Michele May – Ensconced
This week I’m hosting mystery author, Michele May.
Michele May, whose pen name is M. E. May, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and lived in central Indiana until she met her husband and moved to the Chicago suburbs in 2003.
She studied Social and Behavioral Sciences at Indiana University, where she learned how the mind and social circumstances influence behavior. While at the university, she also discovered her talent for writing.
Michele is an active member of Mystery Writers of America Midwest Chapter, Sisters in Crime Chicagoland, Speed City Sisters in Crime in Indianapolis, and the Chicago Writers Association and its affiliate InPrint. Michele is also on the Love is Murder Mystery Conference board.
Her Circle City Mystery Series is appropriately named as these stories take place in her home town of Indianapolis. The first novel in the series, Perfidy, won the 2013 Lovey Award for Best First Novel, and the second book in the series, Inconspicuous, was released July 2013. Her most recent edition, Ensconced, will be released on March 7, 2014.
ENSCONCED
Missing Person Detective and loving family man, Tyrone Mayhew, faces one of the toughest cases of his career–now a cold case he investigated ten years ago when Wendy Matherson and her vehicle vanished without a trace. New evidence has come to light and now Tyrone and his partner, Sergeant Benjamin Jacobs, must sort through years of old evidence and interview persons of interest and witnesses one more time.
They soon discover that Wendy’s youngest son may be their best witness. After years of nightmares, this young man is ready to try anything to pull the memories so deeply ensconced in his subconscious to the surface so he can finally be at peace with what happened to his mother.
The more Tyrone digs, the more dangerous the investigation becomes. When Tyrone’s family is placed in mortal danger, it sparks Tyrone to work more diligently to discover what really happened the night Wendy Matherson disappeared. He must find resolution before this case tears Tyrone’s happy life completely apart.
Excerpt from Ensconced
Chapter 1
Tommy Sturgen was about to experience the perfect fishing day. Pulling his vehicle into the parking lot near the boat docks, he saw the pinks and blues of a sun about to peak over the horizon. This third Sunday of June started out at an unseasonably cool temperature of sixty-eight degrees. He knew the fish would bite like crazy on a day like this.
Eighteen-year-old Tommy and his younger brother, Bobby, pulled their fishing gear from the trunk of the car and headed for their dad’s fishing boat. This was the first time, his father had entrusted Tommy to take the boat out on his own with his brother in tow.
The two of them loaded their gear and a couple of small coolers onto the boat. They climbed in; Tommy started the engine, and headed out. After finding a spot in the newly opened fishing area, Tommy stopped the boat, cut the engine, and dropped the anchor. They prepared their lines with flies, weights, and bait.
Tommy frowned at Bobby. “Ain’t that the fly Grandpa made and gave to you for Christmas?”
Bobby nodded.
“I thought you said you wasn’t gonna use it ‘cause it’s special.”
“Changed my mind,” stated Bobby.
“Okay,” Tommy sighed. “It’s your loss if it gets tangled up.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Bobby retorted, scowling.
“You’ve got too many weights on there. The line will go too deep.”
“Shut up, Tommy! I’ve been fishin’ long enough to know what I’m doin’.”
“Shh! Keep your voice down,” Tommy whispered. “You’ll scare off the fish.”
Bobby sneered at his brother, gave him the finger then cast his line. It didn’t take long for Tommy’s prediction to come true. After casting it a third time, Bobby’s line caught on something and he couldn’t get it loose.
Bobby tugged on the line. “Shit!”
“Watch your mouth.”
“Yeah, Tommy. Like you’ve never said that word or worse before. My fucking line is caught!”
“I told you that would happen.” Tommy couldn’t believe his brother’s defiant attitude. “Cut the line.”
“No! I’m not losing Grandpa’s fly. That’s the last one he made for me before he died. I’m going in after it.”
“You lookin’ to join him?”
“No,” Bobby said angry tears forming in his eyes. “I can’t lose it, Tommy. I’m a good swimmer.” He looked around the floor of the boat. “This rope, tie it around me. If I get in trouble, I’ll tug it and you can pull me up.”
“I don’t know, Bobby.” Tommy said his face lined with worry.
“Come on Tommy. I can’t lose Grandpa’s fly.”
“Okay, okay. Give me a minute to pull up anchor and start the engine. I’ll go slowly while you reel in your line so we can get closer to where it is.”
Bobby reeled the line in slowly, raising the rod above his head. It appeared to be at least five feet out.
“You make sure you keep reelin’ in the line as we move closer to it. If it gets tangled up in the motor blade, it’ll snap and we’ll have to forget it. Understand?”
Bobby nodded.
Tommy proceeded slowly while Bobby kept his line as taut as possible without snapping it. When they reached the spot where the line appeared to be nearly straight down, Tommy stopped and cut the engine. He dropped the anchor again to keep the boat from drifting.
