Tag: #NewRelease

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It’s Almost Here! Edwards Investigations – The Rimer File

  By Uncategorized

Only two more days until you can join Annie McGregor in her quest to become a private investigator.

 

 

It was time to turn the tables, go hunting, and to visit as many of Ian’s old haunts as possible. If anyone could track him down, it was she.

The man outside tossing a bag into the garbage bin looked familiar, but Annie couldn’t place him. There were lots of residents in the building she hadn’t met. She’d probably passed him in the hallway or shared the elevator with him. He spared her a sideways glance and a nod and nothing more. He didn’t seem to recognize her, either.

Nothing unusual happened on the stroll to the shop, but Annie didn’t allow herself to relax. If Ian had hired Lucky, he might have another accomplice in place. Her revolver tucked into the small of her back and covered by the oversize blouse was cold against her skin and reassured her she was ready for anything.

Annie had exchanged pleasantries with the elderly female clerk at the store on several trips, The lady, involved in her normal game of solitaire, studied the playing cards and barely gave Annie a glance. The store smelled like old people, and the racks held a colorful selection in styles Annie’s deceased grandmother had worn. Nothing she’d ever choose for herself, which made them perfect for the occasion.

The bell over the door rang, and from the far corner, Annie peered around a stack of brightly colored flowered blouses to check out the newcomer. At first glance, he looked like the man by the garbage can, but his silhouette reminded her of someone else. She ducked behind the rack. What the hell was Mike doing here?

She had two options. Three, when she thought about it. Slip out the rear door. Hide until Mike gave up, deciding she wasn’t there, and left. Confront him.

She slithered through the clothing racks until she was back-to-back with him as he held up a brown suit that appeared to be several sizes too small. “The brown isn’t bad, but it won’t hide that Dick Tracy profile, Mr. Edwards,” she said, pretending to browse through a rack of polyester pants with elastic waistbands.

“And you need to change your perfume, Ms. McGregor,” he replied.

Coming November 2nd to major e-book retailers.
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Edwards Investigations – The Rimer File Cover

  By Uncategorized

The 80s. Pittsburgh, PA. A man’s world.

All Annie McGregor wanted was to nail a cheating husband and prove herself worthy of being more than a glorified bookkeeper.

What she found when she opened the back door of the bar-of-the-night was so much more than she bargained for. A mutilated body that bore an eerie resemblance to her ex, and a stint in handcuffs.

Maybe becoming a private investigator wasn’t in the cards. Even with the guidance of her boss, Mike Edwards, and the other investigators of the Edwards Agency, Annie struggled to close a case. Add in her run-ins with the local cops, and things got messy.

Then bullets started flying. What really had her worried was that the second one wouldn’t miss.

 

It’s almost here!

If you follow my newsletter, you’ve already seen the cover, another fine creation from my cover artist, K.M. Guth. She had fun with this one, putting in as many clues to the story as she could. But first, q quick excerpt.

Still, Coulson swept the apartment to make sure there were no unexpected visitors before allowing Annie to enter. She waited patiently by the front door while he checked her bedroom and the closets.

“All clear,” he reported when he returned. “You should be safe for the night, unless you invite me to stay.”

He reached out and touched her cheek. “Tell me to go home, Annie.”

She understood the offer and was tempted. It had been a long time since she’d shared her bed. He’d be a fine way to break her celibacy streak. But common sense shot that down.

“I had fun tonight, Coulson, but go home. That doesn’t mean you can’t come back another time.”

“You’re a smart woman, Annie McGregor.” He started to leave but stopped with his hand on the doorknob. “Don’t let Mike give you a hard time. He’s your boss, not your father.”

And now, the cover.


It’s different than anything she’s created for me and I love it. I’m looking forward to having a physical copy in my hands.

Thanks for stopping by! As always, please stay safe until the next time.

Welcome To Edwards Investigations, The Rimer Files

  By Uncategorized

Did you catch my newsletter?

What? You missed it? Quick – head to the right and sign up now!

But the big news is no secret. My new book is finished, and off to the experts to get it formatted for publication. 

