Jeanne Meeks – Rim To Rim

Posted on May 26, 2014 by Evelyn Cullet

This week, I’m hosting author, Jeanne Meeks.

About the Author

I got hooked on writing when my fourth-grade essay, The Meaning of Courtesy, won a contest. I loved the honor and attention, though the trip to the principal’s office to receive the prize scared me to death. My college essays sometimes resurface and still give me a thrill. Later, while I worked full-time in our family business, I satisfied my craving to write with the most finely crafted business letters you’d ever find.

On the side, I wrote poetry, but vowed to one day to write a book. Ten-chapters of a non-fiction, how-to-survive-the-family-business book now sit in a box somewhere. Once we sold the business, I had the time to write, but didn’t.

During a trip to the Grand Canyon in 2007, rumors made their way down the trails that a four-year-old girl had fallen from the rim to her death. The tragedy haunted me. I needed to write something, to speak from my heart, but I could not write that story. Instead, I wrote a fictional mystery adventure, Rim To Rim, set in the canyon and killed off a few bad guys. My sorrow for that little girl and her family is in there––in between the lines.

Now I write everyday. What started off as a lonely pursuit with a pen and a spiral notebook, blossomed like wildflowers. I’m intimately familiar with my laptop computer. I have a website, a Facebook page, and accounts on Goodreads, Linkedin, Pinterest, istock, You-tube, etc. etc. I write lyrics for a band, Eve&Me, and know how to format for Kindle from a Mac. I can hyper-link, photoshop, and tweet. Other authors seek me out to critique their stories. With two novels in print, several speaking engagements under my belt, and business cards that say, “Author,” I have begun to feel that I am an honest-to-goodness author. Hey, Ma! Look at me now!

Story ideas spin in my head and there is suddenly too little time. My bucket list keeps refilling, and I’m having a wonderful life. To paraphrase Leonardo da Vinci, “People of accomplishment rarely sit back and let things happen to them. They go out and happen to things.”  I love that!

Marketing is Da Bomb!

As much as I love writing stories, I think marketing my novels is even more fun. 

I hear some of you groaning. Of course, you’d rather be writing your next novel. I understand that. Early on I realized that completing my novel wasn’t enough. No one will beat down my door to read my book. I had to overcome a lifetime of staying under the radar. 

Everything you want is on the other side of fear.

– Jack Canfield (the Chicken Soup series) 

What I wanted was to have my writing ability validated by people willing to pay to read my books. What I feared was rejection of me and my work, looking foolish, public speaking, and talking about myself….in short….Marketing. 

I was a successful entrepreneur in the security surveillance industry for twenty-eight years. Now that my books are published, I understand that I must treat my writing career as I did my business. Plan, budget, organize, delegate, promote, analyze, and … market. I’ve spent several faltering years experimenting, failing, succeeding, and finally concluding that marketing is mandatory, so I may as well make it fun. 

Don’t hate marketing. It is part of your grand adventure. Think of new and creative ways to promote your books. Get outside that box. Whether a traditional or indie author, you must embrace marketing to become a successful authorpreneur. Make it da Bomb!

Novels by Jeanne Meeks: 

Rim To Rim – Death in the Grand Canyon

Will a hike across the Grand Canyon build a novice backpacker’s confidence or leave her physically and emotionally beaten and clinging to a ledge by her fingernails?

“A glorious read.” – Jacksonville, FL, reader

“A Dandy Chick Lit Work: Empowering Women, Dispensing Adventure,

Ladies take note: Jeanne Meeks has created a first novel that puts her up in the company of fine adventure/mystery writers, especially those for whom the novel seems intended – women standing on the brink of decision about taking control of their lives.” -Grady Harp, LA reviewer.

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Wolf Pack-Mystery on Isle Royale

Can a backpacking trip to an island famous for its wolves mend the relationship between Amy and her grown daughter? Will blackmail and betrayal bring them together––or bury them on Isle Royale?

Emboldened by her adventures in the Grand Canyon, Amy Warren again laces up her hiking boots. She ferries with her daughter, Meagan, to Isle Royal National Park. When volunteer ranger Sarah Rochon is accused by a co-worker of assault and theft, Amy is torn between spending precious time with Meagan and clearing her best friend’s name. When Amy rescues Remington, a pampered Havanese show dog, from the frigid waters of Lake Superior, he becomes her champion. Together they sniff out clues to the evil that threatens the natural tranquility of the magical island.

Both novels are available in e-book format and in paperback on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Centuries and Sleuths, and other retail outlets.

If you wish to join the conversation, and learn more about Jeanne and her novels, visit Jeanne’s website at: www.jeannemeeks.com

Please feel free to leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you.

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My Writing Process Blog Tour

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Evelyn Cullet

This week I’m participating in the #mywritingprocess blog tour. 

I’d like to thank my guest author, Anna Celeste Burke, for inviting me on this blog hop. http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com 

Here are the 4 questions every author must answer on this blog tour, I hope you enjoy reading mine: 

1.) What am I working on? 

I’m working on my next novel, Once Upon a Crime, the sequel to, Masterpiece of Murder. It should be released this summer. I’m always working on my next novel while I’m promoting my current one. Right now, I’m in the editing process, which in my opinion is the most difficult thing an author has to go through. But it must be done to make the story the best it can be. And I’m sure I can add all those deleted scenes into some future novel. 

2) How does my work differ from others in its genre?  

I write mysteries on the lighter side, and I like to add a romantic element to my stories. I think a bit of romance gives the story heart, and endears the reader to the characters, hopefully keeping them interested enough to find out if my star-crossed lovers will end up in each other’s arms at the end–after they’ve had to overcome numerous obstacles, first. The course of true love never runs smooth in my stories.  

3) Why do I write what I do? 

I’ve been a mystery buff my entire life. When I’m not writing mysteries, I’m reading them or watching mystery programs on television, or old mystery movies. I tried writing cozy mysteries, but as a hopeless romantic, I can’t seem to keep romance out.  

4) How does my writing process work? 

