Thoughts in Progress

Friday, January 22, 2021

A Fighting Chance (+ Giveaway)

I’m delighted to welcome Chrys Fey, author of the Disaster Crimes Series, to Thoughts in Progress today to talk about her latest release, A FIGHTING CHANCE.

Join me in giving a warm welcome to Chrys. Welcome, Chrys.

Tornadoes in Florida

While I was writing A Fighting Chance, I had to know the plausibility of a tornado in Central Florida and what strength would be believable. I knew an EF5 (what they called “the finger of God” on the movie Twister) would be too far out there, and writing a realistic story, even with characters who deal with disaster after disaster, is always a priority. I didn’t want my readers to be like, oh course it’s an EF5 tornado (after the hurricane in Hurricane Crimes was a category 5). I wanted to avoid some eye rolls at least. But I wasn’t sold on an EF4 tornado, either. I thought that would still be too strong, too much.

I took to Google and researched the strongest tornadoes in Florida history. I came across information about the February 22-23 1998 Kissimmee tornado outbreak, which produced the deadliest tornado event in Florida history and is known as The Night of the Tornadoes. In the Greater Orlando area, the tornadoes were F3, near F4 (this was before the Fujita Scale was upgraded to the Enhanced Fujita Scale).

Before the 1998 outbreak, the previous record was from 17 on March 31, 1962 when 12 tornadoes touched down. One tracked for a massive 30 miles.

From the 1998 outbreak, the deadliest tornado struck Kissimmee and St. Cloud, which produced near-F4 damage and killed 25 people. The last tornado that night hit Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, which is about 50 miles in west direction of Kissimmee (by car it’s about 60 miles). That tornado was an F1. In all, 42 people died and 260 people were injured.

So, it would be possible for an EF3 to touchdown and cause devastation in Central Florida.

Pages: 154

Genre: Romantic-Suspense

Heat Rating: Hot

BLURB:

*A FIGHTING CHANCE is Book 6 in the Disaster Crimes series, but it’s a spin-off featuring a new couple, so it can be read as a standalone.*

Thorn has loved Amanda from afar, giving her whatever she needs as a survivor of abuse—space, protection, and stability. He yearns to give her more, though, to share his feelings, kiss her, love her, but he's worried the truth will frighten her away.

And Amanda is afraid. She’s scared of her attraction for Thorn. Most of all, she’s terrified of her ex-boyfriend, who is lurking nearby where no one can find him. When she grows closer to Thorn, Damon retaliates, jeopardizing their happy ending.

Up against an abusive ex and Mother Nature, do Thorn and Amanda have a fighting chance?

Book Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iTunes

EXCERPT:

Amanda looked up from the current list of up-to-date payments for classes. A movement outside the glass storefront caught her eye. She tilted her head to see a man coming up the sidewalk from the side where the picnic bench sat. Through the vertical blinds, she glimpsed a square face—a short, rugged beard and long, dark hair pulled into a man bun. Her breath fled from her lungs. Her body went from icy cold to flaming hot in the span of a millisecond. She dropped to the floor and slid under the counter, beneath the ledge where they put their purses and cell phones.

“What—” Beth peeked at the windows. Then she snapped her fingers at April and pointed at the stools.

April jumped into action. She pushed the stools in so they blocked Amanda. The bell attached to the door jingled as April removed the jacket she wore and draped it across the stools, creating a curtain to shield Amanda.

From a crack, Amanda watched Beth move to stand in front of the twins, who were in their walkers playing peacefully. “I’m sorry, but we’re going to be closing.”

“I don’t give a shit. I’m here for Amanda.”

The sound of Damon’s voice had her heart beating even harder. That voice had haunted her nightmares, had come back to life in her memories.

Beth cocked her head to the side. “Who? There’s no one by that name here.”

“Don’t bullshit me. I know she works here.”

His voice was closer now.

***FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME***

THE DISASTER CURSE

Book Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iTunes

Author’s Note: I wrote The Disaster Curse to answer a few lingering questions readers may have after reading A Fighting Chance, and to tie the whole series together with a neat, shiny, perfect little bow. Plus, there was one disaster that I hadn’t written about yet. *wink*

The Disaster Crimes Series:

*The Crime Before the Storm (prequel)

Hurricane Crimes (novella, #1)

Seismic Crimes (#2)

Lightning Crimes (free short, #2.5)

Tsunami Crimes (#3)

Flaming Crimes (#4)

Frozen Crimes (#5)

A Fighting Chance (spin-off, #6)

The Disaster Curse (short story, #7)

*Free exclusive story to newsletter subscribers.

