Monthly Archives: February 2019
VBT – PIRACY
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. L. P. Maxa will be awarding a copy of Royalty + Legacy to 2 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
No one has more fun than Jett Matthews, and he intends to keep it that way, but he has to convince the girl of his dreams, Devin King, that Jett’s brand of fun means forever.
Read an Excerpt
My plan for this upcoming takedown was to wait in the dark until I saw her stumble into the building. And then, I’d follow her stealthily into the classroom. Stalking probably wasn’t the number one way to get a girl, but it was all I had at the moment. I didn’t know her name, which was my bad, so I couldn’t look her up on social media. And I hadn’t seen her around campus that morning, so I hadn’t been able to accidentally “bump” into her.
Thus, the shadows.
I chuckled quietly when I saw her enter the building, instantly dropping her cell phone on the hard laminate flooring. This chick. I shook my head and left my hiding place, falling in step behind her and trailing her into the classroom. Then down the steps and across five people to sit smack-dab in the middle of the row. I had to make people move down so I could get a seat right next to her. And through it all, she never turned and noticed that I was behind her. Not once did she glance over her shoulder. She was completely unaware of her surroundings.
I pulled out my tablet and then watched as she once again set up her desk with more supplies than she’d need for the whole semester. I waited patiently, hiding my smirk behind my hand while she fumbled a pen and sent it sailing two levels down.
“Hi.” I spoke close to her ear, but not so close that it would be considered “rude.”
She jerked away from my lips in surprise and turned to glare at me. “What are you doing here?” I found that I enjoyed the flare of irritation in her eyes as much as I’d enjoyed the blush on her neck the first class we’d shared.
I raised an eyebrow, pointing to my tablet. “I’m in this class.”
Her eyes narrowed even further, and her lips made that straight line for a moment. “Yeah, but why are you here, next to me?”
About the Author
L.P. lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, daughter, three rescue dogs, four chickens, two dwarf goats, and one adopted cat. The fish died. She is a full-time writer, and part time business owner. L.P. says she loves to read as much as she loves to write, and reading a good book is her reward after writing one. In her spare time, she fosters puppies for a rescue organization based in Austin.
Connect with L.P. –
http://www.lpmaxa.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/LP-Maxa/1442560722667127
http://www.instagram.com/lpmaxa
BUY LINKS:
http://www.boroughspublishinggroup.com/books/piracy
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130013235?ean=2940155910930
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/piracy/id1446963890?mt=11
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LD9D7HW
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/piracy-2
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/912640
L. P. Maxa will be awarding a copy of Royalty + Legacy to 2 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.
Book Blast – FOR FOX SAKE
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Susan Mac Nicol will be awarding a copy of Feat of Clay + Damaged Goods to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Tate and Clay’s newest case has all the earmarks of typical investigative work: lies, deception, collusion, and a dead body – except the body was found in Fetish Alley, and nothing that happens there is typical.
Read an Excerpt
Tate sat beneath the covers, his iPad propped up against raised knees as he scrolled down the screen. His brow furrowed as Clay climbed in next to him. “Look at this. Rick’s sent me the police report from Dixon’s case. No one could find them earlier in the station. He made a stink about it and hey, presto. Now we have it.”
Clay picked up his reading glasses from the bedside table, unfolded them, and perched them on his nose. “What am I looking at?” he enquired, peering over at the tablet.
Tate’s finger moved across the screen as he pointed out areas of interest. “The man who alerted the cops didn’t find the body himself. He saw a severed hand, and what appeared to be a costume, then called the cops.”
Clay blinked. “But Dixon wasn’t missing any hands.”
Tate nodded. “I know. Turns out it was a prop, something used in a previous production of who knows what. The place was full of old stage stuff.” He ran his finger across another area of the report. “The cops checked it out, just in case, and they were the ones who discovered the real live body.” He sniggered. “Well, not live, but you know what I mean.”
Clay did. His partner’s dark and often twisted sense of humour was entertaining even if sometimes it bordered on being downright scary.
Tate frowned. “They found Dixon in the basement, still dressed in his fox costume. He must have had his suit on underneath, because, look here.” Tate pointed to what looked like an amateur mobile phone shot. “There’s a cufflink right there.”
Clay leaned in and sure enough, there was a gold cufflink in the shape of a fox in the right shirt cuff. “Hmm,” he mused. “The report says he’d collapsed there on the spot. Then the doctor on scene confirmed it looked like a heart attack and that was it. No bloody post-mortem or anything.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “He must have been boiling in his suit and the costume. I suppose it was a cold night, and it was raining, so that might explain it. I’d be interested as to why no one saw a man dressed as a fox walking down to the theatre. I mean it’s not that far from the club, but the area is populated.”
Tate nodded. “I wondered about the lack of witnesses too. Someone should have seen something. And how could the cops not find the death suspicious, even a little, when the man was wearing a fox costume over his suit?”
About the Author:
Susan writes steamy, sexy and fun contemporary romance, some suspenseful, some gritty and dark, almost all M/M, and some stories that she hopes makes you think. She’s also Editor in Chief at Divine Magazine, an online LGBTQ e-zine, and a Charity Board trustee at The Being Me Campaign in London.
Susan attained PAN status with the Romance Writers of America with her first M/M book, Stripped Bare. She’s currently a member of The Society of Authors in the UK, and the Authors Guild in the US. She enjoys being a member of Queer Romance Ink, All Author, Book + Main Bites and the Paranormal Romance Guild.
The ‘Unofficial’ stuff
She loves going to the theatre, live music concerts (especially if it’s her man crush Adam Lambert) walks in the countryside, a good G &T, lazing away afternoons reading a good book, and watching re-runs of Silent Witness.
