Interview with Laurie Stevens, Author of The Dark Before Dawn

Laurie Stevens is the author of the Gabriel McRay psychological suspense series. The two books so far in the series, The Dark Before Dawn and Deep into Dusk, have won 9 awards, including Kirkus Reviews Best of 2011 and the 2014 IPPY Award for Best Mystery/Thriller. They will soon be published with Random House, Germany.  Laurie lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. When she isn’t pursuing her own writing, she is publishing other authors at her company, FYD Media. To learn more, visit http://www.lauriestevensbooks.com or connect with her at 

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/lauriestevensbooks

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/LaurieStevens1

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1475821.Laurie_Stevens

Did you like suspense when you were growing up?

I liked anything that got my pulse racing. I cut my teeth on Stephen King. When I got a little older, I read Thomas Harris and I still think that "Red Dragon" is one of the scariest books I've ever read.

What was the first story in that genre that you wrote?

I wrote a novella for my mother when I was in middle school entitled "Family Tradition." It was about an evil family. I hope my mom didn't take it personally.  

What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

I write what I love to read. When I get into a scene in the book that transfixes me, then I'm really loving the process. Conversely, you always know when a scene is not working because you gloss right over it.

What do you find most difficult about writing in this genre?

You evolve as both a person and an author. As I grow myself, I find I want to tuck tidbits of my own growth into the book, but many times that doesn't fit with the character's journey.  I have to remind myself to let the character tell ME where he's supposed to be mentally at any given time.

Is there an author in this genre that you admire most?

Wow. I admire many.  Even the unsung ones I've had the pleasure of reading in the Indie market. I'd say Karin Slaughter or Tess Gerritsen. 

What is up next for you?

I'm very excited about the Gabriel McRay series having been signed to Blanvalet (Random House, Germany). So I guess I'll be terrorizing people across the Atlantic now.  I'm also excited about getting the 3rd book out and continuing Gabriel's psychological healing progression.

Do you have anything to add?

Writers are indebted to readers. Please keep supporting this art form! And thanks for the opportunity to be on Books can be Deadly.

Bargain Kindle Book: Steeled for Murder by KM Rockwood

After nearly twenty years in prison on a murder conviction, Jesse Damon has been released, a home detention monitor strapped to his ankle. Determined to make it and mindful of his parole restrictions, he struggles with life outside prison. He finds a basement apartment, a job on the overnight shift at a steel fabrication plant and a few people who treat him like anybody else. Especially Kelly, a woman who works in the shipping department. He seems to be making it. Until Mitch, forklift driver on the shift, is found murdered in the warehouse. Investigating detective doesn’t want to look any further than Jesse to close the case He’s not fussy about the methods he uses to gather evidence. If Jesse isn’t going down for this, he will have to be the one to figure out who killed Mitch and why.

File Size: 436 KB
Print Length: 279 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1680090135
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Musa Publishing (April 19, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B007VULHYK


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Kindle Freebie: One Night in Tehran by Luana Ehrlich

Days after escaping from Iran, he begins searching for answers; meanwhile, an assassin begins his own search--for him!

Read a new series of Christian thrillers featuring CIA officer Titus Ray!

In Tehran, while hiding out from the Iranian secret police, CIA intelligence officer, Titus Ray, finds shelter with a group of Iranian Christians. Compelled by their unwavering faith, the battle-hardened, covert agent becomes a believer shortly before they smuggle him out of Iran to freedom in Turkey.

Back in the States and forced to go on medical leave, he discovers a Hezbollah hit man has targeted him for assassination. Now, while trying to figure out what it means to be a follower of Christ, he must decide if the Iranian couple he meets in Oklahoma has ties to the man who's trying to kill him, and if Nikki Saxon, a beautiful local detective, can be trusted with his secrets.

Trained in lies, he learns the truth
Will it help him escape his past?
Can it change his future?

File Size: 2396 KB
Print Length: 270 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1500157236
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00MKK5HEM

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Kindle Freebie: The Kiss after Midnight by Marvin Amazon

Everyone has a secret…and some secrets are worth killing for.


Tobias Mead is rich, handsome, and charming—a popular combination with the ladies in New York City’s high-end clubs. But the night he meets Penélope, everyone else ceases to exist. Their attraction is immediate and intense.

When Penélope’s body is discovered in a nearby park, Tobias is devastated—and then terrified. The police accuse him of murder, and his face is plastered on every news outlet in the city. If that’s not bad enough, it turns out that Penélope was romantically involved with Antonio Cabrera, the volatile heir of a dangerous Central American drug cartel. Now the family wants revenge, as well as something valuable that Penélope may have left with an unsuspecting Tobias.

Everyone shoots to kill, and Tobias is caught in the crossfire as New York City explodes into terrifying violence. The only person he can trust is Annabel, a woman as lethal as she is beautiful. But with this many enemies, even her impressive firepower may not be enough.

As the bodies pile up, Tobias has just one card left up his sleeve. Although he’s sworn he would never use it, he might not have a choice.