“Okay, Bobby. You know if you go and drown yourself I’ll be joining you and Grandpa shortly.”
Bobby gave him a baffled look.
“Mom and Dad will kill me.”
“I won’t drown.” Bobby put the pole in the rod holder locking the reel. Then he stripped down to his t-shirt and boxers shivering in the nippy air. “Tie the rope around me. Oh, and get my goggles out of my backpack.”
Tommy retrieved Bobby’s goggles. “You ready Aquaman?”
“You’re so lame. I’m fifteen. I don’t like cartoons anymore.”
“Whatever, jack off. Let’s just get this over with.”
Tommy tied the other end of the rope to one of the seats and steadied the boat as Bobby entered the cold dark water. Bobby gave him a thumbs-up, breathed deeply then dove under the water. Tommy held onto the rope loosely in case Bobby tugged it.
Tommy noted Bobby had been down there for almost a minute when he felt a hard tug from the rope. He tried to pull it up, but it wouldn’t budge. Tommy stripped off his shoes and jacket and dove into the water. He opened his eyes which burned in the lake water. Following the rope, he searched desperately for his brother.
Finally, he saw Bobby still yanking on the rope, a portion of it caught on something. Tommy could see the panic stricken Bobby wasn’t trying to untie it from around his waist. He reached his brother and concentrated on loosening the knot. It wouldn’t come loose. He dove further down to the source of their plight, admonishing himself for not thinking to untie the rope from the other end. Tommy found the rope hooked around a car bumper. He pushed it with his feet and pulled at the rope, which finally broke loose of its grip.
Swimming toward his brother, he grabbed Bobby’s arm and pulled him toward the surface. Once Bobby realized he was free, he pulled away and swam upward. Seconds later, both boys emerged splashing, coughing, and spitting.
“Tommy, did you see that?” Bobby spat.
Tommy nodded and coughed. “Get in the boat, Bobby.”
They swam to the boat. Bobby tossed his precious fly in, and Tommy helped him hoist himself into the boat. Then Bobby held it steady while Tommy pulled himself in.
“What the hell?” Tommy threw a towel to Bobby then grabbed one for himself. His cold soaked clothing made him shake.
“L…l…looks like there’s a…a…a… car d…d…down there,” Bobby said through chattering teeth.
“No shit!”
“Watch your mouth!”
“Okay smart ass,” said Tommy, glaring at Bobby’s pale face and blue lips. “Just tell me what you saw.”
“It’s got a lot of gunk on it, but I could see the bumper and part of a license plate.”
“That how you got stuck, idiot? You decide to take a closer look.”
Bobby frowned. “What difference does it make? I’m fine.”
“There’s only one reason I’m not tellin’ Mom and Dad how stupid you are. If they find out you nearly drowned tryin’ to get that fly, they’ll never let us take the boat out again. Right now, we have to call the police. We’ve scared all the fish away from here by now so we may as well go ashore to wait for them.”
Tommy pulled up anchor, cranked up the engine again and headed for shore. He pulled his cell phone out of his backpack and called 9-1-1.
Ensconced is available on amazon.com in print and Kindle eBook.
Website & Blog: www.memay-mysteries.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/M-E-May/522693281079718?ref=hl
Twitter: @memayauthor
Michele is doing a book giveaway linked to her birthday–the entire three book series. The series is called Circle City Mystery Series. The other two novels in the series are Perfidy and Inconspicuous.
Leave a comment for a chance to win all three of Michele’s novels.
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Alyssa Maxwell – Murder at The Breakers
This week I’m hosting mystery author, Alyssa Maxwell.
Alyssa Maxwell, author of The Gilded Newport Mysteries, began a love affair with the city of Newport while visiting friends there back in her high school days. Time and again the harbor‑side, gas‑lit neighborhoods drew her to return, and on one of those later visits she met the man who would become her husband. Always a lover of history, Alyssa found that marrying into a large, generations‑old Newport family opened up an exciting world of historical discovery. From the graveyards whose earliest markers read from the seventeenth century, to original colonial houses still lived in today, to the Newport Artillery Company whose curator for many years was her husband’s grandfather, Newport became a place of fascination and romantic charm. Today, she and her husband reside beneath the palms and bright skies of Florida, but part of her heart remains firmly in that small New England city of great historical significance. For more about Alyssa and her books, please visit http://.alyssamaxwell.com.
Murder at The Breakers
Newport, Rhode Island, August 1895: She may be a less well-heeled relation, but as second cousin to millionaire patriarch Cornelius Vanderbilt, twenty-one-year-old Emma Cross is on the guest list for a grand ball at the Breakers, the Vanderbilts’ summer home. She also has a job to do—report on the event for the society page of the Newport Observer.