***LAUNCHING A WEBSITE***

TheFightingChance.org is a website dedicated to domestic violence and sexual assault awareness. Inspired by the Disaster Crimes series.

***GIVEAWAY***

Prizes: Hurricane Crimes (Disaster Crimes 1) and Seismic Crimes (Disaster Crimes 2) eBooks (mobi or epub), Hurricane Crimes Playing Cards, Girl Boss Sign, and a Volcanic Blast Scented Candle

Link: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/23d974a92670/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meet the Author:

Chrys Fey is author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique concept that blends disasters, crimes, and romance.

She runs the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Book Club on Goodreads and edits for Dancing Lemur Press. https://www.chrysfey.com

Author Links:

Newsletter / Website / Facebook Group /Blog / BookBub

Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Do tornadoes both scare and fascinate you the way they do me?

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

The Spirit Woman of Lockleer Mountain

It is always a pleasure to welcome author Elaine Faber back to Thoughts in Progress and she always brings such intriguing new stories with her.

Today Elaine joins us to talk about how her latest release, THE SPIRIT WOMAN OF LOCKLEER MOUNTAIN, evolved into being.

First, a short synopsis on the book.

There are sightings of a woman and a mountain lion near Lockleer Mountain, seen at moment of crisis. Is she the legendary Native American's Spirit Woman, sent to protect the community? Nate is convinced his sister, missing for three months, and surely suffering from amnesia, is the elusive woman. He fears she will not survive living wild in the woods with a mountain lion, during the coming winter months.

While Deputy Nate Darling pursues a relationship with Lou Shoemaker, he and Sheriff Peabody pursue a drug dealer, selling to the youth at the Native American reservation. Things are even more complicated by civil unrest regarding the government's secret plans to build a mysterious facility, a big box store, and a housing tract close to Lockleer Mountain, threatening the livelihood of the local merchants.

Is there any hope that the Spirit Woman, real or imaginary, can bring harmony to the troubled community? Will Nate be able to apprehend the drug dealer, locate his missing sister, maintain his budding romance, and guarantee the financial future of Lockleer Mountain?

THE SPIRIT WOMAN OF LOCKLEER MOUNTAIN

By Elaine Faber

*ASIN: 1940781272

*Publisher: Elk Grove Publications (December 31, 2020)

*Language: English

*Paperback: 266 pages

*ISBN-10: 4294245093

*ISBN-13: 978-4294245095

Now let’s give a warm welcome to Elaine. Welcome to Thoughts in Progress, Elaine.

I’ve published four cozy cat mysteries, starring Black Cat, who, with the aid of his ancestors’ memories, helps his ‘person’ solve mysteries and murder.

That was followed by three humorous historical fiction novels set during WWII. An elderly retired government undercover agent, Mrs. Odboddy, is now determined to fight WWII from the home front where she believes Nazi spies and conspiracies abound. She is determined to expose and bring the miscreants to justice.

Many of my short stories included cats, so I published an anthology of ‘cat stories,’ All Things Cat.

Thinking it was time to move on to something new, I remembered a short story I wrote several years ago (which also contained a cat). This was a somewhat humorous account of a man who owned a sewer truck called the Pooper Scooper. While pumping out a septic tank in a rural community one day, he stumbles upon a drug lab, is caught by the drug dealer, and uses his truck to facilitate his escape.

This story begged to be written. Sewer truck driver? Cozy mystery? Humor? Sounded like the theme for a full length novel, something right up my alley.

The Spirit Woman of Lockleer Mountain takes place in the CA Sierra foothills where folks still have wells and septic tanks. As has happened so often in the past, despite my intention that the story should follow a certain direction, when I start to write, the characters often take over and send me in a completely different direction.

So, the story evolved. Lou Shoemaker owns a sewer truck, the Pooper Scooper, and her business takes her into the mountainous region servicing septic tanks. That’s when the characters took over. There ensues a budding romance with Lou and Deputy Sheriff, Nate Darling. Nate’s sister has mysteriously disappeared three months previously following a minor motor vehicle accident and has not been seen since.

The government is up to some shenanigans, pursuing plans to build a mysterious facility near the town without the knowledge of the city fathers, and the local businessmen aren’t happy. When a drug dealer starts selling drugs to the teens on the Native American reservation nearby, it seems their legendary Spirit Woman, said to protect the community, needs to take a hand in resolving the troubling issues. Sightings of her and her pet mountain lion are frequently seen at moments of crisis. Can she help Nate resolve his personal issues as well as solve the town’s troubles?

