and has written for Town & Country, House Beautiful, and Men’s Health. She is the author of Killer Wasps, Killer Getaway, and Killer Punch.

Connect with Amy:
Website  |   Facebook  |  Twitter

Buy the book:
Harper Collins  |  Amazon

FEATURED AUTHOR: JUNE MCCRARY JACOBS

ABOUT THE BOOK

Tragedy brings heartache to the community of Apple Blossom when a car takes the life of Mary Noel Simmons's best friend—her dog. The loss nearly destroys Mary Noel's spirit. As the injured six year old lies in the hospital, traumatized and silent, the medical bills are piling up quickly with no way for her parents to pay them.
 
Filled with kindness and romance, this story of hope and faith will warm your heart.

INTERVIEW WITH JUNE MCCRARY JACOBS

June, is your book based on real events?
Without spoiling the plot of A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom, the Christmas Eve church scenes come directly from my special memories of the candlelight service at my childhood church. Also, the trauma sustained by little Mary Noel really happened on my street to a younger sister of my playmate when she was around four years old (I was around eight). The main character of the book, Amber Kellen, is a brand new first grade teacher, and some of her classroom experiences are the same as mine when I was starting out as a first grade teacher.

What’s your favorite memory?
My wedding day.



What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned?
Not to have regrets in life. Do the best you can, and then let it go. You can't fix everything that's wrong with world, but you can make a positive contribution in your small corner of the world whenever possible.

What makes you nervous?
Being in congested traffic where other people are cutting me off, making dangerous lane mergers, and/or following my car too closely, etc. All of that stress is compounded if I see someone talking or texting on their cell phone when they are supposed to be driving. Yikes!


What makes you happy?
Spending time visiting historic homes, museums, gardens, and parks. Viewing other creative people's quilts, sewing projects, and art at galleries, quilt shows, and the California State Fair. Working with my quilting group to make 'comfort quilts' for individuals who are ill, traumatized, or grieving. A good writing session where the words and dialog really flow. Reading a really touching book where I can relate to the characters and/or their situation.

Do you have another job outside of writing?
I was blessed to have a twenty-year career as a primary teacher. I wanted to be a teacher from the time I was about four years old. Contributing to the lives of children in a positive way was a very satisfying and worthwhile career for me. I still enjoy reading children's books from picture books to middle grade fiction.

What brings you sheer delight?
Walking in a botanical garden, park, forest or near the ocean with my best friend.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart."  -Helen Keller
 
With what five real people would you most like to be stuck in a bookstore?
Author Debbie Macomber, Author Lisa Scottoline, Author Lauren Wolk, Author Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Quilt Designer and Author Blair Stocker. They all represent different genres, and I feel they would open new doors of great literature and non-fiction books to me.

Who are your favorite authors?
How much space do you have? I have so many genres I love to read. I have been a voracious reader since I was a young child, so I have a lot of favorite authors. Here's a short list:  Lisa Scottoline, Debbie Macomber, Lauren Wolk, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Louisa May Alcott, Amy Tan, John Grisham, Beatrix Potter, Sue Grafton, Shelley Sheppard Gray, Jan Brett, Ree Drummond (cookbooks), Emma Hardy, Blair Stocker, Jennifer Beckstrand, Dr. Suess (for the rhyme and artwork), and oh, so many more.


Do you have any reading quirks?
I'm not sure it's a pet peeve, but I like to end my reading sessions at the end of a chapter. Oh, and I always read the Acknowledgments page and author bio at the end of the book before I start reading the text.

Do you have a routine for writing?
I find I am at my most creative in the mornings. I get out my story map, research notes, and character descriptions (all written on paper) and lay them on the table next to me. Nearby I have my dictionary, thesaurus, and Bible for quick reference. I open my Word doc and scroll down to where I stopped the previous writing session, pause to gather my thoughts, and begin typing new material. Sometimes my goal for the day is to edit what I wrote in my previous session.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your writing?
I think a reader enjoying the story is the best compliment I could receive about my work.

