Monday, June 6, 2016

Blonde Demolition On Sale

Mallory bit down and then yanked at the arm. Her meager strength came from another rush of adrenaline.
"Whoa, Mallory. It's just me."
The familiar voice froze her before she could do any damage. Oh crap. As if her day hadn't tanked already.

One by one she uncurled her fingers from around his wrist. Her shaking hands grasped the steering wheel, knuckles white.
Her eyes fell closed. If she had a list of people she never wanted to see again, his name would be at the top. Why here? Why now? This was the last thing she needed.
She steadied her breath and her gaze scanned the parking lot. No one stirred or walked to their car. She couldn't be seen with him. 
"Don't turn around. Just drive. I'll be hunkered down in the back."
She started the car and drove home. Her knuckles remained white. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I think you know."
Of course. "The bomb in our trailer?"
Emotions roiled her stomach. She'd have to stock up on antacids if Trey was back in her life. And she had just been thinking how nutty this week of fair preparations had been. Now it all looked so easy.

Her thoughts shifted to the events of the evening. Who had put the bomb there? It wasn't a prank if this guy was here. This was bigger than all of Coleville, Centre County.
She pulled in front of her house, a two-story Cape Cod set down a long driveway.
"We're here and no one can see you from the road," she said.
She got out of the car, leaving her guest to follow.


Sunday, June 5, 2016

Dancing with the Bad Guys


Thank you, Chris, for hosting me here today. You know, I get a real thrill when I come across a great bad guy or gal in crime fiction. A character I really love to hate. Unfortunately, not all writers take the same care in developing their antagonists as they do with their protagonists.
Writers put a lot of time and thought into creating their heroes, giving them backstories, motivation, even throwing in a few flaws, which they may or may not overcome. But they too often ignore their antagonists, which is a big mistake.

“Villains are some of the worst characters I meet in manuscripts, and not in a good way. What I mean is that they are frequently cardboard. Most are presented as purely evil: Mwoo-ha-ha villains, as we call them around the office.” Notes New York literary agent Donald Maass in The Breakout Novelist.
Even characters who merely oppose, rather than attack, the protagonist—and provide much-needed conflict in a novel—are often poorly developed. Without strong resistance, readers probably wonder why the protagonist has such a hard time in reaching his goal.


In my stories, I avoid completely evil antagonists because I can’t believe in them. No one is bad all the time. Antagonists lash out because of jealousy, fear or greed—feelings all of us have had. Some are driven by personal demons. And some antagonists can be sympathetic. What’s important is that they are well-rounded and believable.

I invest some time in creating my bad guys and gals, opening up their unexpected sides and justifying some of their actions. In my latest Pat Tierney mystery, Raven Lake, I have two antagonists. Both are smart and strong, as smart and as strong as Pat Tierney. One is driven by jealousy, the other by greed. I found myself really liking one of them. In other circumstances, I could see this character being my friend.

These are some of the things I like to explore in an antagonist:
·       What is his/her main problem, conflict or goal? What does he want the most?
·       Does that conflict with my protagonist’s goal?
·       How plausible is his motivation?
·       What is the opposite of what he wants? And can he want both things at the same time?
·       What are his good traits?
·       What are his secrets? Exposing them may reveal weaknesses he doesn’t want others to see.
·       What happened in his life that made him the way he is?
·       What three steps can he take towards his goal?
·       What three steps can he take away from his goal?
·       What prevents him from taking these steps away from his goal?
·       What’s at stake for him? What would be the consequences of failing to achieve his goal?
A well-rounded antagonist will enrich a novel and make plotting it easier. And a great villain can take a story to a whole new level.
* * *

Rosemary McCracken has worked on newspapers across Canada as a reporter, arts reviewer, editorial writer and editor. She is now a Toronto-based fiction writer and freelance journalist. Her first Pat Tierney mystery, Safe Harbor, was shortlisted for Britain’s Crime Writers’ Association’s Debut Dagger in 2010 and published by Imajin Books in 2012. It was followed by Black Water in 2013. “The Sweetheart Scamster,” a Pat Tierney mystery in the anthology Thirteen, was a finalist for a Derringer Award in 2014. Rosemary’s third Pat Tierney mystery, Raven Lake, has just been released. It is available at myBook.to/RavenLakeTierney.


Follow Rosemary on her blog, Moving Target, at http://rosemarymccracken.wordpress.com; on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RosemaryMcCracken.Author/; and on Twitter @RCMcCracken. Visit Rosemary’s website at http://www.rosemarymccracken.com/.




