IWSG: Camping & the Tick Tock Anthology

Hello and Happy April! Today is the April meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. The group was founded by our Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh. To view list members and this month's co-hosts, visit the IWSG page here.

This month's IWSG question is: When your writing life is a bit cloudy or filled with rain, what do you do to dig down and keep on writing?

This seems to describe my writing life for more than a year now, and anything I've done to "dig down" hasn't made much of a difference up to this point. So this month I'm trying something different and going camping, thanks to the encouragement of my friend Madeline of the Shellshank Redemption. 

I've never tried Camp NaNoWriMo before, mostly because the past few times I've tried NaNo itself it's left me even less motivated than I was at the start, but after hearing about the relaxed retreat-like atmosphere of Camp I decided to give it a try. I set the modest goal of simply finishing the first draft of the Paris story I've been struggling with for almost two years. I'm hoping to get comfy in my writing tent and emerge at the end of the month with a draft, no matter how messy it may be. 

I'm also excited to help spread the word about the latest IWSG anthology, Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime. Gwen Gardner is here with some tips for solving mysteries. Welcome, Gwen!

Thanks for hosting the Tick Tock mystery writers, Julie!

I hope you have some mystery lovers here today, because this year’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group anthology, Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime, is all about mystery, crime and thrillers.

I’m a complete mystery fanatic in all its forms—except psychological. I lean toward the lighthearted, cozy side. And I am an excellent armchair detective, if I do say so myself. It helps when you read, write and watch mysteries!

How do you solve a mystery?

If you have a literary amateur sleuth or armchair detective in your life, here are some handy tips to keep in mind:

1. If someone is looking way too innocent, don’t count them out! Just because Aunt Agatha seems frail doesn’t mean she’s a sweet little old lady. Trust me, Aggie’s been around the block a few dozen times and probably has moves you know nothing about. Even Julia Child was a spy during World War II! Spies come in many shapes and sizes. Aunt Aggie might still have a decent karate chop in those gnarled, arthritic hands. I watched a scene just like this on Midsomer Murders once, so it must be true.

2. Never take an alibi at face value. It doesn’t matter if the Queen of England says she was on the royal throne at the time. If nobody saw her (close up, because it could have been a body double), then her alibi is no good. I love her dearly, but you know she was a mechanic during WWII, right? All I’m saying is that the woman knows how to wield a spanner!

3. If you’re sleuthing it’s because you’re connected to the victim in some way, however tenuous. So if you find the murder weapon, for the love of god, please don’t touch it! Because once you touch it, your fingerprints are all over the murder weapon. And boom! Now you’re a suspect. And now you really have to dig yourself out of a hole. I tell my sleuths this all the time, but do they listen? No. They do not.

If you enjoyed these tips, you’ll enjoy the anthology even more! There are lots of stories to choose from in nearly any mystery/crime/thriller sub-genre. It’s on pre-sale now at all major venues and will be released on May 1st by Dancing Lemur Press.

The Turnagain Arm Giveaway Winners & Excerpt

The Turnagain Arm on Amazon Kindle

The Turnagain Arm on Goodreads

Hello and Happy Monday to all! I hope everyone had a good weekend. I'm still recovering from the premiere of The Walking Dead last night! So happy the show is back. I needed something fun to watch after the Bengals proved yet again that they are the Bengals by missing what would have been a game winning field goal at the end of overtime. Years go by and players come and go but the one sure thing is that the Bengals will always be the Bungles.

Thanks to everyone who participated in my giveaway last week to celebrate the release of my novella The Turnagain Arm. The two winners are Michael Di Gesu and Annalisa Crawford! Congratulations to Michael and Annalisa and thanks again to everyone who joined in and helped me spread the word.

Gwen Gardner, the author of the fantastic Indigo Eady series, is sharing an excerpt from the novella on her blog today. Visit her here to read it!

