Guest Post

HAVE A BOOK TO PROMOTE? Lyrical Pens welcomes guest posts. Answer a questionnaire or create your own post. FYI, up front: This site is a definite PG-13. For details, contact cjpetterson@gmail.com cj

Sunday, February 26, 2017

More MTW book reviews, a recap and an invitation.


cj Sez:  I met the authors of the following books during Mystery Thriller Week and am happy to share reviews of their books today. (Note Andrew and Annette: I’m also posting these reviews on Goodreads and Barnes&Noble.)

REVIEW:  The Witch’s List by Andrew Cairns (a well-travelled Scot, now living in Paris)

Nowhere near your usual coming of age story. Andrew Cairns draws in his readers for a tale that reads as if he’s telling a scary storyyou know… the kind you might hear around a campfire, except this one would be for adults. Tension rises and night terrors move in as the reader follows the life storyfrom teenage years through his hedonistic college years to marriageof a Scot by the name of Sandy Beech.

The scenes are sometimes raw but always thoroughly described. Ignoring the warning of a horribly burned and dying nun, Sandy’s attraction to exotic women sends him on a path to the Ivory Coast and the fringes of a powerful witchcraft.

Definitely a bewitching read, The Witch’s List culminates in a surprise ending that might just signal a coming sequel.  

Available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  Four Stars. 


REVIEW:  Circle of Influence, Volume 1 by Annette Dashofy  (USAToday bestselling author from Pennsylvania)

One of the first things that I did was get angry at one of the characters…that’s good writing

Murder, mayhem, and mystery abound in author Annette Dashofy’s fictional small Pennsylvania town in the dead of winter. Vance Township is an exciting microcosm of intrigue, and Dashofy captures all the emotion that attends entwined lives gone awry. Lies get in the way of love, and unrequited love becomes the wellspring of terrible crimes. Dashofy’s attention to detail makes places and characters come alive.

The fifth book in this clever mystery series is scheduled to launch March 14, as protagonist / paramedic Zoe Chambers faces even more challenges. 

Available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  Four Stars.


Mystery Thriller Week recap . . .

February 22 ended the first annual international Mystery Thriller Week event in the world, with participation from over 250 authors, over 90 bloggers, and several hundred fans and readers. 

During the four months from conception to conclusion, the official Mystery Thriller Week website had over 15,000 views and almost 6,000 visitors. In the eleven days, February 12 to February 22, on Facebook, there were . . .
·            152 Live author power hours on Facebook
·               244 Book reviews posted on the MTW calendar
·               82 interviews posted on the MTW calendar
·              72 Guest posts  on the MTW calendar

If all this exposure for your author persona and potential for interviews and book reviews interests you, take a moment to register for 2018.  Links are listed below for your convenience.


Mobile Writers Guild is hosting Carolyn Haines…

For all you-all guys in the Mobile, AL area…on Thursday, March 2, the Mobile Writers Guild is hosting prolific author and dynamic speaker Carolyn Haines (70-plus books in publication) 6 p.m. at the Mobile Regional Library, 5555 Grelot Road. Subject: "Weaving the Mystery." Hope to see you there.

Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj

PS:  Mark your Facebook calendars to stop by the ebook launch of The Posse on March 15  https://www.facebook.com/events/218447238560116/    ...there will be prizes.

Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   /  iTunes/iBook
Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo

Bad Day at Round Rock” a short story in  The Posse, a Western anthology of tales of action, romance, myth and truth.   

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

MTW_17 book review: "Enter by the Narrow Gate" (Book 1) by David Carlson


cj Sez:  Five Stars…yep, five. This is an unputdownable novel. (Hey, I’m a wordsmith. I can make up words.)

Hardened, and disheartened, Detroit Police Lieutenant Christopher Worthy travels to New Mexico on the trail of a physically, emotionally, and mentally distressed young woman. While there, he is recruited by his friend, and Orthodox priest, Father Nicholas Fortis to help solve the murder of a young nun who had been living, not in a convent, but in a monastery.  Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department Lieutenant Sera Lacey joins the duo as a local liaison, and they discover that the two cases have an inexplicable connection.

