Tag: blog
Christoph Fischer shares his review of one of the books on my soon to be read list, by great pantser Teagan Geneviene
This is a very enjoyable murder story set in the 1920s. Pip, Granny Phanny and a whole bunch of alliterated characters populate the story of surprisingly strong suspense with equally surprising tur…
Source: Mystery Mondays Review: “Murder at the Bijou” by Teagan Riordain Geneviene | writerchristophfischer
If you’re a writer of short stories, you shouldn’t miss this opportunity from Sally Cronin!
If you have not heard, I am packing my bags, polishing my dancing shoes and working with weights to get my arms hugging fit. I am off on June 9th to London so that I can finally attend one of the …
Hi all:
As you know on Fridays I bring you new books and new authors. Today I do both. I met Ana Spoke through her blog, where she shares her adventures in writing, promoting, creating covers… She tells it all exactly as it is, and will give you names, numbers and everything in between. Here is her blog, if you don’t believe me.
After reading about her adventures in publishing, promoting and about her book, I knew I had to bring her here, as I was convinced if you hadn’t met her you’d enjoy it as much as I do.
So, here she is:
Ana Spoke is the author of Shizzle, Inc, which has been prominently featured in Top 100 Amazon bestseller lists since its release in September 2015. She is currently working on the second instalment of the Isa Maxwell series. Ana lives in Australia with her fiancé.
You can connect with Ana on her:
Blog:http://anaspoke.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14260090.Ana_Spoke
Twitter: @spokeana
Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Ana-Spoke/e/B0152TTNYC/
And her book, Shizzle, Inc.
Isa Maxwell is an average busty blonde, a recent graduate of a community college, and rap-loving, gun-toting, self-proclaimed badass. More than anything else, Isa wants to be discovered, so that she can solve her financial woes and win back Brad, the love of her life.
Thanks to her clumsiness, street smarts, and an unbelievable bit of luck, Isa lands a dream job at Shizzle, Inc. Things start to look up when Mr. Hue, the playboy billionaire owner of Shizzle, Inc takes Isa under his wing. Isa even gets a number of new love interests, but all is not what it seems. In fact, absolutely nothing is what it seems.
Can Isa survive the tough world of corporate intrigue and constant looming bodily harm? Or will her efforts be the end of Shizzle, Inc and possibly her life?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014XFQPZ6/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B014XFQPZ6/
http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B014XFQPZ6/
Thanks so much to Ana for her book, thanks to all of you for reading, and if you’ve enjoyed it, like, share, comment, and CLICK!
Hi all:
It’s Friday, and as you know, on Fridays I bring you guest authors and new books. Today I have the pleasure to bring you an author, blogger and friend (so far we’ve only met in the blogosphere, but we keep talking about meeting in person at some point soon), Sally Cronin. Her blog is unmissable. You can find there advice on nutrition and health issues, interviews and features about authors, artists, musicians… advice on publishing and writing, special features and series (like her Christmas Grotto suggestions for Christmas presents), and her own stories. Recently she shared with her readers her magical Tales from the Garden and after much insistence from her readers she decided to publish them in book format. And here they are. When I offered Sally to feature her new book here she send me this ‘Behind the Scenes’ feature especially for you. I hope you enjoy it!
Tales From The Garden – Behind the scenes – by Sally Cronin
My thanks to Olga for sharing her blog with me today so that I can cover some more behind the scenes background on the guardians from my latest book Tales from the Garden.
The gardener, who stayed on when the previous owners left the house, had obviously been following their instructions to hide Snow White and the seven dwarves on a back ledge out of sight. To be fair we did try to get rid of them to various friends over the years that had children, but without much success.
Eventually we felt sorry for them as they looked so forlorn on the windswept ledge where they were being used as target practice by the swallows. Snow white had been released from exile and was on one of the front balconies and judging by the mischievous looks on the dwarves faces it may have been out of choice.
There is a corner at the top of the garden with a stone table and bench seats. It gets shade in the hot summers and is a perfect place for children to play safely. We relocated the boys up there including one which seemed to have formed an attachment to a rather large rabbit. When I was coming up with names for the various gardens I felt that I would not get away with calling it Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, so Pearly Girl and the Stoned Band came into being.
They became an integral part of several of the stories and I have become very attached to them. Here they are in their new spot in the garden.
About Tales from the Garden.
Tales from the Garden is a collection of fairy stories and 80 illustrations, for children of all ages, from five to ninety-five that will change the way you look at your garden forever.
The tales reveal the secrets that are hidden beneath hedges and trees and you will discover what really happens at night as you sleep unaware in your bed. Stone statues and those hidden worlds within the earth are about to share their stories.
The guardians who have kept this sanctuary safe for over fifty years will allow you to peek behind the scenes of this magical place. They will take you on a journey through time and expand your horizons as they transport you to the land of fairies, butterflies and lost souls who have found a home here.
