Give the Devil His Due (A Tarot Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Midnight Ink (April 8, 2017)
Paperback: 360 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0738742243
Kindle ASIN: B01FOR0Z9Y

Synopsis

Reformed con artist-turned-tarot reader Alanis McLachlan gets paid for predicting the future—too bad she didn’t see all the trouble in hers. First a figure from her past tries to drag her back into the life of crime she thought she’d left behind. Then a new suitor tries to sweep Alanis off her feet, forcing her on-again, off-again romance with hunky teacher Victor Castellanos to hit the skids. And then there’s the little matter of the client who gets an ominous reading from Alanis . . . and is promptly murdered. Danger is in the cards for Alanis, and she’ll need all her skill at reading people and reading tarot if she’s going to survive.

Guest Post

Novel Advice
By Steve Hockensmith

There are downsides to being a published author. One: the groupies. It’s almost impossible to sustain a healthy marriage when legions of lovestruck fans are throwing themselves at you every day. I try to keep their numbers down by avoiding the bestseller lists, but I still can’t walk past a bookstore without someone throwing their panties at me. Or, occasionally, their tighty whities. A never-ending supply of free underwear could be a perk, I suppose, but I’d be happier if people kept their pants on and contented themselves with autographs.

Another downside: Authors are supposed to be smart. Publish a book and all of a sudden we’re expected to know how it’s done — and, worse, to tell everyone about it. Is there a writer alive who hasn’t been forced to churn out a “How to – “ column about “their craft”? Even James Patterson still does it from time to time, and his “craft” consists of dictating titles to other writers while soaking in a diamond-studded bathtub. (“I’m thinking we’ll go with the ol’ adjective-noun for this one, Rogers. Fatal Bond, Lethal Intent, Perspicacious Equanimity, Whatever Whatever…you know the drill. Give me 75,000 words by Wednesday. And hand me the Mr. Bubble.”)

Even I’ve done it when I was hard-up enough for something to write about. The most popular post on my blog is “50 Dos and Don’ts for Wannabe Writers,” which is basically 500-ish words of tap dancing around the fact that I’m NOT all that smart when it comes to writing and publishing. Boil the whole thing down and it’s just me shouting “Oh, for god’s sake…if you wanna write just go do it already!”

But guess what, friends. I’m in the middle of a blog tour. I’m supposed to write 187 blog posts in three days (or something like that). So….

Hockensmith’s Four Little Rules for Big-Time Publishing Success

(1) Write stuff people want to read

Want to move units? Give the people what they want. They’re not reading for their health, you know. In fact, most of them aren’t reading at all. Who’s got time for book-books when there’s Facebook? The one in a million who will pick up a novel from time to time don’t want to read your tender coming of age tale or heartfelt romance or gimmicky tarot-themed mystery or whatever. If the Amazon rankings are to be believed, they want Loch Ness monster erotica and lots of it. So fire up an In Search Of…, get in touch with your wild side and start typing something that moves your unit.

(2) Read stuff people (especially you) want to write
James Patterson was an ad man before he started writing (or dictating titles, anyway). Lee Child was a TV producer. J.K. Rowling was unemployed. Gillian Flynn drove an ice cream truck. Jonathan Franzen was a Chippendales dancer. Very different backgrounds — yet all of these bestselling authors have two things in common. First, before they were writers, they were readers, preparing themselves for literary superstardom by discovering what they themselves love about books. Second, they’re all members of the Illuminati, the shadowy cabal that secretly controls the world. Which gives them a bit of an edge, competition-wise. Still…read, people! It’s good for you!

(3) Land a powerful agent, get a huge book deal and become a bestseller
Preferably in that order.

(4) Honor your commitments
Let’s say, for example, that you’ve agreed to write 187 blog posts in three days. Well, by cracky, you’d better do it, even if it means churning out a lot of ridiculous bunk. If you’re lucky, no one will notice….

 

About the Author

Steve Hockensmith’s first novel, Holmes on the Range, was a finalist for the Edgar, Shamus, Anthony and Dilys awards. He went on to write four sequels as well as a pair of bestselling follow-ups to the international publishing sensation Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. More recently, he wrote (with collaborator “Science Bob” Pflugfelder) the middle-grade mysteries Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab and Nick and Tesla’s Robot Army Rampage.

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check out the other blogs on this tour

April 5 – Babs Book Bistro – REVIEW

April 5 – Island Confidential – GUEST POST

April 6 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – REVIEW, INTERVIEW

April 7 – Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf – REVIEW

April 7 – Sleuth Cafe – GUEST POST

April 8 – A Holland Reads – GUEST POST

April 9 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 10 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW

April 11 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

April 12 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW

April 13 – Varietats – REVIEW

April 14 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – INTERVIEW

April 15 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 15 – A Blue Million Books – GUEST POST

April 16 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW