by Amy Metz, author of The Goose Pimple Junction Mystery Series
Click on Book Cover to check out Amy Metz’ entire Goosepimple Mystery series on Amazon.
In the Goose Pimple Junction mystery series, the goosepimpleisms and Goose Pimplese are plentiful. The former are euphemisms, and the latter is the way the locals talk. When Tess arrives in Goose Pimple Junction in book 1, she has a little bit of trouble understanding the Goose Pimple culture. Luckily, she has Jackson to translate for her. By Book 4, Tess has come a long way in speaking and understanding Goose Pimplese, and Louetta tests her abilities, with Lou’s homemade award of a mason jar on top of a candlestick at stake. Can you pass the test? If you can, you’re eligible for the Probably Pretty Proficient award.
Do you speak Goose Pimplese?
Translate: “Let’s skwinta the diner.”
What would you do with bob war?”
Define this: ‘sump’n teet.'”
If I said Pickle was the sinner of the basketball team, would I be implying he needs to go to church more often?
Translate “sumose.”
Translate “Utcha doon.”
What do you do with a flosswater?
Translate “Wongo.”
Translate “Yonto.”
Translate “Impa tickler.”
Answers
Let’s go into the diner.
Make a barbwire fence.
Something to eat.
No. You’re saying he plays center on the team.
Some of those.
Whatcha doing?
Swat flies.
Do you want to go?
Do you want to?
In particular.
How’d you do?
5 answers right: you’re in a heap of trouble.
8 answers right: you’re satisfactual.
10 answers right: Pull out the mason jar, hon. You’re probably pretty proficient.
About the Book
Rogues & Rascals in Goose Pimple Junction is the latest in Amy Metz best selling mystery series. Released today! Click on book cover to get it now at Amazon!
Like any good Southern belle, Caledonia Culpepper was raised by her mama to be gracious, charming, witty, and above all, a devoted mother and loving wife, so she’s baffled when her marriage falls apart.
Wynona Baxter is a master of disguise but is often a ditzy airhead. A hit woman wannabe, when she’s hired for her first job in Goose Pimple Junction and things don’t go as planned, she’s forced to resort to Plan B. She’ll also need Plan C and D.
Crooked lawyers, restless husbands, a teenaged hoodlum – it seems there are rogues and rascals everywhere you look in Goose Pimple Junction.
When Caledonia and Wynona’s paths cross, they prove there isn’t a rogue or a rascal who can keep a good woman down. Mama always said there would be days like this . . .
Amy Metz is the best-selling author of the Goose Pimple Mystery series. Click on author pick to visit her website to learn more!
About the Author
Amy Metz is the author of the Goose Pimple Junction mystery series. She is a former first grade teacher and the mother of two sons. When not writing, enjoying her family, or surfing Pinterest, Amy can usually be found with a mixing spoon, camera, or book in one hand and a glass of sweet tea in the other. Amy lives in Louisville, Kentucky and loves a good Southern phrase.
Finally! It appears as if the day that Mac Faraday mystery fans have been waiting for is right around the corner. Less than five days away, Police Chief David O’Callaghan and Chelsea Adams’ wedding is fast approaching. Unfortunately, at the last minute, David discovers that there is one small problem he must resolve before he can say, “I do!”
Cancelled Vows is scheduled for release 1/28/2016. But fans of Lauren Carr’s hit mystery series can preorder now from Amazon by clicking on book cover!
He must divorce his first wife!
In her eleventh installment of the Mac Faraday mysteries (available now for pre-order!), Lauren Carr provides yet another unexpected kink in the love life of Mac Faraday’s half-brother, David O’Callaghan.
“Over the last few books, readers should now know that weddings in Deep Creek Lake just aren’t going to go as planned,” Lauren explains, in referring to her best-selling and critically acclaimed Three Days to Forever and A Wedding and a Killing.
Cancelled Vows opens with one of Lauren Carr’s trademark twists when David O’Callaghan and his fiancée are turned down for a wedding license because David is already married—shocking news not only to the bride, but the groom as well. “Nothing throws a damper on an upcoming wedding like finding out that the groom is already married,” Lauren says.
Of course, fans of Lauren Carr’s internationally best-selling mystery series must be wondering which lucky lady did the dashing David O’Callaghan marry while drunk in Vegas. After all, Mac’s half-brother has been romantically involved with quite a few women in the previous ten installments of her best-selling mystery series. “All I’ll tell you is that David’s wife is someone fans of the Mac Faraday Mysteries have met,” she says.
While Lauren isn’t saying who the lucky (Or should we say unlucky?) lady is, she will provide a clue. “David has to go to New York City to divorce her.” Sounds simple? Right? Nothing is ever that easy in a Lauren Carr mystery.
Lauren Carr takes fans of the Mac Faraday mysteries to the Big Apple in this nail biting adventure. In Cancelled Vows, David, Mac, and Gnarly, too, rush to New York City to dissolve David’s marriage to an old girlfriend—and he’s got five days to get it done. When murder throws up a road block, it is up to David’s best man, Mac Faraday, and Gnarly, his K9-in-waiting, to sort through the clues to get David to the church in time!
As always, Lauren Carr fans will want to get on board for her upcoming Cancelled Vows book tour, full of guest posts, reviews, and interviews (not to mention giveaways!), hosted by iRead Book Tours. The tour bus takes off on February 1! Check out the fun-packed schedule below!
So fasten your seat belts for another thrilling Mac Faraday mystery!
About the Author
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday and Lovers in Crime Mysteries and the Thorny Rose Mysteries.
Best-Selling Mystery Author Lauren Carr … and Gnarly, too.
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.
She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real live Gnarly!) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
The Internet has made it much easier for anyone yearning to voice their opinion about anything and everything to do so. Among those striving to be heard are readers anxious to release their inner book critics to heap praise or criticism upon the authors of those books they love or hate. Nowadays, any reader with a kindle simply has to hit a button at the end of the book to leave their ratings and thoughts—whatever they may be.
Thus, Grammar Nazis can now easily warn perspective readers of any book that does not meet their lofty standards by posting reviews citing the read as poorly written and badly edited.
This is not necessarily a good thing because nasty reviews from Grammar Nazis can potentially deter unwitting readers from purchasing and reading books that are actually very well written and finely edited.
What is a Grammar Nazi? According to the Internet, a Grammar Nazi is someone who believes it’s their duty to attempt to correct any grammar and/or spelling mistakes they observe—
usually found hanging around book reading chat rooms,
or posting one-star reviews declaring books poorly edited (or not edited at all) on Amazon, Goodreads, and every other book website they can find,
or sending emails with multi-paged lists of spelling and grammatical errors to authors of said books, and declaring their editors and proofreaders incompetent.
I am very familiar with Grammar Nazis. My mother is one. Luckily for authors, she is unplugged and has more important things to do that compose detailed lists of what she considers to be grammatical mistakes in books—unless it’s one of mine.
What type of books have fallen victim to one or more negative reviews from Grammar Nazis? Well, here’s a sampling of reviews that I have found on Amazon, the biggest book seller in the world.
One reader, who identifies him/herself as a literature teacher, begins a long-winded one-star review by stating that he/she only uses To Kill a Mockingbird in his/her class “when forced to” because it is so poorly written. This reader goes on to say, “The descriptive passages were rather crude, and at times the language became practically unintelligible.”
Another reader posted a one-star review for For Whom the Bell Tolls. Not even Ernest Hemingway is immune from Nazi attacks. This reader writes:
I will not presume to say that I am right & that millions who love this book are wrong, but I really do not understand why this book is considered a classic. The dialogue is so choppy & forced-formal that it seems like the characters are all talking past each other.
Another reader had trouble understanding how Tom Clancy’s Hunt for Red October became a best-seller:
Clancy could have edited 40% of the text out and had a much better story. This novel is bogged down with irrelevant character descriptions, military acronyms, tedious sub-plots, and background stories that have nothing to contribute to the novel’s overall focus. I found myself constantly frustrated with the monotonous length it took to cover simple plot points. Clancy obviously has a huge audience; however, he needs an effective editor. This novel is a very slow read.
As you can see, Grammar Nazis really don’t care who you are or how experienced your publisher or editor is. When they see a mistake, they’re going to let readers know. Like in this Nazi’s review for Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight, published by Little, Brown Books for YA:
…the editing—or lack thereof—is appalling …; the grammar and syntax are unforgivably bad; the plot is onion-skin thin; and the characters are uniformly dull and uninspiring.
The purpose of this post is not to rip apart Grammar Nazis. After all, I am closely related to one. My mother even proofreads my books before they are released to catch errors missed by my team of editors and proofreaders. (More about that later.)
Nor is the purpose of this post to convince Grammar Nazis that they’re wrong. Believe me, there is no convincing a Grammar Nazi they are mistaken about errors they have noted. They got “A’s” in English in school. They have worked for a hundred years as an editor for a daily newspaper and never once during that whole century—publishing two editions seven days a week—not once was there so much as one typo in any of those newspapers—not a single one! Therefore, the prospect of them being wrong about whether you should be using a comma or a semi-colon within dialogue is inconceivable.
As an author and a publisher, I would like to put this issue into a proper perspective for both readers and those authors whose books fall victim to a reader or two who has too much time on his or her hands. As a rule, I do not engage or argue with the rare Grammar Nazi who posts a nasty review for any of my books on Amazon, Goodreads, or any other sites.
However, I do believe that the average reader who sees reviews posted by Grammar Nazis and new authors who will (not if) receive such reviews should be aware of a few things before they accept the Grammar Nazi’s claims of bad writing and poor editing as fact.
A couple of years ago, an author friend of mine independently published a book. During the publication process, her book went through two rounds of editing (by two different editors) and was proofread by another editor, plus a friend of hers, who happened to be school teacher who taught English. Thus, her book was looked at by four different pairs of eyes before publication.
Nine months after the book was released and received several glowing reviews, she received one poor review declaring that it was poorly edited and had numerous grammatical errors. So, she hired yet another editor to proofread the book again for grammatical mistakes and misspellings. This editor, who used a different style manual than the other editors, ripped that book apart with changes on every page.
Over a year later, a traditional publisher signed my friend to a multi-book deal. As part of the publication process, this same book was edited yet again! It went through two separate editors—one of whom contacted my friend to tell her that it was very well written and was pretty clean to begin with. Not only that, but after the book was formatted, it was proofread by yet another editor.
First review my friend received from a reader stated:
This is the first novel I’ve read by this author, and while it was a good read, with a good plot, interesting primary and secondary characters, and was very suspenseful, the sheer number of grammatical errors, misused words, and spelling errors certainly detracted from my enjoyment of this book. While I’d like to read the next novels in this series, I can only hope that they are better edited and proofread than this one.
Excuse me! This book was looked at by—count them!—seven different editors plus an English teacher. Not all of them were ill-educated, poorly trained, or incompetent!
The answer to how this happens lies in this one simple question:
Grammatical errors, misused words, and spelling mistakes according to whose rules?
I have assembled a team of editors and proofreaders to work on my own books based on each one’s strengths. It is a given, where one editor has strengths, he or she has weaknesses in another area.
Let me explain. Last year, I sent one of my books to a new editor to be proofread before its release. Because she was unproven to me, I sent the same book to yet another editor as a backup. Neither proofreader knew the book was being worked on by someone else. Therefore, they thought it was completely up to them to catch every mistake.
When the book came back from these two proofreaders, they had both identified completely different errors. Only in one instance did they both identify the same error! They concentrated completely on different areas in proofreading the book. One proofreader was more concerned with the punctuation while the other focused on the spelling.
Also, each one of my editors/proofreaders works under a different set of rules.
One of my editors, who I have used for years, follows the new comma rules—whatever those are. From what I have seen, the comma is rarely used. I have read many books in recent years, whose editors seem to be following these rules. According to the new comma rules, the line from Gone with the Wind: “Frankly my dear I don’t give a damn,” has no commas.
Another one of my editors loves the Oxford comma. Thus, the line would be written, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
Based on what she learned when she was in school, my mother swears it is, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
Who is right? Under interrogation, both of these editors and the Grammar Nazi could cite a source and reasoning to back up their argument of where the commas go and why.