The book is available at a substantial discount via my own website: http://moyhill.com/tales
Also at Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0180Q6CKM
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0180Q6CKM
About Sally Cronin.
Sally Cronin spent a number of years in each of the following industries – Retail, Advertising and Telecommunications, Radio & Television; and has taken a great deal of inspiration from each.
She has written short stories and poetry since a very young age and contributed to media in the UK and Spain. In 1996 Sally began studying nutrition to inspire her to lose 150 lbs. and her first book, Size Matters published in 2001, told the story of that journey back to health. This was followed by another seven books across a number of genres including health, humour and romance. These include Just Food For Health, Size Matters, Just an Odd Job Girl, Sam, A Shaggy Dog Story, Flights of Fancy anthology, Turning Back the Clock and Media Training.
All these can be found on Amazon or Smashwords.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sally-Georgina-Cronin/e/B003B7O0T6
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/SallyGCronin
For the last two years Sally has written a daily blog covering the subjects close to her heart including writing, health and music: Smorgasbord Invitation – Variety is the Spice of Life. You can link to it from here: smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com.
Connect to Sally on social media.
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/sallycronin1
https://twitter.com/sgc58
https://www.facebook.com/sally.cronin
https://www.facebook.com/sallygeorginacronin
https://plus.google.com/+SallyCronin/about
Thank you again Olga for allowing me to share my guardians here today.
Thanks to Sally for bringing us her enchanting book, thanks to all of you for reading, and if you’ve enjoyed it, you know what to do, like, share, comment and CLICK!
Hi all:
As you know, on Fridays I bring you guest authors and new books. Sometimes I keep reading and commenting on people’s blogs (and vice versa) and I’m convinced I’ve talked about the author’s books, and then realise that’s not the case. That happened to me with Peter Wells (and his blog Counting Ducks). We read and comment on each other’s posts, and I even remembered having read reviews about his book, but I had yet to feature him. Well, finally, here he is.
Peter Wells, who has lived by the maxim, “If you can meet with triumph and disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same” has had a life, working in the corporate, financial and self-employed worlds, and in his spare time has enjoyed adventures on a number of continents and sailing over several seas. His writing is inspired by his working and traveling life, and the people he has met through them. He now lives just south of London and is the proud father of three daughters.
Author Page
http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Wells/e/B00J1IHSUC/
And his books:
Living Life Backwards by Peter Wells
Having spent his childhood in a barren emotional wasteland overseen by a father who valued order above feeling, Bill finally meets a woman who leads him to a place he can call home. Arriving in the small coastal town in England with his new wife, he finds that he is quickly assimilated into her community and extended family. With his somewhat murky past behind him, he forges a new life within a solid, caring community and discovers what being valued means. As it happens, his wife appears to be overly interested in “organizing” everything and everyone around her, including her young cousin who is the apple of her father’s eye. Within the garden of Eden Bill knows he can show no interest in this apple called Misty. He knows the price of doing so, and the value of what he now enjoys. Will that be enough to protect him from desire? Luck is with him: she has no interest in him. But what if circumstances where to change and she looked at her world and him with new eyes. Would he cling to common sense? With the hand of a surgeon, Peter Wells gently probes the thoughts of the mundane to seek those corners that still long for adventure. Those bits and pieces of each of us that gaze out on the world and find something to settle on and wonder… Tenderly touching the wounded, lonely parts of his character’s hearts, Peter gently leads them to a destiny they never could have imagined on their own. When an Obsession knocks on the doors of your Paradise, should they remain closed?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940812542/
A great review. (By a fantastic blogger whom I also visit often and vice versa)
5.0 out of 5 starsWitty, wise and wonderful
ByLorna Leeon April 3, 2014
Peter Wells cannot be described as merely an accomplished breakout novelist. In his first book, as well as in his very popular blog, he has proven himself to be the most subtle of humorists, a most astute observer of human emotion and behavior, and the kind of philosopher I simply can’t get enough of.
This novel gets inside the minds and hearts of a cadre of characters that you won’t soon forget. Why? Because they are us–real, quirky, flawed, complex, dreamers, well-intended, unsure, conflicted, and presented with difficult situations through which they must navigate. Sound familiar? It should! It’s called life. And it’s messy. Peter captures how these people deal with their challenges in a way that only he can. It’s as if he has special spectacles through which he can see into a person’s (fictional or not) psyche. And he does it with a wit that I, as a humorist, envy.
As a writer, I know it’s best to show not tell. Let me give you a few snippets of Peter’s laser-like wit that cuts to the heart of his characters:
Of Misty, the object of much consternation, he tells us: “Through no fault of her own, she was more than averagely pretty, and this had made her a prize for those not necessarily interested in marriage.”
