Legends of Madeira

Joan Hall is with us today to tell us about her new book. It’s the first in the Legends of Madeira Series. There is also a sidecar/prequel called House of Sorrow, that I highly recommend.

Joan is a big supporter of the independent author community, one of my partners over at Story Empire, and just and all around good person. Let’s give her a big welcome, and make sure to use those sharing buttons to help her launch this project. Take it away, Joan:

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Cold Dark Night: A Lunar Trifecta

Thank you for your generosity in hosting me today, Craig. I’m delighted to be back with you to kick off this tour for my latest release, Cold Dark Night, the first novel in the Legends of Madeira series.

As you know, I’ve long been fascinated by the full moon. Several years ago, I discovered Native Americans had names for each of them. Up until that time, I’d only heard of the Harvest Moon or a Blue Moon (when there are two full moons in a calendar month).

In 2018, a rare event occurred. January had two full (or blue) moons, as did March, meaning there was no full moon in February. This is sometimes referred to as a Black Moon.

This rarity occurs every nineteen years or so and is dependent upon time zones and leap years. But January 31, 2018, there was an even more uncommon occurrence, the trifecta of a blue moon, a supermoon (close proximity to earth), and a blood moon or eclipse.

I had an early meeting that day, and as I arrived at work, the eclipse had just begun. The event fueled my imagination. I had to write a story around this unique event. The idea for Cold Dark Night began to take shape.

Excerpt:

He looked toward the western sky. The earth began to pass between the moon and the sun, casting a shadow on the lunar surface. Before long, it would appear blood-red, the brightness completely obliterated.

The darkest hour is just before dawn.

How many times had he heard his grandmother say those words? It was years before he knew where the quote originated, or that it was metaphorical, not literal.

He’d come to a remote area of the Vaughn ranch to view this rare celestial event. Stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts gathered in various places outside Madeira to watch, but he didn’t want to be around others. He wanted to be alone, and the chances of the ranch’s owners spotting him were next to nothing.

A twinge of excitement ran through him as the lunar surface turned a coppery hue. Astronomers called it the Super Blue Blood Moon—a rare trifecta of the second full moon of the month, its nearness to earth, and a total eclipse.

An eerie stillness surrounded him. His pulse quickened—not from fear, but in anticipation of what was to come. Part of him wanted to go ahead with his plans. Too bad he hadn’t thought of it before now. A killing taking place during the blood moon would have been perfect.

But no, he had to bide his time. Wait for the natural course of events. He’d waited thirty-eight years. Another couple of weeks wouldn’t matter.

The darkest hour is just before dawn.

He would see the morning. But for some, darkness would soon last forever.

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Thanks again for hosting me today. Cold Dark Night is available on Amazon for the introductory price of .99 through the end of June. The price increases to $3.99 on June 15th, so now is a good time for readers to grab a copy.

Blurb:

New husband, new house, new town… and a new mystery to solve.

Tami Montgomery thought her police chief husband was going to be the only investigator in the family when she gave up her journalism career and moved with him to Madeira, New Mexico.

But after the historical society asks her to write stories for a book celebrating the town’s history, she becomes embroiled in a new mystery. If she can’t solve this one, she could lose everything. Her research uncovers a spate of untimely deaths of local law enforcement officials. Further digging reveals a common link—they all lived in the house she and Jason now share.

Tami isn’t a superstitious person, but the circumstances are too similar for coincidence. Then she unearths an even more disturbing pattern. And if history repeats itself, her husband will be the next to die.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0968CXZQ9

Connect with Joan:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Bookbub | Goodreads | Instagram

Eventide, from the Hode’s Hill Series

Mae Clair is one of my favorite people. She’s a partner over at Story Empire and one hell of an author. She’s here today to tell us about Eventide, which wraps up her Hode’s Hill Series.

I would appreciate it, and I know Mae would, if you would use those sharing buttons at the end of her guest post.

Hi, Craig. Thanks for hosting me today with my new supernatural suspense/mystery release. Eventide is the last book in my Hode’s Hill mystery series. As in the first two novels, Cusp of Night and End of Day, I’ve chosen to use dual timelines with dual mysteries that converge at the end. 

It’s challenging writing a book with more than one timeline. In essence, the author has to plot two separate stories, balancing two separate sets of characters, then find a way for everything to gel at the conclusion. This is even harder when you’re a panster.

 

In the past, I never had a problem pantsing my novels, but Eventide was an exception. It’s common for me to panic whenever I reach the third quarter point and realize I have to tie up numerous plot threads—without a plan. Somehow it always works out smoothly, despite anxiety flareups. Eventide, however, challenged me on a level I hadn’t encountered before. My panic turned into PANIC! Made even worse because I was up against a publisher’s deadline. I swore up and down I’d become a plotter after surviving Eventide, and for the most part, my groundwork is much stronger than before. I’m still pantsing, but at least now I have a safety net for backup.