Several of my friends and many reviewers told me they loved how the Apple Blossom community came together to help a family in need. They said the story (and the book's cover art) reminded them of a Hallmark movie.  Having watched some of those movies myself, I was honored to have my novella compared to Hallmark's high standards for their screenplays.

Another author posted that she loved the story because it made her think of others at a time of year when most people are focused on their own Christmas 'to do' lists, buying gifts and creating the perfect holiday experience for their families. Anytime someone contacts me on by email or on my Author's Facebook page to tell me how much they enjoyed the book or how it touched them deeply, I feel grateful that I had the opportunity to share the story with readers.

How did you find your publisher and how long did your query process take?
A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom was published by Cedar Fort Inc. as the result of my winning their 2013 Holiday Tale Contest. I found the Call for Submissions for the contest online in November, 2012. The submission was due in the third week of January, 2013. When I read about the contest, I immediately thought, 'I can do this!'  I had already thought of the main characters and the basic premise of the plot because I have an overly active imagination and I am fortunate to be a creative thinker. I was ecstatic when I found out in February, 2013, that I was the winner. One of the prizes was the publication of this hardcover gift book.

What are you working on now?
I am working on finishing and polishing Book Two in my Bonita Creek Trilogy. It is the continuation of Robin's Reward, and is the story of Robin's cousin, Penny Ralston, and her search for love and happiness amidst many challenges in her life—past and present. This contemporary inspirational romance series is set in the majestic coastal mountains of the Northern Coast of California in a small, tight-knit community I named Bonita Creek.

Read an excerpt from A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author, June McCrary Jacobs, was the winner of Cedar Fort Publishing’s 2013 Holiday Tale Contest for her debut novella, A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom.

Robin’s Reward, released in April, 2015, was her first full-length novel. This inspirational contemporary romance is the first installment of the ‘Bonita Creek Trilogy’. The series is set in June's favorite location in California—the Mendocino coastal region.

June’s original sewing, quilting, and stitchery designs have been published in over one hundred books, magazines, and sewing industry blogs in the past few years. She wrote a recurring column for a sewing magazine published in Great Britain and contributed several other articles to sewing and craft magazines published in the United States.

When she’s not writing, reading, or sewing, June enjoys cooking, walking, photography, and visiting art and history museums, parks, and botanical gardens. She also enjoys touring historic homes (especially when they're decorated for Christmas!) and strolling around the many historic Gold Rush towns in the Sierra Nevada foothills. In the summertime you can find June at a variety of county fairs and the California State Fair admiring the sewing projects, quilts, and handiwork other inspired seamstresses, quilters, craftspeople, and artists have created.

Connect with June:
Facebook  |  Goodreads 
           
Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Books & Things 
**Note: The ebook for A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom is on sale for half-price at $2.99 on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books & Things through December 20th, 2017.

Goodreads Giveaway!

Cedar Fort Inc. will be giving away ten hardcover gift book copies of A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom on Goodreads. The contest runs through December 1st, 2017, and is open to US residents only.

GUEST POST WITH CHERYL HOLLON

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Etched in Tears releases on November 28, 2017. When a famous glass artist is murdered at his own exhibit, deadly secrets are put on display, and it’s up to glass shop owner Savannah Webb to see through a killer’s cover.



Celebrated glass artist Dennis Lansing is returning to St. Petersburg, Florida, for an exhibit at the world-renowned Salvador Dali Museum. His unique style of embedding document images in his art is at the vanguard of contemporary glasswork. But as Savannah’s first boyfriend and a former apprentice to her father, Dennis’s return home has her reflecting on the past—a trip down memory lane that takes a dark turn when Dennis is found murdered at the museum with an old reference letter from her father in his pocket. A search through her father’s records sheds new light on Dennis’s history, but it seems his present life wasn’t so transparent either. Now, with a gallery of suspects to consider, it’s up to Savannah to figure out who fits the mold of a murderer.

GUEST POST WITH CHERYL HOLLON

Art Inspires Art – Filling the Well

Writing for me is exhilarating and at the same time exhausting. I tend to push very hard for several weeks near the deadline for turning a book over to my publisher. That means up to sixteen-hours a day living and breathing in my book world. I call this phase – book jail. As a result, I’m an exhausted mass of nervous energy and completely empty of words. At this point, I have trouble writing the simplest e-mail.

