Just Out of Reach

by Belinda Stevens
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BLURB:

When high school freshman Katherine Boyd meets David, her life is forever altered. Their romance experiences the turmoil of Mississippi in the sixties, family relationships that keep them apart, and political differences that threaten to destroy them. Through the death of JFK and James Meredith’s admission to Ole Miss, Katherine’s growth means being progressive in a traditional Southern family, accepting the loss of those closest to her, and learning to cope with her family’s darkest secrets. Just Out of Reach is the story of a young woman forged in desperate times and a love that changes her life forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt One:

There are certain events in life that leave a line of demarcation, the beginning of things, the ending of something else. For me, meeting David was that line.

It all began my freshman year at Lancaster High. What amazed me about the year 1961 was that my feelings for David emerged at the exact moment I became isolated from the soul of my town, my birthplace. I was apart from all that I knew or understood. It all happened so fast that I felt split, like some multiple personality separating into many different identities.

The day we met, it was very cold. The student body had congregated in and around the arcade during morning break to get a glimpse of the falling snow, hoping that the ground would be cold enough for it to stick. Lancaster High was nestled between the canal that separated my town from the residential area and its business district to the north. LHS was made of red brick, with a newly erected concrete arcade leading directly to its front entrance.

As thoughts of a snow holiday raced through my head, Betsy and I noticed a couple at the far end of the arcade. We automatically moved in that direction. I nudged my best friend and whispered, “Who’s the guy with Linda?”

“Don’t know, let’s find out,” responded Betsy. My friend continued to talk but I didn’t hear a word. My eyes were fixed on the boy at the end of the arcade. My heart was pounding so hard, it was all I heard. My reaction was a mystery, even to me. It still is. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Belinda J. Stevens was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi, the gateway to the Mississippi Delta, in 1948. She grew up in the turbulent sixties, and has a true appreciation for the difficulties experienced by Katherine in Just Out of Reach, which is Belinda’s first novel. She is an attorney who currently practices law in Yazoo City and resides in Brandon, Mississippi with her dog, Humprey B.

Facebook: facebook.com/belinda.stevens.733
Twitter: @BelindaSteven20
Blog: belindastevens.blogspot.com
Purchase: http://www.amazon.com/Just-Out-Reach-Belinda-Stevens/dp/0615760384/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372900298&sr=1-1

This Week on My Blog

A Sydney Rye Novel, #4 by Emily Kimelman ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BLURB:

STRINGS OF GLASS is the fourth novel in Emily Kimelman's Sydney Rye Series of dark murder mystery novels. This series features a strong female protagonist and her rescue dog, Blue. It is recommended for the 18+ who enjoy some violence, don't mind dirty language, and are up for a dash of sex. Not to mention an awesome, rollicking good mystery!

Sydney Rye is hanging out in India with her boyfriend, Dan, reading paperbacks and sipping beer. No violence and no reminders of her past. But when she and Blue, are attacked by a pact of wild dogs, Sydney starts to feel that old itch again; to do good by being bad.

Trouble finds Rye when she stops the attempted rape and murder of Anita, a reporter working on a story of corruption and human trafficking. The atrocities Anita describes send Sydney, Blue and Dan on a quest that takes them across India after a dangerous and, up until now, untouchable, figure. While Sydney struggles to accept her true nature she realizes that it is the only way to end decades of abuse and exploitation. But Rye fears that she will lose herself, becoming no better than the monster she fights against.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt

Mulberry laughed. "Come on, what are you doing here?"

"What do you mean? I'm living here."

"I can see that," he said, then looked around the cabin. I saw his jaw clench and then he asked quietly, "With Dan?"

"Yes, with Dan."

"And that's what you want to do?" He looked over at me again, glints of yellow in his eyes sparkled in the sunlight that streamed through a nearby window.

"What do you mean?"

"You want to stay here, not have any more adventures with me?"

"Your adventures usually involve Bobby Maxim, lies, and almost getting me killed," I said, an edge of anger in my voice.

