Best Served Cold Preview

The sequel to What The Chat Dragged In is finally here! So what's up with Seth and Martie? Check out the preview of the first few chapters to find out.

Feel free to share with your friends.

The Next Best Thing To Himmel

Himmel, the town where my Goode-Grace mysteries takes place, is a figment of my imagination. Well, mostly.

While there is no town with that name in Northwest Ohio, there is a town named Bryan that has a whole lot in common with my fictional community. Most noticeable the Courthouse Square. Here's the Bryan Courthouse.

Yes, there's a lovely park in front of the courthouse.

Though, the over-friendly squirrels are based on my time going to school in Bowling Green, Ohio. But, I'll bet Bryan has its share of the little beggars as well.

And, there's a lovely little downtown movie theater, too.

These pictures are courtesy of my cousin, Carol. She happens to own an educational supply store right on the square. A lot of the businesses in my mysteries have real-life counterparts on the square.

I hope to bring you more pictures of them later.

How That "Free" Movie Or eBook Can Cost You Plenty

* This post  originally appeared on www.worldstart.com where I work as the content editor and head writer.

I’ve warned you guys about the dangers of pirated copies of books and movies. Many times, these sites are just an excuse to load your PC up with malware that can steal your information. I happened to come across an example today.  And this example involves a book that I wrote. In addition to writing tech tips, I also write mystery novels. And I have to admit that I sometimes Google myself just to see if anyone is talking about my books.  (writers are a needy bunch, sometimes.)  I was not happy to see this result.

The only place you’d ever find a giveaway for my book (and probably anyone else’s) is through a legitimate eBook seller like Barnes & Noble, Google Play, iTunes, or Amazon.  One sure red flag is that the side is called paid$#*!for free.  Go there and you’ll be greeted by this page. Which looks like you’re about to get a free download in the ePub format.

But before you get a chance to steal my book, you’ll see this little pop-up warning you that you need to click Disable. Those of you who’ve read our articles about fake tech support scams and fake update pop-ups probably think this all looks pretty familiar. If you click that disable button, you’re actually enabling adware, malware, or who knows what on your PC. Maybe it’s a keylogger that follows your every move and steals your bank info.

Maybe it’s ransomware that takes your PC hostage. Maybe you don’t even get to steal my book. There’s no guarantee that download is actually even there.  Now the same holds true for pirated movies and music. If you see a movie that’s currently out at the box office available to watch online, think twice before clicking. You may think you’re saving a few bucks by stealing a viewing when in reality you’re costing yourself hundreds or thousands by giving up information or trashing your device. If someone is willing to steal from a studio or from me, what makes you think they wouldn’t steal from you?
So, don’t steal from anyone, especially me. If you don’t want to pay for stuff, your local library has all kinds of things for free. In the past when I’ve warned you about free book scams, some of you have asked about newsletters like Book Bub and Book Gorilla that offer free and discounted eBook specials. These newsletters are legitimate and offer author and publisher approved specials and they always direct you to the sites for major eBook retailers.

Best Served Cold Cover Reveal

Even though  the sequel to What The Chat Dragged In has been finished for some time, nothing quite makes a book feel real like seeing the cover for the first time.  And here's the cover for Best Served Cold.

The title is based on the old saying that "Revenge is dish best served cold."  In this mystery, Seth is eager to dish out a  heaping serving to Wilma Crandall. But at what cost?

Best Served Cold will be out next month.

A Maze & Grace: 5 Reasons Why You Need To Read It Now

The long-awaited (well, six months seems like a long time) sequel to American Goth is finally here. Check out the beautiful cover Melanie Dunn of Cuttlefish Graphics made for me.

I know a lot of you were worried about Bobby making it back from Iraq. He's home safe and sound, but his homecoming is not going as planned. Here are  5 reasons why you need to check this great mystery out now!

1. Murder in a maze!  Hey, we all know corn fields are kind of scary. We've watched movies and read Stephen King. And it's even scarier when the corn is cut into a maze. And you know what really ruins Halloween festivities? Yep... a body in the corn maze.

2. Awkward social situations.  How awkward? Trinity's ex-boyfriend Marco shows up at the farm with his wife.  What does he want? How does  Bobby react? You'll see.

3. More Goths in the country! Stan and Shelly aka Vlad and Lady Ravenhawke stop by for a visit. They even head out to the bowling alley with Bobby and Trinity.

4. Lots of  good food. Find out what Trinity is cooking up.


5. Bobby's bad side. You saw a small glimpse of why you don't want to get on Deputy Grace's bad side in American Goth. In this book, you'll get a closer look at the mild-mannered deputy's dark side.

Convinced? Click here to get your copy today.

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What The Chat Dragged In: My playlist & other inspirations

This is a story about What The Chat Dragged In.  It's my second published mystery novel. It's also my best-reviewed work and the most difficult thing I have ever written.  A few years ago when I started the book, I did a brief post about the music that was inspiring me as I wrote.

A lovely 5-star review for this novel said that it was a difficult book to classify:

"I cannot pin down exactly what genre to put this book in. It's a quirky romance, it's a witty mystery, it's a foodie book, it's a crime novel, it's a little bit of a police procedural, there's elements of Christian fiction, it deals with non-combat PTSD... This is not entirely an easy novel to read because even though it's fiction we know that the evil that is a main character actually exists in our world."

This is how I feel about this story as well.  I started out with the inspiration to write a book about a food blogger who lived in the Texas Hill Country.  I was inspired by images like the one below:

 

But that idea was transformed by a real-life incident similar to what the character of Martie experiences in the book. So my cozy little foodie mystery also became about two broken people traumatized in very different ways by child sexual predators. I know that sounds like a downer, but it's actually a romance with lots of tasty recipes...and some very bad people to hate.  My inspiration music for writing these characters jumps genres just like the story. There's pop, country, Christian, and rock. I've included a YouTube playlist below. If you've read the book, you'll probably see how songs like "Demons," "Hurt," "Collide," and "Life Ain't Always Beautiful" relate.  "Collide" was the first song I associated with these characters. Give it all a listen if you're so inclined. Even if you haven't read the book yet, give the playlist a listen.

  

 

 

I have a goal of making all of Seth's food into neatly organized blog posts. There are already quite a few good food posts on this blog. The most popular is the recipe for liver and onions. My favorites are the honey fried chicken and the piggy pops.

 

 

Speaking of inspirations, this is the person who most reminds me of how I picture Seth. Though I think Seth is leaner. (and also covered in tattoos.) This is actor Eric Christian Olsen from NCIS: Los Angeles.  (I swiped this photo from NCISLA Magazine.) If this is not how you picture Seth, you are absolutely right.

 

 

As for Seth's house, I'm pretty sure it looks almost exactly like the home my cousin Carol and her husband Tony built from the ground up. (which is not in Texas, but actually not far from the city that I based the town of Himmel on for my Goode/Grace Mystery series.)

 

 

If you enjoyed "What The Chat Dragged In" and have any questions or comments, let me know.  You can pick it up as a Kindle book or paperback over at Amazon.com by clicking here. Check out the reviews; apparently it's awesome.

 

Right not I'm editing the sequel "Best Served Cold."

 

~ Cyn

5 Books To Curl Up With This December

In my part of the world, it's cold outside. For me that means it's time for a hot cup of cocoa, tea, or coffee and a good book. I've got 5 suggestions for your reading list. Some old, some new, and all worth your time.

Let's start with one of my favorite books, Tea With The Black Dragon by R.A. MacAvoy. I first read this in college. I'd never read anything quite like it before, and I've never read anything quite like it since.

It's about Martha Macnamara, a 50ish musician in search of her missing daughter in 1980s San Francisco. She meets Mayland Long, a mysterious wealthy Chinese businessman and scholar who also claims he's actually a dragon. This is part fantasy, part mystery, part romance and completely marvelous. I definitely suggest reading this with a good cup of Oolong tea.

Up next on my list is The Thin Man. It's a slim volume, so an avid reader might be able to get through it in a day. But, wow! Even if you've see the movies, this 1934 classic will be a revelation. If you tend to think of the 1930s as a more innocent time, you might be a little bit shocked.

This dialogue in this book is some of the best ever written. The witty, liquor-fueled, non-sentimental romance is among my favorite love stories. Hard-boiled retired private dick Nick Charles and his young, socialite wife are a force to be reckoned with. And the mystery is a good one, too. You'll probably want to spike your hot drink with a stiff shot. That's what Nick and Nora would do.

A recent discovery is Marriage Can Be Murder, a sweet and cozy English countryside mystery set at the beginning of WWII.  The attention to historical detail makes this book not only interesting, but educational.   The budding relationship between a young doctor who has been severely injured both physically and emotionally and an awkward, eccentric noblewoman is funny and touching.

It's an easy, fun read that will make you feel as if you're watching one of those really great British series on Mystery. And there's a sequel!  This definitely calls for a hot cuppa.