Detective Worthy is confronted with a culture and a secret society he doesn’t understand. Father Fortis must navigate the social hierarchy and politics of a Trappist monastery. The child protection officer Sera Lacy gets lessons in homicide investigation. What they all come to understand is that death awaits those seeking to enter heaven’s narrow gate through their own devices. 

This story is so intriguing that, like Detective Worthy, I found myself leaning forward, back tense, as if I could urge the words to move faster.

The characters are subtly and thoroughly developed. The interwoven plot threads make for interesting reading and come to satisfying conclusions. Each scene moves the story forward. Each scene has an arc…a beginning and a middle that ends with a page-turning or scene-changing hook. Perfect.

If Enter by the Narrow Gate is any indication, author David Carlson has started a must-read detective series featuring Christopher Worthy and Father Fortis. Stay tuned.

Enter by the Narrow Gate is available on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble. 
///

And, and . . . The Posse authors awarded a slew of books and gift cards at the cover reveal party on Feb 15, and now we’re gearing up for the ebook launch on March 15. Mark your calendars and stop by our FB page  . . .  http://bit.ly/2lZicgL     There will be prizes.

That’s it for now. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to the same.
cj

Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   /  iTunes/iBook
Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo
Coming in March 2017—“Bad Day at Round Rock” a short story in  The Posse,.   
MTW Facebook   Mystery Thriller Week Annual Event    

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Mardi Gras is a season

© Photo by Jeff D. Johnston

cj Sez:  
Mobile, AL, has an ongoing debate with New Orleans, LA, about which is the first U.S. city to celebrate Mardi Gras. Hmm. Well, we know who that is.

This year the Mardi Gras season started with parades on Dauphin Island, AL, February 4, and in Mobile, AL, February 10. And all the parading and Mardi Gras balls won’t quit until Fat Tuesday…Feb. 28!

When I lived in Detroit, Mardi Gras was a one-day affair that many in the area called Paczki Day. Paczki (pronounced "punch-kee" or "ponch-kee") are Polish fried pastries with a variety of possible fillings (shape is similar to a filled doughnut) that every Detroiter must eat each year on Fat Tuesday. Someone in my office would make a 6 a.m. Paczki run to a bakery in Hamtramck where he might have to wait in line for up to an hour to bring back several boxes. Hamtramck is a city located entirely within Detroit city limits and is the go-to location for paczki because it’s been home to thousands of Polish immigrants through the years.

What do you think? Is there a story in there somewhere? A duel between the mayors of Mobile vs. NOLA?  Piotr partook of a poisonous paczki pastry?

Tomorrow, that’s Feb 20 on my calendar, I’m doing another interactive event with Mystery Thriller Week. I’ll be live 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. CST (that’s 10 to 11 a.m. EST). If you have time, stop by and chat a bit. I’ll be giving away a prize or two. And I’d be real happy if you signed up for my quarterly newsletter.  

For all you fans and authors, MTW (which is 500+ strong in 2017) just posted the 2018 sign-up form ….go get it while it’s hot!   https://mysterythrillerweek.com/author-sign-up/


The Posse authors gave away a bunch of gift cards and books to some lucky visitors to the cover reveal on Feb. 15. Now we’re gearing up for the actual eBook launch. Mark your calendars for March 15 and come by to see if you can claim a prize.  https://www.facebook.com/events/218447238560116/

That’s it for today folks. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj

Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   /  iTunes/iBook
Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo
Coming in March 2017—“Bad Day at Round Rock” a short story in The Posse.   
MTW Facebook

Thursday, February 16, 2017

BOOK REVIEW ... "The Beekeeper's Daughter"


cj Sez:  Marvelous descriptions bring the reader into the all-important sense of place, and in The Beekeeper’s Daughter, author Jane Jordan takes readers into the moors of England in the middle 1800s with ease. You know immediately where you are and recognize what you see, hear, and smell. The opening tells you this novel will be a page turner. 

Then the characters are introduced—each is singularly and fully developed along the way. Each characterization brings the reader deeper into the setting and the tale being told. The main characters, Anabel and Jevan, grow up together but grow apart then together again.