File Size: 463 KB
Print Length: 403 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0957298544
Publisher: Corinthians Publishing (November 7, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00A3LX4UY

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Book Spotlight: The Mysterious Doll by Linda Weaver Clarke

Amelia Moore, the founder of the Moore Detective Agency, specializes in missing persons. Her cases have taken her to some very interesting places and put her in some dangerous situations, but she always solves the case. With the help of her partner, Rick Bonito, the business is flourishing.

Pauline Jones is confused why her boyfriend took off without telling a soul where he was going. But that isn’t all. Sam Whitaker is accused of stealing a valuable porcelain doll from the museum. His disappearance makes him look guilty, but Pauline is convinced he is innocent. When Amelia finds Sam, she realizes they need to prove his innocence. Where is the antique doll and who has taken it?

Series: Amelia Moore Detective Series
Paperback: 212 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (December 3, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1502929147
ISBN-13: 978-1502929143

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Linda Weaver Clarke travels throughout the United States, teaching people to write their family history and autobiography. She has traveled to seventeen states and given over 450 workshops. Clarke is the author of six historical sweet romances, four mystery adventure novels, a children’s book, and a new cozy mystery series. She is also the author of an award-winning sweet romance, Melinda and the Wild West, for the “Reviewers Choice Award.” All her books are family friendly.

Website: http://www.lindaweaverclarke.com
Facebook: Facebook profile
Blog: http://lindaweaverclarke.wordpress.com

Book Review: Death of A Clown by Heather Haven

Death of A Clown is an intriguing historical noir mystery from the award-winning pen of Heather Haven.

When up and coming Jeri Deane finds a young clown strangled inside a lion's cage, the local sheriff threatens to shut the Big Top down. Jeri isn't about to let that happen. Her investigation uncovers deceit, treachery, and long-held secrets. Can Jeri find the killer before the lights go out on the big show permanently?

I was already a fan of Haven's work prior to reading Death of A Clown. This book not only drew me in from the first sentence, by the end it showed me that Haven can write historical novels as well as contemporary ones.

Haven is the daughter of a Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus trapeze artist/performer and elephant trainer. It is not hard to imagine how much influence this had on the writing of this novel. She created such vivid pictures, I felt like I was living inside the book as it unfolded.

A fascinating storyline, well-drawn characters, and a shocking ending make this a superb murder mystery. It's no wonder this novel won the 2014 Silver IPPY for Best Mystery/Thriller. Highly recommended.


Paperback: 296 pages
Publisher: The Wives of Bath Press (February 13, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0988408635
ISBN-13: 978-0988408630

I received a free digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Bargain Kindle Book: Murder on Portero Hill by ML Hamilton

Peyton knows the first suspect is always the husband, but Jake Ryder isn’t acting like a typical suspect. Jake truly loved his wife. So what went wrong?

Stepping into the circle of the social elite, Peyton finds that things work differently when you’re at the top. And Jake Ryder seems to be caught in the epicenter.

Ultimately, Peyton finds that you never know what darkness lurks in the human mind and that some will murder to keep that darkness hidden.

File Size: 2697 KB
Print Length: 246 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (November 24, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00738TGPC

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ML Hamilton has been teaching high school English and journalism in Central California for the last 20 years. Teaching students to appreciate literature has made her career rewarding; however, she always dreamed of publishing her own novel. In 2010, the dream came true. Her first novel, Emerald, was published by Wild Wolf Publishing. The sequel to Emerald, The Heirs of Eldon, followed the next year. In the summer of 2011, she published her first contemporary fiction, Ravensong, and Potrero Hill is her first foray into the murder mystery genre. In addition to teaching and writing, she has three sons, three dogs, and two cats. If she isn’t writing, you can find her at a band concert, a baseball game, or running an agility course with her Golden Retrievers, Cricket and Comet. Visit ML Hamilton at her website: www.authormlhamilton.com

Bargain Kindle: Attorney At Large by John Ellsworth

He sued and took away the mob's casino. Now they want it back.

In this highly charged crime fiction, his estranged sister is charged with murder and Thaddeus Murfee must defend. An employee is arrested for a drug crime and he must defend. Topping it all off, Thaddeus himself is charged with tax crimes—at the worst possible moment. A crime thriller all but sweeps them away.

In this fast-paced legal novel, well-known lawyer Thaddeus Murfee has everything to lose and the weight of the legal world on his shoulders. A lawyer of four years who has earned his spurs, Murfee finds himself defending three felony crimes--including his own.

His new wife has given him a daughter and he dotes on her. Then the mob comes. Legal suspense takes over and the reader is taken on a wild ride through the Nevada desert in this lawyer novel that takes you inside the operation of the Desert Riviera Casino and Hotel. Plus the reader is witness to the preparation and defense of three criminal cases. It all comes together through the terrible actions some would take against the young lawyer's family.

"If you like Reacher, the Lincoln Lawyer, Jake Brigance and Paul Madriani, you will love this Thaddeus Murfee crime thriller!” — Five-Star Review

“Already John Ellsworth’s name is mentioned with Lee Child, Michael Connelly, John Grisham, and Steve Martini when critics talk about legal/crime fiction.” --Five-Star Review

"Every bit as good as Grisham! Superb characterization, suspense, drama.” - Five-Star Review

File Size: 2783 KB
Print Length: 278 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Subjudica House (June 7, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00KUY2F1S


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