Okay. I admit it. There’s no way I wouldn’t stop and pick this book up if I spotted it on a shelf. Look at that fun cover! And it sounds like a fun mystery too.
Take a look! Enjoy the peek inside the book.
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Wait a sec! There’s two giveaways!
Genre: Mystery
Synopsis
Travel agent Gabby LeClair, a divorced big-city transplant trying to find some aloha spirit in her soul, prides herself on working hard to give the Aloha Lagoon Resort guests a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But that turns out to be more than anyone bargained for when the body of a client is found dead during one of Gabby’s island tours. The victim is a lawyer who’s escorted a small group to Aloha Lagoon for distribution of a deceased billionaire’s estate…but it looks like someone believes the only good lawyer is a dead lawyer. Between the bad press causing her phone to go silent and the police working on “island time,” it’s up to Gabby it find the killer before her business goes belly up. With the help of her good friends, and a hot helicopter pilot with a flirtatious streak, Gabby turns sleuth to figure out just which member of the lawyer’s party had it in for him. But before long it’s clear there’s way more at stake than her livelihood, and if Gabby isn’t careful, she and her friends may find themselves on an island getaway to death.
~~~~~
Enjoy this fun excerpt.
The twang of a steel guitar broke into the post-dinner chatter, followed by drums, and the MC announced the Aloha Lagoon Ahi Fire Dancers. I had to say this was my favorite part of the show, and I turned away from my amateur sleuthing to give my full attention to those muscular young men in their loincloths. It was an intense blend of pounding music and visual conflagration. Anyone who wasn’t mesmerized by it was probably dead asleep.
One who was obviously wide-awake was Nina Wesley who leapt up, ran to the stage, and nearly incinerated herself and one poor dancer by scooting up beside him and shaking her personality at him.
“Oh, man.” TJ rose and headed for the stage.
Her gyrations brought resort security, and between TJ and two security guards, Aunt Nina was carted off the stage and away from the luau, singing at the top of her lungs.
As they passed by our table, she called out, “Rick! Room 270.” She made a phone with her thumb and little finger then blew a kiss.
Rick covered his face with both hands and shook his head.
“You’ve created a monster,” I said softly in his ear.
~~~~~
About the authors:
Sally J. Smith and Jean Steffens, are partners in crime—crime writing, that is. They live in the Valley of the Sun in Arizona, awesome for eight months out of the year, an inferno the other four. They write bloody murder, flirty romance, and wicked humor all in one package.
ADDITIONALLY: (U.S. ONLY) We will also have a giveaway through our Website—http://www.smithandsteffens.com—consisting of a beach towel, coffee mug, and signed copy of Murder on the Aloha Express.
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Click on the banner below to follow the tour and comment.
The more you comment, the more chances to win!
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB at Books And A Beat.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
My Teaser for this week is from
The Madonna Of Notre Dame
by Alexis Ragougneau
Translated by Katherine Gregor
Genre: Mystery
My teaser from page 48 in the paperback.
“You know, if I don’t have my little priest to talk to, I bottle up my anger and start hitting my pals in the cafeteria. Over nothing. Over a piece of bread. Just to kill time. It’s the survival of the fittest, and the fittest isn’t always the most clever one or, as you’d say, the most Christian.”
~~~~~
Read on if you want to know more.
Synopsis
Fifty thousand believers and photo-hungry tourists jam into Notre Dame Cathedral on August 15 to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. The next morning, a stunningly beautiful young woman clothed all in white kneels at prayer in a cathedral side chapel. But when an American tourist accidentally bumps against her, her body collapses. She has been murdered: the autopsy reveals disturbing details. Police investigators and priests search for the killer as they discover other truths about guilt and redemption in this soaring Paris refuge for the lost, the damned, and the saved. The suspect is a disturbed young man obsessed with the Virgin Mary who spends his days hallucinating in front of a Madonna. But someone else knows the true killer of the white-clad daughter of Algerian immigrants. This thrilling novel illuminates shadowy corners of the world’s most famous cathedral, shedding light on good and evil with suspense, compassion and wry humor.
This isa Tag Team Event hosted by myself and Sherry.
Read on to learn how you can win some books!
After reading my review, head on over to Sherry’s blog at fundinmental for more and check out her review. Two chances to win!
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Suicide Lake
by Ashley Fontainne
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
My Review
I always know I’m going to get a wild read with Ashley’s books. Her plots are so twisted. You follow false lead after false lead. And, just like with peeling an onion, when you think you’ve got it all figured out, you find another mystery, and peel back another layer.
Renee has had a crappy life. Seeing no bright future ahead, she goes to Bradford Lake to end it all. It used to be a place to take the family. Now it’s polluted, and many have ended their lives in it’s waters. The locals call it Suicide lake.
But Renee’s attempt is abruptly stopped when she discovers a body. Horrified, all thoughts turn to getting out of there. As she turns to go, she bumps into none other than an old beau, Deputy Cliff Simpson. This chance meeting changes everything as the two are now thrust into the middle of a murder investigation.
