tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71490689985905993442024-02-19T00:00:34.849-06:00Under Cover of Midnight: A Midnight Ink BlogThe Official Blog of Midnight Ink Books.Terri Bischoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225274844083700505noreply@blogger.comBlogger2139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-47892229388733022212018-12-13T12:42:00.000-06:002018-12-13T12:42:00.548-06:00eBook Deals: Grab the First Five Books of the Downward Dog Mystery Series on Sale, Starting at $0.99!Everyone loves a deal! for a limited time, grab the first five ebooks of the Downward Dog Mystery Series by Tracy Weber while they're on sale!<br />
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<tr><td><img alt="Karma's A Killer" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/200/9780738742106.jpg" width="200" /></td><td><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019G00BQC/ref=series_rw_dp_sw" target="new">Buy for Kindle: $2.99</a><br />
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<tr><td><img alt="A Fatal Twist" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/200/9780738748788.jpg" width="200" /></td><td><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FOR0Z0I/ref=series_rw_dp_sw" target="new">Buy for Kindle: $2.99</a><br />
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<tr><td><img alt="Pre-Meditated Murder" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/200/9780738750682.jpg" width="200" /></td><td><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0711WY9ST/ref=series_rw_dp_sw" target="new">Buy for Kindle: $2.99</a><br />
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Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-81458143873588807802018-12-07T15:31:00.000-06:002018-12-07T15:31:00.335-06:00North...to Alaska: A Guest Post from CATCH ME IF YUKON Author Maddy Hunter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome Maddy Hunter, author of the Passport to Peril Mystery Series (and the latest release in the series, <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738753973" target="new">Catch Me if Yukon</a></i>) to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here she shares the surprises lay in store for her in the state of Alaska.</b><br />
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Alaska became our 49th state when I was in grade school, but I didn't visit it until I needed research material for the next book in my Passport to Peril mystery series, <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738753973" target="new">Catch Me if Yukon</a></i>. (I realize the Yukon isn't <i>in</i> Alaska, but the title was too good to pass up.) I wasn't surprised by the glorious scenery or the fact that people could live in extremely remote areas and actually flourish, but I was surprised by a couple of things that I'd like to share with you.
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There were no mosquitoes!
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(Okay, there was one rogue mosquito lurking in the bathroom of our cabin in Denali, but it was flying solo.) People had warned me that mosquitoes in Alaska were at least an inch long and so numerous that they traveled in death squads. (Perhaps they were thinking of Lapland, where hats with mosquito netting are a welcome addition to the fashionable tourist's wardrobe.) Happily, all the bug spray I'd packed went unused. There were more mosquitoes in my little flower garden in Wisconsin last summer than in the whole state of Alaska.<br />
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Alaska has an unexpectedly international flavor. Who knew?
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I'd imagined rugged mountain men types. Flowing beards. An array of suspenders. Twangy speech. What I found was a portly restaurateur with a charming accent who was seated at a cooking station in the middle of his eatery in Seward, whipping up crepes and Belgian waffles as if he were demonstrating the technique in a storefront window. And the reason why Belgian waffles were his specialty? He was an immigrant. From Belgium.
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In a town called Girdwood we ate in a restaurant named The Bakery, which offered outdoor seating amid a profusion of hanging baskets and oversized flower pots. It reminded me of the iconic restaurant in Oberammergau, Germany, whose balconies dripped with flowers. After reading the headlines of a framed newspaper inside the restaurant, I learned the reason why The Bakery reminded me of Europe. Its owner had emigrated from…Germany.
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Near Girdwood we participated in a dog mushing adventure, run by a young man who was an annual contestant in the Iditarod. He spoke with an accent I couldn't identify, so when I asked him where he was from, he said Normandy. And not Normandy, Texas or Normandy, Tennessee. Normandy, France. An Alaskan dog musher from Normandy, France. Seriously. How does that happen?
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Farther north, in Denali, the only road that snakes through the national park terminates at a resort whose dining hall is almost as big as the park itself. There's an army of wait staff who scurry around the room, refilling chafing dishes and clearing tables, but there's so little help available domestically, the resort is forced to hire workers from Eastern Europe. I tried speaking to our waitress, but she spoke so little English that our conversation was limited to smiles and hand gestures, which no doubt explains why buffet-style is the meal plan of choice at the facility.
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In a little place called Healy, we crammed into a muddy UTV and drove three bumpy miles into the woods to arrive at our zip-lining venue, where our instructor for the adventure turned out to be a young woman from…wait for it…Bulgaria! She traveled to Alaska on a work visa, fell in love with a man and married him, so she was there permanently.
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I came to the conclusion that foreign visitors find Alaska so hypnotic that they decide to stay. So if you happen to be passing through out 49th state, don't be surprised if you hear a delightful assortment of languages and accents. If you stay long enough, you might even hear the hard vowel sounds of a few transplanted Midwesterners. The two bus drivers who transported us through Denali and down the road to Healy? Turns out they used to live right down the street from me in Wisconsin. Go figure.
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738753973" target="new"><img align="left" alt="Catch Me If Yukon" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738753973.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
<b>Emily and her traveling seniors must solve <i>yeti nother</i> mystery as they trek through the Alaskan wilderness</b><br />
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As tour escort Emily Andrew-Miceli leads her globetrotting band of Iowa seniors into the wilds of Alaska, she discovers that whales aren't the only killers on the prowl. When a tour member turns up dead on a mountainous hiking trail, Emily blames herself for the mishap—until she learns that something far hairier might be the cause.<br />
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One of the seniors snaps a photo of what looks like Bigfoot, raising questions about what happened to the victim. But the elusive sasquatch is just a legend, isn't it? Between whale watching in the glacial waters near Seward and ziplining in the primal forests of Denali, Emily finds herself locked in a game of cat and mouse with a killer who may or may not be mere myth.
<b><br /><br />Praise for the Passport to Peril Mystery Series:</b><br />
"A bit of humor, a bit of travel information and a bit of mystery add up to some pleasant light reading."—<i>Kirkus Reviews</i>
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"The cast of characters is highly entertaining and the murder mystery mixed with good humor!"—<i>Suspense Magazine</i>
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"Maddy Hunter's Passport to Peril series is a first-class ticket to entertainment."—Carrie Bebris, award-winning author of the Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mystery series
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<b>Maddy Hunter</b> has endured disastrous vacations on three continents in the past five years. The first six titles in the Passport to Peril Mystery series are available from Pocket Books; books seven through twelve are available through <a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/products_by_series_list.php?series_id=764" target="new">Midnight Ink Books</a>. The first in the series, <i>Alpine for You</i>, was an Agatha Award finalist and a Daphne du Maurier Award finalist. Also, <i>Hula Done It?</i>, <i>Pasta Imperfect</i>, and <i>Top O' the Mournin'</i> were named to the Independent Mystery Bookseller's Association bestseller list. The author resides in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information, go to <a href="http://www.maddyhunter.com/" target="new">MaddyHunter.com</a>.
Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-23116235489419793312018-12-07T10:12:00.000-06:002018-12-07T10:12:01.067-06:00That Crazy Little Thing Called Plot: A Guest Post from SECOND GOODBYE Author Patricia Smiley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome Patricia Smiley, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752365" target="new">Second Goodbye</a></i>, the third book in the Pacific Homicide Mystery Series, to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here she talks about how the plot came together for her new book.</b><br />
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Buried deep inside a file drawer in my office is a folder filled with yellowing true-crime newspaper clippings meant to inspire the plot of my next novel. The only problem is once they're neatly clipped and stored I rarely look at them again. Mostly, my books are created from a disparate array of alluring subjects and events I've experienced firsthand. This process is especially true for the genesis of <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752365" target="new">Second Goodbye</a></i>.
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Like most authors, I embrace my characters. Davie Richards is a gutsy, principled, but flawed second-generation LAPD detective who’s devoted to seeking justice for murder victims. The people who inhabit her world—Bear, Vaughn, and Frank Giordano—captivate me. I care about what happens to all of them, including those who were never meant to have an afterlife beyond one novel. But there was one character I just couldn't jettison—LAPD Homicide-Special Detective Jon Striker. Striker worked a case with Davie in <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752358" target="new">Outside the Wire</a></i>, but after the novel ended, his back-story was still mostly unknown, especially the origin of that mysterious tattoo on his arm. All I initially knew about <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752365" target="new">Second Goodbye</a></i> was that Striker would feature prominently.
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Around this time, I attended a fan convention in New Orleans where I met a cop who suggested I look into suicides in gun stores for possible plot ideas. It was an intriguing idea that eventually became an essential element of the book.
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Money laundering has always fascinated me. I earned an MBA, so I know about balance sheets and profit-and-loss statements. I also worked for fifteen years as a volunteer and Specialist Reserve Officer for the Los Angeles Police Department, including five years assigned to the detective squad room, investigating financial crimes. On the surface, the basics of washing dirty cash seemed straightforward. But the intricacies were more difficult to chart, which is the whole point if you're a crook. I began researching the issue until I felt comfortable incorporating a money-laundering scheme into the story.
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Ideas for <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752365" target="new">Second Goodbye</a></i> began stacking up. I had Striker, a death in a gun store, and money laundering. While working on the manuscript, I went on a sailing trip to the British Virgin Islands and learned that the area was a money-laundering haven for criminals transferring cash to and from the mainland and complicit local banks. That's when the plot "thickened." Just as it had in <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752358" target="new">Outside the Wire</a></i>, Davie's investigation becomes too complex to handle at Pacific Division and is transferred downtown to Homicide-Special, where she and Striker again partner to solve the case. Accordingly, they follow the money to the island of Tortola.
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Every author has a unique writing process. For me, the plot comes together at random when I keep my eyes and subconscious open to crazy little ideas—even while on a sailboat in the BVIs.
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752365" target="new"><img align="left" alt="Second Goodbye" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738752365.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
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Assume nothing—that's the touchstone for every homicide investigation Detective Davie Richards undertakes. She approaches her latest case the same way, determined to learn as much about the victim as she does about the killer. But there's nothing about thirty-four-year-old Sara Montaine or her death that makes sense.
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Was Sara a saint caring for her dying husband or a gold-digger with a sketchy background? Did she commit suicide or was she murdered? Before her marriage, Sara lived comfortably without any obvious source of income, unusual for an orphan raised in foster care. As Davie digs deeper, she unearths Sara's troubled past and a viper's nest of villains who are willing to kill to keep their secrets hidden.
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<b><br /><br />Praise:</b><br />
"Sassy and analytical, L.A. Detective Davie Richards utilizes 'shoe leather and minutiae' to unravel a brilliantly staged fake suicide. Seamless prose, tightly crafted clues, and surprising twists make <i>LThe Second Goodbye</i> a memorable police procedural. Brew the coffee for the graveyard shift, as you'll be up all night reading."<br />
—K.J. Howe, best-selling author of <i>The Freedom Broker</i> and <i>Skyjack</i><br />
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"Patricia Smiley tackles Michael Connelly territory and succeeds with a realistic, compelling police procedural in the badlands of contemporary Los Angeles. Detective Davie Richards is a smart, no-nonsense heroine, and the storytelling had me turning the pages at the expense of mundane activities like sleeping. <i>The Second Goodbye</i> is an intriguing mystery laced with well-researched law enforcement practices."<br />
—Raymond Benson, author of <i>In the Hush of the Night</i> and <i>The Black Stiletto Serial</i><br />
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"<i>The Second Goodbye</i> is a straight ahead jolt of police procedural adrenaline! Like Michael Connelly, Patricia Smiley grabs a hold of you and pulls you into the story without tricks or gimmicks. Just a great story told by a great storyteller. <i>The Second Goodbye</i> catapults Smiley onto the top tier of crime writers!"<br />
—Matt Coyle, Anthony Award-winning author of the Rick Cahill crime series
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<b>Patricia Smiley</b> is a bestselling mystery author whose short fiction has appeared in <i>Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine</i> and <i>Two of the Deadliest</i>, an anthology edited by Elizabeth George. Patricia has taught writing classes at various conferences throughout the US and Canada, and she served on the board of directors of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and as president of Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles. Visit her online at <a href="http://www.patriciasmiley.com/" target="new">www.PatriciaSmiley.com</a>.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-53020424729524710112018-12-05T12:28:00.000-06:002018-12-05T12:28:08.191-06:00eBook Deals: Grab the First 3 Accidental Alchemist Books, Starting at Just $0.99!Everyone loves a deal! for a limited time, grab the first three ebooks of the Accidental Alchemist Mystery Series by Gigi Pandian while they're on sale!<br />
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<tr><td><img alt="The Accidental Alchemist" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/200/9780738741840.jpg" width="200" /></td><td><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Alchemist-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B00QVLB9JI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1542651566&sr=1-1&keywords=accidental+alchemist" target="new">Buy for Kindle: $0.99</a><br />
<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-accidental-alchemist-gigi-pandian/1119693774?ean=9780738744377#/" target="new">Buy for Nook: $0.99</a><br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gigi_Pandian_The_Accidental_Alchemist?id=3kbPBQAAQBAJ&hl=en" target="new">Buy for Google Books: $0.99</a><br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-accidental-alchemist/id1076608639?mt=11" target="new">Buy for iBooks: $0.99</a><br />
<a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-accidental-alchemist" target="new">Buy for Kobo: $0.99</a></td></tr>
<tr><td><img alt="The Masquerading Magician" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/200/9780738742359.jpg" width="200" /></td><td><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019G00BT4/ref=series_rw_dp_sw" target="new">Buy for Kindle: $1.99</a><br />
<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-masquerading-magician-gigi-pandian/1122049815?ean=9780738746623" target="new">Buy for Nook: $1.99</a><br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gigi_Pandian_The_Masquerading_Magician?id=KgYzCwAAQBAJ&hl=en">Buy for Google Books: $1.99</a><br />
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<tr><td><img alt="The Elusive Elixir" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/200/9780738742366.jpg" width="200" /></td><td><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FOR0YZY/ref=series_rw_dp_sw" target="new">Buy for Kindle: $2.99</a><br />
<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-elusive-elixir-gigi-pandian/1123810861?ean=9780738750330" target="new">Buy for Nook: $2.99</a><br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gigi_Pandian_The_Elusive_Elixir?id=VuCqDQAAQBAJ&hl=en" target="new">Buy for Google Books: $2.99</a><br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-elusive-elixir/id1114543887?mt=11" target="new">Buy for iBooks: $2.99</a><br />
<a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-elusive-elixir" target="new">Buy for Kobo: $2.99</a></td></tr>
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Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-66840995706149065702018-11-26T06:30:00.000-06:002018-11-26T06:30:04.859-06:00The Great Christmas Cookie Debate: A Guest Post from AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES Author Leslie Budewitz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome Leslie Budewitz, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752419" target="new">As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles</a></i>, the fifth book in the Food Lovers' Village Mystery Series, to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here she talks about what <i>really</i> classifies as a Christmas cookie.</b><br />
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You’d think it would be pretty obvious, right—what's a Christmas cookie and what isn’t?