It wasn’t an auspicious beginning:

All Annie McGregor wanted was to nail a cheating husband and prove herself worthy of being more than a glorified bookkeeper.

What she found when she opened the back door of the bar-of-the-night was so much more than she bargained for. A mutilated body that bore an eerie resemblance to her ex, and a stint in handcuffs.

But it was the mid 1980s, and was still a man’s world. Maybe becoming a private investigator wasn’t in the cards. Even with the guidance of her boss, Mike Edwards, and the other investigators of the Edwards Agency, Annie struggled to close a case. Add in her run-ins with the local cops, and things got messy.

Then bullets started flying. What really had her worried was that the second one wouldn’t miss.

I’m shooting for a release date of November 2nd.

But my cover artist is out of town, and my formatter was affected by both recent hurricanes, so I won’t make a promise. Speaking of the cover, the front is ready, and I’ll be sharing it soon.

While you’re waiting, here’s an excerpt:

“You never change, do you, bitch?” a man’s voice said.

It was the voice of her nightmares. Annie closed her book, took a deep breath, and prepared for the confrontation. “Go away, Ian.”

“Not a chance. You owe me, and I’m here to collect.”

Her gun was in her purse and the bar too crowded to use it safely. She studied her ex and mentally listed what else she had at hand that could be used as a weapon. Prison hadn’t done him any favors. His boyish good looks were gone, replaced with the face of a man with too many scars and pockmarks. The crude crucifix tattoo on his neck didn’t help.

To even the playing field, Annie slid out of the chair and stood, her feet planted slightly apart, ready for action. She didn’t have time to settle in before Ian pulled back his arm. She anticipated what was coming, having been on the receiving end of his fist too many times.

Her swivel wasn’t fast enough. His knuckles grazed her cheek, and she staggered back a step. The old Annie would have crumpled. This Annie didn’t. She balled her hands together and swung. It was liberating. She’d never fought back.

 

The story has been over a decade in the making. But this version bears little resemblance to the first. I like to say it is more of a tribute to that story, rather than a revision.

I’m really looking forward to sharing this book. Stay tuned for more information.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

Delving Into The Dark Side #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Sept 4, 2023

What’s the biggest problem you have in your writing right now?

For those of you that have read my Harmony Duprie Mysteries, you know they are on the ‘light’ side. No on-scene murders, no blood and gore every other page, no one dies weekly. They were fun.

What I’m working on is the opposite of that. And it’s tough, changing my mindset.

My new main character is Cheyenne McGregor, Annie to her friends and co-workers, a divorced woman in her late twenties. She was in a major car accident before the story starts, and bears the scars to prove it. The story takes place in Pittsburgh, PA in the mid 1980s, when computers were about to go personal and change the world. But Pittsburgh was having additional issues because the steel industry that funded the local economy was dying.

I’m making the setting as realistic to the time as possible, using a mix of real and fake places. It’s harder to research than I expected, because so many of the records of that time are not widely available on the internet. Shoot, I spent an hour trying to figure out if police uniforms were blue or black back then. (They were blue – I think.)

I’ve put Annie to work in a barely-staying-afloat private investigating firm, working part time as a PI and part time as a bookkeeper. The scene I’m currently writing takes place in a wrong-side-of-town bar, searching for her abusive ex. Her boss, Mike Edwards, is helping her, against his better judgement. Making the bar low-life enough in a few choice sentences is tough, although I think the cockroach scuttling across her shoe is a nice touch. Having her squish it is a bonus.

My biggest current problem in my writing? Letting the dark side of life have free rein on my story. I’m pretty sure Annie will have at least one hospital stay. Maybe more. I’m not sure how big the body count will be.

What about the other authors on this hop? What are their biggest problems? Find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sept 4, 2023

What’s the biggest problem you have in your writing right now?

New Release: Raising Hell – How to Survive the Terrible Twos By Katie Zaber

  By Uncategorized

I had the pleasure of meeting Katie Zubar at the recent book signing, Committed at the Hill View Manor in New Castle, Pa. She’s got a new book out, and I thought I’d share it with you!