Of the protagonist’s (Bill’s) wife and mother-in-law complaining about their husbands: “Grumbling at low volume was their normality. Mother and daughter now joyously celebrating a common burden: men with no imagination.”
Of Bill’s (Peter’s) insightfulness: “Secrecy is often the strategy of the socially awkward or shy.” I very much related to that observation!
I could go on, but won’t. I don’t want to give away the many gems in this novel, which is a veritable treasure chest of jewels.
At the heart of it is the basic human dilemma: do you settle for a good enough safe life or do you risk it all for the fantasy dangling before you? Peter takes us on the ride with characters who grapple with the choices they make and the consequences of their choices. And what a ride it is.
Don’t make us wait too long, Peter, for another book. Until then, I remain a loyal follower of your blog on WordPress.
The Man Who Missed the Boat by Peter Wells
It should have been an ordinary Saturday morning. A short walk down his street to give a piano lesson at the home of a family he knew well. As it turned out, he knew them rather better than was good for him.
How much trouble can a well-intentioned piano teacher land in? Simon Baxter discovers that being “well-meaning” is sometimes not enough to protect you from the chaos in other people’s lives. Even an excessive sense of “good manners” can be disastrous in the wrong circumstances. Under pressure the unorganised desires kept strictly deep inside us can surface and bring chaos to the lives of ourselves and anyone near us.
Will our untrained hero make it safely across the river of life or, like so many of us, get swept up by the current of events towards an unplanned adventure?
In the sudden change from “Not being loved enough” to “Being loved too much, and by more than one women,” Simon finds out more about himself than he would like. Can he choose wisely, and live with the consequences?
In this, his second novel, Peter Wells continues to cast his gentle but penetrating light on those foibles and weaknesses which lie beneath the exterior of the apparently most ordered lives. Those hidden character traits which can, in the right circumstances, surface and toss their owner, and anyone around him or her, most unpleasantly.
http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Missed-Boat-ebook/dp/B00UF0ZOL0/
And the same reviewer repeats and loves it!
Wise, Witty, and Wonder-Filled
By Lorna Lee on April 14, 2015 (5 stars)
Resonating with the twinkle-eyed wit of Mark Twain and with the compassionate insight into the human condition reminiscent of Ernest Hemingway, Peter Wells presents his readers with a most engaging and delightful look at the twists of fate in the otherwise ordinary lives of the many characters who populate his latest book.
We get to know Simon (the kind hearted, often confused protagonist), Ruth (the jilted wife in an uneventful marriage), Giles (the regretful cheating husband whose former predictable life continues to spiral out of control), Amy (Ruth and Giles’ teenage daughter seeking stability from Simon, her piano teacher), Sadie (the wealthy woman who finds Simon’s brand of innocence quite alluring), Bobbie (an impetuous, heartless young woman who uses Giles for her own entertainment and crime spree), and Herman Melville (yes, that’s right, a frumpy man whose wife left him and who longs for Ruth’s attention).
When I say, “we get to know” these people, I truly mean it. We learn as much about these people as clergy learn about their confessors or therapists learn about their clients. We know their innermost thoughts and feelings because Peter takes us into their minds, hearts and souls. I was so awestruck at Peter’s ability to get inside each character so completely that I often stopped and reread passages of his prose.
Peter is able to seamlessly pop in and out of each character’s point of view by being the omniscient narrator of this story of a Simon, a simple piano teacher who stumbles into the family drama of one of his pupils. As the quintessential storyteller, he engages us by adding his own observations and cues us to pay attention to certain elements of the story and not to others, telling us what is important and what is “for another time.
Thanks to Peter Wells for his books, thanks to Lorna for her reviews, thanks to all of you for reading, and you know what to do, like, share, comment and CLICK!
Hola a todos:
No sé vosotros, pero a mí últimamente me ha dado por apuntarme a muchos webinars (seminarios por internet) de cosas varias, muchas dedicadas a la escritura o a marketing y promociones, aunque de todo hay (fui a una sobre como aumentar la productividad que me pareció muy útil). El día 22 participé en una que se llamaba ‘Secretos de la narración de historias’ organizada por Jane Friedman en la que el escritor Jerry Jenkins (que ha sido autor best seller del New York Times 21 veces) ofrecía sus trucos de escritura. Jerry Jenkins ofrece cursos y ha escrito sobre el tema, pero el webinar en cuestión era gratuito (aunque, naturalmente, al final te daban la opción a apuntarte a un par de sesiones más detalladas sobre el tema).
Yo, como supongo que muchos de vosotros, he leído sobre el tema, he ido a cursos, charlas y seminarios. Y es algo muy personal. Nunca se sabe qué puede inspirarnos o hacernos pensar. A mí me gustaron los consejos, el estilo del autor, y los toques personales. Por eso, aunque a grandes rasgos, aquí os traigo los puntos principales.