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Alas, no.
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Years ago, I participated in a Christmas cookie exchange hosted by a woman I worked with. Trays of spritz, gingerbread boys, and sugar cookies in festive shapes covered her dining room table.
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And there, among them, sat a plate of peanut butter cookies. Not just any peanut butter cookies, but flat, stretched-out cookies too crisp from over-baking.
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<i>Ho, ho, ho, and no, no, no!</i>
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The memory of that sad plate, alone on the table after all the candy cane cookies and jam thumbprints had been snatched up, prompted me to include a cookie exchange in <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752419" target="new">As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles</a></i>, fifth in my Food Lovers' Village Mysteries. I've been as surprised as Erin Murphy, my main character, to discover that not everyone agrees with her about Christmas cookies.
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Don't get us wrong. We both love peanut butter cookies, and the flourless version her young cousin Molly brings to the Murphys' annual friends-and-family cookie exchange is yummy and easy. We bow to no one in our love of a good chocolate chip cookie. And snickerdoodles? Joy, rolled in cinnamon sugar.
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But they aren’t Christmas cookies.
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What, to Erin, me, and our mothers, makes a cookie a Christmas cookie? Some are clearly seasonal—only an author testing a recipe is likely to color dough red and twist it into candy canes in June. Christmas cookies feature an ingredient not used in an everyday cookie. Fruit cake has long been relegated to December—or in some households, to the trash bin, but I don't hold with that either—so that's when fruitcake cookies or bars surface. Candied fruit, dates, and nuts are holiday staples.
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A gingerbread boy or girl served any other time of year? Just plain wrong. A sugar cookie in the shape of a star or a bell, trimmed with frosting or sprinkles? You know I'm right. And spritz? Case closed.
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Have you ever eaten a jam thumbprint any other time of year? Me, neither. Other cookies are holiday stars in certain European traditions—pfeffernusse, Berlinkranzer, lebkuchen, pizzelles.
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Then there's the snowball and its pseudonyms—Russian tea cakes, Mexican wedding cakes, and pecan sandies. So important to the holiday that they even play a role in my latest mystery. I can hardly wait to try the "Dirty Snowball" one reader created by adding cocoa powder added to the powdered sugar. But I will wait, until December 1.
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And we haven't even talked about fudge, divinity, or peppermint bark.
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Now it has been brought to my attention that some cookbooks call the snickerdoodle a Christmas cookie. If it meets your criteria for special, and you only make it in December, then by all means, go ahead and give it that jolly label. After all, traditions do vary. Frankly, I think you'd be unnecessarily depriving yourself of the joy of those little balls of crackly dough wrapped in sugar and spice and everything nice the rest of the year.
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Or maybe that just leaves more for me. And Erin. And you, if you stop by. Because no matter what the cookie, no matter what the season, cookies taste better when they're shared.
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***</div>
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752419" target="new"><img align="left" alt="As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738752419.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
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<b>Erin is one smart cookie, but can she keep the holiday spirit—and herself—alive till Christmas?</b>
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In Jewel Bay, all is merry and bright. At Murphy's Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl gone wrong, Merrily has turned her life around. But her parents have publicly shunned her, and they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin.
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When Merrily goes missing and her boss discovers he's been robbed, fingers point to Merrily—until she's found dead, a string of lights around her neck. The clues and danger snowball from there. Can Erin nab the killer—and keep herself in one piece—in time for a special Christmas Eve?
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Includes delicious recipes!
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<b><br /><br />Praise:</b><br />
"Budewitz's finely drawn characters, sharp ear for dialogue, and well-paced puzzle make Jewel Bay a destination for every cozy fan."<br />
—<i>Kirkus Reviews</i>
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"Clean-as-a-whistle dialogue, endearing characters, and a solid plot make this cozy a winner."<br />
—<i>Publishers Weekly</i>
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"Cozy readers will relish the small-town, Christmastime frame accompanying details of frenzied wedding planning and running a family food business. And, of course, recipes, too."<br />
—<i>Booklist</i>
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<b>Leslie Budewitz</b> blends her passion for food, great mysteries, and the Northwest in the Seattle Spice Shop Mysteries and the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries, set in Jewel Bay, Montana. The 2015-16 president of Sisters in Crime and first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction, she lives and bakes in NW Montana.
Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-73284950011310289902018-11-09T09:55:00.000-06:002018-11-09T09:55:06.740-06:00Cats, Florida, and the Tarot: A Guest Post from FOOL'S MOON Author Diane A.S. Stuckart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome Diane A.S. Stuckart, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757087" target="new">Fool's Moon</a></i>, the first book in the Tarot Cats Mystery Series, to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here she talks about why cats, the tarot, and the state of Florida are so central to her new book.</b><br />
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<i>Cats. Florida. Tarot.</i>
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Those three words are the soul of <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757087" target="new">Fool's Moon</a></i>, the first in my new Tarot Cats Mystery series. It's been one of my favorite books ever to write, mostly because each of those words has special meaning to me. And since this is a "get to know you" kind of blog post, let me explain so you can learn about me, as well as about my series.
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<i>Cats</i>. I grew up as a Crazy Cat Kid (can I trademark that phrase?). Numerous of my childhood photos show me carrying, petting, or otherwise engaging with a feline. Unfortunately, my parents weren't exactly animal lovers, which meant that when I grew up that I surrounded myself with critters.
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My current clowder (the official term for tons o' cats) consists of my orange tabby brothers, Butch and Sundance, and sibling black cats Brandon Bobtail and Ophelia. And, yes, the latter pair are the inspiration for Brandon and Ophelia in <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757087" target="new">Fool's Moon</a></i>. But as plotting circumstances worked out, the personalities of my real life kitties and their fictional counterparts swapped themselves. The Brandon in <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757087" target="new">Fool's Moon</a></i> is smart and levelheaded. Real life Brandon is a loving but feisty little (well, big) butthead. Similarly, the real life Ophelia is sweet and mostly defers to her brother, while fictional Ophelia is the mouthy one.
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<i>Florida</i>. I've lived in South Florida for more than a dozen years now, moving from Texas, where I was born and lived most of my life. Being a Texas native has always been a crucial facet of my identity, in part because our ranks are dwindling as more people move to the Lone Star State. I have found, however, that the Sunshine State has a similar pride of birth, with even fewer native Floridians to be found. The folks here are equally independent (remember that the Keys once seceded from the nation), and even more of a cultural mix, from Native Americans to Cubans to Haitians to New Yorkers. Perhaps it's that mix that makes the state more than a little quirky (when was the last time someone in Connecticut tossed a live gator through a fast food drive-thru window?). And that quirkiness made me eager to set the Tarot Cats Mysteries here in my new home.
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<i>Tarot</i>. I've been fascinated by the Tarot ever since I was a teen in the 70s. As a storyteller, I'm drawn to its "hero's journey" imagery and the deep symbolism of the cards. However, like my human protagonist in <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757087" target="new">Fool's Moon</a></i>, Ruby Sparks, I don't see Tarot decks and Tarot readers as anything supernatural. As Ruby would tell you, the Tarot is simply a tool for self-discovery.
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But what's this about cats reading Tarot in <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757087" target="new">Fool's Moon</a></i>? Yep, Ophelia learns to interpret the cards by watching Ruby and thinks she does a much better job of it than her human. And, full circle, her readings serve to set her and Brandon off on a literal journey of their little part of Florida.
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***</div>
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757087" target="new"><img align="left" alt="Fool's Moon" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738757087.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
<b>Two tarot-savvy cats and their tenderhearted human outwit a cruel criminal in this animal-centric whodunit.</b><br />
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Most days, Ruby Sparks feels like the sign that says "Tarot Card Reader Extraordinaire" should say "Tarot Card Reader Fairly Competent." But as challenging as it is to take care of her half-sister's New Age shop—and her growing menagerie of enchanted pets—Ruby never worries that she's bitten off more than she can chew...until a customer wants her to divine the truth about a murder.
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When her own life is threatened with a double dose of danger, Ruby begins to wonder if she's being played for a fool. Luckily, she has Ophelia and Brandon—sibling black cats with a talent for tarot—and a feisty pit bull friend who all lend a paw in collaring the culprit before Ruby finds herself taking her final cat nap.
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<b><br /><br />Praise:</b><br />
"[Stuckart] writes throughout with charm and warmth. Anyone with a pet will enjoy."<br />
—<i>Kirkus Reviews</i>
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<b>Diane A.S. Stuckart</b> is the <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series. She's also the author of the award-winning Leonardo da Vinci historical mysteries, as well as several historical romances and numerous short stories. Her Tarot connection is even more sprawling. She's been an on-and-off student of Tarot since she was a teenager, though she confesses to being more of a collector of decks than a reader. She will, however pull out the cards for a friend on occasion.<br />
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Diane has served as Chapter President of the Mystery Writers of America Florida chapter, is a member of the Cat Writers' Association, and also belongs to the Palm Beach County Beekeepers Association. She lives west of West Palm Beach with her husband, dogs, cats—including the real-life Brandon Bobtail and Ophelia—and a few beehives. Visit her online at <a href="http://www.tarotcats.com/" target="new">http://www.tarotcats.com</a>.
Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-37249805320432760202018-11-02T09:39:00.000-05:002018-11-02T09:39:01.614-05:00Inspiration from...Beyond? A Guest Post from A VINTAGE DEATH Author Mary Ellen Hughes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome Mary Ellen Hughes, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752273" target="new">Vintage Death</a></i>, the second book in the Keepsake Cove Mystery Series, to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here she talks how her inspiration for her latest series may have come from...beyond.</b><br />
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When I started putting together my thoughts about a new mystery series, I knew that at least two elements would be in it: a female protagonist and a small town setting. I had nothing more than that, but little by little ideas began to form. One of the basic "rules" of fiction writing is to write what you know. This can refer to what you already know or to what you can research and learn. I started with things I knew and sifted through them for something intriguing. A story I'd heard some years ago fit that bill.
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There's a very old house down the road from me. Old enough to be historical, but in a small way, meaning George Washington never slept there. The couple that bought it happened to move in on a stormy night—yes, a dark and stormy night! This old house had a few pieces of furniture left behind, and as the couple carried in their boxes, they heard a very faint sound of music. They eventually tracked it down to an old, roll-top desk, which was closed and locked.
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The husband managed to pry it open, and inside they found an old music box—which was playing. Nobody had wound it, of course, so it was a bit spooky, to say the least. They eventually decided that "Gerard," a long-ago deceased owner who may or may not have been seen on the premises over the years, had welcomed them, and they took it as a very positive sign.
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That story stayed with me, and I decided to work it into my new Keepsake Cove series. I set <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752198" target="new">A Fatal Collection</a></i> in a collectible music box shop. My protagonist's Aunt Melodie, who dies early in the story, seems to communicate at crucial times to her niece, Callie, through her favorite music box. Or does she? Callie never knows for sure, but she kind of likes the idea of being looked after in that way.
