Tag Archive for: books

Sunburn and Books

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by Bethany Maines
Last weekend I participated in a “Literary Corner” at a
local arts festival.  It was a chance to
sell books, meet readers and network with other authors.  It’s always so great to see how other authors
sell and a chance to learn some pointers. 
It was also, as it turned out, a chance to sunburn my feet.  No one warned me that part of being an author
would be having to be cognizant of my sunscreen and footwear choices.  So, if you are also in a summer sun
situation, here are some sun burn tips.

1. Act Fast to Cool It Down
Take a quick dip in a pool or
other body of water.  But don’t stay in
too long and get more burned!
2. Moisturize While Skin Is Damp
Use a gentle, but non-oil based,
moisturizing. Repeat to keep burned or peeling skin moist over the next few
days.
3. Decrease the Inflammation
At the first sign of sunburn,
taking an anti-inflammatory drug , such as ibuprofen. Aloe vera may also soothe
mild burns.
4. Replenish Your Fluids
Burns draw fluid to the skin’s
surface and away from the rest of the body. It’s important to rehydrate by
drinking extra liquids.

Bethany Maines is the author of the Carrie Mae Mystery Series, San
Juan Islands Mysteries, Shark Santoyo
Crime Series, and numerous short stories. When she’s not traveling to
exotic lands, or kicking some serious butt with her fourth degree black belt in
karate, she can be found chasing her daughter or glued to the computer working
on her next novel. You can also catch up with her on YouTube,
Twitter and Facebook.

A Character to Remember

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By Sparkle Abbey


“Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.” Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing

No matter the genre, no matter that wonderful twisty plot, no matter the well-drawn setting, when it comes down to it, we find that what we really remember from a good book are the characters.
Some characters like Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Eyre, Anne of Green Gables, and Jo Marsh stand the test of time and have stayed with us a very long time.

What makes a character memorable?

There are a lot of opinions and great lists out there about what makes a character memorable, but here’s ours:

1. Relatable – They may be quite different from us in terms of background, physical appearance, education or income bracket, but there must be something about them we can relate to. We enjoy Miss Marple because of her curiosity and interest in what makes people tick. We can relate!
2. Unique – Though we want to connect and relate we also want them to be unique. Not a stereotype or a cookie-cutter personality. Characters are more interesting when they stand out from the crowd. Think Monk and his unique phobias and unusual view of the world.
3. Talented – They’re not only unique they are good at something. Perhaps they are a virtuoso in some area, perhaps not. Maybe their talent is standing their ground, or telling it like it is, or taking care of details. Memorable characters do brave things and to do that they need to have a gift to share with the world.
4. Rootability – Okay, that’s probably not a word. But what we really mean is give us someone we can root for. Not someone who is perfect. Not someone who always has the answer or doesn’t get into jams. We want a character who we can care about, worry about, and cheer on as they work their way through the ups and downs of the story.

So that’s our list. What do you think makes a memorable character? Have you read a book recently where a character stayed with you long after you finished the book?

Sparkle Abbey
Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don’t tell the neighbors.) They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website.

Series Stories: Why We Love Them

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by Sparkle Abbey

The days are short and the nights are long and in many parts of the country it’s really cold outside. The perfect time to immerse yourself in a new book. Or maybe in a new series.

We confess we’ve often found ourselves hooked on a great series, whether a mystery, a YA, a science fiction story, a fantasy novel, or a family saga. It seems we’re not the only ones, readers (and for that matter television viewers) seem to love a series.

What is it we love about them?

Characters – When we’ve connected with the people in a story, we want to know more. They become friends that we want to hang out with again and again. Peope we care about. Often attachment to the characters in a series is what makes readers pick up that next book.

Setting – The setting of a story can be an element that draws us back. Maybe it’s a fictional place that feels very real to us and one we want to continue visiting. Or perhaps it’s a real place that’s described so well that we feel like we’ve been off on a trip to a favorite spot.

Unresolved Issues – Frequently with popular series stories, in addition to things that are resolved within the confines of that one book, there are other questions that remain unanswered. Those questions may arc over the course of the series and while the protagonist may make progress in each book, there’s still more work to be done.

We read a Forbes article that included some numbers on how many episodes it takes before television viewers are “hooked” on a series. According to Netflix data, three is the median number of episodes neccessary to hook viewers. Although there are a few examples where people were engaged sooner. With books, at least for us, often the first in the series decides whether we’ll go on to the next or not.

What do you think? Do you have some favorite series? Book Depository offers this list of what they consider the 20 Best Book Series Ever.  Any of your favorites listed there? What is it that brings you back to a series? We’d love to hear your thoughts on why series stories are so popular.



Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of mystery authors Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter. They’ve chosen to use Sparkle Abbey as their pen name on this series because they liked the idea of combining the names of their two rescue pets – Sparkle (ML’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog).

