M Is For Murder, Mayhem and ...

M is for Murder, Mayhem and Money Isn't Everything

Money isn't CNA, Mary March's main concern. Like everyone else, she wants fair pay for a day's work. She is content to be part of the Certified Nursing Assistants team as its leader, but arrogant, rich Doctor Tanner Irish thinks he is the answer to every woman's dream, or so it seems to Mary. She refuses to be another notch on his four poster bed. "Money isn't everything," is her mantra when it comes to the dear doctor and his attempts to date her.

But, the story isn't only about these two butting heads. Something is amiss at Idle-A-While Nursing home. It has become a dangerous place for employees and residents. Whatever it takes to get what she wants, Jayde Blarney means to make heads roll. Elder abuse is like open season for murder and only part of that mix. Is it either jealous rivalry, or something way more sinister?  Mary is desperate to turn things around before it's too late for her or the residents of Idle-A-While can she?

Money Isn't Everything a mystery suspense taking you into a seemingly quiet venue and turning it into a spiraling nightmare of abuse and danger for Mary March and her staff.

I Is for Icon, Intrigue, Irony and...

I is for Icon, Intrigue and Irony and…

Death by Candlelight. 

It would seem in a mystery, especially mystery suspense, that there is always a certain amount of irony.

The hobby, candle making, of protagonist, Danielle Maynard Ord, in Death By Candlelight makes a convenient murder weapon. But wait, you say, if she's the protagonist, she wouldn't murder--unless, of course, she's an anti-hero. 

That's where the intrigue comes in. We are invested in Danielle's life before murder or estrangement enters the picture.  She's a high spirited, fun-loving, hard-working young woman. Her past may have had some scraggy moments in it. Her parent's life style is a major snag in her memory, but a hopeful future, which includes a husband, Randolph Ord III, is in her mind. 

The future looks broad, bright and beautiful, until, the icon of happily-ever-after marriage, the fairy tale, becomes a nightmare.

A candle infused with cyanide, a lethal weapon, but is it a murder weapons? In whose hands? You decide!

The Capricorn Goat

Book Review of The Capricorn Goat
ISBN 1-4489-0078-6
978-1-4489-0078-7
by Billie A. Williams
　
Mystery writer, Billie A. Williams, publishes mysteries as fast as a Missile streaks across an ocean. The Capricorn Goat, one of her fairly recent releases, does not disappoint. She has assembled a book full of entertaining characters, as usual, who excite the reader and move the story forward. For the most part, these characters with such "fun" names, are intelligent, and especially, very human.

Williams’ protagonist, January Flannel, is a mystery author who finds herself immersed in an intriguing mystery which is far too real for comfort. Her good friend Sasha "Echo" Folio is accused of murder and although she entangles herself in the same danger Echo is in, January does not back away.

A quote from The Capricorn Goat gives the reader a sense of January’s loyalty to a friend and a peek into her experience as an author: "As a writer, her mind puts the pieces of the mysterious murder together in a puzzle, all the clues interlocking."
Williams stealthily cuts a slice of political intrigue into the mix. How can she explain to her teenage daughter, Taylor, why her father who suddenly disappeared many years before, has suddenly resurfaced in such a profound circumstance?

The story centers on the characters and their relationships with each other and the men that complicate their lives; the threats that curse their every day. January is run down by a "hit and run" driver which nearly takes her life, and puts her in a wheelchair. An intruder bullies his way into her house; shots are fired, bullets find their mark.

A local teenager is kidnapped. All this at Christmastime when parties are planned and shoppers fill January’s gift shop, The Capricorn Goat.

The climax will keep the reader on the edge of his seat, and all the pieces of the puzzle finally slide into place and click at the end. I promise you, The Capricorn Goat, will make you glad you sat in a cozy chair with your favorite cup of tea and submerged yourself in Billie A. Williams’ gift for writing.

Review by J. Gayle Kelly
Author of The Watermelon Patch, and other novels.

The Mind of a Genius

Are you ready for the twist - The ending you never saw coming? A really well-done suspenseful read for sure. Please leave a comment for David Snowdon. Thank you so much David for writing this for our reading pleasure.