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With that start, I created Keepsake Cove, a town-within-a-town of shops that specialize in all kinds of collectibles, including the music box shop. The shopkeepers seem to be good people. Or are they? This is a mystery, of course, and bad things have to happen. Once I had my beginning, I was on a roll, and all because of that mysterious music box playing on its own one night many years ago.
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<i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752198" target="new">A Fatal Collection</a></i> is now followed by <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752273" target="new">A Vintage Death</a></i>. I hope you'll want to find out if the music box continues to warn Callie (if that’s what it's actually doing,) and meet the new people who've come to Keepsake Cove. One of them happens to be an author, who I enjoyed creating from a mix of the many different authors I've met over the years. Will you recognize them? Maybe not, since I've also added ingredients from my imagination. But they definitely helped inspire me as I once again followed the rule of "write what you know."
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The intriguing thing to me is how "what you know" can quickly turn into something you never imagined before. But that's all part of the fun of writing fiction!
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752273" target="new"><img align="left" alt="A Vintage Death" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738752273.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
<b>Callie Reed has put together a special event, but a killer is ripping it apart at the seams</b><br />
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As the new owner of a music box store in Keepsake Cove, a quaint town full of collectible shops on Maryland's Eastern Shore, Callie Reed is eager to get more involved in her community. So she volunteers to plan the fall street decorations and welcome a visiting author who's come for a special book signing. But the celebratory mood is cut short when the local B&B owner is found dead, killed with a pair of vintage scissors.
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Suspicion is cast on the victim's estranged wife, Dorothy, who owns Keepsake Cove's vintage sewing shop. Callie is sure Dorothy is innocent, and the visiting author agrees. Together, they begin their own investigation, only to discover that many people in Keepsake Cove have secrets. Secrets that are worth killing to keep.
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<b><br /><br />Praise for the Keepsake Cove Mystery Series:</b><br />
"Hughes kicks off her new Keepsake Cove series with a charming locale."<br />
—<i>Kirkus Reviews</i>
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<b>Mary Ellen Hughes</b> is the bestselling author of the Pickled and Preserved Mysteries (Penguin), the Craft Corner Mysteries, and the Maggie Olenski Mysteries, along with several short stories. <i>A Fatal Collection</i> is her debut with Midnight Ink. Visit her at <a href="http://www.maryellenhughes.com/" target="new">www.MaryEllenHughes.com</a>.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-58675396085193886362018-10-19T13:13:00.000-05:002018-10-19T13:13:03.881-05:00A Strong Sense of Place: A Guest Post from Kathleen Ernst<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome Kathleen Ernst, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738753546" target="new">Lace Maker's Secret</a></i>, the ninth book in the Chloe Ellefson Mystery Series, to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here she talks about why the setting is such an important element of a book.</b><br />
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Authors sometimes debate which is most important: character or plot. Character comes first, in my opinion, but the discussion itself often ignores an element that should rank right up there in the top tier: setting.
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As a reader, I gravitate toward books that provide me with a strong sense of place, books that transport me somewhere new with complete authenticity. I try to do the same with the <a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/products_by_series_list.php?series_id=403" target="new">Chloe Ellefson mysteries</a>.
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Chloe is a curator at a large outdoor ethnic museum called Old World Wisconsin, a real site where I once worked as a curator. When writing the <a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738720876" target="new">first book in the series</a>, writer friends urged me to create a fictional historic site. I couldn't imagine doing so. I knew, and wanted to share with readers, real and special historic places.
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As the series has progressed, books have featured other museums and historic sites in the Midwest. The ninth book in the series, <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738753546" target="new">The Lace Maker's Secret</a></i>, is set in northeastern Wisconsin, home to the largest rural community of Belgian-Americans in the nation. Chloe has been hired to develop a furnishings plan for a Belgian Farm being restored at Heritage Hill Historical Park in Green Bay.
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<i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738753546" target="new">The Lace Maker's Secret</a></i> includes a strand of historical fiction braided with Chloe's story. It introduces Seraphine, who immigrated to Wisconsin in the 1850s with her new husband. The Belgians came looking to farm, and were granted acreage in forested land instead. This is how I described their arrival:
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<blockquote>
<i>"Jean-Paul," Seraphine hissed."This can't—" She stumbled, fell to one knee, clambered back to her feet. "This can't be right." The uncertainty in her husband's eyes did nothing to stay her growing unease.
<br /><br />
…They were following their guide through a forest, deeper and deeper, away from the bay of Green Bay which had, for a time, glimmered through the trees. There was no trail, just several inches of slushy snow to hide roots and rocks. They shoved through thickets and skidded down ravines and clambered over windfalls. The trees were so tall and thick that midday was gloomy as twilight. Every strange bird call startled Seraphine. Every cracking branch made her jump. The cold pressed into her bones, numbed her toes. She carried a bulky sack over one shoulder. The skillet dangling from one mittened hand slipped from her grasp over and over. …How could the guide possibly know where he was going? They'd been walking for hours. There were no landmarks. The endless forest had swallowed them. </i></blockquote>
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<br />
The Belgian immigrants faced hunger, epidemics, and a devastating forest fire. I couldn't hope to convey Seraphine's story without imagining the place where she landed.
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While researching the mystery I spent a lot of time in Green Bay talking with site staff and volunteers, digging through the employee library, visiting local historical societies. But one of the most meaningful things I do when developing a new book is less academic: I settle in.
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There is something powerful about walking the ground where 19th-century immigrants once walked. There is something powerful about gaining insight into their environment, and how it impacted their lives. There is something powerful about simply hunkering down with a notebook in hand to record the specific sensory details that will help bring a description to life.
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I hope readers will enjoy being conveyed to another time and place as much as I do.
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***</div>
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738753546" target="new"><img align="left" alt="The Lace Maker's Secret" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738753546.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
<b>Greed, Uncertainty, and Death Get Tangled in the Mystery of a Rare Piece of Belgian Lace </b><br />
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Curator Chloe Ellefson needs distraction from the unsettling family secret she's just learned. It doesn't help that her boyfriend, Roelke McKenna, has been troubled for weeks and won't say why. Chloe hopes a consulting job at Green Bay's Heritage Hill Historical Park, where an old Belgian-American farmhouse is being restored, will be a relaxing escape. Instead she discovers a body in a century-old bake oven.
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Chloe's research suggests that a rare and valuable piece of lace made its way to nearby Door County, Wisconsin, with the earliest Belgian settlers. More importantly, someone is desperate to find it. Inspired by a courageous Belgian woman who survived cholera, famine, and the Great Fire, Chloe must untangle clues to reveal secrets old and new...before the killer strikes again.
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<b><br /><br />Praise:</b><br />
"In this heartfelt tale of labor and love, Ernst produces one of her most winning combinations of historical evocation and clever mystery."<br />
—<i>Kirkus Reviews</i>
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<br />
<b>Kathleen Ernst</b> is an award-winning and bestselling author, educator, and social historian. She has published over thirty novels and two nonfiction books. Her books for young readers include the Caroline Abbott series for American Girl. Honors for her children's mysteries include Edgar and Agatha Award nominations. Kathleen worked as an Interpreter and Curator of Interpretation and Collections at Old World Wisconsin, and her time at the historic site served as inspiration for the Chloe Ellefson mysteries. <i>The Heirloom Murders</i> won the Anne Powers Fiction Book Award from the Council for Wisconsin Writers, and <i>The Light Keeper's Legacy</i> won the Lovey Award for Best Traditional Mystery from Love Is Murder. Ernst served as project director/scriptwriter for several instructional television series, one of which earned her an Emmy Award. For more information, visit her online at <a href="http://www.kathleenernst.com/" target="new">KathleenErnst.com</a>.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-70293717483853791782018-10-12T14:44:00.000-05:002018-10-12T14:44:17.044-05:00Are Ghosts Real: A Guest Post from E.J. Copperm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome E.J. Copperman, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738750613" target="new">Question of the Dead Mistress</a></i>, the fifth book in the Asperger's Mystery Series, to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here he talks about whether or not he believes in ghosts, like the one in his new book.</b><br />
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"Do you believe in ghosts?"
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<br />
I actually get that question considerably more often than most walking-around civilians. I understand the question, and no, I'm not ever going to give you an answer.
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I write a series of mystery books about a woman who runs a guesthouse on the Jersey Shore that just happens to be haunted. So people—and I get why—want to know where I stand on the Casper-and-his-Friends question.
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I don't answer because I don't want to annoy any of my readers. If I say I do think there are undead spirits inhabiting various structures around the world, the ones who think that's silly will think <i>I'm</i> silly. If I say no, the people who read the books for the ghosts could easily feel betrayed. So I'm staying mum on the Ghost Question, and by that I don't mean the movie with Patrick Swayze. Whoopi definitely earned her Oscar.
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But in the latest Asperger's Mystery series (which I write with Jeff Cohen) novel, <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738750613" target="new">The Question of the Dead Mistress</a></i>, the main character Samuel Hoenig, who has personality traits that some would say place him on the autism spectrum, has to answer the question, and he has a very quick answer.
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No.
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Samuel, whose mind deals with facts and that which is provable, refuses to admit to his brain the concept. People die, and that's it. Samuel has no definitive proof that anything else might be the case, so it's not an issue for him.
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When a client walks into the office of Samuel's storefront business Questions Answered (it's all there in the business name) and asks if her husband is having an extramarital affair with a deceased woman, Samuel answers her question immediately, and without charge: No, he's not, because there's no such thing as a ghost.<br />
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But Samuel has a problem: His most trusted associate, Ms. Washburn, <i>does</i> believe, based on an experience she had as a teenager. So she wants to attack the question and answer it definitively for the woman who has ventured into the office with concerns about her husband and a spirit.
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They arrive at what seems like a perfectly equitable solution: Janet (Ms. Washburn) will research the question and Samuel will work on some of the business' other files. Given Janet's intelligence and experience, that would work out just fine—until the husband in question ends up just as dead as the woman his wife suspected he was seeing on the side. And he has not died due to natural causes.
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The Ghost Question never really leaves the story, but it is added to the question of the also-dead husband. Astute readers will note that the authors do not necessarily settle the existential issue, and that's intentional.
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***</div>
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738750613" target="new"><img align="left" alt="The Question of the Dead Mistress" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738750613.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
<b>"Is my husband having an affair with a dead woman?" </b><br />
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For Samuel Hoenig, the proprietor of a unique agency called Questions Answered, the answer to this most recent question is simple. Since there's absolutely no evidence that apparitions exist, it would be impossible for Ginny Fontaine's husband to be having an affair with one.
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But Samuel's associate, Janet Washburn, isn't so easily convinced.
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Wrestling with his complicated feelings for Ms. Washburn, Samuel proposes that she take the lead on the question. As soon as her research begins, the husband in question ends up dead, leaving Janet and Samuel wondering if they stand a ghost of a chance at unraveling this twisted tale of danger and deceit.<br />
<b><br /><br />Praise for the Asperger's Mysteries:</b><br />
"Readers will delight in watching Copperman's literal-minded hero grapple not only with unpredictable and nuanced human thinking, but with logic from beyond the grave."<br />
—<i>Kirkus Reviews</i>
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<hr />
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<b>E.J. Copperman and Jeff Cohen</b> are the authors of <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738750613" target="new">The Question of the Dead Mistress</a></i>, the fifth Asperger's Mystery novel. And no, they're not going to tell you what they think about ghosts. But whatever you believe, they agree with that Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-31094633875382696992018-10-05T10:53:00.000-05:002018-10-05T10:53:04.095-05:00It Was the Best of Advice, It Was the Worst of Advice...Or, Write What You Know: A Guest Post from C.M. Wendelboe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome C.M. Wendelboe, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738753621" target="new">Hunting the Saturday Night Strangler</a></i>, the second book in the Bitter Wind Mystery Series, to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here he talks about writing what you know.</b><br />
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Inspired by stories that <i>had</i> to be written as a young boy, I studied ad nauseum what few books and magazines I could that might guide me. And every one hammered on one of the basic tenets of writing—write what you know. That was all fine and good for someone with life experiences, but what could I write about if I followed this rule? I worked on farms as a kid, and those were the sole experiences from which I could draw.
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<br />
Years later, after a discharge from the Marines, I continued to follow this advice and wrote a novel set in Vietnam during that conflict. It was horrible. Even though I wrote just what I knew, it was boring and inflexible and read like a flat documentary. So, I thought about what really interested me, and I recalled what I enjoyed reading as a youngster—Westerns. But I didn't know much about the West back in the day, so I studied historical periodicals, books, talked with elderly folks who lived during those times. And suddenly, I knew the West and could write about those events comfortably.
