Welcome Sue Coletta

Sue and I have been friends for ages. She recently became one of our partners over at Story Empire. She also has a new book to tell us about.

I’ve read many of Sue’s books and enjoyed every one I tried. Make her feel welcome today. Don’t be afraid to use those sharing buttons so she gets maximum exposure.

***

Thank you for hosting me today, Craig! I appreciate your kind invite to help me share the news of my latest eco-thriller, Savage Mayhem. The first few chapters of Savage Mayhem take place in Alaska shortly after their previous mission to save orca from evil animal traffickers. Though each novel starts where the previous one left off, every book can stand alone. I write them that way, so readers don’t have to read eight novels to understand the ninth. Hope you enjoy it. ☺

Behind a typical Alaskan cabin, dark reds burned the horizon, embered like coals in a fire, hastened only by dark charcoal clouds. Stripes of salmon interspersed through deep purple bands that warned of turbulence.

Hints of amber kissed the treetops, limbs reaching for Father Sky to celebrate the birth of a new day, the chance to fix yesterday’s mistakes, the future full of possibilities. But darkness still cloaked the street. The in between time, as Shicheii called it, when the night yearned to reign longer.

From the passenger seat, I marveled at the riches of Mother Earth. “It’s so beautiful.” When I turned, I startled when Mr. Mayhem wasn’t beside me. “Running Bear?” My gaze zipped across the front seat. “This isn’t the Caddy.”

He smiled.

“Whose vehicle is this?”

He pointed at the unfamiliar house.

“Say something.”

Another smile.

“Why aren’t you talkin’ to me? Did something happen?” I twisted to peer into the backseat. “Where’s Shadow Wolf?”

His lips moved but no words escaped.

“What’s wrong with you?” A realization flooded my eyes with tears. “Is he dead?” I wailed. “Break it to me gently.” I hiked my knees to my chest and rocked, my heart shredded like meat through a grinder. “Oh, God, he’s dead. Isn’t he?”

Running Bear tapped my shoulder. He said something, but I was so hysterical I didn’t catch it.

“What?”

“He—”

Shaking my head, I fingered my right ear. Blood. What the hell?

He leaned closer, hot breath striking my left cheek. “He’s not dead.”

“Really? Then where is he?”

Again, he leaned forward. And I leaned back.

“What’s up with you?”

Closer and closer, he moved. “Ghost Dog—”

“What?”

The hand signals confused me. What’s wrong with him? I was this close to giving him a piece of my mind when my door flew open. Mr. Mayhem said something, but I didn’t catch it. “What?”

He smiled. I smiled back. Then all the blood registered, his chiseled torso and one cheek bathed in crimson.

“Are you alright?”

Nodding, he swayed an opened hand out the door.

“Say something.”

The hand rolled as if he wanted me to hurry, but I held firm.

“Tell me what’s goin’ on first.”

“Cat, please.” His lips formed the words, but no sound escaped.

Confusion rocked my senses. “Say that again.”

“Cat, please.”

“Why can’t I hear you?”

I swear he rolled his eyes, like this wasn’t news to him. When I parted my lips to question him again, he scooped me off the passenger seat, ushering me into the Caddy.

His lips mouthed, “I. Will. Explain. Later.” He jutted a stiff finger downward. “Now.” He motioned between us. “We.” Two fingers waved down the road. “Must. Leave.”

What’s with the hand signals?

Book description:

Amidst the wild and unforgiving landscapes of Yellowstone Park, join Mayhem, a fearless Apache warrior and champion of the Natural World, and his partner and protégé, Shawnee, as they race against the clock to protect an American Buffalo herd from the ruthless Killzme Corporation.

With a massive bounty on their heads and an army of killers on their trail, Mayhem and Shawnee must use all their cunning and survival skills to outsmart their enemies. They will risk it all to preserve the sacred lineage of the Innocent Ones.

There is no line Shawnee and Mayhem won’t cross.

Even murder.

As the danger intensifies and the clock winds down, will they be able to save the herd? Or will this be the mission that finally breaks them?

Preorder for 99c. Sale ends on release day, April 11, 2024.

 

Find all my books here. Join my newsletter here. Free monthly giveaways!

Redemption. A father’s fatal decision

Let’s all welcome Gwen Plano to Entertaining Stories today. Gwen is an incredible author, and one of my Story Empire colleagues. She’s here to tell us all about her newest publication. The site is your’s Gwen

Thank you, Craig, for inviting me to your site today. It’s a pleasure to visit your readers and share a bit about my new release. I look forward to doing the same for you.

Redemption, A Father’s Fatal Decision is a mystery thriller that takes place in the Southeast corner of New York state, in the towns of New Rochelle and Cortlandt. In the excerpt below, the characters travel to Fishers Island, New York in Long Island Sound. Having spent about twenty years in and around that area, it was exciting to visit as a writer.

The book tackles themes of forgiveness and redemption through suspense. We accompany the son and daughter of the deceased as they try to uncover the reason for their father’s murder. What they discover prompts them to ask if they even knew him.

Sometimes complicated situations help us see our own challenges in a different light. That is my hope for this book. Most of us won’t experience threats like those of my characters, but pain is universal, as is joy. Seeing either in the extreme helps us recognize our own—and severe or elated, those emotions are impactful.