Her chequered past includes being mistaken for a prostitute in the city of Johannesburg, being chased by a rhino on a dusty Kenyan road, getting kicked out of a youth club for being a ‘bad influence’ (she encourages free thinking), and having an aunt who was engaged to Cliff Richard.
website: http://www.authorsusanmacnicol.com
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Author-Susan-Mac-Nicol
twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SusanMacNicol7
instagram: http://www.susiemax77
linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/susanmacnicol
BUY LINKS:
http://www.boroughspublishinggroup.com/books/for-fox-sake
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N6NHB7Z
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/920347
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-fox-sake-susan-mac-nicol/1130409817?ean=2940155957775
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/for-fox-sake
Susan Mac Nicol will be awarding a copy of Feat of Clay + Damaged Goods to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
VBT – THE MOMENT BETWEEN
THE MOMENT BETWEEN
by Gareth Frank
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Psychological Thriller
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB
After four years of mourning, Doctor Hackett Metzger is determined to stop letting his wife’s death control his life. He is finally beginning to live again, but his recovery leads to an unexpected fight for his own survival and startling revelations about what happens to all of us in The Moment Between.
Hackett, a brilliant neurologist, is a skeptic. He doesn’t believe he will one day be reunited with Jean, or dwell with God in heaven. What he does believe is that he should have seen the warning signs of her heart attack; he should have saved her. He also cannot accept the possibility that his clinical study of near death experiences could prove the existence of a conscious afterlife. When Hackett falls for the mother of a patient, grief finally begins to fade. But he has no idea his new love is hiding her dangerous past. Will Hackett’s damaged spirit endure another heartbreak?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
In those first months, he tortured himself with the notion that Jean’s voice had been real. He was sure that she had been present while he tried to save her. He prayed that she lived on in death, hoped that even as he failed, she had a soft landing on the other side. Her voice became his torture.
And so he understood death as he never had before. He understood grieving and pain. He understood what it meant to miss someone and to know that he would never see that person again. He understood loneliness. Most of all he understood the foolish and painful illusion that life might somehow continue. There was no voice. Jean had not talked to him from beyond. He had tortured himself from within. She was dead. He had learned to accept that cold hard reality. Anger had settled into the dark hole that was his memory of that day, poisoning his spirit. For weeks he stayed home from work, for months the blackness held him captive, until slowly he emerged into the world once more. His sanity hinged on his acceptance that Jean’s voice had been an illusion. Death was just death.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Gareth Frank is a former union organizer and administrator. He received a Master’s Degree at the University of Wisconsin and later studied at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The Moment Between is his first published novel. His short stories have been published in various journals and have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize as well as the Silver Pen Write Well Award.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GarethFrankAuthor
https://www.amazon.com/Moment-Between-Gareth-J-Frank/dp/1732294208
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Gareth Frank will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Enter to win a $50 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gareth, tell us about you as a person.
Some people live life on automatic pilot. They do what comes easy. I like creating new chapters in life and becoming proficient at new things. That’s one of the big reasons I became a writer. When I retired seven years ago, my entire portfolio of creative fiction could be held in a child’s notebook. I knew how much work it was to write a novel, but I also knew that if I challenged myself I could do it. That’s a lesson I learned early in my career as a union organizer and administrator. When I was in my late twenties, I sat in one meeting after another watching people duck new or challenging assignments. Being a little nervous, that’s what I, too, did at first. I quickly learned that gets you nowhere. I decided that I would volunteer as much as I could, especially if it was something new. It has proven to be an invaluable approach to both work and life in general.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
I have always been fascinated by Albert Einstein, for both his intellect and humanity. I have even included a little popular physics in my psychological thriller, The Moment Between. But, it wouldn’t be him. I would be lost if he talked physics, and I think he might be a little boring in person. I’d take another physicist, Richard Feynman. He was brilliant, but also a hoot. He absolutely loved music, played practical jokes on stiff shirts in the academic world, and even liked to think through his theories while sipping orange juice in a strip club. Read his books, especially Surely Your Joking, Mr. Feynman.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
Steven King once said: “(The writer’s) job isn’t to find ideas but to recognize them when they show up.”
For me, the idea for my novel showed up in the mail. I received a Christmas card that mentioned the death of a friend’s brother and alluded to his wife being the murderer. A very strange Christmas card, indeed. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. When I called my friend and asked what had happened, I found out that, as they say, fact was stranger than fiction. I used the woman in question to create one of my characters. Some people think I created a monster. The truth is, real monsters are often real people. That was the genesis of my storyline.
The theme of my book grew out of my fascination with near-death experiences, and what they tell us about the conscious mind. Polling has shown that about 70 percent of Americans believe in some sort of afterlife. We all struggle between two competing natures, the logical and the spiritual. Where we lie between those two points largely defines who were are. That dualism lies at the heart of my book.
The Moment Between is a psychological thriller that brings death to life.
What is your writing process?
I know it’s bad for my posture, but I grab my laptop, get comfortable on my couch and write. Like Albert Einstein who often sat in his bathtub lost in thought hour after hour, I can hang out on the couch writing all day.
Tell us about your main character.
After four years, Doctor Hackett Metzger is a neurologist still recovering from his wife’s death. He is a likeable, brilliant doctor and also a bit of an awkward nerd. His attempts to find romance and companionship are comical at best. He is also a skeptic with respect to the afterlife. For him, death is too painful. To hold out false hope might break him. Even though he considers near-death experiences to be little more than hallucinations, he is talked into supporting a medical study of people who suffer cardiac arrests and are resuscitated. At the same time, he is charmed by a woman with a dangerous past.
If your book was to be turned into a movie, who would play the lead role and why.
Paul Giamatti would be the perfect Hackett.
What are you working on next?
The working title of my next novel is Torn Skin. The name is taken from a song written by Jonny Pirpal, a punk rockin, freight train hoppin loner who attained rock and roll fame in the nineties, only to lose everything in a single day. Syeira, a mystic who quite literally saves lives by being in the right place at the right time, has also become a loner though for very different reasons. They meet as Jonny’s past is catching up with him.