==========================
Final installment of A Payment From Heaven, by David Snowdon

The phone started to ring and Suzi Dangerfield, dashed towards the phone and grabbed the receiver.
“Hello,” she said cautiously, her heart thumping as she answered the phone.

“It’s me.”

“Hello, darling,” she said cheerfully, a dazzling smile appearing on her face as she recognised her son’s voice. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. It was a payment from heaven, mum.”

“Well done,” she said, as she continued to smile.

“There’s going to be another one in twenty-fours hours.”

“Lovely,” said Suzi, as she held onto the phone. “Nice work, Chris.”

“One for you and one for me.”

“Good boy,” smiled Suzi. “He wouldn’t have given us the money if we had asked for it.”

“I know. Look, mum, I’ve got to go. I’ll give you a call when I’ve got it.”

“Okay,” she said. “Take care, Chris. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”
And the line went dead.

Still smiling happily, she replaced the receiver, walked over to the sofa and sat down.
~*~
Thirty minutes later, as she relaxed on the sofa, the doorbell rang.
Wondering who it was, a frown appearing on her pretty face, she got to her feet and walked towards the door to the living-room.She got to the front door and opened it.
As she opened the door, Detective Sergeant Cliff Wheeldon stared at her.
A plain clothed detective stood behind him and also stared at her.

“Evening, Mrs Dangerfield,” said Wheeldon. “Detective Sergeant Cliff Wheeldon and Detective Constable Ian Dainty from the Epsom police station. I was here this afternoon.”
He showed her his warrant card.

“Evening, Officer,” she said, as she glanced at his warrant card and stared at him. “I remember. What can I do for you?”

“Can we come in?”

Suzi stared at him.
“What’s it regarding?”

“Can we come?” said Wheeldon, repeating his question and meeting her stare.

“Sure,” she said, letting them into the house.
They followed her into the living-room. Then she faced them.
“Tell me, Officer. What’s it regarding?”

“Where is your husband?” said Wheeldon, watching her closely.

“He’s not in,” she said.

Wheeldon regarded her.
“I’m sorry to tell you this. Your son was intercepted at Putney pier with a briefcase full of money. £100,000.”

Suzi felt her heart skipped a beat.
“Oh, my God! We thought he’d been kidnapped!”

“Your husband didn’t mention that earlier,” said Wheeldon.

“He was sworn to secrecy,” said Suzi rapidly. “They said they would kill him if we called the police.”

“Did they?” said Wheeldon.

“Yes,” said Suzi, feeling very nervous.

“When will your husband be back?” asked Dainty.

“I don’t know,” said Suzi.

Wheeldon stared at her.
“Your husband withdrew £100,000 from the bank today, and that was the exact amount that was found on your son when we arrested him. Can you explain that, Mrs Dangerfield?”

“What do you mean?” snapped Suzi, her eyes flashing angrily as she glared at him.
Wheeldon smiled at her.

“I’m sorry to tell you this, Mrs Dangerfield, but I planted a bug when I was here this afternoon. This house has been under surveillance for the past couple of hours.”

“I thought that was illegal,” said Suzi, as her heart thumped furiously.

“We intercepted the phone call that you just had with your son,” continued Wheeldon. “You’re under arrest, Mrs Dangerfield.”

“What’s going?” snapped Dangerfield, suddenly walking into the living-room, a puzzled expression on his face as he stared at Wheeldon.

“I’m afraid you’ve been played for a sucker, Mr Dangerfield,” said Wheeldon. “Your wife and son engineered the fake kidnap.”

Dangerfield was shocked as he looked from the officer to his wife. He couldn’t believe his ears.

Klawitter was an angel in disguise, he thought, as he gaped at his wife, a shocked expression on his face. If it wasn’t for him, they would have got away with it.




