ExcerpTuesday - Nicola Furlong

Nicola Furlong Bio blurb:

Nicola Furlong survives the travails of writing by playing hockey, gardening and eating chocolate fudge. She is a shameless self-promoter, creates book trailers and podcast for writers called The Novel Experience and is the co-creator of a new multimedia storytelling platform called a Quillr.

Her first Quillr, a controversial suspense thriller, may be experienced as an e-book or online at http://www.unnaturalstates.com. She is the author of two stand-alone mysteries and six inspirational cozies from the Church Choir Mystery series. She has also written two brief e-book primers (Youdunit Whodunit! How to Write Mysteries and Self-Publish Your E-Book in Minutes!), as well as a gardening guide for the West Coast. Nicola lives in a small town on southern Vancouver Island, BC.



Unnatural States marketing blurb:



What astounding secret, resurrected from a controversial relic, is being shrouded by the stigmatic, pop-evangelist John the Apostle? Three strangers are desperate to know. Their combined inquiries trigger revelation, ruin and murder in this supernatural page-turner. Prepare to be intrigued, challenged and shaken up. (Also available as a free online multimedia experience at http://www.unnaturalstates.com/)



"... an age-old battle between good and evil...Not only does this story have intrigue and mystery as well as paranormal and spiritual implications, but it also deals with many scientific and ethical questions." MyShelf.com

Unnatural States by Nicola Furlong: Excerpt:

His ears pounded with the rumble of horses’ hooves. De la Jacob gagged in the smoky air, his peasant mind hammered by a terrifying voice. He squinted into the gloom.

Outside the ancient chapel swarmed the Knights of the Fourth Crusade. Plundering and destroying centuries of wealth. The massive doors of Our Lady of Blachernes thudded. Shattered hinges rasped. Smoke snaked inside.

The tongue screamed again. Ordering him forward. Terrified, he lunged at the blinding white shrine—

“John? Hey, John!” Brendan shouted into a microphone. From his position inside the control booth, he punched a couple of buttons on an instrument panel. “What’s the hold up? We’re recording.”

John Jacobs’ consciousness slammed into his body. He blinked, adapting to the sudden change. It hadn’t been a hallucination. He had been there. Inside the body of his ancestor, a serf in thirteenth-century Constantinople.

Slowly, the singer/songwriter nicknamed the Apostle absorbed his surroundings: the cluttered studio, his five band members and his quartet of backup singers. He knew he was safe in his Passion Ministry compound. And primed for the transformation. His knees buckled.

A steadying hand gripped his arm, then whipped off. “He friggin’ burned me!” The bass player blew across his finger tips. “Howzat possible?”

“Hey!” Brendan piped in again. “What’s going on?”

John spread his arms. Welcomed the bizarre and terrifying intrusion. Pain struck immediately in his head. Swirled. Ripped into his wrists and right side. His body convulsed in spasm. An image of his young son, bedridden and pale, seared across his mind. Jimmy.

“Whoa…” whispered a backup singer inside the studio. “I smell roses…”

Lights exploded behind John’s eyeballs. He gagged as his flesh ruptured and thought of his son. The boy was safe. And one day, praise God, Jimmy would embrace his destiny but John flinched. For on that day and ever after, there would be skepticism, global scandal, death threats.

Back in the control booth, Brendan flicked a puzzled glance at the man seated beside him. “What’s he doing?” Brendan asked. “Meditating?”

The musicians and technicians had been cooped up in the Ministry’s main recording studio for days, finishing John’s album, Unnatural State. Nine of the ten tracks had been mixed and in the can, thanks to the brilliant young producer.

Brendan’s companion scratched a balding scalp. “Not sure,” Philip Ede replied, touching Brendan’s shoulder. “Wait.”

Brendan shoved him off. “Whaddaya mean, wait?! You’re the bitch banker who’s hanging the Easter deadline over my head, goin’ on and on about costs. What is he—oh, that does it!” he snapped. “Stuff this waiting crap! We’re layin’ the final voice tracks here. I’m going in.”

He ripped off his headphones. Charged inside the soundproofed studio, with Phil on his heels. There was an eerie quiet as a sweet scent drenched the room. Both men froze.

Blood seeped from the Apostle’s wrists and side; he moaned then collapsed into the arms of the surrounding musicians. They carefully laid him on a sofa.

“JESUSmaryandjoseph!” a vocalist cried out, dropping to her knees.

