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Book Spotlight: Murder in A-Minor

5/31/2016

Murder in A-Minor
By Janis Thomas
Genre: Murder Mystery

Former detective Samantha Wedlock is having a bad year. After botching a huge case with the New York PD, Sam flees to her childhood home of Southern California and escapes her demons with the Internet and booze. Her career is over, her instincts have taken a vay-cay, and her music—the songs she composes in her head to help her solve puzzles and the challenges of her life—has abandoned her. When her old flame, sexy Lieutenant Jack Hudson, shows up on her doorstep to ask for her help with the case of two murdered college coeds, Sam refuses. But she can’t resist Jack, and she can’t resist the hunt, and soon becomes enmeshed in the investigation. The more involved she becomes, the more she sees the case as a means of rediscovering the things she’s lost: her purpose, her drive, and her hope for the future. With her music playing at full volume, Sam must re-sharpen her wits and learn to trust her instincts again in order to catch a cunning killer.

Author Bio

Janis Thomas is the author of Murder in A-Minor, the first book in her Musical Murder Mystery series (available May 2016), as well as three humorous women’s fiction novels, Something New, Sweet Nothings, and Say Never, which was chosen by Chick Lit Central as one of the best books of the year. Janis has written over fifty songs, and two children’s books which she wrote with her dad. When she isn’t writing or fulfilling her PTA duties, Janis likes to play tennis, sing with her sister, and throw wild dinner parties with outrageous menus for friends and loved ones. Janis lives in Southern California with her husband, their two beautiful children and two crazy dogs.

https://www.facebook.com/authorjanisthomas

https://twitter.com/janis_thomas
www.janisthomas.com
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/B0D31Y7QxY8
On Amazon: http://amzn.to/1TG8Prx

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Book Spotlight - Harsh Gods By Michelle Belanger

5/23/2016

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Harsh Gods
By Michelle Belanger
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Paranormal
Publisher: Titan Books

The last thing Zack Westland expects on a frigid night is to be summoned to an exorcism.

Demonic possession, however, proves the least of his problems. Father Frank, a veteran turned priest, knows Zack’s deepest secrets, recognizing him as Anakim—an angel of the hidden tribe. And Halley, the girl they’ve come to save, carries a secret that could unlock a centuries-old evil. She chants an eerie rhyme, and she isn’t alone…

“HANDS TO TAKE AND EYES TO SEE.
A MOUTH TO SPEAK. HE COMES FOR ME.”

As Zack's secrets spill out, far more than his life is at stake, for Halley is linked to an ancient conspiracy. Yet Zack can't help her unless he's willing to risk losing his immortality—and reigniting the Blood Wars.

Praise for Conspiracy of Angels:

“Horrors that will send a chill up your spine.” —The Absolute

“A singular reading experience.” —Laurell K. Hamilton, bestselling creator of Anita Blake, vampire hunter

Follow Michelle Belanger
On Twitter: @sethanikeem
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sethanikeem
Website: www.michellebelanger,com
Amazon: http://amzn.com/1783299541
(Book #1: http://amzn.com/1783297336)

B&N: http://bit.ly/1sb6L4E

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1UQDZBr

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Author Interview with Channing Turner

5/20/2016

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Tell us about your genre. How did you come to choose it? Why does it appeal to you?

Jonathan's Shield is historical fiction. It's based loosely on the relationship between David and Jonathan in 1st Samuel. That being said, I wouldn't call it strictly Christian Fiction. I tried to take some of those great stories of the Old Testament and flesh out the characters so the reader can see them as real people with shortcomings and faults like everyone else.

Years ago I was in a Bible study that covered 1st and 2nd Samuel. During one session we blew through an incident that most of us don't remember from the story of David. Prince Jonathan climbs up a steep hillside to tackle a Philistine outpost, and nobody goes with him but his faithful armor bearer. Together they rout the Philistines and the battle is won. That armor bearer is never named or heard from again. I remember pondering about that brave unknown man, and I decided to give him a name and tell his story. I like stories about the anonymous grunts.