What advice do you have for other writers who want to get the word out about their book?
I read a quote from an Indian businessman. I have no idea why he was being quoted about writing, but his words stuck in my head. “Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, then for a few close friends, then for money.”
I have no idea why he thought prostitution was something you do with a few close friends, or why he thought writer’s write for money. The truth is, one million books are published in America each year, so getting the word out is hard. The most important word in a writer’s vocabulary has to be perseverance. First create a buzz among friends, family, coworkers and other acquaintances, then look for every opportunity to spread out. Who knows when the big break could come.
What is your favorite book on your shelf right now?
It’s a toss-up. The Cemetery Keeper’s Wife, by Maryann McFadden or Beartown by Fredrik Backman.
Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
I wrote a novel. That should count. 🙂
You are given the choice of one super power. What super power would you have and why?
The ability to make people laugh. Laughter can cure depression, make other illnesses just a little more bearable, lead to a happy marriage and make every day a little better. It’s a lot better than shooting fire from your fingertips.
List 5 things on your bucket list:
- See Petra (Jordan).
- Take a bike tour in Spain.
- Star in one of my son’s movies (Joseph Frank, writer and director of Sweaty Betty).
- Stick around this world for a long time watching my grandchildren grow up.
- SELL MORE BOOKS!
Where can readers find you on the web?
Facebook – @garethfrankauthor
Spotlight – Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series
by Mike Martin, Mystery
in Newfoundland on the east coast
of Canada.
These cozy-like books follow the adventures of Sgt. Winston Windflower, a Cree
from Northern Alberta as he finds a new life and new loves in the tiny village
of Grand Bank. There are crimes and mysteries for the Canadian Mountie to investigate
and solve but the Sgt. Windflower Mysteries are more about family, friends,
good food and good times.
life, Sheila Hillier who keeps him well-fed and grounded in reality. There’s
also his fellow Mounties like Corporal Eddie Tizzard and a long list of bad
actors, both local and just visiting, to cause havoc in their sleepy little
town. Windflower brings his native background and traditions with him and finds
ways to use them to help himself and his friends through difficult times.
Rounding out his life are his collie, Lady, who often has adventures of her own
and some new additions to his family that appear in the latest book, Darkest Before the Dawn.
The Walker
on the Cape (Book 1)
A man’s body is found on the Cape in a
small fishing community on the East Coast. At first everyone thinks it’s a
heart attack or stroke. But then it is discovered that he was poisoned. Who
would do this and why? Finding that out falls to Sergeant Winston Windflower of
the RCMP along with his trusted side-kick Eddie Tizzard. Along the way they
discover that there are many more secrets hidden in this small community and
powerful people who want to keep it that way.
Windflower also discovers two more things; a love of
living in a small community that is completely different from his up-bringing
in a remote Indian reserve and maybe the love of his life. He gets a taste of
East Coast food and hospitality as well as a sense of how crime and corruption
can linger beneath the surface or hide in the thick blanket of fog that
sometimes creeps in from the nearby Atlantic Ocean.
The Body on the T (Book 2)
in the Windflower mystery series and it follows up on the highly acclaimed
premiere, The Walker on the Cape. The story begins when a body washes up on a beach near
Grand Bank, Newfoundland. There is no identification on the body and few clues to
identify who the person was or where they came from. The case becomes the
responsibility of Sgt. Winston Windflower of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
and his trusted side-kick, Corporal Eddie Tizzard.But this is just the beginning. There is also a
devastating accident on the highway and another suspicious death to deal with.
Throw in a rogue police officer and an international drug ring operating in the
waters off the coast and Windflower’s peaceful world is turned upside down.
This time Windflower’s adventures take him to the scenic town of Burin
where Captain Cook once patrolled the waters looking for French mercenaries.
And to historic St. John’s where he faces down an armed suspect on a parking
garage rooftop in the midst of a busy downtown evening.
Along the way Windflower also continues to enjoy the
food and home-style hospitality of this part of the world. Cod tongues, pan
seared scallops and even figgy duff become part of his diet, and his long list
of favourite foods. Windflower may be a long way from his Cree home in Northern Alberta
but he has found a new place to love in the fog and mist of Newfoundland.
Beneath the Surface (Book 3)
he’s loving life on the east coast. He may be a long way from his home in Northern Alberta
but he has been adopted by the locals as almost one of their own. He has a good
life, good work with the RCMP, and a good woman that he has grown closer to in
his years on the southeast coast of Newfoundland. But trouble is brewing just beneath the surface of this
calm and charm-filled existence. It begins with the discovery of a dead girl’s body in St. John’s, the capital city of Newfoundland and Labrador. The girl is from Grand Bank where Windflower has been
stationed for the last few years. Sgt. Windflower and his associate Corporal
Eddie Tizzard are pulled further and further into the case. The situation also
grows to include a whole array of criminal activities from human trafficking
and even the Russian Mafia.
Along the way Windflower not only has to deal with this
crime wave operating all around the region, but with some challenges in his own
life. He has to go back to his Aboriginal roots to find the answers to some
very deep and disturbing questions. But nothing seems to bother his appetite
and joy for life, especially his appetite. He continues to sample traditional Newfoundland dishes like fish and brewis but he also expands to include
pan-fried sea trout and baked salmon, along with a range of desserts from
blueberry buckle to his all-time favourite, peanut butter cheesecake.
His faith in the police force, that has become his
life, is also threatened by a series of events that he becomes aware of that
are certainly immoral if not even illegal. He is forced to face not only his
own personal demons but those in real life that are lurking all around us.
Sometime they are right in front of our face, but at other times they are
hiding deep beneath the surface, waiting to be resolved.
A Twist of Fortune (Book 4)
of this part of the world.