First, I stumble upon an idea….ideally for a mystery. This could take years. Then I do whatever research on the subject matter I need to make it as authentic as possible. After that, I find the perfect setting, do a quick study of the characters, and come up with the subplot. After which, I begin writing the story. When the first two chapters are written, I do a quick outline of the rest so I know where the story is going. And from there, I fill in each chapter until I get to the end of the first draft. Then I go back and edit, edit, edit. When the final draft is completed, I thank my lucky stars that it doesn’t even come close to the first one, and then I send it off to a professional editor, who makes changes again. (Sigh! More editing.) Well, you get the idea, until I feel the manuscript is ready to submit to my publisher. This could also take years. 

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Up next week, May 26th, are three wonderfully talented authors who have previously been guests on my blog. I’m looking forward to reading their answers.

First is the multi-published, two series, mystery author, Marja McGraw.

 

Marja McGraw has past experience in both criminal and civil law enforcement, and she occasionally calls on this experience when writing her mysteries. She’s lived in California, Nevada, Oregon, Alaska and Arizona. She writes two series: the Sandi Webster Mysteries (female P.I.), and the Bogey Man Mysteries (amateur P.I. husband and wife team), both of which take place in Los Angeles. With her love of dogs, she’s included two yellow Labrador retrievers and a half Golden retriever/half wolf in her stories.

Her hobby is photography, and she says that writing as a job is the most fun she’s ever had. She and her husband now live in Arizona, where life is good.

The Sandi Webster series began with A Well-Kept Family Secret – A Sandi Webster Mystery. Bubba’s Ghost  and Prudy’s Back!followed shortly. These Sandi Webster mysteries were followed by The Bogey Man, Old Murders Never Die and Death Comes in Threes.

Bogey Nights is the first in the Bogey Man series, and  Bogey’s Ace in the Hole followed in 2012. They Call Me Ace and Awkward Moments weren’t far behind.

Be sure to visit Marja’s Mystery Blog next week: http://www.blog.marjamcgraw.com/

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 Second is award-winning author, Phillip Tomasso.

 

I am the author of numerous novels, and over 100 published short stories and articles, but I’ll never forget selling my first short story in 1995. I was paid a penny a word. It was an 8,000 word western.

However, it being a Canadian publication—and at the time, when the U.S. dollar was worth more—my check was for just under $40.00. It was a great starting point, and I have been selling regularly since then.

I am not a full-time writer. I work a full-time job as well. After 19 years at Kodak as an employment law paralegal, I’ve spent the last three and a half as a Fire / EMS Dispatcher for 9-1-1. I work the midnight shift. I have found these hours to be creatively murder-some.

I prefer to both read and write in suspense/thriller and horror. I have been inspired by the likes of Walter Mosley, the entire Easy Rawlins series. Anything by Stephen King, and Dean Koontz. I used to enjoy James Patterson, until he stopped writing his own books—more of a spite thing there. Robin Cook, John Saul, Warren Hammond. Charlie Huston’s Joe Pitt novels, and Jim Butcher’s Dresden series. Just to name a few!

I live in Rochester, NY with my 3 amazing kids. I prefer to spend all my time with them. Being divorced, it’s not always possible. We have a lap dog my daughter picked out and named Fettuccine (Fetta), a cat, Luca and an aquarium full of semi-aggressive fish, including a fresh water shark named Bruce. I play guitar, am a horrible singer, but you know what, that doesn’t stop me from bellowing while I strum.

Be sure to visit Phillip’s blog next week: http://www.philliptomasso.com/blog-2/

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Third is the talented author of three mysteries, Patricia Gligor.

Patricia  is a Cincinnati native. She enjoys reading mystery/suspense novels, touring and photographing old houses and traveling. She has worked as an administrative assistant, the sole proprietor of a resume writing service and the manager of a sporting goods department but her passion has always been writing fiction.

Mixed Messages, Unfinished Business and Desperate Deeds, the first three novels in her Malone Mystery series, are available at amazon.com, postmortem-press.com and B&N.

Don’t forget to visit Patricia’s blog next week: http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/

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Marcia Meara – Wake-Robin Ridge

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Evelyn Cullet

My guest this week is author, Marcia Meara

Marcia Meara lives in central Florida, just north of Orlando, with her husband of 28 years, four cats, and two dachshunds. When not working on her writing or blogs, she spends her time gardening, and enjoying the surprising amount of wildlife that manages to make a home in her suburban yard. At the age of five, Marcia declared she wanted to be an author, and is ecstatic that a mere 65 years later, she is finally pursuing that dream.

Wake-Robin Ridge: A Darcy’s Corner Novel 

“A PHONE RINGING AT 2:00 A.M. never means anything good. Calls at 2:00 A.M. are bad news . . .  Someone has died. Someone is hurt. Or someone needs help.”

 On a bitter cold January night in 1965, death came calling at an isolated little cabin on Wake-Robin Ridge. Now, nearly 50 years later, librarian Sarah Gray has quit her job and moved into the same cabin, hoping the peace and quiet of her woodland retreat will allow her to concentrate on writing her first novel. Instead she finds herself distracted by her only neighbor, the enigmatic and reclusive, but very good-looking, MacKenzie Cole, who lives on top of the mountain with his Irish wolfhound as his sole companion.

 As   their tentative friendship grows, Sarah learns the truth about the heartbreaking secret causing Mac to hide from the world. But before the two can sort out their feelings for each other, they find themselves plunged into a night of terror neither could have anticipated. Now they must unravel the horrifying events of that murder so long ago. In doing so, they discover that the only thing stronger than a hatred that will not die is a heart willing to sacrifice everything for another.

A story of evil trumped by the power of love and redemption, Wake-Robin Ridge will transport you to the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and introduce you to characters you won’t soon forget.

Here is a short excerpt from Chapter 23

She Knows Something We Don’t

MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012

MAC STOOD BETWEEN me and the front door, shotgun at the ready. I didn’t think it was possible to be more terrified than I had been in the pantry, when I heard someone smash through my front window. I was wrong. Something truly bad was about to happen. Mac knew it, I knew it, and Rosheen seemed to know it, as well. I had never heard any animal make a sound filled with so much primal fear and rage.

Almost worse than being afraid was the total confusion I was feeling. Who had been in my yard, yelling obscenities outside my windows? Where had he gone? And most of all, why were there no footprints or tracks of any kind? If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it. Mac’s footprints circling my cabin and the perimeter of my property were clearly visible, but there was no sign that anyone else at all had been in the yard. I was amazed that Mac didn’t think I was completely delusional. Maybe love really is blind.

