Through a Yellow Wood (A Catskill Mountains Mystery) - Teaser Tuesday

Well, I've done it again. I read the sequel before the first book. Lucky for me, Through a Yellow Wood stands alone. I enjoyed the characters and the story so much that I also downloaded the first Catskill Mountains Mystery - Hemlock Lake - to my Kindle. But I sure wish I'd read them in order because there are some spoilers in this one. However, they just served to make me curious about what happened before Through a Yellow Wood started.

Here's my Teaser from the opening paragraphs of Chapter One:

Seven months since he shot me and torched my family home.
It seemed like years since that night of blood and fire.

Amazon Link: Through a Yellow Wood
Number of Pages: 466
Genre: Mystery
Carolyn Rose's Website: Deadly Duo Mysteries

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Seven months after cheating death in the dark waters of Hemlock Lake, Dan Stone discovers a search dog trainer and his dogs shot down at a remote cabin in the Catskill Mountains. Only one young dog, badly wounded, survives the attack. No longer wearing a badge and intent on rebuilding the family home and making a life with Camille, Dan feels an obligation of blood to Clarence Wolven, a distant relative. He arranges the funeral and adopts the three-legged dog he names Nelson. When the sheriff's investigation stalls, Dan returns to the cabin with Jefferson Longyear. They feel the presence of Clarence's angry ghost and Nelson bolts into the forest. Trailing him deep into rugged "forever wild" land, they discover a serial killer's dump site. That grisly find is just the first. As summer wears on, Dan suspects the killer is taunting him and may even be someone he knows. Goaded by a ghost he only half believes in, Dan is drawn deeper into the investigation until his life and that of a young girl depend on a dog's loyalty and a sniper's aim.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away -- you don't want to ruin the book for others)
• Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers
• Leave a comment on MizB's Teaser Tuesday post (HERE) and include your link so everyone can find your post.

Teaser Tuesday - The Monday Night Needlework & Murder Guild

Teaser Tuesday again and that means more introductions to good books for my Kindle. What a treat! 

I've just started reading 
THE MONDAY NIGHT NEEDLEWORK & MURDER GUILD by Kathleen Valentine, and I'm loving the author's voice. I think you'll see what I mean in today's excerpt. Retired school teacher Miss Cecelia McGill is narrating.


TEASER:
Eulalia was the sort of woman who needed a man, that was obvious. Poor Edgar barely had time to cool off properly before she flew to Sweden and spent a chunk of his fortune having all her body parts put back where they were when she nailed him.
(From 20% on my Kindle)

Title: The Monday Night Needlework & Murder Guild
Author: Kathleen Valentine
Novella Length: 99 Pages
Amazon Link: HERE

Goodreads Synopsis:
Over fifty years ago Miss Serena Pitts founded The Monday Night Needlework and Murder Guild in the town of Pitts Crossing, Massachusetts. Members got together every week to share cookies and gossip while they did their needlework and discussed the latest murder mysteries. But when an unscrupulous lothario starts seducing and fleecing some of its members, the guild begins falling apart. That is until retired teacher, Miss Cecelia McGill, decides this cannot go on. With a blend of small town charm, dark comedy, and psychological suspense, Kathleen Valentine has created a "whydunnit" featuring a heroine readers will find hard to forget.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away -- you don't want to ruin the book for others)
• Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers
• Leave a comment on MizB's Teaser Tuesday post (HERE) and include your link so everyone can find your post.

Book Beginnings on Friday and Friday 56 - A RELIABLE WIFE

BOOK BEGINNINGS: 
Wisconsin, Fall, 1907. It was bitter cold, the air electric with all that had not happened yet. The world stood stock still, four o'clock dead on. Nothing moved anywhere, not a body, not a bird; for a split second there was only silence, there was only stillness. Figures stood frozen in the frozen land, men, women, and children.