A Long Ways From Home (Book 5)
for Sgt. Windflower to clean up. This time he’s facing violence, murder,
mystery and intrigue. This adventure has Windflower questioning everything he
thought he knew. There are troubles on the home front, cutbacks in the policing
budget, old friends leaving and new ones not quite here yet. Windflower is
seeking to find answers in territory that is both dangerous and unfamiliar.
This instalment in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series
has our hero dashing all over the beautiful little island of Newfoundland. Along the way he never wavers in his pursuit of justice.
But he stills tries to find a way to enjoy the natural beauty that lays all
around him, and to bring out the best from everybody he meets.
A Long Ways from Home is about more than just homicides
or the dirty dealings of outlaw bikers. It is also about helping people and
communities face up to and overcome new and very difficult challenges.
Windflower relies on his friends and allies, including some four-legged ones,
to help him and them find the answers. He also discovers that we are never
really alone, even when we are a long ways from home.
A Tangled Web (Book 6)
in Grand Bank. This time there’s a missing girl, trouble at the factory and
signs of danger everywhere. But there’s always good food, good friends and good
company to make life worthwhile. All the usual characters and a few new
suspects are back to help Windflower unravel the web of deceit and deception
that threatens the small community.
Darkest Before the Dawn (Book 7)
latest adventure in the Sgt. Winston Windflower mystery series, the popular
Maritime tales about a Mountie who finds himself with a new family and a new
life in tiny Grand Bank, Newfoundland. Ghosts, mysterious deaths, and a new, perplexing character
confront Windflower, Tizzard and the other police officers in Grand Bank as
they unearth secrets that have been lying hidden in the sleepy hamlet for
decades. A fast-moving mystery, Darkest Before The Dawn is also a story of
love, loss and learning how to grow old gracefully; a tale of family, community
and looking after each other, of not giving up hope, just before the dawn.
ORDER YOUR COPIES:
Amazon
Newfoundland on the east coast of Canada. These cozy-like books follow
the adventures of Sgt. Winston Windflower, a Cree from Northern Alberta
as he finds a new life and new loves in the tiny village of Grand Bank.
There are crimes and mysteries for the Canadian Mountie to investigate
and solve but the Sgt. Windflower Mysteries are more about family,
friends, good food and good times.
The recurring cast of characters include the love of his life, Sheila
Hillier who keeps him well-fed and grounded in reality. There’s also
his fellow Mounties like Corporal Eddie Tizzard and a long list of bad
actors, both local and just visiting, to cause havoc in their sleepy
little town. Windflower brings his native background and traditions with
him and finds ways to use them to help himself and his friends through
difficult times. Rounding out his life are his collie, Lady, who often
has adventures of her own and some new additions to his family that
appear in the latest book, Darkest Before the Dawn.
Website: www.sgtwindflowermysteries.com
Twitter: @mike54martin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore/
Spotlight – Moses & Mac
About the Author
Franca Pelaccia is the author of Moses & Mac, a fast-paced and lively action/adventure/mystery and the first book of the Vatican Archaeological Service series published by Solstice Publishing. The second book is tentatively entitled Mac & the Crusaders. Under the pseudonym of Kirsten Paul, Franca is the author of two romantic comedies for the Calendar Men of King Court series. The first book, The Hockey Player & the Angel will soon be published by the Wild Rose Press. The second book, The Detective & the Burglar is in progress. Writing as Francesca Pelaccia, Franca self-published The Witch’s Salvation, a historical paranormal novel, which won the Beck Valley Reviewers’ Choice Award for 2013. An avid reader, Franca reviews novels for the Historical Novels Society.
Website Address: https://francapelaccia.com/
Blog Address: https://francapelaccia.com/blog/
Twitter Address: https://twitter.com/FrancaPelaccia
Facebook Address: https://www.facebook.com/pg/FrancaPelacciaAuthor/
About the Book:
Title: MOSES & MAC
Author: Franca Pelaccia
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Pages: 303
Genre: Women’s Fiction/Adventure/Mystery
BOOK BLURB:
On her dismal 30th birthday, unassuming Victorian scholar Mackenzie Braden receives a mysterious package from her Aunt Sara, urging her to locate Moses’ rod. The most powerful weapon in history will start global chaos if it lands in the wrong hands. Sara was an agent for the top-secret Vatican Archaeological Service. She has also been dead for 30 years and the agency dormant for just as long. Mackenzie’s only clue is a souvenir figurine of Moses, and except for hunky ex-military pilot Eoin Reilly, her allies are as inept as she is.
But nothing is going to stop Mackenzie from recharging her lacklustre life, fulfilling her mission, finding answers about her aunt, and making Eoin her birthday present. Armed with the figurine, Mackenzie sets off with Eoin for the Middle East. There she has to fend off a Ph.D. candidate turned terrorist, a dysfunctional family of treasure hunters, a fake Mossad operative, a manic former VAS agent, the underground tunnels of the Gaza Strip, and a whole lot of rocket launchers. But this is training for the ultimate confrontation with her aunt’s and now her greatest foe, a charming deposed Saudi prince with world domination on his mind.
ORDER YOUR COPY:
Link to book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1625268602 (Print)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KPK56HK (ebook)
Book Excerpt:
A birthday no one remembered was outright unforgivable. A birthday that would change all those to follow was downright insane.
It was a changing of the guard birthday. The one when everything went thicker—face moisturizers, waistlines and mindsets, and the absence of a credible man in my life was tossed around me, over me, behind me, and in front of me by all my loved ones. But, instead of a “Happy Birthday, Mackenzie” call from a mother who was never supposed to forget. Or a “You thought your old man forgot, didn’t you, Mackie?” from a father who pretended to forget. Or some form of birthday sympathy from any of my three older sisters, I got a call from ancient Father Somerville.