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<br />
And I got to thinking how that advice—write what you know—hamstrung me for years. No one nowadays lived during the Roman Empire reign, for instance, yet there are so many incredible and informative stories about that time period. Same with stories about—pick one—the American Civil War, England during the time of the Tudors or the Stuarts, the culture of the mountain men in the West.
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So now, I do not hesitate writing about subjects about which I have no clue. Research develops those clues, that knowledge necessary to write about a time period or a subject with conviction.
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In writing murder mysteries, I confess as a career lawman that I write about <i>what I know</i>. But I cannot know every aspect of crime drama, cannot know every area of forensics, for example. And when I enter a place where I am not familiar enough, I research until I am writing <i>what I know</i>.
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I have talked with so many aspiring writers who have a burning desire to tell a tale set in a period they know little about, or characters they have a hard time developing because they know little of the subject they wish to explore. But with sufficient drive to know the era, know the characters, they can become subject matter experts.
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<br />
Lastly, I’d like to think established writers should also be teachers, helping aspiring writers to reach their goals. So whenever struggling writers get the chance, whenever they meet successful professionals, they should engage the writer, and learn from those conversations. Combined with exhaustive research into their chosen era, they can—with conviction—<i>write what they know</i>.
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***</div>
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738753621" target="new"><img align="left" alt="Hunting the Saturday Night Strangler" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738753621.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
<b>Retired homicide detective Arn Anderson tracks a coldblooded killer in this riveting novel of suspense by the author of <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738753201" target="new">Hunting the Five Point Killer</a></i>. </b><br />
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Two innocent victims, strangled to death on consecutive Saturday nights. Even as they see the pattern emerging, retired detective Arn Anderson and TV reporter Ana Maria Villarreal can't seem to convince the Cheyenne police that the killer may strike again.
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<br />
Hunting a remorseless murderer leads Arn and Ana Maria down a rabbit hole of ranchers and rustlers. But the closer they come to catching the killer, the more they're met with suspicion. And when their investigation collides with a desperate act of violence, they wonder whether they're unwinding the killer's twisted thread of clues or tightening their own noose.<br />
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<b><br /><br />Praise for the Bitter Wind Mysteries:</b><br />
"A slow-burning cold case with copious clues, conscientious detection, a high body count, periodic interruptions from the killer's viewpoint, and all the pages and pages of unraveling you'd expect from such a generously plotted mystery."<br />
—<i>Kirkus Reviews</i><br />
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"Wendelboe is a skilled writer who ratchets up the suspense."<br />
—Margaret Coel, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Winter's Child</i>
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<b>C. M. Wendelboe</b> (Cheyenne, WY) is the author of the Spirit Road Mysteries (Penguin). During his thirty-eight-year career in law enforcement, he served successful stints as a sheriff’s deputy, police chief, policy adviser, and supervisor for several agencies. He was a patrol supervisor when he retired to pursue his true vocation as a fiction writer. Visit him online at <a href="http://www.spiritroadmysteries.com/" target="new">www.SpiritRoadMysteries.com</a>.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-54893556827292110502018-09-21T12:49:00.000-05:002018-09-21T12:49:01.589-05:00Finding the Story for BELOW THE TREE LINE: A Guest Post from Author Susan Oleksiw<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome Susan Oleksiw, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738758916" target="new">Below the Tree Line</a></i>, the first book in the new Pioneer Valley Mystery Series, to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here she shares the inspiration for <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738758916" target="new">Below the Tree Line</a></i>.</b><br />
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A few years ago I was facing the end of one mystery series and trying to think up an interesting setting and protagonist for something new. An idea might come to me, but I'd put it aside because it wasn't compelling, and besides, I had other things to think about. In their retirement years my parents did the unexpected: they sold their home in a lovely town on the ocean and, in their seventies, bought a farm and went back to the land.
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<br />
I watched this with some amusement, following my father along the trails he cut in the woods, waving to the farmer on his tractor, getting to know the neighbors at church suppers. My mother went back to canning vegetables from her small garden, something she hadn't done since the 1950s. They ate a lot of zucchini.
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<br />
When my parents died I found myself the owner of a farm that consisted of large tracts of woods and a field rented to another farmer. I also found myself responsible for the periodic forestry management plans required by the state.
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I'd helped with some of this legal work while my mother was still alive, but the full extent wasn't clear until I was solely responsible for all of it. I learned a lot about trees, ecology, forestry, and more. The work was interesting, the foresters helpful and informative, and a walk in the woods always a pleasure. I learned about this part of New England and read farm journals. And then it dawned on me. Why not use what I knew for a new series featuring a farmer whose farm is mostly wood products?
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I invented a fictional farming community in the Pioneer Valley, to distinguish the area from the Berkshires, populated the town with a variety of friends and small-business owners based on long-gone relatives, and gave my protagonist a barn cat (everyone needs a cat to control the mice population) and a rescue dog (what's a walk in the woods without a dog?).
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As I sketched out the first story, for <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738758916" target="new">Below the Tree Line</a></i>, I was flooded with memories of all the evenings my brothers and parents sat around telling stories about the dairy farm where we'd been born, in Connecticut, my great-grandfather's farm (a man I knew), the farming community where my mother spent every summer of her childhood, and the occasional swamp Yankee we encountered. It turned out I knew more about this life than I realized.
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<br />
My protagonist, Felicity O'Brien, took shape as the daughter and granddaughter of farmers, but also as the daughter of a line of women with a special gift for healing. This nugget of character came from an encounter with a small church whose members participated in healing services. Despite their apparent special gifts, they were ordinary folk anyone might encounter in the community--teachers, accountants, health care workers, loggers, shop owners. It was their matter-of-factness about their healing practices that caught my imagination.
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The more I explored my fictional world in this part of New England, the more interesting it became. Instead of finding myself in an isolated community, I discovered the way these rural areas link to the larger world and feel every wave or wind brushing over the entire country. And all the while they are striving to maintain a way of life few even know about anymore.
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***</div>
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738758916" target="new"><img align="left" alt="Below the Tree Line" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738758916.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
<b>In the Massachusetts countryside, family secrets run deep...but an outside threat could uproot them all</b><br />
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Felicity O'Brien hopes the warning shot fired from her porch is enough to scare off the intruder who's been snooping around her family's Massachusetts farm. Days later, when two young women are found dead nearby, Felicity can't figure out how the deaths are related, and even her inherited healing touch isn't enough to ease the community's pain over the tragic loss.
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<br />
Felicity does know that somebody wants something bad enough to kill for it, but all she has is the neglected property her parents passed down to her. Joining forces with her friend Jeremy Colson, Felicity tries to uncover the truth and save herself and her land from those who are capable of unthinkable harm.<br />
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<b><br /><br />Praise for <i>Below the Tree Line</i>:</b><br />
"Oleksiw crafts a classic small-town mystery...where a closely knit cast of characters are forced to wrestle with the unwanted intrusion of the modern world that threatens long-standing traditions."<br />
—Sheila Connolly, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of the County Cork Mystery series<br />
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"A woman with healing hands and a rescued dog trap a killer in Susan Oleksiw's engaging <i>Below the Tree Line</i>."<br />
—Hallie Ephron, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>You'll Never Know, Dear</i>
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<b>Susan Oleksiw</b> (Massachusetts) is the author of the Mellingham mystery series and the Anita Ray mystery series. She is the co-founder of Level Best Books, which publishes an annual anthology of the best New England crime fiction. Her writing has appeared in <i>Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine</i> and she served as co-editor for <i>The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing</i>. Visit Susan online at <a href="http://www.susanleksiw.com/" target="new">www.SusanOleksiw.com</a>.
Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-66562274188982021522018-09-10T13:35:00.002-05:002018-09-10T13:35:53.665-05:00eBook Deal: HUNTING THE FIVE POINT KILLER by C.M. Wendelboe is Just $0.99!Everyone loves a deal! for a limited time, grab the HUNTING THE FIVE POINT KILLER ebook by C.M. Wendelboe for just $0.99!<br />
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<tr><td><img alt="Hunting the Five Point Killer" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/200/9780738753201.jpg" width="200" /></td><td><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Point-Killer-Bitter-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01N9UAAFX/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1536604410&sr=1-2&keywords=hunting+the+five" target="new">Buy for Kindle: $0.99</a><br />
<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hunting-the-five-point-killer-c-m-wendelboe/1125531624?ean=9780738753645" target="new">Buy for Nook: $0.99</a><br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hunting-the-five-point-killer/id1435189540?mt=11" target="new">Buy for iBooks: $0.99</a><br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/C_M_Wendelboe_Hunting_the_Five_Point_Killer?id=fYI0DwAAQBAJ" target="new">Buy for Google Books: $0.99</a><br />
<a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hunting-the-five-point-killer" target="new">Buy for Kobo: $0.99</a>
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Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-26391137742573277802018-09-10T13:31:00.001-05:002018-11-19T12:18:01.397-06:00eBook Deals: Grab the First Three Books in the Asperger's Mystery Series by E.J. Copperman Starting at Just $0.99!Everyone loves a deal! for a limited time, grab the first three ebooks of the Asperger's Mystery Series by EJ Copperman/Jeff Cohen while they're on sale!<br />
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Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-43282999548432636612018-09-10T13:17:00.000-05:002018-09-10T13:18:27.580-05:00eBook Deals: Grab the First Three Books in the Chloe Ellefson Mystery Series Starting at Just $0.99!Everyone loves a deal! for a limited time, grab the first three ebooks of the Chloe Ellefson Mystery Series by Kathleen Ernst while they're on sale!<br />
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Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-34375799079426412982018-09-09T12:25:00.000-05:002018-09-10T10:41:41.101-05:00#MeToo, Gun Violence, and Black Swan Rising: A Guest Post from Lisa Brackmann<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome Lisa Brackmann, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738759470" target="new">Black Swan Rising</a></i>, to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here she talks about #MeToo, gun violence, and the inspiration for BLACK SWAN RISING.</b><br />
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In late fall 2013, I moved back to my hometown of San Diego after two and a half decades away. It's not like I'd been a stranger all that time—I'd been living up the freeway in Venice Beach, and I visited San Diego frequently. But visiting a place and living in it are two different things. The city of my birth had changed–a lot.
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I spent a lot of time taking very long walks around different parts of San Diego, particularly around Clairemont, where I’d gone to high school. I’d always thought of Clairemont as the absolute burbiest of the burbs—a middle-to-working class community of tract houses that sprawls over a large area north of the 8 freeway and east of the 5 and the bay. My high school, Clairemont High, was the real life inspiration for <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Times_at_Ridgemont_High" target="new">Fast Times at Ridgemont High</a></i>. That should give you some idea.<br />
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On foot, I was finding Clairemont to be a lot more interesting than I’d remembered–I encountered a Buddhist temple in a tract house, a trailer park, Middle Eastern and Brazilian markets, Taiwanese bakeries, pho restaurants, breweries, and a whole lot of taco shops and Tiki decorations. Still middle-to-working class for the most part, but with a growing number of faux Tuscan McMansions.
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Clairemont, like the city of San Diego itself, had become bigger, busier, more diverse. (You can see some of the Clairemont sights in my Instagram account, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/otherlisa/" target="new">@otherlisa</a>, using the hashtag <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/wildsofclairemont/" target="new">#WildsofClairemont</a>.)
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Oh, and the beer! There are six breweries within walking distance of my house (CAVEAT: I take long walks). San Diego can credibly claim to be the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_in_San_Diego_County,_California" target="new">craft beer capital of the world</a>, with <a href="https://westcoastersd.com/sd-brewing-industry-watch/" target="new">152 operational brewhouses</a> as of 1/30/18. <br />
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That’s...a lot of beer.<br />
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Politically, San Diego was no longer the conservative military town of my childhood. In fact, Clairemont had become a swing district, electing a Democrat to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2012. But in 2014 this was still most definitely a swing district–and the Congressional race that year was heavily contested. At the time more money was spent on this race than any other congressional race in history. The advertisements were constant and the attack ads, ubiquitous and incredibly nasty. I've always been a political junkie, and I watched it all, fascinated and repelled. <br />
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Another thing going on at that time that I found fascinating and repelling: GamerGate.<br />
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In case you missed it, "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamergate_controversy" target="new">GamerGate</a>" was ostensibly about ethics in journalism covering the online gaming industry. <a href="http://gawker.com/what-is-gamergate-and-why-an-explainer-for-non-geeks-1642909080" target="New">What it really was about</a> was attacking and shaming women involved in that industry who dared to advocate for more inclusive and more women-friendly games or even examine the kinds of sexist and racist tropes common in gaming. These attacks ranged from constant online harassment of women, people of color, and at times, their male allies to doxing, "swatting" (calling in a fake police report to provoke a SWAT team response on a target) and real-life death threats.
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The attackers? Mostly young, angry white men.
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The internet has long been hostile territory for women and people of color, but this was several steps beyond anything that had gone on before, with subReddits and other chat boards used to organize and coordinate attacks.
