Winter Blogfest: Randy Overbeck

December 25, 2019 By 4 Comments


This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a numbered and autographed copy of the award-winning novel, BLOOD ON THE CHESAPEAKE and a full color 2020 Wild Rose Press calendar with suggestions for almost 50 great reads for the year (continental US only). 

Our Very Own Ghosts of Christmas Past


It’s no surprise that The Christmas Carol is Charles Dickens’ most beloved work, far more popular than A Tale of Two Cities or Great Expectations. And not simply because of its holiday theme. In fact, Dickens wrote and published four other Christmas tales, but only The Christmas Carol is still remembered and treasured. Today, one hundred seventy-six years after the iconic story first hit bookstores in London, if you call someone a “Scrooge,” they know it’s hardly a compliment. Even Ebenezer’s favorite expression, “humbug,” has lodged its way into the Christmas lexicon. This novella—before we ever had a name for such a book—has left an indelible impression on Western culture. 

 But I believe the appeal of this little book goes far beyond its clever language—“Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that”—and its parade of memorable spectral characters. 

Dickens, through his miserly character of Ebenezer Scrooge— disenchanted, lonely, work-obsessed
—has hit on a dilemma we all struggle with. For most of us mere mortals, Christmas does not often live up to our expectations, the holiday seldom as shining and bright as promised. And there’s always more work to be done.

 More to the point, though, who isn’t haunted by their own version of Dicken’s ghosts? Who doesn’t have at least one personal horror story about the holidays? The truth is most of us are haunted—if you’ll excuse the pun—by one or more of our own ghosts of Christmas past, wearing us down like the chains the ghost of Marley dragged around in Dicken’s narrative.

So what’s to be done? Another holiday approaches with Godspeed and we must face it.

 “I wish…but it’s too late now.”

These words whispered by Ebenezer echo our own desperation. But, through his inventive story, Dickens proves that it is never too late—though it took four ghosts and a near death experience to convince old Scrooge. 

This Christmas, let’s not be so stubborn. As the sudden death of a close friend taught me recently, tomorrow is promised to no one. Though we may not be able to forget, we always have permission to forgive—both others and ourselves. 

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It’s not too late to say I’m sorry. 

It’s never too late to say I love you.

I hope this year your Christmas season is shiny and bright, restful and blessed.

My ghosts? I have my share like everyone else, but most times I enjoy their company. Of course, I prefer to encounter them in the pages of The Christmas Carol or maybe even, my own ghost
story/mystery, Blood on the Chesapeake.  

 Oh, and I almost forgot. Merry Christmas and, in the words of Tiny Tim, “God bless us, everyone.”

Wilshire, Maryland seems like the perfect shore town on the Chesapeake Bay—quiet, scenic, charming—and promises Darrell Henshaw a new start in life and a second chance at love. That is, until he learns the town hides an ugly secret. A thirty-year-old murder in the high school. And a frightening ghost stalking his new office. Burned by an earlier encounter with the spirit world—with the OCD scars to prove it—he does NOT want to get involved. But when the desperate ghost hounds him, Darrell concedes. Assisted by his new love, he follows a trail that leads to the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and even the Klu Klux Klan. Then, when two locals who try to help are murdered, Darrell is forced to decide if he’s willing to risk his life—and the life of the woman he loves—to expose the killers of a young man he never knew.

Dr. Randy Overbeck is a veteran educator who has served children for more than three decades as a teacher and school leader, winning national recognition for his work. Over that time, he has performed many of the roles depicted in his writing, with responsibilities ranging from coach and yearbook advisor to principal and superintendent. An accomplished writer, he has been published in academia, the popular press and, more recently, for his fiction. His first novel, Leave No Child Behind, won the 2011 Silver Award for Thriller of the Year from ReadersFavorite.com. His second novel, Blood on the Chesapeake, a ghost story/mystery released this year by the Wild Rose Press, has earned 5 STAR REVIEWS from RaeadersFavorite.com, Long and Short Reviews and Literary Titan. It also garnered a national Award, the GOLD AWARD from Literary Titan. Blood is the first in a new series called the “Haunted Shores Mysteries.” Dr. Overbeck is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and an active member of the literary community.

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Winter Blogfest: Desiree Holt

December 24, 2019 By 7 Comments


This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a choice of ebook from the author’s backlist plus a $5 GC for Amazon.

Christmas Wishes for the Military

In many ways the military has been a constant theme in my life. I write a lot of military themed books, most of them romantic suspense, and I am so privileged to have some former military as friends. The men and women who serve are always on my mind at this time of year more than any other. All across the United States, civilians will light up Christmas, stockings will be hung, and the front lawns of countless homes are brightened up by some truly impressive Christmas lights and displays.

As we approach the Christmas holidays, I began thinking as I usually do about all the men and women stationed hundreds even thousands away from home and families, fighting a war to preserve freedom and liberty. I wanted to know how the men and women if the military who are not at home celebrate this holiday. I worry that we take their dedication for granted, so I did some research.

Christmas has long been celebrated in the military, even in times of war. Perhaps the most famous celebration of Christmas in the military is the Christmas Truce of 1914. Not many people have heard the story of that Truce. Starting on that Christmas Eve, troops on both the British and German sides began singing Christmas Carols to one another. 