The authors co-write the best-selling Pampered Pets Mystery Series which focuses on the wacky world of precious pedigrees, pampered pooches, and secrets in posh Laguna Beach, California. The main characters and amateur sleuths are Texas cousins, Caro Lamont, a pet therapist, and Melinda Langston, a pet boutique owner. The two would join forces and work together if they were speaking, but they’re not.  Midwest Book Review calls the series “A sassy and fun mystery!”

Desperate Housedogs, the first book in Sparkle Abbey‘s mystery series is currently on sale for only 99 cents in all ebook formats for a limited time. If you love pets and love light-hearted mysteries, this might be a great time to try out this fun series!

Kindle

Nook

Kobo

iBooks

Christmas Reading

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Dear Readers,

Merry Christmas! We know many of you found new kindles, tablets, and phones under the tree. Need to fill those devices? Or do you just need to avoid talking to your relatives for the next twenty-four hours? We have the solution for both these problems–books! Today we have a great list of books to download, including a few GIVEAWAYS! So peruse our holiday book list and pick up all your favorites!

Stay warm, stay safe, and enjoy all the books you can!


The Stiletto Gang

Black Friday Gift List

Sparkle Abbey

Buy on: Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Kobo • iTunes

Barking with the Stars

Lights! Camera! Murder!
It’s a star-studded event and tongues are wagging. Laguna Beach pet therapist, Caro Lamont’s, ex-husband Geoffrey is spreading rumors and snuggling up to the biggest stars, including Purple – the temperamental diva, who’s the lynchpin of the celebrity line-up. All too soon, Caro is losing clients, her reputation, and patience with Geoffrey’s shenanigans. More trouble is unleashed when the high-strung headliner is found dead and Geoffrey was seen leaving her hotel room. With a potential killer on the loose, Caro is hounded by questions about who had reason to want Purple out of the picture and though all the evidence points to her ex, Caro believes the police are on the wrong trail. Even if her sleuthing puts her in the doghouse with Detective Judd Malone, Caro must dig up the truth before the real killer gets away with murder.

Juliana Aragon Fatula

Buy at: Bower House Books • Many Blankets Press

The Colorado Sisters and the Atlanta Butcher (forthcoming)— Atlanta billionaire and big game hunter, Reggie Hartless is found murdered, butchered, and frozen.The Colorado Sisters work undercover to solve the homicide and to unravel the legend of the Ute curse.

In Crazy Chicana in Catholic City, Fatula writes histories so terrifying they feel as if they were written with a knife. She writes with craft and courage what most folks are too ashamed to even think about, let alone talk about. Her fearlessness is inspirational. This is the kind of poetry I want to read; this is the kind I want to write. — Sandra Cisneros

In Red Canyon Falling on Churches, Fatula’s poems are gifts from the desert: nopales, chile ristras, and coyote tricksters offered with reverence to the earth and ancestors. Aztec goddesses speak, as do memories of star filled nights, and the love that remains from those we have lost in a tri-lingual, tri-cultural Chicana Azteca voice that reveal desert ways, the men, the women, tamales, beer, y la muerte. – Adela Najarro

Debra H. Goldstein

Buy on: Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Walmart

Should Have Played Poker

When attorney Carrie Martin’s mother reappears twenty-six years after abandoning her family, she leaves Carrie with a sealed envelope and her confession she once considered killing Carrie’s father. Before Carrie can find answers about her past, her mother is murdered. Although instructed by the detective assigned to her mother’s case – Carrie’s former live-in lover – to leave the sleuthing to the professionals, the investigative efforts of Carrie and her co-sleuths, the Sunshine Village Mah jongg players, quickly put Carrie in danger and show her that truth and integrity aren’t always what she was taught to believe.

Kay Kendall

Buy on: Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes

Kay Kendall’s Rainy Day Women is the second book in the Austin Starr Mystery series. In 1969, during the week of the Manson murders and Woodstock, the intrepid amateur sleuth, infant in tow, flies across the continent to support a friend suspected of murdering women’s liberation activists in Seattle and Vancouver. Then her former CIA trainer warns that an old enemy has contracted a hit on her. Her anxious husband demands that she give up her quest and fly back to him. How much should Austin risk when tracking the killer puts her and her baby’s life in danger?

Learn more: AustinStarr.com or follow Kay on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KayKendallAuthor

Bethany Maines

Buy on: Amazon $9.99

The Carrie Mae Mysteries Boxed Set

The Carrie Mae Mysteries – 5 stars, 2 books, 2 short stories, 1 low price

Q: What do you get when you cross Avon Ladies with Charlie’s Angels

A: A world-class intelligence organization run by women who really know their foundation. You get CARRIE MAE.

These make-up ladies aren’t just selling lipstick – they’re packing heat and saving the world. Join Nikki Lanier and her team of kick-ass friends as they take on gangs, drug smugglers, arms dealers, and internal politics, all while looking fabulous or at least trying to remember clean underwear. Featuring the short stories Supporting the Girls, Power of Attorney and the novels High-Calbier Concealer, Glossed Cause.

HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!! Oh, Holy Night

The Christmas Season is a lot more dangerous than it used to be. Violet Harper is usually found at her local Starbucks. Roman Knox is usually carrying a gun. Tonight they’re both in a bank and there’s a body on the floor. It’s a mess, but maybe a Christmas miracle can get them out of the bank and into love. FREE DOWNLOAD!

SMASHWORDS SALE!!

For more free short stories, and half off deals from Bethany Maines, check out the end of the year sale at SMASHWORDS!

Cathy Perkins

Buy on: Amazon $.99

HOLIDAY SALE!! So About the Money

So About the Money romps through eastern Washington with its rivers, wineries, Native American casinos, and assorted farm animals. Add in some wicked fun chemistry between the CPA amateur sleuth & a local detective and Holly Price better solve the case before the next dead body found beside the river is hers.

.99 on Amazon through 12/29

SMASHWORDS SALE!!

For more free short stories, and half off deals from Cathy Perkins, check out the end of the year sale at SMASHWORDS!


J.M. Phillippe

Buy on: Amazon • Barnes & Noble

Perfect Likeness

Perfection can haunt you.

Quick-witted 24-year-old Allyson Smart is the perfect woman — in her dreams. In real life, Ally has to deal with the clumsiness of her size-16 body, the good intentions of her over-achiever best-friend, and the condescending attitude of her too-cool little sister. But when the fantasized version of herself shows up in her bathroom mirror, calling herself Allison (with an i because she says it’s prettier), Ally discovers how cruel perfection can be. In this contemporary fantasy novel, Ally learns that perfection really can haunt you.

HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!! Plane Signals

Round one winner of the New York City Midnight 2017 Short Story Challenge, Plane Signals by J.M. Phillippe features a guy, a girl, and the four inches of space their arm rest shares at twenty-thousand feet. Is he interested or is it just the airline shoving him into Meagan’s personal space? If only she had some…Plane Signals.
FREE DOWNLOAD!

AB Plum

The Reckless Year

Buy on: Amazon

Against all reason, ruthless Silicon Valley tycoon Michael Romanov, becomes infatuated with a totally unsuitable, but bewitching woman. Her loser boyfriend leaves no doubt money and power can’t derail real love. He laughs at titles, prestige, and good looks. Threats and bribes don’t work. He refuses to step aside.
Will Michael stop at murder to sweep his first love off her feet?

The In-Between Years

Buy on: Amazon

In exchange for saving you from kidnappers and probably death, what if your father grooms you to become a murderer? What if he promises to make the risks you’ll take worth a small fortune? How long would you hesitate?

HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!!

Get a free e-book from AB Plum: FREE DOWNLOAD!

Linda Rodriguez

Buy on: Amazon

Plotting the Character-Driven Novel

In Plotting the Character-Driven Novel, Linda Rodriguez turns her sought-after writing course on using depth of character as a springboard to a strong plot into a book designed to help the aspiring writer who wants to tell a story made compelling by the truth and complexity of its characters. She provides examples of actual documents she has used in creating her own award-winning books to demonstrate the methods she teaches. Great plot springs from character and the motivations each character has for taking or not taking action. With this book, you will learn to create an exciting and complex plot, building from the integrity of the characters you create.

Judy Penz Sheluk

The Hanged Man’s Noose: A Glass Dolphin Mystery #1

Buy at: Barking Rain Press

Small-town secrets and subterfuge lead to murder in this fast-moving, deftly written tale of high-stakes real estate wrangling gone amok.

Journalist Emily Garland lands an assignment as the editor of a magazine based in Lount’s Landing, a small town named after a colorful 19th century Canadian traitor. As she interviews the local business owners, Emily learns many people are unhappy with real estate mogul Garrett Stonehaven’s plans to convert an old schoolhouse into a mega-box store. At the top of that list is Arabella Carpenter, the outspoken owner of the Glass Dolphin, who will do just about anything to preserve the integrity of the town’s historic Main Street.

But Arabella is not alone in her opposition. Soon, a vocal dissenter at a town hall meeting about the proposed project dies. A few days later, another body is discovered. Although both deaths are ruled accidental, Emily’s journalistic suspicions are aroused. Putting her reporting skills to the ultimate test, Emily teams up with Arabella to discover the truth behind Stonehaven’s latest scheme before the murderer strikes again.

Skeletons in the Attic: A Marketville Mystery #1

Buy at: Audible

What goes on behind closed doors doesn’t always stay there.

Calamity (Callie) Barnstable isn’t surprised to learn she’s the sole beneficiary of her late father’s estate, though she is shocked to discover she has inherited a house in the town of Marketville – a house she didn’t know existed. However, there are conditions attached to Callie’s inheritance: she must move to Marketville, live in the house, and solve her mother’s murder.

Callie’s not keen on dredging up a 30-year-old mystery, but if she doesn’t do it, there’s a scheming psychic named Misty Rivers who is more than happy to expose the Barnstable family secrets. Determined to thwart Misty and fulfill her father’s wishes, Callie accepts the challenge. But is she ready to face the skeletons hidden in the attic?