What do you find most challenging about the writing process, and how do you deal with it?

The hardest thing about writing anything longer than a page is sticking with it. I think a lot of people get the idea of writing a novel and may even start one. But then, after that great opening scene, your ideas start faltering. It turns into drudgery. It gets hard, boring. And you quit. This has happened to me. There are two ways to deal with this, actually three. First, decide that you really want to write, to be a writer. If you do, then go to steps two and three. Second, set aside a block of time every day (I usually take weekends off,) and put your bottom in the chair in front of your laptop or whatever. Write even if you think it's trash. You will come back and edit anyway.The third method is the one I think has helped me the most. Join some kind of writing or critique group. Meet with them regularly—probably weekly—and have something to show them. They tear it apart—I mean critique it—and then you do the same to their submissions. Everybody gets better, and you keep writing because someone is holding you accountable every week.

When and where do you do your writing?

I'm a night owl, and I write mostly at night between eight PM and midnight. My man cave is upstairs away from the TV and whatever hubbub visiting grandkids might be stirring up .
What have you learned about promoting your books?

There’s so much more to the world of books than writing one. I honestly had no idea there would be this amount of marketing involved. I guess I thought that I would just write it, get it published, and then walk out to the mailbox to pick up royalty checks.

What are you most proud of as a writer?

To be honest, I’m most proud of finishing, of getting it done, following through, scratching this effort off my bucket list. I haven’t won any awards. I haven’t become a NYT best selling author. But I can say I’m a writer. And I’m going to write some more.

If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be, and what would you talk about?

I had to think a bit on this one. I suppose it would be James Lee Burke. He and I are about the same age although I’m just getting started in this kind of gig. We both came from Louisiana which we love, live or lived in Montana which we also love, and I think he may be the best mystery writer—maybe the best writer period—in America today. I’d like to talk with him about our two home states and about how he comes up with those great descriptions of the land and water and sky and smells. If he would confide in me, I’d also ask him how much of his writing is autobiographical. I doubt he would tell me that though. I probably wouldn’t either.

Author Bio

A son of the South, Channing Turner grew up in Arkansas and Louisiana before graduating from Louisiana State University in Psychology. He did graduate work in marine biology and became an estuarine biologist along the Texas coast. After retiring from the petrochemical industry where he worked in Louisiana and Montana as a laboratory analyst, he managed the 2010 US Census in Montana and northern Wyoming. He now lives in eastern Washington with his wife, Barb.

Channing served in the army and was discharged as an Armor captain. Reading and writing are his sedentary pursuits, but he also enjoys riding his Tennessee Walker in the Blue Mountains of Washington and Oregon.

Website: www.channingtbooks.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/channingturnerbooks
On Red Adept: http://bit.ly/RAPJShield
On Amazon: http://amzn.to/1WlCAo9

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Author Interview with Michael Cruit

5/18/2016

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Tell us about your genre. How did you come to choose it? Why does it appeal to you?

I write non-fiction, fiction and science fiction. For this book,
fiction was necessary because the story takes place in the U.S. in the not-too-distant past.

What do you find most challenging about the writing process, and how do you deal with it?

Occasionally I’ll get stuck while writing, not actually a “block,” but
rather a crossroads in the story – a particular direction or event
that has to occur – but I don’t know exactly how to make it work.
However, this is the beauty of fiction; the author is in total control
and can bend characters and situations toward whatever is needed to keep the story rolling.

When and where do you do your writing?

I write at home, on the Boca Rio Sierpe, Peninsula de Osa, Costa Rica. I sit at a desk facing the river and the ocean; at high tide the waves hit the beach only fifty meters in front of the house. Occasionally, I’ll look up over the water and think about the book, daydream about it, choosing the best words and phrases. (We’re at sea level and the ocean is rising; the house will have to be moved eventually!)

I live with seven cats and they’re going in and out, up and down, and we’re always interacting. They provide periodic distractions, which keep me emotionally balanced and mentally agile. I usually do household and property chores early in the morning, then write the rest of the day.

