Synopsis

 

Penny Crenshaw’s divorce and her husband’s swift remarriage to a much younger woman have been hot topics around Atlanta’s social circles. After a year of enduring the cruel gossip, Penny leaps from the frying pan into the fire by heading back to Kentucky to settle her grandmother’s estate.

Reluctantly, Penny travels to her hometown of Camden, knowing she will be stirring up all the ghosts from her turbulent childhood. But not all her problems stem from a dysfunctional family. One of Penny’s greatest sources of pain lives just down the street: Bradley Hitchens, her childhood best friend, the keeper of her darkest secrets, and the boy who shattered her heart.

As Penny struggles with sorting through her grandmother’s house and her own memories, a colorful group of friends drifts back into her life, reminding her of the unique warmth, fellowship, and romance that only the Bluegrass state can provide. Now that fate has forced Penny back, she must either let go of the scars of her past or risk losing a second chance at love.

 

 

Amazon

 

 

Praise

 

“In Where the Grass Grows Blue, Hope Gibbs examines Penny Crenshaw’s journey to pick up the pieces and begin again after divorce. But this mother of three sons soon learns that if she wants to move forward, she’ll have to first go back to the start. Readers will enjoy this fast-paced southern story about second-chances, lifelong friendships, and the healing power of forgiveness.” – Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Perennials

“Where The Grass Grows Blue hit me in all the right places. Young lovers separated by a misunderstanding reunite twenty years later, only to discover that although their love never faded, their choices are insurmountable. Or are they? Gibbs skillfully weaves the dark side of life with the beauty of a love that has only grown stronger over time. Keep an eye on this author – she is one to watch!” – Barbara Conrey, USA Today Bestselling Author of Nowhere Near Goodbye

“Hope Gibbs’ debut, Where the Grass Grows Blue, is worthy of taking its place among true Southern fiction novels where the banter is witty and the women are true steel magnolias. It’s a delightful, engaging story about following your heart.” – Grace Sammon, Award-Winning Author of The Eves, and host of The Storytellers

“Where the Grass Grows Blue is the most authentic and endearing book I’ve read in ages. Penny’s difficult and heartbreaking rural background in Kentucky (the Bluegrass state) and her high society life in Atlanta could not be more different. But when she can’t hide from her past anymore, her life comes full circle. I think Penny is my new fictional best friend. There were times I wanted to read quickly to see how everything unfolds, but this story is to be savored. Don’t rush this Southern gem.” – Cindy Dorminy, author of The Foster Wife and In a Jam

 

 

Guest Post

 

A Letter to my Ten-Years Ago Self…

 

Dear Hope Gibbs,

 

I know I’m addressing you by your maiden name. Don’t panic. You’re not in the midst of a divorce. Your marriage is strong, even with the craziness of trying to wrangle five children, but in ten years, this is the name you will be using hundreds of times a week. There’s a good reason for it, one that I’m sure will shock you, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Recently, you celebrated a big milestone—turning forty. I know it sounds old right now, but this is the best decade of your life. Some big changes are coming your way, and you’re about to accomplish something you didn’t realize or even know you wanted to do.

Your thirties were a rollercoaster. You were a bundle of nervous energy. A third pregnancy, the loss of beloved family members, a painful divorce, falling in love all over again, another marriage, and becoming a stepmother to two small children. But good news, you have a full and happy nest, though the decade is a blur of soccer games, carpool runs, homework, and never-ending trips to the grocery store. Feeding a household of seven can be exhausting. But you will start changing in your forties. Don’t get me wrong, you will still do all those things, but know this. Those little birds will fly away. Sooner than you think, and your realization of that fact sets you on a path that will change your life.

Now here’s another “don’t panic” moment, around forty-five, you’re going to have a little mid-life crisis. Don’t freak out. You won’t buy an expensive car or alter your appearance, though you will be going to the salon more often because your hair color will betray you, but you’ll start to question your choices. What have I accomplished with my life other than being a wife and mother? When my children are gone, who will I be?  This will be on a continuous loop in your mind, and on your worst days, you’ll start regretting your decision to leave that corporate job to raise those wonderful, infuriating children. Most people would say to ignore that inner voice, but I’m telling you to listen to it because it will propel you into something unimaginable.

After reevaluating your life, you’ll start journaling. That lasts about a week because you’ll hate it. Then, you’ll do something extraordinary—you’ll develop a character, getting to know her through your imagination. You’ll spend countless hours with her, developing her backstory, creating her world, and fleshing out her fears. You’ll laugh, cry, and grow with her, and before you know it, you’ll type the words…THE END. Hope, you write a book! I know you’ve not written anything longer than an email since college, but somehow, you turned that mini-midlife crisis into a novel that will be published by Red Adept, with the audio rights being sold to Blackstone. Oh. And they make you change your name, but that’s okay because Cummiskey is hard to spell and Gibbs was your name first.

Now in your fifties, your days are filled with writing, and it’s wonderful. You need it as much as you need tennis. Don’t worry, you still play multiple times a week even though you’ll have three knee surgeries in the next ten years. It’s okay, you have a great orthopedist. Every day you’re surrounded by a warm and welcoming community of writers and readers. You’ll also be the host of a monthly Facebook Live program for over 5,000 bibliophiles and start a podcast. I’ll explain what that is later.

The next ten years will define you. Enjoy every second of it. And remember, you’re never too old to follow your dreams.

P.S. Your two stepchildren will ask you to officially adopt them on Christmas morning in 2020. You’ll cry your eyes out.

 

 

About the Author

 

Hope Gibbs grew up in rural Scottsville, Kentucky. As the daughter of an English teacher, she was raised to value the importance of good storytelling from an early age. Today, she’s an avid reader of women’s fiction. Drawn to multi-generational family sagas, relationship issues, and the complexities of being a woman, she translates those themes into her own writing.

Hope lives in Tennessee with her husband and her persnickety Shih Tzu, Harley. She is also the mother of five. In her downtime, she loves playing tennis, poring over old church cookbooks, singing karaoke, curling up on her favorite chair with a book, and playing board games.

Hope has a B.A. from Western Kentucky University and is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association.

 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

A devastating terrorist bomb blast at a spiritual retreat outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, sends journalist Kevin Pitcairn and his beloved Emmy on a quixotic quest to understand the roots of violence. Traveling across the country deep into the bowels of Southern Appalachia, their search takes them through a long-standing rift in the American consciousness to confrontations with remarkable and anomalous characters, some of them deeply spiritual, others well-grounded in research and psychology.

In this sequel to the much-acclaimed A Killer’s Grace, Pitcairn and Emmy return to the exploration of innocence while adding to it a deepening understanding of injury and ordeal―and its amazing corollary of Post-Traumatic Growth. As the quest and its dangers rip their lives apart, doors open that lure them back and forth across the country in search of tendrils tying together the events and anguish, as well as bringing the protagonists more deeply together.