Another area of disagreement is the ellipse. That is the “…”. One of my editors believes there should be no space before or after the ellipse. Another editor firmly believes there should be a space before and after the ellipse.
Even highly regarded style manuals used by editors disagree. Some argue that the ellipse should be treated like a word, which means it should have a space both before and after. Others (mostly journalistic style manuals) say it should be treated like an em-dash (—) so there should be no space. This is because the space before and after can create havoc with formatting.
Therefore, I quite literally split the difference. During formatting I use a half-space before and after the ellipse.
To better illustrate this issue, I love to tell writers, new editors, and readers about a book I edited for another author several years ago.
This book contained a character whose name ended in an “s.” Well, throughout the book, there were many instances in which his name was used in possessive.
Now, every editor has a thing or two or three or dozen, in which they will not trust their knowledge. To be safe, they will look it up in their style manual every single time. For me, the question of a proper name ending in “s” and used in possessive was one of those things. The Chicago Style Manual called for this possessive to be “s’” not “s’s.”
Well, the author said I was wrong and that it is supposed to be “s’s.”
So, I looked it up again, not just in the Chicago Style Manual, but several sites on the Internet. Not only did I discover that the answer varies in the Chicago Style Manual depending on which edition you use, but I also found a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States had gotten involved in this very argument while writing a decision on a case. Even the justices disagreed! Clarence Thomas (who should know since his name ends in an “s”) declared that it is “s.’”
I let the author have the last word. He requested that I change all of the possessive references for this character to “s’s.”
Then, upon proofing the book, the author brought in his daughter, a technical writer who goes by a totally different style manual. She stated that it should be “s’” without the extra “s.”
So I had to change it back.
Many people who are not in the business of writing, editing, or publishing fiction fail to realize that many of the grammar and punctuation rules that we were taught as being carved in stone really are not—especially when it comes to fiction.
Most fiction authors’ literary style and narrative voice don’t follow all of the rules taught in simple fourth grade grammar. Keeping in tune with the casual manner in which people communicate today, writers focus more on creating a conversational tone and flow to the narrative than using the correct pronoun.
When I sent my third book to the editor, I could practically hear her laughing between the lines in her notes when she rewrote a sentence in my narrative. “When was the last time you heard someone use the word ‘whom?’” she asked.
While my sentence was grammatically correct, she noted that it had such a formal stilted sound to it that it broke the easy going pace of my writing. As a result, the reader would be pulled out of the story. Yes, the sentence, rewritten by the editor, was grammatically incorrect. However, the narrative flowed much more naturally.
Grammar Nazis, particularly those who have spent the bulk of their education or professional lives in the world of non-fiction writing and editing (working in journalism or teaching grade school English), fail to realize this when reading fiction. Being a Nazi, they are incapable of becoming immersed in the plot and the story because they have spent their lives searching for mistakes. When they encounter what they perceive to be an error, they are so offended that all enjoyment of the other 99.9% of the book becomes an impossibility—all they can see and think about is that imperfection.
Feeling righteous about what they know is right, they feel compelled to note said error and to warn readers via bad reviews and/or notify the writer of what a sloppy job his editor did.
The first installment in Lauren Carr’s new mystery series, Kill and Run was released September 4. It has been receiving rave reviews from reviewers and readers … except for a couple of Grammar Nazis
Less than two weeks ago, my fifteenth book, Kill and Run was released. Over the years, the publication of my books, which I publish independently, has been fine tuned. I use two different editors, plus I will do a round of editing myself. After the book is formatted, my books are proofread by a professional editor who has never laid eyes on the book beforehand. Plus, a copy will go to my Grammar Nazi mother.
Yet, in spite of the many steps I take to produce high quality books, shortly before Kill and Run’s release (but too late to make corrections before the release date) a total of twenty actual grammatical and spelling errors were discovered. (The corrected version is now available and being sold. Pre-order e-book customers can download from Amazon under “manage my kindle.”)
Two Grammar Nazis (my mother was not one) demanded to know how this could happen. “Your readers deserve better!”
Here’s how and why this happens–not just with my books, but most books published, both independently and traditionally:
Prolific writers (those who write more than one book a year—I release three or four) make mistakes. A prolific writer cares more about writing a thrilling book with fully developed characters and an intriguing plot than determining if every single word (Is it lay or lie?) is right and ensuring that every punctuation mark is correct (To use the comma or not to use the comma?).
Such minute details have the power to tie a Grammar Nazi’s panties in a knot.
One Grammar Nazi was upset because in The Murders at Astaire Castle, David O’Callaghan went into a donut shop to buy a box of donuts.
A few years ago, I received an email from a woman informing me that I was a shoddy writer and how dare I consider myself worthy of editing other authors’ books. (I don’t edit other authors books anymore because I am too busy writing my own books.) Her complaint: In The Murders at Astaire Castle, which has been consistently in the top 100 of Ghost Mysteries on Amazon since its release in July 2013, contained this sentence:
“On the way into the police station, David stopped at the donut shop to buy a box of donuts.”
The Nazi wrote, “No, sh!t.” She used the actual word. My error was using “donut” twice. That is repetition, which is a no-no. This, she declared was sloppy and shoddy writing. She went on to post a one-star review on Amazon and Goodreads.
Think about it. The Murders at Astaire Castle has 66,000 words. This Nazi was having a hissy fit over one sentence, consisting of nineteen words, in the middle of a 286-page book. Frankly, I thought one bad sentence out of the thousands of sentences in that book was doing pretty good.
Since the Grammar Nazi revealed in her email that she was a writer, and obviously much better than I am since she would never have written that sentence, I looked up her profile in the social media sites and found that she has never published a book. To date, she still has yet to have a book published under her name. Based on her reaction to the news that David had stopped at a donut shop to buy donuts, I think she is probably too busy sweating over every page, paragraph, sentence, comma, period, and word to allow her book to be released to the public.
By virtue of being a Grammar Nazi, her book must be perfect. Anything less is unacceptable.
That’s pretty sad in my opinion.
Prolific writers know that there comes a time in every book’s life where we need to just let it go and move on to the next book. We accept the fact that there could very well—No, we know and accept the fact that there will be one, two, three, or twenty grammatical errors in the book that our team has not caught.
