Interview with Mike Martin, Author of Christmas in Newfoundland Memories & Mysteries

 

Mike Martin was born in St. John’s, NL on the east coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand.

He is the author of the award-winning Sgt. Windflower Mystery series set in beautiful Grand Bank. There are now 12 books in this light mystery series with the publication of Dangerous Waters. A Tangled Web was shortlisted in 2017 for the best light mystery of the year, and Darkest Before the Dawn won the 2019 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award. Mike has also published Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries, a Sgt. Windflower Book of Christmas past and present. And now Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries 2.

 

Mike is Past Chair of the Board of Crime Writers of Canada, a national organization promoting Canadian crime and mystery writers and a member of the Newfoundland Writers’ Guild and Ottawa Independent Writers and Capital Crime Writers. 

 

You can follow the Sgt. Windflower Mysteries on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore

 

Website: www.sgtwindflowermysteries.com

Twitter: @mike54martin

Where did you grow up?

 

I grew up in St. John’s, Newfoundland on the easternmost tip of Canada 

 

When did you begin writing?

 

I have always been a reader and a writer. I started reading early because I had two older sisters who dragged me to the library where I fell in love with the magic and adventure of books.

 

What is this book about?

 

Christmas in Newfoundland Book 2 is the second collection of stories and vignettes featuring my own memories of Christmas in a small town and then stories from imaginary Christmases of characters from the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series. A stroll down a Christmas memory lane. 

 

What inspired you to write it?

 

I am a big Christmas guy. I always have been and for years I have written a special Christmas story for my family and friends. Some of those stories are here as well as the new ones from my award-winning mystery series

 

How is it similar to other books in its genre? How is it different?

 

I think this is a unique book because it blends both personal memories and stories based on characters from the mystery series. But anyone who likes reading about Christmas memories will like this book and can probably connect it to their own experiences.

 

What is the most important thing readers can learn from your book?

 

That Christmas is about giving and the more you give, the more you will receive. And that Christmas is magical if only you believe.

 

Where can readers purchase a copy?

 

Christmas in Newfoundland Book 2 is available from Amazon all over the world and in many fine bookstores in Canada.

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Newfoundland-Memories-Mysteries-Windflower/dp/1990896030

 

What is up next for you?

 

I have a new book in the Sgt. Windflower series coming out in the spring of 2023 as well as a new audiobook in the series. And starting to write a new adventure for Sgt. Windflower and his friends.

 

Is there anything you would like to add?

Thank you!

Interview with Ed Duncan, Author of Rico Stays

Ed Duncan currently lives outside of Cleveland, OH. He is a graduate of Oberlin College and Northwestern University Law School. He was a partner at a national law firm in Cleveland, Ohio for many years. “It’s always been said that you should write what you know. I am a lawyer - as is a pivotal character in the novel who is being pursued by a hit man - and I'm excited to be able to use my legal training creatively as well as professionally,” says Duncan. Readers can connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. To learn more, go to http://eduncan.net



Did you like crime novels when you were growing up?

I actually first developed a taste for crime fiction after I finished college. I believe that my favorite novel as an adolescent was Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. That novel so wonderfully depicted a world and events that were so far removed from my own experience growing up in Gary, Indiana, a steel town 35 miles east of Chicago, that I felt I was transported there. It was not until I stumbled upon The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett years later that I became fascinated with crime novels.

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

Pigeon-Blood Red was the first crime novel I wrote and the first novel I wrote. It is the beginning novel in a trilogy. It was followed by The Last Straw and my current novel Rico Stays. Each installment of the trilogy depicts a different violent encounter involving two men from different sides of the tracks, Paul Elliott, a black lawyer, and Richard "Rico" Sanders, a killer with a conscience. The two men seemingly have nothing in common, but each secretly harbors a grudging admiration for the other. In Pigeon-Blood Red a loan shark tasks Rico with recovering a priceless "pigeon-blood red" ruby necklace and at the same time sending a message to the thieves. Trouble is, the necklace falls into the hands of Paul's girlfriend Evelyn, and Rico mistakenly believes she is one of the thieves.

What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

I am a big fan of film noir and I consider my novels to be literary noir. I love the dialogue from classic and neoclassic noir films, and I love trying to reproduce the cadence and hard edge of that dialogue in my novels. One of the qualities of The Maltese Falcon that endeared that novel to me was the realistic yet stylish dialogue. Apparently, Walter Huston, who wrote and directed the most popular of the three films based on that novel, agreed, since much of the dialogue is taken directly from the novel. One of the compliments from a reviewer that has meant the most to me is that in his judgment my dialogue is brilliant. I don't know whether I can live up to that assessment, but it's awful nice to hear.

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

I don't believe that there are any aspects of crime fiction that make writing in that genre any more (or less) difficult than writing in any other genre. Certainly, I don't believe the genre imposes any limitations on a writer's imagination. For instance, the characters can be as complex as the writer wants them to be, and although my stories all take place in cities, as do most crime stories, there is no reason why they couldn't take place elsewhere. Of course, there has to be a crime but not all of the characters need to be criminals with hackneyed back stories. Indeed, all of my novels involve innocent people (with rich back stories) who are unexpectedly thrust into the world of criminals.

