Archive | murder and mystery RSS feed for this section

INDIE-kissing – A SPY LIKE ME.

By on February 14, 2013 in murder and mystery, spies

Welcome! And Happy Valentine’s Day! Today is all about kissing. I’m participating in the INDIE-kissing blogfest. And it’s never too late to join!

Here’s a scene from A SPY LIKE ME. The first book in the Circle of Spies Series.

 

“Great. I’ve got people trying to kill—”

He pulled me to him and his mouth covered mine. I fought back at first but he wouldn’t let go and my defenses crumbled. Heat washed over me as his kiss deepened. His body pressed into mine. I stifled a tiny groan of pain and pleasure. The vodka had pretty much numbed any feeling in my leg. His kiss deepened again, and it was better than eating a triple peanut butter chocolate ice cream cone in Pennsylvania or skinny-dipping in the creek when it reached 100 degrees.

His kiss softened. He was gentle and loving, like he cared. His hand grazed my cheek. His past, my past, our families all faded. It was just me and him. Malcolm and Savvy. Two teens.

My heart broke a little bit. I don’t even know why. Maybe because I could add one more person to the list of people I cared about who would betray me and leave me. One more person I cared about more than they did me.

His hands slid down my back to the hem of my shirt. In one suave lift, my shirt was off.

My hands roamed across his chest, exploring. He tenderly ran his fingers down my arm, and I shivered.

He whispered in my ear, “God help me, you’re beautiful. Even with frosting in your hair.”

The words sank in and something broke. The cracks in my heart that I’d plastered and put Band-aids on tore open. Emotion flooded out and filled every inch of my body. My face was wet with tears.

He pulled away and kissed them. “In my line of work, you can’t care about anyone too much. It can get you killed.”

“That’s good, because I don’t care about you. The tears are purely a post-traumatic side effect of getting shot.”

At least I was pretty sure my life wouldn’t end tonight.

***

Thanks for stopping by and reading! Check out all the INDIE-kissing posts!

Comments { 17 }

The Next Big Thing

By on January 16, 2013 in murder and mystery, social media

Yeah, I’m a little late.

Weeks ago, before Christmas, Susan Kaye Quinn tagged me in the Next Big Thing Meme. As many of you know, Susan is the author of the fantastic Mindjack Trilogy. She’s also a friend.

What is the title of your next book?

Nothing is ever certain with me until the very end. But I’m almost positive the next book will be the third book in Circle of Spies Series and will be called: SECRETS OF AN ASSASSIN.

Where did the idea come from for this book?

To be honest, I struggled a bit with this one. I’d plot and then give up. Plot and then delete the whole thing. At one point, I changed the ending of book 2 so it provided more of a closed story–but left an opening–in case I didn’t write book 3. It was not until after Christmas that when I was least expecting it, the plot came together.

What genre does the book fall under?

Contemporary young adult. But it also falls under mystery and espionage. Some of my favorite stories. For me, it’s not the genre, but the heart of the story. This one continues the story of Savvy and Malcolm.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition.

This is a tough one that I’m going to leave alone. I never look to find actors, or daydream about who would play certain characters. That has never inspired me. Sorry. J

What is the one sentence synopsis?

Malcolm and Savvy are in hiding after their escape from Greece, but when Savvy stumbles upon Will’s phone and a series of text messages, she must choose between everything she’d fought for and breaking away to discover Will’s secrets and make amends with her past decisions.

Definitely still in the first draft phase, so the phrasing will change.

Will your book be self published or represented by an agency?

Self published. That’s an easy one.

How long did it take you to write the first draft?

Since I’m still writing I’ll refer to my production schedule. **checks schedule and returns** It should take me less than two months to finish the first draft.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I’d compare this series to Ally Carter’s Gallagher series, except different? Mine isn’t set in a prep school, my characters are older, and Savvy never started out as an official spy with training.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

How about this series? When I started writing A SPY LIKE ME, I planned on querying agents. I decided to try my hand at contemporary and I heard the advice to write something you’d love to read. So I wrote down words like: spies, adventure, humor, love, Paris…etc. The rest is history. J

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

If someone doesn’t love to read about teen spies, I’d say they’d enjoy the heart of the series, which is a girl coming to terms with her changing family and trying to find her place in a world that has been turned upside down.

***

I’d love to tag a few writer friends. Here they are:

Ansha Kotyk
Laura Diamond
Stina Lindenblatt

 

 

Comments { 12 }

The official blog tour! Prize packages galore!

By on November 27, 2012 in murder and mystery, social media, The Maya

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Woo hoo!

