Friday, May 30, 2014

'How to Gain Financial Freedom: 4 Practiced Steps for Building Wealth' by Mark J. Zetter



Blurb:

Gain financial freedom the smart way 

Discover four proven steps on how to increase your income, reduce your expenses, make profitable investments, and become financially independent forever.

In this guide I’ll explain the money mindset you must embrace today to be rich. I'll also equip you with the tools to make the right decisions and smart investments. Start gaining your financial freedom today!

http://amzn.to/1mSuoaH

Author bio:

A personal development consultant, and business coach specializing in Mindset approaches for personal development. Currently an entrepreneur developing and creating personal development services.

Links

Review of 'Words: Spoken and Unspoken Forces' by Anita Saleem

WordsBanner

WORDS Cover Version 04_1400x2100Words: Spoken and Unspoken Forces provides the key to understanding the secret power of words and traces how this power is activated by drawing references from various authors and experts in psychology, philosophy, medicine, and semiotics.

The author presents a theoretical model to understand why words affect individuals by suggesting that words color emotions, shape behaviors, and influence physiological functioning to create an overall impact (whether positive or negative). Drawing upon several scientific studies, this book will help the reader understand why words are spoken and unspoken forces that have the potential to shape the future.



**My thoughts**

My inner nerd was in seventh heaven with this book. I am always talking to people about the power of words. I try to be careful when choosing mine, because semantics matter. Just because two words have similar definitions or are synonyms doesn't mean that one word isn't better than the other. 

I have personally witnessed the power of words in healing or harming the sick and dying. I remember telling doctors, nurses, friends, and family members that I would not discuss my father's condition near him, even when he was in a coma. I didn't want him to hear any negatives. Saleem backs up this idea, and many others, with a plethora of research studies.

I teach young children, so I see on a daily basis how my words can deeply affect a little one's psyche or quickly cause a misunderstanding. I can build him up or tear her down in a heartbeat. I prefer to do the former.

I was intrigued by the mix of science, religion, psychology, and philosophy, all rolled into one book. Saleem uses published research studies along with the beliefs of several religious groups to demonstrate how the power of words has been studied and used for centuries. She discusses Cognitive Behavior Therapy, which I believe is a powerful tool for helping people to change their outlook on life. All of this is done in a manner that is easy to read and is very interesting, while also demonstrating some extensive research on her part. If I were teaching in older grades, I would definitely be having my students read this! For the rest of us, I recommend this as a launchpad for starting to reshape your own thoughts and life.

Buy links:

Paperback | Kindle | B&N

 


About the Author:

anitaAnita Saleem holds an MS/MPhil in Clinical and Counseling Psychology. She was born and raised in Pakistan where she currently teaches Psychology to undergraduates at Forman Christian College. At the age of 25, she is a lecturer, an author and a researcher who best expresses herself through her writing. She frequently pens articles for local newspapers on culture, arts, faith, tolerance and relationships.

Find Anita on:

Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn




Follow the Book Tour

Lawrence Kelter, author of 'Baby Girl Doe (A Stephanie Chalice Thriller)' on boxed sets



The Perfect Ten. The Deadly Dozen. Thrilling Thirteen. Where will it end?

You know where I’m going with this—in the world of e-book publishing 2014 is now officially the year of the boxed set. Solo novelists with large book catalogues and syndicates of like-minded scribes are jumping on the boxed set bandwagon faster than Wile E. Coyote can outrun a cloud of Acme buckshot.

It’s no secret that success the indie book biz is getting tougher and tougher. With the list of new book titles growing faster than Jack’s beanstalk, a plethora of free reads, and the guerilla marketing tactics of newly-savvy legacy publishers it’s become darn near impossible for an honest, hardworking Joe to make a go of it.

I must confess that I too succumbed to the market-share-capturing allure of boxed set mania. Bargain-priced boxed sets are selling like hotcakes at a Vermont maple syrup fair. When the Deadly Dozen hit the highly coveted NY Times Bestseller List, indie authors from all genres began throwing in together. And the indie masses roared, “Game on! This is a kickass idea.”

Or is it?

Through the miracle of the boxed set many authors are reaching thousands of readers they would never have had access to on their own, but is helping or hurting them? No one is getting rich when a $0.35 royalty is divvied up twelve ways, and as far as I can see there’s no real indication that contributing authors are selling more of their standalone titles than they did before … and they may possibly be selling less because every Kindle, Nook, and i-Pad from Maine to Kilimanjaro is crammed to the rafters with free and bargain-boxed books. And it’s only because Amazon limits the $.99 file size to 3 GBs that uber-collections with names like The Homicide One Hundred will never see light of day.

So who wins?

Well consumers for sure—they’re laughing all the way back to their respective banks, but what does this portend for the future of the industry? Think about that one. I could go on forever but as I look backstage I see the hook coming out and so in the immortal words of Snaggelpuss I will “exit stage left.”

Baby Girl Doe: Chalice #5
by Lawrence Kelter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Everyone deserves a well-earned vacation, don’t they? Guess again!

Plans have been made and the bags are packed but Detective Stephanie Chalice is having about as much fun as Michael Vick at an ASPCA fundraiser.

The new story finds Chalice and Lido on the East End of Long Island, vacationing with Max, their new arrival. Things go wrong from the very start. Their vacation rental burns to the ground, bodies pile up, and just to make things interesting Lido . . . Well, I’ll just leave it to you to find out.

Chalice may be out of her jurisdiction but she's never out of questions or determination and soon connects two unsolved homicides. As always, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and her initial findings plunge her deeper and deeper into the most extraordinary investigation of her career.