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

I've already mentioned my admiration for Dashiell Hammett. He is still probably my favorite despite the fact that he wrote in the first half of the last century. A close second, however, is Lee Child. His Jack Reacher novels are expertly written.

What is up next for you?

Rico Stays, which I've just published this month, is the third in my trilogy. I haven't decided yet whether to expand the trilogy. It's informally known as the Pigeon-Blood Red Trilogy. I suppose I could expand it to the Pigeon-Blood Red Trilogy Plus One. Meanwhile, I've written screenplays for each of the three novels, and I'm diligently trying to drum up interest in turning them into films or a TV series. Even with the ever-expanding need for content in today's market, that is is long shot, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Praise for the Pigeon-Blood Red Trilogy:

"...It rips along like a .45 bullet rushing past your head....a crime novel in a style you don’t ... see too often... a juggernaut of a story that just won’t quit." - Monkey’s Book Review

"A fast-paced read with complex and morally ambiguous characters that leaves you on the edge of your seat!" - AllieReads.com

"Readers in search of a tight, well-written...crime/action/adventure will find...an engrossing story that will keep them involved to the end. And like me, they will find themselves eagerly awaiting the next installment." - Mike Siedschlag’s Review

"This charming, classically-told crime thriller is a must for noir fans...refreshingly old-school pulp, inhabited by a familiar cast of gamblers, con men and hustlers found in Dennis Lehane and Elmore Leonard novels” – 5 Stars, Best Thrillers

“This Chicago set thriller is a pacy read, written with an edge and style… Ed Duncan’s series will sweep up fans as it goes along.” - Crime Thriller Hound

“With danger looming in every chapter... Duncan skillfully draws the reader into a complex web of characters… A few key twists within the storyline keep the reader intrigued… an outstanding crime thriller…- 5 Stars, Red City Review

"...suspense from start to finish... a fast-paced read... Entertaining, Gritty and Nailbiting." - The Bibliovert

Interview with MaryAnn Kempher, Author of Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder

For many years, MaryAnn Kempher lived in Reno Nevada where most of her stories are set. Her books are an entertaining mix of mystery and humor. She lives in the Tampa Florida area with her husband, two children, and a very snooty Chorkie.

Website
Facebook

Did you like mysteries when you were growing up?

Yes, absolutely.

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

Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder, book one of a seven book series. It’s considered a romantic suspense, but I think romantic/comedy with a touch of mystery is more accurate description. Books two through seven are mysteries with little to no romance, but a lot of humor.

What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

With Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder, my favorite part to write was the dialogue between the two main characters. For the mystery element of my writing, I like giving clues, but also red herrings. I love when my readers say they thought they’d figured out who the killer was, but were wrong.

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

Writing the middle of the book. Usually, the beginning and ending write themselves, but the middle—getting from A to C, always gives me grief.

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

I’ve always been a fan of Agatha Christie; Hercule Poirot is my favorite literary character.

What is up next for you?

I just published my seventh book, so I’m taking a short break. After my break, I’ll start writing a new series. Sort of a spin-off, with two very beloved characters from the first series.

Do you have anything to add?

My books can be read out of order, but I don’t recommend it. Most of the characters from book one are in all the books, so they become like family.

About the Book:

Title: MOCHA, MOONLIGHT AND MURDER
Author: MaryAnn Kempher
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 248
Genre: Romance Mystery

One night, 28-year-old, Katherine O’Brian, decides to walk to an all-night diner. The only problem? It’s midnight, but Katherine lives in Reno Nevada, a city that never sleeps; she can clearly see the diner’s lights in the distance. It’s no big deal, until she passes someone’s garage where a man is loading a dead body into the trunk of his car.

And now, she’s in trouble. She outran the man that night, and while she has no idea who he is, he knows who she is. And he wants her dead.

As if attempts on her life weren’t stressful enough, Katherine has gone back to college. She’s determined to finally finish her degree, but her lab partner is driving her crazy. He’s hot, but annoying. And she’s not sure which she wants more—a night of mad, passionate sex or a new lab partner. It varies from day to day.

Will Katherine give in to her lust for her partner or will she give in to her desire to throttle him? If she’s in the ground before graduation, it won’t matter.

Not your typical romance, not your typical mystery.

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/2OkHlii

Interview with Kathryn Schleich, author of Salvation Station

Kathryn Schleich has been a writer for thirty years. Her most recent publications include the short story “Reckless Acts,” featured in After Effects: A Zimbell House Anthology, and her story “Grand Slam,” published in The Acentos Review in May 2017. She is the author of two editions of the book Hollywood and Catholic Women: Virgins, Whores, Mothers, and Other Images, which evolved from her master’s thesis. Her guest posts have been featured on the Women On Writing blog, The Muffin, and she writes for the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation’s volunteer newsletter. When she’s not writing, Schleich is likely volunteering in the education and arts communities in the Twin Cities, where she lives. Friends, family, good food, wine, and traveling are important aspects of her life. Salvation Station is her first novel. It is available for sale on Amazon.