From a professional stand-point, it is not good business to hold up the release of a book to invest in yet another editor to scour a whole book in search of those few errors that will cause one or two Grammar Nazis to have hissy fits—even if they do use the power of the Internet to proclaim the book as poorly edited.
At what point can a book—not a five-hundred word article or a student’s ten-page research paper—but a 60,000 to 110,000 word book—be declared error free, especially if editors, proofreaders, and Grammar Nazis can’t agree on what the rules are?
Alas, there is yet another important reason Kill and Run was released with twenty actual mistakes that had been missed by my team of paid professional editors and proofreaders—and yes, I do consider them professional and am proud to have them working for me.
Unfortunately, not only are my editors and proofreaders professionals—but also, every single one is a human being. Therefore, they suffer from the condition that every human suffers—Yes, even the Grammar Nazis suffer from this dreaded incurable condition:
Human beings aren’t perfect. As intolerable as it may be, we all make mistakes.
I have worked with numerous editors in the thirty plus years that I have been writing and I have yet to meet an editor who is perfect, which is why I use more than one on every project.
With this in mind, I look at those twenty mistakes in Kill and Run this way:
Kill and Run has approximately 110,000 words. Twenty mistakes out of 110,000 words amounts to a .018% error rate.
That means my team of editors and proofreaders got 99.982% of the book right—based on the grammar and spelling rules as we know them.
I wouldn’t call that sloppy, shoddy, incompetent, or poor. Would you?
About the Author
Best-Selling Mystery Author Lauren Carr … and Gnarly, too. click on photo to visit Lauren’s website.
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday and Lovers in Crime Mysteries. Kill and Run the first installment of her new series, The Thorny Rose Mysteries was released to rave reviews from reviewers and readers on September 4, 2015. Lauren introduced the key detectives in the Thorny Rose Mysteries in Three Days to Forever, which was released in January 2015.
The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learnt in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.
She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered in a town home outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers together only to be killed.
The first installment of Lauren Carr’s new series, Kill and Run, is now available for pre-order. Click on book cover to order your copy today!
Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims, then he can find their murderer.
The case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night shift on the turnpike.
In Kill and Run, best-selling mystery author Lauren Carr delights her fans by merging the son and daughter of the detectives from her two popular series for a new series—the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Fans were introduced to Murphy Thornton, the son of Joshua Thornton from Lovers in Crime Mysteries, and Jessica Faraday, the daughter of Mac Faraday from the Mac Faraday Mysteries, in the widely-acclaimed and best-selling Three Days to Forever, which was released in January 2015.
A Mac Faraday Mystery, Three Days to Forever introduces Lauren Carr’s new series, the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Click on book cover to download from Amazon.
The match-up surprised even the author. “I thought long and hard about bringing Murphy and Jessica together,” Lauren confesses. “I had developed each of the characters separately. Murphy appeared in my very first book, A Small Case of Murder. At that time, he was only sixteen and his mother had recently passed away. Jessica appeared briefly in Old Loves Die Hardand I had no thought while writing that book of pairing her up with Murphy. I was as surprised as anyone when their characters ended up being a perfect match in Three Days to Forever.”
A perfect match they are! Lauren Carr’s newest series is hot and sexy, like her newest detectives. Lauren warns, “Some readers may be surprised to see that I push the envelope just a little bit more in The Thorny Rose Mysteries than I do in my other series. Due to the combination of my detectives’ youth and the environment (the Nation’s Capital), it was virtually impossible to keep things completely pure.” Some readers may notice a few more curse words (no F-bombs allowed!) and sexual references, which Lauren will confine only to the Thorny Rose Mysteries. “What can I say?” Lauren says with a sigh. “Washington, DC, is not Spencer or Chester.”
In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in Crime join newlyweds Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to sift through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning killer?
Mystery fans can keep up on all the news about the Thorny Rose Mysteries, Kill and Run, and Lauren Carr’s upcoming titles for the next couple of months–all without leaving their homes (or getting dressed). Lauren Carr is going on tour–launching August 31 with iRead Book Tours! As always when Lauren goes on tour, she promises that you will have fun! Follow her on tour for interviews, guest blog posts, and reviews of both Three Days to Forever and Kill and Run! Don’t miss out on the fun! Get on the bus now! See you in Cyberspace!
Lauren Carr’s The Thorny rose Mystery Tour launches Aug 31. Click on logo to get her extensive blog tour schedule.
About the Author
An Amazon All-Star author, Lauren Carr is the creator of three popular mystery series: the Mac Faraday Mysteries, The Lovers in Crime Mysteries, and now the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Kill and Run is the first installment of The Thorny Rose Mysteries. Each of Lauren Carr’s mysteries have made Amazon’s best-seller ranking internationally.
Best-Selling Mystery Author Lauren Carr … and Gnarly, too. Click on Gnarly’s nose to visit Lauren Carr’s website.
In addition to her series set on Deep Creek Lake, Lauren Carr has also written the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, which features prosecutor Joshua Thornton with homicide detective Cameron Gates, who were introduced in Shades of Murder, the third book in the Mac Faraday Mysteries. They also make an appearance in The Lady Who Cried Murder.
The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.
She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Visit Lauren Carr’s website at www.mysterylady.net to learn more about Lauren and her upcoming mysteries.
“Robin, it’s me, Ashton.”
Spring is in the air. In Deep Creek Lake, the burst of blossoms on the trees has the effect of a starting pistol in the race to get the resort area ready in time for the seasonal residents return to Spencer, Maryland.
Lauren Carr’s 10th best-selling Mac Faraday Mystery is already getting rave reviews from readers and reviewers. Click on the book cover to download now at Amazon!
In this latest Mac Faraday Mystery, Lauren Carr once again brings murder to the Spencer Inn, Mac Faraday’s five-star resort located at the top of Spencer Mountain. “I have to confess,” the author says, “personally I would wonder how the Spencer Inn hangs on to their five-star rating with all the murders that happen there.”