I’ve found a solution. I walk into a museum. I wander with no set plan or no set time limit. I just let the art wash over me and it begins to recharge my creative energy. For the artist, this is cross training at its most enjoyable.

I’m lucky enough to live near downtown in St. Petersburg, Florida. There are four museums within the space of a dozen blocks. In the 700 block of Central Avenue is the Chihuly Collection with a stunning, permanent collection of world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly’s unique artwork in a magnificent 10,000 square foot setting designed by award-winning architect Albert Alfonso.

When I’m in the mood for the Chihuly, I want to stay longest the gallery with the stunning installation titled “Ruby Red Icicle Chandelier,” whose red-hot swirls dangle from the ceiling. I also adore the multicolored chandelier known as “Milli Fiore.” After I’ve walked through the museum, I spend some time in the gift shop where items for sale are not the typical selection of cups and postcards.

On the north end of Beach Drive is the Museum of Fine Arts with a large permanent collection of French Impressionist paintings. They also host the Hot Gatherings/Cool Conversations/Wine lecture series that feature a touring glass artist. As part of a 50th Anniversary celebration, the Museum of Fine Arts is organizing Monet to Matisse—On the French Coast. Drawn from public and private collections in North America and Europe this project explores and compares for the first time ever Impressionist and Modernist visions of the Atlantic and Mediterranean Coasts of France. I disappeared into those paintings with joy.

Around the corner is the St. Petersburg Museum of History with a permanent interactive exhibition of the chronology of St. Petersburg's history filled with priceless artifacts, documents and photographs. The Benoist Pavilion houses a replica of the world's first commercial airliner which made the first scheduled commercial flight from St. Petersburg to Tampa on January 1, 1914.

Finally, at the south-end of the downtown area is the world-famous Dali Museum with touring exhibits as well as the largest collection of Dali art outside of Spain. Salvador Dalí's art is often as shocking as it is brilliant. The Dali museum in downtown St. Pete offers the largest, most comprehensive collection of the famous Spanish artist's work in America. There are changing and special exhibits throughout the year, including children's activities, film, music series, lectures and more. I enjoy the Spanish themed Cafe and wander the waterside Avant Garden.

This technique for ‘filling the well’ refreshes my creativity and in little more than an afternoon, I’m ready for the next writing challenge. I highly recommend creative cross-training.

See more at http://www.visitstpeteclearwater.com/museums

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cheryl Hollon writes full time after she left an engineering career designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and India. Fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her love of writing with a passion for creating glass art. In the small glass studio behind the house, Cheryl and her husband George design, create, and produce fused glass, stained glass and painted glass artworks.




Connect with Cheryl:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter   

Buy the book:
Amazon  |   Barnes & Noble 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FEATURED AUTHOR: JANE MCCULLOCH

ABOUT THE BOOK

This is a true story of how one boy fought to save his friend from the electric chair.

Set in Massachusetts, it deals with events leading up to the trial in 1920 of two Italian immigrants accused of a hold-up and murder. By a quirk of fate the 13-year-old Trando Brini was with one of the accused -  Bart Vanzetti -  at the time of the crime. This starts a seven year struggle for him to prove Vanzetti’s innocence during which time Trando grows from a boy to being an exceptional young man. It is an inspiring story of courage and bravery where Trando takes on the American Justice System and the Bostonian Establishment in a fight which he never gives up, in spite of putting his music career in jeopardy and losing the girl he loves.


 

INTERVIEW WITH JANE MCCULLOCH

Jane, what’s the story behind the title of your book?
It is a true story based on the Sacco and Vanzetti trials which took place in Massachusetts USA in 1920 – 1927.  I chose one particular aspect of the story in which a 13-year-old boy became involved in the original trial .

Where’s home for you?
I live in Putney, South London -  but, until recently I always had a house in Cornwall as well, as a bolt-hole.  Then I had a houseboat on the River Thames.  Alas, I am no longer able to run two places, but am very happy with Putney!