T.K. Thorne

Noah’s Wife

Buy on: Amazon

“. . . a novel of epic sweep, emotional power, and considerable beauty.”—Ron Gholson, The Blount Countian

Na’amah wishes only to be a shepherdess on her beloved hills in ancient Turkey—a desire shattered by the hatred of her powerful brother and the love of two men. Her savant abilities and penchant to speak truth force her to walk a dangerous path in an age of change—a time of challenge to the goddess’ ancient ways, when cultures clash and the earth itself is unstable. When foreign raiders kidnap her, Na’amah’s journey to escape and return home becomes an attempt to save her people from the disaster only she knows is coming.

Angels at the Gate

Buy on: Amazon

“A fantastic story about the mysterious woman who, until now, was simply a shadow among biblical heroes…The story is so compelling that I could not wait until I could read the next part of the adventure.” —San Francisco Review

ANGELS AT THE GATE is the story of Adira, destined to become Lot’s wife, the woman who “turned into a pillar of salt.” A daughter of Abram’s tribe, Adira is an impetuous young girl whose mother died in childbirth. Secretly raised as a boy in her father’s caravan and schooled in languages and the art of negotiation, Adira rejects the looming changes of womanhood that threaten her nomadic life and independence. With the arrival of two mysterious strangers, her world unravels. She alone can solve the mystery of what happened to her father and the abduction of one of the strangers.

HOLIDAY SALE!! Last Chance for Justice, the story of the 1963 Birmingham church bombing.
50% off from Chicago Review Press

Use code: Holiday2017

Holiday Gift Guide

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Dear Readers,

It’s Thanksgiving and that means that the commercial holiday known as Black Friday is upon us. Today we have a great list of books to give or GIVEAWAYS to snatch up for yourself. So if you’d prefer to stay in your jammies and read or just order books from the comfort of your own home, then we have the reading list for you! Peruse our holiday book list and pick up all your favorites!
Thank you to all our readers – we hope that you’re all warm and safe and that your To Be Read pile is within easy reach!


The Stiletto Gang



Black Friday Gift List

Sparkle Abbey

Buy on: Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Kobo • iTunes

Barking with the Stars

Lights! Camera! Murder!
It’s a star-studded event and tongues are wagging. Laguna Beach pet therapist, Caro Lamont’s, ex-husband Geoffrey is spreading rumors and snuggling up to the biggest stars, including Purple – the temperamental diva, who’s the lynchpin of the celebrity line-up. All too soon, Caro is losing clients, her reputation, and patience with Geoffrey’s shenanigans. More trouble is unleashed when the high-strung headliner is found dead and Geoffrey was seen leaving her hotel room. With a potential killer on the loose, Caro is hounded by questions about who had reason to want Purple out of the picture and though all the evidence points to her ex, Caro believes the police are on the wrong trail. Even if her sleuthing puts her in the doghouse with Detective Judd Malone, Caro must dig up the truth before the real killer gets away with murder.

Juliana Aragon Fatula

Buy at: Bower House Books • Many Blankets Press

The Colorado Sisters and the Atlanta Butcher (forthcoming)— Atlanta billionaire and big game hunter, Reggie Hartless is found murdered, butchered, and frozen.The Colorado Sisters work undercover to solve the homicide and to unravel the legend of the Ute curse.

In Crazy Chicana in Catholic City, Fatula writes histories so terrifying they feel as if they were written with a knife. She writes with craft and courage what most folks are too ashamed to even think about, let alone talk about. Her fearlessness is inspirational. This is the kind of poetry I want to read; this is the kind I want to write. — Sandra Cisneros
In Red Canyon Falling on Churches, Fatula’s poems are gifts from the desert: nopales, chile ristras, and coyote tricksters offered with reverence to the earth and ancestors. Aztec goddesses speak, as do memories of star filled nights, and the love that remains from those we have lost in a tri-lingual, tri-cultural Chicana Azteca voice that reveal desert ways, the men, the women, tamales, beer, y la muerte. – Adela Najarro

Debra H. Goldstein

Buy on: Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Walmart

Should Have Played Poker

When attorney Carrie Martin’s mother reappears twenty-six years after abandoning her family, she leaves Carrie with a sealed envelope and her confession she once considered killing Carrie’s father. Before Carrie can find answers about her past, her mother is murdered. Although instructed by the detective assigned to her mother’s case – Carrie’s former live-in lover – to leave the sleuthing to the professionals, the investigative efforts of Carrie and her co-sleuths, the Sunshine Village Mah jongg players, quickly put Carrie in danger and show her that truth and integrity aren’t always what she was taught to believe.