 

Something that did help with Eventide was working with established characters. The leads in the present day portion of the story will be familiar to anyone who read End of Day. Jillian Cley and Dante DeLuca are back, joined by Jillian’s sister Madison, who made an appearance in End of Day. This is really Madison’s story as she starts life over, after spending three years in a care facility without speaking. She’s strong and determined, her husband’s murder behind her. But the house she purchases is isolated and rumored to be haunted. And when she discovers an old cistern in the basement, it’s just the start of unraveling a mystery that spans centuries.

 

In this short excerpt, Madison’s boyfriend, Roth, has been working to remove the lid from the cistern:

 

“Hey, come here. I think I’ve got it.”

 

Drying her hands on a tea towel, she picked her way down the steps. Roth had hooked a cage light to an overhead beam for more illumination and had a variety of tools strewn around the cistern. He’d managed to remove all eight bolts. Looking at the long ends scattered by the lid, Madison was surprised by how deeply they’d been threaded into the floor.

 

“Did you hear anything while you were working?” she asked.

 

“Nothing.” Roth sat back on his haunches. He’d drudged up a sweat again, the knees of his jeans grimy with dirt, black muck freckling his hands. The least she could do was offer him a place to shower when he was through.

 

“Ready?” He indicated the lid with a grin.

 

In many ways, it felt like opening a treasure chest. A long time ago someone had taken extra effort to secure the lid in place. Maybe it was nothing more than she thought. An old cistern, decades or centuries out of use. And yet—

 

She nodded.

 

With effort, Roth shoved the heavy cover aside, back and shoulder muscles bunching with the exertion.

 

“What the—” His face contorted. Gagging, he recoiled.

 

A noxious cloud of sulfur and decay engulfed Madison.

 

“Oh, that’s awful!” She pressed the tea towel to her nose and mouth. “It smells like something died.”

 

“Not even close. It smells a hell of a lot worse.” Roth snatched a flashlight from the floor. With one hand cupped over his nose, he angled the beam into the hole. “I can’t tell if anything’s down there. It looks about ten feet deep, maybe more.”

 

“Is there water?” Despite the stench, Madison inched closer.

 

“Not that I can see. If there is, it’s a long way down.”

 

A blast of cold air hit them in the face, strong enough to make Madison backpedal. The bare bulbs dangling from the rafters flickered then died. Roth’s flashlight sputtered, failing altogether.

 

Chilled, Madison hugged her arms to her chest. “What was that?”

 

I hope you’re curious enough to find out. Eventide is now available from all online book sellers, so if the story sounds like something that interests you, please consider ordering. You’ll make this author very happy. Thank you in advance for your consideration! J

 

Universal Purchase Link

 

BLURB:

 

The darkness is coming . . .  

The old house near Hode’s Hill, Pennsylvania is a place for Madison Hewitt to start over—to put the trauma of her husband’s murder, and her subsequent breakdown, behind her. She isn’t bothered by a burial plot on the property, or the mysterious, sealed cistern in the basement. Not at first. Even the presence of cold spots and strange odors could be fabrications of her still troubled mind. But how to explain her slashed tires, or the ominous messages that grow ever more threatening?
 
Convinced the answer lies in the past, Madison delves into the history of the home’s original owners, only to discover the origin of a powerful evil. An entity that may be connected to a series of gruesome attacks that have left police baffled. No matter where she turns—past or present—terror lingers just a step away, spurred on by a twisted obsession that can only be satisfied through death…

 

 

Order Eventide HERE

Connect with Mae Clair at BOOKBUB and the following haunts:

Amazon| BookBub| Newsletter Sign-Up 
Website | Blog| Twitter| Goodreads| All Social Media

 

 

 

An Arson Investigation, on #LisaBurtonRadio

Hey there all you nail benders and tool belt aficionados, you wood butchers of every stripe. You’ve landed on Lisa Burton Radio, the only show that brings you characters from the books you love, or soon will. My special guest today is Brian Nichols, owner of Nichols Construction, in Driscoll Lake, Texas. “Welcome to the show, Brian.”

“Hi Lisa. Thanks for having me. I admit I’ve never been interviewed by a robot girl before.”

“Don’t worry, it’s no different than any other interview. Now, Driscoll Lake is a small town. I think that’s important for our readers to understand. Tell us a little about Driscoll Lake.”

“Driscoll Lake is small, but growing. We’re located about ninety miles east of Dallas—close enough if you like the big city nightlife, but far enough to still have a laid-back feeling. We have a lot of newcomers to the town, but several of the families here go back generations. Rachel’s ancestors were among the founders.