Readers can connect with Kathryn on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Goodreads. To learn more, go to www.kathrynschleich.com

Did you like mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels when you were growing up?

I don’t remember reading a specific genre growing up. But as an adult, I became fascinated by the realm of police work, due to a suspicious death in our family. I learned a great deal of how law enforcement operates. From that point I grew to love mysteries and suspense on television, particularly Australian and British mystery series (Doctor Blake Mysteries, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Midsommer Murders, and many others). For me, the English and Australians really know how to write incredibly engaging mysteries and suspense.

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

In 2008, I wrote a mystery/suspense novel, Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace released under the pen name of Catherine Johnson. At that time, the genre was often referred to as ‘family saga’. After the immense success of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, the genre of the ‘domestic thriller’ developed. Family relationships can be genuinely frightening and hold those dark secrets no one wants to discuss in public.

What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

Much of what I write evolves from real life events, with women as the primarily protagonist and antagonist. In my research, law enforcement still tends to believe that women don’t generally commit truly vicious crimes. But they do, and far more often than people think. Again, citing research, I kept coming across men who nearly got away with serious crimes, but their downfall was having to tell someone. Women seem less apt to boast about not getting caught.

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

Keeping the story fresh and giving readers issues to think about. For example, in Salvation Station, I’d like readers to contemplate that religion can serve a positive purpose, but also be a source of hypocrisy and danger.

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

Jane Harper. When I read her debut murder mystery, The Dry, I was hooked. Not simply because of the mystery, but her setting of the story amid a severe drought. You could literally feel the heat and taste the dust in this parched Australian town.

What is up next for you?

Releasing Shades of Darkness under my own name within the next year. The reviews have been excellent, and I decided the book deserved a bigger shot at a mass audience. I am also nearly finished writing another mystery that occurs in a small Midwestern college town.

Do you have anything to add?

Thank you for the opportunity to be interviewed on your blog and your interest in my writing!

Interview with Soren Paul Petrek, Author of Wolves at Our Door (Giveaway)

Soren Petrek is a practicing criminal trial attorney, admitted to the Minnesota Bar in 1991. Married with two adult children, Soren continues to live and work in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Educated in the U.S., England and France, Soren sat his O-level examinations at the Heathland School in Hounslow, London in 1981. His undergraduate degree in Forestry is from the University of Minnesota, 1986. His law degree is from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota 1991.

Soren’s novel, Cold Lonely Courage won Fade In Magazine’s 2009 Award for Fiction. Fade In was voted the nation’s favorite movie magazine by the Washington Post and the L.A. Times in 2011 and 2012.

The French edition of Cold Lonely Courage, Courage was published January 2019, by Encre Rouge Editions, distributed by Hachette Livre in 60 countries. Soren’s contemporary novel, Tim will be released along with the rest of the books in the Madeleine Toche series of historical thrillers.

Website: www.sorenpetrek.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SPetrek_Toche44

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soren.petrek

ORDER YOUR COPY OF WOLVES AT OUR DOOR ON AMAZON:

https://amzn.to/2K2DlCx

Did you like action adventure novels when you were growing up?

I read a wide range of books, the Hardy Boys, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Doc Savage,
Shibumi. I wasn’t too selective by genre, but enjoyed adventure stories whether real or fantasy.

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

I wrote, The Patience County War. The novel is a hardboiled action thriller. I discovered my character, Madeleine Toche as I wrote Patience. She is the heroine and protagonist of three of my novels to date.

What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

I often begin with one idea and stray into another as the story develops. I don’t follow a set outline, but allow important historical figures and pivotal pieces of history to encompass the fiction I write within the time period and place. I do a great deal of research and it leads to a wealth of new ideas and directions the action can take. I enjoy history and writing, and writing action adventure novels set in the past is a perfect match for me.

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

I am often concerned that some readers expect detailed historical accuracy. I write fiction, not detailed accounts that one finds in non-fiction.

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

Jack Higgins. Many of his books involve episodes from WWII and recurring characters. It’s great to come across a favorite character, especially when they appear to materialize unexpectedly.

What is up next for you?

I am writing my second contemporary novel, The Trophy Wife. It is written in the first person. Claire has just been blindsided by her husband of twenty years. She is served with divorce papers while he is away on ‘business.’ As an attorney who’s done at least two thousand divorces, I am able to weave real lawyering into the story, not some fanciful BS like one often sees on TV shows or movies.
Hannah Eason edits my work, in addition to ghostwriting and editing on a freelance basis, for a variety of mainstream publishers.

Do you have anything to add?

Many female readers are put off by action-adventure novels or those that take place during wars because they focus on male characters, battles, and predominately male historical figures. Madeleine Toche represents all of the women who fought for the British Special Operations Executive. Many were tortured and were killed. The most important reason I chose Madeleine to be a young French woman, is because of the enormous contribution of women to the French Resistance. Many of the Resistance cells were led by women, courageously, with no training and often alone.