Kay Kendall

Buy on: Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes
Kay Kendall’s Rainy Day Women is the second book in the Austin Starr Mystery series. In 1969, during the week of the Manson murders and Woodstock, the intrepid amateur sleuth, infant in tow, flies across the continent to support a friend suspected of murdering women’s liberation activists in Seattle and Vancouver. Then her former CIA trainer warns that an old enemy has contracted a hit on her. Her anxious husband demands that she give up her quest and fly back to him. How much should Austin risk when tracking the killer puts her and her baby’s life in danger?
Learn more: AustinStarr.com or follow Kay on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KayKendallAuthor

Bethany Maines

Buy on: Amazon $9.99

The Carrie Mae Mysteries Boxed Set

The Carrie Mae Mysteries – 5 stars, 2 books, 2 short stories, 1 low price
Q: What do you get when you cross Avon Ladies with Charlie’s Angels
A: A world-class intelligence organization run by women who really know their foundation. You get CARRIE MAE.
These make-up ladies aren’t just selling lipstick – they’re packing heat and saving the world. Join Nikki Lanier and her team of kick-ass friends as they take on gangs, drug smugglers, arms dealers, and internal politics, all while looking fabulous or at least trying to remember clean underwear. Featuring the short stories Supporting the Girls, Power of Attorney and the novels High-Calbier Concealer, Glossed Cause.

HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!! Shark’s Instinct

Fresh out of prison and fresh out of luck, twenty-something Shark wants back into The Organization. But when Geier, the mob boss with a cruel sense of humor, sends Shark to the suburbs to find out who’s been skimming his take, Shark realizes he’s going to need more than his gun and an attitude to succeed. With the clock ticking, Shark accepts the help of the mysterious teenage fixer, Peregrine Hays, and embarks on a scheme that could line his pockets, land him the girl and cement his reputation with the gang—if he makes it out alive.
FREE DOWNLOAD!

Julie Mulhern

The Deep End

Buy on: Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iBooks • Kobo
Swimming into the lifeless body of her husband’s mistress tends to ruin a woman’s day, but becoming a murder suspect can ruin her whole life.
It’s 1974 and Ellison Russell’s life revolves around her daughter and her art. She’s long since stopped caring about her cheating husband, Henry, and the women with whom he entertains himself. That is, until she becomes a suspect in Madeline Harper’s death. The murder forces Ellison to confront her husband’s proclivities and his crimes—kinky sex, petty cruelties and blackmail.
As the body count approaches par on the seventh hole, Ellison knows she has to catch a killer. But with an interfering mother, an adoring father, a teenage daughter, and a cadre of well-meaning friends demanding her attention, can Ellison find the killer before he finds her?

Cold as Ice

Buy on: Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iBooks • Kobo
Ellison Russell’s life resembles a rollercoaster ride. And rollercoasters make her ill. Her daughter Grace has a crush on a boy Ellison doesn’t trust and she’s taken to hosting wild parties when Ellison goes out for the evening. Worse, the bank which represents Grace’s inheritance from her father may be in trouble.

When a meeting with the chef at the country club leads to the discovery of a body, Ellison can’t afford cold feet. She must save the bank, find the killer, and convince Grace (and herself) that powerful women don’t need men to rescue them.

Cathy Perkins

Buy on: Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Kobo • iTunes

Double Down

Every family has challenges. The Kaufman’s might include murder.
Murder isn’t supposed to be in the cards for blackjack dealer Maddie Larsson. Busted takes on a new meaning when her favorite customer, a former Poker World Tour champion, is murdered. His family claims—loudly and often—Maddie is the gold-digging murderer. She better prove she’s on the level before the real killer cashes in her chips.

If the victim’s body had been dumped five hundred yards up the road, Franklin County Sheriff’s Detective JC Dimitrak wouldn’t have been assigned to the Tom Tom Casino murder case. Instead, he’s hunting for suspects and evidence while dealing with a nemesis from the past and trying to preserve his own future. He better play his hand correctly and find the killer before an innocent woman takes the ultimate hit.


J.M. Phillippe

Buy on: Amazon • Barnes & Noble

Perfect Likeness

Perfection can haunt you.
Quick-witted 24-year-old Allyson Smart is the perfect woman — in her dreams. In real life, Ally has to deal with the clumsiness of her size-16 body, the good intentions of her over-achiever best-friend, and the condescending attitude of her too-cool little sister. But when the fantasized version of herself shows up in her bathroom mirror, calling herself Allison (with an i because she says it’s prettier), Ally discovers how cruel perfection can be. In this contemporary fantasy novel, Ally learns that perfection really can haunt you.

HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!! Plane Signals

Round one winner of the New York City Midnight 2017 Short Story Challenge, Plane Signals by J.M. Phillippe features a guy, a girl, and the four inches of space their arm rest shares at twenty-thousand feet. Is he interested or is it just the airline shoving him into Meagan’s personal space? If only she had some…Plane Signals.
FREE DOWNLOAD!

AB Plum

The Reckless Year

Buy on: Amazon
Against all reason, ruthless Silicon Valley tycoon Michael Romanov, becomes infatuated with a totally unsuitable, but bewitching woman. Her loser boyfriend leaves no doubt money and power can’t derail real love. He laughs at titles, prestige, and good looks. Threats and bribes don’t work. He refuses to step aside.
Will Michael stop at murder to sweep his first love off her feet?