In this excerpt, Lisa and Trace Holmes, along with their friend Ryan, ride a ferry to Fishers Island. They go at the request of the siblings’ mother. There’s something important she wants them to retrieve, but that something is a mystery. On the ferry, Ryan and Lisa are surprised to discover a matter of the heart.

The ferry pulls away from the dock, and the trio watches the village cottages come into view. The playground near their cottage is absent of children. The only evidence of life comes from an older couple, who walk their dog on the beach. Lisa spots a blue building. “Look. Just like the one in the painting.”

“No kidding.” Trace stares. “You were right that the painting was a clue. It looks like the painter worked from a photo taken right here on this ferry. It’s a leap, but I believe we’re on the right path.”

The mainland shoreline grows more distant, and the threesome weave through groups of passengers to the bow of the boat, where they can see the approaching island.

The moist wind sends Lisa’s hair flying. She brushes it away from her face and tries—unsuccessfully—to knot it at the nape of her neck, now ruddy from the morning breeze. As the waves hit, the ferry rocks, and Lisa with it. She struggles to keep her balance. Ryan edges closer, and shoulder-to-shoulder with her, Ryan waves to the seagulls.

The ferry bumps against the dock buffers abruptly, and Ryan grabs Lisa when she staggers. She smiles, and his features light up.

An announcement sounds over the public address system: “All passengers need to return to their cars. Deboarding begins in ten minutes.”

Blurb:

Family secrets can be deadly. When Lisa Holmes visits her parents one fateful Saturday morning, she hugs her father and walks to her childhood bedroom. The doorbell rings. Her father opens the door, and one minute later, he lies dead on the floor—three bullets to the chest.

The Holmes family lives on a quiet street, but no one really knows Eric Holmes. He travels for business and comes home a few days each month. Unbeknown to all, Eric has multiple lives. 

In this fast-paced psychological thriller, Lisa and her brother, Trace, embark on a quest to solve the mystery involving the murder of their father. The journey takes them into a secret world where nothing is as it seems. As the puzzle pieces begin to coalesce, theydiscover the meaning of Redemption.

CONTACT INFORMATION: 

BookBub: bit.ly/3Y26EI5  

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3XIe6Yu

Story Empire: https://storyempire.com/gwen-m-plano

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gmplano

Blog: www.gwenplano.com/blog-reflections

PURCHASE LINKS: 

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3RebK0W

Amazon Purchase Page: https://amzn.to/3XKiLJn

Barnes and Noble: bit.ly/3JGgdbl

Posed in Death by Judi Lynn #Newbook

Let’s all welcome Judi Lynn today. She’s got a new book to talk about, and I love her explanations for how it came about. I tend to read and write like she does. Check out the book, and feel free to use those sharing buttons to help spread the word.

***

I want to thank Craig for inviting me to his blog. I’ve been a fan of his writing and his blog posts on Story Empire for a long time. I’ve been waiting for the third and final novel of his Lanternfish trilogy since I fell in love with Serang in the first one.

I’m here today to promote my latest novel, POSED IN DEATH. I usually write cozies, but this time, my story is much darker. And I’m blaming it all on Louis Kincaid. I’m hooked on P.J. Parrish’s series about the P.I./detective. I don’t know about other writers, but what I read affects what I write. I read a lot of cozies, historical mysteries, and only a few thrillers. That is, until I bought my first Louis Kincaid. Now, I read more thrillers than I used to.

I can’t read any one author over and over again, back-to-back. I get more critical with each book and bore faster. I need to change things up. So, I usually read two cozies, a historical, another couple of cozies, something outside the mystery genre, then a cozy, then a thriller, and on and on. I’d never make it as a binge reader or TV watcher. And I learned that if I write the same characters back-to-back, even though I love them, I get just as bored. So, I need to switch things up. (Luckily, in real life, I don’t have this problem. I haven’t gotten bored with HH yet😊 But I do have to constantly find new recipes to make because I’ve already made some of mine too many times.)

For a while, I wrote paranormal mysteries between my Jazzi and Ansel cozies, and that helped. I tried to write a few different cozies with different characters, like my Lux novels and A Cut Above, and it helped, but not as much. Those had the same FEEL. They didn’t quite do the trick. It was like reading a Lynn Cahoon Tourist Trap cozy and then going to a Kim Davis Diva cozy. They were both fun, but I was ready for something different. And that’s when I discovered Louis Kincaid. That’s also when I got the idea to write something darker. And it was wonderful. It did the trick. I’m ready to tackle another Jazzi and Ansel now.

Writing darker is a gamble. I’m not sure readers who like my cozies will want something that features a serial killer. But my agent said I had too many cozy elements in the story to call it a true thriller. And that’s true. But I wanted to focus on the theme of marriage. And this worked for me. So, it felt like a gamble worth taking.

Posed In Death: Nick and Laurel Mystery/Thriller 1 – Kindle edition by Lynn, Judi. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Thanks again, Craig, for sharing your blog with me!

Bio:

Judi Lynn lives in Indiana with her husband, a bossy gray cat, and a noisy Chihuahua. She loves to cook and owns more cookbooks than any mortal woman would ever need. That’s why so much food sneaks into her stories. She also loves her flower beds, but is a haphazard gardener, at best.