GIVEAWAY!

Soren Paul Petrek is giving away 15 Amazon Kindle copies!

Terms & Conditions:
• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• Fifteen winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive an e-copy of Wolves At Our Door!
• This giveaway ends midnight September 27.
• Winner will be contacted via email on September 28.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

interview with Cy Wyss, Author of An Eye for a Lie

Cy Wyss is a writer based in Indianapolis, Indiana. She has a Ph.D. in computer science and her day job involves wrangling and analyzing genetic data. Cy is the author of three full-length novels as well as a collection of short stories and the owner and chief editor of Nighttime Dog Press, LLC.

Before studying computer science, Cy obtained her undergraduate degree in mathematics and English literature as well as masters-level degrees in philosophy and artificial intelligence. She studied overseas for three years in the UK, although she never managed to develop a British accent.

Cy currently resides in Indianapolis with her husband, daughter, and two obstreperous but lovable felines. In addition to writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, and walking 5k races to benefit charity.

Catch Up With Cy Wyss On:

cywyss.com , Goodreads , BookBub , Twitter , and Facebook !

Did you like mysteries growing up?

I think I like mysteries because my father liked mysteries. He used to read me Nancy Drew books before bed, and he introduced me to Hercule Poirot and Miss. Marple. He was definitely a mystery buff and that rubbed off on me.

What is the first mystery story you wrote, whether published or unpublished?

My first story was more of an action-adventure: Cathy and Melanie go to the Artic. It was about my best friend’s and my journey to a snow-filled wasteland where we got threatened by polar bears. At the time, I was reading the Miss Pickerel novels. They do have elements of mystery, but are more straight up adventure.

What is your favorite part of writing mysteries?

I love putting together a group of characters with secrets and dark pasts and just watching them interact. Someone is going to be murdered, and someone will be the killer, but I often don’t know who when I first make the cast of the book. Or, I might start with a trope, such as a love triangle, and see how far I can push the characters until one of them breaks and kills another. One thing about mysteries is that the books usually start with the murder, so all the action is in the past. For the detective, it is all about figuring out who the characters really are, which then leads to knowing what they likely did.

Is there a mystery author you most admire?

Agatha Christie is always the mystery author I think of first. Her style is direct and straightforward and her characters idiosyncratic and distinctly memorable. Actually, growing up, the author who most impacted my style was probably Arthur Conan Doyle. I read and studied all the Sherlock Holmes novels ad nauseum, and I’m sure that’s part of the reason I find myself creating super-perceptive male heroes, and why I end up telling their story from a viewpoint that is not their own. A character can be as overconfident as he wants to be, as long as you tell about his greatness from a secondary character. A character espousing their own greatness is a no-go.

What is up next for you?

I plan to release at least two more mysteries in 2019: the second and third books in my Eyeshine series about an investigative photojournalist who turns into a cat overnight. It is a really fun premise. If there’s enough interest in Inspector Richter, I’d like to do a sequel where we see them in Washington.

Do you have anything to add?

Just a couple of things. First off, I have monthly giveaways that newsletter recipients can win, so be sure to sign up at https://www.cywyss.com. Also, thanks very much for having me!

Interview with Mike Martin, Author of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series

Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the author of Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine.

The Walker on the Cape was his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. Other books in the series include The Body on the T, Beneath the Surface, A Twist of Fortune and A Long Ways from Home, which was shortlisted for the Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award as the best light mystery of the year. A Tangled Web was released in 2017 and the newest book in the series is Darkest Before the Dawn.

Website: www.sgtwindflowermysteries.com

Twitter: @mike54martin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore/

Did you like mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels when you were growing up?

I loved the Hardy Boys and Tom Swift, a British young boy's series that had lots of adventures and they always had a bag of sweets. Later, I loved Stephen King, until he scared me too much.

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

I never wrote horror, but mystery remained a favorite. My first mystery was The Walker on the Cape, the first book in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series.

What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

I love the idea of discovering a crime like a murder and then taking the time to not just solve the crime, but to explore why people do these kind of things in the first place.

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

There are some general rules that you have to follow that sometimes stop the flow, but it's also that readers are very smart and point out any errors or mistakes that they find. You have to find a hook or something different every time you kill someone, especially in a series.

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

Louise Penny is an author that many of us admire and few of us can hope to live up to. She has created characters and a world that we would all like to live in.

What is up next for you?

I have started a new book in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series and I'm also working on an audio book for The Walker on the Cape. Both will be out this year sometime.

Do you have anything to add?

Thank you very much for your interest. Keep reading and I will keep writing.

Interview with Mungo Magennis, Author of Kings and Criminals

Mungo Magennis is the author of the new Kings and Criminals series. He's worked in technology for the past ten years, advising some of the world's biggest companies on digital strategy and transformation. His first book, Kings and Criminals, explores some of the themes that can be seen dominating current events around the globe: power, influence, corruption and ambition.