The In-Between Years

Buy on: Amazon
In exchange for saving you from kidnappers and probably death, what if your father grooms you to become a murderer?

What if he promises to make the risks you’ll take worth a small fortune?

How long would you hesitate?

HOLIDAY CONTEST!!

Sign up HERE for a chance to name two characters in The Broken-Hearted Many, Book 5 in The MisFit Series, releasing in early 2018.

  • Deadline for signing up: Midnight (PST), November 30, 2017.
    One winner randomly selected. 
  •  Winner announced on my Stiletto Gang blog, December 12, 2017. 
  • Names submitted must avoid slandering or defaming living or dead persons, avoid racial and ethnic slurs and cannot be pornographic.

Author reserves the right to decide if submitted names meet all guidelines.
One submission per reader, please.

Linda Rodriguez

Buy on: Amazon

Plotting the Character-Driven Novel

In Plotting the Character-Driven Novel, Linda Rodriguez turns her sought-after writing course on using depth of character as a springboard to a strong plot into a book designed to help the aspiring writer who wants to tell a story made compelling by the truth and complexity of its characters. She provides examples of actual documents she has used in creating her own award-winning books to demonstrate the methods she teaches. Great plot springs from character and the motivations each character has for taking or not taking action. With this book, you will learn to create an exciting and complex plot, building from the integrity of the characters you create.

Judy Penz Sheluk

The Hanged Man’s Noose: A Glass Dolphin Mystery #1

Buy at: Barking Rain Press
Small-town secrets and subterfuge lead to murder in this fast-moving, deftly written tale of high-stakes real estate wrangling gone amok.
Journalist Emily Garland lands an assignment as the editor of a magazine based in Lount’s Landing, a small town named after a colorful 19th century Canadian traitor. As she interviews the local business owners, Emily learns many people are unhappy with real estate mogul Garrett Stonehaven’s plans to convert an old schoolhouse into a mega-box store. At the top of that list is Arabella Carpenter, the outspoken owner of the Glass Dolphin, who will do just about anything to preserve the integrity of the town’s historic Main Street.
But Arabella is not alone in her opposition. Soon, a vocal dissenter at a town hall meeting about the proposed project dies. A few days later, another body is discovered. Although both deaths are ruled accidental, Emily’s journalistic suspicions are aroused. Putting her reporting skills to the ultimate test, Emily teams up with Arabella to discover the truth behind Stonehaven’s latest scheme before the murderer strikes again.

Skeletons in the Attic: A Marketville Mystery #1

Buy at: Audible
What goes on behind closed doors doesn’t always stay there.
Calamity (Callie) Barnstable isn’t surprised to learn she’s the sole beneficiary of her late father’s estate, though she is shocked to discover she has inherited a house in the town of Marketville – a house she didn’t know existed. However, there are conditions attached to Callie’s inheritance: she must move to Marketville, live in the house, and solve her mother’s murder.
Callie’s not keen on dredging up a 30-year-old mystery, but if she doesn’t do it, there’s a scheming psychic named Misty Rivers who is more than happy to expose the Barnstable family secrets. Determined to thwart Misty and fulfill her father’s wishes, Callie accepts the challenge. But is she ready to face the skeletons hidden in the attic?

HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!!

Sign up for Judy’s newsletter by November 28, 2017 11:59 p.m. EST for a chance to win an audiobook copy of Skeletons in the Attic from Audible.com OR an e-book copy (Kindle, Kobo or Nook) of The Hanged Man’s Noose (Winner’s choice). Three winners will be randomly selected and announced (first names only) on my post, Monday, December 4th. SIGN UP HERE

T.K. Thorne

Noah’s Wife

Buy on: Amazon
“. . . a novel of epic sweep, emotional power, and considerable beauty.”—Ron Gholson, The Blount Countian
Na’amah wishes only to be a shepherdess on her beloved hills in ancient Turkey—a desire shattered by the hatred of her powerful brother and the love of two men. Her savant abilities and penchant to speak truth force her to walk a dangerous path in an age of change—a time of challenge to the goddess’ ancient ways, when cultures clash and the earth itself is unstable. When foreign raiders kidnap her, Na’amah’s journey to escape and return home becomes an attempt to save her people from the disaster only she knows is coming.

Angels at the Gate

Buy on: Amazon
“A fantastic story about the mysterious woman who, until now, was simply a shadow among biblical heroes…The story is so compelling that I could not wait until I could read the next part of the adventure.” —San Francisco Review
ANGELS AT THE GATE is the story of Adira, destined to become Lot’s wife, the woman who “turned into a pillar of salt.” A daughter of Abram’s tribe, Adira is an impetuous young girl whose mother died in childbirth. Secretly raised as a boy in her father’s caravan and schooled in languages and the art of negotiation, Adira rejects the looming changes of womanhood that threaten her nomadic life and independence. With the arrival of two mysterious strangers, her world unravels. She alone can solve the mystery of what happened to her father and the abduction of one of the strangers.

