Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Criminal Minds at Work: Rural Crime: The politician speaks
Criminal Minds at Work: Rural Crime: The politician speaks: Criminal Minds at Work is honoured to have Doug Schweitzer, Alberta’s Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, as a guest today. In...
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Friday, July 19, 2019
Abusive relationships: why not just leave?
It takes a woman an average of twenty attempts to break free
of an abusive relationship, according to information provided by the local
women’s shelter.
So when Allie gets caught up with Carbon in my novel SHADOW
RIDERS, it should come as no surprise that getting out from under his control
takes the entire book...and (perhaps) then some.
It is not, however, a reality that all appreciate. As in
society at large, many readers put the onus on Allie to break free and are
frustrated by her failed attempts.
It has bothered me for a long time that people blame women
in abusive relationships for their troubles, their pain, their murders. “Why
didn’t she just leave?”
My intent in writing SHADOW RIDERS was to explore the ties
that keep women in violent relationships. In the SHADOW RIDERS’ Afterword I
write, “It’s my hope Allie’s story helps both the victims of domestic violence and
their communities understand the mental and emotional processes involved in the
bonding between abused and abuser. May this understanding empower victims to
break free and encourage us all to support them until they find the strength to
do so.”
This intent is, of course, wrapped in an entertaining story
that circumnavigates the globe, involves biker gangs, murders, espionage, drug trafficking,
and the maligning of Canadian justice...among other things.
This month you can get the eBook here for half price in a format
for any device during Smashwords’ Summer/Winter Sale.
Abusive relationships...has been brought to you by SHADOW RIDERS.
"Love for an abuser is a mystery...but Schuh carries us so thoroughly into Allison’s mind...we almost understand.
"Shadow Riders is a thriller with depth and weight and fully explored characters"
Saturday, July 6, 2019
Winners in the Solstic Scavenger Hunt 2019
Winners in the Solstice Scavenger Hunt 2019
The phrase to find was:
'But you know, happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.'
Many entered but there can only be ONE Grand Prize Winner!
Drum roll.... Our Grand Prize of $75 USD via PayPal and 19 eBooks goes to...
The Second Prize winners are listed below next to the title of the book they've won:
Curse Breaker: Enchanted by Melinda Kucsera - Emmaline Emmaline Lavender Fields and Nicole Nicole Evan Dunton
**Schrodinger's Cat by Eileen Schuh - A.m. Donovan and Helle Søe Gade
Winners will be contacted by the authors via EMAIL (using the email address used in entering the contest) - please give the authors 2-3 weeks to complete all prize deliveries. Keep an eye on your junk folders as we may get pushed there since we may not have you in our contacts.
Congratulations to all the winners! Thank you for all who entered to play!
"Winners..." has been brought to you by SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT
"I loved it from the first
word."
"And the ending I never expected"
"thoroughly rocked my socks..."
Sunday, June 16, 2019
Born to believe in magic
We are born to believe in magic...and fairies and dragons.
For everything about ourselves and world is fantastical from a child’s eyes.
It’s nothing but magical that tiny seeds should become
trees. And water, ice. That rainbows should appear out of grey skies. That
blueberries, strawberries and mushrooms should sprout freely from the forest
floor to feed us.
That the children we are will become doctors, parents...perhaps
even authors as we pluck dream worlds from infinity and set the processes in
motion to make them reality.
Woe to all adults who lose touch with their sense of magic.
I invite you to join with me and a group of fellow science
fiction and fantasy authors as we celebrate the summer solstice and all things
magical. Romp through our social media platforms to find secrets words hidden
in the sun graphic that when all collected
and deciphered will spell out a quotation from a famous speculative fiction
novel.
Solve the quotation and it could win you books...and money—$75.00
in hard U.S. currency, fact.
But better than that, more magical than that, it will
introduce you to some great books by some awesome authors.