On Christmas Day, 1988, a story in the Boston Globe mentioned that a local FM radio host played “Christmas in the Trenches,” a ballad about the Christmas Truce, several times and was startled by the effect. The song became the most requested recording during the holidays in Boston on several FM stations.

I was glad to learn that despite being deployed and thousands of miles away from family at this very family-oriented holiday, people serving in the military are inventive. They find ways, for example, to put up a Christmas tree, like a huge one erected at a base in Afghanistan. They often find Christmas decorations, or make them, or are sent them by their families, and they decorate their land-based vehicles. Imagine, for example, an armored vehicle decorated with Christmas wreaths. Some servicemen even take their holiday spirit on missions. Some wear Santa hats. Some even decorate the military vehicles. Santa will make a regular appearance at bases all across the world. Prayer services are held on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas Day. 

But they are still away from home, still separated from their loved ones. I ask everyone to take a moment as we head toward the holidays to stop and think of these men and women who dedicate their lives for the safety of this country. Who celebrate Christmas so far away that we can celebrate with our loved ones.

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She thought her past was firmly behind her…

Amy Ressler was a vivacious, outgoing person, looking forward to her first job after graduating college. Until the night her stepbrother slaughtered her entire family, and thought she was dead, too. For ten years she’d been living under an assumed name in a house in Tampa with security guards and a security system. Her agoraphobia keeps her a prisoner in the house where she designs sought after video games.

Quinn Molloy couldn’t seem to find a place for himself when he left the SEALS…

Quinn Molloy has been part of the teams for eighteen years and suddenly an injury left him with no place to go, except to visit his friends Melody and Tex Keenan. Where they introduce him online to KitCat, Amy in her online disguise, a terrified woman who needs a bodyguard.

The killer is loose…

When Matthew Baker escapes from jail the hunt is on, led by the US Marshals. But with Amy helpless in her self-imposed prison, Quinn accepts the job as her personal bodyguard, and they discover that what starts online can explode n the bedroom. As long as he can keep her alive.

USA Today best-selling and award-winning author Desiree Holt writes everything from romantic suspense and paranormal to erotic. and has been referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of erotic romance, and is a winner of the EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice nominee. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times and numerous other national and international publications

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter 

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What Would I Tell a New Author? by Austin S. Camacho – Guest Blog and Giveaway

December 19, 2019 By 12 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Austin S. Camacho will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What Would I Tell a New Author?

The first thing I would tell a beginner is to write every day. Writing is like any other skill: you improve with practice. Just like a talented athlete there is only one way to perfect your abilities and that is to work the necessary muscles on a regular basis. In this case, the muscles are in your brain case.

Be prepared for the fact that no matter how good you are, your first draft is going to be relative trash. But that’s the time when you’re telling yourself the story. whose story is this? What is the atmosphere and mood of your story at the outset? The atmosphere is part of the setting, instead of what your characters see or hear it is what they feel. The atmosphere could be light and pleasant, or dark and foreboding, or even suspenseful like that still moment just before a storm hits. But It should be a decision, not an accident.

Remember that writing is rewriting. After your first draft rests a while, return to it with purpose. Focus on the descriptions, all of which are written from the perspective of the point of view character. All of your prose needs to show what that point of view character sees, hears, feels, smells and tastes. And focus on the actual data. Every story is filled with relationships, character backstory, details about the setting, the history, the motivations. During the rewrite look at how you deliver that information. Everything needs to flow smoothly with no info dumps.

And finally, remember that everyone who reads your work will think they know what’s best for your writing, your characters, and your story. You should listen to all input, be it from editors, other writers or friends who just read a lot. But ultimately, make sure you listen most closely to your instincts. Only you know what’s best for your story. Be true to your muse and you will always end up with the best version of our story.

A distraught woman hires private investigator Hannibal Jones to track down her daughter who has run away, trying to escape the homeless shelter life her mother has come to accept. When Hannibal finds Connie Blanco she is entwined in a gang war and somehow connected to a murder. The corpse is barely cold before a second murder follows and Hannibal finds himself entangled in a complex plot revolving around stolen drugs…but who is the mastermind of this twisted scheme?

Enjoy an Excerpt

As Chico’s foot hit the first step he noticed Sophia for the first time. Just as his eyes met hers, Hannibal’s right foot thumped into Chico’s chest, slamming him back into the man whose jacket said he was Dave. Then Hannibal leaped from the porch, smashing his right fist across Billy’s jaw. A side stamp dislocated Jimmy’s right knee. Dave swung past Chico and clipped Hannibal’s cheek. Sophia gasped at the flesh-on-flesh sound of the blow.

Hannibal blocked the follow-up punch and snapped two crisp jabs into Dave’s face, staggering him into the tree growing up out of the sidewalk. Chico tried to slip past Hannibal, still driving for the door.

“Not tonight,” Hannibal said through clenched teeth. Sophia didn’t think Chico ever even saw the three punches, left-left-right that put him on his back, barely conscious.

With no standing attackers, Hannibal stepped back up onto the porch. “That was fun, but now I’m running out of patience with you boys.” Hannibal reached inside his suit coat, under his right arm, and pulled out a pistol. He pointed its muzzle down at Chico’s face.