Fellow Mystery Thriller Week author Jordan has a great grasp of the thriller concept:  Get your protagonist up a tree and then throw rocks at her.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys their thrillers filled with angst, anger, hatred, forbidden love, and betrayal. The pages turn rapidly as each chapter is filled with unexpected twists and turns. When the power of dark arts erupts in a family of witches, the results are unpredictable, fiery, and deadly. Be ready for a surprise ending.

Find The Beekeeper’s Daughter at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

That’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. 


cj


PS:  I'll be on MysteryThrillerWeek Facebook (MTW Facebook ) Feb. 18 from 6:30 to 7 p.m. EST (5:30 to 6 CST). I hope to chat with you there. Prizes will be given!  

Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   / iTunes/iBook
Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo
Coming in 2017—“Bad Day at Round Rock” a short story in  The Posse, a Western anthology of tales of action, romance, myth and truth

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

BOOK REVIEW..."Thirst"


cj Sez:  Hooray, I get to review another action/adventure story; this one by fellow Mystery Thriller Week author, Katherine Prairie. 


In Katherine's novel, Thirst, protagonist Alex Graham is a geologist looking to lay claim to gold mines in British Columbia, Canada. She thought she was simply risking arrest when she stepped over the bounds of a military perimeter established by a joint Canada-U.S. task force. Instead she almost dies at the hands of a crazed bioterrorist. 


Alex's story starts out running, gathers up a love interest and teenagers in turmoil along the way. The action never quits as the story races to a satisfying end. There are wonderful entwined plot threads and twists ... ecological disasters, bureaucracies of the hospital and government ilk, and international intrigue. 


If you like mystery-suspense-thriller novels, pick up a copy of Katherine Prairie's Thirst. I consider this a well-written and highly recommended read. It's available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. 

Okay, you-all guys keep on keeping on, and I'll try to do the same. 

                 cj 

PS: I'll be on MysteryThrillerWeek Facebook page Feb. 15 from 5 to 6 pm EST (4 to 5 CST). Prizes will be awarded. Then from 6 to 7 pm CST, I'll be at The Posse FB page for the launch of the anthology cover. More prizes!

California Kisses 10-book publishers bundle on Amazon 99 cents
Coming in mid-February 2017—“Bad Day at Round Rock” a short story in  The Posse, a Western anthology of tales of action, romance, myth and truth.   

Monday, February 13, 2017

BOOK REVIEW "Death in the Time of Ice"


cj Sez:  Let me start out by saying I love action/adventure stories and mysteries, but perhaps I love historical fiction mysteries a bit more—Death in the Time of Ice incorporates all of those genres. I love it when an author expertly accomplishes the necessary world building, that sense of place that must accompany vivid and dimensional characterizations to keep my interest, and Kaye George does a superb job in this novel.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this book to review and was very pleasantly surprised. This novel is not a journalistic rehash of Neanderthal life in the midst of the Ice Age. Kaye George’s story includes all the events you could expect find in a modern-day mystery. It’s about murder, political intrigue, rejection, and love. 

The story is about Enga Dancing Flower’s desire and struggle to be wholly accepted as a faithful and trusted member of her community. During her pursuit, Enga doesn’t shy away from the challenges of a hard life. 

I enjoyed this coming of age story in the time of ice…it was never boring. The cover was appropriate to the title and well done. I highly recommend Death in the Time of Ice to other readers.

Kaye George will be live on Mystery Thriller Week's Facebook event on Feb. 15 at 10-11 a.m. EST . . . that's 9-10 CST. Do stop by and say "hi" ...you may even win a prize.  

You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I'll try to do the same.

cj

PS:  I'll be on MTW Feb. 15 from 5-6 p.m. EST (4-5 CST). Prizes will be given. Then from 6 to 7 CST, I'll be at The Posse FB page for the launch of the anthology cover. More prizes!  


Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   /  iTunes/iBook
Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo
Coming in mid-February 2017—“Bad Day at Round Rock” a short story in  The Posse, a Western anthology of tales of action, romance, myth and truth


Sunday, February 12, 2017

The need for an editor and Facebook contests


ALERT, ALERT:  MysteryThrillerWeek launches interactive author visits tomorrow… contests, entertainment, special prizes are being given away daily Feb. 12 through Feb 22.