Since I sent Gwen an excerpt to post I thought I would share an excerpt here as well. This excerpt features Aleksei Nechayev, who is not only one of the main characters in The Turnagain Arm but also the antagonist in Polar Night. 

Aleksei watched from the trees as the two security guards patrolled the area outside of the Turnagain Arm saloon. He had bid them a friendly goodnight just a few minutes earlier when he’d closed down for the night, but there was nothing friendly about his plans now. Aleksei was hungry and wanted nothing more than to drain both of the guards and satiate his hunger while also letting them know how useless their pretend soldiering was. His eyes nearly rolled back into his head as he watched them strutting about like peacocks. But while that course of action would feed him for the night, it would ultimately be short-sighted. And much less fun than what he had planned.

He had barely kept his composure while listening to Dzubenko blame the recent disappearances on bear attacks. It had been so difficult not to burst out laughing in his employer’s face. But he knew that the grizzly bear explanation had brought some semblance of comfort to the workers. It was much easier for them to come to terms with an angry wild bear than a murderer on the loose.

Imagining how they could come to terms with the murder of their guards by someone who was clearly not a bear made Aleksei smile from ear to ear. As much as he wanted to bite the guards and drain them, bite marks of any kind would spoil his fun. They would also spoil his plans for Vasyl Dzubenko. Aleksei knew he had made a rare mistake when speaking with Dzubenko earlier, and it had not gone unnoticed by his employer. The man was one of the few intelligent people in this camp, he’d give him that much. And he also felt sure that Dzubenko was different in ways beyond just his intellect. Aleksei could sense it. So if he had to deal with Dzubenko, he might as well lay the groundwork for that now. Truth be told, the idea of that merely added to his amusement.

Aleksei fingered the butcher knife he had stolen from the Turnagain Arm kitchen and stepped out of the trees.

One of the guards immediately snapped to attention and pointed his rifle at the sound of footsteps coming towards him.

“Who’s there? State your business.”

Aleksei walked into the light of the lanterns the guards held in front of them with his hands palms out in front of him.

“Don’t shoot,” he said. “It’s just me.”

The guards both relaxed and let their weapons hang loose at their sides.

“Aleksei? What are you doing back? Did you forget something in the saloon?”

“No, no, I just wanted to show you men something. I’m afraid it looks suspicious.” He gestured towards the woods next to the camp. “Over here in the trees.”

The men walked towards him, reminding Aleksei of the livestock that walked calmly to their deaths on his grandparents’ farm back home. 

Lambs to the slaughter…

Want to read more? 

Buy The Turnagain Arm for just 99 cents on Kindle

Second Death Release Day!

Gwen Gardner, a fellow member of Untethered Realms and the author of the fantastic Indigo Eady series, is here today to talk about her new novella Second Death. Welcome, Gwen!!

Here Comes Da Judge!

Thanks so much for hosting me today, Julie!

Today is release day for Second Death, book I in my Afterlife novella series. Since Julie loves her ghosties as much as I do, I thought she and her readers and followers would enjoy hearing about a certain ghost who makes quite an impression.

Lord Greyheart is a secondary character who only shows up at the beginning and end of the series. Though we don’t see much of Greyheart, he’s really the catalyst that starts the investigation into missing paranormals, the overall theme of the series.

The truth is, we don’t even know what Greyheart looks like! We don’t need to. I’d even go so far to say that the lack of facial features just reaffirms his other impressive attributes. Because Lord Greyheart is an impressive character who rules the proceedings with a disembodied iron gavel.  

First, who is he? He’s the 16th century high court ghost-judge who presides over court proceedings for the spirit community of Sabrina Shores. He’s also the one who drafted Indigo Eady, our living teen psychic-ghost-whispering investigator onto the Missing Paranormal Committee. And when Lord Greyheart says you’ll do something? You do it.