“There is nothing lower than a man who beats his woman, although anybody helping him is mighty close. I’d beat your asses some more, just for fun, but I don’t feel like answering questions at a hospital. Now, all of y’all, drag your sorry asses out of here. And if I ever hear you came back here, or if you tell anybody where this shelter is, I will hunt you down and end you.”

About the Author: Austin S. Camacho is the author of seven novels about Washington DC-based private eye Hannibal Jones, five in the Stark and O’Brien international adventure-thriller series, and the detective novel, Beyond Blue. His short stories have been featured in several anthologies including Dying in a Winter Wonderland – an Independent Mystery Booksellers Association Top Ten Bestseller for 2008. He is featured in the Edgar nominated African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study by Frankie Y. Bailey. Camacho is also editorial director for Intrigue Publishing, a Maryland small press.

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To Outline or Not to Outline – That is the Question by Sallie Moppert – Guest Blog and Giveaway

December 4, 2019 By 7 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sallie Moppert will be awarding one commenter with a $15 Amazon/BN GC + 3 commenters will receive a prize pack consisting of pen, key chain, and magnet (US/Canada only) to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

To Outline or Not to Outline – That is the Question

Just like each individual is unique, so is that individual’s writing style. Some people plot and outline every detail of their work while others prefer to wing it. It can sometimes feel like a tug-of-war between the two: am I plotting/outlining enough or too much? Which one of these methods is correct?

The answer is both. Whatever works for you is the correct one.

I have tried my hand at both styles and found a happy medium between the two extremes that works for me. I originally started making it up as I went along; I remember an occasion or two when I started a story and even I didn’t know who the killer was going to be in the story (a murder mystery with heavy emphasis on the mystery!). I also tried to completely outline my story from start to finish, dot-jotting all of the major events or details that were supposed to happen in a particular chapter for each and every chapter. Here’s what I’ve learned from my venture into the world of outlining and the world of flying by the seat of my pants and also the method that works best for me.

TO OUTLINE: Outlining can be very helpful for obvious reasons; with a blank page in front of you, figuring out what is supposed to happen when or what character is supposed to do something at a certain point in the story may seem like a daunting task. That’s where the outline comes in. Okay, chapter 1, I want to introduce this character and have him/her do this. I also want to introduce the conflict with this other character by some event happening. All right, now chapter 2… and so on and so forth. For some, having a definitive path to follow to get from page 1 to the final page is a must. With a clear cut start, middle and ending, the outline can help to reduce writer’s block. You already know what’s going to happen next. Granted, even though the next chapter’s details are already laid out for you, writer’s block still may occur when trying to get from point A to point B; don’t get discouraged! Then again, the writer’s block may be a good thing because it might be an indicator that there is a plot hole that needs to be fixed. Instead of trudging your way through hundreds of pages only to find a bottomless pit of a plot hole that could put the entire story in jeopardy, having an outline can highlight issues that might occur later in the story that will need to be remedied. Wait, this character can’t do that; it’s not in his nature! I have to go back and fix this. Or perhaps something like: why didn’t the antagonist just do this? It would have made this happen instead of that happening. I need an explanation for that reasoning/action.

NOT TO OUTLINE: Part of the fun of writing is the creativity that comes as a result of imagining characters, places and scenarios. A rigid outline could interfere with the natural flow of creativity. Oh, hey, that character would make a great addition to this scene! I’ll pencil him in to this chapter and see what happens instead of shoot, this character can’t be in this scene, even though I know he/she’d have some great dialogue to add and/or would really help him/her in some way. Sometimes a character or a plot may need to change over the course of a story in a way that wasn’t even initially conceived of. My story Into the Fire was an instance of a character being brought into the story that wasn’t anything I had thought of doing when I started writing it. The piece itself was a side project I was doing, just having fun with different POVs and writing suspense, sort of like the movie Vantage Point (2008, with Dennis Quaid and Forest Whitaker); the different points of view all came together to tell a single story and the truth behind what happened. I got about five chapters in when an idea hit me: what if I made the cops called in to deal with the threat be Sam and Dahlia? I like the idea of putting Sam in more stories since he was a fun character to write and explore. Once that idea occurred to me, the pieces began to fall into place. The security guard became Sam’s mentor, Edwin. Sadly, though, Edwin’s fate in that story remained unchanged, even before Edwin Hill the security guard became Edwin Hill, retired cop/mentor/foster father of Samuel Marlowe. Because I wasn’t sticking to a rigid outline, I had the freedom to adjust the story accordingly.

THE HAPPY MEDIUM: I found that what works best for me is a flexible outline. I have an idea, whether it be a prompt or a scenario, that I plan to start writing. From there, I dot jot a couple of ideas that I want to happen in the story. Here are the notes I have for one of the stories in the next installment of Good Cop Bad Cop. This story is called (tentatively) ‘Paying a Debt.’