CONTESTS & ENTERTAINMENT. I’ll be there Feb. 15, 5-6p.m / Feb 18 6:30-7p.m. / Feb. 20 10-11a.m. Stop by to chat and enter your name for a drawing. On Facebook at  http://bit.ly/2kFQweL


Also happening Feb. 15 (starting at 3 p.m. CST) is the Facebook marketing launch of THE POSSE
…I’ll be the featured author from 6-7, and we’ll be awarding special prizes there also. More info on my Facebook page on Thursday morning.


cj Sez:  Did you ever open a book, read a few chapters (or even a few lines), and then put it down because of errata, i.e.; those typos, misspellings, and factual errors that drive a pedantic like me up a wall. One or two will make me shake my head and pause; a lot of them will stop me in my tracks.

I used to find that indie books were the worst. They tended to be poorly edited if not poorly written. Now, I’m finding errors in books by established authors and big publishing houses who should know better. Perhaps it comes down to the time it takes to do a detailed copy edit vs. getting the book on the market.
The problem with self-published books is that they are so often done on a shoestring (cost-wise) that the author cannot afford to pay for a copy editor. Unfortunately, I’ve come across some who simply don’t want to go through the process.


Speaking from experience, self-edits and beta readers do not, will not, and cannot catch everything that a professional copy editor will. When I was gainfully employed, one of my report/column-writing rules was to get as many people as possible to read the document . . . the more eyes on it the better the end product. That wasn’t easy to do when I was on deadline, and my work wasn’t on the top of someone else’s to do list. But the effort was so worth it.


The same thing is true about an author’s manuscript. I, me, personally, want my manuscript to be the best I can make it. I read the document on the computer screen, and then I print a few pages. Because the text looks different when printed, I’ll find the missing comma, period, or quotation mark that was missed on numerous computer-screen read-throughs. Sometimes, I make a copy of the printed page. Copying changes the size of the font once again, and I will (too often) find another gremlin to correct. And if you find one in this post, let me know so I can moan and groan a bit.


My advice: Don’t presume that because you’ve typed “The End,” your manuscript is finished. It’s probably months away from being ready for publication. It needs fresh eyes. It’s a personal and financial consideration for each author, but please consider hiring a copy editor if you can afford it.


Caveat: Expect that if your manuscript is accepted by a publisher, their punctuation rules for how they want their publication to look may differ from your copy editor’s input, and there could be more changes to be made. Got any horror or triumphant stories to share? 
PS: I’ll talk more about the types of editors and what they do in a later post.

Author and attorney Susan Spann writes about The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”)—a U.S. law that contains a number of protections for content creators, Internet Service Providers, and the public. The part of the law most relevant to authors is the DMCA Takedown Notice. and she writes about it at http://writersinthestormblog.com/2017/02/pirates-beware-how-to-prepare-and-use-a-dmca-takedown-notice/  Definitely worthwhile reading.



Stop by Facebook for MysteryThrillerWeek and The Posse launch if you have a chance…and take a chance on winning a prize. 

In the meantime, you-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj

Choosing Carter  -- Kindle Free on Kindle Unlimited  /  Nook  /  Kobo   /  iTunes/iBook
Deadly Star --  Kindle Free on Kindle Unlimited / Nook  / Kobo
Coming in mid-February 2017—“Bad Day at Round Rock” a short story in  The Posse, a Western anthology of tales of action, romance, myth and truth.   


Monday, February 6, 2017

Spotlighting author E. Michael Helms

cj Sez: Lyrical Pens’ guest today is Mystery Thriller Week author E. Michael Helms, who writes the popular Mac McClellan mystery series. The latest in the series from Coffeetown/Camel Press is the brand-new deadly spirits, which launched on Jan 15, 2017.  (Congratulations, Michael.)

www.mysterythrillerweek.com
This busy author graciously stopped by for a few minutes and answered some questions for us. Let’s get right to it…

Lyrical Pens:  Where did you get the inspiration for your Mac McClellan series?

E. Michael Helms:  My previous books had all dealt with war, mostly drawn from my own experiences. It was draining and I knew I needed a change. I grew up reading and loving the Hardy Boys books, and had recently renewed my interest in mysteries. One day I thought: Why not try my hand at writing a mystery? It took off from there.