What’s your favorite memory?

When I was six years old, my mother took me to see The King and I at Drury Lane Theatre London, and afterwards I was taken backstage. It was an experience that inspired in me a love of theatre  - and resulted in being my career for most of my life.

Who would you pick to write your biography?
A man who is both witty and erudite and we seem to be on the same wave-length – Gyles Brandreth.

What do you love about where you live?
It is very peaceful, in spite of being only 20 minutes away from the centre of London – and it has windows opening out onto a beautiful garden.



Have you been in any natural disasters?
Yes – when I worked in Bermuda I was caught up in a hurricane – scary but no real damage done.

What’s one thing that you wish you knew as a teenager that you know now?
That things like failing an exam which seemed a disaster then, really don’t matter in the great scheme of things.


What makes you bored?
Chatter about complete trivia – washing machines and technology etc.



What choices in life would you like to have a redo on?
Probably relationships – but looking back with hindsight, the advantages probably outweigh the disadvantages!

What makes you nervous?
Flying!


What makes you happy?
Family and friend reunions. I have 4 children and 10 grandchildren.

Do you have another job outside of writing?
Not anymore.

Who are you?
I am a 76-year-old English woman, living on my own now – but with many happy memories and living a good life. I hope for a few years yet.

What brings you sheer delight?
An evening of laughter and sparkling conversation.

Would you rather be a lonely genius, or a sociable idiot?
Definitely a lonely genius. I like my own company – but genius is a very over-used word!

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
“The wounded deer leaps highest.”  (Chinese Proverb)

What would you like people to say about you after you die?
She was never boring.

How did you create the plot for this book?
I became interested in the true story of Sacco and Vanzetti and started to research it.

Who are your favorite authors?
Anthony Powell, Margaret Atwood, Nancy Mitford, Evelyn Waugh, Jane Austen.



What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your writing?
They couldn’t put the book down.

Where is your favorite library, and what do you love about it?
Boston City Library, Massachusetts.  It has a wonderful archive section, and they are so helpful.

Why did you decide to self-publish?
I am 76, and I only started writing fiction 4 years ago, and thought I was too old to be searching for publishers and agents.

Are you happy with your decision to self-publish ?
Yes I am, the process was quick and smooth – but I  have found the marketing very difficult!

What steps to publication did you personally do, and what did you hire someone to do? Is there anyone you’d recommend for a particular service?
I employed a great professional editor, Dr. Stephen Carver who I cannot recommend highly enough. I also took great care with the look of the book and for the cover design used the brilliant Green Door company.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a book about a foreign correspondent who returns home after a long time in the war zones – and the affect this has had on him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Most of Jane's working life has been spent working in theatre and opera for which she wrote plays and librettos and was also a director of both.  This work took her all over the world, and she worked with many famous people including Dame Judi Dench, Sir Derek Jacobi, Jessye Norman, and Sir Thomas Allen. Over a period of 40 years she ran two companies, The English Chamber Theatre and Opera UK. 

Four years ago Jane retired from both and began writing fiction. She has published a trilogy of novels which were a family saga – and this year published The Brini Boy, based on a true story.  She's also published two slim anthologies of verses. 


Connect with Jane:
Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads 

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Amazon UK 

FEATURED AUTHOR: J.D. THOMPSON

ABOUT THE BOOK

Is love enough to repair the pieces of a shattered life?

This is the question plaguing Courtney Cook’s mind as she packs what feels like her whole existence into a 20ft moving van. When she encountered Matt for the first time in a coffee shop ten years prior, she was immediately transfixed. Dark, adventurous and wildly untamed, Matt was everything Courtney didn’t know she wanted. One night of uninhibited abandon is all it took for her to be completely enthralled by the boy without limits. Now with two children, a sky-high mortgage and a marriage crippled by addiction, Courtney finds her world is riddled with cracks that no amount of love can repair.

Powerful and provoking with humor woven throughout the raw sting of heartbreak, Like Broken China offers an honest take on the decisions two people make and the aftermath that can destroy an entire decade because of them.