My novels do not follow the formula so often seen in today’s cozy mysteries. So, instead of the most common theme in cozy mysteries today with the typical widow and her unusual job, who gets involved with a murder and against all advice, pursues the typical killer, with her typical dog and quirky sidekick, Spirit Woman is a mystery with a paranormal figure determined to aid in resolving the most pressing issues a town or a budding romance can handle, with surprises and humor tucked in here and there.

It’s still a cozy, meaning no extreme violence, explicit sex, or profanity. We have wholesome characters (most of them with a few exceptions), an intriguing puzzle and a legendary figure that may or may not be real. What’s not to like? The Spirit Woman of Lockleer Mountain Amazon $3.99 e-book http://tinyurl.com/y82t4xsh

Black Cat Mysteries: With the aid of his ancestors’ memories, Black Cat helps solve mysteries and crimes. Partially narrated by Black Cat, much of the story comes from a cat’s often humorous and poignant point of view.

Mrs. Odboddy Mystery/Adventures: Elderly, eccentric Mrs. Odboddy fights WWII from the home front. Follow her antics in these hysterical, historical novels as a self-appointed hometown warrior exposes malcontents, dissidents and Nazi spies…even when she’s wrong.

The Spirit Woman Mystery/Paranormal/Adventures

The Native Americans believe the legendary Spirit Woman ‘protects the community.’ When Govt. demands create social unrest in a small mountain town, and drugs threaten the lives of their youth, the Spirit Woman and her mountain lion companion come to their aid.

Black Cat’s Legacy http://tinyurl.com/lrvevgm

Black Cat and the Lethal Lawyer http://tinyurl.com/q3qrgyu

Black Cat and the Accidental Angel http://tinyurl.com/y4eohe5n

Black Cat and the Secret in Dewey’s Diary

NCPA Cover and Interior Design Silver award 2019 http://tinyurl.com/vgyp89s

All Things Cat (anthology of short stories) http://tinyurl.com/y9p9htak

Mrs. Odboddy-Hometown Patriot NCPA 1^st Fiction 2017 http://tinyurl.com/hdbvzsv

Mrs. Odboddy – Undercover Courier NCPA 3^rd Cover and Design 2018 http://tinyurl/com/jn5bzwb

Mrs. Odboddy – And Then There Was a Tiger NCPA 2^nd Fiction 2019 http://tinyurl.com/yx72fcpx

The Spirit Woman of Lockleer Mountain http://tinyrul.com/y82t4xsh

Elaine, thanks so much for joining us today and sharing this insight into how this story came to be. It’s always fun learning where stories come from.

For those who aren’t familiar with Elaine, here is some background on her.

Elaine Faber lives in Elk Grove with her husband and four feline companions. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Cat Writers Association, and Northern California Publishers and Artists. She volunteers at the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop in Elk Grove. Her short stories have appeared in national magazines, have won multiple awards in various short story contests, and are included in at least 16 anthologies. She leads a critique groups in the Sacramento area.

Elaine’s Mrs. Odboddy and Black Cat Mystery series’ have won top awards with Northern California Publishers and Authors annual writers’ contests. Black Cat and the Secret in Dewey’s Diary and All Things Cat, an anthology of cat stories, won 2018 and 2019 Certificates of Excellence with Cat Writers’ Association.

Elaine enjoys speaking at public author venues and clubs sharing highlights of her novels and her writing experience. She is currently working on two fiction novels to be published in 2021 and 2022.

Thanks everyone for visiting today. Doesn’t this sound like a fascinating story? Who doesn’t love a good cozy mystery, especially when a cat is involved?

Monday, January 18, 2021

Bait and Witch (+ Giveaway)

It’s a pleasure to be participating in the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for BAIT AND WITCH by Angela M. Sanders, the first installment in her Witch Way Librarian Mystery series.

Bait and Witch

By Angela M. Sanders

*Cozy Mystery

*1st in Series: A Witch Way Librarian Mystery

*Publisher: Kensington (December 29, 2020)

*Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages

*ISBN-10: 1496728742

*ISBN-13: 978-1496728746

*Digital ASIN: B086R8VF2T

Librarian Josie Way moved to small-town Oregon to lay low. Instead, thanks to newfound magic abilities—and a killer on the loose—she’s leapt out of the frying pan and into a cauldron of trouble . . .

