Posted in event, my books, News, poetry, promo, road trip

Over 30 Local Authors with Over 100 Titles

Join Us Sunday, November 20th from 1 to 4 pm at the New Bern Farmers Market

Thanks to the efforts of author Sarah Maury Swan, she has brought together an eclectic group of authors and poets for a one-day only sale at the New Bern Farmers Market, 421 South Front Street, New Bern, NC. Sarah was featured on my Creekside Cafe author interviews.

I met Sarah many years ago at a Pamlico Writers’ Conference and later we attended a Carteret Writers’ Meeting together. Sarah is a vibrant woman with so much passion for life and writing that just being around her is inspiring. While many people would make excuses not to do things, Sarah looks for ways to get them accomplished. If she doesn’t know how, she calls on her friends and she has a lot of them which is evident by the number of people who have signed up for this event.

Bill, or W. C. Furney is one of Sarah’s posse, he might even be the sheriff of this motley crew. It is thanks to his efforts that we have the poster with all of our covers. I have used his work to make a few of my own, thanks Bill for helping to promote this event. I am looking forward to a drink with Bill and a chance to pick his brain.

The list of authors attending the Sunday Author Event is astounding. We have authors who are award winning like Sarah and Eileen Lettick, Leslie Tall Manning and Michelle Garren Flye, we have professors, researchers, therapists, poets, leaders in the local arts, and more. Whether you are looking for non-fiction, poetry or genre fiction, something for yourself, your spouse, grandma or your children, we have something for everyone. Come check out our books and get a signed copy for the holidays. I will even have gift wrapping available.

If you are unable to attend the New Bern Farmers Market Authors’ Event, you can still connect with these authors and buy their books through these links.

1*Hope Andersen https://www.amazon.com/How-Remodel-Life-Hope-Andersen/dp/1734707577

2*Mike Barton xflier@yahoo.com Fantasy

3* Nathan Black Poetry https://www.facebook.com/wherethebreezechapbook

4*Phil Bowie Mystery www.philbowie.com

5* Rosemary Klim Bricker Non-fiction https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Rosemary+Ann+Bricker&i=specialty-aps&srs=17143709011&crid=2AQVZ3NJX7LU5&sprefix=rosemary+ann+bricker%2Cspecialty-aps%2C78&ref=nb_sb_noss

6*Chris Brown  Self Help

7 *Paloma Capanna Eclectic http://www.DowntonBeaufort.com  

8*Heather Cobham www.heathercobham.com

9*Karen Dodd Eclectic kedodd2@gmail.com

10 *Bill Furney https://www.billfurney.com/

11 *Michelle Garren Flye Poetry https://michellegflye.com/ & https://shelleygee.com/

12*Beth Garver Cozy Mystery/Fantasy The Java Tavern Series

https://DrunkBeth/wordpress

13* Diane Gray Non-Fiction finding her birth familyfhpspeaker@yahoo.com https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Hope-Perseverance-Adoptees-Biological-ebook/dp/B089T5YSFC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=R66VPHZH39UL&keywords=Faith%2C+Hope+and+Perseverance&qid=1666814386&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjUxIiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=faith%2C+hope+and+perseverance%2Cspecialty-aps%2C729&sr=8-1-catcorr&srs=17143709011

14* Sherri Hollister Cozy Mystery https://sherrilhollister.com/

15* Nicole Kerr NF Self Help www.nicolekerr.com

16*Deirdre Kiernan PB Deirdrek45@gmail.com 

17*Jo Anna Kloster MG https://www.emptycagespress.com

18*Veronica Krug Fantasy https://krugbooks.com/

19* Eileen Lettick Children’s eileenlettick@gmail.com https://m.facebook.com/eileenlettick/; https//www.linkedin.com/in/eileen-lettick-347174aO

20* Julie Lombard Eclectic https://www.you-niqueproductions.com

21*Leslie Tall Manning Eclectic http://www.leslietallmanning.com

22*Nina Makhatadze Eclectic https://www.amazon.com/s?k=nina+makhatadze&crid=1NOXDC1RNGYP0&sprefix=%2Caps%2C216&ref=nb_sb_ss_recent_1_0_recen

23*Barbara McCreary MG Historical https://www.facebook.com/ebbandflowshackleford

24 *Murinda MacDonald nonfiction

25 * Sue McIntyre: email: suemcintyre10@gmail.com 

26 *Cheryl Meola non-fiction https://manesourcecounseling.com/

27*Margaret Pollock MG https://margaretpollockwrites.com

28*Timothy Reinhardt Fantasy https://timreinhardt.com/

29* Robert Reinschild/DeForest Shields Fiction https:// deforestshields.com

30* Natalie Singletary ? Eclectic www.obconwriting.com

31*Blaine Staat Sci-Fi, Dystopian https://www.staatsbakery.com/blaine-s-books

32*Cyrus Spears (a.k.a. Sirius) Fantasy www.uncrownednovel.com

33*Sarah Maury Swan Children’s YA & MG https://sarahmauryswanlovesbooks.com

34 *Sev Tok Spiritual https://planetsev.com/

35* Stanley Trice Eclectic https://stanleybtrice.com

Children’s Books

Hope Andersen

Deirdre Kiernan PB

Jo Anna Dressler Kloster MG

Eileen Lettick MG & YA

Barbara McCreary MG Historical

Margaret Pollock MG

Sarah Maury Swan MG & YA

Eclectic

Paloma Capanna

Karen Dodd

Michelle Garren Flye

Julie Lombard

Nina Makhatadze

Leslie Tall Manning

Sue McIntyre

Natalie Singletary

Stanley Trice

Fiction

Fantasy

Mike Barton

Veronica Krug

Timothy Reinhardt

Cyrus Spears a.k.a. Sirius

Blaine Staat Sci-Fi, Dystopian

Fiction

William Charles Furney

Heather Cobham

Robert Reinschild/DeForest Shields

Mystery/Suspense

Phil Bowie

Beth Garver

Sherri Lupton Hollister

Non-Fiction

Memoir, etc.

Rosemary Klim Bricker

Cheryl Meola

Murinda MacDonald

Adoption

Diane Gray

Self Help

Hope Andersen

Chris Brown

Nicole Kerr

Spiritual

Sev Tok

Poetry

Nathan Black

Posted in promo, Story, writing inspiration

The Making of a Novel

The Making of The Americans Are Coming

The making of The Americans Are Coming didn’t just happen overnight. In fact, this book has been simmering for several years. I have taken countless classes through Romance Writers of America and my local group, Heart of Carolina on everything from Horses in Literature to Writing a Historical Novel. I have also been focusing more on the cozy mystery aspect of writing. I have really enjoyed following YouTube Author, Jane Kalmes aka Fiction Technician. Jane had a mystery writers’ course recently I really wanted to take but with my responsibilities with the Pamlico Writers’ Group and the Heart of Carolina, the timing didn’t pan out. But I am really thinking about taking it the next time she offers it.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXiBaSKGlgEFoRW_gKpvF8Q

The kernel of an idea came about thanks to my husband, actually his grandfather. In our home that burned David had a whip that once belonged to his grandfather who’d been a performer in a wild west show. When I heard the story, I knew one day I’d write a character who was a performer in a wild west show. Incidentally, David’s grandfather did an act where he snapped quarters tossed in the air with his whip.

Winnie’s name took several metamorphoses. I originally planned to name her Willowmina but since I used Willow in my contemporary story, Willow’s Retreat, I did not want to confuse myself more than normal. Keeping my characters’ names straight is almost as bad as keeping my children’s names straight. Unfortunately, readers don’t like it when you call the role in a story. My kids probably don’t like being called by the other’s names either but oh well.

Winnie, a nickname for Winona, and Harry her love interest were inspired by good friends I’ve known since my childhood, the parents of one of my dearest friends and school mates. They also became close with my youngest son when he began working with Mr. Harry at the museum. Our backyards connected and so much of our lives intertwined. They always seemed to have a good time together and made being around them fun. I couldn’t think of a better couple to inspire my young sleuths.

As the story came together, Winnie became half Lakota and as I began describing her appearance, I used my granddaughter Phalha to help me get an image of the character. You can see a slightly younger version of the character and Phalha in the original artwork painted by Susan McIntyre. Sue used photos I had of Phalha to create the cover of the book. While Phalha is half Cambodian, not Lakota, looking at pictures of Lakota women, I felt she closely resembled them and gave me a more personal connection to the character.

Since I am not a horsewoman, I needed expert advice to help me flesh out my character as Winnie is a trick rider and caregiver to the animals. I turned to another of my granddaughters, Hailey. Hailey is an accomplished horsewoman who trained her horse Cooper whom others felt was untrainable. Not only did she train him, but she’s won countless awards with him. Hailey answered all of my crazy questions and she inspired much of Winnie’s relationship with her horse and the other animals.

My grandsons Psi and Jack were great about helping me with Riley and Harry, inspiring looks as well as some of the fun things they do from the inventions to their reactions. My husband and my sons were also on hand to answer questions about ‘would this work?’ It’s great to have people around who know things or are willing to research them. My husband has become my accomplice on many of my adventures from helping me plan my murders to planting evidence. If our family decides to turn to crime, it could be bad…really bad.

A lot of research went into this story but I’m sure I didn’t get everything just right. I mean sometimes you have to bend things to get the story to work the way you want it to work.

I am so thankful for my friend Cyn Hayden who gave me information on steamer ships for that one little piece I needed to make the story believable. The ending wouldn’t work without it.

I am also thankful for my local library and the women who work there: Robina Norman, Denise Toler and Myra Shields. These ladies are great at finding things I cannot find online. They are my research assistants, my Beta readers and proofreaders. I cannot thank them enough for always supporting me. They have hosted my book signings and even suggest my books to patrons.

I have several Beta readers who make the story better, stronger, less filled with errors. I said less errors, not error-free, I still manage to get a few of those, sorry. Everyone who reads and gives me feedback, everyone who reviews the stories, they all help me make a better story and I appreciate all the love and support, the encouragement and the occasional kick in the butt I need to get these stories done.

The cover design is by my friend and fellow Pamlico Writers’ Group member, Sue McIntyre. Sue is the author of a memoir, Outside Heaven: An Afghanistan Experience and she is also an artist in residence at the Lemonade Gallery in Washington. She has done two paintings for me for this novel. The first based on a photograph I sent her with just a few ideas. I loved it but as I was finishing The Americans are Coming, I realized I needed to represent the main character better. Since she was half Lakota, an obviously white woman would not be representative. I also wanted the first book to give more of the feel of the wild west show. Using photos of my granddaughter, Sue did a lovely job of depicting Winnie.

https://books2read.com/u/m2dKP6

While she is younger on the cover than in the story, I still feel it is a great depiction of what the beginning of the series is about. Winnie isn’t exactly innocent, her life even before joining the wild west show was hardly easy, nor was she protected from the harshness of life. But Winnie’s outlook is one of hope and love. Everything she does from trying to solve the murder to breaking up her father’s relationship with one woman and pushing him into a relationship with another, is about love and hope for the future.

The Americans are Coming is a murder mystery, but it also has romance, family drama, friendship and a view into living together harmoniously with diverse characters. Fiction should entertain but it should also make you feel something. I hope when you finish this book you feel the connection and understanding I was trying to convey. Happy reading, y’all.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGN94H4F

Print books are suppose to arrive today but they won’t have this cover. If you want books with Sue’s original artwork, they are available at Amazon, and I hope to have them available elsewhere very soon.

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-americans-are-coming-3

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-americans-are-coming-sherri-lupton-hollister/1142368992;jsessionid=EA734F1B7C7C7CCC42A62D5D2AA34625.prodny_store01-atgap02?ean=2940166302335

https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6443589675

https://www.thalia.de/shop/home/artikeldetails/A1066449310

https://shop.vivlio.com/product/9798215340196_9798215340196_10020

Posted in Creekside Cafe, interview

On The Porch with L C Larsen

I’m here with L C Larsen the author of the new novel, Some Men Deserve to Die. Lars is a member of the Pamlico Writer’s group. After years of working as a doctor and instructor, why would you embark on yet another career?

Lars: I had wanted to write a short novel for about two decades before I retired because of the joy I’ve experienced from reading them during times of stress during my life and career. I mean, we all have difficult times in our lives or times when we’re just overwhelmed and there’s no better way to escape those pressures than to curl up in a chair and read a good novel. I retired and decided to try writing a novel and, hopefully, provide some happiness to my readers. It also would provide a meaningful project I could work on with my adult children—I spent so much time working as a physician that I hadn’t worked with them as adults on any projects where we could function as peers, to interact as equals and strengthen our relationships accordingly. However successful the novel turns out commercially, the final outcome in that regard has been fantastic.

Sherri: That wonderful Lars. My husband and sons have all helped me with my novels and it’s so much fun being able to share our passions and learn from each other.

What genre is your new novel? 

Lars: Murder mystery, with a physician-detective protagonist. It could also be classified as “murder mystery adventure.”

Sherri: Why did you choose to write a murder mystery?

Lars: I have always enjoyed classic murder-mystery stories, those with thoughtful and observant protagonists like Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes. As a former physician with roughly four decades of clinical experience caring for patients from all walks of life and hearing their deepest secrets, I felt my medical knowledge and insight into human behavior would provide a solid foundation for weaving an interesting story about the worst of crimes, about killing a person, and how possibly to get away with it.

Sherri: Tell me something about your main character, Jack Damen, that is not in your book? 

Lars: An important aspect about Damen that’s not explicit in the book is that while he’s different from the great majority of readers, he is similar in a very human way: he’s flawed with a dark side but works hard to overcome it and be productive in his life. Also, he has done terrible things in his life and has sought redemption but it seems to escape from him time and time again because of the choices he makes, as it often does for many of us. I named my self-publishing company, Three Choices Press, after that phenomena: we all make choices, some good and some bad, and many times we make choices that don’t neatly fit into either category but work out for us nonetheless.

Sherri: How did you come up with your title, Some Men Deserve to Die?

Lars: I’ve always been an observer of people and their actions. As a physician and in my non-medical life, I have witnessed firsthand the depravity in humankind’s soul; in my experience, it’s been primarily in males.

Sherri: How long did it take you to write this book? What was your process?

Lars: Five years, writing two hours daily, five days per week, nine months each year. The best time for me to think and write creatively is in the morning after breakfast before reading the news or being distracted by anything else. I have a comfortable chair in our family room where I would sit with my “lap desk” and laptop, coffee on the side table, and go at it until mentally exhausted about two hours later. That’s also the maximum amount of time I could isolate myself from Pat, my wife, without negatively affecting our relationship.

Sherri: In crafting your characters, do you fashion them on people you know? 

Lars: No, not really, not on individuals I’ve known. All of my characters are blends of people I’ve met or observed with imaginary attributes I assign to them for their roles in the novel.

Sherri: What do you wish you’d known before publishing this book?

Lars: How difficult it is to be a creative writer and how long it would take to write this novel. I had done a fair amount of scientific and academic writing in my career but transitioning to creative writing was the hardest thing I’ve done since medical school. The first three years of writing this story were trial and error, learning my mistakes and studying to correct them. Coupled with the time and mental effort required each day to just “put the story down on paper”—conceptualizing scenes and typing them—it was a major challenge but one I enjoyed as I progressed through the process.

Sherri: What do you hope to do different with your new book?

Lars: The plot will be better established before I begin writing. In Some Men Deserve to Die, I initially formulated the beginning and end of the novel but the body of the story and its characters evolved as I wrote it. Also, it was designed to be the first in a series of Jack Damen books so writing the sequel should be easier now that the characters have been developed. In fact, I’ve already determined a plot for it—so exciting!

Sherri: What would you tell a new writer?

Lars: Be prepared to work twice as hard and long on your book as you anticipate and be prepared to learn unexpected things about yourself, aspects of your personality that will help and hinder your creative writing. For me, having had narrow focus and linear thinking allowed me to be successful as a physician, but these are traits I’ll always have to compensate for as a creative writer.

Sherri: What character was the most difficult to write? Which one was the easiest?

Lars: My protagonist, Jack Damen, was the most difficult because his personality is so multifaceted. Also, I wanted readers to discover more about him as the novel progressed, personal traits that would resonate with them. I felt really good when one reader sent me a letter with their revelations about him.

Dr. Michelle Lewis was the easiest because I’ve known so many people like her: really smart southern women who’ve been underestimated because of their genders and communication styles.

Sherri: Is there a scene you removed from the final edit of the book? Why did you take it out? 

Lars: Yes, I removed a scene about an abusive, alcoholic father and his subsequent relationship with adult children. I took it out because one of my preliminary readers felt it cluttered up the plot. It was a powerful segment, though, and I’ve saved it for a sequel.

Sherri: Did you do the publishing yourself? Was it difficult? 

Lars: I did the publishing myself through KDP Amazon. It wasn’t difficult but learning how to do it took quite a bit of time. KDP provides a software tool, Kindle Create, that can be downloaded onto your personal computer along with a working copy of Pride and Prejudice that you can practice on—editing, formatting, etc. After that has been mastered, you enter your manuscript into the software, edit it, and upload the final product into the KDP server. Choosing a book cover is the final step, one made easy by software on the KDP server. Having already done it, I feel it will be a piece of cake the next time around.

Sherri: Thank you for stopping by and sharing your story. 

Available in Kindle and paperback formats at https://Amazon.com

My website is www.lclarsen.com
My business email is lclarsen@lclarsen.com
My business page on Facebook is L.C. Larsen (found most easily in Facebook by searching my username:  L.C. Larsen@ThreeChoicesPress)

Posted in audio books, Book Review

Memory Man

Memory Man by David Baldacci, Narrated by Ron McLarty, Orlagh Cassidy

David Baldacci knows how to get a reader’s attention. He is a storyteller who blends detail with action, keeping the story moving while pulling the reader deeper into the plot.

Amos Decker, the memory man, was just a normal college football player with a chance at the big times when his life changed forever for the first time. His brief professional career is cut short when he suffers a head injury that leaves him unable to forget.

The second time his life changes, he comes home to find his brother-in-law, wife and young daughter murdered. As a police officer, he knows it has to be his fault but when there are no leads, his focus on the job suffers.

Amos falls down to the lowest rung of society sleeping in a cardboard box before he pulls himself together and becomes a private detective. He hasn’t pulled himself very far up the ladder but at least he is sleeping in a bed and eating regularly. He is holding onto this sanity by his fingernails. What would you do if you could never forget? If your worst memory was as fresh months later as it was minutes after it happened. How would you heal?

What would you do if someone walked in off the street and confessed to murdering your family?

More questions follow Amos as more bodies stack up and he’s the key to it all.

This was one of the best suspense thrillers I’ve read. It kept me guessing. Sven as I figured out one clue there were still more to discover.

Posted in Thoughts, writing inspiration, Writing tips

How Do You Research Murder?

How do you research Murder? How many people did you have to kill to get it right? Uh! What, wait a minute…

Contrary to some the writing sources I’ve studied, you don’t have to write JUST what you know. You can figure somethings out by relating them with similar experiences, or by taking classes, watching YouTube videos or documentaries. You don’t have to kill your neighbors in order to write about it. I mean, you could but then you’d probably be in prison or on the run and then it’s really difficult to do book signings.

Okay, enough of the silliness, seriously, most writers are nosey by nature. We want to know how everything works or why it doesn’t. We will do extensive research over something that only shows up in the background of a story just so it feels right. As readers we know that we are most engaged when an author piques all of our senses. No you cannot see, taste, feel or smell any of the descriptions but if they are done right, you can almost…

The experts say smell is the greatest memory. There are some smells you never forget. Growing up in a rural community with no public works, we had to dispose of dead animals ourselves or just let nature take its course. Neither is a pleasant experience but it did give me some insight into the dead.

So how can we get it right when it comes to murder? Well, I know what a decomposing body smells like. It may have only been a deer or a racoon, there was even a stray dog that went off in the woods to die but the smell filled the community for several days, but I believe the description of the smell is something I can provide in detail with some accuracy and enough similarity that the reader will believe me. I can also tell you there’s a difference if a body is found down on the shore versus up on the road where it’s been baked by the sun, especially in July, in North Carolina. There are experiences we can relate to that of our fictional murder to make it feel real. From the sicky sweet smell of rotting flesh to the grotesque swelling that comes from the gases building inside of a decomposing body, or the swampy, putrid aroma of a body washed up on shore of a brackish country creek.  If you have ever come upon an older body nearly gone to bone in the woods, the loamy smell of flesh turning to soil.

I can hear people saying, “but animals smell different than people.” My Uncle Tucker would tell you that fish and relatives both stink after three days. Some don’t take that long. Death, human death may seem different especially in the cities or the civilized world of hospitals and home, but out in the wild it becomes more like the animals I’ve described. Check out the research from the Body Farm.

If you have ever watched a loved one die, you know that there are smells that go along with illness, medicinal odors, the scent of infection, decay or the stale, stagnate odor that comes with lack of movement and frequent washing. If you have visited a morgue or mortuary, you remember those distinct scents. Death has a smell, even the civilized, cleaned-up version of death most of us know just from life. But what about murder, what does murder smell like, how would it be different than death by illness?   

If you are researching murder the results can be slightly different depending on if you are focusing on the murderer or the one investigating the murder. From the investigators point-of-view we have many books, documentaries, classes, etc. to assist the writer with getting things right. If you are writing from the murderer’s point-of-view, it can be a little trickier to pull off.

Many of us know a bit about character development from our own personalities, interacting with and watching other people. We have seen first-hand romance dos and don’ts, relationships that work and those that just never should have tried. But how do we research murder and murderers? As I know I don’t know any murderers, at least not any who would admit it. So how do we know what it’s like to kill? How do we understand the way a killer thinks or feels or why they do what they do? How much of that matters?

Things have gotten a little easier thanks to the internet but before YouTube videos and online classes, I watched PBS documentaries and read books. I talked to prison guards and former inmates. With cable and satellite television I’ve discovered the History channel, Discovery, True Crime, not to mention all of the shows that are focused on forensics and murder.  

So how do you write it from the murders point of view? How do you develop the emotions the murderer is feeling before, during and after? Can we relate to them? Do we have similar circumstances we can draw from? I think much depends on why the killer has killed and how. Are they angry and this happened in the middle of a fight or was it premeditated? Are they a sociopath or psychopath? Is killing fun? Do they shoot, strangle, mutilate their victims? After doing all the research, it comes down to character development and imagination. What would your character do? How would they act and react? Have fun with it, but if you decide to experiment with murder, please, don’t come to my neck of the woods.

Posted in audio books, Book Review

Lethal Pursuit

by Will Thomas, Narrated by Antony Ferguson

A Barker and Llewelyn Novel

London 1892 The newly wed Thomas Llewelyn and the still recovering Cyrus Barker are pulled into international intrigue by the Prime Minister when a British spy is murdered in the streets just a few blocks from their door.

Newly returned from the continent, the spy brought back a holy relic that could change the course of politics and religion if it ends up in the wrong hands.

Itching to investigate the murder of the spy, but ordered to act as courier to the relic, Barker confounds everyone with his lack of interest in doing what the Prime Minister has ordered.

Poor Thomas once again finds himself attacked by the youths who murdered the spy in search of the relic and shamed by one of the suspects, but in true Llewelyn fashion he survives to fight again.

The surprise in this story is Thomas’ bride who proves she is not just a pretty face.

Will Thomas is an excellent story teller and Antony Ferguson the perfect voice to tell it. Action, history, intrigue, drama, romance, and secret societies, what more could a reader want. I adore this series and look forward to reading each one.

Posted in audio books, Book Review

Dead Wrong by Leigh Ann Dobbs

Read by Hollis McCarthy (Chirp)

This cozy mystery is the first in the Blackmore Sisters Series. The setting is the small, oceanside town of Noquitt, Maine. A huge family home the sisters are trying to save and a legacy of tall tales, family lore and antiques still to uncover. Their home, family history and even their cat are somewhat mysterious. What is even more of a mystery is how the sisters are going to raise the money to pay the taxes on the huge family property.

When Morgan is accused of killing local shrew Prudence Littlefield, the local Police Chief isn’t interested in looking for the real killer. Only the new police officer, Jake Cooper is willing to believe in Morgan’s innocence. Her sister, Fiona doesn’t want to like or trust the new officer, but she soon realizes he might be their best hope of discovering the truth. Who killed Prudence? Why? And what else is going on in Noquitt?

Fiona’s attraction to the handsome police officer colors her view of the man and his ability to help them. She does not want to be attracted to him. As their relationship develops the reader can see the possibilities for a developing romance in future stories.

Narrator Hollis McCarthy adds another layer of enjoyment to this story by bringing these characters to life.

A fun read/listen.

Posted in Book Review

Review of Project Duchess

Project Duchess by Sabrina Jeffries, Narrated by Beverley A Crick

Grey, the duke of Greycourt avoids his aunt’s machinations to marry his cousin with the death of his stepfather. His oft widowed mother has summoned him and while reluctant to be around family, it is preferable than to be once again at the mercy of his aunt.

Grey doesn’t trust society, but he has no solace with his family. Estranged for years, he holds everyone at bay with his arrogance. Confronted with a woman who has suffered a similar past, is outspoken and spirited he finds himself attracted despite suspecting her of being involved in his stepfather’s murder.

Beatrice Wolfe embraces Grey’s family as her own. An orphan at the mercy of her lascivious uncle, she finds refuge with Grey’s mother and stepsiblings.

When his brother asks him to help discover who killed his father, Grey agrees to investigate Beatrice under the guise of helping his mother prepare her to make her society debut.

Neither believes themselves capable of receiving love and are reluctant to allow themselves to fall, but they fall hard for each other. Can they overcome the difficulties facing them as others threaten to steal their chance at happiness?

Sabrina Jeffries is one of my favorite authors, even as she deals with some difficult subjects, she brings her readers into the light with hope. This series appears to have an ongoing mystery with each of the duchess’ children finding love while trying to discover what may have happened with their fathers. I look forward to reading or listening to each book. If you like strong characters, especially strong female characters then you will fall in love with Ms Jeffries’ books. This one was one of her bests.

Posted in Book Review

Inherit the Dead

Inherit the Dead (Chirp) by many of my favorite mystery writers, Lee Child, Charlaine Harris, C J Box, Lawrence Block, Mary Higgins Clark, just to name a few. Each author wrote one chapter and they seamlessly go together as if written by one mind.

Pericles “Perry” Christo is a P.I. with a past, a former NYPD homicide cop. When he is called to the Upper East Side apartment by the wealthy and notorious Julia Drusilla, what he thinks is a straight forward case quickly becomes a knot of lies, scandals, and murder, but who is telling the lies?

Hired to find her missing daughter and heir, Julia Drusilla is as cold as the February night and not nearly as pleasant. Each thread he pulls tightens the knot even more until he’s not sure what is the truth.

This tangle of lies is a true mystery and will leave you wondering who is the bad guy. Join this all-star cast for a delightful tale and see if you can unravel the mystery.

I thought it was a unique idea to have a novel written by several different authors.