INTERVIEW WITH J.D. THOMPSON

Where’s home for you?
At the risk of sounding cheesy, home for me is wherever my children are. Geographically speaking though, home is in Campbellton, New-Brunswick. For all of those unfamiliar with this town (and I imagine there are many), Campbellton is on the Atlantic coast of Canada. And yes, our winters are long and cold, but contrary to popular belief we do not live in igloos.


What’s the dumbest purchase you’ve ever made?
The dumbest purchase I ever made was probably my Palm Pilot circa 2003. At the time, I thought it would miraculously make me more organized. Of course it didn’t, and I was out a hundred bucks.


What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned?
Not to take life too seriously and chill the f*#k out. I spent the better part of my twenties worrying about everything, from my career to money to how to raise my children to be semi-well-adjusted human beings, that I didn’t enjoy them. I’m determined to make my thirties a tad more zen if that’s possible. haha.

What dumb things did you do during your college years?
I use to steal toilet paper rolls from the Art’s faculty. Literally all. The. Time. I don’t think I bought any bathroom tissue for the whole duration of my stay. I also use to spend all of my weekly food allowance on clothes and would subsequently be stuck eating Zoodles every day.

What do you love about where you live?
I live in a small town and I love that I can be anywhere within a five minute drive. Being as forgetful as I am (can I still blame this on baby brain if my son is 5?), it’s convenient to be able to run back home from work at any given time without worrying about a commute or traffic. 


What’s one thing that you wish you knew as a teenager that you know now?
That being a brat won’t get you anywhere in life and that kindness can go a long way. I shake my head when I think back to how big of a jerk I was.


What choices in life would you like to have a redo on?
All of my late-night visits to McDonald’s. If I could go back and not eat a Big Mac combo at 2am every other night over the span of my student career and save myself an unnecessary 1200 calorie intake that would be great.

What’s your favorite line from a book?
“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if only one remembers to turn on the lights.” (For the record, I love Harry Potter.)

How did you create the plot for this book?
I knew I wanted to touch the subject of addiction eventually. I have a bunch of ideas for potential books jotted down in a notebook and alcoholism won the luck of the draw this time. It wasn’t particularly hard to draw inspiration since it’s such a prevalent issue. More specifically, I chose to shed light on the people impacted by the addict. Once I knew what direction I wanted to take, characters and situations fell into place pretty easily.

Is your book based on real events?
Although I will admit that I draw inspiration from my life in every book that I write, none of them are based on real events.

Why did you decide to self-publish?
I don’t know that I can say I made the decision to self-publish so much as it was decided for me. In other words, I couldn’t secure an agent. I was pretty naïve after completing my first novel and thought the process would be much easier than it actually was. Query after query, I received rejection letters. Some agencies did go as far as requesting the entire manuscript (Writer’s House being the most exciting) however in the end I was left without representation. It was only then that I opted to self-publish. Self-publishing definitely has its challenges, however, it also gives you a certain amount of creative freedom.

What steps to publication did you personally do, and what did you hire someone to do? Is there anyone you’d recommend for a particular service?
For my first two novels, I did everything from the cover art all the way down to the formatting. I realized with time that these steps were keeping me from what I actually enjoy doing; writing. I had sat on publishing Like Broken China for nearly a year simply because I didn’t have the will to edit/format it. So after doing a little bit of research, I found a company that could do all of the above and they were worth every penny. (Shout out to Alyssa Garcia of Uplifting Designs!)

What are you working on now?
At the moment I’m working on a novel that deals with someone returning to her roots only to find that perhaps there was no tree there to begin with. I also have a collection of children’s books that I’ve written over the years that I would like to illustrate (I was an art student before switching to neuroscience – yeah, I know. Very random).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J.D. Thompson is a young authors and women’s fiction writer. She lives in a small town in the chilly northern peak of New-Brunswick with her family, an array tomato plants that annually fail to thrive and a growing number of incomplete knitting projects. Like Broken China is her third completed novel.

Connect with J.D.:
Blog  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads 

Buy the book:
Amazon