What have you learned about promoting your books?

Promotion is extremely difficult. Two of my books are with publishers and they do the promotion, but I have to promote my self-published books. I publish with Amazon, but there are millions of books for sale on Amazon and all authors are screaming for attention. Also, there are very few promotional options available for self-published authors, especially authors that live in an isolated jungle/ocean environment. My internet connection is weak and unreliable, but it’s the only way I can promote.

What are you most proud of as a writer?

I’m most proud of having written a few coherent books that people actually like. It’s not easy. Writing takes time and opportunity, and in the modern world time and opportunity are scarce. For many years, I could only write in the evenings or on weekends because I was too focused on work and survival. Then I was fortunate to inherit a small amount of cash, which allowed me to devote more time to writing.

If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about?

I admire so many writers, it’s hard to single out someone that I’d love to have dinner with, so I’ll pick one at random; James Clavell. I’ve always been impressed with his writing, especially his Asian series. “Shogun” was an absolute classic of historical fiction. I’d love to ask Mr. Clavell about how he does his research. Writing about medieval Japan must have been a great challenge, but he did an excellent job. I have daydreams about writing something similar – a fictionalized account of Francis Drake’s circumnavigation around the world. I’m sure I would benefit immensely from any advice or suggestions from Mr. Clavell.

Later, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson will join us for an after-dinner drink – vodka with grapefruit juice for Dr. Thompson and maybe a puff or two of mota – and we’ll talk about Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail!

Author Bio

Michael Cruit was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. He served three years in the United States Army, including thirteen months in Vietnam. After his discharge he attended the University of Minnesota, earned a degree in sociology and entered the graduate program in social psychology. In 1980 Mr. Cruit went to Costa Rica to write his dissertation, but never returned to the US.

Social psychology was not useful for survival in the rainforest and he endured several years of poverty. He survived by panning for gold and making coconut oil, then paddling upriver six hours to the nearest town, where he sold the gold and coconut oil and purchased supplies. Eventually, he learned carpentry and made a decent living working on local construction projects.

There are no roads, no power lines, no phone lines anywhere near his house. A pelton micro-hydro system provides enough electricity for lights, fridge and computer. He still lives in the Costa Rican rain forest, with seven cats, five dogs, thousands of parrots, toucans and monkeys and billions of bugs.

www.michaeljohncruit.wordpress.com
http://amzn.to/202NUCn

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Author Interview with Amanda Farmer

5/17/2016

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Tell us about your genre. How did you come to choose it? Why does it appeal to you?

My chosen genre is memoir/non-fiction story telling. I read almost exclusively non-fiction books as I want to learn about how others deal with life’s challenges. All the fiction books seem “canned” and have the same happy endings. I also realized that real life sometimes is stranger than fiction and provides lessons that others can learn from. In looking at my own life, I came to the conclusion that my story could be an inspiration and a lesson to others. Outside of my books, I have a blog that I write about everyday events that occur in the lives of my husband, daughter, and I - https://farmgirlwriter.wordpress.com/

What do you find most challenging about the writing process, and how do you deal with it?

The most challenging part about the writing process is finding a concentrated time span during which to write interrupted. I deal with it by making myself do nothing else except write in the one day a week that I choose to write.

When and where do you do your writing?

I always wonder, do professional writers have neat and clean professional offices? I did not start out to be a writer so my office is multi-purposeful. It is a 10 X 10 space tucked into the corner of our TV/family room upstairs. The side with the “doorway” is made up by the back side of my daughter’s computer desk and unorganized, unaddressed papers. On the opposing wall, tucked under the window, is the desk for “business purposes.” It is lined with electrical supply books and references. Being the bookkeeper for my husband’s electrical business is the number one priority. To the left on the desk, I have my pile of “personal-want-to-keep” stuff. On the right, is my pile of “book-in-progress” items. The third wall is obliterated by filing cabinets, my computer, and the two very necessary copy, fax, scan, and print machines. Packed around all of this and stuffed into cubicles above it, are the stacks of blank paper, trips-to-go-on, trips-done-gone-on, college information for daughter, and more stacks of book writing and publishing paraphernalia. This is where I write. When? My second job is as a nurse anesthetist which requires 3 days per week. Then there is the bookkeeping job. 1 day a week or 1 day a month may be all that I have to write. If that is it, I make it concentrated writing time.