And now for something completely different!  If Marriage Can Be Murder feels like an show from PBS, Midnight Riot feels like a show that might come on after Doctor Who on BBC America. It's like a cross between Luther and Harry Potter.  It feels like you're getting a real look at contemporary London and its police force... only there's magic... and ghosts...and scary stuff.

This book and its sequels create a compelling, yet believable world where the paranormal becomes a part of everyday police work.

You'll want a spot of tea with this one.

And now I'm going to toot my own horn and suggest that you check out American Goth, my first mystery novel. Why?  It's an easy, warmhearted read that introduces you to two of my favorite characters, Goth-chick artist Trinity Goode and straight-laced deputy sheriff Bobby Grace.

When Trinity's grandfather dies mysteriously, she heads back to her small hometown to save the family farm and figure out just at happened to the man who always accepted her just as she was.

Trinity’s ready to lace up her Doc Marten boots to be a church lady and bake pies for the county fair, but is her hometown ready to welcome her back?

With some help from her old friend Deputy Bobby Grace, she tries to solve the mystery of her Grandfather’s death and track down just who has been hell-bent on ruining her reputation. What she finds out could get her killed.

You'll want to have this one with a good hot cup of coffee, just like the coffee that keeps the main characters going in the book.

Killler Clowns From Out Of State: 5 Fun Facts

My latest mystery novel Killer Clowns From Out Of State is now available on Amazon.com. It's the first book in my new Ballardville Mysteries series, and it introduces you to Police Chief Andrea Taylor.  She wasn't even supposed to be working the night she mows down handsome stranger Dash Fletcher during a police chase. Now she’s got an injured circus performer on her hands who might or might not be the guy she’s been waiting for all her life.

But since her last romance ended with her pumping a bullet into her boyfriend, she’s a little gun shy. Plus, she’s got a murder to solve, a murder that might be tied to the handsome stranger with the broken leg her aunt has moved into the family home.

With her career in jeopardy and her heart on the line, her whole life is turning into a three-ring circus.

But just how did this particular three-ring circus come to be? 

Here are 5 fun facts about this novel:

I got the idea while at the circus.

I was innocently enjoying a performance of the Cirque Du Soleil's Alegria at the Huntington Arena and an idea popped into my head. So you have all of these performers in makeup and costume, including the band and the singers. And it occurred to me that these people have to tell people things like, "I'm an accordion player in the circus." I had a great seat behind where the technical people had their boards and I became fascinated watching the director and other people work during the show. So this guy popped into my head. A guy who might be the accordion player's understudy and also a technical guy that works on the show. And then there's my main protagonist a small town police chief named Andrea Taylor who runs over him in the course of a high speed chase. Leaving him unemployed and stuck in the small town. And as these things often do, within fifteen minutes, my mind knew who he was, why he was in that small town, why he would stay in that small town and the crimes that would drive this particular story along. I also knew why the police chief had shot her last boyfriend. By the time I was headed home from work the next day, I knew about a stunning surprise that would change that former accordion playing clown's life in the second book. It involved a... Oh well, you'll see when the sequel comes out.

It's a love letter to theater geeks

I did plays in college. My husband was active in theater in high school. I know and love so many actors, writers, and others who have given their heart to community and professional theater.  I've had the privilege of seeing so many plays brought to life by the love and care of people who live and breathe theater. 

The Meet Me In St. Louis Connection

I watched one of my favorite movies, Meet Me In St. Louis,  while working on this story. And the character of Lucille Ballard, played by June Lockhart, inspired two things: The name of the town of Ballardville and the first name of the very important character of Lucille Gerber. That's June Lockhart as Lucille on the left. She later went on to be the mom on Lassie and Lost In Space. You will also notice that one of the characters in the story takes a trip to St. Louis. Sadly, no one sings "Clang, clang, clang went the trolley!"

I named my characters after their spirit animals

Andie is named after Sheriff Andy Taylor from The Andy Griffith Show. It's also meant to reference one my favorite TV couples. I explain why in the book.

Dash is named after the writer of The Thin Man, Dashiell Hammett. 

FYI, the Thin Man is not Nick Charles, but the person he's looking for in the book.

Nick and Nora have my favorite romantic relationship in print or the movies. They are each other's wingman.

The title comes from a 1980s horror movie

The title comes from the 1980s horror movie Killer Clowns From Outer Space. The summer after I graduated college, I worked in a convenience store/ gas station. Back in those days everyone and his brother felt the need to add video rentals to their business. We had a video department in the back of the store. A TV continually ran trailers for the movies offered. One of those movies was Killer Clowns From Out Of State. I watched the trailer for that flick 50 times a day for months. It is burned into my brain. Now it finally gave a little something back to me.  It's really the least it could do.