But Emma observes much more than glitz and gaiety when she witnesses a murder. The victim is Cornelius Vanderbilt’s financial secretary, who plunges off a balcony faster than falling stock prices. Emma’s black sheep brother Brady is found in Cornelius’s bedroom passed out next to a bottle of bourbon and stolen plans for a new railroad line. Brady has barely come to before the police have arrested him for the murder. But Emma is sure someone is trying to railroad her brother and resolves to find the real killer at any cost…
Here is an excerpt from Murder at The Breakers:
She awoke that morning to an angry sea battering the edges of the promontory, and gusting winds that kicked up a spray to rattle against her bedroom windows. She might simply have rolled over, closed her eyes again and sunk pleasantly back into sleep, if not for the—
Here the nib of my pen ran dry and scratched across the paper, threatening to leave a tear. If not for the what? I knew what I wanted to say; this was to be a novel of mystery and danger, but I was having a dickens of a time that morning finding the right words.
As I pondered, my gaze drifted to another page I’d shoved aside last night. Sitting on my desktop inches from my elbow, the words I’d hastily scrawled before going to bed mocked me with their insipidness. Mrs Astor Plants A Rose Garden, the title read. Who could possibly care, I wondered. Yet people apparently did care, or I wouldn’t have been sent by my employer, Mr. Millford of the Newport Observer, to cover the auspicious event. Not that Mrs. Astor actually wielded anything resembling a garden tool, mind you, or chanced pricking her tender fingers on a thorn. No, she’d barked brisk orders at her groundskeepers until the placement of the bushes suited her taste, and then ushered her dozen or so guests onto the terrace for tea.
I sighed, looking up from my desk to stare out my bedroom window. The scene outside perfectly matched the mysterious one I’d just described: a glowering, blustery day that promised intermittent rains and salty winds. The inclement weather heralded ominous tidings for my protagonist, not to mention reeking real-life havoc on the tightest of coiffures.
No matter; I had no plans to stray from home until much later in the evening. I dipped my pen in the inkwell and was about to try again when from behind me a hand descended on my shoulder.
With a yelp I sprang from my chair, shoving it away with the backs of my knees. I sucked in a breath and prepared to cry out in earnest, but before I could utter a sound a second hand clamped my mouth.
“Shush! For crying out loud, Em, don’t scream. I thought you heard me. Ouch!”
I’d instinctively bitten one of the fingers pressed against my lips, even as recognition of the familiar voice poured through me and sent my fear draining from my limbs. Still, I had no intentions of apologizing. Wrenching from his grip, I turned and slapped my brother’s hands away.
“Blast it, Brady! What are you doing here? Neither Katie nor Nanny would have let you upstairs without asking me first.”
“The front door was unlocked. I called out but when no one answered I let myself in.” A flick of his head sent a shank of damp, sandy blond hair off his forehead—and assured me he was lying. That particular gesture had accompanied Brady’s fibs for as long as I could remember. The only truth to his statement was that he’d let himself in.
“You sneaked in, didn’t you?” I folded my arms in front of me. Why?”
“I need your help, Em.”
“Oh, Brady, what now?” My arms fell to my sides, and with a sigh that melted into a yawn, I walked to the foot of my bed and reached for my robe. “I suppose you must be in real trouble again, or you’d never be out and about this early.”
“Are you going to The Breakers tonight?” He referred to the ball our relatives were holding that evening.
“Of course. But—”
“I need you to do something for me.” He threw himself into the chintz overstuffed chair beside the hearth. I remained standing, glaring down at him, braced for the inevitable. “I, uh…I did something I shouldn’t have…”
Murder at The Breakers can be purchased from the following: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Murder-at-Breakers-Alyssa-Maxwell/dp/0758290829/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374172316&sr=8-1&keywords=murder+at+the+breakers+alyssa+maxwell
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-at-the-breakers-alyssa-maxwell/1115966843?ean=9780758290823
Visit Alyssa on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alyssa.maxwell.750
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alyssa__Maxwell
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7163135.Alyssa_Maxwell
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/alymaxauthor/
Alyssa is doing a book giveaway this week, so please leave a comment and you will automatically be entered to win a free copy of Murder at The Breakers.
Ann McGinnis – Scarlet Revenge
This week I’m pleased to host author, Ann McGinnis.
Ann McGinnis writes about characters that let their egos and sense of justice rule their lives, while they protect the public from serial killers and unthinkable crimes. Of course, Ann’s characters always find a way to blow off steam — romantically!
As a writer, Ann comes from the world of action/thrillers and screenwriting. She has two scripts currently in development. A third script, about a spunky FBI analyst, is the basis of “Scarlet Revenge” and main character Caycee Scarlet.
“Scarlet Revenge” is about a rookie female FBI analyst who struggles to contain a serial killer. Her only hope is to join forces with a devilish bombing suspect if she’s to have any chance of outwitting the killer and saving her team — including her sexy boss.