Born and raised on the Wirral Peninsula in the north-west of the UK, he moved to Leeds to attend university before heading to London to join one of the world's largest technology consultancies.

Instagram: mungomagennis
www.mungomagennis.com
twitter @MungoMagennis

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised on the Wirral Peninsula in the north-west of the UK. This location became the setting for much of the first book in the Kings and Criminals series.

When did you begin writing?

I started writing Kings and Criminals four years ago but have been working in corporate communications for the last ten years. The idea for the book has been burning at the back of my mind since I was 15 but it was never really an idea for a book, more how I would try to ascend to a position of power within the British establishment.

Do you write during the day, at night or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

Most of my writing takes place late at night. I work long hours in my job so I tried to be very disciplined in making at least three or four hours on a writing night. I find it takes me about 40 minutes to settle back into the ‘zone’ so I won’t write unless I have at least 2.5 hours to spend.

What is this book about?

The book follows sixteen-year-old Max as he has a brainwave whilst reading a History report to his class. He’s been researching groups and people who control power and influence around the world and he sees much greed and corruption that he wants to overcome.

He starts a secret group with the aim of putting each of its members into the most powerful and influential positions in the British establishment.

Along the way, the group realises that accomplishing the grand idea will be a lot harder than they initially thought. Although their long-term motives are altruistic, they have to make questionable decisions to ensure that the secrecy and safety of the members is protected.

What inspired you to write it?

The idea for Kings and Criminals was born out of a frustration with politics and the ever-widening disparity in wealth and power around the world. It made me wonder whether the people that we allow into power can really be trusted with it. The book was one approach that I saw to overcome this.

Was the road to publication smooth sailing or a bumpy ride?

Writing the book was one of the most rewarding and satisfying experiences of my life. Getting to publication was much more difficult and involved learning many new skills that I hadn’t previously considered. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to work with lots of very experienced professionals who helped me get the book to where it is today. Their input was invaluable, and I learnt many lessons along the way.

If you knew then, what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

If I could go back and give myself advice at the start of the process, it would be this:

Reach out to people with experience as early as possible. Don’t wait until you have finished the manuscript. Contact a freelance editor after you have written the first few chapters. These guys know what they’re talking about and early contact with them will save you a lot of time further down the road as well as teaching you things you didn’t know about your writing.

Enjoy the journey! This is something that many people never get the chance to do. It’s thrilling, exciting, and at the end of it, you’ll have created something that will be truly yours.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

Kings and Criminals is available from Amazon in paperback, Kindle and the free Kindle app. It’s also available on Kobo.

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring authors everywhere?

After publishing Kings and Criminals, so many people have reached out to me to tell me they have an idea for a book but don’t know where to start.

My advice would be take some time to really think about what you’re looking to achieve, who your audience would be and what stands out about your story. Then get going! The first few chapters are where you’ll find your voice, learn about your writing style and start to plan out the rest of the book. Everyone has to start somewhere

What is up next for you?

Kings and Criminals will be a series of 6 or 7 books. I’ve just started on book 2 in the series and am looking forward to the next stage in the characters’ lives.

Interview with John R. Beyer, Author of Iquitos - The Past Will Kill

John R. Beyer spent nearly ten years in law enforcement in Southern California as a street cop, a training officer and a member of the elite SWAT team. After leaving the force, he continued in public service entering the field of education. During his tenure, he served as classroom teacher, school administrator and district administrator, and was an integral part of the gang and drug force in San Bernardino. While in both worlds he earned a Doctorate in School Administration and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.

During all those years, he never gave up the passion for writing – both fiction and nonfiction. He has been published in numerous magazines, newspapers and the like for decades, writing on a variety of topics. His latest short stories in the past year can be found in Foliate Oak Literary Magazine (2016) and GNU Journal (2017). He is also the author of three highly praised internationally known novels – Hunted (2013), Soft Target (2014) and Operation Scorpion (2017).

He won the 'Write Well Award' in October of 2018 from the Silver Pen Writer's Association for a fictional short story.

His newest novel, ‘Iquitos – the Past Will Kill’, was released in November of 2018 by Black Opal Books bringing two of his protagonists together for their first investigation. Jonas Peters and Frank Sanders will work hand in hand with an international incident which left undetected could cause a catastrophic issue for the United States. They are friends and they are good at they do. Catching the bad guys.

Website Address:    http://johnrobertbeyer.weebly.com/

Blog Address:  https://jandlresearchandexploration.blogspot.com/

Twitter Address: @Drjohnrbeyer

Did you like crime fiction when you were growing up?

I enjoyed crime fiction as well as westerns when I was younger, and still consider these my favorite genres. I liked the solving of crimes with a smart but sometimes personally flawed detective – it made it more real for me. I also liked westerns because I grew up in the Southwest and still reside here. Strong individuals, both male and female, making the best of a rough life as they hone their skills in a new land. Strong people often meant strong stories.