No quiero alargarme mucho, pero un par de notas:
En el primer punto, el recomienda el libro de Dean Koontz ‘How to Write Best Selling Fiction’ y resumió la estructura clásica así: mete a tus personajes en una terrible situación, lo que hagan para intentar salir de ella lo empeorará todo, llega un punto en que no parece que haya ninguna esperanza, y al final el héroe lo soluciona todo (utilizando la experiencia que ha acumulado por el camino).
En el punto 2, a lo que se refiere es que aunque hay que meter al personaje en situaciones terribles, es mejor no empezar la historia justo en ese punto, porque hay que hacer que los lectores conecten con el personaje y les importe. Hay que darles tiempo.
El punto 7, no encontré un color que se leyera bien, pero lo que recomienda es que los escritores lean. Lee tu género, pero lee también sobre la escritura y cómo escribir.
8) Sobre el punto de vista o la persona en la que escribir, su sugerencia (que iba más dirigida a gente que aún no tenga mucha confianza escribiendo, vamos, todos), es que a veces es más fácil escribir en primera persona (no en presente, que es algo más complicado), especialmente si puedes oír ‘hablar’ al personaje.
10) Como en la vida, si conocemos a alguien por primera vez, no nos cuentan su vida toda de golpe. El Sr. Jenkins no es un gran fan de los flashbacks, porque en su opinión, enlentecen la historia y la interrumpen.
11) Su comentario se refería específicamente al proceso de descubrimiento que tiene lugar mientras se escribe. Si vas desarrollando la historia gradualmente, el lector estará tan sorprendido como tú cuando llegue el desenlace.
12) Si el escritor siente alguna emoción mientras está escribiendo o releyendo la obra propia, eso se verá aumentado y ampliado en el caso del lector. Si te da miedo una historia de terror, o te da tristeza una escena, al lector aún más. Y si te aburre…
13) Si te quedas estancado, no estás solo. Hay mucha gente que puede ayudar, desde expertos, tutores, grupos de autores, libros, cursos…
Muchas gracias a Jerry Jenkins y a Jane Friedman por un webinar muy interesante, gracias a vosotros por leer, y is os ha interesado, dadle al me gusta, comentad, compartid, y haced CLIC!
Hi all.
If you’re regular reader of Lit. World Interviews you’ll recognise this post, but although originally I was only going to ask you a question, I thought I my as well share this with you too (especially because Canva proved very temperamental and it took me a great deal of time). But don’t miss the question at the end! Or to check the surprise! (sorry, things kept piling up!)
Here it goes:
I don’t know you, but I have recently been attending many webinars, on different topics. Recently (22nd October) I attended a free webinar organised by Jane Friedman that had Jerry Jenkins (21 times New York Times best selling author) as guest, on the Secrets of Storytelling.
I’ve read, listened to, and attended courses, lectures and seminars, on writing. And like all advice, some will resonate more with some people than others. Although the seminar seemed geared towards people who were trying to find their confidence writing (if one ever gets there) rather than seasoned scribblers, I enjoyed the personal wisdom and Jerry’s style of delivery, and I thought I’d try and bring you some nuggets from it, especially as I know that quite a few people are going for NaNoWriMo. I decided to try and make it less boring with images, but we shall see if it works…
Although most are self-explanatory, I thought I’d give a few pointers on some.
- Jerry Jenkins said that formulas don’t really work, as they make the story seem… well, formulaic, I guess. He referred to Dean Koontz How to Write Best Selling Fiction when talking about the classic structure. His brief summary was: Plunge your character into a terrible situation; everything he tries to do makes the situation worse; things look hopeless, and hero saves the day (by doing what he’s learned on the way).
- In reference to his previous point, he said that although you have to put your characters in extreme situations, it’s best not to start the novel at that point, because it’s better to build up the character so that the reader gets to care for him, or her (or them).
- I think it’s self-explanatory. Don’t hit the readers in the head with a hammer, although for him, there’s always a message, otherwise there’s no novel.
- There isn’t always romance in all novels (or movies, it might depend on genre) but it’s very common. He gave many examples of not very original ways of introducing the love interest (although referring to movies, characters bumping into each other, blind date…), but it all depends on how it’s done.
- His advice, that I’ve seen in many places, is that it’s best to get the story down once you get writing, and not try to edit at the same time. He said that he’d edit first thing the next day what he’d written the previous day. In the case of NaNoWriMo, unless your brain goes completely blank and can’t remember what you’ve written, it’s probably best to keep going…
- Nothing to add (unless it’s a peculiarity of a character).
- I couldn’t find a colour that would show well, so I’m transcribing: Writers are readers. Read in your genre, but also read about the craft of writing. He mentioned quite a few of his favourite books, but the world (or the library) is your oyster.