Here’s what happened when Indigo and friends sneak into the old courthouse to attend the spirit community meeting. Indigo’s name had just been put forth for the committee, which caused quite a stir…

A voice exploded and demanded order. “QUIET! There will be quiet or I will clear the courtroom.” Lord Greyheart’s wig bobbed and slipped as he wielded his gavel like a whip, the backlash snapping throughout the room. The room trembled under the BANG, BANG, BANG of a million supernatural hammers reverberating off the walls. I fell back into my seat, covering my ears.
Badger and Simon, and even the paranormals, wrapped hands around or shoved fingers into their ears. We were all dumbstruck into silence.
“Thank you,” said Greyheart, so quietly the maelstrom from a moment before may never have happened. “Miss Eady, will you please approach the bench?”
I gulped. Then reminded myself I sat in the audience, not in the dock. This wasn’t a trial. And so I got to my feet. Trembling, it’s true. But for all intents and purposes, I stood on two legs.
I edged by Simon’s legs, meeting the question in his wide eyes. I shook my head to let him know I was okay. I led with my chin, followed by wobbly legs, down the long crumbling steps. The council members parted like the Red Sea. I trailed through the dusty floor and stood peering up at the faceless Lord Greyheart.
“Now. Miss Eady. You must know that the living and dead working together is highly unusual.”
I snort-coughed into my reply before Lord G could suspect me of my usual sarcasm. “Yes, your honor, to say the least. But—”
“Now who put this young woman’s name forth?” Lord Greyheart scanned the room, but there were no takers. “Come now. Someone submitted Miss Eady’s name for the council, and someone else seconded the nomination.”
If Greyheart had a face, it would be frowning. I felt the frown vibrations from where I stood and feared another outburst. The newly elected council exchanged glances and shook their heads, as did everyone else.
“Harrumph. Well, this bears looking into further. As for now, Miss Eady, you will serve on the council.”
“But I—”
BANG!  “This meeting is dismissed.”

  

Now I ask you, would you have said ‘no’ to Lord Greyheart?

Second Death Blurb:

The Sabrina Shores spirit community is in crisis.

Ghosties are mysteriously disappearing at an alarming rate.

They’re simply…gone. A second death.

The clues are limited, but it’s clear that the one common factor is Gertrude’s Garden, the nightclub social center of the spirit community which just happens to adjoin the Sabrina Shores cemetery: the one place Indigo makes a point of not going. Ever. She has her reasons.

Indigo Eady:

Much to her chagrin, Indigo Eady is a celebrity among spirits. She’s the girl who can see and speak with them. She has a proven track record in helping spirits find their murderers, so it’s no surprise when she’s drafted onto the Missing Paranormal Committee. Who better to help them than the experienced teenage ghost whisperer- investigator and her friends?

Buy Links:

Order Second Death on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Second-Death-Afterlife-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B00N6TYPOE

Order Second Death on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id918342752

About the Author:

Gwen Gardner is a native Californian living in sunny San Diego, where her love of reading and writing led to a BA in English literature. Life is now complete with her husband, two dogs and a daily call from her daughter.

Since ghosts feature prominently in her young adult Indigo Eady Paranormal “Cozy” Mystery series, she has a secret desire to meet one face to face - but will run screaming for the hills if she ever does. Gwen adores travel and experiencing the cultures and foods of different countries. She is always up for an adventure and anything involving chocolate - not necessarily in that order.

Connect with Gwen:

Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Amazon / B&N

Talking Ghosts with Gwen Gardner, 'Tis More Blessed Winner, and Susan Oloier's Latest

I'm hanging out with fellow Untethered Realms member Gwen Gardner, author of Givin' Up the Ghost and Guilty Ghost Surprised, to chat about something we obviously both love - ghost stories. I share some of my favorite ghost books and movies, and Gwen's titles definitely belong on that list. Please come visit Gwen and me here.

I'm also happy to announce that Sherry Ellis won the ebook copy of The Ghosts of Aquinnah that I gave away as part of the 'Tis More Blessed giveaway. Congratulations to Sherry! And thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway. I'm on board for another round with Milo this Friday and am looking forward to it.