And speaking of love, I hadn’t had time yet to process all that Mac had told me. I was going to revisit that topic with him as soon as we made it to his house, assuming we survived whatever the hell was outside, of course. All of that would have to wait, though. Right now, the two of us stood in my living room, watching the occasional scattered snowflake blow through the smashed window, while we waited for … something.

 ***

Swamp Ghosts, Coming May 1, 2014 

Wildlife photographer Gunnar Wolfe looked like the kind of guy every man wanted to be and every woman just plain wanted, and the St. Johns River of central Florida drew him like a magnet. EcoTour boat owner Maggie Devlin knew all the river’s secrets, including the deadly ones that lived in the swamps, but neither Maggie nor Gunn was prepared for the danger that would come after them on two legs.

On a quest to make history photographing the rarest birds of them all, Gunnar hires the fiery, no-nonsense Maggie to canoe him into the most remote wetland areas in the state. He was unprepared for how much he would enjoy both their trips, and Maggie’s company. It doesn’t take long before he realizes he wants more than she’s prepared to give, but before he can win her over, they make a grisly discovery that changes everything, and turns the quiet little town of Riverbend upside down. A serial killer is on the prowl among them.

Here is a short excerpt:

Chapter 18

Be Afraid, Maggie Devlin

~~~

HE HAD DONE HIS homework. He had all the information on Maggie Devlin he needed, and then some.  When she was finally in his special guest room, tied down and helpless, he knew exactly what he was going to do to her. But his plan was different this time.

Bored with the same old routine, he was going to try something he’d never done with any of his other women. The torture was going to begin before he grabbed her—a campaign of terror.

 It would start small. Little hints here and there that something was amiss at her house. Then it would become more obvious, and she would begin to worry. Finally, when she reached a state of full-blown panic, he would snatch her.

He grinned, imagining how it was going to feel, watching from a distance as her fear mounted day by day. He could picture her paused at the doorway to her house, afraid to go in, but even more afraid not to. It would be psychological torture at its best, but he knew it would also be much riskier to drag things out. More chances to get caught. He would have to plan very, very carefully, but before it was all over, Maggie Devlin would be his.

 And then he’d get the other one—Gunnar Wolfe. The man would be a deadly enemy if things went wrong, though. Maybe he’d just shoot him when the time came, and be done with it. Ha. That guy’d look good with a bullet hole right between his eyes. Oh, they would both get theirs, and he couldn’t wait.

He snickered. Be afraid, Maggie Devlin. I’m coming for you…and your great big boyfriend, too.

 

 

Wake-Robin Ridge: A Darcy’s Corner Novel is available on Amazon.com both in print and in Kindle format.

  http://www.amazon.com/Wake-Robin-Ridge-ebook/dp/B00ET2QR1Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379872869&sr=8-1&keywords=wake+robin+ridge

Summer Magic: Poems of Life & Love

  Available on Amazon.com in Kindle format

  http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Magic-ebook/dp/B00FNBLIPC/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380984173&sr=1-10&keywords=summer+magic


Swamp Ghosts: A Riverbend Novel

Will be available in Kindle format on Amazon.com, May 1, 2014, and in print shortly thereafter. 

You can reach Marcia via email at mmeara@cfl.rr.com
or on the following social media sites: 

Bookin’ It: http://marciameara.wordpress.com
Twitter: @marciameara
Facebook: www.facebook.com/marcia.meara.writer
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marciameara/
Tumblr: https://marciameara.tumblr.com/

Marcia and I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment.

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Penny Clover Petersen – Daisy&Rose Mystery Series

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Evelyn Cullet

This week, I’m hosting mystery author, Penny Clover Petersen.

Penny Clover Petersen began writing at age fifty-nine on a dare from her husband. After years of hearing her complaints that “I could write a better story than this”, he suggested that perhaps she should do just that. The result is her first novel Roses and Daisies and Death, Oh My! (released by Intrigue Publishing in December 2013), a modern cozy featuring sisters Daisy and Rose Forrest as small town shop owners who just can’t seem to get through a day without tripping over a dead body.

In addition to writing, she enjoys time with her children and large extended family, likes to refurbish old furniture, and collect family stories and recipes for the ‘family cookbook’. She loves historic homes and is a docent at Riversdale Mansion in Riverdale, MD. She is also the author of several children’s stories, including The Last Elf and An Angel for Jenny and is currently hard at work on her third Daisy&Rose mystery. Penny lives with her husband, Tom, and three feral cats in Bowie Maryland.

Roses and Daisies and Death, Oh My!

Nothing ruins a peaceful morning walk like finding a blood-spattered body. And Daisy Greene and Rose Forrest, sisters and co-owners of Champagne Taste, really need a peaceful morning walk. They have enough on their minds already. Christmas is right around the corner, business is brisk, and their little antiques district of Old Towne is being plagued with petty thievery and vandalism. Murder is just not in the game plan.

And if finding bodies lying around walking trails isn’t enough to destroy a perfectly good day, Daisy’s ex-husband, state trooper Bill Greene, shows up to investigate the murder. Nosy by nature anyway, Daisy takes Bill’s presence as a challenge to find the murderer.

When Daisy and Rose start asking questions things get hairier. Someone begins stalking them. Daisy receives threatening letters and is brutally attacked.

Suddenly, they’re on the trail of a missing priceless diamond and it looks like the man Daisy is dating will become the next victim. With the help of their eccentric mother, Angela, and their hormonally-exuberant dog, Malcolm, they follow the clues to catch a killer

 Here is an excerpt: 

 “Roscoe won’t wake up. I think someone killed him.” Hazel held out the ball of fur and started to sob. Daisy took Roscoe and Rose hugged Hazel.

“Oh honey, I’m so sorry. Have you called the police?” asked Rose. She looked over at Daisy and silently asked her about the cat. Daisy shook her head as a tear glided down her face. She took off her coat and gently wrapped the cat in it. She carried the little bundle over to the door and set him down. Hazel saw this and burst out crying all over again.

“Tell us what happened.”

“Well, I don’t know. I got here at eight as usual. I like to get here early to feed the cat and tidy up before opening. The front door was ajar and when I pushed it open I saw all the mess. I started to leave, but I saw Roscoe on the floor. I ran over and picked him up.