 

 

Amazon * Bookshop * B&N

 

 

Guest Post

 

Today we welcome Ron to StoreyBook Reviews as he shares his thoughts on:

 

Finding Emotional Sobriety – Even in Chaos?

 

In the past few years more and more people have discovered the idea of emotional sobriety. While the idea began as an advanced practice in twelve-step recovery driven by an article by Bill W., the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, the swirling and often damaging challenges of contemporary society seem to have increased interest beyond the rooms of recovery.

How in the world can we maintain balance amid challenges and difficulties?

First, we have to see that such balance, a psycho-spiritual state that can manage all kinds of disruption, is not free of emotions, does not deny reality, and is not static.

To use a great analogy, it’s as if our lives are lived on a high-wire. At any moment, there may be the movement of wind, distractions that are like birds, changes in our physiology, and the incessant chatter of our minds. What practices can we bring to such a reality that allow us to stay attuned and engaged?

Bill W. proposed that the root of our difficulties with our relationships with others and the world boils down to “faulty dependencies.” He saw that when any of us believe that someone or something else has the means to further or limit our well-being, we are at risk of emotional or psychological upset. If circumstances happen in a way that affirms our well-being, we unconsciously conclude that all is well. On the other hand, when circumstances seem to threaten our well-being, we can lose our balance.

But aren’t we dependent on people and the world?

Well, yes and no. However, the incredible work of Viktor Frankl and the demonstrations of exceptional people, for example Nelson Mandela, suggest that meaning, purpose and self-direction are wholly within us. To paraphrase a mantra or affirmation provided to me by a long-time mentor and teacher:

Thank you that my well-being is not dependent on anyone or anything.

That is the profound perspective of emotional sobriety. Yet, it raises the question of how to internalize that idea, and how to practice in ways that can promote it.

This is the realm of practices such as “letting go,” “allowing,” and even “forgiveness.” Each of these begins by identifying that which somehow threatens us, i.e. a circumstance, a person, a situation, or even the world, then working with it to let go of an attachment, allow a reality to be, or forgive something.

To use yet another analogy, we are like Velcro™. We get stuck to something, or it gets stuck to us. When we identify and deconstruct the hooks that allow for stuckness, magically we are released. The result is emotional sobriety.

You may ask, “Is this realistic?”

I can only speak to my own practice and experience. Over many years the number of upsets that have arisen is quite large. The most disruptive were the points at which to begin, and successes have been significant. With refinement, many smaller challenges have dissipated as well.

The most amazing result has been in my willingness to engage challenges and upsets. Success creates a belief that difficulties are solvable. The benefits and experience only increase that clarity and commitment.

Today, I am surprisingly well much of the time. Today, I know that any upset is a sign that I have inner work to do. Today, I’m remarkably willing to do what is needed to experience emotional sobriety.

 

After Thought

 

This psycho-spiritual development is at the heart of the series of novels I have christened as The Chronicles of Grace. Most recently, The Dark Side of Grace was released, which follows on A Killer’s Grace, with several more to follow. Packaging valuable ideas as psycho-spiritual thrillers allows for good stories with compelling characters and action to be a fun and effective way to learn and grow.

 

 

About the Author

 

Ronald Chapman is an author, speaker, and facilitator of approaches that increase well-being-ness and produce breakthroughs when practiced deeply and in a sustained fashion. He is the creator of Seeing True™ and Progressive Recovery, resources dedicated to exploring concepts of engaging, releasing, and transcending blockages in our lives. At the heart of Seeing True and all of his work is the Greek notion of “metanoia,” which could translate as a profound change of heart. Ronald maintains two core businesses as well. Leading Public Health provides facilitation, strategy, and consultation to public health clientele, while Magnetic North delivers similar services to a broader array of clients.

Ron spent many years as a national award-winning radio commentator on KUNM radio in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is an elite Accredited Speaker through Toastmasters International and an accomplished leadership facilitator working with clients from all over the world, including the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. Ron currently resides in Atlanta and spends much of his time immersed in art and beauty wherever his travels take him.

 

Website * Seeing True Blog * Facebook * Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murder at the Pontchartrain
Cozy Mystery (Humorous)
6th in Series
Setting – New Orleans, Louisiana
Anamcara Press LLC (June 15, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 280 pages

 

Synopsis

 

“My name is Sydney Lockhart. I solve murders, most of which I’m the primary suspect.

My boyfriend/partner, Ralph Dixon, and I came to the Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans to get married. Instead, Dixon’s in jail for a double murder. I’m in a swamp, spying on the KKK. Helping me untangle this mess is my bubble-headed cousin Ruth who’s undercover as a chef at the Pontchartrain. My twelve-year-old charge, Lydia LaBeau, dressed as a voodoo queen, is looking for clues at Pat O’Brien’s in the French Quarter. Rip Thigbee, a ghost detective, is my only hope.

I’m not making any of this up. This is my life and this is what I deal with, like it or not.

So, mix yourself a Hurricane and join me in the Big Easy for another historic hotel murder case.”

 

 

Anamcara Press – Amazon

 

 

Guest Post

 

Sydney Lockhart’s World

 

By Kathleen Kaska

 

 

My big, sassy mouth landed me a job as a reporter. Being suspected of murder turned me into a private detective. One job is not that much different than the other. You snoop, you dig, you put yourself in danger. What makes my situation so unusual is that the year is 1952 and I’m a woman. My name is Sydney Lockhart.

The reason I was given the job at the newspaper went like this:

“I’m here to interview for the job, Mr. Turney.”

“You’re a woman,” he said.

“And you’re smarter than you look.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “With a name like Sydney, I thought you were a man. It is a man’s name, you know?”

“When spelled with a ‘i,’ not a ‘y. I would think an editor should know that.”

Turney picked up my application and studied it. He looked back at me. “But this is not a job a woman can handle.”

“I can think, I can write, and unlike some people I can put my biases aside and focus on the facts.”

“I see you have written for the Daily Texan. Writing for the University of Texas newspaper doesn’t compare to hard-core news reporting.”

“Martha Gellhorn was a reporter from Colliers covering the Spanish Civil War and later  became a war correspondent in WWII.”

“True, but she was also married to Ernest Hemingway.”

“I wouldn’t hold that against her.”

My pulse rose in anticipation. Then he tossed my application back on the desk. “Come in on Monday morning. I’ll see what I can do.” He ushered me out the door.

The following week, I was back at the Austin American, working in the Travel and Entertainment department, writing about who wore what to the Ladies Social Society annual banquet, and the best places to stay while traveling. It wasn’t the type of writing I was interested in. Then one day I came into the office and was told to report to Ernest Turney about an assignment regarding a musician.

“Why is he interested in entertainment news?” I asked the society editor.