- In discussing point of view of the character he reminded the audience that it’s like the camera we see the action through. He mentioned the most common (first person narrated in past tense, or third person limited), and noted that perhaps for somebody starting to write, first person might be easier. He talked about his own experience of struggling with one of his stories and how he heard a particular character talking in the first person in his head, and that was it.
- This is a very personal take on the matter, but he observed that sometimes other characters in the story might take over and run with it.
- He didn’t seem to be a big lover of flashbacks explaining the background story, as he felt they slowed down the action. In real life we get to know people gradually.
- This one sounds a bit zen, but he referred to himself as a pantser, and said that sometimes you might get to a certain ending through writing the story, and that’s a perfect way to make sure that it’s surprising to the reader, because it’s a surprise to you too.
- If you’re worried, you’re in the right track. He referred to this as the ‘Exponential multiplication of emotions’ equation. If you feel sad at some point in your story, the reader will feel the same but magnified. And if you feel bored… well, you get the gist.
- You’re not alone. His message was that if you get stuck, there are many places where you can get help, be it virtual or real writers’ groups (his comments were invaluable but…), coaches, books, other writers…
You can check Jerry Jenkins’s page here
He offers courses, including one was promoting seminars later in October, but you can check his page and that of Jane for more information if you’re an interested (I have no connection with them other than attending the webinar, that was free).
And here, the question. I’ve been debating what to do with my website. I have a separate website (apart from this blog), here. I got the domain before I started publishing books, after reading how important it is to have your own website. As I knew nothing about how to create a website, I contracted a programme, also with GoDaddy, that facilitated the creation of one’s own website, without requiring any programming knowledge. Even with that, it’s a bit cumbersome to make many alterations to it, and it’s fairly static. I’ve never had much traffic going through it, and have more people reading my blog (that I also share there, but a lot of the readers come directly from WordPress). I’ve been thinking for a while that I’d be better off getting rid of my separate website and just having my blog/website, here, in WordPress. I investigated, and it’s possible to use your own domain (also to buy your personal one through WordPress, but I already have my own) to host the blog (here some information I found about it). Because of other things that I want to explore in the future, I’m considering moving to one of their premium plans (some info here). Now, the programme I mentioned for creating websites is live for me (I’ve paid for it already) until the end of July 2016. And no, it’s non-refundable. Of course, if I move the blog to my domain at www.OlgaNM.com, that site will disappear (I also have the instructions on the Go Daddy side of things, here). Part of my thoughts have to do with changing a few things here (I’ve been adding stuff, but I want to get rid of some too), so I’m not that concerned about what it looks like. I plan on that changing at some point.
What I wanted to ask is if any of you have done this (or part of it) and how have you found it. I’m not the most technical of people, and although I know there’s support available, I want to try and keep it complication free. Any thoughts or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.
And the surprise. Here I’m being interviewed by Freddy Piedrahita. We’ll be running a programme interviewing writers and artists in the future. Have a listen and see if you’d like to join in!
http://www.spreaker.com/user/emotionalhealth1/olga-nunez-interview
Thanks to Jane Friedman and Jerry Jenkins for the the webinar and thanks to you all for reading, and for your help. Do take care, and good writing. And of course, don’t forget to like, share, comment, and CLICK!
Hi all:
As you know on Fridays it’s guest author day. Recently I’ve been trying to catch up with some authors whose blogs I’ve been following for a while, but for some reason I haven’t featured yet. Today, it’s the turn of Noelle Granger (or N.A. Granger in her books).We not only have background interests (medical ) in common, but Noelle also spotted we had both studied at Mount Holyoke College (in my case only one year as an exchange student, but hey, it goes to prove the world is very small).
First, as I’ve mentioned her blog, and to make sure I don’t forget it, here is SaylingAway. Go and check it and you’ll see that Noelle loves her traveling, but she also features fellow authors, shares her writing, and muses about life.
And a little about her:
Noelle A. Granger grew up in Plymouth, MA, in a rambling, 125 year old house with a view of the sea. Summers were spent sailing and swimming and she was one of the first tour guides at Plymouth Plantation.
She graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in Zoology and from Case Western Reserve University with a Ph.D. in anatomy. Following a career of research in developmental biology and teaching human anatomy to medical students and residents, the last 28 years of which were spent in the medical school of the University of North Carolina, she decided to try her hand at writing fiction.
Death in a Red Canvas Sail is her first book and features an emergency room nurse as her protagonist. The book is set in a coastal town in Maine, similar to Plymouth, and she has used her knowledge of such a small town, her experiences sailing along the Maine coast, and her medical background to enrich the story.
She has also had short stories, both fiction and non-fiction, published in Deep South Magazine, Sea Level Magazine, the Bella Online Literary Review, and Coastal Style Magazine. Her second novel in the Rhe Brewster mystery series, Death in a White Dacron Sail, is her most recent novel.