Philip exhaled. “Never actually witnessed the beginning before, but right on time, baby. He’s showing the marks right on time.”

“So,” Brendan said. “This’s how it happens. Wicked.”

Another vocalist stared at the dime-sized hole on John’s wrist. Screamed and fainted.

“Jesus wept,” muttered the bass player, licking his damaged finger tip. “Jesus friggin’ wept.”

Authorsday - Amy Shojai

For a change of pace, I have non-fiction writer Amy  D. Shojai author of the Complete Kitten Care.


1. How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing for nearly 9 lives—well, it feels that long anyway! Childhood stories evolved into teenage angst-ridden poetry, and ultimately focused on nonfiction articles about cat and dog care and health. My first published pet article was sold in 1987, I think, and was about a parrot, and was based on my experiences as a vet tech. I saw firsthand the caring owners who wanted to properly care for their beloved pets but didn’t know how. So I began writing for the “pet press” with personal experience dog and cat articles that appeared in Dog Fancy, Cat Fancy, CATS magazine and Dog World. A New York publisher read my byline, and called me out of the blue to write the first of my 23 books (The Cat Companion) in 1992—and the rest is history!

2. Did you encounter any obstacles in researching your book?

I wrote COMPLETE KITTEN CARE while on tour with Purina lecturing and giving cat-training demonstrations. The biggest obstacle for this book was resisting the temptation to adopt all these needy fur-kids! In the past, though, I’ve relied heavily on veterinary interviews and tracking them down can be a challenge—and then convincing the vet expert to allow an interview (when they’ve been mis-quoted in the past!) has sometimes been difficult. Nobody has ever been unhappy with their appearances in my books, I’m pleased to say.

3. What do you know now that you are published that you didn’t know pre-published that you wish you knew?

I wish that I’d know three things before I began publishing books—and I’ve published with a number of big-name New York publishers. I wish that I’d known how much self-promotion efforts were needed to make a book a success; even the large houses reserve publicity pushes for the top 2 percent of their stable. Second, I wish that I’d known book contracts can be cancelled. Third, I wish that I’d known how quickly books are allowed to go out of print. That’s why I’m now able to bring back a revised and updated 2nd edition of COMPLETE KITTEN CARE in the Amazon Kindle format, and eventually in other Ebook and print editions.

4. How many rejections have you received?

Thousands. LOL! I could have wall-papered my office many times over with the rejections I received. The only difference between a published author and the unpublished one is that the published author hasn’t given up. A rejection from an editor is one person’s opinion. Just because a book doesn’t fit one publishing house’s requirements or editor tastes doesn’t mean it won’t be a perfect fit for someone else. In fact, my “cutting edge” book proposal was rejected by an editor at Penguin Publishing (and several other houses), but a year later was bought by a new editor at Penguin. Successful authors must have a bit of masochism (along with a tough skin) because everyone will experience rejection. It’s difficult to not get discouraged or to consider rejection to be a reflection of you, your baby, your sweat-and-tears project. But truly it’s not personal—it’s the business. I have a head-shaped dent in my wall where I vent frustrations in privacy, so I can then put on my professional face and smile, and go on. It’s the only way to stay sane in a sometimes seriously demented business.

5. Why did you pick the publisher that ultimately published your book?

In this case, the publisher picked me, and that’s happened with several of my books. Publishers create a “wish list” for their catalogues and then sometimes look for the author. The “for dummies” people called me to do a kitten book, and I signed the contracted, completed the manuscript and it was accepted by my editor. But when “for dummies” publishing house was sold, my contract was cancelled. Fortunately, I still received the advance. I was at the time also writing two books (aging cats, aging dogs) for New American Library, so the kittens manuscript was offered to my editor and it was published as COMPLETE KITTEN CARE (and gave me another advance, oh-happy-day!).

6. If you could ask your readers one question, what would it be?

Oooh, only one??? Dang, that’s a toughie. I guess—What do you want to read about cats and/or dogs? (they can send responses to amy@shojai.com *s*) Seriously, writers sit alone in front of a blank screen day after day, gnashing teeth and opening veins and trying to psychically link to our audience. Sure, I want to write something that touches and moves me, and that I believe to be valuable for readers, but I’m only one opinion. It’s like trying to feed a cat (or a picky kid! *s*) a healthy diet. You can fill up the bowl, but you can’t make ‘em taste something that has no appeal. I’d love to know what readers want to read, so that I can give ‘em what they want (and sneak in the veggies, LOL!).