Read an excerpt:
Dramatic

I zigzagged between the two opposing lanes of traffic as I gave pursuit.

He was in a flat-out run, but I was not going to be beaten. Not now, not with Gus’ captor in sight. I reached down deep and found an extra gear, one that I didn’t know existed. I was running so fast, I felt as if I could take off. I was closing in on him: two yards behind . . . one . . .

I lunged and took him down by the ankles. As he attempted to kick free, I pounced upon him, fists flying. I hauled back and was ready to pummel him when I froze. "You? It’s you?” The face I was about to strike was one I had seen before, but looked nothing like the person I had seen on the ladder outside my bedroom window. This man was the one who told me there was absolutely nothing suspicious about the fire the day I first inspected the remains of Bill Alden’s cottage. Two bodies, burnt beyond recognition—now I understood who would use that specific MO. Dummy, you couldn’t make the connection?
“You son of a bitch.” I heard the sound of others running toward me, but my fist was clenched.

“Chalice, we’ve got him,” Ambler said. “Don’t!”

There was no force on heaven or earth strong enough to keep me from striking him, this man who had turned my family’s world upside down and put my husband’s life at risk. I drove my fist into his jaw and heard it crack. I was ready to hit him again when someone grabbed my arm. I looked up and saw Gus. His cheek was swollen, and there was dried blood on his face.

“Thanks, babe,” he said, “I’ll take it from here.”

Buy links


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A resident New Yorker, Kelter often uses Manhattan and Long Island as backdrops for his stories. He is the author of the Stephanie Chalice Mystery Series and other works of fiction.

Early in his writing career, he received support from best-selling novelist, Nelson DeMille, who reviewed his work and actually put pencil to paper to assist in the editing of the first novel. When completed, DeMille said, “Lawrence Kelter is an exciting new novelist, who reminds me of an early Robert Ludlum.”

His novels are quickly paced and feature a twist ending.

Links

www.lawrencekelter.com

www.facebook.com/larrykelter

https://twitter.com/LarryKelter

Lawrence will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour and 5 runners up with receive an autographed print copy of the book (US and Canada only). Follow the tour for more chances to win!


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How getting away helps J.P. Herman, author of 'Dreams Worth Dying For'

How "getting away" helps writing

Going from a metropolitan area to a remote, rural setting dramatically affects how I see things. When I'm in the city, I spend a good share of my free time observing people. They are everywhere, and they come in a wide range of colors, sizes and attitudes. When I'm at my summer home, introspection usually fills that space in my head. I have to rely on my imagination more in "the sticks," and that's just fine with me. I also enjoy the company of Mother Nature more when She's my only companion within miles.

About the author:

J.P. Herman won more than 40 regional, state and national awards as a reporter before being appointed top editor of the Traverse City (MI) Record-Eagle at the age of 29. He later served as a corporate news executive in New York and in various editing roles at newspapers in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and New York. He was elected to the board of directors of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and served several times as a Pulitzer Prize juror at Columbia University in New York City. An honors graduate of Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, J.P., his wife and family live in upstate New York. They spend summers in a small Michigan town on the shores of Lake Huron. J.P. is a prolific songwriter, having penned melodies and lyrics to more than 200 songs.

Blurb:

Wealthy Madison Avenue advertising executive Andy Pettigrew's recurring dreams of inner peace and contentment center on his desperate need to love and be loved. Middle-aged and divorced, Andy laments the fact that his heart is as empty as his bank accounts are full. Dying to change things, he sets out to balance the books, eagerly boarding his vintage red and white Corvette convertible for the ride of a lifetime. What follows is an account of Andy's adventurous transformation from reality to make-believe and back again. Co-stars include a beautiful woman named Dr. Susan Jacoby, some well-known Key West spirits, a smattering of Great Lakes ghosts and an angel or two.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I6KA3Z8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00I6KA3Z8&linkCode=as2&tag=andsboorev-20&linkId=27FPC2ID255TVLC6

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Thursday, May 29, 2014

'He Found Me' by Whitney Barnetti Release Day Blitz!


He Found Me
By- Whitney Barbetti

Publication Date- May 29, 2014

When I was seventeen, I disappeared. I walked out the door of my apartment with a backpack and never looked back. I left the life of Cora Mitchell behind, seeking freedom from my real-life nightmare.

But my freedom came with a cost. I lived a fictitious life for the next six years, never letting anyone close enough to see underneath the façade that was Andra Walker.

I was content with my simple little life.

Until I met Julian.

And the moment I started allowing myself to open up, allowing someone to see through the superficial, was the very same moment the Monster from my past would return to find me.


    

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Ingredients For a Successful Paranormal Thriller by K.S. Augustin, author of 'The Complete Check Your Luck Agency'


Ingredients for a successful paranormal thriller

When I first sat down to write this post, I wondered to myself whether The Complete Check Your Luck Agency (the omnibus edition of the entire Check Your Luck series) could be described as a thriller. I planned out the entire series pretty much as soon as the first book was finished, and thought of it as an urban fantasy but, now Andi mentions it, there are definite thriller elements included as well! :)

Before I continue, it's not up to me to say whether you'd consider the book “successful”. If you enjoy it, that's terrific and thank you very much, but I think I'll just put down what I thought was important to include.