N.A. Granger lives in Chapel Hill, NC, with her husband Gene, a physician, and is the mother of two children.
Check her Amazon page for more updates:
http://www.amazon.com/N.A.-Granger/e/B00DN6I8GQ/
Her books:
Death in a Red Canvas Chair: A Rhe Brewster Mystery (Rhe Brewster Mysteries Book 1)
On a warm fall afternoon, the sweet odor of decay distracts Rhe Brewster from the noise and fury of her son’s soccer game. She’s a tall, attractive emergency room nurse with a type A personality, a nose for investigation and a yen for adrenalin. This time her nose leads her to the wet, decaying body of a young woman, sitting in a red canvas chair at the far end of the soccer field. Her first call is to her brother-in-law, Sam Brewster, who is Sheriff of Pequod, the coastal Maine town where she lives. Sam and Rhe’s best friend Paulette, Pequod’s answer to Betty Crocker, are her biggest sources of encouragement when Rhe decides to help the police find the killer.
Her discovery that the victim is a student at the local college is initially thwarted by an old frenemy, Bitsy Wellington, the Dean of Students. Will, Rhe’s husband and a professor at the same college, resents her involvement in anything other than being a wife and mother and must be manipulated by Rhe so that she can follow her instincts.
Rhe’s interviews of college students leads her to a young woman who had been recruited the previous year to be an escort on a Caribbean cruise ship, and Rhe trails her to a high class brothel at a local seaside estate. The man behind the cruise ship escort service and the brothel is the owner of a chain of mortuaries and is related to the dead student.
When Rhe happens on the murder of a young hospital employee who also works for the mortuary chain, she becomes too much of a threat to the owner’s multiple enterprises. She is kidnapped by two of his thugs and is left to die in a mortuary freezer. In the freezer she finds frozen body parts, which are linked to a transplantation program at her hospital.
Despite all the twists and turns in her investigation, Rhe ultimately understands why the student was killed and who did it. And she solves the riddle of why the body was placed in the red canvas chair on the soccer field.
http://www.amazon.com/Death-Red-Canvas-Chair-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00DMCL2VE/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Red-Canvas-Chair-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00DMCL2VE/
Here a review I loved for the enthusiasm (and surely, I must read this book as soon as I can!):
Rhe Brewster is my new favorite sleuth
By Elizabeth Hein – author of How To Climb The Eiffel Tower on June 26, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
N.A. Granger has given me a new favorite sleuth. I immediately fell in love with Rhe Brewster. She is a nurse, a mom, and wicked smart. Rhe, an insightful tenacious snoop, finds a body beside the Pequod soccer field. She then uses her connections with the sheriff and medical examiner to insert herself into the investigation. I felt like I was right there with Rhe as she chased down clues between making dinner for her son, shifts in the ER, and eating muffins with her best friend. By the end of the book, I felt I knew Rhe.
Death In A Canvas Chair is a fun read. The quaint little town of Pequod, Maine is a hotbed of iniquity – they’ve got co-eds behaving badly, gangsters lurking in the shadows, and dead bodies turning up on soccer fields. I could not put the book down until I knew who killed the co-ed.
Death in a Dacron Sail (Rhe Brewster Mysteries Book 2)
On an icy February morning, Rhe Brewster, an emergency room nurse with a nose for investigation, is called to a dock in the harbor of the small coastal town of Pequod, Maine. A consultant to the Pequod Police Department, Rhe is responding to a discovery by one of the local lobstermen: a finger caught in one of his traps. The subsequent finding of the body of a young girl, wrapped in a sail and without a finger, sends the investigation into high gear and reveals the existence of three other missing girls, as well as a childhood friend of Rhe’s. Battered by vitriolic objections from her husband about her work, the pregnant Rhe continues her search, dealing with unexpected obstacles and ultimately facing the challenge of crossing an enormous frozen bog to save herself. Will she survive? Is the kidnapper someone she knows? In Death in a Dacron Sail, the second book in the Rhe Brewster mystery series, Rhe’s nerves and endurance are put to the test as the kidnapper’s action hits close to home.
http://www.amazon.com/Death-Dacron-Sail-Brewster-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00U8EXHLW/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Dacron-Sail-Brewster-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00U8EXHLW/
And another five star review as an example:
5Cozy yet exciting crime mystery
ByLuccia Gray “‘It always seems impossible until it’s done.’ (Mandela)”on March 17, 2015
Death in a Dacron sail is the type of book I love to read. It’s a cozy yet exciting crime mystery.
The plot is tightly woven with plenty of forensic information given by Rhe Brewster, nurse and amateur sleuth narrator. Rhe is helping the police, as consultant, with an unpleasant crime involving a missing child. There is plenty of fast-paced action and suspense, in spite of the idyllic small town location, and there are many surprises and twists, making it a gripping page turner.
It’s also very well written. The prose flows so smoothly that it is a pleasure to read.