 

On this tour, you’ll find out the behind-the-scenes journey with this story, my decision to go with a small press, weaving mythology into writing, writing craft tidbits exemplified with a unique teaser. Lots of good stuff. And don’t forget the incredible prize packages!

When Bianca and Melvin brave the jungle to rescue their grandfather, they stumble upon the ancient Maya city of Etza, where the people haven’t aged in 2,000 years. They must learn to work together as they face loincloth-wearing skeletons from the underworld, a backstabbing princess, and an ancient prophecy that says in three days the city will be destroyed.

No problem. They’ll find Zeb and zip right out of there. The fact that a crazy king wants to serve Bianca up to the gods as an appetizer is just a minor technicality. But this ancient evil dude has finally met his match.

Here are the blog tour stops.

 

 

Prize Package One! (signed paperbacks)

 

Prize Package Two! (signed paperbacks)

Prize Package Three!

If you can’t see the Rafflecopter form just refresh the page and it should appear!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Thanks, everyone, for your support! :)


Comments { 29 }

Exciting new releases! A middle grade and a young adult!

By on November 26, 2012 in book reviews, murder and mystery

So many changes in a year. I can say that compared to last year at this time, self publishing is more accepted, is thriving, and…

I don’t regret my decision for a second.

Everyday writers are added to the list, who are considering self-publishing, or who have taken the plunge.

 I’m happy to officially announce the release of two books within days of each other.


Published by Pugalicious Press

Convinced that her grandfather, Zeb, needs help, twelve-year-old Bianca persuades her family to fly to the Mayan ruins of Tikal on a search and rescue mission. Impatient, she and her brainy cousin, Melvin, sneak out in the middle of the night and follow the clues to the ancient Maya city of Etza, where the people haven’t aged in 2,000 years. The cousins must learn to work together as they face loincloth-wearing skeletons from the underworld, a backstabbing princess, and an ancient prophecy—one that says in three days the city will be destroyed. They’ll find Zeb and zip right out of there. No problem.

Except, Bianca starts to care for her new friends, and Zeb does not want to be rescued. The fact that a crazy king wants to serve Bianca up to the gods as an appetizer is just a minor technicality. But this ancient evil dude has finally met his match. 

The blog tour starts next Monday with prize packages! Stay tuned!

Amazon ~ Read Chapter One

 

And the sequel to A SPY LIKE ME

Love can be dangerous. Games can be deadly.

Savvy finally reunites with Malcolm, the hot assassin she fell for in Paris.
But when an ancient enemy threatens their lives, Savvy and Malcolm must convince their families to work together, or their future together could be erased.
Permanently. 

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Read Chapter One

 

I’ll tell you a secret. I love publishing and getting my work out there. After my week hiatus in which I worked on formatting and the publishing aspect, I’m looking forward to diving back into my works-in-progress.

What are you working on? Tell me about your stories. Or tell me a favorite book you’ve read recently.

Comments { 23 }

INDIE-giving – Thankful for the small things. (And a giveaway)

By on November 18, 2012 in murder and mystery

 

 

When we were first planning this INDIEgiving blogfest, I said to myself easy peasy – I can do this. I’m thankful for so much. But it was really hard to narrow down.

I’m thankful for the option to self publish, for readers, for the Indelibles and the wealth of knowledge within the group. I’m thankful for all my blogging friends, critique partners and beta readers.

But that feels so insignificant when compared to the fact that I have a friend with 3-6 months left to live. Yet, he and his family are finding ways to glorify God through this tough time.

So I’m thankful for life. I’m thankful for health and a place to live and the food on our table. I’m thankful that I believe in a God who is all about grace and mercy, even when our prayers don’t get answered in the way we’d like.

But I’m especially thankful for the little things.

My son’s smile and the hug I get every day. My daughter’s teachers at school, who totally impressed me. My sister, who called yesterday.

The fact that my husband is pushing me completely out of my comfort zone with this huge Thanksgiving party. Gulp. **breathes into paper bag**

For the friends in my life who show me grace and still invest in my friendship even when I’m not the perfect friend.

Small things.

But small things add up, and together, they bring a smile to my face every day.

And for the giveaway!

This is really simple. The sequel to A SPY LIKE ME will be out in the next couple weeks. Yay!

If you haven’t read A SPY LIKE ME yet, use my contact form or leave a note in the comments with your name, email, and preferred file (epub or mobi) and I’ll email it to you!

Here’s the sequel. :)

Offer is good until my next blog post.

Make sure to visit everyone posting in the INDIE-giving blogfest. Click here for the links.

For all my friends in the States, have a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

 

 

Comments { 22 }
Follow Me