7. What do you consider your strengths in terms of your writing?

After working as a vet tech and now as a certified animal behavior consultant, I’ve learned how to interview veterinary and other experts and then translate “medicalese” and technical concepts into everyday language that’s easy to understand for pet parents. I also strive to write in a fun conversational style that avoids jargon and dry facts. If it’s not fun for me, I figure it won’t be fun for readers either. I mean, when I describe the whys and wherefores of feline periurination, isn’t it more appealing to read about why cats “baptize” furniture and how to (figuratively) put a cork in it? *eg*

8. What’s your writing schedule?

I’ve been a fulltime writer since 1992, although I didn’t actually make a living at it until 1998. (God bless my husband and his support!) These days, I write from 8:30-1:00 (with potty and play breaks for the dog and cat), then resume about 2:30-5:30 usually in my upstairs office that looks out onto the rose garden. Most evenings I also work answering email and suchlike until 8-10 pm depending on deadlines, using my laptop in front of the TV. I have a weekly newspaper column and catchow.com behavior column, and write 12 behavior articles each month for about.com, in addition to a radio show and TV segments. I try to take Sunday off, and sometimes take a half day off on Saturday.

9. What’s your favorite thing about your book?

The updated COMPLETE KITTEN CARE book for Amazon Kindle includes dozens of gorgeous, fun kitten pictures, many taken during the Purina cat training tour. I got to spend the night with some of these babies prior to the adoption events, so the photos are a vivid reminder of the lovely cat-kids that touched my life and also found forever homes while on the tour across the country.

10. What do you do when you are not writing?

Uhm, what’s that? LOL! Actually, I do quite a bit of lecturing on writing as well as about pet care and behavior. Our home in North Texas also has about 700 roses surrounding the house, so once the weather cools down (I hate 100+ degree days!) I’ll spend time pruning. I’m also a musician and actor, and enjoy performing piano, cello and singing—and have for several years volunteered at the local high school coaching voice for theater productions. I also love creating stained glass pieces (lamps and windows) and hope to have time this winter to begin a new project. Oh, and of course I spend as much time as possible with my family (furry and otherwise).



Author Bio:



Amy D. Shojai is a nationally known pet care and behavior expert, and consultant to the pet products industry. She’s a founder of Cat Writers Association, and member of Dog Writers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She frequently appears on television (Animal Planet CATS 101, Dogs 101) and is the author of 23 books on kittens, aging dogs and cats, first aid, pit bulls, cat and dog behavior, and cutting edge care for pets. She’s also working on a thriller that (of course!) features pets. Amy can be reached via her website at http://www.shojai.com



Book Blurb: ):



The Whole Kitten Caboodle! This is it--the one book you need when you're ready to add a new kitten to your household. The book offers a veritable "Kitten 101" packed with feline facts on...

• choosing, training, and communicating with your kitten

• the personalities of different breeds

• pedigreed versus shelter kittens

• introducing a kitten to other family members and pets

• understanding feline behavior

• food and grooming considerations

• common medical concerns and first aid

• cat legends, myths, and fun facts

• HOT LINKS to the best kitten Web sites, cat associations, magazines, and pet product stores







Purchase COMPLETE KITTEN CARE for AmazonKindle



IN ASSOCIATION WITH AMAZON.COM

Recipe Wednesday - Chicken Noodle Casserole

This recipe is from Jim Bernheimer.

Chicken Noodle Casserole
This makes (1) 13x9 pan of casserole:

1 bag of wide egg noodles

1-2 Rotissere chickens from any store (Use 2 if feeding lots of people.)

2 cans of cream of chicken and mushroom soup (or cream of chicken if can't get the other) Chicken broth/stock

1 container of shredded parmesan cheese

2 sleeves ritz crackers

Stick of butter or substitute


Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare noodles according to pkg

While noodles cooking, shred the rotissere chickens and set aside Put soup in sauce pan and reconstitute it with 1 can of chicken broth per can of soup (instead of water) heat til hot Crush crackers until desired consistency



When noodle done, drain them and place them in a greased 13x9 inch pan ( or casserole dish of choice if going smaller) Place shredded chicken on top Pour heated soup over the chicken and noodles Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top Place crushed crackers on top. Melt butter and then pour over top of crackers Place into 350 degree oven and cook for 30 minutes.
Book Blurb -

Spirals of Destiny Book One: Rider



Forget everything you thought you knew about unicorns and maidens...