Obviously, the high society guests in her book aren’t worried about the Spencer Inn’s mortality rate because they’re dying to attend the Diablo Ball, which is hosted by Mac Faraday’s new bride, Archie Monday. An annual charitable event to benefit the Humane Society, the Diablo Ball used to be hosted by Robin Spencer, Mac’s late mother, and would kick-off Deep Creek Lake’s summer season.
“Naturally, in my book, the Diablo Ball truly is an event to die for,” Lauren says. As readers have come to expect from every Lauren Carr mystery, Open Season for Murder delivers a punch even before the party invitations are put in the mail when uninvited guests begin RSVP’ing.
Intrigued by a mysterious phone call, retired homicide detective Mac Faraday can’t resist diving into the cold case of Ashton Piedmont, a young woman who had disappeared into the moonlit waters of Deep Creek Lake five years earlier.
Mac quickly discovers that not only is the Diablo Ball drawing in A-listers from across the country, but someone is going to a lot of trouble to gather together suspects and witnesses connected to Ashton Piedmont and each one seems to have their own agenda for coming to Spencer.
When murder strikes, it is up to Mac Faraday and his friends to find the killer … or is it killers? When it comes to murder in Deep Creek Lake, you never know.
But readers do know this, if it’s happening at the Spencer Inn, you know it’s an event to die for!
About the Author
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday and Lovers in Crime Mysteries. Her upcoming new series, The Thorny Rose Mysteries will be released September 1, 2015. Stay tuned for news about Kill and Run!
The first installment in Lauren Carr’s upcoming series, Kill and Run is scheduled for release September 1.
The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.
She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Do they still play King of the Hill on playgrounds? If you aren’t familiar with this game, let me explain it to you.
First, you have to have a hill. I’m not talking about Mount Rushmore, I’m talking about a big hill. It can be a huge mound of dirt. Sand is even better because it slips out from under your feet, which makes it hard to get up.
Then, you put a flag at the very top of the hill. The one who takes the flag is the King of the Hill.
Now, imagine this.
Two teams are trying to make it to the top of the hill to snatch the flag so that they can be the winner. You can picture the two teams anyway you want. One can be a team of bullies while the other are the good guys. Or both teams are bullies. Or maybe both teams are good guys. Fact is, they are both big and strong.
In their effort to get to the top of the hill to win the prize, they start fighting each other.
As the fight grows in intensity, both teams lose their focus on the flag at the top of the hill, which is taken by a lone child who belongs to neither team. How did this child become King of the Hill, he kept out of the fighting and remained focused on the primary objective of capturing the flag.
That child represents the Phantoms as I have created them in my latest Mac Faraday Mystery, Three Days to Forever.
Who are The Phantoms?
A Mac Faraday Mystery, Three Days to Forever introduces Lauren Carr’s new series, the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Click on book cover to download from Amazon.
Three Days to Forever opens in the Middle East where David O’Callaghan, Mac Faraday’s half-brother, is leading a team of special ops Marines in taking out a terrorist training camp. While scoping out the camp, they discover that the trainees are being visited by a major terrorist leader who is on the Homeland Security’s most wanted list.
However, protocol dictates that David needs to call in for permission to use fatal force to take out the target. His team bets that he will be told to stand down, not execute the man who was responsible for leading a terrorist attack that took out many of their comrades. This is not the first time this leader had been in the military’s sights and every time they had been told to let him go.
In this excerpt from Three Days to Forever, Hallie, a member of David’s special ops team, tells him the legend of the Phantoms.
“They will (give us the order to proceed),” David said with as much confidence as he could muster to pass on to his team. “We’re at war. We can’t win it if we don’t neutralize the enemy, no matter how nasty killing might be. I don’t like shooting people, but in situations like this, there are two options. Kill, or have my brothers and sisters in arms—or even innocent civilians like those in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and flight ninety-three—murdered.”
“We may not have forgotten,” Lieutenant Dean said, “but Washington sure has.”
“Not everyone in Washington,” Hallie said. “Not the Phantoms.”
“Phantoms?” David chuckled while cocking his head and pressing his radio to his ear to make sure he got the order when it came.
“It’s a myth.” Dean was laughing as well. “You know how people in the military talk.”
Hallie was shaking her head. “A friend of mine who works on the top floors at the Pentagon says it ain’t.”
“What’s a Phantom?” David asked with a grin. “Do they run around wearing black capes?”
“According to what I was told—do you remember the untouchables from Al Capone days?”
“That was before my time, but yes,” David said. “A group of federal agents and cops who banded together to take down organized crime in Chicago. They couldn’t be bribed or intimidated. They were untouchable.”
“Well, this is the military version,” Hallie said over Dean’s quiet laughter. They were all aware of the camp full of men who would think nothing of torturing and killing all of them if they were discovered.
“This team is made up of members of each branch of the government and military, more highly trained than special ops and Navy SEALs,” Hallie said. “You don’t apply to be a Phantom. You’re hand-picked. They have the top equipment and training, and their sole mission is to protect our country and citizens without the influence and intimidation of politicians and deal-makers with their own personal and political agendas.”
She jerked her chin at the chief terrorist down at the bottom of the mountain. “Twice we’ve had that man in our sights, and twice we’ve been told by someone high up in Washington to let him go. Why?” She scoffed. “Because killing him would hurt those poor terrorists’ feelings. Like he didn’t care about hurting our feelings when he planned and coordinated the jihad attack in Afghanistan?” With a knowing expression on her face, she said, “It’s going to take a Phantom to terminate him.”
“They’re a myth,” Dean said.
“Do you remember that mansion that al-Baghdadi had in Syria?” Hallie asked.
“I wasn’t there.”
“Huge mansion,” Hallie said. “They say that the downstairs was a command center for ISIS. Well, that mansion is no more. It’s an eighteen-foot crater in the desert.”
“Caused by an accidental explosion from their own weapons,” Dean said.
Hallie whispered to David. “That’s the hallmark of the Phantoms. When they strike, it’s never traced back to us. You’d be surprised by what I heard—”
Readers will learn more about the Phantoms in Kill and Run, the first installment in the Thorny Rose Mysteries, which is to be released later on this year.
The first Thorny Rose Mystery, Kill and Run, will be released later this year.