All of this takes place in the first chapter. And each page pulls you deeper into the mystery. I swear, I barely got over one thing before something else happened. The words flew by and I couldn’t believe some of the secrets that were revealed.
Saying this book is full of twists and turns and keeps you on the edge of your seat is just some of how it makes you feel. The plot is like a runaway train.
And when I did finally get my answers, I wondered how I missed the clues. So not what I expected.
This is a perfect fix for all of you mystery/thriller fans.
5 Stars
~~~~~
Synopsis
Those who have secrets…
Renee Thornton is on the brink of despair, ready to take a final plunge and join the other tragic souls at the bottom of Bradford Lake—known to locals as Suicide Lake.
Beneath the murky waters…
Her plans change when she’s startled back to reality after a body brushes up against her from the depths below. Terrified, Renee runs away and slams into her old flame Cliff Simpson, a deputy with Whitten County Sheriff’s Department.
Will stop at nothing…
Strange events unfurl after the discovery of the corpse. Renee and Cliff find themselves caught up in a web of lies, deceit, and mystery.
To keep them hidden…
Now instead of being able to slip away silently and become another anonymous statistic, Renee finds herself entangled in a murder investigation. Is Cliff her ally or enemy? Who can she trust? What other secrets will rise to the surface?
Award-winning and International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne is an avid reader of mostly the classics. Ashley became a fan of the written word in her youth, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery series. Stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters that lurk within us are her favorite reads.
Her muse for penning the Eviscerating the Snake series was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Ashley’s love for this book is what sparked her desire to write her debut novel, Accountable to None, the first book in the trilogy. With a modern setting to the tale, Ashley delves into just what lengths a person is willing to go when they seek personal justice for heinous acts perpetrated upon them. The second novel in the series, Zero Balance. focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries answered that question: far and wide.
Her short thriller entitled Number Seventy-Five, touches upon the sometimes dangerous world of online dating. Number Seventy-Five took home the BRONZE medal in fiction/suspense at the 2013 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards contest and is currently in production for a feature film.
Her paranormal thriller entitled The Lie, won the GOLD medal in the 2013 Illumination Book Awards for fiction/suspense and is also in production for a feature film entitled Foreseen.
Ashley’s decided to delve into the paranormal with a Southern Gothic horror/suspense novel, Growl, which released in January of 2015. The suspenseful mystery Empty Shell, released in September of 2014. Ashley will be teaming up with Lillian Hansen (Ashley calls her mom!) to pen a three-part murder mystery/suspense series entitled The Magnolia Series. The first book, Blood Ties, released the Summer of 2015.
Whispered Pain released in October of 2015 and Night Court released December 13, 2015.
Ashley Fontainne has a fantastic giveaway for you!
.
Two signed paperbacks, two eBook copies, and two audible copies!
All you need to do to enter is answer the question below and leave your email so I can contact you if you win.
“It’s late at night and you have to go to sleep, but you are are right in the middle of a great book. Do you ever dream about what might be happening in the story?”
Giveaway will run from 7/22/16 – 8/3/16
This is a Tag Team Event hosted by myself and Sherry at fundinmental.
Now hop on over and check out Sherry’s review, and enter for another chance to win HERE.
The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.
Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!
My 56 for this week is from:
Scar Tissue
by M C Domovitch
Genre: Mystery
From page 56 in the paperback.
“Except for you, I don’t know anybody who really loves me. You should have seen the look on Dominique’s face when she saw me yesterday. She was….repulsed. She couldn’t get out of her fast enough.”
~~~~~
Read on if you want to know more.
Synopsis
When successful model Ciara Kelly wakes up in hospital, remembering nothing of the weeks she has been missing, her only clues are the ugly words carved into her skin. According to the police she was a victim of the Cutter, a serial killer who has already murdered three women. For her protection the police and her doctors give a press conference, announcing that because her amnesia is organically caused, her memory loss is permanent. But, whether her memory returns or not is anybody’s guess. Overnight, Ciara’s glamorous life is gone. Her scars have killed both her modelling career and her relationship with her rich boyfriend. With nothing to keep her in New York, she returns to her home town of Seattle, moves in with her sister and goes about building a new life. But when her sister lets it slip that Ciara’s memory is returning, the killer comes after her again. If Ciara is to stay alive, she must keep one step ahead of the Cutter.
I have so much to share with ya’ll today, so lets get to it.
First, please welcome Author Laura McNeill. She has an awesome play list to tell you about.
Great tunes.
And then I’ll be sharing some things about Sister Dear along with my review.
Also, there’s a great giveaway, so don’t forget to enter.
Take it away Laura!
Guest Post / Play List
Music can fill your soul with so many emotions. Beautiful words, melodic notes, and just the right harmony can emit happiness, longing, and feelings of nostalgia.
For my most recent novel, Sister Dear, I spent some time on Spotify listening for just the right songs to represent Allie’s journey in Alto and Brunswick, Georgia. She has strong ties to her small community in the Coastal South, so I wanted the music to embody that.
Here’s my playlist for Sister Dear. Hope you love it!