Mulberry frowned. "What are you going to do?" He stood up and stepped toward me, his broad shoulders blocking out the sun's rays. "Stay here and marry Dan? Become a homemaker?" I felt anger rolling off of him like a wave of heat surges over blacktop in the desert.

His rage struck me like an unexpected blow and I yelled at him. "Why not Mulberry? Why wouldn't I marry Dan? Because that might make me happy. Shouldn't I be happy!"

His face paled and he shrunk away from me. I felt like a bull, huffing air out my nose, ready to charge. He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Sydney. Of course you should be happy." The word seemed to die in his mouth. He ran a hand through his dark hair, the silver that peppered it shining in the light.

I squeezed my eyes shut and rubbed at them with my free hand. "God Mulberry, what are you doing here?"

"I don't know," he said, not looking at me. A moment passed as we stood there, the steam from my shower and heat of our emotions filling the room with a wet and heavy silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Emily Kimelman lives on a boat in the Hudson Valley with her husband, Sean and their dog Kinsey (named after Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone). Kimelman has a passion for traveling and spends as much time as possible in the pursuit of adventure.

Her "Sydney Rye Series" are dark murder mystery novels which features a strong female protagonist and her rescue dog, Blue. This series is recommended for the 18+ who enjoy some violence, don't mind dirty language, and are up for a dash of sex. Not to mention an awesome, rollicking good mystery! /

The first three books in Kimelman's series, UNLEASHED, DEATH IN THE DARK, and INSATIABLE are available in the Kindle store individually and in a box set. The fourth book in the Sydney Rye series STRINGS OF GLASS is due out Mid-Summer 2013. /

If you've read Emily's work, and enjoyed it, please let Emily know. You can reach her via email ejkimelman@gmail.com

http://emilykimelman.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/EmilyKimelman
@ejkimelman

Buy links for all books at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Emily-Kimelman/e/B004YG4PPC/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1



Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/emily-kimelman

ExcerpTuesday: Kathy Wheeler

Lies That Bind Blurb

Would a modern day woman marry for convenience to protect the identity of her daughter? Yes! But, Kelly Mancer doesn’t want a man. Any man. But danger has a way of changing a woman’s mind.

Alex Gentry needs Kelly Mancer, but convincing her to help him in his pursuit of a dangerous enemy who’s enamored his younger sister would not be easy. Soon the tables turn and Kelly becomes the prey. Alex may save his sister, but at what cost?

Excerpt

. . .Kelly slid under the water to rinse the conditioner from her tangled hair. Let the heat seep into her sore muscles. She stayed under until she was forced to rise for air.

“Comfortable?”

“What the f…”

“Uh- uh-uh,” Alex reprimanded, wagging a finger.

She sputtered water. “Where’s Taylor?”

“Happily, cleaning the kitchen, on her own.” He grinned, turning her insides to mush.

“You bribed her?”

“Of course not. I told you, she’s happy to do it.” Alex sat on the closed seat of the toilet, legs stretched before him crossed at the ankles, arms folded, holding a piece of paper.

“You should respect my privacy.”

“I am. I’m sitting over here, aren’t I? When I’d rather be in there.” He pointed. “With you. Besides, I brought you more coffee.” “You did?” She’d forgive him anything for that. Her irritation shifted to gratitude.

Alex handed over a new cup to her outstretched hand. One glance, showed he’d doctored it. Most likely perfect. His eyes, burning with heat, never lifted from the water.

“Did you want something, barging in here?” She eyed the paper he held warily.

He looked up quickly, clearing his throat. “Oh, yes. I…I wanted to ask if you were all right?”

“I’m fine,” she said. “Thank you for asking.”

“And I want to talk to you about Sa…” “We don’t have to talk about sex.”

“Sex?” he echoed. Alex shook his head, drawing a quick smile from her. Apparently, he’d been as affected as she. “No, I want to talk about Streets.”

“Now?”

“Can you think of a better time?” He leaned forward and dropped a kiss on her lips. “You’re naked, warm.”

Her cheeks flamed. “What’s that in your hand?”