A unicorn is not supposed to survive the death of its rider, but Majherri did. Now he is a pariah, mistrusted by the Greater Herd. To reclaim his lost honor and status, he will entrust the remnants of his life to a new human female while unraveling the mystery of his continued existence. Kayleigh Reese is not Battle Maiden material. She's three years older than any other recruit and has enjoyed a peaceful, nomadic life working with her artist mother. The rigors of joining the High-King's elite unicorn cavalry are clearly not for her.


Now, with a bond to Majherri, she must overcome her mother's disapproval, the ire of her commanding officer and fellow trainees, and, most importantly, the secrets of her unicorn's past if she is to become a legendary warrior. To prevail, they must quickly come together as a team and unlock the powerful and dangerous magic inside them.

Bio -

Jim Bernheimer lives in Chesapeake, Virginia with his wife and two daughters. Spirals of Destiny Book One: Rider is his third published book. To read excerpts or contact the author, visit his website www.jimbernheimer.com.

ExcerpTuesday Penelope Marzec

Descended from fairies, Catherine wears a mystical cross to protect her from the Others. Without her uncle’s ancient book of spells, she cannot harness her powers and though she can foresee the future, she can do nothing to change it. As her uncle is murdered, she nearly drowns. Britt Jenkins comes to her rescue. He believes she is a fraud when she tries to warn him of his own impending doom, but as he works with her to find her uncle’s killer, he finds himself losing his heart to her. Catherine falls hard for Britt, and must risk her life in an attempt to save him and foil the plans of the Others.

Here's my bio:

Penelope Marzec started reading romances at a young age even though her mother told her they would ruin her mind, which they did and she became hopelessly hooked on happy endings. This award-winning author is a member of the New Jersey Romance Writers, the Liberty States Writers Fiction Writers and EPIC. You can find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/penelopemarzec, at her website at http://www.penelopemarzec.com, or at her blog, http://penelopemarzec.blogspot.com.



Here's the excerpt:



So far, Britt had discovered ten mistakes in the first four pages of the Sunday edition of the Daily Press. But he hadn't absorbed a word of what he had read. He sat in the kitchen, glancing across the driveway every so often, his nerves on end, waiting to hear a gunshot--or a scream.

He was an idiot. He should never have let her walk back into that house. He pushed away the mug of coffee he had just zapped in the microwave. His churning stomach didn't need another dose of caffeine.



He squinted at page five as another error jumped out at him. Damn. He circled a comma splice with his red pen. Where did these college graduates get their degrees--from a mail order catalogue?



When the Taylors’ back door slammed, he jumped up, heart racing. He went to his own door and flipped on the porch light, just in time to see Catherine running toward her car as if the devil nipped at her heels. Without a second thought, he raced after her.



He caught up with her just as she fumbled with the key in the lock. When he swung her around to face him, she cried in alarm. Her shoulders trembled beneath his grip, but to his relief, she didn't have any bullet holes. He clasped her against him.



“What happened?” he asked.



“Let me go. Let me go!” She struggled in his arms.



“Not until you tell me why you're in such a hurry to leave.”



She stopped thrashing, but her body still quivered. In the harsh glare of the porch light, her eyes seemed huge and capable of swallowing him in their depths.



“I --I'm not leaving. I just left something in the car.”



She did not lie well. He loosened his hold, but not enough to let her get away. “Tell me what went on in there.” The huskiness in his own voice startled him. She lowered her head and her hair cascaded over his arm. The silken strands whispered against his skin.



“Nothing happened. Why are you spying on me? I told you there was nothing to worry about.”



Another lie. But why? Something had frightened her. He released her, and she took in a ragged breath and flipped her hair over her shoulder.



“So long, Mr. Jenkins.” The tight smile didn't hide the fear glittering in her eyes, and when the Taylors’ door opened, she choked back a cry.

Recipe Wednesday- Gwen Mayo

Bio: Gwen Mayo is passionate about blending the colorful history of her native Kentucky with her love for mystery fiction. A graduate in political science from the University of Kentucky, Gwen currently lives and writes in Lexington, but grew up in a large Irish family in Grayson, Kentucky. Her stories have appeared in anthologies, on online short fiction sites, and in micro-fiction collections. Circle of Dishonor, her debut novel, is set during the turbulent political upheaval of post Civil War Kentucky at a time when murder was more common in Kentucky than it was anywhere else in the United States.