However, the very best part of this novel is the characterization. Readers won’t be interested in a good plot and wonderful writing if they can’t engage with the characters. Detective, crime thrillers, and mysteries often run the risk of being plot driven in detriment of character development, but that’s not the case here. On the contrary, the reader will love Rhe, because she is clever, and generous, and caring, but she’s also naïve, sometimes insecure, and others too patient with people who just don’t deserve it! I’ve wanted to tell her to be careful with someone who’s close to her since book one (no name so no spoilers!), and to stand up to her bullying boss!
The other characters, both good and bad, are also so real they almost jump out of the page to watch you reading!
By the way, just in case you were wondering, it can be read as a stand-alone novel, because the cases are independent, and although the main characters are the same, there is enough background information for readers to feel comfortable reading book two alone or first.
I’m impatiently waiting for book three because although Rhe Brewster will be solving another riveting case, I’m just as interested in finding out the direction her personal life will take in book three.
Thanks so much to Noelle for being our guest, thanks to all of you for reading, and you know what to do, like, share, comment and of course, CLICK!
Hi all:
As you know on Fridays I try and bring you new authors that haven’t visited yet my blog. Sometimes I keep reading about some authors, I enjoy their blogs, and they become such familiar faces for me, that I’m surprised when I check back and realise they’ve never visited my blog yet.
That is the case with my guest today.
Nicholas Rossis is a writer I’ve known for a while and whose blog I thoroughly enjoy and I’ve mentioned before. (It’s full of useful information, don’t miss it!). How I hadn’t featured his books here before, is anybody’s guess, but finally, today is the day.
First, a bit about Nicholas:
Avid reader. Web developer. Architect by training, holder of a PhD in Digital Architecture from the University of Edinburgh. Now, author.
Nicholas loves to write. Except for his epic fantasy series, Pearseus, he has also published The Power of Six, a collection of short sci-fi stories. These have all become Amazon best-sellers. His latest book is Runaway Smile, a children’s book.
He lives in Athens, Greece, in the middle of a forest, with his wife, dog and two very silly cats, one of whom is always sitting on his lap, so please excuse any typos in his blog posts: typing with one hand can be hard. Mercifully, all his books are professionally edited!
Amazon author page:
http://www.amazon.com/Nicholas-C.-Rossis/e/B00FXXIBZA/
Now, his books:
Pearseus, Rise of the Prince (Book 1 of the Pearseus epic fantasy series)
Justice without compassion is but tyranny
The series that has reached #1 on Amazon!
The handful of humans that crash-landed on Pearseus three hundred years ago have by now colonized a large part of the planet, rebuilding their civilization from scratch. In the process, they have created a dystopia for themselves, splitting into three competing factions: the Capital, the Loyalists and the Democracies, all embroiled in endless intrigue and constant warfare.
An uneasy truce between the three parties still holds – barely. While man turns against man, the First, Pearseus’ indigenous people, wage their own war against a shadowy enemy; an ancient conflict that threatens to engulf and destroy all of humanity.
Following an unspeakable crime, the men and women of Pearseus struggle to live and love as their world crumbles all around them. But can love be found in the ruins of humanity’s civilization?
http://www.amazon.com/Pearseus-Rise-Prince-Book-fantasy-ebook/dp/B00FYRKLPI/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pearseus-Rise-Prince-Book-fantasy-ebook/dp/B00FYRKLPI/
Pearseus: Mad Water (book 2 of the Pearseus epic fantasy series)
The Amazon best-selling series continues!
In the second book of the best-selling Pearseus series, the incessant scheming of the various players and their nebulous puppet-masters has brought about major change. Cyrus is now the new ruler of the Capital, struggling to fight Jonia’s revolt along with his own demons. Gella strives to keep abreast of Teo’s devious plans in order to end the war with Jonia. David returns to the First in an effort to overcome his loss of the Voice. Lehmor’s struggle to reunite with Moirah brings him to uncharted territories, where the enigmatic Iota play with minds, senses and the future of the entire planet.
Old foes and unlikely new friends appear as invisible forces continue to tear humanity apart. Masks drop to reveal the ultimate truth: on Pearseus, everyone has their own agenda. And they’ll stop at nothing to achieve it.
http://www.amazon.com/Pearseus-Water-book-epic-fantasy-ebook/dp/B00LPJWGGQ/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pearseus-Water-book-epic-fantasy-ebook/dp/B00LPJWGGQ/
Pearseus: Vigil (book 3 of the Pearseus epic fantasy series)
It’s a difficult time on Pearseus. Teo Altman has assumed control of the Capital and has his eye on Parad’s children. Pratin and his monsters have laid siege on Malekshei. The Old Woman has forsaken Lehmor and the First. And Sol is preparing for the Capital’s inevitable invasion.