“Something about the guy hating reporters and refusing interviews. He said he thought you could handle it. He wants the story bad. Just go see him.”

So I did. Now, I’m standing in front of my mirror for one final look at my disguise before heading out to the Crooked J, a seedy bar on the seedy side of town. Ernest assigned me to get an interview with the elusive Hound Dog Jackson who was performing right here in Austin. I was eager to show my stuff and hopefully move into an honest to goodness reporting job. I’d jumped at the chance to get the story even if the Crooked J was on the east side of town, even if few whites frequented the establishment, even if any woman going there alone was asking for trouble.

Trouble seemed to follow me, so what did it matter? Besides, knowing Ernest, I’m sure he didn’t care how I got the interview. I’d picked up a full suit of men’s clothes at Goodwill, complete with shiny wing tips. Confident my man clothes would disguise my gender, I glued on a mustache and stuffed my long red hair under a fedora. I got the story, but not without mishap. My male disguise worked so well, a woman tried to pick me up. The woman was the bouncer’s girlfriend. A brawl ensued, the club owner was impressed with my means of defending myself, and so was Hound Dog. Before the night was over I had my interview and five stitches in my forehead.

I stayed at the Austin American for less than a year. During that time, I’d been assigned to report on the historic Arlington Hotel and Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs, Arkansas. When I checked in to the hotel, I found a man in my room, his throat slit. I became a suspect to his murder. To save my own skin, I found the killer and got the attention of a Hot Spring Police Detective named Ralph Dixon.

My next assignment was the New Year’s Eve ball at the Luther Hotel in Palacios, Texas. Before I unpacked this time, I made sure the bathroom was free of dead bodies, donned my best outfit and went to the ball. On a crowded dance floor right before midnight, a murdered man fell into my arms. This time I wasn’t so lucky. The cards were stacked against me and I was arrested. A good lawyer bonded me out and I was on the trail of another killer. I was doing fairly well with the investigation when Dixon showed up. He claimed he was just passing through. Sure he was. Hot Springs is 600 miles away from the Texas coast. Once this case was solved, there was another murder at another hotel. Dixon was there. We decided we made a great team, joined forces and opened our detective agency in downtown Austin.

I occasionally do some freelance reporting for Ernest at the newspaper, but after Dixon and I solved a high profile murder of a Texas gubernatorial candidate, our phone has been ringing off the wall.

Things have developed quickly and we are now in New Orleans at the Pontchartrain Hotel. We just came for the courthouse where we filled out an application for a marriage license, which requires a twenty-four-hour waiting period. We need the extra time to convince the local police that we didn’t kill the dead woman in our room.

 

 

About the Author

 

Kathleen Kaska is the author of the awarding-winning mystery series: the Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series set in the 1950s and the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series. Her first two Lockhart mysteries, Murder at the Arlington and Murder at the Luther, were selected as bonus books for the Pulpwood Queen Book Group, the country’s largest book group. She also writes mystery trivia. The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book was published by Rowman & Littlefield. Her Holmes short story, “The Adventure at Old Basingstoke,” appears in Sherlock Holmes of Baking Street, a Belanger Books anthology. She is the founder of The Dogs in the Nighttime, the Sherlock Holmes Society of Anacortes, Washington, a scion of The Baker Street Irregulars. Watch for Murder at the Pontchartrain: the 6^th Sydney Lockhart Mystery in June 2023.

 

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram * BookBub * Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collecting Can Be Murder (Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – France
Traveling Life Press (May 31, 2023)
Approximately 250 Pages

 

Synopsis

 

Coming out of retirement can be deadly…

After tragedy struck three years earlier, art sleuth Carmen De Luca vowed to never work in the field again. But fifty is too young to fill her days with water aerobics and bingo, so when her former partner calls and begs for her help, Carmen gladly agrees.

Yet after their first assignment – the recovery of a rare medieval prayer book from an eccentric collector living in rural France – goes horribly wrong, Carmen ends up in the crosshairs of both the local police and a murderer!

With her target dead and the stolen book missing, she and her partner will have to pull out all of the stops to sleuth out the true killer’s identity – before their stay in France becomes permanent.

Introducing Carmen De Luca, an art sleuth with a nose for mystery and the job of locating valuable artwork stolen from museums around the world. If you love strong and resourceful heroines, puzzling mysteries, and a dash of art history, pick up Collecting Can Be Murder now!

 

Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries:

Book One: Collecting Can Be Murder
Book Two: A Statue To Die For

More adventures coming soon!

These mysteries contain no graphic violence, sex, or strong language.

 

 

Amazon

 

Read for free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Guest Post

 

 

A Day in the Life of Carmen De Luca, Art Sleuth

 

 

Hello! I’m Carmen De Luca, an art sleuth for the Rosewood Agency. Or, I was until my husband was murdered and my world fell apart. My employer specialized in the kinds of art loss cases that no other organization was able to solve.

My job at the Rosewood Agency could best be described as surveillance and reconnaissance. Our leads were often virtual in nature, and not always one-hundred percent that it was indeed the stolen work of art we were searching for. That’s where operatives such as myself came in. Before my retirement, I had specialized in verifying the more urgent cases—paintings and sculptures that, for one reason or another, Rosewood’s researchers suspected were probably going to disappear quite soon. I was quite adept and getting into a suspect’s home, finding and verifying the object in question, and vanishing again, without raising any alarms.

Once I’d located the possibly stolen object and could verify whether it was the one we sought or not, I passed the information back to my employer, who sicced the company lawyers on the thief-in-question. However, our priority is not to catch the thief, but recover the artwork – by (almost) any means necessary.

I was considered one of the agency’s best, that is until my husband Carlos was killed on the job. He was a fellow recovery specialist assigned to verify statues in the hands of a rich Italian collector, a man who later turned out to be a high-ranking member of the mafia. Or at least, my employer and I assumed that was what had happened. My husband’s body had never been found, meaning I had to bury a box of rocks, instead.

His death threw my life into a tailspin, one that took me three years to get out of. But fifty-two is too young to retire. I have a lot of life and spunk left in me yet, and want to use it doing what I love most – recovering stolen artwork.

Admittedly, being an art sleuth on retainer was not a particularly well-paid job, when one considered the value of the works I was helping to recover, but it did come with lots of cushy benefits that more than made up for the salary. I was particularly fond of traveling first class, and I know my former partner, Lady Sophie, loved the luxurious hotels they usually put us up in.

I was searching for a way back, when Lady Sophie called and begged for my help with a series of recovery assignments in Europe. So here I am, in rural France, hoping to verify and possibly recover a stolen manuscript from a rich American expat.

My skills may be a bit rusty, but I’m enjoying being back in the middle of the action again. Which is good, considering I’ve landed in the middle of a murder investigation!