People read fiction to escape, so I set the book somewhere where people like to holiday: an exotic location that encompassed Singapore and the southern tip of the Malaysian peninsula. However, to keep the reader as comfortable as possible, I didn't get too exotic. Throughout the book, I included elements that most Western readers would be familiar with, such as urbanisation, traffic jams and (some) Western food. And everybody's heard of Singapore!

But it was also important to include the exotic elements. There are descriptions of the local food, the prevailing architecture, and I hope I managed to convey the atmosphere of living in such a region. Instead of using Western mythologies, I relied mostly on a set of local Malay, Indian and Chinese beliefs, although I tied some of them in with Western names (vampire, elf, demon) from time to time so that readers wouldn't get thrown off balance too much.

None of these things, however, are exciting—or thrilling—unless you can tie them in with reality. I took inspiration from Dick Wolf's “Law and Order” series to rip some events from the headlines, so to speak. The people drowning in high­rise water tanks? Really happened. The headless torso pulled out of a dam? Also happened. Both cases are still unsolved, by the way. Piracy in the Malacca Strait? The Malacca Strait has the highest incidence of sea piracy in the world. The potted history of criminal gangs in Hong Kong? The running joke about expensive Buddhist rites? The weeping tree? All based on fact.

I haven't mentioned the characters yet, have I? In order to draw in the reader, the characters must be sympathetic but not infallible. Superman wouldn't be anywhere near as interesting without the existence of kryptonite. Or, to put it another way, perfect people are boring. Ursula Formosa, the main protagonist, is a nice person, but she's also stubborn and wilfully blind from time to time. Fiona, her employer, runs the agency like a ruling empress but can be wound around her selfish son's little finger. A woman who has lived for centuries is so closeted, she brings out Ursula's maternal instincts. And, of course, you also have the usual crowd of cheats, magicians, holy men, businessmen, and innocent bystanders that you have in real life.

And, lastly, the stakes. It must be personal for all the people involved, both the heroes and the villains. Everyone's motivations must be clear or, at the very least, understandable. I try to build my bad guys as carefully as I build the good ones, and I give my villains a few wins along the way. Where are the thrills if the heroes win in every encounter?

So those were some factors I considered when writing The Complete Check Your Luck Agency and, if you're thinking of writing any sort of thriller, I hope it's helped you a bit. Best of luck with your own projects.


The Complete Check Your Luck Agency
by K.S. Augustin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Sometimes life is stranger than fiction.

After the tragic death of her parents, and with nothing left tying her to the United Kingdom, Ursula Formosa returns to her homeland and a job with the eccentrically-named Singapore firm, “The Check Your Luck Agency”.

What begins as an attempt to stave off boredom turns into a new way of life as the scales drop from Ursula’s eyes and she tentatively enters a realm that contains vengeful ghosts, toyol, demons, pontianak and curses, not to mention old-fashioned fraud and larceny. As she befriends bomohs, mediums and a young woman already centuries old, Ursula’s ideas of friendship expand into a fresh view of the world that surrounds her.

But she isn’t going to be left to ease into things. A criminal mastermind, who is also a powerful sorcerer, is gathering mythical creatures to help him possess every living soul in Singapore, and he isn’t about to let the members of The Check Your Luck Agency stand in his way!

Read an excerpt:
“Did you have any difficulty finding the house?” Evelyn Long asked as she led me up a short flight of concrete steps.

“Well, the taxi driver wasn’t too keen to drive down the lane.” 
Evelyn nodded her head. “The ignorant fear what they don’t understand,” she said.

I made a noise that might have indicated I agreed with her sentiment, and left it at that.

“I’m afraid Alfred is still meditating,” she began. 
“I’m sorry,” I cut in, a shade too quickly, “I knew I shouldn’t have come. Perhaps I could pay him another visit some other time?” 
I turned as if to leave and Evelyn Long grabbed me by the arm. No, “grabbed” was too gentle a term for it. Although her movement was smooth and she appeared to hold me lightly, I knew I would not be able to wrench free of her grasp without breaking flesh or limbs, or both, all of them mine. I looked up at her, startled, but saw nothing beyond polite interest. There wasn’t an ounce of strain on her face, nothing to show that she had me manacled with her slim, delicate-looking fingers. 
Who – or what – was Evelyn Long? 
“He won’t be much longer,” she said, as if commenting on the weather. “He’s been waiting to see you for more than a month now. We’re both glad you visited.” 
And I suddenly realised that nobody knew where I was. Long and his supernaturally strong wife could do whatever they wanted with me, dispose of my dead body no doubt in the acres of primeval jungle behind their house and nobody would be the wiser. A wave of energy suddenly thrummed beneath my feet, a surge so strong I was sure that Long’s wife was able to feel it pulse through my body and travel to hers at our menacing point of contact. 
“Why don’t I get you something to drink? You can relax while I fetch Alfred.”

Book links


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

KS "Kaz" Augustin loves writing human stories, whether set on Earth or out among the stars. Malaysian-born, she has travelled a goodly portion of the world and lived to tell the tale! Her urban fantasy release, The Complete Check Your Luck Agency, consists of five books, exploring the myths and legends of the melting-pot that is south-east Asia. Come for the food, stay for the monsters! (Ghosts included at no extra charge.)

As if all that's not enough, she's also Chief Editor of the free online quarterly magazine, Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly. http://www.scifiromancequarterly.org/

Kaz's website is at http://www.KSAugustin.com and a list of her books can also be found at http://www.SandalPressOnline.com She occasionally tweets as @SandalPress

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour for more chances to win!