Father Somerville saw through my god-forsaken soul, or made me believe it, even now in my supposedly all-powerful thirtieth year of life. In his sixty-year-old seasoned pulpit voice, he declared I had received a package from my Aunt Sara. A package from her would have been great on a birthday no one remembered, if Aunt Sara hadn’t vacated her office and neglected her duties as lecturer of biblical archaeology over thirty years before and been declared dead twenty years ago.
Aunt Sara was my father’s youngest sister. She was also my godmother. Along with my Uncle Tony, she had held my tiny head over the baptismal font thirty years before. She had posed for pictures with every relative on the Irish side of the family and wisely followed that up with everyone on the Italian side. She enjoyed the seven-course meal at my Uncle Gianni’s restaurant, left to catch a plane to Cairo and was never heard from again. Unless there was delivery from heaven or as both rosary-touting grandmothers would say, from that other place that can’t be named, the package had to be a joke from one nasty person.
But, heck, it was my big 3-0 birthday. Maybe this was some ploy, although on the dark side, to get me to a big birthday bash.
VBT – ON THE COUNT OF THREE
ON THE COUNT OF THREE
by Carolyn Arnold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Thriller
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
And they thought prison was hell…
When a woman’s disappearance ticks off all the same boxes as two unsolved murders, Miami homicide detective Kelly Marsh is convinced there’s about to be a third. If she’s right and the killer sticks to their previous MO, she only has three days before Jenna Kelter’s decapitated head will show up somewhere in the city. With no time to waste, Kelly reaches out to the one person she knows can help: her former mentor and family friend Jack Harper, who just happens to lead a team with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit.
BAU special agent and profiler Brandon Fisher easily sees the similarities between Detective Marsh’s missing person case and the two cold cases: all three victims served time for DUI vehicular homicide and disappeared three days after being released from prison. But is that enough to assume Kelter has been abducted by a serial killer? Brandon’s not so sure and fears his boss may have let his personal connection to Marsh cloud his judgment. Surely there isn’t any other explanation for why they jumped into an investigation less than twenty-four hours after Kelter was reported missing. Then again, maybe Brandon is letting his own differences with the detective affect his perspective. He’ll need to move past it, though—and quickly.
After all, this killer has evaded capture for the past six years, and they may be looking at a lot more victims than originally suspected. This serial killer is calling the shots and pulling them into a macabre game of cat and mouse. While the team has no choice but to play, if they don’t make the right moves, one of them may not make it out of Miami alive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:
“We’ll start on the count of three,” he said in a singsong voice. The Night pulsed beneath his skin with a heartbeat of its own.
“No, no, please!” the woman screamed.
It pierced his ears, but he smiled, moving into position next to her. “One…” He reached out for the chain that suspended the blade. “T—” His phone rang. His body quaked, the tremors of the Night snaking through him.
He grabbed a roll of duct tape from a nearby utility shelf and slapped a piece across her mouth. He normally didn’t have to worry about their screams out there, but he wanted to answer this call. The ringtone told him it was his girlfriend, Roxanne. She fit into his life plan—at least for now—and he didn’t want to mess things up with her.
He kept his eyes on the woman as he answered his phone. “Hey, sweetie.”
He listened as his girlfriend prattled on about their plans for the following evening—dinner, then a movie. Nothing new there. She said maybe dancing afterward, but they’d never make it to a club. She’d be ready for bed by ten, and he’d tuck her in. She was as predictable as drying paint and about as exciting. But she played along with his sexual fantasies without contention, and she’d do anything to make him happy.
“You’ll pick me up? My place at six o’clock?” she asked.
“I can do that. I’m looking forward to spending some time with you.”
“Love you,” Roxanne told him.
“Love you, too.” He hung up, smiling, and let the expression carry for his victim to see. He set up his cell phone to record again and walked toward the woman. “Let’s pick up where we left off, shall we?”
She was screaming behind the tape and bucking her head wildly. She was clearly trying to slide back, as if she could worm her way out of the guillotine.
Yes, fight. It makes it so much more fun…
“One,” he roared above her. “Two…” He wound the chain around his fingers. With a flick of his wrist, he released it. “Three.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international best-selling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.
Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.
Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.
She currently lives in London, Ontario with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime.
Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:
Website – http://carolynarnold.net/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold
And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Spotlight – The Society
About the Author
CG Abbot was born and raised in Colorado, graduated from college with a degree in business administration as well as a degree in Sacred Theology. While working in large companies and even Department of Defense, she dreamt of writing. She still resides in Colorado and enjoys creative outlets like scrapbooking, card making, photography, and painting in watercolor and acrylic. She inherited a love for reading from her family and grew up talking about books at the dinner table.
Website Address: www.cgabbot.yolasite.com
About the Book:
Title: THE SOCIETY
Author: C.G. Abbot
Publisher: Blazing Sword Publishing
Pages: 367
Genre: Suspense Thriller
BOOK BLURB:
When Elizabeth Grant sees her childhood friend, she is thrown into a world of secret societies laced with conspiracies.
Elizabeth has been plagued with visions since the disappearance of Loralie. When she returns to the small town of her childhood, she’s unaware that she’s walking into the middle of what killed her friend.
Unknown to the rest of the world, The Society for a Restored America has been preparing to seize control of the government through manipulation of a national crisis. The Society’s membership has already infiltrated the government and military at the highest levels. The only thing between them and success is Elizabeth Grant.
Elizabeth must accept her special gift and stay alive long enough to uncover the Society’s dark plot to seize control from a nation that blindly supports them.
ORDER YOUR COPY:
https://www.amazon.com/Society-Elizabeth-Suspense-Thriller-Thrillers-ebook/dp/B07KN4MFTH/
Book Excerpt:
She hit the floor, hard. Thud. She just missed hitting her head on the nightstand. Her eyes darted around the room aglow with moonlight, out of breath from the nightmare. Where was she?