LP:  What kind of research did you have to do to make the character authentic?

EMH:  In order to get inside my protagonist’s head and know what made him tick, I knew I would have to closely identify with him. Having served in combat as a U.S. Marine during the Vietnam War, I decided that Mac McClellan would be a recently retired Marine with extensive combat service in Iraq. With that connection, we “clicked” right away. I grew up in the Florida panhandle on the beautiful beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. Knowing the area, its history, culture, and people, made the setting of the series a logical choice.

LP:  Tell us a bit about Mac. Any part of him resemble you?

EMH:  Mac and I share a lot in common; athletics, our military backgrounds, morals, likes and dislikes, sense of humor, and loyalty to others. A handshake should be as binding as a signed contract. Physically, we have similar traits. Mac’s a couple inches taller and a few pounds lighter, but when I was his age we were pretty darn close. We can both be pushed, but only so far.

LP:  What are your protagonist’s strengths and flaws?

EMH:  First and foremost, Mac lives by the code of the Marine Corps motto:
Semper Fidelis—Always Faithful. His word is his bond. Loyalty and trust are everything to him. He can be your greatest friend, or your worst enemy. He’s kind and gentle, yet isn’t afraid to get down and dirty if the situation calls for it. He fancies himself a “Southern gentleman,” and has an eye for the ladies. Yet he’s trustworthy, so his girlfriend Kate Bell has nothing to worry about. He can be impulsive and sometimes his mouth jumps ahead of his mind. Mac has a tendency to drink too much, and though he doesn’t yet realize it, it’s his way of coping with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). When he takes on a case he’s tenacious in searching out the truth. He also has a short fuse and has come close to “losing it” at times when push comes to shove. If you prove yourself a friend, Mac will always have your back. He’d rather die in place than desert or betray a friend.

LP:  Are you a plotter or a pantser? Or like me, a pathfinder? (I have an idea of where I’m going but kind of bounce off the walls getting there.)

EMH:  I’m definitely a panster. I come up with an idea for a book, an opening scene, and usually have an ending in mind. But when I sit down to write, the characters take over. I know to some that’s hard to believe, but it’s what works for me. I’ve tried outlining, but the results have been dismal. I’m a very unorganized person. The characters must be free to “do their thing.” I’ll jot down ideas when they come to me, and I keep a calendar of the daily action of the storyline from beginning to end. That helps, but it’s usually after the fact. But it does enable me to see where I’ve been, and the ideas (almost always character-inspired) show me where I’m going.

LP:  Keeping your daily action storyline is a neat way to move right into a synopsis. Great idea. How do you determine that all-important first sentence of your novels? And how often does it change before you’re ready to send it off?

EMH:  I believe the opening is very important, although I don’t hold hard and fast that it has to be the very first sentence of the book. As long as you grab the reader’s attention and hold her/him with anticipation for the first two or three pages, you’ll be okay. Boring narrative won’t cut it. A writer has to hook the reader through lively dialogue or narrative that causes her/him to read on. Ideally, that can be accomplished with a “wowing” first sentence. But as long as you can hold the reader for a couple of pages and then drop the hammer, that’s fine. I strive for a strong opening before I move on with the story. It might take several days of trial and error, but until I get it “right” I don’t advance the plot.

LP:  What do you consider the most important element of any story?

EMH:  Strong, believable characters. If you can succeed in making the reader identify with and care about your characters, good and bad, you’ve got ’em hooked. And there is no “cardboard” allowed, except for book covers. It’s vital that your main characters are well-rounded, with good and bad traits. No one wants a “goody-two shoes.” Even secondary characters should have appeal, whether positive or negative. If a character is worthy of a name, that character had better be fleshed out at least minimally. Ideally, stereotypical and one-dimensional characters have no place in good writing.

LP:  Everyone's road to publication is different—traditional, indie, a bit of both. Take us down yours. 