Cover Reveal! 'Guarding Poppy' by Christine Wenrick


This cover reveal of Guarding Poppy, Book Two of the Men of Brahm Hill series is organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The book will be released on August 1. One randomly drawn commenter will receive a $50 Amazon gift card. Click on the banner to see the other stops on the tour.



ONE NIGHT . . . ONE VIOLENT, SUPERNATURAL BATTLE . . .

AND FIVE STORIES OF THE MEN WHOSE LIVES WILL BE CHANGED BY IT.

Alec Lambert was born to lead. He’s a ruling Elder of The Brethren, possessing steely confidence, natural smarts, and decisive problem solving abilities . . . and he’s not too bad on the eyes, either. Everything in his life has gone exactly according to plan—until the night of Brahm Hill. Alec loses his best friend at the hands of the uncle he trusted like a father, along with his previously unshakable faith to lead those with whom he’s charged. Despite this, he continues to press ahead, and for his next assignment he’s asked to protect a very beautiful but very clumsy Dhampir who’s being hunted by a powerful warlock. Suddenly, he finds his whole Brethren world is turned upside down . . . and he finds himself harboring a desire for her he can’t explain.

Poppy Honeywell knows she’s far from perfect. Bad things tend to happen when she’s around. She’s more than a little clumsy, with a phobia or two mixed in. Not to mention that her name is certainly unusual. But she doesn’t have time to worry about all that because she’s on the run and not about to back down from the arrogant Elder who’s just been assigned as her protector, claiming he has all the answers to her problems. The real problem, though, is . . . she’s irresistibly drawn to this man who faces constant danger and takes charge so naturally. But Poppy also sees that taking charge of others helps Alec mask his own very deep pain.

WILL ALEC FIND HIS WAY OUT OF THE DARKNESS AND SURRENDER TO HIS FEELINGS FOR POPPY BEFORE THE WARLOCK CHASING HER CATCHES UP TO THEM BOTH?

Book One in the series Someone Else's Skye, is available now.

One night. . . One violent supernatural battle

And five stories of the men whose lives

will be changed by it.

Someone Else’s Skye – Kane, Brethren Guardian and one of the few Natural Shape-Shifters left in existence, survived the bloody battle of Brahm Hill but lost two of his closest friends. For all of his good-natured sarcasm and eye-popping good looks, Kane finds himself unable to completely forget about that night, so he seeks comfort in the one thing he is truly good at . . . sex!

This shape-shifting bad boy believes in having a good time—a very good time, usually involving some mingled heavy breathing with a sexy Dhampir in a tiny closet somewhere. But when he’s sent into the freezing tundra of the Northwest Territories to investigate a troublesome supernatural being on the loose, he ends up crossing paths with a woman who almost instantly drives him insane with want . . . because she doesn’t seem to be falling for the shifter’s charms.

It’s completely inexplicable.

Skye Matthews has a job to do, and she needs to be focused on that, not spending all her time rebuffing the advances of this way-too-cocky and handsome stranger. Yet, there is something irresistible about this self-involved playboy that Skye can’t seem to stay away from. And when the unidentified Kane is sent to investigate takes an unnatural interest in her, protecting her becomes the Guardian’s top priority.

But… can Kane save Skye from a supernatural being no one has ever encountered before?

About the Author:
Christine is a graduate of Washington State University where she received a BA in Interior Design. And true to form of using mostly her ‘right brain’, she splits her time between her commercial design career and her imaginary world of writing. She lives in the scenic Pacific Northwest where she enjoys hiking, camping and photographing many of the wonderful places that served as inspiration for her writing. Her biggest reward in life is any given day when one of her books connects with a reader because she herself is such a lover of reading. Some of her favorite authors include Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, and Kimberly Derting.

Facebook ~ Facebook Fan Page ~ @CWenrick ~ Website ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page


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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

'Dreams Worth Dying For' by J.P. Herman



Blurb:

Wealthy Madison Avenue advertising executive Andy Pettigrew's recurring dreams of inner peace and contentment center on his desperate need to love and be loved. Middle-aged and divorced, Andy laments the fact that his heart is as empty as his bank accounts are full. Dying to change things, he sets out to balance the books, eagerly boarding his vintage red and white Corvette convertible for the ride of a lifetime. What follows is an account of Andy's adventurous transformation from reality to make-believe and back again. Co-stars include a beautiful woman named Dr. Susan Jacoby, some well-known Key West spirits, a smattering of Great Lakes ghosts and an angel or two.

Read an excerpt:
Prologue
A philosopher and a Native American shaman stand sipping unspiked punch in the lobby of St. Peter's Cathedral after a long, emotional memorial service. They watch silently as family, friends and business associates shuffle aimlessly about, shaking hands, hugging and repeating condolences that became more effusive each time they are told.
The philosopher is amused by all the talk of the "better place" the deceased will now enjoy. As much as she'd like to share the mourners' optimism, she cannot imagine a plausible explanation for life after death. There's simply no scientific evidence supporting that possibility.
"This person had a good life, leave it at that," she says. "The suffering is over."
The shaman frowns, shaking his head in disagreement.
"No, let's not leave it at that," he says. "This person's old life might be gone, or so it might seem to those left behind. But who's to say he hasn't moved on to a new universe in an unknown space, like skipping from one wavelength to another?"
"Sounds good, but where's the evidence?" the philosopher demands to know.
"Mother Earth's gift of life is eternal," the shaman calmly assures the philosopher. "Our spirits live on forever in ways most of us can only imagine."
"And again, how do you know that is so?" the philosopher asks.
"Well," the shaman replies indignantly. "How do you know it is not?"