Here is a short excerpt from Scarlet Revenge:
Before I knew it, we were on the expressway headed southwest. Numb and feeling like I’d been sucker punched, I was not good trip company. The drive went by in a blur. Gil focused on the road and my mind replayed the argument with Wilkes until I could take it no longer. “Pull over!”
The tone of my voice must have startled him, because Gil guided the car to the shoulder of the two-way rural road. We’d left the expressway a few miles back. The rest of the way would snake through the mountains until we reached the secluded valley where the interrogation facility was hidden in plain sight. At least, that’s what I remembered from the little Gil said.
The traffic was light. We’d be okay on the shoulder. As soon as the car stopped moving, I hopped out. The setting sun spilled soft rays my way, but its golden light was little comfort to my tortured soul.
I took several steps away from the car and screamed at the tree line. Tall, majestic pines. They took it like pros, however, a black crow flew away in protest.
The wind caressed dry, brittle leaves across the red dirt ground. And clouds hung in the sky like cotton balls. I listened and watched, but none of it helped. Unleashing my anger at Wilkes had broken something inside.
Gil came up behind me, gently grabbed both of my shoulders and pulled me to him. We stood there for several moments, my back against his chest. His breath, a calming presence against my hair.
“I wondered when you’d break,” he whispered. “You can let it out here.”
In a rush, I turned to him and clung to his lapels. What we must have looked like, two suits sharing a nervous breakdown at the side of the road.
“Granted,” Gil whispered, “your first day at the FBI was worst than most, but you saved a life.”
“Shut up.”
“What?”
“I can’t talk about it.” I looked up at him, ready to make one more mistake on this horrendous day of mistakes.
“What do you want to do?”
I couldn’t say it, so I let my hands slide up his chest, around to the back of his neck, rose to my tiptoes and melted into his lips. He responded by picking me off my feet and pulling me as close as possible.
If I’d hoped he’d reject my advances, to save me from myself, that thought was fleeting. Nothing could stop us now.
Scarlet Revenge is available on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/k8qzpqh
My Review of Scarlet Revenge
Ann McGinnis is a skillful author. From the very first sentence, she makes you feel like you’re experiencing everything the protagonist, Caycee Scarlet, is at the exact moment that it’s happening to her. It’s evident a lot of preparation and research went into writing this story, resulting in one of the best novels I’ve read in a long time. The suspense will keep you nibbling your nails while reading well into the night, and the romantic aspect was cleverly weaved into the story, giving it a personal touch. I loved the way the Epilogue leads the reader into the next novel in this series. I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading Scarlet Revenge as much as I did.
Ann’s website: www.annmcginnis.com
Ann’s Blog: http://annmcginnis.wordpress.com
Visit Ann on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/lqmqjtt
And on Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/scarletsuspense/
Ann would like to give away a signed paperback copy of her novel and 5 Kindle versions to readers who leave comments, so please specify which you would prefer to receive.
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Tagged action thrillers, FBI analyst, justice, romance, Scarlet Revenge, screenwriting, serial killer
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Jeanne Roppolo – The Jr. Iditarod: Alaska’s Little-Known Sled Dog Race
While Grandma, Jeanne Roppolo, was in Alaska, she witnessed and wrote about The Jr. Iditarod: Alaska’s Little-Known Sled Dog Race. The companion book to, Grandma Goes to the Alaskan Wilderness. This is the fourth and final book in the Grandma Goes To… series so far. Other books are planned for the future.
Below is a photo I took of Jeanne standing behind her table at the Orland Park Library’s Author’s Event where I had the pleasure of meeting her and chatting about her amazing adventures, and the books she’s written about them.
In her motivational speaking engagements she conducts for children, teens, and adults, Jeanne Roppolo talks about her unusual life journey. This world-traversing grandmother loves to share her unique stories through her printed books, eBooks, study guides, presentations and web site. www.grandmagoesto.com
About the “Grandma Goes to…” book series: Written for children, educational for all ages, and an inspirational read for the whole family. Visually stunning with 38 pages of color photographs. These children’s books meet federally-mandated, Common Core standards; a companion Teacher Study Guide is also available for each title.
Jeanne continues to relish life’s treasured moments as she travels to faraway places, meets fascinating people, and explores other cultures. (future books:Hawaii,China,Mongolia, Siberia & Russia)
Take advantage of this fun and unique learning resource. Not just for kids. Be inspired! Visit the web site/Follow her on Facebook/Purchase books and study guides/Hire Grandma Jeanne to speak with your group today.(K-adults)
The Jr. Iditarod: Alaska’s Little-Known Sled Dog Race
The Junior Iditarod Sled Dog Race, or Jr. Iditarod, is a 148 to 158 mile sled dog race is for 14 to 17 year olds!
It is patterned after the 1,150 mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The Jr. Iditarod was the first long-distance race for juvenile mushers!