FRIDAY 56: 
"Sister, sit. I'm sorry. I'm bad and I'm sick and I say things. But just sit by me. I'm never alone, but I always feel so lonely. So far away from everybody. Nobody holds me. Nobody touches me or calls my name...."
[At 56% on my Kindle]

GENRE: Historical Fiction
LENGTH: 320 Pages
AMAZON LINK: A Reliable Wife

AMAZON SYNOPSIS:
He placed a notice in a Chicago paper, an advertisement for "a reliable wife." She responded, saying that she was "a simple, honest woman." She was, of course, anything but honest, and the only simple thing about her was her single-minded determination to marry this man and then kill him, slowly and carefully, leaving her a wealthy widow, able to take care of the one she truly loved.

What Catherine Land did not realize was that the enigmatic and lonely Ralph Truitt had a plan of his own. And what neither anticipated was that they would fall so completely in love. 

Filled with unforgettable characters, and shimmering with color and atmosphere, A Reliable Wife is an enthralling tale of love and madness, of longing and murder.

MY THOUGHTS: The author does a great job of setting the scene in his opening, doesn't he? He also establishes the tone of the book: dark and brooding. Although the beginning was slow and seemed repetitious to me, I kept reading and I'm glad I did. Once I got into it, the story kept me riveted, wondering what would happen in the end. 

*****

Anybody can participate in 
Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56. 
Click here to connect to other Book Beginnings posts.
Find other Friday 56 bloggers here.
                

Meet Lori Pollard-Johnson

Today we’re talking with Lori Pollard-Johnson, author of Toxic Torte, The Lie, The Truth Test, and Recipe for a Rebel. (*She's giving away copies of two of her books too!)

S&S: The title of your mystery Toxic Torte is perfect. Love the alliteration! What inspired you to write a culinary cozy?

Lori: In the case of Toxic Torte, the title came first. I was in San Diego (to swim with dolphins), when I saw an attorney's advertisement on Toxic Torts. I'd been writing for the food industry for quite some time at that point, and an idea of a chef dishing up divine justice to a restaurant critic sparked my imagination. It took me many years and a lot of sidetracks before I finished, but Toxic Torte has been my most profitable book so far.

S&S: Do you have a favorite scene?

Lori: I think my favorite scene is near the end when our heroine's eyes are opened to true unconditional love. I can't say too much for fear of ruining the ending, but it was a surprise to me as I wrote it, too. That's the magic of writing—I get to share in the reader's sense of wonder at a surprising, yet satisfying, ending that is also true to the characters.

S&S: Your latest novel, The Lie, is quite different from Toxic Torte. Tell us a little bit about it, please. What prompted you to switch genres from adult mystery to young adult?
Lori: The Lie is a very edgy young adult novel; some might call it a "coming of age" novel. A chance meeting on a plane spurred this story. A young man on his way to report for basic training had to share a headset with a woman sitting next to him because he didn't have enough money to purchase his own headset. Watching the two of them--strangers at first--made me realize how much we value our service men and women, as well as the complexities involved in enlisting, especially as a very young person. It was very moving for me, and I guess writing Jace's story is my way of honoring the bond I saw on that plane. Although it's a departure from Toxic Torte, it's actually halfway back to my roots--my first two "traditionally published" novels, The Truth Test and Recipe for a Rebel, are kids' novels aimed at mid-grade readers (10-14 years old). I don't really confine myself to one genre, though; I write the story that speaks to me.

“She’d be real: imperfect haircut…slightly wrinkled clothing….”

S&S: If one of your novels were made into a movie, who would you cast as your characters?
Lori: If Toxic Torte were made into a movie, I'd cast an unknown, mid-twenties actress who is larger than a size 2. She'd be real: imperfect haircut a bit out of trim, slightly wrinkled clothing, and eyebrows in need of plucking. If I were looking through headshots, I'd look for a young Toni Collette. A few of the other characters I'd be able to cast right away: Rod, Jess's boss, would be played by Jesse Spencer, best known as Dr. Robert Chase on the television show HOUSE; Jody Lish, owner of Bayou Deja Vu, would be played by Holly Hunter; Laurette Roen, owner of Bien, would be played by Angelica Houston; Gwen, the hostess of Green, could be played by Jaime Pressly, famous for her role as Joy Turner on MY NAME IS EARL; and Perry, the victim, while seen only in pictures, would be well-represented by John Hillerman, best known as the butler on MAGNUM PI.