If only my target hadn’t of been killed, this would have been the easiest recover job of my career. Yet instead of celebrating with a shopping spree in Paris, I have to figure out who really killed the collector before the cops find a reason to pin the crimes on me. My being the last person to be seen with him isn’t helping matters!

I hope you’ll join me on my current investigation. Who knows? You might be able to figure out who killed my target before I do! I sure hope so, there’s a pair of Prada heels calling my name…

 

 

About the Author

 

Jennifer S. Alderson was born in San Francisco, grew up in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she lived in Darwin, Australia, before finally settling in the Netherlands.

Jennifer’s love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning Zelda Richardson Mystery series, her Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and her Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries. Her background in journalism, multimedia development, and art history enriches her novels.

When not writing, she can be found perusing a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip.

 

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Twitter * LinkedIn * BookBub

 

 

Giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

Check out the series on Amazon and read for Free via Kindle Unlimited, or purchase a copy for yourself.

 

 

 

Today we welcome author Lisa Edmonds to StoreyBook Reviews. She is here to share some thoughts on writing, books, and characters.

 

 

Whose Story Is It Anyway?

 

Storytelling, Reader Expectations, and Other Balancing Acts

 

At a recent local author event, the host asked our panel of writers how we balance reader expectations and desires with our own vision for the story and characters. The more pointed version of this question is: what, if anything, do authors “owe” readers?

I’ve seen these questions spark EXTREMELY heated debates among both authors and readers, both in person and online. As a reader, a writer, and a professor of English who teaches both writing and close, analytical reading, I think about this issue from multiple angles, and I answer the question a little differently depending on who’s asking. At the moment, I’m a writer addressing readers, so that’s how I’ll answer.

Rather than give the annoying answer “It depends,” I’ll explore some perspectives on the question and then define my own personal philosophy. Please bear with me while I parse the question a bit.

Some authors feel very strongly that this is their story to tell, so they’re going to tell it how they want to tell it, and readers can love it or hate it as they please. (I won’t name any names, but I’ve heard authors tell me this in person and seen them post about it on social media.) To these writers, there is no “balancing” between authorial vision and reader expectations to be done. “If you want a different ending, write your own book,” they might say. A bit harsh, but I can’t say the sentiment isn’t true. The only way to get exactly the story you want is to write it. (I’ll circle back to this in a bit.)

Others take a position on the opposite end of the spectrum and believe they write stories they want their readers to enjoy. (Note that “enjoy” means different things to different readers, especially depending on the genre. If I’m reading a thriller, the phrase “That book really messed me up” is a compliment, while the same utterance would be rather damning if referring to a romance.) Some call it “fan service,” but whatever you call it, this method puts the reader front-and-center and tries to cater to their expectations, desires, and happiness, even if that means the author’s vision for their story doesn’t get reflected in the story that ends up on the page.

A third group, of which I am a member, prefer to take a position somewhere in the middle of this continuum of authorly decision-making. This is where the balancing act comes into play.

A book is made up of a couple dozen chapters and a hundred thousand or so words. That much you probably know. But what you might not consider unless you are a writer yourself, or have thought deeply about the process of writing, is that a book is also hundreds (or thousands) of decisions on the part of the author. There are big decisions and little ones and many more in between. This is where the balancing act occurs: in the decision-making.

Whether an author is a “plotter” (someone who plans their novel out before writing) or a “pantser” (someone who eschews a plan and writes by the seat of their pants), they have to decide what happens in the novel, where it happens, why it happens, when it happens, how it happens, and to whom. Sometimes it’s a line of dialogue, and sometimes it’s a murder. And at each decision point, the writer has to weigh a bunch of factors and then make a choice. How much the reader’s reaction to that choice matters to the author is the question at hand.

When I respond “it depends,” I mean how much the reader’s reaction weighs into my decision depends on the choice. For most of these decisions, I don’t need to consider the reader’s reaction at all because they’re not likely to sweat who said this line of dialogue or who opened a door or who threw a Frisbee. But for major decisions that have ramifications, or are likely to spark an emotional–or in some cases, a visceral–response from the reader, I choose to take the reader into account.

Now, that doesn’t mean I won’t upset a reader. Sometimes I’ll make them happy; sometimes I’ll make them cry. My goal either way is to write the story well enough that the reader understands why I did it and they won’t hate me for it. They might send me a sniffly DM, but that’s probably about it.

So where do I personally land in this debate? I tell the story I want to tell, in both the way I want to tell it and the way I’d want to read it. That probably means I won’t kill off a beloved long-running character, because I’m not in the business of breaking people’s hearts. I want reading my books to be (mostly) a joy. If you want to read something that messes you up, I suggest Scandinavian thrillers or Gillian Flynn. I don’t write cozy fiction, but I do promise that if I hurt you, I’ll put a Band-Aid on it and kiss it to make it feel better by the final page.

I love my readers. I wouldn’t be where I am without them. And from that perspective, I do think I owe them something. I owe them a damn good story and an ending that both makes them smile and want to tell someone else about me and my books.

And to circle back to something I said earlier, if you want to tell a story the way you want it told, you can write that book. I’m not being snarky about that. My current series got started partly because I wanted to tell a story about a female private investigator with a ghost sidekick who was tough but also vulnerable, smart but sometimes makes mistakes, and powerful but not invincible (having read a great number of urban fantasy series with heroines who are too tough, too invincible, and inhumanly infallible).

So if you find yourself saying something like “If I wrote this book, I would have written it like this…” you might be a writer. But that’s a topic for another day.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

 

Or for the Audio version, click on this link

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Lisa Edmonds was born and raised in Kansas. A graduate of Buhler High School, she studied English and forensic criminology at Wichita State University. After acquiring her Bachelor’s degree, she considered a career in law enforcement as a behavioral analyst before earning a Master’s in English from Wichita State and then a Ph.D. in English from Texas A&M University.

She is currently an associate professor of English at a college in Texas, where she teaches a variety of writing and literature courses.

When not in the classroom, she shares a quiet country home with her husband Bill and their cats, and enjoys writing, reading, traveling, spoiling her niece and nephew, and singing karaoke.

 

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Synopsis

 

Soleil is lost in time, launched through history at the hands of the Old Ticker. Now he is out of his element. He must adapt to his new home, hope it’s possible to return to his original time, and pray for a chance to correct some mistakes along the way.

Tyrell knows Flarence killed Darren. He wants revenge, though a mere human with limited resources has no chance of harming a Genie. But Roy’s body is failing to the point that not even Genie blood can sustain him. The cause of Roy’s slow death may give Tyrell the opportunity he needs to make Flarence suffer.

The Old Ticker’s designs have been leaked. Now they rest in deadlier hands and more mischievous minds. A pair of spell-casting revolvers were nothing compared with the new weapons being developed in secret. The Genies may have met their match when a scientist emerges armed with the most devastating firearm the world has ever known.