Excerpt:
A woman in her mid-twenties sits on a stool, staring at her phone. She’s not even trying to entice
customers to come in for a reading.
She sees me and says, “No.”
I smile. “Hi, Lynn.”
A long cinnamon braid twists and turns down her back, ending past her knees. Her phone in
her hands shakes slightly. She stares at me with wide green eyes. “No. I barely slept after your
last reading.” She sighs, deflating like a popped balloon, sinking her shoulders down low. “I
wanted my dream last night to be another nightmare, not reality, but here you are. Another
nightmare come true.”
“It’s nice to see you, too.”
“Please,” she says, looking up at me with begging eyes, “find someone else to give you
readings.”
“I wish I could, but I trust you, and I know that you have the gift.”
“The curse,” she replies under her breath. “Fine. I’ll put the kettle on. But I’m charging
double. The stress that comes from your powerful readings, the sleepless nights…” She mumbles
under her breath, getting off her stool, and heads into her shop. “It’s not worth it. Not worth
double.”
“Then I’ll pay you triple. I’m sorry that I cause you so much misery, but I could really use
your help. Please.”

“It’s not your fault that the gods have picked you for something,” she says while turning on
the electric kettle and prepping the mugs.
“What do you think they picked me for?” I ask as Mal squirms and farts but settles down.
Thankfully, he’s not pooping just yet. I have limited time.
“No clue. Just that you’re special. I have strong readings with other people, but nothing that
seems so important. There’s an air of fate around you that affects everyone and everything you
touch.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. It’s a feeling that I’ve only had with you. I give readings and I see things, but
never have I felt that anyone was truly meant for something. Not like you.” She places the mugs
on the table and asks, “So, what brings you here today?”
I sit down and recline back for a moment and think about what she just said. She thinks the
gods handpicked me for something. Something important. Could it be stopping Crystal and
Shade? No. Nothing in my life is that easy or makes that much sense. They must need me for
something else. How lovely.
“It’s about Melisa. My friend that came with me that last time. She’s in love and about to
pop the question. The woman she loves has two boys. You predicted that. Is there anything we
can do to stop her pain? Is there any way to prevent it? Can I save her and her family?”
Lynn holds out her hand and rubs her pointer and thumb together.
“Oh. Here.” I pass her a handful of hundreds, more than triple her fee.
“Thank you. Do you need change?”

I shake my head.
“Thank you. Give me your hand. Let’s see if I get a vision. They don’t always come.”

Blurb:  The voices tell me to wake up, but with two children under three, I’m awake. Believe me.
There’s just so much pressing on me.
Crystal, the woman who runs Shade, the secret group who imprisoned me, is still out there and I
cannot rest until I have ended her. I need supernatural allies to do that, though, and they are hard
to come by. Witches, vampires, and weres refuse to unite against their common enemy, choosing
to hide in seclusion while innocents are hunted and turned into lab rats.
Meanwhile, my best friend is entering a new phase of her life, and I don’t want to miss a second
of her happiness, despite the dire warnings from a powerful psychic in the mall.
And then there’s Lucas, the man who will never say he loves me and rejects the idea of marriage.
He loves me even if he can’t say the word. Right?
So what if there are dire predictions popping up all around me? I have more than enough to deal
with. My kids will be fine. Just fine.
Won’t they?

Raising Hell – How to Survive the Terrible Twos https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C9L1M94D

Katie Zaber, author of the series Dalya and DNA, is a fantasy author whose imagination knows no
bounds. As a child, her parents read stories about Atlantis and other fictional places that she dreamed of
exploring, fueling her love of history, adventure, and fantasy. She loves to spend what little free time she
has winemaking, baking, and reading. When she has a full day to herself, you can find her at the beach or
at a winery. Her favorite meals are the ones her boyfriend cooks, and she loves spending quiet nights at
home with him, binge watching new fantasy shows or play video games.
Newsletter and FREE ebook of Ashes and Blood – https://www.subscribepage.com/s4t6x8
Stranger Shores – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3HHSMQ3

Ashes and Blood – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087YJ8W87
Below Dark Waters – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GTX3MFP
DNA Demons N Angels – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0975417BJ
DNA Demons N Angels Chapters 1-4 – https://storyoriginapp.com/giveaways/c9c1d002-1fb2-11ec-
86db-a3186d5491f2
Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.com/Katie-Zaber/e/B087YXPDF2
Website- https://zaberbooks.com/
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20290665.Katie_Zaber
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I Never Learned How To #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

May 22, 2023

What skill do you wish you had, either as a hobby or career builder?