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I6KA3Z8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00I6KA3Z8&linkCode=as2&tag=andsboorev-20&linkId=27FPC2ID255TVLC6


About the author:

J.P. Herman won more than 40 regional, state and national awards as a reporter before being appointed top editor of the Traverse City (MI) Record-Eagle at the age of 29. He later served as a corporate news executive in New York and in various editing roles at newspapers in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and New York. He was elected to the board of directors of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and served several times as a Pulitzer Prize juror at Columbia University in New York City. An honors graduate of Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, J.P., his wife and family live in upstate New York. They spend summers in a small Michigan town on the shores of Lake Huron. J.P. is a prolific songwriter, having penned melodies and lyrics to more than 200 songs.


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'Moccasin Trace' by Hawk MacKinney Book Blitz


Moccasin Trace
By- Hawk MacKinney
Genre- Historical Romance
Published By- ArcheBooks Publishing
Publication Date- March 2014

… it was about the land…a tale of love and loss and hope…
Hamilton Ingram looked out across the fertile Georgia bottomlands that were Moccasin Hollows, seeing holdings it had taken generations of Ingrams to build.  No drop of slave sweat ever shed in its creation.  It was about the land…his trust, his duty to preserve it for the generation of Ingrams to come…
It is July of 1859, a month of sweltering dog days and feverish emotional bombast.  Life is good for widower Rundell Ingram and his Hazel-eyed, roan-haired son, Hamilton.  Between the two of them, they take care of Moccasin Hollows, their rustic dogtrot ancestral home, a sprawling non-slave plantation in the rolling farming country outside Queensborough Towne in east Georgia.  Adjoining Ingram lands is Wisteria Bend, the vast slave-holding plantation of Andrew and Corinthia Greer, their daughter Sarah, and son Benjamin.
Both families share generations of long-accepted traditions, and childhood playmates are no longer children.  The rangy, even-tempered Norman-Scottish young Hamilton is smitten with Sarah, who has become an enticing capricious beauty—the young lovers more in love with each passing day, and only pleasant times ahead of them.
But a blood tide of war is sweeping across the South, a tide that might be impossible to stand before.

   


'Savage Summer: A Curt Savage Mystery' by Ruth Bainbridge


Savage Summer
by Ruth Bainbridge

Mystery/Thriller
Date Published:
February 28, 2014

“When life gives you lemons … be sure to spit the pits out of that lemonade you’re making. Otherwise you’ll choke.” – Curt Savage

The past year has not been a good one for Curt Savage. Depressed over the death of a loved one, he’s gone into hiding, becoming entirely too comfortable with saying that he’s in the Witness Protection Program. But the urge to find that elusive killer puts his MIA status on hold. With the help of his new buddy Mike, he delves into the murky world of tracking down a killer — and uncovering who poisoned a neighbor’s dog.

SAVAGE SUMMER is the first in the Curt Savage mystery series. Going from former cop to private dick, he represents a new kind of detective—the reluctant kind. As his best bud Mike puts it, “Private investigation just got Savage.”

Read an excerpt:
The phone jarred me out of the fantasy. I awoke suddenly, shielding the light that assaulted my eyes. The odor of Ruthie’s perfume was everywhere.

“Ruth?” I called out. Disoriented, I reached out to her side of the bed, expecting her to be there. It took me several more seconds to realize that she was dead.

“Hello,” I started. The gravel in my throat demanded that I clear it once or twice.
“I’m responding to the ad about Ruth Warwick’s murder.”

Those words officially woke me up. More effective than any cup of coffee, the voice synthesizer disguised the caller’s identity, but the point was that someone had finally phoned. Ever since I’d been dispensed with as a suspect, I’d placed small pennysaver ads in papers published in both Pennsylvania and Ruthie’s home state of Connecticut. Somebody knew something, but I hoped this wasn’t some clown trying to get the reward money from punking my ass.

“Yes, go ahead. I’m listening,” I replied as I ran for a pen and paper. I wanted to be ready, but all I heard was static and heavy breathing. I guessed that it was “all about the money” time. In a second, they’d be asking for the details of how to collect. I figured I’d beat them to that particular punch. “Look, if you’re worried about the reward, the $10,000 will be released when it leads to the arrest of the person, or persons, responsible.”

“I don’t care about the money. There are bigger things going on.”

“What? What do you mean? What things?”

“In due time, Savage.”

“You know my name? How—“
“Inconsequential, don’t you think? Right now, all I can say is this—Ruth was having an affair.”

The click of the receiver on the other end told me the call was concluded. Shocked by the accusation, I stared at the phone, still in my hand. In a million years, I’d never expected a call like that. I collapsed in a chair, trying to think things through. I concluded it had to be a joke perpetrated by someone that thought I hadn’t suffered enough. I slammed the phone back into its stand and took my shower. My stomach was in knots. I was upset that someone was trying to put things in my head about the woman I still loved.

http://amzn.to/1oFzXd3

About the author:


Born in the idyllic, sleepy town of Ithaca, NY, Ruth Bainbridge has been a lover of mysteries for her entire life.

Ever since a child, she has consumed detective stories at regular intervals, becoming enamored with all the superstars of crime. She loved nothing more than to match wits with the likes of Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Thomas Pitt, Lord Peter Wimsey, Richard Jury and Edward X Delaney, becoming inspired by their brilliance. Hoping to emulate her writing idol’s achievements in dreaming up such characters, she started composing her own short stories.