Written by David Snowdon
==================
David thank you so much for your fun story! I will post my interview with David again tomorrow if you would like to know more about the man and his Genius Mind.

http://www.billiewilliams.com

Interview with The Power Stones featured in Ancient Secrets

Hello Readers,
Before Ancient Secrets is released on September 1, 2008 I thought you might like a peek into the mysterious Beaded necklace that seems to have caused all the trouble in the first place. The Beads think you will not believe what they have to say - and I caution you they can be acerbic - but I'm sure they will increase your interest in the novel Ancient Secrets...So read on.
=====================================
Interview Power Stones of Ebony
Mortal, you cannot interview beads; you would never understand the language.

Are you up to a test about that?

Ask away.

How do you think I heard your first question if I couldn’t understand you. My sources tell me a pure heart and a heightened sense of the intuitive powers will get me with in range of your voice.
Why did you murder Mrs. Olenmurphy?

First off, she isn't dead, just in a coma, but she had the beads – its tradition. You handle the beads you die.Except her case is an exception - if you follow the story you will learn why.

Why does a person who can hear you not die?

They do

Then you mean because I have handled the beads I will die?

Did you touch them all?

Well, I don’t remember

If you touched them all you would be dead.

Okay so I must not have.
They are so beautiful though I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to rub them, fondle them wear them.
Does wearing them constitute touching them?

No, you must fondle each one separately.

But they will all be touching your skin simultaneously.

That is the trick simultaneously.

I see, so if a person picks them up and slips them on and all the beads touch the neck simultaneously they are immune/safe from the powers.

Oh you are a quick learner. Are you a college graduate?

No need to get snippy. I just wanted to be sure I read your message accurately.
Why are you telling me all this?

You’re a writer right? You may be able to convince the dimwits that I can actually, independently murder my victims with out old shaman Jahara being involved. Why should he get the credit for what I do. He merely wants to return the beads to their homeland.

Is there any thing else you want to tell me about the beads/yourself?

I hardly think you are ready to listen to the life we have had being shuttled from here to there, sold and resold, painted, glued and tossed in the garbage. Always someone sees our beauty and restores us to the light. It usually means their death because of course they have to polish us one bead at a time.

What kind of beads are you.
Colors indicate the bead: black is onyx, white is opal, blue is the Sapphire, green – emerald, yellow – cats eye (my personal favorite) Red is the ever blood red ruby and the diamond has no color only crystal appearance and no one believes even with its brilliance that it is truly a diamond. No one believes either that color indicates mood or emotional effect. I have a whole list of those too.

Okay give me the low down on the emotional end too—and how it affects the person holding them.
Black as you guessed is sinister. The white you would think is purity but it is not it is the supernatural, the spirit world. Blue the color of the ocean deep dark and mysterious – the water world where mermaids play and sharks eat intruders. Green the jealous emerald of Ireland, fiery and jealous of anything it is not or has not. Then come the yellow cat’s eye – sees all, night vision can see in the darkest regions of the human heart and make those dreams come true or at least nightmarish wanders intrude and never leave. Red, the blood red of satan himself. He spills the blood of innocent lambs to cover his vile deeds watch out for red. The only pure one is the diamond who has had the life compressed from her and compressed into her she is all, sees all, knows all, is all, diamond is power and light. Need I say more?

No, I guess I have it all now. Thank you for your time. I will try to portray you honestly if my class will believe it.

And why wouldn’t they. Are they skeptics? Other writers? Readers? They are all cut from the same cloth they will believe or I will have to make my presence known to them and they will see the power of the beads. Don’t call me death beads though. I am Life, Power, Love and Light. It is mankind, humankind that is evil and twisted and steals me to use for their own evil ends.

=========================
Comments welcome!

Announcing Jordan Dane - Author

We’ve certainly had some great comments during each stop of the Virtual Book Tour
for Jordan Dane.

Why was she chosen to be our first vic … I mean featured author?
Because she has a very professional website.  
Because she has a very professional blog.  
Because she has a presence on MySpace and other networking sites around the ‘Net.
Because she attends every writer’s conference she can possibly get to
to network with successful writers, editors, agents.
Because she promotes herself as a professional writer.

She isn’t resting on her laurels after having sold SIX books
to Avon HarperCollins before the first one hit print.