Gloria is going to the bank
Sam recognizes something is wrong and goes with her
He is off duty, so he has no weapon on him
Robbers show up
Turns into a hostage situation
Sam contacts [character name removed to avoid spoilers] for help

With these few lines, I have an idea of where the story is headed. The next step would be to create the characters, or, at least, get some names. With a flexible outline, I can add or remove characters as I need, so I usually just start off with a bunch of first and last names that I can refer to to create characters. Once I have some characters in place, I start writing. It’s fun to let the story develop on its own, with me, as the writer, merely along for the ride. I learned the value of this when writing a separate story a few years ago and the way the chapter was chugging along, I came to a confrontation between two characters that I didn’t plan on having in the rigid outline I’d created, but I loved the scene because it really fit the characters’ personalities to nearly duke it out until interrupted by a third character both were connected to.

The story is like a child and the writer, a parent. We spend days, months, years, working on a story, developing it and making it the best it can be. That story, though, can take on its own personality and traits or quirks that may not have otherwise developed if the writer hampered its natural procession.

Outline or don’t outline-whatever you feel works best for you but remember to let your muse and the story guide you at times. You never know where a story can go unless you let it take you there!

What do you prefer, outlining or winging it?

When his mother is beaten to death by his alcoholic stepfather, fourteen-year-old Samuel Marlowe is rescued from seeking revenge against him by a chance meeting with Officer Edwin Hill. The veteran policeman takes Sam under his wing and even becomes the boy’s foster father.

Sam becomes a cop and works alongside his beloved mentor until Edwin is killed in a shooting. Hailed as a hero for his actions in the case, Sam feels like anything but. He begins a dark descent away from the stand-up policeman he once was, turning to drugs and alcohol to numb his pain and his PTSD.

The police captain assigns Sam a partner hoping to salvage what is left of him by forcing him to become a good role model for the young recruit. Needless to say, Sam is not pleased with the arrangement, protesting it up until the moment Junior Detective Dahlia Bennett enters his life.

Will he try to shake her loose? Does her by-the-book ideals and strong moral code rub off on him? Will his relaxed attitude and views on true justice start to influence her? What will ultimately lead to the two becoming a solid team? When Dahlia declares she wants to reopen some cases believing that the wrong person was sent to prison, Sam tells her straight out that in doing so, she would be putting her life at risk. As Dahlia persists, Sam is faced with the ultimate decision: let Dahlia reopen the cases and discover his crimes, or kill her to keep her from learning the truth.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Brian stepped forward, opening the massive doors with ease, and walked straight into the sea of microphones, camera flashes, and video recorders. Roderick followed a few steps behind his loyal attorney and stood at his side as he waited for the onslaught of the inevitable media coverage that was a result of the trial’s conclusion.

“People, please,” Brian started to speak, holding his hands up to halt the millions of questions that were being voiced to him all at once.

Once the media crowd quieted down, Brian addressed them: 


“I am pleased to announce that my client, Mr. Roderick Morgan, was found not guilty for the deaths of his parents, Walter and Cassidy Morgan. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan adopted Roderick and raised him as if he was their own flesh and blood. There was no way that he would repay their love and kindness by brutally murdering them as they lay sleeping in their beds.”

Roderick nudged Brian, who turned to look at him.

“May I?” he asked.

“Of course,” Brian said.

Roderick stepped in front of Brian to better face the endless crowd of media before him.

“I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone who supported me throughout this dreadful ordeal,” he said, speaking in the sweet and innocent tone that had helped him to win over the jury a short time ago.

Roderick’s gentle eyes and sincere expression then suddenly transformed to that of smugness accompanied by a sneer. “But that proves that you are all stupid as hell,” he said with a wink. “Because I got away with murder. Adios!”

Roderick pulled his designer sunglasses out of his designer suit coat pocket and put them on as his personal driver pulled up in front of the courthouse with his golden Maserati. The media watched in stunned silence as Roderick descended the concrete steps to his car, not a care in the world. Brian followed solemnly behind him, his head lowered in shame at the admission of guilt by his client.

About the Author: A New York native, Sallie has a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice, with a Specialization in Forensic Science. A lifelong mystery fan, she has combined her love and passion for writing with her interests in criminal justice, law, and forensic science.

Sallie currently resides in New York with her family and her “zoo,” which includes two dogs, two guinea pigs, a betta fish and a leopard gecko. She works as a freelance writer/editor and a legal assistant.

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Haunting the Haunted by E.C. Bell – Spotlight and Giveaway

November 22, 2019 By 10 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. E.C. Bell will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In the sixth book in the Marie Jenner Mystery series, life is finally starting to look up for Marie. Her brand-new business—moving on ghosts for actual money—is taking off. Her relationship with James Lavall is rock solid. All she has to do is find the last two poltergeists from the ball diamond and move them on to the next plane of existence and, as far as she’s concerned, life will be perfect.

The problem is, life has a way of kicking Marie in the teeth. Patrick Whitecroft, professional psychic debunker, shows up at the Jimmy Lavall Detective agency. He’s out to prove that she’s a fake—live, on TV—and he doesn’t care who he hurts to do it. Even worse, he has over a hundred desperate spirits bound to him, and they want something completely different. They want to be saved.

As Marie tries to help the spirits and keep Patrick from dismantling her life, she finally finds the poltergeists. But they’re not interested in moving on. They want Patrick Whitecroft’s spirits for themselves. If Marie can’t figure out a way to move all the spirits on to the next plane of existence, the poltergeists will happily take them, so they can create an army bent on revenge.