See the 2013 competition as Grandma Jeanne works at one of the check-points in Alaska’s remote wilderness.
It’s a race to the finish line with teenage mushers and their sled dogs. They begin before daybreak.
The numerous pilots were kept busy transporting supplies, people, and dogs. Race support personnel needed to spend the night as the teenagers would come through the checkpoint twice: first, on their way to Yentna Station Saturday afternoon and then back again at approximately 3:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
What a competitive 150-mile race. These young mushers had been outside in the elements for two days nonstop. At one point during this extreme challenge, the temperature was a minus six degrees with blowing wind and snow.
The Senior Iditarod Trail is 1,049 miles, beginning at Willow and going to Nome over the roughest, isolated, and most beautiful terrain. Trail and weather conditions can change instantly. Being self-reliant and knowing survival skills is a must.
The Jr. Iditarod: Alaska’s Little-Known Sled Dog Race is available on Jeanne’s website: www.grandmagoesto.com, along with all the other wonderful books in the series. And while you’re at her website, don’t forget to read Jeanne’s hilarious bear story on the, Grandma Goes to the Alaskan Wilderness, page.
As so, as the sun sets in the west, we say goodbye to adventurer and Grandmother, Jeanne Roppolo as she’s off on her next adventure.
Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful week of adventures with us. Please feel free to leave your comments.
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Jeanne Roppolo – Grandma Goes To Antartica.
“And now for something completely different…”– Monty Python
This week, I’m hosting author and adventurer, Jeanne Roppolo. Jeanne has written several books about her travel adventures. I’m going to feature one of her unique travel books from Monday through Thursday this week. Below is a photo I took of Jeanne standing behind her table at the Orland Park Library’s Author’s Event where I had the pleasure of meeting this gutsy grandma and chatting about her amazing adventures, and the books she’s written about them.
In her motivational speaking engagements she conducts for children, teens, and adults, Jeanne Roppolo talks about her unusual life journey. This world-traversing grandmother loves to share her unique stories through her printed books, eBooks, study guides, presentations and web site. www.grandmagoesto.com
About the “Grandma Goes to…” book series: Written for children, educational for all ages, and an inspirational read for the whole family. Visually stunning with 38 pages of color photographs. These children’s books meet federally-mandated, Common Core standards; a companion Teacher Study Guide is also available for each title.
Jeanne continues to relish life’s treasured moments as she travels to faraway places, meets fascinating people, and explores other cultures. (future books: Hawaii, China, Mongolia, Siberia & Russia)
Take advantage of this fun and unique learning resource. Not just for kids. Be inspired! Visit the web site/Follow her on Facebook/Purchase books and study guides/Hire Grandma Jeanne to speak with your group today.(K-adults)
Today, Grandma Goes to Antarctica: A Journey of Discovery
This is the true story of a 57-year-old grandmother who was stationed in Antarctica for five months as a contract worker for the National Science Foundation (NSF). Grandma goes outside of her comfort zone, learns much about Antarctica and herself, has exciting once-in-a-lifetime adventures, and meets the most amazing people.
Journey to the coldest, driest, windiest and most barren place on earth. Experience life at the bottom of the world from the comfort and safety of your own home. Tag along with Grandma on her extreme excursions. Partner with the scientists and support personnel at McMurdo Station, the largest research station on the continent of Antarctica, 850 miles from the South Pole.
Excerpts and photos:
Looking out the porthole, Grandma and her fellow travelers got their first glimpse of the white continent of Antarctica. She felt like they were astronauts hurtling through space, waiting to explore an alien world. Grandma kept telling herself that this was for real. They were about to arrive at the bottom of the earth. What an extraordinary adventure!
Grandma is afraid of small places. This is such a small tube, that you have to remove Big Red in order to climb down. But this was an opportunity that very few people will ever experience. Grandma decided to face her fears. She wanted this adventure. She did not want to have any regrets later if she missed this rare opportunity.
Grandma was first on the list for survival training, which is called Happy Camper. Basically, you hike to the middle of nowhere with all your equipment and gear. Then you learn to dig a snow trench for sleeping. Don’t forget to plant crossed flags at the head and foot of your trench so that Search and Rescue can find you in a storm. Plus a whole lot more extremely hard work. Your only luxury is an outhouse.
If you think it’s cold where you are, come along with Jeanne Roppolo in, Grandma Goes to Antarctica.
Sorry I couldn’t upload the image of her book, so please click on the Amazon URL or her website URL below to see it:
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/mucgcyf
Jeanne’s website: www.grandmagoesto.com
We would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment.
Tomorrow: Grandma Goes to the South Pacific: A Voyage of Appreciation
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Evelyn David – Murder Doubles Back
This week I’m pleased to welcome author, Evelyn David to my blog.