Friday, June 3, 2016

Once & Again


Book 2
by M.S. Kaye
She was once his secret desire… Will she be again?
Father Aiden, an ex-marine and new priest, falls in love with Maylynn, but he struggles to stay away from her. He’s successful for many years, though he can’t keep her out of his dreams.
Then one day she shows up for a pre-marital counselling session with her fiancĂ©, Davis. Aiden soon realizes Davis isn’t who he says he is, but what does that mean for Maylynn, and for himself?

Will be released August 4, 2016 from Inkspell Publishing.
Amazon preorder link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GIL5MO8
Author Bio:
M.S. Kaye has several published books under her black belt. A transplant from Ohio, she resides with her husband Corey in Jacksonville, Florida, where she tries not to melt in the sun. Find suspense and the unusual at www.BooksByMSK.com.
To receive news on upcoming releases, sign up for email updates on her website.
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Once, book one
Will be released July 2, 2016 from Inkspell Publishing.
Her first and also her once.
Jonathan and Rebecca’s paths cross at exactly the right moment, when each most needs to hear what the other has to say.
But Jonathan is three days from entering the priesthood, and Rebecca leaves him to his peace. But he is unable to find peace.
Without each other’s comfort and strength, they must each struggle to forge a new path, with only memories of the one day that changed everything.
But are they able to forget and let go?
Once & Forever, book three
Will be released December 2016 from Inkspell Publishing.
Eden, a nun, is constantly struggling against her dark past of living on the streets, and her attraction to Trace, an ex-convict farm worker. After a twelve-year separation, Eden is finally reunited with her brother, Thomas, but why hadn’t she reached out to him in all those years? As Eden and Trace grow closer, confessing their pasts to each other, will they be able to resist getting too close?
Excerpt:
“You’re studying to be a priest?”
He made himself meet her eyes. “I am a priest.”
She let go of his hand and stepped back.
Her smiled was tight. “I’m glad you found your path.”
Quiet.
He couldn’t quite read her expression. The distance between them felt like a gorge chiseled into the earth.
“Are you all right, Maylynn?” he asked.
“I’m really happy for you.” Then she added, “Father Aiden.”
For some reason, her words stabbed him in the gut. He usually liked when people used his title—it seemed to imply a certain amount of trust.
“I’m sorry, Maylynn.” He wasn’t entirely sure why he was apologizing. He just didn’t like to see her uncomfortable.
“I’m happy for you,” she repeated.
Then he realized what the problem was. He hadn’t anticipated this.
He moved closer. “I’m so sorry.”
Her forced smile finally dropped. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“It didn’t occur to me…”
“That I might be attracted to you?”
“Yes.”
“Why aren’t you wearing your collar?” Anger prickled the edge of her voice.
“My mother’s last wish was that I find my father. I’ve been following her notes. She was convinced he was somewhere in this area.”
“Wait… Your mother’s name was Adalina?”
He nodded. With the number of times the shelter was mentioned in the notes, he figured his mother and Maylynn had met.
A pause.
Anger flashed in her eyes. “You still should’ve told me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why’d you play with me like that?”
“I swear that wasn’t my intent.”
“You knew damn well what was going on. Was it a game—see if you still had it? If you could still get the chicks?”
Under the anger in her eyes, he saw the hurt. He swore he could feel it exactly, as if it was his own.
He shifted even closer, just in front of her. “I’m sorry,” he said again. His voice lowered, quieted. “I didn’t see what you were feeling because I was fighting so hard myself. I still am.”
“Fighting what?”
“What I felt the first time I saw you, what I’m still feeling.”
She waited, glaring at him.
“I’m attracted to you,” he said. “Intensely.”



Wednesday, April 20, 2016

DEAD MAN FLOATING: On sale



By Debra Purdy Kong

Chapter One

Security guard Evan Dunstan pedaled faster. He didn’t have to check his watch. He knew he was behind schedule thanks to Jenson Freakin’ Morlee, the world’s biggest supervisory douche bag. What in holy hell had he done to piss Jenson off this time? Or was the moron so bored that he thought it would be fun to make the bike patroller ride across Southwest Trades & Technology’s entire campus just to unlock a damn door for the janitors? The foot patrol guard in this zone could have handled the request. Judging from the radio silence, the newbie hadn’t had a busy shift.