As Malekshei’s defenders fight for their lives, they realize they need an army to stop Pratin. To raise that army, they must do the unthinkable: wake up those who have been sleeping under Pearseus for the last hundred thousand years.
http://www.amazon.com/Pearseus-Vigil-book-epic-fantasy-ebook/dp/B00TT0LN30/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pearseus-Vigil-book-epic-fantasy-ebook/dp/B00TT0LN30/
This three books are also available as a box-set:
Box set
http://www.amazon.com/Pearseus-Bundle-books-epic-fantasy-ebook/dp/B00LX9UUIY/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pearseus-Bundle-books-epic-fantasy-ebook/dp/B00LX9UUIY/
And the prequel to the series:
Pearseus: Schism
Humanity starts over. Again.
The prequel to the Amazon best-selling series, Pearseus.
If you like dark epic fantasy with a sci-fi twist, then you’ll love Pearseus: Schism, the novelette that lays the back story to the series that has reached #1 on Amazon.
It’s New Year’s Eve, the year of 2099, but the distinguished guests aboard the Pearseus won’t get to countdown seconds; soon they’ll be counting bodies and survivors after the spaceship’s crash landing on another planet.
The good news? The planet is seemingly hospitable both in resources and in terms of the natives’ attitude towards earthlings.
The bad news? They might have come on this planet bare of possessions, but what they haven’t been able to shed are the shortcomings of their human nature. Will that be the sole threat to a unified future, or is the new land and its first inhabitants not as innocent as they look?
http://www.amazon.com/Pearseus-Schism-prequel-epic-fantasy-ebook/dp/B00FXOJQA8/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pearseus-Schism-prequel-epic-fantasy-ebook/dp/B00FXOJQA8/
The Power of Six: Six (plus one) Science Fiction Short Stories [Kindle Edition]
Nicholas C. Rossis (Author), Amos M. Carpenter (Author)
Six science fiction short stories written by the author of Pearseus, the epic fantasy series that has reached #1 on Amazon. This edition includes one extra story, written by Amos M. Carpenter.
The Power of Six reached #1 on Amazon in October 2014.
Although they seem to be concerned with various themes, there are certain passions that run through them. What is the nature of reality; digital and corporeal? Is there more to the world than we can see? How far can we trust our senses? What are the consequences of our actions, and is it possible to change them? And if so, would we simply repeat same mistakes, or make new ones?
The anthology includes the following stories:
“Simulation Over”: How far can we trust our senses?
“For the Last Time”: The law of unintended consequences meets Murphy’s law during a man’s unexpected time travel.
“The Hand of God”: What do the game characters do when we stop playing?
“I Come in Peace”: an award-winning short story that poses the question: how far would man go to alleviate his loneliness?
“A Fresh Start”: If we were free to go anywhere in time and space, where would we choose to go?
“The Sentry”: What is a Sentry to do when the monster that steals away his family’s most precious possessions reappears?
“Big Bang”: A friendly game turns into much more in this short story written by Amos M. Carpenter.
Humorous and poignant, these short stories are exciting, intriguing and imaginative.
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Six-Science-Fiction-Stories-ebook/dp/B00K57JTAA/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Six-Science-Fiction-Stories-ebook/dp/B00K57JTAA/
And his illustrated children’s book:
Runaway Smile: An unshared smile is a wasted smile [Kindle Edition]
Nicholas Rossis (Author), Lorelei Logsdon (Editor), Dimitris Fousekis (Illustrator)
“I woke up this morning and I had lost my smile and it wasn’t my fault and I looked everywhere and it was gone. Then I met a workman and a king and the best salesman in the world and a clown and no-one wanted to give me theirs. At school, I asked Miss to give me hers, but she gave us a pop quiz instead, and then no-one was smiling and…”
A little boy wakes up in the morning and realizes he has lost his smile. After spending the entire day trying to find it, he learns the truth behind smiles: the only real smiles are the shared ones.
http://www.amazon.com/Runaway-Smile-unshared-smile-wasted-ebook/dp/B00QQC2YLY/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Runaway-Smile-unshared-smile-wasted-ebook/dp/B00QQC2YLY/
Thanks so much to Nicholas Rossi for his books, thanks to all of you for reading, and you know what to do, like, share, comment, and CLICK!
PS: Nicholas kindly left a comment sharing more information about his work, and I thought it was only right to add it to the main post.
Here is Nicholas himself, generous to a fault:
For anyone wanting a risk-free taste of my work, you can read my children’s book, Runaway Smile, for free on:
http://nicholasrossis.me/childrens-books/
You can also read a couple of my short stories from the Power of Six:
http://nicholasrossis.me/2014/05/08/the-power-of-six-on-pre-release-sale-and-free-story/
and
http://nicholasrossis.me/2014/04/28/cover-reveal-the-power-of-six/
Thanks Nicholas!
Just Olga 