If you’re like me and wannabe like Jordan, take a look
at how you’re promoting yourself. Does your website look
like a novice put it together  Do you remember to blog
more than once a month  Do you network with other writers?

Or do you do like too many very good should-be-published writers
… and hunker down in the corner pretending that you’ve done
everything you can and the publishing world and all
its agents are against you?

Think about that as you visit the next stops on
The Writer’s Chatroom’ “Show—Not Tell” virtual
book tour featuring debut author Jordan Dane.

Jordan and Avon HarperCollins are offering
opportunities to win great prizes all along the tour.  

Next up:

March 19 Cricket Sawyer

at http://www.Cricketshearth.blogspot.com

March 22 Diana Castilleja

at http://dianacastilleja.blogspot.com

Give yourself every advantage to learn from this marketing dynamo—

who just happens to also be a very good writer—

and read the interviews and comments at previous stops:

Billie Williams at http://printedwords.blogspot.com

Linda J. Hutchinson at http://reviewhutch.blogspot.com

Kim Richards at http://kim-richards.livejournal.com/

Lisa Haselton at http://lisahaselton.tripod.com/reviewsandinterviews/

And don’t forget to come to the “Launch P-A-R-T-Y!” on March 30^th! There are prizes galore!

Introducing Jordan Dane - up and coming super author

Hi Jordan,
I'm so delighted you decided to stop at Printed Words on your blog tour. I am extremely excited about your up coming book No One Heard Her Scream The title alone is enough to send shivers up my spine.

Let's pretend you are in my living room enjoying a cup of tea. We'll get cozy in front of the fire place and chat like old friends if you don't mind.



Billie: Can you tell us what you think is the one mental characteristic necessary to craft a believable suspenseful tale like No One Heard Her Scream?

Jordan - Good question. And my first response is that the author has to be willing to look into the deviant mind and convey that criminal element to the reader with the right amount of finesse not to turn them off. It’s sometimes a fine line we tread. When I get to those moments of portraying the victim’s story, I put myself into every moment as if it’s real time, not skimping a thing. I’ve heard it said that writers should write what they know. But recently, I read an email from author Lee Child that advised—write what you fear. I love that.

Billie: What will I like about your heroine?

Jordan - I particularly admire law enforcement types. Can you imagine what courage it takes to hear a gunshot and race toward it instead of cowering away in fear? I wanted to portray a courageous heroine haunted by the violent death of her sister while still trying to carry on with her homicide job and dealing with other victims’ families. Becca Montgomery is intelligent, strong and funny with plenty of street smarts—my “girl next door” with a gun. She’s got savvy instincts when it comes to men and great taste in Mexican food and single-malt scotch.

Billie:If you could have written any of the books out there by other authors, which one would you pick?

Jordan – The way this question is phrased, it implies that I might be envious of someone else’s work. I never see a brilliant piece of work and wish I’d written it. I take great pleasure in reading it and celebrate the author’s talent. And being an avid reader, I spread the word. My biggest competition is not other authors. It’s within me.

Billie: Thank you for that answer Jordan. I didn't really mean that you would wish to have written that person's book, just what author has a style that you really would like to emulate or that has helped you in your writing, but what they have written. So I guess the question should be--what author do you admire - or who do you see yourself as writing like?

To answer the question on a top pick, however, I’d say there are too many good books out there to pick only one. But if pressed, I’d have to say that Robert Crais’ Forgotten Man and LA Requiem rank high on my list. I had never seen my style in other author’s work until I read Crais. And it’s not that I see me comparable to him, but that I see where I’d like to be. He pours his soul into his Elvis Cole PI series based in Los Angeles and he does it with humor. I like that. And whenever he adds a little romance to the mix, I’m in heaven.

Billie: How do you refill your energy well? What do you do besides writing that brings you joy?