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GamerGate was not taken terribly seriously by many. After all, it was just the internet, right? If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen. Or more accurately, get back into the kitchen where you belong. The virulent misogyny behind this "movement" was undeniable, but for whatever reason, online platforms and commentators were slow to respond in any positive way.
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Here's the thing, though. Misogyny is frequently the canary in the coal mine. <br />
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It is not a stretch to say that the current "Alt-Right" movement, up to and including Neo Nazis, grew out of GamerGate, sharing ideologies and adopting their methods of online organization and harassment.
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"Before white supremacists, neo-Nazis and white nationalists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia in August they were organizing behind a computer screen," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN1P6UA7pvM" target="new">according to a video piece by NBC News</a>. "And a lot of that organizing happened through a messaging service called Discord which was original created to connect video game players to one another. "This is just the latest in the long-running, shared history between <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/01/gamergate-alt-right-hate-trump" target="new">the gaming community and the alt-right</a>."</blockquote>
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Something else I found fascinating and appalling became another key element of <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738759470" target="new">BLACK SWAN RISING</a></i>: Mass shootings, in particular the constant drumbeat of these stories, of deaths, of a media storm over a particularly violent incident that quickly subsides and is replaced by the next mass slaughter, to the accompaniment of meaningless "thoughts and prayers."<br />
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I started researching mass shootings as a phenomena. I found that the great majority of mass shooters have <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/11/07/562387350/in-texas-and-beyond-mass-shootings-have-roots-in-domestic-violence" target="new">domestic violence in their backgrounds</a> (in fact, <a href="https://everytownresearch.org/reports/mass-shootings-analysis/" target="new">most mass shootings are "domestics</a>," with the victims primarily being the male shooter's family). At the very least, these shooters have documented sentiments of hatred of women. <br />
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Elliot Rodger, the Isla Vista shooter, is just one example. "I will punish all females for the crime of depriving me of sex," <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-isla-vista-document-20140524-story.html" target="new">he wrote in a document outlining his massacre plans</a>. "They have starved me of sex for my entire youth, and gave that pleasure to other men. In doing so, they took many years of my life away."<br />
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"I will arm myself with deadly weapons and wage a war against all women and the men they are attracted to. And I will slaughter them like the animals they are."<br />
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Another common thread? <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/20180205/alt-right-killing-people" target="new">Racism and other "Alt-Right" beliefs</a>.<br />
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Elliott Rodger, Dylann Roof, Christopher Harper Mercer, Alexandre Bissonette, <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/nikolas-cruz-trained-with-florida-white-supremacist-group-leader-says" target="new">Nikolas Cruz</a> (the Parkland shooter)—the list goes on and on. <br />
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From Rodger, again: "How could an inferior, ugly black boy be able to get a white girl and not me? I am beautiful, and I am half white myself. I am descended from British aristocracy. He is descended from slaves. I deserve it more."<br />
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"How could an ugly Asian attract the attention of a white girl, while a beautiful Eurasian like myself never had any attention from them?"<br />
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And thus the horrible circle—online harassment, misogyny, racism, right-wing extremism, and mass slaughter—is closed. <br />
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I wrote the first chapter and a pitch for <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738759470" target="new">BLACK SWAN RISING</a></i> in mid-2014, and then put it aside to write <i>GO-BETWEEN</i>. I ended up writing most of <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738759470" target="new">BLACK SWAN RISING</a></i> in 2016. All I can say is that watching the political events unfold as I was writing was another peculiar mix of fascinating and appalling. There were times that I was afraid to write down what was in my head because I was scared that it might actually happen in front of me. I know, rationally, that this is ridiculous. But I felt a bit like Casey Cheng, one of the heroines of the novel, a reporter who by giving something a name fears that she's helped bring it to life. <br />
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This was not an easy book to write. Generally my books have a lot more humor to them than this one does. But I felt that it was an important book to write, and a necessary one. Maybe one thing that the #MeToo era has shown is that we need to call these things out, to give them names, to bring them into the light, if we truly want to defeat them. <br />
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738759470" target="new"><img align="left" alt="Black Swan Rising" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738759470.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
Sarah Price wants a career in politics. But she has a secret past that won't stay past, threatening her job on a San Diego congressman's reelection campaign.
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Casey Cheng wants a story. An ambitious local television reporter, Casey needs to get her career back on track after being seriously injured in a mass shooting. When she investigates the man who nearly killed her, she finds a connection to a group of online harassers called #TrueMen—and realizes her shooter may not be the only killer they have inspired.<br />
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Casey's investigation and Sarah's secret put them both in the crosshairs of a hate group that targets anyone they've deemed to be against their cause, including Sarah's boss, the congressman. Now Sarah and Casey have a choice to make—do they hide? Or do they fight back?
<b><br /><br />Praise for <i>Black Swan Rising</i>:</b><br />
"<i>Black Swan Rising</i> is more than the sum of its parts...In this gripping novel, Lisa Brackmann tells not just the harrowing story of two women impacted by a mass shooting but the story of America's deadly love affair with guns."<br />
—Bryn Greenwood, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>All the Ugly and Wonderful Things</i><br />
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"Lisa Brackmann's <i>Black Swan Rising</i> is a savvy, riveting thriller that's also deeply human, with characters who are as authentic as they are compelling."<br />
—Lou Berney, Edgar Award–winning author of <i>The Long and Faraway Gone</i><br />
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"Lisa Brackmann writes with passion, guts, and heart. <i>Black Swan Rising</i> is more than just a thrilling read—it's also an unflinching examination of the corrosive effects of racism and misogyny on American culture."<br />
—Chris Holm, Anthony Award–winning author of <i>The Killing Kind</i><br />
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"A raw and masterful mystery thriller that explores the real darkness of the human soul."<br />
—Jonathan Maberry, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Glimpse</i><br />
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<b>Lisa Brackmann</b> has worked as an executive at a major motion picture studio, an issues researcher in a presidential campaign, and was the singer/songwriter/bassist in an LA rock band. Her debut novel, <i>Rock Paper Tiger</i>, set on the fringes of the Chinese art world, made several "Best of 2010" lists, including Amazon's Top 100 Novels and Top 10 Mystery/Thrillers, and was nominated for the <i>Strand Magazine</i> Critics Award for Best First Novel. Her second novel, <i>Getaway</i>, won the Los Angeles Book Festival Grand Prize and was nominated for the T. Jefferson Parker SCIBA award. <i>Hour of the Rat</i>, #2 in the Ellie McEnroe series, was short-listed for Left Coast's World Mystery award, as was Ellie #3, <i>Dragon Day</i> (and was a <i>Seattle Times</i> Top 10 Mystery Pick). Lisa lives in San Diego with a couple of cats, far too many books, and a bass ukulele. Visit Lisa online at <a href="http://www.lisabrackmann.com/" target="new">www.LisaBrackmann.com</a>.
Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-1906452028777896192018-09-07T10:03:00.000-05:002018-09-07T10:03:00.641-05:00Five Fun Facts About Jess Lourey: A Guest Blog Post from MERCY'S CHASE Author Jess Lourey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome Jess Lourey, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757551" target="new">Mercy's Chase</a></i>, to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here she shares 5 facts that you'd never guess.</b><br />
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1. I write with a box of See’s Chocolate Lollipops close by. If I can’t find a way out of a scene or get stuck on a big, white page, I suck on one of those, and it pulls the words loose.<br />
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2. The idea for the <a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/products_by_series_list.php?series_id=1288" target="new">Salem's Cipher</a> thriller series came from an offhand comment Chelsea Cain made while she and I were on a panel together. "I wish there were more kick-ass thrillers written by women and about women." Yeah, sister!
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3. While Salem Wiley, the protagonist in <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757551" target="new">Mercy's Chase</a></i>, is a genius cryptanalyst, I am not. Doing crossword puzzles, reading mystery novels, and playing hide-and-go-seek are me at the top of my code-cracking game. I am, however, an excellent research and was delighted to discover all sorts of great cryptanalytical books and articles out there, including Helen F. Gaines's <i>Cryptanalysis: A Study of Ciphers and Their Solution</i> and Simon Singh's <i>The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography</i>.
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4. In my head, Salem Wiley looks like a cross between my niece, Esmae, and my friend, Angie. I think of the two of them whenever I write her.
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5. For research, I visited most of the locations included in <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757551" target="new">Mercy's Chase</a></i>, including a tour that brought me inside of Stonehenge. Tough job!<br />
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757551" target="new"><img align="left" alt="Mercy's Chase" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738757551.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
"An immersive voice, an intriguing story, a wonderful character—highly recommended!"<br />
—Lee Child, #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of the Jack Reacher novels<br />
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<b>What if everything you thought you knew about Stonehenge was wrong?</b><br />
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When agoraphobic genius Salem Wiley lands her dream job as an FBI cryptanalyst, she vows never to return to the witch hunt underworld, where ancient secrets encrypted by hunted women have the power to rewrite history. Her resolve disappears when sweet Mercy Mayfair, the child she is pledged to protect, is kidnapped. With the help of the enigmatic Agent Lucan Stone, Salem is forced to code hunt in Ireland, England, and Scotland to keep the girl alive. As the clock ticks, she must face the terrible truth that there is only one way to free Mercy: crack the unbreakable code of Stonehenge.
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<b><br /><br />Praise for <i>Mercy's Chase</i>:</b><br />
"Both a sweeping adventure and race-against-time thriller, <i>Mercy's Chase</i> is fascinating, fierce, and brimming with heart—just like its heroine, Salem Wiley."<br />
—Meg Gardiner, author of <i>Into the Black Nowhere</i><br />
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<b>Jess Lourey</b> (rhymes with “dowry”) is an Anthony, Lefty, and Agatha-nominated author best known for her critically-acclaimed Mira James Mysteries, which have earned multiple starred reviews from <i>Library Journal</i> and <i>Booklist</i>, the latter calling her writing “a splendid mix of humor and suspense.” She is a tenured professor of creative writing and sociology, a recipient of The Loft's Excellence in Teaching fellowship, a regular <i>Psychology Today</i> blogger, and a sought-after workshop leader and keynote speaker who delivered the 2016 "Rewrite Your Life" TEDx Talk. <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757551" target="new">Mercy's Chase</a></i>, the second in the feminist thriller series Lee Child calls "highly recommended," releases September 8. You can find out more at <a href="http://www.jessicalourey.com/" target="new">www.jessicalourey.com</a>.
Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-1320405783655743172018-08-25T09:50:00.000-05:002018-08-25T12:54:24.668-05:00Happy #NationalDogDay!<div style="text-align: center;">
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For so many of us, our pets go beyond an animal presence in our lives; they are our children, extended members of our family who bring our soul love and nourishment.