Home, Michael Buble – I love his voice and the passion with which he delivers this gorgeous song. I think of Allie and Caroline’s relationship with this one – the strain that Allie feels with not being able to see and hold her daughter. “I’ve been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you. Each one a line or two…I would send them but I know it’s just not enough.”
Georgia On My Mind, Ray Charles – This is such a classic song that conjures up the gorgeous green Georgia landscape, especially that by the ocean and the forests throughout the state. “Comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines.”
Walk On the Ocean, Toad the Wet Sprocket – Unless you are a child of the ‘80’s, you might not immediately recognize this song. It’s perfect for this story and Allie’s journey. She loves the ocean so much and that adoration is represented so well in the lyrics. “Walk on the ocean, step on the stones. Flesh becomes water.”
Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You), Kelly Clarkson – This song by Clarkson epitomizes Allie’s strength. I love Clarkson’s voice. She seems to channel Allie’s tenacity with her words. “Stand a little taller. Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when I’m alone.”
Sister, Lenny Kravitz – This is a surprisingly soulful song about a sister who falls in love with the wrong man. It’s so much Emma’s story, especially after Allie discovers the truth of the affair. “Sister. Did you have to go away? You left your home and the things you had to say.”
Home, Phillip Phillips – I really adore this song. It’s impossible not to sing along to the lyrics. “Hold on to me as we go. As we roll down this unfamiliar road. And although this wave is stringing us along, just know you’re not alone. I’m going to make this place your home. Settle down, it’ll all be clear. Don’t pay no mind to the demons they fill you fill you with fear.”
Come Home, One Republic – This seems like Caroline’s song. A pleading to the world to listen to her perspective – she’s simply trying to figure out this new life with her mother, her aunt, and her friends. “Hello world, hope you’re listening. Forgive me if I’m young and speaking out of turn.”
Sunrise – Nora Jones – Jones has such an amazing voice. This song seems to represent Allie’s hope for a brighter future and brighter tomorrow. Near the end of the story, she rediscovers her feelings for her ex-fiancé Ben. “Surprise, Surprise. Couldn’t find it in your eyes, but I’m sure it’s written all over my eyes.”
Come on Get Higher – Matt Nathanson – One of my favorite performers gives life to this song. It definitely represents the longing between Allie and Ben at the end of the story. “I miss the sound of your voice. And I miss the rush of your skin. And I miss the still of the silence as you breath out and I breathe in. If I could walk on water, if I could tell you what’s next, make you believe, make you forget.”
Sisters – Thomas Newman – This brief instrumental song seems a fitting ending to Allie and Emma’s journey. The song is from The Shawshank Redemption soundtrack, and echoes the pain and loss Allie feels as she loses Emma but gains her freedom.
Here’s the Spotify playlist link if you’d like to listen along. Just click on the widget below.
Hope you love it!
Xo,
Laura
~~~~~
Sister Dear
by Laura McNeill
Genre: Suspense / Mystery
My Review
I’m sure all of you word lovers know how it feels when you try a new author, crack open that book, and get swept up right from the get go. I have a list of must read authors. They’re the ones I follow closely, watching for their next new release. Laura McNeill easily added herself to that list.
From the opening, the author put me in Allie’s shoes. As she took me back into the past and forward to the present, I could only feel badly for Allie. All she was trying to do was protect the innocent and expose the one doing selfish, terrible things. Instead, someone winds up dead and she’s lost ten years, locked up for a murder she didn’t commit.
Released from prison, she has much to adjust to. Her parents handle her with kid gloves and make themselves scarce. Her sister, Emma, looks at her like she’s come back to ruin her life. To take away what she holds most dear. That being Caroline, Allie’s daughter. Emma took her in when Allie was sent to prison. Raised her. Loved her. And now she may be asked to let her go.
And poor Caroline. Scared of what will happen to her life now. Will her friends stand by her after learning her mother’s returned? It’s one thing to have a parent locked up, far away. It’s another thing altogether when that person reenters your life. How many teens are tough enough to stand up to peer pressure, to ignore the petty prejudices, to be the friend Caroline needs?
This author sure knows how to build up the suspense and excitement. As she maneuvers her characters, brings them together, you’ll get a taste of that talent.
Her characters are large as life, no cardboard figures here. You’ll feel some sympathy for all of them, good and bad. Told in multiple points of view and different time periods, the author makes the transitions smooth and easy to comprehend. It works great for this plot.
I’ve never cheated and skipped ahead in a book to get answers. What’s the fun in that? I would rather deal with the anticipation and crow when I finally get to the finish. But, boy, I was sorely temped to read ahead with this book. Even the mundane becomes suspenseful. You know it won’t be calm for long.
The suspense at 25% into the book had me on edge, especially trying to figure out who had hidden agendas.
50% in, the manipulations were fascinating and disturbing. There were shining moments followed by dips into ugliness.
At 75%, it was a free for all. I was rooting for some characters, a few were still questionable, and some I wanted to drop kick.
At 100%, the end finally let my mind stop whirring with questions. I got plenty of surprising answers. Couldn’t have asked for a better finale.
If you like some psychological suspense along with your mystery and a not as obvious as you think plot, you’ll love Sister Dear.