It wasn’t until her senses took in the ratty stuffed bear that sat on the white dresser, the white lace curtains that rustled from a whispered breeze heavy with scent of Magnolias, and the chorus of many crickets that she remembered. She was in Mississippi, hundreds of miles away from her Denver apartment. Her grandparent’s house, well… grandma’s ever since gramps had passed a few years ago.
Unease settled into the pit of her stomach, beyond what the vivid dream had produced. Loneliness assailed her and settled in her heart. Her first night back in Cyprus and her nightmares returned. Thought I was over all that.
Elizabeth took several deep breaths to steady her nerves and slow her breathing. Her muscles ached as she stood, legs like rubber and hands shaking. The recurring dream always produced such a physical reaction.
She knew from experience she wouldn’t… couldn’t, fall back asleep after her fight-or-flight response had kicked into overdrive. She made her way downstairs with care at each step.
Elizabeth grabbed the teakettle before its shrill whistle could disturb the tranquility; she was accustomed to living with a roommate and being quiet. Hopefully, some tea would help to calm her nerves… and her nausea. Another physical result of the nightmares. She poured the water over her waiting tea bag in a mug.
She rubbed her sore thigh and then rotated her aching shoulder from falling out of bed as the tea steeped. Her long chestnut hair was still disheveled and her pallor made the sprinkling of freckles across her face and cheeks stand out. Her heart was approaching a normal rate.
She settled into a worn chair in Grandma’s living room, last decorated a few decades ago when brown and gold country fabric patterns with heavy oak touches were all the rage. The scent of lemon furniture polish clung in the air. She breathed deeply the steam from the tea and let her breath out slowly. The subdued light from the one lamp created a cocoon of safety and comfort. Now that the adrenaline rush was fading maybe she could get another hour or two of sleep after all.
The nightmares would pass, she had to face them head-on like you would a bully.
She took in the room, each knick-knack and crocheted doily. She used to spend every summer with her grandma and grandpa. It had been like a second home. Her first summer spent here she was lonely, until she met Loralie, a local girl, in the park. She was only six and Loralie barely five then, and they had been like sisters from that moment. They were both raised by single moms and didn’t know their dads. Elizabeth’s life had changed in that instant in the park.
Until seven years ago when it all changed again, all because she didn’t come to visit over the summer. Her world shifted because of that simple decision. Loralie, the closest thing to a sister she ever had, disappeared the summer she didn’t come to visit, and worse – they had fought terribly only weeks before she vanished.
Digging up old bones.
Her life was moving along fine on a predictable path of school, and eventually college. When they had fought over Loralie’s brother, Jeremiah, she couldn’t have known that would be the last time they would speak, the last memory of her would be words of anger.
She took a sip of tea. Why had she started having the nightmares again? It had been over a year since the last one. But, this was her first visit to Mississippi since the night Loralie had gone missing.
Maybe just returning was enough to start her night terrors again. Shouldn’t it be ancient history and the nightmares long gone? Okay, she still felt guilty for not visiting that summer, as if she could have prevented whatever happened to Loralie.
She held out hope that her dearest friend had left town touring with a band or something and got out of Cyprus. One day her friend would call and share her adventures, and she’d be happy.
Nightmares were one thing and even understandable, but seeing things – visions or hallucinations – was a whole different matter.
The night Loralie went missing was the night she swore she saw a vision of Loralie in her bedroom in Denver, Colorado. An image of a beaten and bloody Loralie, who was physically in Cyprus hundreds of miles away, appeared right there in her bedroom, frantically reaching out to her. Then Elizabeth passed out. When she regained consciousness her mother was holding her in her arms and dabbing her face with a cold washcloth.
It was on Elizabeth’s insistent pleading that her mother called Mississippi in the middle of the night to ask a groggy Mrs. Carter to put Loralie on the phone. She remembered taking the phone, waiting for Loralie to talk to her so she could get that image out of her mind, only for Mrs. Carter to come back with ragged breaths and exclaim; “She’s not here. I can’t find her!”
It was the instant that she had that vision of Loralie which really changed her life. But she had seen her and was inconsolable for hours, so she was labeled “fragile”, “over-sensitive”, and “over-wrought”. Being at grandma’s was bringing it all back.
Digging up bones.
No physical trace was ever found of Loralie. Then the nightmares had started – and hallucinations of Loralie regularly over the last seven years. The nightmares terrified her, but the hallucinations… visions… whatever you called them – they left her doubting herself.
She made the mistake of researching what could cause hallucinations and was convinced she had a brain tumor or something for the first year. Still, she told nobody about her continued visions. As far as everybody else knew, her mother included, the night Loralie disappeared was the only time she experienced such a visual aberration, rather than the continual problem that plagued her still.
She shook her head to dismiss such serious thoughts. It was disconcerting to be here again. She wasn’t the same person who had last run happily through the house.
She rubbed her eyes and sipped at her tea, clearing her mind. She stiffened when she heard a car pull into the driveway. Every cell in her body listening.
This wasn’t Denver, people in rural little Cyprus were asleep at this hour. Maybe some were doing chores on the surrounding farms, but nobody was out visiting in the wee hours of the morning.
Barely audible footfalls on the veranda floorboards and a soft knocking at the door made her heart race. Just that quickly the feeling of a secure cocoon vanished – replaced by dread. She scanned the shadows and saw Loralie, forever sixteen, like an animated photograph, motioning with a degree of urgency for her to go answer the door. She swallowed, shakily set her tea down, and stood up.
Surely it’s nothing. It’ll be innocent, you’ll see. But, she felt like she was on the very edge of a cliff and everything in her life was about to change… again.
She took a deep breath to calm herself and rolled her shoulders back, crossed the living room to the door and slowly opened it.
On the wide white-painted veranda was an elderly black woman with her hand poised to knock again. She lowered her hand and smiled. It was wide genuine smile that made her eyes sparkle. In the illumination of the porch light, her coifed white hair looked more like a halo. She wore a turquoise cotton dress, was of average height, but stood proudly and with composure. Another time and place one might think she was Egyptian royalty.