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

I’ve been writing since I was young and experimented with different genres but my first novel in crime fiction that was published was Hunted. It is based on a homicide detective who made the mistake of making a negative comment against a suspect and then the suspect starts to hunt down the detective leaving a steady path of dead bodies. I based some of the events in novels rather loosely on experiences I had during my years in law enforcement in Southern California.

What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

I love asking myself – what if? What if this crime occurred? Who may be involved? Why would they commit the crime? And who would solve the crime and how will the crime be solved? Getting behind the keyboard and letting the story unfold in front of me allows me the chance to really stretch my imagination and creativity. I especially enjoy delving into those crimes that deal with the flaws of humanity and the perverted egos of those committing those crimes.

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

Realizing that even though I am writing fiction and creating worlds that are not real, that these events – these tragic events that I describe happen to people all the time in this real world. I put real human emotions in all my characters and I can feel their pain. Sometimes tears come to my eyes as I write about their particular human tragedy. My writing mantra is that you must write fiction as though it is non-fiction – it is difficult at times to do that without feeling the raw emotion coming to life through the clicking of the keys by your own fingers.

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

There are so many authors that I admire it is not an easy choice to pick out just one. I would say a contemporary writer I enjoy is James Patterson. I like his characters, plot and fast-paced action. I do not try to write like him, since I have my own style, which, I believe, works for me, but I’ve been a Patterson fan for quite a while.

What is up next for you?

To keep writing. I have two new works in progress. A police thriller but with a bit of a twist: a more introspective into the life of a homicide detective from Chicago who must face his past in his hometown in Southern California. The other is a historical fiction dealing with Vlad Dracul – the very real man who became the fictional character brought to fame by Bram Stoker. He was the last crusader for the Roman Catholic Church in the 15th Century – should be great reading but not easy to write. Despite being an avid researcher into all things historical, I have never attempted this genre before.

Do you have anything to add?

I would just like to ask readers to keep reading so we writers have an audience, and I want to ask writers to keep writing tales that will keep our readers fingers flipping the pages.

Thank you.

Interview with Tom Vater, Author of The Monsoon Ghost Image

Tom Vater has written non-fiction and fiction books, travel guides, documentary screenplays, and countless feature articles investigating cultural and political trends and oddities in Asia.

His stories have appeared in publications such as The Asia Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Times, Marie Claire, Penthouse and The Daily Telegraph.

He co-wrote The Most Secret Place on Earth, a feature documentary on the CIA’s secret war in Laos which has been broadcast in 25 countries. His bestselling book Sacred Skin 
(www.sacredskinthailand.com), the first English language title on Thailand’s sacred tattoos, has received more than 30 reviews.

Tom’s work has led him across the Himalayas, given him the opportunity to dive with hundreds of sharks in the Philippines, and to witness the Maha Kumbh Mela, the largest gathering of people in the world. On assignments, he has joined sea gypsies and nomads, pilgrims, sex workers, serial killers, rebels and soldiers, politicians and secret agents, artists, pirates, hippies, gangsters, police men and prophets. Some of them have become close friends.

Books: The Devil's Road to Kathmandu, The Cambodian Book of the Dead, The Man with the Golden Mind, The Monsoon Ghost Image

Did you like crime fiction when you were growing up?

Yes, I read crime novels from a young age, starting with the classics like Arthur Conan Doyle and pulps like Edgar Wallace.

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

The first story I wrote in the crime fiction novel was my first novel, The Devil’s Road to Kathmandu, published in 2005 and still in print with Crime Wave Press and in a Spanish translation.

What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

I guess crime fiction, especially Noir fiction, lends itself to explore the darker side of ourselves.

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

Finding an idea good and durable enough to invest six months into.

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

Countless authors – David Goodis, Jim Thompson, Ross McDonald are amongst my faves.

What is up next for you?

I have just published my fourth novel, The Monsoon Ghost Image, with Crime Wave Press. One of my short stories, "To Kill an Arab", will be out in an American published anthology soon.

Do you have anything to add?

The crime fiction market is flooded with cozies and Lee Child-type adventures. I’d like to see more mysteries anchored in the real world, warts and all.

Thanks for the interview.

Interview with Mildred Abbott, Author of the Cozy Corgi Series

Reading the Cozy Corgi series is pretty much all you need to know about Mildred. In real life, she’s obsessed with everything she writes about: Corgis, Books, Cozy Mountain Towns, and Baked Goods. She’s not obsessed with murder, however. At least not at her own hands (nor paid for… no contract killing here). But since childhood, starting with Nancy Drew, trying to figure out who-dun-it has played a formative role in her personality. Having Fred and Watson stroll into her mind was a touch of kismet.

Website Address: http://www.mildredabbott.com

Twitter Address: https://twitter.com/MAcozymystery

Facebook Address: https://www.facebook.com/MildredAbbottAuthor/

Facebook Secret Club Address: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Mildredabbottscozymysteryclub/

Instagram address: https://www.instagram.com/mildredabbott/

Audible Address for audiobooks: https://www.audible.com/author/Mildred-Abbott/B077XMB42Y

Did you like mysteries growing up?