Book Fog

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by Sparkle Abbey

We’ve all experienced it, right? That feeling when you’ve been so immersed in a story that you come up for air and the real world seems a little foggy.

As a reader, those are the best books aren’t they? The author has succeeded at taking us on a journey. We’ve lived in the world they’ve created and spent time with characters who seem like real people.

What readers might not realize is that writers experience book fog, too, but in our creative role, in a slightly different way.

Writers have many different approaches to writing a book – some plot extensively, others just jump in and write, and some revise as they writer. But regardless of the process, when we complete a book, we have lived with these characters, in this world we’ve created, living their hopes and dreams and conflicts, for a very long time.

We’re often asked: How does it feel when a book is done? Are you excited? We have to say, we’re almost always in a book fog. We’re tired, we feel that writing “the end” euphoria, but mostly we feel that a part of us is still in that book world.

Writers, we’re sure you’ll recognize what that’s like. Readers, the best way for us to explain it is that it’s like the feeling you get when the story captures you so completely that, for a little while after you finish the book, you’re still in – 1920s Australia, 1740 Scotland, or modern day Laguna Beach.

So readers, we have to ask, what was the last book that gave you book fog?

Leave a comment and we’ll draw for a prize in the next week!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of mystery authors Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter. They write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series which combines murder, zany characters and the wacky world of pampered pets. Their latest book, Barking with the Stars, will be released November 17th and can be pre-ordered right now on Amazon, Kobo, and iBooks.

The Best Job: Telling Stories

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By Sparkle Abbey

We have the best job! We’re storytellers.

Not only that, we’ve been blessed recently with readers who have taken the time to email or tell us in person about their experiences in reading our books.

One lovely reader shared that she got through an illness abroad ship with our first three books that she had on her Kindle. Another read to her mom who was hospitalized and they laughed together at Caro, Mel, and the indomitable Betty and her shenanigans.  Several others have shared that the books have been an escape at a time when they needed one. A lift, a laugh, a little bit of fun along with a whodunit that kept them guessing. Can you see our big smiles?

We absolutely love it when readers tell us they laughed out loud while reading a Sparkle Abbey book and got funny looks from others on the train or in the break room at work. Sigh. That’s just the best.

The truth is that, as readers ourselves, there has been some time in our life when reading and books got us through a bad time, an endless wait, or just provided a get-away when we couldn’t actually get away. And whether an author writes humorous mysteries like us, or straight serious storylines, or romances, or dark thrillers, we all want to transport readers. We want to envelope you in our fictional world. We want to share our story people with you.

We believe writers write because they have to. We can’t stop. There are stories in our heads and we’re compelled to capture them. Ask a room of writers why they write and you’ll hear words like passion, joy, and need. They’ll often say things like, “The story nagged at me until I finally had to write it.” Or something along the lines of ,“That character just kept talking to me, insisting I tell her story.” You can see why we have to hang out with other writers, can’t you? Other people might question our sanity. We’re sure our friends and families have at times.

Ultimately, writers write not only because we have to, but because we want readers to be pulled into our worlds. We were entertained, enlightened, shaped, and sometimes even saved by books. And we want to do the same for others with our own stories.

So, readers, don’t ever hesitate to tell an author (in person or via email) what their book meant to you. We need to hear that. It’s what keeps us going when the characters won’t behave or the plot won’t untwist.

It’s what keeps us telling stories.

Sparkle Abbey’s first book in the Pampered Pets series is currently part of a drawing for a giveaway of 55+ cozy mysteries and the grand prize of a Kindle Fire. Details are here: Book Sweeps

Also, our publisher is running a special on our 7th book Downton Tabby and it is $1.99 in all ebook formats until April 15th.

Amazon
Nook
Kobo

Stay up-to-date on new releases and other Sparkle Abbey news by signing up for updates at: SparkleAbbey.com