“Then I called 911 and would you believe they put me on blasted hold!!! So I called you.” She glanced at the Daisy’s coat by the door and burst into tears again. “Oh, my poor Roscoe! He was such a sweet cat. It’s not fair. Who would do that to a cat?”

There was a commotion on the porch. Malcolm (Daisy’s dog) was barking like a dog possessed and a young policeman from the Bostwick force was standing at the bottom of the steps.

“I’m Officer Willis and I’m checking out a 911 call from this address.  Are you the person who called?”

“No, I’m Daisy Greene. My sister and I own a shop around the corner.  Hazel Monroe called. She’s the owner here and her shop’s been broken into. Someone ransacked the place and killed her cat! Please come in.”

Officer Willis and Daisy walked in and found Rose and Hazel sorting books. Rose said, “Hazel’s trying to see if anything is missing.”

Hazel looked at the young man and said, “Hold! I was put on hold! What if someone had still been in here? What then? It could be me, not my little Roscoe, lying in that coat.”

They all turned toward the coat to see Malcolm humping poor little Roscoe. Hazel let out an anguished howl, Rose uttered a stream of words referring to Malcolm’s parentage in an unfavorable light, and Daisy was about to grab Malcolm’s leash when a flash of orange fur leaped out of the coat and onto the highest shelf in the room. Hazel gasped, then drooped ever so gracefully onto a chair.

“You said he was dead,” hissed Rose to Daisy as she helped Hazel up.

“He looked dead. He was all floppy. What? I’m a vet? Besides I think Malcolm brought him back. He must have the gift,” said Daisy.

“The gift? What gift would that be? Sex maniac gift? Necrophiliac gift? Malcolm’s a humper. That is exactly what he is. No wonder they told Mother that he didn’t get along with the other animals!”

“Ladies, could someone just tell me what’s going on here?” asked Officer Willis.

“Yes. I can,” said a very shaky Hazel. “I got here this morning as usual at eight o’clock. The door was open and I saw Roscoe on the floor next to his bed. I called 911 and, as I said, was put on hold! Then I called Rose and Daisy because they live right above their shop and I stood right there until they got here.”

“Do you know if anything’s missing?”

“Well, I don’t think so.”

“What’s upstairs? Has anyone been up there?”

Daisy, Rose and Hazel all looked shocked as they realized that someone could still be in the building. Daisy said, “No, we checked all the rooms down here. The kitchen wasn’t touched. Or the bathroom. But we didn’t think to check upstairs.”

“Okay, ladies. Please stay right here and let me take a look.” Willis started up the stairs with his gun drawn.

“Malcolm, go with him. Go boy. Go help the nice policeman,” called Daisy. Malcolm looked at her and then started up the stairs. “I swear he can understand everything I’m saying. He’s a dog genius.”

Rose rolled her eyes and said, “Well, he’s a dog something, I’ll give you that!”

Officer Willis came down the stairs and said, “All clear up there. Well, Ms. Monroe, quite honestly it looks like vandals. Probably some kids with nothing better to do.

“Sorry this happened to you, ma’am. I’ll write this up and get a copy of the report to you. And a technician will be out here to check for fingerprints on the door and the bookshelves. We don’t normally do that, but with the number of intrusions there have been in this neighborhood lately, the Captain wants to cover the bases in case we get a suspect.”

He looked around once more quickly, made some notes and said, “We’ll also get the patrol cars around here more often. And please call if anything looks suspicious. Good morning to you ladies.”

Roses and Daisies and Death, Oh My is available at

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Roses-Daisies-Death-Oh-My/dp/0989369617/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397411872&sr=1-1&keywords=roses+and+daisies+and+death+oh+my 

Barnes and Noble  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/roses-and-daisies-and-death-oh-my-penny-petersen/1112964308?ean=9780989369619 

and by special order from all bookstores. 

Autographed copies are available through Penny’s website – www:pennypetersen.com 

Website: www.pennypetersen.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p.c.petersen.author

Blog: http://pennycloverpetersen.blogspot,.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DandRMysteries

Penny is giving away a copy of her novel to one lucky reader who leaves a comment. She’d love to hear from you.

 

 

 

 

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Sue Myers – Deception

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Evelyn Cullet

My guest author this week is, Sue Myers

After retiring from a long career as a L & D and NICU RN, Sue went from birthing babies to dead bodies. To Sue, this seemed like a logical progression. When she is not killing people, just on paper of course, she can be found in her garden or quilting. Her husband often wonders what’s in the mulch pile. Sue and her husband, Gene, live in Mundelein, IL, with their cats and a backyard full of squirrels, chipmunks and birds. She gave birth to Deception in December 2013, and plans to deliver Revenge fall of 2014.

Good morning! And, a special thanks to Evelyn, for inviting me to her blog.

Well, once again it’s April, north of Chicago, near the Wisconsin border. Last year we were enjoying an early spring. Not so this year. The Daffodils are barely opening their blooms. The neighbors are out walking and my cats are sniffing the yard. BUT, yes, there’s always a ‘but’ when it comes to April in the Midwest. The sun can go into hiding as dark clouds and thunder roll in and the promised warm temperature plummets back to the lower 40’s. Pets and humans retreat inside.

I’m an optimist. April is like the refresh button on my computer. Mother Nature will give it a tap and the sun will reappear after a storm leaving us greener grass. Okay, today I might not be able to rake the yard, but with a fresh cup of coffee I feel inspired to write. The thunder and dark clouds add the background setting for emotion and suspense. The rain keeps me grounded to my chair. I’m as hungry as the next person to take a few laps around the neighborhood and plant my new Peony bushes. However, my characters in Revenge, the second book of the Claire O’Shaunessy Mystery Series, are begging to be heard. Is it fair to keep them waiting? After all, there’s a mystery to solve, a serial stalker/killer to stop and two fair maidens to save!

Deception

When the body of an unknown male is linked to the remains of Cook County forensic pathologist, Dr. Claire O’Shaunessy’s childhood friend found in a rural cemetery, she is driven to solve these two murders. Her involvement in the investigation soon places her in mortal danger as she begins to discover a plot where money and power override human life. Can her brother, Detective Patrick O’Shaunessy and his partner, Jack Miller, keep her safe or will Claire become the next victim of this ruthless killer’s deception?