What have you learned about promoting your books?

I have learned it is a very time consuming and sometimes expensive proposition to promote books. I have had to content myself with specific time concentrated activities that are spread out over many days. This year, I have also limited myself to activities that are cost effective. The internet and my website, www.farmgirlwriter are very useful tools for people to access if looking for more information. Word of mouth has been a much bigger promoter than I ever expected and at work, I always carry cards to hand out that describe each book.

What are you most proud of as a writer?

I am most proud that the people who do read my books seem to like them and many people identify with the struggles that I portray.

If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about?

I think my choice of writer to have dinner with would be Beverly Lewis who has written many novels with the Amish culture as the primary backdrop. Even though they are fiction stories, I probably have read more of her series than any other probably because I identify with the culture. I would want to talk about her knowledge of the Amish and how she uses it in her stories, what got her started on writing about the Amish, and about her own background that influenced her to write.

Author Bio

Amanda Farmer was born in Pennsylvania and moved with her family to Minnesota at age 16. She lived and worked on the farm until age 29. Amanda earned a master's degree in Nurse Anesthesia in 2007 and currently works in that profession. She enjoys reading, writing, and most any outdoor activity. She and her husband of 24 years live on a hobby farm in southeastern Minnesota. They have one college-age daughter, 2 cats, a dog, a multitude of fish, and once spent all their profit on 2 horses. All the animals were obtained in response to "P-l-e-a-se Mom!"
https://www.facebook.com/farmgirlwriter/?ref=hl

https://twitter.com/farmgirlwriter5
www.farmgirlwriter.com
On Goodreads: http://bit.ly/22u8MFM
On Amazon: http://amzn.to/1pAAG5b
On B&N: http://bit.ly/1T0TNjX

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Murder in A-Minor Cover Reveal!

5/17/2016

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Murder in A-Minor
By Janis Thomas
Genre: Murder Mystery

Former detective Samantha Wedlock is having a bad year. After botching a huge case with the New York PD, Sam flees to her childhood home of Southern California and escapes her demons with the Internet and booze. Her career is over, her instincts have taken a vay-cay, and her music—the songs she composes in her head to help her solve puzzles and the challenges of her life—has abandoned her. When her old flame, sexy Lieutenant Jack Hudson, shows up on her doorstep to ask for her help with the case of two murdered college coeds, Sam refuses. But she can’t resist Jack, and she can’t resist the hunt, and soon becomes enmeshed in the investigation. The more involved she becomes, the more she sees the case as a means of rediscovering the things she’s lost: her purpose, her drive, and her hope for the future. With her music playing at full volume, Sam must re-sharpen her wits and learn to trust her instincts again in order to catch a cunning killer.

https://www.facebook.com/authorjanisthomas

https://twitter.com/janis_thomas

www.janisthomas.com

Available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1TG8Prx

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Author Interview with Lanette Kauten

5/16/2016

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Tell us about your genre. How did you come to choose it? Why does it appeal to you?

I write the stories that appeal to me with characters who beg to have a voice. When I first started writing, I didn’t know my genre, but I’ve since learned that many in the publishing industry call it “upmarket.” Typically, people give me confused but polite stares when I try to explain what it is. Instead, think of it in terms of movies because movies have different genre conventions than books. If my book were a movie, it would be shelved under drama. If you’re an avid book club reader, you probably read upmarket. The reason I chose this genre is simple: it suits my author “voice” and writing style, plus I’m intrigued with the complexities of humans and the realistic but troubling situations we get ourselves into. Upmarket fiction allows me to explore that.

What do you find most challenging about the writing process, and how do you deal with it?