Book Blurb: Circle of Dishonor, set in 1879 Kentucky, is a mystery rich in historical detail about Lexington, Confederate secret societies, and Kentucky politics.

Obsessed with finding the Knights of the Golden Circle, a secret society responsible for her brother’s death, former Pinkerton operative Nessa Donnelly assumed his identity and followed his killers to Lexington. The trail ended there, and fourteen years have gone by.


When local prostitute Belle Brezing turns to her for help, Nessa is immersed in a murder case that threatens to expose all of her secrets. She is dealing with more than murder. The KGC is active again in Kentucky and bodies are piling up.

If Nessa doesn’t find the killer fast, she stands to lose everything—maybe even her life.


Beulah’s Maple Fudge

(The recipe below is authentic to 1879, and could easily have been the recipe for maple fudge my detective’s housekeeper made for her.)



1 Cup Maple Syrup

2 Cups White Sugar

1 Cup Brown Sugar

¼ Teaspoon Cream of Tartar

½ Cup Butter

1 Can Condensed Milk

½ Cup Sour Cream

1 Cup Chopped Nuts

1 Teaspoon Vanilla



Stir the maple syrup, sugars, condensed milk, butter, and sour cream and cream of tartar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted and all ingredients are well mixed. Boil the soft ball stage is reached, stirring occasionally to prevent the fudge from sticking. Set the pan off the heat and cool for 3 minutes. Add the nuts and vanilla. Beat until the fudge begins to thicken then pour into a buttered 9 x 9 pan to finish cooling. When the fudge is cool to the touch, cut into 1 inch pieces and store in a covered dish.

Cris Anson for ExcerpTuesday!

Today I invite a fellow Cris/Chris/Kris to my blog to share an excerpt.

Blurb for WHAT SHE NEEDS:
Debut erotic romance author Delia needs to research BDSM. A former Dom offers to teach her some basics, and she gets more than she bargained for when Kurt adds his business partner to her instruction. But an innocent misstep brings Delia’s world crashing down around her. Can she trust Kurt with her heart…and her life?



Excerpt of WHAT SHE NEEDS:
Delia turned to glare at the man who had intruded on her reunion with folks she’d only known online, but one look at him—in a dove-gray dress shirt with sleeves rolled up, no tie, and tailored black slacks— made her think, Uh-oh, I’m in trouble here.

About six feet of hunkalicious man stared at her, all thunder and storm swirling in amber eyes that all but immobilized her. His mouth was a thin line of disapproval and his black brows echoed the line and the sentiment. Even the nose, slightly askew, probably from a badly healed fracture, added to the air of danger surrounding him.

Hair as black as the devil’s heart scraped back into a short ponytail except for a wayward swath down his forehead could not soften the severity of his gaze, yet Delia felt only electricity zinging between them. It was an uncomfortable feeling, a cross between a butterfly pinned to a specimen board and a ripe peach waiting to be sucked.

Then his expression softened as his gaze took in the bright reddish-purple of her bruise. He lifted a long-fingered hand to her face but did not touch her. “A slave of your beauty and delicacy should be treated with reverence. May I show you how a true Master treats his property?”

Delia’s tongue felt glued to the roof of her mouth. This hunk was calling her a beauty? Calling her delicate? Ye gods, was he a real-life Dom? Sure, Delia had read all about D/s relationships. Heck, BDSM was an erotic romance author’s stock in trade. But actually be a slave? She was in waaaay over her head here.

The man’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t know the first thing about the Master/slave bond, do you.”

It didn’t sound like a question, because Delia was sure he already knew the answer.

“You are an erotic romance…reader? Writer?”

“She’s a published author,” Judith chimed in. “Her first book just came out and you can buy it this weekend at the book fair. Her name is Delia Barnes. And you’re right, she’s unfamiliar with that lifestyle.”

If Delia had held a gun in her hands, Judith’s lifeblood would be flowing out of her belly right about now. She flashed a silent warning to her critique partner, who blithely ignored her as she smiled up at him from her five-foot-nothing height.

“And you are…?”

The man had the temerity to bow like an eighteenth century courtier. “Master Kurt, at your service.”

“Well, Master Kurt, are you staying at this hotel?” Judith’s question. Delia vowed to add poison to Judith’s next pomegranate martini.