These three novellas are the culmination of the Mystic Rampage series—historical fiction, contemporary action, and near-future science fiction. Connecting them all is their shared theme of overcoming regrettable decisions to forge a brighter future.

 

 

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Guest Post

 

What to do now that the series is over

 

Making the Mystic Rampage series a trilogy was uncertain for a while. The second book ended with the main characters being separated and I wanted to cover each of them individually to tie up as many loose ends as possible after the events of “Public Display of Aggression.” I developed the ideas for three stories to accommodate the trio of characters that needed their plot lines wrapped up. If I’d done it that way, the series would have consisted of six books, which isn’t too long, but the time I anticipated needing to finish was discouraging. Based on my history, one year to write a book is possible, but it’s a rushed job. Two years is sufficient to be satisfied with the product. I didn’t want to spend another six years – at a minimum – on this series so I decided to compress the last three novels into novellas that could fit into a single third book. It cut time on my part, and I also feel it’s nicer for the fans. Anyone who is curious about what happens to the Genies, Tyrell, and Claire won’t have to wait to find out, and even though the last book is more expensive, it’s still cheaper than purchasing three books separately.

The time requirement wasn’t the only reason I decided to end the series after three books. I succumbed to writer’s block while working on this series, and an effective treatment for that is to temporarily dive into a new idea. I put Mystic Rampage on hold for a month every year so I could participate in National Novel Writing Month. One year I wrote a traditional fantasy about a dragon and another year I tried a coming-of-age story about angsty high schoolers with emotional superpowers. Those were both in my “wheelhouse” because they were fantasy in their own way. Last year I went outside of my comfort zone and tried to write a romance novel. I’m not happy with that last one, but the important thing is that I have three drafts of brand-new stories to revise and pitch.

In January of this year, I faced a tough call about which draft I wanted to give my attention. I mentioned that I’m not pleased with my romance attempt, so putting that on the back burner was a no-brainer. In the end, I decided to focus on the dragon story because I feel like I can develop a stronger pitch for it. The emotional superpowers story is more original than a fire-breathing dragon in a make-believe kingdom, but it’s also a lot weirder. The Mystic Rampage series has sold fairly well so far, but I don’t feel I have enough notoriety as an author to sell a crazy idea yet. I’ll stay predictable for now, and my next book will involve knights, royalty, and mythical creatures of yore. But I have something else in the background. Something that will, as my dad would say, come out of left field.

I’ve also branched into other formats. The next project I complete will be a novel because that’s what I’ve been practicing for years, and I’ve become accustomed to that structure. I’ve never tried screenplays, but I’m beginning to consider learning how to construct them. I’ve attended some lectures put on by an organization called the Pipeline Group, which helps authors adapt books into scripts. The lectures I’ve attended haven’t been for script writing, but rather for building pitch decks and workshopping loglines. I’m done with the Mystic Rampage series, but just for fun I sometimes revisit the first book and try to make a story bible for it, and I’ve even tried turning the first chapter into a script. I don’t know if any of my books will ever be turned into a movie, but it’s fun to dream.

One other possibility that I only briefly consider occasionally is adapting Mystic Rampage into a comic series. When there isn’t a lot going on I occasionally pass the time by going online and looking up artists for hire. I haven’t inquired to anyone yet because I don’t take the idea too seriously. Even if someone were willing to take the job, converting text into panels would likely take more time than I have available now. Revising a draft of a novel and studying screenplays is enough to have on my plate currently, particularly since I also have to maintain my day job’s requirements. The next project I complete will be my new fantasy novel, then maybe I’ll give a screenplay a shot, and possibly, in the distant future, I’ll consider the option of a comic book adaptation.

 

 

About the Author

 

Hugh Fritz is thrilled to have completed his Mystic Rampage trilogy, a project eight years in the making. While writing the series he has outlined and written rough drafts of other stories ranging from horror to romance. He is currently bouncing between his works in progress, deciding which one should get his full attention. Whatever comes next will assuredly be a step in a whole new direction.

 

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Fungi Foul Play: A Small Town Colorado Cozy Mystery (Backyard Farming Series)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Setting – Colorado
Morewellson, Ltd. (May 7, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 260 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Can Anne help her friend from being charged as a murder suspect?

Newlywed Anne is dismayed at the idea of closing the Inn and tensions run high as Hope leads a mushroom workshop. When fingers point toward Hope for causing a death, Anne must help her friend before she loses everything. Was the death a tragic accident or is someone out to destroy Hope? Or is there an even more sinister plot at hand?

 

 

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Fungi Foul Play is Book Seven in the Backyard Farming series. Each book can be read as a standalone. However, if you enjoy getting to know the quirky characters who live in the town, here are the books in the series.

 

Chicken Culprit
Cordial Killing
Honey Homicide
Christmas Capers
Potager Plot
Duck Disaster
Fungi Foul Play

 

 

Character Guest Post

 

Meow. My name is Mouser. Actually, it’s not. Humans do not possess the wisdom to know better, so they call me that. I am Winston Marshall, the Third, and that is my name, in full. If it brings them pleasure, who am I to interfere and stand in their way? They provide me with food and buy me toys, so I’m willing to indulge them. You could possibly be interested in learning where I live. It is a place within another place. What do I mean by that? Allow me to elaborate on the matter.

First, I “live” or exist in the writer’s imagination, Vikki Walton. But primarily, you’ll find me on the pages of her cozy mystery series. In the first book, Chicken Culprit, I was rescued from a shelter by Kandi. She then introduced me to Anne. I was still a kitten then, but I already knew that there were some occupants in that house that shouldn’t be there. I took care of them swiftly, so that’s how I acquired my name. I have taken the steps to ensure that no mouse would be brave enough to even think about entering my house.

So, Anne grew to enjoy having me around. She is in her forties, however; it is tricky to determine how many years that is in cat years. Ever since she set foot in the town of Carolan Springs, she has been involved in one mysterious situation after another. I often figure them out before she does, but I like the way her mind works. Whenever she’s focused on another mystery, it’s pretty obvious that she’ll pull out the post-it notes. Then she and start jotting down things about means, motive, and opportunity.

Now here comes the exciting part. One particular holiday season, Anne was feeling downcast. She experiences days where her mood is not the best. This is something I have observed in some humans. But she’s better now that she’s drinking some herbal tea her friend gives her. I could tell from her expression that she was bored. She finally brought down some boxes that were red and green. Now, when she opened them, I was powerless to resist the temptation. Those Christmas items were so pretty. There was all this shiny stuff and glass balls to bat at with my paw. What’s a cat to do? If you don’t want me messing with it, don’t put it out for me to play with. But get this, I helped solve a mystery! Yes, me. Winston Marshall the Third. So that was fun. If you want to know more about that mystery, you can check out Christmas Capers. I even got my picture on the book cover! It was about time.