My blog & webpage: http://writingmusings.com/

My author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JudiLynnwrites/

Twitter: @judypost

On BookBub at Judi Lynn with a link to Judith Post (for my urban fantasies): https://www.bookbub.com/authors/judi-lynn

The Vanished Boy #newbook

Let’s all welcome Harmony Kent to the blog. Harmony is an old friend, one of my Story Empire partners, and she has a new book to tell us about. Don’t be afraid to use some of those sharing buttons to help her spread the word.

Hi everyone. Harmony here. Thanks so much, Craig, for letting me visit with you today. I’m so thrilled to share the launch of my latest book with you all.

The Vanished Boy is a mystery suspense novel based around a teenaged boy, who’s gone missing. The book follows the mother as she trawls through her missing son’s online life and realises, to her horror, how out of the loop she’s become.

The inspiration for this novel came from watching a number of movies based on how our lives both revolve around and are influenced by the Internet and mobile devices. Although these movies covered many genres such as murder/mystery, thriller, and the supernatural, they all centred around the same theme: Apps and living life online. This led me to ponder how many of us spend our lives in digital pursuits rather than physical—both the old and the young? For many people, their actual physical lives become but a shadow compared to their online existence.

Mostly, the shift to a digital world happens slowly. It’s incremental and, too often, insidious. All of which led me to ask how well do we actually know our children? Our loved ones? Those around us? What might be going on in the shadows?

From that inspiration and questioning, this story was born. Much of life and our actions originate from the same needs and wants: to be loved and accepted, the ability to differentiate between truth and lies, and the things we do to cover our mistakes and make ourselves look better than the reality instead of owning who we are. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Blurb:

Excerpt:

Enraged and desperate, Carole sprints forwards and nearly knocks the girl over before she manages to skid to a stop on the wet paving stones. The girl leaps back.

‘What the fuck?’ She looks at her friends in an evident bid for fortification and encouragement. ‘Woah, crazy-woman alert.’

Carole gasps for air, bent over at the waist and hands braced against her knees. She straightens and holds up her palms. After a couple of seconds, she says, ‘I’m Jay’s mum.’ Her lungs burn. She’s too old for this sort of exertion.

The girl scowls at her. Around them, a bunch of kids pull out their phones. ‘Yeah, so? Why should I care?’

God, the idiot’s as obnoxious and rude in real life as she is online. Carole bites back her temper, but only just. ‘You said he was with you. Where is he?’

The girl smirks, and her lips lift in a sneer.

Carole steps forwards so she stands too far into the girl’s personal space. She plants her hands on her hips and glares at the teen. Through a tight jaw, she says, ‘Where. Is. He?’

The obnoxious girl rolls her eyes. ‘I was having a laugh. Lawd, everyone’s, like, freaking out. I mean, just chill, right.’

That does it—Carole’s temper flares white-hot, and she loses it. Her animal brain takes over. She flies at obnoxious gal, knocks the large tub of popcorn from her hands, and grabs her around the throat. In her peripheral vision, more phones get pulled out. Some flash as their owners snap pictures, but most of them hold out the screens to record the night’s excitement.

After spending around thirteen years as an ordained Buddhist monk, living in a Zen Buddhist temple, and six years after a life-changing injury following a surgical error, Harmony Kent returned to the world at the tender age of forty.

Now, she is famous for her laughter, and has made quite the name for herself … she’s also, um, a writer … and fairly well known for that too. She’s even won a few awards. Harmony lives in rural Cornwall with her adorable husband, ever-present sense of humour, and quirky neighbours.

Harmony is passionate about supporting her fellow authors.

Links

Website: https://harmonykent.co.uk/

Story Empire (co-authored): https://storyempirecom.wordpress.com/

Amazon Author Page: author.to/HarmonysBooks

Twitter: @harmony_kent

Goodreads: Author Page

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/harmony-kent

The Vanished Boy Sales Link

I Am Mayhem #newbook

I want to welcome back an old friend today. Sue Coletta writes these amazing murder mysteries, and if you haven’t discovered her you’re missing out.

Make her feel welcome, and make sure to use those sharing buttons to help with her latest release. The new book sounds wonderful, so I’ll let her tell you all about it.

***

It’s impossible to talk about my Mayhem Series without the mention of crows. For those who don’t know, Mr. Mayhem has three top crows: Poe, Allan, and Edgar. When I first introduced crows into the series, they were supposed to be sidekicks—someone for Mr. Mayhem to chat with during his late-night excursions—but Poe evolved into so much more. I’ve read some reviews that say he’s their favorite character. Not the humans mind you, but Poe, the lead crow of Mayhem’s murder. In I AM MAYHEM, I introduced one more “special” crow, but I can’t tell you why without ruining the surprise.

As an aside: Poe’s based on a real crow who comes when I call.

With each new book, I take another plunge into crow research. After years of studying crow behavior, one might think I’ve learned all I could about corvids, but I always find something new.

Humans often believe we are the only species to possess certain traits, behaviors, or abilities, especially with regard to cognition. Occasionally, we extend such traits to primates or other “higher” mammals—species we share fundamental brain similarities.