“I am.”

“Then perhaps you’ll find a few minutes to explain some basics to Delia here.”

Master Kurt turned to Delia. “It would be my pleasure.” His gaze skittered past her and his eyes gave some kind of signal, but Delia would be damned if she’d turn around and check out what he was doing.

“Delia Barnes.” His deep voice purring her name stroked her down to her toes. She couldn’t deny that his voice, his stare, his commanding presence had already started the cream flowing between her legs. She’d need more than a snorkel, she’d need full scuba gear if he kept that up.

“Delia, I am going to give you your first lesson in being a proper slave.” Gently placing his long fingers on her shoulders, he turned her around then leaned over her shoulder to whisper into her ear.



Short bio of Cris Anson:

After the death of my husband of 22 years, it took me three years to come out of my grief and feel alive and open to new experiences. Now I consider myself a senior citizen and “cougar” —hey, one is never too old to dream about, or experience, romance.

I enjoy my garden during warm days and have just discovered Zumba for fun exercising. I’ve been writing since the ‘90s and read voraciously across all genres. I’ve published five erotic romance novels and two “Quickies” with Ellora’s Cave, plus a pair of contemporary novels featuring male twins with Cerridwen Press, their mainstream imprint. WHAT SHE NEEDS was released in July. Look for ADDING HEAT sometime this fall. Both of these are younger man-older woman novellas.

You can read excerpts of all my works at www.crisanson.com.

By the way, I’m thrilled to say that I posed for the cover of WHAT SHE NEEDS! If you want to know how it came about, go to Author Island to read my guest blog, “15 Minutes in Angelo’s Arms. http://tinyurl.com/2utkd2a

Contest Today

Yes, really, it is going to happen.
Comment.
Tell me your fave book and you will be entered into the drawing for a bucket of Summer fun.
cmr

Blog Contest postponed

Only until Monday

Contest on Friday

I will be giving away a bucket of Summer fun. Just make a comment on this blog Friday and you will be entered to win.
cmr

Recipe Wednesday - Macaroni and Cheese

Today we have a recipe for macaroni and cheese from the author of Shepherd's Pie, J.D.Webb.

Rosie McLean’s Famous Mac ‘N Cheese

One 7-oz package Creamettes

½ cup butter or margarine

1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese

1 ½ cups evaporated milk

2 tbsp. flour

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Cook Creamettes as directed on package. Melt butter over low heat and stir into flour to form a smooth paste. Add milk, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper and cook until thickened. Remove from heat. Place drained Creamettes in greased bake dish and mix in ½ the cheese. Reheat sauce and mix with macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle heavily with rest of cheese and dot with 2 tbsp. of butter. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in 300 degree oven. If crust is desired (And it would be a shame not to have it) place in broiler for a few minutes or until brown.

Slather on plate and do not be shy about asking for seconds. Next day leftovers are great in the microwave. Fill paper plate with mac ‘n cheese, cover with second paper plate and zap for 1 ½ - 2 minutes. Enjoy and invite me over.

Rosie McLean

Owner

Rosie’s Home Cookin’ Restaurant


Shepherd’s Pie available at www.wings-press.com

Visit web site www.jdwebb.com

Mystery Author J D Webb

Shepherd Stuff

Bio:
J. D. (Dave) Webb resides in Illinois with his wife (42years in Dec 2009 and counting) and their toy poodle, Ginger, losing all family votes 2 to 1. Dave served in the Security Service of the Air Force as a Chinese linguist and weather analyst in Viet Nam and the Philippines prior to spending 25 years in corporate management. A company purge promoted him to cobbler and he owned a shoe repair and sales shop for 11 years. During those careers he wrote short stories and suppressed an urge to write a novel. After making a conscious decision to live at the poverty level, his novels began forcing their way out.

Blurb:
With Shepherd’s Pie, J.D. Webb dishes up a deliciously enticing concoction. Part cat-and-mouse thriller, part tongue-in-cheek send up of the tough P.I. genre, Webb’s story is chock full of genuine thrills and hilarious tidbits. His tough and terse fiction might easily brand him as the Mickey Spillane of the Midwest. Give him a try. I think you’ll find yourself quickly hooked by this tasty offering.

William Kent Krueger

Red Knife

http://www.williamkentkruegerrecipe/ came from the fictional Rosie’s Home Cookin’ Restaurant where Chicago PI Mike Shepherd goes to unwind.