“Hello dear, I’m Madame Antoinette of Shreveport, Louisiana. You must be Elizabeth. I’ve been driving all night to talk to you, hon.” Her voice was melodic with a reserved southern drawl. She watched expectantly as Elizabeth blinked a few times.
“Ma’am, you’re here to see me? At 4:30 in the morning? Are you sure you have the right house?” Elizabeth whispered because she instinctively felt the need to be quiet. A dog barked in the distance, then howled – a long mournful baying filled the air.
Madame looked around at the other houses on the street. All were dark and quiet. Returning her attention to Elizabeth she whispered, “I must speak with you about Loralie.” Looking around again she added, “I had to visit when it was least likely to be seen.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Spotlight – People Skills 101
About the Author
Kerry O’Hallaron was born in St. Louis, MO. He attended college at the University of Missouri, and later “emigrated” to Florida. His passion in life is to help others maximize their own potential.
His latest book, “People Skills 101 – tm: How to Have More Friends, Fewer Conflicts, and Better Relationships,” is a compelling and life-changing new spin on one of the oldest “self-development” books in print. In it, he adds new color the art and science of people skills, which wealthy industrialist John D. Rockefeller called the most valuable asset under the sun. O’Hallaron teaches us in a humorous way how to use time-tested principles in our quest for friendships and positive business and personal relationships. The teachings aren’t new – but O’Hallaron’s unique twist on them certainly is. Whether you’re a shy, reserved introvert or a bubbly, outgoing extrovert, “People Skills 101” could be the only book you need to understand the simple tools that will help you both create and manage the perceptions people have of you.
You will be amazed how a few, subtle changes you can learn from this book will craft a new, more influential, more charismatic, more likable, YOU!
O’Hallaron lives in Tampa with his wife, Carol, and can’t seem to get away from spending significant parts of each year in his home town of St. Louis.
Website Address: www.peopleskills.training
Twitter Address: @ps101_book
Facebook Address: https://www.facebook.com/PeopleSkills101/
About the Book:
Title: PEOPLE SKILLS 101: HOW TO HAVE MORE FRIENDS, FEWER CONFLICTS AND BETTER RELATIONSPS
Author: Kerry O’Hallaron
Publisher: Shamrock Publications
Pages: 301
Genre: Nonfiction/Self-Help/Self-Development
BOOK BLURB:
A life changing modern-day twist on Dale Carnegie’s timeless classic – learn how to have more friends, show more charisma, and better manage every relationship – all in the comfort of your home.
“Kerry O’Hallaron simply nailed it with People Skills 101,” says Jason Broadman, international book critic. “He took something everyone needs to know, which nobody teaches, and made it interesting, eminently readable, entertaining, and exceptionally useful to just about everyone.”
Do you remember that course you took in school called “Basic People Skills?” You don’t, do you – because nobody, anywhere, teaches such a course. Whether grade school, high school, or beyond, NOBODY thought it was important to teach us how to interact. NOBODY thought it was important enough to teach us interpersonal skills – how to get people to like us, how to get them to see us the way we want to be seen, how to manage our relationships.Apparently they just assumed that we are either born with “people skills” – or we weren’t!
People Skills 101 offers an elegantly simple and completely unique solution. It works, whether you are a shy and reserved introvert, a bubbly and outgoing extrovert, or anywhere in between. Simply choose any three of the twenty-one “GoldenRules” offered in the book, begin to use them faithfully, and watch the results with awe. You will be amazed how a few, subtle changes will quickly craft a new, more influential, more charismatic, more likable, YOU!
ORDER YOUR COPY:
Amazon
Book Excerpt:
1
How to INSTANTLY Become More Likeable
“Share your smile with the world. It’s a symbol of friendship and peace.”
(Christie Brinkley, American model, actress, and businesswoman, 1954- )
Legend has it that “Connie” (her real name – she’d be pleased to know that I’m sharing her story) came out of the womb with a smile on her face.
I wasn’t on this earth at the time, so I don’t know that for sure. I only knew her for the last two thirds of her many years. So let me share what I do know about her.
She was born in the Midwest United States, of hard-working middle-class parents who were not far removed from European immigrants. She had a happy childhood. In the middle of World War II, as a young adult, she married Don. They were together nearly sixty years – by all accounts a very happy union.
Connie, along with Don, raised six children. That alone was a herculean effort. Somehow, she managed to keep smiling through it all.
In the early 1970’s, as the children were progressing through their education, she entered the work force – during a time when many women could only get jobs as secretaries. Being a secretary, though, was not for Connie. Her exceptional work ethic and winning smile earned her the job of city clerk in her home town. She worked there until retirement, at which point she (showing her captivating smile as always) was featured in the local newspaper for being a one-of-a-kind woman.
She loved retirement, enjoying her relationships with Don, her children and grandchildren, and old friends. She lived the good life until the late 1990’s, when tragedy struck in the form of a massive stroke. Not one to give up easily, Connie survived the stroke well – except that it became difficult to verbalize what she was thinking. She thought clearly but spoke with great difficulty – often barely able to get a message across.
Previously, she had always communicated with a smile and a friendly word. Now she just had the smile, as many of her words did not make sense except to those closest to her.
If that bothered her, you’d never know it. Whenever someone came to visit her, her eyes lit up and her smile warmed the room. The smile projected a clear message: “Hi. I’m really glad to see you. I’m glad you are in my life. I’m glad you are here.” Her speech was challenged, but her communication was just a little different than yours and mine.
When Don died in 2004, she moved to a nice senior living facility, where her smile alone was enough to befriend residents and staff alike. She had constant visitors from her large extended family, friends, and residents, in spite of the speech challenge. Connie made life good.