Here is an excerpt:

“Claire, I want you to work up the case O’Connor just brought in from Jackson Park.” Dr. Gregory Johnson said as he dropped the file on Claire’s desk. Dr. Johnson wasChicago’s Cook County Medical Examiner and Claire’s friend and mentor, but at the moment, he was all business. “Because the media is all over this, the Police Department has asked me to move John Doe to the front of the line,” Johnson continued.

“Okay,” said Dr. Claire O’Shaunessy, a forensic pathologist. She opened the file and scanned the top sheet. “I see our John Doe was vacationing by a patch of buckthorn. Personally, I prefer a warm, sunny beach.”

“Be forewarned the media is already barking at the back door. Please don’t give them anything I’m going to hear about on the five o’clock news.” He gave her a look that wouldn’t bear discussing.

“Me?” She tried to feign innocence.

“Claire, you’re killing me. Sometimes you don’t think before you open your mouth. I’m still catching flak from the comment you made about the floater inLakeCalumet.”

“I didn’t know the reporter was disguised as a tech, honest? Okay, I’ll keep a lid on it.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Johnson said. “Anyway, the folks around here love their barbeques and picnics. They don’t take too kindly to decomposing bodies showing up in their local parks.”

“I don’t suppose you wanted this yesterday?”

Dr. Johnson laughed. “How could I? He was only discovered at sunrise. Get back to me as soon as you’ve got something, okay?”

“I’ll take care of it.” In spite of her career, she couldn’t imagine enjoying a picnic one minute, then chasing a stray baseball into the bushes only to discover a rotting corpse.

“Thanks.” Johnson’s cell phone rang. “This is Johnson. I understand.” He flipped his phone closed. “Gotta run, Claire. I’ll check in with you later.”

My web page has links to my FB fan page.  www.suemyers-mystery.com.

Deception can be purchased from Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/k5mhvq3

What helps drive you back to your writing when spring beckons?

Please feel free to leave a comment. Both Sue and I would love to hear from you.

 

 

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F. M. Meredith – Murder in the Worst Degree

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Evelyn Cullet

My guest this week is mystery author, M. F. Meredith

F. M. Meredith aka Marilyn Meredith is the author of over 35 published books. She enjoys writing about police officers and their families and how what happens on the job affects the family and vice versa. Having several members of her own family involved in law enforcement, as well as many friends, she’s witnessed some of this first-hand.

Marilyn’s latest novel in the Rocky Bluff Mystery Series is:

Murder in the Worst Degree:

The body that washes up on the beach leads Detectives Milligan and Zachary on a murder investigation that includes the victim’s family members, his housekeeper, three long-time friends, and a mystery woman.

Evelyn is a very Special Person in Murder in the Worst Degree

Evelyn won my last contest to have her name used for a character in my next Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery so it is super special to be appearing on her blog. Also, a little scary since she’s promised to write a review.

Here’s an excerpt:

Except for the dead body washed up on the sand, conditions were perfect for surfing. Thanks to a big storm coming from Alaska, spectacular waves rolled in. They rose in dark blue-gray splendor with a magnificent header of sparkling foam before they crashed and rolled toward shore. Another set of perfect waves formed right behind.

Two young males garbed in black wet suits stood a few feet away from the corpse. Colorful surfboards stood in the sand. Towels and personal items lay nearby.

Officer Gordon Butler from the Rocky Bluff P.D. had been patrolling along the beach front because of the unusual high surf. He was the first to respond to the dispatcher’s call of a body on the beach.

Gordon parked his blue-and-white patrol car on the broken asphalt of the parking area near the condemned pier. The only other car around was an old station wagon with the back window open. Gordon left his car and trudged through the sand—not easy in shoes.

One of the young surfers ran up to Gordon. “Oh, man, thank God you’re here. This is so gross. I was surfing and this body was in the wave with me. At first, I thought it was a pile of rags. We came ashore at the same time.” His shuddered, pulled off his hood and shook out his longish blonde hair.

“Did anyone touch the body?”

“Are you kidding? It’s yucky.”

“Good.” Once Gordon was close enough to see the corpse, there was no need to make sure the person was dead. Wrapped in seaweed and what appeared to be the remnants of sodden and torn clothing, the body appeared to be that of an elderly male.

Using his portable radio, Gordon made a call to the station, reporting his location and his find. He requested the detectives and the coroner be sent to the scene.

“Why the detectives?” the dispatcher asked.

“I’ve got a pretty good idea about the identity of the corpse. I doubt seriously he drowned while swimming.”

As he waited for the detectives, Gordon took down the surfers’ names and phone numbers. Both had the same story. They’d come to this seldom used beach to take advantage of the big waves where no one was around to interfere or chase them off.

The shorter of the two surfers who identified himself as Joey said, “Dude, this is so disgusting.”

“When do you think we can go back in the water?” Brandon, the blonde, flipped his long wet hair. “Surf like this doesn’t come around here often.”

“Once the detectives talk to you and the body is removed you’re on your own.”

“How long is that going to take?”Brandon stared at the huge waves.

“A half hour or so.” Gordon hoped he was right.

Here’s my  ✰✰✰✰✰ review:

 Murder in the Worse Degree is the latest novel in the Rocky Bluff Mystery Series. While I haven’t read all of them, I have read quite a few and they were all good, but this is one story I especially liked. Ms. Meredith knows how to write a solid mystery with interesting characters, and this time she threw in a clever twist at the end that I wasn’t expecting, but in my opinion, made the story exceptional. I recommend this novel to all mystery lovers.

Murder in the Worst Degree can be purchased from Amazon:

Visit Marilyn’s Webpage: http://fictionforyou.com/

Check out her blog: http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/

Find her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.meredith/

Contest:

Once again Marilyn is offering the opportunity to have your name used as a character in a book if you comment on the most blogs during this tour for Murder in the Worst Degree.

Tomorrow you can find Marilyn at http://jwillsbooks.com/

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Patricia Gligor – Desperate Deeds