Looks like Marie’s life is going to get interesting. Again.

Enjoy an Excerpt

I heard footsteps out in the hallway outside the office. “Looks like we’re going to get more work,” I said.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” Karen snapped. “Blow them off. You have to take care of business. My business.”

“This is my day job,” I said. “Get over it.”

I went back to my desk and slapped my receptionist smile on my face as the footsteps stopped in front of our door. The doorknob slowly turned, and through the frosted glass of the door, I could see glowing. It got so bright I couldn’t look without squinting.

“You see this?” I asked Karen, and pointed. “Do those look like ghosts to you?”

She gasped. “Maybe it’s Rita and Joanne, the poltergeists,” she said. “How would they have found you? Found us?”

“It can’t be them,” I said. “They don’t know where the office is.”

The door opened, and a man walked into the office. He was surrounded by ghosts, so many of them I couldn’t even begin to count. I did not recognize him. Heck, it was hard to even see him through the writhing spirit mass.

“What is going on here?” Karen asked.

A fair question, to my mind. I’d never seen anything like this before in my life and I felt my receptionist smile fade. Something told me that he was not here to see James Lavall.

He was here to see me.

About the Author:

E.C. Bell is the author of the award winning paranormal Marie Jenner Mystery series. She lives in Alberta, Canada, and when she’s not writing, she’s scouting out new locations for her upcoming novels or renovating her round house where she lives with her husband and their two rescue dogs.

That’s right. Her house is round.

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Marie Jenner Mystery series books, in order:

Seeing the Light
Drowning in Amber
Stalking the Dead
Dying on Second
Hearing Voices
Haunting the Haunted

Buy the book at Amazon, Kobo, or other online venues.

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Jack Steel Series by Geoffrey Saign – Spotlight and Giveaway

November 15, 2019 By 5 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Geoffrey Saign will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Serve justice. Discover a secret. Find his daughter. Repay betrayal.
Jack Steel trains for the impossible, and it looks like it found him.

On a black op to neutralize terrorists, elite specialist Steel puts honor and integrity ahead of orders when he spares a monk. He just never expected his decision to put crosshairs on his back.

Hunted by a twisted killer, a vengeful billionaire, and the highest levels of government, Steel races to discover who’s behind a conspiracy that will decide the fate of two countries—and why one monk is the key to it all.

Aching from a missing daughter, Steel finds it easy to fall for Christie, a beautiful counter-terrorism analyst who offers to help. But he isn’t sure he can trust anyone.

To have a chance at love and a new life, and to serve justice, Steel just needs to stay one step ahead of a bullet…

*****

 

Revenge. Love. Family.
To protect their families, Jack Steel and Christie Thorton must become assassins.

Deadly Blackhood Ops specialist Jack Steel has moved on from his bloody past, but his past won’t let him go. He has it all; his partner Christie, his daughter Rachel, a protection agency he’s proud of, and his head on straight.

But it’s all torn apart when a madman blackmails him and Christy. Their skills are pushed to the limit as they are forced to become assassins to save those they love. The Mexican cartel, terrorists, and people from Steel’s past force them into a non-stop fight that they can’t walk away from.

To protect his country, and everyone important to him, Steel will be forced to trust the very people he swore to kill.

And he might have to walk away from those he loves…

Enjoy an Excerpt from Book 1: Steel Force

The sounds became louder. Christie resisted the urge to sit up. Eighteen inches long, the stunbrella gave her a four-foot reach. But since the rocks rose a foot and a half above her, even if the man stood a foot away from them she might not be able to angle her arm to strike him.

A whimper was trapped in her throat. She didn’t want to die like this. In the middle of the woods, cold, wet, dirty. Injured like a sick animal. Not even knowing why. All alone.

The noise stopped.

She sensed he was close. From her earlier glimpse she guessed five-foot-eight, one-seventy pounds, mid-forties. Small for a Hawaiian. He might be easy to knock down.

Her choice was to either sit up and try to strike him or remain motionless for him to come closer. Unable to guess which was better, she didn’t move. Her lips twisted when the man’s dark-skinned face appeared above the rocks near her feet. Too far from her motionless arm. As he looked down at her, the barrel of his gun swung into view.

About the Author:

Award-winning author Geoffrey Saign has spent many years studying kung fu and sailed all over the South Pacific and Caribbean. He uses that experience and sense of adventure to write the Jack Steel and Alex Sight thriller action series.

Geoff loves to sail big boats, hike, and cook—and he infuses all his writing with his passion for nature. As a swimmer he considers himself fortunate to live in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota. See what he’s up to at his website.

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Buy Steel Assassin at Amazon, on sale during the week of the tour for $2.99

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Writing for Good Luck by Elka Ray – Guest Blog and Giveaway

November 14, 2019 By 48 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Elka Ray will be awarding $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Writing for Good Luck

Like most writers I know, I’m superstitious. I think this has a lot to do with the uncertainties of our profession. First up, the actual writing is uncertain. Does this story hold enough promise for an entire novel or will it peter out midway through? Will the characters show up in my head today, to tug me along the way?