Few look toward the sky. Yet, crows, ravens, and other corvids are making multipart tools like hooked sticks to reach grubs, solving geometry puzzles, and one particularly kind magpie even nudged a clueless hedgehog across the highway before it became roadkill.

A crow’s brain is enormous compared to their body, and they don’t waste a morsel of it. Crows have long impressed scientists with their intelligence and creativity.

Now, crows can add one more feather to their brainiac cap: A new study unveiled in Science magazine found that crows inherently know things and can ponder the content of their own minds, a manifestation of higher intelligence and analytical thought believed only capable by humans and a few other higher mammals.

German scientists put crows through a series of puzzling tasks. During which they measured neural activity in different types of neurons, with the goal of tracking how crows sensed and reasoned through their work. They sought to study a specific kind of thinking called sensory consciousness.

Sensory consciousness isn’t as simple as the definition: awareness of the visual, tactile, olfactory, auditory, and taste qualities of stimuli. Sensory consciousness arises from specific brain processes. In simpler terms, the sensory feel of an experience is not something that happens to us, but rather, it’s a skill we exercise. It also differs from other mental phenomena, like conscious thought or memory.

Consider the difference between physically feeling pain vs. imagining that you feel pain. Or rubbing the softness of fleece between your fingertips vs. envisioning how fleece might feel. We writers use our sensory consciousness all the time.

Do crows have this ability, too?

To answer that question, we first need to understand the difference between our brains and birds lies within the design. Mammals’ brains are layered like club sandwiches, while birds’ brains are arranged more like pizza. All the pieces are there but they’re not stacked like ours.

Another important note about sensory consciousness: The ability to have subjective experiences that can be explicitly accessed and thus reported arises from brain processes that emerged through evolutionary history, and dates back 320 million years ago when birds diverged from mammalian lineage.

After the crows got comfortable within the testing environment, scientists introduced a rule—a red cue for “yes, they’d seen the stimulus” or blue for “no, they hadn’t.”

The results stunned scientists, and affirmed crows do in fact possess sensory consciousness.

To reconcile sensory consciousness in birds and mammals, one scenario would postulate that birds and mammals inherited the trait of consciousness from their last-common ancestor, and crows tucked this superpower in the ol’ memory bank for at least 320 million years. Amazing, right?

As bloody, severed body parts show up on her doorstep, Shawnee Daniels must stop the serial killer who wants her dead before she becomes the next victim.

But can she solve his cryptic clues before it’s too late? Or will she be the next to die a slow, agonizing death?

With crows stalking her every move, Shawnee can barely function. Things worsen when body parts show up on her doorstep. An unstoppable serial killer wants her dead. Mr. Mayhem threatens to murder everyone she loves, sending Shawnee a piece at a time.

As Mr. Mayhem sits in judgement, his cryptic clues must be solved before the final gavel drops. The game rules are simple—win the unwinnable or submit to a slow, agonizing death.

When Shawnee tries to fight back, she discovers her very existence is based on lies. But the full impact of the truth might become the headstone on Shawnee’s grave.

Preorder on Amazon for 99c.

Book will be delivered to your device on April 20, 2021 (release day).

You can catch up with Sue at the following places:

Website Facebook Twitter Amazon Goodreads Tirgearr Publishing Globe Pequot (Rowman & Littlefield)

The Culmination – now on sale!

Let’s all welcome Gwen Plano to Entertaining Stories. She’s an author friend and one of my partners over at Story Empire. She’s here to tell us about an incredible sale. Don’t forget to use those sharing buttons so your friends can get in on this, too. Take it away, Gwen.

Thank you for inviting me to your blog, Craig, and for helping me launch The Culmination, a new beginning. It’s exciting to finally see it published on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. To celebrate, the Kindle edition is on sale at 99¢ through December.

So, what’s the book about? The Culmination can best be described as a military thriller. It tackles difficult topics such as denuclearization, the power struggles over oil in the Middle East, as well as the ever-present danger of war. Readers will find themselves sitting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, walking in the historic Red Square, and laughing with children in an orphanage in Turkey. They will glimpse the horror of war and watch the give and take of a negotiated peace. Readers will also meet the two Heads of State who fall in love and subsequently commit themselves to creating a world in which all are family.

I never expected to write this book, but in some ways, I had no choice. The characters crowded into my office and insisted that I listen to them. In a very real way, they wrote the book. I simply tapped the keys.

BLURB:

The Culmination, a new beginning is the third book in The Contract thriller series. After an assassination attempt on an Air Force base in northern California, tensions mount. Heads of state meet to craft a denuclearization agreement. The meetings between these nuclear powers take a murderous turn. A nefarious conspiracy re-emerges and leads the characters into the heart of the Middle East, where they encounter the unexpected and find a reason for hope.

EXCERPT:

The acting Russian President, Ivan Smirnov, is in Syria for the commissioning of a new destroyer. The President of Syria attends the ceremony, unaware of the plot to detain him. Once the ship leaves the port, he is arrested, along with a few of his men. The story follows:

When the vessel nears Cape Apostolos Andreas, the northern-most tip of Cypress, two Turkish military helicopters approach, accompanied by fighter jets. One lands, and the other hovers in place. The Russian guards gag each prisoner, put cloth bags over their heads, and take them to the chopper. Ivan watches as they clear the horizon and then gazes at the Commander. “Well done. Now it begins. Stay focused and alert.”