Oh, I almost forgot! There’s some fun discussion questions at the end. I enjoyed answering them and thinking more about the characters. One question had me thinking for quite some time. I surprised myself by how I answered it.
5 Stars
~~~~~
Synopsis
All Allie Marshall wants is a fresh start. But when dark secrets refuse to stay buried, will her chance at a new life be shattered forever?
Convicted of a crime she didn’t commit, Allie watched a decade of her life vanish – time that can never be recovered. Now, out on parole, Allie is determined to clear her name, rebuild her life, and reconnect with the daughter she barely knows.
But Allie’s return home shatters the quaint, coastal community of Brunswick, Georgia. Even her own daughter Caroline, now a teenager, bristles at Allie’s claims of innocence. Refusing defeat, a stronger, smarter Allie launches a battle for the truth, digging deeply into the past even if it threatens her parole status, personal safety, and the already-fragile bond with family.
As her commitment to finding the truth intensifies, what Allie ultimately uncovers is far worse than she imagined. Her own sister has been hiding a dark secret—one that holds the key to Allie’s freedom.
After six years behind the anchor desk at two CBS affiliates, Laura McNeill moved to the Alabama Gulf Coast to raise her family. Her accolades in broadcasting include awards from the Associated Press, including Best News Anchor and Best Specialized Reporter.
She holds a master’s degree in journalism from The Ohio State University and a master’s in Interactive Technology. Laura works at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as the school’s Instructional Design Manager.
Under the pen name Lauren Clark, Laura has published four novels, Pie Girls, Stay Tuned, Stardust Summer, and Dancing Naked in Dixie. She recently began writing suspense with HarperCollins/Thomas Nelson. Her debut novel in that genre, Center of Gravity, was released in July of 2015.
Laura McNeill is giving away one signed copy of Center Of Gravity!
US ONLY. Sorry to my International friends.
To enter, please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win and show the author some love. Leave her a comment about the book or ask her a question!
Giveaway ends June 25th.
The Prize:
Synopsis
The truth could cost her everything.
Her whole life, Ava Carson has been sure of one thing: she doesn’t measure up to her mother’s expectations. So when Mitchell Carson sweeps into her life with his adorable son, the ready-made family seems like a dream come true. In the blink of an eye, she’s married, has a new baby, and life is wonderful.
Or is it?
When her picture-perfect marriage begins unraveling at the seams, Ava convinces herself she can fix it. It’s temporary. It’s the stress. It’s Mitchell’s tragic history of loss.
If only Ava could believe her own excuses.
Mitchell is no longer the charming, thoughtful man she married. He grows more controlling by the day, revealing a violent jealous streak. His behavior is recklessly erratic, and the unanswered questions about his past now hint at something far more sinister than Ava can stomach. Before she can fit the pieces together, Mitchell files for divorce and demands full custody of their boys.
Fueled by fierce love for her children and aided by Graham Thomas, a new attorney in town, Ava takes matters into her own hands, digging deep into the past. But will finding the truth be enough to beat Mitchell at his own game?
Center of Gravity weaves a chilling tale, revealing the unfailing and dangerous truth that things—and people—are not always what they seem.
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
Which would be worse, knowing that your dead sister has come back to life and is now a serial killer or that someone else is the killer….and that person is you?
Six months after Linda’s sister Elizabeth killed herself, Linda has finally gotten her life back to some semblance of normalcy. Until a killer appears who is stalking men … a killer who resembles Elizabeth … a killer who seems somehow familiar to Linda.
And, to make matters worse, Steve, her old high school crush and now a detective, is assigned to this case. He’s asking Linda all sorts of questions, questions Linda couldn’t possibly have an answer to.
There’s no reason for him to be investigating Linda. She couldn’t possibly have anything to do with this.
Could she?
When Michele was 3 years old, she taught herself to read because she wanted to write stories so badly.
As you can imagine, writing has been a driving passion throughout her life. She became a professional copywriter (which is writing promotional materials for businesses), which led to her founding a copywriting and marketing company that serves clients all over the world.
Along with being a copywriter, she also writes novels (in fact, she just published her first novel, a psychological thriller/suspense/mystery called “The Stolen Twin” and her second novel “Mirror Image’” is set to be published in May 2016) plus, she is also the author of the “Love-Based Copy” books, which are a part of the “Love-Based Business” series and cover both business and personal development.
She holds a double major in English and Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently she lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband Paul and her border collie Nick and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB at Books And A Beat.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
.
My Teaser for this week is from
Sister Dear
by Laura McNeill
Genre: Mystery / Suspense
My teaser from page 91 in the paperback.
If time travel existed, she would go back. In half a second, she’d climb in the contraption, however rickety, plug in the year, the month, the day. Allie would send the machine back to the precise place and moment everything changed. She’d memorize the time, the smell of the air, the sound of her dog, Molly, panting in the backseat.
~~~~~
Read on if you want to know more.
~~~~~
Synopsis
All Allie Marshall wants is a fresh start. But when dark secrets refuse to stay buried, will her chance at a new life be shattered forever?