“…a man floating in a homemade aquarium.”

S&S: Are you working on a new book? Want to tell us a little bit about it?
Lori: I have two works in progress. The first, Corpse in the Cottage Cutie, is another cozy mystery, this time featuring best friends and recent divorcees, Jan and Pam, who are attempting to make money by flipping houses (in a terrible market)...because it's the only thing they know how to do, and they're determined to make it on their own without any help from their lyin' cheatin' exes. Unfortunately, on the first day of their first renovation, Jan removes paneling from a cedar closet and discovers a forty-year old secret: a man floating in a homemade aquarium. In order to speed up the policing and get back to flipping houses, the ladies decide to investigate on their own.
The second work in progress is still in outline form. Tentatively entitled Run, it's an edgy young adult novel about a seventeen-year-old girl who accidentally hits a homeless man on the way home from a party late at night. No one sees her, so she races for home and tries to pretend it never happened. But dead bodies don't go unnoticed, and she's torn between coming clean and keeping her dirty little secret.

S&S: If you had a whole day with no plans, no commitments, how would you spend it?

Lori: When I have a day with no commitments, I putter—I catch up on all the housework, play video games, and engage in my guilty pleasure—true crime shows.

S&S: Give us three words that describe you.

Lori: Three words that describe me, aside from the obvious (wife and mother), are loyal, curious, and kind.

***GIVEAWAY***

Leave a comment below and you'll be entered to win Toxic Torte or The Lie in eBook format! Just be sure to leave your email address in your comment so we can find you.

You can purchase Lori's books here:

The Lie (Young Adult)

Toxic Torte (Mystery)

Recipe for a Rebel (Middle Grade)

The Truth Test (Middle Grade)

(The Truth Test is also on the Accelerated Reader program here: The Truth Test)

You can also find all four books on Barnes & Noble and Toxic Torte and The Lie can be found on Smashwords in multiple formats.

Deadly Pleasures - Sex and the City Meets James Patterson*

Today we’re welcoming author Mary Firmin to our blog. We’ve both read and enjoyed her mystery,  Deadly Pleasures, and now we have a few questions. Mary has kindly agreed to satisfy our curiosity (plus give away a copy of her book!)  

S&S: What made you decide to write a murder mystery?

 Mary: I love to read murder mysteries about serial killers, and I really enjoyed creating a puzzle. Most people who read the book do not figure out until nearly the end who is actually the Bondage Murderer. Of course, there are a few who do. I originally heard a true story about four men who hired a woman to be available for them sexually, and I was going to weave the murder mystery around them.  But then I thought how much more interesting and forbidden it would be if four women did the same thing.

S&S: Tell us a little bit about your characters, especially Megan Riley and Matt Donovan. Which character was the most fun to write?

 Mary: Megan was the most fun to write. I think Megan is a lot like me, but I’m sure there is a little bit of me in all my characters. Matt Donovan is a character that came to me whole. When he first arrived on the Ecstasea to question the girls, I saw him in my mind’s eye and then just described him. He is a good man and it shows through in the story. He still gets shocked at grisly murder scenes; he has a great deal of love for his daughter. He is an all around good guy and was the easiest to write about.

S&S: You did a great job with the settings – the yacht club, Catalina Island, etc. Why did you feature those particular places in Deadly Pleasures? 

 Mary: I lived in Santa Monica for many years and sold real estate in all the areas of the book. Malibu, Venice Beach, Marina del Rey.  In fact I walked Venice Beach every day. My husband and I owned a power boat and were long-time members of a Southern California yacht club.  We spent a lot of time cruising up and down the coastline and spent many days and weeks on Catalina Island.  We both loved the ocean.

"... never let me tie him up."