The second helicopter lands to collect Ivan and his secret service team.

Ivan’s helicopter reaches altitude, but a crackling voice from the destroyer’s communications system comes over the radio. The Commander shouts, “Incoming! Incoming!”

A loud explosion follows his warning. Sonic waves rock the chopper violently and send it into a spin. The pilots regain control but with zero visibility. Thick, dark red smoke blinds them. Another radio transmission reaches them. Though static breaks it up, they hear, “… missile … neutralized. Thank you, Israel.”

As soon as the chopper lands at Incirlik Air Base, Ivan rushes to the Command Center. The American Chiefs of Staff and Turkey’s military leadership focus on a large screen that shows a collage of camera feeds. President Ozdemir, the President of Turkey, stands to the side, talking on the phone with the Israeli Prime Minister. Ozdemir thanks the Israeli PM for his help.

Ivan signals he’d like to take the phone. Ozdemir gives him the handset. “You saved my destroyer, Prime Minister. Thank you. I’m ready to return the gesture.”

After the call, the two Presidents stand shoulder-to-shoulder and study the screen.

“It’s good we’re friends, Smirnov.”

Ivan offers a side-glance and a nod. “Da.”

“When this is over, let’s talk about the cabal.”

Ivan turns and faces Ozdemir. “You’re aware of them?”

“Of course,” Ozdemir snaps. “Their tentacles stretch far into the Middle East. And now is the perfect time to dismantle them.”

“Let’s include the President of the United States. Her CIA and other teams have information that could help us. Between our three countries, we’ll get the job done.”

An urgent phone call interrupts their conversation. The American Commander at the Prince Sultan Air Base tells the Chiefs of Staff that China’s subs in the Red Sea have crossed into the Saudi territorial waters.

“The Saudis ask that we deploy the Patriot missiles. They believe—and I believe—a Chinese strike is imminent.”

After a brief consult between the Chiefs, the order is given. “Deploy the Patriots.”

When the rockets strike the subs, an immense fireball lights the expanse of desert and sea. An iconic mushroom cloud rises into the blue heavens far above. The Commander takes a step back with a horrified expression contorting his features. He realizes what this means. The Chinese had planned a nuclear attack, so much worse than a third World War.

The Commander sends an urgent message to the Joint Chiefs. China intended a nuclear attack on the Saudis. Expect the same in the Persian Gulf.

Contact Gwen:

Blog:  https://www.gwenplano.com/blog-reflections

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gmplano 

Amazon Author’s page:  https://amzn.to/3eAU2BtBook links:

Letting Go into Perfect Love – https://amzn.to/3bToO7t

The Contract between heaven and earth – https://amzn.to/2U2Lgmv

The Choice: the unexpected heroes – https://amzn.to/3lcz8eA

The Culmination, a new beginning – https://amzn.to/3eEWkj9

The Contract – between heaven and earth

I’m really excited to have John and Gwen stop by today. I had the honor of being a beta reader on this story, and I think you guys are going to like it.

By John W. Howell & Gwen M. Plano

Thank you, Craig, for inviting us to join you today. We are super excited to be featured on your blog where some of the most imaginative writing takes place. Also, we are so thrilled to meet Lisa Burton. We’ve wanted to try on The Hat, but we promised to be on our best behavior and besides who knows what could happen if we did. Thanks again.

Available on Kindle and Paperback

Kindle priced at $0.99 for the introduction.

The CONTRACT is a different story for writers John W. Howell and Gwen M. Plano. For either of them, it is their first attempt at co-authorship. After a year of Hurricane Harvey and other challenges, they have created, what they have termed, an inspirational thriller that bridges heaven and earth.

Here is the blurb:

The earth is threatened with a catastrophic political event which could result in international warfare and destroy all life on the planet. In heaven, a divine council decides that extraordinary measures are essential. They call for an intervention that involves two souls returning to earth. The chosen two sign a contract that they will work to avert the disaster.

Brad Channing, a Navy SEAL, and Sarah O’Brien, a teacher, become heaven’s representatives on earth. The story follows them as they individually and then together face overwhelming obstacles and eventually end up on a strategic Air Force base in California. It is there that they discover a conspiracy to assassinate the President of the United States. The terrorists have a plan for global dominance, and they are determined to complete their mission. Although military leadership appears to have the President’s best interests at heart, it is not clear who can be trusted and who should be feared. The action is rough and tumble as Brad and Sarah try to figure out the culprits for the plot that will turn into a worldwide conflagration unless stopped.

If you enjoy thrillers, this is one with enough twists and adventure to keep you riveted and guessing. If you like your thriller along with a good romance, Brad and Sarah’s initial attraction and eventual love will sustain you as they live out their heavenly and earthly desires.

Trailer

Here is an excerpt.

After a few moments of silence, the general got up and walked over to a double set of windows. He pulled on his chin and appeared taken aback by the information. Then he turned to face Brad, crossed his arms, and leaned back on the window.

“Do you know who arrives in four days, Sailor?”

“No, sir.”

“The President of the United States.”