Convicted of a crime she didn’t commit, Allie watched a decade of her life vanish – time that can never be recovered. Now, out on parole, Allie is determined to clear her name, rebuild her life, and reconnect with the daughter she barely knows.
But Allie’s return home shatters the quaint, coastal community of Brunswick, Georgia. Even her own daughter Caroline, now a teenager, bristles at Allie’s claims of innocence. Refusing defeat, a stronger, smarter Allie launches a battle for the truth, digging deeply into the past even if it threatens her parole status, personal safety, and the already-fragile bond with family.
As her commitment to finding the truth intensifies, what Allie ultimately uncovers is far worse than she imagined. Her own sister has been hiding a dark secret—one that holds the key to Allie’s freedom.
I just received this book over the weekend. I got up Sunday morning and started reading it. I didn’t stop until the end. I’ll be sharing my review soon!
Living on the beautiful Gulf Coast of Mexico, I just knew I had to read this series. I’ve read the first two books and couldn’t wait to see what kind of pickle Mac got himself into this time.
Newly retired and looking for something new, Mac landed in the Florida Panhandle. It seems he’s a magnet for trouble and inadvertently ends up in a couple of murder cases.
An encounter with the enchanting, Kate, spurs him to put down roots. A young woman insists her brother, an archaeology professor, didn’t commit suicide, but was murdered. The plot thickens when she mysteriously dies in a car accident after speaking to Mac.
As suspects crawl out from under the woodwork, the author keeps you busy sifting through the false leads to find the motive and the killer or killers.
Mac. What can I say. Retired from the military, he’s got a bark he needs to tame. His girlfriend Kate is quick to remind him he’s no longer in the military and she doesn’t take orders.
It’s never mentioned but I wonder if Mac’s a Jimmy Buffet fan. He sure feels like a fellow parrothead.
The bullets fly. There are multiple car crashes. Beer and scotch are consumed. And you’re taken on a treasure hunt. What a bounty.
I’ve become familiar with the setting for this series and it’s fun to recognize locations and land marks.
I almost forgot to mention. There’s a shiny new character you’ll be meeting. His tag is Henry the Eighth, and you’ll love him!
With lots of action, a mystery that’s not easily solved, a feeling of coming home, and character’s I’ve become quite fond of, I was kept entertained. I’m enjoying this series and hope there is more to come.
4 Stars
~~~~~
Synopsis
Hours after hiring Mac McClellan to investigate the supposed suicide of her archaeologist brother, single-mom Jessie dies in a car accident. Jessie had just showed Mac artifacts and a copy of a map Jake found, items that indicate Hernando de Soto and his explorers might have camped on Five Mile Island during the winter of 1539-1540. Studying the map, Mac determines the site lies in the middle of a planned resort, The Dunes. Declaring the area an historic site could shut the project down. Suspicions aroused, he forges ahead, even though he no longer has a paying client.
Everywhere Mac turns, greed abounds, and no one he interviews seems innocent, even Jessie’s closest friends the Deckers, who have adopted her teenage daughter. Ron Decker’s construction company is building the Dunes, and he is heavily invested in its success. Then there is the oily son and ex-stripper wife of an old curmudgeon who won’t sell the one lot the project still needs to acquire. Jake’s estranged wife Laurel had plenty to gain from his death, and as Mac continues to dig, he begins to wonder if Jessie herself had more at stake than he was led to believe.
No one is happy about Mac’s persistence, and someone is unhappy enough to crash his truck and frame him for yet another murder. But Mac isn’t giving up, no matter what the cost.
During our meeting at Panama Joe’s Jessie had mention that her brother found the artifacts near the bay overlooking what appeared to be a dead forest sticking out of the water. That had to be The Stumps, and most likely the location of the Spaniards’ winter fort, if it had existed. But there was no telling how far out into the bay the small forested peninsula had extended during de Soto’s time. My guess was the main part of the fort was now under several feet of water. From my front pocket I pulled the map Jessie had given me of what during the 16th century was a seven-mile-long peninsula. I took it out of the protective ziplock bag. After studying it a minute or so I slipped in back in the bag and back in my shorts pocket.
My plan was to start inland and work my way in a crisscross pattern toward the bay. Not being familiar with the metal detector, and knowing I was looking for iron objects as well as coins, I turned the discrimination knob low and the sensitivity setting to about midrange and pressed the “All Metal” display. With those settings I’d probably come across a lot of trash, but it was my best shot at finding something worthwhile.
Sweeping the coil back and forth, I almost immediately picked up several beeps of different tones. I pinpointed the object as best I could, then dropped to a knee and pulled the garden trowel I’d borrowed from Kate from my back pocket and dug into the sand. A few seconds later I flipped up the rim of an old drink can that predated all-aluminum cans.
The next ten or fifteen minutes produced nothing but pull tabs, rusted cans and other junk, and then the detector let out a beep different from the ones I’d been hearing. Digging down about four or five inches, I heard the trowel strike something solid and metallic. My adrenaline rushed as I lifted a coin with a trowel-full of sand. Brushing the coin clean, I saw it was an Indian Head penny in rough condition, dated either 1903 or 1908. It was no 16th century Spanish coin, but what the hell, I figured it had to be worth at least a few cents. The trip wasn’t a total loss.
The wind was picking up, and the thunder was getting louder by the minute. Deciding my chances would probably be better closer to the bay, I hurried in that direction. Jerry and I had to motor back to St. George, and I damn sure didn’t want to do it fighting a gale. About ten feet from the edge where the dunes began to slope downward to the bay the detector cut loose again. I dropped to both knees and began digging. I dug about a foot deep came up empty, so I passed the coil over the pile of sand I’d excavated to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. Nothing. I kept digging for another six or eight inches and then an object hit the pile and slid down a couple of inches. At first I thought it was an old bracelet someone had lost years ago, but on closer inspection I saw it was several small rusted oblong or circular loops linked tightly together, forming a patch-like object a couple of inches long and maybe an inch and a half wide. I had no idea what it was, but I slipped it into my pocket. You never know.
A few feet away the Bounty Hunter beeped again. Down and digging, I soon turned up a similar object, although this one was a little smaller in length. I dropped it in my pocket with the other one as a voice called out, “Hey, you!”
Oops! I turned and saw a tall lanky man with bushy hair approaching from about fifty yards away. He wore a tan shirt and trousers and a brown ball cap. It wasn’t a county sheriff’s uniform, but I had no intentions of hanging around long enough to find out who the guy worked for.
I scrambled to my feet and trotted toward the ledge as a shot rang out. The SOB was shooting at me, at least in my general direction! I hit the deck, cradling the detector in both arms and low crawled to the dune wall and went over head first. I spit out a mouthful of sand and tried to let loose a warning whistle to Jerry, but I doubt you could’ve heard it five feet away.
I turned feet-first and slid on down the slope and hit the beach running. Jerry had the boat waiting a few feet off the shoreline. I high-stepped through the shallows. Tossing the detector into the boat, I grabbed the bow and pushed for all I was worth. Jerry gunned the motor in reverse. I hung on until I managed to pull myself aboard and flop onto the deck.
“Turn this thing around and get the hell out of here!” I shouted, but Jerry was way ahead of the game. We were thirty or forty yards past the end of The Stumps when another shot rang out, barely discernable above the roar of the Merc 50. By then I was more pissed than scared, and if the Bounty Hunter was an M16 I would’ve had that chickenshit wannabe cop hugging Mother Earth for all he was worth.
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Author E. Michael Helms
Michael Helms grew up in Panama City, FL, on the beautiful coast of the Florida Panhandle. He played football and excelled in baseball as a catcher. Turning down a scholarship offer from the local Junior college, he joined the Marines after high school graduation. He served as a rifleman during some of the heaviest fighting of the Vietnam War until wounded three times in one day. Helms discounts it as “waking up on the wrong side of the foxhole.”
His memoir of the war, The Proud Bastards, has been called “As powerful and compelling a battlefield memoir as any ever written … a modern military classic,” and remains in print after 25 years.
The Private War of Corporal Henson, a semi-autobiographical fictional sequel to The Proud Bastards, was published in August 2014.
A long-time Civil War buff, he is also the author of the historical saga, Of Blood and Brothers.
Seeking a respite from writing about war, Helms decided to give mysteries a try. The first novel of his Mac McClellan Mystery series, Deadly Catch, was published in November 2013 and was named Library Journal’s “Debut Mystery of the Month.” The second Mac McClellan Mystery, Deadly Ruse, premiered in November 2014. It won the 2015 RONE Award for “Best Mystery.” Deadly Dunes was published in March 2016 by Camel Press. Deadly Spirits is scheduled for release in January 2017.
With his wife, Karen, Helms now lives in the Upstate region of South Carolina in the shadow of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. He enjoys playing guitar, hiking, camping, fishing, canoeing, and is an avid birdwatcher. He continues to listen as Mac McClellan dictates his latest adventures in his mystery series.
I’m sure many of you will recognize author Michael Hebler from my review posts of his Chupacabra series.
This year he’s written a new novella in a whole other genre and I’m thrilled to share lots of news about it.
Check out The Ghost Of Christmas Past.
Enjoy all of the exciting news about Michael’s new release.
Watch his Q&A.
And learn how you can get an early copy.
Release date currently scheduled for September 27th, 2016.
And read to the end for some more exciting news!
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The Ghost Of Christmas Past
A Novella
by Michael Hebler
My Review
The title probably has you thinking this a retelling. Wait, though. It may start that way, but very quickly the author steers you in another direction. The focus shifts from the person being visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past to the ghost itself.
In order to save lost souls, the ghost needs its light to guide them. When the light is lost, the ghost must now go on a journey of its own. Go into the past and discover who it once was and regain its light to save Christmas.
In many places written in prose similar to Charles Dickens, it reads like a classic. As the characters are introduced, past and present, their lives deepen the story, and it tempted to skip ahead to see their stories conclusions. I resisted though.
For me to enjoy a story, I require strong, genuine characters who’s welfare means something to me. They need to have flaws, and I don’t have to like all of them or approve of what they do. But, they need to be believable and the author needs to keep them true to their personalities.