Lately, I’ve noticed that man hanging around more. I think his name is Carson. He seems okay, but when he built me a ledge where I can watch the birds, I decided he could stay. Sometimes at night, I’ll see animals skulking along the tree line of the backyard. It’s at those times that I wish I had more access to the outdoors. Or a friend. But then that would mean sharing. Not sure about that. We’ll see what happens in Fungi Foul Play. I can tell that there’s another mystery scheduled as Anne’s back in sleuthing mode.

Now another thing you might want to know is, does the author have a cat? Sadly, the answer is no. She has a sweet dog, but that doesn’t count in my book. They don’t care when their humans give them silly names and they can’t wait for them to come home. The name Mouser at least has some street creed. But Vikki loves animals. Some years back, she decided to become a global house and pet sitter. Thus far, she has sat across the United States, in the United Kingdom, and in Mexico. Things got a bit crazy for a while, so that put off her travels, but she’s back at them again. She has sat for birds, cats, dogs, and fish. She hasn’t sat with horses or goats, but she’s helped with them as well. That’s one reason you’ll often find animals in her books. Each of us has our own personality as well. In her Backyard Farming series, she’s got me, and some chickens, but those are silly birds. In my humble opinion. There are also some other critters, but, well, let’s be honest. I’m the most important. In her Taylor Texas mystery series, she’s got dogs but mainly lots of horses. And in her Viviane’s adventures, that character is also a global house-sitter, so you’ll find all kinds of animals.

I think that’s enough for now. I hear some birds chirping outside and I need to go check on them. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen in Fungi Foul Play. Maybe I’ll get to help solve another mystery again.

 

 

About the Author

 

Vikki Walton writes sassy sleuths and clever clues. Her mysteries are clean so no blushes. She has three cozy series: one set in a fictional town in Colorado, one set in a real town in Texas, and one that takes place at various places around the globe. When not out hiking the beautiful Colorado trails, you can find her pursuing her passions of gardening, traveling, and of course, reading great cozies!

 

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Mrs. Odboddy’s Desperate Doings: A WWII tale (Mrs. Odboddy Mysteries)
Historical Cozy Mystery
4th in Series 
Setting – California
Elk Grove Publications (April 30, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 264 pages

 

Synopsis

 

After falling from a tree, Agnes’s behavior and delusions escalate from ‘merely eccentric,’ to ‘near mayhem ’ Still seeking a permanent home for a displaced carnival tiger, she goes to unthinkable extremes in an effort to prevent city hall from destroying the big cat. When Agnes witnesses a well-known citizen commit burglary, and the church’s beloved Good Shepherd painting goes missing, she becomes obsessed with exposing the art thief. But, questions arise whether the extent of her bizarre behavior is due to a ‘brain bleed’ from her head injury, or is something amiss in her medical treatment?

As WWII rages across the Pacific, dealing with victory gardens and rationing at home doesn’t stop Agnes from fighting the war from the home front. From city hall, to the hot seat at Newbury’s Police Department, and finally to a San Francisco mansion, Agnes pursues injustice to save a tiger and expose a shocking conspiracy at the highest levels of Newbury’s elite society.

Mrs. Odboddy’s Desperate Doings is a hilarious WWII mystery-adventure you’ll not soon forget.

 

 

 

 

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Guest Post

 

Rationing During WWII

 

Due to the need to feed and supply the troops, the federal government established a rationing system to conserve crucial food and supplies which required Katherine and me to reimagine how we could shop using our ration book and still cook delicious meals. The system wasn’t perfect. Whenever the government announced an item would soon be rationed, citizens stood in line in front in front of Wilkey’s Market, with intentions of buying up as much as possible, and maybe there would be none left for me. Many of us planted a Victory gardens to supplement our vegetables and canned any overflow to use this winter.

The rationing program involved giving a number of “points,” which came in the form of stamps printed inside a ration coupon book. These were distributed throughout the war to each of us, including one for our ward, Maddie, whom we met in Washington last year when I carried a package to President Roosevelt. (Mrs. Odboddy Undercover Courier). Restricted items required a certain number of points, along with money, to purchase.

Tires were rationed first, starting in January 1942, just weeks after Pearl Harbor. Fortunately, Ole’ Betsy, my Model A Ford has four good tires. Consumers could no longer buy new tires; and were required to patch or have the treads replaced on existing tires. Healthcare professionals, fire, and police could purchase new tires, also buses, and certain delivery trucks, with specific approval.

Black market trading in everything from tires to meat plagued the nation, including the black market purchase of ration books. Certain foods were rationed, starting with sugar in May 1942. Coffee was restricted to one pound per adult every six weeks for a period of time, followed by meats, fats, canned fish, cheese, and canned milk. Cuts of meat were rationed, often leaving only the internal organs to include liver, heart, neck bones, and ox tail available for purchase.

In my first novel, Mrs. Odboddy Hometown Patriot, I recognized the issue of stolen ration books and set about to expose the criminals involved. In Mrs. Odboddy’s Desperate Doings, we have become accustomed to working with ration books, cooking with limited supplies, and relying on our Victory garden to supplement our diet. One of my favorite recipes is Oxtail Stew. I’ll share the recipe with you below.

 

OXTAIL STEW

 

Dredge three large oxtails in flour and brown with an onion in butter or shortening. Add two tablespoons of bacon grease. Toss the floured meat into the frying pan with a diced onion and brown on all sides. To a large kettle, add two cups of canned beef broth, two cups of water and two cups of canned tomatoes. Add a bay leaf, a teaspoon of salt and a dash of pepper. When the meat and onion are nicely browned, add to the kettle liquid, turn down the burner to simmer, and cook for three hours. During the last hour, add half a cup of carrots, half a cup of chopped celery, a tablespoon of parsley and six potatoes from the Victory garden. Just before ready to eat, thicken the gravy with flour or cornstarch.

The stew is delicious, hearty with vegetables and fairly inexpensive and can be cooked during the day, while pursuing other activities such as plotting how to expose our thieving doctor, or writing letters and making phone calls in an attempt to find a home for our displaced tiger, Shere Khan.

 

 

About the Author

 

Elaine Faber lives in Elk Grove, CA, with her husband and two feline companions. She is a member of Sisters in Crime (SIC), Elk Grove Writer’s Guild (EGWG), and Northern California Publishers and Authors (NCPA). Elaine volunteers with the American Cancer Society. She has published nine cozy mystery novels, and an anthology of cat stories. Her short stories are also published in 22 independent anthologies.

 

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Dying Declaration: A Legal Thriller
3rd in Series
Setting – Florida
Stony Hill Publishers (November 30, 2019)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 248 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers is FBI Forensic pathologist and special agent with an uncanny sixth sense for bringing murders to justice.