Jordan- Right now, I’m very focused on my work and busy writing my next romantic thriller series – Sweet Justice. I do enjoy writing full time and get jazzed by the worlds I build on paper. Getting this much attention for my work as a debut author has been a dream come true. Outside of my writing, I love my home and my life with my dear sweet husband. And I love traveling. When I worked with the energy industry, I lived in Texas, California, Alaska (for 10 years), Wisconsin, and now Oklahoma. And I also can be considered a fish wrangler. We’re raising baby Koi and have a beautiful pond in my backyard. Who knew baby fish faces could be so cute? And being home writing these days, I am rediscovering the idiosyncrasies of our two cats and our sweet old dog.


Billie: I'm thrilled to hear you lived in Wisconsin because that is where I have spent most of my life. I always like to hear about the “behind the scenes” of a title and I am sure my readers would like to hear this too. Tell us a bit about the “behind the scenes” of No One Heard Her Scream. For instance, what was the catalyst that prompted you to write this book? Is the book loosely based upon any happenings in your own life, or anyone you know?

Jordan - The title NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM actually came from a dialogue line, an exchange between my homicide detective Becca and her CSI tech when she examines the skeletal remains of a young girl. She realizes from the evidence that the girl was buried alive. I never had to change that title. And all the houses involved in the auction when I sold loved it too. Once I had that title, however, the other books needed to be tweaked to fit the “No One” series. Those titles now reflect actual lines of dialogue from the individual stories. I read an Elizabeth Lowell book – The Color of Death – where she did that and I liked the idea.

And elements of real crime usually influence my writing. I’ve got a Q&A on my site that gives more on this, but aspects of the Natalee Holloway abduction case in Aruba and a personal story (told to me by a friend whose sister was murdered) also became the emotional underpinnings to my debut story.

Billie: How would you describe your creative process while writing this novel? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline? How long did it take you to write it?

Jordan- I’m not a plotter. I’ve tried to be better organized, but I’m impatient and prefer to start any book by thinking about the major plot points, like those mentioned in the 9-Act Structure for Screenplays under my FOR WRITERS page on my website. I let my mind dwell and work the plot points, get them set in my head, and then I dive in writing. I don’t fret about how to connect the dots. I work out my transitions as I go, exploring the best way to tell the story. No outline. My ideas have all been instigated from real crime stories—my take on them—and sometimes more than one crime will be meshed together. I love a challenge.

I see books unfold in my head like watching a movie. Sometimes characters get me up in the middle of the night. I have pens and paper all over the house and I use them when this happens. I’ve got more of my process and craft on my website under the For Writers page – check out my Start with a BANG article. And my FIRST SALE story is there too. (Author Sharon Sala played a big part in how I sold. You’ll want to read about it. She’s an amazing woman.)

I like to say that I sacrificed a body part for my first novel. And I wrote most of it in six weeks while I was home on medical leave from major surgery. Once my brain worked out this complex plot, it poured from me. I was writing three chapters a week, fully edited. But when I was done, I knew I had something special. My characters had shared their story, allowing me to be their scribe.

Billie: How was your experience in looking for a publisher? What words of advice would you offer those novice authors who are in search of one?

Jordan – To get noticed and network, I did a number of things. I’m a recovering contest diva and I went to various conferences from nationals to locals. I pitched to agents/editors, was a finalist in the Golden Heart in 2005 and sent out many proposals. I’ve received countless rejections too, including a couple from my current agent, the amazing Meredith Bernstein. I think it’s important to find a good agent to get an author exposed to a broader range of publishing houses that might best fit their future career. (It’s a harder goal to achieve than landing a contract with a publishing house since an agent is looking for a client with career prospects and future books in them. But it’s a goal worth pursuing.)

I had five full manuscripts out from RWA contests, a pending contract with one publisher for virtually no advance (on my second book in the series), and I had turned down the first agent who offered representation. In hindsight, there were so many roads I could have taken, but I’m very thankful I stayed the course—believing in my work and where I wanted to be. I often tell people that landing a contract with Avon HarperCollins in auction was equivalent to being struck by lightening.

When it came time to stir up an auction, my agent got me into 6-7 new houses that had not seen my work before. And this all happened over a ten-day period via email and phone calls—a real whirlwind that I’ll never forget. Looking back, it all seemed like I knew what I was doing, but that definitely wasn’t true. Luck and opportunity played a part.