Michael’s characters could walk off the pages. I tried to picture them in my head from his descriptions and they came to life. Once that happened, I couldn’t put the book down.
I’ve read Michael’s Chupacabra thrillers and very much enjoyed them so I was curious about reading a story in a different genre.
Strong writing and atmospheric detail made this a fulfilling read and I enjoyed the direction the author chose with his tale.
The Ghost Of Christmas Past gets my highest recommendation for all readers.
5 Stars
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Synopsis
Based on Charles Dickens’ character of the same name, the first of three spirits from A Christmas Carol is the center of its own story when taken on a spiritual journey to find meaning for its existence.
The Ghost of Christmas Past has had its fire extinguished. Lost souls cannot find their way to righteousness without the Spirit’s luminescence to guide them through their shadowed memories. To rekindle its flame, the Ghost of Christmas Past must journey back to a life long forgotten. Guided by the Christmas Angel, the Spirit braves witness to how it lived as a boy in life, and learns what will become of Christmas should it fail.
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Intended Audience
The Ghost of Christmas Past is unique. The novella has appeal to readers of all ages, nationalities, and gender. Thanks to Mr. Charles Dickens, the main character name, Ghost of Christmas Past, is already as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, and the general population has shown remarkable interest in learning the backstories of supporting characters from popular works of fiction. The most notable example would be the novel Wicked by Gregory Maguire, the backstory of the witches from Oz. The Ghost of Christmas Past will appeal to fans of drama, mystery, fantasy, Literary Fiction, the supernatural, and Christianity.
Like A Christmas Carol, The Ghost of Christmas Past is not heavily religious but a story based around a Christian holiday. In 2014, more than 52 million religious books sold in the U.S., representing an increase of over 10.5% from the previous year. (Nielsen.com: Focusing On Our Strengths: Insights into the Christian Book Market)
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Check out this exciting news from Michael.
Never heard of Publishizer? Well, until a month ago, neither had I.
It was then that I was personally contacted by the company’s team mentor. He had seen that my novel, Night of the Chupacabra, had won an award and asked if I would be releasing another book any time soon.
“As a matter of fact, Yes,” I replied.
The mentor, Lee, then explained what Publishizer was about, how long the site had been live, and how it differed from other crowdfunding sites. Now before I continue, please note that I have no financial obligation or monetary interest in Publishizer beyond what I hope to achieve with my proposal for The Ghost of Christmas Past.
Essentially, Publishizer is a lot like Kickstarter or Go Fund Me, but for books only. They do not have to be newly released titles, but unpublished books are preferred. Publishizer went live about one year ago, and categorizes its proposals from non-fiction to a select number of genres. The simple formula Publishizer uses should be very familiar to anyone who has visited a top crowdfunding site: you donate money to help propel a project to success, and for your donation, you receive exclusive rewards that vary by the amount you donate (and trust me, I have some offerings that are very exclusive).
Upon learning of Publishizer, there were two distinctions about the service that had me sold. As any of my fellow authors can attest, when a book is pre-ordered, the feeling is akin to winning the lottery. Not only is someone interested in your story enough to purchase an advance copy, but they trust you as an author, which is priceless. Any donation made on Publishizer typically includes the reward of a pre-order (however, this is up to the author, though a popular choice). The second big perk Publishizer offers it’s authors comes at the end of your campaign if you achieve your set pre-order goal. Publishizer will blast your achievement to multiple publishers, demonstrating the amount of interest your title has accumulated. And if you reach at least 500 pre-orders, you’ll be blasted to the Big 5. I took it upon myself to investigate this aspect before joining and was surprised by how many titles were in a bidding war between at least two publishers.
For those solely interested in staying independent from publishing companies, you may not think the blast to publishing houses isn’t important. But how awesome would it be to have that kind of attention for your work? That’s about where I stand. I will never say “never” to a contract, but my previous works have done impressively well (thanks to honest reviewers and book bloggers like our dear friend, Laura) and I wouldn’t mind continuing on as an indie author/publisher.
So, please, if I stirred your curiosity about Publishizer, put your mind at rest by visiting their site. And while you’re there, please help participate in making history by supporting The Ghost of Christmas Past between March 29 and April 30, 2016. At the very least, you’ll receive a copy at the retailer rate of $5 for eBook and have it one month early.
For anyone who subscribes to my newsletter at http://www.michaelhebler.com/ , they will receive a free PDF copy of Night of the Chupacabra (Book I).
Simply visit the page. In about 10 seconds, a pop up to subscribe appears. Then subscribe with your email, which will then take you to the download page. Simple as that.
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And some more news!
Michael has a new story releasing soon!
Let me show you!
What Adam Wants
Synopsis
Losing a child at birth is difficult, but not as difficult as when that child refuses to leave.
Days after losing her child while giving birth, Rachel, and her estranged husband, David, are haunted by the incessant cries of a baby. It is their baby, Adam, and he wants something from Rachel… something deadly.
Amazon
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Author Michael Hebler
Prior to becoming an award-winning author of his dark fiction Chupacabra Series, Michael was a full-time international film publicist who had worked on multiple titles for Walt Disney, Pixar, Lionsgate, Lakeshore Entertainment, Warner Bros., Summit Entertainment, and the 2013 Academy Award-winning Best Foreign Language Film, “La grande bellezza” (The Great Beauty).
Born in the early 1970’s in Los Angeles County to a salesman and homemaker, Michael dreamed of following his passions for entertainment and storytelling by acting. It was while studying theatre arts at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California, did he realize his penchant for stories were better suited on the page rather than the stage. But creating tales with suspense, laughter, and heart is not Michael’s only love. Hebler also enjoys volunteering in his local community, as well as aid in the capture/spay/neuter/release feral program.
To date, Michael’s publications include NIGHT OF THE CHUPACABRA, CURSE OF THE CHUPACABRA, and LEGEND OF THE CHUPACABRA (Books I, II, & III of the six-part Chupacabra Series) as well as his first publication, THE NIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS, a holiday picture book for believers of any age. Michael’s fourth book in the Chupacabra Series, DAWN OF THE CHUPACABRA will be available in print and for ebook on October 13, 2015.
I’m such a huge fan of these authors. How could I pass up a chance to read their new mystery. It’s different from their cozies and takes place in the late 1800s.
The first thing I was going to talk about was the beginning. That first chapter had a doozy of an ending. I was all ready to tease you about Jacks, but then I read the blurb and that burst my balloon. You see, when you first meet Pinkerton’s finest agent, you have no idea Jacks is a woman, Julia Jackson. I really had no idea until a conversation revealed it. From there on, I was riveted.
Julia’s transformation begins the day of her wedding. Her husband to be is gunned down and dies in her arms. From that day forward, she’s consumed with vengeance. She’ll do whatever it takes to track down Jonathon’s killer and exact retribution. Hopefully by her own hand. So begins Julia becoming Jacks.
She goes to Pinkerton for help, but ends up with a job. He strikes a deal with her. Work for him and he’ll help her. Now she has a name to put to the face of the killer, Zeke Castle.
Sounds thrilling, doesn’t it? Boy, that first case was wild. Jacks is saddled with a green agent, Davey Hume. He’s only been an agent for a month and is overly excited to be working with the legendary Jacks. Things go boom, a gang is taken down, and Jacks’ infamy grows.
Now she has a new case, Track down the Cherokee Indian named Coyote. He kidnapped the wife and son of a railroad man associated with Pinkerton, sending grisly proof. Jacks usually works alone, but this time she’ll have company. The husband of the victims, David Boyd, the newbie Davey Hume, and their guide, Running Wolf, who will come in handy when they have to enter Cherokee territory in pursuit of Coyote.
Jacks senses something hinky about the case right away. But with Coyote’s ties to Zeke Castle, her fiance’s killer, she heads off in pursuit.
About a a quarter of the way into the book, I started to pick up on a bit of a supernatural or paranormal theme. What’s with the raven that keeps following Jacks? And those yellow eyes peering in at her from the darkness outside? Or that voice that whispers in her ear when no one can be seen? Getting creepy.
The only hitch with this book is the cover. It works as their is some mysticism in it. But I think having Jacks on the cover, maybe standing in the roadway of a western town, back to us, arm ready to draw her gun, would be amazing. She’s become a favorite character of mine and I’d like to see her in action. Just sayin.
It’s only fair I should warn you. There’s a cliff hanger ending. A big one. I have a love/hate relationship with it. Hated that the story ended where it did. Loved that there would be more. Gonna miss the whiskey drinkin, cigar smokin, gunslinging, Jacks. Curious whether Davey Hume will continue to work with her. And I’m hoping their might be something going on between her and Running Wolf.
I’ll be ready for the next story. The authors have built a strong character base and I’m excited to see where they go.
5 Stars
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Synopsis
Three years ago, Julia Jackson was a well to do young woman from Boston whose fiancé, Jonathon, was killed right before her eyes. Obsessed with finding the killer, a man whose face she saw only in a flash as he walked up and shot Jonathon, she leaves her family and her life behind. She starts a new life as ‘Jacks’ Jackson—a cigar smoking, dead eye, female Pinkerton agent…pretending to be a man.
Now Allan Pinkerton needs Jacks to find the man who kidnapped the wife and son of a railroad official, David Boyd. Their only clues are the severed finger from the man’s wife, complete with wedding ring, and a map of the Qualla boundary, the Cherokee reservation in North Carolina.
Jacks doesn’t like the way the whole thing sounds from the beginning. David Boyd isn’t important enough to target for a kidnapping. And why travel so far with two hostages?
But Pinkerton tells her that he believes the man responsible for the kidnapping worked with Jonathon’s murderer in a train robbery five years ago. Jacks agrees to go after the kidnapper with hopes of catching him before he can reach his home grounds.
Pinkerton insists that Jacks bring three men with her—Boyd, her new partner, and a Cherokee guide named Running Wolf, who’s always watching her, like he’s trying to figure it out.
Can Jacks catch the kidnapper with her secret—and her life—intact?
Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family.