In the meantime, Three Days to Forever is not my standard Mac Faraday Mystery. It is filled with murder, action, suspense, thrills, home-grown terrorists, jihadists, twists and turns, conspiracies, and even political cover-ups.
Novels that include political corruption and cover-ups have been around as long as there have been novels. While some may have based less that savory fictional political figures on real politicians, most have not.
Not surprising to me, after the release of Three Days to Forever, some more sensitive readers have perceived it as a political message and bashing of our current administration, in spite of the author note that I have included on the book page on Amazon and in the front pages stating that this book is fiction and not a political commentary.
For those itching for a political commentary, here it is:
Back in my youth, I worked as an editor and layout design artist with the federal government during the term of three presidents: Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and Bill Clinton. Two republicans and one democrat. I met and worked with people from all different backgrounds, status, and worldviews.
By the time I left the government to concentrate on my writing, I learned this about Washington:
Cover-up is a way of life and knows no party-line. Watergate was the republican’s cover-up. Ronald Reagan had the arms for hostages deal. Monica-gate was Bill Clinton’s cover-up. Obama has Lois Lerner and the IRS, and Hillary has Benghazi.
From my mountaintop in West Virginia, I see two opposing groups of children, fighting each other for the flag at the top of the hill so that they can be King and, in the process, losing sight of that flag … and the security of our country and its citizens against its enemies.
Thus, behind them, in slips the Phantoms to do what they need to do.
About the Author:
Lauren Carr is the best-selling author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Three Days to Forever is the ninth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series.
Best-Selling Mystery Author Lauren Carr … and Gnarly, too.
In addition to her series set on Deep Creek Lake, Lauren Carr has also written the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, which features prosecutor Joshua Thornton with homicide detective Cameron Gates, who were introduced in Shades of Murder, the third book in the Mac Faraday Mysteries. They also make an appearance in The Lady Who Cried Murder.
Three Days to Forever introduces Lauren Carr’s latest series detectives, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday in the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Look for the first installment in this series in Spring 2015.
The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.
She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Visit Lauren Carr’s website at www.mysterylady.net to learn more about Lauren and her upcoming mysteries.
Today, we have a book review for Vincent J. Sachar’s Nowhere Out:
I was happy to read Nowhere Out by Vincent J. Sachar. It was very well written and Mr. Schar’s knowledge of the military and police procedure was most impressive.
NOWHERE OUT is Vincent Sachar’s second novel Click on book cover to purchase on Amazon.
Kent Taylor was a Navy SEAL. He was a dedicated soldier, father, and husband. He gave his all to his country and to the men he served with, and then his pregnant wife, in-laws, and young son are murdered. Revenge drips through his veins like an acid, and he acts upon his emotions, killing those who are responsible. His military training make his techniques so stealthy that he becomes known as the “Ghost Assassin” by the man who dogs him, detective, Bill Gladdings, and to the public. In the end, Kent Taylor is supposedly killed in a car accident, but he lives on in a reclusive lifestyle as Ron Woodruff.
Fourteen years later–enter the “Shadow Killer”–similar murders begin happening. Someone is out to kill people who have been assigned to a commission on wrong doings in the government, and those who may testify. He kills with the same stealth as the Ghost Assassin and those who are investigating are starting to think that the ghost has returned–except for Gladdings.
Meanwhile Kent/Ron has met a woman and he’s thinking that he may be able to return to a life, but will he be forced to come forward to aide in stopping the murders? Will he have to risk this new life to help bring the Shadow and those who have hired him to justice?
Love, love, loved this book! I felt every emotion that Kent Taylor felt–he was a likeable, believable, protagonist. I highly recommend this book ! 5 STARS
NOWHERE OUT Vincent J. Sachar
For five years, Ron Woodruff has been living a quiet, solitary life on a nameless road in upstate New York. He’s become accustomed to keeping to himself, at a safe distance from others, scrupulously avoiding the risk of involvement with anyone. Despite his peaceful surroundings, Woodruff remains tormented by memories of his former life—the life that ended fourteen years ago with the death of Kent Taylor, decorated Navy SEAL turned notorious serial killer.
For fourteen years, Bill Gladding, one of the FBI’s most respected field agents, has kept silent about his work on the “Ghost Assassin Case.” He rarely reflects on the covert mission—sanctioned by the government, for its own protection—to falsify the death of an extremely efficient killer, the former Lieutenant Commander Kent Taylor.
After all these years, Taylor’s comfortably isolated life and Gladding’s peace of mind and plans for coasting into retirement are about to be shattered by an elusive new master of high-stakes, high-profile murder—the Night Shadow Killer.
In Nowhere Out (Divont Publishers, October 2014), Vincent J. Sachar draws readers into a complex, riveting plot of conspiracy and murder—sometimes for money and power, and sometimes for a noble cause. At its center are two strong men haunted by their past and struggling to forgive, especially themselves. Building on his first novel, The Nowhere Man, Sachar reunites Kent Taylor (a/k/a Ron Woodruff) and Bill Gladding, killer and detective, in a battle against a skillful, stealth assassin targeting the ruthless and powerful with ties to organized crime and political corruption. To further aggravate matters, Gladding uncovers evidence of a mole within his own trusted circle of agents. And Woodruff has a close encounter with the unexpected and unsettling: a woman. Genuine, funny, sensitive, and lovely, a widow and a survivor, Katie Dunham breaks through Taylor’s wall and fills him with a longing to get involved—at his own risk and hers.
Nowhere Out is packed with action, intrigue, and startling twists that will keep readers gripped until the final, satisfying page.
Vincent J. Sachar is an attorney with a passion for writing fiction. He introduced the character of Kent Taylor, Navy SEAL turned serial killer, in his debut novel, The Nowhere Man. A native New Yorker, Vince met his wife, Gwen, a native of southern Louisiana, while attending Loyola University in New Orleans. They have three grown children and make their home in south Florida. To learn more, please visit the author’s website: www.vincentsachar.com.
An Interview with Vincent J. Sachar, author of Nowhere Out
1. You’re an attorney by day. What was your inspiration for writing thrillers about a patriotic Navy SEAL forced to use his lethal skills against corrupt government officials of the country he fought for and loves?