EMH:  My combat experiences during the Vietnam War had a profound impact on my becoming a writer, although it was a long, drawn-out journey. I returned home wounded in body and mind. For several years I lived in a “fog” of sorts due to PTSD, although I wasn’t aware of it at the time. Someone finally steered me to group counseling and it was a tremendous help. One of our assignments was to begin a journal of our wartime experiences. Mine began to take the form of a book. I had done some freelance writing for various magazines, and sent a couple of chapters as standalones to an editor who had published my work in “Vietnam Combat” magazine. He liked what I sent, but told me to wait and send the entire manuscript when completed. I didn’t know it at the time, but he also moonlighted as a literary agent for a few clients. I sent the manuscript to him and he made a quick sale to a New York publisher. The Proud Bastards became my first published book; I’m happy to say it’s still in print after twenty-six years (currently with Simon & Schuster/Pocket). So far all my books have been traditionally published, but I’m not averse to trying the self-publishing route.

LP:  Marketing a book takes an enormous amount of an author’s time and energy. What kind of marketing plan works for you?

EMH:  In this day and age, that’s almost an understatement. Unless you’re a “name” author or celebrity, a writer has to bust her/his butt getting the word out. While most reputable mid-sized or small publishers will send review copies to the “big” reviewers (Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus, etc.), it’s mainly up to the author to contact book blogs and other review venues. Like most authors, I depend mainly on social media to promote my work. I’ve worked hard to compile a list of trustworthy reviewers who will give their honest opinion on any book that comes their way. No sugar-coating allowed. I’ve also attended book conventions in the past. Those can also be good opportunities to garner attention, but social media remains at the top of my marketing list.

LP:  In the midst of all this scrambling to market Deadly Spirits, are you working on anything new?

EMH:  I’m currently working on my fifth Mac McClellan Mystery, Deadly Verse. It is tentatively scheduled for a November 2017 release. In addition, I’ve also been working on a series of short stories featuring “Dinger, P.I.” Dinger is a private eye who saw extensive combat experience during World War Two with the Marines. After the war he found himself in Las Vegas and set up shop. My publisher has expressed interest in a novella-sized collection of the stories. Someday I hope to give Dinger his own full-length novel, and possibly a series.

LP:  Where can readers find out about you and your events online? 

Amazon author page: http://amzn.to/2jgoaoc

A native of Georgia, Michael Helms grew up in Panama City, FL, home of “The World’s Most Beautiful Beaches.” His tour of duty with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War led to his first book, The Proud Bastards: One Marine’s Journey from Parris Island through the Hell of Vietnam. He has since written novels in various genres, and currently writes the Mac McClellan Mystery series for Coffeetown/Camel Press. With his wife Karen, Helms now resides in the Upstate region of South Carolina in the shadows of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. He enjoys fishing, camping, bird watching, and playing guitar. He continues to be harassed by Mac, Kate, and other recurring characters in his mystery series.

cj Sez: Michael provided Lyrical Pens with a great book cover blurb, but you can read that when you buy the book. I think the 5-star review that follows is the perfect invitation into the world of private investigator Mac McClellan:

Deadly Spirits is a haunting mystery with an ingenious plot, vivid setting and memorable characters, chief among them the incomparable Mac McClellan, who is easily one of my favorite PIs out there. This latest installment will satisfy fans of the series while sending newcomers scrambling to catch up. If you like Robert Crais and Harlan Coben, you'll surely dig Deadly Spirits. I know I did. Highly recommended.”
--Max Everhart, author of the Eli Sharpe Mystery series; SHAMUS Award finalist, Split to Splinters

cj Sez: Thanks, Michael, for stopping by. I have to say Mac McClellan sounds like a character I’d like to meet in real life. At five books into the series, I think you have a winner. Best wishes for great successes with your writing.

Mark your calendars:  I'll be doing a guest post about author/reader relationships at Mysterista's blog on Tuesday, Feb 7.  https://mysteristas.wordpress.com . Stop by and let me know what you think.  And the fun and give-aways start on MTW Facebook Feb 12. Come on by and claim your surprises. That’s all for today, folks. You-all guys drop Michael a little note of support, won’t you? In the meantime, keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.


Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   /  iTunes/iBook
Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo
California Kisses 10-book publishers bundle on Amazon 99 cents
Coming in mid-February 2017—“Bad Day at Round Rock”
a short story in  The Posse, a Western anthology

of tales of action, romance, myth and truth.