To celebrate our dogs this National Dog Day, I wanted to take a look at some of our fabulous books that celebrate the bonds we have with our dogs - even as they help us solve crimes!</div>
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/products_by_series_list.php?series_id=1247" target="_blank">The Barkery & Biscuits Mystery Series, by Linda O. Johnston</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752457" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="492" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yrDlvwPjpY4DNozc7HPb9RytUoy-RE4P9qJ6vyCs4jEfkcHfT6EqJkmduPDuVeELriwvofipIh24bL88lGNZZaNCJzqC2eGBE-RGmWGqSKGpEv1F3TqHiq59YvCfoyv9RYxPuv7S85o/s320/9780738752457.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<b>Read if you like: </b>Recipes for homemade pet treats (and human treats!), Joanna Fluke, and cozy mysteries with dogs</div>
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Join veterinary technician Carrie Kennersly, owner of the new Barkery & Biscuits Dog Bakery, as she and her canine companions navigate the mysteries of murder.<br />
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Grab the latest release in the series, <a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752457" target="_blank"><i>Pick and Chews</i></a>!<br />
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Looking for more Linda O. Johnston mysteries that feature dogs? Check out the <a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/products_by_series_list.php?series_id=1240" target="_blank">Superstition Mystery series</a>!<br />
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/products_by_series_list.php?series_id=1264" target="_blank">The Dog Days Mystery Series, by Jamie M. Blair</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738751214" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="492" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIMxMrS5tDz5-3rZLich6gOuwZE3tGM25IKoV0k6Lwc0Z-gQHXKNXqULx3wAqnIwpLJGq579VoJb0rpqXx2aEDY6uUjWmx3-dXl2aDHFfr0leClmb61yYHlDcNJ_M0EUcCWiiqiK4eUY/s320/9780738751214.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<b>Read if you like: </b>Recipes for homemade pet treats, books that make you laugh out loud, and cozy mysteries with dogs</div>
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Join Cameron Cripps-Hayman and the rest of the Metamora Action Agency as they solve crimes, aided by their canine companions.<br />
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The latest release in the series, <a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738751214" target="_blank"><i>Fatal Festival Days</i></a>, is now available for pre-order!<br />
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/products_by_series_list.php?series_id=1231" target="_blank">The Downward Dog Mystery Series, by Tracy Weber</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738750682" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="485" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDLCH-HsfwaQP8PQ-PNp4ykYFVXOx4kHn4HxvkqxYyNbXGvAhB0RmCetqubLEMRNyBdQy3CTaQFBoIMtlABLaNhr_33wkcX8oaYYxzlubayYOSwYTKLMZnjpuMXcVMhuSGz5ZkZpfwf0/s320/9780738750682.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<b>Read if you like: </b>Yoga, German Shepherds, and cozy mysteries</div>
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Join yoga instructor Kate Davidson, her German Shepherd Bella, and boyfriend Michael as they solve murder after murder.<br />
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Grab the latest release in the series, <a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738750682" target="_blank"><i>Pre-Meditated Murder</i></a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/products_by_series_list.php?series_id=884" target="_blank">The Animals in Focus Mystery Series, by Sheila Webster Boneham</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738744872" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="492" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0TEHMrsQO_2xLrcUz4gnuIn53S-pKiyCbL7E7b6K90TNcR322S7yG727vnwQyXHk2uLqmJTbsNZJIPjcnMyIL4FKH8xkHNtKpaUPgAsFFCktFU7SdanQZCTLZyiRibKqoWMirfwHMvY/s320/9780738744872.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<b>Read if you like: </b>Photography, animals of shapes and sizes, and cozy mysteries</div>
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Join animal photographer Janet McPhail and her cadre of animal companions as they solve murders. <br />
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Grab the latest release in the series, <a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738744872" target="_blank"><i>Shepherd's Crook</i></a>.<br />
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Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-37297338892956367562018-08-15T09:36:00.001-05:002018-09-10T13:18:17.713-05:00eBook Deals: Select Titles from Jess Lourey Are on Sale for Just $0.99!Everyone loves a deal! For a limited time, grab two ebooks by Jess Lourey while they're on sale!<br />
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<tr><td><img alt="Salem's Cipher" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/200/9780738749693.jpg" width="200" /></td><td><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Salems-Cipher-Novel-ebook/dp/B01APSYQ3I/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1534343597&sr=1-1&keywords=salem%27s+cipher" target="new">Buy for Kindle: $0.99</a><br />
<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/salems-cipher-jess-lourey/1123288630?ean=9780738750729" target="new">Buy for Nook: $0.99</a><br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jess_Lourey_Salem_s_Cipher?id=3BzODAAAQBAJ" target="new">Buy for Google Books: $0.99</a></td></tr>
<tr><td><img alt="March of Crime" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/200/9780738752631.jpg" width="200" /></td><td><a href="https://www.amazon.com/March-Crime-Murder-Month-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B01N6TIWO1/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1534342009&sr=1-1&keywords=march+of+crime&dpID=51Gc-Oixy-L&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch" target="new">Buy for Kindle: $0.99</a><br />
<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/march-of-crime-jess-lourey/1125531625?ean=9780738753355" target="new">Buy for Nook: $0.99</a><br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jess_Lourey_March_of_Crime?id=adsvDwAAQBAJ" target="new">Buy for Google Books: $0.99</a></td></tr>
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Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-7324570144276831952018-08-10T10:53:00.000-05:002018-08-10T10:53:00.286-05:00When an Entire Novel is Inspired by an Opening Sentence: a Guest Post from THE NEGOTIATOR Author Brendan DuBois<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome Brendan DuBois, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738754017" target="new">Negotiator</a></i>, to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here he shares the inspiration...a simple opening line...for his latest book. </b><br />
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There are a lot of memorable opening lines in novels.
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"Call me Ishmael," from Melville's <i>Moby Dick</i>.<br />
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Or, "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again," from Daphne du Maurier's <i>Rebecca</i>.<br />
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Then there's my personal favorite: "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Four shots ripped into my groin and I was off on the greatest adventure of my life!" from Max Shulman's <i>Sleep Til Noon</i>.<br />
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The reason I wrote <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738754017" target="new">The Negotiator</a></i> was due to a first line that just popped into my head one day while I was working on a new project, and which I quickly wrote down so I didn't forget it:<br />
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"I'm a negotiator, the best in the world."<br />
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There.<br />
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That one sentence bubbled up in the creative cauldron that is my mind, and lived for a while on an otherwise blank document on my computer.
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I didn't know who the narrator was, but I knew he had a cool job. He was a negotiator. Or, rather, <i>the</i> Negotiator.
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Imagine you're in the possession of something highly illegal, like stolen bonds, or jewelry lifted from a burglary, or a rare piece of art. You need to get rid of it, but you don't know who to trust to get a fair deal without being ripped off.
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That's when The Negotiator steps in. He will appraise your stolen item (no drugs, people, or anything that would threaten the security of the United States) and approach a potential buyer. He will serve as the intermediary, ensuring that both sides of the negotiation feel comfortable with the deal, with him getting a percentage of the sale for making the deal.
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It's a win-win-win all around.<br />
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And then I started writing <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738754017" target="new">The Negotiator</a></i>, and then started having a lot of fun, more fun than any author should get.
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You see, I'm also the author of the Lewis Cole mysteries, and the eleventh novel in that series—<i>Hard Aground</i>—was released this past April. I also write science fiction, and I have a novel coming out in October, <i>Black Triumph</i>, from Baen Books. Oh, and in my spare time (hah-hah-hah), I'm also co-authoring works with <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author James Patterson.<br />
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Which meant that when I started writing <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738754017" target="new">The Negotiator</a></i>, it wasn't my first rodeo, but I decided to do something very, very different.<br />
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No outline.<br />
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None.<br />
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Zero.<br />
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Zed.<br />
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There are plotters (writers who write detailed outlines of their works) and "pantsers" (writers who write from the seat of their pants), but at least in those two examples, both sets have some idea of where the story is going.
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Not me.<br />
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Heck, I didn't even know the name of my main character, the narrator, and to this day, I still don't know his real name. I don't know where he was born, how he was raised, or what his background is. He's a mystery, an enigma, and as I noted in Chapter One:<br />
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<i>"…What did I do before I went independent? <br /><br />
Perhaps I was once one of those $500 an hour Wall Street lawyers working for a hedge fund, going line by line through financial documents, yawning desperately in an attempt not to toss myself out of a twentieth floor window. Or maybe I was the best BMW salesman in Southern California, with a wall of plaques and a shelf full of trophies denoting same, complete with my own private parking space and a host of envious fellow salesmen who wished they could dine on my liver. Or maybe I was a Special Forces soldier, with a love of firearms and the canny ability to be dropped into whatever Third World hellhole was making the news that month, and being able to reach an agreement between tribes that have been at war since the time of Charlemagne over a stolen goat.<br /><br />
Take your pick."</i><br />
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But what I quickly learned that writing in ignorance produced a Zen-like bliss, and I had so much fun just writing the story, letting things happen, and trying to puzzle out what happens next.
<br />
<br />
And part of the fun was having something bad happen to The Negotiator, where a proposed deal quickly turns deadly, leading into a lot of gunfire and the death of The Negotiator's business associate.<br />
<br />
That won't stand.<br />
<br />
And as the book unfolds, the reader gets to learn more about my main character than his negotiating skills, including his investigative techniques, his attractiveness to members of the opposite sex, and his absolute drive and determination to find justice, no matter what.<br />
<br />
For in that case, that's non-negotiable.
<br />
<br />
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***</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738754017" target="new"><img align="left" alt="The Negotiator" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738754017.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
"The mysterious George has lots of clout, and the Negotiator has to make some exceptionally sharp and unexpected deals in his quest for payback. DuBois wraps up his clever tale with a few nifty twists. Readers will hope for a sequel."—<i>Publishers Weekly</i><br />
<br />
<b>For the Negotiator, calling 911 isn't an option.</b><br />
<br />
The Negotiator has built a lucrative business on his talent for moving valuable merchandise with no questions asked. As a successful entrepreneur in the criminal underground, he's learned that it's good for business—and for his health—to keep gunplay off the table as much as possible.
<br />
<br />
But when a deal that promises to deliver a massive payday leads to a bloodbath, he's forced into a no-holds-barred mission for vengeance. And for the Negotiator, when the stakes of a deal are life and death, gunplay is definitely back on the table.
<b><br /><br />Praise for Brendan DuBois:</b><br />
"Surprises keep coming until the last page, where we're let in on a vast, circular plot reminiscent of Grisham—and worthy of him."<br />
—<i>Booklist</i><br />
<br />
"A taut, suspenseful thriller."<br />
—<i>Library Journal</i><br />
<br />
"DuBois throws in a pleasing final surprise."<br />
—<i>Kirkus Reviews</i><br />
<br />
"[DuBois] writes a mean novel."<br />
—<i>Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine</i>
<br />
<hr />
<br />
<b>Brendan DuBois</b> (New Hampshire) is the author of <i>Resurrection Day</i>, the Lewis Cole series, and several other novels. His short stories have been included in several "Best of" anthologies, and have won two Barry Awards and an Al Blanchard Crime Fiction Award. Visit him online at <a href="http://www.brendandubois.com/" target="new">www.brendandubois.com</a>.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-70764846458918695482018-08-06T03:30:00.000-05:002018-08-06T03:30:11.712-05:00What It Takes to Write a Mystery<br />
<h3>
by Linda O. Johnston</h3>
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<br /></div>
<h3>
<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">What does it take to write a
mystery?<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">An imagination, certainly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who's your protagonist, and how does she wind
up solving crimes--especially if she's an amateur who earns her living in ways
far removed from being an investigator?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Someone like a veterinary technician who winds up owning a barkery and
bakery... and somehow winds up finding murderers, too, after she and her
closest friends sometimes become murder suspects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That's what happens in my Barkery and
Biscuits Mysteries for Midnight Ink.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0pn1fDQhZPlrrKaTOMyNTKieeaU1hMgLUrJGnFdFUyNohj93SijHQqYEd1kzenZMD5LtjM_nBgXHVfNWIbNMeBazNjSflwvIMUBU_xyPSIJx9NKGNv09PRkFMxIkvUgC7oUI8F3qMnk/s1600/Pick+and+Chews+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="327" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0pn1fDQhZPlrrKaTOMyNTKieeaU1hMgLUrJGnFdFUyNohj93SijHQqYEd1kzenZMD5LtjM_nBgXHVfNWIbNMeBazNjSflwvIMUBU_xyPSIJx9NKGNv09PRkFMxIkvUgC7oUI8F3qMnk/s200/Pick+and+Chews+Cover.jpg" width="130" /></a><span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It takes persistence, sitting
down in front of computer screen often enough to get that story fully written,
from first draft to a polished manuscript you're ready to send to your
editor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then going through the edits
that are necessary to get the story polished enough for printing and/or making
available as an e-book.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h3>
<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It takes a sense of wanting to do
all you can to make sure readers know about your books, from social media to
personal appearances including attending conferences--which can yank a writer
from her comfort zone if she would rather write than get before and audience
and crow about what she does and what great stories she's written.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h3>
<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Oh, and yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes a sense of humor--and maybe a sense
of daring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do I mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, a few weeks ago we had a couple of cops
visit our house to look at the footage from the security cameras my husband
mounted because of some issues in our neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That day, there was a problem at the house
across the street--which happens a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This time, though, police were called in and needed more
information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were able to show them
some footage that we think was helpful to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They even saved some on their body cameras.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h3>
<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And what did I say to them? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Among other things: "I kill people for a
living."<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h3>
<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Fortunately, they were nice cops
and they had a sense of humor, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course I explained what I meant, that I was a mystery writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I wouldn't have said it at all if I hadn't
gotten the impression that they were nice cops with a sense of humor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They laughed, and so did I</span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So yes, it takes imagination of
many sorts to write a mystery!<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h3>
<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Linda
O. Johnston is currently writing the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries for Midnight
Ink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her most recent one is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pick and Chews</i>, a May 2018 release,
which is fourth in the series.</span></span><span class="thread-subject"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<br />Linda O. Johnstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01512430135042480450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-16892543594265512282018-08-03T10:22:00.000-05:002018-08-03T10:22:01.224-05:00When the Stars Align (Or, How it All Began...): a Guest Post from TAIL OF THE DRAGON author Connie di Marco<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome Connie di Marco, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738751061" target="new">Tail of the Dragon</a></i>, the latest release in the Zodiac Mystery series, to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here she shares the astrological inspiration for the characters of her new book.</b><br />
<br />
Julia Bonatti, my San Francisco astrologer, was born on December 3, 1981 at 11:51 a.m. PST in San Francisco. But really, I believe she was born years before that, most likely the day I cracked open my first Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden or Sherlock Holmes—the day I became a hopelessly addicted and devouring lover of mysteries!<br />
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Fast forward many years (hate to tell you how many) and I finally worked up the courage to <i>attempt</i> to write my very own mystery. I wasn't sure I could do it. I had no idea how to go about it and knew even less about the business of writing and publishing. My goal was to write <u>one</u> mystery book and hopefully be traditionally published. I never anticipated the winding path I had embarked upon.
