Holiday Book Blitz

A Blue Million Books is part of the Great Escapes Book Tours' CYBER MONDAY Holiday Book Blitz December 1 – December 4, 2014

This book will only be available December 1 – January 31, 2015, so grab it fast!

Cozy Christmas Capers has 19 holiday short stories by 19 New York Times, USA Today and award
-winning authors!

Enjoy these tales of mystery, romance, and laughter 
amid the backdrop of pine trees, gingerbread men, and Santas galore!


The perfect short bites for cozying up by the fire with a cup of
 cocoa . . . or waiting in line at gift wrapping!

Stories include:

• Rosolio Red (Franki Amato Mysteries) by Traci Andrighetti
• 
Chasing Tinsel (Miranda Vaughn Mysteries) by Ellie Ashe

• Death of a Christmas Witch (A Crewel to be Kind Mini Mystery) by Diane Bator
• 
Queenie Baby: Pass the Eggnog (Queenie Baby Mysteries) by Christina A. Burke

• The Holiday Inside Job by Mary Jo Burke
• 
Hard to Catch a Christmas Thief (Hard Targets) by Wendy Byrne
• 
A Christmas Ghost & Zero Regrets (Dead by the Numbers Mysteries) by Jennifer Fischetto

• Christmas Canapés & Sabotage (Culinary Competition Mysteries) by Janel Gradowski

• Christmas in High Heels (High Heels Mysteries) by Gemma Halliday

• Christmas Al Dente (Southern Pasta Shop Mysteries) by Jennifer L. Hart

• Santa Claus, Lies, and Murder (Amber Fox Mysteries) by Sibel Hodge
• 
A (Gingerbread) Diorama of Death (Helen Binney Mysteries) by Gin Jones

• Mini Pie the Christmas Spy! (Mini Pie Mysteries) by Libby LaManna

• Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas (Greatest Hits Mysteries) by Leslie Langtry Ornamental Danger (Working Stiff Mysteries) by Kerri Nelson

• Motion for Mistletoe (Jamie Winters Mysteries) by Kelly Rey

• Christmas in Venice by Maria Grazia Swan

• Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Tahoe Tessie Mysteries) by T. Sue VerSteeg
• 
Santa’s Little Mistake by Stacey Wiedower

Cool Book of the Week: Spellbound

Spellbound: Spellbringers Book One


by Tricia Drammeh

Why is Spellbound cool?

Would your grandmother like this book?

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


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


How did you come up with the plot?

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

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

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



Very cool!

Why Reviewers think Spellbound is cool:

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

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

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

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

About the book:

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

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

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



About the author:

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

Connect with Tricia:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Website  |  Goodreads

I'm Thankful for My Readers

Blue Million Books Street Team

Since it's Thanksgiving, I thought I'd let you all know what I am thankful for in my online world. Actually, it's whom I'm thankful for. As a writer, I'm thankful for my readers, of course. I'm thankful for the people who take the time to leave a review, who tweet or retweet about my book, and who send me messages telling me they liked Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction. It's readers like that--not sales--that keep a writer going.

But this blog isn't all about me. (Shocking, I know.) This blog is to help other authors promote their work. Toward that end, there are share links at the bottom of each post. Readers can share the blog features with their Facebook friends, Twitter followers, and Google+ circles, or they can pin it to a board on Pinterest. There is a small group of people who share my blog posts regularly on Twitter, and I want them to know I am #thankful and #grateful for them. I have dubbed them the Blue Million Books Street Team. I am thankful for their support. Tweets come and go for various blog features (thank you!), but below are the people who regularly tweet about a feature on A Blue Million Books. Thank you, thank you! Y'all are better than dew right off a honeysuckle. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

I'm #thankful for:

Colette Saucier @Colete_Saucier
Sandra U. Almazan @ulbrichalmazan
Jon Jefferson @JeffersonJon
Maer Wilson @MaerWilson
Wendy Van Camp @wvancamp
Debra L. Martin @dmartin6
Stacy Juba @stacyjuba
Cheryl Therrien @grandmasdiaries
Teen Readers' Diary ‏@TeenReaderDiary
Feather Stone @FeatherWrites

Featured Author: Teresa Trent

About the book:

Animal rustling is alive and well in the sleepy little town of Pecan Bayou, Texas--but with a particularly peculiar spin. Only the fake livestock seem to be at risk. First, cowboy legend Charlie Loper's larger-than-life fiberglass horse disappears from the town square, but before the police can get any solid leads, the cow in front of the local steak house gets pinched.

Betsy Livingston Fitzpatrick, local helpful hints columnist for the Pecan Bayou Gazette, is trying keep her mind off of being nine months pregnant in the blistering Texas summer heat. Troubled by haunting dreams, she pursues the odd animal thefts in a case that soon turns into murder. As Betsy closes in on the killer, a hurricane is headed straight for the Gulf Coast sending spin-off storms and tornadoes to the little town of Pecan Bayou. "Hunker down" with Betsy and the lovable characters of Pecan Bayou in the latest Betsy Livingston mystery from cozy author Teresa Trent. Recipes and helpful hints included.

Note: Murder for a Rainy Day will be free on Kindle Nov 25-26 and Dec 4-5.

Interview with Teresa Trent

Teresa, You have a great title. What’s the story behind it? 
On the surface, Murder for a Rainy Day has to do with the hurricane that is headed toward Texas and the resulting tornadoes that spin toward Pecan Bayou. At a deeper level, the concept of waiting and putting things away for a rainy day occurs with many of the characters in the story.

Tell us about your series. Is this book a standalone, or do readers need to read the series in order?
Murder for a Rainy Day is the sixth book in the Pecan Bayou series.  These books tell about the life of Betsy Livingston, a helpful hints columnist and her journey from being a single mother to marriage and finally having a second child. This series is part of the "cozy" mystery genre which is often lighthearted leaving graphic violence offstage for the most part. If your readers enjoy Agatha Christie or Murder She Wrote, then they will enjoy reading the Pecan Bayou series.

And if they enjoy those books, I think they would enjoy the Goose Pimple Junction series too. I know, shameless plug-sorry. Couldn't help it!

The books do not have to be read in order, although it does help with Betsy's development. Each book contains its own mystery and visits from all of the quirky characters who reside in Pecan Bayou. If you would like to read the books in order here is a list:
#1 A Dash of Murder  - a Halloween ghost hunting mystery
#2 Overdue for Murder - a library mystery
#3 Doggone Dead - a Fourth of July mystery
#4 Buzzkill - a wedding mystery
#5 Burnout - a Thanksgiving mystery
#6 Murder for a Rainy Day -  FREE on Kindle November 24-26 and December 4-5.




What would your main character say about you?  
My main character is a helpful hints writer when she is not solving mysteries, so I think she would constantly be telling me there is a better way to do something! 

How did you create the plot for Murder for a Rainy Day?      
I read an article about somebody stealing a cow statue and putting it in someone's front yard. I remembered somebody (not me) did that very thing in Colorado where I went to high school. From there I just couldn't put away the thought--why? Why would anyone take the time to do such a silly thing? From there I thought about how to develop the theft into my mystery. Of course, Pecan Bayou is full of things like giant chickens made out of soup cans and fake horses, so it was a natural fit.

Of course! Are any of your characters inspired by real people?
Danny, my character with Down Syndrome is a composite of many young people I have met, including my own son. In my last book, Burnout, my daughter immediately recognized my mother in the character of Miss Caroline. I don't think I even realized I had written her in until I reread the description I wrote of her hands. I have been blessed with many strong women in my life, and they all filtered into Aunt Maggie and Ruby Green, the owner of the Best Little Hairhouse in Texas. 

I love that name! Is your book based on real events? 
Being from Houston, my family evacuated for Hurricane Ike and Rita. When I joke about Lester Jibbets and his port-a-potty empire, that comes from my family being stuck in traffic for 24 hours during Hurricane Rita and bathrooms being hard to come by. I never heard the expression "hunker down" until I moved to Texas. That's the Lone Star way of saying "shelter in place." My little town of Pecan Bayou is not on the coast, so the story had to be about the oncoming tornadoes that would trigger from a hurricane. Hurricanes in Texas are a destructive business, and they have a way of taking your mind off anything you might have thought was important a day ago. Into all of this I threw in the story of Betsy's baby coming into the world! 


What a time to have a baby! What book are you currently reading and in what format ?
Welcome to the world of the A.D.D. reader. Right now I'm reading Adam, God's Beloved, a beautiful story of a disabled man in Canada; Avery Aaves' To Brie or Not to Brie - a cozy mystery. You would think from all of that I'm a fast reader, but I actually struggle keeping up with reading at times. I tend to use multiple formats when getting into a story. I listen to recorded books when driving or doing housework, I read paperbacks and read on my Kindle. 


I do the same thing. Do you have a routine for writing?
With me, it is more about not stopping than anything else. I try to write something every day. When I get into editing mode, I try to work on plotting out my next project and edit the old one at the same time. If I put writing away for more than a couple of days, I loose the flow of the story and end up making mistakes.   

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?
Now you'll know what a lazy writer I am. If you are thinking of me sitting behind a beautifully carved wood desk surrounded by dark cherry bookshelves, then you'd be wrong. I write in a recliner with my laptop. My husband and I share a home office space. He has a desk, but I brought in a comfy plaid recliner and a floor lamp. I keep telling my family there are books running all through the lines of the plaid! As far as when I write, I have always thought of myself as a morning person but have been surprised in the last few years to find that I also love writing from 3 until 7 pm. I can never write past 8 pm because the plot lines and characters refuse to let me go to sleep!

What are you working on now?
I am working on the first book in my next series. My storytelling is moving to the Piney Woods area of Texas so I am bringing in some of the history of the area along with colorful characters from either side of the Texas/Louisiana border! Still though, as cozy as the town might be, there's going to be a murder to solve!

About the author

Teresa Trent writes her Pecan Bayou mystery series from Houston, Texas. With a father in the army, her family moved often, finally settling in Colorado. Living in Texas for the last 19 years, she loves the people and even the weather.  Murder for a Rainy Day includes a hurricane, and having endured Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Rita with her family, Teresa would much rather write about them than evacuate from them. Teresa includes Danny, a character with Down Syndrome in her Pecan Bayou family and in real life is the mother of an adult son with Down Syndrome/PDD. Creating the character of Danny and all of the other inhabitants of Pecan Bayou has been a joy for her. This book is the last one in the Pecan Bayou series, taking Betsy from single mom to mother of three. Teresa is now working on her next series that will take place in the Piney Woods of Texas.


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

Buy the book:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Dirty Dozen with Paul Anthony

About the book:

It’s 1938. The Spanish Civil War is in its final throes. Franco, Mussolini, Hitler, Chamberlain, Lebrun and Stalin, dominate European politics.

A ship leaves Canada bound for France but there’s a storm at sea and the vessel is wrecked in the English Channel.

Seventy five years later the chess playing detective, Davies King, investigates the connection between the escape of a handful of petty criminals from a prison van; a vicious murder, a sunken ship in the English Channel, a corrupt American politician, and ‘organised crime.'

Will Britain’s most annoying petty criminals outwit the stressed-out detective? Faced with overwhelming odds, the exhausted Davies King must come to terms with failure and re-ignite ‘loyalty.’ On the doorstep of bribery, corruption and kidnap, the detective recognises an emerging catastrophe which is likely to destroy the foundations of an Anglo-American agreement and destroy that special relationship. But loyalty is the last stand and it’s beyond his control.

Paul Anthony Answers the Dirty Dozen

1. What’s one thing that drives you crazy?
    People who promise to do something and then don’t.

2. What is your guiltiest guilty pleasure?
    Red wine (Grenache) and chocolate (dark).

3. What is your most embarrassing moment?
    Chasing a car thief across a field in the middle of Cumbria, losing my slip-on shoes,
    but still catching the thief – I only ever recovered one shoe though. Never wore
    slip-ons again, and I still remember the jibes at work for ages.

4. What is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done?
    A double back somersault from table to floor – result = broken wrist, (not that bad
    though – years later married the nurse who treated the fracture).

5. What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
    It’s classified.

6. On what life choices would you like to have a re-do?
    Making a day last 28 hours and not 24 – could enjoy it more then.

7. What makes you nervous?
    Questions by Amy Metz.

8. LOL. I love that answer! What makes you scared?
    Snakes and crocodiles.

9. What’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told?
    That I’m not an alien from quadrant three of the second Iberian constellation.

10. What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made?
      Failing to buy laces for shoes.

11. When was the last time you did something for the first time?
     Yesterday, I drank tea instead of coffee (it was awful).

12. One of your main characters has to die. Which one would you kill off?
     Antonia from MI5 in the Boyd series – she wants to be a main character in her own
     book.

Other books by Paul Anthony:

About the author:

Paul Anthony is a writer based in the UK who has recently published his 14th novel which happens to be his 8th crime thriller. It is entitled Breakwater. He is a retired detective who worked in the area of counter terrorism. His Twitter handle is @paulanthonyspen. To find out more about the book and Paul, follow the links to his blog and his Amazon page.

Featured Author: Ognian Georgiev

About the book:

This wasn't the first time Galabin Boevski felt oppressed. He had suffered the atrocious legacy of communism and the lack of support that a talented athlete like him should otherwise expect from his motherland.


It had been a week since his arrest. He'd spent a night in the jail of Sao Paulo's airport, then transferred to another Brazilian prison for temporary detention. Now he was in Itai, a prison for foreigners, full of people from all over the world.

His memories kept rushing in and he kept going over the unfortunate events over and over. What went wrong? He spent his first night in jail with 1500 prisoners who were serving their sentences there - murderers, rapists, fraudsters and thieves, but the majority of them people like him - accused of drug trafficking. "I'm not a mule," he thought, "I am Galabin Boevski. Legendary weightlifter and Olympic champion, not a criminal!"



...based on a true story...

Interview with Ognian Georgiev

Ognian, tell us about your book.
The White Prisoner: Galabin Boevski’s Secret Story is a typical non-fiction sports book.  It’s based on the events around the arrest of Galabin Boevski, the famous weightlifter, who was caught with huge amount of cocaine in his suitcases at Sao Paolo airport in 2011. He received 9 years plus sentence and started to serve it in Brazilian prison.

Surprisingly, one day he landed in Sofia airport after been served just two years of his jail time. Nobody believed how he was able to get out of prison. Many versions were put on the news stream not only in Bulgaria, but around the world.

Why “The white prisoner?”
The word white is linked with three things: First, Boevski was sentenced in Brazil, where most of the other prisoners were Latinos or Afro-Americans. Secondary, he was arrested with cocaine possession and the color of the drug is white. Boevski is pleading non-guilty in the novel; this is why the other connection is with pure and white.

His story is secret, because for the first time many things not only around him, but also for the ugly elite sports world are unveiled.

How did you get to know your characters?
As a non-fiction book, it was easy and tough to describe and to present the characters. You know that every person has different dimensions. The characters in my book were related, because all of them were part of sporting life.  I tried to describe every one of them as much as closer to the reality. My base for doing so was all the interviews that I took during the research process.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?
The main one. Galabin Boevski is one of those persons, who put curtains around him. It’s extremely hard to understand his logic and why he acted unconventionally. The mysteries around him were so complicated that for some situation I’ve heard three different stories from three different people, who knew him. The problem was which one was closer to the truth.

What song would you pick to go with this book?
"What You Want" ver 2 by Kevin MacLeod. This is the music that I used for my trailer. You may check it out here:

Why did you decide to self-publish?
The Bulgarian version of The White Prisoner: Galabin Boevski’s Secret Story was traditionally published by “Trud” house, one of the most popular in our country. I took the decision to make a translation and to publish in English. I checked around the possibilities. The feedback of new authors was that it’s very tough to find an agent or a house if you are not a well-known name. John Grisham, for example, was rejected by more than 20 publishers for his first novel – A Time to Kill.

Self-publishing was better selection. I love it, because everything depends on you. You learn a lot of new things around formatting, marketing and publicizing. So guys, if some of you, who аре currently on my position, as I have been before, don’t think twice – go as self-published author.

I agree. What are you working on now?
I am in primary research phase for my second book. Once again, it will be a sports non-fiction story. This time the main character will be a boxer. He is very special and has an amazing story. The guy’s name, Serafim Todorov, is probably not so known worldwide. But he is the last person who beat in the ring the most well-paid athlete in the world – Floyd Mayweather.

Where did you grow up?
I was born in Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria. It’s a 2-milion plus metropolis with a typical Eastern Europe architecture. We’ve got a lot of parks, sweet center, a mountain right next to the city.

I lived for most of my childhood in one of the most populated districts. It was happy times, because I caught some years of Communism. As a kid I didn’t know how limited is that system and how our parents were forced not to do many things. But we kids, were happy to play around all day long without cable television; the computers were still not so popular as in our times. It was very secure times, when the children went alone to school since first grade. Now the parents are scared to put alone the kids to play away from home alone.

Where’s home for you?
My home is where my family is. I’ve got a very sweet daughter, Valeria, and with my partner Ralitza, we are living in a very small suite. But our place is so nice, and I am feeling very happy every time, when I come back from work and my almost 2-year-old girl Valeria hugs me.

Do you have another job outside of writing?
My main job is as newspaper editor of the sports section. I am doing also TV commentary for boxing/MMA events for some national television. In April 2015, I will “celebrate” 15 years in the profession, which gave me a lot of emotions and adventures. I still love it very much, and I am very happy that I was able to find my place in the Universe.

With what five real people would you most like to be stuck in a bookstore?
My favorite football player, Denis Bergkamp, would be one of them. Would be great if I meet him while I am browsing his biography and he would be able to sign my copy. I would be happy to speak in a bookstore with Michael Connelly; he is my favorite crime author. I would like to ask him a few questions for his characters.

What a nice surprise it would be if I met Quentin Tarantino and by a chance to carry with me my book. I would be very happy to make a gift to him.

Let’s see – two more. One of them would be my late grandmother, Valeria. She was always so gentle to me and helped me a lot during my young years. She wasn’t the most avid reader, but I am sure she would be very happy if she saw my book. The fifth probably would be you, Amy, for giving me a chance to do this interview and for having such a nice blog.

Thank you, Ognian! That's quite an honor. What book are you currently reading and in what format?
Currently I am reading The Summons by John Grisham on my Kindle. I just finished a great fantasy book by Jamie Maltman – Brush of Darkness, the first novel of Arts Reborn series. I love when I see such a good production by an indie writer.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where in the world would it be?
Northern France and Belgium are my best selection. I love those places. It’s such a beauty, fresh air, middle ages architecture...Yeahhh, I start to dream now about Bruges, while I was writing the last paragraph of our interview.

About the author:

Ognian Georgiev is a sport journalist, who is currently working as sports editor at the Bulgaria Today daily newspaper. He covered the Summer Olympics in Beijing 2008 and in London 2012.


The author of the book The White Prisoner - Galabin Boevski's Secret Story specializes in sports politics, investigations and coverage of Olympic sports events.



Ognian Georgiev works as a TV broadcaster for Eurosport Bulgaria, Nova Broadcasting group, TV+, F+ and TV7. He is a commentator for fight sports events such as boxing/kickboxing and MMA.



The author was born in the capital city of Bulgaria - Sofia. He started work as a sports reporter in 2000. In the following years Ognian Georgiev covered different sports events in USA, Germany, Switzerland, UK, France, Greece, Serbia, Hungary, Spain, and Italy.



The author lives in Sofia with his partner Ralitza and their one-year-old daughter Valeria.

Connect with Ognian:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads 

Featured Author: Christoph Fischer

About the book:

When Charles and Tony's mother dies, the estranged brothers must struggle to pick up the pieces, particularly so given that one of them is mentally challenged and the other bitter about his place within the family.

The conflict is drawn out over materialistic issues, but there are other underlying problems which go to the heart of what it means to be part of a family which, in one way or another, has cast one aside.

Prejudice, misconceptions and the human condition in all forms feature in this contemporary drama revolving around a group of people who attend the subsequent funeral at the British South Coast.

Meet flamboyant gardener Charles, loner Simon, selfless psychic Elaine, narcissistic body-builder Edgar, Martha and her version of unconditional love and many others as they try to deal with the event and its aftermath.

Excerpt from Conditions

Martha was petite and fragile looking with bleach blonde hair, very light skin and lots of freckles. She seemed lost in her overly large black dress.  When she saw it was a stranger answering the door she trembled, mumbling a barely audible greeting. Charles quickly stuck his head out of the kitchen and shouted:

“Martha, this is my friend Simon.”

She looked puzzled.

“Remember, I said there’d be someone from Torquay. The orchid guy?”

She nodded slightly, hesitantly stepped into the hallway and looked searchingly around.
“Talk to each other while I’m making dinner,” Charles ordered them. “I’ll be out soon. Go, sit in the living room!”