“This?” Alex waved the paper in the air. “Colorado marriage requirements. I just printed them. Off Colorado’s state site.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped. “We are not getting married. I told you last night, we could just say we did it back then.”

“Did it?” he repeated, narrowing his eyes on her.

That bland tone might land him in the lake, she fumed. Or the creek. It didn’t matter to her.

“Kelly, think of Taylor. If Streets saw you with her, he might put the timeline together. Maybe demand a DNA test. If we were to marry, no one would question anything if we made the union legal. People will think what we want them to think. Even that bastard.”

Damn it, he had a point. She narrowed her eyes on him. “What makes you think I’ll see Streets? You said there wasn’t any chance.”

“Just in case,” he hedged.

Kelly stopped as his words penetrated. “Are you telling me…” The need to think was overcome by the onslaught of a panic attack. Her chest constricted with her ability to breathe. “There’s a chance…You’re telling her there’s chance I’ll see¬—” She couldn’t even say his name, at this point. She’d kill Alex. But first she’d marry the son of a bitch and take him for everything he owned.

Bio

Kathy L Wheeler (a.k.a. Kae Elle Wheeler for her historical fiction) has a BA degree from the University of Central Oklahoma in Management Information Systems that includes over forty credit hours of vocal music. As a computer programmer the past fifteen years, she utilizes karaoke for her vocal music talents. Other passions include fantasy football, NBA and musical theatre. She is a long time member of several RWA Chapters, including DARA, and The Beau Monde, and now serves as Programs Director for the OKRWA Chapter. As an avid reader of romance and patron of the theatre, her main sources of inspiration come from mostly an over-active imagination. She currently resides in Edmond, Oklahoma with her musically talented, attorney husband, Al, and their bossy cat, Carly.

http://kathylwheeler.com
http://twitter.com/kathylwheeler
http://facebook.com/kathylwheeler
buy link: http://kathylwheeler.com/?portfolio=lies-that-bind

Winter’s Heat

by Cristin Harber
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BLURB:

After putting her life on the line to protect classified intelligence, military psychologist Mia Kensington is on a cross-country road trip from hell with an intrusive save-the-day hero. Uninterested in his white knight act, she’d rather take her chances without the ruggedly handsome, cold-blooded operative who boasts an alpha complex and too many guns.

Colby Winters, an elite member of The Titan Group, has a single objective on his black ops mission: recover a document important to national security. It was supposed to be an easy in-and-out operation. But now, by any means necessary becomes a survival mantra when he faces off with a stunning woman he can’t leave behind.

When Titan’s safe houses are compromised, Colby stashes Mia at his home, exposing his secret—he’s the adoptive father of an orphaned baby girl. Too soon, danger arrives and Mia lands in the hands of a sadistic cartel king with a taste for torture. As hours bleed into fear-drenched days, Colby races across the globe and through a firestorm of bullets to save the woman he can’t live without.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt

Excerpt: First Kiss Between Colby Winters and Mia Kensington. They’re in a truck, driving down a deserted highway after a gunfight.

She smelled like vanilla and sugar, even after the hell she’d been through that day. Her soft hair brushed up against his bare bicep. Unsettled need prickled down his neck. His throat tightened, and fire ran to his groin.

“Mia…” Distraction and anticipation stole words from his lips.

His heart pounded loud in his chest, fighting for his attention. With each flutter of her eyelashes and innocent movement against his skin, his tension spiked. It was shocking. He was on the job. There was no time for distraction. Losing control was unheard of. Unacceptable.

His arm was cemented around her shoulder, and it wasn’t moving. He stared as the broken white lines on the highway passed in quick revolutions, one right after another. The hum of the truck’s engine poked at his concentration.

He needed to get out of this truck. He needed cool, fresh air to cover him. Right now. Deep, mind-clearing breaths were in order as soon as possible. Anything to get his disciplined mind back to what it did best—analyze, act, accomplish.

Winters made a sharp exit off the highway onto an unlit ramp. He jammed on the brakes. Gravel spit from under the truck. The back end skidded and fishtailed before it came to a stop. His heart thumped. His throat tightened. The faint scent of burned rubber filtered into the pickup cab.

Oh, what the hell. No way was he getting out of this truck.

As fast as he pulled off the road, he brought her close to his face, and without even a second to hover over her, he crushed his lips onto hers. Her tense mouth gasped a breath, then melted. The hot caress of her tongue sent explosions from his chest to the palms of his hands. The pounding in his heart didn’t get any better. It only pushed his racing pulse faster, making it gallop wild, as intoxicating rockets flamed inside him.

Insanity. She was delicious insanity.

In between breathless pants, wicked want fired. Her lips were full. Her kiss was better than he expected, and hell, he expected a whole lot. She stoked him faster than he could ever remember. A kiss unlike any other kiss. There was no denying that.

He knotted a hand in her hair, held her to him, and devoured her. The press of her silken flesh made him hunger for more. His breathing deteriorated into a desperate rasp of torture. With each inhalation, he smelled, tasted, and consumed feminine beauty. This angel was a vixen in disguise, and God help him, he wanted her.

Her small hands wrapped into his T-shirt, then she stroked his stomach, flexing her fingertips against the fabric and straining against him. He dropped his lips to her neck, and she moaned. That perfect purr fanned his desperation. Her goose bumps flashed under his tongue’s caress, and she shuddered with each whipping kiss.

She tasted of sweat and tear gas, of soft woman, and carnal ambition. There wasn’t a timid thing about Mia. Who was he to assume what she wanted? To think she needed soothing and caring? It seemed all she needed was him. Hard. Tough. Possessive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Cristin Harber
Romantic Suspense Author: Higher Stakes. Hotter Action.
Bio:

MOM. WIFE. AUTHOR. Lover of all things sexy and happily ever after.

I live outside Washington, DC with my family: my husband (who doesn’t mind my collection of book boyfriends), an independent toddler, and an English bulldog named Britta who loves to be a conversation piece. Oh, we have a baby on the way—arriving about the same time as WINTERS HEAT debuts!

I love southern food, listen to country music, am always too hot or too cold, and spend hours reading and writing. I cheer on my University of Louisville Cardinals-GO CARDS! When I’m not pregnant (or nursing), I like a little bourbon or sweet wine. Pregnant or not, I love a lot of chocolate.

I can’t save the world, so instead, I write about those that do. There’s a special place in my heart for those who keep us safe. My Titan series debuts this fall with five titles available in 2013: WINTERS HEAT, GARRISON’S CREED, WESTIN’S CHASE, CHASED, and GAMBLED.

Buy Links
Amazon: http://amzn.to/18mlNVe
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1ful6Rf
iTunes: http://bit.ly/19KIAdD
B&N: http://bit.ly/16Jaogh
All Romance: http://bit.ly/155v3On
Links:
NEWSLETTER signup for series info: http://bit.ly/11aWFzM
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/7192034.Cristin_Harber
WEBSITE: http://cristinharber.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/cristinharberauthor
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/CristinHarber

Echo Prophecy (Echo Trilogy, #1)

by Lindsey Fairleigh
BLURB:

“…we only see what we want to see…what we expect to see…”

Discover what’s hidden—a powerful, mythic race, an ancient Egyptian prophecy, and a love strong enough to shatter the boundaries of time.

Alexandra Larson isn’t human…but she doesn’t know that. As far as Lex is concerned, she’s simply an ambitious and independent archaeology grad student with a knack for deciphering ancient languages, especially the various forms of Egyptian. When she’s recruited to work on her dream excavation, her translating skills uncover the secret entrance to an underground Egyptian temple concealed within Djeser-Djeseru—the famous mortuary temple of Queen Hatchepsut. Lex is beyond thrilled by her discovery…as is the enigmatic and alluring excavation director, Marcus Bahur.