S&S: The BDSM clubs included in your book must have been an “unusual” thing to research. How did you come up with your ideas for that part of your story?

 Mary: I am not a member of the BDSM community nor do I subscribe to the lifestyle.  But I did decide to create a serial killer with a serious sexual problem. At the time a friend of ours, who is a psychologist, told me how to research the BDSM lifestyle and recommended Psychopathia Sexualis as a book describing the clinical approach. My husband and I visited loads of porno shops and viewed the apparatuses so I could describe them in my book.  We had lots of fun doing the research, but he would never let me tie him up.  And I wouldn’t let him either, so we were a bust when it came to the bondage scene.  My husband passed away before the book was on the market, and that makes me very sad because he never saw the book in print.

S&S: What part of the book was the most difficult to write?

 Mary: The most difficult part to write was the first crime scene with Sherrie Weston. I have a daughter and it was hard to think about the terrible things that the killer did to Sherrie and the other women.  I know from reading tons of non-fiction and true crime, that there are a lot of bad people out there and that’s why we worry so much about our children.

"... some of them have Deadly Secrets."

S&S: Are you currently working on another novel? If so, could you give us a few hints about it?

 Mary: Yes, I am planning a Deadly Trilogy. The second book is Deadly Secrets. It is about a murder, or two or three, in a golfing community in the desert. Megan is there to sell a house for Kathleen, who ended up marrying the boytoy.  As usual she jumps right into the middle of it, and when Matt comes to visit she is knee deep in the drama.  The relationship between Matt and Megan is having some difficulties so their romance continues to be a part of the story.  Most people in the desert migrate from other areas and many go there to retire, but some of them have Deadly Secrets. 

Here’s the synopsis of Deadly Pleasures:

    Megan Riley has bigger things to worry about than the fact that her neighbor has just been found dead.
    Her engagement has just ended, and she is once again on a quest to find Mr. Right—or at least Mr. Right Now. Tired of emotional ties and ready for a new adventure, Megan and her three best friends make a fateful decision. They hire hunky stripper Michael Harrington as their timeshare boytoy—unaware he is the prime suspect in a series of gruesome murders. Suddenly, they find themselves involved in a complicated murder investigation led by a handsome detective who is focused only on finding the twisted serial killer before he strikes again. But who will be the next to die? Megan, the hardworking real estate agent; newly divorced Kathleen; Alex, married to a wealthy businessman; or Rachel, the spurned wife of a hot Hollywood screenwriter?
   Following her own investigation, Megan takes a wild ride through L.A.'s bondage parlors, hidden sex clubs, and the extravagant lifestyles of the rich and famous; soon she discovers that her quest for adventure has abruptly transformed into a dangerous game of life and death.

* "Sex and the City Meets James Patterson" - Blueink Review

GIVEAWAY !!!

Mary is graciously giving away an eBook copy of Deadly Pleasures. All you have to do is leave a comment below. Be sure to include your email address so we can contact you if you win.

For a limited time, Deadly Pleasures is only 99¢ in eBook format. Here’s the link: Deadly Pleasures

It’s also available in paperback.

Visit Mary’s website for more information about the author: 

Mary's Website 

Interview with Author Kelly Marshall

Today we’re interviewing author Kelly Marshall about her police mystery, The Love Songs Murders. Welcome, Kelly!

Tell us a little bit about The Love Songs Murders.

Nick Winston and Pat Strom are two Seattle homicide detectives who dig working together. He’s straight, she’s gay. In politically liberal Seattle, that’s not a problem until…they both find the same woman irresistible. Suddenly their wonderful working relationship is intolerable.  The object of their affection is radio announcer, Jasmine James. Beautiful and sultry, James has a sexual appetite big enough to satisfy both detectives. The two officers are not the only ones obsessed with her. A crazed fan kidnaps Jasmine James while four of her male listeners are discovered dead with a single bullet to their ear as her Love Songs program plays softly in the background. The pressure is on Nick and Strom to find the murderer and locate James before her air runs out.