During a vacation in Belize with her young son, Joey, Cat gets a phone call from her boss. Young prostitutes are being picked up, murdered and left for dead in the Florida Everglades. The first victim does not fit the killer’s modus operandi. She was a legal secretary working for the Fort Lauderdale based international law firm, Black and Knight.

As Cat investigates this and other deaths, they lead back to the firm’s henchmen and to its partners. With the help of another firm employee, Cat discovers a secret web of murder, illicit drugs, prostitution, sex trafficking, corruption and more. The firm’s partners intend to kill anyone who can lead the law back to them, including Cat.

As the body count grows, powerful people will make decisions that will change lives. Decisions that will destroy families. As Cat uncovers the conspiracy, only one partner, the mastermind, will become Cat’s ally. She will walk away, after seeing that the others are brought to justice.

 

 

 

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Guest Post

 

Good afternoon. My name is Thomas Pierce. I am an attorney and partner of the international Law Firm, Black and Knight. Our main offices are located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but we have office throughout the world, in locations are far-fetched as Paris, Singapore and Moscow.

So how am I involved in the cases in the novel, Dying Declaration, by Solange Ritchie, you ask? Well, the first victim of the killer, whoever he is, was a legal secretary who worked with my firm for a few months before her untimely death. She was a very lovely young lady, average work product, she enjoyed showing off her assets, if you know what I mean, especially to the young male associates that the firm employs. She was quite frankly a bit of a flirt. Anyway, her body turned up floating in South Florida waterways. The funny thing is, according to FBI special agent, Dr. Catherine (Cat) Powers, who recently interviewed me, she does not fit the m.o. of the other victims. None of them held a proper job. They were all prostitutes and streetwalkers. So according to Dr. Powers, she does not fit the profile of the other victims. Odd, if you ask me.

So, a little about me. Well, I am very good at what I do. Gone for me are the days of the billable hour. I am much more valuable to the firm as a rainmaker. In Fort Lauderdale and Miami, it is all about your connections – who you know and who they know. Let’s say I am well connected to a host of Ft. Lauderdale and Miami celebrities from sports stars to people in the world of entertainment. Many of my client live on Star Island in Miami were folks such as Gloria Estefan and Julio Iglesias have multi-million-dollar homes. I am good friends with The Rock, Dwayne Johnson. Have been for many years now.

I, and my beautiful mistress, Isabella, live in the exclusive Seven Isle community of Fort Lauderdale, on a street called Pelican Isle. Only 1,200 residents call Seven Isle home. The most expensive properties go for over $25 million. I and Isabella live in a modest $20 million dollar estate done in the Italian Rococo style. Lots of imported Italian marble and vaulted ceilings. The kind of house that lets the outside in at the mere opening of floor to ceiling French doors to the back yard. Behind the house, I house an 80-foot luxury yacht called “My Sweet Sublime.” Our home is a short distance from fine dining, sunbathing and entertainment. Ideal for when Isabella is not in the mood to cook, which is quite often. Our closest beaches are Las Olas Beach and Sebastian Street Beach, both ideal for being seen and people watching. We like spending Sundays out for lunch and then walking on the beach before retiring for a little fun and games in the bedroom. Isabella loves those afternoon trysts.

I and Isabella lead a glamourous life, as we have no children of our own and my kids from my first marriage are all grown adults now. This gives us the freedom to spend weekends out on the yacht, hosting lavish parties or just living the good life. Isabella, who is quite a few years younger than I am, knows how to keep things purring in the bedroom. She is quite an enchanting creature, and one of the smartest women I have even met. She was born in Russia and immigrated to the US. She speaks multiple languages and is able to mingle in almost every situation. And it doesn’t hurt that she is stunningly beautiful, with perfect ivory skin, a thick mane of thick red hair and eyes the color of emeralds. I am very lucky to have her in my life.

I grew up in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area. My father, who is also a partner with the firm, was an international diplomate, who is now retired from that work. His connections in Russia is how I came to meet and fall in love with Isabella. Isabella and I travel quite often oversees to the Caribbean, Europe, Russia, and other countries for business. Many of the companies we represent handle exclusive rights to shipping lines, import/export and the like. It is extremely important that we maintain close and constant contact with our international clients and handle any issue that they might have.

As for this investigation into the legal secretary that was murdered, I have no idea where that will lead. I can tell you that I have no idea why the woman was abducted and murdered. Despite Dr. Powers persistent interview skills, her disappearance and death had absolutely nothing to do with this firm. As far as I know, she didn’t know anyone who would harm her. She never raised any alarms or red flags with me or anyone else who worked here regarding her safety or feeling like she was being watched or being followed. So ultimately, I have no idea where Dr. Power’s investigation will lead. I only know it won’t lead back to me or this firm.

Well, I hope that wets your whistle, so to speak, to read Dying Declaration and learn more about the story.  Have a fantastic rest of your day.

 

 

About the Author

 

BORN ON THE BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL ISLAND of Jamaica to a Jamaican father and a French mother, Solange Ritchie (then Solange Levy) immigrated to the United States at age eleven. Since then, she has become a dynamic force for change. Fed up with thrillers that start with a fizzle and longing to see more powerful women as lead characters, Solange decided to create her own characters. Despite the demands of a busy legal career, she accomplished her ambitious goal by rising each morning to write before work, dedicating her weekends to writing, and even spending her vacation time writing. Solange is fortunate to have traveled to over 19 countries in her lifetime.

Words have always been Solange’s passion – now so more than ever.

Solange achieved a successful writing career while doing “last minute trial,” mostly in Southern California. Dubbed “the Case Saver,” Solange handled intense legal motions that either make or break a case, especially in the areas of business, labor, and employment law. In 2014, she received the State Bar of California’s Solo and Small Firm’s Section’s highest award, the Myer J. Sankary Attorney of the Year Award. It is given to only one attorney each year in California.

When Solange was just thirty-seven years old, her first husband, John, died due to gross medical negligence at a leading Southern California hospital. This life-altering experience helped shape her into the person she is today. She began writing creatively to deal with the stress of his hospitalization and his death.

Solange’s first psychological thriller, The Burning Man, featuring FBI forensic pathologist Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers was published in 2015. Her second novel in the series, Firestorm, was released to critical acclaim, on May 15, 2018. Dying Declaration is the third novel in the Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers series. Bomb Blast is Solange’s fourth novel in the series. Solange plans at least two more books in the Dr. Catherine Powers series. A fan of things that go bump in the night, Solange has also penned a Southern Gothic novel called Fiona’s Box, which will be released shortly.

Solange lives in Southern Florida. She enjoys traveling, writing, gardening, time with her family, as well as good food and conversation. Solange is available for speaking engagements. She especially enjoys talking with book clubs.

 

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Synopsis

 

Lucia Scafetti, a Philly private eye, has tried to move out of the shadow of her infamous crime family. She has her own business, her beloved dog Rocco, and she’s starting to date the cute lawyer down the hall. Her life is upended when her notorious hitman father disappears while in search of the diamond and gold coins he stole from his last victim.