We ask that you connect with us not only by entering the
contest, but if you like our blogs, follow us (there’s a button to the right of
this posting that says ‘follow’), so we can continue to talk our magic to you
through the words we post. Or, sign up for our newsletters, link to us through
our twitter or facebook accounts, find us on Instagram.
Our dream is to share our magic with others and your secret
powers can help us do that.
FSF Readers Lounge Presents its first ever Solstice Scavenger Hunt
Running from June 16th to June 29th.
Nineteen authors have joined forces to offer readers a chance at $75.00 USD cash via PayPal and 19 eBooks as
a Grand Prize! Thirty-eight secondary prizes (an eBook from one of our participating
authors) will be given to randomly chosen participants with the correct answer to the scavenger hunt.
To play for a chance to win you must go to
each of the authors sites listed below, collect the "hidden" word(s),
unscramble them, and then enter to win! Enter Here
Entering does not obligate you to anything!
You have the option to choose who to subscribe to and who to follow - the only
requirements are:
1. You must follow the Facebook page for the Readers Lounge in
order to get the winners announcement and
2. Use the link above to enter the
giveaway, but I hope you choose to follow the wonderful authors participating
in this hunt!
$75
Cash via PayPal
eBooks
up for prizes:
A
Bit of Magic
Azimuth
Bonded
Curse
Breaker: Enchanted
Dragon
Blood
Elven
Jewel
Forever
People
Ian's
Realm Saga
Schrodinger's
Cat - by Eileen Schuh
Shadow's
Hand
Sleepless
Flame
Tattoos
The
Fox and The Hunter
The
Glass Gargoyle
The
Hand of Atua
The
Shikari
This
Cursed Flame
Witch's
Moonstone Locket
Wolves'
Gambit
To the left, is my secret word, part of a quotation from a famous SciFi/fantasy Speculative Fiction novel.
Happy Hunting!
Make sure to visit all the sites listed below to gather your words!
"Born to believe in magic" has been brought to you by SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT
"I loved it from the first
word."
"And the ending I never expected"
"thoroughly rocked my socks..."
"A book that engaged all senses and
emotions"
Monday, June 10, 2019
Buried Treasure
Buried Treasure. What a great name for a book. Oh, yes. The mystery, the intrigue...the riches.Who among us wouldn't rather unearth a hidden treasure than win a lottery? Marry rich? Or write a New York Times Best Seller? Well, okay then--forget that last example.
Today, author Gilli Allan shares her family's folklore regarding a genuine, historic treasure and introduces us to her most recent novel, BURIED TREASURE.
I've read Allan's previous novels and love her writing. Her style is unique, free from genre constraints. Her plots are always compelling. Her characters, to die for.
Take it away, Gilli!
 |
| Author, Gilli Allen |
Not many people dig up treasure, but my uncle did …. or did he?
My childish imagination was very inspired
by the idea of archaeology – the closest science there is to
treasure-hunting. I was probably influenced
by the fact that my great uncle, Sydney Ford, ‘discovered’ the hoard of Roman silver
tableware, named the Mildenhall Treasure, on his Suffolk farm during WW2.
I put discovered in inverted commas because
on more recent investigation, the story is a lot less straightforward than uncle
Syd ever admitted to.
I admit to plundering Syd’s story when I
began to write BURIED TREASURE, a book with an archaeological theme. In his account (which I heard from his own
lips), he was driving the tractor and plough which turned up the hoard from one
of his fields. He took it home and cleaned it up. At the time, he thought it
was pewter. He tried to declare the find and took a piece to London - to
the British Museum - to show them and ask their advice.
 |
| Reputed treasure-finder, Sydney Ford |
However, because it was war-time
the British Museum was closed, so he kept it. What else could he do? At
Christmas he kept his fruit and nuts in the great dish. But a nosy
neighbour tipped off the police and the hoard was taken away from him after the
war, so he never got any credit for finding it, nor any recompense.
This was
his story and of course we all believed it.