As the relationship between Lex and Marcus heats up, a series of shocking revelations leave the young archaeologist reeling. Once Lex discovers the truth of her ancient Egyptian roots—the truth of her more-than-human nature—the people she trusts most make one final, terrifying revelation: Lex is the central figure of a four-thousand-year-old prophecy. She is the only thing standing between the power to alter the very fabric of time and an evil megalomaniac…who also happens to be her father. As events set in motion over four millennia ago lead Lex and Marcus from Seattle to the heart of Egypt, the fate of mankind depends on one thing: the strength of Lex’s love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EXCERPT

“I thought you might like to see this,” Marcus said softly as he set a flat, wooden box on top of the papers scattered on my desk. Through the glass top, I could see an impeccable, hieroglyph-covered stone tablet.

“Marcus,” I said without taking my eyes from the object in front of me. “Is this—”

“Yes.”

“But where’s the other one? You said there were two.” I was leaning closer to the glass, trying to get a better look at the box’s contents.

“It’s unrelated to our present work.”

I barely heard his words, entranced as I was by the slab of smooth, gray-green schist.

“Lex—”

“Can I open it?” I interrupted, eagerness evident in my voice. I looked up at him, pleading with my eyes.

Marcus grinned and nodded.

“Oh. Wow.” With the glass lid removed, the artifact was even more amazing. Shaped like a closed parabola, the dark stone tablet looked like it could have been carved only a few days earlier. Every inch was untouched by the usual rigors of time. “Where’d you say you found this?” I whispered.

“I didn’t,” Marcus said, avoiding the question.

I gently closed the glass lid and faced him. “Okay, he-who-can’t-answer-an-implied-question, then where did you find it? And when?”

Across the room, one of the other men coughed in a way that sounded suspiciously like an attempt to cover up a laugh.

The corner of Marcus’s mouth quirked, but I couldn’t tell if he was hiding a smile or a frown.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lindsey Fairleigh lives her life with one foot in a book--as long as that book transports her to a magical world or bends the rules of science. Her novels, from post-apocalyptic to time travel and historical fantasy, always offer up a hearty dose of unreality, along with plenty of adventure and romance. When she's not working on her next novel, Lindsey spends her time reading and trying out new recipes in the kitchen. She lives in the Napa Valley with her loving husband and confused cats.

Links:
Website: http://www.lindseyfairleigh.com/
Blog: http://lindseyfairleigh.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindsFairleigh
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lindsey-Fairleigh/220345161400603
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18038336-echo-prophecy
Newsletter sign-up: http://eepurl.com/BSdK5
Purchase links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EIV14HK
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/echo-prophecy-lindsey-fairleigh/1116424458?ean=2940148708094
KOBO: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/echo-prophecy
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/346983

ExcerpTuesday: A Song for Sophie

by Mackenzie Crowne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BLURB:

Jobless, practically homeless, and tired of being manless, Sophie Taylor jumps at the chance to be Beaumont Walker’s personal assistant. Six weeks on the road with country music’s bad boy—and, more importantly, his all-male crew—is the perfect opportunity to change her life.

Beau Walker doesn’t need any more distractions. Sophie, with her butt-ugly suits and balls-to-the-wall attitude, shouldn’t be one, but she proves to be distracting and more—even, surprisingly, a friend. So when he discovers her plan to snag a man from his worldly wise crew, he’s determined to protect her from herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EXCERPT

“Don’t you have something you’re supposed to be doing? I assume we’re paying you. Go earn your paycheck.”

“Oh, you’re paying me.” She allowed the secret smile to curl her lips in an actual one. “And I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”

“What’s that? Boring me to death?”

She dropped her oversized purse to the floor and took the chair next to him. It was a very comfortable recliner, and large enough that her arm didn’t reach the handle to lift the footrest. Feeling around blindly, she sat forward, and hanging half way over the arm, grasped the control. A quick tug and the footrest snapped up, and the back of the chair fell into the recline position, making her squeak.

Beau shook his head.

She tugged at the hem of her skirt to make sure it didn’t ride up, squirming until she’d settled herself. With her ankles crossed, she plopped her hands and forearms on the cushioned arms of the chair and looked at him.

“I’m keeping you busy.”

“Huh?”

“I’m keeping you busy. You asked what I was supposed to be doing. That’s what I’m supposed to be doing.”

“Well, quit it. You’re pissing me off.”