Brad gulped. “Oh, my God. They sent me here because the bomb has something to do with the President?”

“Sailor, when you went on an op, wasn’t every detail orchestrated?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Didn’t you have diversions in place, to sidetrack the guards?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Your SUV is set to explode at zero-ten-hundred hours in four days. The President will address the base at that time in the ball field. The entire Reconnaissance Wing will congregate on that ball field. Do you understand?”

“I do, sir. Equipped with our nation’s most advanced aircraft, the Reconnaissance Wing provides for our national security.”

“Sailor—” The general smiled. “You may have thought you’d have a few days of vacation here, but you’ll work with me now.”

“Yes, sir. Whatever you need, sir.”

Authors Bio.

John began his writing as a full-time occupation after an extensive business career. His specialty is thriller fiction novels, but John also writes poetry and short stories. His first book, My GRL, introduces the exciting adventures of the book’s central character, John J. Cannon. The second Cannon novel, His Revenge, continues the adventure, while the final book in the trilogy, Our Justice, launched in September 2016. The last, Circumstances of Childhood is a family life thriller story and launched October 2017. All books are available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.

John lives in Port Aransas, Texas with his wife and their spoiled rescue pets.

John’s other books.

Available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/author/johnwhowell

Gwen had a lengthy career in higher education, and it was there that she published her first book, Beyond Boundaries, for students interested in volunteer work in developing countries. After she retired, she wrote her award-winning memoir, Letting Go into Perfect Love.

Gwen lives in Branson, Missouri with her husband.

Gwen’s Books.

Available on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2wdXsrn

Sins of the Fathers, on #LisaBurtonRadio

Don’t touch that dial! You’ve landed on Lisa Burton Radio. The only show that brings you interviews with the characters from the books you love. I’m your host, Lisa the robot girl, and my special guest today is the owner of a small pub in Montreal. “Welcome to the show Charlene Butler.”

“Hi, Lisa. Thank you for having me today, and please call me Charlie.”

“It’s okay to say the name of your pub. Might bring in a few people.”

“Great idea! I own Butler’s Pub on Drummond Street in Downtown Montreal. The nicest pub in the neighborhood.”

“Charlie, you’re here today because there is a strange string of events in your life. Tell us about that, please.”

“Strange is a good word. Worrisome, scary, terrifying would also be good words. It started innocently enough. I received an anonymous letter in the mail from someone named Vincent, saying he’d been watching me, and we should get together for a chat. I didn’t think much of it until I got another one, with the same handwriting, from someone named Amy, saying she had been watching me, and we should get together and compare lives.”

“That’s kind of off-putting. What did you do?”

“Frank insisted I hire a private investigator. Frank is my bartender, but he’s also my best buddy, and he gets a little protective at times. I usually don’t like being fussed over, but in this case, Frank was right. I had already gone to the police, and they weren’t interested in putting too much time into a couple of mysterious letters.”

“Did you? Hire the PI, I mean.”

“I did. Some guy named Simm. I wasn’t too keen at first. I’m very busy, and I didn’t have time for all his questions. And, I really didn’t appreciate him prying into my past and the lives of my family and friends, especially when he’s so secretive about his life. But, he’s grown on me.”

“Now that’s interesting. Sounds like you’re kind of interested in him beyond your current problem.”

“What? No, not at all. I mean I guess some women would find him attractive, if they like that tall, dark, laid-back, lanky look. Not that I noticed, but I just…maybe we could move on to another question.”

“And did Simm turn up any helpful evidence?”

“He did. Actually, a lot of what he turned up was stuff I already knew, but I didn’t think it was something he needed to know. As usual, he disagreed with me. Anyway, he found out about how I became the owner of the pub. You see, it used to belong to Jim O’Reilly, who was a close family friend and mentor, like a second father to me. He taught me everything I know about running a bar. He was a very kind and generous man, and I don’t like people thinking otherwise. His connection to the Irish Mafia was a mistake and he paid for it. I’m sure he didn’t realize what he had gotten himself into. Jim’s past has nothing to do with the threats I’ve been getting.”

“You mean, like the mysterious letters?”

“Yeah, it started out as letters, but then I got a package. That was gross. I flipped my lid when I opened it up and out came a bag filled with organs. I’m talking livers and hearts, that kind of thing. It was terrible. They turned out to be sheep organs, but I still get chills just thinking about it.”

“You mean like guts and stuff? Maybe it’s time to call the police in.”

“Lisa, we talked to the police when I got the letters, and also when I got the package, and again when my apartment door was smeared with fake blood, but they just spun their wheels.”

“What did you do?”

“Simm did his thing. He contacted people, and visited people. He even made a visit to a prison to talk to some Mafia guy. He finally got us set up for a meeting with Marty Sullivan, the head of the Montreal Irish Mafia. Well, I say us, but actually it was just supposed to be him. I convinced him I had to be there too. Maybe coerced would be a better word than convinced. To tell you the truth, I know which buttons to push to get my way with Simm. He never sees me coming.

Anyway, in the end, Simm wouldn’t have gotten anywhere with Marty if I hadn’t been there. We hit it off right from the start. Marty barely noticed Simm. The guy was a bit cryptic though. Told us we had to go to Dublin and find a guy named Aidan Connelly. We have no idea what that’s about. But, honestly, you’d think a criminal mastermind would be heartless, but he was very upset about Harley’s kidnapping.”

