#HarmonyDuprie - P.J. MacLayne

Spiderweb #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne June 1, 2020 June 1, 2020 Open Book

June 1, 2020

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.” That’s how I feel about my writing.

Because I didn’t plan it. When I wrote Wolves’ Pawn, it was a one and done. It was fun, and then it was time to try something else. If you’ve been following me for a long time, you know the next book I wrote was supposed to be a different kind of paranormal romance, one featuring a librarian and a ghost. It didn’t turn out like that, because the characters objected. Instead, it became an almost-cozy mystery titled “The Marquesa’s Necklace.”

But I didn’t abandon the original theme. There might be a ghost in there somewhere. As well as a reference to Wolves’ Pawn. You’ll have to read carefully to find it.

And I fell in love with Harmony, my main character, before I finished writing Necklace, and knew there would be more books in the series. In fact, the fifth book, The Samurai’s Inro, is being released today. And each story has a reference to either the ghost or what became the Free Wolves series, or both. And yes, the first book became a series because the characters demanded it.

For the most part, the Free Wolves books stand on their own. There are overlapping characters, but the books can be read in any order. That was done on purpose. Someday, I might write more in that series. There are a couple of ideas floating around in my head.

The mysteries are different. Although each book is a separate mystery, with no cliffhangers, there’s a strong underlying story arch, and I suggest they be read in order. (Especially books 1 & 2. The other books are more solo stories)

Here’s a teaser from The Samurai’s Inro to give you a hint about the paranormal reference:

I’m in the planning stage for another series. I have to finish the Harmony series first, but I can see the possibility of including references to Harmony in the new books, just for the fun of it. It may be a couple of years before you see the first of those books. I’ve got to finish The Ranger’s Dog Tags.before I start those.

If I can carry it off, it will be quite the spiderweb I weave. It sounds like fun to try!

Since this post is appearing on release day, I can’t pass up the opportunity for promotion. Head over HERE for more information on the Samurai’s Inro and where you can get a copy.

And I’ll be checking out everyone else’s posts during the day, to keep me from staring at my sales figures. You can join me by following the links below.

In the meantime, stay safe out there!

June 1, 2020

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

The Samurai’s Inro and a New Excerpt

By P.J. MacLayne May 29, 2020 May 29, 2020 Uncategorized

It’s almost Launch Day! So here’s another excerpt for you.

I followed my morning routine—coffee, shower, sit on the steps and read the paper—but the simple joy had disappeared. The biker was gone, but he wasn’t the problem. No, I still hadn’t heard from Eli. No requests for reports or research, not even a text to say hi. I missed him.

But he was more than my lover, he was my boss. Even if I didn’t have a new assignment from him, I still had research to do. The topic was up to me. I could do it anywhere with an internet signal, but I chose to stick with my routine and go to the library. If the biker showed up, I’d know and could keep an eye on him while he kept an eye on me.

With no excuse to build a wall of books, I took a chair in the periodicals area. With the setup of the room, I’d be able to watch anyone coming or going from it. There’d be no sneaking up on me.

At least, that was true as far as the public knew. There was a secret way in and out. Out mostly, because it was hard to slide the last set of shelves from the backside to get in. But I wouldn’t have to worry about getting stuck with no escape route.

Late morning, tired of lists and analysis of security vulnerabilities, I strolled through the stacks of the second floor to stretch my legs and give my eyes a break. I leaned against the balcony railing to survey the reading room below and gaze through the windows on the far wall.

That’s when I spotted him—or not. It was hard to tell from the angle. Plus, he didn’t look like a biker anymore. He’d adopted the persona of a frazzled businessman. White short-sleeved shirt, black pants, he looked like he came from the fifties. The beard was gone, too. I couldn’t get a good look at his face, but the hint of a tattoo peeking out from under the sleeve of his shirt gave him away.

From the second floor, there wasn’t a good place to study him further without exposing my presence. If I stood on the steps, I’d have a better chance, but they squeaked. If he looked up at just the right moment, he’d see me. I suppose it didn’t matter; he knew I was in the library. So, how to mess with him?

Trouble has a long memory and is stalking Harmony Duprie. The Samurai’s Inro, coming June 1st.

The Samurai’s Inro Cover Reveal

By P.J. MacLayne May 16, 2020 May 16, 2020 Uncategorized

Here it is! The Cover for “The Samurai’s Inro,” the fifth book in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries. Coming June 1, 2020

Trouble has a long memory and is stalking Harmony Duprie.

Harmony Duprie has it made. Or so she thinks.

New job.

New routine.