In more recent years I’ve learned more
about the ‘official account’. It was not Sydney but his farm worker,
Gordon Butcher, who turned up the treasure. It wasn’t even found on my uncle’s
farm at all, but on neighbouring land that he was looking after. He was unable
or unwilling to be clear about the specific location where it was unearthed,
the account changing every time he was interviewed on the subject.
 |
| Ford's Great Great-nephew, Tom Williams, poses with the Mildenhall Treasure |
Partly because of this vagueness, there has
even been doubt cast over the fact the hoard originated in the Mildenhall area
at all. Roman villas have been found around
that location, but nothing of sufficient grandeur to have owned such a service
has ever been excavated in the environs.
Other suggestions I’ve read, linked to the
previous point, is that it was stolen (from whom or from where?) and had been
hidden by twentieth century villains or by airman flying from Italy into the
airfield at Mildenhall during the war.
The treasure wasn’t snatched from him
unexpectedly, as Syd would have it later. He did know in advance he was going
to be relieved of his fruit bowl and the rest, apparently, and (because he knew
they were coming) rumour has it he was able to keep back a cache of coins or
some other choice artifact from the hoard.
Declared 'treasure trove', the Mildenhall Treasure can now be seen in the
British Museum. Contrary to Uncle Syd’s claim,
he was recompensed - £2,000 divided between Sydney and his ploughman, Mr
Butcher – but he never did get any credit.You won’t see his name attached to the treasure at the British Museum.
Great Uncle Syd, was a favourite. We always
loved seeing him. He was mischievous and rascally and had a definite
twinkle in his eye which, looking back, I suspect was something to do with the
fact he knew he was fibbing. But when I was young, I took on board the story as
he recounted it. Of course it was true. Now,
though? I can quite believe him capable
of a degree of roguery, but I don’t suppose we will ever know the real story;
Syd is long gone and unable to provide any answers.
BURIED TREASURE : mybook.to/BURIEDTREASURE
Their backgrounds could hardly be further
apart, their expectations in life more different. And there is nothing in the
first meeting between the conference planner and the university lecturer which
suggests they should expect or even want to connect again.
But they have more
in common than they could ever have imagined. Both have unresolved issues from
the past which have marked them; both have an archaeological puzzle they want
to solve.
Their stories intertwine and they discover together that treasure
isn’t always what it seems.
Gilli Allan began to write in childhood - a
hobby pursued throughout her teenage years. Writing was only abandoned when she left
home, and real life supplanted the fiction.
After a few false starts she worked longest
and most happily as a commercial artist, and only began writing again when she
became a mother.
Living in Gloucestershire with her husband
Geoff, Gilli is still a keen artist. She draws and paints and has now moved
into book illustration.
She is published by Accent Press and each
of her books, TORN, LIFE CLASS and FLY or FALL has won a ‘Chill with a Book’
award.
Following in the family tradition, her son,
historian Thomas Williams (pictured above with the Mildenhall Treasure), is also a writer. His most recent work, published by
William Collins, is ‘Viking Britain’.
Connect with Gilli Allen and her books through the following links:
http://twitter.com/gilliallan (@gilliallan)
LIFE CLASS: http://myBook.to/LifeClass
FLY OR FALL: myBook.to/GilliAllan
TORN: MyBook.to/gilliallansTORN Trailer: http://youtu.be/u2eIP16ERcI
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
When the bough breaks...
Today I welcome Author, Luke Murphy to Magic of the Muses, in celebration of his upcoming release, Rock-A-Bye Baby. This is Luke's third guest appearance on my blog. He first visited here in June 2012 to introduce us to his debut novel, Dead Man's Hand. And in July 2015 he presented, Kiss and Tell.
Yep, I think he has a crime series going here....take it away, Luke!
Click here to purchase Rock-A-Bye Baby
Rock-A-Bye Baby
Yep, I think he has a crime series going here....take it away, Luke!