Josie Way loved working among the Library of Congress’s leather-scented stacks—until she uncovered corruption and made herself a target. As Wilfred, Oregon’s new librarian, Josie can stay undercover until the case goes to court. But life in this little town isn’t as subdued as she expected. The library, housed in a Victorian mansion, is slated to be bulldozed. Still digesting the news that her safe haven is about to become scrap lumber; Josie discovers a body in the woods . . .

Almost as shocking, Josie learns that she’s descended from a long line of witches—and her powers have suddenly sprung to life. With help from a spoiled alley cat who just may be her familiar, Josie’s thumbing through a catalog of suspects, hoping she can conjure a way to save her library—and her life . . .

BAIT AND WITCH is available to purchase at Amazon - B&N - Kobo - Google Play - IndieBound

Now here is an excerpt for your reading pleasure.

EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 1

“Are you okay?”

“Yes—that is, I’m not sure. I had this weird episode on the plane, like my innards were exploding. Is that what a panic attack feels like?” Toni was a physician. She’d know.

“Not usually. Stress does weird things, though.”

I’d had plenty of stress. I pulled aside my collar and pressed a finger on the star-shaped birthmark on my shoulder. Ever since I was a girl, I’d touched it for comfort. Tonight, it almost burned. “I’m sure I’ll be better in the morning.”

“You really won’t tell me where you are?”

“No. You know I can’t. But you should see it here. It’s crazy, like I stepped into Cold Comfort Farm. The guy who drove me from the airport could have been nicknamed Lurch. I’m waiting for a raven to appear on a tree branch outside.”

“Just give me your town’s name. What if something happens to you?”

“No. I can’t. It’s better this way.” I toyed with the phone’s coiled cord. “I’ll call Mom tomorrow,” I said, replying to Toni’s unspoken question. All our lives, my sisters and I had shared a tacit communication. We could work elbow-to-elbow in Mom’s kitchen and never get in each others’ way. We’d pass a half cup of milk or plug in the mixer or set the oven’s timer for another sister without saying a word. “It’s late. I need to get to bed. I just wanted you to know I’m all right.”

After hanging up, I laid my nightgown on the foot of the bed. On impulse, I heaved up the bedroom window.

Oak trees vanished into the night. Beyond the trees was a cabin that couldn’t have been more than a few rooms. The caretaker’s, I guessed. Beyond that, maybe fifty yards away, was a house as large as the library, but squat and wide. I made out the glow of a light in an upstairs window. As I watched, a window shade pulled shut and blocked it out.

A breeze whooshed through the dry leaves, carrying a few to rattle against the roof. “Good night, wind,” I said, almost hearing my grandmother whisper the words in my ear. Funny, I hadn’t greeted the wind since I was a girl.

The black cat returned, too, padding up the shingles below my window.

“Who are you, little guy?”

He took two steps forward, mouthed a silent “meow,” and leapt away into the darkness.

Meet the Author!

Angela M. Sanders writes the Amazon bestselling Joanna Hayworth Vintage Clothing Mysteries and The Booster Club Capers. Under the pen name Clover Tate, she’s the author of the Kite Shop Mysteries (Berkley), which Romantic Times praised for their “well written wit and intrigue.”

Angela’s articles on food, personalities, and perfume have appeared in a variety of magazines, and her monthly newsletters have nearly 2,000 subscribers. She interacts with readers on Facebook and Instagram and is a prominent blogger for Now Smell This, which garners 1.5 million monthly page views.

Angela has two cats—one of whom is black of course—a witch’s freckle in her left eye and learned to read tarot cards from a pagan priestess.

For more on Angela and her writing, you can connect with her on the following sites:

Website - https://angelamsanders.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAngelaMSanders

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/angela.m.sanders/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/AngelaMSanders

Thanks for stopping by today. You can check up on Angela’s tour by visiting the blogs listed below. Also, be sure to enter the giveaway. If the Rafflecopter widget doesn’t appear, you can still enter by clicking HERE.

Doesn’t this story sound intriguing? I enjoy a story that involves a librarian, don’t you, and who can resist when a little magic is involved?

January 11 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – CHARACTER GUEST POST

January 11 – The Editing Pen – REVIEW

January 11 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

January 12 – I'm All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

January 12 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 12 – Literary Gold - SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

January 13 – The Avid Reader - REVIEW, EXCERPT

January 13 – Baroness' Book Trove - REVIEW

January 13 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT

January 14 – Angel's Guilty Pleasures - CHARACTER INTERVIEW

January 14 – Socrates Book Reviews - SPOTLIGHT