Evelyn David is the pseudonym for Marian Edelman Borden and Rhonda Dossett, the authors of The Brianna Sullivan Mysteries, Murder Off the Books, Murder Takes the Cake, and Murder Doubles Back.
Marian lives in New York and is the author of 11 nonfiction books on a wide variety of topics ranging from veterans benefits to playgroups for toddlers! For more information on Marian’s books, please visit her web site at http://www.marianedelmanborden.com
Rhonda lives in Muskogee, Oklahoma, is the director of the coal program for the state, and in her spare time enjoys imagining and writing funny, scary mysteries. Marian and Rhonda write their mystery series via the Internet. While many fans who attend mystery conventions have now chatted with both halves of Evelyn David, Marian and Rhonda have yet to meet in person.
Murder Doubles Back
Murder Doubles Back is the exciting third book in the Sullivan Investigations Series. For 10 years private detective Mac Sullivan has been haunted by the case of Amanda Norman, a teenaged girl who disappeared into thin air during a class trip. But someone is determined to stir the embers of that cold case. Each year Mac receives a postcard that asks a simple question: Where is Amanda Norman? This year, Mac decides he will answer the question once and for all. Join Mac Sullivan, Rachel Brenner, JJ, Edgar, and of course, Whiskey, the adorable and adored Irish wolfhound, as they try to uncover the mystery of a long missing girl. As Mac and his team investigate, a dark trail of murder and deception follows. If Amanda Norman is still alive, will Mac’s efforts inadvertently lead to her death? If Amanda Norman is dead, who keeps sending the postcards and why?
Excerpt from Murder Doubles Back by Evelyn David
“What’s that?”
The desk sergeant was new and from the expression on his face, Mac gathered he had never seen an Irish wolfhound before.
Mac glanced down at Whiskey. The Irish wolfhound was attached to the end of a long thin leather leash. It was questionable who was leading whom.
“My service dog,” Mac responded, not looking for a fight with the cop. He also didn’t have the time or patience for a long explanation. He’d already had an extensive discussion with Whiskey about why she should wait for him in the car. She’d made her displeasure known to everyone within earshot after he’d naively attempted to execute his unilateral decision.
“You sure that’s a dog? Looks like a small horse to me.”
Whiskey made a sound that a casual observer would have taken for “Huh.”
The desk sergeant narrowed his eyes. “Did she just….”
Whiskey stood up on her hind legs, resting her front two on the wooden countertop. She stared at the pudgy uniformed officer as though inspecting him for signs of intelligence and finding him wanting.
He blinked first.
“Who did you say you needed to see?”
“Lieutenant Greeley, Homicide.”
“I’ll buzz you both through.”
***
Lieutenant James Greeley had been Mac’s boss for the last ten years he’d been a detective with the DC police. Jim Greeley was a tall black man of few words and little patience for fools. He fancied designer suits, cowboy boots, and expensive cigars. Now that the police department had gone smoke-free, the cigars remained unlit. Looking at him, sitting behind his desk, feet propped up, and cigar dangling from his mouth, Mac was almost certain the man hadn’t changed one whit in all the time he’d known him.
Whiskey pulled free and walked over to accept the Lieutenant’s admiration and a scratch behind her ears.
“So what do you want?”Greeleyasked. “I’m busy.”
“I see that.” Mac pointed towards the visitor chair. “Can I sit?”
“Go ahead.”Greeleypulled out an ornate pocket watch and flipped it open. “Just don’t get comfortable. I’ve got a meeting with the brass in ten minutes to talk budget.”
“So I should dispense with the usual pleasantries?”
Greeleynodded. “Consider them said. Thanks for the early Christmas gift by the way. This one I’ll actually use.”
“I remembered what you told me would happen the next time I sent you a fruitcake. Actually I should probably confess…that fruitcake was one of about twenty that Edgar brought to the office. The old ladies in his neighborhood still keep him, and as a result, us, well-supplied.” Mac chuckled. “But since I’m fond of the particular body part that you threatened, this year I just sent over liquor. JJ suggested we reserve the fruitcakes for clients who hadn’t paid their bills.”
“Well one fruitcake in a lifetime is more than enough for me. I still use last year’s for target practice. Remarkable staying power.”Greeleyshifted his feet to the floor. “You’re here for a reason. Time’s wasting. Get to it.”
“I’ve got a new case. Actually a cold case. One of my old ones. I need a copy of the file and some security video from a gift shop at the Smithsonian. They’ll give it to me if you sign off on my request.”
“Smithsonian? Some kind of robbery? Do you have a case number?”
“Robbery, no. Case number, yes” Mac handed over the information he’d committed to memory a decade earlier.
“That is an old number. You and Lyle worked this? Give me the headline.”Greeleyglanced up from the note Mac had given him.
“Missing teenager. She was on a school trip to the Smithsonian.”