Stagnation. It’s probably the biggest cause of writer’s block. I homeschool my son, so I don’t work outside of the home. Writing is my job, and my family is my life. That’s great! Except, for an introvert like me, it’s easy to become stagnant, and when I do, the writing suffers. I don’t feel like writing, and when I sit in front of a blank screen to force myself, the words don’t come easily. For me, the solution is usually simple. I go for walks, join a local writers’ group, badly choreograph dances, read something new. Once I’m out of my state of funk, I can write.

When and where do you do your writing?

At home on my couch mostly. Sometimes I’ll go upstairs or to my bedroom because of distractions. One place I love to write even though I rarely get the chance is at a quiet coffee shop. I don’t know if it’s simply the change of scenery or if it’s the psychology of putting on clothes and leaving the house to sit at a table, but whatever it is, I’m always able to break through a barrier whenever I write at a coffee shop—as long as it’s not noisy. It helps to know which ones don’t receive much traffic.

What have you learned about promoting your books?

It’s a difficult hill to climb, but it’s easier with the support of others. I have really enjoyed networking with other writers and readers. The community of book lovers is phenomenal. Sure, everyone has different tastes in genres and in what makes a good book, but we come together for the love of stories. In truth, we really aren’t much different from our ancient ancestors. Stories have always united groups of people.

What are you most proud of as a writer?

I’m most proud of my latest book. “Cassia” is not only a great story, but it’s a deep look into the world in which we live. Every one of my critique partners, beta readers, and reviewers have gotten something different out of the book, and I love that. I want to entertain people with my stories, but I also want them to peek under the layers and see something that resonates with them personally. With “Cassia,” I believe I’ve accomplished that.

If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about?

C.S. Lewis. There are many brilliant writers who suck you in with their fiction, and there are many brilliant writers who can make a non-fiction topic fascinating with clever turns of phrases, but it’s very unusual to find a writer who is equally adept at both. I want to talk to him about his writing—his children’s novels, his adult novels, his short stories, and his non-fiction works. I want to peer inside the mind of one of the most brilliant writers and thinkers of the twentieth century.

Author Bio

I grew up in the suburbs of Dallas, TX, and moved all the way over to the next county… so, not very far. In high school, I was a serious and determined student with the goal of becoming a psychologist. However, an artistic desire awakened inside me during my late teens, and I became enamored with artists of all strains, and Deep Ellum became a home for my soul.
After a couple of years, I realized I would have to grow up eventually (actually, my mom realized that for me), so I went to nursing school and once again became a serious and determined student. While in school, I became fascinated with research, and after a few years of working as a floor nurse, I went into nephrology research and loved it!

Because just about everything interests me, I eventually picked up my long-dead hobby of writing, which I’m happy to say is now a budding career. My debut novel, HOUSE OF THISTLES, came out two years ago. I’m very proud of my latest, which takes place in an industrial arts neighborhood.

I’m married with two kids and a step-son, and I home school my youngest.

On Facebook: http://bit.ly/1PtmVJU

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/LanetteKauten

Website: http://lanettekauten.com/

On Amazon: http://amzn.to/25nB7zZ

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Book Spotlight: The Rebel Within

5/13/2016

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The Rebel Within
By Lance Erlick
Genre: YA science fiction

Sixteen-year-old Annabelle Scott lives under the iron rule of a female-dominated régime that forces males to fight to the death to train the military elite. When pressed into service as a mechanized warrior to capture escaped boys, Annabelle stays true to herself by helping some escape. Her defiance endangers everyone she loves and thrusts her to a place of impossible life and death decisions.

Author Bio
Lance Erlick writes action-packed, science fiction thrillers. In the Rebel series, Annabelle Scott faces a crisis of conscience when she is forced to become a warrior to enforce laws she believes are wrong. The Regina Shen series takes place after abrupt climate change leads to Collapse and a new society under the World Federation. As an outcast, Regina must fight to stay alive and help her family while she avoids being captured.