However, life interfered with her plans of becoming the next hopeful to try a life of crime—on paper at least. Devoting herself to her marriage and the raising of four children, the empty nest syndrome gave her the impetus to return to her first love—murder.

SAVAGE SUMMER is Ms. Bainbridge’s debut novel. It introduces Curtis Owen Savage into the world of ink and fury. Savage is engaged and about to be married when the brutal murder of his fiancée sends the world crashing down around him. Depressed, he isolates himself to better deal with the pain, but his beloved Ruthie won’t leave him alone. Haunting him with her presence, he becomes obsessed with finding her killer, and making him pay for taking her away.

With the help of a quirky friend and an old colleague, he takes his first steps, but the poisoning of a next door neighbor’s dog lands him his first case—and into a new profession. Hired as a private detective, he navigates through a complex series of clues to discover why someone attempted to kill the black Pomeranian. In the midst of trying to track down the motive, he receives his first anonymous phone call from a phantom who insists he knows secrets about his fiancé’s death. Dubbing the caller Dr. Shadows, the tidbits scattered become the breadcrumbs that lead Savage down a dark rabbit hole that was never meant to be discovered.

Her next planned project is MURDER MOST FOWL. Alex “Trout” Matthews, is a former NYC detective. Now retired, he moves to the town of Portsmith, Idaho so he can focus on his one passion—fishing. But as Ruth puts it, “Murder rarely leaves an inquisitive mind alone for long.” He soon finds himself pulled back in the stream of things and knee-deep in mystery.

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Website: http://ruthbainbridge.wordpress.com/

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Read an excerpt from 'Ivy Vines: Visions' by Judy Serrano


300Judy Serrano graduated from Texas A&M University, Commerce with a BA in English. She is a substitute teacher at her children’s school district and teaches developmental writing at a local college. She is also a freelance writer for certain on-line periodicals and does editing for indie authors. She is the author of The Easter’s Lilly Series, The Linked Series, and The Ivy Vines, Visions Series.

Although she is originally from New York, she currently resides in Texas with her husband, four children, (all boys) and five dogs. She is also a singer/songwriter in her spare time.


05
Book Blurb

Moving to Sedona was the only way Ivy could think of to start over. She would meet her high school sweetheart and work on making things right between them. Her psychic abilities were gradually becoming a curse and she needed a new start. Little does she know that when she applies for a waitressing job at a local, upscale French bistro, she will come in contact with the dark and mysterious Eli Dubois. What she doesn’t realize is she has just walked into the middle of the Vortex Murders, which involve a great deal of paranormal activity. Elijah’s army of seers are being murdered, one by one, which seems to be magnifying Ivy’s special abilities.

Eli's best friend, Jake, arrives on the scene and reveals the secret that changes everything. With nowhere to turn, Ivy leans on the two men who offer her solace. And who is the old woman in the shroud? Is she a vision, a dream, or is she real? Only time will tell.

-- Author of The Easter's Lilly Series and Linked published by Black Rose Writing Believe.com

04
Excerpt 1
My heart was beating almost out of my chest as I drove to the restaurant to see Simone. I checked my rear view mirror often; just to be sure I wasn’t followed. I parked the car and ran as fast as my legs would carry me to the front door. I felt like I was burdened with cement weights around my ankles as I forced my body to keep moving forward. Trying to catch my breath was futile when Eduardo met me at the entrance. I was in no mood for his pretentious smile and flippant tone, but still he would not let me pass. 
“I need to see Simone,” I told him, barely able to form the words due to the lack of air in my lungs. 
“Will that be one for lunch or two?” he asked me. I almost punched him. 
“Two,” I answered, regaining my composure. “Simone is off in a few minutes. She’ll have lunch with me, I’m sure.” 
“Very well then,” he answered. He slowly took out two menus and sat me at a table by the window. 
“Thank you,” I managed. “Please tell Simone I’m here.” 
He made an unfavorable face at me and walked away. I looked out the window and began to recapture a normal breathing pattern. I noticed an old woman walking by the creek. She had her head covered by a black scarf and she was wearing what looked like a black cloak over her body. It was warm out, being early September, and that’s why her clothing caught my attention. She took off the scarf and looked at me. When our eyes touched, I could feel my blood pressure rise. My face got warm. Long grey curls cascaded down, past her shoulders and her expression got very grave. Her nose looked like a misshapen staircase and she had a mole on the left side of her face along her jaw line. She pointed her finger at me, slowly straightening it out as far as it could go and I felt a surge of fear strike through my body. I stood up quickly, pushing my chair back with the backs of my knees and felt a hand on my shoulder. I let out a shriek that was certainly noticeable and when I turned, it was Simone’s hand on my shoulder. 
“Ivy, what is it?” she asked. “The last time I heard you scream like that…” 
I dismissed her, mid-sentence, knowing exactly what she was going to say. Since that day. The day we don’t dare talk about or even remember if we can help it. 
I turned my attention back to the creek but the old woman was gone. I could feel her. 
“It’s nothing I told her. Are you done with your shift yet?” 
“Yes, I’m done,” she answered. “Eduardo is making me change my clothes first. So, sit tight and I’ll be right back.” 
I sat back down and looked out the window again. A breeze blew open one of the side windows, unexpectedly and I almost fell out of my chair. I could hear a faint humming. It was all too familiar. There was still no old woman, but I knew she was there. She was watching me somehow. 
Simone finally came back and sat beside me. “What’s going on, Ivy? I haven’t seen you this unraveled in a very long time. It’s a little disconcerting to say the least.” 
“He’s after me,” I told her. “He knows I’m here.” 
“Who knows you’re here? Ivy, you’re not making any sense.” 
“Lucifer,” I whispered, leaning into her so that no one else would hear me. “He thinks I know.” 
“He thinks you know what?” she asked, looking at me as though I had gone mad. 
“When Jesus is coming. He thinks I know.” 
“Do you?” she asked. “Do you know?” 
A hiss filled the air in the room as the wind picked up and gushed through the open window. I drew a breath but I dared not answer. She was listening.