As a teenager, I never got the hang of knitting. I learned how to crochet, but it wasn’t something I ever cared about. My thing was needlepoint, and I was good at it. But now that I am old, I have no desire to try knitting again.

I tried to learn how to split logs, but couldn’t aim correctly. Now I’m no longer strong enough. Besides, the new house has a gas fireplace, not a wood one.

Back in the days of singer-songwriters, I wanted to learn to play guitar and started teaching myself. That was in pre-internet days, and there were no YouTube videos to watch. It was a matter of looking at diagrams in books to figure out where to place my fingers on the strings. I mastered one chord before I had a bicycle accident and started to lose my hearing in one ear. I also had an arm in a sling and that made holding a guitar impossible. Then, I moved halfway across the country to go to college and my guitar got left behind.

But that’s what I’d like to do. Learn to play a musical instrument – even though my hearing is getting worse as I get older. I don’t know if there’d be something easier, but I’d be happy with a guitar. I’d start with “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.” The chording for that is fairly simple. Even with my bad ear, I could play it. With today’s electronic tuners, i should be able to tune the strings!

Of course, the hearing loss has also made it difficult to sing in tune. So, I’d have to be content is being the backup for people who can sing.

I’m looking forward to hearing from the other authors on this hp about what skill they wish they had. You can find out by following the links below.

Until next time, please stay safe.

PS Don’t forget, The Rise of Jake Hennessey is now available! 

 

May 22, 2023

What skill do you wish you had, either as a hobby or career builder?

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.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Jake Is Back, One More Time #NewRelease

  By Uncategorized

So much for retirement

For 22 years, semi-retired jewel thief Jake Hennessey honored his promise to stay away from Harmony Duprie. He has no plans to change that… until Special Agent Doan Houck saunters into Jake’s bar, claiming Harmony’s life is in danger.

She’s not the only one in jeopardy. Jake is run over by a motorcycle and is the target of a drive-by shooting. He doesn’t know who to trust. Not the feds Not the local cops.

Not even Harmony.

But Jake will do anything to protect his ex-lover. Even if it means matching wits with an FBI agent, revealing old secrets, or ending up in prison. Again.

If it comes down to saving his life or Harmony’s, there is no choice at all.

 

It’s been a decade since Jake Hennessey first appeared. He was supposed to be a background character, but he defied expectations and hung around through all of Harmony Duprie’s adventures. Then, of course, he wanted to tell his own story. I hope I’ve done him justice.

Here’s an excerpt:

Cloaked by the musty curtains of his third hotel room, Jake studied the traffic on the street below. He knew every unmarked car owned by the Oak Grove police, and two of them patrolled the neighborhood. Despite their presence, he’d been unable to determine their encrypted channel on the hacker’s scanner.

He turned away from the window, walked to the bedside table, and poured a second drink from the bottle Danny had left at the front desk. Doc Gabe would be upset with him, but Jake figured he deserved the break from abstinence. The doc had sighed while he studied the damage to Jake’s cast, and muttered something about sending him to a nursing home in Pittsburgh. It had been an empty threat.

Even flirting with Trina and Belinda at the clinic hadn’t eased his restlessness, and Jake paced as he sipped his whiskey. He planned meticulously for his heists, analyzing every contingency, leaving room for changing circumstances. It offered him a sense of control. He craved control. The current situation offered none.

He drained the glass and tilted his head up, letting the harsh liquid burn the back of his throat. A small, black spider wove a web where the wall and ceiling met. Jake had heard rumors about the Feds developing the technology to use robotic insects to bug a room, but not that they could spin silk. It seemed safe to ignore the spider.



You can buy the book at these on-line stores

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C59KDNNW

Nook (B&N) https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1143484076?ean=2940161154397

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-rise-of-jake-hennessey

applw https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6449169609

Apple is taking a bit to take the book live, but you can get it on pre-order.