A quiet life in the quiet little town of Oak Grove.

Oh, and Eli.

But trouble has a long memory and it’s playing a deadly game.

Friends’ cars stolen.

Her apartment ransacked.

The duplicate of a stolen Japanese antique carved box left behind.

Trouble follows wherever she goes, including the parking lot of the police station. Not even the want-to-be bodyguard brought in by Police Chief Sorenson can end the harassment. All her research leads to dead ends.

Can Harmony identify the face of trouble before she loses and the winner takes her life as the final prize?

Let the games begin.

Thanks to K.M Guth for another great cover design.

Scroll down for a bonus.

Watch this space for buy links, coming soon.

Bonus! Just for you, a quick excerpt.

“Not unless Marly comes with me. You coming, Marly?” Kody asked. His angry eyes locked on mine.

“No. I’ve told you no before and I’m telling you again. No.”

I read his intentions and was prepared when he reached for her shoulder. With a quick thrust, I knocked his hand away. “She said no.”

If he had known what was good for him, he would have backed down. He wasn’t that smart. He swung at me. In a classic move, I grabbed his arm and used his own power to toss him to the floor. “Not cool,” I said.

He should’ve stayed down but wasn’t that smart. He wobbled as he half-rose and lunged at me. I moved aside and kicked him in the rear as he sailed by. The alcohol didn’t do him any favors.

“Enough is enough. Give it up. Go home.” I wondered how everyone else was reacting and if I’d need to defend myself from any of his friends, but didn’t dare take my eyes off him. I backed up until I bumped into the bar.

It took him longer to get up the second time. For a minute, I thought he’d finally gotten smart and was giving up. I was wrong.

Making Fiction Out of Real Life #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne April 19, 2020 April 19, 2020 Open Book

April 20, 2020

Talk about the setting of your book. Is it entirely imaginary or is it based on a real-life place?

As I say in my bio, I grew up among the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania. I know that people refer to them as mountains, but after spending years in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, what you find on the East Coast are just big hills to me.

But I love the landscape. Growing up, I spent many hours exploring the woods and meadows, and dreaming up stories. I knew where the huckleberries grew and when they were ripe for picking. I knew where large patches of endangered ground pine hid in the shadow of the nearby hardwood forest. I stared down a whitetail buck from across the patch of grass where an old farmhouse used to stand. I watched pheasants flash by when I flushed them from their nests in the meadows and listed to wild turkeys call their mates. I tracked a field mouse searching for seed among the dry winter grass. From my third-floor room on hot summer nights, I fell asleep to the song of the whippoorwill.

Naturally, when I started writing, I drew upon what I knew best for my settings. Both my Free Wolves series and my Harmony Duprie stories lean heavily on that area. But I fictionalize the details.

For my wolves, I work on the theory that they don’t want people to know exactly where they are. Between the two main packs in the stories, their territories cover parts of two states and may occasionally bleed over into a third. (New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio) I try to not be accurate when creating their pack lands to honor their need for secrecy.

When I write my mystery stories, I deliberately don’t reveal which state Harmony lives in. It gives me the ability to play with laws and police duties, which can vary from state to state. What the sheriff’s department in a Pennsylvania county does differs from their counterparts in Ohio. And laws dealing with things like gun ownership and speed limits may not be the same. By not saying exactly where Oak Grove is, I can use whichever legal system makes the most sense for the plot.

That doesn’t mean I make everything up. I spent several hours studying road maps for one chase scene that took place north of Pittsburgh. I wanted the road numbers, intersections, and exists to reflect reality. I often search out average drive times between cities to create an accurate timeline.

It’s been a lot of fun ‘building’ Oak Grove, naming its streets and populating it with a variety of people. Some of those eccentric characters may or may not be based on people I’ve known in real life. And some may be tributes to people I’ve loved. It’s been a challenge to give the town the happiness it deserves, and still include the challenges that small towns all over America face.

Anyway, I hope the love I have for that part of the country comes through in my books. But before I take off to see what the other authors are sharing, I’m going to say it again.

Be safe, everyone.

April 20, 2020

Talk about the setting of your book. Is it entirely imaginary or is it based on a real-life place?

99¢ Book Sale Event

By P.J. MacLayne April 17, 2020 April 17, 2020 Uncategorized

Check out the N.N. Light 99¢ Book Sale and giveaway. One lucky person will win an e-nook bundle of all 41 books featured. The Marquesa’s Necklace, the first book in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, is one of the featured books. HERE

Enter the giveaway here: HERE

Open Internationally

Runs April 16 – 19, 2020

Winner will be drawn on April 27, 2020

Welcome to The Samurai’s Inro

By P.J. MacLayne April 11, 2020 April 11, 2020 Uncategorized

I’ve been working hard on the next Harmony story and it’s getting close! I haven’t set an official release date, but it likely will be the early part of May. No cover to share just yet, but I’ve got the tagline and description. And of course the title! It’s called The Samurai’s Inro.