“Wait, who’s Harley?”

“Harley’s my baby. He’s the most adorable little pug. I’ve had him for six years. He goes everywhere with me, and has his own little bed at the pub. Everybody in the neighborhood knows him and loves him. He’s so irresistible.

“Anyway, someone kidnaped him. I’m sorry. I’m getting choked up, but I still can’t even think about it without getting upset. He was gone for days. We knew it was the person who was sending me the letters, and the bloody organs…God, when I get my hands on him…and I will someday…I’ll show him what I can do with organs.”

“Now that pisses me off. Animals are innocent, and should be left out of things.”

“We’re on the same page, Lisa. So now, we’re off to Dublin. Again, Simm wanted to go on his own, and again, he found out I have no intention of letting him go without me. One of these days he’ll learn to not even bother trying. Simm seems to be an exceptionally slow learner.”

“I hope you’re going to be careful about this. Whoever is behind all of it sounds dangerous to me.”

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned. But, I feel safe with Simm. He’s an ex-cop, you know. Even though I don’t like to feed his ego, I have confidence in him, and if things get dangerous, I’ll follow his lead.”

“That sounds smart, and in more ways than one. Charlie, I could talk about this all day, but we’re out of time. I wish you all the best, and I hope Harley is okay too. Any last comments for our listeners today?”

“I’d just like to thank everyone for the support they gave me when things were rough. And, if the mystery man is listening, I want you to know that we’ll find you, and you’ll be sorry you ever laid hands on my pup. For everyone else, drop by the pub someday and say hi. Thank you, Lisa, for being such a great host. I love your show!”

“You can learn more about Charlie, and Harley’s plight in the book, Sins of the Fathers, by A. J. McCarthy. I’ll post all the pertinents on the website after I go off the air.

“Don’t forget to use those sharing buttons today. I’m sure A. J. and Charlene would do it for you, when your character appears on the next Lisa Burton Radio.”

***

Charlene Butler, a.k.a. Charlie, is beautiful, independent, and a successful pub owner in downtown Montreal, but prefers not to discuss her past, or the main reason for her success. When she anonymously receives strange letters and the police don’t show an interest in the case, she is convinced by Frank, her best friend, to hire a private investigator to help her solve the mystery. However, PI Simm seems to have a few secrets of his own.

Charlie and Simm join forces when the harassment escalates from letters to explicit threats. Their investigation leads them from the safety of her home, through Montreal’s underworld, to organized crime in Dublin, Ireland. What they discover contradicts Charlie’s most fundamental beliefs in herself and ultimately makes her doubt her own character.

Pick up your copy of Sins of the Fathers

“A taut, masterly-written novel of suspense, adventure, and romance!” – David Lucero, author of Big Jim

“McCarthy has the thriller genre down to a science” – Steve Taintor, NetGalley reviewer

“Sins of the Fathers is an excellent who-done-it with great timing, personable characters and a tight story line. A. J. McCarthy brings us a novel that is difficult to put down..” – Bonnie Reed Frye, NetGalley reviewer

The author can be found living near Quebec City, Canada, and when she isn’t working as Vice-President of Finance for a manufacturing company, she will be writing, thinking about writing, or wishing she was writing. She lives with her husband of many, many years, and her Pug/Shih Tzu mix. Her two young adult daughters have flown the coop, but check in every once in a while just to let her know they’re still alive.

Website:  www.ajackmccarthy.com

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ajackmccarthy

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/a.j._mccarthy/

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.ca/ajmccarthy0125

Amazon:   https://www.amazon.com/Sins-Fathers-J-McCarthy-ebook/dp/B0789R8YBG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520458493&sr=8-1&keywords=sins+of+the+fathers+by+a.j.+mccarthy

Black Rose Writing:  http://www.blackrosewriting.com/mysterydetective/sinsofthefathers?rq=sins%20of%20the%20fathers

Airports, NOLA, Hacked

Yesterday was a flight day for me. I’m at a conference in New Orleans for my paycheck job. This is one of those weeks where I’m going to miss things. If you get a like from me, that might be as good as it gets. I’m here with all of my bosses, and my time is theirs.

I kind of like airports. They make for the best people watching. Everyone has a little bit of stress, and that helps reveal character. One example is the guy in Denver who decided to jump off the people mover. You know, those George Jetson things that are like a flat escalator. He vaulted over the rail, which also moves, fell down, and scattered electronic devices everywhere.

The best one was a lady. She had thick permed hair that hung to the points of her shoulders. Either from dye or the perm, it was burnt looking at the ends. She was notable in that her posture was to hold her head out in front of everything else. Her nose would arrive in a room before the rest of her. She was a dark brunette. The whole appearance gave her the image of a fluffy vulture. She would make a great character.

I met up with all the rest of the Idahoans before dinner. We went to a place that had a fried fish menu. Honestly, I could have gotten the same thing in Boise. My crowd needs to be a bit more adventurous. I can show them some places, but I’m at their mercy.

While in the Boise airport, I started reading Hacked, by Sue Coletta. I finished it in the air on my way to Denver.