I struggled to learn to read, honestly. Reading didn’t connect with me until I was around ten years old. My mother FORCED me to read Mr. Popper’s Penguins and The Secret Garden. Something clicked I never looked back. My favorites after that were Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Agatha Christie, CS Lewis, and then a little latter (high school) I got into the Mandie Mystery Books and anything by Bodie Thoene.

What is the first story in that genre you wrote, whether it is published or unpublished?

Though I’ve written in other genres, under other pen names for several years, Cruel Candy is my first in the cozy genre.


What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

The ease of it. The focus on beauty. Maybe that sounds strange in a genre where there has to be at least one murder in each book, but it’s true. I love innocence of it all. While I enjoy a good murder mystery set in the real world, like JD Robb’s In Death series, I go to cozies for comfort. I love that there is minimal blood, that a cozy should be in depth enough in terms of mystery and character development to keep an adult entertained, but that no parent would have to worry should their child pick it up and start to read. To me, a cozy is about kindness, beauty, cleverness, humor, and family—both biological and the family of ones own choosing. It’s an honor and privilege to get to write in this genre. It lightens my soul and simply makes me happy. I hope the Cozy Corgi books do that very same thing to the reader.

Is there an author in this genre you most admire?

Agatha Frost is the one I sit everything aside for the minute a new installment comes out. She captures what I love most about cozies. The second I crack open the pages I feel like I’m returning home. Which, ultimately, is my favorite thing about reading in general. If an author captures that sensation, to me, they are a success!

What is up next for you?

More Cozy Corgis!!!! I’m just getting ready to write this year’s Christmas book, Malevolent Magic. It’s book nine of the Cozy Corgi series. Seriously…. Is there a better combo than Christmas AND cozies? Pure perfection!

I’m also getting the series out in audiobook format and I’m SO, SO, SO excited!!!!

Title: CRUEL CANDY (Book 1)
Author: Mildred Abbott
Publisher: Wings of Ink Publications LLC
Pages: 282
Genre: Cozy Mystery

Estes Park, Colorado: picturesque mountains, charming shops, delightful bakeries, a cozy bookstore… and murder.

Winifred Page and her corgi, Watson, move to Estes Park to hit the Reset button on life. Fred is about to open her dream bookshop, and the only challenges she anticipates are adjusting to small-town life, tourists, and living close to her loveable mother, Phyllis, and hippy stepfather, Barry.

When Fred steps into her soon-to-be-bookshop for the first time, she expects dust bunnies and spiders… not the dead body in the upstairs kitchen. The local police have an easy suspect—Barry.
Determined to prove quirky Barry innocent of murder, Fred puts on her detective hat, and with Watson by her side, she explores her new town and gets acquainted with her fellow shopkeepers. Could one of her friendly neighbors be the real culprit? And what would be the motive for killing the owner of the Sinful Bites candy store? The secrets Fred discover put her at odds with the local police sergeant and threaten her cozy future in Estes.

With snow falling outside, all Fred wants to do is curl up by the fire with a good book and Watson snuggled at her feet. But before she can begin her new life and put her plans for her bookshop into action, Fred and Watson have a mystery to solve…

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon

Interview with Michael McMenamin, Co-author of Appointment in Prague

Michael McMenamin is the co-author with his son Patrick of the award winning 1930s era historical novels featuring Winston Churchill and his fictional Scottish goddaughter, the adventure-seeking Hearst photojournalist Mattie McGary. The first five novels in the series—The DeValera Deception, The Parsifal Pursuit, The Gemini Agenda, The Berghof Betrayal and The Silver Mosaic—received a total of 15 literary awards. He is currently at work with his daughter Kathleen McMenamin on the sixth Winston and Mattie historical adventure, The Liebold Protocol.

Michael is the author of the critically acclaimed Becoming Winston Churchill, The Untold Story of Young Winston and His American Mentor [Hardcover, Greenwood 2007; Paperback, Enigma 2009] and the co-author of Milking the Public, Political Scandals of the Dairy Lobby from LBJ to Jimmy Carter [Nelson Hall, 1980]. He is an editorial board member of Finest Hour, the quarterly journal of the International Churchill Society and a contributing editor for the libertarian magazine Reason. His work also has appeared in The Churchills in Ireland, 1660-1965, Corrections and Controversies [Irish Academic Press, 2012] as well as two Reason anthologies, Free Minds & Free Markets, Twenty Five Years of Reason [Pacific Research Institute, 1993] and Choice, the Best of Reason [BenBella Books, 2004]. A full-time writer, he was formerly a first amendment and media defense lawyer and a U.S. Army Counterintelligence Agent.

Kathleen, the other half of the father-daughter writing team, has been editing her father’s writing for longer than she cares to remember. She is the co-author with her sister Kelly of the critically acclaimed Organize Your Way: Simple Strategies for Every Personality [Sterling, 2017]. The two sisters are professional organizers, personality-type experts and the founders of PixiesDidIt, a home and life organization business. Kathleen is an honors graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and has an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. The novella Appointment in Prague is her second joint writing project with her father. Their first was “Bringing Home the First Amendment”, a review in the August 1984 Reason magazine of Nat Hentoff’s The Day They Came to Arrest the Book. While a teen-ager, she and her father would often take runs together, creating plots for adventure stories as they ran.