Tagline:

Trouble has a long memory and is stalking Harmony Duprie.

Doesn’t that sound like fun? Here’s the description:

Harmony Duprie has it made. Or so she thinks.

New job.

New routine.

A quiet life in the quiet little town of Oak Grove.

Oh, and Eli.

But trouble has a long memory and it’s playing a deadly game.

Friends’ cars stolen.

Her apartment ransacked.

The duplicate of a stolen Japanese antique carved box left behind.

Can Harmony identify the face of trouble before she loses and the winner takes her life as the final prize?

Let the games begin.

Traditions in My Stories #IWSG

By P.J. MacLayne March 3, 2020 March 3, 2020 IWSG

March 4 question – Other than the obvious holiday traditions, have you ever included any personal or family traditions/customs in your stories?

When I first saw this question, my instantaneous response was “Yes, of course!” Then I got thinking about it and couldn’t come up with a solid example.

I could mention going for walks in the fall and shuffling through fallen leaves, but that seems like a stretch. Or building snowmen and going sledding in the winter. The truth is, I want my characters to develop their own traditions.

Like the way Harmony, the main character in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, always carries dog treats so she can give one to her landlords’ dog, Piper. Or the way she always pats some part of her car, Dolores – the roof, the hood- the trunk- before she gets in. Or how she counts the stairs going to her apartment on the third floor. But that may not be as much of a tradition as a symptom of her un-diagnosed ADD.

I tried harder in my urban fantasy/paranormal series, The Free Wolves, to create traditions as part of my world building. That was a necessity because part of the conflict in the series in tradition vs the modern world. To create a character who supports traditions while at the same time breaking those traditions frequently made for some great tension.

Here’s a quick snippet from Wolves’ Knight that highlights the conflict:

“In here, between us, I’d appreciate it if you call me Gavin. I’d get rid of the title if I could, but that’s not going to happen.”

“Pack tradition is hard to change.” Tasha used her free hand in a futile effort to return her hair to a resemblance of neatness.

“I didn’t realize how hard it would be.” Gavin frowned. “I thought that as our generation came into power, we’d be able to change all those things we talked about when we were younger. It never ceases to amaze me how many people our age are happier sticking with tradition because it’s easier.”

You can find out more about my books by checking out the other pages on this website.

So, the answer is no. I haven’t included family traditions. I leave it up to my characters to create their own.

The awesome co-hosts for the March 4 posting of the IWSG are Jacqui Murray, Lisa Buie-Collard, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and Shannon Lawrence!

Favorite Character

By P.J. MacLayne May 20, 2019 May 20, 2019 Open Book

From all the characters you’ve created, which is your favorite and why?

I bet you think you know the answer. After all, how many times have I talked about wanting to spend an afternoon with Harmony from the mystery series, drinking ice tea and and chatting? Well, you would be wrong.

And if you guessed Dot, the main character from Wolves’ Pawn, the first book I ever published, you would be closer, but still wrong.

No, my favorite and probably least-known of my main characters is Lori Grenville of Wolves’ Gambit.

Yeah, she’s an underdog. And that’s one of the reasons I’m so fond of her. Despite her small stature, she doesn’t let anyone push her around. Instead, she finds ways to use her size to her advantage. She’s found a way to turn a personal tragedy into a lifelong-mission to help others.

Of course, that isn’t the way I’d planned her. She was supposed to be a smart aleck, take nothing too seriously spy of dubious loyalties. While I managed to retain some of that in her personality, it isn’t her main focus. Her loyalty is to herself and her cause, and she’ll tell you so.

What I love most about her is her creativity. I didn’t believe her at first when she told me the story of how she killed a wolf using a snow shovel. But it’s in writing now, and on the internet, so it must be true.

If you haven’t read Wolves’ Gambit yet, here’s your chance. It’s a standalone story, so you don’t have to read the other books in the Free Wolves adventures first. Here’s the link to the page on this website that will lead you to everywhere you can buy the book. Wolves’ Gambit

Once you get done with your purchase, don’t forget to check out the other blogs and see what their authors favorite characters are. Maybe I’ll see you there!

From all the characters you’ve created, which is your favorite and why?

Tag: #HarmonyDuprie