Once the story is written, the real uncertainty starts. Will your agent like it? Will a publisher believe in it enough to invest? Will you mesh with the editor? Will you like the cover?

Once it’s published, guess what? The uncertainty persists. Where is it being sold? Are people actually reading it? Do they like it? You can’t control readers or reviews. You can’t control sales. It’s all out of your hands.

If you’re an aspiring writer, this might sound daunting or even depressing. Yet there’s a flip side – it can also be liberating.
The only thing you can control is what you put on the page. And that, conversely, only happens when you relinquish control – when you stop thinking about the outcome and lose yourself in the story. That pure creation is magic.

Yes, the elements of the story come from me – snippets of speech I’ve overheard, newspaper stories I’ve read, people I’ve met, places I’ve been. Yet when you write fiction a strange alchemy happens. Those influences get pulled apart, twisted, and reworked in your subconscious. Their final shape must surprise you – the writer – in order to surprise your readers.

I touch wood. I collect lucky rocks. I consult the Iching. And I laugh at myself for doing these superstitious things. There’s a constant pull between believing and scoffing.

In this series, the main character, Toby Wong, is a divorce lawyer. She’s also the only child of an old hippie mom who earns her living as a fortune teller. Toby is a sceptic. Her mom embraces all things New Agey. I have both these characters in me, constantly bickering as I fondle my lucky crystals.

You might have heard the old writing advice: Write what you know. I’d change that to: Write what you love. If you can lose yourself in the act of creation you’re lucky. I think that good luck becomes a part of you and spreads to other aspects of your life.

As teens, they bullied her. Twenty years on, she’s not scared of them. Except she should be…

After returning to her quiet hometown to care for her ailing mom, divorce lawyer Toby Wong is hired by Josh Barton, a guy who broke her heart as a teen at summer camp. Now a wealthy entrepreneur, Josh wants to divorce Tonya, the mean girl who tormented Toby all those years ago. When Tonya is found murdered, Josh is the prime suspect.

Together with her fortune-teller mom and her pregnant best friend, Toby sets out to clear Josh, whom she still has a guilty crush on. As she delves deeper into Tonya’s murder, Toby keeps running into catty ex-campers she’d rather forget. Are her old insecurities making her paranoid? Only too late does she realize she’s in danger.

The first entry in an addictive new series, Divorce is Murder introduces fans of mystery and romance to an irresistibly smart and sarcastic new heroine – Chinese Canadian divorce lawyer Toby Wong.

Enjoy an Excerpt

That noise? Had I imagined the soft tremor of the door, the handle just starting to turn? I must have because the door stayed tight shut, no light around the edges, no eager whisper of my name. I tried to slow my breathing, to be even quieter than I was already, to force my ears to be even sharper.

The floor was cold and hard. My butt hurt, and my knees felt welded in place. It was painful to stretch out my legs. I held onto a table and stood, as stiff and rickety as my Grannie Mei Li, in the hospital, a few days before she’d died. I forced myself to straighten up, forced myself to face the cold hard truth: I’d been waiting a long time. Too long. It was very late. My eyes felt gritty.

He wasn’t coming.

A slow tentative shuffle to the door, my heart as heavy as my footsteps. Why did he write that note but not come? Had he been caught? Surely, if he could have, he’d have come to me.

A slick of silver lead my hand to the doorknob, which felt even colder than my creaky fingers. Cold and smooth. It started to turn but stopped. I tried again. And again. It was no use. The door was locked. It couldn’t be!

About the Author: Elka Ray writes fast-paced romantic mysteries and scary thrillers – a dichotomy that reveals her belief in Yin and Yang, or the balance of opposites. A great lover of scientific facts, she may be found clutching crystals for good luck; reads highbrow journals and tabloid trash; and refuses to watch romcoms yet moved in with her now-husband on their first date.

Elka is the author of three novels – the romantic mysteries DIVORCE IS MURDER and HANOI JANE – and the noir thriller SAIGON DARK. She also has a collection of short crime and ghost stories set in Southeast Asia – WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW. Elka lives with her family near Hoi An, Vietnam. She is represented by Folio Literary Management.

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Top 5 Things to Love about Murder Mysteries by K.C. Wells – Guest Blog

October 25, 2019 By Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes K.C. Wells who is visiting with us to celebrate the recent release of Roots of Evil, the second book in her Merrychurch Mysteries.

Top 5 Things to Love about Murder Mysteries

I’ve been rereading a lot of Agatha Christies lately, and watching a lot of detective dramas on TV. It helps when you’re writing a cozy mystery, trust me. But I’d be doing this even if they weren’t for research purposes, and here’s why…

1. The settings. I LOVE the quaint little English villages of Miss Marple and Midsomer Murders! Everyone knows everybody else, and yet there are a ton of secrets just waiting to be discovered. I love the leafy lanes, the village green, the charming thatched cottages, the olde tea shop, the nosy post mistress, the old church…. It all goes to set the scene, and it’s something quintessentially English.