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK

Did you like Historical Fiction growing up?

I liked a lot of genres generally, but fiction set in the past always attracted me e.g., Eric Ambler’s spy novels; C.S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower series; Sax Rhoemer’s Fu Manchu books, etc.

What is the first historical fiction you wrote?

The DeValera Deception was both our first novel written and published. An earlier—and much longer—iteration of The DeValera Deception titled The Last Apostle was submitted by our agent to quite a few publishers without success. Same basic plot, characters, etc. except DeValera is much shorter.

What is your favorite part of writing?

I love it when readers understand the story and our characters the same way we do. The comments below from reviews of our 5^th Churchill Thriller, The Silver Mosaic, illustrate this.

From an Amazon review: “One of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time. It’s detailed, nuanced and beautifully written. Historical fact and fiction were so seamlessly woven together that I wasn’t sure which was which!”

[Exactly! That’s why we always include an ‘Historical Note’ at the end of every book so that readers can sort fact from fiction.]

From an Amazon review: “I’ve read and enjoyed all of the books in this series and I vote this one as the most exciting yet, full of twists and turns and I really cared about what happened to the characters. It was a most believable page-turner right to the very end. I can’t wait for their next book.”

[Until our next book The Liebold Protocol is published in late October 2018, readers will find a preview of six chapters of that book at the end of our short novella, "Appointment in Prague," where our ultimate evil character from earlier books, Reinhard Heydrich, finally gets what’s coming to him in 1942 Prague.]

And my favorite one, this from a Goodreads review about our main female character: “Mattie McGary is what every woman wants to be: strong-willed, the ability to take care of herself, and who doesn’t take crap from anyone.”

[Exactly! Mattie is a Scottish version of the Irish-American actress Maureen O’Hara in the classic film The Quiet Man and any other film in which she co-stars with John Wayne, right down to her red hair and fiery temper.]

Is there an author in the genre you admire?

There are so many I both read and admire that I can’t single one out. In no particular order, they are:

Ken Follett’s historical thrillers, Alan Furst’s 1930s spy novels, W.E.B. Griffin’s OSS novels, George MacDonald Fraser’s Flashman novels, Clive Cussler’s Isaac Bell novels, Upton Sinclair’s Lanny Budd novels, Michael Dobbs’ WW II Churchill novels Susan MacNeil’s Maggie Hope novels; Rebecca Cantrell’s Hannah Vogel novels, David Downing’s John Russell novels, James Benn’s Billy Boyle novels, Stephen Hunter’s Earl Swagger novels, Robert Harris’s Fatherland, Enigma and Munich, Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther novels, Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs novels, Robert Goddard’s WW I novels, Kerry Greenwood’s Miss Fisher mysteries, Rhys Bowen’s Her Royal Spyness novels, Joseph Kanon’s post-WW II novels.

What is up next for you?

The Liebold Protocol, a Mattie McGary + Winston Churchill 1930s Adventure will be published in October 2018. It is set mainly in Nazi Germany in the days leading up to the ‘Night of the Long Knives’ on 30 June 1934 where the SS murdered most of Hitler’s political enemies. It was written with my daughter Kathleen McMenamin who thinks she knows more about fiction than her brother and me because she has a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from NYU and we don’t. We (modestly) point out that we have literary awards and she doesn’t, but—to be fair—she and her MBA sister have written a critically acclaimed book, Organize Your Way: Simple Strategies for Every Personality [Sterling, 2017], where they give organizational advice based on personality types. They have more TV appearances to talk about their book than we do, but that’s a low bar.

My daughter Kathleen and I are currently at work on The Prussian Memorandum, another Mattie + Winston adventure that will be published in 2019. It is set in America, England and Nazi Germany in 1934 and tells the true story about the legislative process in Germany that led to the 1935 Nuremberg laws making German Jews second-class citizens and forbidding their marriage to Aryans. The Nazis used American state legislation and case law re racial miscegenation and second-class citizenship in the U.S.—what the Germans called ‘The Prussian Memorandum’—as models to do the same to Germany’s Jews. Neither the Americans nor the Nazis want this made public. Any journalist—like Mattie McGary—who attempts to do so will be placed in peril.

Do you have anything else to add?

Sure. Here are the best ways to connect with us or find out more about our work:

Email: wsc_mcmenamin13@yahoo.com

Amazon Author’s Page: http://amazon.com/author/mcmenaminbooks

YouTube: http://reason.com/reasontv/2012/09/02/mcmenamin-interview

The following two links have some really good stuff, but they are not current. It’s more fun to write books than to update the links. Volunteers to do so will be gratefully accepted.

Website: http://winstonchurchillthrillers.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WinstonChurchillThrillers