<br />
<br />
Julia’s practice, I realized, had to be in San Francisco, a city of dank alleyways, brilliant sunshine, secret stairways, vicious winds, fog and shadows–a fascinating, mysterious place. A city that has inspired scores of writers–from Dashiell Hammett to John Lescroart, and many, many more. A perfect setting for a mystery!
<br />
<br />
As an astrologer, Julia spends a lot of time working in isolation, just like a writer, studying natal charts and calmly advising her clients. But her occupation would put her in touch with a wide spectrum of people, clients who would bring crime to her doorstep. What could be better? An occupation that could get her into lots of trouble!
<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738749129" target="new">The Madness of Mercury</a></i>, the first book in the Zodiac Mysteries, was inspired by the Jim Jones years in San Francisco. My evil preacher, the Reverend Roy of the Prophet's Tabernacle, arrives in town and in short order has made inroads into the police department, swayed politicians and charmed society movers and shakers. Julia, in her astrological advice column, "AskZodia," speaks out against the cult and immediately becomes a target of the Army of the Prophet.
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<br />
I was very excited about <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738749129" target="new">The Madness of Mercury</a></i>, but before I could complete it, I had to put it on hold when the offer to write the Soup Lovers' Mysteries (as Connie Archer) came about. As much as I enjoyed writing something quite different for a few years, I was frustrated that I hadn't been able to finish <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738749129" target="new">The Madness of Mercury</a></i> and continue with the Zodiac project.
<br />
<br />
Fast forward again–five books later, and thanks to Midnight Ink, the Zodiac Mysteries were finally ready to see the light of day. The second in the series, <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738751078" target="new">All Signs Point to Murder</a></i>, is based on a real crime of which I had personal knowledge. I didn't believe the woman convicted of the crime was guilty. And so, <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738751078" target="new">All Signs Point to Murder</a></i> was my take on what could have really happened. Did it? Well, I'll never know, but I still believe in my premise. <br />
<br />
But how does Julia solve her crimes? With astrology, of course! And that involves working out the charts of the murderer and victim, just so that everything is accurate. For example, in <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738751078" target="new">All Signs Point to Murder</a></i>, the victim was a woman somewhere between 25 to 35 years of age. She had to be of questionable common sense and her life needed to be pretty much out of control. But she was still more a victim than a killer. Was this fair to my character? No, not really. It's fiction, but it had to be within the realm of possibility. <br />
<br />
I decided to make her a Sagittarian with her Moon in the same sign. She's too trusting, too outgoing, and more than a little foolhardy. But with Scorpio rising, and a dreadful Mars-Pluto conjunction in the 12th house, sitting on her Ascendant, she could be dangerous–mostly to herself. Her killer needed to be someone who could exert a controlling influence over her. I finally found the perfect birth date for my killer–a Neptune placement that would cloud my victim's judgment. It would be too late before she'd see the truth. <br />
<br />
Now your brain is probably short-circuiting with all this astrochat, which is what mine does when I'm trying to sort out these charts. Do I worry that I've painted myself into a corner? Sometimes. But eventually it all works out, enough so that an astrologer could agree with me at least. After all, whatever the birth date, anyone is capable of murder, aren't they? <br />
<br />
Julia’s third adventure is the <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738751061" target="new">Tail of the Dragon</a></i>. She's asked to go undercover at her client's law firm in an effort to expose the sender of death threats. The plan soon goes awry and Julia realizes she's dealing with a murderer. Her life is now in mortal danger and she'll need to check her own transits to see if she can survive this tale!
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***</div>
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738751061" target="new"><img align="left" alt="Tail of the Dragon" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738751061.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
"di Marco does a good job keeping the reader guessing whodunit in this psychic cozy."<br />
—<i>Publishers Weekly</i><br />
<br />
<b>A rare astrological event could help San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti avoid a deadly destiny</b><br />
<br />
Julia Bonatti loves the freedom of working for herself as a professional astrologer. But after receiving several unexpected bills, she considers a temp job offer from her old boss a stroke of luck too good to pass up.
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<br />
On her first day, the posh law office becomes a crime scene when one of the partners is found dead. Julia discovers that a series of death threats have been sent to several employees of the firm, and she uses her astrological expertise to discover possible motives. But before she can convince the authorities of what she knows, the killer strikes again. Will Julia unmask the culprit before he, or she, takes another life?<br />
<br />
<b><br /><br />Praise for the Zodiac Mysteries:</b><br />
<b><i>All Signs Point to Murder:</i></b><br />
"Di Marco crafts an intricate, twisting plot and layers on the astrological details that fans of psychic mysteries so enjoy."<br />
—<i>Booklist</i><br />
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<b><i>The Madness of Mercury:</i></b>
"This smartly written debut from di Marco sets the stage for a promising series."<br />
—<i>Kirkus Reviews</i><br />
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"Di Marco's series starter features a clever plot and a smart and feisty heroine with feet firmly planted on the ground while she searches the stars."<br />
—<i>Library Journal</i>
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<b>Connie di Marco</b> (Los Angeles, CA) is the bestselling author of the Soup Lovers Mysteries (Penguin), which she published under the name Connie Archer. She has always been fascinated by astrology and is excited to combine her love of the stars with her love of writing mysteries. Visit her at <a href="http://wwww.conniedimarco.com/" target="new">ConniediMarco.com</a>, on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/connie.di.marco.author" target="new">Connie di Marco (Author)</a>, or on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/askzodia?lang=en" target="new">@askzodia</a>.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-40591178236955486182018-07-24T12:51:00.000-05:002018-07-25T09:45:43.415-05:00Writing About What You Know...Even When That Means Filling Seats at the Emmys: A Guest Post from HOLLYWOOD ENDING Author Kellye Garre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome Kellye Garrett, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752976" target="new">Hollywood Ending</a></i>, the second in the <a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/products_by_series_list.php?series_id=1270" target="new">Detective by Day Mystery Series</a>, to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here she talks about writing what you know...including being a seat filler at the Emmy Awards.</b><br />
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Everyone knows the adage, "Write what you know."
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That’s definitely true for me. My <a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/products_by_series_list.php?series_id=1270" target="new">Detective by Day series</a> focuses on a semi-famous black actress who uses her Hollywood insider knowledge to solve murders. Whereas, I was a semi-successful black TV writer who uses my Hollywood insider knowledge to write murder mysteries.
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With each book in the series, I try to focus on a different element of Hollywood. For book two—<i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752976" target="new">Hollywood Ending</a></i>, out August 8—I set it during awards season. If you’re wondering what awards season is, this is how I describe it in the book:
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<blockquote>
"Awards season was all about getting dressed, getting drunk, and getting tiny gold statues that usually meant an extra zero in your paycheck and an extra line in your obituary. The three-month stretch kicked off with the Independent Spirit Award nominations in November and culminated with the grand dame of them all—the Oscars—in February. In between, everyone and their mama gave out awards like candy on Halloween."</blockquote>
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Although I've never been to the Oscars, I have been to the Emmy Awards, which ironically is probably the only acting awards show that doesn't take place during Awards season. It airs in September to coincide with the new broadcast TV show premieres.
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You're probably wondering why I was at the Emmys. It definitely wasn't because I was nominated.
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I was a seat filler!
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Have you ever noticed that there are never any empty seats whenever they show the crowd at an awards show? That’s because of seat fillers. A seat filler is a person who literally will sit in Tom Cruise’s seat while he takes a bathroom break.
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I know other awards shows will put out casting calls for seat fillers. I got the gig because of another Hollywood staple: I knew someone.
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In <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752976" target="new">Hollywood Ending</a></i>, Day heads to the Silver Sphere Awards, which I created just for the book. Here’s her prep process:
<br />
<blockquote>
"I had to hand it to Sienna. We both looked great. Her Glam Squad had given me the full second-season-of-a-reality-show-makeover complete with clip-on hair extensions and enough nose and cheek contouring to make a Kardashian weep with joy. Clothing-wise, Sienna had opted for a low-cut Jessica Rabbit inspired number and I’d gone for an off the shoulder purple classic silhouette that flaunted way less boob and way more booty. We both wore our hair down. The hair stylist opted for a stick straight look for Sienna and flowy beach waves for me. I was impressed."</blockquote>
<br />
My own process was nowhere near as glam. I definitely was not wearing anything designer. Nope. I found a cute (and cheap) turquoise dress at my local Ross. Instead of hiring a hairdresser to put in extensions, I just plopped on a wig. And I did my own make-up. And these were the days before contouring and highlighting and all that other fancy stuff. You just put on some powder and foundation and called it a day.
<br />
<br />
Still, even without the entire glam squad, I felt gorgeous.
<br />
<br />
I arrived at the Shrine Auditorium ready to do my duty!
<br />
<br />
Because you don’t actually have a seat, they line you up in a loading area by the lobby. You literally move conveyor style to the front of the line and wait until it’s your turn to temporarily take ownership of a seat in the actual auditorium.
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<br />
I ended up acting as a seat filler for both the Creative Arts Emmy Awards—which recognizes the more behind-the-screen categories like set decorator—and the Primetime Emmy Awards we all know and watch.
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<br />
At the Creative Arts Emmys, I hit the seat filler jackpot, meaning someone in the first row never bothered to show up. So I basically sat down and watched the entire show in the best seat in the house. At one point, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Gardner came and sat next to me. This was when they first started dating and I was totally eavesdropping on their conversation. (It was nothing juicy, unfortunately.)
<br />
<br />
I moved around a lot more at the Primetime Emmy show and even managed to get some screen-time when I happened to be sitting in front of a winner when they announced his category. Soon after I had to give up my seat because its true owner arrived.
<br />
<br />
Ruby Dee.
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<br />
I was a huge fan of her work, especially as a woman of color trying to make it in Hollywood in the 50s. Truth be told, I would’ve given up my seat for her anyway.
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***</div>
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752976" target="new"><img align="left" alt="Hollywood Ending" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738752976.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
<b>And the award goes to . . .<br /><br />
. . . Dayna Anderson, the semi-famous actress turned PI who steps up her sleuthing swagger in this follow-up to breakout hit <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738752617" target="new">Hollywood Homicide</a></i>, winner of the Lefty Award and the Agatha Award for Best First Novel!</b><br />
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Tinseltown's awards season is in full swing, and everyone is obsessed with dressing up, scoring free swag, and getting invited to the biggest awards shows of the year. But when celebrity publicist Lyla Davis is killed, the festive mood comes to an abrupt halt.<br />
<br />
Apprentice private eye Dayna Anderson thinks she's uncovered the killer. Unfortunately, what starts as an open-and-shut case turns out to be anything but. Diving deeper into the investigation, Dayna gets a backstage look at gossip blogging, Hollywood royalty, and one of entertainment's most respected awards shows—all while trying to avoid her own Hollywood ending.
<b><br /><br />Praise for <i>Hollywood Ending</i></b><br />
"Day's funny and determined, the sort of woman who really WOULD make a wisecrack when faced with danger. She's done her time in the tinsel factory and seen the light. She's the perfect guide to the lifestyles of the rich, famous, and homicidally inclined."<br />
—Donna Andrews, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of the Meg Langslow series
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<br />
"Kellye Garrett's <i>Hollywood Ending</i> glitters with stardust. A fun, fast-paced mystery, it's definitely an A-lister."<br />
—Elaine Viets, author of the Dead-End Job mysteries<br />
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"Fasten your seatbelts. A star is born!"<br />
—Nancy Martin, author of the Blackbird Sisters mysteries<br />
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"Kellye Garrett's <i>Hollywood Ending</i> is an entertaining whodunit that provides readers a peek behind Hollywood's star-studded curtain."<br />
—Diane Kelly, award-winning author of the Paw Enforcement, Tara Holloway, and House-Flipper mystery series<br />
<br />
<b>Praise for <i>Hollywood Homicide</i>:</b><br />
Winner of the 2018 Lefty Award for Best Debut<br />
<br />
Winner of the 2018 Agatha Award for Best First Novel
<br />
<br />
Winner of the 2018 IPPY Gold Medal for Best First Book<br />
<br />
"[A] winning first novel and series launch…Garrett writes with humor and insight about the Hollywood scene. Readers will look forward to Day's further adventures."<br />
—<i>Publishers Weekly</i> (starred review)<br />
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"A smart, sassy debut, introducing an appealing protagonist with amusing friends."<br />
—<i>Library Journal</i> (starred review) and Debut of the Month<br />
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"Veteran TV writer Garrett uses her <i>Cold Case</i> experience to inform her debut, which sets up more than one charming character and isn't afraid to go cynical on all things LA."<br />
—<i>Kirkus Reviews</i><br />
<br />
"Funny, lively characters populate this new Detective by Day series…this will be an entertaining entry into the amateur sleuth genre."<br />
—<i>RT Book Reviews</i><br />
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<br />
<b>Kellye Garrett</b> (East Orange, NJ) spent eight years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for <i>Cold Case</i>. A former magazine editor, she holds a BS in magazine writing from Florida A&M and an MFA in screenwriting from USC’s famed film school. She now works for a leading media company and brainstorms ways to commit murder for her novels. Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-16145603583692747842018-07-20T09:34:00.000-05:002018-07-20T09:34:06.460-05:00The True, Eerie Story that Inspired BIG WOODS: A Guest Post from author May Cobb<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome May Cobb, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757810" target="new">Big Woods</a></i>, to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here she shares the true, eerie story that inspired her new book.</b><br />
<br />
Although my debut thriller, <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757810" target="new">Big Woods</a></i>, is strictly a work of fiction, the idea for this novel is based in part on a story my mother once told me while I was growing up in East Texas.