You can check out a free preview of Killer Clowns From Out Of State below

Killer Clowns From Out Of State is available as a Kindle book for $2.99

The paperback is available for $19.97  and you can read it free on Kindle Unlimited.

A Coupla Writer Chicks Sitting Around Talking

I thought it might be fun to do interview a fellow author and have her interview me. So I sat down on a Saturday afternoon for a Facebook chat with fellow writer Wendy Burke.  Wendy is the author of 6 books including the recent Safe at Home.

Cyn: Ready to do this thing?

Wendy:  Sure...I'm just looking up what an OHP hat is called...other than 'hat'.

Cyn: Let’s talk a little about ourselves.  I'm a mystery writer and Wendy writes... What would you call your particular romance genre?

Wendy: Porn.

Cyn: Lady porn?

Wendy: Erotic romance. Mommy porn works too.

Cyn: I once had a male coworker complain that guys

can't sit in the lunchroom thumbing through Playboy,

but ladies can read romance novels and nobody

cares.

Wendy: With a novel -- the pictures are in your head...not in print! And for the most part, women paint a better mental picture than men do.

Cyn: Most romance novels are spicier than Playboy. Especially yours.

Wendy: True-- but mental pictures aren't interrupting the daily work flow.

And mostly go  unnoticed ...especially since the invention of eReaders!

Cyn: We've known each other for like one million years.

Wendy: and a half, I think

Cyn: What's one question you've always wanted to ask me about my work?

Wendy: Are there people in your head that pretty much talk to you all day long?

Cyn: Oh yes. The inside of my head is like a Robin Williams routine.

Wendy: Less hairy, I would imagine!

Cyn: There's some hairy people in there, too.

Wendy: you keep them impeccably well-groomed from what I can see...

Cyn: I've always wanted to ask you when you wrote your first story.

Wendy: When I was old enough to realize there were people in my head more fun than those around me. I would imagine it was BEFORE I even knew what 'writing' was. As for concrete writing, most likely late grade school-- as for thinking I could make money off of it -- 10 years ago.  I always 'wrote'...

Cyn: Me too. I distinctly remember drawing a little book about two brothers who lived in a windmill. I had confused a windmill with a lighthouse because they had boats.

  

Wendy: What author do you admire most?

Cyn: The first author I ever truly loved was Laura Ingalls Wilder. I wrote Michael Landon angry letters over the TV show Little House On The Prairie versus the book. Like a 7-page letter. Robert B. Parker is a huge influence on me as well. The way he writes dialogue, how prolific he was. How he keeled over while writing at this desk. Who inspires you?

Wendy: Poor guy...not the way I want to go.

I'm not really 'inspired' by any one writer -- as I don't read what my writing genre is.

I like the story like of a Brad Thor and James Rollins. I'm more inspired to 'write' by something that happens during the day. I like sad heroes.

Cyn: Me, too. I collect little bits of every single day to use in stories.

Wendy: you know how that works in my head!

Cyn: We've both worked in newsrooms and that's a great place for plots in general

Every single crime in any of my books has been inspired by a similar real-life crimes. Even the awful things that go down in What The Chat Dragged In

Wendy: Because a newsroom is also filled with 'characters.' All with have their own weird flaws

Cyn: More specifically what inspired what you're working on now?

Wendy: I"m going to have to plead the 5th on that one--as it stemmed from a real life conversation with a real life law enforcement officer -- some would say an 'inappropriate' conversation from an elected official! But 'he' probably didn't realize my reaction to it...just a simple innocent comment --which pushed the people in my head in to high gear! And just remember -- text me at 2 a.m, for no apparent reason -- you're in a book...

Cyn: The hazards of dealing with writer folks. For me it was tamer, a visit to the Cirque de Soliel. I was sitting in the audienc eand was impressed that the clown band was playing their own instruments and singing

Wendy: Ah---Killer Clowns From Out of State!'

Cyn: And I started thinking, wow these are super-talented people. I wondered what their lives were like when not performing. What do accordion playing clowns do in their off time?

By the end of the performance, I had most of the book.

Wendy: And our poor spouses wonder what's going on in our heads!

Cyn: That's the dual track running in a writer's life. Watching and liking the circus, writing a book, too. On the drive home, my husband said, "You're writing in your head, I can see the way your eyes are moving."