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'May and the Single Heart' by Vi Zetterwall


BLURB:

Rachel Connor is a brilliant 34-year old writer with an optimistic attitude about life. She loses her job, lives with a port wine birthmark on her face and has a pile of manuscript rejection slips on her desk. Still she hopes for better times. An opportunity to write the biography of a rich software entrepreneur appears to change her love life and her fortunes around but Rachel doesn’t see the storm coming and finds herself in a no-win situation. The coin of luck falls into her hands and a fierce man steps in to turn the tide. But can she trust him anymore than the last man who did her wrong?


Read an excerpt:

Ten minutes later, Hunter arrived and supervised as two waiters wheeled in the food she had ordered. Rachel had gone all out and ordered full breakfasts for each of them. She knew how hungry she was, and figured that Hunter would eat twice as much, given his size.
While the food was being set up, Hunter raised his eyebrows at her and said, “Was there someone else joining us for breakfast? Maybe half a football team I wasn’t made aware of?”
Rachel shook her head. “No, I wasn’t sure what you liked and everything sounded really good.” She blushed and then looked at all the food she had ordered. She had gone a bit overboard.
Hunter gave her a small smile as the waiters left the room. “Don’t worry about it. Crane can handle the bill.”
Rachel hadn’t even thought about the expense. At her look of horror Hunter couldn’t contain his chuckle. “Really, don’t worry about it. They actually pay him to stay here. It’s good publicity for the hotel.”
“Really?” she asked, still having a hard time rationalizing the waste.
“Really. Sit down and eat. What did you want to see first?”
Rachel filled a plate and sat down to eat, “I don’t really know. How much time do you think we have before Jason is finished?”
Hunter thinned his lips at her use of Crane’s first name. When they had boarded the plane, she had been calling him Crane. Now that he had worked his wiles on her, she was using his first name. That was never a good sign, and a clear indication that she was getting too involved emotionally.
Hunter secretly hated the way women threw themselves at his boss. The man was upfront with them, letting them know that a future was not in the cards, but they would get theirs hopes up anyway. When Crane tired of them, there would be tears, and threats of bodily harm—both his and theirsand then he would send them a nice parting gift and move on to his next conquest. Crane was a selfish, spoiled man who became bored very quickly.
Rachel was a nice girl and seemed somewhat naïve. Hunter hoped for her sake that she knew what she was getting into. He would hate to see her heart get trampled upon like Crane’s other girlfriends. “Crane will most likely be tied up until dinner time. That gives you around six hours to explore.”
Rachel ate in silence for a few minutes, thinking about all of the things she wanted to see and trying to figure out which ones Jason would be the least interested in seeing. She didn’t want to bore him by having him play tourist with her.
“How about the Trevi Fountain? I’m sure Jason has seen that many times.”
Hunter nodded. “The Trevi Fountain it is. Make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes. Driving in that area is almost impossible. We will park several blocks away and walk.”
Rachel nodded, finishing her breakfast quickly. Pushing up from the table, she just barely kept from bouncing in excitement. “Give me two minutes, and I’ll be ready.” She didn’t wait for an answer, but hurried off to the attached bedroom to grab her shoes, camera, and purse.