Greeleynodded. “Oh, yeah. Your annual postcard case. I remember. Kid went missing the first year I made lieutenant. Did you get another postcard?”
Mac nodded. “Came yesterday to my office.”
Murder Doubles Back – Review
Dru’s Book Musings
“I love this series and I especially love the latest book [Murder Doubles Back] where the appearance of an annual postcard of a missing teen from years ago arrives at Mac’s office which sets of an adventure that spiraled out of control with some surprising discoveries that made the chase even sweeter. Who knew that the action of one, will take this 10-year odyssey to a climatic ending that makes the team of Evelyn David one of the best prolific writers that I know. This page-turning, action-filled drama had my attention from the beginning and when that aha moment came, I was like “wow”, I never saw that one coming. This is a nicely woven mystery with some good fun humor, with witty banter; and the dysfunctional familial relationship that exists between Mac, Rachel, JJ and Edgar that is both engaging and endearing. A great read and I look forward to more adventures with Mac and his friends in this terrific series.” – Dru Ann Love, May 26, 2013.
Buy Links
Kindle – http://tinyurl.com/mdbkindle
Nook – http://tinyurl.com/mdbnook
Smashwords – http://tinyurl.com/mdbsmash
Trade Paperback – http://tinyurl.com/mdbprint
Evelyn David Contact Information
Website – http://www.evelyndavid.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/evelyn.david1
Blog – http://www.thestilettogang.blogspot.com/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/evelyndavid
email – evelyndavid@evelyndavid.com
We’d all love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment about this blog post.
A Special Thank You
A Special End Of The Year Thank You.
2013 has been a wonderful year for writers. I’ve introduced a lot of talented authors and their novels on my writer’s blog.
I hope you had a chance to read some of the great novels listed. I only wish I had the time to read them all. The ones I haven’t read are on my TBR list.
To all the authors:
My heartfelt appreciation for being such wonderful guests on my writers blog. I wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Successful New Year. As a special thank you, I’m giving you all a “Tweet” every day until January 1st, 2014.
I’d like to take this opportunity to recap the authors and their novels for 2013:
Tessa Stockton – The Unspeakable
Patricia Rockwell – Sounds of Murder
T. D. Courtland (David Hayes) – Run In With The Law
Kathryn J. Bain – Knight & Day
Ralph Horner – Witch’s Moon
Sharon Love Cook – A Noses for Hanky Panky
Joanne Carroll – The Silver Heels Connection
Cleo Lampos – Teaching Diamonds in the Tough
Billie A. Williams – Orchestrated Murder
Cheryl Kaye Tardif – Submerged
D.M. Buckley – Doggone
Mackenzie Crown – Gift of the Realm
Hywela Lyn – Starquest
P.L. Parker – Beyond Tomorrow
Mary Ricksen – Burned Into Time
Mary V. Welk – The Scarecrow Murders
Sara Butland – Arm Farm
Robin Cain – When Dreams Bleed
Stephen L. Brayton – Alpha
Kaye George – Eine Kleine Murder
Marie Lavender – Upon Your Return
Gloria Taylor Weinberg – A Homicide in Hookers Point
Paula Hrbecak – Stars Shine After Dark
Richard Whitten Barnes – Luzon
Carolyn Bennett – Coast to Coast Paranormal
Liz Stauffer – Thursday Morning Breakfast (And Murder) Club
Kathleen Kaska – Murder at the Galvez
Jinx Schwartz – Just the Pits
Cheryl Bradshaw – Grayson Manor Haunting
Marta Chausee – Murder’s Last Resort
Faith Mortimer – Childhunt
Jessie B. Tyson – White Heaven Women
Helen Osterman – Locked Within
Anne Rothman Hicks & Ken Hicks – Kate and the Kid
Marilyn Meredith – Spirit Shapes
Vera Berry Burrows – Family Matters
J. L Greger – Murder: A New Way to Lose Weight
Gail Lukasik – A Peak Season for Murder
Dorothy Bodoin – The Door in the Fog
Rosemary McQuestin – Once Upon Another Time
David Ciambrone – Chimera
Judith Boswell – The Junior Officer
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Vera Berry Burrows-Family Matters
This week, I’m hosting a wonderful author and friend from down-under, Vera Berry Burrows.
Vera Berry-Burrows is a UK-born former teacher of English Language and Literature, living in Queensland, Australia with journalist husband, Alan. She has a son and two grandsons living in the UK. She has been writing for a number of years and has had numerous non-fiction articles published in the UK and in Australia as well as four novels published with Wings ePress Inc. in the USA. She was educated at Farnworth Grammar School in Lancashire, trained as a teacher at St Katharine’s College, Liverpool and gained a Bachelor of Arts degree with the Open University.
Since she took early retirement in 1994 having been in the teaching profession for thirty one years, writing has become her compulsive hobby.