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Evelyn Cullet

This week I’m please to host mystery author, Patricia Gligor.

Patricia Gligor is a Cincinnati native. She enjoys reading mystery/suspense novels, touring and photographing old houses and traveling. Mixed Messages and Unfinished Business, the first two novels in her Malone Mystery series, were published by Post Mortem Press. Desperate Deeds is the third novel in the series.

Using the weather to create suspense

Most of us realize that there’s little in life we can control. The weather is one of those things we can’t do a thing about but it does have an effect on our lives. Sometimes, it forces us to change our plans and even, on occasion, makes us housebound. In fiction, it can create an element of suspense.

Here’s an excerpt from Desperate Deeds where Ann, her two children, her landlady, Olivia, and Olivia’s son, Lawrence, have gone to the basement of Olivia’s old Victorian to wait out a storm.

“Look at that sky!” Olivia exclaimed, rolling over to one of the windows and pointing up.

They all walked closer and looked out. The sky was an eerie shade of green. Lawrence pushed the window up about an inch and they could hear a loud roar. It sounded like a freight train was going by. “Wow! This is bad! It’s really close by.”

Hail began to pelt the window and Lawrence slammed it shut. He went over to the stack of metal folding chairs that was leaning against the wall in a corner and carried them across the room two at a time. He unfolded one for each of them. Ann and Danielle immediately sat down. “We need to stay back, away from any windows. I know these chairs aren’t the most comfortable chairs in the world but we may as well all sit down while we wait out this storm.”

“Ooh, Mommy! A twister!” Davey twirled around the basement, bumping into boxes that were stacked there and almost knocking a few of them over.

Ann shot him a warning glance. “Davey Kern, stop it!”

“But it’s just like in The Wizard of Oz!”

Danielle pulled her chair closer to her mother’s. “Davey, this isn’t funny; this is for real. Tornados kill people!” She looked up at her mother. “Mom, I’m scared! At least, in The Wizard of Oz they had a storm shelter to go to.”

As Ann Kern starts her new business as an interior decorator, the temperatures have risen, tulips and daffodils are in bloom and there’s a feeling of endless possibilities in the air. She has no idea that her world is about to be turned upside down.

When Janis Riley, a woman for whom money is no object, contacts Ann to redecorate her house, Ann is elated. But her initial visit with her first client leaves her with mixed emotions. Why did Janis react so strangely to seeing a photo of Ann’s six-year-old son, Davey?

But Ann has bigger problems. Her husband, David, a recovering alcoholic, has lost both his mother and his job and Ann worries that he’ll start drinking again. To add to her concerns, their next-door-neighbor, Dorothy Baker, is severely depressed but Ann’s efforts to help her are rebuffed.

Ann is terrified when she wakes up the day before Easter to find Davey gone. Another child, Kelly Kramer, has been missing since December. Does some pervert have both children and what, if anything, can Ann do to get her son back?

Purchase Desperate Deeds on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B007VDDUPQ_B007VDDUPQ_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Patricia+Gligor&sort=relevance&ie=UTF8&qid=1396017920

Visit Patricia at her website: http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/

Pat and I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment.

 

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Anna Celeste Burke – A Dead Husband

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Evelyn Cullet

This week I’m hosting author, Anna Celeste Burke

Life is an extravaganza of unpredictable dimension and proportion: figuring out how to hang tough and make the most of the wild ride is the challenge.  On my way to Oahu to join the rock musician and high school drop-out I had married in Tijuana, I was nabbed by the police as a runaway.  When the police let me go and the rock band broke up, my husband and I had to find another way to survive.  Our next stop: Disney World where we trained to be chefs, courtesy of the Walt Disney World University.  A GED for my husband, and many more years of education eventually landed us in academia—with Ph.D.s from the University of Michigan we took professor jobs with U of M’s longstanding football rival, The Ohio State University.

Retired now from my role as a professor in social work and behavioral science, I have picked up a long-time interest in writing fiction.  In my professional career I wrote and published widely as a scholar, with more than forty manuscripts of varying lengths on my vita.  I also carried out hundreds of training, consulting and speaking engagements on a number of gloriously nerdy topics.

So what on earth does a research scientist have in common with a mystery writer?  As avid fans of the mystery genre will tell you at the core of any good mystery is a passionate search for the truth.  Discovering the truth involves finding and assembling pieces of complex puzzles in order to solve seemingly intractable problems—scientist and sleuth are cut from the same cloth!

Still married to the same sweet guy, I live with my husband in one of the seven desert resort cities in the Palm Springs area.  In addition to reading and writing mysteries I enjoy painting, hiking, hanging out with my handsome husband and tending to my Siamese kitties.

As my heroine, Jessica Huntington will tell you, the Sonoran Desert is a beautiful setting to ponder life’s mysteries, by the surrounding mountains and the bountiful delights of the desert resort communities.

A DEAD HUSBAND 

Jessica Huntington, rich, beautiful, and smart, seeks refuge from betrayal in a desert paradise only to discover life is full of surprises…like a dead husband.

Jessica is hiding out from her well-planned life, now in shambles, “after an 8.0 on the life’s-a-bitch Richter scale.”  Her law career tanked by the Great Recession, she failed miserably as a desperate housewife in the Silicon Valley playing beat-the-clock with her 30-something hormones.  The final blow: walking in on her husband in flagrante delicto with a well-known Hollywood blond.  The lavish Rancho Mirage home where she grew up, surrounded by the beauty of the desert resort town near Palm Springs, seems the perfect place to take refuge.  That is until her best friend’s husband, Roger Stone, is murdered.

An unlikely sleuth, Jessica is smack dab in the middle of a self-pitying divorce binge, black AMEX card in hand, when the “God of ambushes” strikes again.  She readily admits her first day on the job was “more Stephanie Plum than Miss Marple.”  Lesson learned: “don’t wear white to a crime scene.”  Jessica has a lot more to learn if she is going to save all their necks and get a second chance to make more out of her life than the tabloid cliché it has become.