Finally, it's release day for Susan Oloier's latest novel Haunted.  I'm reading Haunted right now and it is a beautifully written and deeply moving story. Susan has a real gift with words. Congratulations and best of luck on the release, Susan!

The Partners in ParanormYA Blitz!

The Partners in ParanormYA ladies, Gwen Gardner and Angela Brown, are back out on tour and I'm thrilled to be hosting them today to help promote their new releases A Guilty Ghost Surprised and They All Fall Down. The original Partners in ParanormYA tour was one of the best blog tours I've ever seen so I am happy to be a stop on the follow-up.

Welcome and thanks for being here, Angela and Gwen!

One on One – It Begins

The Blind Badger won’t open for another hour, but Basil sits at a table by the hearth, warmed by the lit fire. A familiar engine revs then cycles down. A motorcycle. Badger enters the pub, lifts his helmet from his head then nods in Basil’s direction. After a quick dash to the kitchen, he returns to the dining area with a platter of fish and chips.

Badger: Here mate, something to tide us until the girls arrive.

*Badger nips a piece of fish and smiles when his sister, Riley, drops off two cups of tea.*

Basil: Thanks. I’m starving.

*Silent minutes pass as they dive into the food.*

Badger *breaks the quiet*: It’s been a while.

Basil: Yeah. I’m, uh, sorry about your dad and all that stuff.

Badger: Thanks, mate. Did you ever get that crotch rocket you were talking about?

Basil: No. My author, Angela, is tripping. But I like my RX8.

Badger: Gwen’s been good about—

The door to the Blind Badger swings open. Abby and Indigo crowd the doorway. Abby’s speaking gibberish and gesturing for the boys to come outside while Indigo appears as red as a ripe tomato. Basil and Badger follow the girls…

Then gasp.

Badger: That wasn’t here when I came in.

Basil: You know what this means.

Abby and Indigo try to console each other in the background, but there’s no denying what the poster sized book covers of A Guilty Ghost Surprised and They All Fall Down plastered on the Blind Badger’s wall can mean.

Badger: Trouble…with a capital ‘A’ and a capital ‘G’.

***

Well now, speaking as an author, I don’t think we’re trouble at all. :D

Besides, what good would a story be if there wasn’t a little…trouble? See what Indigo and gang get into in A Guilty Ghost Surprised. Find out what drama unfolds in They All Fall Down for Abby and Basil. I’m sure it’s not too much trouble *wink*

About A Guilty Ghost Surprised: Indigo Eady and gang are back with a feather and a Chance setting off another twisting-turning investigation to bring a cold case, and loved ones, closure at last.

AGGS buy links: Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About They All Fall Down: Free of their duties as Cleanser and Harvestor, Abby and Basil try to move on with their lives. But some secrets remain. And what is done in the dark won’t be good when it comes to light.

TAFD buy links: Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About Partners in ParanormYA:

Gwen Gardner and Angela Brown - YA paranormal authors embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. Share with us as we take the Indie journey to bring our works to the world. Buckle up! There'll be mystery, mayhem, action and emotional roller coasters...oh, and a few things that go bump in the night.

Hauntings are scary but we love interaction:

Angela’s author FB page | Gwen’s author FB page

Tweet Angela | Tweet Gwen

Angela’s blog | Gwen’s blog

And don’t forget about the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Untethered Realms Spotlight: Cover Reveals for Angela Brown and Gwen Gardner!

I am turning the blog over to the awesome Partners in ParanormYA duo today as they have some extremely exciting news to share this week. Take it away, ladies!