Throughout my career, I normally wrote things that were of a serious and business nature. I have always been a very avid reader—a prerequisite, I believe, to writing. I wanted to explore the freedom of writing creatively—especially writing fiction novels. In line with that, I wanted to explore the impact and character development of a man highly trained with lethal skills who is suddenly stripped of everything he genuinely values. The mix of a government-trained Special Forces soldier and a betrayal by the government that trained him best fits the “mix” I was looking for.
Vincent Sachar is an attorney by day and thriller writer by night. Click on his photo to visit his website to learn more about recent releases and more.
2. Do you think that your plot, where many of the villains are the politically powerful, resonates with the popular belief these days that the government no longer serves the best interest of its people?
Yes, even though the novel itself is not an “anti-government” story nor a statement that governments and people in power can never be trusted. Yet, it does support the popular belief that the government cannot always nor fully be trusted to serve the best interests of its people. And for Kent Taylor, that’s the point! What do you do when you are on the wrong side of unlawful government actions? Where do you go? To whom can you turn? Lord Acton — “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
3. Kent Taylor, the protagonist, was unjustly branded a terrorist by his government. Do you think there are actually people wrongfully and maliciously persecuted and branded as terrorists by the government?
Absolutely! Sometimes (wrongfully) this occurs as a result of ignorance that is often combined with people’s failure to objectively make their own determinations. Other times (maliciously) someone is so labeled because he represents a threat to the status quo. In The Nowhere Man, Bill Gladding, a seasoned “law and order” FBI Special Agent, anticipated that in Taylor he would find a twisted (terrorist) killer. The fact that he did not carries over into the dynamics of Nowhere Out.
4. At the heart of Kent Taylor’s pain is the fact that he feels responsible for the government’s murder of his wife and young kids. In this sequel, you introduce a new love interest. How does writing a more flirtatious storyline differ from writing scenes dealing with cold and calculated murders?
At the heart of everything, there is an underlying emotional foundation. The difference between a flirtatious storyline and scenes with cold and calculated murders is the difference between hope and the prospect of happiness and the absence of any such hope or possibility of joyful fulfillment. A writer must enter into the mindset of his or her characters and the scenario in which the characters have been placed. It should be no surprise that many an author will laugh, cry, or shudder when writing and reading his or her own creative words.
The Nowhere Man is Vincent Sachar’s first novel click on book cover to purchase on Amazon.
5. Kent Taylor is the hero of your novels, yet he is indeed a killer who acts outside the boundaries of the law. Is it ever justifiable, let alone righteous, to seek out revenge and kill those who’ve hurt you?
In a true “black and white” analysis of Taylor’s revenge killings, they are neither righteous nor justifiable. Interestingly, he never in The Nowhere Man nor in Nowhere Out ever labels them as justifiable or righteous. He never defends his actions. No, it is never righteous nor justifiable to kill others in revenge for the hurt they have put you through. But it is sometimes “understandable.” There seem to be times when the extenuating circumstances that generate a person’s unlawful actions are such that they appear to lessen the degree of wrongfulness associated with them. It is as if we say that we cannot completely fault someone for responding as they did. And question whether we would have done the same.
6. Some people are distrustful of soldiers returning from war, even going so far as to question their mental stability. Your character, Kent Taylor, faces some of that from even some members of his family. Were you concerned that writing about a murdering former Navy SEAL could perpetuate that stereotype?
No, not really. Kent Taylor’s actions do not arise out of post traumatic stress disorder. Rather, they are spawned by the murders of his loved ones perpetrated directly and indirectly by government officials and law enforcement officers—people with whom he would normally associate with very positively.
7. This novel is about self-reinvention and a philosophy of life you call “Yborn.” What is “Yborn” and is it possible in today’s world where every facet of one’s life is documented online in perpetuity?
Actually, the “Yborn” that I speak of relates to something in a person’s life that they were meant or born to do. It is in response to Mark Twain’s quote: “The two greatest days in a person’s life are the day they are born and the day they find out why.”
Yes, there are instances when a person has either changed to such a degree or generated so much that is positive that the negativity of their past seems to get lost in the “used-to-be” aspects of their life. With regard to Kent Taylor, I have endeavored to portray him as a man of character and integrity whose actions,
following a devastating loss of all he valued in life, cross boundaries and standards that he otherwise would never have violated.
8. You’re now living in sunny South Florida. Has the sunshine and warm weather influenced your darker plots and storylines?
Hahahaha! Waking up most every day to find the sunshine bleeding through the window blinds, anxious to enter your home, does seem to stimulate a person’s creative juices! I have already written, but not yet published, an epic fantasy fiction novel and have already started on a third “Kent Taylor” story. So whether a novel is a bit dark or quite the opposite is based upon the story birthed within me. The Florida sunshine is the innocent catalyst. LOL. About the Reviewer
Cindy McDonald
For twenty-six years my life whirled around song and dance: I was a professional dancer/choreographer for most of my adult life and never gave much thought to a writing career until 2005. Don’t ask me what happened, but I suddenly felt drawn to my computer to write about thing I have experienced ( greatly exaggerated upon, of course) with my husband’s Thoroughbreds and happening at the race track.
Author Cindy McDonald. Click on pic to visit Cindy’s website.
Surprised? Why didn’t I write about my experiences with dance? Eh, believe it or not life at the race track is much more….racy. The drama is outrageous– not that dancers don’t know how to create drama, believe me, they do, but race trackers just seem to get more down and dirty with it, which make for great story telling – great fiction.
I didn’t start out writing books, The Unbridled Series started out as a TV drama, the Hollywood readers loved the show. The problem was that we couldn’t sell it. So one of the readers said, “Cindy, don’t be stupid, turn your scripts into book.” and so I did!In 2011 I took the big leap and exchanged my tap shoes for a lap top- I retired from dance. It was a scary proposition, I was terrified, but I had the full support of my husband- Saint Bill. That year was a huge transition for me, I went from dancing hard for five hours a night to sitting in front of a computer. I still work-out and take my dog, Allister, for a daily run. I have to, or I’d be as big as a house. Do I miss dance? Sometimes I do. I miss the students. I miss choreographing musicals, but I LOVE my books, and I love sharing them with you!