 

Which Crayon Am I? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

May 15, 2023

People are like a box of crayons, which crayon would you say that you are?

You know that crayon stuck in the back row? The one that’s cracked, but is still wrapped in paper? There are days that I feel like that crayon. Damaged, but useable.

That crayon can be hard to get out of the box, and is rarely gets pulled out. You may have to empty the entire box to get to it. 

 

 

The point may be dull but once in a while, you think it’s your favorite color. Until another color distracts you and you stick it back in the box. There it stays until you need it again. That’s me.

And you? Which crayon are you? Tell me in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the other authors by following the links below.

Until next time, please stay safe.

Don’t forget, The Rise of Jake Hennessey releases May 17th!

May 15, 2023

People are like a box of crayons, which crayon would you say that you are?

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.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Something to Eat, Drink, and Listen To #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

May 8, 2023

How do you get ready for a long writing session?

I thought this would be an easy question to answer until I stopped to think about it, and how long it’s been since I had a really long writing session. I’ve lost my focus. All the changes I’ve gone through in the last year have messed with my internal equilibrium. Even writing these blog posts takes me forever as I start, get distracted, and have to come back to them.

My current distractions? Too many to list, but they include identifying the flowers and birds in my yard. Spotted what I think was an Eastern meadowlark today, but it flew away before I got a good look at it. And my yard is filled with pinkish-white flowers that I think are cuckoo flowers. I can’t find much information about them in my locale, so I’m not sure. The plant identifier sites barely mention the possibility of them in my area.



I’m also getting ready for the release of The Rise of Jake Hennessey and having fun creating memes, spending time on free photo sites and manipulating them in Canva. Have you seen one of them on social media? Here’s the latest.

 

Okay, back to business. After I check my email. All three of them.  And check the view out my window as the daylight fades. Where were we?

Oh yeah, how do I settle in for a long writing session? First, I have to refill my water bottle. Water is my choice of beverage, although it gets boring. Then, I need to choose a snack. Reese’s Pieces are a good option, but I have to limit my intake. Cheese cubes are a healthy alternative. Next, I put on my headphones and pick an artist or playlist. John Denver remains a top choice, along with classic rock. Something I’ve heard enough that I don’t have to concentrate on the words but can only half-listen to without feeling like I’m missing anything. It  helps block the urge to hop on the internet and browse. Although I’ve been listening to 80’s music as a background for my WIP and getting distracted because I’m discovering artists I didn’t pay attention to back when the music was popular.

Where was I? How about the other authors on this loop? How do they get ready for a long writing session? Find out by following the links below. 

Until next time, please stay safe.

May 8, 2023

How do you get ready for a long writing session?

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.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Teaching A Lesson in Fiction #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

May 1, 2023

Does every book have to have a moral?

Early in the story, I had a beta reader ask me what the moral of my coming-soon ‘The Rise of Jake Hennessey’ was. I admit, I had to stop and think about it. Did the story have one? I didn’t plan on it. All I set out to do was bring the story of Jake, Eli, and Harmony to a satisfying conclusion. There’s no moral. I wrote it for entertainment only.

Could I stretch things to find a moral? I can find lots of platitudes – right over wrong, love will find a way, crime doesn’t pay — although this is Jake we are dealing with, so the last one doesn’t count. But a moral?

But Jake is an anomaly. A good man with an illegal hobby. Let’s talk about some of my other books. Do they have morals?

Not on purpose. Again, I can come up with lots of platitudes. Love conquers all. Everybody needs someone. He who laughs last, laughs best. But a moral?

Again, I am writing for entertainment. The Free Wolves have some underlying themes that are ‘heavier,’ but they aren’t the major thrust of the stories. The Harmony Duprie books are more lighthearted. They are mysteries, but there isn’t a murder in every book. I do like breaking rules. I guess that’s why Jake and I get along.

So no, I don’t believe every book has to have a moral. What about our other authors? Find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

(if you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the cover of The Rise of Jake Hennessey, releasing on May 17th.

 

May 1, 2023

Does every book have to have a moral?

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.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter