FEATURED AUTHOR: ANDREW JOYCE

ABOUT THE BOOK

Molly is about to set off on the adventure of a lifetime . . . of two lifetimes.

It’s 1861, and the Civil War has just started. Molly is an eighteen-year-old girl living on her family’s farm in Virginia when two deserters from the Southern Cause enter her life. One of them — a twenty-four-year-old Huck Finn — ends up saving her virtue, if not her life.

Molly is so enamored with Huck, she wants to run away with him. But Huck has other plans and is gone the next morning before she awakens. Thus starts a sequence of events that leads Molly into adventure after adventure; most of them not so nice.

We follow the travails of Molly Lee, starting when she is eighteen and ending when she is fifty-six. Even then Life has one more surprise in store for her.

SALE! Molly Lee is on sale for $0.99 until September 27. 

GUEST POST BY ANDREW JOYCE

My name is Andrew Joyce, and I write books for a living. Amy has been kind enough to allow me a little space on her blog to promote my new book, Molly Lee. The story is a female-driven account of a young naive girl’s journey into an independent, strong woman and all the trouble she gets into along the way.

Now you may possibly be asking yourself, What is a guy doing writing in a woman’s voice? And that’s a good question. I can only say that I did not start out to write about Molly; she just came to me one day and asked that I tell her story.

Perhaps I should start at the beginning.

My first book was a 164,000-word historical novel. And in the publishing world, anything over 80,000 words for a first-time author is heresy. Or so I was told time and time again when I approached an agent for representation. After two years of research and writing, and a year of trying to secure the services of an agent, I got angry. To be told that my efforts were meaningless was somewhat demoralizing to say the least. I mean, those rejections were coming from people who had never even read my book.

“So you want an 80,000-word novel?” I said to no one in particular, unless you count my dog, because he was the only one around at the time. Consequently, I decided to show them City Slickers that I could write an 80,000-word novel!

I had just finished reading Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn for the third time, and I started thinking about what ever happened to those boys, Tom and Huck. They must have grown up, but then what? So I sat down at my computer and banged out REDEMPTION: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer in two months. Then sent out query letters to agents.

Less than a month later, the chairman of one of the biggest agencies in New York City emailed me that he loved the story. We signed a contract and it was off to the races, or so I thought. But then the real fun began: the serious editing. Seven months later, I gave birth to Huck and Tom as adults. And just for the record, the final word count is 79,914. The book went on to reach #1 status on Amazon twice, and the rest, as they say, is history.

But not quite.

My agent then wanted me to write a sequel, but I had other plans. I was in the middle of editing down my first novel (that had been rejected by 1,876,324 agents . . . or so it seemed) from 164,000 words to the present 142,000. However, he was insistent, so I started to think about it. Now, one thing you have to understand is that I tied up all the loose ends at the end of REDEMPTION, so there was no way that I could write a sequel. And that is when Molly asked me to tell her story. Molly was a character that we met briefly in the first chapter of REDEMPTION, and then she is not heard from again.

This is the description from MOLLY LEE:

Molly is about to set off on the adventure of a lifetime . . . of two lifetimes.

It’s 1861 and the Civil War has just started. Molly is an eighteen-year-old girl living on her family’s farm in Virginia when two deserters from the Southern Cause enter her life. One of them—a twenty-four-year-old Huck Finn—ends up saving her virtue, if not her life.

Molly is so enamored with Huck, she wants to run away with him. But Huck has other plans and is gone the next morning before she awakens. Thus starts a sequence of events that leads Molly into adventure after adventure; most of them not so nice.

We follow the travails of Molly Lee, starting when she is eighteen and ending when she is fifty-six. Even then Life has one more surprise in store for her.

As I had wondered whatever became of Huck and Tom, I also wondered what Molly did when she found Huck gone.

I know this has been a long-winded set up, but I felt I had to tell the backstory. Now I can move on and tell you about Molly.

As stated earlier, Molly starts out as a naive young girl. Over time she develops into a strong, independent woman. The change is gradual. Her strengths come from the adversities she encounters along the road that is her life.

With each setback, Molly follows that first rule she set against self-pity and simply moves on to make the best of whatever life throws her way. From working as a whore to owning a saloon, from going to prison to running a ranch, Molly plays to win with the cards she’s dealt. But she always keeps her humanity. She will kill to defend herself and she has no problem killing to protect the weak and preyed upon. However, when a band of Indians (for instance) have been run off their land and have nowhere else to go, Molly allows them to live on her ranch, and in time they become extended family.

This is from a review on Amazon:

A young female in nineteenth-century rural America would have needed courage, fortitude, and firm resolve to thrive in the best of circumstances. Molly Lee possesses all of these, along with an iron will and an inherent ability to read people accurately and respond accordingly.

I reckon that about sums up Molly.

I would like to say that I wrote MOLLY LEE in one sitting and everything in it is my pure genius. But that would be a lie. I have three editors (two women and one guy). They kept me honest with regard to Molly. When I made her a little too hard, they would point out that she had to be softer or show more emotion in a particular scene.