She and her odd little band of friends are soon thrust into the fray stalked by scoundrels in pantyhose, stilettos, Bruno Magli shoes, and Armani suits.  Roger Stone had something that got him killed.  What was it and to what lengths will they go to get it back?  Can this flawed, but resourceful heroine, stretch beyond the bounds of privileged self-absorption to outwit the culprits and stop the murder and mayhem?

Here’s an excerpt from, A Dead Husband 

In a flash, the guy took off. Toward her, though, rather than running away!  Panic hit as the tall man barreled her way.  She kicked off her Jimmy Choos so she could run for it.  She hurled one of them at him, picking up the other to use as a weapon if he overtook her.  The car alarm was still blaring as the first shoe made contact.  The point of the heel hit him squarely in the forehead, bouncing off but drawing a little blood in the process.  The blow stopped him, but only for a split second.  Now royally pissed off, he took off again with a burst of speed that was striking for a man of his size.  Jessica hurled the other shoe in his direction.  He dodged it easily and actually smiled as he continued to close the distance between them.

Jessica turned, intending to put her own sprinting ability to good use.  Unfortunately as she put her bare foot down in launch mode her right foot landed on something sharp.  She didn’t even get a good look at what it was before she felt the guy reach out and grab her by the scruff of her neck.  Jessica experienced a moment of déjà vu as, for the second time in a week some maniac grabbed her from behind.  She struggled, making the pain in her foot worse.  She heard the scrumptious fabric in the bodice of her dress give way as the closure in the back popped.  His grip held.  The thug reached around with his other hand and tried to pull the bag off her shoulder.  Jessica held onto her bag stubbornly.  There was another sick little ripping sound as a shoulder seam gave way to her twisting and writhing.  In the struggle her cell phone went flying in one direction, her keys in the other.  She was about to give in and let the bastard have her damn purse when she heard someone call out behind them.

“What’s going on?  Police!  Let her go.”  His last hard yank on her bag unleashed from her a series of epithets that would have caused Sister Bernice to send her to Father Flynn for confession.  Her tormentor took off, bounding out of the garage through an opening between pylons, heading in the direction of the shops.  Upon release, she was propelled forward by the momentum of her struggle to get free. She landed, then, and skidded on her hands and knees like a kid on roller skates taking a spill.  Tears of pain and frustration welled up in her eyes.  “Are you okay?”  She was learning to hate that question.  How could she possibly be okay?  She was sprawled out on the ground with her designer dress, pantyhose, knees and pride in shreds.

“No, I’m not okay,” she said as she struggled to figure out how to get up.  Fortunately there was no disconcerting desert breeze blowing up her backside so she figured at least her skirt wasn’t up around her waist.  One of the officers retrieved the keys she had dropped a couple feet away, manipulated the buttons on the key bob and shut off the wailing car alarm.

A Dead Husband is the first of the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mysteries.  Soon to be released: A Dead Sister, Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery #2

A Dead Daughter

A Dead Mother 

ANNA CELESTE BURKE & THE JESSICA HUNTINGTON DESERT CITIES MYSTERY SERIES

JOIN ME AT…

TWITTER: @aburke59

FACEBOOK BOOK PAGE: http://www.facebook.com/annacelesteburke

WEBSITE:  http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com

BLOG PAGE:  http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com/#!blog/c1dh1

ABOUTME: http://about.me/annaburke/#

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19397480-a-dead-husband

BUY Anna Celeste’s novel,  A DEAD HUSBAND:

AMAZON KINDLE: http://amzn.to/1e7EPDX

AMAZON PAPERBACK [ALSO AVAILABLE AS LARGE PRINT VERSION]: http://amzn.to/OpoL7k

BARNES & NOBLE PAPERBACK: http://bit.ly/PJaROh

AMAZON.UK: http://amzn.to/1jIGO2h

AMAZON.AU: http://bit.ly/1mdRbiJ

AMAZON.CA: http://amzn.to/1ecUWAj

Anna Celeste and I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment.

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D.M. Pirrone – No Less in Blood

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Evelyn Cullet

This week, I’m hosting author, D. M. Pirrone.

D.M. Pirrone is the nom de plume of Diane Piron-Gelman, author of No Less In Blood (Five Star/Cengage, 2011) and Shall We Not Revenge (forthcoming in July 2014 from Allium Press of Chicago). In addition to writing, she works as a freelance editor (Word Nerd, Inc.) and audio book narrator. A Chicago native, history buff and avid mystery reader, Ms. Piron-Gelman is a long-time member of MWA Midwest and Sisters in Crime. She lives on the Northwest Side with her husband Stephen and two sons, David.

No Less In Blood

In 1893, seventeen-year-old Mary Anne Schlegel left her uncle’s Chicago home and vanished. The discovery of her fate more than a century later upends the life of Rachel Connolly, an adoptee desperately seeking her roots. Rachel’s search for her birth mother leads her north to Minnesota’s Iron Range and deep into a shrouded family past, where she uncovers a secret kept for three generations… a secret one of her new-found kin just might be willing to kill for.

Here is an Excerpt:

The new-car smell had given Linnet a terrible headache. She couldn’t sleep, though she’d been trying since they’d passed Milwaukee. She squeezed her limp stuffed rabbit tighter, nearly strangling it. The worn fabric smelled like wet cardboard. The familiar scent should have calmed her. But there was no comfort in the toy, nor in anything else she could think of. Back when she was eight, Ears had held enough magic to drive the demons away. Now she was twelve, old enough to know better. It’s a stupid stuffed animal. It can’t fix anything. Only a stupid little kid would think it could.

Her eyes felt hot, and for a moment she wanted to throw Ears across the car—but then Ruth would know she was awake, and would insist on talking. She didn’t want to talk right now. She didn’t want to hear Ruth’s too-cheerful voice telling her that everything was going to be just-fine-don’t-you-worry, when underneath she could hear that everything was not going to be fine. She wanted Mama, and a home for them someplace other than at the women’s shelter Ruth ran. Someplace where she could have her own room.

Someplace where her father wouldn’t find them.

The dark, the cold, the strangeness of hurrying down the street with Mama in the middle of the night—she remembered that most clearly from the first time they’d left, four years ago. They’d taken the bus for hours. She’d fallen asleep holding Ears, lulled by the dull rumble of the motor. Ears was new then, her Easter Bunny present—though it really came from Mama. Dad started yelling and wouldn’t stop. Quit spending money on stupid shit, he said. You’re too stupid to live, you dumbfuck whore. When the beating began, she’d hidden under her bed with her face pressed against Ears’ soft belly. She hadn’t dared come out, even after the slam of the front door and a long silence told her that her father was gone.