Bethany’s Rules for Marketing

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by Bethany Maines

In my quest for world book domination I frequently peruse
tips on how to better market myself/books. 
Some come up with some interesting strategies that are worth pursuing
and then there’s this list…
I won’t mention the name of the blog I found it on because I
don’t believe in public shaming.  But let’s
just assess a few of the items on this list shall we? 
Comment on Blogs – The
theory is that you will become recognized and friends with other blog
commenters as well as those running the blog and then you will RISE TO
FAME!  Or… not.  Of course, having additional friends will help
you expand your fan base.  But pursuing
that strategy for the sake of selling books is so lacking in any genuine
feeling that it will actually turn people against you. 
Bethany Rule #1 –
always be your best self online.  Only
comment on a blog if you have something interesting and positive to add to the
conversation. Trolls don’t sell books.
Create a Viral Video –
Let’s just hop right on that shall we? 
We’ll get out or cell phones and film our cats and then, bam, done!  As this article on
Slate indicates, only 10% of YouTube videos get more than 1000 views.  Videos these days are higher in quality and
there a simply MORE of them out there than in the beginning days of social
media. Here’s my attempt at a viral video
– it’s awesome, you should watch it.  But
I only paid for food for the crew and a make-up artist to make the video
happen, everything else was done in trade. 
I felt comfortable with my investment  and I view the video as a great sales tool to
introduce people to my book series, but I never counted on it going viral. 
Bethany Rule #2 –
if you have to pay a lot of money for a product that you’re going to giveaway
for free, it’s probably not worth it.
Go on National TV – Yup,
I’m just going to dial up Oprah right now, promise her some bread, and book
myself on National TV.  Getting air time,
particularly on a National level, is one of the things that happens when you’re
ALREADY famous.  There’s a reason Donald
Trump has ceased to advertise.  He’s
getting 15% of the national news time (according to a recent news piece I saw
on my local news) and 50% of the election coverage.  He doesn’t NEED to advertise.   I’m not recommending that you be Donald Trump
– one is more than enough – but being getting air time is something that you
either pay for, or you get because your famous for something already.

Bethany
Rule #3 – work to be
locally famous.  Join groups.  Send press releases.  Volunteer to judge writing contests.  Talk to people.  Network and connect – people sell books.


The internet is full of many tips, some are more helpful than others.  I just hope that you find mine a little more helpful than the one from the blog that shall remain nameless.



Bethany Maines is the author of the Carrie
Mae Mysteries, Tales from the City of
Destiny and An Unseen Current.
 You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video
or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.


A Gift for You!

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by Bethany Maines

It’s the Christmas season.  A time to contemplate the things we’re grateful for. (I’m grateful for awesome readers like you!) Meanwhile, you’ve been running around buying gifts for everyone. Isn’t it time someone else gave you something?  In honor of the holidays, I have done some arm twisting and procured a coupon for you.
Go here:
Click buy.
Use this coupon:
CP63U
And get High-Caliber Concealer for $2.99.  That’s 63% off list price. Coupon expires on January 1st, so snap this up quick!  I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

High-Caliber Concealer, the third Carrie Mae Mystery is now available for sale in print and digital formats. Join Nikki, Ellen, Jane, and Jenny as they take on their toughest mission yet – a vacation. Nikki’s quiet visit to her grandmother’s farm is disrupted by drug smugglers, her ex-boyfriend and the sudden arrival of her mother (who is obviously hiding something). When the girls and her CIA agent boyfriend, Z’ev Coralles, also land on her doorstep, Nikki begins to wonder if she’s in over head. Can Nikki stop the smugglers, settle things with her ex, and stop her mother and grandmother from starting all out war over the mashed potatoes, all without revealing Carrie Mae’s secret’s to Z’ev? Nikki may be a High-Caliber Concealer, but this time it might not be enough!

Bethany Maines is the author of the Carrie
Mae Mysteries, Tales from the City of
Destiny and An Unseen Current.
 You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video
or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.

I Wrote a Book

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I Wrote A Book by Debra H. Goldstein

I wrote a book this week. Or, maybe it was last week? The days seem to run together when I’m writing well. Hours go by before I stiffly realize daylight has faded.

I don’t know if the book is any good. I began writing it at the end of last year and thought it was a hoot. It incorporated everything that a cozy or a traditional with cozy elements needs: small town, a woman finding herself or doing something she’s not particularly comfortable with, nice language, mostly nice characters, food with a twist…you’re getting the picture. Then, my mother died and I stopped writing.

The words didn’t flow. The ideas came and I dutifully wrote them on a sticky or on a note on my iPad, but I didn’t look at them again. Short story contest and anthology deadlines came and went. Still, I didn’t write.

People asked me how my new book was coming and I told them the truth, “It’s not.” What was going well was my mah jongg playing, eating out, exercising, TV watching, volunteer meetings, traveling, and solitaire playing.

And then, one day, I woke up and remembered I wanted to be a writer. It dawned on me that a writer

needs to write. I decided to find time to do that again. For fun, I polished a story I had been tinkering

with and submitted it. I pulled up the manuscript that I had been writing and realized “No wonder I can’t bring myself to work on this manuscript. I’m not sad about my mother (well, maybe I am); the story doesn’t work because I’ve pinned the crime on the wrong character.”

I hit my head (okay, let’s pretend I hit my head), chortled, and wondered “How stupid could I be?” I edited and rewrote and suddenly I was beyond the point at which I’d stopped writing.

For the next ten days, I wrote with minimal breaks. I turned down invitations to play mah jongg and begged off attending meetings or long lunches. My fingers flew across the keyboard in beat to whatever music was being played on the Showtunes channel. I finished. 72464 of my own words.

The book will need to be edited and revised before I’ll send it searching for a home, but I held a hard copy of the manuscript in my hand today and I smiled. Good or bad, I am a writer.