It is with great pleasure and a thrill in our hearts that Gwen Gardner and I (Angela Brown *hugs*) reveal the covers for our follow up stories to our currently available novels: Givin' Up the Ghost (Gwen) and Neverlove (Angela)

*cue drumroll*
...
..
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A GUILTY GHOST SURPRISED by Gwen Gardner (Add to Goodreads)

An Angel Among Us

Paranormal happenings at the Eady household are the norm. Recently, things have become downright peculiar. Childish giggles at odd hours of the night lead Indigo Eady to her little cousin, Bryan, a guileless cherub spirit, complete with Spider Man pajamas and a set of faux angel wings. The problem is that Bryan died nearly three years ago in a hit and run that killed him and his mum. The driver was never found.  Now the gang must solve the mystery of his death in order to send him back to heaven.  But where to start when the trail is three years cold?

Indigo Eady

Indigo Eady is not clumsy. At least, that’s what she keeps telling everyone. Can she help that the overactive spirit community of Sabrina Shores causes her psychic abilities to short-circuit? It’s unfortunate that her cute friend Badger is often on the receiving end of her mishaps. At times, she is positively hazardous to his health. Even so, sparks fly in more than one direction.

 

THEY ALL FALL DOWN by Angela Brown (Add to Goodreads)

Abby and Basil: New love reaches new heights as they finally give in to their lust and desire for each other.

Q: Consumed by the Devourer within and his base need to claim Abby as his own.

The crave: What it all boils down to. A crave for souls. A crave to keep love intact beyond betrayals. A crave for a second chance. A crave for power and The Fall of mankind.

“Love can conquer all” is put to the test and salvation may be impossible when it’s “ashes, ashes…they all fall down.”

About Gwen

Gwen Gardner is a native Californian living in sunny San Diego, where her love of reading and writing led to a BA in English literature. Life is now complete with her husband, two dogs and a daily call from her daughter.

Since ghosts feature prominently in her young adult Indigo Eady Paranormal “Cozy” Mystery series, she has a secret desire to meet one face to face - but will run screaming for the hills if she ever does. Gwen adores travel and experiencing the cultures and foods of different countries. She is always up for an adventure and anything involving chocolate - not necessarily in that order. Haunt at the following: Blog | Twitter | Facebook

About Angela

 Angela is a lover of Wild Cherry Pepsi and chocolate/chocolate covered delicious-ness. Steampunk, fantasy and paranormal to contemporary - mostly young adult - fill her growing library of books. Mother to a rambunctious darling girl aptly nicknamed Chipmunk, life stays busy. Her favorite quote keeps her moving: "You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Haunt at the following: Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Writers4Writers and Giveaway Winners

Today is the second Writers4Writers event, and Gwen Gardner and Melissa Bradley are the featured writers for this month. Yay Gwen and Melissa!

Gwen Gardner: Gwen writes YA Paranormal books and is having a Free Kindle Promotion for Giving Up The Ghost February 18th and 19th. I read Giving Up The Ghost last month and I can tell you it's a fantastic read. I am already looking forward to Gwen's next book.

Melissa Bradley: Melissa writes romance, adventure, and suspense novels. I have not read one of Melissa's books yet but they are on my TBR list and this event is inspiring me to move them up to the top of that list. FYI, Melissa's books contain adult content that may not be appropriate for young readers.

If you're not familiar with Writers4Writers, the mission of the group is to

• Help writers bring awareness of their book(s) to tens of thousands of new people
• Help writers reach Amazon Top 100 in at least one category (i.e., suspense, free, whatever)
• Increase sales of their book(s) after the promo is over
• Drive new traffic to their blog and increase following
• Create verbal and viral buss.

Basically, it's a fun and easy way to support different writers each month, and possibly learn about some new great books yourself. To learn more and to join Writers4Writers, just sign up here. 

Also, I wanted to announce the results of my Polar Night giveaway, which concluded on Saturday. Thanks again to everyone who helped me spread the word about Polar Night during my first blog tour! I was thrilled to see over the weekend that the paperback edition of the book is now available at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble, so I suppose I can stop checking the sites every fifteen seconds now. :D

The giveaway winners, drawn randomly:

First place winner: Nick Wilford
Second place winner: Michael Pierce
Third place winners: Mark Means and S.A. Ravens

Congratulations to the winners and thanks again to all!