2. The detectives. They are all so different. Miss Marple has her method, which usually involves relating people and situations to what goes on in her own village. Poirot has his ‘little grey cells’. The police in Midsomer Murders are usually very lucky when information just falls into their laps…

3. The plots. Because it’s never a straightforward murder. Oh come on. Once there was a man who was staked out on his front lawn, then the killer catapulted his prized bottles of vintage wine, using a trebuchet – which of course killed him outright when they hit him on the head. Death by red wine. Now, that’s novel! And it’s always a convoluted trail to discover the killer

4. The characters. Because if it was just the detectives and the killer, it would be boring. I love how you have some characters that are clearly there to be disliked. This was a lesson I learned well in my present WIP – my beta readers had forgotten who the victim was, but they were all praying it was this one unpleasant writer. (BTW it was LOL)

It’s vitally important to have an open mind when dealing http://deeprootsmag.org/2013/10/28/elbert-hubbards-mozart/ sildenafil without prescription with erectile dysfunction. Taking them together cialis on line is amazingly unsafe to wellbeing. Propecia is only meant for use by men and if it is used by children or any person below the age of 18 years, then contacting poison control room for viagra generic cialis emergency treatment would be required. The digestive system is thrown into a mess with the effects side effects of viagra of such oral solutions. 5. Discovering the truth. There’s a series called Endeavour here in the UK, and I know that it will get to the last ten minutes, and suddenly the detective will pull all the clues together – clues I didn’t see. That’s what makes writing a murder mystery so difficult – and so much fun. You have to give away just enough information so that at the end, readers can say, ‘Ohhhhh. I forgot about that! Of course it was him/her.’

Writing a murder mystery is a challenge. Building a world is delightful. Weaving a plot is… tricky.
But damn, it’s fun!

Many consider Naomi Teedle the village witch. Most people avoid her except when they have need of her herbs and potions. She lives alone on the outskirts of Merrychurch, and that’s fine by everyone—old Mrs. Teedle is not the most pleasant of people. But when she is found murdered, her mouth bulging with her own herbs and roots, suddenly no one has a bad word to say about her. Jonathon de Mountford is adjusting to life up at the manor house, but it’s not a solitary life: pub landlord Mike Tattersall sees to that. Jonathon is both horrified to learn of the recent murder and confused by the sudden reversal of public opinion. Surely someone in the village had reason to want her dead? He and Mike decide it’s time for them to step in and “help” the local police with their investigation. Only problem is, their sleuthing uncovers more than one suspect—and the list is getting longer…

About the Author: .C. Wells started writing in 2012, although the idea of writing a novel had been in her head since she was a child. But after reading that first gay romance in 2009, she was hooked.

She now writes full time, and the line of men in her head, clamouring to tell their story, is getting longer and longer. If the frequent visits by plot bunnies are anything to go by, that’s not about to change anytime soon.

K.C. loves to hear from readers.

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Mario Andretti on Balancing Life & Writing by M.T. Bass – Guest Blog and Giveaway

October 24, 2019 By 25 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. M.T. Bass will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Mario Andretti on Balancing Life & Writing

I grew up in a racing family. As a kid I remember Saturday nights watching Sprint Cars race on the 1/3 mile clay track at Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. “Pop” — my dad’s dad — built race cars with his four boys and they grew up traveling around the dirt tracks and state fairs of the upper Midwest

Of course, the “Big Show” was the Indianapolis 500. And it wasn’t just a Memorial Day thing. Weekends in May were spent watching time trials and qualification runs. And one of the big stars of the Brickyard was Mario Andretti, the only driver ever to win the Indianapolis 500 (1969), Daytona 500 (1967) and the Formula One World Championship, and one of only two drivers ever to have won a race in the NASCAR Cup Series, Formula One, and an Indianapolis 500. He’s #5 on my personal list of favorite drivers. (Click Here)

Okay…so what in the world does this have to do with writing and life and stuff?

Well, Andretti’s racing motto was:

“If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.”

There is no balance to life and work. Not for me.

Maybe it would be nice to have an calm, orderly parade lap of a life, where all the competing elements of your world are all lined up in a perfect grid, rolling around the track at a leisurely pace…but, no. That actually sounds kind of boring.

I’ve got a gazillion things going on and, honestly, sometimes I spin out of control. Sometimes life and writing touch wheels and there’s a huge pileup coming out of turn four just when I’m heading for the finish line.

It is dangerous, because life and work don’t always play nice together. They’re both competing to win.

But every once in a while…it all comes together and you get to the checkered flag and it’s amazing. You even surprise yourself.

Robert Frost said:

“No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.”

Give me the mayhem of green flag racing.

“She was one in a million…and the day I met her I should have bought a lottery ticket instead.”

***~~~***

Griffith Crowe, the “fixer” for a Chicago law firm, falls for his current assignment, Helena Nicholson, the beautiful heir of a Tech Sector venture capitalist who perished in a helicopter crash leaving her half a billion dollars, a Learjet 31, and unsavory suspicions about her father’s death. As he investigates, the ex-Navy SEAL crosses swords with Helena’s step-brother, the Pentagon’s Highlands Forum, and an All-Star bad guy somebody has hired to stop him. When Griff finds himself on the wrong side of an arrest warrant he wonders: Is he a player or being played?

Lawyers and Lovers and Guns…Oh, my!