I got to spend some time with her just a week before her death in 2014. We both seemed to know her time was coming – but she refused to give up that radiant smile even then. We spent time enjoying the beautiful surroundings of the home, looking at the flowers and listening to the birds. I talked; she smiled.
A week later, as she departed this world, she left behind a gift to everyone who knew her – now including you. She entrusted that wonderful, powerful smile to each of us, asking us to both keep it and share it with others, and make the world a little brighter place in the process.
(Rest in peace Connie O’Hallaron, a/k/a Mom, 1920-2014.)
Look around you, and you will see the effect a smile can have on people. A warm smile can strengthen a relationship. A smile from a physician in a hospital emergency room can instantly ease the patient’s fears. A smile in a job interview can put the candidate at ease. A sincere smile in a store may turn a “looker” into a customer.
The examples are endless. But Connie taught us best how powerful a genuine smile is, particularly in her later years. She realized that, because of her very limited speech, her primary way to communicate was through facial expressions. She knew, and she taught those of us who knew and loved her (it was impossible to know her without loving her), that the expression on her face had a powerful effect on the person she was sharing that expression with.
She knew that if she smiled that warm smile, it would make the person feel good, loved, wanted, happy – often all at the same time. She also knew that if she frowned, or otherwise showed anger or displeasure, she could immediately have a powerful negative impact on that person. She could ruin that person’s day, or their morning, or at a very minimum their mood for a short term, just with a frown.
She realized, either intuitively or consciously (or both), that what she projected would have a powerful effect on the person she projected it to – and that she greatly influenced whether that effect would be positive or negative. I’m not sure she ever actually wanted that kind of responsibility – but she was well prepared to handle it. She simply chose to have a positive impact on the lives of everyone she touched, every time she touched them!
I’d like to propose a little two-step exercise for you. The first step simply involves “people watching.”
Over the next few days, go about your work, family life, etc. doing things exactly as you’ve done in the past. However, pay close attention to the people you encounter. Watch for people who smile at you. I’m asking you to take a few days, because you may not encounter very many people who smile. But there will be some.
Watch carefully. Pay attention to the circumstances. Was it someone in the elevator, where most people try desperately to get to their floors without making eye contact? Was it someone in traffic? Was it a clerk at a store? Was it your spouse / significant other, child, or parent?
Now, as they smile at you, try to associate a meaning with the smile. In other words, try to imagine their smile is a form of communication, and guess what they are “saying.” What is the message that the person with the smile is conveying?
It may be, “Hi, how are you? Good to see you.” It may be, “Thanks for coming into our store/restaurant/place of business.” It may simply be a subconscious expression such as, “I’m friendly. Are you?” Or in a relationship, it may mean, “I’m really glad you’re here!” (My own beautiful wife realized the power of her smile over forty years ago when we first met, and she continues to use it daily to reinforce our relationship.)
OK, now it’s time to move on to part 2 of the exercise. In part 2, you do the exact same thing as in part 1, except as frequently as possible, make eye contact and smile at the other person. This may come easily to you, or it may not. But please try it. Do it several times a day for a few days.
And by the way, when you smile, do what Connie did and convey a message with your smile. The message should be appropriate to the person you’re smiling at. If it’s your boss, it should be along the lines of, “Hi, boss. It’s really good to see you.” If it’s a stranger, it should be along the lines of “Hi. How are you?” If it’s your significant other, you can use your own imagination, depending on the circumstances and his/her mood.
Here’s an easy trick: as you are smiling, think the message you are trying to project. If it’s your boss, think, “Hi, boss. It’s really good to see you.” Warning: this really works. So don’t smile at the boss while you are thinking, “Hi boss.You’re an idiot and I could do your job with my eyes closed!” Most people can “feel” when the message is incongruent. In other words, most people can sense an insincere smile!
So smile, think of the message you want to project, and watch closely when you do this. Watch their reactions, and try to imagine how they feel. You should see, as Connie did, that a simple, warm, genuine smile changes the entire trajectory of a person’s day, and maybe even of their whole life.
OK, one more homework assignment. But this one is simple. Think back to the last time you saw a baby smile. I’m told that after about six or eight weeks, many babies develop a “social smile.” In other words, after that age they really mean it – it’s not just “gas” or some involuntary reaction.
So think of the last time you saw a baby smile who was at least six or eight weeks old. If it’s ever happened, even once, I’m sure you remember it. The experience was almost priceless, wasn’t it? It’s hard to describe. It’s the same as any other person smiling, but so incredibly pure.
With a baby, there’s no possibility of a fake “politician” smile. It’s hard to know what the baby’s message is, because the baby doesn’t know a language yet that he/she can express with a smile. You get to assign your own message to the baby’s smile – but it’s almost certainly a positive message.
The baby might be saying, “OOH. You’re that nice person that feeds me. I like you.” Or, “You’re that nice lady that smells good and kisses me all over.” You don’t know exactly what the message is. All you know is, that smile warms your heart. Doesn’t it?
So how is it that so many of us intuitively know the power of a smile at eight weeks of age, and then proceed to forget it as we grow up?!!!
Connie’s smile would have melted your heart if you knew her. In fact, if you let it, just about every sincere smile you encounter will soften your disposition, improve your mood, make you feel better – and make you like the person who is doing the smiling. What if you were to simply turn things around, be on the giving end of a warm, sincere smile, and watch and feel the powerful effect it has on the other person? Try it. You’ll like it.
It takes less than a few seconds to smile. There are 86,400 seconds in every day. Make a commitment to invest just a few of them every day in giving genuine, warm, sincere smiles.
At the end of each section, we’ll propose a GoldenRule (see below). Each GoldenRule in this training will have some positive effect on your life and your relationships with others. They are all important and valuable. However, not one of them will have more of an impact than this one!
*****
GoldenRule #1
Smile like you genuinely mean it! Do it warmly and sincerely. It will move the world towards you in a small but unmistakable and irreversible way.
C.A. Milson 