I’d like to know more about Winston and Strom’s relationship.

I love the interplay between Nick and Strom. He’s a tad vain and she keeps him grounded. Their dynamic is fun to work with, and they really do care about each other, not unlike warring siblings.

Your character Jasmine James is a radio announcer. You have a background in radio, don’t you?

Yes, but I always thought I’d communicate in the world through the written word. I had planned on being a journalist and envisioned myself as the next Barbara Walters. Instead, I ended up in a broadcasting school in Colorado Springs, CO. Rather than news, my first job was doing overnights at a country music radio station in Roanoke, VA. I spent close to thirty years in radio. It was never a job to me. It was fun, intense, and often exciting. Conversely, it was unstable and humbling. I feel lucky and blessed to have had that experience.

So that’s how you came up with the idea for your book?

That's right. I used to do a love songs dedication show, and I wanted to write about what I know. Besides, there is an element of contrast between love and murder. I like that.

Which chapter in The Love Songs Murders was the most fun to write?

I loved writing the first sex scene between Nick and Jasmine…a hot steamy shower scene.

What chapter was your favorite?  

Hmm. I think the culminating fight scene between Jasmine and the murderer. I worked a lot on that. The lesbian sex scenes were a challenge.  A gay friend of mine told me I did a good job.  That was an extreme compliment.

What has been the best compliment you’ve received as an author? 

Laurie Jenkins of Nite Owl Reviews wrote of The Love Songs Murders: “With enough twists to keep even the most experienced armchair sleuth guessing, this novel is an unusual and exciting foray into the seedy side of jealousy, revenge, and desire. The story remained spellbinding to the very end. Well-written, intense, and savvy; this mystery will not disappoint.” I was very pleased with that review.

If your book were made into a movie, who would you cast to play your characters?

Nick Winston: Hugh Jackman is such a manly man. I just love looking at him. And he has a great sense of humor and comedic timing. And oh my gosh, don’t get me started on that wonderful body! The only thing, he doesn’t look like I wrote Nick. There is a lesser known actor by the name of Taylor Kitsch who worked with Jackman in “Xmen Origins: Wolverine.” He looks like I envision Nick, and he’s got a sexy timbre to his voice.

Pat Strom: Emily blunt is a British actress with a great stone face. You might recall her as Meryl Streep's assistant in "The Devil Wears Prada." She's cool, calm, bitchy. She would work well as Strom: controlled, capable, and a strong match for Nick. She doesn't let him get away with anything.

What about Jasmine James?

Angelina Jolie first comes to mind, followed by Megan Fox.

            

I love your characters. Are you planning a sequel featuring the two detectives?

Yes, I’m working on it right now. The working title is The Innocent. Nick and Strom are back on the case trying to solve another murder. The Innocent is about the murder of a child. So there is an element of deep sadness and horror. There is one character in the book that I just love writing about—Nick’s girlfriend, Tandy. She is uninhibited, unfettered and so much fun to write. The book is dark because of the child’s death. Tandy offers a touch of lightness in an otherwise more serious book.

*** GIVEAWAY ***

Kelly is generously offering a free eBook copy of The Love Songs Murders! To enter just leave a comment below, along with your email address so we can contact you if you win. The lucky winner will be announced on Saturday, April 14. 

Buy The Love Songs Murders here:

Amazon - Kindle

Amazon - Paperback

Barnes and Noble - Nook

Barnes and Noble - Paperback

CreateSpace - Paperback 

Also check out Kelly's chilling post-apocalyptic novel:

Amazon - Kindle

(Also available through Barnes and Noble and CreateSpace.)

For more info visit Kelly's website:

Kelly Marshall Books

And follow her on Twitter:
Kelly on Twitter

PHOTO SOURCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TaylorKitschFeb12.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Emily_Blunt_TIFF_2011.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Megan_Fox_LF.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Angelina_Jolie.jpg

Angelina Jolie, Alexander-Premiere in Köln - Photo by Stefan Servos {{GFDL}}