Evan raced down the walkway next to the stream that ran along the eastern perimeter of campus. It had rained an hour ago then stopped. But the April night air still felt so damp and heavy that Evan figured the sky would crack open and dump on him any second. Thank god his shift was nearly over.

He’d almost reached the footbridge when a large dark blob in the stream caught his attention. Shit. When would people stop dumping bags of garbage in the damn water? With a new subdivision being built north of campus, a light industrial area to the west, plus six crowded dorms on the premises, the culprit could be anyone. Evan skidded to a stop and frowned. Although floodlights from the engineering building cast some light on the narrow stream, it was too dark to clearly see the bag. Wait a sec. Something was off. What was that white stuff protruding from the bag?

Propping the kickstand, Evan removed the small flashlight attached to his belt then stepped nearer the water. Oh shit! It was a hand! A freakin’ hand! And legs! He moved the flashlight up the body until he spotted the grey fringe circling a bald head that glowed like a moon. Evan shivered. Was the guy alive? He wouldn’t have to perform CPR, would he? That first-aid course last year didn’t go so well after he broke that manikin.

“Hey!” Evan called out. “Can you hear me?”


No response. Sweat broke out on Evan’s back. He glanced around for help but no one was around. Where the hell was the foot patrol guy anyway? He was supposed to help monitor water levels whenever it rained. On his knees, Evan extended his arm and touched the wrist. Oh, man. Ice cold.

BIO:

Debra has published more than one hundred short stories, essays, and articles for publications including Chicken Soup for the Bride’s Soul, B.C. Parent Magazine, and The Vancouver Sun. Her criminology studies and experience as a patrol and communications officer in security, provided inspiration for her Casey Holland mysteries and Evan Dunstan novella, Dead Man Floating.

BACK COVER BLURB:

One wrong decision…

Security guard Evan Dunstan didn’t expect to find a body floating in a campus stream. An empty vodka bottle nearby suggests that the highly despised George Krenn, head of the plumbing department, had drunkenly fallen in. Refusing to let the death of a vile man ruin his romantic plans, Evan decides to leave the body for the next shift to find.


One friend in trouble…

When it’s discovered that Krenn was murdered, Evan has a lot of explaining to do. So does his friend Sully, Krenn’s least favourite student. Evan uses his hacking skills and campus knowledge to keep them both out of jail, but the investigation forces him to question Sully’s innocence.

One mystery to solve…

Uncovering the truth proves to be more than challenging. It may cost Evan his job, his friendship, and his woman. Will Evan find the killer, or will the killer find him first? 

DEADMAN FLOATING is on sale for $.99 from April 17-23rd!

Available from:




Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Descent: On Sale


Day One: November 28th

Death swept up the mountain and across the frigid snow, giving no warning, no threatening growl, just spreading tendrils, searching for a victim while Stone Mountain Resort buzzed with energy, unaware of the impending doom.
Kalin Thompson gunned the engine of her snowmobile, forced its skis over a mogul, and sped toward the summit of the Alpine Tracks run. The Holden ski team owned the race course for next twenty minutes, and when the local team finished, Kalin planned to ski the gates, just for one run, just for the adrenaline rush.
Her sled hit a patch of ice and slid toward a chairlift tower. She gripped the handlebar and leaned left, edging around the structure, brushing the metal side with her ski pants. Damaging equipment five days into being the director of security at the resort would not impress her boss. She regained control and drove toward the summit. Exhilarated by the ride, she skidded to a stop beside Ben Timlin and let out a whoop.
Giving her a wink that could seduce even the coldest of hearts, Ben said, “Enjoying yourself?”
Kalin glanced around and checked no one was looking in their direction. She leaned over the handlebar, their ski helmets thudded, and she kissed Ben. “I am now.”
At the starting gates, a super-G racer sliced his skis backward and forward, leaning hard on his poles in an aggressive stance, anticipating the signal to launch onto the course. Frozen breath exploded from his lungs as he waited for the skier ahead of him to clear the course.
Kalin undid her helmet’s strap and pulled her neck tube over her chin. “How’s the training going?”
“Not great. I’m surprised Coach Jenkinson hasn’t cancelled the session.”
“Why?”
“More than half the racers either slid off the course or fell. One sprained his ankle.”
“Snow injection?”
“Yup, the course is a skating rink.”
Stone Mountain’s one hundred and fifty-six-person chairlift covered five meters per second from the bottom of the Alpine Tracks ski run to the summit, and the lift clanged around the unloading station, dropping skiers and their gear several meters from where Ben and Kalin waited. Kalin counted the last of the team members arriving at the summit. Six skiers still had runs to conquer before she could ski.