Enjoy an Excerpt

She was one in a million…and the day I met her I should have bought a lottery ticket instead.

Blonde, slim and well-built, of course, her eyes were darkly blue which, when unsheathed from behind her Jackie Ohhs, glinted like gun metal at twilight.

I noticed when we first met.

I ignored it after the first time we made love.

I caught it again as she testified against me.

I suppose, I’ll just never learn.

About the Author: M.T. Bass is a scribbler of fiction who holds fast to the notion that while victors may get to write history, novelists get to write/right reality. He lives, writes, flies and makes music in Mudcat Falls, USA.

Born in Athens, Ohio, M.T. Bass grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University, majoring in English and Philosophy, then worked in the private sector (where they expect “results”) mainly in the Aerospace & Defense manufacturing market. During those years, Bass continued to write fiction. He is the author of eight novels: My Brother’s Keeper, Crossroads, In the Black, Somethin’ for Nothin’, Murder by Munchausen, The Darknet (Murder by Munchausen Mystery #2), The Invisible Mind (Murder by Munchausen Mystery #3) and Article 15. His writing spans various genres, including Mystery, Adventure, Romance, Black Comedy and TechnoThrillers. A Commercial Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor, airplanes and pilots are featured in many of his stories. Bass currently lives on the shores of Lake Erie near Lorain, Ohio.

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Buy the book at the author’s website, Amazon, iBooks, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords.

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Justice Gone by N. Lombardi, Jr. – Spotlight and Giveaway

October 24, 2019 By 6 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. N. Lombardi Jr will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

WINNER OF THREE AWARDS
2019 AMERICAN FICTION AWARD
NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCY AWARD – Best Legal Thriller OF 2019
SILVER MEDAL WINNER 2019 READERS’ FAVORITES AWARDS

Chosen by Wiki.ezvid.com among their list of 10 Gripping and Intelligent Legal Thrillers

The courtroom scenes are wonderfully written…the characters are well described and the author paints a picture of each in the mind of the reader…Strong plot, strong characters and a strong writing style that I really enjoyed. This one is a definite “thumbs-up.” Strongly recommend! I look forward to reading additional works by N. Lombardi, Jr.
Kim M Aalaie, Author’s Den

One of my favorite suspense novels of the year. It will make you question the legal system.
The Eclectic Review

The courtroom action is excellent, trimmed to the most gripping parts of the trial, with plenty of emotional impact…a fairly realistic portrayal of the way small-town US society works…a fast-moving story with plenty of dramatic moments, and a big twist in the final pages.
Crime Review

When a homeless war veteran is beaten to death by the police, stormy protests ensue, engulfing a small New Jersey town. Soon after, three cops are gunned down.

A multi-state manhunt is underway for a cop killer on the loose. And Dr. Tessa Thorpe, a veteran’s counselor, is caught up in the chase.

Donald Darfield, an African-American Iraqi war vet, war-time buddy of the beaten man, and one of Tessa’s patients, is holed up in a mountain cabin. Tessa, acting on instinct, sets off to find him, but the swarm of law enforcement officers gets there first, leading to Darfield’s dramatic capture.

Now, the only people separating him from the lethal needle of state justice are Tessa and ageing blind lawyer, Nathaniel Bodine. Can they untangle the web tightening around Darfield in time, when the press and the justice system are baying for revenge?

Read an Excerpt

Bruntfield, New Jersey, just another banal town in a part of the country that nobody thinks about, was about to become famous; or rather, more aptly put, infamous. People sauntered past lackluster shops unaware that in a few days, the lackadaisical streets would bear the rabid frustrations that divided the nation; a pus-like bitterness that was held in check by the demands of everyday survival and the distractions offered by obsessive consumerism and brazen media.

Some would inevitably blame the cascade of events on the weather, since the origins could be found on a hot summer day in 2006. Sure, just about all summer days are hot, but this one was close to the record, and humid to boot. By the end of July, the Northeast coast was suffering under a sweltering heat wave. Despite the humidity, no one could remember the last time it had rained. A hundred-year drought was predicted, they’d said.

Bruntfield, among the many places under this curse, had its water supply so severely depressed that the city authorities were forced to impose water rationing. As if that wasn’t enough, the excessive load on air conditioners led to incessant brownouts. With the weather nothing less than insufferable, suffocating, oppressive, even provoking, tempers flared along with the temperature. But the local situation, as bad as it was, was about to get worse.

About the Author:

N. Lombardi Jr, the N for Nicholas, has spent over half his life in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, working as a groundwater geologist. Nick can speak five languages: Swahili, Thai, Lao, Chinese, and Khmer (Cambodian).

In 1997, while visiting Lao People’s Democratic Republic, he witnessed the remnants of a secret war that had been waged for nine years, among which were children wounded from leftover cluster bombs. Driven by what he saw, he worked on The Plain of Jars for the next eight years.
Nick maintains a website with content that spans most aspects of the novel: The Secret War, Laotian culture, Buddhism etc. http://plainofjars.net

His second novel, Journey Towards a Falling Sun, is set in the wild frontier of northern Kenya.

His latest novel, Justice Gone was inspired by the fatal beating of a homeless man by police.
Nick now lives in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

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