I set out to write a book where every chapter ended with a cliffhanger. I wanted the reader to be forced to turn to the next chapter. And I pretty much accomplished that, but I also wrote a few chapters where Molly and my readers could catch their collective breath.

One last thing: Everything in MOLLY LEE is historically correct from the languages of the Indians to the descriptions of the way people dressed, spoke, and lived. I spend as much time on research as I do in writing my stories. Sometimes more.

It looks as though I’ve used up my allotted word count (self-imposed), so I reckon I’ll ride off into the sunset and rustle up a little vodka and cranberry juice (with extra lime).

It’s been a pleasure,
Andrew Joyce

ABOUT REDEMPTION: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer

Three men come together in the town of Redemption, Colorado, each for his own purpose.

Huck Finn is a famous lawman who does not hesitate to use his gun to protect the weak. He has come to right a terrible wrong.

After his wife’s death, Tom Sawyer does not want to live anymore; he has come to die.
The third man, the Laramie Kid, a killer Huck and Tom befriended years earlier, has come to kill a man.

For these three men, Death is a constant companion. For these three men, it is their last chance for redemption.

INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW JOYCE

How did you get started writing and when did you become an “author?”
One morning, I went crazy. I got out of bed, went downstairs, and threw my TV out the window. Then I sat down at the computer and wrote my first short story. It was soon published in a print magazine (remember them?). I’ve been writing ever since.

Can you share some of your marketing strategies with us?
I go to bloggers and beg for reviews and/or a “guest post” spot on their blog.

Imagine that! Okay, do you have a day job?
I write books for a living, and that’s all. It keeps the wolf from the door.

If you could only watch one television station for a year, what would it be?
As stated above, I do not own a TV. But if a gun was put to my head, and I had to watch only one channel, it would be TCM (Turner Classic Movies). I love old movies.

How often do you tweet?
Almost never.

How do you feel about Facebook?
Ambivalent.

YouTube is . . .
Kinda cool.

What five things would you never want to live without?
Oxygen, vodka . . . and I’ll have to get back to you on the other three.

What is the most daring thing you've done?
Saved a young woman’s life.

That would definitely qualify! What’s one of your favorite quotes?
This is not a quote. It’s just beautiful writing.

"The afternoon came down as imperceptibly as age comes to a happy man. A little gold entered into the sunlight. The bay became bluer and dimpled with shore-wind ripples. Those lonely fishermen who believe that the fish bite at high tide left their rocks and their places were taken by others, who were convinced that the fish bite at low tide."— John Steinbeck, Tortilla Flat

What would your main character say about you?
That I am a lazy, no-account, shiftless so-and-so.


What's your relationship with your cell phone?
We’re seeing a counselor.

Let me know how that works out. Do you have a favorite book?
The Grapes of Wrath.

I'm sensing you like John Steinbeck. Do you sweat the small stuff?
I’m not being bombastic here, but I don’t sweat anything.

If you had to choose a cliché about life, what would it be?
That life is too short. It’s just right.

What are you working on now?
My attention is riveted on a big, tall, frosty glass of vodka and cranberry juice (with extra lime).

Lightning round:
Chevy Chase or Bill Murray?  Bill Murray

Emailing or texting?  Emailing

Plane, train, or automobile? None of the above. I ain’t going anywhere if I can help it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrew Joyce lives on a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with his dog, Danny.

Connect with Andrew:

Website  |  
Blog  |  
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads 

FEATURED AUTHOR: CLEA SIMON

ABOUT THE BOOK

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

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

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

KUDOS FOR CODE GREY

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

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

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

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

INTERVIEW WITH CLEA SIMON

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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


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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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


How long is your to-do list?
Huge.


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

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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

Connect with Clea:
Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads 

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WEEEE! NEW GPJ RELEASE

ABOUT THE BOOK

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

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

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

EXCERPT FROM SHORT & TALL TALES IN GOOSE PIMPLE JUNCTION

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
(that's me!)

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

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

Connect with Amy:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads

FEATURED AUTHOR: MAXINE NUNES

ABOUT THE BOOK

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

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

INTERVIEW WITH MAXINE NUNES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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


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

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

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

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

EXCERPT FROM DAZZLED, A NIKKI EASTON MYSTERY

CHAPTER 1

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

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

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

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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

Connect with Maxine:


Website  | 
Facebook  | 
Goodreads 

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

Guest Post: Graeme Smith

ABOUT THE BOOK

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

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

GUEST POST 

by Graeme Smith

INSPIRATION FOR BOOK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Graeme Smith was born in Exeter in 1957.

His father died when Graeme was just 18 months old.

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

Graeme has three children and two grandchildren.

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

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

FEATURED AUTHOR: ELAINE FABER

ABOUT THE BOOK

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

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

INTERVIEW WITH ELAINE FABER

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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

Connect with Elaine:

Website     

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FEATURED AUTHOR: E JOURNEY

ABOUT THE BOOK

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

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

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

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Our Inevitable Love Affair With Stories

by EJourney

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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



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



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