“Oh, yeah,” she drawled, “like that’s hard to do.”

“Have I fired you yet today?”

“No.”

“You’re fired.”

He really was funny when he was trying to look menacing. She laughed and held his glare. “Geez, you’re cranky.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I'm a wife, mother, and grandmother (a really young one). My husband and I were blessed with two rambunctious little boys who we managed to raise into wonderful men without any disfiguring mishaps. Dirt bikes and ESPN are the order around our house, and life at the 'Testosterone Ranch' more closely resembles one of today's wacky reality shows, than yesterday's 'Leave It To Beaver'.

I'm one of eight kids, raised just north of Boston. I moved to Phoenix as an adult because living in the southwest feeds my soul. My childhood was a free-for-all, chock full of laughter, love, family and friends. I was raised on the concept that a stranger is just one conversation away from being a friend and I'm happy to say, that experience remains true today.

My love of books, specifically the romance genre, has been a lifelong affair, both as a reader and a writer. A bout with breast cancer sharpened my resolve to see my stories shared with others. Today, I am a five-year survivor, living my dream.

My friends call me Mac. I hope you will too.

Mac’s Links:
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Mackenzie-Crowne/e/B007YH4QZ2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
mackenziecrowne.com: http://mackenziecrowne.com/wp/
FaceBook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MackenzieCrowne
Twitter @maccrowne: https://twitter.com/MacCrowne
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5821344.Mackenzie_Crowne
Http://amzn.com/B00ES5J6LW

Authorsday: Sarah E.Glenn

How long have you been writing?

I started writing and drawing Black Stallion fan fiction in elementary school. I've been at it a while.

Do you plot, or do you write by the seat of your pants?

I am a pantser. I usually have to write a bunch of stuff before I figure out what the real story is about. Then, in the case of a novel, I set up a calendar and put things in order. With a short story, I just list a sequence of events if it's necessary. If I succeed, I finish the story. If not, I get a trunk novel or story snippet.

What was the first novel you wrote? Did you try to publish it?

I never finished my first novel, which I wrote in longhand. I got sixty pages in and stalled because I didn't know how to proceed after I killed the old rich guy. Yes, it took sixty pages. I realize now that the story I was writing had taken on its own life and was not the one I had intended. Maybe one day I'll know where it should go, but till then it will stay a trunk novel.

How many rejections have you received?

Enough to know how much it hurts to get one, even when it's not personal and has nothing to do with whether a story sucks or not. Sometimes, the story doesn't suit the publication, but it's still my child and rejection hurts. Becoming an editor means that now I am the one sending the rejects, and I wince every time I do.

What was the best writing advice someone gave you?

It wasn't advice per se, but majoring in journalism helped me overcome my writers' shyness. 'Back In The Day', our classroom was filled with typewriters and stacks of paper. We'd enter the room, and facts would be written on the board. The professor would inform us that we had X number of minutes (usually 15-30) to bang out an article that was X number of double-spaced pages. The articles were taken up, but rarely given back unless we'd displayed egregious errors in spelling or grammar. Years later, I realized that the lesson was in providing text on deadline, not writing well. Later, of course, we took editing.

Describe your book.

In All Hallows' Evil, I was looking for mysteries that were really interwoven with Halloween in one way or another. While choosing the stories, I had to think about how to define a mystery; I received many submissions that were straight-up horror. I like horror just fine, but that's not what I asked for. I decided that the story should contain a crime and preferably involve some investigation. Neither necessarily had to involve human agents. There are some good old-fashioned shootings and head-bashings, but there are other stories with paranormal elements. In one tale, 'An Echo of Samhain', both the crime and the investigation are conducted with magic.

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

I'm good with spelling and grammar. Not perfect, but good. I read so much as a child that I developed a decent sense of what 'looks right' in a sentence. Later, I got a degree in journalism and spent some time as a grad student in classical languages, which helped me learn the whys and expanded my vocabulary. Oh--apparently, I am also funny.

What do you consider your weakness and what strategies do you use to overcome them?