They passed a highway sign. Linnet read it in the glow of the headlights: Minneapolis 70, Duluth 207. They were headed beyond Duluth, to a town called Birch Falls where her grandfather lived. She’d seen a picture of him once: tall and bony, with a face that looked as if it didn’t know how to smile.

Linnet wondered how he’d look when she and Ruth showed up on his doorstep.

Check out this great review for No Less in Blood:

D. M. Pirrone’s debut thriller, No Less in Blood, is a complex mystery of family, greed and love that spans more than a century… The plot, with its multiple points of view and alternating timeline, is easy to follow, the narrative clearly written and fast-paced. Those who appreciate a strong, family-centric drama will be taken in by No Less in Blood.”

—Mysterious Reviews, March 25, 2011

Here’s a promo paragraph about Diane’s new novel, Shall We Not Revenge (Allium Press of Chicago, release date July 2014)

In the harsh early winter months of 1872, while Chicago is still smoldering from the Great Fire, Irish Catholic detective Frank Hanley is assigned the case of a murdered Orthodox Jewish rabbi. His investigation proves difficult when the neighborhood’s Yiddish-speaking residents, wary of outsiders, are reluctant to talk.  But when the rabbi’s headstrong daughter Rivka unexpectedly offers to help Hanley find her father’s killer, the detective receives much more than the break he was looking for.

Their pursuit of the truth draws Rivka and Hanley closer together and leads them to a relief organization run by the city’s wealthy movers and shakers. Along the way, they uncover a web of political corruption, crooked cops, and well-buried ties to two notorious Irish gangsters from Hanley’s checkered past.  Even after he is kicked off the case, stripped of his badge, and thrown in jail, Hanley refuses to quit. With a personal vendetta to settle for an innocent life lost, he is determined to expose a complicated criminal scheme, not only for his own sake, but for Rivka’s as well.

To purchase, No Less in Blood:

Amazon, Kindle/hardcover/paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Less-Blood-Five-Mystery-Series/dp/1594149275/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1337960358&sr=8-2

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-less-in-blood-dm-pirrone/1028550659?ean=2940014696944

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/No-Less-In-Blood/rDD24iKEcU6mVkqUUtb1VQ?MixID=rDD24iKEcU6mVkqUUtb1VQ&PageNumber=1&s=jjwPu7OdEE6YNZm1rbnZiQ&r=1

Author website: www.dmpirrone.net

Editor website: www.wordnrd.com

Blog: www.wordnrd.wordpress.com

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/D-M-Pirrone/188103237887566

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Rita Monette – The Legend of Ghost Dog Island

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Evelyn Cullet

This week, I’m hosting author and artist, Rita Monette

Rita was born and raised in Southwest Louisiana,USA. After retiring from her “real” job as an administrative assistant for the State of Michigan, Rita began doing what she always wanted to do…write and paint. Her debut middle grade novel, The Legend of Ghost Dog Island, also includes her artwork.  She enjoys writing stories set in the beautiful, yet mysterious, bayous and swamps of her home state. The Legend of Ghost Dog Island, depicts her Cajun childhood, growing up in a houseboat along the levees of Louisiana. Rita now lives with her husband, four lap dogs, and one lap cat, in the mountains of Tennessee. (Where the hurricanes have a hard time reaching.)

The Legend of Ghost Dog Island

Moving is nothing new for ten-year-old Nikki Landry. Her fisherman father relocates their raggedy old houseboat several times a year in search of better crabbing spots. However, their latest move has brought her to a mysterious bayou where she feels something is watching her from a nearby island.

Nikki learns of a local legend about something sinister inhabiting those swamps, stealing the souls of dogs…which would explain the strange howling sounds. Papa reassures her there’s nothing on the island but gators and snakes. He would know. He’s spent his whole life trapping and fishing those bayous and swamps. But Nikki and her new friends uncover strange happenings from years ago that may have started the old legend, and town folks aren’t talking. Then her beloved beagle goes missing.

Join Nikki as she seeks to discover the real truth behind the legend of Ghost Dog Island…before it’s too late.

Here’s an excerpt:

Mama closed the door behind her. She knew once Papa got going on one of his tales, there was no stopping him.

The last traces of daylight seemed to disappear in a hurry, as if Papa had ordered it away. The glass globe of the kerosene lamp clinked. He touched a match to the wick and adjusted the flame until it filled the room with pale light and gray shadows. He motioned me to sit next to him on the worn sofa.

I hurried to his side, not knowing what spooky legend he was going to tell this time. But as scared as I’d get, I always enjoyed hearing ’em.

“Mais, there’s a legend told around these parts.” That was how they always started out. He leaned down so the light from the lamp made eerie shadows across his face.

I rolled my eyes, determined not to get spooked this time.

“Folks say there’s something living out yonder,” he went on. “Legend has it the monster lures dogs to the island using evil spells. Then at the peak of the full moon, they’re turned into hollow spirits with glowing eyes.” Papa put on his eeriest sneer. “That there’s Ghost Dog Island.”

“Ghost dogs?” I pulled my knees up against my chest and wrapped my arms around ’em tight. My mind conjured up images of a huge monster with drippy fangs and dogs with bright yellow eyes. I thought about the feeling I had of something watching us. Was there really a creature out there? Did it have its eye on my best buddy? I shuddered.

IEEEOWWWOOOO-oooooooo! The howling sound echoed again across the bayou.

Check out the trailer for, The Legend of Ghost Dog Island here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB51g_CnuNE

The Legend of Ghost Dog Island is available directly from the publisher at:  ofhttp://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=445

Be sure to see Rita’s website for her wonderful illustrations:  http://ritamonette.com/Home_Page.html

Rita’s Blog: Tales from the Bayou:  http://ritamonette.blogspot.com/

“Like” Rita’s Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/RitaMonetteBooks

Follow Rita on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ritamonette

 Rita is giving away one signed print copy of Legend of Ghost Dog Island, so please leave a comment and you will be entered to win.

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