“Oh, you wouldn’t know Rachel. We went to high school together, but she moved away to live with her father in Austin. She moved back to this area a few years ago. We’re friends. Good, um, friends. Well, let’s just say she’s really special to me.

“She’s a doctor and has her own practice here in Driscoll Lake. I don’t think that idiot investigator Greg Sikes believed either of us about what happened at her clinic.”

“Driscoll Lake sounds like a nice place. What would bring Greg Sikes into the picture at all?”

“In a word, arson.”

“Arson?”

“Yup.”

“Oh, come on Brian. You can’t just leave us hanging like that.”

“Alright… someone has set fire to two houses that I’ve built, as well as the house where I grew up, and a couple of business that I did some work on. There was another fire at Judge Lawrence’s house. It wasn’t one of my houses, but someone saw me near the scene before the fire. I swear I didn’t go near his place. Even Rachel’s clinic was targeted. And now, Sikes is saying the first fire at the old factory was arson. Sometimes I wished I’d never bought the place from Rachel. Why would someone believe I would I want to set fire to my own property?”

“Hmm… I get it, but there are so many other possibilities. How many builders could there be in Driscoll Lake? Maybe it’s a coincidence that the properties are connected to you. Maybe you’re actually the target. Did you ever look at it that way?”

“Rachel seems to think that’s the case. Matt, he’s the police chief and my best friend, believes it too. But Sikes doesn’t agree. I think the fire marshal has swayed his opinion. Abbott doesn’t like me.”

“How about an alibi?”

“Never thought I would need one. Trouble is on at least two occasions, I was supposed to meet Rachel somewhere and was late both times. Funny thing, the arsonist never strikes when I’m playing with the band. Oh, did I tell you? I play drums with a local band called Radical. We play a lot of Classic Rock. Music is my outlet. When I’m sitting behind those drums, I can tune out (no pun intended) everything else.

“Seems like whoever is setting these fires keeps a close watch on my whereabouts. Or maybe they use timers or something. Or maybe it is coincidence.”

“I understand. I had to do a bunch of arson research years ago. So what are you going to do?”

“Lisa, you should come to Driscoll Lake and take over the investigation. I’m sure you’d be fair minded. Seriously, this is hurting my business. I invested heavily when I bought the old factory. Took months for them to rule that fire as an accident, so we were unable to complete the project on schedule. At least that fire didn’t destroy the place.

“A real estate agent contacted me to say someone is interesting in buying the property. The offer was extremely generous. I admit I was tempted to sell. But Rachel wants me to keep the place. The property was in her family a long time. She proposed a business partnership where she’ll help with the financing. She doesn’t want me to give up on my dream of turning the old buildings into shops and restaurants.”

“Whatever you decide, I’m sure we’re all with you. Any final comments for our listeners today?”

“In spite of the recent crimes, Driscoll Lake is a great place to live and visit. And hey, if anyone likes Classic Rock, Radical is playing at a new club on Friday night. Come out and hear us play.”

“You can learn all about Brian and his struggles in the book Unknown Reasons, by Joan Hall. I’ll post all the details on the blog site.

“Before you leave, I’d appreciate it if you’d click a couple of those sharing buttons. It helps me keep the lights on around here. I’m also sure Joan and Brian would do it for you when your character appears on the next Lisa Burton Radio.”

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Blurb:

If you can’t stand the heat…

Rachel Jackson hails from one of Driscoll Lake’s wealthiest families. Like her father, she became a doctor and is now a respected physician. But despite her successful career, Rachel feels something is missing from her life—until she crosses paths with Brian Nichols.

The son of a hard-working mother and alcoholic father, Brian acted out when he was young, earning a reputation as a troublemaker. As an adult, he’s worked hard to clean up his act and now owns a burgeoning construction company.

Rachel and Brian form an unlikely friendship which begins to blossom into something more. But a series of structure fires—determined to be arson—puts Brian in the hot seat. The properties are all associated with his work, making him the prime suspect. Toss in his juvenile history, and he finds himself the focus of a tenacious investigator. Even Rachel starts to have doubts.

Brian struggles to save his relationship, his company, and his reputation. But unless the real arsonist is caught before striking again, everything Brian holds dear may go up in smoke.

Purchase Link 

Author Bio:

Joan Hall likes to create character-driven fiction with strong, determined female leads and male characters that are sometimes a bit mysterious. Her favorite genre is mystery and suspense—often with a touch of romance.

When she’s not writing, Joan likes to take nature walks, explore old cemeteries, and visit America’s National Parks and historical sites. She and her husband live in Texas.

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