DESCENT BLURB

When Kalin Thompson is promoted to Director of Security at Stone Mountain Resort, she soon becomes entangled in the high-profile murder investigation of an up-and-coming Olympic-caliber skier. There are more suspects with motives than there are gates on the super-G course, and danger mounts with every turn.

Kalin’s boss orders her to investigate. Her boyfriend wants her to stay safe and let the cops do their job. Torn between loyalty to friends and professional duty, Kalin must look within her isolated community to unearth the killer’s identity.

KRISTINA BIO

Kristina Stanley is the best-selling author of the Stone Mountain Mystery Series. Her first two novels garnered the attention of prestigious crime writing organizations in Canada and England. Crime Writers of Canada nominated DESCENT for the Unhanged Arthur award. The Crime Writers’ Association nominated BLAZE for the Debut Dagger. Her short stories have been published in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and The Voices From the Valleys anthology. She is also the author of THE AUTHOR’S GUIDE TO SELLING BOOKS TO NON-BOOKSTORES.


LINKS
I’ve put the booklinker link first, but not sure if it will work for you. If not, use the second link.




Monday, April 18, 2016

The Traz. On Sale

Blurb:

The Traz: Cops vs bikers on the Alberta prairie—oh, and throw in a thirteen-year old girl.

THE TRAZ excerpt:

Katrina looked past the parking lot to the brilliant autumn colours. This used to be her favourite time of the year, with the fire of the foliage under the mellow glow of a sun riding low on the horizon, the honking of geese flying white against the azure sky. Hunting with Grandpa...
The sound of traffic rattled her window and she slid open her eyes. A diesel truck was grinding its way out of the parking lot and a motorcycle was roaring in. The Harley stopped right outside her window. The rider dismounted and tossed his jacket over the seat. Katrina caught sight of the emblazoned orange letters of The Traz motorcycle gang on the black leather....
She turned to watch the biker enter. He was about her dad's age. Unlike her father though, he was a huge man in both height and weight. A tapestry of tattoos snaked up his bulging arm muscles and disappeared under his T-shirt. He could've sat in any seat in the diner, but he slid onto the bench across from her.



She knew she should be afraid of him, but there was something about him—perhaps his eyes or the tilt of his lips—something suggesting that his rugged appearance was a disguise. There was definitely an aura of mystery about the man.
"Sarina," she introduced, reaching for a handshake.
"Shrug," he thundered in a voice that matched his size. He made no move to take her hand.
 She could tell the man wanted something from her. What it was, she couldn't fathom. She judged from his refusal to touch her that it likely wasn't sex.
His face was a block of carved features, topped with a shock of short brown hair. He had the strangest grey eyes she'd ever seen: eyes that looked as if they were drawing everything into them.
He looked briefly at the waitress. "Coffee," Shrug ordered and then continued staring at Katrina.
She matched Shrug's gaze until he lifted his eyes to accept his mug of coffee....
The thought that he wanted her for something when no one else did, enticed her...
A long silence passed between them before he picked up his coffee cup and drained it. He set the cup down.
"Wanna ride?" he asked, motioning his head toward the Harley.


Purchase Links:
The Traz School Edition -   https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/331566 
Short Author bio:

Canadian author, Eileen Schuh has published three novels in her ongoing gritty Young Adult BackTracker Series: The Traz, Fatal Error, and Firewalls. The Traz also comes in a School Edition. As well, she has to her credit two adult science fiction novellas, Schrödinger's Cat and Dispassionate Lies and the adult crime thriller, Shadow Riders.

Born Eileen Fairbrother on a small farm near Tofield, Alberta, Canada, she now lives with her husband in Alberta’s northern boreal forest in the St. Paul area.  In addition to writing, she enjoys speaking to youth and adults about the magic of literacy and the social and personal issues addressed in her novels.


Schuh recently retired from a life of careers that varied from nurse to journalist to editor to business woman.

She invites you to visit her online:





Saturday, April 16, 2016

Shower Yourself with Savings

Shower yourself with ebooks from Imajin Books during our Spring Showers eBook Sale April 17 – 23.
 
All single titles will be on for $0.99. This includes Qwickies.
Trilogy bundles will be $1.99.
Other bundles & anthologies will be $2.99.

Exceptions: 
STAIRWAY TO AWESOMENESS - $1.99
THE ELFLING PRINCESS - $1.99