The city of Rome was spectacular. Hunter had parked the town car several blocks away and then escorted her to the Trevi Fountain. Rachel had been amazed at all of the people on the streets. It was standing room only at the fountain and she had to wait for over thirty minutes before she was finally standing at the fountains edge.
There were lots of kids running around the fountain, with teachers talking to them rapidly, no doubt trying to get them under control. Rachel smiled as she watched their antics, and even though she didn't understand the language, she was able to interpret the tone. Behave, or else!
Rachel was particularly interested in one little girl who appeared to be getting picked on by a group of slightly older boys. When she started to cry and no one intervened, Rachel couldn’t resist going up to her and standing beside her in support. Rachel shooed the boys off and was pleasantly surprised when the boys replied in English.
After they left, she turned to the little girl who couldn’t have been much more than six or seven years old. As Rachel bent down to get on her level, she hid her expression as she took in the port-wine stain covering the little girls left cheek. The tears were still wet upon her face and Rachel dug in her purse for a tissue.
As the little girl wiped her eyes, Rachel asked her, “Were they teasing you about your mark?”
When the little girl looked up, her eyes widened in wonder as she took in Rachel’s own birthmark. Reaching her little hand up, she traced the outline of the mark with gentle fingers before answering, “They were making fun of me. Calling me a clown.”
Rachel’s heart broke; she remembered the hurtful words that had been said to her by uninformed classmates. She also remembered the day she had come home from school crying and the advice and words of wisdom her mother had given her. She smiled at the little girl and asked her, “Do you want to know what my mother told me when the same thing happened to me?”
The little girl nodded her head and Rachel happened to look up, seeing Hunter and who she assumed to be the little girl’s teacher standing directly in her line of vision. For once, Hunter had an expression on his face as he watched her; she just wasn’t educated enough about his expressions to interpret it.
Turning her attention back to the little girl, she lowered her voice. “My mother said that when the angels made me, they did such a super job, they were allowed to give me a special kiss so that everyone here on earth would know how special I was as well.”
The little girl’s eyes widened as she thought about that. “So, my mark is an angel kiss?”
Rachel nodded. “Yes. It means the angels thought you were very special. I think you’re very special as well.”
The teacher chose that moment to lean down next to the little girl and add her own voice, “You are exceptional, Bridgetta. Don’t ever forget that. Those boys are too young to understand.”
The little girl looked at her teacher, and seeing her nod, she smiled hugely and threw herself into Rachel’s arms for a quick hug. As quick as the hug started, it was over and the little girl was off, running to find her classmates.
Rachel stood up to find herself alone with Hunter, who still wore that strange expression on his face.
Hunter had been alarmed when Rachel had intervened in the schoolchildren’s verbal attack. Knowing that she didn’t speak Italian, he had followed closely, wanting to be there in case things went badly. When the teacher had approached, he had introduced himself and then stood by and watched as Rachel charmed the tears from the little girl’s eyes, putting confidence and pride in their place.
He hadn’t been able to hear what she had said, but whatever it was, it had been life-changing for the youngster. His curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, “What did you say to her?”
Rachel was shocked at the question, but happy that Hunter had decided to talk to her. “I told her what my mom told me the first day I came home from school crying. That the angels had kissed me because I was so special. The mark was their way of making sure that everyone else knew it as well.”
Hunter nodded. “Your mom sounds like a wise woman.”
Rachel nodded, smiling. “She’s the best. She never let me wallow in self-pity or get down on myself. She and my dad were very supportive while I was growing up.
Hunter nodded once again, turning to look at the fountain.
Rachel waited for him to say something else, disappointed when it appeared he was back to being his silent self. She dug through her purse for two coins and handed one to Hunter who just looked at it.
“You’re supposed to throw it over your shoulder and make a wish,” she offered, when he just stood there holding onto the coin.
Hunter hid his smirk at her sarcastic comment; Rachel was growing weary with his silence, but she knew she would have to get used to it. He only spoke when it was a last resort.
Rachel turned her back to the fountain, taking the coin in her right hand and tossing it backwards over her left shoulder. She closed her eyes for a moment and sent up a silent wish for happiness for those around her.
Opening her eyes, she saw Hunter still standing there, holding the coin. “Well? Aren’t you going to make your wish?”
Hunter made a move with his hand as if he was going to callously toss it in the fountain and she grabbed his hand, halting the movement. “You can’t do it like that. You have to toss it with your right hand, over your left shoulder. It’s tradition.”
Hunter dutifully turned and followed her instructions. As he heard the coin hit the water, he asked, “Are we done here?”
Rachel rolled her eyes; the man had no sense of romance, it seemed. “Sure. What else is close by?”
“Follow me.”
Hunter escorted her to several other sites within walking distance including the Column of Marcus Aurelius and the Temple of Hadrian, making sure to keep an eye on the time. Crane had texted him several times, keeping tabs on Rachel and instructing Hunter to have her back to the hotel by 6 o’clock for dinner.


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About the author:

Hi,

My name is Vi Zetterwall. I live in Seattle, Washington and have a day job and a private life but for years I have whiled away spare time dreaming up plots and imagining stories about men and women and their unique romantic interactions. I’m in the process of writing a series of books about the Coin of Luck in Life and Love and how it affects multiple characters. So far, I have written five of the 12 (January and the Single Heart thru May) and June is coming out in a few days.

Making up stories has always seemed very easy for me. It was having the discipline to write them down that was tough. I wrote one novel and it took three years and, honestly, it wasn't very good. Then I started in on my favorite storyline and wrote and wrote. I got up to about 200 pages in Word and realized I wasn't even one fourth of the way through. In between working and taking care of family, it had taken me seven years. That one is still collecting dust.

Then I started watching what Amazon was doing and I saw all the ebooks that were being published as short stories. I thought "Hey, I could do that!" So now I aim to write novellas (20,000 to 50,000 words) and I find the words just fly off my fingertips. Good plots but short. Turns out to be much easier.

People ask me how I am able to write so quickly and I tell them the truth. When I was young, my older sister and I slept in the same bed. What I didn't know is that as soon as I fell asleep, she would get back up and watch TV. So she wanted me to fall asleep fast! I usually fell asleep pretty quickly but one time, when I was about six, I couldn't sleep and so my sister told me to 'tell myself a story'. Well, she was my big sister! I lived off of every word that flowed from her mouth. I believed everything she said. So, I told myself a story and got to sleep. I did it the next night too. And now, 26 years later, I am still telling myself stories. Every night. Granted, at first they were pretty juvenile but as I got older I started creating more elaborate stories, writing them out word for word in my head. Now, I have dozens and dozens of them waiting impatiently to get out of my head and onto paper ... or in this case, Kindles.

I am busy writing my next book now, which, predictably enough, is called "June and the Single Heart". I hope you've had a chance to read my story. It really means a lot to me. If you would be so kind as to drop me an email and tell me what you liked (or hated) about the book, I will use all your feedback to improve and make the next one better. Or, just write and tell me about yourself or say HI and tell me where you're from. I will put you on my list and send you a notice when my next book comes out and a sneak preview to it as well.

Thank you again for giving me the chance to entertain you. If your heart is already full, I hope that my story brought you a little more happiness. And if you are still searching for that one true love, I wish you Godspeed and I pray that my story gave you hope.

Vi Zetterwall
vzett@single-heart.com
www.single-heart.com