This thing is an intense thrill ride, and it’s a good stepping stone into the kind of books Sue writes. It’s novella length, so it won’t take you long to finish it, and honestly, you won’t want to put it down.

I am starting to really love the novella length. I just think as we get more and more pressed for time, it has a place in our lives. Judging from the reaction to my own novella, some of you must feel the same way.

I’m pressed for time right now, so here is a link to Sue’s book. Hacked.

A Dangerous Love Affair, on #LisaBurtonRadio

Welcome to this week’s edition of Lisa Burton Radio, the only show that brings you the characters from the books you love. I’m your host, Lisa the robot girl, and with me today is John Williams, not the famous composer, but an author. “Welcome to the show, John.”

“Thanks and Wow. I must say it’s a pity you’re a robot, you look gorgeous.”

“My bio says you’re a frustrated author. I think you’ll be in good company among our listeners. What kind of stories do you write?”

“I wrote what I thought an interesting action/adventure story, but the lack of sales says otherwise. I attended a book launch in London hoping to find a publishing agent to represent me. Although unsuccessful, my dismay turned into incredible joy. While I sat at the bar drowning my sorrows, to my astonishment, Sally Johnston a famous and I might add a gorgeous looking author came up and started talking with me.”

“Sounds like she struck a chord with you. What kind of books does she write?”

“Erotica…”

“Hooo-boy. I’ll bet she’s a fun one.”

“That’s for sure. I first thought she might be of help with my writing. To my astonishment, she invited me to join her for lunch. Although twelve years older, I found myself attracted to her and she with me. After a day out together, I was both shocked and delighted when she invited me to spend the weekend with her at her house in Guildford. That was a weekend I will never forget. It was the start of what became a torrid love affair. We later went on holiday to Thailand where we had a fabulous time. It was here that to her surprise, I went down on one knee and proposed to her.”

“Sounds pretty serious to me. It also sounds better than a few more sales.”

“The possible increase in books sales is one thing, but our engagement turned into a complete nightmare.”

“A nightmare? How?”

“There’s this guy, Antonio, he and Tara were once lovers until he cheated on her and hit her. She told me all about him. I thought him a figure from the past so did not think any more about him. I never realized I was making a huge mistake in thinking so. However, I had a couple of life-threatening car incidents and was lucky not to have suffered more severe injuries than I did. Anyway, after returning home from our holiday in Thailand and planning our engagement party, I had to leave Sally and go up to London. While there, she disappeared. It seems a large Mercedes car with foreign plates was seen in her street around the time she vanished. I may be wrong, but I can only think of Antonio as the one most likely to have taken her. He wanted her back, lives in Italy, so the car with foreign plates could well be his.”

“Have you told any of this to the authorities?”

“Of course, It was my policeman friend Paul whose enquiries revealed the news about the Mercedes. He had the Italian police go to his villa up in the Alps to see if she was there. This was a waste of time. The Italian police believe Antonio to be a highly respected businessman. He also gives them generous donations whenever they have a charity event. Despite his denials, I feel sure Antonio is behind the disappearance. Like me, all her friends are worried stiff about her. They had thought she was somewhere with me.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to Italy to check for myself if she is there or not. I have to find her before I go crazy with worry.”

“I’m sure I speak for all of our listeners today when I wish you the best outcome. I’m so sorry for your situation and hope you can help. Any last comments for our listeners today.”

“Just that no matter what it takes, I will find Sally and bring her home. She is my life and soulmate.”

“You can read all about John in the novel A Dangerous love Affair, by Colin Guest. I’ll post all the deets on the website after we go off the air.

“You can help John and Colin out today by using those sharing links at the end of the post. For Lisa Burton Radio, I’m Lisa Burton.”

***

A romantic and erotic love story about John and Tara, two authors who fall in love.  Their romance is put in danger by Tara’s ex-lover Antonio. After his life-threatening attempts on John’s life come to nothing, he kidnaps Tara. Dramatic events occur high in the Alps before the couple safely return to England. During their engagement party, a publishing agent expressing an interest in the book John is writing. Along with their forthcoming marriage, this news makes the couple’s future look set for joy and happiness.

Get your copy here.

As an expat, Colin Guest has worked in fifteen countries and lived a life most only dream.

Colin loves writing and has written six books. His latest is a short action/ adventure story entitled “Impending  Disaster.” In conjunction with Voyage Media, Colin has written a pilot episode based on his memoir Follow in the Tigerman’s Footsteps. Voyage think this could be suitable as the basis for a television series. Apart from his books, Colin has had articles published in various online magazines, with one published in Nexas, a UK expat magazine. Colin also writes poetry, with several in the final four in competitions, and one made into a film. He took part in a live American radio show and did a one-hour podcast, re his writing, and taken part in several online interviews. A local newspaper in his hometown of Plymouth in England, UK, published an article on Colin and his writing.

You can find Colin at the following locations:

https://wwwcolinguest992@gmail.com

https://www.twitter.com/Tigermanguest

https://www.amazon.com/author/colinguest

https://www.facebook.com/tigerman55

https://www.pininterest.com/colinguest9

https://www.google.com/+ColinGuest

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9857414

https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-john-guest

https://www.tigerman74.wordpress.com

https://www.colinguestauthor.com