I love making up characters, but plotting... well, that takes work. Writing mysteries is a bit of a challenge. I have to figure out what the crime was, who did it, how they did it, and then figure out how the detective is going to figure it out. My most successful strategy: asking myself what the characters are going to do instead of how they're going to 'deduce' stuff. I also watch Columbo reruns for tips. Every episode identifies the killer and the crime at the beginning of the story, and the entertainment comes from watching him solve the mystery.

What authors do you admire?

I love reading Louise Penny, Anne Perry, and Robin Cook. Each of them makes me think. Penny has a fantastic grasp of human nature and its failings, Perry takes us into human darkness and moral choices, and Cook shows us the consequences of medicine without ethics. Everyone remembers Coma, but he has written books exploring medical tourism in India, how the discovery of genetic markers of disease will affect our insurance, and why curing diabetes would be bad for some businesses. I usually avoid thought-provoking books and films, but these authors manage to do it by giving me a nice murder or two to puzzle over. I write nothing like them.

What is your favorite word?

In terms of usage, I'd say it probably had four letters. I do have a personal fondness, though, for the word 'defenestration'. Close followers are verisimilitude and soi-disant. My favorite German word is regenschirm. My favorite ancient Greek word is adyton.

Author Bio:

Sarah E. Glenn, a product of the suburbs, has a B.S. in Journalism, which is redundant if you think about it. She loves writing mystery and horror stories, often with a sidecar of funny. Several have appeared in mystery and paranormal anthologies, including G.W. Thomas’ Ghostbreakers series, Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine, and Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology. She belongs to Sisters in Crime, SinC Guppies, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and the Historical Novel Society. Before editing for Mystery and Horror LLC, Sarah edited two different newsletters and was a judge for the 2011 and 2012 Derringers.

Book Blurb:

Thirteen stories devoted to crime at Halloween. Sometimes the holiday is the impetus, other times it merely provides a stage on which crime comes to fruition. In this collection, you will discover that not all detectives or criminals are human. You will find tragedy in Detroit and comedy at a costume party. A murder play where one of the actors isn’t an actor. Incest alongside taxidermy. And the reason for the season.

Info on the book and how to buy it can be found at:
http://www.mysteryandhorrorllc.com

It will be on sale at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com . Launch date was September 18th.

Thanks again!

National Name Your Car Day

Anyone who reads more than one of my books, will probably get the idea that I love cars. In Blonde Demolition, my heroine Mallory has a car and a truck. In The Drinking Game, Jennifer has a Porsche 911. In Along Came Pauly, Daria has a classic Mustang.

I do love cars and driving. I know. Odd for a girl, well maybe not. Except for my first car, all of them have been stick shift. Yes, I love to drive.

I also love to name my cars. My first car, a used 1969 Ford Fairlane, was named by someone else, when he was drunk. He decided my car was named Tyrone. The name stuck and I've named every car I've had since then ( in the U.S.) except for one because it was a temporary arrangement and I really didn't like the car.

After the Fairlane was sold for scrap, I bought a light blue Datsun 210. Not a B-210, but a 210. This car brought me to University Park and helped me deliver pizza for three years while I went to school That was Buffy.

Then, as a graduation present, I bought myself a Mustang GT. 302 engine with a four barrel. Eight cylinders of American Muscle. Silver with some black on it that car was named The Beast. I loved that car, but is was a piece of crap.

Thus ended by foray into American cars. Next I bought an orange Toyota Celica I called The Pumpkin because the orange was that color.

That was sold when we moved to England. For some reason I didn't name the car I had in England. Nor my husband's. Not sure why.

Then my journey with German cars began. I had a Jetta that I called Wolfgang Jose. Wolfgang because it was a German car. Jose because it was actually built in Mexico. I cried when we sold that car because I brought both my kids home from the hospital in that car.

Next came my first mommy car, my Passat wagon. That was Dieter. My oldest son now drives Dieter. We could pack so much into that trunk.

Now I drive a used BMW X-3. Bright red. My first red car and I may never go back to another color again. This car is Otto.

And yes, i talk to Otto as if he is human. I've done that with all my cars.

Have you ever named your car?