Family Matters
For three children left without a mother in the middle of World War Two, survival is all they can hope for. Their father struggles as a single parent, but instills into his children, determination, ambition and self-respect so they might succeed in post-war years and achieve everything which he was denied during his life.
This is their story:
It went without saying that John Hawthorne was extremely proud of his children. They had survived circumstances under which others would have crumbled. To bring up three girls without a mother had seemed a daunting task at the beginning, but with Nellie’s help they’d pulled through. He often thought of the times when he was at his wits end trying to fathom the workings of the female mind and now Meg was a mother herself, he couldn’t help but hark back to the past.
“Meg?” he’d asked tentatively one day soon after her eleventh birthday when they unusually had the house to themselves for the afternoon.
“What, Dad? Have I done something wrong?” Meg looked at him quizzically, recognising the ominous, unfathomable expression on her Dad’s face. It was always the same when he was about to take her to task.
“No, you’ve not done anything wrong as far as I know, but…” he hesitated and fiddled with the buttons on his waistcoat. “I think we ought to have a chat.”
“What about? Have Patty and Abi been doing something they shouldn’t, because I try to keep an eye on them, but I can’t be there all the time and anyway, Gran sees Abi more than me while I’m at school so it’s probably her you should be talking to, not me…”
“Just shut up, Meg and give me a chance,” he urged feeling the sweat trickle down the back of his neck. “Oh heck, Meg, this is hard!”
“What is, Dad? For goodness sake just say it, whatever it is. You’re making me nervous.”
“Well, I’ll try. Er, well … er well you know that now you are growing up, you’ll soon be a teenager and the next step is being a woman …”
“I know all that, Dad. Girls grow into women and boys grow into men. I’m not stupid!”
www.facebook.com/veraberryburrows
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Family Matters. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this historical fiction novel as much as I did. Vera’s writing is a delight to read.
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Tagged Book giveaway, children, Family Matters, historical fiction. WWII, single parent.
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Anne Rothman-Hicks and Ken Hicks
It’s my pleasure to host two of my fellow Wings authors, Anne Rothman-Hicks and Ken Hicks, on my blog this week, along with their delightful novel, Kate and the Kid.
Anne Rothman-Hicks and Kenneth Hicks first started writing books together while Anne was a student at Bryn Mawr College and Ken was a student at Haverford College — a long time ago, when, as their children like to say, dinosaurs roamed the earth. Ken grew up in Abingdon, Pennsylvania and Anne in both New York City where she was born and in Scarsdale, New York.
In 1973, they began to live in New York City while Ken was attending law school at Columbia University and Anne was working in publishing. They wrote their first novel together in 1976, hoping that it would be a success and Ken would not have to even start working as a lawyer. Alas, that book is still on the upper shelf of their closet, but they kept at the writing business. In 1984, they published Theft of the Shroud, a novel, through Banbury books, distributed by Putnam. That same year they also published a series of 10 books based on the most popular boy’s and girl’s names, and a book about the stars for children. At this time, Ken stopped practicing law for two years as they devoted themselves full-time to writing and their children. However, children need to eat and be clothed and go to school, and these things all cost money, so Ken went back to practicing law. Still, they continued to write, and rewrite, and rewrite some more.
Most recently, Anne and Ken have published Kate and the Kid, through Wings ePress. Another novel entitled Mind me, Milady is coming out in October through Barbarian Books. They have also published a book for middle readers called Stone Faces, which is available on the Apple iBookstore, and two small-format photography books, also available on the Apple iBookstore – Hearts (no flowers) Signs of Love in the Gritty City and Picture Stones.
Kate and the Kid
Kate Andersen is a self-involved single woman in her late twenties living in New York City, who has recently lost her job and is fighting with her boyfriend (Roger) as well. At this tumultuous time in her life, she thinks that the last thing she needs is to take care of a six-year-old girl. Turned out that was exactly what she needed.
Here is a short excerpt from Kate and the Kid:
The girl sat still for a few seconds. Kate could hear the sound of the fruit juice being drained through the straw, and the girl’s chest heaved once inside the curl of Kate’s arm. Then, quick as a young frisky cub, she spun and threw her arms around Kate’s neck. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her face was contorted with the effort not to cry. She nuzzled awkwardly against Kate and kissed her over and over with little pecks that covered her forehead and eyes and chin.
“I love you, Katy,” she said in her high-pitched voice. “I love you so much.”
http://wingsepress.com/Bookstore/Kate%20and%20the%20Kid.htm
http://www.randh71productions.com/page1.php
Authors of:
Kate and the Kid, (adult fiction)(Wings ePress)
Stone Faces, (middle grade)(on the Apple iBookstore)
Hearts (no flowers) Signs of Love in the Gritty City (on the Apple iBookstore)
Mind Me, Milady, (adult fiction)(coming in October, Barbarian Books)
Anne, Ken and I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment.
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