Stop by Literary Wealth on Thursday for a Book Spotlight on Cindy’s latest suspense:
To the Breaking Pointe:
Click on book cover to purchase Cindy’s latest suspense on Amazon.
Interview with Slick & Junebug
From Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction
by Amy Metz
Today we’re delighted to be talking to Slick and Junebug Calloway, the owners of the aptly named Slick & Junebug’s Diner. Those are unusual names. Did Amy give you those or are they nicknames?
Slick: What’s wrong with our names?
Junebug: Oh, don’t listen to this old coot. I’ll tell you about our names. You’re right, they’re both nicknames. Slick has worn his hair slicked back like that ever since he was a boy. His mama used the pomade very liberally, and folks started calling him Slick, and it stuck. My name came about on account of two things: one is I was born in June, and the other is when I was a baby my daddy said I was no bigger ‘n a bug, and they started calling me Junebug.
Click on Book Cover to download Murder and Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction on Amazon.
Can you tell us your given names? Slick: Clarence Junebug: Shirley
Those are nice names, but I do like Slick and Junebug better. I hear you’re one of the best cooks around, Slick. Who taught you to cook? Slick: My mama, bless her heart. She was a better cook than I am, and in fact I’d hire her over at the diner if she were alive today. She taught me everything I know about cooking.
What’s your favorite food to make? Slick: I make the best cheeseburger you’ll ever put in your mouth. Junebug: He’s right, he does.
Amy: His cheeseburgers are so good they’ll make your tongue slap your brains out. What would you call a cheeseburger in diner lingo? Junebug: Burn one, take it through the garden and pin a rose on it.
So all your cheeseburgers are well done? Slick: Naw, Burn one just means I grill ‘em. Want me to make you one right now?
Maybe later. Junebug , what’s your favorite thing he makes? Junebug: I love his baking. There ain’t nothing in our diner that’s store bought. It’s all made from scratch, even the life preservers.
Life preservers? Amy: She means donuts. Junebug: Slick makes killer donuts. But I’d have to say I like his pies the best. He doesn’t make one that I wouldn’t climb through all of Georgia to get to. Amy: His Eve with a lid on is the best thing you ever put in your mouth. It’s won the county fair blue ribbon for as long as anybody can remember. Slick: She means apple pie.
Ah. What’s your favorite thing to order in diner lingo? Junebug: You mean, what do I like to say the best?
Yes, when you head to the kitchen to place an order. What’s your favorite thing to say? Junebug: Well, I love to-go orders because I can say, “Let it walk” or “Give it shoes.” And I love nervous pudding. You know what that is?
No idea. Junebug: Gelatin. Bossy in a bowl is a goodun too.
That’s got to have something to do with a cow. Is it chili? Slick: No, it’s beef stew. You know what I like the best?
No idea. Slick: Clean up the kitchen. Junebug: Not literally, he means hash. Slick: It’s not only good tasting and fun to say, but I get to use up a lot of food that otherwise would get tossed.
I hear that the diner has two regulars who occupy counter stools every single day. What do they order the most? Junebug: Trouble. Slick: Ah, she’s just kidding. Clive and Earl are talkers, though. First of all, they always have coffee. Clive likes his black. Junebug: Which in diner lingo is mud. Slick: And Earl likes his coffee with cream and way too much sugar. Junebug: That’s called a blond with sand. But I always tell him he likes coffee in his sugar. I guess that would make it mud in your sand. Amy: And two cups of coffee are called a pair of drawers.
Interesting. What else do Clive and Earl like? Slick: Anything. Junebug: Everything. Slick: They usually order the blue plate special. I change it up so they have something different every day. Junebug: And even though Earl doesn’t have one tooth in his head, he’ll order and eat just about anything. It might take him longer, but it doesn’t deter him.
What does Amy usually order? Amy: Slick does something to his ham that’s out of this world. I don’t know what it is, but a ham sandwich with lettuce and tomato and some sweet tea is good eating. Slick: That’s my Noah’s boy, and she always wants to take it through the garden. Amy: He means lettuce and tomato. Sometimes he’ll add onion–pin a rose on it–when he has a sweet Vidalia onion sitting around. But actually, any of Slick’s baked goods are my favorite. Junebug: He makes pies with six-inch high meringue, cakes with icing an inch thick, big fat chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies, donuts, brownies, you name it, Slick makes it, and it’s good.
Okay, folks. I’d better let you get back to work. And you all are making me hungry. Can I have that cheeseburger now? Junebug: Burn one, Slick. You wanna take it through the garden and pin a rose on it, hon? Sure, why not.
My Review:
Anyone who knows anything about me knows that my two favorite things are mysteries and humor. Therefore, it goes without saying that I loved Amy Metz’s Murder and Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction. Being a small town girl from West Virginia, I know that it takes a special talent to be able to honestly bring out the special quaint qualities of southerners without making them appear stupid and backward. Amy Metz does that wonderfully. Her characters are simply loveable. I found it an extra special treat to be taken into a compelling mystery as well.
Murder and Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction is charming, fun, well-written, and loaded with delicious personality that makes the reader want to go back again if only to say, “Hi, y’all!”
About the Author:
Click on Amy to visit her website to learn more about Goosepimple Junction.
Amy Metz attended Centre College and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a BA in Elementary Education. She taught first grade until her first child was born, and then motherhood and volunteer work took up her time. When her mother was diagnosed with dementia in 2009, she turned to writing as therapy. Needing an escape from life and from the memoir, and desperately needing to laugh, she began writing a humorous southern mystery that eventually became Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction, and an author was born.
Amy has been richly blessed with two sons – an adult and a teenager – and a daughter-in-law. When not actively engaged in writing or spending time with her family, Amy can usually be found with a mixing spoon, camera, or book in her hands. Amy’s debut novel, Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction, was first published in August 2012, with the second edition coming in September 2014. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky. Contact Amy at: amy@amymetz.com.
In case you’ve missed it, this month the latest Lovers in Crime Mystery, Real Murder, was released and it is already a hit with both reviewers and readers. Still hesitant? Well check out ABookVacation’s review.
Literary Wealth 