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My mother, a nurse, worked the graveyard shift in the psychiatric unit of our small town's hospital. One night, a frantic young woman in bloodied and ripped clothing appeared in the doorway and begged for the staff to take her into hiding. The woman claimed she had been held captive by a group of powerful men, but had managed to escape. She whispered to my mother that the men—all town elders—had formed a secret cult and forced women into performing ritualistic sex acts.
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My mom's co-workers thought the woman was insane, but my mother believed her. On a scrap of paper, she drew my mom a map to a nearby cemetery where she said the rituals were held. One weekend while my mom was off work, the hospital released the woman and my mom was never able to find her, or find out what happened to her.
<br />
<br />
Soon after, she followed the woman's map to the backwoods cemetery and walked up on the remains of a recently-smoldering fire ring.
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My mother never forgot her, and it forever changed the way we saw our small southern town: an eerie place that has always been a center of religious fanaticism mixed with whispers of the occult.
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757810" target="new"><img align="left" alt="Big Woods" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738757810.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
<b>
"Stephen King's <i>Stand by Me</i> collides with Gillian Flynn's <i>Sharp Objects</i> in this exceptional thriller. Gutsy, gripping—and pitch-perfect in its resurrection of an era long gone."<br />—A. J. Finn, #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>The Woman in the Window</i></b><br />
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It's 1989 in the sleepy town of Longview, Texas, when ten-year-old Lucy disappears. Her parents, the police, and the community all brace for the worst, assuming her body will soon be found in Big Woods. Just like the other unsolved kidnappings.
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<br />
But then Lucy's fourteen-year-old sister, Leah, starts having dreams about Lucy—dreams that reveal startling clues as to what happened. Leah begins her own investigation, and soon she meets a reclusive widow who may hold the key to finding Lucy . . . if only she can find the courage to come forward.<br />
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Delving into the paranoia surrounding satanic cults in the 1980s, <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757810" target="new">Big Woods</a></i> is an emotionally wrought, propulsive thriller about the enormity of grief, the magical bond between sisters, and a small town's dark secrets.
<b><br /><br />Praise for <i>Big Woods</i>:</b><br />
"<i>Big Woods</i> is a nuanced family story and also a heart-stopping thriller with surprising twists. Cobb taps into the fabulous 80s sensibility of <i>Stranger Things</i> and also into our deepest fears about safety, evil, trust, and the power of faith in what we don't understand. I couldn't put it down."<br />
—Amanda Eyre Ward, author of <i>The Nearness of You</i> and <i>The Same Sky</i>
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"Compulsively readable."<br />
—Rosamund Lupton, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Sister</i>
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<br />
"<i>Big Woods</i> is brilliant! Cobb has crafted a haunting thriller that dives deep into grief, family connections, and the dreadful power of fear. The novel succeeds as a rich exploration of emotion and a not-so-distant time while also shining as a riveting page-turner."<br />
—Owen Egerton, author of <i>Hollow</i> and writer/director of horror-comedy <i>Bloodfest</i>
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<br />
"The novel's plot is well twisted, and author May Cobb draws out terrifying moments with clarity. <i>Big Woods</i> is perfectly timed to take advantage of the 1980s horror revival. Its historic details are excellent, down to the songs on Leah's car stereo. Cobb paints in Day-Glo and brings terrors of the night to life."<br />
—<i>Foreword Magazine</i>
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<hr />
<br />
<b>May Cobb</b> is a novelist and freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. <i>Big Woods</i> was selected as the winner in the 2015 Writer's League of Texas Manuscript Contest, and the pitch to <i>Big Woods</i> was selected as the Winner for the 2016 NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza. May earned her MA in Literature from San Francisco State University and has spent the past several years researching and writing a book about the late jazz great Rahsaan Roland Kirk (forthcoming). Her essays and interviews have appeared in <i>The Washington Post</i>, <i>The Rumpus</i>, <i>Edible Austin</i>, and <i>Austin Monthly</i>. Visit her online at <a href="http://www.maycobb.com/" target="new">www.maycobb.com</a>.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-13518788016075825552018-07-19T10:57:00.000-05:002018-07-19T10:57:15.656-05:00Remembering Your Book Is About to Be Published: A Guest Post from LAST CALL Author Paula Matter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome Paula Matter, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757827" target="new">Last Call</a></i> (the first book in the Maggie Lewis Mystery Series), to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here she shares some insight into remembering that she has a book coming out.</b><br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757827" target="new">Last Call</a></i>, my debut mystery, is going to be released on July 8th. I've been practicing saying those words lately. In the past several months when asked where I'm working, I responded with, "I’m retired. No, wait! I mean, I'm an author now. My first book, <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757827" target="new">Last Call</a></i>, comes out in July. It's a Maggie Lewis Mystery. She's a VFW bartender who gets framed for the murder of her least favorite customer. I started writing the book after I got fired from my bartending job at the VFW."
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<br />
I really suck at self-promotion. But I'm getting better. I'm even remembering to tell people that the book is available to pre-order on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Call-Maggie-Lewis-Mystery-ebook/dp/B079QL6NQZ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526398647&sr=8-1&keywords=paula+matter" target="new">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757827" target="new">Midnight Ink</a>.
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<br />
Now that the release date is getting closer (ack!), I'm coming to terms with the fact that I HAVE A BOOK COMING OUT! Sorry for shouting. This whole experience is fresh, so I get a little excited when I remember that it's actually going to happen. Me, an author. I know it must be true because I have an ARC of <i>Last Call</i> sitting right here on my desk. I'm getting reviews from <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36679181-last-call?from_search=true" target="new">Goodreads</a>, <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/131561" target="new">NetGalley</a>, and <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/paula-matter/last-call-a-maggie-lewis-mystery/" target="new">Kirkus</a>. Fabulous, best-selling, award-winning authors have graciously written blurbs for me. I'm getting invitations from wonderful bloggers to contribute a post. I have bookmarks. I have a contract. I have emails from my agent, editor, publicist. I HAVE A PUBLICIST! Oops, sorry.
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<br />
So. I guess it's real. I do have a book coming out. <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757827" target="new">Last Call</a></i>, my debut mystery, is going to be released on July 8th. I hope I remember to breathe. And to tell people it's available.
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***</div>
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738757827" target="new"><img align="left" alt="Last Call" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738757827.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
<b>
A bartender at a Florida VFW has to clear her name or she'll be serving time instead of drinks
</b><br />
<br />
Bartender Maggie Lewis can't hold her beer, her tongue, or her temper. On a bad day at work she'd love to kill a customer or two. On a very bad day she becomes the primary suspect accused of doing just that.<br />
<br />
Suspended from her job after being set up for the murder of Korean war veteran Jack Hoffman, Maggie has no intention of letting herself be framed. And since the police have yet to arrest anybody for the last major crime in town—the murder of Maggie's husband—she's sure they won't try too hard to collar the real culprit. So Maggie must produce enough evidence to clear her name, get her job back, and find the killer before she ends up behind the wrong kind of bars.
<br />
<b><br /><br />Praise for <i>Last Call</i>:</b><br />
"Matter's debut provides...a heroine who's not only feisty, but...downright funny as well."<br />
—<i>Kirkus Reviews</i><br />
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<br />
"Fans of Terry Shames, Bill Crider, and Steven F. Havill will want to get to know Maggie."<br />
—<i>Booklist</i><br />
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"You will love Paula Matter's delightful debut mystery. Her misfit heroine will win your heart and keep you guessing with her determined efforts to find the truth and clear her name."<br />
—Victoria Thompson, bestselling author of <i>Murder on Union Square</i><br />
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<br />
"<i>Last Call</i> is '<i>Cheers</i>' with bodies, set in North Florida, with Carla tending bar. Smart, funny. You'll want to run a tab." <br />
—Hallie Ephron, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>You'll Never Know, Dear</i><br />
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<br />
<b>Paula Matter</b> (rhymes with otter) is the author of the Maggie Lewis mysteries, which take place in a small town in North Florida. Paula's short stories have been published in anthologies in the US and Germany. Originally from Miami, Florida, Paula kept moving north until she arrived in north central Pennsylvania, where she lives with her family.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7149068998590599344.post-10689705995884561102018-07-05T08:00:00.000-05:002018-07-05T10:17:37.747-05:00Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, Lord Peter Wimsey, and Father Brown: A Guest Post from UPSTAGED BY MURDER author C.S. Challinor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We welcome C.S. Challinor, author of the new <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738756479" target="new">Upstaged by Murder</a></i> (the ninth book in the Rex Graves Mystery Series), to Midnight Ink's blog today! Here she shares some insight into the cast of famous characters from her latest mystery.</b><br />
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I thought it might be fun to incorporate some big-name literary sleuths into my latest amateur-detective novel, <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738756479" target="new">Upstaged by Murder</a></i>, which features a cast of community theater actors performing a whodunit on opening night. Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, Lord Peter Wimsey, and Father Brown each come under suspicion when the leading lady is murdered onstage. In other words, it is "Curtains for Cassie," as pronounced by one Rodney Snyder, aka Holmes.
<br />
<br />
Some of the actors have more difficulty than others in shedding their characters, but behind their disguises are real people: a librarian, insurance salesman, florist, publisher, and deli worker, all of whom might have a motive for actual murder, along with the rest of the cast and crew. And it is the role of my Scottish barrister and part-time detective, Rex Graves, who has been attending <i>Peril at Pinegrove Hall</i> in the front row with his new wife, to pull aside the curtains and peer into their all lives.
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<br />
In this ninth installment of the Rex Graves Mystery Series, inspiration came through watching my neighbor's daughter star in local plays. I studied drama as an elective at university, too, and, like any writer of amateur detection, have read all the Golden Age mystery classics. I took a hiatus from writing cozy mystery to pursue another genre for which I have a passion, that of psychological suspense, and, coming back to Rex Graves, constructed <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738756479" target="new">Upstaged by Murder</a></i> to be read as both a standalone work as well as a continuation of the series.
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<br />
There are two murders to solve in this latest title: the fictional one in the play, which Miss Marple & co. have been invited to Pinegrove Hall to solve in the traditional manor house mystery tradition; and the "real" one central to the novel, where the killer could be anyone onstage at the end of Act One, or else an unsuspected stranger lurking in the wings...
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<a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738756479" target="new"><img align="left" alt="Upstaged by Murder" hspace="10" src="https://gaia.llewellyn.com/product_images/1000/9780738756479.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" /></a>
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<br />
Rex Graves and his new wife, Helen, attend the opening night of a play in which five famous literary sleuths of a bygone era are invited to Pinegrove Hall to solve the mystery of a missing heirloom. When the heroine meets with a sinister end, the audience applauds, unaware the real drama has only just begun.<br />
<br />
Rex, a Scottish barrister and private detective, is called upon to help discover who among the cast and crew staged the death of the beautiful young actress. But this challenging mystery has many complications waiting in the wings, and Rex must use all his skills to unmask the true culprit.
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<b><br /><br />Praise for <i>Upstaged by Murder</i>:</b><br />
"Challinor, who often modernizes and repurposes golden-age mystery ploys, this time takes the further step of recruiting the stars of those classic novels to help solve the case."<br />
—<i>Kirkus Reviews</i><br />
<br />
"Fans—and there are many—will be shouting, 'Bravo!'"<br />
—<i>Booklist</i><br />
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<br />
<b>C.S. Challinor</b> was raised and educated in Scotland and England (University of Kent, Canterbury: Joint Hons Latin & French). She also holds a diploma in Russian from the Pushkin Institute in Moscow. She now lives in Southwest Florida. <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738713595" target="new">Christmas Is Murder</a></i>, the first in the Rex Graves Mystery series, reached #1 on the Kindle Bestseller List. The fifth in the series, <i><a href="http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738723358" target="new">Murder of the Bride</a></i>, was a Mystery Guild Book Club pick (hardcover) and a Top Five Books of 2011 Selection by Crime Fiction Lover. Challinor is a member of the Authors Guild. Her author website may be found at <a href="http://www.rexgraves.com/" target="new">www.rexgraves.com</a>.
Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00460639768550059613noreply@blogger.com0