Click here to purchase Rock-A-Bye Baby
Writing a Sequel
This is my second go at writing a sequel, but it always
feels like a new experience for me. ROCK-A-BYE BABY is the second book in my
Charlene Taylor series. I have no plans, no idea how many books I’ll write with
these characters. I’ll just write, and see where the characters take me. Who
knows?
There are definitely some benefits to writing a sequel.
PROS:
Characters
For one, the main cast of characters is already formed.
Readers are familiar with the main characters in the series, and there is no
need for a lot of backstory to get readers caught up, or a lot of explicit
detail to show character traits and physical appearances.
Setting
Since I already researched the setting of my first novel, I
can save that time in novel #2, because I am already familiar with the city (Los
Angeles) that I’ve chosen for the setting of my adventures.
Readers/Fans
Since I have book #1 under my belt, I’ve already formed a
small fan base and readership who are earnestly awaiting my next novel. I won’t
have to worry about reaching those readers, as they are returning customers,
and will already be searching out my books.
CONS:
Expectations
Because KISS & TELL garnered so much attention and success,
now there is a level of expectation that comes with my next book. With so much
praise and five-star reviews, readers have a high expectation of what they are
looking for with a new Charlene Taylor book.
Time
I don’t have to tell you that it’s a lot faster to read a
book than it is to write it. Readers are expecting another book as soon as they
finish reading the previous one. It took me four years to write the sequel to
KISS & TELL (sandwiching another book in between), and once readers have
finished ROCK-A-BYE BABY, they will be expecting another Charlene Taylor adventure.
I might not have time to breathe LOL
Ideas
There are only so many ideas/conflicts to write about, so
coming up with new, fresh ideas for my characters with each new novel, can
possess a bit of a challenge for a writer.
With all that said, I really enjoyed writing ROCK-A-BYE BABY,
the sequel to KISS & TELL, and I look forward to possibly writing more
Charlene Taylor adventures in the future.
Rock-A-Bye Baby
An aunt’s worst nightmare…
In the city of Denver, a series of baby kidnappings has the town devastated. With no ransom demands and no contact from the perpetrators, local law enforcement is at a dead end. No motive equals no answers.
A cop’s personal obsession…
Charlene Taylor’s niece becomes a victim, and the LAPD detective is thrown headfirst into a whirlwind case with similarities to one from seven years earlier. Out of her jurisdiction, and with no friends or leads, Charlene must walk-the-line between cop and sister.
Who can she trust?
Charlene has to decide who’s an ally, and when an unlikely partner steps forward, they must race against the clock: because that critical 48 hour window has come and gone.
What the reviewers are saying:
“Rock a Bye Baby has everything—a haunted protagonist,
heartfelt emotion, and a twisty, thrilling plot. A scorcher of a follow-up in a promising
series.”—David Ellis, NYT bestselling author of The Last Alibi
"Murphy has cleverly crafted a riveting crime thriller,
with a hefty dose of white-knuckle suspense. Entertaining and enticing to the
very last page."—Cheryl Kaye Tardif, bestselling author of Submerged
“Rock a Bye Baby is an exquisitely told thriller, full of
surprises and terrifying moments. Murphy is a gifted storyteller who keeps the
tension crackling throughout. Charlene Taylor drives the story to a very
satisfying and unexpected ending.”—Kristina Stanley, bestselling author of the
Stone Mountain series.
 |
| Author, Luke Murphy |
Author Bio
Luke Murphy is the International bestselling author of Dead Man’s Hand , Kiss and Tell, and Wild Card.
Rock-A-Bye Baby is Murphy’s fourth novel.
Prior to becoming a novelist, Murphy played six years of professional hockey, retiring in 2006. His sports column, Overtime (Pontiac Equity), won the 2009 Best Sports Page in Quebec Award and was nominated for this award in 2007. Murphy also worked as a radio journalist at CHIP FM 101.
Murphy lives in Shawville, QC with his wife and three daughters. He is a teacher who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing, and a Bachelor of Education magna cum laude.
For more information on Luke and his books, visit his website, ‘like’ his Facebook page and follow him on Twitter.
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