Martha shrugged and gave a little grin, then stood there waiting for Simon to do something.

“You have been here before, haven’t you?” he asked surprised at her lack of initiative.
“Yes, of course,” she said, continuing to stand until he started to walk. Only then did she move towards the living room, following his lead. She sat down on the sofa, put her handbag on the floor and folded her hands over her knees. She remained that way, without saying a further word, her gaze averted towards the floor. Simon sat down on the other sofa and tried to think of the right thing to say, but was stumped. Although she was as shy as Charles had predicted, there was something quite forceful underneath that exterior that didn’t sit comfortable with him. An unspoken pressure surrounded that woman and tensed up the atmosphere. She, too, had very attractive features, he thought. A hint of Meg Ryan maybe, if only her face was more relaxed.

“Can I get you a drink?” he eventually asked, grateful that something had finally sprung to mind.

“No thank you,” she said, her voice cracking halfway through the first syllable. He noticed that her eyes were melancholic and seemed to be continually searching for something. She smiled and shrugged as if to apologise for it. Only then did Simon remember being told about her drinking problem and felt the sting of embarrassment. To add to his discomfort Martha now seemed to have lost some of her initial shyness and looked expectantly at him. The mounting pressure began to feel very uncomfortable.

He remembered her story vaguely from one of Charles’s long monologues. Martha and Charles had met in hospital after his accident at the estate while she was being treated for nasty bruises and fractures - souvenirs from a recent fight with her latest abusive husband. The memory made him even more self-conscious as to what to speak to her about.

“How was the journey?” Simon had finally thought to ask.

“Alright,” she said, repeating her grin and shrug routine.

“Are you still living in…” Simon paused, realising that he couldn’t remember the name of the town.

“I’m still in the same place that I lived in with my ex-husband Clive,” she said eagerly. She had moved to the front of the seat and was leaning towards him. “It has to be sold to complete the divorce settlement and the sale is taking its time,” she added.

“Sorry to hear that,” he said, surprised by her sudden change of attitude.

“Like our marriage, the sale has turned into a tedious and painful affair,” she said, giggling slightly.

“I see,” Simon said, feeling embarrassed by the sudden intimacy. “I hadn’t meant to ask that, of course.”

“I don’t mind talking about it,” she said. “I’m in AA and there we share everything. Clive and I worked at the same firm and nothing about the split has ever been secret. Everyone knows my story and in parts I find that quite liberating. Charles probably mentioned the saga to you. At least he probably told you why I don’t drink,” she added.

Simon was stunned into silence by her forwardness.

“You don’t have to get embarrassed,” she assured him.

“I am embarrassed,” he said, to which she just shrugged her shoulders.

What reviewers are saying:

"Author Christoph Fisher skillfully weaves a tale with a unique cast of characters that are realistic.” 
Thomas Baker

“
In Conditions he has taken on a very difficult topic - a family dealing with mental illness - and brought his characters to life.” 
Yael Politis

“
This book gives us a fascinating glimpse into a world that few of us will experience, but many of us are curious about.” 
Purple Violin

"I found the writing captivating as Christoph Fischer gave a storyline with stormy relationships, exploring the fragility of the human spirit from such different angles by giving the characters their own set of shortcomings." -M.C.V. Egan

"Author Christoph Fischer with his latest book "Conditions" has once again produced an amazing read. His passionate words and novel brings one to reality in life - dealing with mental illness - family trials and tribulations - an excellent story line with a cast of realistic characters. Extremely touching, emotional and heart tugging. Lovely read!" -Anna Othitis

Other books by Christoph Fischer:

About the author:

Christoph Fischer was born in Germany, near the Austrian border, as the son of a Sudeten-German father and a Bavarian mother. Not a full local in the eyes and ears of his peers he developed an ambiguous sense of belonging and home in Bavaria. He moved to Hamburg in pursuit of his studies and to lead a life of literary indulgence. After a few years he moved on to the UK where he is still resident today. The Luck of The Weissensteiners was published in November 2012; Sebastian in May 2013; The Black Eagle Inn in October 2013.
His first contemporary novel is called Time To Let Go and was released June 2014.
He has written several other novels which are in the later stages of editing and finalisation.

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