And now that I’m on the greener side of the pasture, I’ve learned so much about print runs, marketing campaigns, author promotion, etc. But in the end, the author’s main goal is to write the best book they know how to do. And that’s good advice for all of us.

Billie: Jordan thank you so much for taking the time from your busy schedule to chat with us today - I can't tell you what a pleasure it has been to visit with you. Please come back when your next two books are released. We'll invite everyone to come join us. We can visit your website in the mean time and keep an eye on what you are doing at http://www.Jordandane.com

Write What You Love to Read

I’m sure if you’ve read any books on how to write you’ve run into this phrase or something similar “Write what you love to read.”

Okay, someone will say, “I don’t have time to read. I want to be a writer.” My question is then; would you like to be as prolific a writer as Stephen King, Mary Higgins Clark, or even Nora Roberts? Would you like to gather fans like Janet Evanovich or Rita Mae Brown? They all will tell you, “if you don’t have time to READ you don’t have time to WRITE. If you don’t read you can’t write.” Reading what others write in a genre that you would like to write in, is like working toward a degree at the University level. You see how your favorite authors do it. You see how the best sellers among them got to be ‘Best Sellers.’

Researching markets to sell your writing to is useless if you don’t know the subtleties of writing for that market. What are the constructs? What do those readers expect in their books? After all it is your readers that you need to write for, not some publisher although eventually you need to please that publisher. The route to that publisher is still—what do his readers want? Know that genre and know it well and you will find a publisher.

Reading a Janet Elaine Smith novel – where the reader always is guaranteed a happy ending is quite different than reading a Stephen King novel – where you learn to expect the unexpected. Smith’s novels lean toward humor, though she writes mystery. King’s lean heavily on shock value to grab his readers. Smith turns ordinary into warm, relaxing and fun reading. King turns the ordinary to chaos or terror. You need to know the genre you are writing in, inside and out.

Reading one of my novels – depends greatly on the constructs of mystery and suspense, or in my Young Adult book Watch for the Raven, historical suspense. While the style is suspenseful, it still needed to conform to the young adult genre’s expectations and rules.

Thankfully, when it got to my editors, they found the flaws in my work. Being it was a historical; it also had to follow historical guidelines. You cannot fluff just because the past may be documented by interpretation, you still need to have basic facts that everyone believes to be true, which have been thoroughly researched to support those facts – correct in your novel. I learned that from my editors. Thankfully it wasn’t an angry reader who would never pick up another novel I wrote because this one disappointed her.

If you read those genres you want to write in, you will know what the reader has come to expect from them. Fiction cannot be a lie when it purports to use facts. I learned that lesson in Watch for the Raven and I am very thankful for knowledgeable and exacting editors at Wings ePress for that book being all it could be. That is another reason why taking courses in your chosen genre is an excellent idea. It gives you the framework to support your writing. You can do without the classes if you are good at tearing apart a book and finding its structure. If you can determine where the author uses red herrings and why in a mystery, or how Angela Verdenius, or Bradley James Simpson created their worlds to support their novels and design a formula similar to that you are ahead of the game. How do they make their worlds believable is only one of the many questions you need to answer if you want to write Fantasy or Science Fiction. Reading in those fields will show you the way if you read like a writer looking for the formula.

If you can’t or won’t spend time immersing yourself in the works of writers that you enjoy and want to emulate, how can you expect to come out of the gate as number one or even in the race? The publishing world is looking for the next big seller—they don’t care how long you’ve worked on your novel. They don’t care if you’ve lived it—unless you are a celebrity. What they want is a book in the genre their readers expect but unique from all the others. Here is a big secret – don’t worry about the uniqueness – you already are that. There is only one of you and therefore, no one can write your book—only you. Now all you have to do is cater to the genre rules and guidelines know them and know how you can break them without losing readers and you will get published.

So grab a stack of books by authors you’d love to write like and get busy reading, like a writer reads. If that happens to be mystery/suspense or young adult historical, I hope you will choose my books. Whatever you choose I wish you luck and a best seller. READ ON! WRITE ON!