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLanceErlick

http://www.twitter.com/lanceerlick
http://www.LanceErlick.com

On Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Y64ujJ

ON B&N: http://bit.ly/1VSl3Ds

On Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1ZCCGFj

The author is hosting an ebook giveaway during his book blitz!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Two Spooky Little Gems for Your Reading List

5/12/2016

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Today’s book review is a “twofer” – a pair of slender volumes that will prickle the hairs on the back of your neck.

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Trembly is a scary, yet funny marriage of The Exorcist and reality TV. I’m old enough to remember the Loud family, who allowed a TV crew into their home to follow them around and film their dramas and crises (including the son’s coming out as gay). In Tremblay’s story, the Barrett family – Mom, Dad (out of work) and daughters Marjorie, 14, and Merry, 8, have a more sensational problem to attract their live-in television crew: Marjorie appears to be possessed.

Told from the point-of-view of Merry, the story alternates between her account of the events leading to Marjorie’s exorcism (yes, there’s one of those) and her adult interviews with a reporter writing a book about them. Some blog posts are thrown into the mix, adding to the fun. I’ve read that Stephen King said this book scared him. I believe it.

The Cellar by Minette Walters, an author I’ve long enjoyed, brings us another dysfunctional family (hmmm, I’ve got a theme going here!). The Songolis have emigrated to London from West Africa with two sons and a 14-year-old, well, slave, named Muna, whom they wangled from an orphanage there. Forced to live in the titular cellar, malnourished and abused in every way you can imagine, Muna rises to the occasion when the Songoli’s youngest son disappears, taking a wicked revenge on her captors. Walters relates this macabre story with a detached voice, to surreal effect. Although the ending fell a bit flat, the portrait of Muna, literally trained to become a psychopath, is chilling and unforgettable.

Happy, spine-tingling reading, friends!

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Book Spotlight & Giveaway: The Blue Ridge Project

5/6/2016

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The Blue Ridge Project
By Neil Rochford
Genre: Dark Suspense/Paranormal

Book Description

Conspiracy. Murder. Secret experiments. Mind control. A detective, a journalist and a rich deviant struggle with their pasts as their actions set them on a collision course with each other and The Project.

Detective Andrea Nox has been asked to quietly investigate a bizarre and violent murder-suicide that could have consequences for Beacon City and the people in charge. Dead ends and odd clues are hindering her efforts, and when another similar murder occurs, she has to juggle the investigation and her own troubled past with the Beacon City Police Department.

Journalist Robert Duncan is visiting home after a personal crisis when the unthinkable happens, and secrets are unearthed about his family and his place in it. His involvement in a dangerous and far-reaching conspiracy grows as he uncovers information that implicates powerful people in horrible crimes.

Frank Mortimer, disturbed son of a wealthy and influential family, is taking part in an experimental program that has promised to make him better. However, with the shadowy and powerful group known only as The Project behind the program, what he is getting better at could prove disastrous for everyone else, as a dangerous power is unlocked inside him...

Their paths will converge in a shocking story of murder, conspiracy and clandestine experiments taking place that could change the world.

Author Bio

Neil Rochford is a freelance writer who loves fiction where bad things happen. He has spent the last six years abroad, working his way through Europe and South America while learning the business behind writing and self-publishing in between teaching and bartending. Originally from Ireland, he speaks three languages and has lived in Estonia, Brazil, France and Spain. He maintains his own website, dabbles in webpage creation, has written a number of short stories and is also a writer and regular contributor for popular Irish podcast Those Conspiracy Guys. Currently residing in Spain, he plans to return to his native Ireland this summer. You can find out more at neiltr.com.

https://twitter.com/NeilRochford
https://www.facebook.com/neiltrwriting
http://neiltr.com/

On Amazon: http://bit.ly/tbrpbook

The author is hosting an ebook giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Author

Freda Hansburg is a psychologist and co-author of two
self-help books, PeopleSmart - which has sold more than 75,000 copies and has been translated into ten languages - and
Working PeopleSmart,
as well as numerous professional publications. Her first novel Shrink Rapt,
is a psychological thriller with a dash of romance. She lives in the South Carolina Low Country.

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