Lucia races to unravel the mystery of her father’s disappearance before a crooked and powerful cop beats her to it. Though Lucia’s allies are scanty and her enemies numerous, she tries to resist the questionable help on offer from her Mafiosi family. It looks like Lucia must finally decide on which side of the law she truly belongs, knowing the wrong choice could send her to prison – or an early grave.

 

 

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Praise for Felicia Watson

 

‘It easily checked all my boxes required for a successful science-fiction novel and kept me flipping the pages time and time again.
What I liked the best about this story, however, is the feeling of discovery as the Lovelace travels farther and farther into the unknown. I have a soft spot for stories that take the reader where no one has ever been before and We Have Met the Enemy delivers this feeling in droves.”-Publisher’s Weekly, for We Have Met the Enemy

“The prose is supple and accurate. It begins with action. While the reader is given time to breathe, the action thereafter never really lets up…McGuffins are skillfully crafted, aliens are both imaginative and credible, and the tech is believable and serviceable without getting in the way.”- Judy Moore, Author of ‘Is Death Really Necessary?’, for Spooky Action at a Distance

“A richly imagined and immersive starship tale. Watson’s prose is filled with vivid worldbuilding details while still managing to feel urgent and punchy…. Though the book is preceded by two others, the story is self-contained enough for those new to the series to hit the ground running. The tale is thoroughly in the tradition of Star Trek…and fans of that franchise will enjoy Watson’s Roddenberrian world. The result is pure space opera, nothing more or less.”- Kirkus Reviews, for The Risks of Dead Reckoning

“`The author delivers an enthralling mystery.. There are whiplash-inducing plot turns throughout and a wholly gratifying final act. Hopefully Watson will give this unforgettable private eye her own well-deserved series. A clever, supercool gumshoe effortlessly steals the show in this delightful caper.”-Kirkus Reviews, for Where No One Will See

 

Review

 

This book was quite a surprise. I didn’t expect to laugh and also have to try and decipher a mystery at the same time.

Lucia has a sarcastic wit, and I loved her! She may be from a mafia family, but she is working as a PI and making it a success. She has quite the brain to unscramble the clues in this book and uncover the true criminal. It doesn’t hurt that she has a dog, Rocco, that is her sidekick. He seems like my kind of dog, despite his crankiness towards people.

I enjoyed the journey to help uncover the mystery surrounding her father’s death and others. There were several surprising twists that I never saw coming. I don’t think Lucia did either until a few clues led her down that path.

I enjoyed that this was set in the 1990s before the tech boom. It tickled me to read about Usenet groups and Lucia trying to figure out if she needed a webpage or a cellphone. Sometimes it is nice to read a book that isn’t technology dependent.

There is a little bit of romance for Lucia, which is a nice bonus.

This was a book I didn’t want to put down, except when I had to for things like sleep.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guest Post

 

10 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘Where No One Will See’

 

1. This is a much, MUCH revised version of the first novel I ever wrote. It’s set in the 90s because it was originally written in the 90s. One of the major revisions I made was to change the setting. It was originally set in New York City, but when I pulled it out, I thought, ‘Why not set it in the city I’ve lived in, love, and still visit frequently?’ Now that I’ve re-written it, it seems impossible for me to imagine Lucia living anywhere else.
2. I set Lucia’s office in West Philadelphia because it made sense but also because my husband used to live not far from the address of the fictional Overbrook Commons. That poor man had to put up with endless questions like: “Honey, where would someone go to buy legal pads in your old neighborhood?” or “What’s the best place to get water ice in your old neighborhood?” “Which trolley line runs closet to 40^th and Ludlow?”– and so on, ad nauseum.
3. Lucia’s dog, Rocco, is named after and based on my late dog Rocco, though the character is heavily mixed with my first dog (the first dog that was all mine, not a family dog), Tristan, who was, yes, also a dachshund.
4. I love Lucia, but I often disapprove of and/or disagree with her decisions. Same for Hank, the lawyer whom she dates. If you’re looking for the character I most often agree with – that would be Juli, Lucia’s best friend.
5. My late mother was Italian-American, so a lot of the Italian-American idioms, phrases, etc., come from hearing them from her or other family throughout my childhood. The biggest challenge was figuring out how to spell them and what they really meant. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of disagreement among Italian-Americans about both of those things, especially meanings, so I went with what I remembered. There is a glossary at the back of the book.
6. The diamond at the heart of the mystery, “The Kimberly Star,” is entirely fictional but is loosely based on the Krupp Diamond, which was found in South Africa and at one point was given to Elizabeth Taylor by Richard Burton. The coins mentioned in the story, the Kruger Double-Nine Ponds, are totally real, rare, and valuable coins from South Africa.
7. Two of Lucia’s strengths – sewing, and playing pool – are things I’m not very good at. I’ve worked at both of them with varying degrees of success. Meaning, I’m okay at pool but suck at sewing. That being said, I wanted Lucia to have at least one decidedly “feminine” trait that she puts to use in a surprising way. I did give her one forte we both share – swimming. Like Lucia, I love the water and swim almost every day.
8. While I was outlining this latest version of the novel, I spent hours researching guns – their different uses and capabilities, hitmen, the prison and court systems, police informants, notorious criminals, crooked cops, the particulars of break-ins and fencing stolen goods, as well as how bodies decompose. In short, I’m sure the research for this novel has landed me on several FBI watch lists.
9. Every chapter starts with a quote, and the title chapter is taken from that quote. The quote is not random – it sums up the theme or significance of the chapter. This convention is my trademark as an author and goes back to my fan-fiction days. Most of the quotes come from books I’ve read. I’m forever highlighting pithy phrases I run across while reading and saving them to a file which I pull out and peruse whenever I need a quotation.
10. All of the restaurants which are mentioned in the novel – other than the one belonging to Lucia’s family – are authentic Philadelphia restaurants that either exist now or did back in the 90s. They were all frequented by me and my husband back when we were dating. Since he’s one of my beta readers, that was kind of an Easter egg I put in just for him.

©Felicia Watson

 

 

About the Author

 

Felicia Watson, author of the ground-breaking romance, Where the Allegheny Meets the Monongahela, and the award-winning scifi novels, The Lovelace Series, started writing stories as soon as they handed her a pencil in first grade.

When not writing, Felicia spends her time chasing after her not-so-brilliant, but darling and beloved dogs, being chased by her truly brilliant, darling, and beloved husband. She is known to friends and family as an amateur pastry chef and still finds time for swimming and her day job as a scientist.

 

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Giveaway

 

This giveaway is for 3 print or ebook copies.

Print is open to the U.S. only, and the ebook is open worldwide.

This giveaway ends on May 19, 2023 midnight, pacific time.

Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway