Author of paranormal and romantic suspense. Follow her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alicia-Dean/131939826889437) or twiiter (https://twitter.com/Alicia_Dean_)
Last month for EARLY BIRD PRICES – The fee will go up on January 1, 2024…
*** 3 New Categories: Cozy Mystery, Horror, Women’s Fiction
(If you have already entered and wish to change your category, please contact Alicia Dean at Alicia@AliciaDean.com and provide your name, book title and the category you’d like to switch to.)
If you have a fiction novel or short work published in 2022 or 2023 you are eligible to enter!!
*** Judged by readers, not votes!
~ Ten categories with two winners in each category–one for novels and one for short stories/novellas.
~ Prizes: First place winners will receive…
* A lovely customized engraved award
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* Featured in a ‘winner’ trailer that will be shared on Social Media and on this website
* Winners and finalists will receive certificates.
~ Early Bird Fees: $25 for novels, $20 for shorts.
(Entries must have an original publication date of and must have been for sale in 2022 or 2023)
Please help me welcome today’s guest, Meryl Brown Tobin with her new release…
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?
I am an Australian and live with my husband in regional Victoria, Australia between bush and coast. We think we live in Paradise.
Living in our place is like living in a bird hide. We have counted over 80 different species of birds within a kilometer of our home. Each morning we put out seed on our balcony and usually crimson rosellas and rainbow lorikeets come in to be fed. Sometimes a grey shrike thrush, a dove, sulphur-crested cockatoos, galahs and occasionally king parrots come in. In late October a small strange bird with stripes across its chest came in. A friend who illustrated a bird guide book identified my photos of it as a shining bronze cuckoo. Magic!
We also have other wildlife as ‘pets’. At least five different black swamp wallabies live on our small property and accept us as other fauna. When we pass, they stop eating grass or browsing on trees, watch us walk by and then resume eating. Sometimes we see an echidna, a blue tongue lizard, one of the four different sorts of snakes we have here––copperhead, red-bellied black, brown and tiger––lizards and skinks and the odd fox.
Where did you get the idea for ‘Broome Enigma’?
My family and I have visited Broome in Western Australia a number of times and love it. The setting came first and then we met a young man there who seemed so out of place as a maintenance man at a holiday park that I played the ‘What If…?’ game. In time the answers formed and I came up with a hero whose past life was shrouded in mystery.
Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?
I’d written lots of short stories about human relationships and several novelettes and novels, but none published. Here I had set out to write a love story but the rest evolved until the suspense became as important as the love relationship.
What is the most difficult thing about writing a book? What was the most difficult thing about this one in particular?
Getting the start right is very important and also giving back-story without info dumping. Hinting at violence rather than showing it in this novel was also difficult. I deplore violence and could not and would not write graphic descriptions of it. However, for realism, there had to be some unpleasant situations.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read Broome Enigma?
Apart from sharing the adventures and travels of pleasant people who have faced up to and overcome serious challenges, I hope readers will not only have enjoyed the read but also have grown along with the characters and had insights into their own challenges.
Your most prized material possession? Why?
Probably my computer because it has become almost an extension of me. It is in my DNA that I have to write.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
My first novel was a very amateurish one though it had a noble motive behind it. Its two main characters were Australian identical twin young men who were called up in the conscription lottery to fight in Vietnam. One saw himself as fighting a just war, while the other, a conscientious objector, refused to participate in what he saw as an unjust war. Both young men put forward their arguments to each other and friends and family to justify their stands.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Both. For instance, the hero of ‘Broome Engima’ was inspired by a goodlooking young man I once saw working in a holiday village. Dressed only in jeans and sandals and shifting around sprinklers, he had shoulder-length hair, was perfectly tanned and looked as though he had just stepped off a film set about surfers. However, he did not ooze the personality I would expect to match. He did not smile and had a ‘damped down’ personality. That prompted me to wonder how someone like him came to be working in a holiday village. Eventually I came up with a back story.
How did you come up with the title?
Because the setting was so important to the story and because the hero’s past life was shrouded in mystery, the title popped into my head early on.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
While my main motive for writing is that my story is ‘a good read’, I would like readers to enjoy the emotional rollercoaster experienced by the two main characters, especially the heroine as the book is through her point of view. However, if there is a message it is to treat others with respect and that all relationships, even when participants in them disagree, can be respectful.
How did your interest in writing originate?
I think it must be innate. I’ve always loved school and loved writing. When I was about eight, I joined children’s clubs run by two newspapers and entered their competitions and contributed material.
On a working holiday in Australia’s cosmopolitan Outback town of Broome in 1986, Jodie, a young book designer and artist is open to romance and adventure.
At the holiday village where she is staying, she meets Joe, a young man who works there. Despite the strong attraction between them, the many unknowns about his earlier life keep them apart. To try to uncover his mysterious past, they travel to Perth and back to Broome and are drawn into not only bizarre but also dangerous situations.
Is Joe the person she thinks he is, or is he some alter ego? Can Jodie and Joe stop their relationship from developing until they have answers and know if he is free to love her?
Excerpt:
A big gust of wind rocked the van and flung Jodie hard against Joe.
He pushed her off.
“Joe, it’s me, Jodie! Wake up, wake up!”
“Jodie, is that you?” He threw his arms around her and buried his head in her chest.
She brushed his hair back from his sweating face. “Take it easy, Joe. Take deep breaths. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”
He stopped shaking and pulled back from her. “What’s happening?”
“It’s the cyclone. Don’t you remember?”
Another huge gust shook the van and sent Jodie sprawling on Joe’s bunk and into the wall. “Ow, that hurt!” She picked herself up and rubbed her head.
The van rocked violently again. Joe and Jodie grabbed for handholds.
“Quick, come into my bed with me, Joe. It will be safer there.” Tripping and feeling their way along the wall, the two made their way to the double bed and clambered in.
Her breathing coming in short spasms, she lay on her back and took deep breaths. The storm whined and screeched about her, and the roof creaked and scraped.
“Oh, my god, the roof’s going to take off any minute!”
Joe’s arms enveloped her. “Hush, everything will be all right. But will you be okay if we have to make a run for it?”
“Yes.” She let out a sob. “But I like our chances better in here than out there.”
Joe kissed her forehead. He pulled her closer and they lay locked against each other while the storm raged around them.
Meryl Brown Tobin, is an Australian writer. She writes short and long fiction for adults and children, non-fiction, especially travel, poetry and educational puzzles. She has had 21 books published. These include puzzle/activity books, black-line masters books of educational puzzles, work books for primary students, a travel book, a children’s picture storybook, a poetry collection and a haiku collection with four other poets. In total nearly 300,000 copies of her first four puzzle books were sold in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Hundreds of her poems and puzzles, scores of her short stories and travel and other articles, and some cartoons have appeared in more than 150 magazines, newspapers and anthologies in Australia and elsewhere, including the US. ‘Broome Enigma’ is her debut novel and more novels are in the pipeline.
I am more than delighted to welcome these lovely ladies to my blog on their release day. I have had the pleasure of editing several novels by them and, not only is their writing fabulous, they are a joy to work with. Happy release day, ladies!
Thank you so much for hosting us on book launch day! We’d love to answer any questions, including personal questions, that your Followers might pose.
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?
We’re sisters, and each other’s only siblings, born and raised in Rutherford, New Jersey, a small suburban town about thirteen miles from New York City. Our dad, Michael (Mickey) died when we were teenagers and our mom, Katherine (Kay) died when we were in our early forties. Neither lived to see us realize our dream of becoming published authors. We honor their memories with our pen name: we’re (K.)atherine’s and (M.)ichael’s Daughters.
Pat, the oldest sister, is married to Nick, has three children, two granddaughters and two grandsons. Pat lives in the Western Suburbs of Chicago. Kathie is married to Tom, has two sons, four granddaughters and one grandson. Kathie lives on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This explains our settings in our Sisters of the Legend Trilogy, Reunion For The First Time, etc.
Pat has no pets. Kathie rescues Boston Terriers. Franklin is her Boston Terrier mix. K.M. Daughters LOVES Franklin.
Where did you get the idea for From The First Moment?
The title sprang from Mike and Amy’s history of loving each other from the first moment they met.
Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?
Yes, we’ve written romantic suspense in our Sullivan Boys Series and love the genre. Bringing back the Sullivan Boys next generation is like a loving family reunion for us.
Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?
Finishing this book was an unprecedented joy for us. We love writing together and our process alternating chapters always brings unexpected plot twists and surprises. But the real-life plot twist for us when we were about halfway through writing our first draft was Pat’s diagnosis with ovarian cancer. After we complete every first draft of a novel, we get together for a read through. This read through was beyond joyful. After six rounds of chemotherapy and extensive surgery, Pat was cancer free.
Are there any tricks, habits or superstitions you have when creating a story?
We give each other a charm for our “K.M. Daughters bracelets” engraved with the name of each book after a completed read through. We’re starting to run out of links. J
What book have you read that you wish you had written?
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom
What do you dislike that most people wouldn’t understand?
No matter how cold it is outside, neither of us can stand wearing socks under the covers. AND the covers can’t be too swaddled around our feet, either.
Do you collect anything?
Seashells and sea glass if you ask Kathie – Pat only has a few from sister-time visits to OBX. Both of us collect autographed books.
What was your first job?
Cashiers at Shop Rite Supermarket in our hometown.
Would you rather have a bad review or no review?
No review. Absolutely, we choose no review. If either of us doesn’t enjoy a book, or in the rare cases if we don’t like it enough to finish, we never give the author a bad review recognizing how hard it is to write a novel. Our grandmother’s life philosophy stuck: if you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all.
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
We attended a Fiction Novel writing course at the University of Iowa’s Writers Workshop. It was SERIOUS. We had to supply ten pages of a manuscript to workshop attendees for their critiques. Thankfully, no one criticized our ability per se but clearly, they didn’t consider romance writers serious. “Does everybody have to be beautiful?”
The best compliment is hearing that a Reader “can’t wait” for our next book. We’ve heard that a lot pending the release of From The First Moment. We are excited that Sullivan Boys Series fans have missed the family.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
All our characters are fictional, but we often name secondary characters after real people. Secondary characters named Kay and Mickey always have roles in our books in honor of our parents.
How did your interest in writing originate?
Our dad wrote children’s stories for us when we were kids. So, the writing bug was inherited.
Can first love last forever for Mike and Amy?
Amy Jordan Sullivan returns to Chicago from her home in the Hollywood Hills for a starring role in a run of the musical Grease. She moved seven years ago to establish her now successful acting career leaving her first love behind. CPD Homicide Detective Michael Sullivan Lynch heads the next generation of Sullivans in law enforcement. Mike is a rising star on the force and he’s happy with his career and his life in Chicago until Amy returns home reawakening feelings that he thought he’s buried. Can first love last forever for Mike and Amy? Only if Mike can stop the Hollywood City Studios killer.
Excerpt:
“How has this already gotten out to the media?”
“You’re kidding right? All those cellphone videos? It was probably on TMZ before the coroner even got to the lot. MJ ran into Ryder’s arms when he appeared at the door. I’m happy he’s here for her.”
A tear ran down her cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb. “Aw, don’t cry, Ames. I’m here for you. I’ll get to the bottom of all this.”
“Why, Mike? Why would anyone want to harm MJ?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll find out. I contacted your dad requesting involvement in the case. He must have talked with Flynn who has a history working with the LAPD. Small world. Flynn knows the lead detective. I’m on the investigative team officially. I have a meeting with the lead detective first thing in the morning.”
“MJ said she wants to resume shooting tomorrow if the police let her. I’ll have an early start to the day, too.”
“I don’t see any reason why you can’t go back to work – if MJ adds a heavy security presence. I’ll talk to her before I leave for my meeting in the morning. She needs to close the set and post guards at all studio access points. I’m still concerned about her exposure.”
“I know. I’m sure she’ll listen to you.”
He huffed a laugh. “Have you met my sister?”
Mike stroked Amy’s silken hair. “Get some sleep, sweetheart. I’ll keep you safe.”
K.M. Daughters is the penname for team writers and sisters, Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. The penname is dedicated to the memory of their parents, “K”ay and “M”ickey Lynch. K.M. Daughters is the author of 17 best-selling and award-winning romance genre, mainstream fiction and Christian fiction novels. The “Daughters” are wives, mothers and grandmothers residing in the Chicago suburbs and on the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Visitors are most welcome at http://www.kmdaughters.com
I’m pleased to share this Regency anthology from nine authors…sounds like some great reads!
Under the Harvest Moon
As the village of Reabridge in Cheshire prepares for the first Harvest Festival following Waterloo, families are overjoyed to welcome back their loved ones from the war.
But excitement quickly turns to mystery when mere weeks before the festival, an orphaned child turns up in the town—a toddler born near Toulouse to an English mother who left clues that tie her to Reabridge.
With two prominent families feuding for generations and the central event of the Harvest Moon festival looming, tensions rise, and secrets begin to surface.
Nine award winning and bestselling authors have combined their talents to create this engaging and enchanting collection of interrelated tales. Under the Harvest Moon promises an unforgettable read for fans of Regency romance.
Moonlight Wishes and Midnight Kisses by Collette Cameron
A scarred veteran with no future, Courtland Marlow-Westbrook wants to be left alone. Scottish heiress Avery Levingtone never stopped loving him and is determined to win his love again. Will these former sweethearts find happiness together, or will the wounds of the past keep them apart?
A few favorite lines from your story:
A swiftly smothered gasp from across the store made him glance toward the other clerk and the woman, now completely visible.
No.
Don’t let it be her. Please.
Not Avery Levingtone.
The auburn-haired spitfire, with the slightest Scots accent, Cortland had hoped to make his bride—his countess, before everything had gone head over arse in his life, leaving him scarred and without the means to support a family.
But Fate wasn’t smiling kindly upon him today—hadn’t in a very long while.
It was Avery.
Even more impossibly beautiful than he remembered.
A fact about you or your story:
My hero and heroine were introduced in the last book in another series, before I knew they would get their own story in my Chronicles of the Westbrook Brides Series.
What was the most difficult thing about writing in conjunction with the other authors?
Coordinating all the little details and dates to ensure the stories didn’t conflict in any way was a bit tricky.
What was the best thing about writing in conjunction with the other authors?
The incredible attention to detail, sharing of information, and coordinating settings and characters was the best I’ve ever experienced.
Adam Wagner is meant to save lives, not take them. He is haunted by Waterloo. The horror of it keeps him from those he loves. Meg Barlow doesn’t understand how Adam could turn his back on her so thoroughly, but she isn’t about to let him get away with it.
A few favorite lines from your story:
His eyes widened when he noticed Meg, fixated as if drinking in the sight of her, in her new moss green and buttercup gown. She suspected he was seeking the strength to look away, but before he could a bundle of energy dressed in blue muslin threw herself at him.
“Papa, oh Papa, I missed you. You said you would come to visit but you didn’t, and I don’t want a visit, I want to come home, even though Lord Barlow said I could stay forever, and Miss Meg is all that is, kind and…”
A fact about you or your story:
My father suffered from PTSD from 1950 to the day he died. I understand my hero’s plight.
What was the most difficult thing about writing in conjunction with the other authors?
Sometimes I just need to go off on my own and let my story simmer, even if I know I’ll end up needing to alter details.
What was the best thing about writing in conjunction with the other authors?
Comradery, fun and a shared sense of accomplishment. And the final product is brilliant.
All the battles are over, or are they? When Captain Thom Owen is forced into a false engagement, he must escort his pseudo-fiancée home to meet his father. Can an English vicar’s son and a French Comte’s daughter find love despite their differences?
A few favorite lines from your story:
She stabbed the Thom’s father with a glare. “That is a child crying. You have a child in this house? Where?”
“I do have a charity case living here. The boy is not quite two and sleeps in the old nursery on the third floor.”
“And you left him alone?” She scolded. “Tell me his name.”
“Sam. His surname is yet to be determined.”
“Hmpf.” Charité stood, threw down her napkin, and swept out the door as fast as her skirts permitted.
“My word? Is she like that all the time?”
A fact about you or the story.
Language development in children varies widely from child to child. Sam, the child in our story, was only just beginning to speak, yet he had to struggle with two languages. Deciding what he did and didn’t know how to say was a challenge.
What was the most difficult thing about writing in conjunction with the other authors.
Being patient, we aren’t always ready at the same time.
What was the best thing about writing in conjunction with other authors.
The creativity and brainstorming. Each author, each story inspires and informs the other.
Home from Waterloo, Captain David Buckley contemplates settling down near his home town of Reabridge—only it is full of painful memories. The mysterious Lady Lorna falls literally into his arms, and he begin to understand the true meaning of love and home.
A few favorite lines from your story:
“Following her gaze, David saw a young woman at the top of the stairs. Her hair glowed like sunshine, and her face…was pale, her eyes unfocused. He knew the instant before she began to fall and bolted to the steps, leaping up them just in time to catch her tumbling person against his chest.”
A fun fact about you or the story:
It was Jude Knight who came up with the backstory for our feuding families which inspired my hero, David Buckley.
What was the most difficult thing about writing in conjunction with the other authors?
Having to keep track of each other’s characters!
What was the best thing about writing in conjunction with other authors?
Keeping track of each other’s characters :). Seriously, it was well worth the difficulty, because it was great fun learning about the depths and quirks of (to me) minor characters, especially Sherry Ewing’s heroine, who was at the other side of our feud,
Fleur Hardouin’s heart longs for Captain Gareth Ardleigh, but she needs an advantageous marriage. Gareth has promised to find Fleur—on behalf of another man. Now he must choose between honoring a promise and trying to win the hand of the woman he loves.
A few favorite lines from your story:
Gareth dipped his head her way and sniffed. “Mmm. Lilac?”
Her eyes turned a steely gray, and the slight wash of color creeping up her pale neck cheered him beyond reason. Fleur was a flower, but not a fragile one, and not one to blush easily at an importuning man’s flattery.
A fact about you or the story
This story sprang (or is it sprung?) from something I learned in an online class about Regency drinking habits. It all started with a bit of knowledge about the Veuve Clicquot, a French widow who invented the process of riddling and transformed the champagne industry during the Napoleonic era when France was at war.
What was the most difficult thing about writing in conjunction with the other authors
Probably getting the time chronology right. My characters went to pay a call on Rue Allyn’s characters. Getting the date of that visit and the participants sorted was probably the trickiest thing.
What was the best thing about writing in conjunction with other authors
It’s wonderful to take on a project with folks who share a passion for historical details and who are also very supportive. The skilled beta reading of other authors is invaluable.
Widowed at Waterloo, where she also nursed the wounded, Veronica Petersham promised a dying man to bring his effects to a family in Reabridge. She falls ill just short of her goal, in the milking shed of kind and stoic Martin Bromelton.
Perhaps there is hope for the future after all and the opportunity to find love once more.
A few favorite lines from your story
He was spreading himself thin and knew it. He did what needed to be done—and there was so much that needed to be done—for the farm and those who relied on him.
The hard-won success of his freehold had not come without cost. To his regret, it was a sight his father had never lived to see. Even now, Martin recalled the days when the farm couldn’t even manage to feed the family, let alone bring in an income.
There had been more than one night in his youth that he’d gone to bed hungry. He didn’t intend to do it again as an adult.
A fun fact about you or the story
The town of Reabridge in Under the Harvest Moon is located in Cheshire, and it so happens that my favourite cheese is Cheshire Cheese. By that, I mean the real stuff from Cheshire you used to buy at northern markets and take home wrapped in paper. A lovely tangy taste and crumbly texture.
What was the most difficult thing about writing in conjunction with the other authors
Writing a tale that’s closely interwoven with a set of stories from other authors poses a particular set of challenges. I know from involvement in relatively ‘disconnected’ anthologies, it’s somewhat easier when what you’re doing is, having agreed on a time and perhaps also a location, you’re then writing completely separately with no reference to others’ characters.
In the case of Under the Harvest Moon and other Bluestocking Belles anthologies, there’s a lot of referring back and forth between the group, negotiation on getting characters in particular places at specific times, and moving your own story towards a mutual climactic scene. It adds a significant extra degree of difficulty, but I believe it also creates a deeper ‘world’ for the reader to become immersed in.
What was the best thing about writing in conjunction with other authors
The camaraderie and willing ‘give and take’ of all the authors involved is simply the best!
Eight years ago, Hannah Pownall had her heart broken by a young lord.
Captain Brandon Worthington returns to the town of Reabridge to recover from the war and finds the girl he once loved still unwed. Can love at first sight be reborn after heartbreak, proving a second chance is all you need?
A few favorite lines from your story
Today he was dressed as the young lord he was and always would be.
Those hypnotic amber eyes melted Hannah’s heart like they had the very first moment she had seen him.
“Don’t you dare say your goodbyes, Hannah Pownall. I will return to Reabridge and to you.”
A fun fact about you or the story
It may seem crazy but I love Disneyland and embracing my inner child whenever I can go down to the park.
What was the most difficult thing about writing in conjunction with the other authors?
The most difficult thing about writing an interconnecting story is ensuring that the dialogue matches. I had to rewrite several scenes because of this issue.
What was the best thing about writing in conjunction with other authors?
I always enjoy that the Bluestocking Belles’ boxsets are interconnected. I love seeing the characters from each story making their way through the whole set. I think its what sets our boxsets apart from others.
The new Earl Barlow returns home from Waterloo, intending to live by his own rules. The woman he loved and lost years ago visits for the Harvest festival—and he plans to offer Vicky Wright what they both want. Can a lady who has lived by the rules throw them all away to seize her last chance for happiness?
A few favorite lines from your story:
She grabbed her courage to blurt out the truth. “He had affairs. He told me the night before our wedding.” After I had given you up. After I had lashed myself to my duty to marry him as Papa’s agreements demanded. “He informed me that he would not change his life for me. In fact, if I wished to jilt him, I could.”
“But you didn’t.” He put a hand with his rough calloused fingertips to turn her face toward him, and smiled in sorrow at her. “Why not?”
A fun fact about you or the story:
About Cerise: I did my master’s degree in Chinese and Japanese History and have taught college courses in both!
What was the most difficult thing about writing in conjunction with the other authors:
The challenge in writing these coordinated sets is to include other authors’ characters in the most natural time in one’s story and in the most natural scenes. To accomplish this, we read each others’ works to ensure continuity.
What was the best thing about writing in conjunction with other authors:
The most fun here in these sets comes from the knowledge that what you have written is not only a superbly crafted story which fits into others’ stories well, but that each of your colleagues has taken the time and care to help you produce the best fiction you can!
The Battle of Waterloo lost Jack Wrath the use of one arm and ended his career in the cavalry. He has no place to go and nothing to offer. Gwen Hughes has a business to run and no time for romance. Under the harvest moon, two people who believe romance has passed them finally reach their season for love.
A few favorite lines from your story:
Jack listened, absorbed as the preacher spoke of building things up, and all things in their season, and something in his heart shifted. He had had his fill of war, of killing, of tearing down and mourning.
For everything there is a season. He could do this. His harvest for all those years in the army was peace and all that came with peace. He could be Gwen’s husband and the father of her children. It is my season for love.
A fun fact about you or the story:
My Jack’s given name and those of his mentors was based on a tradition common among English puritans. They saw common names as too worldly, so named their children after virtues or religious slogans. Praise-God Barebone gave his name to the Barebones Parliament, but he is also remembered for naming his son If-Christ-had-not-died-for-thee-thou-hadst-been-damned. Other historical names include Joy-in-Sorrow, Sorry-for-Sin, Humiliation, Make-Peace, and Kill-sin.
Apparently, Damned Barebone grew up to take the name Nicolas Barbon. Just as, in my story, Refrain-from-Anger-and-Forsake-Wrath Thursday renamed himself Jack Wrath when he enlisted in the army.
What was the most difficult thing about writing in conjunction with the other authors:
Two virtues are needed. Patience, and patience. We all write a different paces, and use different processes. Yet, to truly intermesh our stories, we needed to share what we were doing and fid out what the others were doing. Sometimes, when I needed to know something that happened in another story, I just had to wait. It was worth it, though.
What was the best thing about writing in conjunction with other authors:
The tremendous support and camaraderie is important, but I think the best thing is a final product. It is a superb. I know I say this every year, but I think it might be the best we’ve done.
The fourth series of Friday the 13th horror short stories is now available. In each, a murder takes place or a body is found on Friday the 13th. See if you can spot the other recurring elements. Dive into these short horror reads and have a frightfully great time!
****** Only 99 cents until the witching hour when the price goes up! (Well, until around midnight :))
For the series buy link, click on the below:
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Spit on a grave by Tamrie Foxtail
Fun Fact:
When I was in high school there was a cemetery across the street. It may sound odd, but it was a quiet place to study and walk. And there was that one mysterious headstone…off by itself…broken….
About Spit on a Grave:
No one likes a bully and Kiera’s tormented by four of them. But Kiera knows something they don’t. She knows how to turn the tormentors into the tormented.
Snippet:
“Audrey’s right,” Makayla said. “This is spooky. Why can’t we just say we went?”
“Because we have to post a picture,” Jenna said. “With the time.” She pointed to her right. “Kiera said the grave is over there in the corner, under the oak tree.”
They walked two abreast, dead leaves crunching beneath their feet and the full moon playing hide-and-seek through bare branches.
“There,” Alissa said, pointing at the lonely stone. She motioned for the other three to follow.
“Do we just take a picture standing in front of the grave?” Audrey asked.
“We’re supposed to spit on it,” Makayla said.
“That so disrespectful,” Jenna said.
Alissa shrugged. “Who cares? She was a child killer.” Alissa turned on her camera and aimed it at the stone. “Here we are in front of the grave of Barbara Dawn Callan,” she said in a spooky voice. “So scary. Not.” She made certain she was in the video, turned and spit on the grave. “There you go Barbara Dawn. Come and get me.”
Makayla followed. “Waiting for you, Barbara Dawn,” she taunted.
About the author:
Tamrie Foxtail followed her husband from the Sunshine State to the Sooner State thirty years ago. She loves carousels, reading, her family, and her fur babies.
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Soulless by Alicia Dean
Fun Fact:
When I write, I like to pay homage to things I love or that are personal to me. In Soulless, there are several scattered throughout:
The name of the town is Pleasence, after Donald Pleasence who played Dr. Loomis in the Halloween movie franchise.
A nearby town is called Boone Springs, which is the name of the town in my grim reaper romance, Soul Seducer.
My sheriff is Rosalyn (Roz) Grimes, and Rick Grimes is my favorite character in Walking Dead, and Roz is from one of my favorite sitcoms, Frasier.
Of course, I mention Elvis, though briefly.
And, I mention MLB, although at the time I wrote it, I didn’t realize that no post season game would be happening on Friday, although in the story I say there is.
And, lastly (I think), my bad guy’s name, Dearil, means ‘call of death.’
About Soulless:
When Sheriff Rosalyn Grimes shoots and kills the serial killer who is holding her daughter captive, she thinks the ordeal is over and her town is safe. But a rash of new murders plunges them right back into the nightmare—is there a copycat on the loose or, even more terrifying, has the same murderer come back to life?
Snippet:
He was only ten feet away, and she was suddenly afraid to go any closer. He gave off a bad vibe…as if just his being naked in the middle of the road wasn’t a bad vibe enough. No, there was something about this guy she wanted no part of. Screw it, she’d definitely call the police. And grab her gun while she waited for them.
She backed away, keeping her eye on him, but still, he didn’t move. She turned and hurried to her porch. She was twisting the knob when a smell like death assailed her nostrils. Fear choked her, and she whirled to see the man looming behind her. How had he gotten here so quickly?
She fumbled for the door and managed to get it open, then hurried inside. When she went to slam the door shut, he shoved it open from the other side and sent her tumbling to the floor.
He stalked over to her. “Let me in, little piggy.” His harsh voice rumbled out of him like a death rattle.
Shivers raced over her skin. “What do you want?” she managed to get past the lump of fear in her throat. “My husband’s upstairs, and he’s got a gun.”
His grotesque mouth lifted in the parody of a smile. “Don’t lie to me, Bethy. Your husband’s out of town. I need his clothes.”
The moon outside the window passed from behind the clouds, illuminating his features, and she gasped with recognition.
About the Author:
Oklahoma author, Alicia Dean, has an unhealthy fascination with murder and all things creepy and disturbing. On a lighter note, she’s a lifelong Elvis fan, loves the NFL and MLB, and hardly ever makes her darkly disturbing fascinations a reality.
Some friends and I attended a forensic class at a Skeleton Museum. We were given a skull and instructions on how to determine the cause of death. It was interesting to go through the steps anthropologists and forensic scientists go through to determine age, sex and physical trauma. Skeletons really can tell a story of a person’s life.
About The Widower:
Lucy Cable has an inexplicable talent for reading bones—she can look at a skull and see the person’s face. While touring a local bone museum, she notices a skeleton on display and is horrified to identify it as her missing friend. When another murder takes place, Lucy realizes a maniac is in their midst. Can she figure out how to stop him before her snooping around puts her next on his list?
Snippet:
“I didn’t think the museum would have this effect on you. Seriously, I just thought it would be a fun party.”
“I’m fine,” Lucy said. “I just need to sit down for a bit.”
“Ok, if you don’t mind, I’m going to find Cora.”
“Knock yourself out.” Lucy headed for an empty bench across the room. She was almost there when a sight stopped her short. She couldn’t have seen what she thought she had. It couldn’t be. Slowly, she pivoted on her heels. She had to be imagining things. She walked toward the single skeleton in the far corner of the room.
She put her hands on the glass and stared at the figure allowing the flesh to layer in her mind. There was no mistaking it. The same pert nose. The high cheekbones. The perfectly shaped rosebud lips. Add the blue eyes and long blonde hair. It was Maeve. Her mind spun with the implications. She’d seen her last night and now her skeleton was on display. “Oh, Maeve.”
“Now, what do you think of my museum?” Professor Porter beamed down at her. Lucy looked into the eyes of a killer.
About the Author:
Krysta Scott is the author of the novel, Shadow Dancer. Since publishing her first book through the Wild Rose Press, she has since published two novellas in the Martini Club 4 series and three novellas in the Friday the Thirteenth series. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband, daughter and dog.
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The Boy in the Bubble by Stephen B. King
Fun Fact:
This story was inspired by meeting someone who spent his childhood as a true boy in the bubble due to severe allergies that would kill him if he left it. Later in life, when he gained some immunities, though he still has to lead a sheltered life, he suffered a hernia and the operations went wrong. We can all be grateful that he didn’t have the telekinetic power Timothy does in the story……
About The Boy in the Bubble:
Timothy has spent his life in a bubble which protects him from fatal allergies. But nature always compensates and Timothy has developed incredible telekinetic powers. When a simple hernia operation goes wrong causing him unbearable, non-stop agony, Timothy strikes back the only way he knows how by reigning death and destruction.
Snippet
Much later, when Joseph recalled the incident, he realized their attacker suddenly resembled a marionette operated by a manic puppeteer. As the man reeled backward away from the cab, his hand, which held the switchblade, trembled as it turned toward his own stomach. The man seemed to be fighting with an invisible bodyguard, and he grasped his right wrist with his left hand to try to stop the knife from stabbing into his own body. But he was fighting a losing battle, and the blade disappeared into his stomach as he screamed a blood-curdling yell which ended with an even louder shriek.
“No,” Joseph shouted frantically, “Timothy, stop.”
The man jerked the knife out, and a squirt of blood arced toward the open door, some hitting Miriam’s skirt. “Arggghhhhhh,” the mugger exclaimed and looked directly into Joseph’s eyes as the knife re-entered an inch higher, then again, and again, repeatedly until he fell to the sidewalk, shaking and kicking his legs in pain before passing into unconsciousness.
About the Author:
I am thrilled, and deeply humbled to have published 17 books. Though my first love is psychological thrillers featuring the worst serial killers imaginable, I have also written romantic thrillers, horror stories and even a time-travel romantic thriller where the protagonist comes back in time to save the world, and falls in love. Find me on FB: @stephenbkingauthor
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A Wicked Fate Mark Edward Jones
Fun Fact
I like to pluck quotes from Shakespeare’s different works and in Hamlet I found ‘Our wills and fates do so contrary run.’ I wanted to show a bit of the killers’ perspectives in this story. Can the young female antagonist, Miomir, resist her destiny, or will her uncle force her to accept her fate?
About A Wicked Fate:
Miomir ìl Kurić desires money, power, and to be feared, while unburdened by her past. Her Uncle Karanosz insists she remains a part of their unique family, one which harbors special skills … and connections to evil.
Snippet:
The ancient granite structure no longer offered Christian worshipers a place for gathering in southern Vienna. The Catholic Church abandoned then sold St. Ezekiel—some said because the hauntings had never ceased. A half-century earlier, the Jews of Vienna had been herded like cattle into the old church before transport to Mauthausen or one of its surrounding camps. The church sat empty for decades, an outcast building with broken stained glass, dusty pews and altars, and fading memories of the long-ago tragedy.
Two people had claimed a portion of the former church. A man with a fedora in his lap leaned back into a cushioned love seat, his head tilted upward with eyes shut. A young woman paced the living area, clenching an unlit cigarette between her lips.
Miomir stared and yanked the cigarette from her mouth. “Comfortable?” she asked, staring at her resting uncle. “Two dead, and now we are the hunted again.”
Tasev sighed and sat forward. “Dear Miomir, I cannot believe you let it happen.” He shook his head. “There will be many questions about the condition of the body. If someone knows your … abilities, they will identify you.”
About the Author:
Mark retired from higher education finance in 2017. He is working on his third detective mystery, has written three paranormal short stories, and has completed the first chapter of a proposed sci-fi mystery.
One morning, during the writing process of SHARE my grandson and I went on a bicycle ride through town. On our way home, our path led us beside an abandoned building with an entire wall missing. We could see something inside and climbed onto the crumbling foundation to get a better look. There, standing alone, was one single piece of furniture–a baby cradle complete with bedding. In contrast to the surroundings, the cradle was in perfect condition. The scene absolutely took my breath away, because of the similarities to my existing book cover–so much so, I snapped this picture with my phone.
About SHARE:
Expectant mother, Autumn, offers to lend her body through “lend and borrow” technology to her childless boss and mentor, Sadie, who longs to experience the movement of a child within her before she dies. However, Autumn is horrified to learn that her good intentions have warranted certain death for her unborn child. Sadie doesn’t like to share.
Snippet:
“Wow,” Autumn breathed, stopping in her tracks. “Look at that.” She pointed to a large painting of a crying infant whose colorful—was it a soul?—descended from the sky, entering the child, filling its small body with light. A Not For Sale sign was attached to the ornate frame.
Sadie approached, touching Autumn’s arm. “How far along are you?”
She turned slowly toward her. “Almost five months. But most people are surprised when I tell them. How did you know?”
“I just knew.”
“Do you have children?”
“Actually, no. I’ve had three miscarriages, each at around twelve weeks gestation. Shortly after the last one, our house burned down, and my husband died in the fire. No children, no husband. It’s just me and my shop. Loss is so painful.”
“That is heartbreaking.” Autumn wrapped an arm around Sadie. “Your husband is waiting in heaven for you. Your babies are there, too.”
“I wish that were true. But my children never drew their first breath, therefore they never received a soul.” She looked up at the painting. “The soul is granted by God when a newborn child takes its very first breath. The soul is precious. Reserved for children who thrive outside the womb, not those who merely exist inside it.”
“You said yourself it was painful to lose your children,” Marlene piped in, her words bristling with irritation.
“Extremely painful. But even more painful was the acknowledgement that each of those small, lifeless bodies lacked a soul.”
The breath whooshed from Autumn’s lungs. She steadied herself against a sturdy-looking bookcase as Marlene put an arm around her and glared at Sadie. “Seriously, lady? What you said goes way beyond polite conversation.”
“I’m sorry—”
About the Author:
Anna is a screenwriter, freelance writer, and fiction writer with twelve books in publication and over a dozen articles/stories featured in Writers’ Digest, Southern Writers, and Woman’s World magazine. She was named “Oklahoma’s Best Author of 2021” by Oklahoma Living Magazine.
In “Blanks,” my favorite character, Josiah Poopart, better known as Beaver, rides again. I liked him so much in “Stripes” that I couldn’t resist writing a sequel. I’ve known him in various forms my entire life: canoeing buddies, fellow soldiers, family members. Men with a simple yet somehow poetic view of life. None as homicidal as Beaver, of course, but they speak of the world much as he does. He is very true to my experience and very close to home. He is not sophisticated, but he is creative, and he’s never met a story he was afraid to embellish. He’s so fun to write. My hope is to write at least five stories documenting the misadventures of my lethal, bucktoothed friend. I’d like to eventually publish them as a single work. (Title suggestions are welcome. 😊) We’ll see.
I did a lot of research for this story (LSD, Spavinaw history, etc.) I always do. My favorite scene, however, wasn’t due to any research or innate creativity on my part. I really wish it was. The Tale of the Depressed Duck was given to me whole cloth by my buddy Colin. He had just had a nearly identical conversation with his wife and was wondering how he should respond. I had no advice for him but, I roared when I heard the story and had to find a way to make it Beaver’s. Fortunately, Colin was willing. I’m hoping you enjoy my retelling of The Depressed Duck. If not, that’s on me. The original version was hysterical.
About Blanks:
Beaver Poopart has graduated both the VA psych ward and the police academy. Now he’s gone to Oklahoma in search of a wayward woman. Lots of people are going to wish he hadn’t.
Snippet:
“Anyway,” I said, “thirteen weeks I spent getting my head unscrewed and re-screwed. No booze. No women. Nothing but cigarettes and all the sleep and VA chow you could eat.”
“Food bad?”
“Hell, no. I ate better than I ever did. Free, too. They had this carrot Jell-O that I got to liking a lot. Little blob of whip cream on top. Real darn good. Sometimes I think I ought to head back over there for dinner or lunch some time. In fact, we could—” I stopped myself. Shooter might meet one of my docs. He might not understand about that dead orderly, Raymond.
Nothing to do with me, of course. People break their necks falling down the stairs all the time. They don’t often die on the fire escape outside my room, but that ain’t my fault. Truth is, nobody knows what he was even doing out there. I reckoned him for a peeping Tom, and I told them so. I told them I was suing for sexual harassment. I pointed out that he kept trying to give me weed, which everybody knows is a gateway drug to sexual slavery. Turns out they had their own suspicions.
About the Author:
Christopher Farris lives in a very old, very small house in a very old, very small town nestled deep in a valley of the Boston Mountains of Northwest Arkansas. His novels, The Fountain, and Intersection: A Trucker’s Christmas Carol are available at Amazon.com, as are his Friday the 13th short stories, including the first Beaver story, “Stripes.”
The climax to the story takes place in the old Rainier Brewery in south Seattle. The huge building is next to the freeway with an iconic “R” sitting on top. Millions of people have driven past the place, but few have entered it. I decided the bowels of the building would be an ideal setting.
About The Devil’s Dregs:
A witch has stolen Steven Metcalf’s newborn son and intends to sacrifice the child to her dark lord. Steven and his two friends scour Seattle to rescue the infant, but the city has become infested with witches and their allies. Can Steven and company save the innocent before it’s too late?
Snippet:
We were about fifty yards down the hill, stumbling through the ferns and salal bushes when a bright flashlight illuminated us. A woman shouted, “This is the police! Stop where you are!”
We ignored her and increased our pace, careening down the hillside by taking flying leaps through the wet fall foliage. Gunshots rang out. I could hear the whizzing sound of bullets flying past us and into the leaves of bushes. Bark flew off a nearby tree. This caused us to leap even faster until we entered a copse of evergreens with low-hanging branches, shielding us at least from view. We crouched on the ground and gathered together as bullets continued to wiz over our heads.
“What now?” asked Hu. While normally cool as a cuke, her voice betrayed her desperation.
About the Author:
Robert Herold is the author of the award-winning Eidola Project novels, which follows a team of 19th-century ghost hunters, and The Seattle Coven Tales, declared by N. N. Light Book Heaven as the “must-read paranormal series of the year.” Find out more at:http://robertheroldauthor.com
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Feast or Famine by Jon Minton
Fun Fact
The story contains a scene at the Teatro della Pergola, an opera house in Florence, Italy. It opened in 1656 and still hosts shows today. In the scene, the main character is watching Robert le Diable, a Meyerbeer opera about the medieval legend who discovers he is the son of Satan. Released in 1831 it is known for the provocative Nun’s Ballet.
About Feast or Famine:
Theresa Salomé is cursed and blessed. Every Friday the 13th, she must kill and cannibalize her victim, extending her life. She’s collected knowledge, amassed wealth, and watched empires come and go. But as centuries pass, the cycle and isolation threaten to tear her mind apart. Is she a monster, a preview of humanity’s future, or just another pawn for gods and devils.
Snippet:
Tess’s strength and extended life came from the brain and heart, the meat and potatoes of the meal. She threw the heart to Marco, who tore into the tough muscle like butter. Despite popular opinion, the brain isn’t something you can hold. Tess scooped out gelatinous fat, slurping it from her hand like an oyster.
Everything that came after the brain and heart, just like the spinal fluid hors d’oeuvres, could be skipped. Tess reminded herself that there was a technical need. If nothing else, body disposal. On a cursed day, she tore flesh and consumed it with the same efficiency as her companion, and together, they would devour it down to the bone in a single day.
About the Author:
Jon Minton is an American speculative fiction writer based in Oklahoma City. He is a software developer but has always been passionate about a great story.
The natural springs and caverns that are part of this story were once popular spa destinations in Florida for travelers in the laste 1800s and early 1900s.
About Violet:
Ivy Powers, now Ivy Ligon, is happily married, renovations to convert the Victorian home she inherited from a distant relative into a bed-and-breakfast are almost complete, and she just discovered she’s expecting. Life is perfect except for troubling dreams and the heartbreaking wail of a child that keeps waking Ivy in the middle of the night. While one lost soul may be seeking solace, another intends to keep its secrets buried…forever. Ivy will be forced to pay a price in her quest to right a wrong…but will it be worth the cost?
Snippet:
“Did you hear about the skeleton they found at the sinkhole on Aaron Rebisz’s farm?”
Ivy was sitting cross-legged next to a box of ledgers from the 1900s the town librarian had dropped off for the new museum. Across the room, Truby Santella was methodically sorting four generations of war medallions donated by Pete Wilson, a retired Navy captain who came from a long line of patriotic men and women who’d served in the Armed Forces.
“Passaway is slow to reveal her secrets, but nothing stays buried forever.”
Ivy flinched at Truby’s choice of words. Although she’d slept a few more hours, undisturbed by eerie cries, the thought of a small child dying in an underground cavern unsettled her. She’d confessed her feelings to Mike who frowned sympathetically but cautioned her about jumping to conclusions.
“We don’t know what happened,” he’d said, smoothing a strand of hair out of her face. “A family could have been picnicking out in the field on top of another sinkhole and the child fell in and was trapped under the dirt and rocks. Jackie mentioned something about a health spa where people came to swim in the natural springs. Could be the child accidentally drowned or was swept away by the waters. Whatever it was, I suspect it happened a long time ago, given there are no stories about children who unexpectedly went missing in the area.”
Her husband was right. The child’s death was most likely an unfortunate mishap.
No, it wasn’t.
Ivy’d had a series of baffling and inexplicable events when she first arrived in Passaway. Premonitions, visions and dreams that seemed to be those of another woman, ghostly encounters, roses with supernatural abilities—all related to Rosemary Storm’s murder. She’d learned to trust her intuition and believe in the unbelievable.
There was a dark secret connected to the child’s skeleton spit out by the earth yesterday. What would it take for the truth to be revealed?
“You’re familiar with the town’s unofficial history.” Ivy tried to sound curious, not like she was digging. “Have you ever heard of a young boy or girl getting lost in the caverns around here?”
“That’s not something I know,” Truby drawled. “Each generation has its own secrets.”
About the Author:
Connor Treadway is the pen name for the writing team behind Gothic thrillers and mysteries. The duo lives and writes in northeastern Florida.
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Karma’s a Bitch by TL Schaefer
Fun Fact:
This was one of those stories that just appeared in my head as I drove back from a lunch meeting with my writer friends! Driving time is the best time for conjuring ideas.
About Karma’s a Bitch:
Millie is determined to prove the existence of the paranormal in Bountiful, Oklahoma. But the people of Bountiful don’t care much for strangers asking questions…
Snippet
A monster emerged soundlessly from the depths of lake into the eerie silence, the last rays of sunlight putting her on display.
She was small, no bigger than Millie, but pure presence and power surrounded her like a nimbus, making her seem larger than the men arrayed before her combined. Her naked body was mottled gray and green and brown, long knotted ropes of what looked like moss shrouding her face. She was grotesque and stunning at the same time, and her terrible, terrifying beauty made the breath clog in Millie’s lungs.
The water streaming off of the monster was clear, and all around her water lilies formed and bloomed, a riot of green and white and pink against cool, crisp water that had looked black and clouded just a moment before.
A kind of wonder tinged with terror swept through Millie, leaving chill bumps on her arms as she looked and tried to comprehend. Failed. She’d never seen anything like this. Had a feeling no one had, except the men who’d summoned the creature.
About the Author:
TL Schaefer writes mysteries/police procedurals that also have a romance twined throughout. And likely some stuff that goes bump in the night.
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Knockers by Mary Coley
Fun Fact
The KNOCKERS story came together after visiting the famous Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO this summer.
About Knockers:
Trina Ellsbury needs a break. Then she checks into the StayLonger Inn. The desk clerk neglects to tell her about Knockers that linger on the fifth floor, or the history of Room 511.
Snippet:
“Front Desk. How may I help you?” A woman asked.
“Trina Ellsbury in 511. I need maintenance. The water in my bathtub is brown.”
“511? That can’t be right. What room, Ms. Ellsbury?”
“511. I checked in last night and have been here all day.”
The woman cleared her throat. “I have no one in 511. We don’t rent that room. Please check the number again. I’ll be happy to send someone up.”
“Trip has been here several times today.”
“Trip? We don’t have an employee by that name.”
“Then ask Lou. He delivered food and picked up something for the cleaners. I assure you I’m here and in room 511.”
“Lou? We have no one on staff named Lou. I’ve been at the desk all day.”
“Mr. Jenkins has helped me each time I’ve called. Get him, please. Mr. Jenkins, the manager.”
“There is no Mr. Jenkins. I’m Sandra Lawson, the night manager.”
Someone knocked on the door. Knock…knock, knock, knock, knock. Five times. In my head, the two answering knocks sounded.
“Maintenance, Ms. Ellsbury.” Trip called. He knocked five times.
Through the peephole, I recognized Trip’s blazing smile. I knocked twice in response, loudly, and let him in.
About the Author:
Mary Coley thinks in mysteries. Her favorite question is WHY? A traveler, nature and dog lover, her next story is just around the corner. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband and Trixie, their current rescued hound.
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Spine Chilling by Michelle Godard-Richer
Fun Fact
I put up a post in The Booklounge For Readers and Authors to ask men which classic books were their favorites to decide which book Peter McFadden would possess.
About Spine Chilling:
Peter McFadden’s life is ending, but he isn’t ready to leave this world and his killing ways behind. His spirit lingers inside his favorite vintage book, tethering him to this world, while he waits for his next victim.
Snippet:
Esme kneeled beside her sister and angled the flashlight on her phone into the dark space beneath the box spring. The beam illuminated two boxes. A black metal case and a big shoe box.
Lucy pulled them out. “If he had anything valuable in this room it would be inside these.” She tugged the metal box towards her and lifted the latches. “Yep, this is his old Colt. We’ll take this with us. What’s in that one?”
With an unexplainable sense of unease lifting the hair on the back of her neck, Esme pulled the shoe box towards her and flipped it open. “This is weird.” She picked up a bundle of cards, with a woman’s driver’s license on top, held together by an elastic band. She tugged the elastic off and spread what turned out to be a bunch of driver’s licenses across the carpet. They all belonged to young women. “What the hell, Luce? Why would he have these?”
“I don’t know. I’ll google the names.” Lucy’s fingers flew across her iPhone as she glanced at the driver’s licenses. Her skin turned clammy, and her hands shook.
“What’s wrong, Luce?”
“Ohmigod. I’ve searched three of the names so far, and they were all murdered by the Colorado Strangler. And the police still haven’t caught him. But that still doesn’t explain why Dad has these.” Lucy picked up a small jewelry box, the only other thing left in the shoe box. “I wonder what’s in here.”
Esme’s stomach twisted into a tight knot as her brain worked through the shock of their discovery and arrived at a horrific conclusion. “I wouldn’t touch that if I were you.”
“Why not?” Lucy opened the box, then dropped it, and covered her mouth.
The box landed on its side and a mound of gleaming white teeth spilled out all over the carpet. Almost as if their father had polished each tooth individually after…he yanked them out of someone’s mouth.
About the Author:
Michelle Godard-Richer is the award-winning author of The Fatal Series. She writes edge-of-your-seat suspenseful stories with strong protagonists and diabolical villains. linktr.ee/mgodardricher
Please help me welcome author Fil Reid who is sharing a bit about herself and her latest release…
Hello Fil and welcome! Please tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a British writer living in the South of England in a canal boat, which is where I do all my writing. I have five children but they’re all grown up now and have left home, so its just me, my husband, our rescue dog and our elderly cat on board our boat.
Where did you get the idea for the Guinevere series from?
About 25 years ago my husband and I went for the day to visit Glastonbury. We parked around the back and set off across the field to walk up there. He stopped with his tripod and took four photos of the hill on motordrive using infrared film. We kept on going, visited the summit and the ruined church tower up there and went home. That night he developed the film. In the first photo you can see the hill with the tower on top, in the second one the tower only is fading, in the third the tower has vanished and in the fourth it’s back again, clear as anything. We had no explanation for this, but I wondered if the fast shutter speed and infrared film had captured a momentary flashback in time to when the tower wasn’t on top of the hill. Then I wondered what would have happened had we been inside the tower when that happened… so the kernel of the idea for the Guinevere series was born. Took me a while to get round to writing it though.
What is the most difficult thing about writing a book?
I didn’t find anything at all difficult about writing the Guinevere series. I loved every moment of it and was profoundly sad when I wrote the last word of book six. I’ve just been writing a four book Regency series called The Cornish Ladies, due out from June next year, and that was harder to write. I didn’t know the world as well as I do the Dark Ages, I wasn’t quite as in love with my characters as I was with Arthur and Gwen. But I loved it nevertheless. There’s nothing hard about writing – the hard bit comes after when you have to do the publicity!
What was your first job?
My first job was working with horses. I’d been teaching children to ride on my sister’s old pony and someone told me about a weekend job at a local riding school. I did Saturdays and Sundays for some time and loved every minute of it. Horses were my other love, along with all things Arthurian, and I’ve done a lot of different horsey related jobs. My first full time job was on a Thoroughbred stud, but that involved no riding so I moved on to working as a stablegirl in a flat racing yard. I loved that too. I looked after four horses and got to ride out on the gallops twice a day and take the horses I cared for to race meetings. I was young and thin and brave. I wouldn’t do it now and they wouldn’t let me – too heavy and not nearly so brave!
What do you want readers to come away with after they read The Quest for Excalibur?
I’d like them to have a better understanding of Arthurian legend. I soon found out when I was writing these books that most people only seem to know about Lancelot and he wasn’t even contemporary. On top of that, he was French! Not a chance that I’d allow him to stick his nose into my books. I’d also like to think I’ve inspired them enough with my descriptions to go and visit some of the real places in my books – Vindolanda and Hadrian’s Wall, South Cadbury Castle, Tintagel, Glastonbury to name but a few. Almost all the places named in the books are real and can be visited.
If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have 3 (inanimate) objects, what would they be?
I’d have a really useful knife – that’s what explorers always have. And I’d have a large box of matches which I’d keep perfectly dry but also never let the fire go out so I could conserve them. And maybe an axe for chopping up wood for the fire. Got to be practical things, I think, to help with survival.
What celebrity would you most like to be stranded on an island with?
Ray Mears for sure. If not him, then Bear Grylls, but I think Ray Mears would be altogether a nicer companion, and every bit as capable as Bear Grylls but not such a show off.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
I have, with the four coming out next year. But I’ve also got some children’s and YA books that I’d like to get published at some point. Fingers crossed. I like writing for children.
What do your friends and family think of your writing?
My husband is very supportive, and I often read aloud bits I’ve written or ask his advice about something I’m not sure of. He’s a human encyclopaedia and was very useful for all things ship related in my Cornish Ladies series. My daughter has been funny – she’s only just read the earlier Guinevere books. “Eww, Mum, I can’t read a book you’ve written if it’s got sex in it!” She seems to have got over that now, or she’s skipping those bits – they’re not very long. My sons are very impressed I think that their mum is now a published writer. The youngest is a writer himself – short stories for Dungeons and Dragons websites and magazines – but he never lets me see them! I’ve offered to proofread for him but he won’t let me.
Who is the most famous person you have ever met?
I met Princess Anne once, to do with Riding for the Disabled, and I met Alan Carr (a British comedian) while walking along the canal, but only realized who he was afterwards.
How much of the book is realistic?
Well, she travels in time, so that’s not realistic is it? And of course, there’s a bit of magic in the stories. You can’t avoid that with an Arthurian story. But apart from that I’ve tried to make everything as realistic and historical as possible. The Dark Ages is dangerous, dirty, a bit smelly, and full of inqualities Gwen can do nothing about. It’s not a safe place to live, and I make that obvious. The battles are not glorious events where the heroes win – they’re terrible things where even the winners suffer badly. I’ve made sure not to glorify them in any way. I like to think I’ve rendered a realistic picture of what it might have been like fifteen hundred years ago.
BLURB
Book Five of the award-winning historical romance series based on Arthurian legend.
Twelve years ago, 21st-century librarian Gwen decided to remain in the Dark Ages with the man she loves above all else – a man around whom endless well-known tales of legend and magic have been spun. King Arthur. Over the years, she’s carved a life for herself by her husband’s side, gently steering him in the direction she wants him to go, but always with an awareness that he’s a Dark Age king with a Dark Age view of the world.
Equipped with her prior knowledge of Arthurian legend, Gwen’s sole aim has long been to save her husband from the legendary fate she dreads hangs over him. But always, at the back of her mind, is the nagging doubt that whatever she does is already set in stone, and nothing she can do will change his future which is already her past.
Now, in book five of the Guinevere series, she’s all too aware that time is marching on, and that this fate might well be drawing closer to the man she gave up everything for.
Danger lurks in the most unexpected places, and long-hidden secrets threaten to rise to the surface. After a long, cold winter in their hilltop fortress, Gwen’s pleased to welcome traveling players to Din Cadan. But these players are hiding secrets of their own, and one of them has come with black deeds in mind. Gwen will have to fight harder than she’s ever done to save herself and thus her husband. And all evidence points to the hand of Morgana, Arthur’s wicked sister, manipulating everything from afar.
Throughout all of this, simmering in the background, is young Medraut, Arthur’s nephew. Unnoticed, despite still being only a boy, he’s been exerting his malignant influence over those around him, in particular, Gwen and Arthur’s son and heir. The wedge he succeeds in driving between Arthur and his son will carry forward into the cataclysmic events of the final book, The Road To Avalon.
But even Morgana can’t prevent Gwen discovering the truth behind the story of Excalibur and setting the legendary sword in her husband’s hands.
Excerpt: (Merlin is showing Gwen where Excalibur comes from)
The younger man reached for the sword with reluctance, his stubbly cheeks tear-stained, eyes anguished. Filthy fingers closed around the hilt. “My Lord, I will not rest until this sword lies in the hands of your wife.” His head bowed in supplication.
The dragon ring winked at me in the raw daylight, as the Emperor laid a hand on the young soldier’s bare, short-cropped head in benediction. Withdrawing his hand, the Emperor fumbled at the ring with awkward, bandaged fingers as the young man rose wearily to his feet, and slid the sword into the scabbard by his side.
The Emperor, his own cheeks wet with tears, held out the ring, gripped between finger and thumb. “Take this as well. It was my wife’s.”
It fell into the soldier’s open hand, and the young man turned it over, so the dragon rested uppermost on the filthy palm.
An overwhelming urge to reach out and snatch it washed over me, but the vision vanished. My eyes flicked open.
I was back on the wall-walk again, with Merlin still holding my hands and the dragon ring on my finger glinting in the afternoon sunlight.
My breath came hard and fast. “Was that sword Excalibur?”
“I don’t know, but I think so. This is the clearest I’ve seen him. All I can tell you is that every time I look, I see this sword gripped in that hand. That hand with that ring. This ring.” He indicated the ring on my hand. “And I believe that what I’m seeing, what I’ve just shown you, is Macsen’s defeat by the Emperor Theodosius. I think he knew execution awaited him and wanted to send his sword back to Britain. Perhaps it was a British-made sword – even linked to the Princess Elen, his wife.”
Fil Reid has loved King Arthur and horses for as long as she can remember. She could talk about both all day long, but she keeps that under control so as not to bore her husband and family too much. She has late-diagnosed Asperger’s syndrome and thinks her obsessions are far more interesting than those of her two Aspie sons – the Titanic and bellringing. There’s such a thing as hearing enough of bells.
She’s owned horses most of her life, just not now. But if she still had horses, her books would probably never have been written as she’d have been too busy riding every day. One of her favourite things to do is to visit the places in her books so she can describe them better. A certain amount of imagination is required, as of course they’ve changed a lot in 1500 years.
With her Guinevere series finished this year, she’s got some Regency romances out next year from June onwards – The Cornish Ladies series – and she’s just begun work on the books to follow them.
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Please help me welcome Michelle Godard-Richer with her fabulous thriller…
No matter how much you want to forget them, some things cannot be unseen.
Jessica opens her window in the middle of the night to catch a breeze, but instead, she witnesses something that will change the course of her life forever—her neighbor, David, loading his wife’s body onto the back of his truck. She soon learns David knows what she saw and will stop at nothing to eliminate the only witness to his crime. With her young son Bryce in tow, she flees across the border to Montana. She discovers her first love, Jon Kent, is back in town after an early retirement from the FBI. But he isn’t the only one in town. David surfaces to unleash hell on Jessica and everyone she loves.
Excerpt:
She scurried up the cabin stairs, glanced inside the door, and froze.
Oh, this is not good. This is not good at all.
A chair sat in the middle of the only room. Zip ties, a toolbox, a big jug of gasoline, and plastic were lined up next to each other on the floor. He meant to tie her up in the chair and torture her.
If help didn’t arrive soon, that may still be her fate.
Michelle Godard-Richer is an award-winning thriller, horror, and romance author living in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. With her degree in Criminology, she writes edge-of-your seat, suspenseful stories, with strong protagonists and diabolical villains.
Please help me welcome ML Barrs with an interesting interview and her debut novel, coming soon…
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?
I was born in San Francisco and have called at least forty places home—almost half of those by the time I was twenty. My husband Jon and I have been together since we met in college in 1978. We’re now settled in Lacey, WA, between our daughter in Portland and our son and his family in Seattle. We have two adorable, witty, talented granddaughters. We currently have no pets, but I spend a lot of time filling birdbaths and feeders and caring for houseplants.
Where did you get the idea for Parallel Secrets?
My protagonist, TV journalist Vicky Robeson, has lived in my mind for decades. The idea for this particular story was sparked by the woman who served us breakfast while on a road trip through Arizona. My attention was captured by her striking looks, efficiency, and grace as she waited tables. As we drove away, I said to my husband that she would make a great character in a book. She was the genesis of Sam, the secretive owner of the diner in Parallel Secrets.
Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?
I’ve loved mysteries ever since I read the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys stories as a child. It fascinates me how disparate, seemingly unrelated events and pieces of people’s lives fit together.
What is the most difficult thing about writing a book?
Accepting that I need to put readers first, and that I can’t expect them to follow along as I hop from one point of view to another.
Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and do you like it?
I worked in local television for decades, starting as a rookie reporter before moving into management. I loved the people, the adrenaline, the satisfaction of serving the community. My last news job was News Director of a station in Dallas, the fifth largest TV market in the country. I left there to be General Manager of a station in Sacramento. I’m now retired, but still an avid consumer of news.
What was your first job?
I had a lot of jobs around the house, being the oldest girl in a large family. The first outside job I had was picking strawberries. Terrible, backbreaking work. On my best day I made twelve dollars. Even back in the seventies that was lousy money.
What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie?
Vicky: A thirty-something Sigourney Weaver. Pete: a forty-year old Sam Elliott.
If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have 3 (inanimate) objects, what would they be?
My fully loaded Kindle, an inexhaustible battery charger, and sunglass-readers.
Is there one subject you would never write about? What is it?
I’m not going to tell you (Haha).
Have you written any other books that are not published?
Yes, a memoir.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
I thought of real people’s physical appearance (and a few personality traits) as I developed each character.
Who is the most famous person you have ever met?
Clint Eastwood. I hired a reporter/anchorwoman who later married (and divorced) him.
How did you come up with the title?
It popped into my head during a writing class taught by PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Association)’s president, Pam Binder. She challenged us to come up with book titles on the spot, and that was one of mine. Much of the story actually evolved from the title.
How much of the book is realistic?
Other than the fictional town of Walkers Corner, the geographic and historic references are true, as are considerations about journalism and privacy.
Everyone has secrets. Some will kill to keep theirs hidden.
After a young girl goes missing, former TV crime reporter Vicky Robeson joins the search with the help of her attractive new love interest. They take his RV to a tiny town in rural Missouri that’s filled with odd characters and darker secrets. But Vicky has secrets of her own. She believes this kidnapped girl may be linked to a case she reported on nine years ago, when a mystery child was found walking on levee, bloody and unable to speak. Back then, Vicky failed to follow up clues only she knew. Now, she has a chance to redeem herself. As she uncovers secrets, it becomes clear someone will kill to keep them hidden.
Excerpt:
Vicky wasn’t entirely proud she’d find opportunity in a kidnapping, but this was also the perfect time to follow up on the levee girl mystery and find out, once and for all, whether her actions affected whatever became of little Lisa Dee.
Pete passed an old station wagon. “I checked out Google Earth. It’s mostly swamp and wild land outside town. Maybe she just got lost.”
“Don’t think so. She disappeared from in front of her house.”
“Do you think the cops will talk to you?”
“Hope so. It’ll be different not working for a news station.” Vicky’s voice was light, though her lips tightened and her gut clenched. “It’s been a few years, but I still know people.”
“Sounds good.” Pete didn’t seem to notice her disquiet. He was usually attuned to her moods, one of the many things she enjoyed about him. She had never liked so many things in one man before. Now, however, he apparently had something else on his mind.
“There’s not a lot to see right around Walkers Corner. I might take a couple of side trips to Civil War sites.”
“Good. You should. I’ll be busy.” Besides, she’d rather not have anyone, not even Pete—or especially not Pete—looking over her shoulder as she poked around in the past. Her past.
Maria Lynn Barrs is one of thirteen children—the first girl, with three older brothers—a birth order she believes shaped her essence by the time she was eight. A girl’s gotta be a bit pugnacious to get along in that environment. Amid the chaos of fourteen people living in a mobile home (not a double-wide), she turned fifteen, dropped out of school, and ran away from home. Being homeless, then working minimum wage jobs quickly grew old. She earned a GED and went to college, where she met her husband, the father of their two beloved now-grown children. She started in television news as a reporter, eventually working her way up to news director and general manager before deciding what she really wanted to do is write mysteries.
Welcome to my weekly feature where authors share about the hobbies, careers, or passions of their characters.
I’m pleased to introduce today’s guest, Amber Daulton…
Talent Untouched
Hey, guys. What’s up? I’m Trevor Madero sitting with the awesome Alicia Dean to talk about my hobby, career, and passion. Two of the three I have.
My childhood was rough, but the one thing that got me through it was music. Listening to it, talking about it, playing it—didn’t matter. My next door neighbor was a jazz man and taught me everything he knew, even gave me my first guitar. For an angry, scared kid with daddy issues, jazz was the one bright light I desperately needed.
You see, my dad was an abusive prick. He’d get drunk and knock around me and Mom, then move on to my baby sisters. After he died, you’d think I would’ve been free and happy. Not so. Good ole Pops left the family in a bind, and I had to fix it. Don’t get me wrong. I’d make the sacrifice all over again to save my mom and sisters, but the choice I made set me on a dark path. I had to work for criminals to keep my family safe. Soon enough, I became one. Still am to this day.
Even though I perform at bars and clubs and have a decent following on my social media channels, I’ll never have the opportunity to turn my hobby and passion into a career. I have too many skeletons in my closet to let anyone dig into my past and find out what I do in the cover of night. It sucks. Really. I have a great singing voice and play a mean guitar—no arrogance intended—but my talent is wasted. Untouched.
Doesn’t matter, in the grand scheme. My life is as good as it’s gonna get. My girlfriend, Shea, is the most important person in the world to me. She sees me as a good man, and I would do about anything to make that true.
Anyway, that’s it. Music, jazz, guitars—it’s my passion, but it’ll never be more than a hobby.
Will the truth send her running, or will she fight for the man she loves?rt?
Blurb:
The danger and lies are more than she can handle.
Shea O’Bannon feels like a fifth wheel around her romantically paired-off friends, but there’s too much slime in the dating pool for her to bother with it. Then she sees her two-timing ex, Trevor Madero, serenading the mostly female crowd at a live-music bar. God knows trouble follows him around, but her desire for him rushes back in anyway. After he rescues her from a handsy drunk, temptation takes over.
Determined to prove he never stepped out on Shea, Trevor slides back into her life—and her heart—with forever in mind. Even with the wall he keeps up to protect her, his secret criminal life weighs heavy on his soul and drives a wedge between them.
When the truth comes out and his enemies target them both, they’ll have to fight for their love, or kiss it goodbye.
– Book 3.5 in the sexy romantic suspense series, Arresting Onyx.
Excerpt:
Shea moaned as Trevor kissed her. He was so game, thank God. His hands roamed over her breasts and down her belly as though they had a mind of their own. She gasped as he pushed up her dress and skimmed his fingers over her mound. A thrill shot through her. She clutched his damp, corded shirt and tilted her head back as she bucked against his hand.
Angel food, my ass.
Trevor circled her achy clitoris with his thumb, despite the silk barrier of her panties between them. “Sweet enough to eat,” he murmured as he licked the line of her throat.
Her spine stiffened. How she suddenly hated that word—sweet—but he was right. If she were anything like the other women in the bar, she probably wouldn’t have worn panties. His friends had shamelessly flirted with her, so it stood to reason some of the other men there would find her attractive, too, but Trevor getting into a brawl to protect her? Bah. That wasn’t low self-esteem rearing its ugly head, but the truth. She damn well knew she was pretty, maybe even hot on a good hair day, but gorgeous like Chanel or sophisticated like Mia? No way. Lord knew she didn’t have Belle’s attitude or Calista’s statuesque figure, either, and she was okay with that.
“Stop thinking so much.” Trevor trailed kisses along her jawline.
She blinked at him. “How did you know?” A flash of lightning lit up his wicked grin and the gleam in his dark, sultry eyes. Her heart stuttered.
“You’ve stopped moaning. You’re more rigid than a drill sergeant with new recruits.” He rubbed his hands down her bare arms. “You have goosebumps too. Lean back for me. I’ll set you on fire.”
As she reclined and narrowly missed jabbing the seat belt buckle against her side, she spread her legs as far as she could in the tight confines of the backseat. Her heels clacked against the driver’s side passenger door and foggy window.
He shifted over her with a grunt and unzipped his jeans. The thick shaft that protruded from the opening bobbed as he tried to find a place to rest his knees. His left leg then slipped off the seat and hit the floorboard, and he toppled on top of her.
“Oomph.” Air rushed from her lungs. Then she giggled at the scowl creasing his face. She pushed on his shoulders to help as he braced his hands by her head and hefted himself up.
“It’s too cramped back here.”
“I noticed. Where’s your rental car? Maybe the backseat will be bigger?”
His nostrils flared in a snort. “Across the lot. Straddle me, honey.”
Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through Daulton Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.
She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.
Author Alicia Dean 