Wendy: Some would call that schizophrenia

Cyn: My friend the psych nurse tells me my eyes move exactly like a schizophrenic’s when I write

Wendy: Scary! I just blurt things out now...and the old man gets it. Like how looking over the treetops into Green Bay in WI's Door County -- I just said, I want to sit here and writer forever -- in my head I was doing just that -- could see the characters on the deck having a conversation...people just don't get that

Cyn: My husband gets it. He usually just brings me coffee when he sees it taking over

Knowing you in real life, you would be the person I would least likely peg as a romance writer

Wendy: Why?

Cyn: You are super-duper practical. How did you find your genre? Crime, I'd buy in a minute.

Wendy: I had promised to write a cheesy baseball romance for a friend...

And so I did. I'm a romantic at heart -- people don't see that side of me. I still want to write a political thriller --- but with sex ....lots of sex...in it!

Cyn: People tend to think the opposite about me. They think I am chipper. So, the dark edge to some of my work surprises them. At least I think I am regarded as chipper.

Wendy: Knowing you-- didn't surprise me!

Cyn: I've yelled at you more than most people! All in the line of duty at work. Newsrooms are intense places.

Wendy: It's sometimes difficult to be 'nice' in a setting like that -- which is why I'm glad I don't have the responsibility I once did in a newsroom

Cyn: I wanted to ask if there was another genre you'd like to explore, but you already answered. So for you it's a political thriller?

Wendy: I wanna be Brad Thor or James Rollins when I grow up! But for now, I would rather just work in the realm of fantasies --- too much of that political crap right now.

Cyn: I'd really like to be able to write a good piece of sci-fi or fantasy. I love that genre, but I don't feel that I write it well. I have a half finished book called Araknj's Quantum that's a steampunk mystery about time-traveling murderous robot chefs. I let my friends pick my National Novel Writing Month project by naming random things and that's what happened.

Wendy: See...I can't write something that doesn't 'exist' or can't actually 'happen'...just the way my head works.

Cyn: You wouldn't believe the research I did for that book, the real world research to create a feasible alternate reality. In that world, India was part of the Holy Roman Empire because I expanded the Pourtugese influence that exist in part of India to most of India. I researched Catholic Indian names.

Wendy: And here I am looking for a hat. My brain doesn't work that way -- I can't relate to it.

Cyn: I was also researching how you resign from the Ohio National Guard today.  When you can do it, what the procedures are.... That may be a spoiler for my next book.

Wendy: I got it figured out! Deputy Hottie?

Cyn:  We’ll see. Speaking of books... I will ask an impossible question. Which of your books is your favorite?

 Wendy: Probably The One He Chose, Haste Ye Back a close second. Of course, I like them all...but those two stick out to me for some reason. You? Which of yours?

Cyn: Probably What The Chat Dragged In. Because it was so hard to write, but I think I pulled it off.

Wendy: You did, very well.

Cyn: We need to promote ourselves a little

Wendy: You know how NOT good I am at that.

Cyn: So, talk about what you have out now and what you're working on

Wendy: Safe at Home has been out a couple of weeks -- a story I really enjoyed writing, because, although the 'seed' for it was much more baseball oriented - it still came out as the story I was looking for. Currently I'm now in love with two new characters ELI & ZOE -- he's a widowed sheriff and she's a newsroom 'jack of all trades' -- they've never met -- but OH they will...they SURE will!

Cyn: Right now, I'm finishing up the final edits on Killer Clowns From Out of State.

Wendy: Such a great title! Reminds me of the ICP incidents.

Cyn: It's about a small town female police chief that runs over a circus performer

who may or may not be connected to a murder. Did I mention that he's handsome?

Wendy: The circus performer?

Cyn: Yes.

Wendy: With or without clown make up?

Cyn: Without, he's only a fill-in clown. He's actually an assistant stage manager who knows how to play the accordion. I'm proud of how it all comes together and makes sense.

I'm finishing my edits on the sequel to American Goth:  A Maze & Grace.

Do you remember a few years ago, me telling you before the morning news meeting about a dream I had about a guy who had a dream and woke up to find that things in real life were happening in the dream. I dreamed the whole story in one night as a dream?

Wendy: Yes...I read part of that one.

Cyn: It's a novella, and it’s going to be out soon as well.

Wendy: Title?

Cyn: Oh yeah, that's helpful for promotion. The Girl of His Dreams, A little different for me.

Though there is a mystery, it's just not a murder mystery,

Hey, when are you ever going to write that book about NASCAR we talked about?

Wendy: Eventually maybe.

Cyn: So many ideas, so little time.

Wendy: I know.

Cyn: That's the hardest part of being a writer, don't you think?

For me, not what to write, but when to write.

Even if I had every hour of the day free to write, I don't know that I could get it all down.

On that note, we decided to end our conversation and actually get back to writing.

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